by M. R. Polish
I clenched my jaw and my body trembled. There was something amiss, and I needed to find out what. Resting my other hand on Es’s chest, I could feel a rise with a slight intake of breath, reassuring me that she was still alive.
How could I live if she wasn’t there? I couldn’t go through that again. I began to think I could try to have a happy life with someone again. I spent days watching over her while she recovered from the evil she endured with Nicholas and the Belladonna. It killed me not being able to help her. What could I do now?
“He will pay for this.” My eyes stared off into nothing, but I continued to hold Es’s warm body against my own.
I stood up, keeping care not to jostle her around too much. I would rather die than to watch her go through this again. It was too much.
“Where are you going?” Maztic asked. I turned to face him. A snarl came as he raised his upper lip. I didn’t have to explain to him. He knew what I would do. He was one with me.
“Home.”
– Arabeth –
“I’m fine,” I managed to say as Jarak laid me on the bed that I just spent too many days on. My eyes fluttered as I looked around.
Everyone surrounded me. “I’m fine.” I repeated. Whatever sharp pain that tried to shred me into pieces was gone. “Honestly.” I pushed away the many hands that seemed to be all over me.
I lifted my head and placed a hand on his chest, looking into his eyes. “I promise. Whatever it was, it’s gone.”
“What happened?” he whispered.
I shrugged as I sat up straighter. His bet was as good as mine was. “I don’t know. It was like a flash or bolt of lightning went through my middle and then I passed out. There was no warning.”
“A tracking spell. Jarak brought you in here while we made plans for your departure. You need to leave, get away before it’s too late. We can’t help you here.” Meadow sounded so sure, so confident. I looked over at her and almost cringed. Her face splotched with red markings.
It was weird seeing her with a vampire trait. She was mad. Her protruding veins gave proof. My stomach churned at the sight.
“I agree, we need to leave.” Jarak gazed down at me, never taking his eyes off me.
“Okay, then let’s leave.”
“You have me now too. I’ll help protect you.” I turned fast as I heard a familiar voice in my head. I recognized it from when I was still semi-unconscious with the Belladonna.
The most beautiful grey wolf walked through the doorway. She was almost as large as Maztic, but her coloring was grey with white.
“Luna,” Jarak murmured against my head. I could tell he heard her too.
She came right up to me and nuzzled my hand. It was as if I were under a spell. I reached out and brushed my hands through her thick fur. “Luna.” I said her name to myself, liking the way it rolled off my tongue. It was as if I’d known her my whole life. A tingling connection spread through all my body.
“You two were chosen to be together before your birth. You are bonded before you even take a breath, but your magic line that keeps you together was never connected until now because you were taken as an infant before you two were together,” Maztic spoke in my mind. “In order to connect that line, you must see each other, eye to eye…”
It was incredible. I could feel a part of her inside of me. It was hard to describe, other than saying that unseen forces connected us together. Her thoughts, my thoughts, our thoughts.
I could feel her happiness, making me smile. All at once, everyone in the room came back into focus. What a trip. It was as if the world stopped, and it was just the two of us in existence.
“Okay. So where are we going?” Ailaina blurted out, breaking the silence. I forgot she couldn’t hear the wolves and what just happened must have looked extremely awkward to her.
“We’re going home.” Jarak’s eyes twinkled as he gazed at me.
I raised an eyebrow. “Home?”
“Yeah, my house. It’s a secluded cabin in the Sawtooths and our wolves wouldn’t look out of place there, like here in the city.”
I got excited. That was in Idaho, which was close to home. Oh how I missed the states.
“I’m all for it.”
“Me too.” Ailaina grinned.
A Seer
– Esmerelda –
November 3, 2012
The wheels of Victor’s private plane touched down in the small town of Stanley, Idaho. The view astounded me. The snow-capped Sawtooth Mountains surrounded the town, with quaking aspens and tall pine trees scattered around. I stepped off the plane and inhaled the sweet mountainous scent of sage and pine. A breeze tickled my bare arms, and I shivered. I was used to Spain’s mild, yet warm temperatures. This was certainly a lot colder.
The airport was a lot smaller and more secluded than I thought it’d be, but then again, I guess being in the middle of the mountains it wouldn’t be like Salt Lake International.
I slept most of the way to Idaho on the plane. I wasn’t about to tell anyone, but I was still a little weak from the Belladonna overdose. It was too bad too. I had the perfect time to spend with Jarak, but I slept through ninety nine percent of it. I’m sure Ailaina kept him in good company—she was never without words.
“Want your coat?” Jarak came up behind me with a warm coat Victor took from my apartment.
“Thank you.” My teeth chattered a little.
“Jeesh you two, just kiss and get it over with already.” Ailaina bounded around us, already wearing her faux fur trimmed coat.
I blushed as I remembered how his lips caressed mine, and then realized I hadn’t even told her about my kiss with Jarak.
“Come on, we need to get home. The sun will set soon, and we still need to stake out the place and make sure Nicholas or his hunters aren’t anywhere close.”
I nodded. It was still weird leaving Meadow and Victor back in Spain. They were making blind trails for Nicholas to follow, giving us time to prepare. Being here in the woods of Idaho gave us an advantage because Jarak knew the territory well. I needed the time because I had nothing solid to go off in order to find the other counteracting agent, and I was beyond baffled about how I would do it.
So much changed in the last month, and it pained as well as excited me to acknowledge it. Although, I can honestly say I never saw this in my future—not once.
Jarak led us to a parking garage right outside the airport where a parked silver extended cab truck sat. I wasn’t too perceptive in the whole vehicle department, but I knew this was a newer Dodge Ram. I let out a whistle, feigning the innocent girl. “Nice. Yours?”
He smirked. “Yeah. This is my baby.” He ran his hand along the short bed railing, throwing our entire luggage in the back.
“Boys and their toys.” Ailaina shook her head. She was right. Never get in between a guy and his first love—anything with a motor.
He slipped his hand into his jeans front pocket, pulling out his keys. I glanced away, not wanting him or Ailaina to catch me staring. Pressing the unlock button he opened the passenger door and helped me up. His hand was warm and held mine a little longer than he needed to, making me hot despite the cold air.
“Scoot on over beautiful.” I did as he said, not minding at all. He helped Ailaina climb in too, but I noticed how he touched her elbow instead of her hand.
He shut the passenger door and jumped in too. The truck came to life with a deep rumble. A silver beast that would growl down the road, daring other trucks to piss it off. I straddled the stick shift and blushed when Jarak grabbed it, making me all too aware of his closeness. His body heat radiated out, and his arm brushed against the side of my chest as he placed the truck in reverse, causing flutters in my stomach, and backed out of the garage.
I sucked in a short breath, a man who could drive a stick excited me, and sitting next to him was even better. His shirt was unbuttoned half way, revealing a white tee underneath, with his sleeves rolled up about two folds. His tight jeans moved with his thighs as he
shifted. Oh, I loved how he moved.
“So how far is your house?” Ailaina asked.
“It’s a ways away. Like I said, it’s secluded.” He smiled and winked at me at the last part then he turned to head up the highway.
I asked Ailaina to roll the window down a tad, needing fresh air. I inhaled the sweet mountain air. The freshness invigorated me.
Warmth spread over my hand as he took it into his and squeezed. It felt so right to hold his hand. The sunlight warmed my face through the windshield and I leaned my head back, soaking it in.
I opened my eyes and looked over at him. “How long till Nicholas finds us here?”
He took a deep breath. “I found him pretty easy in Barcelona.” That’s all he said, but it was enough.
“But, how long do you think we have to find what he needs?” I persisted.
“…Hard to say. He might be here in a week or two, but it might take only a day. Don’t worry. I won’t let him hurt you again. You’ll find what you need.”
I swallowed the lump of fear that formed in my throat. I was more worried about Jarak and Ailaina getting hurt than myself.
Thinking about what he said when he told me about him being a Guardian gave me hope. “You remember the night we stole away to McDonalds?”
He guffawed. “Yeah, how could I forget our first date?”
Ailaina giggled ‘McDonalds…’ under her breath. I glared at her with my best shut-up look and she pretended to zip her lips with her fingers.
I smiled back at him. “Well, you said something about a gift of magic. If you had that…”
He cut me off. “No. It’s too dangerous for you to do. When a witch gives a gift of magic, they give a part of themselves away. You need everything you have.”
I sucked in my bottom lip and bit down. He was being difficult. “I think I can do it without taking anything away from myself. It won’t hurt me.”
“Es, I can’t let you risk everything—your life, just for me. Save it for the one you spend your life with.”
I slid my hand out from under his. The last words he spoke shouldn’t have hurt, but they did. It was as if he said, ‘I want to be with you, but I don’t see us lasting.’ It was as if he already set us up for definite fail. Maybe we weren’t even becoming what I thought.
I let out an exasperated sigh. “We’ll talk about it later.”
He turned off the highway onto a one-vehicle dirt road, maneuvering around all the bumps and holes. I would’ve had to slow down, but he drove as if he knew where each one hid, waiting for unsuspecting drivers.
We traveled up the mountain for about thirty minutes before the road ended, or what I thought ended. I was wrong. He shifted down into four low and used a trail that switched back up the mountain. It was as if the nose of the truck pointed straight up at the sky.
My arms sprung out as I reached over Ailaina, trying to grab the handle above the door, but failed. Realizing I wouldn’t be able to climb over her and hang like a monkey, I braced myself with my hands on the dash. I wasn’t some rough four-wheeling cowgirl-hick from the hills. Yes, I grew up in a small dessert town in Nevada, but that didn’t mean I rode horses and said ye–haw. The closest I ever came to four-wheeling was when Ailaina and I watched the boys up on the summit with their dirt bikes. We always came home covered in mud because the boys who flirted with us would get close and spin donuts, making their tires fling mud at us.
I looked over at her. She had a broad smile and her eyes sparkled with life. I should have known. She loved to live a little wilder and have fun, even if it meant scaring me.
“Hold on, it gets a little rough,” Jarak warned.
I wanted to glare at him, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the hundred–foot drop off right out of the window. “Ya think?”
Ailaina laughed, so I elbowed her, causing her to get louder.
Jarak chuckled too. “About fifteen more minutes and it’ll level out somewhat.”
You’d think that would’ve made me feel better, but the somewhat ruined every chance my nerves had to a happy ending. “What does somewhat mean?”
“You’ll see.”
“Please just make this ride stop.” Then I made a mistake, I opened my eyes and shrieked because the edge looked too close.
Jarak’s laughter filled the cab of the truck. Oh, I was so going to smack him as soon as I could let go of the dash, but fear immobilized me.
“Oh, Es, loosen up, he’s obviously done this before. You think you can fight warlocks and vampires, so this should be fine.”
“Great pep talk Al.” I wanted to puke.
The road settled down and became flatter and not such a steep grade. My stomach lurched as it caught up to my torso.
I moved my shaky hands away and let them fall to my lap, watching as the dash returned to normal coloring. I thought for sure it would have permanent impressions of my fingers embedded in it. “I’m never leaving.”
“I hoped you’d say that, but I didn’t expect it so soon.” He teased and smiled at me as he drove down a small trail through the bushes and trees.
“Yeah, well, to leave means I’d have to go down. I about died coming up. There’s no way I’d make it downhill.”
Branches and brush swiped the side of the truck as we ventured deeper into the forest, making noises like nails on a chalkboard.
“It takes a lot longer getting down than it did to come up. You got to be careful not to flip the truck.”
Oh yeah, that made me feel so much better. I reached over and slugged him in the shoulder.
“Hey, what was that for?”
“For not warning me and nearly killing me on a mountain.”
Ailaina and he both laughed, but I just shook my head.
He maneuvered the truck up and over large rocks and deep holes just as before. Up ahead the trees cleared a little, and I could see a type of structure. He parked right before the tree break and turned off the engine. The window was still open from earlier, and I could hear the wind whistle through the trees and birds chirping. Other than that, it was peaceful and quiet. Ailaina opened the door before he came around and stepped out in awe. I scooted out behind her. Looking up, I could see the tall trees sway at the tops from their remarkable height. These majestic forms of nature surrounded us at every angle.
Jarak walked around and placed his arm around my waist. “Welcome home.” He took a deep breath.
“Home? Do you have a tree house you should tell me about?”
He smiled. “Come on.” He urged me forward, but kept his arm around me. We walked into the clearing, and I gasped. It was breathtaking. A large cabin was nestled into the trees, and I could hear the sound of water not too far away. Not what I expected, not that I expected much, but this surpassed all of my thoughts.
The mountains were jagged and rocky but didn’t withhold any beauty from the backdrop. The sun began to set in reds, pinks and blues. The eerie shadows from the trees made the ground look as if it moved. A drift of snow sat undisturbed by the porch of the house.
Drawing my attention back to the house, it was two stories. Large windows plastered the front of it and the biggest part of the house with all the windows hung out on what looked like stilts, overlooking the entire mountain.
“It’s incredible.” I stopped to watch Ailaina’s reaction.
“I’ll second that.” She still twirled around in circles, taking in the surroundings.
“Wait till you see the inside. The loft is my favorite.” He squeezed me in a hug.
He let out a whistle and both Maztic and Luna appeared in front of us. It startled me, but I tried not to show it. It would be something I’d have to get use to.
“Luna.” I smiled, bending down to greet her with a warm hug. Even though I’d recently met her, I could feel our connection.
“We’ve already looked around, he’s not here and there are no signs of any hunters,” Maztic said.
“That’s good. Keep checking, I don’t want any surprises.” Ja
rak picked me up and carried me up the steps to the house.
Ailaina followed, giggling as she bounded up the stairs. “You guys are so cute.”
“Put me down.” I tried objecting through my laughter, kicking my legs, but just enough to pretend to contest.
He set me down right outside the front door and opened it. He was right. The inside was stunning. Looking out the windows to the spectacular mountainous view was much better than looking in. A leather and wood scent filled the cabin, which seemed perfect for his house. It matched him. Although, I’ll admit, I never pictured him as a mountain boy.
I ran my fingers along the wooden walls as I looked around. He went back outside to grab our bags. Two dark brown leather couches faced each other, and a flat screen TV sat between them.
The kitchen was off the living room and was open and spacious. It was incredibly modern with stainless steel and digital appliances. He brushed past me with our luggage, setting them down by the fireplace that sat nestled in the corner, in between the living room and kitchen.
“How did you afford this?”
“I inherited a sufficient amount of money. My father had his own business, and many supernaturals will pay extremely well for—help.”
I nodded and let my mouth fall open in an ‘Oh’… as if I understood everything. He lifted my suitcase up and gestured toward the stairs. “There’s only the loft with the one bed—so I’ll take the couch. I haven’t gotten a bed for the small room downstairs yet.” I was a little disappointed, but at least we were together. I watched as he climbed the stairs until he was out of sight.
Luna walked in. Her claws tapped the floor as she strolled over to the fireplace and lay down. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Hey, where’s Maztic?” I asked.
“He’s doing the first watch.” Jarak chimed in before Luna had the chance. “We can’t take any chances with Nicholas showing up unannounced.”
I agreed, completely.
I gestured up to the loft. “We should unpack.”
“Ya, then I want to go outside and look around. Can you believe how pretty it is here?” Ailaina reminded me of when we were in kindergarten and everything intrigued her. Her eyes lit up, and she stared out the wall of windows as we walked up the stairs.
