Chapter 1

I spoke the final words. The spell worked. I felt its power pass through my body, electrifying me. Then my mind broke free.

I reached out through the night and found her. Her house was several miles from mine, but my spirit passed effortlessly over the distance. She was asleep in her bed, curled up, her hands grasped together beneath her chin. The spell let me see deeper to her essential self. She glowed brightly, a brilliant shining soul. I had expected that.

The spell gave me no power to compel, but only to touch. Not her body, of course. I reached out with my thoughts. I felt the contact. It was too much. The spell shattered and my mind reeled. My body shuddered as my consciousness reentered it. I gasped for breath.

She was more powerful than I had imagined. Much more powerful. Something singular. Extraordinary. I had touched her and survived.

As my wits returned, I saw Erica standing over me. Her eyes were wide with concern.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

She was wearing a tight blue t-shirt and yellow panties. Her legs were smooth and tanned. She had cropped black hair which surrounded a wide face with big, expressive brown eyes.

"Yes. I'm fine."

"I guess you found her."

"Yes."

"She's the real thing?"

"Sure is."

"I wonder if she knows."

I thought about that. I'd never talked to her, but there were no odd rumors. She seemed to have no interest in the craft. Of course, if she knew the extent of her power, she'd want to conceal it.

"I have no idea if she knows."

"What will you do?" Erica asked as she gathered up my books and candles and returned them to the shelves. She moved gracefully. She handled each artifact with care.

"I'm not sure. I guess I'll need to talk to her. I'll see her tomorrow at school."

Erica gave me a little smile and rested her hand on my shoulder. She knew me well.

"Do you want my help?"

"No. I'll do this on my own."

"I could at least introduce you."

I gave her a sharp look that said not to interfere. I was a priestess now, and it was time I stopped depending on her to get me through tough social situations.

She looked resigned. I would not be dissuaded. Somehow, I would arrange to meet and talk to the girl on my own.

"Do you feel drained?" she asked with a little grin.

"I do, a little."

She stroked my face and kissed me.

"How about a recharge?"

"That would be nice."

She led me to the bed and kissed me more. My shirt came off. Next my skirt. The sheets felt cool and clean against my skin. She was very gentle.

The girl's name was Lauren. I found her the next day sitting at a crowded table in the cafeteria. Everyone there was pretty and popular. She was a fast social climber, having been at the school only one month. I approached.

"Lauren."

"Yes?"

Conversation at the table stopped. She looked at me suspiciously. Her eyes were green.

"I'm Rachel. Can I talk to you alone?"

"Uh -- I guess."

She got up and followed me. I heard someone mutter, "Freak," as we drew away.

I led her to an empty stairwell.

"So -- uh -- what do you want?"

I took a deep breath. I hadn't really planned out what to say. A few moments passed. I just looked at her. Her sweater was very snug.

"What? Are you a dyke or something?"

I laughed, just a bit, under my breath. She was clearly perceptive.

"Yeah, it turns out that I am."

"Oh! Well I'm not. So forget about anything like that!"

I caught myself staring at her again. It was hard to say the words.

"You've only been here a month?"

If I couldn't talk about it directly, perhaps I could manage the indirect approach.

"Yes."

"Where did you come from before?"

"Albany."

"Really? Do you like it here?"

"Yeah. I guess."

There was a coven in Albany, but I didn't know any of its members. However, they certainly would have felt this girl's power. I made a mental note to contact them.

"Look," I said, gulping a bit as I prepared to say it, "Were you ever into magic in any way?"

She looked at me.

"Oh god! You're one of those!"

Obviously the witches in Albany had contacted her.

"Yes, I'm one of those."

"Look, I'm not into that freaky shit. Please just stay away from me."

She gave me a scornful look.

"Alright," I said.

"Fine," she replied.

She just stood for a second. I didn't say anything. She turned to leave.

"You know it's real, right? The magic."

She turned back facing me. She didn't say anything.

"There are worse things in the world than me. Some won't take no for an answer."

She gulped. "Just stay away."

She turned quickly and left. I didn't try to stop her.

I took out my phone and called Erica.

"Hello," she answered.

"Do me a favor. Find out who leads the coven in Albany. Then set up a contact ritual for me. We can do it tonight."

"Sure sweetheart," she said. I hung up.

I thought about the situation. To find such a powerful wellspring was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was also a great responsibility. I had told her the truth. There were other forces in the world far more malign than me. They would sense her. They would take her against her will.

If I couldn't have her at least I had to protect her -- somehow -- if I could. I needed to know more about her. It would have to wait, however. The bell was about to ring, and I had a chemistry test.

The test was hard. During class I missed a call from Erica. I returned it on my way to algebra.

"The leader of the Albany Coven is named Amanda Stevens," she said.

"Good." I had heard the name before. "Have you set up the ritual?"

"Uh -- well -- no ritual will be necessary."

"Huh?"

"She's here in town."

"Oh?" I wasn't surprised.

"Yes. She's staying in the Hyatt. We're meeting her after school."

"That will be fine. See you soon."

"Yes my dear," she replied.

I hung up as I arrived at my algebra class. I took my seat. Erica entered a few moments later, wearing gray slacks and a yellow blouse. She looked around at everyone. She gave me a little wink as she walked to the front of the room.

"Did anyone have any problems with their homework?" she asked, "Because today we're starting on polynomials."

I took out my homework and raised my hand. Problem seven had proved troublesome.

"You're how old?" Amanda Stevens asked, looking at me in disbelief.

"I'm sixteen."

"And you're her math teacher?" she said to Erica.

"Yes, she is," I said, flatly.

We were sitting in a booth at a diner just down the street from Amanda's hotel. The waitress brought out our drinks, and we sat quietly. The two women got coffee. I got juice. The waitress left.

"And the Mothers know about this?" she asked, looking at Erica.

"They do," I answered. Erica remained quiet.

"And they approve?"

I gave her a cold look.

"It's complicated."

"The girl has been through a lot," Erica said, "But yes, she has the approval of the Council of Mothers."

"And they know that her wellspring is also her teacher? Have they any idea what sort of scandal that could cause?"

"Yes -- " Erica started to answer her.

"Erica," I interjected, "Why don't you go outside for a bit so I can talk to Amanda."

Both women stopped and looked at me. Then Erica smiled and put her hand gently on my arm. She got up and left.

Amanda kept staring at me. It seemed she had decided that she would need to measure me up. I sat back and took a sip of my juice.

"You'll just have to accept me as fait accompli."

She looked skeptical. I went on.

"The Council has accepted me. This is my territory --"

I took another sip.

"-- and I won't be bullied."

She stayed quiet. She stared at me hard. I saw the light in her eyes and felt a slight tingle of magical energy. She began to mutter a spell. I smiled.

I spoke a single word. I let my power flow freely. She was slammed back into her seat. Her body shuddered. She grabbed the table, dislodging her cup and sending coffee spilling to the floor. She tried to cry out, but her mouth was clamped shut by the spasms. All that emerged was a gurgling sound.

I kept my stare locked onto her. More magic flowed. It lasted longer than it needed to, just a few seconds. Her eyes got big. Was I going to kill her?

I let her go.

The ritual had been designed to establish dominance without injury. Its designers, however, had made no effort to spare the loser pain.

She sat breathless. Her hair was rumpled. Her clothes were in disarray. The waitress rushed to our table. "Is she OK? Should I call an ambulance?"

"I'm fine," Amanda grunted out, "I just had a minor seizure. Please don't call anyone. This happens from time to time."

I kept my eyes locked on her. She looked back at me and I saw fear.

"I understand now," she muttered after the waitress left. There would be no more questions about the council's approving me.

"Alright, now that THAT is out of the way, we need to talk about Lauren."

Later, I left the diner. Erica met me by her car, wrapping her jacket around me and helping me into the seat.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I won."

"Of course you did. I felt the power. But how are you?"

I looked at her. The battle had been hard. Hiding how weakened I was had been harder.

"I'm good. I got the information I wanted. But please, take me home."

She got into the driver's seat. She reached over and touched my hand. I leaned into her. Our hands closed tightly together.

"Please hurry. I'm exhausted. It might be too late."

She drove fast. She understood my weakness. If you think of magic as an energy, and the wellspring as a battery, then the witch is the conduit through which the energy flows. Mine was a wide conduit. I could perform amazing magic because I could use more power at once. However, there was a cost. It left me more deeply drained.

This was my secret. If known, it would surely be used against me.

I could barely walk by the time we arrived at my house. Soon I would fall unconscious and into a deep coma. If that happened, only another witch could awaken me. There were few that I could trust. Erica pulled me from the car. I stumbled. She carried me through the door, and I heard my mother's voice, "Is she OK?"

"She should be, but we haven't much time."

Then I was in my room. I heard my door close. Erica shut my mother out; it was best that she never saw this. My clothes came off. Her kisses began. They were enough to keep me conscious, but not enough to recharge me. She went lower. I felt her mouth -- there. It didn't take long. My body was so hungry. Her tongue felt so good. The climax came, and the energy flowed between us. I felt exalted. I felt fulfilled.

Erica crawled up next to me, embracing me. She kissed me softly. My flesh tingled as the energy suffused through me. A deep relaxation. Gradually, sleep.

"So, what did you learn?" Erica asked when I awoke the next morning. I had slept for fourteen hours.

"Not much that we couldn't have guessed. The witches of Albany knew of her. She wasn't interested in joining with them, so they just observed and protected her."

"I see. And I guess Amanda Stevens had followed her here to continue the protection."

"Well yeah, mostly to see what was happening. She was considering assigning one of her witches here to protect her."

Erica gave me a serious look.

"That means the council is not advertising your presence. That will make it harder for you."

"Yeah. There isn't much I can do about that now. In any case, after what happened to Amanda, I expect my presence may become more widely known."

"Don't count on it. Amanda Stevens won't want it known that she was bested by a sixteen year old. So, how did you leave things?"

"Well -- not so good."

"Really?"

"I told her to leave my territory and not return."

"Oh dear!" she said, looking a bit panicked. "Was that a good idea?"

I gave her a look that demanded silence. She was right, though. Commanding Amanda Stevens out of my territory had been impulsive. I hoped that it wouldn't prove to be a mistake.

I heard sounds in the kitchen, mother fumbling around to prepare breakfast.

"Are you hungry?" Erica asked.

"Yeah."

"Let's go eat."

"I want to do something first."

I leaned over and kissed her. She was wearing only her panties.

"You don't have to, sweetie. I took care of myself while you slept."

It wasn't often that I gave back to her what she gave to me. After coming so close last night, however, I wanted to. I kissed her again. Her nipples grew stiff.

"I want to," I said.

She smiled. She lay back in bed, and I climbed on top of her. I kissed her down her body. I sucked on her breasts. I pinched her nipples. They were brown and plump. Then further, I ate her, pulling the crotch of her panties aside. It took some time. I let it be slow. My tongue lingered. She grew warm and very wet.

When she came, she bit down on the pillow so as not to cry out. I was glad. Mother did not need to hear that.

We embraced. Then she helped me pick out clothes for school. She grabbed a yellow t-shirt and, as usual, a little skirt. Today it was blue. We dressed, then on to breakfast. Mother fed us a fruit plate and cereal with soy milk. We left for school.

"What now?" she asked as she drove.

"Well -- I guess we should put a protection circle around her house. Can you prepare the material and we can do it tonight?"