Hannah (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #2)

by Virginia Hunter

  Dominic looked over at Hannah. “You’re leading this show. We follow you.”

  Hannah nodded. “There are two ATVs to the east…” She pointed. “Back in the woods a hundred or so yards. That’s where we’re headed.”

  “How are we all going to get out of here on just two vehicles?” Nathan asked.

  “That’s a question for later,” Dominic said. “Right now, we need to haul ass.”

  Hannah peeked outside. The distance to the tree line looked a lot further away than when she’d crawled her way to the tent. A trick of the mind, no doubt, now that sneaking out of the camp wasn’t going to be an option. With Nathan carrying Monica, they were going to have to run for it. “There’s a trailer attached to one of the ATVs,” she answered. “We should all fit.”

  “Even Kevin?” Nancy asked.

  Hannah hesitated, caught off guard by the question. She had already done the math in her head when she had first seen Kevin’s body, and knew there would be plenty of room without him. “Yeah,” she finally replied. Man, that sounded like bullshit. There was no time to make it sound any better. The way was clear for the moment. If they were going to go, it had to be now.

  “Let’s do this,” Hannah said, and then sprinted toward the woods.

  Time does weird things to a person when under stress. Hannah knew crossing that clearing couldn’t have taken more than five or six seconds, but it felt like time had stopped once she took that first step out of the tent. Every stump she ran past marked another mile in their journey to safety. The forest seemed to pull away the closer they got. Even the wind was against them, gusting so hard it forced their frantic run to a crawl. Any minute, the guards would spot them and the chase would be on.

  Hannah finally breached the first few trees of the forest, and relief flooded through her. We’re going to make it! The ATVs weren’t that far, and, with the cover of the forest, they would escape unseen.

  That’s when the first gunshot echoed in the clearing. That’s when everything sped up. That’s when Hannah knew they were screwed.

  Nancy yelled, “Run, Nathan!”

  More gunfire ripped through the air, this time full auto.

  Hannah came to a skidding halt. She expected Dominic to slam into her, but he didn’t. She turned around and found herself alone. What the hell?! Panic surged, and she ran back to the clearing.

  Dominic and Nathan took cover behind two large stumps quite a distance from the edge of the woods. Monica laid next to them, still unconscious. Nancy however, was closer but blood leaked out of a nickel-sized hole in her calf, forcing her to take cover as well. The bullets from their attackers sent up fountains of dirt and debris as they struck everything around the sheltered area. Dominic and his crew were completely pinned down.

  Seven of the men in black walked slowly, but purposefully, toward Hannah’s trapped friends. They alternated reloading in a practiced fashion so that at least two of them were firing the whole time.

  Hannah had to do something. The guards were still too far away for her to use the forest, which meant she either had to provide cover for her friends, or wait until the machine-gun-toting men got closer.

  Cover it is, Hannah decided. She just wasn’t sure how to go about it.

  The wind was blowing pretty hard, not to mention the helicopter continued to hover not more than fifty yards away. An idea came to her, and she looked up at the trees. Using her innate power over nature, she reached out to every pine, maple, and oak she could touch with her mind. Shed your leaves for me, she pleaded. Shake them free! The ground beneath Hannah’s feet rumbled. She sank to her knees, and continued to call for aid.

  The trees began to vibrate, and a sprinkle of leaves floated into the air, dancing across the clearing. The quivering trees began to sway, building up speed, until the tops thrashed about as if caught in a hurricane. Leaves poured from the forest and filled the man-made glade.

  The guards became lost in the wave of leaves, and even Dominic and Nathan were hard to see. Nancy, however, was close enough that her wide eyes and gaping mouth were easily seen.

  Hannah ran out to her. “Nancy!” She grabbed hold of the shell-shocked woman. “C’mon!”

  They staggered into the cover of the forest. Once they were a safe distance into the woods, Hannah stopped and helped Nancy to the ground. She glanced at the wound on the woman’s leg. It looked pretty bad, but she didn’t know much about medicine. Perhaps Troy could do something if they made it back.

  “Help the others,” Nancy said, waving Hannah away. “I’ll be fine.”

  Hannah didn’t need to be told twice. She got to her feet and ran back, looking for Dominic, Nathan, and Monica.

  The leaf barrier was fading—trees only have so many—but the guards were still obscured enough that Hannah couldn’t make them out in the distance. Dominic and Nathan were further along than they had been. They dragged Monica between them, her head bobbing uselessly with each step.

  Hannah didn’t hesitate when she reached the edge of the forest. She kept running out into the clearing toward the lumbering trio.

  “Get back!” Dominic yelled.

  Gun fire sounded again, this time much closer. Bullets buried into the earth near them, sending more funnels of dirt into the air.

  Hannah still couldn’t see the guards, and hoped they couldn’t see her as she grabbed hold of Monica. “There isn’t time for safety!” she yelled at Dominic. “We have to get to the woods. Now!”

  Bullets continued to wiz by Hannah, Nathan, and Dominic as they carried the unconscious redhead into the woods.

  “Everyone okay?” Hannah asked, once they were out of the clearing. She slowed her pace.

  “Don’t stop,” Nathan said through clenched teeth. “They’ll be on us in a second!”

  Hannah heeded the warning and pressed on. She hoped no one had been hit, but Nathan was right; there was no time to check now.

  Shots rang out again. This time trees splintered, showering the group with broken bark. Nathan cried out, and stumbled, but didn’t go down.

  Hannah glanced behind, and saw the men in black coming through the underbrush. She reached out to the trees with her mind, asking them to bring their roots to the surface.

  Within seconds the earth around their pursuers erupted. Roots sprang out of the ground like cypress knees. The guards that were running tripped and fell.

  Hannah turned away as one of the falling men impaled himself on the jagged roots. She never liked the idea of hurting people. Obviously, killing them was even worse. It didn’t matter that they were trying to do the same to her and her friends...well, it kind of did, but it still made her stomach queasy, and tore away a thin layer of her humanity.

  Nathan stumbled and fell to one knee.

  “Nathan!” Dominic yelled.

  “I’m okay,” the ex-marine replied. “That last one got me.” He took his hand away from his side, and it was covered in blood. “We have to keep moving.”

  Hannah helped Dominic pull Nathan to his feet. “Just a little further.” She took Nathan’s place under Monica’s arm, so that he could walk unhindered.

  It didn’t take long for them to catch up to Nancy. The poor woman was hobbling along, clinging from tree to tree as she went. Dark rings of sweat soaked through her green tank-top and khaki shorts. The hole in her leg continued to seep lines of blood down her calf, and the once white sock that peeked out from the top of her hiking boot was now dark crimson. Despite her valiant effort to escape unaided, she appeared on the verge of collapse.

  Hannah released Monica and helped Dominic lift her up onto his shoulders. Then she rushed forward to take Nancy’s arm. “They’re coming. We have to hurry.”

  Nancy nodded silently, and threw her arm around Hannah’s shoulder. She winced in pain as Hannah forced a quicker pace. “I can think of better ways to spend a Tuesday,” Nancy said with a groan.

  Hannah didn’t have the words to respond; she was too scared at the moment. Instead, she answered with a fa
ke chuckle, and continued dragging the wounded woman in the direction of the ATVs, or at least in the direction she thought the ATVs were located. The forest could be disorienting, especially when a person was on the verge of panic. The surroundings looked familiar, but it was hard to be certain coming from the opposite direction.

  Don’t second guess, just keep going. There wasn’t another choice anyway. Deep down Hannah knew that wasn’t entirely true. She could do something; she just didn’t like the thought of killing people, even if they were scumbags. Unfortunately, things hadn’t gone as she’d hoped, and the possibility for more violence was close at hand. In her mind, they weren’t supposed to have been spotted—they were supposed to have escaped without a hitch. Come back to the real world, she chided herself. It’s never that easy.

  An ATV engine revved to life in the distance.

  Thank goodness, Hannah thought. Rhea must have run ahead. Clever girl.

  They hobbled toward the rumbling ATV as quickly as they could. Only a slight change of course was required.

  Hannah spoke with the underbrush using her power. Thorny briers and dense vines shied away as they approached. The motion wasn’t enough to be noticed by the unknowing eye, but the change was sufficient enough to make the way less challenging for the group.

  The sound of the ATV engine was close now. Just a little further, and they’d be home free.

  Didn’t happen.

  Shots blasted again, tearing up the surrounding foliage. Dominic yelled in pain, and went down. Nathan dove on top of Monica, covering her body as best he could.

  Hannah let go of Nancy, and turned to face their attackers.

  Three of them stood twenty or so yards back. They had abandoned their previous tactic of alternating firing. All of them had emptied their clips, and were currently reloading as they marched toward her.

  Enough. Hannah gritted her teeth, and called out to the trees. Destroy them!

  The cracking of bark filled her ears as the monstrous trees twisted and whipped their branches about. The tip of each limb cut like a razor, severing arms, legs, and even heads. The attack was over in seconds.

  Hannah hadn’t looked away this time. She’d forced herself to watch while her commands took the lives of those three men. They were killers, yes, but now so was she. Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at the bloody piles of body parts. Some religions would condemn her for what she had just done, others would rejoice. She believed in neither. She only wished for peace with others and nature. Unfortunately, that couldn’t always be.

  “Hannah!” Rhea shouted. She sounded close. “Snap out of it!”

  Hannah jolted from her remorse to find Rhea hauling Nathan to his feet.

  “Don’t just stand there,” Rhea commanded. “Help me!”

  Like an automaton, Hannah moved to Nathan’s side. She helped steady him, as her gaze drifted to the others in a dreamy haze.

  Monica grasped clumsily at anything nearby, groaning in pain. The redhead had finally regained consciousness, albeit rather slowly. Nancy stared back at Hannah like she’d seen a ghost. Shock and fear rimmed the wounded woman’s eyes, but she said nothing. Dominic bled from a bullet hole in his shoulder. His look of amazement and concern brought Hannah back to the real world as fully as a slap to the face.

  He must have seen, Hannah thought. Both of them must have seen.

  “Hannah!” Rhea barked, interrupting the thought. “Wake up, dammit!” She was helping Nathan limp toward the ATV, but kept looking back to make sure Hannah had heard.

  “Sorry,” Hannah said. She quickly bent down and grabbed Monica. The girl was a complete wreck. Her clothes were torn, and a knotted bruise ran from the middle of her forehead down to the left corner of her mouth. When the redhead tried to speak, it only came out as gibberish. As she mumbled, a large gap became visible where two of her teeth had been knocked out.

  Hannah hauled Monica to her feet, then followed Rhea and Nathan to the ATVs. She made sure not to look Nancy in the eyes as she passed. Now was not the time for explanations.

  Rhea dumped Nathan into the trailer, and assisted Hannah in doing the same with Monica. Once both of the wounded crew were settled, Rhea looked over at Hannah in concern. “You okay?”

  Hannah nodded slowly. “I just...” She couldn’t finish. The words were too hard to say.

  “I know,” Rhea assured. She placed a hand on Hannah’s shoulder. “The feeling will pass. You must know that you did the right thing.”

  “Did I?”

  Rhea frowned. “You must convince yourself that you did, or you will never get past it. Would you rather it was you or Dominic that was dead?”

  Hannah shook her head.

  “C’mon,” Rhea said, as she started walking back toward Nancy. “There could be more of those men. We need to leave.”

  A bit of relief touched Hannah. She knew Rhea had killed people before. The question of who or how had never come up, but the Native American woman had acknowledged as much to Hannah a few years ago after one of the many nights spent at the altar in the woods. To know that the twinge of self-loathing would fade was comforting, but if faced with the same situation again, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill. Dominic’s safety was the priority.

  When Hannah got back to Dominic, he didn’t say anything. He just pressed a hand to the bullet wound on his shoulder and got to his feet. She took hold of him to lend her strength, which he accepted graciously. The silence as they moved to the ATVs spoke more than any words could have. He was giving her space, she knew. There had been no fear in his eyes like there had been in Nancy’s when the trees tore those men apart, and there was no fear in them now. He was patient and unafraid, and that was a good thing.

  Once everyone was in the trailer, and Dominic sat, leaning against Hannah’s back on the two-seater, they headed to Coven’s Grove. What would come next was anyone’s guess, but Hannah had a feeling it wasn’t going to be good.

  Even though it was spring, a fire crackled in the great room’s hearth. The structure spanned the entire western wall, and stretched all the way up to the vaulted ceiling. Most of it was made from rough-cut riverstone, while the accents and mantle were made of a darker stone. Ancient symbols of power had been chiseled into the circular pattern of bricks that framed the fire. The symbols contained deep magic that would keep a fire burning for a thousand years if need be, but they also made it possible for a witch to snuff out the flames at any given moment. The sound was soothing, and the warmth helped thaw the numbness of Hannah’s grief-stricken mind. She had always taken comfort in the great room. The heavy wooden beams and stone walls provided a sense of security that she hadn’t been able to find anywhere else, even within the sheltered confines of her own cottage.

  The shock of what had happened earlier that evening had finally sunk in, chilling her to the bone. She found it difficult to keep warm as she pondered the deaths she had not only witnessed but also caused.

  Nancy’s occasional sobs only served to keep the horrible events painfully fresh. The truth of Kevin’s fate had come to light once the group had pulled into the garage at Coven’s Grove, and Nancy had insisted they go back for him.

  Hannah rubbed her temple. What a nightmare, she thought, as her gaze drifted to the others. Dominic stood near Hannah, next to the fireplace, with his left arm in a sling. Troy had seen to the gunshot wound, and said it would be okay for now, but would need proper medical attention. Nathan, Nancy, and Monica sat on the largest sofa. Troy tended to each one of them with the first aid supplies they kept in the pantry. The EMT was quite adept at extracting bullets, as there were minimal cries of pain from those he pulled the bullets from. Troy was in the middle of examining Monica’s busted teeth when Miranda glided into the room, Rhea just behind her.

  “Why were you on John McClery’s land?” Miranda asked Dominic without so much as a how-do-you-do. Hannah and Rhea had already given her a brief rundown of what had happened, but the woman was thorough and needed details. The question had a rippl
ing effect that drew everyone’s attention. The matriarch came to a stop in the center of the room, just behind the sofa that harbored Dominic’s crew.

  “We had discovered some of Dongle’s illegal drill sites,” Dominic began. “We went to investigate one of them.” He looked over at Nancy, a frown distorting his usually pleasant features. “I didn’t think the situation would get that out of hand. Not here in the U.S. at least. We’ve seen sites with heavy defenses in other countries, but not here.” He shook his head slowly, and spoke more to his crew than Miranda. “I took us out there unprepared, and got Kevin killed.”

  “That’s crap,” Nathan said, the long scar above his brow twitched. He winced as he shifted on the couch. “We knew the possibilities. We knew what we were getting into. We’ve always known.”

  “I don’t think so,” Dominic argued. “This was—”

  “Nathan’s right,” Nancy interrupted. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “We all knew the risk. Stop with the self-blaming shit. It isn’t true, and it’s boring.”

  Dominic blinked in shock, rendered speechless.

  Hannah stepped over to him and touched his good shoulder. She was glad Nancy didn’t blame Dominic for Kevin’s death, yet she knew he would blame himself regardless.

  Miranda studied Dominic and his crew with hawk-like eyes. The matriarch looked radiant as always. Her thick auburn locks framed her smooth features in an elegant flowing hairstyle that draped over her shoulders. The white button-up blouse she wore showed off her generous bosom, and her gray dress-slacks hugged her well formed hips and legs in the most flattering way possible.

  Hannah couldn’t help but be a little jealous of the woman. Miranda had money, power, and beauty. But, as enviable as those things were, Hannah didn’t follow her out of some sense of inferiority or the need to be noticed by someone who had attained success. She followed her because of the thing that brought all of those qualities together. The thing that most who had those other qualities lacked—a sense of morality. The genuine interest the matriarch had shown in Hannah’s well being, and others for that matter, was perhaps her most enviable trait, as well as the most endearing. Hannah trusted Miranda’s instincts and sense of mercy. The matriarch would lend aid if she could, but not at the expense of the coven.