Chapter 17

The old werewolf.


I took out my smart phone and Googled Abergavenny and found out that it was a tiny village in mid Wales. Many paranormals told me that they lived away from humans, keeping their distance from the paranormal world as well. A remote village in the middle of nowhere fit perfectly. I could only hope that Gordon Lancaster had given us accurate enough information and the white witch truly lived out here.
An hour later the scenery began to change. Dark green fields stretched in front of us, the sky was grey, and the temperatures dropped to minus five degrees Celsius. We were passing through high misty mountains, and the views were staggering, reminding me of my holidays from years ago.
Once when I was young, my parents took me camping around the Welsh coast. It was one of the best times of my life. I remembered playing with human children and just enjoying myself away from crowded London. Mum and Dad took me for long walks on the beach; we had barbecues, and life seemed perfect then. My mood shifted when I thought about Dad. He didn’t have much time left at all.
"I booked a bed and breakfast for us," Jasper said. I flinched, when my thoughts drifted back to the real world.
"What?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.
"The B&B close to the village. A pair of giants run it," he added.
"Right, so you’re certain we’re staying for the night?"
Jasper frowned. "I don’t know what you were thinking. We can’t just knock on the witch’s door and ask her to go to London with us to save your father."
"Well, not real—"
"Then, stop asking silly questions."
I decided to stay quiet after that comment. Jasper organised this whole trip, so I had to act like I cared about his opinions.
My ears popped as we reached the top of the mountain. From there the road went straight down. Mist circulated all around, sliding in between the trees. I felt isolated, miles away from home with a man I didn’t trust. I only now began to realise that I was making a huge mistake.
From there on, the drive became uncomfortable. Potholes were everywhere, the road narrowed, and it started raining again. For some reason I was nervous and on edge. My pulse was going faster than it should and the warmth of uneasiness began crawling down the base of my spine.
It was after two o’clock in the afternoon when we arrived in front of a very old cottage in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by woodlands and hills. Smoke was coming from the chimney. The cottage looked inviting, settling well with the surroundings. I kept breathing, trying to steady my racing heart. I sensed paranormals inside. There were another two cars parked by the garage.
Jasper put his magic wand away and winked at me. He was so confident that this trip was going to be successful, but I couldn't get rid of that strange feeling in my gut.
"We’ll unpack, grab something to eat, then on to business."
"I see you’ve got your priorities sorted," I muttered, but my stomach growled. I was starving. He was right: we hadn’t eaten anything since early morning.
Although I sensed paranormals inside the cottage, I felt much better than a moment ago. The tingling and sparkling vanished. My heart rate went back to normal. It was as if all of a sudden, my magic was sucked out of me. Back when I started experiencing blackouts, I kept waking up drained of power. I was hoping that this time around it was Jasper’s doing, not my own.
Jasper grabbed our bags from the car and we walked through the cottage to the small reception desk. A nice looking older giant greeted us. Jasper filled out some paperwork, chatted with the paranormal about the weather, and we headed upstairs straight after that. That was where I figured out why Jasper was so keen on this whole trip. There was only one bed in the room.
"This isn’t what I agreed on. We aren’t together, Jasper," I said, folding my arms over my chest. He’d promised to help me, and I had agreed to give our relationship another shot. I never thought that it would come to this, but now I had to really reconsider what I’d promised him.
"We aren’t yet, but it’s safer to sleep together."
I frowned. "I’m not falling for this, Jasper. Why would anyone attack me in Wales? In the middle of nowhere?"
"Word has already spread. Other paranormals from the area know we’re here," he explained, pinning me down with his brown eyes. "Locals don’t like strangers, especially half-breeds."
"Right."
I didn't believe anything he was saying. He simply wanted to get into my pants again. I chose not to say anything, unable to fight on my own ground. I had to stay vigilant, just in case he was right.
Outside was peaceful. Thick mist settled on the ground, the grey surroundings weren’t appealing, but it was the perfect spot for taking some time out, recharging my batteries and just relaxing. Jasper took a lot of books, flasks and boxes out of his bag, then placed them on a desk across from the bed. After that we went downstairs.
"Welcome. My name is Claire," the giant woman who greeted us said when we entered the small restaurant downstairs.
I guessed that Claire was married to the giant from reception. She was around six feet seven with white hair and a long neck. She had a lovely smile and a spark in her eyes that told me her powers were intact.
"Hi, Claire. I'm Julia and this is Jasper."
"From London, right? Your boyfriend mentioned that when I was talking to him on the phone."
"Yes, yes, that’s us," Jasper quickly said, smiling and handing me a menu once we sat down. There was another older couple sitting by the fire. The restaurant was cozy, filled with bookshelves and old rustic tables by the windows.
"Well, you’ll have plenty of places to see around here. Not many paranormals appreciate this part of the country."
Jasper kicked me under the table when I opened my mouth to ask her about "other paranormals."
When Claire left us alone with our menus he hissed at me.
"We’re here to hike and enjoy the views, nothing else. I'm the one who asks uncomfortable questions."
This was absurd. We’d only just arrived. Most likely, no one even knew that we were here, and Claire looked harmless. As usual, Jasper was exaggerating.
"Stop bossing me around. I'm not an idiot."
The couple from a few tables away glanced at me and I went back to staring at my menu. I decided on sausage with mash and, once the older couple left, I was itching to ask Jasper about his plans.
This place wasn't particularly remote. Claire arrived at the table after twenty minutes, carrying food.
She smiled and left us alone. I tried to pre-heat my mash, but I gave up after a few sparks came out of my fingers. Nothing else happened. Everything tasted delicious, but I was worried about my lack of magical abilities. This wasn't good.
"We’re going to visit someone first," Jasper announced, taking a sip of his beer. I swallowed my food, staring at him in confusion.
"Someone? Does this person have anything to do with the white witch?" I asked, giving up on using my magic. My energy was blocked, possibly by another paranormal.
"Julian Savage, an old fairy who knew Gordon from years ago," Jasper explained. "He’s supposed to give us directions."
I stopped eating the delicious meal and glared at Jasper, anger overcoming me.
"But I thought you had the location?"
"I do, but you need a giver, someone who has the witch’s trust. Or else, you’d be dead before you stepped through her door."
"Just tell me you know where this person, Julian, lives?"
"Eat your food and let me take care of the rest."
Jasper was complicating everything. I should have seen this coming. He obviously had no idea where Julian Savage lived. I was angry with myself, pissed off that I’d allowed him to manipulate me into this trip. Jasper looked tense, although he was trying hard to hide it. Something was going on with him.
Claire came over to our table after we finished. She told us that everything on the menu was homemade. She mentioned that the werewolf and his wife were leaving tomorrow, and we were going to be the only guests staying in the cottage. Once she cleared the plates, Chris, Claire’s giant husband, brought two bottles of homemade cider. He had a wide face and the biggest hands that I’d ever seen.
"Half-breed and a wizard huh? We’ve had many different couples here before, but never such a mix up like you two," he said, after our conversation about our made-up plans. Jasper gave me a look that said, "I told you so" and laughed. He took a sip of the cider and then cleared his throat.
"Well, we’re here for more than just hiking, Chris," he began. "We’re looking for someone."
Chris lost his smile and went still. My heart went a little crazy. Maybe he finally made a decision to act, rather than sit around and eat. We’d wasted enough time already.
"Oh, well. I was planning to recommend a few good hiking spots, but I presume it’s not a romantic weekend away?" he asked, pinning his grey watery eyes on me. Jasper moved his hand to my thigh and squeezed. I wanted to punch him.
"In some ways it is, but we need to speak to Julian Savage urgently. I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of his house?"
Chris dropped the bottle he was holding, and it smashed to the floor, spilling cider everywhere. His eyes nearly popped out of his head. He was holding his hand to his heart, breathing hard.
"I have a desire to live, young man, and if you do too, then I suggest you keep away from Mr. Savage," he said, leaning closer.
Jasper had his magic wand out before the old man knew what was happening. Then with the snap of his fingers my magic came back to me, surging from my head to my toes, heating me up like a fire in the winter.
My ex-boyfriend stood then waved his wand, and all the doors in the room closed loudly. He wasn't smiling anymore, and my breath became shallow.
"Julian might be dangerous, but I'm only asking for directions, Chris. You’re not breaking any laws."
"They’ll find out if I said anything and they’ll burn the house," the giant squeaked. I stood up, confused, panting and completely unaware of what Jasper was doing. His shoulders were tensed, and I felt dark magic rising in the room.
"He won't touch you; I can assure you. Just tell me where I can find him."
The old giant dropped his body in the chair, staring back at me.
"No one in the village talks about him—everyone is scared."
"I'm losing my patience with you. I'm sure your wife will be more helpful."
"Why are you doing this? Who sent you?" Chris shouted and the door to the kitchen opened up. Claire barged inside with a gun in her hand. I wanted to laugh. Did she really think that magic couldn’t compete with something like that?
"I knew you two would cause trouble as soon as I saw you!" she screamed, pointing at me.
Jasper narrowed his eyes and waved his wand faster than I’d ever seen. Then, the married couple relaxed, and their eyes drifted away like they weren’t aware of what was going on around them.
Jasper pointed at the chest of the giant who was staring, completely frozen, at the ceiling.
"Julian Savage, how can I find him?" he asked again.
"Jasper! What the hell are you doing? This is illegal," I hissed, standing in front of him. No wonder my father wanted to lock him up.
"Get the fuck away. I don’t have time for this. We won't find the white witch without that fucker, Julia, and these people know where he lives."
"There must be another way."
Jasper’s eyes burned with fury. He shoved me away with his magic, so I couldn’t move. Then pointed his wand at the giant again.
"Tell me how to find Julian Savage," he ordered again firmly, the magic flew from his wand. This spell was dangerous, and I’d refused to learn it. Chris was at Jasper’s mercy. One word and he would be dead.
"He lives in the forest by the old burned church. Locals believe the place is haunted, so no one goes there."
"Julia, go upstairs and get my stuff. We’re leaving."
He released the charm and I ran to our room. I picked up our bags and my clothes then ran back downstairs. I had no idea if this was the plan, but my hands were shaking. Jasper stood still holding Chris with his spell.
"You two will die."
Claire’s words rang in my head as we rushed to the car. Jasper looked pale as we were diving away.
"What the fuck, Jasper? Why did you have to threaten them like that? Where are we going to sleep tonight?"
"Shut up, Julia, and let me think. It wasn't safe to stay there. The old werewolf was trying to spellbind you. They made up their minds about us as soon as we stepped out of the car."
My jaw dropped.
"Spellbind me? What are you talking about?"
"Your blood isn’t pure, and they didn't like it. Now, concentrate on the spells you remember because we’re heading to meet Julian."
Jasper’s face was shadowed by gloomy magic that had crawled into me. I was out of breath, wondering why I had agreed to even come here with him. Jasper behaved like a lunatic and now my father’s life hung in his hands. I didn’t know if there was any point in crying over spilled milk. I was done, and Jasper was only just starting out.