Forbidden: an Adult Paranormal Witch Romance: Othala Witch Collection (Sector 12)

by Shannon Eckrich

  “What do you mean, disappear?” This was a totally different version than what I had been told.

  “That man you’re with, Seth.” She glanced around quickly as if she were terrified of something. “He’s on top of you” —she leaned closer, her voice now a low whisper— “and then… you’re gone. I can’t see anything after that. I think that’s why they said you will die. But maybe, just maybe, they’re wrong. And the reason why the other seer couldn’t see past that is because the future could be changed.”

  I stood up, not doubting that her powers let her see into the future. But for me to disappear? How would I just disappear? And why? And what about Seth? “Okay, you say you can see into the future, tell me why Seth would want to kill me?”

  Zinna lowered her gaze to the ground and plucked a pebble. “I don’t know.”

  Seriously? Heat rushed into my cheeks. I reached down and picked her up by her arms so she was standing in front of me. “What do you mean you don’t know?” My voice cracked under the immense pressure. “You said you can see into the future! Tell me what happens to him!”

  “I don’t know!” Her eyes clouded with moisture. The sight of her caused a knot to form in my throat.

  I didn’t realize I was hurting her, didn’t mean to hurt her. I just needed to find out what happens to make Seth turn on me. “I’m sorry, Zinna.” I removed my hands from her arms and stepped back. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just need to know.”

  “My visions don’t work like that.” Her bottom lip trembled as she looked at me. “I don’t see the beginning of the war or what happens to anyone before it, just you and him. Then you’re gone.”

  “Then why should I even try to save the sector? The others are afraid of me and there is no guarantee the sector can even be saved.”

  A sweet smile extended across her lips, and she reached out, touching the center of my chest. “They will follow you. You just need to show them how powerful you are. They are afraid because they think you’re weak.”

  I laughed in frustration and turned around, looking through the trees. “Everyone keeps saying that, but I have yet to see it.”

  “It’s time to wake up, Layna. You’ve been asleep for too long.”

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?” I spun back around, but the girl was gone.

  Startled by her disappearance, I looked all around, but there was no trace of her. There was no way she could have left that fast unless she was like Seth and could teleport. But why would she say something like that and leave. What did she mean?

  “There you are.” Seth’s deep voice came from behind me, causing me to jump. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

  “I’m sorry.” I spun around to face him. “I just needed…needed to get away from the village.” I couldn’t get the girl or her words out of my mind.

  Before I could take my next breath, he was right in front of me, hands resting on my arms. “Are you okay? You seem a little on the edge.”

  “Yeah, I’m okay.” I glanced up at him and forced a smile. “I’m just ready to get out of here.”

  He rubbed my arms. “We’ll be on our way then.” He released me and grabbed my hand, leading me into the trees.

  I hated keeping things from Seth, but I knew keeping the conversation I had with the girl a secret would be for the best. For now, anyway. At least, until I figured out what she meant.

  We had finally reached the end of the shield. Seth squeezed my hand as he readied himself to step through.

  “Stop!” Kesi’s voice came at me in surprise.

  I turned my head to see a blur coming toward us. “What the—” I didn’t even get the sentence out before she appeared in front of me, grinning and with an armful of weapons.

  She unloaded everything on the ground. “I’m coming with you.”

  “Kesi.” I shook my head, still trying to make sense out of what I saw. There was no way someone could move that fast. “How did you…” My words seemed to get lost.

  “You guys aren’t the only ones with powers, you know.” She planted her hands on her hips. “Do you realize how hard it was for me to hide my ability while living in the Capital? People around there move extremely slow.”

  “Come on, you two.” Seth reached down, picking up a couple of swords, a few daggers, and a bow and arrow from the ground. “We should get moving.”

  Seth stepped through the shield, and Kesi quickly followed him before I could object about her coming with us. Taking a deep breath, I walked through the shield, wondering what else these two were hiding from me. Whatever it was, I was sure I’d find out soon enough.

  Chapter 27

  “Do you even know where we’re going?” Kesi kept Seth’s pace as she walked beside him, but watching her, the way her body seemed to twitch, he moved too slow for her.

  “There’s a cave I discovered a while ago deeper in the woods. It’s not that far away.” He continued forward with two swords on either side of his hips, daggers in his shorts, and a bow and arrow on his back. The weight of the weapons didn’t slow him down.

  “Are you insane?” She stepped in front of him, walking backward, but keeping a short amount of distance between them. “Ravagers sleep in caves, Seth. Are you trying to kill us all?”

  Seth suddenly stopped, nearly causing me to bump into him. His jaw tightened, the muscles in his arms tensing. “No, I’m not trying to kill anyone, Kesi.” He growled the words.

  “Relax, Seth.” She paused in front of him and glared. “I wasn’t referring to the prophecy. Besides, all of us here know how that ends.”

  “Stop it you two.” I placed my hand on Seth’s arm, attempting to calm him before he ripped Kesi’s head off. Turning him around, I glanced up at him. “I do have to agree with her. Ravagers are known to stay in caves during the day. How could we possibly be safe there?”

  “This cave is different. It’s protected by magic.” The blue in his eyes became calmer as he looked at me. “We’ll be safe there until we can figure out what to do next.”

  “What to do next?” Kesi piped up again. “What do you mean by that? Surely you aren’t thinking about going up against the Capital yet.”

  Seth took a deep breath and clenched his teeth together.

  Before he could reply, with more than likely another burst of anger, I intervened. “Kesi, enough. We haven’t decided what we’re doing yet. Let’s get to the cave, get some rest, and we’ll go from there.”

  “Fine.” She huffed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “Let’s go.”

  Seth took my hand and turned around, continuing through the trees, Kesi sulking behind us.

  I really hoped those two could resolve their differences. There was no way I could continue to be a referee and remain sane at the same time. Of course, I didn’t blame her one bit for being cautious around Seth. She had been told that prophecy long ago, she grew up with the story, and she did swear to my parents to protect me. But if that was the case, why did she tell him where I was in the first place?

  After what seemed like forever, but had only been a few hours according to Seth, he stopped and pointed toward two huge boulders covered in moss. “It’s just on the other side of those rocks.”

  Just as Seth finished the sentence, Kesi took off in that direction. Her blurring speed caught me off guard. I wasn’t sure if this was something I could get used to. Sure, Seth could teleport, go from one place to another, in the blink of an eye, but he had done it quite a few times around me. Kesi’s ability was new to me.

  Seth pulled me along, faster this time. Eventually, we came upon the rocks and walked in between them. It was like we had opened the doorway to a whole new world.

  The entrance to the cave was surrounded by vines with white flowers decorating it. The area around it majestic. Birds sang from far up in the trees, green grass and moss carpeted the ground in front of the cave. And the cave. Massive stones piled on top of one another, each one perfectly carved to fit on top o
f the other. These weren’t stones that belonged to the desert. They were foreign to this land, and they were weathered and ancient. It wasn’t just scenery pulling me in, it was also the energy. It buzzed inside of my head, making the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stand up. Seth had been right. Magic definitely resided here. But why? And who would have been capable of doing something like this?

  Seth released my hand and disappeared inside the cave while I stood there, in the entrance, savoring the powerful energy swirling around me. This level of magic could have only been created by a Natural. A very powerful one.

  “Hey,” Kesi yelled out from inside the cave. “Are you coming in or what? It’s all clear.”

  I pushed my legs forward and stepped inside. The interior walls were high. I had to tilt my head all the way up just to see the ceiling above me. Spinning around in the massive space, I noticed there were rocks, small ones and large ones scattered over the dusty floor. Some were long slabs, while others were completely round or irregular in shape. The inside wasn’t damp at all, it was comfortable, calming. The magical impression from long ago still apparent. The cave extended further in, but the darkness had swallowed the light, leaving it a mystery as to how far back it actually went.

  After a moment, I realized someone was missing. I looked at Kesi, who had situated herself on one of the concrete slabs, her eyes wide as she scanned the inside of the cave as well. “Where is Seth? I thought I saw him come in here.”

  “Oh, he vanished. Mumbling about sticks or something to start a fire before he left.” She stood up, making her way toward the darkness, but then she stopped just before the line of blackness reached her. “That’s funny.” Her voice was distant, as if she were speaking to herself. “I can’t go any further.”

  “I thought you checked out the cave.” I walked up behind her, feeling a surge of energy pulling me forward, beckoning me to cross into the darkness. “You said it was clear.”

  “Well, this part was. And I sensed the magic, so I knew it was safe. Whoever created this place protected it with some sort of spell. I can feel it.”

  Her words drifted faraway as the call of the darkness drew me in. The only other thing that had this impact on me was Seth, but even the pull to him wasn’t as great as this one. My line of vision focused only on one thing. Blackness. Something wanted me. It needed me, and I couldn’t seem to resist it.

  A hand grabbed my arm, jerking my mind back to reality. “No, Layna! We don’t know what’s in there. And you’re sure as hell not going in alone.”

  I blinked a few times, attempting to clear the fog that had invaded my senses. Turning my head, Kesi was right next to me, her face pale and her eyes wide. I glanced around. The high walls, rocks scattered over a dusty ground. My mind drew a blank. I had no idea what had happened. It was like time had sped up the moment the tips of my toes had crossed the line that had refused to let Kesi near it. I didn’t remember moving forward. The last memory was of me standing behind her. How did I get in front of her?

  “I don’t— I don’t remember what happened.”

  “It’s like you weren’t yourself.” She remained latched to my arm, as if she’d let me go I’d disappear forever. “I kept calling you and calling you, but you wouldn’t respond. I just managed to get you before you went into the darkness.”

  Seth appeared out of nowhere, sticks neatly stacked in his arms. He glanced at Kesi, then at me. Dropping the sticks, he rushed over.

  “What happened?” He had me in his arms before I could blink, his eyes roaming every inch of my face. He held me back at an arm’s length, continuing to search for any signs I’d been harmed.

  “Have you explored the cave back there?” Kesi said from behind us.

  “No.” His eyes drifted behind me. “I couldn’t access it. There’s an invisible wall there or something, why?”

  “Because I couldn’t cross over either, but Layna on the other hand, had no trouble. The problem was, she wasn’t herself. She couldn’t hear me calling her even though I was right next to her. I had to yank her back before she crossed the line.”

  Seth took her words in and looked down at me, his color draining as well. “You couldn’t hear her?”

  “No. I didn’t even realize I had started walking toward it. What do you think is back there?”

  “I’m not sure, but its best you stay clear of it,” he said in a firm voice. “We don’t know who created the magic here or why they created it. If Kesi and I can’t go near the darkness, we have no idea if it’s safe.”

  Seth and Kesi knew more about magic than I did, so I wasn’t going to argue with them. While I didn’t seem threatened by it, they were right, we had no idea what could be deeper inside this cave. “I’ll stay away from it.” I leaned in and placed my head on Seth’s chest, afraid because I had not only lost control of my body, but time as well. What if I went in and couldn’t come back out? I could have been trapped in there. Away from Seth and Kesi. The only two people who actually cared about me.

  “Damn right you will, because I’ll make sure you do.” Kesi refused to leave the subject alone which resulted in a warning glare from Seth.

  “Layna, there’s a spring close by, why don’t you come with me while I catch us something to eat. Kesi can stay here and ready the fire.” He smoothed my hair down with his hands.

  “Yeah, sure.” I picked my head up to meet his eyes. “I’d like to freshen up any way.”

  Seth knew me too well. He knew I needed an escape, and he gave it to me.

  Chapter 28

  Neatly folding my clothes, I set them down on the ground beside the water’s edge, and stepped into the spring. I walked through the water until I reached the middle of the small, oval shaped pool, soft waves pushing into me just below my naval. The coolness against my skin relaxed me, took my mind away from what had happened in the cave.

  I lowered my body into the water, dipping my head under the surface and wetting my hair. Then I resurfaced. The vibration surrounding me was intense. Closing my eyes, I let all the energy absorb into me; every cell, every molecule, every part of my being. I’d never felt so much magic before, except for when I was alone with Seth.

  “And how on Othala do you expect me to catch our meal when a goddess of your beauty is so close?” Seth’s deep voice brought a smile to my face. “Not only in the nude, but wet, may I remind you?”

  Pushing my hair back, I glanced over my shoulder at him. He was sitting on a rather large boulder, amusement shining brightly in his eyes as he held his makeshift fishing rod in his hands. A crooked stick and dried grass which he worked together to make a thin cordage.

  Heat centered in my cheeks as I looked at him. “I’m hardly a goddess, Seth.”

  “You are to me, and much, much more.” His expression softened, his words serious and truthful.

  “Then why don’t you come out here and we can catch fish later.” I slowly turned my body, teasing him with a side view.

  His lips twitched, and I knew he was fighting a smile, but I didn’t say a word. I didn’t have to. He placed the rod down on the rock and stood up, shedding off his shorts and revealing the sculpted body of a warrior, rendering me speechless.

  Once he reached me, he placed his strong hands on either side of my hips and tugged me forward, pressing my body to his. I reached up and took his face into my hands; studying the slight arch of his eyebrows, the slant of his eyes and fine lines highlighting his golden complexion. The way the bridge of his nose sloped down, perfectly, in proportion with his face. His well-defined jaw and even the small specks of stubble invading his chin and upper lip. I took all of him in, as he did me, our bodies communicating even though we remained silent. I didn’t want to ever forget this moment, him holding me and the reflection of myself shining deep in his blue eyes. As I exhaled, he would breathe me in, and as he exhaled, I would breathe him in, as if our only means of survival were each other.

  “The energy here is intense,” he finally spoke, and I couldn’t
help but to watch his lips as they moved. “Or maybe it’s us.”

  “Why are we so drawn together?” The question came out of nowhere. “Why us? I mean, I’ve never experienced a pull like this before, not with anyone. And I’d never had any interest in love or guys until I saw you. What makes us so special?”

  “I don’t know.” The corner of his lips twitched. “But I’m rather enjoying it.”

  “It’s my body, isn’t it?” I couldn’t hold back my smile even though I tried to pretend to be serious. He could see right through me.

  “No.” He laughed, his mouth parting just enough to reveal his pearly white teeth. “Not that I’m not tempted by your body.” He raised an eyebrow. “Because I am. The way your silky black hair caresses your shoulders.” He lifted his arm and took my hair in his hand. “Or the way the flecks of gold in your brown eyes resemble the colors of the sunset. The softness of your skin and the way your face lights up every time you see me.” His fingers touched my face. “The light flush of your cheeks when you’re angry. Any man would be tempted, but it’s more than that.” All humor faded away as he dropped his hand and placed his palm in the middle of my chest, looking at me with so much tenderness I had to blink away the tears. “It’s your heart and soul that I desire, and it’s precisely that which keeps my own heart beating, keeps my lungs drawing breaths. It’s that which keeps me alive.”

  “Seth.” His name barely made it through my lips.

  “Yes, Layna,” he answered, not taking his eyes away from mine.

  “Fucking kiss me.”

  And he did.

  God, did he kiss me.

  Passion and excitement flowed up from my toes to the crown of my head as his mouth claimed mine. My body shook with pleasure, my knees becoming weak and unstable, as he thrust his tongue deep in my throat; tasting me, owning me, branding not only my body, but my heart and soul as well. I was his, and he was mine. We always belonged together, and even though they tried, they failed to keep us away from each other.