by Hart, Alana
Faith ran into Aria’s open arms, and snuggled close again.
“Guardian, huh babe?” Aria whispered softly. She pressed her face close to Faith’s, inhaling the sweet baby scent. Lavender and baby bath. Hell, even scents were stronger than she remembered, if Faith’s curls were anything to go by. Faith’s excited nod set the babe’s curls to bouncing so much they tickled Aria’s nose. She fought back a sneeze, then stood up tall and straight. Guardian? Aria hugged Faith tight as she strode toward the kitchen. I’m going to need more hot chocolate before I can fill those shoes.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ben followed Aria to the kitchen. Every sense he had tingled with hyper awareness of Aria and just how different she'd felt in his arms. The sounds of feet shuffling behind him drew his focus away from his mate for just a moment. Ben glanced over his shoulder to see what the scuffle was about. From the looks of things Faith was supremely confident in her healing. Or she’d simply given in to her need to play. She was crawling around the floor, making vroom sounds and periodically crashing her car into Arcos’ large feet. A small giggle bubbled out of her, lightening the overall mood a bit. Arcos seemed to have entertaining the baby down pat. For now. Ben's gaze brushed across Delilah and Victoria as he turned to seat himself at the table. Their faces were somber, almost too serious. If Ben couldn't see Aria, feel her seated right beside him on the bench, he'd have thought they were going to her funeral.
Ben sat silent and as calm as his bear would let him while he watched Victoria make tea. He reached over and clasped his hand around Arias, squeezing gently. He could hear her muttering something just under her breath. It wasn't quite clear enough for him to catch words, just the feeling of disgust that underlay her tone. The cause of that tone became evident as Victoria settled in across from them, distributing a tall glass of iced tea to everyone at the table.
"Screw tea. Chocolate's better," Aria muttered. Her lips twisted after the first sip. Maybe it was sour? Ben sniffed at the tea, smelled fine to him. Tea with a bit of honey, no lemon at all. So why was his mate so upset about a drink?
"This isn't the time for coddling, young lady." Victoria's tone was sharp and angry. "It's go time."
Ben could feel Aria's shoulder brush his when she shrugged. Her reply was soft and low. "Go time for what Gran? I don't know a thing about anything, besides the stuff I've dealt with keeping Faith safe. But magic? Guardians? Fallen gods?" She shook her head mutely, eyes wide and panicked. He couldn't help himself, he let go of her hand, and pulled her close.
"I know where to start. Drink up, and follow me. You'll need the caffeine," Victoria winked and downed the last half of her tea in a single swig.
Ben copied her, fast as could be. The icy drink damn near gave him brain freeze, but he choked the whole glass down regardless. He watched Aria sniff disdainfully at hers, nose wrinkled. She took a small sip, then planted the glass back on the table with a thump. He was impressed that she had the fortitude to ignore her grandma's order. Bright eyes met his, and she winked. He was certain that the merest chance of answers would be enough to put that sparkle in his mate’s eyes. The wink though, he hoped it was all for him. Bear huffed in the back of Ben's mind, staking his claim to their mate. Delilah was second out the back door to the garden, so close on Victoria's heels she was almost tripping on them. Her frown and tense shoulders were enough to give Ben pause, enough to pique Bear's danger meter just a bit. If the witch was worried, they'd just have to be extra vigilant.
Ben followed Aria as closely as Delilah had followed Victoria. He caught the wistful, forlorn glance Aria sent back toward Faith. But the tot was absorbed in playing horsey with Arcos. Who'd have thought the old man had the wherewithal to actually treat a child well. Not the Ben thought the he'd do deliberate harm, but even this level of attention was unheard of in Ben's life. He'd got the definite impression from his mom that Pop was a love ‘em and leave ‘em sort of guy. And his own experience bore that out, until now. Bear was torn between following their mate, and guarding their cub.
From the glare Arcos sent his way, he'd figured out some of what was weighing so heavily on Ben's mind. The old man whispered go, and made shooing motions. His last words, a promise to guard the cub with his life, floated through the back door as Ben followed Aria. That was enough to settle bear's worry about the matter. Anything that could blaze through Arcos would have to be damn tough indeed.
Ben glanced around the garden, seeing it with new eyes as an invited guest rather than a sneaky eavesdropper. It was damn pleasant, inviting. The riot of colors were just muted enough to be pleasant rather than eye searing, and the flower beds were all strategically placed for maximum effect, and maximum obstacles for intruders. The only thing that didn't fit was that damn willow tree. Bear was much more relaxed this visit, and Ben felt the beast follow his thoughts. Something about that tree just did not sit right with either of them. And grateful as they had been for its shielding willow withes just a few days ago, now the tree felt much less welcoming. Ben was willing to chalk it up the larger group of people in the garden, but Bear disagreed with a grumpy harrumph.
Bear couldn't pinpoint one thing that bugged him about that tree, but something about it had Bear's hackles raising. Ben felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise too. As the group finally stood in front of the tree in a half circle, that sense of being out of place only intensified. Ben sidestepped closer to Aria, until their shoulders just brushed. He could feel her skin shiver, felt goose bumps raise on her arm where their bare skin touched.
He couldn't tell if they were both clammy or if it was just him. But he was certain with every second he stood in front of that tree that danger hid there. Bear agreed, seeking to claim more of Ben's senses. Ben gave ground on scent, but kept his hold on everything else for now. Bear couldn't smell anything more than the damp pond nearby, and the damp earth beneath the tree.
Then something indefinable changed. The air felt heavy, almost electric, like a storm was brewing. But the sky was still bright and clear as ever. Ben scooted closer to Aria, pulled her tight, and stepped in front of her, blocking her access to the tree. He could feel tension vibrate through her, into the hand that clamped tight on his shoulder. Bear growled low and long, but nothing changed.
Ben shifted a bit when Aria stepped in front of him with a solid 'no' motion and a determined look. Damn how his bear wanted them to fight this battle, or whatever it was, for her. That wasn't an option. After another moment, and a last lingering look back at him, Aria strode through the overhanging boughs into the darkness beyond. Ben stepped forward instinctively, determined to follow her. He made two strides, before slamming into an invisible barrier face first. He hadn't even sensed the magic that called the barrier rising, nor heard any changing. Eyes watering, nose stinging, Ben turned to command the witch to take down the barrier. Delilah met his furious gaze head on, then raised her hands in the universal palms-up I dunno gesture.
If Delilah hadn't raised the barrier, who had? How the hell did he break through it, and what the fuck was happening to his mate on the other side?
Bear roared in fury and fear, and before Ben could put on the brakes, the beast broke free determined to save Aria from whatever danger lie beneath the shelter of that tree. Ben didn't have the heart to fight the bear again, and rode the tide of Bear’s anger and rage and fear. Anything that hurt their mate would have hell to pay.
Bear paced the outskirts of that invisible barrier, testing for weak points. He stood high and tall as he could, even climbing on the privacy fence for greater reach, seeking a way over. But hard claws scrabbled for purchase on what felt eerily like invisible glass. They tried digging under, only to be stopped by the same invisible barrier. After pacing the entire circumference of the willow, and the transparent wall surrounding it to no avail, Ben was able to convince bear that this was really a human problem rather than a shifter problem. Bear wasn't happy with the situation, but couldn't suggest any better options, and ceded control back to Ben. Be
n sighed as their forms melded and flowed through one another, until he stood tall and straight and human again. He stretched tall, then stalked over to Delilah to find some answers. One of the two women had to know something.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Aria shivered when she felt the magic spring up around her. She steeled herself for the pain sure to come, then sighed in relief when it failed to materialize. She could sense the magic, in the same way she felt sunlight or rain on her skin. It was the barest pressure, and a sensation of warmth, or cool damp, depending on how the magic was flowing. But there wasn't that fiery, all consuming, better off dead pain that had threatened to eat her alive earlier. There was just enough sensation to make her aware of the magic, but not enough to over whelm. What the hell had caused that change?
Aria turned back the way she'd come, seeking the source of the magic. She reached out to part the low-hanging curtain of fronds. The first layer moved aside easily, but before she could peer through the cascade of leaves and branches, her hand brushed against something solid. Solid and smooth and warm to the touch. Her palm tingled where it met the barrier, and that sensation of warmth and pressure increased until her had felt as though a magnifying glass was focusing sunlight on her sensitive skin. She bit back a curse and turned once more to face the trunk of the ancient, imposing tree. Could the magic be coming from the willow itself?
Shaking her head, she took a couple steps forward. Her feet sank into the soft dirt sheltered by the curtain of branches that drooped down to brush the earth. She could hear the scrabbling of claws scraping against something. From the steadily increasing pace of the scritching sounds, it sounded like the digger was furious. Furious and determined. A loud roar rattled the willow withes against the barrier, and echoed in her ears. At least I have back up, even though they're on the other side of the wall. If nothing else, somebody would be able to pick up the pieces and hopefully put her together again if things went all to hell.
Aria tiptoed the last few steps to the trunk of the willow tree. She kept watching, waiting for something, anything to present itself as an explanation. When nothing happened for a few moments, she reached out with a trembling hand and caressed the knobbly bark of the tree. She shivered at the sense of magic contained that flowed through her fingertips when they met the rough bark. What kind of secrets is Gran keeping that she needs a magic tree in her yard?
Before Aria could voice her thought, the small, contained world beneath the willow tree changed. Aria's stomach flopped, as though the world had dropped beneath her feet, leaving her stomach behind, and the space beneath the tree seemed to grow tenfold or more. Mist swirled around her feet, and tiny specks of light danced through the boughs of the old tree.
"What the hell happened here?" Aria whispered as she scanned the changed landscape for danger, or at the very least, clues to what this meant.
Aria snagged one of the dancing lights out of the air. It flickered in the same way she'd expect a firefly to flicker and flash, but it didn't feel alive to her. She could sense that it had purpose, see it in the steady on, off, on flashing of light, but it didn't feel like a living creature. It was magic, pure magic, converted to some unfathomable task. The tiny speck warmed her hand all out of proportion to its small size, and that sense of magic pressure pushing on her skin grew with every moment she kept the mote captured in her palm. Finally, with a sigh, she blew softly across her palm, and watched the speck take flight.
As her eyes followed her magic spark through the air, they landed on something – or someone – just the other side of the willow tree. Much closer to the pond than she'd ventured yet. The ghostly form stood straight and tall and stone still. She could see more sparks of magic floating around, and maybe through that figure. Something about him seemed incredibly familiar to her.
As she slunk closer to the ghost, it finally hit her just who this was. "Gramps? Is that you?" Her whispered question floated on the slight breeze before she'd even given consideration to whether or not confronting any ghost was wise. The ghostly nod and bright, merry eyes were reassuring enough to draw her the final distance to his side.
"What's all this?" Aria gestured vaguely to the space surrounding them. Her skin prickled as she noticed all the little magic dust specs converging on their location. Then one landed on her bare arm, and despite her earlier fascination, she had the almost overwhelming urge to brush it off her now. It tickled, then burned a bit, and she flinched. Her hand automatically reached over to smack the offending mote away, but a ghostly grasp snapped tight around her wrist in mid swing.
Mouth wide and round, Aria gasped and then glared at her grandpa. "How dare you - It stung me!"
Gramps silent head-shake and slightly increased pressure were enough warning to her to leave the mysterious things alone, at least for now.
"Can you speak?" Or am I going to have to become an expert in incorporeal body language like yesterday?
Aria shuddered as a hollow voice filled the space around her, echoing through her bones. Damn, maybe she didn't want the ghost to talk, after all. "Can you tone it down a bit, please?"
Her bones stopped shivering in her skin as the ghostly form of Grandpa Gabe finally got his voice dialed in. It was still odd to listen to, and hard to make out all the words, but at least it wasn't painful.
"Welcome, granddaughter."
"Welcome? Thanks, I guess. What's all this and why are we here?"
"It's time for a new guardian."
"Okay, not catching on here Gramps."
"Someone needs to take over for me. I am weakening, despite the shell my willow has provided. Soon my wards will fade, and Espen will be vulnerable."
"Still not seeing why I'm here."
"You must take my place, and my powers."
"Oh. Hell. No. I've got enough on my plate just dealing with Faith. And Ben. You expect me to replace you?"
Grandpa just looked at her, eyes soft, and sad. Then he nodded once. Short and sharp. "You're right. If I'd realized that one of my grandchildren was going to replace me, I'd have done things differently."
Aria shivered when gramps clamped one of her hands gently in his big ghostly ones. She was expecting extreme cold, or sliminess or other grossness, because hello, ghost? But all she felt was a slight warmth, and a gentle pressure. "I am so sorry for my human failings. Can you forgive me? And take this burden before I falter and put everyone in the garden, in Tori's cabin-hell, the whole town, in danger?"
Oh, shit. When he put it like that how could she refuse? How dare she even consider saying no to that request, regardless of any potential cost to herself? She nodded once. A slower, softer echo of the one he'd given her earlier. Tears tracked their way down her cheeks, leaving a chill in their path. She stepped forward, wrapping the ghost in a final hug. As their arms wrapped around each other, light flared, and warmth and energy flooded through her. Her sense of the world shifted, flipped a few times and then finally righted itself. But that world was greatly expanded.
Aria could feel gramps solid and whole in her arms for just a moment. His brilliant eyes sparkled bluer than Faiths’, and his smile held all the confidence in the world that she could succeed in his place.
Then his solid form flickered. He stepped back slow and steady toward the old willow tree, talking fast as possible as he moved. Aria wasn't consciously absorbing every word, but she could feel his meaning settle into a small corner of her mind in a nice neat packet waiting for the right time to present itself. Finally, just as his ghostly back connected with the bark of the willow, he spoke words she'd longed to hear.
"I'm proud of you. Well done so far child. I'll always be here if you need to talk." He patted the tree gently, almost like a lover, as he faded into it and became one with it. Those blue eyes peeked out merrily at her from the bark for a moment, and then his last words echoed in the secluded space. "Go forth and guard well, child. I love you."
As his final sentence faded along with the dancing magic motes, Aria felt the full wei
ght of his guardian magic settle onto her, into her blood, right down to her very bones. The ghostly world she stood in flickered, then popped out of existence with a thought. Aria could sense the wall that encircled the willow tree, the wall gramps had fueled with his essence, and the flexible strength of the willow and the gentle implacability of the water that ran beside the willow. She felt that packet of knowledge gramps had dropped into her mind open and spill just enough info into her awareness that she could deal with this moment, this spell. She could sense even more knowledge hidden in that secret corner, waiting for the right time to make itself known.
Aria felt the others waiting just beyond the barrier, shivered at the tingle Ben's touch sent coursing through the wall of magic. She couldn't resist a moment of practice, and set that wall to flickering in and out of existence. She intended that flicker to be too fast to notice, but she hadn't taken the keen shifter senses or enhanced speed into account. On the third pulse, a roar sounded loud and clear inside the barrier. A white bear charged through and skidded to a stop nose to nose with her. His hot breath washed over her, and his eyes were wide and startled.
Ben. She recognized him without a doubt. If she hadn't seen him in his bear form before, her new abilities would still have given her the most important details. She could somehow sense the human hidden within the bear. Unfortunately, her new ability did not appear to have any of the answers she'd been searching so desperately for. Instead she was swamped with even more questions. The biggest one being how the hell could she explain this to Ben, and what did it mean for their budding relationship?
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
