by Julia Mills
There was a tiny woman with platinum hair and bright violet eyes that glowed when she smiled. The light around her was bright and friendly and when combined with the aura belonging to the biggest man she’d ever seen in entire life standing protectively behind the petite woman, it was obvious they meant her no harm. She smiled as she watched the couple look back and forth between the man holding her and the man in the corner, like they were at a tennis match.
The mismatched couple was joined by a very pretty, tall, dark-haired woman and a handsome blonde man that reminded her of a surfer. They were partially hidden by what was left of the door. It was also apparent there were others just outside the door, all extremely interested in what was going on in her room.
Unable to bear all the attention, she bowed her head and lowered her arm. A finger under her chin lifted her face until once again she met her rescuer’s expressive gaze. “You have nothing to hide from and nothing to fear. Everyone here is your friend, I promise. I’m Devon. What’s your name?”
She opened her mouth to answer then shut it again. What is my name? Surely, I know my own name? She opened her mouth again but nothing came out. Her mind was a complete blank. Not her name, where she was from…nothing. She could see pictures in her mind of an older couple that she knew to be Mom and Pops. Not her birth parents, but a wonderful couple that had raised her and loved her more than anything. She knew they were long dead and missed them terribly. The image of the farmhouse just outside the city where she had grown up and lived, even after her parents’ death, floated through her consciousness. So did the one stupid night she had decided to go see a movie and had never made it back.
The harder she tried to remember, the more pictures that flashed through her mind. It was like a highlight reel of her life…just glimpses of people and places she had known throughout the years. The longer it lasted without her name, the more worried she became. The rapid rhythm of her pulse beating in her ears combined with the single drop of sweat rolling down her back, were clear indicators that she was heading into a full blown panic attack. A few deep breaths did nothing to calm her nerves as sweat broke out across her upper lip. The man holding her looked on cautiously, obviously sensing her fear and confusion. In one swift motion he pulled her onto his lap, where her legs fell on either side of his thighs, leaving them positioned chest to chest. His fingers wound into the hair at the sides of her head. He looked deep into her eyes and crooned, “Breathe with me, mo chroi’. Nice and slow.”
She took one breath and then the next, never breaking eye contact, following his lead. The panic began to recede, her shoulders began to relax. He smiled and she was rewarded with his low rumble of approval, “That’s it, a chumann, just breathe. You’re fine. Nothing and no one will ever harm you again.”
Then he spoke directly into her mind, offering further reassurance, “Don’t worry; your name will come back to you. You’ve been unconscious for quite a while. I’m sure you just need time to adjust.”
“Thank you,” she answered aloud and took another long, deep breath. This man with the compassionate eyes and soothing voice was like a drug. A very potent, very addictive drug she already knew she never wanted to be without.
Devon, that’s what he’d said his name was, spoke again, and his words brought the reality of the situation into complete, unfiltered focus. “You said you were abducted, right? And that you think it was my friend,” he pointed to the man in the corner, “that did it?”
Her voice failing, she nodded, and the man from her nightmares all but yelled, “It was not me. I think you better have Sam look at her again, Dev. She must’ve hit her head or something when she was freaking out.” His voice sounded different than she remembered. It was deeper and held a bit more of an accent.
Devon turned and looked over his shoulder, “Aaron, relax, I’m trying to figure this out. But maybe you’re right, she was really freaked.” He winked at her as he swung his head around to look over the opposite shoulder, “Sam, you wanna take a look? Make sure everything’s okay?”
The pretty dark-haired woman slowly walked towards them. Devon smiled and motioned as she stood at her bedside, “This is Sam. Actually, Dr. Samantha Malone and she’s awesome. Is it okay if she just takes a look real quick to check everything?”
At the prospect of being separated from him, her hands gripped his forearms even tighter, making him chuckle. “It’s alright, Sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere. Although I do think you’ll need to get off my lap for Sam to have a good look at you.”
The heat from her blush warmed her cheeks and her eyes closed in embarrassment. It was the doctor who spoke, easing her tension as she lightly touched her shoulder, “Don’t worry. He’s just messing with you. Get used to it. They’re all a bunch of overgrown teenagers.”
Giggling more to herself than the others, she loosened her grip on his arms and started to crawl off his lap. In the next second, she found herself back on the bed, sitting next to Devon. Her eyes grew big as she looked up to find him smiling. “Damn, you’re strong,” flew from her lips before she could stop them, and again she blushed as her hand slapped over her mouth.
Laughter filled the room as Devon joked, “Why thank ya’, ma’am,” in what she was sure was his best southern accent.
Shaking her head, Samantha reached for a weathered brown messenger bag and pulled out a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and penlight. The doctor knelt before her, motioning to Devon, “He’s just happy you’re awake. You’ll have to excuse his goofiness; it’s a welcome change from the worry. Now, let’s see what we’ve got going on here.”
The doctor’s words warmed her heart. I’m gonna need to get used to the teasing? He’s happy I’m awake? He cares that I’m okay? It was a lot to wish for and she couldn’t help but hope it was the truth. Devon made her feel almost normal again. She loved the feel of his arms around her and the look in his eyes when… Her thoughts were cut short as Sam stood up and the voices in the room grew louder. One look revealed a newcomer–a tall, elderly woman whose long, grey braid swung as she spoke. She was engaged in a serious conversation with the tiny blonde.
“Everything seems to be fine.” Sam’s words drew her attention and she watched as the doctor returned her instruments to her bag. “No signs of trauma, nothing unusual. I would say something light to eat and then a good night’s sleep will make all the difference in the world. You’re making a miraculous recovery for someone that’s been in a coma for at least a month.”
“A month!” She gasped, unconsciously grabbing for Devon’s hand. He automatically threaded his fingers through hers and pulled at their connection to get her attention. “Yes, Sweetheart, the doctors are sure you were unconscious for at least four weeks. I only found you twelve days ago and just got to bring you here to my mother’s home earlier today.” He motioned to the older lady.
A commotion at the door cut off her next question. What she saw next had her doubting her sanity. Standing not two steps inside the door was an exact replica of the man that stood next to the window. Her eyes flew to the first man to make sure he really was there, and then at the second and back to the first again. The longer she looked from one to the other, the more certain she was that Samantha had been wrong about her condition. She had to be losing her mind.
Devon words sounded far away and muffled, “What is it? What’s wrong? Talk to me, mo chroi.”
She could hear his distress and worked hard to focus. “It’s them.” She pointed behind him at the two identical men, her voice shaky with fear. “How are there two of them?”
Squeezing Devon’s hand as tight as she could, she added the other; trying everything she could to anchor herself to him. He had promised to protect her and she knew he meant it. Just about to beg for that help, her words were cut off when the tiny blonde shrieked, “Oh shit! It all makes sense now.”
She moved around the older woman, stopping between the two men. Her eyes were brighter than before, and she smiled a knowing smile. “You,” s
he pointed to the man by the window.” Then swung around and pointed at the other and said, “And you…are twins.”
The one she was facing said, “Yeah, no shit. And…?”
“And, when we finished the ritual, I was just about to tell y’all that I had sensed a crazy mixture of black magic, Earth magic, and what I thought was dragon magic during the Cleansing. But she screamed, we ran, and well...now...here we all are.” She took a breath and continued her explanation, “I’m now positive it was that stupid dickhead.” The tiny woman put her hands on her hips and continued, her brow furrowed like she was deep in thought, “It kinda felt like him, but it’s been a while since I’ve had a good sense of his special brand of crazy and never when it was mixed with any Earth magic but my own.” She spun around and spoke to the older woman, “His dragon magic is seriously stronger than before.”
The mention of the guy the tiny woman had called ‘dickhead’ caused Devon to tense and every other male to growl in anger. Apparently, there was a nasty history between her true abductor and the nice people that were trying to help her. She wondered what he had done to make them so mad and was just about to ask when the petite blonde woman took a few more steps in her direction. Stopping at the end of the bed, she grinned nervously, “I’m so sorry for blurting all that out. You must think I’m a fucking loon.”
A picture of her mom in the greenhouse behind the barn, the entire back wall covered with bookshelves that overflowed with old books and notebooks came to mind. Mom had called them her ‘Recipe and Spell books’. She giggled and surprised even herself with her response, “That’s okay, my mom was a witch. Well, not my birth mom, but the woman who raised me. She did spells and made teas and ointments for people who needed her help. It’s all good. I know you’re not crazy. Besides, you have a beautiful light. You’re a really good person.”
“Well, thanks.” The petite witch’s smile lit up her whole face. “I’m Kyra, and that’s my mate, Royce,” she pointed to the huge man with extremely red hair.
Kyra’s next words came out rushed. “So here’s the deal. These two are twins.” She motioned to the two guys that had freaked her out just moments ago. “And they have a little brother that’s bat shit crazy, Andrew. He’s the one that I believe abducted you. Now, I know all of this is hard to believe, but I want you to do two things for me and I promise you’ll see that what I’m saying is the truth. Cool?”
She looked at Devon and he nodded his approval. She could feel him lending her his strength and reassurance through their joined hands. Figuring she had nothing to lose, she answered the only way she could, “Sure, what do you need me to do?”
Kyra motioned for Aaron to come towards her while she spoke, “I want you to focus on Aaron and get a good read on his spirit. Can you do that for me?”
She nodded her head, looking right at him. His aura was brilliant. It shone blue and red with bright white all around. There was absolutely nothing malevolent about him. Looking at his twin, she saw exactly the same colors, but with bits of green and yellow added to the mix. The additional colors had to be from the gorgeous brunette at his side. The love between them was evident and something she longed for.
Looking back to Kyra, she smiled and said, “Their auras are clean and bright. You’re right, they’re nothing like him. But the resemblance is scary…literally.”
Kyra laughed, “Wow! You’re quick. Two at once–I’m impressed. I can see where you’d think they look like their younger, demented brother, but the more time you spend around these two, the less they’ll look like the little shithead, I promise.” The petite witch winked before speaking again. “Now, one more thing to make really sure and put all your fears to rest.”
The tiny woman motioned for the twins to join her at the end of the bed before she continued, “Do you remember the color of Andrew’s eyes?”
She thought for just a second and took a deep breath to brace herself, calling up the memory of her abductor. In a split second, it all came rushing back…the day she woke up in the strange locked room with two young men and an older woman. She pictured the man with little round glasses who brought them food and clean clothes. He’d been somewhat kind when he instructed them to get ready to meet their Master. The wait was awful. The sudden sound of a key in the lock made her hands shake. She, along with the other three, had collectively held their breath as the one they all called Master O’Brien walked into the room. His smile had been chilling and his eyes cold. The scary recollection vanished and blessed reality returned. His eyes! That’s it! She screamed, “His eyes! One is blue and one is the color of whiskey!” she pointed to the men standing on either side of Kyra, “Yours are blue and yours are whiskey!”
The remaining tension in the room evaporated. Aaron visibly relaxed for the first time since she had laid eyes on him and she immediately felt bad for having freaked out. He turned to leave and she called to him, “Aaron…?”
He stopped, turned, and half-grinned. After a moment’s hesitation, he took a step back. “Yes?”
She tried to stand but her legs buckled, causing her to land in a heap on Devon’s lap. “Take it easy, Sweetheart,” Devon said as his arms steadied her.
When she looked back to Aaron, his hands were out ready to catch her should she fall. It just further confirmed that he was absolutely nothing like the man that had her kidnapped and held her against her will. She smiled up at him. “Thank you so much. I guess a month in bed makes for weak legs,” she chuckled and then met his eyes. “I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am that I accused you of having anything to do with what happened to me. It was completely my mistake.” She looked away for just a second and when she looked back, he was grinning, “I hope you won’t hold it against me.”
He shook his head and scoffed. “Hell, no. Don’t think about it again. My little brother’s an asshole. He seems to hurt everything he touches. I’m just glad you’re gonna be okay and I promise you…he will pay for what he’s done.” He looked over her shoulder and gave a quick nod before he touched her shoulder and said, “Now, take care of yourself. Cause Dev’s been a real pain in the ass while you were out.”
The room erupted in laughter as Aaron left, assuring her he would see her later. From there it was a parade of faces and names as she met everyone. Devon said they were all members of his Force. She had been so busy trying to put names with faces that she had forgotten to ask what that meant.
Nerves almost got the best of her when she met Siobhan, Devon’s mother, but the elderly woman was so gracious and welcoming, all her insecurities simply melted away. “It is nice to meet you and I am so glad you are feeling better. I heard the good doctor say you should eat and get some rest. Kyndel has cooked up enough food for an army and her cooking always makes me feel better. Would you like me to have them bring you a plate?”
Her stomach growled before she could answer. Siobhan chuckled and Devon barked a laugh as her cheeks warmed for about the hundredth time. At the rate I keep embarrassing myself, I’m never gonna need makeup again. His voice brought her out of her thoughts. “Would you like to sit at the table or eat here in bed?”
She really wanted to get out of bed but knew she would hit the floor if she tried to stand on her own. “I…” Her words were cut short as Devon picked her up and carried her to the small table in the corner of the room. He delicately placed her on the cushioned chair, and then knelt before her. She sighed as just the tips of his fingers touched her cheek. “Never hesitate to tell me what you want or need, a chumann, your happiness means everything to me.”
Thankfully, Siobhan spared her from trying to speak past the lump in her throat when the older woman returned with a tray containing two heaping plates of food and two huge glasses of iced tea. As she placed the tray on the table, she said, “I know I gave you a lot but I wasn’t sure what you liked, so there is a bit of everything. Just eat what you can. Don’t worry if you can’t eat much, it has been a while since you had solid food. Whatever you get down will help your
strength return.”
“Thanks, Mom, I’ll make sure she eats.” She looked up to find a lopsided grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye.
Everything looked and tasted delicious, but Siobhan had been right; she was only able to eat small bites, and even those seemed to take much longer than usual to swallow. Every time she paused, Devon would give her a look that said ‘you need to eat’, which made her giggle nervously. The tea absolutely hit the spot. It was a blend of black and green tea and she could taste herbs just like her mom used to blend. It became increasingly obvious that she was much more thirsty than hungry. When her glass was empty, Devon handed her his, saying, “Drink as much as you like. I’ll go get us some more.”
Kyra and Siobhan entered the room with Devon close behind, just as she was finishing his drink. He placed two fresh glasses of tea on their table and grabbed two chairs from the corner for the ladies. Once seated, Kyra spoke first, “I know you must be tired but I wanted…I mean, we wanted,” she looked to Siobhan and then continued, “to talk to you about your memory.”
When she nodded for them to continue, it was Siobhan who spoke, “You said your mother was a witch, correct?”
“Yes, ma’am, she was.”
“And from what you said, it sounds like she was an Earth witch, one that specialized in healing. Does any of that sound familiar?” Devon’s mom asked.
She felt all eyes on her as she answered, “That’s what she always said. Her talents came from the Goddess and were passed down from generation to generation. Everything she ever taught me she said had to be used for good or we would get in trouble with the Council.”
“Did your mom belong to a coven?” Kyra asked, leaning forward like her answer was very important.
“She did. They were a small group. There were only five left, at least that was what they said the last time I talked to them about a year ago. They’re all healers in the small communities around our farm.