Shadows in Ravenwood (Daughters of the Circle)

by Lenore Wolfe

  THIRTY-THREE

  TARA

  Tara’s limbs were heavy. She felt weary, walking back from the Land of the Fae. She'd found it a long, but satisfying, day. It had been a pretty tough month—spending all their time trying to figure out the riddle behind that freaking warlock.

  Would they ever get to put this behind them?

  She glanced over as Morgan walked with her arm wrapped around Alex. Sophia dropped back after talking to Claire, and now whispered quietly with Jake, as they walked. She’d left Kira back in the Land of the Fae for her daughter’s safety, and though they all missed her already, no one blamed her. They all agreed it was the smart thing to do, at the moment—even if they didn’t know how long this would go on.

  Tara could see how hard it was for her, although Jake seemed to be trying to comfort her. Tara smiled, that was good.

  At first, they all seemed tense. Far too quiet. But after a while, her friends seemed to relax a bit. She hoped so. She had to admit. She’d found herself searching the trees, too, as they walked. When realized it, she scolded herself. She didn’t see how they would survive if they’d already started acting afraid.

  She decided to focus on something else—or rather someone else.

  She’d seen Drake at the Council. He’d been watching her, making it difficult for her to concentrate on what the elders were saying. She couldn’t remember another time when a male had affected her that much, and it unnerved her. She wanted to be alone—so she could think about what to do about him.

  She didn’t know how to react to having anyone affect her that much. She needed to keep her head clear. Especially, right now.

  Tara glanced around, looking for Claire. She spotted her bringing up the rear. She’d dropped back with Sophia it would seem. Claire also searched the trees. Did she still look for Dante? No, Tara grinned, realizing she searched for Thorick.

  Tara glanced around with renewed interest. Where ever the sisters were, the Gargoyle lurked. But dang if she could spot him—or any of the rest of them.

  She came to halt, standing still till Claire caught up with her.

  “Spot him?” she asked.

  Claire feigned a look of confusion. “Who?”

  “Ha!” Tara teased. “You know full well who.”

  The mask Claire tried to hide behind, slipped, knowing she’d been found out. She blushed, then laughed. “No,” she answered. “I cannot seem to spot him,” she said in frustration.

  “I know, huh,” Tara said, glancing around. “It’s almost creepy how he does that.”

  Claire stilled, eyeing her. “Why creepy? He’s protecting us.”

  Tara smirked. “Creepy, because I realized he’s been stalking us our entire life!”

  Claire playfully swatting at her. Then, she stopped. “Wow. That’s true,” she said, glancing around. “That is creepy.”

  They walked in quiet for a bit, then. After a couple of moments, she noticed Sophia dropped further back with Jake. Tara leaned towards Claire. “What did Sophia have to say?” she asked. When she noticed Claire’s confusion, she added, “I saw her whispering to you earlier.”

  “Oh,” Claire said. “She’s decided it’s time to start introducing us to all the Warrior Fae who’ve been standing guard over us for, all these years.”

  Tara’s brows shot up. “What?”

  Claire chuckled. “Yep,” she said, “it would seem they’ve always been there all this time, too.” She gestured with a sweep of her arm.

  Tara halted to stare at her. “Well, I knew that when he wasn’t—they were.” She flushed. “Even when we left town?”

  Claire leaned to the side. “So, it would seem.”

  Tara spun around to look as they continued to walk, walking backward for a second. “Do they watch everything we do?” she said with her brows raised.

  Claire didn’t say anything, and Tara leaned back to glance at her. Claire had an appalled expression on her face. “I hope not,” she finally said.

  Tara couldn’t help but giggle.

  Claire dropped her voice to nearly a whisper. “But apparently, we don’t want Dante to realize the full extent of the army that’s on our side.”

  Tara turned and stared at her, and then she stopped. She had to fight not to look around again. “You could have warned me before. I practically shouted it for the world to hear.”

  Claire smiled. “You would think if he didn’t know that already—after watching us all this time—he’d have to be a pretty dumb warlock.”

  Tara grabbed her arm and started walking. “Well, it doesn’t hurt to be careful—and not do anything more to help him know exactly how to get us,” she whispered furiously.

  “I suppose,” Claire whispered back at her.” Then, ruined it by grinning.

  By the time, they’d reached the manor, Tara felt famished. And by the expressions on her friends, she wasn’t alone, although they’d partaken of a large feast back in the Land of the Fae while they talked. Then, Sophia’s mother had offered them, more to eat, when they’d returned to the cottage.

  Apparently, danger gave them all an appetite. They ate, now with some joking around. Well, it was good to see their sense of humor come back.

  Then, they went to do something that none of them had seemed prone to doing—at least not since they’d returned to the manor. They went to watch a movie on the television. As they watched, Tara glanced around. Morgan snuggled up with Alex. And Sophia sat, busy talking to Jake, back over in one corner of the living room. Claire had disappeared, but Tara didn’t feel up to figuring out where she’d gone. Besides, she already had a good idea she was back in the attic.

  Tara sighed to herself.

  She glanced over at Jack. He seemed engrossed in the movie. That meant, he’d something else to occupy his time. She wondered where Dante had taken Jacelyn. Was he still running, with her? Was he trying to stay ahead of the Gargoyles? Maybe he wouldn’t have a chance to hurt her if they kept him busy, running.

  Tara wondered if Claire had learned anything from the coven. So, she decided she’d go and look for her. As had been the usual, of late, Tara found her in the attic.

  Claire chuckled at her when she came in. “Come to find out what I’ve learned,” she said.

  Tara smirked. “Did you actually find out something new? We’ve been getting struck out, left and right.”

  Claire seemed disheartened at the reminder. “And we didn’t learn anything new from the Fae.”

  Tara shook her head, sitting opposite her, in one of the over-stuffed chairs. “Did you think we would?”

  Claire sat the large book, she had in her lap, off to her side on a large, round coffee table. “I still had hoped,” she confessed.

  Tara nodded. “Yeah, same here. But I don’t think that kept any of us from taking it pretty hard when we didn’t.”

  Claire gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry.”

  Tara glanced up at her. “For what?”

  Claire shrugged. “I feel responsible.”

  Tara looked at her fully now. “Why? For trying to protect your sister—and the rest of us?” She shook her head. “Never be sorry for that.”

  Claire stared at her now. “Thank you for that,” she said. “But if I hadn’t been so busy thinking I was protecting them, I wouldn’t have wasted needed time….” She appeared deflated.

  Tara leaned forward, taking her closest hand into hers. “You thought you were doing the right thing,” she said. “And trying to do the right thing, for the right reason—how can that be so wrong?” She smiled gently at Claire.

  Claire smiled sadly back at her. “Thank you for saying that,” she said, a silent tear slipping down her cheek.

  Tara frowned at her. “So, what did the coven tell you?” she asked, changing the subject to something more comfortable.

  Claire tucked her feet under her and pulled one of the blankets off the back of the sofa. “They said there’s an old prophecy they’d forgotten about,” she said, glancing at Tara. “In fact,
they’d all lost all track of it.” She pulled the blanket around her. “But one of the old women, who happens to be in her nineties, started rattling on when they were talking in front of her about Dante—and the danger that we’re all in.”

  Tara’s brows shot up. “What’s the prophecy about?” she asked, afraid to hope there might be a clue in there somewhere.

  “It spoke of one, who believed he couldn’t be destroyed—but four, who would combine their power to make it so.”

  Tara looked at her. “Could be the ramblings of an old woman,” she said.

  Claire nodded. “It could be.”

  Tara thought about that. Then, she stilled and caught Claire’s gaze. “Then, why do I get the feeling there might actually be something to this?”

  Claire gave her a small smile. “I don’t know. Why do you?”

  And Tara grinned.