The Four Horsemen (The Light Series)

by Tara Brown

  I feel the blush and the smile creeping across my face. I was. Who am I kidding? The moment I saw him and used my best Willow feminist lines on him, I was his.

  I knew it, I just didn’t want to admit it.

  He cups my face and I feel like a piece of china. The way he touches me is unlike any touch I have ever had. It is soft and sweet, yet worshipping and intense. His fingers gripped deep into my thighs as his lips planted the softest kisses along my neck.

  I can still feel the motion of our lovemaking and the heavy breath on my cheek.

  He smiles again, “I know what you mean.”

  I frown, “I never said anything.”

  “You don’t have to, I know what you mean.” He kisses my lips again, “I didn’t know it could ever be like that.”

  The smile on my face is goofy, and I am afraid I will never be rid of it. I smile harder, “We’re officially married.”

  He returns my smile, “We always were to me, in my heart. Even when you weren’t sure if it was him or me, I was. Even if you never picked me, it would have always been you for me.”

  I wince, “I’m sorry it took me so long.”

  He shakes his head, “I suspect the story of when we were kids is true. I suspect this has taken a lot longer than either of us even knows.”

  I look deep into the crystal-blue of his eyes, “I forgive you, and I hope you can forgive me. For all of it. All the bad.”

  He nods, “There is nothing to forgive.” He kisses the tip of my wet nose, “Thank you for forgiving me.”

  I shake my head. We change and walk down the hall to the living room. He grips my hand, like he’s making a statement. The drafty hall is colder, I swear. But I think it is the warm glow that I am leaving behind in our room.

  Everyone is in the living room, reading and talking quietly. Gill sees us first. He smiles wide. I think he knows. Mona looks at our hands and smiles too. I feel awkward. I try to pull my hand away, but he holds it tight. I can see the set in Constantine’s jaw even though he doesn’t look up. He just knows what has happened. He has lost me, and I hate hurting him, but I have chosen my heart’s love and I think he knows that.

  Stella gives me a heartbroken look but Michelle winks at me. “So what’s the plan?” she asks.

  I shrug, “Go to Boston, unless you know of a way to call the witches.”

  Stella shakes her head, “No. We sent the nixie for the earth witches. I nod, “I’ll fly us over.”

  “You and Wyatt?” Constantine asks from the book.

  “Yeah, me and her. The earth witches like me better than you.”

  Constantine smiles but continues to read, “Apparently, all women prefer you to me.”

  Wyatt grins, “It’s my boyish good looks.”

  Constantine gives him a look, “I always thought you resembled your mother.”

  Wyatt laughs. Stella winks at him. Of course I get another shitty look from her though. Gill laughs, even if he doesn’t get the jokes. I smile at him, “Do you think this is the right choice, bringing back the fae?”

  He nods, “The white stag spoke to you. That is everything we fae have waited for. We know of the prophecy of the white stag, only the savior may see him though.”

  Wyatt wraps his arm around my shoulders and kisses the side of my face. I almost pinch myself to see if it’s real.

  I look up at him, “We have to go see Willow.”

  Mona looks excited, “I almost forgot—Gill can paint the painting you need. He can make a magic painting.”

  I look at Gill. He nods happily. I think he only plays one station, content.

  “You can paint a panting like the one I broke, and it will go to the same place?”

  He nods again, “I can mend the one you have.”

  I almost squeal. I rush over and grab his hand, dragging him down the hall. My wings shoot out of my back as we’re running. He starts to laugh. I wince and blush, “Sorry. Sometimes when I get excited…”

  He shakes his head, “It’s fine. It could be worse.”

  I give him a look. He shrugs, “There is a man cursed in the garden. He turns into a donkey when he gets excited.”

  “Creepy.”

  We get to the room and dig the slashed painting out. He touches the slash in the canvas, “I need a couple hours, but I’ll have it as good as new.”

  Wyatt is standing in the doorway, grinning when Gill leaves. He cocks an eyebrow, “I have an idea on how to waste a couple hours.”

  I look down blushing, as he closes the door.

  Life

  We touch the star, holding hands and hoping it works. I close my eyes and instantly we are there, on the hillside. Willow comes running as soon as she sees me. She tackles me in the grass, “NENE!”

  I hug her. She stops and smells me, “Oh my God. What did I say about sex?”

  I grimace. She turns and looks at Wyatt, “It drains her. She has to feed more often if she does it.”

  Wyatt gives her his cocky grin, “Well, she must be starving then.”

  Fitz walks up, giving Wyatt a disturbed look. Wyatt clears his throat and I look back at Willow, “He’s kidding.”

  She sighs, “I told you no.”

  “Mom, stop. We’re married.”

  She narrows her gaze, “Fire witch ceremonies don’t count, and being married doesn’t make you less of a sin eater. You are what you are.”

  “Popeye?”

  She scowls. I smile, “Okay, sorry. I won’t do it again until I have everything fixed.

  She sighs, “That isn’t the point I’m making. You have to eat more when you use energy.”

  Wyatt gives me a look, “We’re doing it again.”

  Willow gives him the bad look. It’s close to the one she used on him when she stabbed him with the knitting needles. I see him flinch a little. I’m sure he recalls it. She points, “You will get sick if she eats often.”

  I make duck lips, “Mom, he’s an angel.”

  She looks at Fitz who nods, “John, the archangel.”

  Willow’s mouth opens and then closes.

  She looks at him and nods, “Oddest combination ever.”

  I smile, “We have another issue.”

  She gives me a look, “The antichrist?”

  I shake my head, “Gretel and Constantine took memories from us, from when we were young. It was when I was one of the other girls but Wyatt was a boy. We want them back.”

  Fitz looks nervous.

  Wyatt turns to him, “What do you know?”

  I point at him, “That’s why you let them put the evil in me. You didn’t want me with him. That’s why you looked like you crapped yourself the first time you saw me. You knew all this time.”

  He loosens his collar, “We never imagined you would find yourselves again. The curse was perfect. You could be in the same room and not even see each other.”

  Willow looks at him, “What did you do?”

  He shakes his head, “They were so young and she was the… well, you know. We had already poisoned her. She was dying and he was a child. His heart would break and you know what happens to us when our hearts really break. We never recover. Look at Gretel, she’s still evil.”

  Willow gets off of me and looks at him with hatred in her eyes, “What did you do to them?”

  He looks down, “We got the fire witches to curse them and then we let Constantine take her.”

  I wince. My memories of him saving me are not real. Maggie feels sick inside of me and Ellie feels betrayed. She’s a savage, so it’s not good. She wants blood.

  “We knew she was dying. We had poisoned her already. It didn’t matter if Constantine took her. He wanted her. He thought she might help bring back his sister, Stella. She was devastated at the loss of their family members to us. He and Gretel made a deal; Constantine would wipe their memories and recreate new ones after the witches separated their souls.”

  Willow’s hand draws up to her lips, “You separated soul mates?”

  He looks as
hamed, “I’m sorry, Willow.”

  She shakes her head. Instantly they are gone from the painting and only Wyatt and I are there. The lady who was there the first time I had been, walks out of the cottage. She looks modern and cleaned up. She gives me an odd look, “Are they all right?”

  I shake my head, “I don’t know. May we leave through your portal?”

  She nods, “Of course. Careful, it’s awful out there.”

  I take Wyatt’s hand and touch the star. We are instantly in her little house. He looks at me, “We are soul mates?”

  I nod, “I know.”

  He smiles, “I can’t even be mad. I don’t know why, but I can’t. I have you, so I don’t care.”

  I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his lips, “I love you.”

  He holds me to him, kissing me back and then my forehead, “I love you too.”

  “Do you think Willow will forgive Fitz?”

  He shakes his head, “I don’t know. Would you forgive me?”

  I don’t answer. I want to say yes, but if he tried to separate two people I loved more than life, I don’t know if I would.

  He nods, “I know. I don’t know either. That’s pretty intense.”

  “But we found each other again.”

  He bends and kisses my face, “I will always find you.” I lean into the kiss, “I know. I tried running before, remember?”

  He laughs, “You can try again it you want, but I’ll find you.” He looks down on me, “Seriously though, we need to find this witch who cast the spell. Only the one who casts it, can remove it.”

  “What if she’s dead?”

  He shrugs, “We’re going to the Van Helsing house and we’re not stopping until we find the answer.”

  We leave the small house, clutching our jackets and sweaters. We are both dressed in Stella and Constantine’s clothes. Her boots feel weird on my feet, but I’m grateful to have the warm clothes and somewhere I can call home, besides Wyatt.

  He pulls me along the street. I don’t have any weapons, I don’t like that.

  We run like we are evading someone, looking around us and trying not to make a sound.

  When we get to a car that is parked in an alley, he runs over to it. There is a dead man on the street next to the car. Wyatt doesn’t even think twice; he reaches into his pockets and pulls out keys. He presses the fob. The back lights light up. He gives me a grin. We both climb in. He backs up and drives like the psycho he actually is. I forgot how bad it is to drive with him when he is on a mission.

  He looks at me, “My dad… uh… yeah. My dad might know the way to the witch.” His face flushes. I realize how he must be feeling, learning his parents are not who he thought they were. I put my hand on his, “I know.”

  He looks at me, “That you do.”

  We drive to his parents’ house on the ocean. I shudder when I see it. The memories are not only painful to remember, but I can feel the pain all over again.

  He gets the door for me and takes my hand. The hateful little brat opens the door with a crossbow in her hands. She points it at me, “Why is she here?”

  He shoves her out of the way, “We need to see Dad.”

  “He isn’t here. Hasn’t been in five days.”

  Wyatt looks at her, “You’ve been alone for five days?”

  She scoffs, “I’m two hundred years old, Wyatt, not seven. Why is she here?” She keeps the crossbow on me.

  He looks at me, “She is my wife and she is the savior of our people, so she can go wherever the hell she likes. Put the bow down.”

  She shakes her head. He grabs for it but she pulls the trigger. I wince as the nearly-silent arrow lodges in my stomach. My wings rip out of my shirt. She drops the bow, “Oh shit.” She looks at me, “Oh snap, sorry.”

  I look down at the arrow. Wyatt grabs me, kisses me, and pulls the arrow at the exact same time. I almost suck from him, but he does the wind tunnel thing. I’m getting hungry. He gives me a look, “We need to get you to some bad people.” I look at his little brat sister and nod.

  She shakes her head, ”There is no way. You’re actually good?”

  I sigh, “Who was the witch who cast the soul separation spell on me and Wyatt when we were young?”

  Her eyes bug out. Wyatt shakes his head, not looking at her guilty face. “She wouldn’t know that. Mom wouldn’t have told her.”

  She swallows. I fold my arms, “Spill or I eat you.”

  She jumps, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  I glance behind her, seeing something that just can’t be. I narrow my gaze, shaking my head. But it is. Fitz comes towards me, “Rayne, she knows. Ask her again and tell her that her dearly-departed uncle also knows who ratted him out for being with the witch.”

  I glare at the evil face of the ten-year old, “Your Uncle Fitz is standing behind you. He says he knows it was you who sold him down the river for being with Willow, and he says you know who the witch was.”

  She takes a quick look behind her. She doesn’t see him, but I do. He reaches for her, making her shudder as his hands reach her. She looks at me, “The name of the which was Glory. She was an earth witch.”

  I look at Fitz, “I can’t talk about it. Part of the spell was that it couldn’t be talked about. Gretel must have found a away around it and told her.”

  I scowl, “Constantine talked about it.” I get a crazy look from Wyatt and Maggie. The same crazy look with their similar dark hair and blue eyes.

  Fitz nods, “He’s a soulless devil. Of course he could talk about it. It was never him they were worried about.”

  “They thought you might spill the beans?”

  He nods.

  Wyatt looks around, “You can see Fitz, now?”

  I point, “He’s there.” I look at Wyatt, “The beautiful earth witch who was friends with Willow, Glory. The redhead who loved you…”

  He nods.

  “She is the one who cast the spell.”

  His jaw sets, “Nasty bitch. Guess we’re going for a boat ride.”

  We walk down the stairs in the secret passage and to the far side of the room. The weapon walls are empty. “What happened here?”

  He looks, “They must have been fighting things, and gone to war against the darkness of the world.”

  We get into the elevator. He rolls his eyes when he sees my face, “It takes nothing to impress you, you realize that, right? I could show you a sparkler and you’d moan in delight.”

  I stick my tongue out at him.

  He leans forward and kisses me, “I love that about you.”

  I wrap my arms around him, “Is it wrong that I want to go upstairs and let the dead take me and have a long sleep with you wrapped around me?”

  He shakes his head against mine, “No. I feel the same. I’m beat. This is insane. I can’t believe we are gong in circles. Glory should have told us when she saw us together.”

  I sigh, “I know. All their shocked faces and weird behavior is making sense now though.”

  He looks at me, “I know, right? Everyone. I can’t believe my own family lied.”

  I feel the hurt look on my face, “Try the guy you thought loved you and you loved back.”

  He sneers, “Well, I’m not sorry that happened. I like you having reasons not to love Basarab.”

  “My heart broke still, it hurt.”

  He gets into the boat and helps me in. I look at him, “Can you drive slowly?”

  He shakes his head. I wince, “Fine, but please try. I don’t want to barf again. I’m clean for the first time in weeks.”

  He laughs as he backs the boat up.

  When we get part way across the bay, the mist comes again. Such a creepy place. He docks the boat, and I stare up at the house of the witches. It’s still dark and creepy. I crawl from the boat to the dock and lay there for a minute.

  He lifts me up but I shake my head, pushing him away. “No.” I heave and gag over the edge of the dock. I feel worse than last time I think. “I h
ate boats. Why didn’t he horsemen destroy boats?”

  “Come on, marshmallow.” He wraps an arm around me as I dry heave again and stagger up to the door. He knocks hard. Glory answers after a second. She gives me a look, “You’re still with us?”

  It finally hits. I bend over and throw up into a potted plant next to the front door. She jumps back as Wyatt rubs my back. “It’s okay, baby. Get it out.”

  I stand up and lean against the doorframe, “Fuck you, Glory.”

  Willow is there behind her, “RAYNE WILLOW WHYNDE PHILLIPS, YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH, MISSY!”

  I jump when I see Willow. She is next to Glory. I point, “Willow, it was Glory. She put the curse on me and Wyatt. She is the witch who separated our souls.”

  I hear gasps from inside of the house. Glory’s face is beat red. She steps back, “How? They could never speak of it, that was the curse. How do you know?”

  Willow’s ghost is gone instantly. I look at Glory but Wyatt steps into her face, “Break it now.”

  She shakes her head, “I cannot.”

  Willow is back again, “Glory, you break that curse. You now that was wrong. You interfered with human karma. How could you?”

  Her red face gets brighter, “I didn’t know who they were at the time. She was a sick girl and he was a boy. How could I know who he was?”

  I look at Wyatt. He scowls, “Who am I?”

  She gulps, “I can try to break it. Don’t make me tell you anything else.”

  Wyatt nods, “Fine.”

  I scowl, “No. Who is he?”

  Glory gives Wyatt a pleading look. I look past her at Willow. She shakes her head, “Trust me, Nene. You need to learn everything when it’s the right time. You can’t rush these things.”

  I give her a look, “Rush what? You witches have been messing with us since day one. Giving us tiny tidbits of info. I’m done. I want the story.”

  Glory lowers her head, “I can try to break the curse, that’s all.”

  Wyatt grabs my hand, “She’s hangry, she gets like this. Just break the curse.”

  I look at him, “Did you just call me hangry?”

  He smiles, “Yeah, anger caused by hunger. You get it a lot. Impatient, mean, and bossy. Then you eat and you’re all lovey and sweet again.”