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FREE READS By Lizzie T. Leaf CHAPTER NINE Rand didn’t believe his luck when he opened the door and saw Amanda. He’d tried to contact her all day without results. It seemed the forces were against him, because every time he called she’d been unavailable. Instead of dinner with her, he came home and let the twins talk him into a mad cooking spree with them. If he could reach Amanda after dinner, he hoped to get an invitation for dessert. Of course, the sweet delights he had in mind involved the bedroom. Inviting her to join him and the twins for dinner came naturally. So did her blending into the joking and teasing he and the girls were exchanging before she arrived. He tried to give her space and act normal, but what he wanted was to wrap her in his arms and make love to her until they both exhausted themselves. Okay, so he wanted more than sex. For the first time, he could see spending the rest of his life with someone. The thought of waking up beside her in his bed every morning and coming home to her at night gave him chills. Happy for him was spelled A.M.A.N.D.A. “Hey, big brother, what’s for dessert?” Riz sat back in her chair and rubbed her stomach in anticipation of the cake Rand knew was her favorite and the reason he chose it. “I made it, so I think one of you should serve.” “No way.” Mel shook her head in denial. “I don’t want my name associated with the disaster I saw earlier.” Rand laughed and gathered up the dishes around him. “Okay, but you two have to clear the table while I dish up my gourmet delight.” He enjoyed the easy banter between Amanda and the twins as he sliced the chocolate cake. So, it was a little crooked and the frosting gooier than he hoped, but a quick taste with his finger satisfied him as to its quality. Placing the last piece of cake on a dish, he started to announce he was ready to serve when an odd feeling rushed through his body. He’d felt a little itchy while he cut the cake, but now the urge to scratch won. The knife fell to the counter as Rand dug at his ear and then started to nibble on his arm. “Rand, are you okay?” He looked up to see Amanda and the twins watching him, concern on their faces. “Sure. Fine, fine.” Why did his tongue roll out of his mouth? Good grief, he was panting like a…dog. No. No. Not now, it’s not time. Pain though through every inch of his body, leaving his joints on fire. He resisted the urge to scream, both from the agony of the change raging down him and the frustration of this happening now. “Rand!” Amanda called his name again and he heard one of the twins begin to sob. His mind resisted the change, but it was a losing battle as it tore through him like a wolf tearing at road-kill. He knew from the hysterical shouts from Amanda and the tearful voices of his sister, he was now a little black Scottie. No way would he ever be able to explain his way out of this with the woman he loved. Just when he didn’t think things could get much worse, a new voice entered the mêlée. “QUIET!" The silence that followed the demand hurt Rand’s ears. Simma sat on the window seat and watched the scene. The arrival of the two witches gave him a surge of relief. He wasn’t sure they’d received the urgent message he sent earlier. A feeling of anxiety he couldn’t identify earlier in the evening caused him to use the emergency contact method to get them to orb back before their scheduled return of tomorrow. If he’d learned anything over the past decades as the family familiar, it was to heed those feelings. Jorgia’s demand for quiet got the desired results and Simma watched her look around, appraising the situation at hand. When she spoke, it was to the group. “Would anyone care to explain what is going on here?” A chorus of explanations flew at her verbally from the twins and mind speak from the shivering black dog on the floor. Simma kept his peace, knowing she’d get to him when she was ready. “Enough. I can’t comprehend all of you yelling at once.” A movement from Amanda, drew Jorgia’s attention to the pale-faced woman holding onto the counter, looking as if a slight breeze in her direction would topple her over. Simma felt sorry for the veterinarian, even if she was ready to cut a hunk out of him when they first met. “Who are you and how are you involved in this mess?” The subject of her scrutiny opened her mouth to speak and instead slid to the floor, out cold. Simma shook his head in disgust. Jorgia needed to work on her people skills. You didn’t take an aggressive stance in a situation like this. It required tact and consideration. “Cat!” Simma flinched. He forgot to block his thought and though Jorgia now kneeled beside Amanda’s limp form, her mother stood in front of him. “It’s probably best you keep your thoughts to yourself.” Lila’s blue eyes skewered him to the window seat. Simma now understood how a mouse felt when he had it cornered. “Could I get some help over here?” Jorgia held one of Amanda’s wrists in her hand, checking the pulse. “We need to get her into the living room and then someone can explain what the hell has been going on while we were gone.” She directed a look at Simma and he knew he’d be the one explaining. Done with the tale of the past few weeks, Simma sat back and licked a paw. A fellow had to keep tidy and a situation like this could leave him a bit messy. He watched Jorgia cradle Rand in her lap. “My poor baby. I’m so sorry you had to go through all of this. Fortunately, I’m familiar with this spell and know what it will take to counter-act its effects. Don’t worry, Mama will make everything right.” She paused in her stroking of the black fur and glared at Simma and the twins, who fidgeted on the loveseat where they were instructed to sit. “Then I’ll deal with those who created the problem.” “Hey, now. I tried to help.” Simma wasn’t about to take the rap for this mess. “Watch it cat food breath.” Lila didn’t sound too happy. “If you’d called us when this first happened we could have done a counter-spell. Now, it’s going to take more effort.” “Plus, Simma, part of the problem lies with your misinterpretation of the old language, Jorgia pointed out. “Right.” They were trying to make him feel guilty and doing a damn good job of it. A moan from Amanda pulled everyone’s attention toward the couch where Jorgia had covered her with a blanket when they brought her into the room. “Mom, take Rand,” she handed the little dog to her mother, “and the twins to the kitchen. I want to talk to Amanda alone.” While Lila hustled her charges out the door, Simma slipped behind the loveseat. He wasn’t about to miss this conversation. Jorgia helped the young woman sit up and handed her a glass of water from the decanter kept on the table beside the sofa. “How do you feel, dear? Are you okay?” Amanda brushed a strand of hair from her face. She stared at Jorgia for a moment while she appeared to gather her thoughts. “How the hell do you think I feel?” The errant stand fell into her eyes again and she just blew at it. “As for okay, I may never be okay again. I just frigging saw a man turn into a dog right before my eyes. And, to make matters really great, it was the same man I spent the night in bed with last night.” Pink tinged Amanda’s cheeks when she realized she’d just disclosed her prior evening’s entertainment. Simma had to admire her pluck. She didn’t turn into a sniveling mass of goo when faced with what happened earlier. “By the way, who are you?” Jorgia smiled and patted her hand. “No one to worry about, dear. I’m only the mother of the man you saw turn into a dog and spent the night with.” “Oh.” The pink tinge now burned flame red when Amanda realized what she had disclosed to Rand’s mother. Simma chortled and received a warning glare from Jorgia. He slunk back into his hiding place hoping for out of sight, out of mind, if he could remember to block his thoughts. Amanda closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she had another question. “Can you tell me what is happening around here? What kind of insane asylum have I stumbled into” “Certainly.” Jorgia took the empty glass from Amanda’s hand and set it on the table. “You may find this a little hard to accept. We’re witches or at least my mother and I are. The twins have strong natural abilities, but need to learn discipline and train in the use of those gifts.” Simma watched Amanda mull over the information. “And, your son? Is Rand a witch too? Is that why he can become a…dog?” She whispered the last word. “He has a few minor gifts, but Rand doesn’t care to expand on them. Also, most of the magic passes through the females in the family.” “But, how…I mean why does he…” Simma felt sorry for the confused woman. Vet or not, she was a nice person and one with an open mind, trying to understand a situation most people would laugh at or dismiss completely. Jorgia sighed. “I’m afraid the blame for Rand’s problem lies with his sisters and Simma.” “Simma? The cat?” “Yes.” Jorgia nodded. “One and the same. You see, he’s the family familiar and has a great deal of magic, also.” Just not as smart as he thinks he is when it comes to old languages. “Ouch. That hurts.” “Nothing like the pain you’re going to feel when I come up with the punishment for your part in this mess. I think training the girls in the magic arts may become your responsibility.” Damn. She was right about pain. Stuck with the twins for who knew how long would be worse than most of the punishments she could hand out. Simma almost wished he’d left with the others and let Jorgia cool down. Thankfully, Jorgia turned her attention back to Amanda. “Do you have any questions?” “Oh, let me think. A houseful of witches, a magical cat, I sleep with a man who is actually the dog I ran over with my car and then took home with me for two weeks and she wants to know if I have any questions. Nope, can’t think of a one.” The sarcasm in Amanda’s voice elevated her status in Simma’s eyes several more notches. “Well, I have one.” Jorgia smiled and took Amanda’s hands in hers. “How do you feel about my son?” “Listen lady. It’s none of your damned business. Right now, I’m not sure I ever want to see the man-dog you call your son again.” Jorgia resisted Amanda’s attempt to pull her hands free. “You’re not being honest with me. I see the opposite of what you’re saying in your eyes. I know this is confusing to you, Amanda, but it’s really important for you to be honest with me and most importantly, with yourself about your feelings for Rand.” Simma watched the two women lock stares. He tried to read Jorgia’s thoughts, but she blocked him and somehow Amanda had a natural ability to not let him have access to hers. After several minutes, Amanda’s shoulders slumped. “I love him.” Tears trailed down her cheeks. “No matter how crazy I feel all that’s happened is, I love him.” “That’s what I needed to hear. You see, Amanda, your love is what will save Rand. At this point, only love has the power to counter-act the spell placed on him by accident.” Jorgia gathered the sobbing woman in her arms. “Mandy.” Simma smiled a cat smile at the human Rand standing in the door, his arms spread open to receive the woman who flew into them. Thank heavens he wouldn’t be going to the dogs again, now that he had the love of his intended mate. The cat washed his face as he watched the lovers kiss. “No.” Rand looked over at the sandbox where Sophie played. “You cannot.” Amanda glanced up to see Sophie glare at her father. “I don’t care what your aunts did when they were three, darling daughter.” The little girl shrugged and went back to scooping sand into her bucket. Fighting back laughter, Amanda watched the exchange between father and daughter. Thankfully, when she was around, Rand verbalized his end of their mind-speak conversations for her sake. Adjusting to the idea of her daughter as a witch took effort some days. But, she knew the family motto of ‘do no harm’ would be instilled in Sophie. Even her aunts had become reliable and focused on their niece not making the mistakes of their childhood. So, if she didn’t learn about whatever created this argument with her father from the aunts since it seemed to concern them, where did it come from? “Simma. He’s been entertaining her with stories of the old days.” Rand grinned at her startled jump. “You need to take Mom up on her offer to help you develop your mind-speak, honey. She also needs to teach you to keep your guard up. You don’t want darling daughter reading your every thought.” “Hmmm. Right. Jorgia thinks I have a witch in my family line and can learn, but I’m not so sure.” Why did she feel defensive when someone mentioned the possibility of witches as part of her heritage? Probably because she was afraid they were wrong and she’d be the outsider in this family forever. “You’re not an outsider, Mommy.” Sophie climbed into Amanda’s lap and awarded her with a sand filled hug and kiss. “You’re right dear, but to make sure I can keep better tabs on you when your father isn’t around, I think I will take Grandma up on her offer.” Sophie climbed down and returned to her sandbox. Rand leaned over from his lounge chair and kissed her. “Good idea. Who knows what kind of magical powers this one will have.” He placed his hand over the bulge of her stomach and smiled. “True. Now, go talk to your daughter so I can get a nap.” She leaned back and closed her eyes, placing her hands where Rand’s laid moments before. Another witch on the way and she knew this one was a girl. She saw it in a dream last night. Maybe she did have a family line of magic, after all. |