by Donna Grant
He might want to deny it, but the fact was that she could’ve murdered him. That wasn’t to say she Synne wasn’t dead.
“She isn’t far,” the witch continued. “Synne will be back before you know it. Until then, I need you to understand that you have to pick up the pace of your journey.”
“What do you know?” he pressed.
She glanced away and licked her lips. “I know that time isn’t on your side.”
“How can I believe anything you say? You could be with the Coven.”
At that, the witch’s nostrils flared as anger flashed in her eyes. “Don’t ever say that again.”
“Then help us.”
“I’m doing everything I can.”
Lachlan snorted. “Standing here talking to me is all you can do? I need to see Synne. Now.”
“You’ll see her when she’s finished.”
“Finished with what?” he asked in a low, deadly tone that usually got his men moving instantly.
She rolled her eyes. “Men. You’re all the same. When you don’t get your way, you resort to that tone.”
“Someone I care about could be in danger. What would you do in my place?”
“I’d do whatever I needed.”
Lachlan quickly covered the short distance between them and grabbed his sword before she knew what was happening. He put the blade against her neck and stared down at her. “You were saying?”
“Impressive,” she said with a smile.
He frowned, noticing that she didn’t seem worried at all. But why would she? She was a witch. She could probably kill him with just a thought. He lowered the sword and took a step back. “Why did you no’ defend yourself?”
“Because I knew you didn’t intend to kill me.”
“You couldna know that.”
“But I did.” Her gaze shifted away.
Lachlan was close enough that he could still kill her if he wanted. Just as he knew that she could kill him. Neither of them made a move. He wasn’t sure why she held back, but her words disturbed him greatly. He’d said nothing to make her believe that he wouldn’t harm her. Yet, he hadn’t planned on it.
The witch pressed her lips together and met his gaze once more. “I’m sure Synne told you that each witch has some magic that they can do better than any other.”
“And yours is knowing if someone plans to harm you?”
She smiled as if she found his words humorous. “That would come in handy, but nay, that isn’t the case.”
“Then what is it?”
“It isn’t important.”
He narrowed his gaze at her. “Are you being purposefully evasive?”
“I’ve spent my life hiding from those who would burn me and those who wish to use me. I’ve learned to keep much about myself a secret. It’s better that way.”
“My grandmother was safe in my clan. You could find one.”
The witch gave him a flat look. “Your grandmother was safe because your family led the clan. Had she been anyone else, what do you think would’ve happened?”
“You doona know that for sure.”
“Neither do you. The facts are the facts. I don’t like them, but I accept them and adjust things to suit me.”
Lachlan still wasn’t sure what to make of this witch, but if she wasn’t with the Coven, she could be a great asset. “I’m joining Synne to fight against the Coven. Come with us.”
“Just you and a Hunter against the Coven? No, thank you,” she said with a snort.
“It isna only the two of us.” Lachlan didn’t elaborate more. If the Varroki wanted to stay hidden, then he would aid them in that endeavor.
The witch cocked her head to the side. “Who else?”
“There are more Hunters, and the Heart of the First Witch.” He could attest to that for certain, and it didn’t matter who had that information because the Coven no doubt already did.
At the mention of Helena, the witch’s gaze sharpened. “Is that a fact?”
“You doona seem surprised with the knowledge that the bones of the First Witch are being found.”
The woman shrugged. “There have been rumors for months.”
“The bones were supposed to stay hidden.”
At this, the witch smiled, shaking her head. “That was never going to be possible. Too many witches want power to not look for the bones. It was inevitable that they would eventually be found.”
“Then someone should’ve done a better job of destroying them.”
“Did you ever think that perhaps the First Witch ordered her bones scattered because she knew what was coming? Did you not think that she did it on purpose, putting the bones where they needed to be for when the time came?”
“When what time came?”
The witch shrugged. “Take a look around. It hangs in the air like mist you can’t see. It seeps into your skin. You eat it, drink it, breathe it. You’re a warrior. I know you feel it.”
“Aye,” he answered. “It’s the tension before a war.”
She barked a laugh. “It’s evil rolling across the land, and it is infecting everything.”
“If you feel that strongly, tell me why you are no’ fighting?”
“Who says I’m not?” she retorted.
Lachlan opened his mouth to reply when her head snapped to the side. He watched her stand as still as a statue for a long moment. Then, she looked his way.
“Don’t tarry,” the witch warned. Her gaze darted to his sword. “And no matter what you do, don’t lose the sword.”
“Wait, why?” he asked when she whirled around.
When he followed her through the narrow gap between the boulders, she was gone. As if she had vanished into thin air. Lachlan quickly forgot about her as he thought about Synne, but still, the witch’s warning to get moving prompted him to saddle the horses before he went out looking for his Hunter.
22
This couldn’t be happening. And yet, there was no denying it. Synne had her bow drawn, and an arrow nocked in the next heartbeat.
The Gira simply stared, not at all fazed. The lips of the nymph moved, curling in a soft smile. “I’m glad you came.”
The voice wasn’t a whisper, but full and robust. Synne was so taken aback by it that she could only blink. “If I’d known what awaited me, I wouldn’t have.”
“I know,” the Gira said, her golden eyes lowering to the ground for a heartbeat. “Nevertheless, you’re here now.”
“I can change that.”
“I hope you don’t. There is much I’ve wanted to tell you.”
Synne snorted and lowered her arms as she spun around and began walking away. “You have nothing that I want.”
“It’s about your parents.”
Those four words stopped Synne in her tracks. Was it a coincidence that she had dreamed of her parents last night only to meet a Gira today? Synne wasn’t sure. But what she did want to know is why her parents had been killed, and she hadn’t.
She inhaled deeply, then faced the Gira.
There was no delight on the nymph’s face. Instead, Synne thought she spotted…regret.
“Why now?” Synne demanded. “Why have you sought me out now?”
“I’ve been trying for years, but Edra’s magic is strong. She kept you from seeing the past in your nightmares, and that also ensured I couldn’t get to you.”
Synne couldn’t stop the fury that pulled at her face or filled her voice. “I say that’s a very good thing.”
“It was,” the nymph admitted. “Because I couldn’t get to you, the other Gira couldn’t find you either.”
“Why does that matter?”
The Gira swallowed and moved her head, her hair of twigs reaching skyward. “It might be best if I start at the beginning. My name is Asrail. For many moons, I was the queen of my people. Until my son fell in love with a mortal, and I found a witch who used magic to turn him human.”
Synne’s knees grew weak as she took in the words. “How do I know you aren’t lyi
ng?”
“You don’t,” Asrail replied. “The Gira are anywhere trees are. My children were all over, so I knew it wouldn’t be noticed that my son wasn’t around. And it worked. Perfectly. Until I learned of you. I stayed away, despite wanting to know you. I’d only seen your parents from afar over the years. But the knowledge of you made me incredibly happy.”
Synne hungered to hear more and yet dreaded it at the same time.
Asrail’s sorrowful eyes filled with tears. “The Gira believe themselves above any other being, and by not only allowing but also helping my son become human, I committed a sacrilegious crime in their eyes. When they found out where I was and saw my son—and you—they demanded your death as well as that of your parents. I wasn’t going to let that happen. Your mother and father attempted to talk to them. That’s where they were that day. They left me to watch over you because they knew I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
She suddenly smiled, her gaze softening as she let her memories fill her. “Your father had a way with words. He had a commanding presence, and he was well-liked.” Her smile faded as she blinked and focused on Synne. “That was the only reason I wasn’t there beside him. I should’ve known that the Gira didn’t want to listen to anything that he or your mother had to say. They attacked, but they forgot how skilled my son was. He may have looked like a human, but he was still very much a Gira. He was the reason they initially got away.”
Synne waited for Asrail to continue, but silence filled the air. She then cleared her throat to find her voice. “What happened then?”
Asrail gave a little shake of her head as if pulling herself together. “You sensed that something was wrong. I called to you, but you ignored me at first. Then, you went to the boulder. I was so close to you, but I didn’t want to grab you. I needed you to take my hand.”
“My parents… They almost reached me.”
The nymph nodded her head solemnly. “They were close, aye.”
“I saw them get taken.”
Asrail closed her eyes and turned her head away for a long moment. Then she looked at Synne. “I had to make a choice. I could’ve saved you or your parents. Not both. I chose you.”
“What?” Synne demanded in a hoarse voice. “You were the queen! You could’ve saved us all.”
“I wish that were true, but it isn’t. If I had been able, I would’ve given my life for all of you. Allowing my son to follow his heart turned the entire Gira race against me. The few I knew who would stand with me chose not to out of fear. I watched my son be killed before my very eyes. I watched the woman he’d fallen in love with devoured. You were next.”
Synne raised her brows, desperate to know the rest. “Finish. Please.”
“I stood between them and you.” Asrail moved away from the tree to show that her left arm was missing. “They came at you for weeks, trying again and again, to get to you. I used every bit of magic I had to move us, but they continued locating us. That’s when I realized that I had to let you go. They were following me. I’d seen the witch, Edra, take in a child before, so I made sure that she was near when I left you in the forest. Even as young as you were then, you heard the trees. They let you know that Edra was safe. I was already far away when I looked back to see the witch set you on her horse and ride away.”
Synne wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel knowing that she was half-Gira, or that her grandmother had saved her from certain death. She put her hand on the tree and slowly lowered herself to the ground, dazed.
“When I heard that the Gira had joined Sybbyl to attack the abbey, I went in search of you,” Asrail continued. “I held out hope that you were alive, and I knew there was a chance you were going to the Varroki.”
Synne’s gaze jerked to Asrail. “You know of them?”
“Of course,” she replied with a soft chuckle. “The Gira know much, but we share very little. We could’ve told the Coven about the Varroki long ago, just as we could’ve told the Varroki where the elders of the Coven were at any time.”
“Why didn’t you choose a side?”
Her wooden brows lifted. “My child, we did choose a side. Our own.”
Synne couldn’t fault them for that. “And now? Are you still with the Gira?”
“I was banished. When they realized that I had left you somewhere so they couldn’t find you, they attacked and left me to die. But I wasn’t about to give up that easily. I had you to watch over. The Gira can heal themselves with the help of the trees, so I found a place to hide and healed while biding my time until I could speak with you again.”
“I’m not sure I can believe you.”
“I know, and I understand that. I expect nothing from you. I wanted to speak with you and tell you what happened. Explain that I’m the reason your parents are dead.”
Synne shook her head, tears threatening to spill for people she barely remembered. “They were killed because they dared to love. It wasn’t your fault or mine. Whether it happened that day or not, it would’ve happened eventually. You know that.”
“I warned your father what the Gira would do if they discovered him and your mother. He said he didn’t care. That even one day with her was better than none at all. She told me the same thing. Who was I to stand in their way? Your mother loved him for who he was, not what he was. I’ve never seen two people more in love than they were. My heart rejoiced that he’d found his soulmate, even when I knew it would all end badly.”
“If what you’ve told me is true and you did save me, thank you.”
Asrail smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. “You are of me, child. I would do anything for you.”
Could it be true? Did Synne have family? She’d never thought to call a Gira family, but there was a part of her that knew the story Asrail told her was true. She had no memories of her time with the Gira, but that could be because she had shut them out as she grieved for her parents.
“Don’t ever stop listening to the trees,” Asrail warned.
That got Synne’s attention. She rose to her feet. “I won’t, but I’m not always around them.”
The nymph grinned. “You don’t have to be. Put your hand to the earth. The roots of trees run miles underground. They can tell you things from leagues away. It’s how I knew where you were. And it’s how I know a witch is coming for you.”
“She’s not the first.”
“Sybbyl isn’t far away. If she learns where you are, she’ll alter her course.”
Synne snorted loudly and returned her arrow to her quiver. “I’m no one to her. What’s one Hunter? Besides, she’ll come searching for the Varroki after she finds the next bone.”
Asrail’s brows drew together as she studied Synne. “Is it possible that you don’t know?”
“I can’t answer that since I don’t know what you’re referring to.”
“Elin wasn’t sure you knew.”
Synne raised a brow. “That was the witch’s name? Elin? And what wasn’t she sure I knew?”
Asrail started to answer, then stopped as she looked away as if concentrating. After a heartbeat, her head snapped to Synne. “Our time is up. The Gira are on their way. Go, find your warrior and continue on your path to the Varroki.”
“Wait,” Synne said and rushed to Asrail, taking hold of her arm. Synne was taken aback to realize that the skin felt just like the bark it resembled. She looked into her grandmother’s eyes. “I’ll get to see you again, won’t I?”
“If I have anything to say about it, you will,” she replied with a smile.
“And the Varroki? I don’t know where to go other than north.”
“Keep heading that way. They’re waiting for you. The moment you get close, one of them will find you. Now, go.”
Synne tightened her grip. “Not until you tell me what it is that Elin doesn’t think I know.”
23
One moment the footsteps were there, and the next, they weren’t. Lachlan wished he had magic of his own because he was fast losing patience. Ho
w was he supposed to find Synne if her footsteps had been erased? And it had nothing to do with the snowfall because none fell.
He thought about shouting for her, but Lachlan realized that their enemies were probably closer than he realized. He turned in a circle from where he’d last seen the footprints and tried to figure out where Synne might have gone. All he could hope for was that a witch hadn’t taken her, because if they had—
His thoughts halted when he spotted someone running toward him from atop the next hill. It took him a second to comprehend that it was Synne. Elation swept through him until he realized that she was running as if someone were after her.
Lachlan didn’t hesitate to jump atop his horse and grab the reins of the mare before he nudged both horses into a run to meet her. Synne said nothing when he reached her. She shot him a smile and leaped upon the mare’s back before they turned their mounts north. As they rode away, he looked back over his shoulder and glimpsed a grove of trees. Just as he was turning back, he could’ve sworn that he saw a part of a tree move, but it was most likely his imagination.
“What happened?” he asked.
Synne shook her head. “I don’t know where to begin.”
“Did you encounter a witch back there? Is that why you left in such haste?”
“I was told one was coming for me.” She met Lachlan’s gaze. “And Sybbyl isn’t far.”
He shrugged, having figured that himself. “All right.”
“I was told we needed to keep heading north. When we get close to Blackglade, a Varroki will find us.”
Lachlan frowned. “You got a wee bit of information to be sure. Can you trust this source?”
“Aye.”
“How can you be certain?”
Synne slowed the mare and maneuvered the horse around stones, her gaze on the ground. “Was the witch there when you woke?”
“Aye. Who is she?”
“I think her name is Elin. For some reason I’ve yet to discern, she’s helping Asrail.”
Lachlan’s frown grew. “Is Asrail another witch?”
“Not exactly.”
“Lass, are you being purposefully irritating?”