A Wiccaning - 5. Chapter 5

“Oh Shit!” James cursed, flicking his hand upwards to save Jason from hitting the floor as he almost dropped him in his distraction.

Standing in the hallway, looking down at Jason, he felt an almost animalistic desire, a drive to protect him, to be close to him, to love him. It confused even James, with all of his knowledge of magic, demons, and the myths of corpus-unus that he’d heard, how could such an attraction form so quickly. If he knew why he was feeling what he felt, and it scared and confused him… then how was Jason going to feel. Shrugging off a shiver, he opened the door to the lounge with another wave of his hand and entered behind Jason.

The lounge was the cosiest room in the house: real, dark wooden floor; two plush, upholstered settees; three matching armchairs, dark green to match the long curtains that framed the bay windows; all these features, plus to the Victorian fireplace, gave the room an old fashioned, homey appeal. If it weren’t for the modern fixtures and electronics, you would have thought you’d stepped back in time.

“Oh, hey! What are you guys doing in here?” James asked, as he noticed Matt and Ant sitting on the larger of two couches, the one he had intended to lay Jason on “Aren’t you meant to be fortifying the house?”

“We are,” Ant replied looking up from the orb of white light he was levitating between his hands.

“Yeah, but didn’t you say you were doing the front of the house”

“I can do it from here or anywhere, Matt just wanted to get out of the war zone” Ant smiled, raised the orb, cupped in his hands, above his head “Emanio” He said looking intently at the ball of light.

It swirled in his hands and then swelled, dissipating, out through the walls, protecting the property. James knew, as well as every other trained witch in the coven, that Ant could cast that spell anywhere in the property, especially with his expertise. That! He didn’t need explaining, he was more concerned with why Ant hadn’t moved yet.

Man, I wish I could do that, James thought in spite of his annoyance at Ant.

“He means Celia and Elle… Demons look friendly compared to them two” Matt explained earnestly.

“So, you done then?” James asked, cocking his head to the side and giving Ant a look which spoke a thousand words – Get the fuck offa that couch and let me rest him on it.

“I think he’s hinting for us to move off of the settee” Ant smiled at Matt.

“Oh sorry, man,” Matt said glancing up from Ant and giving James a genuinely apologetic look.

James just smiled at Matt, as the both Matt and Ant stood, allowing James to levitate Jason on to the settee.

“So what’s the plan?” Matt asked Ant, following him across to the fireplace, helping light a fire.

“Well… I don’t think we actually need one.” Ant dusted soot from his hands “Well, not yet!” he said, in order to stop James from scowling at him.

James shrugged and turned back to Jason. He struggled to take the young man’s soaking clothes off, and then wrapped him in a blanket.

“Why is it that Elle can heal broken wrists but not dry his clothes” James asked no one in particular.

“We don’t know who he is yet, we don’t know how many demons will attack us, or if they even want us… they could just want the boy,” Ant continued, earning another glare from James.

“Wait a minute! We’re not just giving him up” James said becoming panicked.

“And close that bloomin’ back door will you! It’s freezing out there!” Came Jackie’s voice, from the hallway, along with the chinking of the tea set she was carrying.

“I didn’t mean that! We do need to work out what’s going on though, James!” Ant said giving him a sympathetic smile.

“Right, someone help me please?” Jackie asked as she came through into the lounge. “Ah! Excellent someone’s had the foresight to light a fire… pity no one closed the backdoor sooner!”

Placing the tea set into Matt’s outstretched arms, Jackie smiled at him and crossed the room to check on her son and his new friend.

“How’s he doing dear?”

“Fine, I think… he’s still unconscious, I guess the demon freaked him out,” James thought out loud as he kneeled in front of the settee to check on Jason.

“Well it can be quite a shock my dear, especially the first time.”

James sympathetically smiled down at Jason, remembering how he’d cried the first time he’d seen a demon, granted he had been only five at the time. He remembered how his father had taken him up in his arms afterwards and bought him a Knickerbocker glory. The memory made him feel the pang of loss, which he’d always carry.

“So, do you think this was his first time seeing a demon?” Ant asked

“Most probably, from his reaction I mean” Elle interjected as she entered the room, “The kitchen’s looking a little better, Jackie; Celia’s just finishing up.” Jackie nodded her head in acknowledgement as she moved from her son to sit and pour tea.

“What’s the plan?” Elle continued

“Well I’ve re-cloaked the house, so unless another demon followed, they won’t be able to sense any of us.”

“I mean, what will we tell him? Demons? Witches? He won’t be able to handle all of that,” Elle corrected looking at Jason worriedly.

Elle took a seat next to Jackie on the two-seater sofa, which sat opposite the larger one that Jason occupied, Jackie smiled across at Elle and handed her a freshly poured cup of tea, knowing she was talking from personal experience on the matter.

“He might be mortal, although that doesn’t explain why a demon would risk following him here, but if he is a mortal… we don’t really have to tell him anything, cloak him and…”

“No! We, he, I mean… shut up Ant!” James stood angrily, and stumbled over his words in frustration.

“Ok everyone, maybe we should calm down,” Jackie said.

The lounge door opened and Celia walked across the room to sit with Matt, on the rug in front of the fire; he wrapped his arm around her pulling her close.

“What’s going on?” She asked him, ignoring everyone else.

“We don’t know what to do when he wakes up,” Matt said simply, nodding towards Jason.

“Oh! Well that’s easy.” “Care to share?” Elle asked pointedly, not liking the condescension dripping from Celia’s words.

“Well, you all need to stop speculating about him, and just ask him what he knows.”

Urgh! I hate it when she’s right. Elle thought.

James was too embarrassed to declare his feelings for the young man as he doubted everyone would take him seriously.

“Wha... where am I?” Jason asked groggily moving from under the blanket, everyone eye in the room was on him.

“Perfect timing,” Ant chuckled from the armchair in which he sat.

“Why is everyone staring at me? Wh-why am I naked?”

“You’re not, you’ve got boxers on!” James blurted out, and then, suddenly becoming embarrassed, he blushed scarlet and tried to look anywhere but at Jason.

“What was that thing before? Who are you people? And where in the name of sweet fuck am I?” Jason began to get more and more distressed, trying to stand, he threw the blanket from his body, only to realise he was wearing only, a damp pair of boxers, which did little to maintain his dignity.

“Oh dear” Jackie said turning away “James would you be a dear and find some clothes to fit this young man? By the way dear, what’s your name?” Jackie said turning back to Jason as he gathered the blankets about himself.

James just stood rooted to the spot, fully taking in for the first time the definition and beauty of Jason body.

“J-Jason,” he murmured

“Well, hello there dear, my names Jackie, and this, is my coven,” Jackie said, perfectly at ease, moving her arm across the room at everyone.

Jason fidgeted nervously, glancing around the room at.

“Hi, my names Helena, but everyone calls me Elle, and this is...”

“James” James cut in

“Yeah, he’s meant to be getting you some of his clothes” Elle added pointedly.

“Oh yeah… erm yeah… hi by the way, erm do you want a cup of tea or something? Mum he’ll have a cup of tea, mum always gives people tea, something about making everything ok… you probably need one, I mean… not that you’re not ok, or are you? You ok? Oh! Clothes yeah” James blabbered nervously, before jumping up, his face aglow and running out of the room.

Jason sat in shock, first the shock of demons then a babbling James. He’s nervous... it’s almost as if he… likes me…He thought.

“So I suppose you have questions?” Jackie asked as she poured tea for everyone, making eye contact with Jason over the teapot as she poured. She smiled, “Milk? Sugar? Or would you care for a valerian root infusion? It’ll calm you right down my dear.”

“Milk one sugar please,” Jason said in a daze.

“Could someone hang those wet clothes for me please?” Jackie asked indicating the pile of Jason’s clothes, which James had left next to the coffee table. “Here you go dea-“ she began as she handed Jason his cup of tea.

“What the!? How? What are you?” Jason asked, his eyes huge in shock.

Jackie, confused, turned to look where Jason was looking and saw Celia levitating the sodden clothes to the radiator across the room.

“Celia! Must you scare the boy!” Jackie chastised.

“He’ll learn eventually, and at least now we don’t have to ask if he knows about magic.” She said this as if it were perfectly obvious.

Elle glared at Celia, whilst Ant raised his brows at Matt indicating he should shut Celia up.

“Magic? What?” Jason asked becoming increasingly confused.

“Well-“ both Jackie and Elle started at the same time, Elle bowed her head in respect allowing Jackie to speak.

“Well-“ Jackie began

“Hey, erm I got some sweat pants and a T-shirt for you” James interrupted as he stepped into the room, becoming again embarrassed as all eyes were on him

Jason looked up at James as he stepped towards him, his eyes locking on James’ searching for something. Trying to work out why he recognised him. I know this guy! But…he thought.

He’s feeling it, that sense of knowing; he’ll start to feel how I feel soon, that primal attraction. I was right, he is the one, James thought, smiling a goofy smile he went to hand Jason the clothes.

“Where do I know you from?” Jason asked warily, eyeing James up.

Ok… that’s not what I expected, James thought, as everyone, including Celia, looked on apprehensively at Jason’s reaction.

“Erm, I, well I rescued you in that alleyway…”

“No, it’s… you were the one that ran into me this morning? Wait a minute, what’s going on? Is this just some practical joke?” Jason continued to get more irate.

“No, no, it’s…” James began as he stepped towards Jason wanting to comfort him.

Jason was becoming more and more stressed however as people began to argue.

“What? they met this morning?” Ant asked

“And then coincidently demons attack?” Celia asked.

“Why weren’t we told?” Ant demanded

“We were going to, we couldn’t tell him yet, we don’t know what’s happening yet,” Elle reasoned.

“Tell him what?” Matt asked.

“Yeah! Tell me what!” Jason demanded, “Get away from me!” He turned on James, shoving him away, except he didn’t so much touch him as telekinetically throw him through the air and into a nest of tables. Shit did I do that? What the hell? “Oh my god… what have you done to me?”

“Are you alright James?” Jackie asked worriedly as she stood alongside Elle to go and help James.

“I’m urgh, yeah I’m fine” James said shaking his head to clear it “Damn that hurt.”

Jason, who had been staring at his hands in shock, jumped up, and bolted for the door.

Matt however, proving he wasn’t all brawn and as slow as people thought, was already up and heading for the door.

“Well then, there you go, that answers your questions quite well wouldn’t you say so?” Celia said standing up in the absence of her human cushion and crossing the room to make herself a cup of tea.

“Let me out! I wanna go!” Jason demanded trying to get past Matt’s bulk.

“I really don’t think that you do.” Matt smiled down at the young man who was beating on his chest to get him out of the way, “Least not ‘till you’re dressed, that is.”

Jason again froze in embarrassment, that fraction of a second was all that Matt needed, and he picked Jason up and threw the young man over his shoulder into a fireman’s lift, and then dumped him back onto the sofa. Smiling pleasantly at the startled lad, as if nothing of the sort had just happened, he returned to his spot next to the fire.

“You’re keeping me prisoner here! Why?” Jason demanded.

“It’s for your own safety, and after what you just did, it’s hardly for ours! Is it?” Celia snapped back.

“We apologise for the distress” Jackie said, sitting back down. “It’s just, it’s well… safer here.”

“From what?”

“Demons,” Elle replied simply.

James had taken to sitting in a chair beside Ant, feeling dejected, he thought it best to give Jason his space, lest he want another encounter with a set of tables, or worse the fire place.

“Demons?” Jason asked incredulously, “So what are you? Witches?” he asked with a laugh.

“Precisely, as are you, or so it may appear,” Jackie said in a sweet tone. “Now then, your tea?”

“What? But… but… I don’t have a hooked nose and I’m certainly not green”

Jackie cackled in amusement, whilst Celia looked insulted and glared over her teacup at the “boy.” Sixteen or not, he’s acting like a child! She thought.

“No, but you have power nonetheless, how else would you explain what you did to my son?” Jackie replied. She had stifled her laughter but her eyes still twinkled.

“Powers can be hereditary, perhaps your mum knows,” James began.

“She’s dead,” Jason said casting James a cold stare.

The look of remorse which swept across James’ face made Jason feel guilty, which in turn caused his stare to falter as he looked down at his feet.

Everyone sat quietly not sure as to what to say, until a shrill beeping came from the kitchen.

“Ah! My cakes are done! I forgot about them,” Jackie announced, blushing slitghtly at her forgetfulness. “At least the attack didn’t break the oven this time” She chuckled to herself, picking up the tea tray as she left the room.

Matt didn’t get the reference, looking blankly after Jackie.

“Remember that time the oven got blown out of the kitchen into next doors back garden?” Ant explained “The memory spell we had to cast on old Mrs Jacobs! She still thinks she had her wicked way with you!” Ant winked at Matt.

They both broke out in raucous laughter.

“Memory spells are not laughing matters!” Celia chastised.

Matt dropped his head and stopped laughing, however his smile remained, even though he bit at his lip to stop himself. Ant just rolled his eyes.

“Oh, who shoved a broom up your ass!” Elle sniped.

“Isn’t it a little late to be baking?” James asked confused, looking at the grandfather clock, which would soon chime midnight.

“Your mother was worried that you weren’t home,” Celia continued, ignoring Elle, and emphasising mother.

James shut up and sat further back in the chair becoming sullen.

“So erm… what’s going on? Am I – I mean, do I have to stay here for long?” Jason asked quietly, as though his fight was leaving him, he looked nervous, which upset James even further.

Oh! I hope I’m not paired with someone that hates me! James thought sadly.

“Well, for now it’s best you stay here, this house is like a safe house, demons wont be able to find you here,” Ant explained

Jason seemed unable to digest everything that had happened, he looked like a lost child, pale, shaken and tired.

“But that thing attacked here before right?”

“Demon,” Ant corrected, “and, yeah, but that was because they had tracked you. It’s a bit like hide and seek… um, if someone sees or senses you as you go into hiding, they’ll know where you went right?”

“Err.”

“But if you’re already hidden then they won’t know where to start looking”

“But...”

“It’s kind of complicated but when you were, erm” Ant paused to consider what to say, his countenance made him look far older than his 30 years. “Brought here, you left a trail, this allowed the demons to break through the… spells we had on the house.”

“So that demon isn’t the only one after me? How many more will there be?” Jason asked nervously.

“Well… We don’t know, is the short answer.” Ant paused, he didn’t know where to begin to explain the way the magical world worked or was structured, it was difficult to comprehend. If Ant, as an adult, struggled after ten years of practicing the craft, then the teenager sat before him, would indeed find it difficult to handle. “It depends on how many demons were there when you were attacked”

“Oh,” Jason replied, wanting more answers but not knowing where to begin.

Elle left the room, and walked through the hallway into the kitchen, in search of Jackie. Unsurprisingly Jackie was fixing a cup of tea, the cakes had been left on the window ledge to cool.

“He’s already started to ask questions, ones which we don’t have the answers to yet,” Elle said as Jackie turned, noticing Elle had entered.

“Ah! well… I thought so, come, let’s go back in the lounge, I need Celia’s help to gather the facts, and you and Ant can do some research.” Jackie answered, picking up the cup of tea as she moved towards the kitchen door. “First though, we’ll all need some sleep,” Jackie said with a motherly smile.

Jason was still questioning Ant when Elle and Jackie returned to the lounge. James was still sat worriedly in a corner, and Celia and Matt had returned to their spot in front of the fire.

“I just don’t get it, why me?” Jason was asking Ant.

“Oh dear, don’t worry yourself, that’s what tomorrow is for, now you’ve had a long day, here you go,” Jackie said softly as she handed Jason the cup she was holding, “I’m sure your old one is cold by now, now you drink up and we’ll find you somewhere to sleep, you need to rest, and tomorrow we will start some investigating.”

Jason wasn’t ready to sleep, he wanted answers, and where would he sleep? He didn’t feel safe sleeping not knowing any of these people, granted they’d apparently saved him from those demons but they’d done something to him, How can I be a witch? I wonder how I control it, I guess I could try and use it to get out of here, but where would I go? Back to the hostel? Jason mulled over his thoughts as he sipped the hot tea that Jackie had given him.

“I’m not tired” Jason began, but yawned. “Just yet,” he yawned again, blinking his eyes trying to stay awake.

It was futile however, as within moments Jason was curled up on the sofa, fast asleep.

“Jackie… you didn’t? did you?” Ant asked reaching to take the cup from Jason’s hands before it tipped.

“A little Belladonna and Lavender flower in his tea,” Jackie replied with a shrug. “He needed to sleep, but he was too awake, all those things running around his head, it’ll be better that he’s well rested for tomorrow.” Jackie turned to Celia, “I’ll need your help examining what happened tonight.”

Celia nodded as she stood. “I guess I better retire, myself then, come on Matt.”

“Night everyone,” Matt said with a smile as he followed Celia out of the room, not before clutching James’ shoulder and smiling down at him.

“Goodnight” Jackie called, then turning and indicating Jason. “Right, we need to get him into a bed”

“I’ll find him somewhere,” James rushed, jumping up, again he blushed.