Prelude to a Storm Read online

Chapter Two

  Three weeks later, early August 1984

  Three weeks had felt like a lifetime of painful absence.

  He sat on Sam’s front stoop, tapping his foot on painted steps that led to the bright red front door of the ornately detailed house. It reminded Will of a dollhouse; tall, steep, and with too much color. He preferred the simple houses of his home town -- bright white stucco that gleamed beneath the rays of the Grecian sun. He missed his home and his mother, but he needed to stay away.

  His days with Rosa had been about study and practice. She kept a close, protective watch over him. “Too many dangers Cuervito,” she would say to him. Little Crow -- the nickname made sense later, though in the beginning he was perplexed by the choice. Rosa had become his guardian, his mentor, and a trusted friend. If it hadn’t been for Rosa’s instructions, he would have been lost... and alone… never understanding his purpose.

  He still couldn’t believe it himself, but after taking a spirit walk under Rosa’s guidance he knew what he was meant for. He was of the Carrion Angels and their totem was the raven. Rosa’s eyes had grown so big at the revelation, he was afraid they would fall out. “Los Oscuros, the Dark Ones.” She had let those words come out in whisper, her breathy tone full of mystery. Then she had slapped his shoulder and smiled wide. “Si. Cuervito.”

  It all made sense after that. His purpose. His destiny. He’d even seen a glimpse of his future, and what he’d seen was his true mate’s radiant energy embracing his very essence and uniting with him in this life.

  It had been three weeks since the American girls had come into Rosa’s restaurant. That had been a surprise. The restaurant was not visible to all. In fact, only those with unique sight could see and enter into Rosa’s domain.

  Rosa had been disconcerted. She did not like strangers in her midst, but for him it had been a breath of fresh, revitalizing air. The moment he’d seen Sarah, the past was remembered. He saw familiar energy cascading around her and he knew she was the one from his vision. It was her. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever laid eyes on, a dark haired angel with exotic eyes. When he saw her sitting in Rosa’s restaurant, to say that his breath was ripped from his lungs would have been an understatement.

  She had a stranger’s face, but her spirit and her soul felt intimately close to his. She didn’t know who she truly was, but he did.

  He’d found the missing piece of himself, but did she feel the same way? God, he prayed that she did.

  He’d wished their meeting could have been a normal one, but normal was no longer an operative word in his life.

  He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. He had to see her again, even from a distance, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to stay away once she was near. She pulled his energy into her, drawing him in with an unseen force that bound him to her. She already owned him.

  He blew out and rubbed his palms together. He’d never felt this nervous before. He could feel Samantha’s energy inside the house. She was excited, giddy almost. They’d talked earlier and Sam had suggested he wait at her house. He would’ve waited inside, but he couldn’t sit still and he could tell it was making Sam’s mother nervous.

  Sam poked her head out of the door, jarring him out of his thoughts. “She’s on her way,” she giggled.

  He smiled; he never would have thought that he and Samantha would get this close so quickly. They were exact opposites, but Sam had a way of wearing down the toughest barriers. She was insistent, opinionated, pesky, and had an incredible heart of gold.

  Samantha had returned to Tijuana, alone, a few days after he’d seen them off to the border. She’d camped out at the restaurant day and night, until Rosa agreed to talk to her about that fateful day when they’d all met. His mentor could have easily kicked her out, but Samantha’s charms had gotten to her, too.

  He chuckled, remembering Rosa’s bright red mouth dropping to the floor when Sam finally revealed why she was really there. She wanted to learn magick, she wanted to produce real magick and not like the kind you see on stage. “I know what I saw.” Sam declared. She stared Rosa down, challenging her to deny the events of that day. She’d seen it, seen the power coming out of Rosa’s hands and spreading through the walls of the restaurant. And then there was Will and his fight with the crazy, creepy man that she knew was not “human”.

  He hadn’t been sure how Rosa would respond. Rosa worked alone, and until he came along, she had never taken on any students. The enigmatic Rosa was incredibly powerful -- a sorceress and she possessed the understanding of life forces and its connection to true magick. She practiced an ancient art that her family had preserved but was extinct to everyone else.

  He’d been the first to be given the privilege and honor of becoming her student, but as Rosa had confided in him, she was the last of her line and didn’t want the art to die with her. She had to make sure it was passed on to someone worthy. He didn’t think that Rosa had foreseen she would be teaching more than one.

  The unyielding woman had finally met her Achilles heel in a bubbly package named Samantha Montclair. He remembered Rosa groaning, when she finally conceded to teach the young woman, but she had to test Samantha first -- to determine her strengths.

  Rosa explained that everyone had the capability to craft magick, but some were stronger than others and came into it more naturally and with more power.

  He had no doubt Sam would be powerful one day. He’d seen her energy, too. Sam carried traces of ancient magick within her; traces of forgotten abilities that had lain dormant for generations. It was no surprise to him that she’d found them again. Sam was remembering, waking up to her lost lineage of magick.

  She worked hard while she’d stayed with them and gained his respect quickly. Sam was a quick study in many things, but had to work really hard to conjure magick itself.

  “She has a noisy mind. She needs to quiet herself in several ways and she will be incredible,” the sorceress had said with a chuckle. “You better watch it Cuervito, she will get you back for always trying to spark her hair on fire.”

  He’d had fun teasing Sam and throwing energy sparks at her. He chuckled, thinking of Sam’s infuriated look when he’d aim a spark right at her hair.

  She would waggle her finger at him. “Unless you can put out fire with your mojo, I would suggest you not aim for my coif,” she’d warn with a laugh. “It’s flammable.”

  He’d shrug and change his aim and go for her bare feet, making her hop around. He’d burst out laughing to see her dance around, trying to avoid his sparks. “This is for your training!”

  “You’re not funny.” She would stick out her tongue and throw little sparks at him that would fizzle out as soon as it hit the air. “Aaargh! You are so aggravating.”

  Though he’d been a little disappointed that she’d come alone, Sam had talked about Sarah so much it had felt as if she was there. The more he heard about Sam’s best friend, the more he began to believe she really was the one.

  When Sam left to return to San Francisco almost a week ago, the restaurant grew quiet and Rosa admittedly missed Sam’s presence. So did he.

  He missed their talks about Sarah.

  Sam had called, just this morning, “I’ve been flaking on her since I got back. She just called. You need to get over here.” Sam had urged him to jump to San Francisco to see Sarah. “If I know my best friend, she’ll be coming over here to check on me and then chew me out!”

  He begged Rosa to let him go to San Francisco. She never really kept him from doing anything, but doing something with her approval was much better than going against her will. He’d made the jump easily. All he had to do was think of Sarah, and he was pulled to the city.

  Now, he was right where he needed to be.

  His hands were clammy and his guts were twisting with anxiety. He was getting impatient. He needed to move and decided to walk up the hill, toward Sarah’s house. He’d almost made it to the top of the hill when he saw her hair, glistening in
the sun. His heart stopped and jumped to his throat, tightening his vocal cords, making him clear his throat to free his airway.

  She was breathtaking, as radiant as the energy surrounding her. He wanted to reach out to touch her face, to feel the softness of her cheek against his rough hands. He couldn’t think. It was hard to speak and all he wanted to do was bask in her energy.

  “Is it really you?” She smiled, her voice sounding as if butterflies were tickling her insides. Sarah grabbed his forearm and squeezed, checking to make sure he was real.

  Will smiled, feeling his dimples deepen. “I caught you at a bad time?”

  “I was on my way to Sam’s. Do you want to come with me?” Sam had been right about predicting Sarah’s reaction.

  “Umm. Yes, I would love that, but I shouldn’t.” He had promised Sam that he would keep Sarah away from her house. If she gets to my house, then I can’t lie to her! Sam had pleaded with him. She gives me that look and I just can’t do it! I’ll tell her about all my hocus-pocus activities… I swear, but I need to find the right time to do it. I don’t want to freak her out. He understood Sam’s predicament. It was never easy, to reveal true magick to anyone. “I’m not supposed to be here, but I had to see you.”

  There were too many questions in Sarah’s eyes. “You’re not supposed to be here? What do you mean?”

  “I