CHAPTER TEN

Yanking my phone from my pocket, I dialed Tim's number and began to shove my way across the packed lobby. It wasn't easy. There were so many partygoers, and folks weren't happy to be pushed aside.

"Tim!" I said as soon as he answered. "I'm in the lobby! Headed for the pool. Meet me there. Hurry!"

I dropped the phone in my pocket and kept pushing through the crowd.

" Move !" I shouted to one couple.

"Well, excuse you !" The woman stood there in an elaborate ball gown blocking my path. I led with my shoulder and barreled through, knocking her down.

An outraged shout sounded from behind me, but I ignored it and kept going.

I ran down the hall, past the empty gym and headed straight for the pool room. I stopped and saw an abandoned key card on the hall floor. I grabbed it, swiped it, and rushed through. "Danielle?" I shouted.

In answer I heard a muffled shout, but the room was mostly dark, and it took my eyes a few seconds to adjust.

Starlight was shining through the atrium windows on one side of the pool room, and the water itself was gently illuminated. It was enough for me to finally make out that someone was holding Danielle by the side of the pool.

"Let her go!" I said walking forward.

The person lifted one arm, holding a large knife aloft. Seeing that, I froze in mid step.

"Finally," a woman's voice said. "You're finally going to pay for what you did to me," she said.

Danielle kicked out, fighting to get free, and in response the woman brutally tightened her grip. The young girl's eyes went wide at the pressure.

"Fine," I said. "I'll pay for whatever you think that I did." I needed to stall. I knew that Tim and the rest of the security team would be here any second. All I had to do was keep this nut-job talking and do my best to keep Danielle safe. "Just let the girl go."

"Bitch." The woman laughed. "You think I'll make it easy for you?"

"What do you want?" My voice was shaking from the strain of holding myself back. I desperately wanted to unleash my magick on her, but Danielle was in the way. I needed to keep my cool. And to be smart.

"I want what you stole from me!" the woman screamed.

" What ?" I asked, even though I had understood her perfectly. "Could you say that again? I'm having a hard time hearing you with the mask on."

With the same hand that held the knife, the woman ripped the mask off; and I found myself looking at the face of a stranger.

"You ruined my life!" she snarled. "Took everything away from me; you stole the spotlight and the fame. Everything that should have been mine!"

I took a step closer. "Who are you?"

That was clearly the wrong thing to say, because it only made her angrier. She began to curse at me. Her hand slid down from covering Danielle's mouth, and she was now gripping the girl by the throat and lifting her off her feet.

"You god damn bitch!" the woman screamed. "You should know me! I'm Maryanne Jackson! You stole my place in the Olympic trials. You took my spot on the swim relay team, edging me out by a second! I should have been there competing at the Olympics. I should have gotten a silver team medal in the relay— not you !"

The longer I studied the woman ranting at me the less I was sure I knew her. "I'm sorry, Maryanne," I said, edging closer to her, and doing my best to sound contrite. "I should remember you. You have suffered and that's my fault...because I'm shallow and stupid."

My penitent tone worked. She loosened her grip on Danielle, and Danielle pulled in a shuddering breath.

Taking a chance, I moved closer again. "Please, Maryanne," I said. "Let Danielle go. Take out your anger on me. I deserve it. But she's only a child."

Maryanne's eyes were wide and glazed with hate. "You never appreciated all of the opportunities medaling in the games could afford, Cordelia! I would have taken advantage of those opportunities and worked a deal...I should have been the woman in all those ads, and the one interviewed on television. Instead, it was you!"

I was within arm's reach of Danielle now. "Your anger is justified," I said softly. "Please, let Danielle go."

Suddenly, behind us, there was a loud thud, followed by male shouting. I watched Maryanne's eyes slash over to the right and realized that people were about to break the door down.

"You want the brat?" she asked, and her lips peeled back from her face. "Take her!" She shoved Danielle hard, and out into the deep end of the pool.

I tried to grab for the girl, but instead Maryanne snatched at my hair and wrenched me back by it. The clip-in braids were yanked out as we struggled, but it gave me room to turn, and the knife blade went across my shoulder—instead of my chest.

Now, both of my hands were clamped onto her knife arm as I tried to stop her from slashing down again. Before us, Danielle was floundering in the deep water and her head went under. There was no more time to waste and witnesses be damned. With a primal scream of rage, I called to the element of water.

In answer, a giant wave rose up from the pool and it slapped down hard right on top of me and the lunatic who was doing her best to kill me. The roar was deafening as the majority of the water in the pool came rushing down over us.

I surrendered to the water and trusted that it would wash me safely away from my attacker. Rolling with the current, I found myself free, on my hands and knees, dripping at the edge of the pool deck. Meanwhile my attacker was being thrown around, imprisoned within a swirling tower of water.

I heard more than I saw the door give way at last. Someone had shot through the glass. Quickly I bent over the edge of the nearly empty pool and saw that Danielle was sitting on the bottom, waist deep in the water. She was coughing and crying; but she was breathing.

"Give me your hand!" I called to her and leaned way over the edge of the pool.

Danielle got to her feet and staggered her way over to me. Dangling over the side as far as I could, I bent at the waist and managed to touch her fingers. A second later, a pair of familiar male hands grabbed my waist to secure me.

"I've got you," Tim said.

I reached down farther with Tim holding me, and I managed to grasp her wrist. Immediately, Tim—with the help of Charlie—pulled the both of us up and neatly over the edge of the pool.

I ended up sitting in Tim's lap, holding onto a coughing and crying Danielle, while Tim held the both of us.

"It's going to be okay," I told Danielle and pressed a kiss to her hair. "I've got you."

"I hate that swimming pool," Danielle said with a shudder.

"You need to call Gabriella and Philippe," I said to Charlie, "and let them know Danielle is safe."

Charlie nodded to me. "I will. I'll call them."

"Cordelia," Tim said gently. "The water."

"Oh." I glanced back and saw that Zak Parker and the sheriff were staring slack-mouthed at the tower of water that still held Maryanne. "Sorry. Forgot about that."

I centered myself and silently called again to my element, asking it to stop and to return to its source. With my right hand I gestured, and Maryanne Jackson's body thudded to the floor, while the water rushed back toward the pool in a high glittering arc, filling it up once more.

A heartbeat later, the water had all leveled out. The pool was perfectly glossy and smooth as if it had never been displaced.

Beside me Charlie Smythe, the ex-Navy SEAL, flinched. The man looked from me and back to the swimming pool. "Someday," he said, "somebody is going to need to explain all this to me."

***

My attacker was arrested. Right after she coughed up a large amount of pool water, she was taken into custody by the sheriff of Ames Crossing. Danielle was reunited with her parents, and the child and I both earned ourselves a trip to the hospital in Ames Crossing sheriff's cars.

Chauncey, Estella, Dru and her husband, Garrett Rivers—and the security team—managed to run interference for us. The sheriff's department kept the masquerade attendees away from the pool area; and the event continued on that night without the majority of the partygoers being any wiser.

While sitting in the ER treatment room, Tim and I learned how Danielle had snuck down alone to the main level. She, Archer, and Celeste had thought that hiding would be a great prank to play on their sitter.

Danielle had gone past the security gate on the family stairs, figuring that no one would think to look for her downstairs. Then she became curious after hearing the music and had decided that she wanted to see the ball and all of the costumes for herself. Using her family's key card, she had opened the locked door to the hotel side of the building—intending to peek out—and had unfortunately come face-to-face with Maryanne Jackson.

I overheard Philippe tell Gabriella that he was going to completely change the security set up, so that none of their children would be able to go from the family wing into the public side of the mansion so easily, ever again.

When all was said and done, I'd only needed a few Steri-Strips and surgical glue on my shoulder. The knife cut hadn't been too deep. Danielle had some bruises and a sore throat from being choked, but besides being shaken, she was well. The doctors and police said we'd both been incredibly lucky. I simply nodded and kept my mouth shut.

It was magick that had saved us. Not luck.

It took a few days to get everything sorted, but Maryanne Jackson was being held in the county jail without bail. She was charged with several crimes: First there was the stalking. Second, assault—from her bashing Ryder Desroches over the head and shoving him in the pool, back at the aquatic center. Third, vehicular assault with intent to kill from when she ran Kenna off the road. The fourth charge was the abduction of Danielle Marquette, and they also slapped child endangerment on that for good measure...and of course the stabbing of yours truly.

Austin and Detective Williams later informed me that they researched Maryanne's background, and indeed she had been one of the swimmers that I'd beaten in the final race at the Olympic trials.

Turns out that she'd also been booted from her collegiate swim team the following season, for failing a drug test. Austin theorized that instead of taking responsibility for her own actions, she decided to blame me. Then she became fixated.

Now that it was safe to do so, the aquatic center reopened the second week of November. The swim teams returned to practice for the upcoming season, and I was able to resume my position as coach. Which meant that my time in Ames Crossing had come to a close. I could safely return to my life and move back to my family home on the hill.

Tim helped me pack my things at the carriage house. He kept fussing at me not to overwork my injured arm, and by the time I had Skye's car all packed, the Marquettes—Philippe, Gabriella and their kids, plus Estella, Chauncey, and baby Isabella—were all lined up and waiting to say goodbye.

Gabriella held on tightly. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice breaking.

I hugged her back every bit as tightly. While Tim shook hands with Philippe, I gave each of the twins a hug, and then I embraced Danielle.

"You and me. We're not finished girlfriend," I told her.

The girl smiled at me nervously.

"In two weeks," I said, "you're going to start private swim lessons with me at the aquatic center. You need to learn how to swim, and swim correctly, for your own safety."

"Okay," she said with very large blue eyes. "I won't be scared if you're the one teaching me."

I patted her back. "It'll be fun. You'll see."

Before we could leave there was another round of hugs. The Marquettes said goodbye, and I headed back home to Alton.

***

November rolled along, the leaves all fell from the trees, and Brynn's gardens went dormant for the coming winter. My arm healed quickly, and I threw myself back into my job. The team looks great this year, and I think they have a real shot at the GAC title. Tim and I are great, he has basically moved in with me in my basement apartment, and we're happier than ever before.

My parents, Forest and Athena, decided to stay in Alton until after the holiday. They were planning on coming up for Thanksgiving week anyway, but with all the excitement from Kenna's accident and then me...Well, they extended their visit.

I arrived home after practice the day before Thanksgiving to find my mother and father sitting at the kitchen island. The smell of homemade pizza hung in the air, and Kenna and my mother were hip deep in planning a blow-out Thanksgiving meal.

My father, meanwhile, was arguing with Skye over whether or not extra-terrestrials had taught the ancient Egyptians how to build the pyramids. Robbie, Austin's little boy, sat on my dad's knee and hung on his every word.

My father had a fan. Robbie was crazy about my dad. The feeling was mutual, and my parents had invited Brynn, Austin and Robbie to come visit them in Florida after the new year.

Austin and Brynn were currently sitting at the kitchen table, going over the plans and her notes on the greenhouse that was being built.

Robbie saw me walk in and gave me a wave.

"Hi Cordy!" he said, using the family nickname. "Did the team swim really fast today?"

I smiled. "They did."

"We're going to have the biggest turkey in the world for Thanksgiving!" Robbie grinned. "The turkey is so big, that Brynn put it in the flower cooler in the garage!"

I winked at the boy. "We've done that before."

"Cordelia?" my mother called out. "Will Tim be able to join us for dinner tomorrow?"

"Yes," I said. "He's got the day off this year." I sniffed the air appreciatively. "How long ‘til the pizza is ready?"

Kenna smiled. "Ten minutes."

My stomach rumbled. "Did you make the dough from scratch?" I teased her. I could smell the yeast; I already knew that she had.

Kenna glared at that. "Of course. Do you think I would use some ready-made crust from the grocery store?"

"Never," I said, trying to keep a straight face. "I'm going to change. I'll be right back."

By the time I had changed into leggings and a comfortable sweater and had gone back upstairs, Tim had arrived. He was currently helping my mother set up plates and napkins, buffet style, on the counter, while Kenna began to slice up the pizzas.

I walked directly over to him and lifted my face for a kiss. "Hello," I said after he finally lifted his mouth from mine.

Skye nudged us apart with a giant bowl of salad. "You two are blocking the buffet line. Go make out somewhere else."

"Leave them alone, Skye," my mother said.

Tim laughed and shook his head. He was well-used to the pandemonium that was my family by now.

A little while later we were all sitting around the massive dining room table. There were a variety of discussions happening at the same time. My father was telling Robbie and Austin about his latest deep sea fishing trip. Apparently, he'd caught something the size of the Loch Ness monster...at least that's what he told a desperately impressed Robbie.

Skye was arguing with Kenna about the future stuffing, and whether or not there would be apples in it this year—there typically was. Brynn and my mother were discussing the table set up for tomorrow and the centerpieces.

"No candles," my mother said firmly. "Flowers yes, but no candles. I do not want a repeat of the Thanksgiving incident of 2019."

Skye tossed her head. "It wasn't my fault that Kenna can't control her magick."

Kenna's head whipped around, and she glared at Skye. "It was your element that made the candle flames blow down toward the table."

Brynn chuckled. "Bottom line, you are both at fault for setting Great-grandma Golden's lace tablecloth on fire."

I sat with my bare feet tucked on top of Tim's and couldn't help the grin that spread across my face while my sisters bickered back and forth.

"Why are you smiling, young lady?" my father teased as he sat across the table from me. "As I recall, you tried to put out the fire with water magick, and—"

"Let's not get into that now, Dad," I said, cutting him off.

Tim leaned forward eagerly. "Oh, I have to hear this. What did she do, Forest?"

My father sat back in his chair. "In an effort to help, Cordelia sent water shooting toward the flames. Unfortunately she directed the water from a nearby pitcher up in the air, before it went down on the table. There was such a big splash that it completely doused my mother."

"Hey, at least I put out the fire," I grumbled.

"Your Grandma Althea was not amused," My father said to me, then he shifted his attention to Tim. "You get any deeper in with this family, son, you may want to brace yourself. My girls always keep things interesting."

Tim nodded. "I'll consider myself warned, but it's too late for that now."

My father's eyes sharpened. "Meaning?"

Tim turned to me. "I was going to do this later—when we were alone—but I think that the right time, is now."

My heart slammed into my throat. "Right time for what?" I asked him, as everyone around us fell silent.

Tim shifted and pulled a small box from his pocket. My breath caught as he opened the lid, and a sparkling diamond solitaire ring was revealed.

"Cordelia," he began. "I love you. And I love the magick that you bring into my world."

My gaze swung from the ring and back to his face.

"Marry me?" he asked.

"Yes!" I said and dove straight into his arms.

While we kissed, the family cheered. Once we came up for air, Tim slipped the ring on my finger, and it fit perfectly. My parents and sisters all jumped to their feet to congratulate us.

"My youngest baby!" My mother kissed my cheeks with tears in her eyes. "The youngest getting married first!" She then grabbed Tim and kissed him too. "Oh, what a wedding we will give you!"

My father hugged both Tim and I. "Damn right we will. I've been saving up for years."

"Congratulations." Austin shook Tim's hand.

"Thank you," Tim said with a huge smile.

Brynn gave me and Tim a hug together. "I'll do your flowers."

Kenna pushed her way in to grab us next. "I'll bake you both a hell of a cake!"

Skye nudged Kenna aside. "And I'll be your maid of honor," she said, hugging Tim first, and then me.

That made me laugh. "We'll talk about that later, Skye."

Together, Tim and I stood arm-in-arm surrounded by the happy chaos that was my—our—family. Even now, Skye had her laptop open and was looking at venues with my mother. While everyone talked and tossed out ideas for wedding plans, Tim brushed a kiss over my temple.

"Love you," he said.

"And I love you."

"Cordelia?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

"Did you want a handfasting ceremony or more of a traditional wedding?"

I did a double take. "You know what a handfasting is?"

He smiled. "Of course, I do. Arianna and Rafe talked to me about it."

"They did? When?"

"Last week when I asked Arianna if there was anything special I should know before proposing to a Witch." He smiled. "Rafe gave me a pep talk, and she explained about magickal wedding rituals."

Hearing that, I gave him a firm kiss. "I absolutely adore you; and I would prefer a handfasting ceremony."

Tim nodded, and then tipped his head meaningfully toward Skye and my mother. "Before everyone gets too carried away scouting out locations, I do have a suggestion," he said. "If that's okay."

"Of course it is." I snuggled closer to him. "It's your day too. What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking an outdoor ceremony in the gardens of the Marquette Mansion would be perfect for us."

"I love that." I kissed him again. "There's definitely magick there."

Tim smiled down into my eyes. "There's always magick whenever I'm with you, Cordelia."

The End

Kenna's story, book three in the Witches On The Hill series is coming soon!

Fire In The Heart, early 2025