The Trouble With Spells by Lacey Weatherford Read Free Book Online

should’ve
grabbed a sweater,” I chattered, realizing in my hurry to join him I’d
forgotten the cooler weather.
    Vance immediately
took off his leather jacket and placed it onto my bare shoulders.
    “Thanks, but what
about you?” I slipped my arms into the soft worn leather, noticing the scent of
his aftershave, which clung to it.
    “I’ll be fine.” He
smiled at me, giving me a wink. “If I get cold, you can keep me warm.”
    I blushed, unable
to speak as I wondered what he expected me to do exactly.
    “I’m just kidding,
Portia.” He chuckled. He swung his leg over the seat of the motorcycle and
handed me his helmet.
    “You remember the
drill?”
    I nodded and
placed it over my head. He had to help me with the strap, but soon I was on the
seat behind him, ready to go.
    Vance jump-started
the engine, and it roared to life. I brazenly wrapped my arms all the way
around him, laying my bulky helmeted head against his back as he took off.
    We raced through
the night air up to the stop sign on the main highway. Vance turned to the
right and we proceeded up the road toward Oak Creek Canyon.
    We’d traveled a
few miles when Vance slowed down and made a left turn onto a small dirt lane. We
crossed over a small bridge that spanned the creek and drove up the steep
narrow road on the canyon wall . We only went a short way before the road
ended.
     Vance parked the
bike behind a stand of trees. He helped me off, removing my helmet and placing
it on the motorcycle seat.
    “Where are we
going?” I whispered.
    “I’m taking you to
a little place I like to go when I need to be alone.”
    I silently
pondered the reason he would bring me to his private sanctuary.
    He reached over
and grabbed my hand, leading me through the trees and brush. We climbed our way
upward for several minutes before we stopped , and I looked around in
amazement.
    We were on a large
stone slab that jutted out over the edge of the cliff. Below us were the tops
of the trees, and here and there we could see Oak Creek glittering in the
moonlight through them. Above us were some of the sheer rock cliff faces that
dotted the valley, and above them was the beautiful bright moon and stars.
    “This is
breathtaking,” I said, listening to the sound of the river below us.
    “I thought so,”
Vance agreed. He sat down on the rock, letting his legs and feet dangle over
the edge and leaned backwards onto his hands.
    “Have a seat,” he
said, nodding to the space next to him.
    I sat down, opting
to cross my legs and rest my hands in my lap. After a few minutes of easy
silence Vance spoke up.
    “So, you’ve had a
busy day,” he commented, flashing me one of those dimpled grins, making my
heart do flip-flops all over again.
    I nodded.
    “Still taking it
all in?” he asked.
    “Yeah,” I replied
and then let out tiny laugh. “Well, I would be if I knew where to begin.”
    “I figured you’d
have questions you wanted to ask me after tonight.”
    “I do,” I said
honestly. “If you don’t mind.”
    “That’s why we’re
here.” He seemed completely relaxed with the subject. “So go ahead.”
    “Are you really a
warlock?” I jumped straight to the point, realizing I really needed someone to
talk to about all this.
    He looked directly
at me and nodded once.
    “And what exactly
does that mean?” I asked, still feeling more than a little baffled over
everything, but comfortable with him for some reason.
    “It means, like
you, I can do magic.”
    “But I don’t do
magic,” I replied quickly.
    “But you can,” he
responded. “That’s the difference.”
    He sat up
straighter and lifted his closed fist toward me. He suddenly flung his fingers
out, and a small ball of flame danced in the center of his palm. I could feel
the heat generating from it.
    “It’s hot,” I said,
my eyes wide in amazement. “Why isn’t it burning you?”
    “Because I
generated it,” he explained, the light of the flames flickering over his
chiseled face. “Now