The Enchanted Crossroads

by Dora Blume

  Caroline took a step toward me and brushed her hand down the side of my hair. “Your mother would be so proud of you.” I could see the glint of pride in her eyes. I had to admit, maybe Leif was right. Making the potions together was a good idea. I felt connected to Caroline after the experience.

  “Thank you, Caroline.” I said in a low voice.

  Caroline walked into the dining room. “We need one last thing.” She said with the bottle in her hand. She took the dagger out from its sheath and poked the guy’s hand. She held the bottle under the blood and it dropped into the small bottle. When the blood hit the potion, it shimmered for a moment, then turned a deep red. I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Caroline looked to me and must’ve noticed my confusion. “You need some of their blood to be able to vanquish them with this potion.”

  “Oh, so what happens now?” I asked.

  “Now, we vanquish him.” she said. “Here, would you like to do the honors?” She handed the bottle to me. I shrugged and took it from her hand.

  “Do I just pour it on him?” I asked. Caroline let out a perilous laugh.

  “No dear, you throw it on the floor below him. Make sure the bottle breaks. When it breaks, the potion will smoke up and he’ll disappear.” She slapped her hands together and arched them out.

  “Okay,” I threw the bottle and it broke at his feet. The air sizzled around him and he was gone. I didn’t think it could be that easy. Leif walked into the room and noticed the empty chair.

  “So, it’s done then.” He remarked.

  “Yes, should we get going?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” he responded.

  I turned. “Thank you so much Caroline, for everything.”

  She took a step forward, wrapping her arms around me. Her voice was next to my ear as she hugged me. “I know you will do amazing things. I’ll see you again soon.” She squeezed me quick then held me at arm’s length to look at me. “I can see so much of your mother in you.”

  “I’ll see you soon.” I said, a little shakily. Seeing her brought up so much emotion about my birth mother and how I would never get to truly know her. At least I would be able to get to know something about who she was through Caroline. I was grateful for that. I turned back toward Leif, nodding.

  “You should come back tomorrow. I will tell you of what I know of your siblings then.” She announced, taking me by surprise. After everything that happened, I’d completely forgotten why we were here in the first place. Finding my siblings and ending the God Morrigan was important. My mind raced, tomorrow was Monday. I had a deposition on Monday. How was I going to continue the hunt while also doing my full-time job?

  “It was a pleasure to meet you, Caroline. We’ll be by tomorrow afternoon.” Leif said.

  “I’ll see you both tomorrow.” She smiled. Leif held the door for me and I walked out with him behind me. Feeling a little lost, I stared out at the lush green grass. At least I had one connection to my mother. I looked forward to continuing to learn about my family from Caroline. At the same time, how was I going to search for my siblings and keep the job I loved. How would I make both lives work? I sighed and looked to Leif. He smiled and reached his hand out to me.

  “Don’t worry so much, we’ll figure it all out. I promise.” I didn’t know how he knew what I was worried about, but he made me feel better. Hell, who was I kidding, just being near him made all my troubles disappear. Well, most of my troubles, anyway.

  CHAPTER 11

  “So, what’s next?” I asked Leif. I hoped he had an idea of what to do next.

  “Next, we go back to the house and regroup.” He started the car and put it in drive.

  “How am I going to come back here tomorrow when I have a deposition?” I asked more outloud to myself then to Leif.

  “We’ll figure it out.” He reached his hand out to take mine. There was that calming reassurance again. It washed over me like a fresh rain, cleansing my worries away.

  “How? I just don’t know about this, about any of this.” I knew I was being childish, but I wanted my old life back. I wanted it to be a normal Sunday. I’d be lounging on my couch in my pajamas watching television or reading. My only worry would be preparing for tomorrow, which I would have finished already. I liked to keep Sunday free for myself. In the summer, I would get dressed to go to the farmer’s market on Nicollet. For some reason, I liked the small familiar feel of going there instead of the big Farmer’s market downtown. I’d buy a bunch of fresh flowers and arrange them in the vase in my dining room. I sighed. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever have that level of normal again.

  Leif squeezed my hand. “Kaira, it’ll be alright. I promise. We’ll go back and talk with Haskell. We’ll have a nice evening at home. Maybe even pop some popcorn and watch a movie. How does that sound?”

  Like heaven, I thought. The way he said home had me curious. It was his home, not mine but I let it go. “What? Don’t we have to figure out what to do next?” my eyes widened at his suggestion to just have a normal night, despite how badly I wanted to have one. I knew what we were doing was important.

  “We can take a break for tonight. Besides, you have a big day tomorrow. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for you not being relaxed and well rested for it. You’ve been working hard to get to where you are and I wouldn’t want to jeopardize that. We have time. We can begin again tomorrow.” His words were firm and reassuring. I wondered for a moment if he could read my thoughts. He told me exactly what I needed to hear.

  “Okay, that sounds really nice, actually.” I said. He let go of my hand and went back to driving. I missed the warmth of it on my skin, but the practical part of my brain was reminding me that he needed to drive. Before long, we were pulling into his driveway and parking in his garage. When he took my hand again in a familiar gesture, my heart squeezed just a little. I liked Leif. I wanted a repeat of our kiss. Hell, I wanted a lot more than a kiss. I was curious as to what had stopped him before. He told me we can’t but now I was questioning why. We obviously had chemistry. I knew he wanted me as much as I wanted him. I could feel it in his all encompassing kiss. There was a passion there that neither of us could deny. Maybe I could get it out of him while we snuggled up on the couch for a movie. At least, I assumed we would be snuggled together. Maybe I was way off base and Leif didn’t actually like me. Maybe he only needed me so he led me on. I shook my head to banish those thoughts. Anxiety can sneak up on you in unsuspecting ways sometimes.

  We walked into the kitchen. Haskell was in front of the refrigerator, leaning down. When he closed the door, he had a fresh beer in his hand. “Now you decide to come home? Bloody hell, where the hell have you been all day?” he asked. He popped the top on his beer and took a long pull, glaring at Leif the entire time.

  “You know where I was. Since when are you keeping tabs on me?” Leif asked.

  “Since your birth, you bloody bastard. You know that. You usually check in with me. I need to know where you are if I’m to protect your sorry ass.” Haskell took another long pull from his beer. His glare shifted from Leif to me.

  “Calm down, Haskell. We went to eat and to Kaira’s aunts house. You haven’t needed to protect me in a long time. Where is this coming from?” Leif’s demeanor had changed slightly. He was concerned. I could see the subtle shift in his posture. He looked at Haskell with a soft expression.

  “I got some information you might want to know about.” He took a drink, stalling. “You’re not going to like it. Morrigan, the almighty, called in his enforcers today. He knows about the descendents being re-born and is alerting all his minions. He wants a full scale search for her.” He jerked his thumb toward me. “I tried you on your cell, but you didn’t answer.” His voice was annoyed as he spoke.

  “I figured. We had a rogue enforcer attack us at Kaira’s aunts house. He didn’t go to the meeting but heard about it. He thought it was his lucky day. We took care of it.” He shrugged and sat on a kitchen stool.

  Haskell crossed his arms over his chest an
d leaned against the counter. “How many more are you planning to take on before you let the council know who she is and what you’re doing?” Haskell accused.

  “I don’t know, yet.” Leif said.

  “Well, you need to figure your shit out soon. We’ve got a bloody battle at our doorstep.” Haskell took another long drink. “You’re going to need help, whether you’re willing to admit it or not. You need to tell the council.” Haskell’s voice was firm.

  “I will, soon. Right now, we need a bit of normalcy. Maybe dinner and a movie.” His lip lifted slightly as he looked to me.

  “Oh, do we now?” Haskell looked from Leif’s expression to me. “And would you be expecting me to make you that dinner?” He asked, his tone perturbed.

  “No, I think we’re just going to order a pizza.” He said, then met Haskell’s eyes.

  “You do that. What’s the chances your delivery driver shows up with an army of morrigans?” He glared at Leif. He took another drink and looked away.

  “No one knows she’s with me.” Leif said.

  “Not yet, how long do you think it’ll be until they do?” he asked.

  “I don’t know, Haskell. We’ll worry about it later.” He gave Haskell as sharp glare and I wondered if there wasn’t more to their clipped argument. Why was Haskell suddenly so annoyed I was staying here with Leif. It felt like something else was going on between these too.

  “Um, if you two will excuse me, I’m going to the bathroom.” I walked out of the tension filled room. I didn’t know what they weren’t saying, but I had a feeling it was all about me.

  I could hear their harsh words continue as I walked back to the bathroom. Really, I just needed to be out of there. I didn’t want to know what Haskell’s deal was. He obviously had an issue with me being here and Leif helping me. He hadn’t been this hostile before when I’d been here. Now, he seemed pissed off that Leif was bringing me back here. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know why. I didn’t think it was simply because the Morrigans were after me. They were always after mages as far as I could tell. I didn’t change too much in that regard.

  When I walked back into the room, the two had stopped arguing. Leif had his cell against his ear. He was relaying the address to someone. It must have been the pizza delivery.

  He set his phone down when he was finished. “I ordered a sausage and pepperoni. I hope that’s okay.” His eyes searched mine.

  “Sounds good. Can we go watch that movie now? I don’t know what’s really going on between you two, but I’d like to not be in the middle of it.” I gave Haskell and Leif a stern glare.

  “Sweetheart, you’re in the middle of it whether you like it or not.” Haskell snapped.

  “What? Morrigans are after me? This isn’t new information, so what’s your deal now? Pissed at how many are after me or are you pissed because you no longer have all of Leif’s attention now?” I couldn’t help but snap back at Haskell. His eyes were wide at first when I spoke, but narrowed on me when I said the last part.

  “Excuse me?” Haskell said.

  Leif cut in quickly. “Okay, so we obviously have more problems with the new information but the fight is out there. Not in here. Haskell, we’ll be in the living room.” He took my hand and guided me to the other room. I huffed but followed without argument.

  He guided me to the sofa and I sat down. My hands clenched involuntarily. I couldn’t believe Haskell was blaming me for what the morrigans did. He walked to the television and grabbed the remote that was resting on the stand. Plopping in the spot next to me he asked, “Is there anything you’d like to watch?”

  “I don’t know. Why is Haskell really mad? I don’t think it’s because of the morrigans.” My eyes met his. He bit his lower lip and brushed his hand through his hair. It was a sign he was nervous. I knew he didn’t want to answer me.

  “It’s not. He’s worried about how close I’m getting to you.” His voice was soft as he spoke. He brushed his hand through his hair again and stared at the screen coming to life.

  “Why? I don’t get what the big deal is. You keep pulling away from me saying we can’t, but I don’t understand why.” My hand reached out to take his. I needed the explanation he hadn’t given me earlier.

  I noticed when he took a deep breath and looked away from me. Maybe I didn’t really want to know. When I watched Leif bite his lip, I became concerned.

  “Relationships are different with mages. When I said we don’t hook-up like humans, I wasn’t kidding. When we, uh, are together, intimately, there’s a binding. It’s not something that can be reversed. Once together, we’re bound for life. It’s not something we take lightly because it’s forever. There’s more to it, like the physicality of it. If we were to be bound, no other woman could, um arouse me, so to speak.” His eyes were fixed on the floor as he spoke. I could tell he was nervous about talking about the subject with me. He ran his hand through his hair.

  “So, it’s like waiting for marriage but to an extreme.” I bit my lip. I wasn’t sure what to think of what he was saying. He couldn’t be serious about the whole for life thing.

  A laugh escaped his lips as he looked at me. “Uh, I guess you could see it that way.” He shook his head as he looked at me. “Your reactions always surprise me.”

  “So, no sex, got it. Can’t you guys still have sex with like protection or something?” I asked. It seemed like it could be skirted around with some precautions.

  “No one wants to take that chance. I can’t say I blame them. Would you want to learn after a one night stand that you were now bound to that person, forever? You would never be able to have sex with another woman because you could never rise to the occasion, so to speak.” He rubbed his face as a knot formed in my stomach. The other night, I’d wanted to have sex with him. I had no idea that would mean we were bonded for life. Shit, I’d had sex many times. Did that mean I was now bonded with one of those guys?

  At that thought, I froze. “Wait, what about me? I didn’t know I was a mage. I’ve had sex with other men. Am I now stuck with the kid I lost my virginity to for the rest of my life?” I stared slack jawed at Leif.

  He let out a loud belly laugh. When he recovered, he said, “No, it only works if you’re with a mage. It’s also not the same for females. You can still have sex with others. It only affects men in that way. We are a matriarchal society after all.”

  “Oh, good, cause that would be scary.” I took a deep, relaxing breath.

  “Yeah, it only works with other mages. Now that you’re a mage you need to be more careful who you hook up with. If it’s another mage, you’re bound. It’s why I’ve been pulling away from you. I don’t want to lose control with you.” His eyes dropped to my mouth and he licked his lips. So, he didn’t want to lose control with me. Did that mean he liked me? I had to guess the answer was yes since he was concerned about losing control.

  I trailed my finger along the stubble on his chin. “Worried you won’t be able to control yourself?” I asked in a low voice. I looked at him through my lashes and heard the quick intake of breath through his parted lips. It was nice to know I had this effect on him.

  His eyes hooded as he looked at me. “Yes,” he let out in a husky voice. I moved closer to him. His eyes were filled with need. I saw it. I brushed my lips against his for a split second before I felt his arms wrap around me. His lips were hungry on mine. I nipped his lower lip and I felt his gasp against my lips. His arms tightened around me and our lips moved in unison. I suddenly understood what he meant by getting carried away. I stroked the back of his neck with my fingers and grasped his hair. I swung my leg over his lap and straddled him, our lips never parting in our frenzied embrace. He licked and sucked at my lips as we kissed. He could do amazing things with his tongue and I wondered how many human women he’d been with to quelch the need within him. I continued to stroke the back of his neck and I felt a growl deep in his throat. I could feel the bulge in his pants beneath me. I wanted him, so bad in that moment. I rocked my hips aga
inst him and he groaned. He pulled his mouth away from mine, panting.

  “Kaira, I need you to stop doing that.” His voice was low and raspy. I froze. I understood what he meant by getting carried away. I wouldn’t want to be bonded to someone because of a heated moment. Yet, there was something pulling me to him. Pulling me to unbutton his pants and guide him into me. I knew it was more than him helping me. I was connected to him in a way I didn’t understand. I’ve never felt this way with another man. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but for a moment, I thought, it wouldn’t be bad to be bonded to Leif.

  His hand stroked my cheek bringing me back to the present. “What are you thinking?” he asked. His eyes were both kind and curious as he stared into me.

  “I feel connected to you. I’m not sure what it is exactly but there’s something about you, about us that’s pulling me closer to you.” I searched his eyes as I spoke. I wish I knew what he was thinking. My hands rested on his shoulders. I wanted him, all of him.

  He drew in a deep breath, his arms still wrapped around me. “I know, I feel it, too.” He said, dropping his head a moment before meeting my eyes again. He sighed heavily and I could feel the weight of his indecision in that breath.

  “Is there anything about mages to explain it?” I asked. I wanted to know if there was another reason I felt so drawn to him. It felt deeper than attraction. I felt like we were life mates, meant to be together, no matter how corny that sounded.

  “Yes, it’s how you’re supposed to know your intended. I’ve known since I met you. I didn’t want you making any decisions without knowing the repercussions. It’s not exactly the same for you as it would be for me, but you needed to know. It’s why I kept pulling away despite the all encompassing desire to be with you. Even now, I feel it’s pull. We will be drawn together until we’re bonded officially. I’m not sure there’s a way to stop it. I keep trying to quell the desire, but it’s hard.” His eyes met mine and the same fire blazed in them.