Violet’s eyes locked with mine. “And now those two are coming here for you, aren’t they?”
I nodded. “I need a few days off so I can prepare. I don’t know how to use my shield or power of reflection. Whatever it’s called. I need to figure it out.”
“Don’t you worry about things here. You take as much time as you need,” Hubs insisted.
“Thanks,” I whispered. “Is there any way you’d be willing to help me draw my shield out?”
I hated to ask them, but they were the only people I trusted enough who harbored a power that might actually do the trick.
“How would you like us to help?” Violet asked.
“My vote is to breathe fireballs at her.” Hubs suggested. “I can’t think of a better motivator than fire for someone to produce a shield.”
Violet glared at Hubs. “I’m not going to breathe fireballs at her! That’s too dangerous.”
“Hence, the perfect motivator,” Hubs said. He cast a quick glance at me, and I noticed the ghost of a smile twisting at the corners of the old man’s lips. “Am I right?”
“Yeah.”
Violet rolled her eyes. Before she could speak, Thane began talking.
“We also need a safe place to practice,” he said. “Lena’s apartment isn’t going to work. Especially if fire is involved. We need somewhere outside and free of people. Someplace private. Can you think of anywhere?”
“Our house.” Hubs offered. “You could use the beach area behind it.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Absolutely. Let’s go.” Hubs started toward the front door.
Violet made her way to the office and flipped off the light.
“You’re coming too?” I asked.
“Of course.”
“I don’t want to bother you both with this,” I said. “Besides, who’s going to run the shop?”
Violet waved my words away. “Nonsense.” She shifted to look at Hubs. “Willow Harbor will do fine without the place being open for a day or two.”
“You don’t have to,” I insisted. “I didn’t mean for you to shut down in order to help.”
The shop was their livelihood. I hated taking them away from it.
“Yes, we do,” Hubs insisted. “You need us, and we’re more than glad to help as much as we can.”
My chest warmed with love for them. “Thank you.”
Violet rubbed a small circle in the center of my back as we all made our way to the door. “You’re welcome. Now let’s skedaddle. We have important things to do.”
Thirteen
Thane
Lena followed the old couple to their house. Violet was driving them, and she was a speed demon. It took us about twenty minutes to get from the antique shop to their house. They lived in a yellow bungalow with a large wrap-around porch. The entire setting was peaceful due to their spectacular view of the ocean and a white sandy beach.
It was my dream house.
“This is the first time I’ve ever been to their place, believe it or not,” Lena said. She cut the engine of her car but didn’t move to get out. Instead, she stared straight ahead, soaking in the paradise Violet and Hubs had created for themselves.
“It’s nice,” I said.
“It is.” She reached for the handle on her door. “Well, I guess we’d better get to work.”
“You’re not planning on letting them breathe fireballs at you right away, are you? Seashells or something smaller and less dangerous to start with would be best. Don’t you think?”
The more I was around her, the stronger my desire to protect her became. Even though I knew she could handle her own, I didn’t think that urge would ever die out. It had been there since day one.
Lena rolled her eyes. When she glanced at me the sunlight glinted off her face, highlighting my favorite freckle on the tip of her nose. “Of course I plan to start with something small. I don’t have a damn death wish. I mean, I am doing all of this to keep myself and you alive.”
“Right. Just checking.”
She slipped out of the car and I did the same. Violet and Hubs stood at the front of their Jeep, waiting for us.
“Welcome to our humble home.” Hubs smiled.
“It’s beautiful,” Lena said. “It’s like you have your own slice of paradise.”
“Oh, honey, you haven’t seen paradise yet. Wait till you see the backyard. That’s where we’ll be practicing.” Violet motioned for us to follow her to the other side of the house.
We walked along a path made of dusty stones. Tension rippled off Lena. I reached for her hand and intertwined my fingers through hers. Her palm was hot, or was it that mine was cold?
“Your hands are freezing. You need to get your circulation checked out or something,” she teased.
“I’ll add it to the running list of things to do once the Sisters are taken care of.”
Something shifted through her eyes. It disappeared before I was able to name it. Was she worried I didn’t plan on staying in Willow Harbor with her after everything was said and done? Was she worried she wasn’t included in my plans?
She shouldn’t be. I had no intentions of ever leaving her side again.
Dogs barking captured my attention.
“I’ll be right back,” Hubs said. “Let me make sure they’re all right. I’ll meet you around back in a second.”
The old man doubled back to the front door. I wondered what type of dogs dragons kept as pets. Were they small? They sounded small.
When we rounded to the back of the house I realized how right Lena had been to call this place paradise. It was stunning. The backyard was like a private beach. There was a large stone fire pit and comfortable chairs spaced around it. White sand and crystal clear water. Blue skies and a gentle breeze. Two adirondack chairs were placed where the waves ended with a teal umbrella over top.
It was postcard-perfect.
“This place is amazing,” I said.
“Thanks. We love it here. Nowhere else feels more like home than this little bungalow here in Willow Harbor,” Violet said. She reached out for Lena’s shoulder. “Now, let’s figure out how to go about testing this new gift of yours so we can see what you’re working with.”
A crackling sound built in the back of her throat. She coughed and I thought a fireball was going to shoot from between her lips toward us.
“Sorry, I had a tickle in my throat.” She kicked off her shoes and walked to the ocean. “Come on. We need to find some shells. I figure that’s going to be the best thing to start out with. Fire is too dangerous.”
Lena flashed me a small smile and then followed after Violet.
It wasn’t long before each of us had our own piles of shells. It felt wrong knowing they’d be used to peg Lena. I tried to make myself feel better by repeatedly thinking it would be better than Violet or Hubs shooting fireballs at her.
“Well, that’s the first time I’ve ever helped gather something for someone to throw at me,” Lena said. Sarcasm dripped from her words as she shifted the shells around in the pouch she’d made from her shirt.
Even though she was trying to hide it, I could tell she was nervous.
“First time for everything,” I said. My tone was teasing. I wanted to lighten the mood. Make her less uneasy. When I noticed a tiny grin twist at the corners of her lips I pressed forward with my teasing, wanting to see a real smile. “Who gets to throw the first one? Me, right?”
She shoved me playfully. The smile I’d been hoping for pulled at her lips.
Success.
“Ass,” she muttered.
“No, I’m serious,” I said as I struggled to keep a straight face. “Do I get to throw the first one?”
Her eyes narrowed. She was getting pissed, but she looked wickedly beautiful. Her chin jutted out the way I remembered it used to when she was putting on a brave face.
She dumped her pouch of shells onto the beach.
“Go right ahead,” she insisted. “Take your best sh
ot.”
I could see right through her. Didn’t she know this about me? Deep down she was nervous as hell. She didn’t have any confidence in herself. Not when it came to her shield.
I grabbed one of my shells, watching as her eyes followed my movements.
“You ready?” I asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be. I mean, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out.” She held her hands out in front of her. I wasn’t sure if it was to help project the shield or just block the shell in general. “Go ahead. Don’t aim for my eye though, okay? Aim for my chest or stomach. Somewhere below my face, please.”
Her words trembled when she spoke. I hated she lacked confidence in herself because she could do this. I knew she could. I’d seen her do it before.
The memory surfaced—the purple glow, the way her dark hair flew around her face, the power she projected. It was all there, lying dormant in her somewhere.
“I promise I have no intention of aiming for your eye.” I scoffed. Jesus, how cruel did she think I was? “Ready?”
When she nodded I tossed the shell at her. Underhanded. Not hard at all. I knew it was only a seashell but hell, I didn’t want to hurt her.
It soared through the air and smacked into her left boob.
“Thane!” She scolded me.
I busted out laughing as she rubbed her tit. She gave me a go-to-hell look, but I couldn’t stop.
“I’m sorry. I swear. I didn’t mean to hit you there, but in my defense, you did tell me to aim for your chest.”
She picked up the shell and chucked it at me. Hard. It bounced off my forehead, and I swore the freaking thing cut me.
“What the hell?” I growled.
“How about I give it a try?” Violet insisted. I’d forgotten she was there. She was too quiet and observant. She stepped forward with a shell larger than the one I’d thrown in her hand. “Ready?”
“I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m not sure what to focus on. I’ve got no clue how I did this the first time,” Lena said. I could see the frustration on her face.
Did she really think she should have been able to block my seashell on the first try?
“Don’t beat yourself up,” I said, hoping to stop her negative thought process. “You’re not a terrified fifteen-year-old fighting for her life right now. You had some serious motivation going for you that day. Totally different scenario happening here.”
“You’re not helping,” Lena grimaced.
The sight of it had me smiling wider. Maybe I wasn’t helping her learn to hone her ability, but I was helping calm her nerves.
That had to count for something.
“Focus, Lena. Feel for your ability,” Violet said. “Picture me throwing this shell at you and it bouncing off an invisible purple wall wielded by you.”
That was good. Way better than what I’d said. Had the old woman done this before?
When Violet tossed the shell at Lena, it hit her in the shoulder—which was a much better place than her boob. Violet didn’t give Lena a moment to think before she tossed another seashell at her. This one hit her too but Lena didn’t show any signs of it bothering her this time around. She was determined. I could see it in her eyes.
I sat in the sand and watched, handing Violet a new shell when she held out her hand. She was a great teacher. Her voice was soothing. It seemed to keep Lena at ease. When Hubs came down, he brought sandwiches and cool drinks with him. Three Yorkies followed him. They hung close to the back of his heels, forming a cluster of fur as he walked. The sight of them had me chuckling. Yorkies hadn’t been the type of dogs I’d expected dragons to own. I’d envisioned large dogs like German Shepherds or Rottweilers even though their bark had sounded small when we pulled up.
Clearly, that wasn’t the case.
“Anyone hungry?” Hubs asked. “Thirsty?”
“In a minute,” Violet said as she threw another shell at Lena.
“Thane?” Hubs asked. He held half a sandwich out to me.
“No thanks,” I said. “But I’ll take something to drink, please.”
Hubs passed me a soda and then moved to sit on the sand beside me. The Yorkies circled him. He tore a corner off the sandwich he held and tossed it to the nearest one before taking a bite of it himself. My gaze drifted back to Violet and Lena. The old woman seemed to enjoy what she was doing. This was why I chose not to interfere.
Besides, the two of them had momentum going I didn’t want to disrupt.
I hoped it helped Lena bring out her shield sometime soon. Even just a tiny piece of it. She needed a confidence boost. I could see she was starting to wear down after an hour of being at it with no luck.
“Stick with it, Lena,” I said. “You can do this.”
She flashed me a look that seemed to say, ‘yeah, right.’ and then focused on Violet again. I sipped my soda in silence knowing something would happen soon.
It had to.
Fourteen
Lena
The sun was beginning to set. Purple streaks worked their way through the sky, intertwining with shades of pink and orange. I wasn’t sure how long we’d been out here; all I knew was that I hadn’t kept a single freaking seashell from hitting me. No matter how hard I tried. I was positive little cuts marked the skin of my palms, arms, and face.
At this point, I was beginning to doubt my so-called ability existed any more. My raven pulled up a memory from Thane the day I ran to reminded me it was dormant in me somewhere. I just needed to figure out a way to tap into it again.
Hubs threw another shell at me. It hit me in the forehead, and I let out a puff of air. This was getting old. My lips pinched together as I rubbed the area it hit.
“This isn’t working,” I snapped.
“You’ll get it,” Violet insisted from where she sat beside Thane on the sand.
Sometime next year, I thought. My raven scolded me. She hated when I talked negatively about myself.
“I think you need some motivation,” Hubs said. “Seashells aren’t threatening enough.”
A sly grin twisted across the old man’s face. I placed my hands on my hips and rolled my head from side to side, trying to work the tension out of my neck.
“Maybe we should call it a day,” Thane suggested. Worry hung heavily in his tone. “It’s getting late.”
“We’re not stopping until she gets this,” Hubs insisted, surprising me with the amount of venom in his words.
I thought he would have been eager to call it a night because he was old but that didn’t seem to be the case.
When I glanced at Violet to see if she was okay with hanging around some more I noticed her eyes held the same amount of determination as her husband’s. She wanted me to do this. My gaze drifted around, taking in all three of them staring at me. They all believed I could do this. Even Thane. He’d said so more than once.
So why the hell couldn’t I believe in myself?
“You,” Hubs said. His crooked finger pointed to Thane. “Step up here. I think it’s time we up the ante.”
I arched a brow. What the hell did that mean?
My raven went on high alert. What was Hubs up to? I watched as he positioned Thane inches from me before moving back to his original spot. What was he going to do now? I didn’t understand. Throwing shells at Thane wouldn’t be enough motivation to bring out my shield. I couldn’t care less if he got pegged with a few. It would serve him right for hitting me in the boob with one earlier.
Hubs pulled in a deep breath, drawing my attention back to him. His dragon fire crackled deep in his lungs and I understood what he’d meant by up the ante. Surely he wasn’t about to use it on Thane, though.
Right?
My raven fluttered, growing uneasy as rocks stacked themselves in my stomach. My heart raced.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” My voice trembled when I spoke.
“I’m with her,” Thane insisted. He’d figured out what Hubs had meant too.
<
br /> “Relax,” Hubs insisted. “Everything will be fine...as long as you use your shield.”
He winked at me, and my shoulders grew tight as my breathing hitched. I held my hands up, preparing as best I could to block whatever Hubs was about to send our way.
“You can do this, Lena,” Thane insisted. “I’ve seen you do it before.”
“I have too,” I said, thinking of his memories I’d witnessed. “Doesn’t mean I can do it again. Maybe it was a fluke.”
“It wasn’t a fluke.” Thane shook his head. “Nothing about you is a fluke.”
I glanced at him, flashing him a small smile. Hubs chose that moment to release his fireball that had been building. It rolled through the air in all its orange and red glory, heading straight for Thane’s face. He wasn’t even looking. His eyes were still on me.
“No! Wait!” I shouted.
My hands extended further out in front of me in an effort to block Thane from the blow. A warm sensation built in my palms that spread until it covered my hands and shot up my wrists. It was familiar yet new, and my raven was just as excited about it as I was. When a faint purple glow emanated from my hands, I watched as it expanded outward.
It wasn’t big enough to block Hubs’s fireball though.
It clipped the edge of the tiny shield I’d created and bounced off to graze Thane’s shoulder. He stumbled backward. His hand lifted to his shoulder.
“Ouch! Damn it that hurt!” He shouted.
I rushed to him. “Thane!”
“I’m fine. It’s okay.”
My eyes shifted to Hubs. “What the hell? You couldn’t have warned us first?”
“Motivation.” He shrugged. The sound of crackling built deep inside his chest again. “Ready for round two?”
I glanced at Violet. She couldn’t agree with this.
“Honey, I think once was enough. We should call it a night,” Violet said.
“She just about got it. I’m not going to stop now.” Hubs continued to build the fireball in his chest. “She needs to be pushed. We don’t have time to take it slow. Not if those damn banshees are comin’ for her.”
[Willow Harbor 08.0] Raven's Sight Page 9