by Paige, Bea
Ezra crosses his arms. “It is not the same,” he mumbles.
“No?” Nostra shakes his head.
“Enough, Nostra. There is no changing my mind.”
Rhain holds up his hand. “Please stop. The Claiming is complete. We just got a little side-tracked. I am here now, brother, all is well.”
“Damn you, Rhain.” Ezra looks at him and I can tell he wants to say much more but he holds his tongue. He glances at me and his jaw tightens.
Nostra beckons us over, and Rhain and I sit at the kitchen table.
The room is warm, heated by an open fire. Mr Tickle is lying in front of it on a worn rug, stretched out, warming his belly. It makes me smile, I am glad he is safe. I can see something cooking in a large earthenware pot, hanging suspended over the fire. I am so distracted by the beautiful smells of slow-cooked meat, herbs and spices that I am not as surprised by the magic as I should be. My stomach rumbles.
“You are hungry, Accacia?” Nostra asks.
My stomach rumbles loudly once more and instantly a bowl of stew and a spoon appear on the table in front of me. A moment later I am eating, not able to hide my appreciation for the delicious food.
“Apologies, Cia, I hadn’t considered your needs…” Rhain says, looking guilty.
“It’s fine, I wasn’t really hungry before,” I mumble between mouthfuls.
Ezra shakes his head. “You need to take better care of her.”
“You all need to take better care of her,” Nostra says.
“I can take care of myself,” I say, placing the spoon back in an empty bowl.
Rhain and Ezra laugh simultaneously.
“What’s so funny?”
“Have you forgotten what has happened these last few days?” Ezra reminds me.
“Of course I haven’t forgotten. May I remind you that I was perfectly fine before you three brought trouble to my doorstep.”
“You were never fine, Accacia,” Nostra interjects. “Your fate was always sealed.”
“The prophecy?”
“Indeed.”
“I still don’t understand how I am supposed to break this curse.”
“Not just you.” Nostra glances between Rhain and Ezra. The look he gives them has me wondering again about the prophecy and whether they are refraining from telling me all of it. “There are four other missing daughters. Each of them must be located and brought back to Ever Vale. Blake returned a few weeks ago. I told him of the prophecy and sent him on his way with the locator stone. I am hopeful he will return shortly with the missing daughter of Clan Spiritus.”
“A few weeks ago? How could he have come to you a few weeks ago? We only saw him the day before yesterday. And how in Light’s name did he find the portal? We didn’t tell him the location,” Rhain says, concern creasing his brow.
“Firstly, he is a wolf. They are gifted trackers, it wouldn’t have taken him much to find your trail. Secondly, as you are probably aware by now, time runs differently here. You may have only seen him yesterday but just over a moon cycle has passed since he came through the portal. It has been almost nine moon cycles since I saw you three last.”
“Nine moon cycles?” Rhain says aghast. “Queen Adrielle will surely have noticed our absence?”
“Relax, brother. On my request, Lissa has told the Queen that you three are hunting a pack of rogue wolf-shifters. It is not unusual for you to be gone for this long. She suspects nothing.”
“Lissa, eh? She has spirit. I liked her when we met.”
A smile flitters across Devin’s face. “Yes, she is indeed very likeable.”
“Who is Lissa?” I ask.
“Lissa works as chamber maid for Adrielle and has access to the Queen’s most inner sanctum. She helped us open the portal into Earth. Lissa is one of us, though she was born to the curse. You see, Queen Adrielle murdered her parents, so she has every reason to want the witch dead. No offence, Nostra,” Rhain says.
“None taken,” he replies.
I raise my eyebrows. “Born to the curse? You mean you can have children?”
“Yes. A female clan member can bear one child. It is cruel, no, to be born into a world of darkness, forced to drink blood to survive, to become the Queen’s property from the moment you are born? It is as Queen Adrielle wished. Lissa is unluckier than most because she must suffer the Queen’s demands daily.”
“But isn’t she afraid of getting caught?”
Nostra looks at me and frowns, tapping the table with his fingers. “She is clever, she will survive.”
“You say nine moon cycles have passed since Rhain, Ezra and Devin left. How long is a moon cycle exactly?” I ask, a thread of worry circling through my thoughts.
“One moon cycle is the time it takes for the full moon to go through its different faces and become full once again,” Nostra explains.
“On Earth we refer to that amount of time as a month, or thereabouts… So, that would mean one day on Earth is approximately a month here in Ever Vale.” My hand flies to my mouth, covering my shock when I realise what that means for Clover.
“Oh my god. The last time I spoke to Clover was almost two Earth weeks ago. Which means she has been here in Ever Vale for months. She’s probably dead already,” I say, tears instantly pricking my eyes. The guilt I feel is immense. I should have gone to find her the moment I arrived in Ever Vale, but that would have meant Rhain’s death and even considering that makes me feel sick.
Nostra places his hand over mine. “Erza told me of the pods you found. He explained that your friend Clover is an arborist and what that means. I do not believe your friend is dead. I believe she has been taken by the fae. Clan Terra were a people who cultivated the land, and for half a century now the forest has been sick. They may have taken her to ensure their survival. There is also something else I must explain…”
“Go on,” I say, relief that she could still be alive calming the rising sickness I feel.
“I visited the Forbidden forest some years ago to tell the fae of the prophecy. I took them the stone which I spelled to find their missing clan daughter.” Nostra turns to Ezra and holds his hand out.
I watch as Ezra drops a huge emerald into Nostra’s palm. “Ezra found this stone amongst the foliage of the pods back at your friend’s place.”
“You mean...?” I start.
“Yes. I believe Clover is none other than the missing daughter of Clan Terra.”
I sit back in my chair, shaking my head. “I don’t believe it. All this time we’ve been friends, and we had no idea about our past or where we came from. What are the chances?”
“I do not believe in coincidence, but I do believe in fate. You were destined to be friends. Before the curse, the people of Clan Lux and the people of Clan Terra were close. Their crops grew abundantly next to the Light fields, that is why the Forbidden forest grows next to it now.” Nostra hands me the emerald. “If you wish to find your friend, you will need to use this to locate her.”
“Will it work? Rhain said the stones were spelled in such a way that only the clan’s men chosen to find the missing daughter could use them.”
“That is quite correct, but you are forgetting one thing. I am a witch and that was my spell. I have updated it for you.”
“Hold on a moment, Nostra. Accacia is not going into the Forbidden forest,” Rhain says adamantly. “You are the only person who has ever returned from that place. It is not safe. Why don’t you go back? It should not be Accacia.”
“That would be unwise. The fae did not take kindly to my intrusion the last time. Besides, I cannot leave here. I am hopeful Blake will return soon. Then there are the angels…”
“You mean to say that you have already persuaded Clan Vitae to find their missing clan’s daughter?” Rhain says.
“Actually, that was Lissa. She was the one who persuaded the angels, not me. As I said, she is quite gifted. Queen Adrielle has quite the foe in young Lissandra.”
“I hope to meet her one day,” I say
.
“You will. But first we must discuss your journey ahead. You are determined to find her, yes?” Nostra says, stating the obvious.
“Yes.”
“I will take Accacia,” Ezra interrupts. “We had a bargain, Accacia and I. She promised to undergo the Claiming and in return I agreed to take her into the Forbidden forest. Once that promise is fulfilled I am indebted no longer and will be free to return to the Light as I choose.”
“You made this bargain with Ezra… you didn’t want to undergo the Claiming?” Rhain appears hurt, which surprises me a little.
I take hold of his hand. “Yes, it’s true. I was so worried for Clover, it was all I had to bargain with. Then, once I found out that you had returned here to sacrifice yourself, I realised I didn’t want you to die…”
“You didn’t want the guilt, you mean.”
“No, that is not what I mean. I didn’t want you to die because I care for you, because I wanted you in return,” I say quietly.
“I am glad of that, Cia,” Rhain says, brushing a tender kiss across my lips.
Nostra turns from watching our exchange to address Ezra, his strange purple eyes glowing. I’m certain that if I look close enough, I’ll see flames alight in them.
“So, you are still intent on killing yourself?”
“We have discussed this, Nostra. I cannot betray Thalia’s memory. The Joining was sacred, and I have no desire to partake in that ceremony with anyone else again.”
“But Thalia is dead, brother. It has been a thousand years, you are joined to her no more,” Rhain says.
Ezra stands and yanks Rhain’s collar, bringing his face close to his own. His eyes are full of rage, of hurt and pain. “Don’t you think I know that? I have missed her every damn day of my Light’s forsaken life. I loved her, I loved our daughter. No one can replace them. Now, or ever.” He lets go of Rhain, who sinks back in his chair, silent.
Ezra is breathing heavily and I feel for him, I do. Yet I cannot help but feel hurt by his words. “Ezra, I am sorry for your loss, truly. I would never wish to replace your wife. I just want…” I sigh. What do I want? I’m honestly not sure. Part of me wants to not feel responsible for his decision. After all, if I hadn’t run from them and burnt so severely, Ezra wouldn’t have felt obliged to give me his blood. Another part of me, the part that is confused by these strange new feelings, wants Ezra to want me. Who is this person I have become? First Rhain, then Devin and now Ezra. This isn’t me, or at least not the me I knew before these men, vampires, came into my life.
“I will help you find your friend and then I will take my life. That is my decision,” Ezra says softly. He looks at me, but his eyes do not meet mine.
“And what of the prophecy? What of the fate of your clan, your brothers, Accacia? Have you not considered what your actions would mean for them?” Nostra says in frustration.
“Once I have helped Accacia, you must choose someone else to be the third. It does not have to be me,” Ezra says, avoiding my gaze.
“Are you certain of that?” Rhain asks.
“I am.”
Nostra catches me looking at Ezra and our eyes meet. “Then so be it,” he says.
“This is stupid, dangerous. We’ve only just got Accacia back and both of you are willing to risk her life? I do not agree. I forbid you to go,” Rhain says.
“Forbid me?” I laugh. “You may have claimed my body, Rhain, but you haven’t claimed my own free will. I need to know Clover is okay. Nothing will stop me from finding her, not even you. This is non-negotiable.”
Behind us the door opens and Devin walks in, breaking the sudden tension that has filled the room. “Well then, it looks like we are all taking a trip into the Forbidden forest. When do we leave?”
Epilogue
Ezra
The pain I feel is unbearable, as though my lifeblood is leaking free from my chest with every cursed beat of my heart. I deserve every second of the pain. This is my punishment for not saving my beloved Thalia and Roseanna. This is what I deserve. In that moment, when I gave Accacia my blood, I only had thoughts of healing her. To see her suffer so has brought back too many painful memories. Memories I have tried to forget. But I cannot forget. Their screams haunt me still. I should have run into the Light fields and died alongside them. Instead, I hid inside our home, too afraid of the sun that I had once worshipped and revered.
I have lived too long with the memories and the guilt of what I failed to do that day. I saved Accacia from the pain because I couldn’t save the ones I loved. I could have relinquished my promise. I could have walked away from Accacia, from my brothers, and returned to the Light, but I did not.
I am a man of my word.
Now, as we step into the Forbidden forest, I pray to the Goddess Solaria to keep those I care for safe and hope that this time she listens.
Accacia’s Blood
Accacia’s Blood
Bea Paige
Sisters of Hex - Book Two
To my newly found readers, because there really is no need to choose – Bea x
Chapter One
“Is that damn stone working?” Ezra says, stopping abruptly. One of the floating lanterns Nostra spelled to light the way through the forest hovers by his head, making him look even more sick than he already does. “Well, is it?” he persists.
“I think so, Ezra. I’m just following Nostra’s instructions. If the stone vibrates, then that’s the way we go. If it stops vibrating we’re off track.” I sigh, not in the mood for Ezra’s shitty attitude. He’s been irritable ever since we left Nostra’s hamlet and it is beginning to wear thin. It’s all to do with the fact that he refuses to take my blood to save his life. The only reason he is here now is because we made a deal. I would undergo the Claiming to save Rhain’s life, and Ezra would help me find Clover. Granted, in the end, despite the overwhelming desire that had my head spinning, I had wanted to make love to Rhain. I had wanted to save him. Turning my head, I catch Rhain looking at me. He smiles. I smile back, a warm feeling expanding in my chest.
Ezra scowls. “We’ve been traipsing through this forest for hours, and nothing.”
It is abundantly clear Ezra does not want to be here, but he made me a promise and now he has to fulfil it.
“What’s the alternative, that I abandon my friend and we return to Nostra’s hamlet, so you can return yourself to the light?”
“This is a fool’s errand,” he says, avoiding my question.
I sigh. Ezra is right in some respects, we have been walking for hours now and there’s been no sign of the mysterious Clan Terra. Just endless trees, shrubs, and the occasional foraging animal. Apart from the oddly shaped, luminescent-green trees, the forest is like any other back home on Earth. Frankly, it doesn’t feel very forbidden to me. I’m not sure what I am expecting, but it isn’t this.
“You should accept that your friend is lost to the fae and we should return to the village.” Ezra starts to walk back the way we came, but I grab him by the arm.
“Don’t you dare. You made me a promise, Ezra. Are you going to go back on that now?” I can see a muscle feather in his jaw as he glares at me. Why does he have to be so difficult? It’s hard enough for me to be here so far from home. He needn’t make it harder. Right now, I hate him for it.
“Give the stone to me.” He snaps his fingers with impatience.
“No,” I say, closing my fist and clutching the emerald to my chest.
“No? Hand the damn stone over, Accacia.”
“Ezra, leave her alone,” Rhain says sharply, stepping up beside me. “You know as well as I do that Nostra has spelled the stone just for Accacia to use. It will not work for you, or for anyone else.”
Ezra narrows his eyes at Rhain. He opens his mouth, then slams it shut just as Devin strides over to us. As always, Devin acts as the peacekeeper.
“Look, there is no use fighting amongst ourselves. Be calm, brothers. The Forbidden forest is big, much bigger than even I expected. It may be da
ys before we find Clover. If we find her…” his voice trails off as he notices the look on my face.
“When we find her. I’m not leaving until we do,” I say, folding my arms across my chest.
Devin places a hand on my arm. “Apologies, when we find her,” he repeats gently. “Ezra, Rhain, we can continue further without the need for rest, but Accacia is tiring. I think we should find somewhere to stop for a few hours.”
Now that Devin has pointed this out, a sudden overwhelming exhaustion settles over me. “Actually, it would be good to stop for a while. I am feeling tired. It would appear that I only got the crappy traits of the curse, not the everlasting stamina and strength you three have in abundance.” Except, maybe, for Ezra who is still trying to hide the fact that he is hurting, despite us all knowing that he is. Giving me his blood to heal my burns a few days ago has started a chain of events that will only end in his death if he doesn’t take my blood in return. Ezra refuses to do so because it means that we will be joined, and he does not wish to betray his late wife’s memory by effectively becoming my husband. The thing is, I am perfectly happy to give him my blood. I don’t want him to die even though, sometimes, I could happily throttle him myself.
“Here will do,” Ezra snaps, avoiding my gaze. He sits down against the trunk of a tree, crosses his arms and closes his eyes. Well, I guess that’s the end of any conversation with him tonight. Not that I particularly want to speak with him right now.
“Arsehole,” I murmur, knowing full well he can hear me. He flinches but says nothing.
“Come and sit for a while,” Rhain says, taking my hand and pulling me away from Ezra. “You can use me as your resting spot.” He winks. I smile, some of the tension leaving my shoulders.
Devin hangs back, one of Nostra’s spelled lanterns hovering above him. He looks at me, dips his head and takes a spot near Ezra. “I’ll keep arsehole here company,” he says with a jerk of his thumb and a devilish grin. Ezra’s eyes snap open and he glares at Devin.
