Witchlock

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  "Sit down so I can see."

  Once she was on the ground again, he moved aside a flap of leather to expose her thigh.

  Evalle leaned forward to see what hurt so much and damn if it didn't look like she'd been burned instead of cut. "Why isn't it cut and bleeding? I'm not complaining about the lack of blood, but ... "

  Adrianna scratched her forehead. "That is strange. I don't know everything about the realm, but it's surprising that it clawed you. It was close enough to bite off your leg."

  Lovely thought.

  Storm said, "It has a sharp cinnamon smell."

  Adrianna murmured, "Not good."

  "Why?"

  "That's the KievRus scent."

  "What does that mean?" Evalle asked.

  Adrianna hesitated, then shook her head as she stared at the burn. "I don't know."

  "We should get out of here." Storm stood up and looked around. He told Evalle, "If you'll sit tight, I'll help if Adrianna will allow me to pick up any of her things." He raised his eyebrows in Adrianna's direction, obviously asking permission along with the offer.

  Evalle had no problem being a slug on the side. She'd tried to help Adrianna once in the past and the borderline OCD witch did not like anyone touching her toys. Storm already knew that, apparently.

  "I've got this, Storm," Adrianna said in a no-nonsense voice worthy of a grade school teacher.

  He nodded, and Adrianna said a quick chant, using the knife to close the circle she'd created earlier. Storm moved Evalle out of the circle and kept watch as Adrianna moved around the space, collecting her things.

  When she had everything packed to suit her, she gladly handed Storm the backpack, and he adjusted the straps then slid his arms through. Once Adrianna had him loaded down like her own personal pack mule, she walked out ahead of everyone.

  The Sterling witch might look like she'd been dragged through a briar patch, but she could pull together dignity faster than the queen of England.

  Storm helped Evalle stand, and on the way to the truck, he lifted her over anything that might cut her bare feet.

  Once she got inside, Evalle had just sunk into the passenger seat and leaned back when she got a telepathic call from Tzader. Evalle, we have a situation. I've been ordered to a Tribunal meeting. I need you to meet me there.

  That would require teleporting by Sen. Ugh.

  Evalle sent back a quick, I can meet Sen in Woodruff Park in fifteen minutes. I just need to change clothes.

  More like she needed to put clothes on, but that was information Tzader didn't need.

  Tzader replied, That's fine. I told them it'd take a half hour.

  She asked, What's up?

  The Beladors are being accused of killing the Medb without provocation and the Medb have demanded a judgement.

  That's crazy.

  I know. I wouldn't bring you in but the Tribunals are not happy about the tug-of-war over the gryphons and the Medb want to present an offer that involves the gryphons. Since you're the gryphon leader, they want you present. Bring Storm with you.

  She rolled her eyes at being called their leader as if that meant she held some position of significance, then she realized the last thing Tzader had said and replied, Okay, but why Storm?

  The Medb are delivering a body and VIPER has requested Storm to identify a scent and give testimony about the murder.

  You don't think a Belador murdered a Medb, do you?

  No, but I have to be prepared to deal with it if one of ours lost control and killed a Medb.

  Tzader's presence withdrew from her mind.

  She glanced at Storm, who might have to send a Belador to his death, because some rules could not be broken.

  The Belador code of honor topped that list.

  Chapter 23

  Veronika materialized inside Jafnan Mir to find her ancestors in chaos.

  She swept through the forest, nodding at those of her family who had taken the shape of trees and plants in the muted colors of lives long gone. They bowed in respect as she passed. They cleared a path ahead of her, allowing her robe to float over smooth ground.

  Flowers burst into bloom in brilliant colors along the way. Those would be the KievRus children who had been lost too soon.

  When Veronika reached the center of the realm, where she'd formed the sphere, all the beasts surrounding the rotating ball ceased growling and roaring. They turned to face her, then settled on the ground, docile as guard hounds.

  She opened her arms out to each side and her robe sleeves hung halfway to the ground. The smaller version of the sphere spun on the palm of her right hand. She could feel the palm sphere yearning to reach out toward Ragan's giant ball of power.

  Ragan still spun in the center, but something had disturbed the peace.

  Something had upset her ancestors, or they would not have called Veronika in.

  She tilted her head back. The hood fell away and her blue-black hair fell gently down her back. Closing her eyes, she opened her soul to her parents, grandparents, great grandparents, and on, including, aunts, uncles and cousins from many generations back.

  Their anxiety became hers.

  She clenched against the anger and frustration, then opened her mind, asking, What has happened, Guardians?

  Reports barreled into her mind one right after another, accompanied by images.

  Ragan's twin had tried to rescue Ragan from her destiny.

  Veronika's eyelids fluttered with the speed of images flying past her mind's eye.

  Adrianna had brought a friend. Someone unknown to Veronika could pose a threat to her plans, but wait ... her great, great, great uncle had marked the second woman.

  Veronika sent her appreciation for his wise decision.

  She knew where Adrianna had gone when she walked away from the Sterlings.

  But the Guardian's mark would lead Veronika to the second woman, who would hand over Adrianna for betraying Veronika's agreement with the Sterlings. Veronika would not bother with the Sterling leaders. They were nothing to her or her plan. Now that Adrianna had breached the contract, the Sterlings wouldn't lift a finger to prevent Veronika's going after Adrianna and combining her power with Ragan's.

  In all honesty, the Sterlings wouldn't have interfered anyhow, but although Veronika had toyed with the idea of using Ragan to capture Adrianna, she'd not been willing to risk a battle that would have divided her attention and energy.

  Not now when she was so close.

  With Adrianna's power joined to Ragan's, Veronika's Witchlock powers would be greater than that of any KievRus coven leader in the past.

  Veronika sent out soothing comfort to her family and thanked them for their love and support in guarding the host of the Witchlock power.

  She sent them assurance that she would deal with this threat.

  They rose to their feet, one at a time, and came to her with heads lowered in a show of confidence. Jafnan Mir had been formed with anticipation that one leader would rebuild the KievRus coven and make it so strong it would never fall again.

  All of this had been created for the day a leader would rule over all others.

  Veronika lifted the sphere, raising her hand high and pointing it toward Ragan. "Hear me now, Ragan of the Sterlings. You were traded in a fair deal. I have kept my word, and now you must fulfill your part."

  She pointed her index finger at Ragan, and a bolt of energy shot from the sphere in Veronika's hand to strike the center of Ragan's sphere. Power sparked inside around Ragan, and huge fissures fingered across the outside, spreading and emitting loud cracking sounds as the sphere hissed and came apart.

  Ragan's screaming sounded far away, slipping through the cracks until a huge chunk of sphere fell away and her screams shook the forest.

  Veronika focused her power on the small sphere she held, as it spun faster and faster until it was only a white blur.

  The bolt of energy still connecting the two spheres roared with the flood of moving power.

  White-hot
streaks spewed through new breaks in the giant sphere and more chunks of the translucent white globe burst apart, falling from the sides.

  The arc of energy exploded and a cloud of white-gold sparks shot through the air.

  Power poured out of the giant sphere, gushing into a roaring wave that rolled toward Veronika.

  Halfway to her, the power twisted and twisted, narrowing into a tiny, spinning tip the size of a fat needle by the time it reached the globe in Veronika's hand. The tip shot inside and energy funneled into the sphere. The globe sucked it in at a rapid pace.

  When the last snap of energy had spun through the tiny opening, it smoothed over, sealing the sphere.

  Energy hummed through Veronika's body. Yes. This would magnify a thousand times over when the time came for her to receive Witchlock.

  When Veronika lowered her hand to eye level, she said, "Hello, Ragan."

  A very small Ragan scooted and crawled around with her hands on the inside of the sphere, acting much like a trapped, blind rat in jar. Panic rode her face, a tiny version of Adrianna's. She banged on the inside of the sphere and opened her mouth, surprising Veronika when Ragan's voice came into her mind.

  I hate you, Ragan screamed.

  Veronika replied as a thought. How are you in my mind?

  Ragan stopped hitting the wall of the sphere and sent a smug look up at her. You didn't expect that, did you, bitch? I've heard your thoughts the entire time. I can tell where you are even though I'm blind.

  Veronika lifted a finger and tapped on the round surface.

  Ragan cringed and backed away, hugging her arms around herself.

  We are not done yet, Ragan. I had intended to leave you in the realm until the last minute, but your sister changed that plan. I can't risk her attempting a second time and being successful. Now you and I are going to take a trip across the ocean. You'd like to see your sister again once more, wouldn't you?

  Ragan made no motion to agree or disagree.

  But Veronika had managed to wipe that smug look off of Ragan's face.

  Of course you want to see Adrianna again. I would not deny you the chance to watch as I burn her from the inside out.

  Chapter 24

  Evalle rushed from the elevator when it deposited her and Storm in her underground residence. Her hurry had nothing to do with wanting to see that rat bastard Sen or face a Tribunal of deities determined to make her life miserable, and everything to do with helping Tzader.

  He'd sounded worried.

  It took a lot to bother a man who dealt with monumental problems every day as the top Belador Maistir in the world.

  Storm followed, as silent as he'd been on the way back from her and Adrianna's disastrous attempt at rescuing Ragan.

  Fear and frustration coming off him had rushed across her skin the minute she regained consciousness after traveling back to this world.

  Then he'd shut his emotions down faster than turning off a water faucet.

  Was he shielding his anger, his worry or what?

  After surviving Jafnan Mir and realizing what they may be up against with Veronika, worrying about where Storm lived shrank in comparison to facing a life on the run, hiding and trying to survive.

  Still, until they could formulate a plan or got more information about Witchlock, they were here and she wanted everyone in her world happy, starting with Storm and Feenix.

  They'd made headway earlier in the evening, but Storm was hiding his feelings from her now and Evalle had no experience with managing that. She had no experience with male-female relationships, period.

  Nicole always gave Evalle good advice. Her witch friend had said to talk to Storm honestly. Evalle would do that just as soon as they had a quiet moment.

  Normal couples had quiet moments. They walked on the beach and watched sunsets.

  Would she never have a normal time with Storm?

  She opened the door and took two steps inside to find Feenix on his beanbag, curled up with his stuffed alligator. She never came home and found him sitting still.

  His abandoned toys were in the same pile they'd been this morning.

  He looked up and smiled, rising from the beanbag.

  Storm entered right behind her, pausing at her back with his hands settled on her shoulders.

  Feenix took one look at Storm and dropped back into his chair, turning his gaze away.

  Her heart sank to her feet. She didn't have time right now, but she couldn't leave him like this.

  Storm leaned close to her ear and said, "Get cleaned up and give me a minute to talk to Feenix."

  Good idea or bad idea?

  She trusted this man with her life and her love. She had to trust him not to upset Feenix. Evalle nodded, but stepped over and leaned down to kiss Feenix's head between his horns. He cut his eyes at her and that wary look gripped her throat.

  Feenix might not trust her with his love at this point.

  She said, "I promise we'll spend time together as soon as I come back. But I have to go help Tzader right now. Okay?"

  He lifted his pudgy fingers and patted her cheek, but his big orange eyes drooped with sadness. "K."

  "Storm wants to visit with you. Is that okay, too?"

  Those orange eyes turned a deep shade of suspicious. Feenix didn't have shrugging down, but he lifted his shoulders, which was as good an answer as she'd get for now.

  With a quick look back at Storm, who smiled and winked at her, she raced away to clean up. She tossed his coat on the bed and dashed through a thirty-second shower, then pulled her wet hair into a slick ponytail and stepped into jeans and a spare set of boots. She finished buttoning a clean BDU shirt before walking back into the living room.

  Feenix had left the beanbag and was playing with his toys, his back to Storm, who had squatted down to talk to him.

  That didn't show much promise, but she had to look at the bright side. No one was yelling or squawking.

  On the way out, Evalle said, "See you later, baby."

  Feenix gave her his lifted hand goodbye that meant he was not in the mood to talk.

  She stepped through the doorway and waited outside. Storm finally emerged and shut the door. He didn't say anything, so she shoved the Feenix and living together conversation to the back burner yet again.

  She'd like to say it was because she wanted the perfect time to talk, but that would be a lie.

  The longer she procrastinated, the longer she had with Storm before they faced that the only solution would be keeping separate residences. She'd been so happy at the idea of living together that the thought of him moving out now left her feeling as if she'd lost something before she had a chance to actually have it.

  Much the way she'd felt after losing her ability to be in the sun almost immediately after gaining it.

  The elevator spit them out into the dark area outside her apartment door, which was one level below today's street level. This area had been a gully back in 1869, then train tracks were laid and it became a new depot when Atlanta rebuilt after Sherman torched the city. The city gradually built bridges over the area to relieve congestion, and eventually the whole rail area turned into the famous Underground Atlanta.

  Evalle started across weed-infested pavement that had once been a parking lot for the brick building above her home, and Storm stepped toward the passenger door of his truck. He always opened doors for her, and it made her heart flutter every time.

  Tzader and Quinn were the only men before Storm who had ever treated her as anything but a weird anomaly.

  She suggested, "Let's walk. That way you won't have to leave your truck up there. We're ten minutes away."

  He fell into step with her and sent a sharp look her way. "What's wrong?"

  She opened her mouth to say, "Nothing," but that lie would disappoint him. Instead she said, "I'm concerned about Feenix," which was true.

  "Why?"

  "It's clear he's unhappy. Maybe even depressed. I've never seen him like this."

  Storm's jaw flexed
then he said, "He's upset that I'm there."

  Hadn't she just decided this was not the time to have this conversation? So why'd you bring it up?

  "You're just new to him." That could be the truth.

  "He likes Lanna. She told me Feenix knows Tzader and Quinn. You've left him with Nicole before. They were all new to him at one time. He knows who--and what--I am to you and doesn't like it."

  "I can't do this right now, Storm. I know moving in with me has been difficult, but-"

  Storm moved fast, swinging her into his arms. "Don't you dare apologize for anything. That's your home and I'm the reason there's an issue, but will you trust me to fix it?"

  That sounded like Storm was asking for permission to work things out with Feenix on his own.

  She knew she could trust him ... but would she be able to let go and let him handle Feenix?

  She kissed him on the chin. "I love you. You know that, right?"

  "I never doubt it and I don't want you to doubt us. I love you enough to do whatever it takes to make this work."

  The tight muscles in her chest relaxed a little, and she hugged him. Just like everything else since she realized she wanted him in her life, she had to be able to meet him half way on this, or it was never going to work.

  Tzader's voice came into her mind. Sen will be at Woodruff in ten minutes.

  Evalle backed away and took Storm's hand. "Of course I trust you and whatever you do."

  "Thank you," Storm said. His smile sent a thrill through her every time and now was no different. She hated to leave when they were finally talking, but forcing Sen to wait would probably end with being teleported the way Dorothy had traveled to Oz.

  Plus Storm had never been to a Tribunal meeting and she needed time to give him pointers.

  When they emerged on Marietta Street, Storm took her hand, walking them at a fast clip. "Tell me about the Tribunal."

  "Tribunals are made up of three deities. They could be all gods, all goddesses or a mix. I've only faced a mix. We'll be taken to a place in what's called the Nether Realm, where they're on a dais and we stand before them on...kind of a ground-like area that falls off at the edges is the best way I can explain it. The sky is dark, filled with stars and reaches all the way from side to side. It makes me feel like I'm inside a snow globe, sans snow."

  "I've sensed your concern from the moment you told me Tzader requested my presence. What are you worried about?"