Drake, Bewitched

Family Matters- Jezelda

The gate opened by itself, which meant his baby mamma was awake—and that she allowed us to be rejected from the force field around her house, even though she knew we were coming.

Was she marking her territory? I shrugged off the thought, chalking it up to the craziness of the past 24 hours.

Let's see... I'd spent my first time alone in the world practicing magic, faced a dark magic-wielding warlock, experienced the most intense pleasure of my life, and now here I was, outside Aubrey Graham's ex's house, about to meet his child. Not to mention, I just narrowly escaped a dangerous encounter with that warlock, and I still had no clue how I was going to convince the council to save my coven. Why were warlocks even allowed to exist? All these 'deals' they liked to make—it's typical that men would twist witchcraft that way.

But Drake was different. He was kind. I couldn't stop thinking about how he made me feel, but I had to stay focused. Bigger tasks were at hand, and we'd nearly gotten ourselves killed. I was beginning to understand why my coven emphasized love sacrifices and why humans suppressed their emotions. The world simply demanded it.

We entered through the gate, which slammed shut behind us. I took in the lush, green garden before us—a true witch's garden. It was beautiful, full of colors, with hydrangeas, roses, a whole section for herbs, and a massive Magnolia tree. There was also a little pond with pale green lily pads glistened nearby. I could feel my energy returning already.

The house itself was brick, with an old-time charm—small lilac turrets, gabled roofs, and large, tall windows. Overgrown ivy clung to the walls, and a wide front veranda invited us in.

"Dad!" Adonis cried, rushing forward. .

"Hey buddy," Drake smiled, bending down to embrace him tightly.

That left the two of us—two witches connected to Drake—standing together alone.

"Hi," I said, "I'm Jezelda."

She stepped forward and shook my hand. "Sophie," she replied. "Sorry about the force field earlier. It's always up, and Aubrey didn't exactly tell me why he was coming, but I knew something otherworldly was going on."

"Sorry," Drake said, holding Adonis, "Sophie, this is Jezelda. She's also a—"

"I know," Sophie smiled, "Nice broom. You must come from a very traditional coven."

"Yes," I smiled back. "We're from Vermont."

"Northeast Kingdom?"

"Yes!"

"It's beautiful out there. I've always wanted to visit."

She was good. I could feel it from our handshake. She meant me no harm, though her feelings toward Drake were hard to read. On a human level, from the look in her eyes, I could tell she cared about him deeply.

"We're in some trouble," Drake began.

"I know," she said, glancing around cautiously. "Let's go inside."

The interior was just as beautiful as the outside. It had the same gothic feel and almost reminded me of home, but far more lavish. I felt a pang of longing for my coven and the safety of my family. I really needed this to work.

Art covered the walls, even more so than in Drake's home. Must be a rich-people thing.

"I paint," Sophie said, as if reading my mind. Who knows, maybe she was.

Sophie was stunning—long brown hair, dark features, and an incredibly curvaceous body. I felt a twinge of envy. Drake had been with her before me, and they were inextricably linked. They had a child; they would always have that.