~Chapter Five~
Bewitched
Velvet drapes, glowing candles.
Silent whispers of words inside of my head.
The night that comes, it waits for me.
Life me to the ending of another day.
I'm haunted.
Tell me who you are – I am spellbound.
You cannot have this control on me.
Everywhere I go, I am spellbound.
I will break the spell you put on me.
~Spellbound, by Lacuna Coil
Disclaimer: Me No Own; You No Sue.
At first, I'd admittedly believed it to be a game – a stolen kiss here, followed by a pat on the ass there. But now, I couldn't help but remember his words to Akito, the ones that warmed my entire soul to the very core of its being.
"I will not…stand by again…as you hurt someone else…that I care about."
He'd said that he cared about me, despite the fact that he had not yet been given the chance to really know or understandme. We were, essentially, strangers. And then –
"I want to know her."
So, why had Shigure really kissed me?
Sammy's P.O.V.
For the first time in nineteen years, I was awake before my alarm clock had decided to start its loud, obnoxious caterwauling – er, that is to say, beeping. It was certainly a miracle of epic proportions! Of course, the occurrence of such a novelty might have something to do with the fact that I'd been awake for almost thirty hours straight, without a bit of sleep. I hadn't even had an energy drink yet! No Red Bull for this little witch, thank you very much.
Alas, the jury was still out on the matter; however, I had a feeling that I wasn't going to be charged with the guilty verdict. And my alarm clock would corroborate my story – right, Lucifer?
Lucifer offered me a blank stare. "…"
I was oddly offended at his words. My dear friend, Lucifer the alarm clock, believed that I'd spent last night having hot and steamy monkey sex with Shigure, and that this was the reason that my body was overly energized. That was so not true! There were absolutely no monkeys involved! Scout's honor!
And Shigure transformed into an adorable doggy – not an evil, vicious baboon. It was highly recommended that refer to the Graham Norton show for the correct pronunciation of the word baboon.This show also offered ample evidence that monkeys are the bane of human existence, rather than its starting point.
Wait a damn minute. I just had a rather scary thought: if Shigure transformed into a dog during physical interactions, did that mean he preferred doing it doggy style to the commonly portrayed position of sexual intercourse? Oh, dear God. That was not going to be a very pleasant experience for a virgin.
And, before anyone asks – yes, I just admitted that I'm planning to have sex with him at some point in the near future! Hell! Wouldn't you? I mean, a girl can only stand dating a funny, sexy Asian man for so long before she begins to feel the need to consummate her relationship with the aforementioned (hot, handsome, insanely attractive) man. An observant person might also wish to correct me because my words indicate that I was dating Shigure. But, I would have to insist that this statement is entirely true. Shigure was my boyfriend.
Yeah. I can hear your shock; it's audible.
Now, what was I talking about again…?
I squinted at my black Hello Batty alarm clock, wondering when I'd become such a sad, lonely individual person. I had resorted to speaking with an inanimate object in my desperation for love and affection. Not that I wasn't receiving plenty of attention from my boyfriend! As a matter of fact, Shigure really liked to cuddle – especially when I had the good fortune to catch him in his Zodiac form.
You know, I really should shove Tohru in his direction more often…
A soft, tentative knock on the door pulled me from my daydreams. I snapped my gaze to the petite girl hovering at the entrance to my bedroom, vaguely wondering if her ears were burning. I also had to admit that her timidity was rather amusing – sad, but amusing. It wasn't as though I was even remotely similar to the witch from Hansel and Gretel. As of this moment, there were no plans to stuff, cook, and/or eat young Tohru. I preferred Chinese food. So, check back with me next month for updates on my cannibalistic preferences, in Foreign Delicacies: Asian Cuisine.
"Watcha need, Tohru-chan?" I cheerfully asked, smiling at her for good measure. "There's no need for you to darken my doorstep, by the way – only delinquents do that sort of thing."
"Oh! I'm terribly sorry," Tohru exclaimed, and she leapt into the room. The pretty brunette continued babbling her apologies; she even offered to sweep the floors later this evening to remove any traces of dirt.
My lips twitched, and I bit back a grin. "Honestly, it's no problem," I said, waving her apologies away with my hand. "But, what are you doing here, anyway – at, uh, five o' clock in the morning?"
When I patted the spot to my right, Tohru finally sat herself down upon my bed – and quite gingerly, at that. The younger girl shyly handed me a package, and she giggled upon seeing my nervous expression. I gingerly poked at the unexpected gift. It was large and wrapped in fragile, brown paper. So, a gift it must be…or a bomb.
I warily took the bag and examined it with a critical eye – there were no hidden strings, or anything else suspicious as of yet. With my luck, however, Yuki had tricked this poor girl into helping him exact his revenge.
Of course, I hadn't done anything to deserve that sort of treatment. Seriously! Why should I be expected to know that the boy would have an allergic reaction to that particular brand of eyeliner, anyway? The stupid rat hadn't come with an instruction manual. Not that I would have read the damn thing if he had! That required way too much work on my part to care for a pet that I hadn't wanted in the first place. In fact, I was honestly hoping that he came with a return policy…
Needless to say, Yuki was once again on the warpath. He thirsted for my blood, much like a sexy vampire by the name of Alucard.
I grinned stupidly to myself and fanned my flushed face with a flapping hand. Man, I don't give a fuck what it was that Seras and Sir Integra claimed in Hellsing; that vampire can bite me anytime that he likes!
Tohru cocked her head to the side, more than likely curious as to my red cheeks – or to the reasons for my holding the box out at arm's length, much like one would a dangerous, fire breathing dragon. Either one was possible.
"Aren't you going to open it, Sammy-chan?" she asked, timidly, and with an uncertain smile frozen on her lips.
"Er, well," I nervously murmured. To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure how to answer her. To be honest, or not to be honest – that was the question. "You see, it's like this…"
I immediately dove into the story, relating to her the countless pranks that I'd pulled on Yuki recently – and the ones that he had retaliated with in response. Toothpaste, purple chicken feathers, cherry soda, and rat traps… That was all that my mind could conjure when asked about events of the last few days; these were vague memories. The rest was all a blur.
So, I wasn't sure if it was truly safe for me to open a package at this particular moment in time, as it could be from Yuki, the future dictator of Japan. The clever creature had to know that I would more than likely accept the gift from Tohru, regardless of the fact that it might be detrimental to my health. I was too fond of the girl to risk hurting her feelings. Yuki, on the other hand…
I cautiously picked at the tape with one of my nails, bracing myself for an explosion worthy of Ted – your friend, neighborhood Unabomber. And yes, I was fully expecting this bag to contain a bomb; it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the damn rat was a terrorist in disguise.
"In conclusion, is it safe for me to do so?" I finally asked, honestly fearing for my life at this point.
The young woman started at me, an utterly clueless expression on her otherwise blank face. It was so cute! No wonder the Japanese produced such raunchy manga and anime – I mean, come on! Innocent girls like that were probably an anime artist's wet dream. She was so adorable that I had bite back a fangirl squeal of epic proportions, and I was not into that kind of stuff. Other than that one kiss with Katie back in the ninth grade, I would be considered perfectly straight.
Remind me never to try talking sense into that girl ever again, especially when she is as drunk as a skunk. Inwardly, I winced at the memory. My lips hurt just thinking about the vicious attack that I'd suffered at the hands of my plastered best friend. Batshit crazy, that one.
"Well, I assume so," Tohru mused, staring at the brown box with curious eyes. "It has an address in this city, but the second one isn't from our home. And it was already thrown about by the postman, so…"
Had she not mentioned it, I probably wouldn't have even thought to read the few lines of black script. One address clearly belonged to this house – Shigure had seen to it that I knew both the address and the home phone number, so that I could "find my way after getting lost." And, the other one was –
My face instantly paled, the white skin losing every ounce of color upon the realization that he had sent me this box. A sudden unease began churning in my stomach, and I stared at the package with nervous eyes. I was shaking so badly that I had to fist my hands in the blue and green striped bedspread, just to quell the urge to chuck the box out the window. But it was such a hard thing to do; it was almost as though I were trying to convince Harry Potter that Professor Severus Snape only acted in such a cruel manner towards him out of love.
"Baby, got to be cruel – you got to be cruel, to be kind," I whispered to myself.
I was instinctively seeking comfort in the lyrics that were sung so often by my best friend. Of course, Katie only sang that particular song when she was struggling to find an easy explanation as to why she'd yelled at her faucet boyfriend for the fifteenth time that week. Nonetheless, it eased the tension in my shoulders and helped calm my stomach.
"I beg your pardon?"
I smiled and said, "It was a popular song in America during the late 1970s. The singer was British, but his song was still a US Top Forty Hit, and…" I paused, noting that Tohru was still confused. None of it was ringing a bell, it seemed.
Ah, another great hit!
"You can ring my bell~!" I sang, belting the words out with a cheesy grin and a quick hip shimmy. "Ring my bell…"
Based upon the blank expression on her face, that was also a failure of epic proportions on my part. It was now clear to me that the younger girl was woefully unfamiliar with the awesomeness that was Nick Lowe, or the other awesomeness that was Anita Ward. We would remedy that with an education introduction to America's greatest hits, complete with informational video tapes and corresponding worksheets.
Yes, we would do that – just as soon as we finished disarming this bomb sitting patiently in my lap, anyway. Work before play, and all that jazz!
You know, my friends would have understood those references… I smiled faintly, folding my arms over my chest in order to keep the heartache – no, the homesickness – in check. Caleb would have ruffled my hair and told me to pick a song from this century.
"Never mind, Tohru-chan," I whispered, trying to hide my sad, blue eyes behind a curtain of my hair. "It's nothing very important, I guess…"
Tohru slowly nodded. She stood up, brushed the invisible lint from her nightgown, and murmured that she had to finish getting ready for school. And she still had to change into her school uniform, but first – Tohru had to find her missing blouse. I'd decided to hide it in the bedroom belonging to our favorite rat, under a pile of his textbooks. Not that Tohru was aware of this fact.
I smirked mischievously and watched her exit the room, knowing that she would ask her dearly beloved boyfriend to aid her on the quest for the legendary Master Sword. Of course, the first place that Kyo was going to search would undoubtedly be the room belonging to his arch nemesis: Ganondorf.
In other words, he was going to challenge Yuki, and then, Kyo would find the incriminating evidence in a matter of seconds, just as I'd planned…
I held up a finger. One… Another finger was lifted. Two… Here comes the boom!Three…
"What…the…fuck?" Kyo screamed angrily, "Why the hell is my girlfriend's shirt in your bedroom? Goddamn lecher!" He was snarling at this point, and he'd just hissed at the evil rodent we all know wish to feed to a snake.
On that note, where was Ayame when a girl really needed him, and his poisonous fangs?
Ah, that's right! He was living a wonderful life of luxury in India. Apparently, the women there were quite beautiful, and he was chasing after them with abandon. But the hyperactive snake was not visiting India solely for pleasure; he was also there on business. Ayame had been contacted by a wealthy merchant with a desire for foreign cloth, so away he'd slithered. The weather was also rather warm in the city of Delhi at this time of year. That lucky snake was probably sitting at the edge of a pool right now, sipping at one of those special alcoholic beverages – the ones with those nifty little umbrellas.
"Oi! Come out of that closet and fight me like a man!" Kyo roared. He was practically clawing at the closet door, and random bits of wood and debris were flying through the air. "Let go of that hanger, dammit." Snarl. "No weapons, you cheater! Fight me with your fists, or –"
His words were cut off by the sudden sound of crashing – there went the banister – about a dozen thumps or so – down the stairs, he goes – and the screams of ripping paper. Oh, that poor defenseless door; it was so young!
I stood and stretched my arms towards the ceiling. With a small, happy sigh, I popped the kinks out of my back and headed over to the closet, closing the door behind me to ensure that my boyfriend didn't catch me with my pants down. I wasn't hosting a peep show, nor did my closet cater to horny mutts.
After perusing for a moment, I chose a blue tank top and a black bolero jacket; the purpose of the jacket was to cover the blue tattoos on my shoulders. I needed to buy a couple of things in order to enact my revenge upon the dear rat, including milk, bread, tacks, and duct tape. Hence, I'd decided to visit the stores in the local market later this afternoon – and all of these stores were rather busy this time of year.
I did, however, have an unfortunate tendency to draw a bit of unwanted attention to myself with the exotic tattoos, which glowed with the telltale signs of magical power. Not to mention the fact that my tattoos were like my calling card. I was the only witch in over a thousand years to bear the marks of the Jackal Clan. Use your imagination, and think: Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead.
Before anyone asks this of me… No, I have no knowledge of mummification. I'm a witch, not a witchdoctor.
I did have, however, have the power of summoning demons and the spirits of the dead. But the latter only appeared on special occasions, like All Hallows Eve, or Christmas. Those ghosts were a damn picky bunch of bastards – they couldn't quite find it in their hearts to haunt a willing person. It must not have been as much fun. And, that said, Jackal witches could also have difficulty summoning spirits.
And, as a member of the Jackal Clan, I was also capable of a great many other things that most witches were not. Casting and neutralizing curses was a prime example of this. I might even be able to remove the curse that was currently plaguing the Zodiac, but only if I were to find the right counterspell. Needless to say, witches with my powers were rare, to say the least. That was probably the only reason that Akito let me leave his estate with all of my memories intact. Or, it might be that brainless zombies were so last year.
Speaking of which, I believe that Hatsuharu has once again stolen – er, borrowed – my copy of Left for Dead. Damn that cow for having a zombie fetish, and possibly kleptomania.
I left the room and traveled downstairs, all the while picking at a loose thread that was hanging from my black and gray plaid skirt. In addition to a pair of black ankle boots, I'd also slipped on a pair of blue tights underneath my skirt. This was done in order to prevent any future issues with Shigure, the horny mutt with an addiction to sex. He was worse that a rabbit and – oh, sorry Momiji!
Thirty minutes later, said mutt had entered the kitchen, following the scent of buttermilk pancakes, much like a sailor following the call of a siren. He would chase the sound into the depths of the ocean blue. Hopefully, Shigure didn't drown any time soon. I should probably enroll him in some swim classes at the local gym, just as a safety measure.
Shigure in swim trunks… I thought and grinned stupidly to myself, imagining the magnificent sight of such a thing. Yummy!
A pair of thick, warm arms wrapped themselves around my waist, and I leaned backwards, delighting in the feeling of being held by someone taller and stronger than myself. I savored the feeling of being safe, as though he loved me above all others. It was nice. And, well, that protection would definitely come in handy should an angry mob of feminists arrive at our doorstep to impale me on a rusty spike – orifice to orifice. Ouch.
Vlad the Impaler had nothing on those scary women.
"Good morning, sweetheart," Shigure murmured, gently kissing me on the cheek. I was about to question this sweet gesture, but his fingers brushed across the bottoms of my breasts as he stretched. "Did you sleep well last night?"
I shook my head in the negative. "The words good and morning were never meant to be used in the same sentence. Not without a corresponding psyche!" I retorted with a derisive snort.
Shigure grinned and laughed at my words, pointing out that there were quite a few individuals that believed in the benefits of being a morning person. Some were even strong enough to do so without the aid of caffeinated coffee, the nectar of the gods. I mean, decaf was for losers, right?
"What person in their right mind would claim to me a morning person?" I muttered, sourly.
"Only an idiot, I'm sure," Shigure said, and he winked at me in a conspiratorial manner. The dog motioned for me to quickly turn my attention to the door leading into the living room. "Wait for it…"
At that particular moment, Tohru entered the kitchen, skipping over to the pantry to remove a new jar of strawberry jam. With a wave, the younger girl continued her cheerful trek by the stove and back into the living room. She was probably eating her breakfast alone, come to think of it. Neither Yuki nor Kyo were ever seen downstairs. Not until the last possible moment, that is. The young men hated getting up before noon, and they hated it with a passion.
Perhaps, the two of them were vampires!
"Hardly!" Shigure barked a laugh; it sounded very much like the canine he transformed into, or Sirius Black. "The last time that I checked, vampires were allergic to garlic. And we both know that Kyo can certainly consume quite a large quantity of pizza – with garlic!"
My cheeks flushed in embarrassment, as it occurred to me that I'd once again spoken my thoughts aloud. I needed to upgrade the filter that prevented such nonsense from leaving the confines of my dark, morbid mind. At the very least, I was going to have an electrician check into the faulty wiring. (No, I don't need a psychiatrist to do it, instead!)
"They are, however, a pair of growing boys. Yuki requires – at the very least – ten hours of undisturbed rest. And Kyo, well…" Shigure smirked. "Let's just say that Sleeping Beauty needs all the help he can get with the amount of trouble that he attracts."
"Kyo is beyond help at this point," I snorted, waving a hand in the air at his lengthy explanation.
Shigure hummed in thought, considering my point, and asked, "Why is that, my darling?"
His silver eyes glittered with amusement at the sight of my embarrassed fidgeting; he was aware that my doing so was in response to his employment of yet another cutesy pet name.
I cleared my throat and proclaimed, "Cats are too damn lazy to put much effort into their appearances, excluding their tongue baths." Here, I wrinkled my nose in distaste. "I'm glad that he and Tohru are dating. No one else would be sweet enough – or dense enough – to see past his rough exterior."
My sardonic words appeared to further amuse him, because Shigure chuckled and began to mock me, "What a horrid way to go through life, always viewing things in such a pessimistic manner. Aren't you a bit young to be so cynical?"
"Who are you calling 'young,' eh?" I demanded, playfully poking him in the chest. He grunted and pretended to be gravely wounded – typical male. "After all, you don't seem to have any trouble chasing after this jailbait."
Not that such a thing was considered legal, now that I was nineteen years old. That thought caused me to send a brief prayer up to the heavens. Thank you, God – if you do exist, anyway.
Gleefully, he snickered, "Jailbait, my ass." His long, sharp canine teeth were glinting in a scary manner.
Oh, boy! Shigure, the horny mutt, was on the prowl again! Time for me to go…
I coughed and eased my body away from his, which was – of course – intent upon forcing me into a nearby wall. With a murmured excuse, I hurried away, passed the fridge and through the living room. It wasn't until my hand was placed upon the banister that Shigure caught up with me. He grabbed my wrist, holding it firmly in his grip, but not so firmly that it would bruise. How very sweet of him.
"You and I both know that you're of a legal age to consent to this relationship," he whispered, gray eyes serious as he moved forward to keep me in place. "I think that you would've made the fact very clear – should you have actually chosen to reject me, that is."
Nothing more was said on the matter. Shigure leaned forward and captured my lips with his, molding his face to mine. Our eyes were closed, and my nose brushed against his as we held one another. I slid my arms around his neck, pulled him closer, and began kissing him with every ounce of energy in my small form. He took this as an invitation to place a hand on my ass, clutching it tightly and urging me close to his body; the other slowly brushed over my hip and up my arm. Suddenly, it was tangled in my hair, and he pulled gently at the blonde locks. Shigure carefully moved my head into a different position – a better angle to kiss.
I inhaled sharply through my nose, wishing that it was within my power to breathe through the pores in my skin, like the witches of the Avian Clan. Then, I would be able to kiss Shigure for an even longer length of time, a length in which I wouldn't have to breathe so…fucking…much.
Alas, I was of the Jackal clan, and I required oxygen – now!
Shigure nipped at my lower lip, but I pulled away and opened my mouth to breathe. He growled in dark frustration, despite my sarcastic comment about my being human and needing oxygen to survive. I was allowed a quick breath of air, and then we resumed our heated make out session. I vaguely registered that we'd traveled up the stairs and were now standing in my doorway. We had not encountered a single soul on our way through the entire house, which was a miracle in and of itself.
Shigure continued to kiss me, and his soft lips traveled down my neck, biting and sucking at the tender flesh along the way. The older male left a small, red welt on my shoulder, just above my collar bone; it was a hickey. His lips then made their way to the bit of cleavage created by my sports bra. He smirked into my skin, and I shivered at the feeling of his lips rubbing against my chest. A long, wet tongue suddenly slipped in between my breasts and licked at the perspiration gathering there. I melted in his arms, cooing softly at his ministrations.
Slowly, a large and very warm hand crept under my skirt. It cupped me between my legs. I gasped in shock as Shigure ran a finger down the length of my barely clothed womanhood – only two thin layers of clothing separated his hand from my naked sex. My gasps quickly turned into soft moans of delight, and I reveled in the unfamiliar sensations rippling through my body at the speed of light.
"Bed," Shigure growled. Silver eyes were dark, so very dark – almost black. "Right…now."
I visibly stiffened – my entire body was as taut as one of Legolas Greenleaf's bowstrings. And, like instant coffee, the words hit home in a manner of seconds, practically shoving themselves through the front door of my brain. I could almost hear the frustrated cries of Wilma~! Thinking on the old cartoon, The Flintstones, allowed my tense muscles to relax, but only slightly, and not so much that my boyfriend would notice the change.
Shigure cocked his head to the side, blinked, and surveyed me with obvious concern. He quietly murmured, "What's wrong, sweetheart?"
The older male tenderly cupped my chin in his slender hands, turning it this way and that to get a better view – perhaps, one of understanding. But there wasn't really any way for me to know with that crazy mutt. He was, however, predictable upon occasion; his hands had returned to my sex. I whimpered, squirming at the sudden, unwanted attention. Dark, gray eyes softened, and Shigure released his hold, having finally realized the reason for my discomfort. He was scaring me half to death.
Bed… The words echoed eerily in my head. Bed…
Shigure was indeed my boyfriend – he had been, for a little under a month – and he was already pushing for sex! I might have given in to some of his more perverted demands, but I wasn't ready for that step just yet. In fact, the thought of being with a man still scared me, although I was loath to admit it aloud. Not to him. I didn't want to seem like a child. No, I wanted to be worthy of a man like Shigure. I wanted to be worthy of his touch, and his love, and his heart. I wanted him, but I was still afraid of him, to an extent.
He was way too experienced for a little virgin like me.
My lips parted, in an attempt to force these words out and into existence. I would have had an easier time trying to swim in quicksand. If I'd had a forklift, I might have managed to life the heavy words into the air. As it were, I could not quite voice my fears to this strong, attractive man that held me in his grasp.
"Shh…" Soft words of comfort were whispered into my hair. "I'm not planning on taking something that you aren't willing – or ready – to give, my darling." His smile small but warm, as he said, "I may be many things, but I am not the type of man to force a woman to sleep with me."
It was an almost instantaneous reaction – my entire body relaxed into his hold. The hammering of my heart slowed as it returned to is normal pace. He placed a hand on my back and pressed a tender kiss to my temple. I rested my forehead against his chest, embarrassed, and fisted my fingers in the flaps of his gray yukata, repeatedly mouthing the words: I'm sorry, so very sorry.
How was I to explain, to make him understand?
I was attracted to Shigure. Hell! I might even love him someday in the near future. At this moment, however, I was too afraid to take the next step in our relationship. The staircase to Heaven had frozen over under an onslaught of ice, snow, and sleet. I was struggling to keep a hold on the stair that we currently sat upon, out of fear that we would slip back down to the very bottom. Witches weren't equipped with Michelin Snow Tires.
He kissed me softly, teasingly, and bumped his forehead against mine. "I only wanted to fool around for a little while, silly girl. I'm not an expert…"
"Yeah, right…!" I muttered the response into the safety of his yukata.
Shigure made a face at me, before continuing, "But I have heard that beds are one of the most comfortable places to do so." He smirked and tapped me on the nose. "Leaning against the refrigerator again and risking frostbite seems a bit extreme, don't you think?"
I chuckled hoarsely, admittedly thankful for his sense of humor, as it showed that he was more understanding of the situation than some might have believed. It might seem a bit strange, but I needed to be able to laugh at this entire situation, just to keep from screaming and crying. And I needed to cling to him, to feel his body against mine. I needed to know that Shigure wouldn't leave me for acting like such a weak, scared little girl.
Yes, even great and omnipotent individuals with magical powers were sometimes afraid of silly things. One need only ask Genie, Jafar, or Mozenrath for their confirmation on the matter. I made a mental note at that point to thank Toon Disney for teaching me such valuable lessons in life.
"Hmm…" Shigure murmured and tugged at a wisp of my flyaway hair, staring down at it in thought. Playing with my hair had become a favorite hobby of his, it seemed. Weird.
I snuggled into his hold, smiling faintly at the smell of spice clinging to his clothes. "What is it, Shigure-kun?"
He tapped his fingers on my backside and abruptly declared, "I think that we should go on date!"
My jaw dropped, clicking open with an audible snap.I pulled back and blinked up at him in an owlish manner. "A d-d-date? You want to go on a date…with me…?"
Shigure nodded, amused, and said, "Of course. You are my girlfriend, and I obviously care for you." He raised an eyebrow in question. "Why wouldn't I want to go on a date with you?"
"I can list a number of reasons, most right off the top of my head," I darkly muttered, before lifting a finger in the air. "The first of which reads as, 'Sammy is a klutz and will more than likely embarrasses the shit out of herself, and her boyfriend."
"Yes, I see that you've already given this matter quite a bit of thought," Shigure dryly stated, not even bothering to wait for a sign of agreement. He knew me too well.
With a shy grin, I sheepishly admitted, "Well, I couldn't really help myself. The thought of dating you has been a rather tempting one these last two months and, well…" I blushed and turned my head to the side. "Now, we really are dating."
That probably just inflated his ego to the size of Australia, complete with koalas and kangaroos.
His smirk widened and proudly puffed his chest outwards. "Ah, yes. But who wouldn't think such a thing?" he asked, haughtily.
I twitched, thinking: You are such a damn preening peacock…!
Aloud, I chose to simply summarize my thoughts with a classic retort. "…your mother!"
Shigure rolled his silver eyes heavenward, muttering, "Typical American – you are unoriginal and clichéd." His hands wandered over to my backside, squeezing it gently. "You are, however, infinitely more blessed than some women in your country," he added with a leer.
The crazy mutt was staring at my breasts once again, eyeing them with visible lust. And, I hated to admit this, but they were rather large. In fact, my brother had a tendency to regularly inform me that 'my tits and my ass could act as airbags, or buoys.' He was such a sweet, mature big brother, wasn't he? I loved him to death.
I exhaled at the very thought of such comments. "Typical pervert; you're horny and handsy," I quipped with a wide, cheeky grin.
He tossed his black hair about in a mockingly sexy gesture, and he defended himself with – "I'm only a pervert whilst chasing after a beautiful young woman." Playfully, Shigure waggled his eyebrows at me.
I blushed at the unexpected compliment, ducking my head and hiding the sight of my flushed cheeks from his view. Shigure merely chuckled and peered under my curtain of blonde hair, silver eyes searching for my own. Blue eyes widened and glanced upwards, shining with happiness. We stared at one another, each quietly surveying the other with interest, curiosity. It was quiet for a moment.
And then, the phone began ringing from somewhere off in the distance. The ear piercing sound ripped through the air, like the siren on an ambulance. Consequentially, it scared the fuck out of both of us – literally. We jumped apart without a word, the two of us acting like shy teenagers as we embraced once more, tenderly hugging the other. He claimed my lips again and murmured a quick "See you later, sweetheart," before disappearing down the hallway.
Shigure answered the phone and immediately began conversing with Hatori, happily relaying the details of his day thus far. The crazy mutt claimed that Hatori was 'jealous of him for having such a pretty girlfriend.' I smiled at his words, shaking my head at the workings of his (severely) overactive imagination. Oddly enough, I was not embarrassed in the least that he was discussing our relationship with another man. It was all in good fun.
"Oh, yes! I'm definitely going to get laid soon~!" he crowed.
I snorted in disbelief at this declaration. Hatori had known him for almost twenty-eight years, and something told me that he was too smart to listen to the ranting of a hyperactive, compulsive liar. The dragon was immune to his nonsense. And, as his best friend, Hatori was definitely capable of sniffing through that bullshit. Better than bloodhounds, they were.
My thoughts drifted to my own best friends, and my smile fell, slipping downwards and into a thoughtful frown. Shigure, Hatori, and Ayame were members of The Three Musketeers. I was also a member of such a trio. My friends and I'd affectionately christened our group, as well – Caleb, Katie, and I were known to all as members of The Marauders. It was an inside joke amongst the three of us, seeing as we were indeed witches.
The three of us could be likened to adults with the hearts of immature children. And, if I was being honest with myself, I was much nerdier and infinitely more childish than either one of the twin redheads: Caleb and Katie Jenkins. I was suddenly overwhelmed by a rush of bitter homesickness. I missed everything about my home, back in the United States – the sites, the culture, and the people. But, most of all, I missed my best friends.
In fact, the two of them were probably still wondering about my whereabouts. I'd been with the two of them when my magic began burning within my tattoos, causing me to instinctively cast the teleportation spell with only a few whispered words and a flick of my wrist. No portkeys necessary.
We were at the park that day, the three of us sitting on the grass and eating a quick lunch from Burger King. Katie was daintily munching on chicken tender. Her brother and I, however, were making vampire fangs out of a few fries – complete with blood, thanks to the complimentary packs of ketchup. We were all laughing. The next second, I had felt the strangest urge to visit Japan. Deep inside of my heart, I knew that it was concerning one of two things. My familiar had been born, or my destined mate was ready to accept my existence; the latter seemed much more likely. The sudden increase in the size of my breasts and hips was proof enough of that.
Of course, I'd yet to meet the rest of the Sohma family, so my familiar might very well be one of the members of the Zodiac. It should be noted that this thought was a rather disturbing one. I mean, seriously! It was difficult to imagine my trying to impress the other witches with the bipolar Hatsuharu at my side. One word from Katie, and the damn cow – meaning Hatsuharu, not my best friend – would probably go postal. He would murder my entire coven in a fit of rage.
And, speaking of witches and fits of rage…
I inhaled through my mouth, stood up, and closed the bedroom door, locking it securely. Shigure would probably leave me alone for a little while (that chatterbox could talk for hours). So, I could attend to the small matter of that mysterious, brown package without any unwanted interruptions. That would best, as it was probably something very dangerous lurking within the confines of that box.
Hesitantly, I wandered over to my bedside table and opened the upper drawer, reaching into the belly of the nightstand and searching through the contents for a small, leather case. It was hidden, having been shoved under a stack of worn paperback books that were summoned a little over a week ago from my house in America. My heart hammered in my chest. I flicked open the metal clasp on the case, and a delicate escaped the grasp of the leather case, falling into my hand with the faintest of whispers.
I returned to the bed and – with shaking hands – picked up the brown package bearing the name of one of the most powerful witches known to mankind. It sat there in my hands, doing absolutely nothing at all. And yet, I couldn't quite shake the feeling that something nefarious was about to occur. I inhaled again, taking a deep breath, and slipped the knife under the twine that encircled the package, cutting it in two.
The box opened automatically, brown paper and broken string falling away by itself. A burst of raw magic exploded from its innards, the purple flames licking at my hands, even as I tried to (unsuccessfully) shut the flaps with a few whispered words of power. Instead of halting in its tracks, the magic flew directly at me and slammed into my chest; the sensation of being hit with such strong magic left me breathless.
The fact that a stream of venomous words were being whispered in my ear didn't help matters any. His voice was so powerful, so familiar, that the words began to echo in my head. Over and over again, like a broken record…
I heard it.
"Power of the witches rise,
Course unseen across the skies.
Come to us who call you near,
Come to us and settle here."
I'd recognized the male voice immediately, and the sound of the rich, dark voice sent chills down my spine. It scared me far worse than anything that Akito had said or done during my visit to the Sohma estate. Worse yet, there were no other people here to help me – Shigure was not here to shield me from my attacker. And the fact of the matter was that my boyfriend wouldn't have had the power to protect me had he been here to do so. Not this time.
And once the final words were spoken, it would be too difficult for anyone to reverse the spell. I wouldn't be able to escape its grasp, not even with the help of my entire coven, or the strength of a hundred spirits and demons summoned on my behalf. It was impossible.
"Blood to blood, I summon thee.
Blood to blood, return to me."
My heart skipped a beat, before it went into overdrive and began desperately pounding itself against my ribcage, seeking an escape. No, please… The spell was complete; nothing could be done for me now. Why is this happening to me…? It was over.
I was spellbound.
***Author's Note***
Yep, it's one of those damn updated chapters again! XD Oh, the misery of having to reread the story and await the new chapter!
I'm so evil! MWAHAHAHA. Cough, hack, cough. I think that my inhaler is right about needed now...
Anyways, if you've already reviewed - thanks a bunch! And, if you haven't, feel free to do so! :D
