by Moni Boyce
“Why is he a part of this?”
“Nobody told us.”
The questions flew at them. Phaedra looked to Eli to offer the group answers.
“It wasn’t my decision not to tell you. Take it up with the Council.” The doorbell rang, saving him from a further interrogation. When he answered the door, a tall Asian man with longish black hair that had a shock of white running through it stepped inside the room. Despite being clothed, it was obvious he was in great physical shape, since his body was a dead ringer for Brad Pitt’s body in Fight Club. His clothing looked like he’d gotten dressed in the dark.
Matty eyed him from head to toe.
“I was in a rush.” He shrugged and moved further into the room, where he came to stand next to Phaedra.
“Okay, now that everyone is here...”
“Wait. Are you going to tell us why he’s here?” Morgan turned accusing eyes on Max.
Eli looked at Phaedra and she nodded her head. “Max is a werewolf.”
The collective gasp from the other women, made Eli rub the back of his neck in frustration and sigh. “This isn’t the first time we’ve worked with other supernaturals.”
“It’s just that the Protectors never included anyone, but witches.” Zora glared at Max with hostile curiosity. “How do we know we can trust him?”
“We can trust him.” Phaedra slipped her hand into Max’s.
He smiled at her. His fingers squeezed hers in return.
“Once upon a time you found love outside our community.” Phaedra stared Zora in the eyes, causing her to wipe the disapproval from her face.
Matty cast her eye at her mother looking for answers. Zora looked away and bristled at Phaedra’s comments.
“Enough. We don’t have time for bickering.” Eli stuffed his hands deep into his pockets and stopped pacing to stare at everyone. “I had to bring Willow here. She passed out at work. I think something caused the migraine...” He paused while the group took in the information. “I believe Killian is behind it.” When everyone spoke at once, he raised his hands in a gesture for silence. “We have to tell her.”
“Are you crazy?” Morgan looked around for someone to agree with her.
“Eli, it’s against the Protector Commandment to reveal to her who she is.” Zora tried to be the voice of reason.
There was no other way if Willow was in danger. “You know what Killian is capable of. What if her migraines are getting worse because he’s trying harder to find her?” As everyone considered what he said, he pushed on with his plan. “I think we have to tell her who she is and prepare her.”
“Prepare her how? What do you mean?” Phaedra asked, but he could see in her eyes she knew what he meant.
“We have to train her. Get her ready, because he’s coming for her and she needs to be able to defend herself.”
Everyone talked over each other. Eli tried to get one last thing in before everything descended into chaos. “If we train her and teach her she might defeat him.”
It was too late. His words fell on deaf ears. They yelled over each other, trying to be heard.
“What is going on?” Willow’s voice rose above the den of shouting voices.
Startled, after hearing her, they turned to gape at her. Willow’s bewildered gaze swept the room. Eli chastised himself for not keeping them quiet. He hadn’t intended for her to wake up and find everyone here.
CHAPTER 3
Willow
“You’re an Oracle.”
What does he mean?
Her brain was still trying to wrap itself around waking up in an apartment that wasn’t hers, among a mixture of people in her life she hadn’t been aware even knew each other. When she walked into the living room and found Zora and Matty that owned the coffee shop; Morgan, her neighbor she hung out with occasionally; Phaedra, a bartender that worked a bar where she performed; Eli, her snobby, gorgeous co-worker and a random guy who seemed familiar arguing, it baffled her. What were they all doing there? What was she doing here?
Despite the tension and obvious disapproval from the rest of the group, Eli had spent the last twenty minutes telling her about some superhuman skill she had and that a vampire was after her.
“So let me get this straight...” She took a deep breath. “The women in my family can see the future. We’re the only ones in the world with this power... You guys are part of a group called the Protectors...” She looked around the room at each of them. A few of them nodded to confirm her statement. “Your mission has always been to protect the ‘Oracle.’” She used air quotes when she said the word, Oracle. “That something or someone you’ve been protecting me from is the King of the Vampires... the man named Killian.” She gulped and her eyes landed back on Eli. “And you’re witches.” She swallowed once more while she tried to digest everything.
“Well, everyone, but me. I’m a werewolf.” Max beamed when he shared the news like that made any of this sound less strange.
She nodded, but then something clicked in her brain.
“Max?” She looked at him with new clarity and her mouth fell open. He said he was a werewolf. “Max... Max, as in Max my... dog?” Her eyes were wide with shock.
If possible, he grinned even wider at her.
The similarities between Max the man, and Max the dog were noticeable. When she saw the patch of white hair, it made her think of his white ear when he was an animal.
Her head fell into her hands. When she woke up, her migraine from earlier was gone, but another one was beginning after taking in this news. “Is this a prank? Is it April Fool’s and I don’t know it? Why are you guys doing this? It’s not funny.” She was babbling, but she didn’t care. “Maybe I’m just in a terrible dream and I haven’t woken up yet.” The last part she said to herself. She looked around the room. This was crazy. She had to get out of here. Without saying a word, she stood and headed to the front door.
Eli hurried to block her path. “This is a lot to process, Willow, but it’s the truth.”
She pushed past him and kept walking.
“Tell me about the man who has green eyes and has haunted your dreams since you were a child.”
When Eli said the words to her back, it halted her trek. It was a few seconds before she turned and gaped at him. “How do you know that? I’ve never told anyone about him.” Her suspicion was on high alert.
“Because your mother, Hyacinth, had the same nightmares... Killian was the man in your mother’s dreams too.”
To say it shocked her was an understatement. After her mother’s death when she was nine, a family adopted her, and she moved to another state. Ever since then, she’d had no one who remembered her mother she could talk to or ask questions. The only things she had were a few pictures of the two of them together and her mom’s old leather jacket. “You knew her?” Tears gathered in her eyes and threatened to spill.
“I met her once.”
“I knew her.” Zora stood. “You resemble her so much.”
Tears trickled down Willow’s face. This was someone that had met her mother. “Is my mom dead because she was an Oracle?” She looked to Eli for the answer.
No one said anything. They looked at her with sorrow and pity. She slunk back over to the sofa and dropped onto the cushions. Matty took her hand in hers.
“I want you to tell me everything. I need to know everything that concerns my life. That includes knowing more about this... Killian.” Despite the tears, when she spoke, there was a steely resolve in her words that showed the depth of her inner strength.
“This is a bad idea.” Morgan made sure they knew her opinion.
“I don’t disagree with you, but the cat’s out of the bag now.” Zora sat next to Willow.
Eli took a seat on the coffee table in front of her. She fixed her eyes on him. He was the only one in the group that had not befriended her or talked to her. Curiosity ate at her insides, but she realized it was a conversation better left between them. “Tell me about Killian.” She didn’t care that it
came out like she was issuing an order. They owed her the truth.
Phaedra, Max and Morgan found somewhere to sit while Eli began his story of Killian and his connection to her. They gathered around like they were listening to a ghost story being shared around a campfire.
“He’s King of the Vampires and has been so for hundreds of years. A couple of years before your mother’s death, he learned a family of Oracles existed.”
“How...” Willow interrupted.
“We’re still unsure how he came into the knowledge. There are different factions of supernaturals that are finding out this information.” He returned to the tale.
Her mind couldn’t stop thinking of the term, ‘supernaturals,’ that he’d used.
“You mean there’s something more than witches, werewolves and vampires... and Oracles?” It was hard to keep the skepticism and sarcasm from her voice.
“Yes.” Eli’s response bordered on snarky. She looked him in the eyes and saw his annoyance with her tone. She didn’t look away, and neither did he, but his gaze lost the irritation it held seconds ago. “Under Killian’s reign, vampires haven’t worked well with others.”
Phaedra interrupted. “To clarify, he thinks vampires are the top of the food chain. Humans, supernaturals, we’re all here as their endless blood supply.”
Eli nodded and continued. “If a vampire is working with other supernaturals, it means they are an outcast. Other vampires won’t hesitate to kill them. Think of it as being excommunicated.”
“I thought vampires were immortal?”
Matty spoke. It was the first time since finding them here that Matty had talked. “There are powerful, black magic spells that can kill a vampire.”
Her answer sounded ominous. None of the others spoke up to elaborate. Zora gave her a sharp look before she narrowed her eyes at her daughter. “We don’t talk about that.” The harshness in her tone startled Willow. She’d never heard Zora speak that way to Matty. Black magic or whatever it was appeared to be a touchy subject. The topic was better left alone.
Eli resumed. “Once Killian got a hold of the information about Oracles, he realized if he found the Oracle, he could either enslave and coerce them to tell him the futures they saw or make them a vampire. Then he would have their loyalty and obedience and he could use their abilities to control the future...”
“Which means he would always be steps ahead. He could manipulate the future and control everything and everyone: humans and the magical realm alike.” Zora finished.
“Because of a vampire’s telepathic ability, Killian could enter your mother’s dreams.”
“How?”
“We believe a witch helped him...”
Again, Willow interrupted him. “He’s seen my face when he’s invaded my dreams. In this day and age of social media and CCTV cameras, how has he not found me already?” The tremor in her voice told him she was barely holding her emotion and fear in check.
“We put up powerful spells of protection to keep him from learning your identity and lineage. Those things were accounted for... but I fear he may be closer to that information, especially if a witch is still helping him. I suspect that’s why your migraine caused you to black out today. He’s increasing his efforts to gain access to your mind so he can learn exactly who you are and where you might be.”
Willow fell back against the sofa after hearing Eli’s last statement.
“Since he already had a link to your mother, somehow he could connect with you. That’s why you dream of him.”
CHAPTER 4
Eli
It was obvious Willow was struggling to digest the information. Fatigue was written on her face. “That’s enough for today. Maybe you should rest.”
He expected her to argue with him, so it surprised him when she nodded, got up and went back into his bedroom with everyone’s eyes following her movements.
After she left, no one said a word. It was Matty, who broke the silence, giving voice to what everyone was thinking. “Who’ll alert the Council she knows?” The room was silent again.
It was his responsibility. He should bear the Council’s ire. “I will tell them the decision was mine when the time comes.” Concern was etched on their faces. “It’s fine. Whatever the consequences are I’ll accept them.” The situation was grave. Everyone’s thoughts were on how he would have to answer for his disobedience. He couldn’t dwell on that. There was a lot at stake. He could only hope the Elders would see reason before they meted out punishment.
“Right now we should make a plan. I fear that Killian may send out trackers. If a witch has betrayed us, we might not have much time before he knows that Willow is the Oracle.”
More silence ensued. He was sure he’d have to convince them on why they needed to act when Phaedra spoke.
“She’s not going to like it, but we have to move her.”
He rewarded her with a small smile of thanks. “I agree. It’s time for a road trip. We need to keep moving.” Eli looked at the others to gauge their reactions.
“I assume you’ll be the one to tell Willow she has to uproot her whole life. I think we know how well that will go over.” Morgan gave him a saccharine sweet smile.
The short victory he’d celebrated over winning Phaedra to his side disappeared when he thought of the wrath Willow would unleash when he told her they had to leave Nashville.
Max clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t tell her the news when she’s hangry.” He shook his head over unpleasant memories of Willow’s behavior when she was hungry and angry.
“Got it.”
Zora stood. “Matty and I will get an RV, groceries and camping supplies.”
Matty stood next to her mother with her arms folded across her chest. When Eli looked at her face, he saw a mixture of curiosity and annoyance over the question Phaedra asked Zora earlier and the embarrassment over being chastised for bringing up black magic. Both topics were sore spots for Zora. He didn’t envy her that difficult conversation.
“Seven people on an RV. This should be cozy.” No one reacted to Morgan’s sarcasm.
“Willow takes the bedroom on the RV and the other sleeping space onboard, Mathilda can have. The rest of us will use tents or sleep under the stars.” Eli issued orders. Most of the time he never tried to pull rank, but when they couldn’t agree or he thought it would be a problem, he decided.
“Well now that that’s settled I’m going home to pack and have a night of unhurried sex with my boyfriend.” Phaedra grinned and pulled on Max’s shirt.
He gave her a sly smile back and emitted a low growl. Heat and lust leapt between the two. The surrounding air crackled with sexual energy.
“On that note, everyone knows what needs to be done. Make sure you give a good enough reason on your jobs that won’t leave anyone suspicious, raise questions or cause someone to send out a search party.” He noticed they were going to use magic to leave his apartment and spoke up again. “Wait.”
They stopped and looked at him.
“Until we’re sure Killian isn’t working with a witch, lets limit our magic. A decent witch can track magic. No teleporting. Use the human ways to travel.”
They groaned at hearing this, everyone, but Max.
“We have to be cautious so we keep her safe.”
No one argued further with his logic.
He let out a breath, after the group left. Everything had gone better than expected.
Something pulled him towards his bedroom. He stood outside the closed door for a few minutes before he opened it and peered inside the room. Willow lay on her side facing away from him. He assumed she must be asleep because she didn’t stir. After closing the door, he headed into the kitchen. He wasn’t the best cook without magic, but he didn’t want her to wake up hungry. After what Max said, he didn’t want to give her bad news on an empty stomach.
After he finished the meal he sat on the sofa and read through one of his incantation books. Studying the craft was always important to him.
An impending battle was sure to come once Killian figured out she was the Oracle. He wanted them to be ready.
A few hours later, he was meditating when her voice interrupted the silence. “I know we have to leave.”
Eli’s eyes popped open, and he turned to look at her. They stared at one another.
There was nothing demure about Willow. She looked at you when she spoke to you. He didn’t waver in his eye contact either. “Either you unintentionally overheard us talking, or you were eavesdropping?” He tried to mask the faint smile that played at the corner of his lips.
So much for the, ‘I’m tired,’ act she put on earlier.
“In my defense, I wasn’t trying to be nosy. Your voices carry.” She shrugged and walked further into the living room. A grin flashed across her face and then vanished in an instant.
“If you were going to listen to the conversation why didn’t you stay out here?” He teased.
She ignored his quip. “I wanted to rest and think about everything, but then I fell asleep.” She sat on the sofa and tucked one leg beneath her. From his position on the floor, he looked up at her. The way she chewed her bottom lip, told him she was pondering things, so he waited to let her speak. “It’s weird that my dog knows so much about me. I do get a little scary when I’m hungry.” She giggled, but then her expression turned gloomy and her shoulders slumped in realization. “I guess he’s not my dog anymore.” She let out a sigh.
He watched her face drop before she looked at her lap. The fact was her life was changing overnight. Often he saw her be brave and strong. Right now her vulnerability was shining through. Eli got up and sat next to her on the sofa. The thought of taking her hand in his was fleeting. “I know all this change isn’t easy for you.”
It was difficult not to be flustered by her proximity and the way she looked at him.
“In twenty-four...” He stumbled over his words and cleared his throat, “In less than twenty-four hours, you’ve had a ton of mind-blowing information dumped in your lap. Most people would have a rough time processing everything without it making them crazy. Yet you’re intact and have your wits about you.” He dropped his gaze. “I’m in awe of you.”