Beta: avid reader1970 (thank you, Deb)

Thank you for reading, just 3 chapters.

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CPOV (OC but 22 years old)

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-The witch-

It was 9:00 p.m. and Christian was seated in "The flying wish", the bar of the hotel he was staying in, it offered enough darkness and silence to get lost inside his own thoughts. He was drinking and sulking over the fact that, once again, his father didn't trust him, or didn't give him the benefit of the doubt. And once again, Elena Lincoln was the one offering what he needed. Last time was relief and control, this time money to start his own business.

He was staring at his shot of whisky and tossed the content down his throat, the strong amber liquid went down burning away the bitter taste of reality. It made him grimace but the warmness was welcomed, what a shame the sensation was so brief.

Christian was thankful to have Elena, for her support, but he knew that what she has done for him wasn't all "good". He recalled the first afternoon she bound him, how the panic invaded him while his mind went back to the previous time he was restrained, he could even smell the stinky cigarettes that left him marked when he was too little to fight back. Fortunately, Elena acted "nice" until he got used to it because he certainly needed those afternoons in her basement to recover some control over his life.

Christian stopped pulling out of his inner depths such disturbing images and took another sip of the liquid fire. Well, at least someone in his life was taking a leap of faith, or felt guilty enough because seduced a minor. His face twitched with a smirk.

A loud noise interrupted his thoughts, drawing him out of himself. Some annoying group of people had arrived and marched to the back of the bar to have a loud party gathering, obliging everybody else to be part of it. He turned to look at them, they were just some young morons.

That word in his mind made him feel uneasy, young. Wasn't he young too? No, young was a concept that didn't apply to him even if he was only twenty-two. For Christian, life had been exhausting and long, that's why he dropped Harvard, couldn't take more bullshit from those spoiled and conceited boys that knew nothing about life but egotistically behaved as if they did.

He took the key card out of his pocket to see the number of his room, and yelled at the bartender pointing to his empty glass, "312." The bartender nodded, filling the glass of another customer. Christian wondered if he would end up like that man, serving others, condemned to regular jobs. Well, if things go wrong tomorrow he probably would, there was no way he was going to accept one cent from Carrick or Grace, not after the debacle he faced just because he knew what he wanted, not the same than them obviously; and his big brother Elliot was just starting his construction business.

Outside the hotel the street was empty and kind of dark, perfect to take a silent walk around the block and sober his head before calling Elena. After a few steps, he stopped, this time it was a different noise what interrupted his inner monologue, a scared female voice. Christian headed to that direction, that was a sound he couldn't ignore.

"No, Jose, please."

"Come on Ana, just one." The asshole insisted.

"No."

That was pure angst, it made Christian shudder. "I think the lady said no."

The boy that was forcing her into a kiss glared at Christian and let the girl go, she took advantage of the sudden interruption to run and hide behind his back.

"And who the hell are you?" The voice of the prick was threatening. Really, asshole?

"He is my cousin, Jose, he's a taekwondo black belt, you better go." Nice try, sweetheart, but that's not the way to stop a fight.

"I know your family, he's not…," this time his voice was too much for Christian's patience.

"Just fuck off and leave her alone!"

The young moron, he was probably one of them, opened his eyes surprised by Christian's tone of voice, cold and menacing. After a few seconds of the staring battle with each other without saying a word, the boy huffed a pissed off breath and went inside the hotel muttering his annoyance.

"Thank you, I didn't need your help but thank you."

Christian smirked and turned around just to meet the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, they made it impossible to notice anything else. He was mesmerized by a clear and deep blue that made him feel as if he was drowning, he felt his soul momentarily unburdened of the darkness that had so long tormented him.

Shaking his head Christian recovered quickly. "Actually, I was helping him. Don't think he knows, though."

Tilting her head and raising an eyebrow, she regarded his face thoughtfully. He knew what would be next, female admiration then flirting. He was sure the small and pretty brunette, now he noticed more than her eyes, would be as predictable as the rest of her kind.

"Ugh!"

No, there wasn't any admiration in that grimace, more like displeasure.

What the hell?

For the first time in his life he was getting that reaction from a woman. Actually, it wasn't the first time but he refused to remember the woman that was supposed to love him and showed him rejection, his biological mother. Oddly, this girl looked like her but wasn't her, so maybe he had something on his teeth or his face? Or maybe she saw my ugly soul.

Christian passed his tongue over his teeth discreetly but didn't feel anything unusual, brushed his hand over his cheeks and chin, nothing there either. Then what?

"Are you wearing makeup?"

"Makeup?"

"You know, that thing you put in your face to…"

"I know what makeup is." He barked at her, annoyed by her suggestion, or suggestions. He wanted to just go and continue his solitary walk, but also felt too curious to do it. "And no, I'm not wearing such a thing."

"I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you, it's just… there is something about your face, it looks fake."

"Fake?" He was utterly surprised, there was nothing fake about his face, well, maybe the mask he had constructed with his own muscles and bones, always giving the impression he didn't give a fuck even if he was dying inside, like one second ago when he remembered his mother.

She studied his face again, this time she shuddered and turned her eyes away. Christian's instincts told him not to ask but curiosity is a strong impulse.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing… I have to go with my friends. Thanks again."

With one quick step he blocked her way to the door.

"Tell me."

"Why do you want me to tell you what you already know?"

And now he was sure, the girl was able to see straight through him, she was some sort of modern witch, he should run away from her.

She misread his surprise as interest and continued, "the mix of hurt and loss behind your eyes is something painful to watch."

It felt like a punch in the gut, he couldn't breathe. He swallowed hard the feeling of unsettlement, trying to recover his unaffected stance. He failed at that and it was evident because she reached over and touched Christian's face very sweetly, like if they were intimate. Christian couldn't understand why his body hadn't reacted against her approaching hand, on the contrary, the warm feeling the caress unrolled on his chest was very welcomed. The sensation lasted all the while the girl's hand was on him.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to disturb you."

And with that, she disappeared inside the hotel.

He pulled his own hair trying to find some relief in the painful sensation, and he finally did. Taking a deep breath, gave a look to the door that engulfed her and continued his lonely walk. She was all he could think about, the strangest experience he had ever had, even stranger than Elena kissing and slapping him that life-changing afternoon when he was fifteen years old.

She was right about something though, he knew what she was talking about. What affected him wasn't what she saw but the fact that she was able to see it. Nobody was able to see it, not even Elena or his family who saw his angriness and self-loathing. No, she saw the sad and lost boy that was thoroughly hidden deep inside him.

Christian didn't know how, but all of a sudden he was standing in front of the hotel, a few more steps and he was in front of the door that leads to the same bar he had left minutes ago. It was stronger than him, he needed to ask her how she did it, he needed to be sure that she was okay and the young moron was keeping some distance between his tongue and her mouth. If there is something everybody knows about witches, is that they all end up badly beaten by ignorance and fear, and this Millennium is still as barbaric as the previous one, if not worse.

The bar was as noisy as it was when he left, actually that was why he left, but he stepped into it discretely and sat at the counter ordering a beer. He wanted to be sober when calling Elena later that night, she wouldn't lend her husband's money to a drunken idiot, it wouldn't matter how guilty she feels. Christian really needed that money to start his Company and set himself free from the Greys, the family that adopted him but had never really understood him.

He stared at the mirror in front of him, it was large, covering the entire wall surface. Glancing at his reflection he saw it, the falseness she had mentioned, and couldn't avoid a small smile. Damn, it does look like make up. Then he put his attention in the group of young morons and found her quickly. The only problem was… she found him too.

When he met her gaze, he felt drawn into her eyes, again. It was like all the myriad shades of blue swirled together to form a whirlpool of apprehension, he was being pulled into a lake of frozen emotions, frozen until her. Even from the distance he was able to feel it.

He could tell by her body language that she was NOT intimidated by the situation. That pleased him, after all he was kind of stalking her.

The bartender put the beer in front of Christian distracting him for a moment, he took a sip and looked again, she wasn't there anymore. What the…

"Are you spying on me?"

She was sat next to him, how the hell had she done it was out of his understanding.

"Are you from this world?"

All he got for answer was a laugh.

"Seriously, first reading minds and now you can fly?" The flying witch, that should be the name of the bar.

This time she snorted and remained in silence for a few seconds before calling the bartender. "I want the same he is having."

They stared at each other through the mirror, it was unnerving since he knew what she could see. "I'm just perceptive, gray-eyes, obviously you are not used to be seen."

That annoyed him. "I'm always noticed, blue-eyes."

"I said seen… Thank you." The bartender smiled and winked while putting the beer in front of her, obviously flirting, something that annoyed him even more; the bartender hadn't noticed him.

It was time for a change of subject. "Was the boy behaving? And for your information, I AM a taekwondo black belt."

The smile on her face was as bright as her eyes, also causing the same effect, it was so unique that made it impossible to perceive anything else. "He's not here, apparently he left."

Christian looked for him in the reflection of the mirror but she was right, he wasn't there. Suddenly, he felt worried about the girl. What if the moron was waiting for a good opportunity to 'attack'?

"Don't worry, Jose is harmless."

Turning to look at her, Christian frowned his irritation. "Maybe you read faces but I read voices, you were scared out there."

Her eyes wide open in surprise told him she was not used to being seen either. The girl lowered her head and stared at the bottle, her voice changed to a raspy whisper that was barely audible and made him feel guilty for his rudeness.

"Anyway, why are you here?"

"A beer." He answered with a nonchalant voice.

Her glance went up to find his in the mirror, she didn't buy it.

"I was right, you are not used to be seen. That's why you are here."

The unsettlement came back and he couldn't understand what he was doing there, exposing his soul to her again, the soul he didn't want exposed. Someone seeing him beyond his mask was a first, and he realized he wanted to continue that path to discover where it led, so he went for honesty.

"Yes."

"There is something tormenting you restlessly, the greyness of your eyes just matches the greyness of your soul."

Another punch, the girl had a way with words that always let him breathless. He wanted to know more, he didn't comprehend why since that piece of information would be useless.

"How come you are the only one seeing it?"

"I already told you, I'm perceptive." She took a long sip and stared at him, this time directly to his eyes. "Or maybe I'm being tormented by similar demons and just recognize them behind your makeup."

"Mask."

"What?"

"I prefer the word mask, no makeup."

"Okay." She smiled fondly at him clearly amused by his annoyance. Blinded by the brightness of her smile he felt once again the pleasant sensation unrolling on his chest, his untouchable chest.

"I can't see your demons, though, and I AM perceptive too."

Sighing deeply she looked down. "Because I stopped hiding them, somehow they leave you alone most of the day if you accept them, even though they are still in there."

Christian understood, the witch had defeated her demons in a way but not completely. With his index finger he lifted up her head and saw it, the sadness behind her blueness, around it. He felt the strange urgency to wipe that angst off her face.

"Ugh!"

The smile was back and Christian felt ten feet tall, his little joke worked.

Suddenly, a blond girl was standing next to them interrupting their moment and making him dislike her. "Ana, let's go, everybody is going up."

Ana? Her name was Ana? It was too short or too simple. Christian didn't know exactly what it was, but he couldn't identify her with that name. After all, she was a witch, probably a nice one but a witch nonetheless.

"Give me one minute, Kate." The blond friend nodded, then blushed when noticed Christian's stare and smiled coquettishly.

Now, THAT was the normal reaction. She turned around hesitantly and walked to the group of morons looking back a couple of times to check if he was still staring. She was attractive but somehow that beauty paled next to… Ana's. He knew the only blonde in his life would be Elena, he couldn't find them desirable anymore.

Christian admitted to himself that even though he needed the reassurance that the witch was the only one with the ability of 'seeing' him, he didn't like the fact that the blonde eyed the man talking to Ana. Wasn't there a silent agreement between friends? Maybe she wasn't Ana's friend, but it was clear that his witch needed better people around her. His witch. Yes, she was already his in a way he couldn't understand.

"She is beautiful, isn't she?"

She had obviously misinterpreted his curiosity, there was also a hint of jealousy in her voice that amused Christian. She didn't want to share him.

Staring at Ana, wanting to see her reaction, he spoke slowly with a seductive voice. "You are beautiful, she is okay."

And there it was, the girl inside the witch, blushing profusely not knowing what to do with his compliment. He smirked in self-satisfaction.

Suddenly, Ana stood up and took her last sip of beer. His world was getting dark again, and he just noticed it because the momentary light was starting to fade. That realization alarmed him so he decided to let her go, though not without offering his protective services first. He couldn't avoid it, the need to let an open door behind her was too strong.

"312."

"What?"

"My room, 312, if something happens and you need your cousin's help do not hesitate. 312, call me, I don't sleep."

Sighing, she caressed his arm.

"I know. Nightmares or insomnia?"

Of course she knew, that's why he came back.

"Both."

She leaned over to place a small kiss on his cheek, and Christian was again surprised by his body reaction. Every time someone had tried to do that he had recoiled abruptly, instinctively, but his body wasn't afraid of the light witch, it let her do her magic enjoying the warm sensation. Weird.

"I already miss you," she whispered in his ear.

And with that, letting him shocked, she disappeared for the second time that night. He realized she was a woman he knew nothing about, a woman he didn't even know existed half an hour ago, but all that was irrelevant, he missed her too… so much.