Paige shuffled into her apartment, flipping the light on as she closed the door. Work had been a bear. Absent tour guides meant hard labor for those who showed, and there had been a lot of absences tonight.
“Damn concert,” she mumbled as she fell onto the loveseat. Unfortunately, Chartreuse 9 had rolled into town, stealing away most of her co-workers (natural and supernatural) for the evening. Whenever a big event came to town—concert, dance, all-you-can-eat buffet—the staff dried up like groundwater in Arizona. Even the ghosts got scarce. She’d struggled to wrangle enough of them up to help frighten the tourists. It was just crazy. Her boss had pushed some of the tours back a day and refunded a few tickets. To say he was pissed, proved an understatement. Paige had no envy of those that didn’t show up tonight.
That stuff didn’t matter now. She’d made it home and had more important things to occupy her thoughts… like magic. The notion of spellcasting being real had kept her going through the hectic night’s work, but did little for her sore feet and back. Still, she didn’t think she could sleep tonight if she didn’t at least try to use one of the symbols she’d found in the little blue diary.
She rolled off the sofa and headed to the bedroom. She went to the nightstand and retrieved the old book, along with Levi’s picture.
Paige allowed herself a moment to gaze at the dark eyes and chiseled features of the man in the photo. She’d never had much luck when it came to the opposite sex, even before she became “blessed” with her power to see and speak with the dead. Too weird, too distant, and too unappealing for the boys to take notice had been the story of her life. There’d been a few guys. She wasn’t a complete loss. But those scarce encounters hadn’t been until after high school, and were rocky as hell. It only got worse after the dead arrived. She had actually tried to explain the whole “speaking with ghosts” thing to her last boyfriend, Steven. That turned out to be a huge mistake. He’d almost had her committed, and needless to say, that ruined their relationship.
Let’s focus on the present, shall we. She settled onto her bed, placing the photo next to her, and then thumbed through the book in search of the symbols. They stood out against the smaller, fluid script of Belladonna’s hand, making them easy to find. According to the notes found on the following pages each symbol held its own power, or rather, was a key to unlocking specific types of power. A witch’s ability to perform magic provided the conduit for that power to flow into an enchantment, spell, or what have you. Simple enough.
Now Paige had to decide what she wanted out of the spell and define its purpose. She pondered what might be a good starting point as she got out of bed and gathered a few things that had been noted in the book. Fortunately, she had some ink and a plethora of candles to choose from. Other than those items, she just needed a flat surface...and a bit of luck.
She still hadn’t decided on what to cast by the time she’d cleared a spot on the bedroom floor. Ugh… this shouldn’t be so hard.
She glanced at the bed, and saw Levi’s picture. A thought came to her, or maybe it was more of an urge. Whatever the source of her inspiration, she snatched the photo off the sheets and lowered herself to her knees next to the book. She thumbed through the pages until she found the symbols required.
Her hands trembled as she drew out a series of circles on the hardwood floor. What she was about to do was dangerous and undoubtedly stupid, but she couldn’t help herself. She could hardly hold the quill steady from the excitement. If this worked, it would be the closest she’d come to finding proof of other gifted people since she’d found the guy in the crazy house.
She placed the photo of Levi in the center of the circles, after filling each ring with various symbols and small patterns of runes. The hairs on her arms stood on end. She couldn’t be certain if energy actually resonated from the emblem, or if her mind played tricks.
A little voice inside her head screamed at her to stop, and yet, she didn’t. She couldn’t. It’s worth the risk.
She needed to recite some incantations to pull this off. The language appeared to be a form of Latin. She’d taken three years of the old language in high school and a little bit in college, so she knew a lot of the words, but not all of them. She worked the phrases over in her mind, sounding out how she thought they should be pronounced. After settling on the enunciations, she repeated them over and over in her head until she was confident she could speak them flawlessly.
It’s now or never. She took a deep breath and focused her thoughts on the many symbols, what they meant, and what purpose she had for them. The blue book had alluded to a witch’s “strength of will” being the driving force behind her magic. Willpower wasn’t exactly Paige’s strongest suit, but she had hope, and no small amount of desperation on her side.
Without further hesitation, she chanted the words as best she could, her focus still on the symbols and her purpose. She continued to speak the words again and again, until her voice was hoarse and her throat burned.
Nothing. Not a damn thing happened. Not a single tingle or flash of... anything.
Paige stopped chanting and crawled into bed, exhausted and disgusted. She didn’t even have the strength to throw the book against the wall. Tears welled in her eyes as she laid back on the pillow. Another failure. All she’d wanted was a little proof that magic worked, and that someone else like her was out there. She wanted to know if this Levi was actually real and that Nova wasn’t just another pranking ghost.
You’re a fool, you should have known better. The next time she saw Nova, she’d tell her to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.
Sleep came quickly after the monumental disappointment she’d suffered that night. Something had caused her to stir, morning most likely, but she didn’t want to open her eyes. Instead, she snuggled into her pillow, trying to fall back asleep. Her efforts might have worked had it not been for the fact that the pillow wasn’t hers. In fact, the sheets weren’t hers either. They were silk, and she knew full well she didn’t own silk bedding.
She blinked her eyes open. What the hell?
The bed was definitely not hers, but more than that, neither was the room. It was way too big and posh. Crimson curtains and white marble floors didn’t really fall in line with the one room apartment she called home. Even the lighting was different; all soft and weird, like in a soap opera or something.
She went to roll out of the bed, but stopped, realizing she didn’t have any clothes on. “Now this is some messed up shit.”
“You okay in there?” a man’s voice asked.
Paige froze, a chill racing down her spine. The voice had come from what must have been the master bathroom. What she could see of the vanity looked just as nice as the rest of the place, and just as freakin’ eerie. She scrambled to wrap the sheets around her.
Levi stepped out of the bathroom, a maroon towel hanging around his tan hips. He had that streamlined V shape of a runner, and abs that went on for miles. Straight black hair draped over his well developed shoulders and shone majestically in the dim light. Dark eyes took her in, questioningly.
Oh, my god. The icy unease running rampant along her spine melted in a flash of heat—not an ounce of the chill remained. She thought her heart actually fluttered, and she almost gasped in awe of him.
His brow furrowed with concern. “What’s wrong?”
She opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. The words just wouldn’t come. Between the alien surroundings and Levi’s steamy hotness, she was stricken speechless.
He crossed the room like a damn panther, sleek and smooth, and took a seat at the end of the bed. “Everything is okay. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
Part of her wanted to scream in frustration and fear, but the other part wanted to taste every inch of the Native American demigod at the foot of the bed. All she managed to communicate however, was an incoherent sputter.
He grinned, again melting away her fears and resolve simultaneously.
She fought back, using what little remained of her willpower. “Where the hell are we?” She breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to speak.
“In my dreams,” he replied. “Where you wanted to be.”
“What are you talking about? I never—”
Holy shit. The spell. Back in her room Paige had been looking for some kind of connection that would validate Nova’s story. She’d wanted some proof that what the ghost had offered was real. At the time, she hadn’t known how the spell might make that come about, but she had a pretty good idea now.
Realizing what this was, and how she had come to be here, she gave the room another look. Everything seemed so real. The sheets felt like silk, and Levi smelled... so good. Maybe it was real, like some alternate dimension or reality. Who knew?
Levi studied her intently. Patiently.
“So, come here often?” If she hadn’t been afraid of the sheets falling, she would have facepalmed herself. “I mean, is this part of your house or something?”
“No,” he answered. His voice was deceptively deep, and stirred the tiny hairs along her shoulders and neck. “It’s a suite I rented in Vegas a few summers ago. Not sure why we’re here.”
Oh, I know why. She took a breath to calm her heated nerves, which did absolutely nothing but draw his eyes to her heaving breasts. The urge to rip off the sheets was strong, but she feared the repercussions. What would a spell-induced sex dream mean in real life? A little late for caution...
In that moment she decided the next time she tried to cast a spell, she’d masturbate first, because right now the room was charged with so much sexual desire she couldn’t see straight.
Levi edged closer, placing a hand on the sheets bunched up around her. His dark brown, almost black eyes locked with hers. “Are these really necessary?” Slowly he began pulling the silk bedding away.
Paige tightened her grip on the sheets, desperately clinging to the last bit of shielding between sanity and something crazy that she wasn’t sure she was ready for. “What are you doing?”
“What people should do in dreams.” He was so close she could smell the virility coming off of him. He tugged on the sheets, bringing down the only wall between them.
She gasped, but didn’t cover herself again.
His gaze lingered on her naked body, the hunger in his eyes burning with desire, and yet, he did not move to touch her. He waited, questioningly.
She stared at him, paralyzed with conflict. Desire vs. unknown consequences; a hard battle even without the bare chested Adonis sitting next to her. How long had it been since she’d felt the touch of a man?
Too long. She found herself edging down onto her back, and slowly spreading her legs.
He smiled, and leaned over, gently kissing her neck. His fingers glided across her stomach to her breasts.
She dug her fingers into his shoulders and moaned, as he kissed his way down to her hardened nipples. What little resistance she might have had evaporated, as he sucked and squeezed.
His fingers drifted south, and began stroking her into heaven.
She gasped, arching her hips into his vibrating hand. Once she was nice and wet, he kissed his way down her belly, and beyond, to work magic with his tongue.
It had definitely been a long time since anyone had done that. She thrust into him, embracing the pleasure. He was relentless in his efforts to drive her mad with ecstasy. The wave of an orgasm suddenly rose, and then crashed over her. She released a cry of elation and shuddered out of control.
Levi held her in place, preventing escape from his lightning-quick tongue.
Paige squirmed helplessly as he drove her to climax again. She cried out, this time at the top of her lungs.
She awoke, quivering as the orgasm that had started within the bizarre dream came to a blissful conclusion right there in her bedroom.
The sheets had been kicked off the bed, and her panties torn beyond repair. Other than that, everything else appeared unchanged. She laid deathly still, fearful of the tickling aftershocks that threatened to send her reeling into another climax. At any other time she wouldn’t have bothered with such caution, but right then, the strain of another orgasm might cause her to pull every muscle in her body. She chuckled between breaths. Damn, that was good.
Her heavy panting slowly tapered to a soft whisper. She thought it safe to get out of bed, and sat up. The room tilted for a few seconds and then righted itself. She blinked away the dizziness, and glanced at the floor. Oh, hell.
The rings and symbols she’d drawn on the floor had burned into the wooden blanks. Well, there goes my deposit.
“Whoa... What have you been up to?” Nova stepped through the wall. Both of her brows raised as she gazed around the room.
Paige nearly jumped out of her skin. “Jeez! Knock much?”
Nova scrunched up her nose. “It smells like sex in here.”
Paige cocked her head curiously. “You can smell that?” Heat burned her cheeks. “Never mind, don’t answer.”
“Of course I can smell it,” Nova replied anyway. “And it smells like you had a truck-load of fun in here last night.” Her gaze fell on the photo of Levi.
Paige pulled her shirt down. “Look, I need to take a shower—”
“You dirty little tart!” Nova knelt down and picked up the photo of her brother. She waved the image at Paige in one hand and placed a fist on her hip with the other. “You masturbated to this, didn’t you?”
The humiliation was beyond describable. “I’m not having this conversation.” She got up and headed straight to the shower.
Nova glanced at the blackened symbols on the floor and gasped. “You cast a spell!”
“Not talking about this now,” Paige answered, as she closed the bathroom door and turned on the water. Her knees were still a bit shaky, so she sat on the toilet while the water warmed. Memories of Levi’s skilled tongue invaded her thoughts, summoning no small amount of guilt. Nova had gifted her the book and photo in good faith, and she had taken advantage of her generosity. It hadn’t been intentional, the immersion into his dream was a side effect of the spell she hadn’t counted on. She’d meant to be an observer only, not an active participant. Rolling over the events in her mind, she realized how lucky she was that nothing had gone wrong. Nothing dangerously wrong anyway.
She was still having trouble believing the spell had worked. It wasn’t like she did this stuff everyday. In fact, she’d never done it before. Seeing and talking with spirits wasn’t exactly magic… well, she didn’t see it as magic. What she’d done last night was the real thing. Genuine, honest-to-god magic. She couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride at her success. It was a step in the right direction. I’ll just have to be more careful next time.
Puffs of steam began to billow out of the shower. Paige stripped out of her damaged night clothes and stepped into the hot, cascading water. The heat was glorious, and worked wonders on the tightened muscles in her shoulders. She sighed in relief as she lathered her body with soap.
Nova’s head popped through the shower curtain. “Are you having flashbacks of last night in here?”
The bar of Irish Spring shot out of Paige’s hand and hit the ceiling as she flinched. “Jesus!”
“You know,” the ghost continued, heedless of her intrusiveness. “I didn’t give you my brother’s photo so you could get off. You were suppose to be deciding whether to help me, not casting spells to play Peeping-Tom.”
“Well, I’ve decided to help you!” Paige yelled. “Now, will you get the hell out of my shower?”
Nova blinked, and had the audacity to look affronted. “You don’t have to yell, you know. I hear just fine.”
She raised her arms, exasperated. “Ya coulda fooled me.”
Nova smiled. “Glad you’re on board.” She pointed down at Paige’s crotch. “Uh, ya missed a spot.” Then she was gone.
I hate ghosts. Paige finished her shower, dried off, and got dressed. When she stepped into the living room, she found Nova waiting patiently at the little dining table. The photo of Levi and the book sat on the table alongside a few other items.
“So, how was my brother?” The annoying spirit crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair.
“You seriously just asked me that?”
Nova frowned, and then made a face as if a spider had crawled up her arm. “Eew! I didn’t mean that. I meant: is he doing okay... get your mind out of the gutter!”
Paige shuffled to the tea pot in response. This ghost was throwing her off her game, or maybe it was the memory of her brother’s gifted tongue. She smirked as she poured herself a cup of wake-up juice. As much as she wanted to find the witches in Oklahoma, she really wanted to meet Levi.
“Well?”
This chick just doesn’t get the whole let-it-go thing. Paige sat down in the chair next to her. “From what I saw, he’s just fine.” She may have put a little more emphasis on the word “fine” than was really necessary, but she figured Nova had it coming.
The ghost pursed her lips in irritation. “I’m glad he’s still alive at least.”
Paige’s gaze drifted to a short stack of green bills that sat on top of a single plane ticket. A thin manila folder lay beneath everything, but her attention remained on the money. “How did you get that?”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it,” the ghost replied, snapping out of her funk. “I’ve got an itinerary set up for you, and your flight departs this afternoon.”
“What?” Paige almost spilled her tea, again. “I haven’t even told my boss yet.”
“You can call in.”
She gawked at Nova’s annoyingly delighted face, and then narrowed her eyes. “Did you set this whole thing up?” She grabbed Belladonna’s diary and Levi’s mug shot, and shook them in the air. “Why else would you have given me these?”
Nova shrugged. “It was my hope that you’d find a reason to help me. I wasn’t expecting the whole ‘Porn’ thing, but hey, if it got you to help...”
Heat came to Paige’s cheeks once more. “Okay already. Can we move to another topic,” she almost pleaded. “Where are we going again?”
“Norman, Oklahoma,” Nova answered, smugly. “He lives and works in Norman.”
“That’s right.” Paige sighed. “I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb.”
“I think you’ll be surprised. There’s pro basketball, a college town... we even have running water.”
“Haha, you’re a laugh riot. It’s still gonna be weird.”
Nova smoothed her skirt, and dropped the playful mask. “Thank you. For helping me.”
She smiled. “What choice did I have?”