The Bewitching - Book 1

Chapter 20 - The Burning Crosses

“Stay here,” Dantes commanded as he stood up and walked to the door. He slid it open slightly and surveyed the empty beach. Everything seemed calm and quiet, but there was something else, something he couldn’t see. He took a few steps outside and looked down both sides of the shoreline. It seemed peaceful as the waves rolled up onto the empty shore and retreated back into the ocean.

“There’s nothing there,” Elyssa spoke as she walked up behind him.

Dantes shook his head as he turned to her and spoke sternly, “I told you to stay inside.”

“I know, but...,” she started to retort.

“No buts! It’s not safe out here!” he cut her off, practically yelling in return.

For a moment she was speechless, but she wasn’t going to let him dissuade her from helping if she could. She drew in a deep breath and stood there defiantly. The moment she did he could tell from the look in her eyes that she wasn’t going to back down.

“Fine, but stay close. And you,” he pointed towards Tobias, “keep guard of her...or else.” Tobias snorted and threw his nose up in the air in response, acting somewhat defiantly himself, before scampering over to her and planting himself almost firmly against her leg.

Dantes turned his attention back to the beach.

“Where are they?” Elyssa asked as she scanned the beach and horizon herself.

“I’m not sure. But I can feel them. They were watching us from near the window a minute ago. They’re fast. Really fast.” he said as he rushed along the patio to the stairs and walked down to the beach with Elyssa and Tobias following closely. The wind began to pick up, kicking sand in their eyes and making it somewhat difficult to hear.

“I thought you said the spells here made it impossible to sense energy,” she yelled over the increasing sound of the wind blowing through the area. The sand stung her eyes as it whipped about them and she could feel pelting relentlessly at her skin. She did her best to shield her eyes from it with her hand as it swirled about them like a mini-tornado.

“Not impossible. If something’s powerful enough I’ll pick it up. There’s not many witches, or demons for that matter, that possess that kind of strength though. Whatever’s here, we’re going to have our hands full,” he yelled back.

“Does it always get this windy here?!” she screamed at the top of her lungs so she could be heard. The wind storm had gotten even more intense forcing her to grab at the stairway’s railing to stop from being blown over.

“This isn’t wind! They’re letting us know they’re here!” he yelled. He looked back and saw she was struggling to keep her footing. Quickly he removed his leather jacket and rushed over to her. He enfolded it snuggly around her head and then wrapped his arms around her tightly. She could feel the sand pelting her legs harshly as Dantes did the best he could to protect her from the onslaught. After a few minutes the sand storm began to die down, and then all was still.

“Are you okay,” he asked with concern in his voice.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” she said while brushing sand off of herself. “Where’s Tobias?” she continued, glancing around apprehensively. She felt a sneeze at her feet and looked down at the small mound of sand beside her. There was another sneeze, followed by a third. Suddenly the small mound began to rise. As it did a tiny little nose popped out. The mound began to shudder slowly at first and then built up to a furious shake as sand was thrown all about.

Underneath it all was Tobias. He looked up at her still partially covered in sand as he tried to fight off another sneezing fit. Elyssa knelt down and picked him up, doing her best to brush of the remaining sand in his hair, before holding him under her arm.