Of Witches and Warlocks: The Complete Series

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The morning turned out to be very cool as we stood bundled up in front of the restaurant, waiting to meet our contact, Brian. We were a little early though, so Vance had me tucked up against a nook in the wall, shielding me with his body from a bone-chilling breeze.

"I wish this place were open so you could go inside," he said with a concerned look, hugging me close and laying his head down against mine. "I don't want you to get sick."

Occasionally, he lifted my hands up to his mouth and blew long puffs of his warm breath onto them, after which he would rub them briskly between both of his hands, heating them slightly with his magic for my benefit.

"I'm fine, really," I said, loving every second of his careful treatment of me, watching in wonder as he used his magic to shelter me. "How do you always know to do stuff like that?" I asked, looking up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean how do you know how to use your magic? Everyone is always telling me how gifted I am and that my powers are so strong for how new they are, but the fact of the matter is, I have no idea what I'm doing or how to use them. You respond so naturally to things, like you know exactly what your powers can and can't be used for."

He chuckled slightly. "Portia, you do have an unnatural ability to control your powers when you use them, but no one expects you to know what you're doing or to even feel comfortable with them at this level. My powers manifested at the age of five. I've had years to learn to manage and master them. It'll probably take the same amount of time for you to come into your own as well. Don't sweat it. Just take your time, play around with them, and feel out what you can do. You've reacted to situations as a normal human being your whole life. It's going to take time to change that mentality."

"You just make everything look so easy. How are things for you now that you've taken on more powers?" I asked, referring to the new magic he had assimilated from his father.

He sighed heavily. "That's the perfect example of what I'm trying to tell you. I have powers I'm not even aware of. At some point in my life I may discover them and learn how to properly use them to the point they'll begin to feel comfortable. It really is a trial and error process, and, not having any knowledge of the people my dad performed a demon kiss on, I really don't know what kind of magic is there." He laughed slightly. "See, we're kind of in the same boat."

"True," I replied seeing his point. "But you're already very accomplished in your magic. What if I never reach the level people expect of me? I don't want to be a disappointment."

Lifting my hands to his lips, he kissed them. "You'll never be a disappointment to anyone, baby. Just keep doing what you're doing and try to figure things out for yourself. If it'll help you feel any better, maybe we can find some time to work on our magic together."

"I'd like that."

After several long minutes, we noticed a black car pull up alongside the restaurant. A young man, who looked to be in his early twenties, stepped out and walked toward us.

"Mr. and Mrs. Mangum?" he asked as he approached.

"Yes," Vance replied, standing in front of me.

"I'm Brian Fitzgerald," he said, extending his hand politely.

Vance shook it. "Vance," he replied with a nod, turning to me. "And this is my wife, Portia."

I laughed internally at the notable emphasis he put on the "my wife" part. The Alpha male in him was obviously racing to the surface. He was definitely more determined to put his stamp on me of late.