by M. K. Dawn
“Thank you, Evie.” Darrien looked back at Ethan. “What do you say? Ready for a little hike?”
“Samantha?” Ethan wanted to make sure she was okay with all this. “You led us here. Are you ready to see it through?”
She threw back her shoulders, her head held high. “Hell yes.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
They had been walking for hours, the journey slow and tedious. In the dark, it was hard to tell the direction of the path. Samantha had lost count how many times they veered off in the wrong direction and had to backtrack—sometimes miles—to find themselves back on course.
“I’m just going to go on record and say this sucks.” Darrien led the way, his eyes better than anyone's. “Tell me again why we didn’t get flashlights.”
“I told you we needed them.” And Samantha had, several times while they shopped for supplies. “You said one of the many benefits of being a vampire was we didn’t need to waste money on such silly devices.”
Darrien paused, bringing the group to a halt. “That doesn’t sound like me at all.”
“To be fair,” Samantha added, “in a normal situation, flashlights would be redundant.”
Ethan circled the group, staring up at the canopy of trees. “This is anything but normal.”
“Does anyone know how long we’ve been walking?” Evie asked. “I don’t have a watch.”
Evie had been quiet the entire hike. No insults, no snide comments. It helped that she and Darrien kept to the front while Samantha and Ethan hung back.
“I didn’t check the time when we headed in,” Darrien watched the skyline, “but it’s looks to be near sunrise.”
Samantha sucked in a sharp breath. Even though they believed the thick foliage would protect them from the sun's rays, she’d feel better once they knew for sure.
“How much farther should we go?” Ethan asked. “We’ll have to make camp eventually and get some rest.”
“Tired already, wolf boy?” Darrien had been trying out new nicknames for Ethan, and he didn’t seem too annoyed by it so far.
“Funny. Shouldn’t you be using your mind for something more productive?”
“I could,” Darrien stretched his arms high above his head, “but where’s the fun in that?”
Samantha had given up trying to put an end to their banter long ago. Instead, she settled for redirecting the subject. “Back to making camp.”
“Well,” Darrien surveyed the area, “there aren’t any clearings here. We either keeping going a little longer to see if we can find something better or set up here. You all can sleep sitting up, right?”
“Leaning against the trees wouldn’t be so bad. But these roots,” Evie kicked one as round as her body, “are going to make it difficult to get comfortable.”
“I say we go a little farther.” They had no idea how long they’d be out there. Rest was vital if they had any chance of seeing this through. “Try to find something a little more accommodating.”
“Don’t think we’ll stumble across a five-star hotel,” Evie mocked.
Here they ago again. Samantha should have kept her mouth shut. If she didn’t speak around Evie, they tolerated each other.
Darrien wrapped a firm arm around Evie’s waist and spun her to face him. “And you were doing so good.”
“She started it.” This was the number one excuse Evie used as a defense. “I wasn’t talking to her, and she just had to put her two cents in.”
“Ignore her,” Ethan whispered in Samantha’s ear.
“God knows I try, but she’s relentless.”
“Keep moving.” Darrien started back down the trail. “We’ll walk until sunrise then make camp wherever we happen to find ourselves.”
Ethan and Samantha walked side by side in silence until Samantha couldn’t take it any longer. There was a question she’d wanted to ask Ethan, but she’d been too afraid of what the answer.
“Ethan?” She chewed on her bottom lip. “Back there, when we were searching for a trail…you…” The words were more difficult to find than she imagined. “Do you feel the same way about me that Evie does? Are you just better at hiding it?”
“What?” Ethan seized her elbow. “No.”
“Then what happened? You were staring at me and then you were in so much pain.”
He shoved his hair away from his face. “Honestly, I don’t know. The more I stood there with you, the worse the pain got.”
“Physical pain? Have you experienced that before? When we were in…” She turned her face away, not wanting him to see the tears that welled in her eyes.
“About that—”
“Holy shit!” Darrien’s voice cut through the trees. “Get over here now. You have to see this.”
Samantha wasn’t ready to end their conversation, but Ethan said, “We should go see what he found. We’ll talk about this later, okay?”
“Sure. Later.” Her heart sank, but putting off the discussion was probably for the best. The sad look in Ethan’s eyes told her everything she needed to know. Whatever he was about to tell her wasn’t good.
In the few minutes they’d been standing there, the sky had brightened to the point she could now see the path, making it easy to find Darrien and Evie.
“Oh my gosh.” Samantha gasped at the massive, white-barked trees that had come out of nowhere. “I’ve never seen anything like them.”
“Me either.” Darrien, like the rest of them, stood in the middle of a clearing, head tilted back and eyes fixed on the trees. “Look at the leaves. I’ve never seen white leaves before. White bark, but never white leaves.”
“It’s beautiful,” Samantha said under her breath. “Almost magical.”
“They’re just trees,” Evie snarled.
Samantha jerked her head in Evie’s direction. “Can you just shut up for a second and let us enjoy this?”
Evie’s eyes grew wide with a hint of gold light Samantha had never noticed before.
“What’s wrong with your eyes?” Samantha’s canines dropped.
Ethan grabbed Samantha and shoved her behind his back. “She’s trying to shift. Evie, back down. That’s an order.”
Evie’s body twitched, bones cracking.
Darrien made a move but Ethan held up his hand for him to stop. “Don’t go near her; your vampire blood will only enrage her further.”
“I have to kill her,” Evie growled through her teeth. “Why can’t you understand that?”
“You don’t.” Ethan’s voice remained calm, but Samantha could feel the tension in his arms. “She’s your friend.”
“She’s a monster,” Evie spat as her teeth transformed into razor-sharp vampire shredding weapons.
If Evie shifted into a wolf, not only would her life be in danger, but so would Darrien’s—he’d do everything in his power to stop her. Samantha had only one choice: attack first and knock her out before Evie’s claws materialized.
With as much speed as she could muster, Samantha grabbed Evie, pinned her arms behind her back, and slammed her into the nearest tree.
“Calm the hell down,” Samantha demanded the same way as she had to alter the human’s memories. “Now.”
The golden glow in Evie’s eyes faded, but she didn’t back down. “Let go of me.”
“I’d be careful.” The lyrical voice of a woman rustled among the leaves. “That tree is a Dire Fir; it is the only wood in the world that can kill a vampire.”
Samantha released Evie, and both raced back to the males, who were spinning in circles trying to find the source of the voice.
“Do you see her?” Samantha joined the search.
“There is nothing to fear,” the voice tickled Samantha’s ears and a wave of calmness washed over her.
“Did you feel that?” Darrien asked.
“That’s better.” Magical was the only way Samantha could think to describe the woman who stepped out from behind the trees. Her light blond hair reached well past her back and swayed against the white, renai
ssances-style dress she wore. “Don’t be frightened. We’ve been expecting you.”
“Who are you?” Darrien mumbled.
“I am Guinevere. I believe you’ve been searching for my coven.”
Samantha moved closer, brushing off Ethan’s attempt to hold her back. “You said you were expecting us? How did you know we were coming?”
“With everything Luther and the Council had worked so hard creating, we knew he would send you our way after it fell.”
Samantha’s heart raced. “You knew my father?”
“Of course, child.” Her dainty steps made it appear as if she glided above the ground. She cupped Samantha’s chin and ran her thumbs along her cheekbones. “He was my great grandfather.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Samantha stumbled backwards, out of the reach of Guinevere’s icy touch. “What do you mean your great grandfather? Are you a vampire, too?”
Guinevere’s light chuckle echoed through the trees. “No. I am a witch; mortal, but I have a longer life span than humans.”
This wasn’t who Luther told Samantha to find, but maybe she could help lead them in the right direction. As Samantha went to ask Guinevere, a little voice in the back of her head told her to keep her mouth shut.
“Your friends don’t trust me.”
Samantha peeked over her shoulder. All three of them stood huddled together and on guard. “Can you blame them? You came out of nowhere.”
“There were whisperings among the trees that visitors were approaching,” Guinevere said. “I came to ensure nothing was being taken without permission.”
“You mean the trees?” Darrien asked. “You said they kill vampires.”
“All immortals. The wood is deadly if not removed before causing too much damage.”
“The bullets.” The pieces were all coming together; the janitor’s death, how a single splinter had almost killed her. “They’re made from these trees.”
“Salty harvested these,” Ethan added. “For the Immortal Council.”
Guinevere smiled. “We allowed them a single tree twice a year. My coven made sure of that.”
Which meant all the men Salty had lost in these woods were because of her coven. “What happens to the men who enter and never return?”
“Man is a greedy race. We warned them time and time again. When they try to take more of these trees than allowed…let’s just say the punishment is severe.”
The more Guinevere spoke, the less Samantha trusted her. “You killed them?”
“Would you not use lethal force to protect your home?” She gave a half shrug. “These trees are sacred.”
Ethan brushed his fingers down Samantha’s arm as she went to argue how ridiculous it was to kill someone over a bunch of trees.
“This is your home and you must protect it at all costs,” Ethan said. “We understand and will abide by your rules.”
“Come,” Guinevere beckoned. “All will be explained in time. But first, a hot meal and rest.”
Ethan smiled. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
Samantha tugged at Ethan’s arm and whispered, “What are you doing? We don’t even know this woman.”
“What choice do we have?” he countered. “We came here to find the witches and we’ve found them.”
“This witch is not who my father asked me to find.”
Ethan glanced at Guinevere. “She might be able to help. Hell, the witch we are looking for might be back at her coven. We have to check it out.”
Darrien joined them with Evie close behind. “Why are we standing around having a pow-wow?”
“Samantha has reservations,” Ethan told him.
“Don’t we all,” Darrien frowned, “but we’ll not find any answers staying out here.”
“I don’t trust her.” It was a declaration she wasn’t sure was for herself or the others.
Ethan rubbed the small of her back. “None of us do. We stick together and if things go south, we’re immortal and a hell of a lot stronger than some mortal witches.”
“Fine.” She lowered her head. “We’ll go.”
If Guinevere heard their conversation, her face did not show it. “Are you ready? It’s not far. A fifteen-minute walk at most.”
They trailed the witch through the Dire Fir until they came to a small village. Samantha wasn’t sure what she expected, but primitive huts with grass roofs wasn’t it.
“Don’t be fooled by their outward appearance,” Guinevere said. “We must look the part of a non-assuming group of people in case we have unwanted guests.” She paused in the front of a small hut. “This will be your home for as long as you wish it to be. A meal awaits. I will send someone for you this evening. We as a coven gather around a great bonfire each evening. Join us and I’ll answer your questions to the best of my knowledge.”
Guinevere bid them goodbye and disappeared down a narrow alley between huts.
“I don’t know about you,” Darrien swung open the door, “but I’m starving.”
Entering the hut was like entering a whole new world. Guinevere said to not let the outward appearance fool them, and she wasn’t kidding.
The inside resembled a modern home with an open floor plan. To their right was a kitchen complete with stainless steel appliances; to the left was a living room with a large flat-screen TV. The best part: running water and electricity.
Darrien strolled around the room, picking up items and putting them back. “This is like something from The Twilight Zone.”
On the back wall were four doors. Samantha cracked open the one closest to the kitchen. “Bedrooms.” She wandered inside the small unassuming room, opened a second door and nearly cried. “There’s a shower and tub.”
“And a toilet,” Ethan hollered back.
They met in the living room, each in awe of the sight before them.
“They must have some kind of magic to mask all this,” Darrien said as he opened the door of the refrigerator. “Blood, beer, and a whole assortment of food.”
Her head throbbed with the overload of information. “I think I’m going to go to bed.”
“Don’t you want to eat something first?” Ethan asked from the four-person dining room table. The rest of them had made a plate and were stuffing their faces. From the looks of it, Darrien had already downed a few servings of blood.
“I’ll just grab a bottle.”
Alone in the bathroom, Samantha popped open the blood and took a long swig. As she started a bath, the steam from the hot water fogging the room soaked into her aching muscles. So many questions ran through her head—none she wanted to think about now. A little quiet time would do wonders for her weary soul.
As she soaked in the bath, deep in the pit of her stomach, Samantha knew the world was about to change once again.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Everyone spent the rest of the day in their own bedrooms. After nearly a month of living in such close quarters, Ethan welcomed the space and the quietness that came along with being alone.
Mid-day, a messenger arrived, waking Ethan from a deep sleep to inform them that someone would come to escort them to a celebration at sundown. That was the last time he’d heard or seen anyone from the outside.
Hot shower and clean clothes were all it took for Ethan to fall into sleep once again—the most peaceful, rejuvenating sleep he’d experienced in years.
He woke well-rested and ready for answers on how the werewolves could break their ties with vampires. If the witches couldn’t help, Ethan didn’t know where they’d go from there. Home would never be safe again.
A soft knock on the door drew Ethan from his bed.
Samantha waited on the other side with a brown and tan peasant dress in the same renaissance style that Guinevere wore. “You look nice.”
“Thanks.” A light blush crept over her cheeks as she tugged at the low-cut neckline. “It’s a little revealing. You would think after hundreds of years they’d switch to a more modern style of clothing.”
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“You would think.” Ethan’s clothes weren’t too bad; baggy khaki pants and a loose white shirt.
“At least yours is practical.” She adjusted the top again. “One wrong move and my breasts are going to go spilling out.”
A sharp pain pierced his heart as a mental image popped in his head. Ethan pushed the image aside and the pain disappeared.
“I washed my clothes in the bathtub and hung them to dry,” she continued. “The shirt’s fine, but the jeans are taking forever.”
“They should be dry by the time we’re ready to leave.”
“Whenever that will be,” Darrien said, joining the conversation. His eyes swept over Samantha. “Nice dress. You thinking about taking up a life as a bar wench?”
“Shut up, Darrien.”
He chuckled. “What? It was a complement.”
Ethan didn’t like the direction their conversation was heading. When Darrien saw a way to get under Samantha’s skin—or anyone’s for that matter—he went at it full force. Ethan now understood why his mother always got so annoyed when he and his siblings argued. She would put an end to the bickering by passing out chores.
Ethan opted for changing the subject. “Anyone know if Evie’s awake? It’s almost sundown.”
“She is,” Darrien said with a confidence Ethan didn’t expect. He must have seen the confusion written on Ethan’s face because he quickly added, “Her room is next to mine and I heard her moving around.”
Ethan stared into Darrien’s eyes, trying to decipher if he was telling the truth. The way Evie had been throwing herself at Darrien these past few weeks…well a man could only be strong for so long.
Darrien took a step back, brows raised. “Why are you looking at me like that? I’m not lying.”
“I didn’t say you were.” Ethan averted his eyes. “I’m going to knock. See if she’s about done.”
Her door swung open as Ethan raised his hand and Evie sashayed out. “Don’t bother. I’m ready.”
She wore the same style dress as Samantha, but instead of brown, hers was a deep green.
