Chapter 36

Forced love.



"You saved me… child… I can’t exp—"
Her voice broke. I exhaled sharply, finally knowing that I didn’t have to be afraid of her anymore. The ghosts were gone. Jasper lay in the corner; he looked battered. Nathaniel growled and spread his limbs on cold tiles. He was naked, and I was staring straight at his firm sexy arse. In any other circumstance this would be totally fine, but not here. I pressed my hand to the wound in my stomach, using my magic to ease the throbbing pain. It was over. I didn’t have to be afraid. The dangerous witch was dead; I defeated her. I crawled back to Nathaniel, desperately wanting to hold him close.
“It's all right. We’re safe. It’s all over," I said, smoothing his sandy hair. He opened his eyes and his lips lifted in a small bloody smile. I needed to know that he was alive.
"Julia, I'm sorry—"
"Shhh, stop talking," I told him, touching his face. His eyes softened with concern.
"Julia, it was me. I found her for you, the white witch."
It looked like Jasper was conscious enough to talk. He sat back on the other side of the kitchen staring at me. His chest was rising and falling. I frowned, inhaling deeply, knowing that he came here with good intentions.
"Jasper, I need to thank you. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t distracted her. It was brave and noble," I said. He started crawling towards me and then cupped my face in his palms, ignoring Nathaniel who clearly wanted to stab him with his glare.
Jasper’s crazy eyes were huge and dark. "I made a deal with someone to get her address and name," he said softly trying to bring me closer to him.
Nathaniel made a growling sound, but I pressed my hand to his mouth, letting him know that I could handle Jasper. This whole thing was awkward. Jasper looked like he’d lost his mind and I was too weak to fight. I had to make it clear to him that our romance was out of the question.
"I appreciate you coming to my rescue but we’ll never be together. I don’t love you. I believe that the friend—"
"Listen to me, you stupid cunt. I have done everything you asked me to. I came here for you and I'm expecting another chance. That scum here… you two are done. It’s me that you have to love now—"
His voice broke and Nathaniel was trying to get up to probably finish him off.
Emily was on her feet again. Her eyes fixated on Jasper, who went very still. "Calm down, wizard. We all appreciate what you’ve done here," she said, her eyes were burning with red energy. I opened my mouth to tell Jasper that I didn’t love him, that he revolted me.
He looked around, his eyes wide, and his hand gripped harder around his wand. “You're mine, Julia, mine forever and you gave me your word!"
"Jasper. I can’t force myself to love you. Please understand that it didn't work out the first time."
He spat on the floor, his eyes bogged out hugely again. "You’ll pay for choosing him over me. I’ll kill—"
I heard his fading voice and saw Emily throwing a spell towards him to make him stop, but a sudden dose of pain knocked me to the floor and I passed out.
A minute later, after I stirred back to consciousness, Jasper was gone. Nathaniel was back on his feet, slapping me gently on the cheek, still completely naked. Emily was looking over his shoulder, her eyes were beautiful, a deep crystal blue. The ugly paleness was gone.
"I used his own magic against him, but I can’t guarantee he won't come back," she explained.
"We need to get you to the hospital, Julia. You’ve lost too much blood," Nathaniel said, staring at my wounds like he was in a trance, probably aware how delicious my blood smelled. His whole face was covered with red bloody stains and dead flesh. "Stay with her. I’ll call someone."
Emily nodded and took his place. She was talking to me, but I felt so weak, slowly drifting away. Then the pain was slowly easing. Her hands were moving gently over my wounds and her soft voice relaxed me. The cuts on my stomach and my hands began to disappear. In a matter of seconds I was completely healed.
"I'm sorry I tried to kill you," Emily said. Then she went on explaining what happened to her back in Wales two years ago. When she was cleaning her mother’s house, she found an old book in the attic and became obsessed with some of the spells, staying up all night trying to learn certain formulas. Then, weeks later, Emily used her powers trying to bring back the soul of her aunt, but something went horribly wrong. The same night another witch, Elvira, came to her in a dream and took complete control over her soul and body. That morning when Emily woke up, she wasn't herself anymore. She tried to fight back, especially when she was around her sister, but the witch was stronger. Slowly Elvira manipulated Gemma to take Emily’s place in the mansion and Elvira left for Sweden.
"Oh, my God, that’s terrible," I gasped, knowing what happened to her after that. Everyone was talking about the Swedish witches, but it was Emily, who was possessed by Elvira.
Emily smiled, looking away.
“It's over now; she’s regained her peace, thanks to you."
"I didn't do anything," I protested.
"No, you did more than you can imagine. Elvira was stuck between life and death. I should have burned that book, but I was blinded by the desire of becoming someone else."
"So, it’s true then ? You’re the white witch? You healed me."
Emily placed her palm on top of mine. "Yes, I can heal, but only people close to me. I took an oath when I was young, to keep these abilities away from others, to live in solitude."
"What? Why? Imagine how many people you could save?"
“It's not that simple. The healing drains me. I can’t use it all the time, only in special circumstances."
Then Nathaniel walked back to the kitchen, holding a mobile phone in his hand. My mouth went dry. He was still naked, standing in front of us with a serious expression on his face. Emily blushed, looking away.
"The ambulance is on the way," he said and got to me when I tried to stand up. "Julia, stop—"
"I'm fine. Emily healed me. Look," I cut him off, lifting my shirt. My stomach was smooth and there wasn't even scar. Nathaniel widened his eyes in amazement. He looked back at Emily and started thanking her.
I didn't have time to ask him what went on between him and the witches or why he hid such sensitive information from me. Kate had only a few more hours; she was dying. When I explained to Emily what happened she asked me to take her to them. She was part of the reason that they ended up without souls. Nathaniel put his clothes back on and insisted going with me to the hospital.
I was too anxious to wait for the police, so we got to Nathaniel’s car, and when his engine roared back to life, he drove as fast as he could. On the way I kept going over what happened in the house, still not believing I was alive. Nathaniel kept glancing at me. We had a lot to discuss, but there was no time. Dad and Kate had waited long enough, and I just wanted them back.
"When this is over, we’re going to sit down together and talk," Nathaniel said as we passed through the entrance. I didn’t reply. People were staring at us. My anxiety had reached the boiling point. I shouldn't have let Emily heal me. Maybe she wouldn’t have enough strength to save Dad and Kate.
Once we got to the Paranormal floor, I saw Kate’s family outside her room. My stomach contracted with sudden fear that we might be too late.
"Julia… what’s going on?" Kate’s mum asked, running to me. I squeezed her small hands.
"Emily’s the white witch and she’ll heal Kate," I whispered. Kate’s mother looked over at Emily, widening her eyes. Her other daughters and husband surrounded us.
"Please, let me through," Emily said.
Kate’s mother knew that these were Kate’s final hours, so she stepped aside, telling the rest of the family to keep quiet. Emily went inside and closed the door behind her. Everyone started firing questions at me, questions that I couldn’t answer. Kate’s father was shouting that I’d lost my mind. Nathaniel tried to explain to him that I was telling them the truth, but he kept shaking his head. Some healers approached us, asking me about our bloodstains.
After a few minutes, the door to Kate’s room opened and Emily stepped aside, looking pale.
"She wants to see you all."
A surge of warm emotions, happiness and joy rolled right through me. Kate’s family stormed inside. Her mother and father burst into tears when they saw their daughter alive and smiling. They all started hugging her. Healers and nurses began running through the corridor. I knew that we didn't have much time. Emily had to disappear before word about the miracle spread. She hurried to my father’s room.
Minutes later, when my dad was alive and well, I called Mum.
She arrived an hour later flustered and frozen on the spot when she saw him on his feet. There was a second of silence during which I couldn’t help but smile, seeing how love blossomed in both of my parents’ eyes.
"Mary," Dad choked.
Mum stood in the same spot trembling. Her eyes wide open, growing heated.
"Oh, Jerry, I can’t believe that I nearly lost you," she cried and for a split second I thought she was going to pass out. But then she ran and embraced him in a tight hug. Dad looked confused, his eyes widening and moving from me to Nathaniel.
“Let's give them some privacy," I whispered and we stepped back into the corridor.
"Where is she? Where’s Emily?" I asked all of a sudden, realising that Emily wasn't with us. Only a second ago, she was standing right beside me. Nathaniel looked around.
"She’s done her job and it was probably time for her to go," he observed.
I sat down in the chair, thinking that he was right. I knew it was safer for her to leave. No one apart from me and Jasper knew who she really was, but I wished I had a chance to thank her for what she had done for Dad.
I felt fine, watching how Kate’s sisters were on their mobile phones, probably sharing the good news with the rest of the family. Minutes passed, and I looked back at Nathaniel, who was watching me. I was confused and angry. He tried to save me back in her house, but he also betrayed me.
"So, you and Elvira?" I asked. "This wasn't ever about dating, was it?"
He sat back, exhaling loudly. His eyes blinked slowly. Nathaniel looked so human right now, even with blood on his face.
"I made a decision. I had to gain the coven’s trust in order to get the spell to heal your dad. It was a game on my part, a very dangerous one. I knew that I couldn’t get you involved, but I needed to have a reason to give Elvira, so I came up with the spell and my mother. To this day I wish she was still alive."
I clenched my fists, closing my eyes.
When I opened them, his hand was squeezing mine.
"When I went to your apartment earlier on I thought—"
"Yes, I gathered that, and I wish that I hadn’t left you alone,” Nathaniel said, his voice uneven, “But Elvira, well Emily, was ready to talk me through the ritual and I thought I would know how to save your father. This entire plan was risky, and I didn’t know who to trust. You turned to your ex-boyfriend for help. I thought I had time."
I couldn't believe it had to come to this. He had been there for me all this time and I thought he’d betrayed me.
"I'm sorry. I thought Jasper was the only one who could help me."
Nathaniel moved his arms around my body and brought me towards his chest. "Next time I won't hold anything back. I care for you too deeply to lose you."
Love spread through me, curling up my toes, invading my soul. I didn’t want to think about anything else and I was happy.
"Julia, oh, my God, Julia. What’s happened?" My grandmother was rushing through the corridor, shouting and waving at me. She stopped abruptly in front of me, finally noticing Nathaniel. Grandpa was right behind her.
"You tell her," I muttered to Nathaniel.


***

Dad demanded answers after he made peace with Mum and didn’t want to speak to his own mother until I told him everything that had went on since he was found unconscious in the old warehouse. Even Dannika showed up a few hours later, limping in the corridor. I looked amused as she stared at Dad for several seconds, frozen and completely gobsmacked. Then she hugged him. She wasn't as tough as she made out, after all.
She was in a bad shape. It looked like the witch battered her really badly. She was ready to strangle me when my dad told her about Elvira. I had to listen to her shouting at me for over half an hour in the corridor, in front all my family. Yeah, that was pretty lame.
I still didn’t understand how I was able to produce such amazing magic. I had a lot of questions that needed to be answered. Questions about Tron and his connection to Elvira. Alex and his disappearance after saying he wanted to be a part of Ella’s life. Jasper was somewhere in the back of my mind. He promised me that I’d pay for not choosing him.
After running a number of checks on my father, the healers agreed to discharge him. Mum had forgotten about the divorce. A few times I had to leave the room because she wanted to keep kissing him in front of me. A long and probably intimate conversation behind closed doors pushed them back together again.
Nathaniel left shortly after my grandma showed up. Our case was still open, but I had too much on my plate to start sorting things with him. Dannika had to take my full statement. She wanted to question Emily, but I doubted very much that she would ever find her again.
The white witch was gone and only me and Jasper knew where she might be. A few hours after all the emotions had settled, I called Kelsie, Ella and Nicky to let them know that Kate and Dad were alive and well.
"Hey," I said later on when I managed to sneak into Kate’s room. She turned around and stared at me for several seconds. Her face didn't give anything away. Kate looked tired, but I shouldn't have been surprised—after all, she nearly lost her soul.
"Finally, you showed up," she stated coldly, placing her hands on her hips.
"Listen, I want to apologise—"
She cut me off, throwing herself at me and squeezing me into a tight hug.
“Don't be stupid. You don’t have to apologise. I was an idiot. If it weren’t for you I would be dead," she said, crushing my ribs.
"All right, let me go. I can’t breathe."
"Oh, sorry."
Her face split in a wide smile. I was relieved; my friend was back.
"No, I owe you an apology. I should have told you about my affair with Nathaniel," I said, but she was already shaking her head.
"Forget it. It was stupid and angry, but I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Better yet, tell me about your magic. Everyone is saying that you were awesome."
I smiled and started telling her about everything from the moment I found her in Chepstow Park. It was a long story, but we had plenty of time, because she wasn't going anywhere.