Josephine combed her fingers through his hair. “Does it hurt?”
He nodded, his teeth clenched.
“If I heal you, will you find the girl who got away? Wendy? Or whatever her name is.”
“Tell me where.”
“Wanatoga. I cannot go there, but you can.”
“Anything you wish,” Mason promised.
“Very soon. There’s another filthy witch coming our way. Take him first. I’ll need him in order to deal with her. She’s far more powerful than I imagined.”
“Anything for you, Josephine.”
“Good, now find the witch at the truck stop. He should be there soon.”
He stood, and Josephine pulled him to a stop and opened the buttons of his flannel. “I told you I’d heal this mess.”
Mason smiled, his eyes delving into hers. Mason was so easy to coax into doing what she wanted. She peeled the bandages away and placed her hands over the charred handprints on his chest.
A moan followed the pained hiss.
Hiding the smile that wanted free, Josephine pushed healing energy at him instead.
The tension in his body melted away as his skin smoothed over. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his collarbone before taking her hands away.
“Josie, I’m yours.”
“You are, and I’ll reward you once we remove another dirty witch from this world.” The target wasn’t a witch. He was a mage, but the humans of the town didn’t know the difference. In fact, most humans still believed magic didn’t exist, and monsters didn’t roam the night. She told the town what they needed to hear to believe in black magic and witches using power to harm others.
The men she brought in were eager to stop the witchcraft. She’d only allowed Mason to participate in the rituals, letting the others believe she simply killed them. Mason seemed to understand she took their magic and wanted to help her. But if Mason continued to screw up, she may let Butch join in the next time. Perhaps he needed a little motivation. In fact, that gave her an idea. Butch had taken to hanging out on her lawn, hoping to gain her favor.
“I’ll send Butch with you, to ensure I was able to heal you properly, especially since we can no longer use David. I took his memories.”
Mason nodded, disappointment clear on his face. “Sure.”
At least he didn’t argue. “Go, he should be there before long. You’ll find Butch outside.”
Mason dipped his head and left the room. Josephine moved to her dresser and took the blade from her drawer. With the ancient weapon, she could steal Others’ magic and essence. And being a strigoi, she needed their essence to continue living. Technically, she was undead, neither alive, nor dead, and needed the essence of magic to survive.
* * * *
Dinner had been an excellent home-cooked meal. Loretta and Chatan made her feel at home. Keeping distance from Chatan became increasingly difficult with every new detail. Every time she fortified her walls, he smiled and they cracked.
At the door, she turned to Chatan. “You sure about that walk?”
He nodded, but then his phone buzzed. “Let me get this. I’ll knock when I’m done.” She never once saw him touch the phone. She hadn’t even thought about him having one until that moment.
Dipping her head, she slipped inside.
“Wait, Jace, I’ll knock in a minute. Please, don’t be mad.”
Smiling, she patted his arm. “I’m not. Take it. I’ve kept you busy all day.” Jacinda closed the door, hating the sadness in those dark eyes. Not her fault, though. And she wouldn’t shut him out for answering his phone when he spent the entire day with her.
Chatan had a life in Wanatoga. Jacinda had a goal, and then she planned to move on once she found whatever her father wanted her to find.
The more time she spent with Chatan, the harder it would be to leave. She had two options. Succeed where her family had failed and end the threat to her family, or Thanatos would destroy the last of her bloodline.
Chatan had knowledge she didn’t have. Maybe he really could help her.
She sank onto the couch and closed her eyes. Her necklace hummed and she grabbed onto the carved redwood hawk on a leather thong.
Her mother’s way of letting her know to contact her. Her heart raced as Chatan knocked on the door.
Mom would have to wait. Jacinda wasn’t sure what to tell her. Shoving the necklace beneath her shirt, she hurried to the door and opened it.
Chatan met her gaze, but he didn’t smile. “That was George, my boss. He needs help with something at work. Can I come over in the morning? I’ll bring you back to my place for breakfast.”
“Of course. But—” The words got lost on her tongue. She stepped forward and rose up on her toes as her hand landed on his chest.
Chatan gently caught her cheek as he bent to give her what she wanted. His kiss was a soft caress that stole her breath. He sucked her bottom lip between his and a shiver slid down her spine with her gasp. His mouth covered hers again.
Leaning back, he smiled. “I don’t want to leave.”
“But you should. I’ll be here in the morning,” she promised.
His eyes narrowed. “Don’t try to find the waterfall tonight. Please. There are stories of monsters in that part of the forest.”
A grown man afraid of legends? There must be truth to the stories. “I won’t. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I could call when I’m done.” He took a step back.
“Not tonight. I need to read my father’s journal again. See if I can figure anything else out.”
“Tell me you have a cell phone.”
She shook her head. “Never needed one.”
“How do you contact your mother?” he asked, moving back to her.
“We have our ways. Good night, Chatan.”
He groaned and moved back, taking a brief kiss that left her lips tingling. “Tomorrow morning then. Same time.” He hurried toward the trail, only glancing back to wave.
As soon as he made it past the tree line, she moved to get the journal.
* * * *
Last thing Chatan wanted to do was chase after Mason and the other goons. He wanted to stay with Jacinda and make sure she stayed out of trouble. Of course, if he hadn’t met her, he would want to be right there in the action.
Jacinda promised to focus on the journal, which meant she’d be out of harm’s way. And if George was right, some mage was coming to town, and they wanted to stop anyone else from being slaughtered.
He made it to his place in time for Loval to pull up. Chatan slid into the seat of the beat-up Honda Civic and shut the door.
“Heard you’re quite taken with last night’s near victim,” Loval prompted.
“Don’t start. She’s a hell of a lot more than a piece of ass.”
Loval chuckled. “Aren’t they all?”
Yeah, they were. He wasn’t into one-night stands, but he didn’t usually stick around once the woman started to cling. Most of them wanted him to change, to move, to be something he wasn’t.
Only, Jacinda mentioned leaving, and the thoughts of following her sprang up every time he was away from her for more than a few seconds.
He was a total goner.
“Hey, Chatan. Need you here, with me, not wherever your mind is wandering.”
He blew out a breath. “Are you and Taryn coming to dinner tomorrow?”
“Do we get to meet her?”
“Yeah. But don’t be a douchebag. She’s never had any true friends. I want her to feel at home here, like she has a reason to stay, or at least come back.”
“You’re falling hard.” Loval nudged Chatan.
He grinned. “Yeah, so don’t be an asshole. Help me find a way to keep her here, or at least convince her to let me come with her.”
“Wait, you’d leave with her?” Loval asked.
He nodded. “I feel this need to protect her. That means going if she goes. And she’s going at some point.” She came here for a purpose, and she al
ways moved.
“Wow, okay. Shit. But does she really need protection? George filled me in on what happened.”
“Probably not. Doesn’t matter. I can’t resist this call.”
Chatan pulled a hair tie from his pocket and quickly braided his hair back. “Never mind that for now. We need to find this mage and make sure he gets out of Saint Morton before Josephine’s men find him.”
“They aren’t using the Monvoisin estate,” Loval said. “I scouted it.” He snorted.
The shaman’s spirit animal was a ringtail. He could get in and out of places without much notice, especially at night.
“Figured that. We would have been able to stop them the last time. Maybe someone needs to look into what property the family owns? And has anyone figured out what’s happening to the van to prevent us from tracking them?”
“Magic unlike the elders have seen. It’s a damned shame. I want to stop them, but I don’t know how we’re going to manage with the way they keep dodging us.”
“We will. Hopefully tonight. Then I won’t have to worry about Jacinda.” Chatan fastened his hair and tossed the braid back.
“Mac says she’s powerful,” Loval said.
Chatan smiled. “Unlike anything I’ve ever encountered. Josephine will want her. We can’t let that happen.”
“We won’t,” Loval promised.
Chapter 9
The hawk pendant continued humming. Jacinda finally gave up trying to ignore her mother and locked herself in the bathroom to fill the sink with water.
She could have completed the spell in the kitchenette, but in the off chance someone came by to check on her, she didn’t want anyone to witness the scrying in progress or how she contacted her mother.
Once the basin was full and the water plugged, she began with the words her mother taught her long ago. The spell made any surface of water like a screen for a video call.
The flat surface of water showed bubbles rising and popping on the surface, then pasta was dumped in. Not on her side of the connection, but her mother’s side.
Mom squeaked, “Oh, Jacinda, there you are. Where are you? Hang on, let me move to a bowl.”
When her mother came back into view, she smiled. “Traveling.”
Mom sighed. “You’re in Wanatoga, aren’t you?”
“Why would you think that?”
“You’ve never blown off that question in the past. It’s the one place I dread you going. So tell me, are you in Wanatoga?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes. Fine, I’m here. But there isn’t much you can do about it.”
“No, there’s really not. Just be careful, dove. I don’t want you hurt, and I don’t want you to run into trouble with that Monvoisin strigoi.”
“What?”
“About eighteen months ago, a foolish necromancer brought Josephine Monvoisin back from the dead. Her family owns most of Saint Morton. Anyway, the ritual used to reanimate a corpse, especially one dead for five years, changes a person. She’s lucky she’s Other, or she would have come back a zombie. Instead, her soul, her essence is left tattered, which means she had to have found a way to take magic from others. It’s how she’s still alive, if she is.”
“Oh, that makes so much sense.” Jacinda closed her eyes and let out a breath.
“Be careful, dove. Don’t let her find you.”
“Apparently, she can’t cross the border into the reservation, so as long as I stay put, I’m safe.”
“Yes, well, Thanatos can cross that barrier, so remember, when he comes, you go far, far away, in the opposite direction, no matter what.”
“Yeah, I remember. So, you aren’t going to complain that I’m here?”
Mom’s smile brightened. “You’re an adult, as you like to remind me. And honestly, I’m surprised you haven’t gone there yet. I hope you find what your father was looking for. I do. But I have no hope that you will.”
Jacinda smiled. “I have a guide. Chatan. He’s showing me around the area. He’s taking me to places Dad spoke of in the journal. And I think he can help me decipher the last few symbols.”
Mom smiled as she rubbed her chin. “Chatan? That name. I remember that name.”
“You do?” she asked.
“Yes, but not why.” She sighed. “Everyone I met there was very welcoming. But it’s been ages, and I only went once. The man he worked with moved away soon after your father died. I haven’t kept up with Mat.”
“Mat? You have a last name?”
She rubbed at her temples. “I’ll look through some of your father’s things. Maybe I can find it.”
“That could help immensely.”
“So, Chatan? Is he attractive?”
Heat raced up her face and she nodded. “Very. But don’t worry, I’m not falling for him.”
“Of course you are,” Mom bounced in excitement. “And it’s about time. In fact, hopefully, you’ll bring him to see me next time I’m spending some time in our old house.”
“Until I find the way to stop Thanatos, that’s not happening.”
“Oh, darling. Something you need to accept is that you may never find the answers. When you find love, you should hold on, no matter what. Especially if they are willing to follow you. Love you, dove. Good luck with Chatan.”
The image faded back to the water in her bathroom sink.
That was a conversation she never expected.
* * * *
Mason sneered at Butch as he walked to the truck. “You’re coming with me.”
Butch glared back. “You’re well enough to hunt down a witch?”
He unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it open to show his healed skin. “Perfectly fine. Josephine needs me. I don’t plan to fail her.”
“Good, because I don’t want to be on the receiving end if you manage to disappoint her again.”
Mason snarled. It wasn’t his fault he failed in capturing Wendy. The girl was so much more than anything he’d seen before. Her magic was powerful. Stronger than Josephine’s. Somehow, she turned the gas into water. Not even Josephine could explain that.
“Maybe you should attempt to find Wendy on your own.” Mason shot Butch a cruel smile. “She’s nothing like the witches we’ve gone after in the past.”
“Should have knocked her out,” Butch countered. “Then you wouldn’t have had a problem.”
Mason snorted. “She’s a fighter. I doubt you’d know what to do when a woman fights back, dirty.”
“I’ve always loved a challenge.”
He climbed in and slammed the door as Butch hopped in. Mason snapped his belt in place and threw the truck in reverse before Butch could get settled.
Butch’s hands slammed on the dash. “Fuck you, asshole. Let’s get there in one piece, yeah?”
“Fuck off,” Mason muttered, planning to prove his devotion to Josephine. Hopefully, the witch could knock Butch down a few pegs.
* * * *
Chatan crept through the woods, attempting to follow Loval. Bastard was faster and hid more easily among the brush. Thank fuck his vision was crisper, even if he lacked the range of color. It was dark. Shades didn’t matter much.
The fancy bus pulled into the truck stop and someone got out to fill the tank.
Chatan moved closer and felt the wave of power roll off the mage who stepped off the bus. Through the door, he caught a glimpse of the extravagant furniture, the big screen TV, and wine bottles. There were two more Others with him. Some sort of Fae filled the gas, and a seemingly weaker caster was on the bus.
The mage swerved on his feet as a truck veered into the parking lot. Mason drove with Butch in the passenger seat.
Fucking perfect. The two biggest assholes in town were going to have a dick measuring contest while attempting to abduct the mage and possibly whoever was in the RV. And with the amount of power the mage was putting out, Josephine probably hadn’t realized there was another caster with them.
Chatan flew behind a tree, shifted back to human, and hurried up to the g
uy who’d only made it a few steps away from the bus. “Hey, I know you need gas, but don’t get it here. Two assholes will attempt to rob you.”
He waved his hand on his way to the store. “No worries, my good man. No one will touch the bus once they get a good look at the driver.”
Chatan had the sense of one of the large Fae beings nearby, but he wasn’t worried about non-human casters. Seemed the Fae who had come through town had been fine, magic or not.
Mason slammed on his brakes, and Chatan stepped in front of the truck with a narrowed glare. Mason smirked as he stepped out of the truck, quickly approaching. “What are you doing here?”
“Went for a walk. Wound up here,” Chatan answered.
His lip curled. “I have a question for you. Have you seen a redhead? Pretty little thing. Innocent looking.”
“Can’t say that I have.”
Mason moved closer. “Sure about that?”
He nodded.
“Thought you knew everything that went on in your neck of the woods?”
He lifted a shoulder. “No redhead in Wanatoga. I’m sure she’d stand out.”
Loval joined Chatan, but quickly redirected toward Butch, who attempted to sneak around the bus. And things were about to turn into a giant mess.
The giant of a man, who must have been the driver, shot around the bus and gripped Butch’s throat, lifting him off the ground.
“What are you doing?” The big guy cast a sneer in Loval’s direction.
Loval lifted his hands, palms out, and backed away. “Hey, man, we’re just trying to help you out and warn you about these two thugs.”
Then it registered. The giant of a man was an ogre. Huge, fierce, could destroy anything in their path, and typically ugly. This one fit the bill.
Butch grabbed at the ogre’s hand while swatting toward Loval with the other. The scene would have been comical if Mason hadn’t lunged at Chatan.
Chatan shoved him back. “Why so interested in our friendly travelers?”
The drunk mage ran back from the store with fire burning in his hands. “Thanks for the warning.” The words slurred.
Finding Hawk (Branches of Emrys Book 3) Page 7