Savage Possessed: A Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy Adventure (Twin Rivers Possession Book 2)

by September Stone

  Carrigan is yelling while Jonas struggles to sit upright. He looks hurt, but manages only a grimace as he claws at the grass to stand. He sways as he moves to Cary’s side. Though Jonas is clearly war-torn, he stands with Carrigan, fierce and determined to be united in whatever Cary’s pissed about.

  Why is Cary so angry? That can’t be right.

  Sounds come back to me in pitters and patters, sprinkling in whole slices of conversation that make little sense to me.

  Valor’s voice sounds calm, if not exhausted. “Elowen gets what she wants, plain and simple. She told us she needs the amulet to contain Casek’s essence that’s roaming around the forest, so that’s what we’re going to find. Then she’ll fix it for you.”

  Carrigan’s words turn to woe, morose with defeat. “I was carrying Jonas away from Elowen. I didn’t think to track where Sophie was, and if Elowen was close enough to her to mute that sadistic mage’s magic! Elowen pounced the second she could use her curses on me. She was supposed to fix me, but this isn’t better!”

  Valor is the only one willing to engage with Cary, upset as he is. “The fact that she didn’t cure you completely is no shock. Elowen deals in whole favors exchanged for wishes half-granted. You hear threats, hatred, fear, and anger now when they surface in people’s thoughts, which is a step up from hearing everything everyone says in their minds.”

  Cary’s tone is incredulous. “Is it? Is it a gift to hear only the worst humanity has to offer? I don’t want the voices at all, Valor! That was Jonas’ whole request.”

  Valor’s voice is even. “You’re truly surprised when she takes what she wants and leaves the world broken? Just because she tends the Healing River doesn’t mean she feels she owes humanity a damn thing. I wish people understood that.” He lets out a heavy sigh. “We’ll find the amulet she needs and she’ll finish the job of healing your mind. And if we’re very lucky, maybe then she’ll give back my conscience, too.”

  Cary throws his hands in the air. “How exactly are we supposed to find this amulet? If she can’t locate it, what does she expect us to do?”

  Valor’s voice has the tone of someone trying to talk reason into an irrational teenager. “She’s agreed to keep Casek trapped in the forest for as long as it takes for us to find it.”

  “I hate that woman!” Jonas’ voice startles me enough to alert Hagan to the fact that I’m awake.

  Hagan jostles me off his chest and sits me up, combing his fingers through my hair. “Are you awake? Talk to me. Are you alright?”

  Jonas, of all people, appears at my side. “Water. You’ve got to be dehydrated. Here.” Before I can respond, he tips a bottle to my lips, even going so far as to swipe at a droplet that falls to my chin because I’m not totally in control of my body yet. Strangest of all isn’t that I can’t lift my arm to hold the bottle myself, but that Jonas is being nice to me. I study him for ulterior motives, but I can’t see any playing out on his features. He looks malnourished and maybe a little bit haunted. The hollows under his eyes are carved a little deeper than they were yesterday.

  “Jonas? I… What happened to you?” I croak.

  A smile quirks the left corner of his mouth. “I broke through your magic so Elowen and I could carve Casek out of you.”

  My lower lip trembles, and I realize I don’t have it in me to be prideful and steel myself against crying in front of Jonas. “It wasn’t Mother. All this time I… Dad said we were chosen by Mother Nature to right her wrongs, but that’s not it at all. All the awful things I’ve done… They weren’t for Mother Nature. They were for Casek!”

  Hagan scowls at Jonas. “You don’t need to worry about that right now. What’s important is that the voice in your head is gone. That’s a good thing, honeycomb. No matter what, this is a good day.”

  Jonas ignores Hagan and zeroes in on me. “Elowen said it was Casek inside of you. She felt his power or essence or whatever. He must be using your body to try and cross over into our world. When Elowen locked him in the Darklands with the Lost River, he found a way to get his bidding done remotely. He couldn’t send his whole self back into our world, so he sent his spirit or something.”

  Hagan sighs. “There’s plenty of time to be upset about it all later. Right now, we’re moving.” He stands with me still cradled in his arms and motions for the others to grab their stuff and follow his lead.

  “I can walk,” I insist, though as I say it, I realize I can’t wiggle my toes. “Hagan? Why… Why can’t I feel my legs?”

  Hagan doesn’t meet my eyes.

  Jonas exhales through his nostrils, his shoulders slumping. “Casek tried to break you from the inside-out when he realized what we were trying to do. It felt like an ‘if I can’t have you, no one can’ kind of thing. We’re not far from the edge of the woods. Once we get cell service, I’ll call you a doctor and they’ll give you a look.”

  “You’ll be just fine,” Hagan says gruffly. “Your body went through a lot. It takes time to heal, is all.”

  Hagan’s summary has the note of a wish to it, contrasting with Jonas’ unpolished facts. I gravitate toward reality, since apparently a lie has been swimming around inside of me most of my life. Aside from feeling helpless, which is the most horrible kind of agony for me, I feel duped, completely played by my own brain. It’s the worst kind of treason. Being carried only compounds the notion that I am a child, no matter how much is expected of me.

  Hagan leads the way through the forest, with Jonas leaning on Carrigan whenever he gets too winded, and Valor taking the rear. After an hour, Hagan still refuses to hand me over. It isn’t until Hagan trips and nearly drops me that Valor puts his foot down. “Just for half an hour, Hagan. Give your arms a break.”

  “I don’t want to. I’m just tired, is all.” His stomach rumbles, and I feel terrible for him. I know he hasn’t eaten nearly enough.

  Valor quirks his eyebrow. “Are you going to be less tired twenty minutes from now? I hardly think so.”

  Hagan’s head hangs in defeat. “Fine.”

  Valor’s cadence is kind. “I’ll be careful with her. We’re almost to the edge. Not the point we started from, granted, but shouldn’t be too long now.”

  Hagan complies, but while his arms dangle limply at his sides, the rest of him is on high alert, watching every movement like a hawk. He breathes down Valor’s neck as we move through the woods, pointing out every root Valor might trip over. To be fair, none of us breathes freely until we’re shot of the forest. Jonas calls us a cab, and within minutes, I’m back in Hagan’s arms again, with my legs stretched across Valor’s lap while Carrigan holds onto my toes. The driver takes us to our car, but when Jonas moves to the driver’s seat, Carrigan snatches away the keys. “You’ve got to be joking. You’re barely upright.”

  Jonas’ nostrils flare, and I can tell he doesn’t like that Carrigan’s stronger than he is in this moment. It’s always been him looking after Carrigan, but now that Jonas is a little worse for wear, I wonder how gracefully he’ll take to the shift.

  The only sound that breaks the silence is my labored breathing filling the car as Carrigan drives us to his house. As he helps Jonas out of the passenger’s side, there’s a tightness to Jonas’ frown that tells me he very much hates his weakness being brought to light.

  Jonas gets the first shower, and Carrigan goes so far as to set out clean pajamas for his friend after unpacking the bags and casting our filthy clothes into a basket to be washed. Cary orders takeout, and by the time Valor takes Jonas’ place in the shower, we’re all breathing a little easier, now that we’re home. It’s comforting to watch Carrigan’s efficient mind in action, now that his overactive psychic ability isn’t running the show. It’s like he’s been waiting to think in a straight line his whole life, and wants to be the most helpful all the time to repay the universe for all the assistance he’s needed over the years. He doesn’t tire of taking care of us, setting out all the things we need to decompress. He lays out Valor’s pajamas, then mine, and I wonde
r if he’ll ever stop bustling around the place like a tidy, considerate hurricane.

  Hagan is firm that our homeowner goes next in the shower. We’re all ready for collapse, and by the time Cary gets out, I’m debating if I should just go to sleep and see if my limbs work well enough to shower myself in the morning. My whole life feels like one giant lie. Making sure I smell nice isn’t high on my list of priorities.

  When it’s his turn in the bathroom, Hagan lifts me as if all the weight in my soul costs his body nothing to tote around. I think he’s going to rest me on the bed, but he takes me with him into the bathroom. “Somebody want to help me in here?” he calls.

  Valor trots in, freshly cleaned and looking better than any man has a right to wearing no shirt and navy silk pajama pants. “What do you need?”

  It’s incredible to watch the trust bloom between the three of us when Hagan explains that he doesn’t want to set me down on a bathroom floor, and he needs help getting the shower ready. Valor turns on the water for us, moving slowly so I don’t get spooked when he unbuttons my jeans and slides them down my limp legs. It’s not a sexy moment, but one that shows me they actually care about me, broken as I am. They’re not interested in taking, only in giving me some peace of mind, if such a thing is possible after the madness of the forest.

  “Why?” I whisper when Valor’s eyes meet mine. He’s trying hard not to stare at my breasts when my shirt and bra fall to the floor. “Why did he do this to me?”

  “Because Casek is a madman who wants control of something powerful.”

  I don’t know what to make of that. I certainly don’t feel worthwhile or capable. I can’t even sit up on my own. Puppets aren’t known for being useful.

  Hagan slides off my underwear and hands me over to Valor, a firm warning in his eyes. Then he disrobes and steps into the shower, rinsing the brunt of his dirt and grime off before stopping up the tub to run a bath. Valor tries to draw me into conversation, but my mind is a fog of static, taking over all higher brain function.

  I was a puppet, not for some greater cause, but for a madman who knew I was too stupid to tell the difference between a good mission and a kamikaze one. I can’t stop the list from flickering through my mind, adding up all the people I’ve hurt or killed because I truly believed Mother Nature needed me to do her bidding. I’d hated her, though there was always that respect that reminded me my feelings didn’t matter. I performed because I’m a witch, and Mother Nature matters above all else.

  Only I have no idea who Mother Nature is now. This connection that’s lasted me through the years is a complete fabrication.

  I’m barely aware of my body jostling when Valor gives me back to Hagan, who’s now sitting in the tub. How I love Hagan’s massive chest, but I can’t find the warmth that’s always been there. I ache with a coldness that’s set in deep. Hagan lathers the shampoo in my hair while Valor scrubs the smudges from my skin, but I don’t feel any of it. I’ve gone numb on a nerve level. I can move my head and neck, but everything below my shoulders feels like it’s missing, oddly floating in some abyss where all the lost things go.

  I am a lost thing now, but I can’t find it in me to care. Being lost sounds like it suits me after two decades of constant purpose that was never my own. I belong to myself now, only I have no idea who that is without that driving force inside of me calling the shots and bending my strong will into submission.

  I’m surprised to find that I’m already out of the tub, being dried and dressed by my two somber loves. Hagan’s clean flannel engulfs me with his piney scent, and Valor’s fresh boxer briefs hang low on my hips, but I can’t bring myself to feel comforted. Hagan carries me to the dining room where Jonas and Carrigan are already sucking down more Chinese food than a football team should have a right to. I’m glued to Hagan’s lap, and though I can’t remember the last time I’ve eaten, I feel no hunger. I can’t feel much of anything.

  I’m humiliated when Valor feeds me. He’s got a rosiness to his cheeks, so I know he’s found a fresh squirrel or something to satiate his cravings. He spoons fried rice into my mouth, but I don’t taste the usual smack of salt. I can’t bring myself to look him in the eye, and after ten bites exactly, I beg off, claiming that I’m tired.

  No one questions my excuse. Hagan brings me into Carrigan’s bedroom, laying me out on the mattress like the limp doll I am. He tries to make polite conversation, but I don’t have it in me to pretend that things like human connection matter. I’m broken, and I don’t wish for him to fix me.

  Valor relieves Hagan so he can inhale the rest of the dinner. He cuddles into the bed beside me, but I don’t feel him. I don’t feel anything but lost, even while he kisses my forehead and lies to me with a sweet promise that everything will be alright.

  I close my eyes in hopes that unconsciousness will dull the ache in my bones. But part of me knows there’s no way out of this abyss.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Carrigan

  Jonas is quiet, which I know means he’s still processing it all. I have a million questions, but don’t start in on him until Sophie’s safely tucked in my bed. I wait for him to push his takeout box away before unleashing my curiosity. “What hurts? You don’t just look tired, you look like you’ve been punched or something. You look haunted. What can I do?”

  “Get a doctor for Sophie. I’m alright. Long week.” The corner of his mouth quirks up. “I’m used to board rooms, not the great outdoors.”

  I fix him with a hard stare while Hagan goes to town on a second box of sesame chicken. I’ve never seen anyone eat as much as Hagan, and I know he’s been only taking half-portions during our campout so Sophie could have more. I’m surprised he takes time to breathe through the storm of chicken, pork, beef, rice, and vegetables he shovels in. My eyes flick back to Jonas, and I push another glass of water toward him. “The doctor’s on her way. You’ll let her look at you while she’s here, too.”

  “You’re the boss now?” he half-teases, though there’s an edge to him that makes my jaw tick.

  “I guess so. You make me go to the hospital when I’m too stubborn. About time I returned the favor. What hurts?”

  Jonas scoffs, and I think he’s about to blow me off with an arrogant “nothing,” but I sit up straighter when the truth tumbles out of him. “Only every part of me. Casek… He tried to get inside of me. Made it in before Elowen yanked him back out. He sounds like…” Jonas shivers, and I see that haunted look again. “She’s been living with that bastard her whole life. He’s angry, demanding, and doesn’t care about the host he forces his way into.” He keeps his eyes on his water. “He said something when I breathed him in.”

  The pause is too much for me. “What did he say?”

  “He said, ‘At last.’ What am I supposed to do with that?”

  “You’re supposed to do nothing,” I decide. “I’ll find this amulet Elowen needs to trap him, and you’ll never have to worry about Casek again.”

  Jonas’ fist tightens around the glass, and part of me is relieved his hands are working properly. I tossed him a bag of dried fruit in the woods this morning but he dropped it and was too sore to bend over and pick it up. “It’s not that simple, and you know it. We have no idea where to find this thing. We don’t even know what it looks like.”

  “Witches can do locating charms. When Sophie’s feeling better, she can send me in the right direction.”

  Jonas shakes his head. “No. Sophie’s out. She’s not going near anything that has to do with any of this.”

  My eyebrows shoot up. “Is that so? You really think she can’t be trusted? After everything we just went through, you still think she’s nothing more than a manipulative witch?”

  Hagan snarls across the table, but Jonas isn’t ruffled by the aggressive sound. “The opposite,” he says, his voice soft. “I think she’s been through enough. I didn’t get it before, but now that I’ve heard Casek speak? After getting a taste of what she’s put up with for years, I can’t see how it�
�s anything but cruel to push her deeper into this mess. Keep her away from it, Cary. I mean it. Hire another witch. Just keep Sophie out of it.” He looks toward the kitchen and frowns at the open window shade over the sink. “That should be closed. If Casek got to her once, he can do it again.” He stands, but I’m already moving, pulling down the beige shade while Hagan crosses to the picture window in the living room and draws the forest green curtains the decorator swore would make the room “totally pop.” There are touches of that green all over my home, which usually gives me a sense of brightness on occasion when the world feels grim. Apparently the warranty on that perk has run its course.

  The three of us make quick work of closing all the curtains and locking every window and door. I crack the bedroom door open to peek in on Sophie, who’s staring up at the ceiling with this vacant look on her face. It’s awful. Almost worse than her screaming. She’s always full of quiet passion, even though it’s largely kept bubbling beneath the surface. But now she looks… gone.

  Valor’s arm is draped around her midsection, his breath evenly coating her shoulder while he sleeps. She looks tiny on the big bed. It’s a king, which should be big enough. I’m certain the three of us won’t tolerate being parted from her anytime soon. I’m not sure when it was that we all decided Valor was cool to be alone with her, but after all we’ve been through, the sight doesn’t bother me one bit. If anything, I’m relieved we have someone with centuries of knowledge to help us navigate this maze of magic we’re hopelessly lost in.

  “Hey,” I whisper, and Sophie angles her chin in my direction, only just realizing that I’m in the room. I stand in the doorway, taking in the defeated state of her. “Can I get you anything, Sophie Mae?”

  She blinks at me, and I wonder if that’s supposed to be some sort of response. She doesn’t seem distressed, but so far beyond that point that she can’t bring herself to put words to it all. It breaks my heart so badly that I want to go to her, to press feeling back into her. I want to study her fiery eyes that might always hold far too many secrets. I take a step toward her but the doorbell rings, so I turn to let the doctor in.