by S. L. Watson
Neil quirked his brow. His ability to lighten the mood in any situation was a gift, but he was no fighter.
“I love you, Neil.” I hit the gas pedal and peeled back up to the road.
“I know, darling.” Neil gripped the door rest and held on tight.
I’m coming for you, Orien.
I turned down the main strip, heading toward Freya’s shop. My foot let off the gas as I neared my yoga studio. It was late and dark, and the building was vacant. In a few hours, students would fill the classes led by my part-time instructor, who ran the studio on my days off.
My grip tightened on the steering wheel. The studio and my students were a part of my life—a life that I’d have to give up to follow through with my promise to return to Aenoas-Vita, a promise that I wasn’t ready to fulfill. I blew out a frustrated breath and was about to pull away when a flashing light caught the corner of my eye.
“Oh, darling,” Neil drawled, glancing across the street. “How tacky.”
I flinched at the bright pink neon sign that flashed BREE’S YOGA & SPIRITS. There was an outline of a pink martini glass at the end of the sign. The monstrosity hadn’t been up two days ago. Bree must have just had it done.
“I’m confused,” Neil mused. “Is that a bar or a yoga studio?”
I shook my head and pressed the gas pedal. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Now that Halloween Town festivities had come to an end, parking was no longer an issue. I pulled up to the strip of historic Victorian homes with slate roofs and expansive porches, most of which now doubled as home and business, and slipped right into a spot in front of Freya’s, where Jasper stood waiting with Anya under the glow of a street light.
“Tell me those two weren’t meant for each other.” Neil whistled softly.
He was right. Jasper and Anya were each the epitome of beauty, but next to each other, they were stunning. The two were nearly equal in height, with bronzed and copper skin and dark hair. And both had eyes that made you feel watched from the wild, which was exactly how I felt now as Jasper settled his tiger eyes on me with a scowl.
Anya stepped forward as Neil and I exited my car. “My mother is waiting for you.” Her words were friendly. She glanced curiously over my shoulder at Neil.
“Thank you, Anya. And this is my friend, Neil. He’s here to help.”
Anya smiled graciously at Neil when he took her hand and placed a kiss on top of it. “It’s a pleasure, Anya.” Then Neil beamed up at Jasper. “Jasper, my friend.” The two embraced, and Anya raced toward me.
“I need to speak with you privately before you leave.” She brushed past my shoulder as she held open the door to the shop.
“How have I never been in here? This place is incredible.” Neil perused the shelves like a kid in a candy shop.
Energy permeated the room, and Freya’s familiar vibrations caught my attention.
“I’m glad you think so.” She parted the beads that led to the front of the home where she and her daughter lived. Runes painted in black and gold covered every visible part of her dark skin, and the magic vibrating around her was palpable.
Neil sucked in an audible breath, and the rock he’d been examining thunked onto the shelf as he turned. “Freya Moon of the Moon Star clan. Great Seer of earth and stone.”
“You know each other?” I asked.
Neil scanned Freya from head to toe like he couldn’t believe his eyes. “Freya is a legend among many on our planet, and she saved my life as a child.”
“You have grown into a fine man, young Neithropolis, as I knew you would.” Freya’s tone held a hint of pride.
“Neithropolis?” Jasper said, lifting his brow, and he teasingly punched Neil’s shoulder.
Neil’s cheeks blushed. “It’s my given name, but I shortened it to Neil when I came to Earth.”
“And a strong name it is.” Freya cupped Neil’s face and kissed each cheek. “I’m glad to see you well. Now, please, if you’ll all follow me,” Freya instructed. “Anya, please lock the door. We can’t have any interruptions.”
Anya did as her mother asked, and we all followed Freya through the beads and down the hall, into her living room.
Neil’s energy buzzed. “It’s a small universe.”
“Everything is ready.” Freya motioned toward the tall white candles that circled the familiar rug. Her runes sparkled in the candlelight as she crossed the room. She picked up a bowl of stones and placed it at the center of the rug.
A sweet taste lingered in the air, and my head swam at the heavy magic that surrounded us.
“You okay?” Jasper whispered in my ear.
I nodded. “Just sensory overload.” I slid my mental shield into place. Having the ability to siphon energy had its perks, but it also had its downsides.
The bright reflection of the moon poured through French doors at the front of the living room that overlooked the river. I wandered over to the glass and peered out onto a wraparound porch. A luminous glow glinted off the top of rippling black water that raced with the current. The moon was in the last phase of the gibbous and would be full by tomorrow.
“It’s a Scorpio moon.” Freya’s voice floated near. “Many will give in to desires they’ve withheld. Do you feel its energy?”
“I do.” My hand brushed the doorknob. “May I?”
“Of course,” Freya answered.
I twisted the knob and pushed open the French doors. The river air whipped with ferocity. I gripped the porch railing to steady myself and lifted my face toward the night sky. The energy of the moon was high as it neared the completion of its cycle. After tomorrow, it would wane, and emotions would calm, like the flow of a river before the next tide change, but for now, it vibrated with the intensity of a hot beacon about to explode.
The creak of cables whined from the docks visible below the hilltop of Victorian homes. As the wind sped up, so did the current. Whitecaps crested atop the choppy dark waters, causing the moored boats to rock in their slips. I pushed away from the railing and went back inside, where candlelight lit the warm space.
“You have a lovely home, Freya. Thank you for allowing us in once again.”
She inclined her head and motioned her hands toward the rug. “You and Neil will sit here. Your Shield”—she motioned to Jasper—“will wait outside the circle with Anya.” She eyed Jasper, making sure he understood.
Jasper glanced at me, and when I nodded, he stepped back with Anya, but I sensed his unease at being banished from my side.
I settled myself in a cross-legged position. A bowl of incense burned in the center of the rug, and my head wobbled heavily as I breathed the billowing smoke. Its woody scent grew stronger when I tried to shift out of the growing cloud of smoke. My limbs and even my lips tingled with numbness.
“What’s in the smoke? Why do I feel numb all over?” My voice echoed in my ears, and I placed my hands flat against the floor on either side of me for balance.
Jasper darted toward us, but Freya halted him with a sharp “Tsk!” and a wave of the arm.
“Don’t worry, Everly. It’s only the effects of resin from the bark of an ever tree. They will subside soon. The resin will aid in expanding your senses, but you mustn’t fight it.” Freya’s words floated like a breeze in a field.
My jaw clenched, but when I glanced over at Neil, he wore a goofy grin as his head wobbled. I drew in a breath, letting the tension release from my temples, and my muscles relaxed as I sank deeper into the round meditation cushion beneath me. I closed my eyes when my vision slightly blurred, to quell the increasing beat of my heart. I cracked one eye open and peeked over at Neil. He still wore an expression like he was enjoying the dizzying feeling. I definitely wasn’t.
A warm finger ran down my forehead between my brows. I reached up and felt a sticky, thick salve smeared on my skin. The scent of fresh-cut wood grew strong.
“Don’t resist. Allow your mind and body to merge with the spirit of the earth. Let its roots take life within
your sacral, and when you are grounded, you will see clearly.”
I stopped fighting the urge for control and imagined roots entwining beneath me. The dizziness subsided, and the numbness faded until only a light tingle remained, like when my arm woke up from falling asleep, only the sensation wasn’t isolated to just my arm; it was my entire body, and my senses felt more attuned than before. The runes painted on Freya’s skin were no longer gold and black; they shimmered as though surrounded by a halo. I glanced around. Every color danced with life. Each scent was so potent the taste of it lingered on my tongue. I spun around. Voices echoed from a distance. They were coming from the docks. I turned back to Freya. “How?”
“There’ll be time for explanations later. The effects will not last long.”
Neil straightened at the urgency in Freya’s words.
“It’s time for your part, Neithropolis.”
He clasped his hand over mine, and the familiar buzz of our magic syncing coursed through me. I knew what to do this time. I closed my eyes and directed my magic. When I opened them again, I no longer saw what was in my own field of vision; I saw through Darion’s eyes, only everything was black. My mind raced as I searched in a sea of darkness. I connected with Neil’s ability to project thought, and I called out across space and time.
Darion. Can you hear me?
“I hear you, Ev.” His voice was weak.
Why can’t I see anything? It’s just darkness. Do you know where you are?
“Ugh … ” Darion moaned, and I heard something that sounded like metal rattle across a surface. “I don’t know where they’ve brought me. The bastard has me blindfolded. I can’t see a damn thing, and my hands are bound in spelled chains, so I can’t use my magic either.” Darion breathed hard. “Molly … is she … okay?”
Yes, she’s perfectly fine. And you’ll be proud to know she kicked a shifter’s ass.
Darion sighed. “Thank the stars. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to her. She took out a shifter? That’s my girl.”
Focus, Darion. We don’t have a lot of time, and I promised Molly I’d bring you home. Do you know who took you?
“It’s definitely Orien. I don’t know how, but he’s still alive. And, Ev …”
Yeah?
“You can’t come for me.”
What! What’s wrong with you? No way I’m leaving you or Lucas. Is Lucas there with you?
Darion didn’t respond.
What about Lucas? Do you know if he’s there?
“When I get my hands on that shifter, I’m going to—”
Don’t worry about him. He’s taken care of, but I need to know if you’ve heard Lucas or felt his presence.
“Yes,” Darion finally answered. “I think he’s here, but …”
But what, Darion?
“His energy is weak. I’m sorry, Ev. I can’t tell how long he has, but Orien has been …”
My stomach lurched with dread. What’s happened to him?
“Orien’s been drinking his blood … and mine. I have a suspicion he’s been using blood to restore his magic and maintain his longevity. He wants all of mine and yours. He boasted that once he drains the Ever twins of all of their magic, he won’t need to sustain himself on blood any longer. So please, Ev, don’t try to find me. If you do, he’ll kill us both.”
Damn it, Darion. I’m not leaving you to be tortured, or Lucas either. If you can’t see anything, then tell me what you hear and smell.
“No. Orien knows about the curse. He knows that if he kills me, you’ll die before he can consume both of our powers, and he needs our magic. So don’t try to be the hero this time.”
You are such a pain in the ass sometimes, Darion.
A voice from somewhere else whispered in my ear. “Spread your roots and use all of your senses.”
Then I remembered the smoke from Freya’s and how much clearer everything had looked, sounded, and smelled once I’d stopped fighting the dizziness. I stopped trying to see, and instead, I breathed through Darion’s nose. Dirt. Moss. Water. Blood. I listened through Darion’s ears. In the distance, a train roared atop tracks; its horn blared somewhere nearby. A trickle of water dripped close to Darion, and the farther I reached out, the more I homed in on a louder rushing of water somewhere not far. I focused on what Darion felt. He was on the ground. Not concrete but hard, damp dirt. Moist air clung to his skin, but heavy dust made it difficult to breathe.
Darion. I think you’re in a cave or a tunnel somewhere. There’s a train and water nearby. Please try to find where he’s keeping Lucas. I’m coming for you both.
I broke the connection, and my eyes snapped open. “Darion’s in a cave or a tunnel, and there’s a waterfall or creek nearby. Freya, my brother and I are linked by a curse. Can you use my blood to track his location?”
“I can try.” She knelt over the candles.
And that was when I noticed the blade already set out on the rug near the bowl of stones. I glanced back up at Freya and wondered more about her specific magic. She picked up the knife, and Neil left the circle to stand by Jasper and Anya.
The point of the blade hit my skin. My jaw clenched as a hot sting tore across my palm. All I could think about as I stared at the open gash was Orien drinking blood from Darion and Lucas. My stomach twisted. What kind of monster was he?
Freya directed my dripping hand over the stones. She chanted as my blood trickled down, coating the stones as they rose from the bowl and arranged themselves onto the rug.
“Whoa,” Neil mused as we all watched the drops of blood pool together and slither across the stone formations until it stopped.
Freya’s chanting ceased. “Your brother is somewhere here.” She moved her hand over a cluster of stones and pointed.
I lifted a brow, and she explained. “The stones represent landmarks.” She pointed. “East, west, north, south, and the river runs through the center. This line of stones here leads up to Vernonia, and nestled between the highway and Vernonia is …”
Jasper bent over the stone map. “Crown Zellerbach Trail. Ev, there are caves along the trail for miles. Darion could be in any one of them.”
I squeezed my cut hand into a fist, thinking about the curse that linked my life to Darion’s.
Why has Orien kept Darion blindfolded?
Unless he suspected that Darion and I shared the same Sight as he and Oria had. He was taking precautions. And if Orien didn’t want me to see where Darion was being held, then he wasn’t ready to come face-to-face with me again. He was strong but not what he used to be, forced to survive on the blood of others.
But Orien couldn’t know about Neil or that I’d be able to use Neil’s ability to project thought to speak with Darion. He also didn’t know about Freya and her ability to use the curse I shared with Darion to pinpoint his location. I had to act now before Orien found out that I was onto his location.
“Freya, will this spell continue to work away from your presence?”
Her charcoal eyes brightened. “Yes. I will gather some of the stones. And you must take this knife and use it to reopen your wound each time you wish to use your blood to trace your brother.” She sheathed the blade and handed it to me. “The blade and stones are both bound with the magic for this spell,” she said in answer to my unspoken question.
I nodded and tucked the blade away.
Neil followed Freya while she went to work gathering up the stones I would take with me.
Anya motioned for me to follow her through the living room and into the kitchen, which during the day would have a spectacular view of the river. She turned on the sink faucet and then glanced over her shoulder as she guided my hand under the running water. The scent of jasmine surrounded her as she leaned closer and whispered in my ear. “I sense a terrible loss for you. It’ll happen soon.”
A lump of dread hardened in my chest. “What do you mean?” My voice rose louder than I’d meant it to.
“Shh,” she whispered.
I glance
d back to make sure my blunder hadn’t caught anyone’s attention. “You have powers?” Since Anya was half-human, I hadn’t been sure she had any magic until now.
She nodded. “Sometimes it comes as images, and other times it’s just a feeling, like now.” She looked down like she wanted to say more.
“There’s something else,” I prodded. “What is it?”
She sighed. “I don’t like knowing these things.”
Footsteps were heading our way. “Just tell me, Anya, quick!”
Her glossy topaz-blue eyes penetrated mine, and her shoulders tightened with her regret-filled words. “I’ve seen images of your uncle. And you …” She clicked her nails on the counter. “The only way for you to defeat your uncle is to embrace the part of yourself that’s like him.”
I gripped the counter with my free hand. “I don’t understand.” But deep down, I did. I knew the darkness she spoke of. I’d felt it creeping to the surface this past year.
“The part you’ve kept buried. It is not Siobhan’s magic; it’s yours. You must accept the darkest part of yourself if blood is to defeat blood.”
Jasper rounded the corner into the kitchen.
“Remember,” Anya said quickly. “Stop fighting your true nature. And don’t tell my mother you know of my magic.” She smiled at Jasper as she rubbed a healing salve on my hand and began wrapping it.
“Is this even necessary, since I’ll be cutting it back open?”
“Of course,” she said. “The salve will protect against infection.” She handed me a small container of it. “Reapply it when you are able.”
Freya brought me the pouch of stones. I tucked them away but slid another stone from my pocket. Freya tsked when she saw it. “How did you get that?” She took a step back.
“You know of this stone?” I asked her. “Can you tell me anything about it?”
Her gaze followed the bolts of electricity that rippled across the stone, and a shadow darkened her features. “It’s called an ever stone, and it can only be found inside caves within the Ever Forest. They carry dangerous magic. This one holds the essence of life within. It’s been used with dark magic. That’s all I can tell you.” She pressed her lips tight and shook her head. “Handle it with care.” She closed my hand over the stone and pushed it down. “Good luck on your journey.”