She made it just in time for Mason and Butch to drag in the woman. Pale hair hung in tangles. Blood matted one side to her scalp. Bruises and scratches covered the bare skin. She didn’t want to know what covered the rest.
“Who did this to her?”
Mason shook his head. “Perhaps the male witch or the driver. The driver was something else. Big, mean, not human.”
She walked forward, nearly stumbling, and touched his head. The memories came up. The mage who was quick to throw fire around. The ogre who drove the bus. Oh, she wanted to get her hands on the mage. The ogre, he had no useful magic for her.
However, the mage wielded fire better than most.
Question was, would he be back for the young woman in such bad shape? And if she were drugged, was it the mage? Or had he been trying to protect her?
She may never know.
Josephine moved to the chest in the corner of the room while Mason strapped the woman down. She touched his hand. “No need. This will be fast.”
She chanted the spell and plunged the dagger into the woman’s chest, letting her essence flow up the dagger, into Josephine.
The pain ebbed away.
The pins and needles faded.
She felt normal, for the moment.
How long would it last this time?
Butch let out a grumble. “I wanted to watch your work.”
“Next time. But she’d suffered enough,” Josephine warned in a low tone.
He dipped his head. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Mason met her eyes, watching her closely. Tonight, she’d reward him. He risked his life to bring her back someone to consume, for no other reason than to please her. Especially when something about this one got to him.
Chapter 11
After a shower, Chatan walked to Jacinda’s door and listened for any sound. Nothing. He almost worried she might still be asleep. After a breath, he knocked.
“Hang on,” she called. A few seconds later, she opened the door with a warm smile. “Hey, sorry. Needed to make sure I had everything.” Jacinda patted the tote that hung over her shoulder.
“Have an idea about where you want to go?”
She shook her head. “Other than the waterfall, no. How was work last night?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Wasn’t as much of an emergency as George believed. We had it handled fast, but figured you were likely tired of me by then.” He winked.
She moved closer, her eyes shining bright. “You really think I could be bored of you?”
“Hope not. I’m certainly not tired of you.”
She locked the door. He wanted to touch her, to kiss her once more.
Chatan took a breath and forced himself to relax.
Her hand wrapped around his as she looked up at him.
“I’m looking forward to today,” he murmured.
“Me too.”
They walked back to his aunt’s house, hand in hand. And yeah, he lived there, but only because it was too lonely in his mother’s house, on his own.
Maybe showing her where he grew up would coax Jacinda into sharing her childhood. “Loretta left already. She needed to talk to the elders, but she did make us breakfast.”
“This early?” she asked.
“Yup.” He was honestly glad. As much as Jacinda enjoyed eating with them both, she didn’t talk as much, preferring to listen. And if he could cook worth a damn, he’d take her back to his mother’s house and eat there.
“Maybe she’s tired of me?” Jacinda offered lightly, but her smile dimmed.
“No. She had business with the elders. In fact, she’s one of them.”
Jacinda’s posture loosened a bit. “Good. I’d hate to think I offended her somehow.”
“How exactly would you have offended her?” He asked.
She shook her head, a frown on her face. “No clue.”
“You haven’t. Oh, and you get to meet my cousin and her boyfriend tonight.”
“Oh?” she asked.
He nodded. “Taryn is Loretta’s daughter. Loval is one of my oldest friends.”
Jacinda smiled as he let her inside.
Plates were already made. Loretta must have left just after he did. And he still believed it was to give them time alone.
Either way, George told him he needed to stick with Jacinda unless otherwise told. Watch duty was over in Saint Morton. He had to agree. Staying with Jace seemed like a far better plan.
“Smells good already,” she murmured.
“Nothing to say about meeting more people?”
* * * *
Jacinda lifted a shoulder. Meeting new people who so easily accepted her was nice. But it felt as if he were attempting to bring her into his life in a way she’d have a hard time leaving.
It was working.
But maybe, if she finally completed what her father wanted her to do, she could come back for him. If Chatan hadn’t forgotten about her by then.
He ran his hands over his thighs. “Should we do something else for dinner?”
She lifted her head and shook it, a smile pasted on her face. “No, not at all. I’m sorry. Please, don’t read anything into my silence. I’m simply trying to figure out how to go about showing you the journal.”
“Your father’s?” he asked. “You could draw the symbols for me.”
“No. I plan to show you the book. I trust you.”
He took her hand. “Eat. Then I can take a look.”
“Good plan.” She ate quickly, smiling at the fact she had far less on her plate than he did. About the same as she ate the day before. There were a couple extra pieces of bacon.
Chatan finished his mountain of food the same time she did, and she stood, grabbing both plates to take them to the sink before he could.
“Jacinda, you’re a guest,” he argued.
She smiled. “I was a guest yesterday. I’m something more today. And with you and Loretta insisting I eat here every day, I should help, at least with the dishes.” She turned on the water and washed the few dishes Loretta left.
Chatan moved behind her, placing his hands on the either side of the sink, trapping her there.
She glanced over her shoulder. “Hey.”
His eyes were closed, a smile on his lips. “I know what you smell like.”
“What?” she whispered.
“Those purple flowers at the gazebo.”
She turned to him, her head tipped. “Really?”
“Mmhmm.” Then he backed away, his eyes wide. “Sorry. Couldn’t resist your scent when you walked past me.”
Jacinda grabbed his shirt and pulled him back. “I’m not afraid of you, Chatan.” Nope, not of him, just of what would happen when she left.
She reached up and he leaned down to take a kiss. His lips felt exquisite. He closed the distance, pressing her against the counter without removing his hands from the sink. She wanted his hands on her.
His tongue dipped into her mouth, exploring. Maybe her mother was right, and she should hold onto the man before her.
Her hands landed on his shoulders and she pressed tighter. He moved back, breaking the kiss. “Oh, sweetheart, we need to slow down. Because as much as I want you, I promised you help with something.”
She blinked. “Right. Sorry.”
“Hey, Jace, I’ll kiss you again. Soon. A lot.” He touched her face, taking away the sting of rejection. He wet his bottom lip, then caressed her cheek “But you came here for a purpose, and I don’t want you to think I’m trying to distract you from it.”
“I should thank you, then.” Though she’d rather kiss him longer. Not that she had time for all of that.
Probably for the best he became the voice of reason. Then a thought popped into her head. “Was I that bad at kissing?”
His eyes lit up as he shook his head. “Oh no, Jace. Very good at that. But I’m in no rush to take things where I want, because I want to be sure you’re ready before that.”
“Good point.” Slipping past him, she took a seat a
t the table and pulled the journal out of her tote. “My mom is the only one who has laid eyes on this book. She taught me one set of runes, but I had to find the rest on my own.”
He took her free hand and looked into her eyes. “Thank you for trusting me with something so important to you.”
“Just don’t laugh at me. This is all I have of my father.”
“Never, Jace,” he promised.
Nodding, she opened the book to the symbols she didn’t know. “These, there’s only five scattered throughout. These are the two he wrote the most.”
He met her gaze and pointed to the first. “This is dove.” Glancing down, he moved the finger to the second and lifted his eyes again. “This one is hawk.”
She pushed her hair behind her ear as he watched her. Then she flipped through a few more pages. “This one?”
Chatan’s head tipped. “Demon, though in our tribe’s language that could be any evil being.”
“Hmm.”
“I know where to take you next and the story to tell you.”
“Oh?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yeah. And no, not because I can read any other symbol. I can’t. But those three things lead me to believe you might be the one our stories tell of.”
She sat back, a frown on her face. “What?”
He took her hand. “It’s all good, I promise. Let me tell you the story.”
“All right. But there are two more.”
Chatan smiled. “Show me.”
She found the next and placed a finger.
“Gift.” Light danced in his eyes.
“None of it makes sense,” she muttered, flipping further. Sighing, she placed her finger over the last.
“Soulmate.”
“Maybe my dad was crazy.” She sighed, leaning back.
“No. I don’t think so. I think if you listen to the story, you may be a few steps closer. Especially if I tell you in the place the legend will make the most impact.”
“What?”
“Please, come with me today. I’ll tell you the story. You said your father came here sometime. He must have known the stories. Maybe they play into whatever he wanted you to find.”
“Maybe.” But she couldn’t fathom how.
* * * *
Father always told him he’d play an important role in his people’s legacy. Chatan never believed it before. He had some magic, both druid and shaman, though he’d never truly mastered much. His half-brothers were fully shaman, so was his cousin. However, Chatan’s mother had been a druid, which meant he was mixed.
He could heal, but nowhere near what his brother Dakota could do. And he could cast a little offensive magic, but not like Tomahawk. Then there was his cousin, who could do it all, but not until recently. They were all fully shaman.
Chatan never mastered anything useful.
Dad was convinced he could do a whole lot more. Mom never expected him to do even as much as he could. Didn’t seem like he could.
But maybe he could help Jacinda with her journey. Anything to see her smile, to gain her trust. Maybe she’d let him come with her. He loved Wanatoga, but no place truly felt like home.
His brothers claimed home had become wherever their women were. Which was up in Edenton. And maybe if Dad wasn’t there, trying to push him to do the impossible where his magic was concerned, he would feel more comfortable there. But he missed his mother, and her presence still filled Wanatoga.
Blushing, Jacinda slid the journal back into her bag. She was determined to find whatever was in the book, and he wanted to help. Maybe he’d learn something.
Hawk, Dove, demon—though that could just be any evil creature. A gift, and a soulmate. Now, he wasn’t ready to say he was in love by any stretch of the imagination, but he’d be a fool to try to claim he didn’t want a whole lot of time with Jacinda. She could be his soulmate.
He hoped she was his soulmate.
Closing his eyes, he leaned against the counter.
Her hand covered his. “What’s going on with you?”
Smiling, Chatan turned to her. “Making a plan for the day.”
“Why so serious then?”
“We need some ground rules. First, don’t step into the water. The current is too strong.”
“Okay,” she answered slowly.
“The waterfall is too powerful, even for me, and I’ve been swimming all my life.”
She laughed. “No water, I can do that. Anything else?”
He sighed. “Tell me if I go too fast on the trail. I’ve traveled it many times, and it’s rough.”
“Got it. Okay.” She squeezed his arm. “No big deal.”
With her attitude, he suspected she may just surprise him on the trail. Or she had never encountered a rough trail. Maybe hiking would cool his desire a bit. That, or make it stronger. Either way, he never wanted to take advantage of her. And he felt as if he needed to tell her what may happen if they were together. A bond would form, he felt the beginnings already.
That hadn’t mattered in the past, but Jacinda had the potential to be so much more than just another woman.
He had a feeling if he ever did make her uncomfortable, she’d shut down and push him away before he had a chance to convince her to give him a real chance. For now, he planned to go slow. Desire could fog even the most focused mind. Especially the first time.
“Do I need to bring anything?”
“Not for now.”
“Then, are we ready?” she asked, turning to look into his eyes.
“We are.” He handed her the tote.
Chapter 12
Josephine climbed from the bed feeling rejuvenated. She started toying with the idea of giving her favorite pet some of his own magic. Would he be willing to accept? He would simply need to complete the ritual, cutting into the next captive, chanting the words. She could help channel the magic and he could claim a little before she took the rest.
She had them all so brainwashed to believe all magic was to be feared. The only one who realized she had her own was Mason, though Butch wouldn’t mind. He simply wanted in her good graces.
Mason, on the other hand, had fallen for her, the same way Coltrane did. Perhaps she could change his way of thinking to align with hers. Show him her great secret.
Or maybe he’d turn on her, and she’d have to wipe his memory.
Sighing, she stood at the window, looking out.
Mason’s hand landed on her shoulder, then his body pressed against hers. He offered warmth she could never quite manage to hold.
“You’re too quiet, Josie.”
“Would you hate me if you learned I keep the magic I drain from all those witches?”
He shook his head. “No. I knew. You don’t harm others with your magic. You’re protecting those too stupid to fear magic.”
“You mean that, don’t you?”
Mason swept his fingers across her cheek. “Yes, Josie, I do. Come back to bed. You’re cold.”
“Mmm, you do know how to warm me up.” And later, she’d discuss his next mission.
* * * *
Was Mom right? Was love more important than saving them all? Mom loved her father to this day. And as much as she missed him, she never stopped loving him.
Chatan’s hand wrapped around Jacinda’s leg and she melted from his touch. She knew he could relieve the building ache.
She couldn’t help stealing another glance. There wasn’t a single thing about Chatan she didn’t like. Which only made everything more complicated.
Chatan parked while she was still sorting through her head, then climbed out of the truck. She was slow to get to the door, and he surprised her there.
“Hey, Jace, you ready for a hike?”
She nodded.
“An hour or so?”
“I could hike all day and be happy.” Especially in Chatan’s company.
“I know places we could do that. Beautiful places. But not until the elders deal with the problem in Saint Morton.”
&n
bsp; “Which is all too easy to forget when I’m with you.”
“Hmm, I can say the same for you.” He took her hand. “But you can’t forget. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me. I’m staying here.” At least until that was dealt with, or until she had to deal with something far worse.
“I won’t let anything happen to you. You have my word.”
“You’re sweet.” Perhaps crazy, but definitely melt her heart worthy.
He took her down a trail that led to the river flowing fast and hard. No wonder he said not to swim in the water. Probably why he didn’t have her change to a bathing suit. Remove temptation.
“Only for you.” He squeezed her hand.
They came to a boulder taller than her with enough foot holds and grips to manage. She scrambled up and grinned down at him. “See, hiking, I’m good with. Even some rock climbing.” She needed more practice to get really good, but maybe if she ever managed to settle down somewhere she could do more of that kind of exploring.
“Where did you learn to climb?” Chatan asked as he joined her.
“My mother. She’s far more in tune with nature than I ever was.” She couldn’t do much with animals. Mom could, as well as a whole array of nature magic Jacinda couldn’t master to save her life.
But she found other ways to work around that.
Chatan nodded ahead. “We’re following the trail. I want to see what you can do.”
Her brow arched, but she was ready for the challenge. “Rough but straight forward?” she asked.
“Very,” he answered.
She pushed herself harder, taking the pace faster. His presence behind her comforted as much as annoyed. He wanted to protect her, and she wanted to show she didn’t need that.
“Talk to me,” she said.
“About?”
“What you do for work.”
“I work in a nursery. The plant type, not the kid type.”
She giggled. “Do you like working with plants? Is it difficult?”
“Physical, but I wouldn’t say difficult.”
“Do they need a temporary helper? I like to take a job if I’m going to be anyplace for long.” She could transmute paper to cash, but she’d only done that once in an emergency. She preferred to transmute her possessions into similar things. Like a mug into a bowl, or a shirt into a dress.
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