Lauren, a Wellspring -- Part 1 of 3

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?"

"Alright."

"Also, I'd like to make an amulet for her, if I can get her to wear it. Perhaps we can do that tonight also, and I will give it to her tomorrow. Perhaps if it is small and pretty."

Erica smiled. She pulled out a little gold bracelet with a small figurine of a woman. "It represents Diana. I did the basic blessings last night while you slept. All it needs is an infusion of power."

I grasped the bracelet and spoke a spell, letting a small measure of magic flow. Not too much. It wouldn't be enough to stop a truly powerful entity, but at least I would be warned if they approached the girl.

If she would wear it.

Lunchtime came. Approaching Lauren again in front of her friends would likely cause a scene, so I went to find my friend Amy to have lunch with.

Brandon Waters stopped me in the hall. He was tall and athletic. He played sports.

"Hey! You're that Rachel girl, right?"

"Yeah. What do you want?"

"So, I heard you were hitting up on Lauren yesterday at lunch. Right?"

He leered at me. His mouth seemed gigantic compared to his face. I folded my arms and looked at him.

"Did she say yes?" he went on.

"Whatever Lauren and I talked about is none of your business. But I assure you, nothing in your childish imagination is true."

He leaned forward as if to whisper in my ear. I drew away.

He muttered, "Bitch," under his breath. He went on.

"I bet she said yes. I bet you and that frigid bitch are both dykes."

Then he said something very lewd.

I mumbled a spell under my breath. I used a little bit of power. A wet spot appeared in the crotch of his pants.

"What the—" he exclaimed as the wetness spread. He gave me a dark, panicked look. I smirked. He slumped a bit. He covered his crotch with his hands and ran away.

I walked onward, smiling, feeling pleased.

I found Amy. We went outside to the picnic tables and ate.

I managed to find Lauren alone between classes.

"Hey Lauren," I said, approaching her from behind.

She turned. When she saw me, her face turned dark.

"I heard what happened to Brandon, and don't try to say that it was an accident. I've dealt with your type before. I know the kinds of shit you pull."

"Uh—Yeah, well Brandon deserved it. He said awful things."

"I don't care. Now he's pissed and telling everyone I'm a dyke. It is hard enough making friends in a new school without that."

"I'm not responsible for what Brandon does. But look—I have something more important to talk about."

I took out the amulet.

"Would you wear this? It will help keep you safe."

She arched her eyebrows.

"Look—It's small. You can just wear it on your wrist. You don't have to commit to anything, but I'd just feel better knowing you have it."

I held the amulet toward her. She didn't move.

"I can only think of two things worst than people thinking that I'm a lesbian. One is that I'm into that magic shit. The other is that I'm with you. Keep it."

I withdrew my hand, letting the bracelet dangle in my grasp.

"Oh—And it's ugly," she said, as she turned away.

I looked at the amulet. "It's not ugly," I muttered. I dropped it back into my purse.

"Perhaps we could lift some of her jewelry," Erica said, "And put the charm on it."

"That might work. I'll think about it."

It was evening. We were driving toward Lauren's house to lay out the protection circle.

"Getting the jewelry in and out of her house would be hard," I said.

"Couldn't you use a shift spell?"

A shift spell moved material objects through space. It took a lot of magical energy.

"I am powerful enough to cast a shift, but it is a delicate spell. A lot can go wrong. Plus, I'd really need to get in and see the jewelry before I could shift it."

"Shift yourself in."

I smiled. "I've shifted things before, but never a person. As I said, a lot can go wrong."

"How about invisibility?"

"The same. It takes a lot of power. If something goes wrong, I could be in trouble. Plus, it doesn't work on cats. It just seems to piss them off. We'd need to find out if they have pets."

"Oh."

"In any case, I'll think about it."

She nodded her head. She kept driving.

"Stop here," I said, still a half mile from her house. "I'll walk the rest of the way."

"Huh?"

"Look—I'm going to be creeping around her backyard laying out the circle. If they call the cops, I'd rather be caught alone than with you."

She looked at me. She pulled over.

"Just find someplace to park and keep your phone on. I'll call you if I need you."

She gave me a half smile. I leaned in. She kissed me on the cheek and brushed my arm.

"Be careful," she said.

I walked away.

I trudged down and over several blocks to Lauren's house. I wished, as I had many times, that we really could fly on broomsticks.

Lauren's was a typical suburban tract house. There was a bright streetlight in front and a wooden fence surrounding the backyard. Both would prove troublesome.

I called Erica.

"There's a fence and a streetlight. This may take a while. Why don't you grab some coffee or something."

"Fine. Be careful."

The front of her house had two large windows. However, only faint wisps of light were visible through them. Evidently the family gathered in the back of the house. The neighbors were very much the same. I thought it safe to approach the streetlight.

I let a car pass. I went to the light pole. I grasped it on both sides and muttered a spell, passing in my power. I felt the location of the electric cables. To try and manipulate the electricity directly would be risky. I could probably do it, but it would leave me drained. I could, however, melt the copper. I sent in pure heat. There was a loud popping sound. The light went out.

I smiled. I thought that perhaps I should thank my science teacher. I imagined the look on his face.

It was dark now, but I was still visible in silhouette. I retreated from the pole and ducked behind some bushes. I waited. Nothing happened.

The protection circle didn't literally need to be a circle; its perimeter needed to run between one and seven paces from the dwelling. To place it, I would have to enter their backyard. I decided to do that first.

The fence was too tall for me to climb, particularly in my skirt. It had a gate, however. I felt through it with my power and moved the latch. The gate opened, and I entered the backyard. It was quiet and dark.

I removed a small packet from my purse and opened it. I began walking around the house, gradually sprinkling a fine powder from the packet. I crossed a cement area by the pool, my footsteps making faint echos. Then I was back on grass. I turned a corner to the far side of the house. There was another gate there. I opened it. She was there.

She let out a loud "EEEEP!" I stepped back quickly.

"What the—" She exclaimed. "Who's that?"

I could immediately tell it was her by her voice and the shape of her silhouette.

"It's me, Rachel," I whispered, "Please don't freak out."

"Holy crap! You're stalking me now!"

"Well, no—I mean—yeah, but not like that. I'm putting a magic circle around your house."

I couldn't make out her face, but her whole body sort of slumped in exasperation.

"Look, I promise I'll stay away from you. I'll never talk to you at school. I won't even look at you. But let me complete this circle."

"Get off my fucking lawn!"

"Please. How can it hurt you?"

A car drove by lighting us up. She noticed the packet of powder and grabbed it from me and threw it down. The contents scattered. Then she shoved me, not too hard, but enough that I staggered back.

"Get out of here!"

I had staggered back through the gate. Getting out meant going by her.

"You'll have to let me pass."

She stood aside. I walked back to the street and away from the house. I called Erica.

"Total failure. She caught me."

"I'll come."

"Meet me on the corner of Elm and Martin."

Later, in her car, she looked at me. "What now?" she asked.

"I don't know. I'm not going to try to get her jewelry. After getting caught this time, I'm not tempting fate again."

"Do you think fortune is against you? Should we do an augury?"

I thought about that.

"It's very difficult. Particularly for me, given the nature of my power. It's difficult for most witches to control the flow of energy when they enter their trance. I might totally lose it."

"Didn't you practice Augury in your training?"

I looked at her. "I don't want to talk about that."

We were quiet for a bit.

"You could give up on her. No one could blame you. You've done your best."

I didn't respond.

"You could ask the council for—"

She cut short. I gave her a hard look.

"You know I won't do that."

We sat quietly as she drove. We waited for a traffic light. She drove down a street and turned, pulling out onto a main boulevard. Streetlights zoomed by as she picked up speed. Shadows bent back and forth over her face. Still, we said nothing. A few more turns, another street, and we arrived at my house.

She let me out. Clearly she intended to sleep at home. I leaned against the car, looking at her.

"I won't give up on her. You know that."

"I know," she said. Her expression warmed. She smiled. "You never gave up on me."

I slid back into the car and kissed her goodnight. We embraced. We kissed again.

"Do you feel drained? I could give you a recharge."

"I didn't use much power."

"Oh."

Her hand rested on mine.

"You could come in anyway," I said. I glanced at her. I bit my lip.

We embraced again. I pulled her close. We got out of the car and walked hand in hand into the house.

Mother was already asleep. I was glad for that.

We went to my room. I closed the door behind us and stood in front of her. I smiled and waited. She looked at me.

"Are we waiting?" I asked.

"I just wanna look for a bit."

"OK."

We waited a bit, just looking. Then we went to my bed and I began kissing her. She squeezed my ass, pulling our bodies together. Her fingers went deeper and pressed. My panties were damp.

"Wow, someone's excited."

"Yeah."

Then I was on my back. I felt my panties pulled away. I felt soft kisses on my thighs and—there. I stroked her hair and looked into her eyes. Fingers entered me. A tongue probed. Then the magic coursed through me. My legs kicked about. My eyes fluttered.

"Did you just cum?"

"Yeah."

"That was fast. Do you want more?"

"Please."

She gave me more, soft caresses, a gentle tongue, for a while. Then she got faster and the magic flowed again, shooting through me, tingling up and down.

She sat up. I lay there breathing for a while. I spoke.

"I wanna do you now."

"OK."

She began to undo her blouse. I grabbed her hands.

"Let me do that."

I unbuttoned her blouse. I removed her bra, kissing her neck. Her nipples were large and dark. I sucked them. I stood her up and removed her slacks. Her sheer lavender panties I left, though. They were just so pretty.

We lay together. We embraced, locking our bodies, wrapping our legs, pressing and writhing. I rocked my hips over and over again. My heart hammered. I gasped for breath.

"I'm gonna cum again!"

I did. It was fast and hard.

She rolled over onto her back and yanked her panties down.

"Rachel, please eat me."

I squatted on the floor by the bed and ate her. I ate and rubbed myself. I came again, my head thrashing. Then back at her, frantic.

"Oh god Rachel! Oh god!"

A few more licks. A finger. Her body went rigid and she cried out. I didn't stop.

"Please stop! Please, please!"

I stopped, sitting back leering at her. She relaxed. She began to laugh.

There was a voice at the door, mother's. "Are you alright, Rachel?"

We both got quiet. We looked at the door.

"I'm fine mom," I said.

"What's going on in there?"

I didn't know what to say. I always figured she knew. I thought we had a silent understanding.

"I'm with Erica."

She said nothing. We waited, for quite a while. Still nothing. She must have gone back to bed.

Erica sat up and hugged me.

"Will you be OK?"

"I hope so."

She pulled me closer. We kissed.

I lay on the bed with my head resting in her lap. She was caressing my face, staring absently out the window into the darkness.

"I'm still worried about the girl. Something could be hurting her right now and I wouldn't know."

She looked down at me, still stroking me. "You could project your spirit and check on her."

"Sure, but I can't do that all the time. And if something did happen, by the time I got back to my body and then back over there, it would be too late."

She was quiet.

To perform an Augury, a witch must open herself completely. She can then sense the currents of fortune, perceive the twists of fate. It's dangerous. She's both vulnerable, and it's difficult to control the power. However, it's a task that all witches must complete before they receive their full rank. My teacher had let me skip it. She believed my power would be too uncontrolled. She had lied to the council.

Still, I knew the basic procedure.

"I will do the Augury. Please bring me my books."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm afraid to wait. I shall do it tonight."