The Witching Hour by Katie Brethorst (room on the broom read aloud TXT) 📖

are you going to kill me?" I asked with rapid fire precision. I could see each question hit a mark. Again I saw pain.
"I can't tell you," he said. "I wasn't drowning. I cleared the beach on purpose because I knew you would be here. I don't want to kill you. I just have orders from my boss to." He seemed out of breath, which I guess could of been from faking to drown. No clue. "I don't want to kill you in front of a bunch of people. Tell your limo driver to take the rest of the day off. Lie about me. Come up with something." This guy is going to kill me, but he doesn't have the decency to at least come up with the lie I am to tell my driver. Again I say, guys. Such weird creatures. He pulled me up and had the knife at my back. I bet from the front it looked like he was holding me. I walked up to the driver with a fake smile plastered on my face.
"James," I said. "I just found one of my friends from Maine and was going to catch a ride home with him. Why don't you just take the rest of the day off." I said sweetly. I got a tip of the hat, and James sped off. I glared at the boy. I didn't even know his name and I hated him with a passion. He smiled cruelly. I was led to his Hummer. He left me alone for just a minute to unlock his car and I saw my chance. I dashed away from him through the freeway. I ran to the island and looked back. He was currently stopped by the Los Angales traffic. I went across the other side and through the doors of a hotel. I ran up to the front desk. I realized this just then that I was crying.
"Help me," was all I got out before I fell into a peaceful darkness.


Chapter Twelve


"Will she be okay?" I heard Robert ask somebody. I opened my eyes and saw him talking to a doctor. The doctor said I had had a heat stroke and had passed out. Beautiful. Second day here and I was already succumbing to the heat. Then I realized what had happened. Robert and the doctor left the room just as a nurse came in. She smiled when she realized I had my eyes open, and I smiled back.
"Well I'll be," she said with a Texas accent. "You gave your manager quite a scare. Thank goodness this young man was there to help you." My blood ran cold. I turned my head and there he was. Sitting in my hospital room. I nearly passed out again. The nurse continued, "What was your name again hon?" she asked the boy.
"Aiden, ma'am." he said."I just saw her fall in that lobby, and I knew I had to do something. Couldn't just let her die, her being my girlfriend and all." I about punched him right there, but that probably wouldn't be a good image. The victim punching her 'savior'. I glared at him in a way where the nurse couldn't see me.
"Well, I'll leave you two alone. I'd suggest a thank you is in order." She looked at me expectantly.
"Why of course, I will give him the biggest thank you I can muster." I shot him a cold look. "But could you send in someone. I don't like him when he has his temper." I smiled at the nurse and she nodded. I turned back to Aiden.
"My 'savior'? Who do you think I am? One minute you're trying to kill me, and the next you're saving me. What the freak?" I was ranting. I knew I was too, because he was trying to suppress a grin. I glared some more. Jeez, guys could be so annoying.
" I couldn't let my boss think you got away, so I told him I put you in the hospital. I'm sorry, but you are going to die very soon." he said. He looked so serious but so sad. I wondered if he really wanted to kill me.
"Do you want to kill me?" I asked in a soft voice. I couldn't see any emotion in his eyes now, but I could hear the pain in his voice.
"No," he said just softly."I do not. If I don't he'll kill my family. He said he needed to get you out of the way, so you wouldn't interfere with his singing career." I finally got it. It wasn't him. It was him. The him. The one I had met on the plane. The one I hadn't liked from the start. Justin.


Chapter Thirteen


I was utterly ticked off. He had to ruin my first two days in this amazing city. Why would he want to get rid of me? He could not know I was a witch. The only magical thing I had done was save my 'savior'. So weird. I was seething. I guess he could see how angry I was, because he stepped back. I now knew it wasn't his actual fault, so I would try not to glare anymore. It was probably not possible, but I could give it a shot. Or a knife. Yeah, I make bad jokes when I'm mad, so get over it. I tried to get out of the bed, but he grabbed my arm. I scowled. Like I said not possible. He laid me back down. Gently. Weird. If I would of known better, I would of thought he was trying not to break me. Which he was. I glared at him. That rule was broken before it even started.
"Why won't you let me get up?" I asked in what I could manage as a calm voice. I was really, really mad.
"Tara, you just had a heat stroke, you can't just get up and go walking around. It could really hurt you." he said. He looked worried. Why would he be worried? Less than twenty-four hours ago he was trying to stab me. Great. Just great. I guess he had a point though. I could wait. For a little bit.


Chapter Fourteen

I got out of the hospital the next day. It was a long wait for me though. It seemed like instead of twenty-four hours, it was twenty-four years. And it didn't really help that the man that put me in the hospital was sitting right next to me. It scared me to be alone with him, which is a lot. It gave me a great idea for a song though. As soon as I got out of there I wanted to walk. I mean like twenty miles if I could. Aiden wouldn't leave my side. Jerk. I thought of an awesome place to go though. It reminded me of him too, so it was perfect.
"Hey Aiden, I have an idea." I said nonchalantly. "Guess where it is." I smiled mischievously. He rolled his eyes.
"Where?" he said kind of depressed sounding. This place was supposed to be fun. He had to play along.
"It's somewhere you belong." I hinted forcing myself not to grin. It didn't work. I started giggling in spite of myself. Aiden looked out the window of the limo to see where we were. He read the sign and sighed dramatically.
"Oh ha ha, very funny Tara." he said, but his smile gave him away. Kids were running up and down the giant plaza to see the animals. Well at least they know how to have a good time at the zoo. I opened the door to the limo. I climbed out and offered my hand to Aiden. He grabbed it and stepped out. I pulled him towards the ticket counter. I paid for them both, although Aiden wanted to pay for his own, I wouldn't let him. We walked in and the first thing I saw was the prairie dogs. I jumped up like a little kid and raced over to them. They had fascinated me since I was a little kid. I was watching them when Aiden sauntered over. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. You had to have fun at a zoo. It was the law. You can see right there in the Constitution. He looked down at them and smiled.
"Let me guess," Aiden said. "these are your favorite animals?" he smiled. I nodded enthusiastically. He grinned at me. I grinned back. Then it hit me with such a force that I almost fell into the exhibit. I was falling for Aiden. The guy who had tried to kill me. I had to stop this before it got out of hand. But I didn't want to. I grabbed his hand and led him to the duck pond. I was watching them swim when I heard crying. It was like hearing a heart breaking. I turned over to see a little girl bawling her eyes out. I strained to hear what she was saying.
"Mommy, I didn't want to come to the zoo. The only reason you wanted to was to impress a guy." she said sniffling. My kind of girl. My mom used to pull the same trick, until I put a barrier on her not to do stuff like that to me. The mom was looking around, probably searching for young prey. The girl stomped on her mom's foot and ran towards us. She sat on the bench closest to us and was still crying. I walked over to her, feeling sorry that she had such a lousy mom. I put my arm around her and she started crying into my sweatshirt.
"Sweetie, what's the matter?" I asked her. She lifted her head and gazed up at me hopefully. She just wanted someone to care about her, and at that moment, it was me.
"My mommy doesn't love me. She only takes me places so she can impress the guys. I'm sick of it." she said sobbing. I had an idea that might cheer her up, though it could get me into trouble.
"What's your favorite color?" I asked looking over at the ducks.
"Purple. Not the light purple but the middle. Not too dark, and not to light. Why do you ask?" she looked up at me.
"Watch this," I said. I turned towards the duck and said a changing color spell. They turned the exact color the little girl described. She clapped with delight. She was fascinated by this. Then she turned back to me. Oh no.
"How did you do that?" she asked, a question in her big blue eyes. Oh jeez. How do I explain my powers to a little girl.
"Well, honey, I'm different than anybody else," I began. "You know how people say witches aren't real?" She nodded. "Well they are. And I', a witch." I expected for her to run away and screaming there is a witch on the premises, but she didn't. She just sat in my lap, looking up at me like what else is new.
"Your not scared of me?" I asked. She shook her head and looked over at the ducks again.
"I'm not scared of you," she said. "In fact, I think it is really cool that you