by Valia Lind
"You have to give us more. Not some flimsy way of protecting ourselves."
"Battle magic is not flimsy," she snaps, before catching herself. "You don't understand."
"None of us do! You're keeping everyone in the dark, including the packs, who are in those woods. What about Evan? Are you even going to help him?"
"Harper, you are out of line."
"And that is not an answer."
My mother stares at me as if she's never seen me before. I can see Jefferson out of the corner of my eye, along with a few of his pack-mates, stepping closer to the small circle that gathered around us.
"You have grown soft when it comes to them," Elder Leanne speaks up, moving in front of my mother. "Don't think we're so blind we don't know what's happening here." Her eyes shift to Connor and I stiffen at the mistrust I see in her eyes.
"I understand there is history between our people," I lower my voice, every word filled with urgency. "But if we are to survive, we cannot be afraid to work together. Actually work together. Isn't that what our community is supposed to be all about?"
"There's no easy answer to this, Harper," Krista's mom speaks up, her eyes filled with sympathy as she looks at me. "We have so little information and we are sworn to protect our own."
"No, you are sworn to protect all who share the blood of the ancestors. I read the books, I've heard the story of the Ancients. We are all of one blood. Which makes them," I point to the shifters standing to the left, "Just as much us as we are."
My words are met with silence. I glance at Connor, who gives me a proud smile, but he doesn't move closer. I don't think the elders can handle the visual evidence of what they suspect, but all I want to do is reach over and hold his hand.
"There isn't much we can do, Harper," my mother finally says, running a hand over her stomach in a nervous gesture I haven't seen in years. When my father was away, she would do this to calm her nerves. She’s doing it now, and I can see how much it hurts her that Dad and Maddie are not here. Maybe for the first time, she lets me glimpse the woman behind the leader and my heart goes out to her. But I won’t be deterred. No matter how much I love my mother, I have to keep pushing.
"But you were going to do something," I say, raising my chin in defiance. After exchanging a look with the other elders, she sighs.
"We were going to head into the woods. The forbidden part on the eastern side of the forest."
"What?" this comes from Jefferson, and I guessed correctly that they didn't know.
"We need the magic that resides there, Jefferson," my mother says turning to him. There's a bit of familiarity there that I didn't notice before, but I don't have a moment to dwell on it.
"The magic you speak off is what keeps us protected right now. You channel that, you will drain it enough to break the barriers."
The rest of the pack murmurs, and I'm sure my own face displays the shock I feel.
“Mama—”
"It's the only way we know of to protect the town," she turns to me, eyes flashing with agitation. "There's no magic that can sustain long and strong enough to keep us safe. But maybe with this spell in place, we can buy ourselves some time.”
“When were you going to tell us?” Jefferson asks, clearly unhappy with my mother.
“We weren’t,” Mama answers, looking him straight in the eye. “I know it’s not what you want to hear, but sometimes tough decisions must be made. Your pack would be safe within our barriers.”
Everyone grows quiet as her words settle around us.
"What about..."I pause, my mind going through all the information Bri and I gathered. I glance at her and she steps up.
"What about the bond magic?" she asks. "All we've been able to find is some brief mention of a special magic that no one has even heard of. It's the only thing mentioned in the ancient texts to rival the Ancients."
The elders stand still for a full second, before they start to talk over each other. I move back from the onslaught of raised voices, bumping into Connor. His hand steadies me automatically, and I feel our connection like the sun on my skin.
"Quiet!" Mama shouts, sending the street into silence. "Bond magic has not been used in generations. The last known union...was centuries ago."
I open my mouth to speak, but she cuts me off with a flick of a hand. "Enough, Harper. If you want to be part of this, then I don't have a choice. We have to hurry. We need to get to the barrier."
“Harper—“ Connor’s voice stops me when I move to follow my mother. I know what he’s going to say, even before he starts.”
“Please don’t try to talk me out of going. I can handle myself.”
“I have a feeling you can handle anything,” he replies, with a smile and a shake of his head. The fact that he doesn’t argue with me endears him to me even more.
“Glad we’re on the same page then,” I grin, right as I raise my hand and twist the magic to send the leaves flying, just to make a point. “Let’s go.”
9
There's no talking as we make our way to the Eastern side of the forbidden forest. Our party consists of the Elders, Jefferson's pack, me, and Bri. Krista was sent home with no arguments and a part of me is glad. If I can protect just one person from what's to come, then I will do the best I can. There is no doubt in my mind that whatever is next will change the course of our history. I can feel it all around me.
Connor walks beside me, which sets off a whole new set of questions the Elders are dying to ask. I'm not blind, I notice the little glances they keep throwing our way. Connor and I don't touch, but I am acutely aware of his every move. And I know he's just as aware of me. It's difficult to concentrate on the problem at hand when all I want to do is reach out and close the distance between us. That kiss keeps playing over and over at the back of my mind, like an unwanted reminder. Or a much needed motivation to come out of this alive. If only the elders knew what was going through my head. I almost laugh at the thought.
If witches and shifters were ever going to agree on anything, it would be this point. They didn't want Connor and me in any kind of vicinity of each other. But everything in me calls to him and I don't want to ignore the call. I want to answer it enthusiastically.
As if attuned to my thoughts, he moves closer still and when his hand brushes mine, I don't debate. I take it. The air around us supercharges, pulsing with magic and the heavy stares of those around us. Connor doesn't hesitate to link my fingers with his.
"Son," Jefferson's voice is barely a whisper, but we both hear it in the near silence. My head whips in his direction, but he's not looking at me. His eyes are on our linked hands and I automatically want to pull back. Connor doesn't let go. Instead, he tucks me more carefully against his side.
"That is not acceptable," Elder Leanne calls out and I realize the rest of the party has stopped. They're all looking at us expectedly, as if we're going to spring apart just based on their disapproval. Connor glances down at me and when I look up, I see nothing but his care toward me. It emboldens me, and now it's my turn to slide even closer to him, bringing my other hand to rest on his upper arm.
"You fear your past," Connor speaks up, looking each of the Elders and his father right in the eye. "Harper and I...we're not those that came before us. If you could feel a fraction of what I feel for her, what I've always felt for her, you wouldn't question it."
He looks down at me and I can't help the tears that pool in my eyes.
"She's strong and beautiful," he says, not breaking our gaze, "and has already pushed our two barely speaking communities together." He looks up, meeting his dad's look. "You have to look past what you know, to see what could be. This enemy that has risen against us all? It demands a change of a mindset. But if you don't approve...it's still not going to stop me."
His words warm my heart, pushing all the doubts away. Whatever this is between us, it's strong and it's real. We will get through it, even if it means standing up to the coven and the pack.
Everyone is so focused o
n us that no one notices just how quiet it has grown. A pull of magic washes over me and I glance around, wondering where it's coming from.
"Harper?" Connor is instantly attuned to my emotions and I can feel his body stiffen in alarm. I shake my head, unsure of what I'm feeling, before I start to walk. I feel everyone's eyes on me and when I move past my mother, she goes to reach out, but I pull away.
"Harper, we're at the Well. You need to be careful," she calls, but I'm not listening. Something is tugging me forward. My arms raise, as if on their own accord, my palms flat against the air in front of me.
"Harper, what are you doing?"
There's alarm in my mother's voice, but it's so far away, I don't react. I let my own magic reach out and it hurls itself at the space before me. I hear a scream and a shout and then the world explodes in a bright light. I expect to be swept off my feet, but they stay planted. Hands reach for me and I'm finally turned away from whatever had me mesmerized.
"What did you do, Harper?" I've never heard my Mama this scared before, or seen the panicked look in her eyes. "What did you do?"
"What the magic told her to do. Our soulmate magic."
At the sound of the deep voice, we all twist toward the area that was just bathed in light. Suddenly, it grows darker, as if the sun has been covered by a black cloth, and then, Drake steps through the trees.
"You!" my body instantly heats up with anger and fear, because I know who he is. I can feel his magic over my skin like a caress.
"I've been waiting for you," he says, smiling. I don't see the pack shift, but suddenly they leap upon Drake, who does no more than wave his hand and the wolves freeze midair as if they hit a wall, before dropping to the ground.
"Dad!" Connor shouts, dropping to the ground next to his father. I stand rooted in place, gaping at the display of magic. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my mother raise her hand and the Elders move as one. But just like with the wolves, one flick of a finger and the witches are on the ground. I'm the only one left standing.
"What do you want?" I ask, grateful my voice doesn't betray just how terrified I am. I keep my eyes on Drake, even though all I want to do is rush over to my mother and sister and make sure they're okay. Connor is a few feet to my left, still crouching down over his father, but I can see that no one is actually unconscious. They're just immobile.
"There are so many thing I want, dear Harper. Power is a great one to start with."
"You have power," I snap, shifting just a bit to the left. I can feel Connor's eyes on me, I can feel his desire to attack and I shake my head ever so slightly.
"I want the kind of power that transcends. I am not the only Ancient who has woken up, I'm just the nicer one of the lot. They want to rule, and I want to protect myself against them."
"What does this have to do with me?" I ask, moving again.
"Haven't you heard of the soulmate magic? It is the strongest bond."
It takes a moment for his words to register and then I realize what he means. My hand flies up to rest over my heart, shock coursing through my system.
“You can't mean—“
"That we're soulmates? Of course I can. Do not tell me you are so ignorant that you cannot feel the change in your magic, the pull of it to me."
At his words, I turn my magic inward....searching...probing...discovering....that he's right. My magic has changed. It's more powerful, more potent.
"It can't be!" I snap, raising my head in defiance. I can feel Connor's inner turmoil as plainly as I feel mine. I didn't want to believe in this legend, but if I were to do so, Connor would be my choice. I can't imagine being bound to this...monster.
"The soulmate legend is very simple, dear Harper. Soulmates are two halves of a whole, two pieces that were meant to fit together. You think because you're a good witch, your other half would be good? You did," he laughs, the look on my face telling him everything he needs to know. "I guess it's time for you to discover your darker side."
He grins, taking a step towards me and putting out his hand as an invitation. I stare at it, my mind going over everything that I know, everything that I've learned. When he doesn't move to take me by force, the missing piece falls into place. I have to choose to go with him, which means his soulmate theory is just that. A theory.
When I take a step back, his eyes darken, all signs of humor gone.
"I wouldn't do anything stupid, Harper," he says, and his voice has taken on an otherworldly tone, sending shivers up my arms.
"I'm not."
No sooner have the words left my mouth, Connor attacks.
He shifts mid leap, slamming straight into Drake, teeth sinking into his flesh. Drake roars in a purely animalistic scream, as I throw my battle magic his way. He deflects, yanking Connor off him in the same motion as he begins to change.
I feel the Elders stir around me, their own magic reaching out to help, but Drake is no longer in his human form. A wolf, the size of a large horse, stands in his place. His eyes are flawlessly black, just like his fur, and his open mouth drips spit, as he growls at us. Connor looks like an ant beside him, but he doesn't hesitate.
"Connor!" I scream as he goes for Drake's jugular. Drake stomps his paw, sending all of us to the ground from the sheer force of the move. I feel a tug on my arm and I look over to see my mother and Bri both reaching for me.
"You need to help him," Mama says, and I turn back to the battle raging in front of me. "Harper!"
"What do you want me to do?" I scream, tears in my eyes as Drake slams Connor to the ground. "I don't know what to do!"
"You do," she says urgently, pulling herself closer. "You were right about the bond magic, Harper. You just have to use it."
"He says I'm bonded to him!" I'm crying openly now, as Connor staggers to his feet. The rest of the pack tries to move toward him, but magic is keeping them in place, much like it's keeping the Elders in place. I realize my mother is channeling Bri, to push her toward me, but it's not enough.
"He felt your bond, but you are not bonded to him, Harper," Mama manages, her speech slowing as if it's getting more difficult to talk. She glances over at Drake, who roars again, the noise filled with anger.
"It's you and Connor, Harper. You feel it in your heart, in your magic. I felt it back in town, when you stood up to me. It's why we listened. Don't let him make you doubt. Trust your....love."
Another roar and my mother grows mute, glaring daggers at the creature over my shoulder. My eyes zero in on Connor, who is still in his wolf form, but can barely lift his head. His gaze finds mine and there is so much emotion there, I think it will choke me.
Drake sees the exchange and his voice booms inside my head, as if he's yelling.
"See this weakling? He is not your equal. He is not your bondmate. Watch him die, Harper. Watch him suffer."
I blink and push the voice out of my head, but Drake's eyes are still on me and I can feel the invasion like a physical push.
"Get out of my head!" I scream, stumbling to my knees. The surprise is all over his face at the fact that I can move and it takes me a second to realize what I've done. In that moment, Drake turns to Connor, grabbing him by the throat.
The picture of his bleeding body breaks something inside of me. Breaks me completely. And my power awakens.
"No!" I scream, thrusting my hands in front of me. My magic unfurls, blasting from my skin like bullets flying from a gun. Drake looks up, just in time to feel the full impact of my rage. His teeth let Connor go and he drops to the ground, but I don't stop. Pushing to my feet, I take a stance, tears running down my face, determination all over my body. The power of magic boils inside of me as I find my center.
"Go. Back. To. Whatever. Hole. You. Crawled. Out. Of."
Touching that inner point of magic, I push all of it toward Drake, holding nothing back. A rift opens up in the space beside him and as it grows with my magic, he starts to fight against the pull.
"Elders!" I hear my mother shout, but all of my attention is
on Drake. Suddenly, I feel a wall of magic support behind me and I stand up a little straighter. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the shifters get up as well, sliding their paws into the ground, noses low and I can feel them pushing their magic as well.
"You are not my soulmate, Drake," I say, my voice echoing all around us. "You are a memory that will soon be long forgotten. Sweet dreams."
With that last push, Drake is pulled into the rift, as it slams shut. The forest around me grows instantly louder, as if the volume has been turned back on. My strength exhausted, I stumble down to my knees, my eyes on Connor.
His white fur, stained by his blood, is the last thing I see before everything goes black.
10
Even before I open my eyes, I know I'm in my room. There's a sense of calmness in the air, and comfort. Both of those feelings don't just come from the room itself, it comes from the person in it.
"You're awake," Connor's voice reaches me and I smile as I open my eyes.
“And you’re alive," I reply, shifting to a sitting position. Connor is there in a flash, his hand on my back, guiding me upright. My body is instantly on alert from his proximity and I can't help breathing him in. He glances over at me, his face inches from mine and everything I've been feeling in those woods comes rushing back to the surface.
I tumble into his arms and he catches me, as if he's been doing it his whole life. Swiftly, he scoops me up, taking a seat on my bed, with me in his lap. I cling to him, allowing myself the freedom, if only for right now. He doesn't offer comforting words, giving me the time I need to collect myself.
When I think I've cried myself out, I pull back just a bit, to look into his eyes. I find such tenderness, and fierce protectiveness, my eyes begin to pool again. Embarrassed, I try to scramble off his lap, but he just laces his hands at my back, a small smile on his beautiful lips.
