by Jen L. Grey
The Suburban was silent for a minute when suddenly, a tall woman appeared out of nowhere in front of the vehicle.
Tommy slammed on the brakes, causing the car to jerk.
Pain shot down my neck for a moment. I reached up and rubbed the back of my neck. That was twice in one day where we'd been jerked around.
The girl in front of us appeared to be younger with long ash blonde hair that fell in her face and down her arms. Her face was tilted downward, but her eyes lifted, staring Tommy dead-on. She moved slowly as her white, dirtied, formless dress hung down past her knees. "Who are you, and what do you want?" Her tone was deep and old. Fog began to build around her and us, making the air feel humid and thick.
James rolled the window down and took a deep breath. "I'm James. The alpha of the pack that lives here. I was hoping we could meet with Agnes."
"And why would she want to speak to you?" The girl moved slowly over to the passenger side of the car, heading toward James.
"Well, we helped you with the vampires a short while ago and we're hoping you're willing to return the favor."
"Aah, so you're here to cash in a favor." The girl nodded her head. "We cannot harm anyone if that's why you're here."
"What? No." James shook his head.
"That's real funny coming from them," Kassie muttered in the backseat.
Within a flash, the witch was at her door, knocking on the glass. "What does that mean … dog?"
I jumped out of my skin. Holy shit. She moved fast.
"She didn't mean it like that." Tommy used his usual smooth voice to calm the situation. "We're not here to harm anyone or ask for any favors. We just need some answers."
"All things come with a cost." The witch’s smile spread wide. "Are you sure you want to pay the toll?"
"If it requires me cashing in on our favor, then that's fine." James glanced in the back at Mason and me. "Can you please allow us in to see her?"
"Fine, but you must leave your vehicle here and walk with me."
"This could be a trap," Kassie muttered.
"Then turn your vehicle around and leave." The girl narrowed her eyes on Kassie. "Our sacred grounds will not be spoiled by your vehicle."
"Let's go." We were here and talking with them. It'd be asinine to turn around now. I began climbing out of the car while Kassie mumbled under her breath.
Wait for me. Mason followed right behind me as we climbed out the side where the witch wasn't standing. There's no telling what we might be walking into with such a warm welcome.
Tommy turned the car off and joined us. "I'll follow you two."
James’s and Kassie's doors shut as we headed over to them.
As soon as I appeared, the witch glanced right at me. She took in a deep breath and shook her head. "You didn't tell me the queen was here."
"Oh, well, that's my daughter-in-law, and that's my son." James slowly pointed at us as though he was afraid she'd think his finger was a weapon.
"Had I known she was here, I wouldn't have allowed you entrance." Her breathing picked up as she took a step in my direction.
Mason moved to stand in front of me, which pissed me off.
She's got a problem with me being here, and you standing in front of me will only make it worse. I had to face this head-on, and he couldn't do it for me.
"The last time a royal was here, it resulted in the death of one of our own." Her words were tight and thick. "Why should we allow another one in this time?"
I had no clue what she was talking about, but her light gray eyes bored into mine. I had to say something. "It isn't a question of whether you should. It's one of whether you will. I'm not here to cause problems. Only to talk leader to leader with your high priestess."
The girl's face didn't change. It was a mask of indifference closely locked into place. She took a deep breath and leaned toward me.
It took everything in me not to lean away.
"Fine, but no one will be leaving with you." Her voice was tight and strong. "Do not try to lure any of our members away by promises of modern technology."
"Promise." It was an easy vow to make seeing as I wanted to get the hell out of here as soon as possible.
"Fine; then follow me." She turned and immediately began walking through some trees instead of the main road.
Is this what happened last time? This was one of the nice advantages of the mate bond.
No, not at all. Mason took my hand, and Kassie walked right in front of us as Tommy took the back. Granted, they all met us around here. We never went into their premises, just the outer edges of it.
Tommy stepped closer to us with his voice low enough that only a shifter could hear. "Neither one of you is allowed out of our sight."
It surprised me that he was the one who said it. "Are you that worried?" Unlike Kassie, Tommy had never acted like this before. Unease coursed through me.
"I'm not quite sure yet." Tommy took a few steps closer and lowered his voice even more. "James trusts them, and that means something. But even white witches can be opportunistic as long as they harm no one and keep the balance of the elements."
"Don't worry." Mason tugged me closer to him so our shoulders were brushing with each step. "I won't let her out of my sight."
"The concern is for you too, my King." Tommy arched an eyebrow. "Our duty is to protect both of you. Not just her."
"But I'm more concerned with her," Mason growled the words.
"And you don't think she's more concerned about you?" Tommy shook his head and quietly chuckled. "You're mates, for God’s sake, and you are now the rightful king just as much as she's the heir. So you're both our concern. Got it?"
When did he get so pushy? Mason complained into our bond.
Kassie must be rubbing off on him in more ways than one.
And now you're channeling Ella. Mason squeezed my hand as he shook his head.
Oh, come on. I stuck my tongue out at him. Just because we've been busy and lost our sense of humor doesn’t mean you can credit Ella.
I guess that's valid. His smile dropped as the tree line began to open.
A large clearing appeared in front of us, and there were at least a hundred wooden houses within it. I'd never visited a coven before, so it all took me by surprise.
Even though the houses were made of wood, they appeared strong and well kept. They didn't exactly look like log cabins, but that was probably the closest resemblance. There was a larger home in the middle that I could only assume would be the priestess’s home.
"Before we allow you past the tree line, all weapons must be left in this spot." The witch pointed to the ground right next to the tree line. "You don’t need weapons, so they will be safe here."
"But what if a vampire comes by and grabs them?" Kassie's shoulders were tense and rigid.
"Vampires haven't been here in at least a hundred years." The girl laughed like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard.
"That's not true." James's brow furrowed. "We helped you get rid of them a few years ago."
"They were trying to break through our wards." She smiled. "They wouldn't have been able to, but we wanted them to remember to fear us. We may seem complacent, but we have nature on our side." She pointed to the spot again. "Now, put all your weapons down or you'll not be going through."
"But we got through to here with no problems." Kassie took a step away from the spot on the ground.
"Because I was walking in front, allowing you to come with me." The witch raised her head and crossed her arms. "You have one last chance before going through. I already didn't want to allow it when she appeared." The witch stared me down.
"I've never done anything to you all." There was so much hate directed at me. I'd never met them before.
"Oh, but your blood has done plenty." Her breathing increased as if she was aggravated with my mere existence.
"Let's do this." Mason tugged me behind him while Tommy and Kassie placed their guns and daggers on the ground.
&nbs
p; Once they stood back up, the witch headed over to them and examined them from head to toe. "I don't feel cold energy from you any longer, so we're good to go." She turned around, scanning me, Mason, and James. "All right, the priestess is aware of your arrival. Let's go."
As we entered the clearing, it felt strange as no one was outside. As we passed by one of the houses, I glanced in the windows and met cold, gold eyes. They're all in their houses so we don't see them.
Yeah, they like to be kept from sight. Mason's jaw clenched as we approached the larger house, and the witch knocked on the door.
"Come in." A strong voice called out that sounded way younger than I’d expected.
The witch opened the door and waved us inside. "After you."
Knowing that Mason and I needed to be the first ones to enter, I pushed past Kassie and James before entering the house.
A low growl emanated from Kassie's throat, alerting me to the fact that she wasn't thrilled with me.
What was new at this point? The first room we entered wasn't a living room but rather a kitchen. There was a fireplace in the middle of the room with a black cauldron sitting within it. The counters were littered with drying herbs and spices. There wasn't a refrigerator anywhere in the room. To the right of all that was a large table that sat ten. A lady, who had to be in her late forties or early fifties, was sitting there waiting for us.
"I had a feeling you'd be showing up soon." Her eyes landed on me as she picked up what appeared to be a teacup and took a sip. "I've been dreaming of you and knew it was only a matter of time before you appeared." Her dark amber eyes held mine.
I wasn't quite sure what to say to that. "I'm sorry if I caught you at a bad time."
"No, dear." She placed her cup back on the table and pointed at the open chair beside her. "Please sit. All of you." Her eyes glanced back to Kassie, Tommy, and James.
"I'll leave." The witch who'd been with us the entire time headed to the door.
"No, Star." Agnes arched her dirty blonde eyebrow and pointed to the other open seat beside her. "You'll be part of this discussion as you'll be expected to know how to handle these types of things when I die." She leaned back in her seat, causing some of her long blonde hair to fall over her slender shoulders. Her eyes moved back to me. "How can I help you?"
Since she sounded blunt and to the point, I figured it'd only be wise for me to return the favor. "I need to see if you can help me figure out something." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the red and black marble with the double infinity symbol inside it. "I went to Rose, but I couldn't find her." I wasn't going to accuse one of her coven members yet. "So I was hoping you'd be willing to help."
"Rose?" There was a darkness in her words. "She's been helping you?"
There it was, all the confirmation I needed. Rose was someone I should've never trusted, but now, I had to figure out what her motives truly were.
Chapter Seventeen
"Well, I'm not quite sure it was actually helping," Kassie muttered as she crossed her arms across her chest.
"Oh, I'm quite sure she hasn't been either." Star shook her head and wrinkled her nose. "Of course, she'd be involved in this somehow."
I wasn't expecting this reaction. I expected to either run into Rose right away or at least have these people not thrilled with us being here. I moved to sit in the seat Agnes had pointed to.
Neither was I. Mason sat in the open seat beside me. We don't want her to feel threatened.
That was a good point. I sat in the hard wooden chair and locked eyes with Kassie. My eyes darted over to the chair.
She huffed and took the seat next to Mason while James and Tommy followed suit. Tommy allowed James to sit in between him and Kassie, probably ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.
"Enough." Agnes narrowed her eyes at Star, a warning clear on her face. "So that's all you want? For us to look at it and see if we can glean anything from it?"
"Yes, please." I was hoping they could figure out something. I was almost sure it was mixed with a witch's black magic.
The witch took a breath and picked up the marble with her pointer finger and thumb. As soon as she picked it up, she dropped it once again. "Oh, goddess." Her eyes were widened, and her face crumbled.
"What is it?" Star jumped to her feet and glared at me. "Did you hurt her somehow?"
"What? No." I didn't know what had happened, but Agnes’s features took on a look of pure agony.
"No, it's fine." Agnes took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. "It's just… I never realized this would happen."
"What do you mean?" Mason shifted in his seat so his whole side was plastered to mine. If she makes any sudden moves, we run out of this house. Got it?
"It's her, isn't it?" Star sat back down with her nose wrinkled and her lip raised above her teeth.
"What the hell is going on here?" Kassie stood, and her breathing was ragged.
"You aren't in danger." Agnes waved her off and turned her eyes to me. "But you are."
"That's why we're here." Tell me something I don't know already.
"May I touch your hand?" Agnes held a hand out, waiting for me to close the difference.
Be careful. Mason's words were thick with worry.
I slowly placed my hand in hers, not sure what to expect. Her fingers gently dug into my skin, and she closed her eyes as if she was trying to focus on my hand.
She better let your hand go soon or I'll be removing it for her. Mason's body tensed beside mine.
I wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but she was obviously searching for some sort of answer.
With her free hand, she reached for the marble once more. Right before she picked it up, her hands began to shake. Her mouth began speaking words that none of us could hear. Only witches were allowed to hear the words of a spell.
After a few seconds, she let go of my hand and opened her eyes. "This is not good."
"Agnes, please." James leaned across the table, his eyes seeking out hers. "What's going on?"
"It's unprecedented that we would turn on one of our own." Agnes's shoulders sagged, and her voice was full of heartbreak. "But in all truthfulness, she hasn't been part of this coven for over twenty-five years."
My heart stopped. "Are we talking about Rose?" If she was, this was worse than I had anticipated.
"Yes, unfortunately, we are." Agnes dropped the marble back on the table and shook her head.
"All she's ever been is heartbreak for you." Star shook her head and almost spat the next words. "Rose has gone too far. We should've killed her when we had the chance."
"I don't understand. She told me she was part of this coven." If she hadn't been for twenty-five years, that means she wasn't protecting her coven from vampires at all.
"She was." Agnes seemed to age at least ten years right in front of my eyes. "She was my best friend growing up, my sister really."
"Then why the hell is she causing problems?" Mason was almost rigid at this point. "And you're allowing it?"
"No, no I'm not." She blew out a breath. "She was the witch we kicked out over twenty-five years ago, but in fairness, not all of this is her fault."
"Don't even try to give that excuse." Star slammed her hand on the table. "Let's be real, Mom. She has always had a choice, no matter if you want to put blinders on or not."
Well, okay then. At least, we knew Star was the priestess’s daughter.
"How the hell couldn't it be her fault?" I hated how witches spoke in riddles. The only other race that was worse than them were fae, and thankfully, they avoided coming over to Earth as much as possible.
"Well, I had always been afraid that this day would come, yet here we are." Agnes squared her shoulders and met my gaze. "See, Rose isn't a full, one hundred percent witch."
"Say what now?" That didn't make any sense. "She did spells. The whole fucking shop was glamoured."
"I'm not saying she can't practice magic because she is mostly a witch." Agnes huffed, and her eyes
darted to the marble. "But she's part vampire as well."
"What the hell?" Mason was poised like a snake. "How the fuck is that even possible?"
"Language, please." Agnes narrowed her eyes at both Mason and me. "Her mother had been bitten during Rose’s birth. You see, a witch's natural affinity to the elements makes them not able to survive the change just as a wolf can't."
"Then, how the hell is she alive?" Kassie growled the words.
"Patience is a virtue." Agnes glared at her before turning her attention back to me. "Now where was I?" She tapped her finger against her lip. "So, her mother had been rushed here after one of our own found her in the woods in a horrible state. When my mother and father laid eyes on her, they both knew she was doomed. They figured the baby was too, but once Rose was born, well, she was fine."
"So you guys let her stay here." Even though my words may have sounded like a question, it was anything but.
"Yes, my parents took pity on the child. After all, it wasn't the baby's fault, and my mother made a decision she might not normally have done. She decided to raise her as one of her own."
"What influenced that decision?" I had to make sure I had a clear picture.
"Me. I had only been born a few months before. She was a new mother, who had battled multiple miscarriages." Agnes's lips spread into a sad smile. "I was her miracle baby, and Mom hoped that Rose was another gift from the goddess herself."
"But she was part vampire?" At least, now it made sense why she was so cold and callous. Vampires were self-serving and vicious creatures.
"At the time, we didn't realize it." She glanced at the ceiling as if she was somewhere else. "We grew up as sisters. Even though she didn't look anything like me, we were inseparable."
"When did you find out that she was part vampire?" Mason seemed to relax ever so slightly now that we were getting information and the atmosphere had changed to non-threatening.
"We were probably around five." She glanced over at her daughter and took her hand. "We were beginning to practice our magic, and she was already so much stronger than me." She shook her head and sighed. "I was afraid that she would actually become the priestess instead of me. I had been worried."
