Witch Unchained (Blackwood Supernatural Prison Book 2)

by Valia Lind

  I race toward them, blasting two of the creatures. She turns to grin at me.

  "Not a bad time in Skazka, huh?" She swings her sword, cutting the arm of the creature right beside her before she turns and stabs him in the face. I blast another one away from us. She turns to rush toward the cat. Kneeling beside him, she runs her hands over the fur as I stand guard. Brendan is to my right, holding his own against four of the creatures. He truly is artistic in his movements.

  Another one comes for Calista, but I'm there to intercept. I roundhouse kick him first. When he stumbles back, I push my fire right into his chest. He stands frozen for a moment before he bursts from the inside out.

  "I got it." Calista appears beside me, sword in hand once more. "Close your eyes."

  I don't hesitate to obey.

  Chapter 15

  "It's safe. Open them," Calista says. When I do, the clearing is empty besides Brendan and Kot-Bayun. Calista drops to her knees by the animal as Brendan comes to stand beside me.

  "Not bad," he comments, giving me a quick smile. I return it. We watch as Calista runs her hand over the fur once again, closing her eyes in concentration.

  I give her some space, following Brendan out to the perimeter. He gives it a quick once over. Glancing to the side, I notice him watching Calista. Once again, I'm touched by the connection they share. It's beautiful.

  Brendan notices me watching and gives me a quick smile before heading off into the trees.

  "Will he be okay?" I ask, coming up to where Calista is sitting next to her cat. She glances up, her hand in constant motion as she pets the fur.

  "Yes. He's been put to sleep magically. Nothing dangerous, thankfully. But I don't want him to be alone when he wakes up."

  I motion to the ground. She nods, giving me the go ahead to sit. Her back is to the cat, and I sit in front of her, legs crossed.

  "What's on your mind?" Calista asks when I don't speak up right away. There's so much twirling in there, I'm not sure where to start. But I do know I need to talk this out. If anyone can help me make sense of this, it would be Calista. It doesn't matter than I just met her, I feel like she's the wisest person I know.

  "Honestly, I don't know. This place..." I pause because I don't think I have adequate words to describe it. But I know I need to try. Calista waits patiently, allowing me time to collect my thoughts.

  "This place is unlike anything I've ever seen before. It’s terrifying and beautiful at the same time. Those... things that came after you, what are they?"

  "Magical science experiments from the Shadowlands." I frown at that, and she continues. "Think Frankenstein but if his monster was created by magic. They've been experimenting, trying to make their soldiers stronger and more resilient to magic."

  "They didn't stand a chance against you," I comment, and Calista grins.

  "They have a tendency to underestimate what I can do."

  I smile at the simple way she delivers that line. It's not as if she's prideful, it's that she's that sure of herself. I wish I could feel even a fraction of that confidence in myself.

  "Others will always underestimate," Calista continues. Her voice takes on an even more serious tone. When I glance up, she's watching me, as if making sure I'm paying attention. "But you should never let others, their ideas or decisions, define how you see yourself. We fail, we get up, but we always believe in ourselves. That's the job."

  "I don't know if I can be that confident in myself," I say, admitting my weakness out loud. "With everything that has happened, I feel like I'm a little kid again, only now learning about the world. I'm unsure about my powers, about my place in all of this. And I definitely don't trust my judgement."

  "You've trusted me. And Brendan. And Maxwell for that matter. Do you think your trust is misplaced?"

  "No," I reply almost with no hesitation, which makes me curious.

  "Just because one person was sneaky enough to fool you, doesn't mean your instincts aren't trustworthy. It only means the person knew you well enough to know what to do."

  This sounds similar to a different conversation I had and maybe that just means I need to stop focusing on the past and instead look to the future. I can't change what's behind me. And I can't continue to live with this self-pity.

  "I had a dream." I decide to tell Calista about it because I have a feeling she'll be able to help with that too.

  "This place is good for that."

  "What do you mean?"

  She smiles. "Tell me about your dream."

  So, I do. Brendan left to check the surrounding area to make sure no one else is waiting in the wings. Apparently being ambushed or led into a trap is a regular occurrence for them while they search for Baba Yaga. I wish I had a friend I could share that story with. No one would believe me. Even in the magical world, sometimes when fairytales are true, it still seems impossible.

  "What do you think?"

  "I think that bracelet has more magic than we originally thought."

  "But how did I talk to it?"

  "This land." She glances around with a small smile. "Skazka is a powerful place with many tricks up her sleeve. She has shown me a thing or two in my dreams before as well. Take to heart what she's given you."

  I mull over Calista's words, a plan forming in my mind. I know what I have to do.

  "I think it's time I head back."

  "Thank you," I say as Calista opens a portal in front of me. She and Brendan are standing together, hands clasped, with Kot-Bayun wandering about somewhere in the trees. They have their own mission to get to, and it's past time I stopped running away.

  "You are always welcome here, Cordelia," Calista says, giving me a warm smile. Brendan nods beside her.

  "Once this is over, I think I'll take you up on that."

  "Sounds like a plan."

  Of course, neither one of us says what we're all thinking. That I might not come out of this alive. That's always an option when it comes to magical battles. And that's exactly what I'm heading into.

  Without another word, I step through the ripple in the air. This time, there's no disorientation. This portal is crisp, and I step out into Maxwell's backyard. I turn, but the portal is gone the moment I'm through.

  The deceptive cabin greets me once more, my mind already on a list of things I need to do. When something moves in the shadows, I stop.

  "The prodigal returns." A voice reaches me, sending a plethora of goosebumps up and down my spine. But I'd know him anywhere. As he steps forward, I prepare myself for the impact his gaze always has on me.

  "Hello, Eric."

  He watches me for a tense moment, studying me from head to toe. I can't tell if this is a regular study, or if he's actually making sure I'm in one piece. Either way, I feel the perusal like a physical touch and try not to fidget. It's about ten degrees hotter outside, all of a sudden.

  "How did you find me?"

  "I know you a little better than you think."

  Those words sneak up on me, catching me completely by surprise. I think if I tried to speak, I'd look like a fish out of water. Clearing my throat, I focus on regaining my footing.

  "Good for you," I reply before I bounce up the stairs and stop beside him. "Carry on." I move to go past him, but he steps in my path, blocking the way.

  "Maxwell is out. Besides, we need to go."

  "And where are you kidnapping me to now?" I ask, folding my arms in front of me. His eyes flash, but he never backs down.

  "So melodramatic." He smirks.

  "Not dramatic enough," I reply. His eyes flash again, this time with definite amusement. I count that as a victory.

  "Tom has been studying the necklace, but it hasn't been acting the same. Not since you left." The way he adds that last part has me feeling all kinds of ways. What is wrong with me?

  "It's only been three days. Gosh, don't miss me that much!"

  This time, I swear he's hiding a smile when he turns to go down the stairs. When he realizes I'm not following, he looks up at m
e, raising his eyebrows. I kind of like having the height advantage for once, so I place my hands on my hips and stare him down. We stay frozen like that for a few moments, watching each other in that intense way of ours.

  "What are you scheming?" Eric finally asks with a sigh.

  "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "Yes, you do." He takes a step up the stairs, coming a bit closer. "You left for a reason, and you came here for a reason." He takes another step. "There is something going on in that pretty head of yours because you are always scheming," another step, "and I would really appreciate if you didn't disappear in the middle of the night like that again."

  Now he's right below me, so we're eye to eye. There's a rare glimmer of emotion in his expression that I've never seen before. I can't quite decipher what it is, but it fills me with a warm feeling, like the sun peeking out from the clouds and touching my skin.

  I think if I lean even a fraction of a millimeter forward, he'll kiss me. And there is nothing more that I want than for him to close that distance between us. The undeniable pull I've felt for him since the moment he became my warden is an instinct I didn't know I possessed. Suddenly, I want to explore all the avenues of what that will bring.

  It's as if he can see my thoughts flashing in neon lights over my head. For just a second, I think he's going to do it. I don't know if it'll dose the fire or fuel it, but I want to find out. Here and now, in the forest of magic, I want to feel his lips on mine.

  There's a pause in the universe, a stillness in the air around us as we both wait the other out. Then, just as quickly as it started, it's gone. Eric takes a step down, and the moment is lost.

  "I won't disappear again," I say. My voice comes out but a whisper. It's enough to give Eric the moment he needs to regain whatever footing he thought he lost and then he nods. His hands flex at his side for a second, drawing my eye. It's a nervous gesture, or maybe it's something else. But it's so unlike him, I can't help but notice.

  Maybe his arms itched to hold me as much as mine did to hold him.

  I push the thought immediately out of my mind and smirk. It's my turn to bring some normalcy back to our relationship.

  "Did you just call my head pretty?" The teasing tone snaps Eric out of his weird trance.

  He huffs, but it sounds more like a laugh. I bounce down the stairs to stand beside him.

  "Let's go, softy. We're on a schedule."

  Chapter 16

  Without a portal keeper around, or Maxwell and his many books, we have to hike through the woods. We move in silence, but it doesn't feel awkward. I won't tell him, but I'm glad he came to find me. Only because it makes it easier to find Tom and the rest of his team, of course. Nothing else. Whatever that moment was between us, it's gone now. But at least we seem to be back in our corners.

  "Why did you leave?" Eric asks suddenly, without looking at me. He's a few feet ahead, his body on high alert. Nothing will get past him. But the way he asks... there's something more to the words. I'm not sure if it's wishful thinking on my part or not. Maybe that's why I decide on honesty.

  "Because I had to."

  His shoulders jerk just a bit, like I've caught him by surprise. Or delivered a hard blow. We continue walking, and it's another few minutes before he speaks up.

  "You don't trust... us."

  This time it's not a question, but it's the hesitation before the last word that really gets me. For some unexplainable reason, he's taken it personally. Right now, it's not about the rest of them, it's about him.

  I'm not sure what to say to that, because I don't. But I also trust Eric most out of everyone in the group. That much I knew when I decided to come back. And maybe he needs to hear that.

  "I don't," I finally say, and this time he does stop. But he doesn't turn around. I walk around him, so that we're facing each other before I continue. "And you can't blame me for that. This whole situation, it has taught me not to trust. At least, not to trust easily. My guard will be up, and I will be careful. But—”

  He glances up at me then, holding my eye.

  "But that doesn't mean it will always stay up. Or that no one can ever get past my defenses."

  I'm not ready to tell him that I trust him because I'm still not a hundred percent sure I do. But he has broken through my walls more than once in the last month. He needs to understand that.

  And I think he does.

  He holds my gaze, as if searching for something. I stare right back. After all, I already decided he was going to be my one ally in all of this. He needs to see that we can do this.

  After another moment, he nods, seeming to come to a conclusion before pulling his gaze away. He doesn't say anything else, but there's just a bit less tension in his shoulders as he turns to lead the way.

  The last two days have been a whirlwind of activity. I've been to a different realm, fought different monsters, and met those with different magic. And yet, in all that, I realized that nothing is all that different. We're all fighting the same war, good versus evil. As much as I don't want to agree with anything Kelsey said, she is right that there a lot more shades of grey than I could imagine. Eric falls into that category for me.

  I decide that he needs to know what happened. There isn't much I can tell him about where I've been or what I've done, but I do give him a condensed version as we walk, focusing on the part where Maxwell helped me to research. I have to make him see that we're on the same side because I know for a fact the time will come where that will be tested.

  "You couldn't have taken me with you?"

  There it is again, that note of... abandonment? I don't understand him, but he's feeling something. I'm not used to him feeling or showing those emotions.

  "Some things I have to do on my own," I reply, shrugging. He gives me a quick glance, but I can see that statement bothers him. Suddenly, I don't get him at all. He's acting so different than before. I can't find my footing.

  "I didn't abandon you on purpose," I say, and that word rings out in the space between us. "There are just something I needed to handle. I was coming back."

  "Were you?"

  "Yes."

  There seems to be enough conviction in that one word to settle whatever restlessness he's been feeling because he lets it drop. We finish our trek through the woods in silence, and for that, I am thankful.

  I have to figure out a way to get the others to trust me again as well. I have a feeling they'll have more questions than Eric. But I also know I'm not just bowing down to whatever they have for me. I have to find a balance, and that sounds harder than I think it will be.

  When we walk through the doors, Letty and Mitch are already there. Letty jumps up from her seat, rushing toward me.

  "I was so worried," she says, wrapping her arms around me. I'm taken by surprise for a second before I return the gesture. Mitch nods in greeting, but I think it's directed more at Eric than me. Tom looks up from his desk and gives us a welcoming smile.

  "We're glad you're in one piece," he says by way of greeting. I know they expect me to offer some explanation, or maybe to apologize, but I'm not really doing either. Instead, I wait them out. Maybe that's not the smartest way to get them to forgive me for disappearing, but I have to come in strong. Tom studies me for a second, clearly recognizing what I'm doing. A ghost of a smile appears on his lips.

  "Well, we have been studying the necklace," Tom begins, motioning to his desk. As I step closer, I see the relic laid out on top. It hums with energy as I approach, clearly happy to see me. The bracelet on my wrist answers in kind. So maybe not happy to see me as much as its kin.

  "What did you find?" Eric asks, standing at my shoulder. Ever since our moment at the cabin, he's been sticking extra close. I can't tell if he's afraid I'll evaporate into thin air, or if he's making sure I don't pull any more tricks.

  "I can feel the magic radiating off the metal, almost like a raging fire. There's enough here to power all of us for a while. It's mesmerizing. Is that how it is for y
ou?" Tom looks up at me. I frown for a moment before I shake my head.

  "No, the bracelet doesn't radiate power. Not like a battery. It's more of a... symbiotic relationship." I use the word the lady in the dream used, and the bracelet seems happy.

  "Interesting. It doesn't appear to need a host as it holds plenty of power in itself."

  "A host?" I glance around the room. "I'm not sure I understand."

  "Tom wanted to see if he could wear the necklace and access the power to help us find the other relics," Letty explains, and her words make me twist around to stare at Tom.

  "I thought the whole point was for no one to wear these. To keep them away from everything and everyone."

  "Well, yes. That is the ultimate goal. But it would be helpful if I bonded with the necklace the way you bonded with the bracelet. That would give us two avenues of power to search for the rest."

  At first, I don't reply, letting that sink in. When it does, I like it even less. My hand curls instinctually over the bracelet as I hug my arms to myself.

  "The relic has to choose you. It doesn't bond with just anyone."

  That gives everyone pause. My mind is still on what Letty said when Mitch speaks up.

  "How would you know that?"

  I turn to look at him, curious at the way his voice is a little more serious. He's lost a bit of his fun guy persona, watching me steadily. I look right back. I'm done being intimidated by anyone. His eyes narrow, and it's frustrating that I can't read him. I used to be so much better at this. But I do decide to give them some of the truth.

  "The bracelet and I have an understanding. Since the relic is a living artifact, it has willingly bonded to me. That much I can tell you."