by Moni Boyce
“But you’re not a Walker, right?” She directed the question at Max.
“Nope! My full name is Gou Maximilian Okami. You can still call me Max.”
It was impolite to stare, but every time she looked at him she saw her dog. She missed him.
Max must have sensed her melancholy. He let out a small whine reminiscent of one he often did in dog form and smiled at her.
I guess he could sense my moods.
For the next few hours, they continued to ride the country roads until Eli decided it was time for them to make camp. Phaedra drove the RV through the brush and they came to a peaceful looking clearing.
Everyone got out of the vehicle and stretched their limbs before they unloaded tents, sleeping bags and other camping gear. Max gathered wood to build a fire.
Willow half expected him to run into the woods in his wolf form and bring back a rabbit or some other small forest creature for dinner. Unlike her fantasy, Max returned on his human legs carrying bundles of branches and twigs. Then, without a single match, gasoline or rubbing two sticks together Morgana came and spoke one word over the pile. “Ignis.” The wood burst into flames in seconds.
Color me impressed.
Why hadn’t Eli done something similar when she asked him to do magic?
“What did I say about no magic?” Eli sported an annoyed look, like a teacher scolding a student that wasn’t paying attention, when he lectured her.
“Sorry.” She gave him an unapologetic shrug and winked at Willow.
For dinner, Zoriana pulled store-bought fish from the refrigerator inside the RV, and cooked the meal over the open flame using a skillet. So much for the fantasy that played in her head.
In her twenty-six years, she’d never been camping out in the woods. She didn’t count spending the night in your backyard as a kid. Once night fell, the sky was riddled with thousands of stars that burned bright. After she ate, she stretched out on a blanket to stare up at them. Eli had given her a wide berth ever since they stopped and made camp. She decided she’d save her apology for another day. Let him sweat a little longer.
Before she knew it, she’d fallen asleep. It wasn’t long before the vampire king entered her dream. She was back in his throne room, but this time he was standing instead of sitting. He was closer, much closer.
“Killian.” She murmured. Before she spoke again, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye and realized they weren’t alone. A statuesque bombshell, of Middle Eastern descent, stood a few feet behind him. Her golden brown eyes glowed with fiendish glee. Red lipstick painted her lips and reminded Willow of blood. The tight, black leather suit she wore looked like a second skin. She was a video game character come to life, the epitome of a thirteen-year-old boy’s fantasy of a hot woman who could kick butt.
Willow tore her eyes away from the drop-dead gorgeous, but lethal looking woman and put her attention back on him. Her fear was so palpable her body quaked with it. He noticed. It was an aphrodisiac to him. He bathed in her terror. “Willow, I was wondering when we would see each other again.” His long strides had him standing in front of her in a mere second. His voice was akin to icy tentacles running up and down her spine.
She was trying hard to push her panic to the side. Eli mentioned they thought a witch was helping him. Was that woman the witch? Maybe he would tell her.
“How did you find out my name?” A little confidence engulfed her, when her voice didn’t shake when she spoke.
Killian shook his head and smirked. “You do not get to ask questions.”
He advanced upon her again and stupidly she wished she were Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and could click her heels together and go home.
Wake up.
She wished she was in her own bed with Max the dog, without the knowledge of any supernaturals, her lineage or why Killian wanted her.
Tears were leaking out of the corners of her eyes, but she dared not reach up and wipe them away.
What can he do to me in a dream?
She wasn’t sure if he read her thoughts or if he’d always been planning to touch her. Before she could blink or have another thought, he seized her head between his hands. In an instant, the fiercest pain imaginable gripped her. Her eyes rolled back in her skull. A fever that made her skin tingle like it was being licked by millions of tiny flames consumed her whole body. An ocean roared in her ears.
“Tell me what I want to know. Who are you? What is your last name? Where are you?”
She did the only thing she could do. The agonizing scream that ripped itself from her throat sounded otherworldly even to her.
Everlasting pain tore through her until seconds later she saw the stars again. The hellish torment ceased and then she heard Eli. “Willow! Willow!” His voice was authoritative and demanding, but it didn’t mask the fear vibrating in his body while he held her.
She only knew it for what it was because she shook with it too. Her gaze drifted up to his face. “Eli?” She was so glad to see him. In his arms she felt safe, like nothing bad could ever touch her again.
Once her fear subsided, she noticed that everyone crowded around them. Their faces didn’t hide their panic. Zoriana was holding her hand.
“It... it was... it was Killian.” She had to force the words past her lips. “He...” She gulped and struggled to breathe. “He... he knows my name.” She registered their shock after she spoke.
Eli held her tighter.
“His hands... tou... touched me and my body... it was on fire.” She tilted her head back and looked at Eli’s face. His grave expression scared her. Things were more serious than she realized. She calmed herself enough to get the next words out without stuttering.
“He was trying to force me to tell him who I am and where I am.”
Someone gasped, but she wasn’t sure who made the sound. Her gaze was locked on Eli.
CHAPTER 8
Eli
The fear that seized his insides only increased the more Willow divulged her dream. He’d never wanted to be right about Killian getting closer, but her nightmare confirmed it. “You’re safe now.” He rocked her in his arms until the tremor left her body. “We push on from here bright and early tomorrow.”
He didn’t want her asking questions or being fearful anymore tonight so he communicated through his mind link to the others.
‘HER TRAINING NEEDS TO BEGIN AT ONCE.’ He looked at Zoriana before he told them the next thing. ‘PLUS, WE HAVE TO PAY SAMSON A VISIT.’
‘NO.’ Zoriana’s eyes skittered away from Mathilda when she responded.
‘IT’S A NECESSITY.’ His tone brooked no room for argument.
Zoriana gave him a dirty look before she left the group in a huff. The others each made a subtle nod and moved off to seek their beds.
By the time, he carried Willow into the RV Mathilda had crawled up to the overhead sleeping space above the cab. He placed her on the bed and went to walk away.
“Please stay with me tonight.” Her voice was soft.
Eli turned. He was in awe of her again. The dream must have been excruciating for her, but she shed no tears.
“I’m afraid to go back to sleep right now...” Her eyes pleaded with him.
“Just until you fall asleep.” He lay on the bed beside her with his hands folded together over his stomach and stared up at the ceiling. For several minutes, neither of them said a word.
“Next time Killian enters your dream, punch him. That will keep him away... my eye still smarts a little.” He smiled and touched the corner of his eye.
Willow snorted then chuckled. “I wish I could say I’m sorry.” She chuckled some more before she sobered.
“It’s okay.”
She twisted on her side and faced him. “I didn’t know you were such a joker.”
Even though he wasn’t looking at her, he saw her smile out of the corner of his eye.
“I have my moments. Thought you could use a laugh.” He turned and glanced at her. She no longer seemed scared
. Her eyes were warm and inviting. This was a mistake. He shouldn’t be in here, lying next to her. His gaze shifted back to the ceiling.
Maybe I should leave.
“Would you tell me about my mother?” The request came out on a breathless whisper, like she’d been working up the nerve to ask the favor of him.
He took a second to find his voice. “You were nine when she died?”
She nodded. “Yes... I remember her, but sometimes she fades. It would help to hear someone else’s memories of her.”
He turned to face her. “I only saw her the one time.” He was afraid to disappoint her. If only he had a thousand moments of her mother he could share.
“It’s okay. I’d rather have that one memory than nothing at all.”
He squinted his eyes and licked his bottom lip as his mind dredged up his encounter with her mom.
“I was twelve when she visited. She had hair just like yours...” He looked at Willow and she smiled and ran her hand over her curls. “Non-witches aren’t normally invited into the coven. Protectors brought her, because she found out who they were. They had no choice. She was jumpy and frightened. No one knew why.” He was unsure if he should continue. He hadn’t thought about these memories for a long time and now that he’d remembered them, he wasn’t sure he should share. “This isn’t a good idea.” He was going to sit up, when she tugged on his arm.
“Please.”
He made the mistake of looking into her eyes again and he knew he wouldn’t refuse her. He pushed his back against the headboard and stared at the wall of the motor home.
“They took her to the Council’s chamber where the Elders convene. I shouldn’t have been there, but I snuck inside the room. I hid in the corner and listened to her talk of things she’d seen. Events that hadn’t happened yet.” He relived the memory as he spoke.
He dreaded the next thing he would say. “Your mother spoke of her own death. She’d seen it.” Willow sat up. He chose not to look at her. “At that point, the Elders began to talk over one another. In the middle of the chaos, she saw me. When she spoke again, everyone fell silent. She saw me and gave me the kindest smile. Then she told me someday I would be one of your Protectors. The shouting started all over again when they realized I was in the room and they had me removed before they let her continue.”
“What else did she tell them?”
When he looked in her eager eyes, he wished again that he had more to give her, even if they were only crumbs.
“They never shared it with me.” He wondered what else they said as well. “We should rest. We need to get an early start tomorrow.”
Willow lay back down. “You’ll stay until I fall asleep?”
“Yes.”
When she shut her eyes, he tried not to watch her. She was beautiful. He hated this pull he felt towards her. He tore his gaze away and settled for the view of the wall.
Thirty minutes later, she’d fallen asleep. The thought of her waking violently in the middle of the night kept him rooted to the bed.
What if she needs me?
He would stay here tonight. Just in case. He made himself comfortable propped against the headboard and closed his eyes.
The next morning, someone poked him in the chest. He awoke to find Phaedra standing over him with a look of displeasure. Under her harsh gaze, he felt like a young boy being reprimanded by his mother. He looked at Willow and noticed she still slept. He got up from the bed and left the RV with her close on his heels. Before he spoke, he made sure they were a safe distance away so they wouldn’t be overheard. “Listen, I know what it looked like.”
Phaedra crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a scowl he knew all too well.
“She was afraid to sleep alone. That’s why I stayed. You were there. You saw the nightmare she had.”
The hostility left Phaedra’s body. “I’m worried that soon you won’t be able to draw the line.”
He looked away and ran his hand over his face.
“You have feelings for her, Elias.”
He glared at her with clenched fists. “That doesn’t mean I will act on them. I know the oath I made. You don’t have to keep reminding me.” He bit his lip to avoid speaking out of anger.
Phaedra’s eyes roamed over his face. He dropped his gaze to the ground, not wanting to meet her discerning look.
“You are like a brother to me... I just don’t want to see this end badly.” She squeezed his shoulder. “C’mon. We need to wake everyone else and get moving.”
He nodded, and they walked side-by-side back to camp.
Once everybody was up Zoriana passed around protein bars and they packed everything into the RV and hit the road.
Max was behind the wheel this time with Phaedra riding shotgun. He sat on the sofa next to Morgana reading an incantation book and trying his best to feel unaffected by Willow. She was cross-legged on the bed with the door open, plucking at the strings of her guitar and humming. Even though she sang no words, the spell she cast over him with the melody from the instrument and her crooning threatened to shatter his resolve. He tried to refocus on the page he’d reread over and over.
Zoriana still wasn’t talking to him, which was to be expected. He wished she was speaking to him, so he could engage her in conversation and drown out the sound of Willow’s voice. With everything that was going on, he couldn’t afford to be at odds with Zoriana. He would have a talk with her later. Visiting Samson was anathema to her, but was necessary.
CHAPTER 9
Willow
“Where are we?” She jumped off the step of the motor home. Her boots landed in muddy water and she grimaced.
The old warehouse was in an industrial part of town among a bunch of identical, dilapidated warehouses. Before she could get an answer to her question, a burly man emerged from the building. A few armed men flanked him. Unlike them, he carried no weapons she could see.
His dark, bald, head gleamed and from the distance she was at she could make out the tattoos that marked his scalp. The top part of his grayish-blue coveralls was rolled to his waist exposing bulging biceps and forearms that were also covered in tattoos. The wife beater he wore was tinged with grime and what looked to be motor oil.
“What do you want?” His deep baritone rattled her. Why were they here? What did they want from this guy? Danger surrounded him.
“Is that how you treat old friends?” Eli stepped out of the RV and walked towards him.
The scowl never left the man’s face as he watched him approach. Eli stopped a foot in front of him. Willow watched the staredown with butterflies flapping in her stomach. A smile crept across the man’s face and then he shouted a whoop of joy and grabbed him in a hug. Eli’s feet left the ground when he was hefted into the air.
“My man!”
“It’s good to see you too, Samson. Can you put me down?” Eli chuckled.
When she looked around she saw Phaedra, Max and Morgana grin and walk towards Eli and Samson. Zoriana hung back. Mathilda watched her mother and when Zoriana took a step forward so did she. Willow brought up the rear. By the time she caught up with the group, everyone was headed inside the building.
The interior of the space resembled a chop shop. Rows of cars lined the room and were in various phases of disassembly. A few mechanics worked on vehicles. The men that had accompanied Samson out to greet them still clutched their weapons while they walked.
What are we doing here?
In answer to her thought, Samson pulled a lever that looked like a switch on an electrical box. After he flipped it, the wall moved to the side. It opened enough so they could file through one at a time. Motion sensor lights cut on inside the cavernous room to reveal tons of guns, ammo, machinery, vehicles and other weaponry, some of which she’d never seen before.
“What are you in need of?” Samson raised his arms and motioned around the warehouse.
Samson was looking at them when his gaze landed on Zoriana. His expression changed to one of shock, as i
f he’d seen a ghost. She looked elsewhere. The exchange wasn’t lost on Eli. He coughed. “Lets walk around and have a look. That okay?”
Samson nodded still wearing a stunned look. Willow was eager to hang back and figure out what the story was between Samson and Zoriana when Max took her arm and dragged her away. Morgana steered Mathilda in another direction.
“Hey!” She tried to tear her arm out of Max’s grasp.
“Give them their privacy. If you were in her position you wouldn’t want an audience either.” His disappointment came through in his words, but he let her go and left the decision to her.
She looked at the floor in shame. “Sorry.” She mumbled and followed Max through the rows of knives, swords and battleaxes. It was endless. Her eyes were drawn to a small dagger with a jeweled hilt. There was no one to stop her so she took it off the wall and flipped it over in her hands. She pulled it from the brown leather scabbard and examined it. The metal gleamed in the faint light. She could see her reflection. When she glanced up, Max was at the end of the aisle, about to turn. She pushed the blade back into the sheath and slipped it through her belt loop before she ran to catch up with him.
Once she rounded the corner behind him, she found everyone save Zoriana and Samson looking over unique weapons. She stood beside Eli so she could see what held his attention. “What is it?” Her eyes scanned the weapon that looked more like a prototype for a futuristic gun.
Eli opened his mouth to answer her when Samson’s big voice rang out in answer.
“I call that my Vervain Launcher,” After he walked over, his fingers caressed the gun with reverence, “You can use garlic in it if you were in a pinch and didn’t have vervain. Both are Kryptonite to a vampire. And this is my Holy Water Gun.” He indicated the weapon that lay near it that looked identical to a flame-thrower.
“So vervain is a thing? It works on vampires?” Despite everything she’d learned and seen so far, it always fascinated her when something else she only thought was myth turned out to be true.
