Witch for Hire (30 page)

I checked the caller name before answer, confused by my date's name appearing. "Andrew?"

"Michelle?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry to call like this, but I heard you were hurt and wanted to visit. Are you okay?"
 

Not being sure what to say, since we'd only had one date, I strove for a middle ground. "I'm fine, a bit battered but fine. I'm so sorry I didn't call. I meant to, but with everything, it slipped my mind. You don't need to drive all the way down here. I'm home and resting. It's nice that you called."
 

"Please don't hang up. I had a great time the other night. If I'd known you were that busy I would have called. We heard you'd been hurt over the radio, but it was hours before we had an update on your condition. I worried about you," he pleaded.
 

He sounded so sincere. "I guess you could come over, but really, I'm fine."

"You don't want me to come."

"No, that isn't it. We don't know each other well, and I'm rather tired."

"You're a great girl, who helps people. You said before you weren't much good with healing spells, and I bet now isn't an exception. I can heal you, and bring you tea while you watch a movie and nap. I don't mind."

Releasing a breathy giggle I answered, "Sure, come on down. I live at Landa's Lodge. Do you need directions?"

"No. I've been there before. I'll be there in thirty minutes. I had some business in Ellijay, so I'm close."
 

"Alright. Call me when you get here."
 

The next thirty minutes flew by. I think I napped, but it was hard to tell one group of humans starting fires from the next, so I couldn't be sure. The next thing I knew, my phone was ringing. Rather than walk all over the place, I talked him through the turns to my apartment. I heard his cell phone click shut through the door before he knocked.
 

"Come in."
 

His gorgeous self and neat clothing made me feel even more dreadful. Both hands were hidden behind his back, forcing him to toe the door closed.

"What do you have?"

"You're hurt." He sounded sad.
 

"I'll feel better if you show me what's behind your back."
 

With a flourish, he produced a small ceramic bowl containing a hunk of wax. "Spelled, by me, to release scent without a flame."

I held it up to my nose, "Ooh, I love cinnamon." I floated it to the center of the coffee table. "What else?"

"My very own blend of Banish Bruise." He presented it as if it was a fine wine. "I don't think this will do the trick. I thought they would've done more healing."

"It's perfect." Even if I didn't use it now, I'd use it eventually, and I'd never been any good at making the stuff. "Sit." With a soft grunt I pulled myself to more of a sitting position with bent knees, giving him access to the last cushion.

 
After sitting down, he pulled my feet across his lap. "You'll be more comfortable this way. What are you watching?"
 

"I'm not entirely sure. Some show about a completely human world where they don't have any magic, and the trials they would have faced in a primitive society."

"Odd."

We quietly watched the show, as the smell of cinnamon slowly filled the air. We chatted, and laughed through two hours of shows. It was fun and relaxing, exactly what I'd needed after my last few days.
 

I saw the flower when I used the bathroom. Though it hadn't expanded anymore, it looked to be settling in for the long haul. I wasn't happy. Andrew chuckled after seeing it. I told him, honestly, that I hadn't a clue how it had happened. Removal was at the top of the to-do list.
 

The sun was sitting low in the sky when he turned the conversation to more serious things. "I need to leave soon. I have work tomorrow, but I want to heal you first."

"I'm fine, really. I've been seen by witches and doctors. I'll heal faster when I have more energy." Healing could be personal; besides I was sore, not dying.
 

"Michelle, I can feel your injuries at this distance. The burns on your legs started out worse, but could be healed. I know they've mostly scabbed over and have started healing from other spells. I can feel the pain in your head, the scrapes on your face and arms, and which muscles are giving you pain. You might not be able to heal this easily, but I can. I'll be fine for work tomorrow."
 

I'd lost any ground on which to protest. He was going to argue this until I conceded. "Just a light healing. I don't want to risk anyone who's seriously injured for my bumps."

"Done."
 

It was too late when I realized I hadn't defined light healing, he could interpret that any way he wanted to. He flipped the blanket off my feet, pushing the sweat pants up just far enough to settle a hand on each ankle. A tingle ran up each leg, surging over the injured areas before fading. Standing up he placed his hands on each side of my face, relaxing into the magic as he exhaled. His shoulders dropped, and eyes closed as a soft glow surrounded him, glittering with a sky-blue light.
 

I gasped as the power flowed through me, erasing the large pains first. His power gently licked over each scrape, bump, or swelling left over from last night. The pain in my ankle faded to nothing, as did the cuts on my hand and injuries to my head. Rolling through me like the gentlest wave he soothed and relaxed the sore spots left from impacting the ground. His power retreated, whispering, "Blessed be," in my ear.
 

"There you go, not as good as new, but close."

Chewing on the inside of my lip was a nervous habit I thought I'd squished. "I'll walk out with you. It's the least I can do after this."
 

"Never argue with a beautiful lady."

Arm in arm we walked down to the door. Looking up at him, I didn't see anything but a man looking for a woman to be with. Because I couldn't resist, I placed a goodbye kiss on his cheek, rubbing my power through his aura. It felt wonderful, like sky and water mixing, forming something primal.
 

With colored cheeks he said, "You really must call me for that second date. Stay healthy." Then he was out the door and striding to his car.
 

Walking back to my room was easier without the pain. I sank into my sofa with a grateful sigh. I pulled the blanket over my legs and was reaching for the remote when someone knocked on the door. "Come in," I bellowed. I may not have been sore anymore, but I was still tired and lazy. I'd earned a rest.
 

Landa marched in with Elron in tow. "I found him sulking in the parlor, but he'll fix your flower problem."
 

I might have dropped dead from the anger in those eyes if they'd been directed at me rather than Landa.

 
"I would be honored if you would escort me to the bathroom," he said, looking at me.
 

I heaved myself off the sofa again, rather annoyed that she wouldn't just do it. Landa studied the two of us for a moment. "You two play nice. Elron, fix it to make her happy. I'll be down stairs cooking if I'm needed." Her tone said that she better not be needed.

He relaxed marginally when she was gone. "May I see the two guardians?" It was a reasonable request since we'd be walking between them since the bathroom was attached to the bedroom.

"Sure." I turned to the two lions. "Relax. He is allowed."
 

Elron knelt down, petted them, and examined them. I could feel little shimmers of power, but he was doing exactly as he'd requested, inspecting them with eyes and basic magic. "They are lovely. Thank you."

"Not a problem." We walked through the bedroom and I pushed open the door to the bathroom, revealing the crazy expanding plant. "Can you fix it?"

He walked in, astonished by the transformation. I guess he hadn't trusted Landa's version of events, not that I blamed him. The little flower had been sitting on the sink, but was now attached to the wall in a bed of vines and leaves. The bloom had expanded to nearly a foot in diameter, while the vines trailed across the back of the sink, around the towels on the towel rack, and over the edge of the tub. Some of the more ambitious vines were even twining around the curtain rod.
 

"This is impressive. What were you doing when this occurred?"
 

I didn't understand why his eyes had this strange sad cast every time he focused on me. "I was in the shower."

"What were you doing magically?"

"I was casting light to make the water look different colors, and I had magical music playing." He arched a brow. How he could tell there was more, I didn't know. "Narzle fart. I had rainbows too."

The corners of his lips just barely turned up. "Charming."
 

A gentle mint green glow blanketed the entire plant. For several minutes he stood like that, doing elven magic.

"You have the most invigorating effect on plants. It is fascinating."

"What?"

"Plants, they like you. You give them more," he searched for a word, "liveliness than they should possess."

"Oh. I don't mean to get them excited."

"I know. It's still captivating." The magic retreated back into his skin. "What do you want me to do with this thing?"

"I want it to leave me alone. I kinda like the plant, but it can't keep growing. My bathroom isn't big enough for it to continue expanding like this, and I doubt this is a healthy place for it. There isn't any natural light in here."

He hummed, and ran his fingers over the invasive flower. "This guy likes it in here. He doesn't need much light. He says he feeds off of magic."

"No, I'm not having something sucking all my power out because it's hungry."
 

"Think more of ripples after you drop a rock in a pond. The rock would be your magic, the spell you cast, the ripples, the energy it stirs up in the world, is what this plant feeds on. You could give it pure power, but it wouldn't need much."

"It won't drain my energy?"

"No."

"It can stay if it confines itself to the areas above the shower, above the towels, and around the sink and mirror. I don't care if you take samples, but I don't want it creeping around like it was before. It startled me." He moved several bits of plant, using magic to train them to grown in a specific area. "Also, if it's going to grow this fast you may need to cut it back."

"No, that was the first growth spurt. It will grow more slowly in the future, but if you find it expanding more rapidly than you'd like I can come back."

"Thank you. I'll be in the living room." An absent nod was the only response I received. Ten minutes later I heard him walk in, but only because I was listening. Elves were stealthy.
 

"Fixed." Elron said.

"Thank you."

"May I say, I was shocked at how much fawning Landa is doing since you're fine."

"How dare you. You have no idea how I feel. You don't know what happened. Get out." He didn't know how hurt I'd been, or what injuries I might have that he couldn't see.
 

"Fine, you've been busy anyway," he sneered.
 

I sat there, staring at the television, but not seeing any of it. How dare he. To think, I'd begun considering him a friend. I sat there, fuming, for hours. I fixed myself dinner, nearly burning my hand in anger, but couldn't seem to regain my calm. Exasperated, I crept out into the dusk, ready to find some peace at my altar.
 

Elron

It didn't take me long to realize I'd been wrong to lash out at her over my jealousy. I didn't know what the last few days had been like for her, and I could feel the remains of a healing spell. It wasn't right for me to have been so rude simply because another man had been with her. Oh, the phrasing modern people used. I had no idea if they'd slept together, though I strongly suspected they hadn't. However, I had good reason to believe he'd laid the healing spell on her.
 

I needed to know why I was so foolish. There was no reason for this outlandish behavior, though I indulged myself constantly. Ah, my logic was flawed. If I constantly exhibited a behavior there was a reason; wanting to admit to the reason was different than the existence of a reason. The best way to eliminate the behavior was to determine the cause and treat it.
 

Considering it that way brought everything into a new light. I wanted to court—the modern term was date—Michelle. I didn't know how to date. It had been a very long time since I'd courted a woman. I'd never dated.
 

This concept of dating was beyond me. I didn't need to ask her parents for permission, we didn't need any type of supervision, and it was all directed by our desires and whims, not the rules of society. Elvish courting was structured, unlike this modern dating custom. I needed someone to explain these modern behaviors to me.
 

Dating was strange enough, but jealousy of this type was unfamiliar. I never competed for my wife's attention. I wasn't accustomed to competing for a place in a woman's life, nor was I prepared to reveal my feelings, risking hurt.
 

She was in the garden, perhaps not the best place to speak to her, but it was a place she respected. Not wanting to interrupt, I waited inside the door. There was no need to aggravate her before we spoke.
 

When she came through the door I spoke softly, not wanting to disturb her, "Michelle, would you take a short walk with me?"
 

She looked at me, as if not sure when I'd appeared. "Are you going to be mean?"

"No, I'd like to apologize."
 

"In that case, I accept."
 

We didn't walk close together; she kept eight inches between us as we made our way into the garden. "Landa has informed me of my ignorance. I find myself uncertain how to progress." We walked a few steps. "I owe you more than an apology, but all other words would only be an explanation. If you want the explanation I'll gladly give it to you, but I need to be responsible enough to control my emotions and impulses."