by Moni Boyce
Mathilda’s eyes widened in shock at her tone. “Um... Cora wanted to see you before we left.”
Before she could try to apologize for her mood Mathilda scurried off.
Damn it!
Clutching the folds of her robe, she stepped into the hall ready to call her back, but said nothing. It was clear, whatever she said at that moment might only make things worse. Just because she got her feelings stomped on last night, did not give her the right to terrorize someone else. Mathilda had been nothing but nice since all of this happened. The spunky teenager was like a younger sister to her. She needed to find her and apologize for her behavior. While she dressed she got herself in the right headspace with a firm talking to. She promised herself she wouldn’t dish out boatloads of attitude and misery to everyone that crossed her path. There was only one person who had earned her anger.
After dressing in a black tank top, black skinny jeans and knee high black boots she grabbed her leather jacket before leaving the room to visit Cora. With no one’s aid she was glad she only got lost once on the way. It had been some time since her last visit. She peered into the old woman’s room before stepping inside. “Cora?”
“I’m awake.” Her voice croaked. “Come in, come in.” As usual, she sat propped against the pillows, looking like she was holding court from bed. Willow wondered if there was a nurse or caretaker that scuttled out of sight when she received visitors. Or did they vanish? After all, this was a witch house. It’s not like they had to use doors. She pushed the thought away and sat on the edge of the bed.
“There was something I didn’t give you when you visited last time.” Her fingers patted some papers.
How had she not noticed them before? A tidy bundle of letters wrapped up in ribbon rested on Cora’s lap.
“These are letters your mother wrote to you.”
“Why didn’t you just give them to me when you gave me the videotape?” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. What game was she playing at withholding the letters?
A cunning, crafty smile of a con artist that’s just revealed you didn’t select the money card in a game of Three-card Monte crossed Cora’s face. “Sometimes things need to come in steps and stages of what we can handle and how soon we can handle it.” She held out the pile of letters with both hands. “You’re ready for these.”
“You seem to have a flair for the dramatic, old woman.” Willow accepted the letters, unable to hide the slight grin that flitted across her face.
Cora squinted and leaned forward, her eyes drawn to her necklace. She reached out and traced the snake pendant that dangled from the chain. The curious faraway look in her gaze had Willow wondering about her thoughts. “What is it?” When Cora pulled her hand away, she grabbed the snake between her forefinger and thumb and rubbed it.
“Where did you get that?” Cora’s eyes darted to hers after she ripped them from the necklace.
“My mother gave it to me.” She knew there was something behind the question. “Why?”
Cora’s eyes went back to the necklace once more, but she said nothing. Her eyes probed the old woman’s face for any acknowledgement, but she got nothing.
“I’m tired.” Her shoulders slumped against the pillows and she closed her eyes. Thin blue veins could be seen in the translucent skin of her eyelids. Part of her believed this was just a ploy to get rid of her. Several minutes passed without the woman opening her eyes or acknowledging her presence. There was nothing more she would get from her. She took the letters and headed for the door. Before she could step outside, Cora spoke. “Take care, child.”
Willow looked back towards the bed, but Cora still lay in the same position with her eyes shut. She closed the door and left, wondering if she’d ever cross paths with the old woman again.
Back in her room, she finished packing up and stuffed the weathered envelopes into her bag. She donned her mother’s aged leather jacket. Something felt different. After spending time at the coven, wearing the jacket felt like she was being wrapped in the warm embrace of her mother’s arms. Even though her mother’s scent no longer lingered in the jacket’s folds, she couldn’t help pressing the sleeve to her nose and inhaling.
One of the last pieces she needed to pack sat on the bed. The dagger she’d so loved in Samson’s store that Eli gifted her with as a surprise lay beside her bag. She was of half a mind to ditch it, but the beautiful blade made her smile every time she saw it. Plus, she’d admired it and wanted it before Eli gave it to her. She wouldn’t be keeping it because it was from him, but because she had always liked it. Pulling the dagger from the sheath, her finger ran along the cold steel. No, she’d hang onto it, even though he gave it to her. She shoved it into her bag next to the letters.
Outside, her jaw fell open when instead of the old 1970s RV they’d been riding through the countryside in, she saw a sleek, state-of-the-art mobile home that probably was even more geeked out on the inside. Her sadness was momentarily forgotten when Max walked up dressed like Spicoli from Fast Times At Ridgemont High. “Isn’t it awesome? Morgana got permission from the Council to give us an upgrade.” He paused in his admiration of the new vehicle and rubbed the back of his neck. “Is it crazy I miss the old RV... made me kind of feel like we were Scooby and the gang? I was Scooby of course.”
This made her genuinely laugh for the first time since last night had gone abysmally bad. Although it looked better than the heap of metal they’d been riding around in, she found herself nostalgic for the older model vehicle as well. “Protector’s motor home 2.0 is pretty cool, but I miss the old one too.” She gave him a wistful smile that carried more than just a shared appreciation for the previous vehicle. In the smile was the remembered past of just a woman and her faithful dog.
His arms enfolded her in a hug, her face pressed against his shoulder. It reminded her of when she would cuddle with him when he was Max, the dog. She used to rub her cheek against his fur and revel in the fact he was man’s best friend: supportive, a good listener, someone who always had her back.
“I know this hasn’t been easy, Willow.”
Her eyes watered slightly at his words. Partly because of Eli, but mainly because of what Max said. Since they’d left Nashville, she’d been going non-stop: training, learning and moving. There hadn’t been a moment to slow down and realize what she left behind. His words made her miss her cramped, but cozy apartment, playing gigs at the Bluebird, grabbing coffee and walking in the park with song lyrics writing themselves in her head as she watched people pass by, she even missed the crummy job a little... okay maybe she didn’t actually miss that, but everything else she did. She felt the tears trying to leak out of her eyes and she did her best to suppress them. If she cried now, she might not stop. “Thanks Max. I’ll be okay.” She sniffled.
As she pulled away from Max, she locked eyes with Eli. Max felt the tension, anger and hostility in her body. She didn’t know how she knew this, she just did. Maybe it was because the change in her demeanor raised his hackles even though he wasn’t in dog form. A low growl emitted from his throat and his eyes darted around for the threat. His grip on her forearms tightened.
Eli stared at her the way he used to in the office, with that unreadable look where she didn’t know what he was thinking.
“It’s okay.” She tore her gaze away from Eli and looked into Max’s face. His expression was taut with a fierce protectiveness. The look conveyed that he would rip someone’s head off any minute. “It’s okay.” She repeated. “I’m okay. There is no danger.” She attempted to relax her body so he would calm down.
Gradually the animal instinct that had put him on alert subsided and he released her, but he put his body in front of her like he still expected an attack. Looking back over his shoulder, he questioned her. “What happened? Why did you react like that, anyway? None of the neighbors are out.” His head whipped around and looked for the source of her vexation. “We’re the only ones out here: me, you, Zoriana, Phaedra and...” He halted. Fear coursed through h
er body at the thought of him knowing that Eli had rejected her. He turned to her with the unsaid question written all over his face.
She plastered on a fake smile, but her eyes pleaded with him to drop it. “I’m going to put my things on the RV and stake a claim on a seat before everyone else gets on board.” The words tumbled out in a rush while she picked up her bag and backed away from him, motioning towards the RV door. “I’ll see you inside.” She nearly ran flush into the door when she finally turned around.
Inside she found Mathilda playing a game of solitaire at the table. She dropped into the booth opposite her. The young girl didn’t look up or acknowledge her. “I was rude to you earlier and I’m sorry.” No sense in dragging out the apology. There was no response. “That had nothing to do with you.” When Mathilda kept placing the cards in neat piles on the table, she placed her hand over hers to stop her from continuing. “Can you please talk to me? I said I was sorry.” It took a moment before Mathilda’s eyes raised to meet hers. Her face gave nothing away. After a minute, a little girl grin came out of hiding. “I just wanted to watch you squirm a bit longer.” They both giggled.
“You are evil.” Willow threw a card at her as she continued to chuckle. In the back of her mind she couldn’t help but think about how easily she had forgiven her. Zoriana was still trying to get her to make amends. She was on the verge of asking her about it, but Mathilda spoke.
“What did Cora want?” She fixed the haphazard cards in her game.
“Nothing.” Willow stretched back against the seat and looked out the window. Her thoughts went to the letters that sat like a dirty secret in her bag. “I’m gonna put my bag away.” She excused herself and went to the bedroom.
After shutting the door, she sagged against it. She hated telling the small white lie, but she wanted to keep the letters to herself for a while longer. Dumping the bag on the bed, she plopped down next to it. Now that she was alone, all the feelings from last night came crashing over her like a huge tidal wave once more. It had been ages since she’d wished for her mother, but right now that’s all she wanted was to tell her mother about her bleeding heart and have her console her. She hugged her arms around her torso and gave herself over to the silent sobbing that shook her body. When you were already alone in the world, sometimes rejection had a way of breaking you.
CHAPTER 24
Eli
Things had grown infinitely better between them during the weeks spent at the coven and in one night he’d ruined everything. If her look had been a loaded gun, he’d be dead right now. He’d barely slept last night, wondering and worried if she was okay. Knowing he caused her heartbreak made him feel like the biggest ass. If not for the oath he’d sworn as a Protector he could be with her. How could he make her understand?
Absently, he loaded items into the storage bin on the side of the RV.
“Are you in la la land? I must have called you a thousand times.” Phaedra poked him. “What are you so deep in thought about? Or should I say whom.”
“Don’t. Not today.” In his irritation he got a little rough with the packages he’d been stowing.
“Okay, okay. Just stop handling anything before you break it.” She took the parcel out of his hand.
He hated being irritable with Phaedra. He knew she meant well, but he was angry with himself, frustrated with the situation and annoyed at his conflicted feelings of honor and duty versus what lay in his heart. “I’m sorry.”
“Well, sorry isn’t gonna cut it. I need you to get your act together before we get on the road. I’m not riding all over creation with this.” She waved her splayed hand up and down his body. “Whatever you need to work out, figure it out and get your ass on the RV. Right now we don’t have time for you to be in your feelings.” The hard dose of fuck your feelings she doled out may not be what he wanted to hear, but it’s what he needed to hear. They had a job to do. She turned on her heel and walked away, leaving him to think about what she’d just said.
Just like he’d done after dealing with another fight with his father, he stuffed his feelings and frustration over the situation with Willow into a small box and tucked it away in the attic of his mind to be dealt with at a later time.
When he climbed on board and looked towards the bedroom, the door was closed. It was for the best. If she holed up in there, the rest of the day he wouldn’t have to be constantly reminded of what he was doing his best to not deal with.
Phaedra sat in the driver’s seat. “You good?”
“I’m good.” He sat in the passenger seat and put on his seat belt. The monstrous vehicle roared to life and Phaedra backed it out of the driveway.
“Where we headed?” Her question held no judgment.
He had no idea. They weren’t ready to take the fight to Killian; he just knew they couldn’t stay at the coven. They risked putting other lives in jeopardy if he locked in on their location again. They just had to keep moving. “Just drive.”
For hours he enjoyed the silence he knew he could count on from Phaedra. He always appreciated that she knew when he needed to be left alone. In that time, Willow stayed ensconced in the bedroom. Zoriana tried to rouse her from her status of hermit crab, but she politely declined. On occasion her singing and the carefully plucked chords of the guitar carried through the door and reached his ears. In an instant, he shoved the sounds out of his mind. It would be too easy for the music and her voice to worm their way inside and cause him to break. He wasn’t sure who he was without being a Protector. He’d trained his whole life for this and the thought of tossing it away... scared him. He had to do his duty, which was to teach her and protect her.
He rifled through his bag and found his ear buds. Heavy bass and guitar riffs filled his eardrums as the heavy metal song reached the chorus after he jammed the jack into his phone. He counted on the loud, powerful screams of the lead singer to numb his mind to her heavenly voice.
Once nightfall descended he had Phaedra pull off the road to find a spot for them to make camp. After they set a protection spell around the perimeter they unpacked. The upgrades to the motor home allowed for more people to sleep onboard. Zoriana probably would have shared the king-sized bed that the dining table and chairs turned into with Mathilda if they weren’t still at odds with each other. Instead, she rolled out a sleeping bag next to Eli. Phaedra and Max pitched a tent across the meadow for further privacy and Willow, Morgana and Mathilda slept onboard the new RV.
After an awkward dinner that consisted of Phaedra, Max and Morgana trying to keep the conversation going everyone went their separate ways. Willow hadn’t once looked in his direction during the meal. She’d dragged her fork around the plate like a sullen teenager and then went straight back to the RV the minute she could. There was a part of him that expected her to blow up and make a scene, yell at him in front of everyone and call him a bastard for what he did. He might have preferred it to the silent treatment she was giving him. He missed being able to talk to her.
His thoughts were interrupted by Zoriana returning from wherever she had been. Once she took a seat on her sleeping bag, her stony gaze stayed locked on the fire. For a short while he allowed her to get lost in whatever thoughts she was engrossed in. If he had one guess, he was sure it had something to do with the daughter that still wasn’t speaking to her. “I need you to do something for me tomorrow.” Her eyes remained focused on the flames. Lightly, he touched her shoulder. She blinked a few times and then looked at him.
“What?”
“I need you to do something for me tomorrow.” His eyes scanned her face. He was growing more concerned over the situation. When he approached his uncle about the two, he didn’t seem worried. He’d said something about “women stuff” and said they would work it out soon, but he wasn’t convinced.
“Sure.” Her eyes lit up at having some job or function that would keep her from her thoughts and he felt less guilty about asking her.
“Would you train Willow tomorrow?” He hadn’t expected to
see the surprised look that crossed her face.
“But you usually train her?” Her eyebrows knitted together.
“Yes, and now I think she would benefit from a different teacher.” It was hard not to sound prickly. Couldn’t she just accept the job with no need to question him to death?
“What did you do?”
Apparently, his explanation wasn’t good enough. He fell against the log and tipped his head back. “Why do I have to have done anything wrong?”
“You’ve largely been responsible for Willow’s training and now suddenly you just want to relinquish that to someone else?” She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not buying. Spill. What’s going on?”
He huffed. “Fine.” Sitting back up, he turned his body to face Zoriana. “After the dinner party my mother gave the night before we left...” Annoyed, he looked away briefly from Zoriana’s smug face.
After he tamped down some of his anger, he returned his glare to her face. The Cheshire Cat grin she wore let him know she was unfazed by his irritation. He was an only child, but ever since becoming a Protector he felt like he had sisters with the way Phaedra, Zoriana and Morgana treated him. “When I walked Willow back to her room that night... she told me she had feelings for me and kissed me.” His eyes became hooded and his gaze darted around to avoid whatever look she might give him. “I... I rejected her and now she’s angry.” He hurried to finish so they could stop talking about this.
“Why?” Her tone was laced with so much incredulity; it was hard not to look at her like she’d lost her mind.
“You know why.” He seethed through gritted teeth. He realized his response might make it sound like he cared for Willow. Straightening his posture he dropped his anger and tried to look unaffected. “I think you’re under the assumption I return her feelings. You would be wrong.” He hoped his matter-of-fact tone would squash whatever she was thinking.
