Altered Souls (Witch Avenue Series #2)

by Bolton, Karice

  “Sorry,” I apologized, meeting their stare. “You’re much quicker than we are.”

  “That we are,” Bakula hummed in a beautiful voice. “This way.”

  We followed Dace and Bakula back into the woods, but this time we were immediately met with a miniature village. I stopped dead in my tracks for fear that I would step on something that was of importance to them.

  “Over there,” Dace said, pointing to the side of the village where two human-sized handcrafted log seats were waiting for us.

  If I didn’t know better, it almost looked like they were placed at the head of the village.

  Careful to step on only flat surfaces, Logan and I made our way to these beautiful masterpieces.

  Before sitting, my hand traced the vines and petals that were carved deep into the wood, layered with lighter carvings of animals and birds.

  “Triss,” Logan whispered, pointing.

  I followed his finger to see my name etched into the wooden surface, and my throat went dry. It was hard for me to swallow. I looked at the other chair, but there was no name engraved.

  “Please sit.” Bakula motioned.

  We both took our seats and I scanned the village that seemed set for nobility. There buildings were carved with as much care as the chair that I was sitting in. Little chimneys carried smoke out of the homes, and steps led to bridges that were secured to the pines surrounding us. It was quite elaborate.

  Dace and Bakula moved smaller versions of our chairs in front of us, readying for a discussion that offered possibilities I never imagined. I raised my hand to the pendant and took a deep breath in.

  “The night on the beach,” Dace began, and my blood froze. “Was a horrible night for fairies around the globe. We had been waiting patiently for you to turn eighteen.”

  My hands began getting clammy, and I glanced at Logan for support. What all did this species know about me and why?

  “Not only did you lose your mother, we thought we might have lost our only chance for continued survival,” Dace sighed.

  “But all hope is not lost,” Bakula had a glimmer in her eyes. “You’re the chosen one and here you are.”

  Logan reached his hand over and placed it on my knee, gently squeezing it with anticipation. No one spoke, but I needed words because that was the most unclear statement I had ever heard.

  When I realized they had no intention of continuing I leaned forward and smiled, placing my hand out, not even sure why.

  Bakula took this to mean something and hopped on my hand.

  “Chosen for what?” I whispered, afraid the forests would hear my ignorance.

  “To save us. To save the forests of the world, the animals of the world and your brothers and sisters for they are the most lost of all.”

  “Humans? What do they need saving from?”

  Dace laughed and so did Logan, which kind of perturbed me since I wasn’t privy to the joke.

  “From themselves,” Bakula responded, smiling.

  “That’s kind of a big responsibility for one person,” I said, completely bewildered.

  “Well, the movement is supported by many participants. We were waiting for the right leader, and that is you, Triss,” Bakula said.

  “How do you know it’s me and not someone else who should be helping?”

  “Your lineage primed you to be the most understanding witch to have come to our world ever—”

  “I don’t feel very understanding. I’m certainly not understanding when it comes to my father’s actions,” I interrupted Dace.

  “That brings us to another problem,” Dace began again, not even bothering to answer my complaint. “Your father has been destroying our communities for a certain ingredient found in those mushrooms you saw. It’s nothing new. The family has followed us from place to place continually disrupting the purpose of these mushrooms. We cultivated them because they provide us protection. Unfortunately, your father and his family before him, realized the hallucinogenic properties. They can manipulate human desires, thoughts, and abilities. Frankly they’ve found the perfect brainwashing brew.”

  “So it’s not just black magic?” I asked. “It requires this substance found in your mushrooms.”

  “Oh yes, dear. No human, witch or otherwise, could ever have that type of power over another human, at least to that extreme. It takes help.”

  I felt Logan’s gaze on me and turned to face him. His deep, blue eyes were filled with compassion. The burden that was being thrust upon me was nothing I thought I could handle.

  “With these chemicals, it can become very easy to persuade someone to choose a path they might not normally go down,” Dace followed up.

  “What do you think I can do to help?” I asked. “I had planned to go into the compound, but that was purely to get our mothers back and find out what my father’s plans are.”

  “We can tell you a little bit of what your father’s plans are,” Dace replied quietly. “But it would still be quite beneficial to have you go into the compound.”

  “If you already know what her father’s plan is, why should we put her in harm’s way? Isn’t there a way to get our mothers back without her going in there?” Logan interrupted.

  “You love her,” Dace said softly.

  “More than anything,” Logan nodded.

  “She can cause a weakness in her father that no one else could provide,” Bakula replied.

  “He hasn’t seen me for eighteen years. I doubt he holds a soft spot for me,” I argued. The mere mention of my father got my blood pumping.

  “It may seem that way, but we can give you tools to accomplish it,” Dace continued.

  “Like?” Logan asked on my behalf.

  Dace turned to me, and Bakula hopped off of my hand to sit back down in her chair.

  “We offer you our gift of foresight,” Dace replied.

  “You can see the future?” I asked.

  “Of sorts.” Bakula looked over at Logan and then back at me. “We can see every option available and based on certain actions, we can see where it all might lead.”

  I thought quickly to the chair Logan was sitting in and the absence of his name engraved on it. Yet, I’m sure they knew he was coming.

  Bakula nodded at me. She knew what I was thinking.

  “We always have a choice,” I whispered.

  “Always,” Dace agreed. “Your father had a choice eighteen years ago. Logan had a choice as well.”

  The warmth spread through my body as the realization of what Dace’s words meant. I caught Logan looking at me, gauging my reaction. Dace and Bakula’s lesson was an intimate expression of our own fears and paranoia leading to a possible conclusion, and we had the power to change it.

  “You have a stoic mind, Triss,” Bakula said. “That will only work in our favor.”

  “Some of us might call it stubbornness,” Logan smiled, and I couldn’t help but smile despite the very serious moment in time.

  “I will help however I can,” I replied. “I hope it’s enough.”

  “It will be. Your decision ensures it already.” Dace said, fluttering about with activity.

  “Now let’s have the engravers carve the correct name in your partner’s chair,” Bakula said, who was an apparent romantic at heart.

  “Thank you, Bakula,” I whispered, giving her my pinky to shake, “and you, too, Dace.” Who was already busy waking up the artisan who would finish the chair next to mine.

  “No, thank you. Your choice has given us all hope once more, but we need to start planning now. Time isn’t on our side,” Bakula said, her voice solemn.

  “But kids,” Bakula added, making me feel like my mother was in front of me, “remember that nothing can tear you two apart except for your own fears and paranoia.”

  I nodded, and stole a glance at Logan who was wearing one of the most confident smiles I had seen on his lips in quite some time.

  “Thanks Bakula,” I whispered, grateful for this tiny woman full of knowledge I never
would be able to replicate.

  “Now, let’s shoot for getting you in there in three days,” Dace was back with a blue print of my father’s property that was ten times as large as he was.

  Logan’s eyes darkened, and I knew we were in for a long night ahead of us.

  Chapter 16

  “Do you think it can be done?” I asked.

  Logan nodded. “I do. I’m not that hot on the idea of you going in there alone, but maybe they’re right. Maybe it is the only way.”

  We didn’t get back to the house until early morning from our meeting with the fairies. Instead of allowing myself to feel overwhelmed, I forced myself to fall asleep and start over again with a fresh outlook. I glanced over at Logan who looked worn out and like he didn’t follow the same plan. We had curled up together on the couch, but I had woken up alone.

  “Did you sleep at all?” I questioned.

  “Meh, enough.”

  “I don’t even know what time it is,” I said, reaching for my phone and noticing a message. “Did you already fill in Jenny?”

  “I managed to get in touch with everyone Dace mentioned,” he replied softly.

  So he hadn’t slept at all.

  I gave him a grateful smile and thought about how much our lives had changed in such a short time. Logan’s lips quirked in an almost-smile as if he knew what I was thinking, and the thought of leaving him made me wonder about my choice. Maybe we could just run away together.

  “You always have this way about you,” I started.

  “Yeah?” he prompted, smiling as he looked up from a page he was reading.

  “It’s pretty incredible, actually.”

  “How’s that?” he asked, completely bewildered.

  “You’re so in control, so strong. I feel so protected around you even when I don’t need protecting.” I replied with mild embarrassment. “I’m going to miss that when I go inside the compound. I know I’m strong enough. It’s not that.”

  “What is it then?” his voice softer, and his eyes taking in everything about me.

  “It’s that! Right there… that look,” I whispered. “You make me feel like everything I have to say is important — valued. I’m not going to have anyone to bounce ideas or my wacky assumptions off of.”

  He looked down at the table quickly and moved the papers he was looking at to the side.

  Oh, no! Did I completely freak him out?

  “Wanna sit down over here?” his words were burdened with something I didn’t understand.

  “Sure,” I replied as cheerfully as possible. I had no clue what was going on.

  I plopped down in the chair next to him and yanked on his seat to angle him toward me more.

  “There. That’s better,” I teased. “If I’m in for something heavy, I need a full on frontal view of you.”

  “Is that so?” His grin was wide.

  “Yep. That way if I get really mad, I can just look at you, and it’ll remind me of why I put up with you.”

  “Wow. That’s the only reason, huh?” His eyes had softened, and my worry began to fade slightly.

  “That and your mammoth house back in Illinois,” I teased.

  He smiled and touched my cheek, creating a flurry inside.

  Did he find something out when he was calling everyone to fill them in on our plans? That might be it. Maybe there’s more infiltration on my father’s side than we accounted for. His voice cut into my thoughts with something I didn’t expect.

  “Remember when you tried on that old dress from the attic?”

  “Yeah I do.” It seemed so long ago but it wasn’t that far in the past at all. Dancing in his embrace felt magical, like anything was possible. How had things gotten so complicated?

  “I felt like the luckiest man in the world getting to hold you, yet I was so worried that you would push me away.”

  “I’m sorry I ever made you feel that way,” I whispered. “I never meant to, but it was like,” I paused for a second, “too good to be true.”

  “I guess it was in a way, and it was short-lived.” His laughter lingered.

  “Wasn’t it though?” My mind quickly thought back to the Trevor situation.

  “You believe what Bakula said about spells of the heart, right?” he asked.

  “Yes, and might I add… I-told-you-so,” I said grinning. “I knew that side-effect was bogus.”

  “Well, it’s only bogus because you’re so bullheaded,” he shot back with an adorable smirk.

  “If you believe in me and I believe in you we’ll be set,” I said. “Which I always knew.”

  “Right, that’s exactly how I remember it,” he replied coyly, but then his eyes began shielding something.

  He frowned and looked over at the sheet of paper, bringing it toward him again.

  “I want to show you something,” he said, pointing at the piece of paper.

  “What’s up?” I asked perplexed, only seeing a drawing.

  “It’s,” he hesitated. “It’s a method for us to share things and —”

  “Yeah?”

  “I know we’re young, and I don’t want to pressure you.” The confidence that Logan usually exuded was completely absent. Instead, he wore a shy grin.

  “Would you spit it out?” I teased him.

  “You know that tattoo I have that links me to your father?” Logan asked.

  “Kind of hard to forget.” I rolled my eyes.

  “That’s not the only type of tattoo that can link beings. There are ones that are for more intimate, and I thought maybe we could share —” His eyes held onto mine, waiting for my response before he continued.

  My heart skipped a beat, and all I could do was blink at him.

  “Too much?” he asked softly.

  Not realizing I was giving him the wrong impression I began shaking my head quickly, thinking about what to say, but words seemed inadequate.

  “I…I would be honored,” I whispered.

  His blue eyes burned into mine, as a look of wonder spread across his face.

  “Really?” his voice was hoarse. “You would do this for me?”

  I shook my head and reached over to his hand.

  “I would do this for me,” I smiled.

  “You have a glorious smile,” he grinned.

  “Do I?” I began getting lightheaded as excitement ran through me. I had no idea what to expect, but I was looking forward to finding out.

  “Maybe this one can replace the spider spell?” I teased.

  “Pretty sure the nectunt will replace it,” he murmured, his eyes penetrating my soul. “Do you want me to give you some details?”

  “Yes, please explain the nectunt,” I replied, scooting closer, trying to shake my sudden dazed feeling. “Quite a name.”

  “It’s going to hurt—”

  “You should’ve started with that,” I interrupted.

  “No way. And ruin my odds? I even made sure I was wearing the jeans you love.” He looked at me with hidden amusement.

  “I can see that,” I said, laughing. “And it worked.”

  “I’m thankful that this will cover all bases with the whole love-spell free-will thing.” He winked at me.

  “Whatever. I’m telling you, all those little things that we kept being paranoid about with the Trevor connection were probably me just being my worrywart self. We were so freaked out that we jumped to the worst possible conclusion every time thinking it was the side effect. It was almost like we were going to ensure some tormented destiny would arrive at our door whether we wanted it or not,” I laughed. “I’m serious. I knew I never had anything for him. You better believe me next time.”

  “I hope there’s not a next time,” he said sternly.

  I swatted at him and waited for him to continue.

  “We will use this,” he said, moving the drawing directly in front of me. “But where this part is empty, we can place an addition inside that means something to both of us.”

  “I’d say daisies, but I won’t d
o that to you,” I teased. “Butterflies are probably out too.”

  “For you I’d do it.” His eyes were sparkling, and I felt so lucky to be sharing this experience with him.

  “You know what they say about couples who get matching tattoos, right? That kind of signals the end,” I said, laughing nervously. “People always break up after they get matching tattoos.”

  He started laughing, and I loved watching him. It was a split second where we were more like ourselves than ever.

  “Well it’s good that ours aren’t exactly the same then. Besides these aren’t those kind. These are deeper.”

  I smiled, wondering what he meant.

  “So there’s no getting out of it? We’re really linked?” The excitement was building.

  He nodded. “Pretty much, but you heard what Bakula said, matters of the heart and all.”

  I sat there thinking of images from what we’d experienced together and images that might work the best. The snake seemed fitting, but no matter how grateful I was to Logan for producing that weapon for me, I don’t think I’d want an image of it on my body.

  “What about the arrowhead?”

  “I think that’s perfect.” He nodded, unable to hide his smile.

  “It is, isn’t it?”

  “So how does it work?”

  “We’ll be signaling to our ancestors, along with the world we live in, our commitment to one another.”

  “Wow.”

  “We won’t be sharing a replica of the same tattoo. The image will be split between us,” he continued.

  “Like a locket?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I guess it’s kind of like that. We each have half of the image and our energy is able to go between the two. We’ll be able to share abilities between each other as time goes by. Right away, however, we can communicate through this.” He pointed to the upper part of the stencil drawing. “I was thinking we might do the ritual before everything begins.”

  “Before I go to meet my father?” I asked, my mouth dry.

  He nodded. “If you don’t want to, I understand.”

  “No, I totally want to do it before then. What all is involved with the actual spell?”

  “It isn’t that complicated, but it can be exhausting depending how far we take it.” His mouth twisted upright and his expression was completely irresistible.