Page 24 of Witch's Promise

A scream cut through the ambient noise of the shopping center, sharp and terrified.

Gabe was moving before he even registered the sound, his body operating on instinct honed by years of Shadowguard training. He burst out of the store, Gino and Giana hot on his heels.

"What the hell was that?" Giana asked, her voice tight with worry.

Gabe didn't answer, his eyes scanning the area. There – an alcove near the emergency exit, dark and foreboding. His magic pulled him towards it, a silent alarm blaring in his mind.

"Stay here," he ordered his siblings, already striding towards the alcove.

"Like hell we will," Gino retorted, keeping pace.

Gabe wanted to argue, to tell them it was too dangerous. But there wasn't time. As they neared the alcove, he saw her – a young woman sprawled on the ground, her clothes torn and dirty. And beyond her, a shadowy figure retreating towards the emergency exit.

"Hey!" Gabe shouted, his hands already moving to cast a binding spell. But the figure was too fast, disappearing through the door with unnatural speed.

"Fuck," Gabe swore, torn between pursuing the attacker and helping the victim. In the end, there was no real choice. He couldn't leave an injured civilian, not even to chase down a potential threat.

He knelt beside the woman, his magic already reaching out to assess her condition. No major injuries, thankfully, but she was clearly shaken.

"It's okay," he said softly, trying to project calm he didn't feel. "You're safe now. Can you tell me your name?"

The woman looked up, her eyes wide with fear and something else – recognition?

"Oh my god," Giana gasped from behind him. "That's Jessy Wisteria!"

Gabe's head snapped up, looking at his sister in surprise. "Wisteria? As in-"

"Caroline Wisteria's daughter," Gino finished, his usual joking tone replaced by seriousness. "The head witch of the Wisteria coven."

Well, shit. This just got a whole lot more complicated.

"Jessy," Gabe said, turning back to the young woman. "I'm Gabe Reed. These are my siblings, Gino and Giana. We're going to help you, okay?"

Jessy nodded, still looking dazed. "I... I don't know what happened. One minute I was walking home, the next..."

She trailed off, her eyes going distant. Gabe recognized the look – shock, probably some kind of magical attack on top of the physical assault.

"We need to get her somewhere safe," Gabe said, his mind already racing through possibilities. The hospital was out – whatever had attacked Jessy was clearly supernatural in nature. The Wisteria coven would want to handle this internally, but Gabe wasn't about to let a potential victim out of his sight until he knew what they were dealing with.

"Our place," Giana said decisively. "It's closest, and it's warded up the wazoo. Mom and Dad aren't home, so we won't have to explain anything yet."

Gabe nodded, impressed despite himself. Sometimes he forgot that his siblings were capable, powerful witches in their own right.

"Can you stand?" he asked Jessy gently. When she nodded, he helped her to her feet, keeping a supportive arm around her waist.

As they made their way back to the car, Gabe's mind was whirling. What the hell had just happened? Who – or what – had attacked Jessy Wisteria? And why did he have a sinking feeling that this was just the beginning of something much, much bigger?

The drive home was tense, filled with Jessy's quiet sobs and Giana's soft murmurs of comfort. Gabe's knuckles were white on the steering wheel, his senses still on high alert. Every shadow seemed to loom larger, every unexpected movement making him flinch. Fuck, he was on edge.

As they pulled into the driveway of the Reed family home, Gabe was surprised to see lights on inside. Weren't their parents supposed to be out?

"Mom and Dad are home," Gino voiced Gabe's thoughts, a note of relief in his tone.

Gabe felt a mixture of emotions at this realization. Relief, yes – their parents were powerful witches in their own right and could definitely help. But also anxiety. How the hell was he going to explain this?

"Come on," he said, helping Jessy out of the car. "Let's get inside."

The moment they stepped through the door, his mother’s voice called out from the kitchen. "Kids? Is that you? You're home early-"

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