The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga by Taliesin Govannon (important books to read .txt) 📕

                “Fine.” I said.

                I meant it, too. While I had never been an exercise maven, I had tried to stay active. Since coming into my power as the Sorceress, however, my strength and stamina had increased exponentially, so a run that would have winded me in the past hardly had an effect anymore.

                I had found Tiffany after my difficulty with Raina, looking for some way to deal with all of my nervous energy. She had been prepping to go on a run, so I decided to join her. We were a couple of miles away from the entrance to the mansion’s driveway before we started to talk.

                My running companion dropped back until she was running by my side. “I love getting out here… in the clear air.” she said, smiling. “It really clears my head!”

                My own head, unfortunately, was just as cloudy as ever. “Maybe I should run to Argentina.” I said. “I’m not getting the same clearing effect.”

                “What’s number one on your hit parade of neuroses?” Tiffany asked.

                “I can’t even decide on what’s number one, that’s the hell of it!” I said, jogging a little faster. “I mean, I try to find… non eviscerating ways of dealing with douche-bags, and I still get crap from Raina for it. I didn’t give her crap for nuking those commandos, did I? No. But cause one allergic reaction that almost kills one bully, and suddenly I’m out of control!”

                “Did she say that you were out of control?” Tiffany asked, jogging faster to keep up.

                “No, but she was thinking it, I could tell.” I said quickly. “And if that’s not bad enough… “

                I proceeded to tell her about Angelique, our past lives together, and the constant undercurrent of romance that characterized our entire pasts together. As I voiced my stress, my pace increased until I felt a hand on my arm.

                “Annabelle, please...” Tiffany said, out of breath, “stop for a minute.”

                I stopped, only then realizing how fast I had been going. “Sorry. Stress reaction.”

                I handed her a water bottle and watched as she gulped water in between gulping breaths.

                I wasn’t even winded.

                “That’s okay.” she said. “I needed… a work out.” She swallowed more water.

                “So you see,” I continued, “it’s not enough for me to be the Sorceress, or to have some unknown, powerful foe after me. I have to live on the set of Transylvania 90210!”

                “Well, I can tell you that you’ve got it all wrong.” Tiffany said confidently.

                “Oh, really?” I said with a grin. “Are you the Oracle without telling us?”

                “Please,” she said, taking another sip, “You don’t have to be the Oracle to see what’s up with you.”

                “And what’s that?” This ought to be good!

                “You only think that you’re stressing about what other people are thinking of you.” she said. “The truth is that you’re not sure what to think about yourself.”

                “Really.”

                “Yes. I mean, has Raina said that you’re out of control out loud?”

                “Well, no, but… “

                “And has Angelique been bugging you about your pasts?”

                “Not directly, but… “

                “And where is the only place that these thoughts come from?”

                “From my head, but I still… “

                “Then who has the problem?”

                Tiffany jogged away before I could answer.

                                                                                                *                *                *

                “So, is Raina still mad about earlier?” I asked.

                “Nah.” Jack replied. “She’s off doing another Stag meeting. Katsu just split to join it.”

                I took another hit, trying to relax for the first time today. “I wasn’t trying to be all manic. I’m just under a lot of stress!”

                “You don’t have to tell me twice!” Jack said, holding his hands up with his own joint clenched between his lips. “Katsu says all the time how she wouldn’t want your job.”

                “Really?” I said. “The five thousand year old Witch thinks I have it rough? Damn.” I exhaled as I took it in.

                “She’s ancient, but relatively unknown.” he said, exhaling as well. “She’s flown under the radar for five millennia. You’re already famous around the world, and you haven’t had your powers for a year yet.”

                “True.” I said, nodding.

                “Also, her stakes have usually been lower." he continued. "I hate to go all Spider-Man on you, but with great power… "

                “Yadda yadda yadda.” I finished, waving my hand. “I know, great responsibility and shit. I get it.” I took another hit. “You know, I always figured that magickal types would be jealous of my power… the power of the Sorceress.”

                “Some are, and our ‘secret admirer’ is probably one of them.” Jack said. “But not all of them. Imagine, being happy with what you have.” He grinned.

                “What are you, some sort of communist?” I asked sarcastically, grinning as well.

                At that point, a completely naked Katsu breezed into the room and started rooting around in the dresser by the bed.

                “Hi, honey." Jack said to his busy girlfriend.

                “Hello.” she replied, sounding annoyed beyond words.

                “What’s up?” he asked, smiling at me.

                “God-damn prudes!” Katsu spat, spinning around. “I don’t have any parts that they don’t,” she continued, pointing at her body, “but now I’m being disruptive and have to put on clothes?”

                “The nerve.” I deadpanned, grinning back at Jack.

                “Exactly! Angelique is coming back tonight and we’re supposed to have our new security plan in place before that happens, and I’m wasting time looking for clothes!” Katsu started searching the piles of clothes scattered near the bed. Without comment, she made her selection and put it on.

                “There!” she said, standing in front of us. “I hope they’re happy!”

                I didn't know what to say about her… unique clothing choices but didn't get the chance to say anything to her. She stormed out of the room before I could and I looked at Jack. "Do you think they'll be happy?" I asked.

                “I don’t know.” he replied, smiling.