Shifting Shadows (Sparks Collide Trilogy) by Amanda Kelly Page B

was weird they thought everything was the devil, everything but themselves.
” She sipped her coffee “Luckily that marriage lasted only a month and a half.”
    “Wow, Chris, I can’t imagine what that
must’ve been like for you.” She perked up “Hey, don’t even stress, I’m totally
fine. Most of my stepfathers were great and I get massive presents on my
birthday from the one’s I still keep in touch with.”
    “That is pretty cool.” I said.
    “So what happened at Crazy Daniel’s
party?”
    I explained everything and told her how
he’d gotten grabby.
    “Grabby as in normal drunk guy,
grabby?”
    “No, that’s the part that scares me the
most, I think he was stark sober. I couldn’t smell alcohol on his breath and he
seemed totally normal. Then a fight almost broke out.” I winced, embarrassed
all over again.
    “Yikes, ok that’s really no bueno . Are you ok?”
    “I’m fine, there are worse things and
I’m glad the guys can use self-control because I almost didn’t and it would’ve
been potentially way worse than any of this.”
    “What do you mean you ‘almost didn’t
use self control’ are you a black belt or something?”
    Crap. I needed to watch my tongue. I
was too emotional just as I had been last night. I needed to be clearheaded and
focused. Keep my guard up or it’s dark shadow time for me. I put on my best
dumb girl face. “Ha, I just really wanted to slap him once I was free but I’m
glad I didn’t. It would’ve made it worse.”
    “Worse? I would’ve paid to see you slap
him.”
    “Maybe, I don’t know. I just want to
make a good impression in the town.”
    She stood up and brought her mug to the
sink “Totally understandable. So listen, I’m going to head over to my mom and
step-dad number six’s house for the day. You’re welcome to join.”
    I exhaled, relieved. “Thanks but I have
a bunch of errands to run.”
    “That’s cool. I’ll be back pretty late
tonight so if I don’t see you, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    “Ok, have fun.” She said smiling and
sauntered off to her room, too love struck to bother hiding it.
    “You too” I called out and got out some
cereal as I thought about what I should do today.
    I needed a few things. I needed to go
to the bank to deposit my much needed paycheck. I needed to go grocery shopping
for food for the week. Lastly, I needed to hit a few farmer’s markets, gardens
and healing stores. Hopefully between them I could find the ingredients I
needed for a protective potion. While major spells could alert someone to my
presence, I could get away with making a few potions without much of a fuss.
Potions had considerably less residual magic to worry about but still had more
than charms and wards. Plus I could bring the potion with me wherever I went in
case I needed it.
    It would be tricky though, I’d have to
buy them the items separately and guarantee I wasn’t followed. I’d also have to
pay in cash so I couldn’t be tracked. Even if this town had an apothecary, I
couldn’t go in and buy all of the ingredients needed for a protective potion.
More than likely, a witch would own the shop or one would be working there.
They would know precisely what I was and what I was going to do if I bought
exact ingredients. Buying a bunch of random ingredients and items in the store
to look like a wannabe Wiccan would be too dangerous. I couldn’t deliberately
put myself in a place that would have other witches hanging around in spades.
    The thing is I live in constant fear of
being discovered. Not by humans but by my own kind, the witches. There was a
war going on between two groups, the Light and the Dark. They’ve disliked one
another, believing their own ways to be the right ones but 28 years ago,
tensions were at an all time high and the attacks began. My parents had escaped
their coven in Washington in order to remain out of the war and
out from under either side’s control.
    Technically they practiced Light magic,
which