by Gina Shafer
Most of all, I hear a baby crying. Scarlett runs toward us with Rayna clutched tightly in her arms. Rayna is howling, her face almost purple.
“Karina! They found us!” she calls to me over the noise. I pick myself up and rush to her. We’re all running at this point, but a figure appears behind Scarlett.
“Behind—” I start, but then I see her face. Vara.
“You killed Lincoln for me. I was hoping that spell would work. It was too easy, Karina. Just threaten someone you care about, and I get my way,” Vara smiles at me and wraps an arm around Scarlett’s neck, holding her in place. Scarlett screams, making Rayna cry even harder, and Vara laughs at them.
She pulls a dagger—Elijah’s dagger—with her other hand. Before we can reach her, Vara rakes the dagger across her neck, deep enough that Scarlett will bleed out in seconds. Vara then scoops Rayna from Scarlett’s arms, letting her body slump to the earth. She turns, fully intending to leave with the child, but I stop her. Or rather, my scream does.
The sound that escapes my lungs is otherworldly. It’s so powerful, it almost seems like it didn’t come from me at all. It shakes the earth.
“Sorry.” Vara smiles. “I know how moms can be. I’ll take good care of her for a time,” she assures me, and I lose it.
“You stupid bitch! You think I’m her mother? You just fucking killed her mother!” Vara’s face drops, and all the blood drains from her cheeks.
With all the power I can muster, I throw my energy into the air around her, my magic rooting her in place. She tries to move, to speak, but she can’t. Once Elijah and Soren realize this, they move toward her. Willow stays by me. Soren pulls Rayna from Vara’s grasp, and she whines, but the baby soon quiets, exhausted from her own tears.
“Burn in hell, Mother,” Soren says as Elijah plucks his dagger from her fingers. I want to kill her with that dagger, but I’m afraid if I move, the spell will be broken.
Do it.
I force the thought out, though it’s harder when I’m focused on Vara. Elijah raises the hand with the dagger, its sharp point jutting toward Vara’s neck. But before Elijah can cut her throat the same way she did to Scarlett, something knocks us over on our asses. I’m blown back at least fifteen feet, and I realize something exploded.
I sit up as quickly as my sore body will allow and make eye contact with Elijah. Vara is no longer in his grasp, though she lies in a heap beside him. I scan the area, seeing Willow stumbling along through the rubble, and Soren, holding Rayna, right behind her. Then, I swoop my head to the left, taking in the scene before me.
What used to be the warehouse is now a pile of wreckage, bodies, and bones. It exploded with everyone inside.
With everyone inside.
NO!
I want to yell, I want to scream. I want to die. There were people there I loved… people I grew up with… innocent people and families. Not a single soul could have survived a blast like that. The warehouse has disintegrated, and with it, a piece of me is gone too.
I look for Elijah again and realize Vara is nowhere to be seen. Any demons or shadow-walkers that weren’t in the blast are retreating. Every part of me wants to go after them. In fact, I start to. I get up and move their way, wanting to chase after them, wanting to die like my Sicarri brothers and sisters just did, wanting to die fighting, but I hear the sound that brought me from the warehouse in the first place and saved me from the blast. I hear Rayna cry, and I stop in my tracks, recalling the past hour and everything that happened since then.
Elijah, Soren, and even Willow scour the rubble, calling out and searching for anyone who may have made it. I don’t have the heart to tell them they won’t find anyone, though I suspect they know that already. Grief has paralyzed me.
Elijah approaches and pulls me into his arms. I want to return his embrace, but I can’t. I’m trapped. Trapped open, or trapped closed, I have no idea. I just know that moments ago I felt more power than I ever have, and now I feel weaker than I ever thought possible.
When I finally gain control of myself again, I fall. I fall so hard I’m surprised I don’t break anything, and that’s when I realize Elijah is carrying me, like I’m a child. Like Soren is carrying Rayna. No matter how badly I want to be strong in this moment, I won’t deny I feel comfort in his arms.
Elijah puts me into a car, not the same one we arrived in—that one was destroyed in the blast. This one is smaller, charcoal instead of black. I’m not sure why the color of the car stood out. Maybe because the Sicarri are known for their black SUVs, and now that they’ve been destroyed, it’s almost fitting that the car we’re escaping in is a different color.
Soren holds Rayna out to me. She’s so little in his arms. I reach out to take her. Before he lets go, searches my eyes. Once he’s found what he’s looking for, he nods, handing her off and whistling for Willow.
The dog jumps into the car. Soren takes a seat next to her. She wheezes, slumping next to me, and I can tell she isn’t feeling well. I pet her, but she growls. It startles me. I retract my hand quickly and look forward.
I don’t hold a grudge through. What we just went through, I don’t blame her for being touchy. I fold Rayna into my arms and look down at her. Her eyes are heavy, and she blinks hard, falling asleep. I pray to whoever—whatever—is listening that she finds some relief in her dreams, because this isn’t something I want following her.
I know it kills Elijah to leave, but we shouldn’t stay here. Not with Vara so close and sure as hell not after this devastation. He gets in and starts the vehicle. I fight the urge to close my eyes as the car rocks me gently.
I stay awake the entire time, never closing my eyes but to blink. We drive all day, until we reach Rosie’s front gate. We never speak. Hell, we never even discuss where we are going. When we get closer to Rosie’s, it becomes our unspoken destination.
Rosie must have seen us coming, because she is already outside, pulling the gate open and urging us on like she knows something bad happened.
When the car slows to a stop, Rayna starts to wake, twisting in my arms like she’s trying to get comfortable. I know next to nothing about this little girl or how her mother raised her to this point. I close my eyes, and the whole scene plays on the back of my eyelids.
Elijah helps us from the car, ushering us into the house. Willow limps inside, not lingering around Soren like she usually does. We give her space as she goes inside and lies down on the couch Rosie allowed her on last time we were here.
“Would you like me to take her?” Rosie asks, and I’m happy she doesn’t ask me what happened. She doesn’t even ask where Lincoln is. My shoulders sag, remembering what happened to him. What I did to him.
“Please,” I say pitifully, realizing I haven’t used my voice since my scream. My throat stings as the words leave, and my hand flies to my throat, clutching.
“She could use a bath, and maybe a little bit o’ that rice milk I been savin’ in the fridge. An’ I think I still may have some of them cloths I could tie ‘round her lil’ bottom an’ make a lil’ diaper outta ‘em.” Rosie speaks softly, mostly talking to herself and whisks her Rayna off into the kitchen.
“Karina…” Elijah mutters, and my face twists up. I hold back the tears that want to fall. Fuck, they want to spill over, to create a damn river that washes us all away. Washes everything away.
“Come with me,” Elijah says, nodding to Soren as we pass him. Soren goes directly to the room he used last time, plopping down on the bed as the door closes behind him. I think we all need a moment to process what happened.
Elijah leads me into the bathroom, quickly shutting and locking the door. He turns the shower to the hottest setting and closes the shower door, letting it fill up with steam. He undresses, wincing as he raises his shoulder. He must have fallen on it when the blast went off, because when I see his bare skin, I fight back a gasp. He’s torn from his shoulder almost to his forearm, his skin covered in a rash, like the cement scraped away layer after layer. He ignores the
injury and removes the rest of his clothes.
When he stands in front of me naked, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t affected by it. My pulse speeds up, and I feel the want in my belly. Elijah ignores that too, which I’m thankful for, and he makes quick work of removing my clothes. I look down and notice the puckered scar from the bullet wound. It’s healed nicely, and the pain is almost nonexistent, thanks to Rosie’s magic salve.
We get under the water, the heat of it stinging my back as it beats on me. Elijah lets me hog most of it, rubbing my shoulders and massaging my wet hair. It isn’t until I feel an intense stinging on my left hip that I realize I have the same type of injury as Elijah, just in a different place and much bigger. It spreads across my ass and onto my thigh, reminding me of skidding across the ground when I landed.
“I’m sorry,” Elijah whispers in my ear, turning me around so I’m facing the water and he hugs me from behind.
“Me too,” I tell him, knowing he’s lost as much as me.
“I…” he says, and I feel the hitch in his chest.
“I know.” I spin in his arms and kiss him. He sucks in a breath, and the tears from before spill over now in full force. We kiss for a while as my tears mix with our tongues, and lay our souls bare as the water cools.
We dry each other off with fluffy white towels adorned with hand-sewn swans. When Rayna squeals, I dress a little faster, hurrying to check on her.
“I told you, didn’ I?” I hear Rosie’s voice from the kitchen and follow it. “She was as starvin’ as starvin’ could be, poor lil’ thing.” She coos to Rayna, holding her tight and letting her suck through a bottle. “Had this thing lyin’ ‘round for the baby goats, but they ain’t needin’ it right now.” Rosie smiles at me, and Rayna pulls heavily on the rice milk, greedily drinking it up. I smile then too, knowing that at least that innocent little baby made it.
“Has anyone seen Willow?” Soren asks, perching himself against the doorframe between hallway and kitchen. I shake my head. Rosie points in the direction of the sitting room. I follow Soren, worrying about her too. When she growled at me, I didn’t understand it. I want to make sure she’s okay.
Elijah joins us in the sitting room, and. Soren crouches in front of Willow, who hasn’t moved from the couch since we got here. He bends his arm to pet her, and she growls again, startling all of us.
Soren ignores her warning and places a hand on her head. As soon as he does, he draws his hand back as if he’s been burned.
“Ah!” Soren gasps, and I realize he has been burned. “She’s hot. Her fur… it’s like hot coals,” he exclaims.
“What the hell?” Elijah asks to no one in particular.
Suddenly, Willow lifts her head and whines, deep and agonizing, before slumping over again and closing her eyes. Soren, Elijah, and I all turn in unison, shock masking our faces.
“Call Rosie,” Soren begs, his eyes pleading. Elijah runs from the room. None of us have any idea what to do. We need help. We need Lincoln. Soren paces the room, yanking at the short brown hair on his head.
“Soren…” I whisper, though I don’t think he hears me. He paces the room, grasping as the short brown hair that covers his head. “Soren,” I say, a little louder this time, and he stops, regarding me with wary eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want to hear it right now, Karina…I can’t hear it right now, okay?”
I move closer to Willow, feeling her body, feeling its heat. Soren wasn’t kidding, she’s on fire without the flame. She pants, and her legs spasm. I don’t understand it.
“What’s going on in here?” Rosie asks. Elijah follows closely behind with the baby, but as soon as Rosie sees Willow, she turns to him, whispering something, and he quickly takes Rayna from the room.
“How long has she been like this?” Rosie asks. Soren doesn’t answer her.
“Since we got here, maybe a little while before,” I say.
Rosie settles next to Willow, running her hands up and down her fur. I don’t understand how she does it, because I couldn’t hold my hand against her for longer than a second or two without it hurting.
“Soren, I’m gonna want you to look at me while I’m talking to ya, you hear?” She gives him a pointed look. “This dog is gonna die, ya understand? But not because she’s sick. Some type a magic is keepin’ her down, and I ain’t got no answer for it. Ya hear me? Muster up your strength and sit with her as she goes,” Rosie demands.
Elijah returns without Rayna.
“You get that baby down for a nap?” she asks him, and when he nods, she gives him a pat on the back and exits the sitting room.
Not you too, girl.
Elijah slips up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing the side of my neck. Then he moves to Soren, wrapping him in a tight hug. Soren pulls at him, sobbing into his father’s neck. I cover my mouth, trying to hold in my cries.
I’m so distracted by my grief, I nearly jump out of my skin when I hear a female gasp from the spot where Willow was only moments ago. Our heads whip around comically fast, and the sight makes me stagger back. I catch myself against the baby grand piano that stands in the corner of the room.
The woman sighs and then shivers. I look to Soren and Elijah, but Soren is already springing into motion. He bends down in front of her and grasps her shoulders with such strength that his muscles tense.
“Who are you? Where the hell is Willow?” Soren yells, shaking her.
She gasps, her eyes flying open as she tries to get her bearings. Her gaze lands on Soren’s face and she screams, trying to get free from him. Elijah steps in, pulling Soren away, and I realize she’s completely naked.
“Soren, stop!” I yell, wanting the room still for a moment so I can think. I rush toward the girl with the patchwork quilt from the back of the sofa and wrap her in it. “What’s your name?” I ask her softly, guiding her eyes to mine with my hand on her chin and my other hand softly resting on her shoulder.
“June,” she whispers, her voice small and soft.
Everything suddenly falls into place.
June is Lincoln’s daughter’s name, I think, turning my head to look at Elijah.
I think we just found Lincoln’s daughter.
“Thank you,” June whispers, dressing in a pair of my pants and a top. I’m a bit taller, and she doesn’t quite fill out the clothes, with her being so slight, but she’s beautiful, a sight that can’t easily be overlooked.
June has red hair, like Vara, only hers is much prettier. It’s dark and full, wavy and shiny. It’s gorgeous, really. Her brown eyes are large and round, complementing her round face. Her skin is golden like honey, and her hands are small with long, slender fingers. She looks a couple years younger than me, though her features are softer, kinder, and that gives her a youthful glow.
“It’s no problem,” I tell her, giving her a smile. I want her to be comfortable and unafraid of us, and I don’t think our first interaction went so well. Soren couldn’t even look at her; he stalked from the room as soon as he realized what had happened.
“So you don’t remember anything?” I ask as I fold the patchwork blanket.
“Bits and pieces. I remember being little, growing up with my parents. I remember my life, and then I remember it changed. Almost like a film was over my eyes, filtering my memories. I remember Soren, and I remember you and Elijah, and my dad. I just didn’t remember it when I was Willow. All I could think and do were dog things.” She laughs. “I know that sounds weird.”
“It’s not weird. Well it is, but I understand,” I tell her. “I assume you were never held prisoner with Beckett then?” The name tastes like battery acid on my tongue.
“No,” she says sheepishly. Yet another thing he lied about.
She said she remembers Lincoln; does she remember what happened to him?
“Listen, about your father....” I say. “I—”
“You don’t have to explain,” she whispers, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I was there, and
though I didn’t know it at the time, I would have done anything to protect you guys. I feel like you’re family, and even though I would have loved to see my dad again, as me, I understand why he’s not here. And really, all I really want to do is get back at Vara for what she did.” She says those last words almost like they’re a math problem she’s been trying to solve her whole life.
“We’ll figure it out,” I promise her. “I’ll let you get some rest,” I say, I remove myself from the room. As I shut the door, Soren appears.
“Is she okay?” he asks.
“I think so. She remembers a lot but she had no idea who she was other than being Willow. But it’s all coming back,” I tell him.
“Should I—?” Soren points at the door.
“Give her some time,” I tell him and then go in search of Elijah. I pass Rosie and Rayna playing on the floor of a bedroom Rosie has already begun turning into a nursery, and I wave to them.
I knock on the door to our room, and he opens it, pulling me to him. “What did she say?” He pulls me inside.
I bring him up to speed. “It’s bizarre, really.”
“Hm,” Elijah breathes. “What do you think we should do with her?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. It would be stupid not to keep her near us. She may be useful. I mean, Lincoln always had all this information; maybe she has some too. Not to mention I promised Lincoln a long time ago I would help him find her no matter what it took.”
“It’s not your fault. You know that, right?” Elijah tells me, a knowing look in his eyes.
“I killed him. I didn’t even give him a chance. I killed him because I didn’t want him to kill your son. I don’t know what to do with that. I don’t like looking at my hands, because I know what they’re capable of.” I rest my head against his chest.
Elijah lifts my hands to his mouth and kisses each finger. I lift my head and smile, though I don’t feel the smile in my heart.
“How are you doing with everything?” I ask. He had a long conversation with Soren as I was getting June calmed down and set up in her room.
