“You make these?” He plopped the rest of the cookie into his mouth and looked down at the plate, his stomach grumbling for more.
“Yeah, last night. I couldn’t sleep.” She pushed the plate toward him, closing the distance between him and the cookies.
He smiled, snapped his fingers, and shifted the plate to his lap with a flick of power. “They’re delicious.”
Mina laughed. “Eat as many as you like. There’s tons more in the fridge.”
He ate another two, no shame in devouring what she was offering. “I was thinking we could take these flowers over by the stream.” Bas pointed where he wanted them to go.
Mina stood and followed his finger with her eyes. “Makes sense.”
“It shouldn’t take me long to get the roots to latch.” He didn’t even need a spell—just some blood magic to ignite the connection. The plants would do the rest.
“Spell binding—that’s from your mother’s side, right? Along with the unification?”
Bas frowned. “Not sure.” He shrugged. “Don’t know much about my dad. My mother never liked talking about him.”
Mina took another sip of her coffee, then returned to her seat. “Your mother sounds like a powerful witch all on her own.”
She looked genuinely interested, but hesitant, like she knew the subject could trigger him. And it could, under difference circumstances, but he was willing to indulge her if only because he didn’t suspect that she was out to get him. She might not particularly like him but he didn’t think she would use anything he told her against him.
“My mother lost many of her natural abilities, so it’s hard to say for sure. It’s not something we talked about.” His voice was gruff. He knew he sounded like he didn’t want to talk about it…but he did, for some reason, he really wanted Mina to know. Like setting her straight would help her see why he hated them so much—the Sin Eaters, the humans. And that gave him a mental head shake because really, what the fuck did he care about her opinion, anyway? After he did his time in the Dungeon he’d never see her again.
With him deep in thought, the pause lasted a bit too long.
“It’s none of my business.” She raised her hand, her face going a shade of pink as she started to stand once again.
“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind talking about it. And I’m sorry I yelled at you the other day. I wasn’t feeling good.” He coughed. “I mean, I acted like an ass.”
She nodded, easing back on her log and took another drink from her cup.
“My mother’s family were all apothecaries so she’d been training her whole life. That wasn’t linked to her natural abilities, I don’t think. It was just experiential learning that happened. I never had the guts to ask her what her powers had been like before they were taken from her but I do remember some things.” He scoffed. “I mean, I was a kid so how reliable those memories are is up for debate.” He took a drink of the coffee and moved the plate to the ground so he could stretch out his legs. “But I remember that she could make matter do things that seemed impossible. Like turn liquid to webbing without any kind of bonding agent. Or making ice stay frozen for hours even in the hottest hours of the day. I think she was able to manipulate how things naturally behaved.” Probably a skill that would have saved her life had she still possessed it when they, the humans, had started the fire that killed her.”
“I know you said it was a Sin Eater who stole her powers. I’m sorry that happened. It was wrong. Criminal. I didn’t think…never mind.” She waved the rest of her words away, taking a drink instead.
The blush on her cheeks told him what he needed to know. She’d fact checked with Angel, just like he’d suggested she do. The Sin Eater must have confirmed that what he said was true. One of her kind could take more than they deserved or were entitled to. He shrugged, kept drinking, a lump the size of a walnut suddenly in his throat, the cookies sitting heavy in his stomach.
“Did she ever get her powers back? Your mom, I mean.”
Bas gulped down the rising hate he always felt when he thought about Edward. “Not like they’d been, no. Her learning carried her through for the years that they were gone and when her spells started working again we both knew she wasn’t as powerful as she’d once been.” And it had tainted her, that bitter realization that she’d never again be able to perform her spells the way she had before. The initial joy at having her powers back had only lasted for a short time—minutes, really—before a deep rooted mourning and resentment had taken over and his mother had spilled into this person who was nothing like the person he’d known before the Sin Eater had entered their lives. And it was Bas who’d borne the brunt of her rage on a daily basis.
“She died in a fire?” Mina’s voice was soft.
And the hits just kept on coming. “Better get back to work.” He shifted his gaze to the plants before holding the cup out to her. “Thanks for the break.”
“I didn’t mean to pry,” she sighed. “I just…I lost my mom, too.”
He stood from the log and cleared his throat. “I don’t want to do this. I can’t…”
Mina sat there, not pushing it. Not saying anything. The quiet sounds of the breeze rustling through the leaves gave Bas some sense of calm.
“Sorry about your mom,” he said, looking anywhere but at her.
She stood and reached out to touch his arm lightly. He shifted his eyes to hers. “You did good today,” she said softly. He heard pity in her voice and for the first time in a long time it didn’t ignite his rage. Instead, he felt pity, too. She took the cup with one of her sad little smiles again. A heartbeat or two passed with them just looking at each other.
Bas was the first to tear his gaze away. “Yeah…well…anyway…”
“I was thinking that if we got these done today, maybe we could bring some of the cats in later to see how they like it.” Mina glanced at Zeus who was fake-sleeping on a bed of grass, his ears twitching, listening to their conversation. Her voice had lost its sympathy and she was back to business.
Bas let out a breath. He didn’t know what the hell just happened there but it was way too heavy, way too personal.
“That’d be cool.” And rewarding. If the cats approved then they’d know they were on the right track. Zeus had perked up as well, sitting like a sphinx assessing what was going on and fully alert. “Zeus agrees.”
Mina laughed. “Okay, I’m going to start getting their checks done. Three or four of them are basically finished with their treatments. You okay doing the heavy lifting for now?”
“Yeah, I’ve got this.” Bas waved her off. “And thanks, again. For the coffee and the cookies.”
Mina nodded, bit her bottom lip, her eyes leaving his as she scanned the sanctuary. “I’m glad you’re here. We’ve got a lot of work to get done.”
Then she left and he stared after her, feeling a little stunned. “You hear that, cat?” Bas glanced at Zeus.
Zeus didn’t respond. Didn’t even give an ear twitch, just sat there looking regal and judgmental.
“Well, I heard it.” He shook his head. Women. Just when you think you’ve got one figured out, she goes and pulls a one-eighty. Something had definitely changed in the time that he’d been gone and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
He shrugged, then picked up a large petaled flower, the vibrant purple almost glowing in the center. He brushed his hand over the dangling roots. A pulse of energy tingled along his fingers. Time to get to work. These plants wouldn’t keep forever.
Reaching for his blade, he walked to the stream, pulsing his power to open the dirt and make space for the new arrivals.
14
He was in the shower, cleaning up before they introduced the cats to the sanctuary. And Mina was wringing her hands, her nerves getting to her once again. She’d given it thought and Angel was right. Make friends with Bas, and in that friendship, maybe help heal his wounds. She was a fixer. That was what she loved to do. Perhaps not on other witches, and maybe she was a bit rusty at
the person-to-person stuff, but Bas had gone through a shit-ton of awful things and the least Mina could do is give him a chance. Everyone deserved that, at least, right? And he was more than the chip on his shoulder. So she’d ordered food for them and had a picnic spread set up in one of the clearings in the sanctuary.
Project Friendship was about to commence. The shower hadn’t yet turned off and she wanted to change into something more comfortable. She figured she had a few minutes.
Zeus was sitting outside of the bathroom door, like a statue, practically unblinking.
“You the sentry?” She moved to the closet and pulled out some leggings and a soft knit sweater that was worn in all the right places. She glanced over at the cat, a little unnerved by its stare. “I’m not putting on a show for you, you know.”
Zeus turned his head, as if he was actually giving her some privacy. She never did know just how much the familiars understood but this particular cat seemed exceptional.
She quickly stripped off her work clothes, scrubs that had seen their fair share of blood and grossness that day. “We’re bringing, Belle, Tangie, Laurel, and Spud into the sanctuary today,” she said to the cat. “They’ll be happy in there, I promise.” She slipped on the leggings. “You’ll come and go, I assume, since you’re sticking with Bas.”
As if she’d conjured him, Bas opened the bathroom door. She hadn’t been paying attention but now she realized the shower was off and there he was, standing in a towel, steam billowing around him, water dripping from his face and his chest. His chest, for the love of goddess, was chiselled in an impossible way, right down to a six-pack that cut into a muscly vee, trailing down to…a towel. Thank fuck, the man was wearing a towel. Mina flushed, suddenly feeling overheated.
He looked her up and down. “What’s going on out here?”
She was still in a bra at least. She hastily turned her back, if only because otherwise he’d see her drooling. She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “I needed to change.” She slipped on her sweater. It hung on her like a loose hug, her shoulders partially bare. “It is my place.”
Bas snorted. “Yeah, well, I left my clothes out here, so unless you’re interested in a show…”
She felt her cheeks heat more, if that was possible. “Right, yeah, I’ll give you some privacy. The cats are ready, by the way.” She didn’t look at him, or wait for a response, just beelined straight out of there so she could get her mind out of the gutter.
Damn, the man was fit. More than fit. He was spectacular. No wonder he had the reputation he did. Everyone knew he was sleeping with Healer Rose. Okay…so Mina hadn’t actually known that, but when she’d mentioned that Bas was working in the Dungeon some of the cooks in the kitchen had snickered about seeing him and her fooling around all over the place. Lucky for her, I guess. Bas’s body was totally lickable.
In an attempt to push her mind out of the gutter, Mina busied herself in the backroom, coaxing the cats out of their cages and into the trolley carrier that she’d created. They were mewing and agitated, complying only because she’d putdown some steak for them and was using her sweet voice, touching on her Whispering power to coax.
Herding cats was not an impossible task but it was definitely made easier when the alpha came into the room. Zeus stood at the doorway, watching her with judgment, she was sure. He appeared to assess the situation then, with a graceful leap, jumped into the trolley too, calming his colony in an instant.
“Thank you, Zeus.”
The cat ignored her, naturally.
“You’ve got them all?” Bas came into the room. His hair was still damp, but at least he was dressed. He’d put on some track pants and a tank top and yeah, he still looked hot.
She gave her head a shake. What the actual fuck was wrong with her? She silently cursed Angel for putting thoughts of Bas in her head in the first place. She was lonely, true, but she wasn’t into mixing work and pleasure and someone like Bas, yeah, was way out of her league anyway. The man was the literal definition of eye candy. Really, if you were into all that muscle and sinew flexing and bulging, moving with fluid power and confidence.
Mina cleared her throat, and her mind. “These four are ready. Zeus decided to play along.” She didn’t bother to close the cage because all the cats had settled around their alpha. “Now’s the real test. Let’s see if these babies like the space so far.”
There was still a lot of work to do but she wanted to know if they were on the right track with this test run. Zeus seemed to like the sanctuary but that was just one cat. His approval would go a long way, sure, but she wanted the other cats to approve as well.
Bas took the handle of the trolley and started pulling it out of the backroom. Her thoughts shifted dramatically as he cleared the door and headed toward the sanctuary.
What if they hate it? If they hate it, what will I do with them when the Saviors come? I don’t have any other cages ready and there isn’t time to acclimate them for longer. But she could have gotten something wrong. Chosen the wrong plants, maybe even the stream wasn’t quite right. Cats didn’t like water and she’d gone ahead and put it in there anyway.
Mina stopped walking. The sanctuary was right there, a few more steps away and yet she doubted every single decision she’d made in the last few weeks. The cats could reject it. They’d probably hate it.
“What’s the hold up?” Bas had one end of the trolley and Mina had the other. Her death grip was keeping it from rolling any farther.
She looked down at the cats who were still lounging with Zeus, nestled in close to one another, all of them watching her.
“The space isn’t ready,” she mumbled, then winced. “I think we should forget this idea.”
“Um…huh?” Bas came around the trolley and peered inside the cage. “They don’t look bothered at all.” Then he looked at her. “What’s the deal?”
Her heart thundered, buzzing crowded into her ears and she blinked a few times because her eyes were getting so damn blurry. “It’s nothing, it’s okay…let’s go.” But she was panting those words, as she fought to keep herself from hyperventilating.
“No, wait.” He put a hand on her arm, not forceful but enough to keep her from moving. “Your pupils are dilated.” He placed his fingers against the pulse point on her wrist. “Your blood pressure is elevated.”
“I’m fine.” She tried to shake him off, tried to push the trolley, and then a wave of dizziness washed over her and she felt like her legs were about to give way. Black dots flashed in front of her and her stomach clenched painfully.
She moaned. Kill me now.
“Bullshit,” he said as he put his arm around her, moving her body closer to his so that her weight was leaning against him.
A wave of magic pulsed through her, soothing in a way she’d never experienced before. It tingled her scalp and rolled down her spine, touching every nerve ending in her body. Her dizziness subsided, her vision cleared and her breathing calmed. She unclenched her hands from the trolley and took a step back. Bas moved with her though, not taking his arms away from her waist.
“I’m okay now.”
He checked her over one more time then nodded. Seemingly satisfied that she could stand on her own, he stepped away. “What was that? Anxiety?”
Mina sucked in a deep breath. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Croft always left her alone when she had an attack, made her some tea and kept quiet. She didn’t die from them and eventually she got her shit under control All the same, having a panic attack in front of anyone was damn embarrassing.
“Let’s just do this, okay?”
Bas studied her for a minute, his lips set into a firm line of disapproval. He didn’t argue though, just moved back to his place at the head of the trolley and helped her manoeuvre the cats through the doors.
As soon as they passed through the curtain of magic that protected the sanctuary, the cats stirred from their cozy group. Zeus, of course, was the first, but the others followed quickly b
ehind him.
Mina held her breath. Would they reject the space? Would they love it? Zeus had approved already but Mina was worried that was only because he had to while Bas was working in there. The other cats had no such obligation.
The cats jumped from the trolley one by one and tentatively began to explore.
“So far so good,” Bas said, watching the cats as well. “You could breathe you know…keep yourself from another panic attack.”
She flicked her eyes toward him. He still wasn’t looking at her. She let her breath go, hissing it out as quietly as she could.
“The cats are fine. They like it.” Bas glanced over at her. “Okay?”
Her heart was under control. Her body felt normal. Yeah, she was okay. “Well, that’s a relief.” She tried for a laugh but it sounded like a bark. She cleared her throat. “Hey, I set up a picnic dinner for us over there. If you’re interested, I mean.”
Bas did a double take, frowned, then looked where she had pointed. Just over the little hill was a clearing and she’d laid out a blanket. The food had been delivered in self-warming serving trays to keep the perfect temperature until it was time to eat.
“Um, yeah, I could eat.” He started walking. “Thanks.”
She nodded, and followed him, rubbing her chest. Her heart wasn’t pounding anymore but that feeling of panic lingered still, a tightness in her chest that would take hours to subside completely. She hated anxiety and her panic attacks, which had started around the time that her mother had gotten sick. Cancer brought with it a deep sense of losing control. When you’re battling an illness with a loved one, that even magic can’t defeat, you always had a feeling of impending doom. The trauma of it all left Mina with panic attacks that often came out of nowhere and that she found impossible to fix. Even with the prescription supplied by her human doctor—the best it could do was put her to sleep.
She sighed.
Thinking on it now, there was no concern that the cats wouldn’t love this space. It was a million times better than the cages they’d been in while they were being treated and had all the amenities that the Dark Forest offered, thanks to Bas’s retrieval and apparent success with transplanting the flora and fauna. She could shake her head at herself now but that didn’t change the fact that she just had a fucking panic attack with no warning, and for no reason, once again. She’d tried drugs, she’d tried magic, but there seemed to be nothing she could do to prevent them. Whatever Bas had done had worked and she was grateful. She would really love to find a way to help herself so that she could gain back a sense of control.
Feral Heart: A Witch Hospital Romance (The Witches of White Willow Book 2) Page 12
