Page 40 of How Not to Hex a Gentleman (Witches of Edinburgh)

Chapter Forty

BENNETT

E ven though Kennedy insisted on going with me, I don't want her anywhere near Professor Stewart. I stand outside his door, the letter in my hands, and take a deep breath. It's been three days since I've returned home after being at the hospital and thankfully, I feel like myself again.

Well, I'm feeling better than myself because I have Kennedy now.

I still have this unpleasant conversation in front of me though, so I waited until I was clearer-minded. I knock on the door and hear his voice from inside telling me to come in. I'm not sure what I expect to see, but he looks just like he always looks. His suit and shirt are pressed, an air of cockiness around him. I always thought it was because he earned his position at the university, but now I see it's probably because of magic. Magic he's stolen from others.

Olivia told me I'm not allowed to let on too much information. That I simply want to transfer advisors, but it feels like after one look at me he knows. He knows that I know. I can't imagine him not knowing, considering his plans went up in flames.

"Mr. MacKay, it has been a few days. You cannot fall behind on your deadlines."

"You're right, I can't, which is why I'm switching supervisors."

There's a moment of surprise on his face before he masks it. He glances at the paper in my hand and I can't quite read him as he leans back in his chair. "I see. They want you away from me, don't they?"

I don't show an ounce of emotion as I look at him because no matter how much I would like to punch him in his smug face, I'm not about to give anything away.

"I already submitted the documents to the school. This is a courtesy withdrawal." I walk over and place the paper on his desk. He glances at it briefly before he looks up at me.

"I'm going to take that as a retreat," he says, and somehow I know he's talking about the witches, but I can't even allow myself to gloat where he's concerned. He doesn't even know that they've already put up a barrier to keep him from pulling something like this again.

According to Olivia, they can't rid him of his powers entirely because of the blood that flows through him. Something to do with the heritage of Scotland. He has a sort of an open flow, like electricity flowing through a socket, but what he doesn't realize, is that they can diminish that flow by turning off the switch. Olivia's coven thought turning it off once would be enough, but now, he needs to be constantly watched as he keeps turning it on. He might not realize it yet, since he had a power-up from me, but he'll know it soon.

"Thank you for the time you have spent with me on this project," I say and then turn to go.

"They will turn on you; they always do." I freeze at his words and I can hear him stand. "Witches and humans simply don't mix. They'll use you and then they'll throw you away. Don't think you're anything special."

I truly did not expect him to be this open with me, but maybe the frustration has worked its way past his carefully crafted exterior. I turn slowly, giving myself a moment to collect myself. He's lucky I don't possess any magic, or he'd be flying through a window by now. I've never felt this feral with the need to protect someone before, but I would do anything for Kennedy.

"I'm not sure who hurt you, but I hope you learn how to heal from that, instead of it ruling you for the rest of your life."

I don't wait for a response, but turn and walk out the door. At the end of it all, he really is just a sad man who's grasping for power that isn't his.

For the duration of my project, I'll be working with Professor Campbell. She came fully recommended by Olivia and I think I'll be able to nurture some of my curiosity in a very helpful way under her advisement. I kind of wish Olivia still taught because she would've been an amazing person to learn from.

When I step inside The Black Cat, I realize I have that opportunity either way. After the way my parents abandoned me, I never thought I'd open myself up enough to be in any kind of a long-lasting relationship. Not when my biggest fear has always been that every woman I meet would turn into my mother. Now, looking at Kennedy, I can't imagine my life without her, and I trust she will not abandon me.

The girls are seated at their usual table, just as the last few customers stand to leave. Olivia greets me with a wave and I see she's preparing a cup of something already. Pet jumps on the counter and watches me expectantly as I walk over close enough so she can jump into my arms.

Then I freeze in my tracks.

"Umm, why is there a magpie in here?" I ask, staring at the bird. It's sitting on the windowsill, surrounded by all the plants at the end of the table the girls occupy. As the bird stares at me, I swear it looks familiar. Which is wild, considering the number of magpies that reside in the city.

Kennedy grins at me as she stands and takes me by the hand, leading me to the table.

"Bennett, meet my familiar, Stella."

I glance between the bird and my girlfriend, a little at a loss for words. "Your familiar?"

"Mhmm, isn't she beautiful?" She grins at me, then turns to the bird. "No, don't let it go to your head. We accept compliments with grace, not pride."

"I'm sorry, you're communicating with a bird?"

Kennedy leads me to a seat next to her as the bird continues to eye me. I swear she's judging everything I do, but it's not like I can prove it.

"Apparently, when you accept your powers, and realize you're quite powerful, you get a familiar and you can communicate with them. Stella has been watching over me since I got here, but I couldn't communicate with her until now. Yes, I know, it was very frustrating." The last part is directed at the bird, and I think this will definitely take some getting used to.

A tiny tug moves my attention to the fur ball in my arms and Pet gives me a loaded look. I give her a little scratch before it hits me.

"Wait, is Pet your familiar?" I ask as Olivia places a cup of coffee in front of me and takes a seat at the head of the table.

"She is, but she has a very strong attachment to you."

"Incredible," I say, glancing at the cat and Olivia chuckles.

"She agrees."

I can't even be weirded out about it. Not when Kennedy is leaning against me, her head on my shoulder, gazing up at me like she physically cannot stop looking.

"Do you think his head is about to explode?" Parker asks, but I don't look away from Kennedy.

"No, I think he's just fine," Lily says, and Kennedy grins before she leans forward and steals a quick kiss.

"Eww, my eyes!" Parker shouts and we pull away with a laugh.

"You sound like Lana," I tell her and she shrugs.

"I hope you mean as an awesome fifteen-year-old girl and not someone related to him ."

"What is your?—"

"Don't get her started!" Lily talks over me and I glance at Kennedy who's nodding. I put those questions away for now.

"How did it go with your supervisor?" Olivia asks and I sober up immediately.

"He said something about you turning on me, but I don't think he knows anything about whatever spell you counteracting his with when you pulled me out."

The older witch nods and it's Lily who asks the question. "What did he mean about turning on him?"

Olivia sighs and suddenly looks older than her years. "It's a tale as old as time," she says. "The witch he was in love with broke his heart and he became part of the Order of the Yew Tree. His magic has always been minuscule, which is why he's searching for a way to enhance it, and just like everyone else in that order, they do it by stealing from others."

"That's sad," Lily says, but Olivia shakes her head.

"Don't feel sorry for him, my darling. He has made plenty of mistakes to lead him where he is. It has always been his fault, he just doesn't see it."

There seems to be a lot of history here, but I don't ask. It's not my place anyway. I'm just grateful they allow me to be a participant in this part of their lives. I want to be here for Kennedy in any way I can.

"So what do we do now?" Parker asks. "About him and this." She points to the tattoo. Kennedy is the only one with a second flower woven into her tattoo and it suits her.

"We continue to move forward," Olivia replies. "After everything that's happened, I think we know one thing. You three are meant to be the protectors of this place, the leylines that hold the power, and the land it is flowing through. Your connection to the earth is unlike anything I've ever seen. It's spoken of in the books of old."

Olivia turns to Lily and Parker.

"You have yet to discover the full level of your power, but when you do, the three of you will be unstoppable. The land and the magic has chosen you; that's what those marks mean." The girls glance down at the tattoos, questions so evidently on the tips of their tongues.

"With Bennett's help, you have discovered so many energy points around the city." Olivia reaches over and squeezes my upper arm before continuing. "It was only after everything happened that I realized what you've been doing."

"I don't understand," Kennedy says, because Olivia is looking at her.

"You were creating a thread of your magic through the city. Every place you visited, every relic you found, it was magic, knocking on the door of your heart. Tell me, do you feel connected to the city?"

Kennedy opens her mouth to reply and then shuts it. She thinks about it for a moment before she slowly nods.

"See, everything is as it should be."

The girls exchange a look and there's a calm in the room that transcends this moment somehow. Watching them come together is beautiful and I can see the excitement on their faces.

Kennedy drops my hand and reaches over to Parker and Lily, taking their hands in hers. She told me Olivia called her the tether, and I see it, even with my untrained human eye. She is the glue that holds them together and she is beautiful.

KENNEDY

"We're sure about this, right?"

"You're the brave one, you really should stop asking that question," Parker calls over her shoulder as we're once again tramping through the woods. It's been a few weeks since the whole Bennett ordeal. We're in Dalkeith Park, a bit outside of the city, and Parker is leading us like a woman on a mission. Which can only mean one thing. Lily and I exchange a look.

"Parker, honey, have you seen Nicholas lately?" Lily asks, which earns her a quick glare and a puff.

"How is that relevant? I do not know."

So, that's a yes. The two of them have fought at every dinner so far. It's become a tradition. Once a week, Olivia, the girls, and I get together for family dinner. She sort of adopted Bennett and then Nicholas and Lana as well, and now our dinner of four has become a dinner of eight. I love every moment of it, considering I've never been part of a family that shows love readily, but it's been amusing to watch the dynamic between Parker and Nicholas. We have gotten many baked goods in the aftermath.

"What exactly are we trying to do here?" I ask and Parker huffs again.

"Get one with Mother Nature, duh. You're the queen of earth magic, but Lily and I still need to level up our affinity. We haven't done many proper sister bonding activities, so think of it as one. It would’ve been cool to do this at the fountain, but you know, there are people there.”

"She's really bossy when she's all worked up," Lily whispers.

"I can hear you," Parker throws over her shoulder.

"Good, then you know how we feel," I say.

Even though I'd rather not be in the woods after dark, I can't deny the feeling of rightness when I'm surrounded by nature. Bennett is helping Olivia at the café tonight, and I can't wait to see him later for our date, but right now I know this is important, so I focus.

We reach a clearing among the trees in the next minute and Parker stops. She gives the space a thorough study, just as Stella lands on one of the branches overlooking the space.

Mad again is she , the bird says straight in my head and I suppress a chuckle.

She is .

Must be that boy .

You are very smart .

The bird looks pleased with my compliment and then settles to watch over us. It's quite strange, having this power to communicate with another living creature. We're not always speaking, as if the energy isn't always flowing, like we have to turn the switch on, but I love having this extra connection to my magic.

"Let's do it here," Parker announces and then produces a blanket from her backpack. She always seems to be prepared. She spreads it out and then pulls out a candle and some matches. "Don't just stand there, take a seat."

Lily and I hurry to sit down, crossing our legs and watching as Parker lights the candle. She also takes out some crystals and places them around the candle. I give our surroundings a little magic scan, keeping the wind to a minimum so the candle burns.

"Now, I know that we're all about to get a lot busier," Parker begins, "with Kennedy taking some teaching internships and Lily getting a job at the library, but I think we have to make sure to keep our together time on the calendar and grow our powers so we can stand up against anyone else who tries to steal it!"

I still can't believe I'm following my long-forgotten dream when it comes to teaching. Olivia has been encouraging me and has given me a lot of information on how to go about things. The girls are so excited for me too, because to them, it simply makes sense.

I can't deny the fact that I've thought about my aunt a time or two. I even picked up my phone to call her, but I don't think I'm ready. Not yet. Maybe one day she'll forgive me and maybe one day I'll be able to have a conversation with her again. Maybe one day I'll be able to ask her about my parents. So much of my history is unknown, but for now, I'm going to work hard at going after every dream I was ever denied, with the people who I love beside me—creating my own history.

"Don't forget your art internship," Lily comments and Parker grins.

"We have so many good things going for us, but the best thing is us ." I grin at Parker's enthusiasm because I agree completely. Even though we're not blood, they're my sisters through and through.

We join hands and immediately I feel the energy flowing through us. We're not advanced for spoken spells yet but we're practicing. So much of magic is hands-on, and I want to learn it all.

I know what Parker is going to say before she says it. "Shall we make it shine?"

Lily laughs. It's our favorite spell and something that brings all of us immense joy.

I close my eyes, focusing on the magic flowing through me and to the girls and back through. We picture what we want in our minds' eyes and then we push it out. When we open our eyes, I beam. Tiny sparkles fill the space around us, like stars but close enough to touch. Our magic manifests in unique ways, but when we discovered this one, we all fell in love with it. It makes us feel connected on a special level and we keep hold of each other as we watch the sparkles dance overhead.

"I just want you to know, I really love you dorks," Parker announces and I glance at her to find tears in her eyes. Immediately, my own well up, and when I look at Lily, she's already crying.

"I love you too," she says and I echo the words.

We stay like that for a long moment, enjoying each other and our magic—a bond that's become an integral part of who we are. I am so excited to see what happens next or where our magic will take us.

Through it all, we found a home and a family in each other and that's more powerful than any magic.