Nick leaned back in the wrought iron chair and sipped his whisky. “Handling Moira is like calling the Dionysian orgy of 27 B.C. a wet dream.
“But, enough about me,” he continued. “The biggest threat we’re facing at the moment is on your playground. Or is she no longer a concern? All it takes is one dead witch to solve our problems. Moira has bonded with her sister and won’t be as easy to conquer as a solitary witch.” He lifted a questioning brow, heavy with coercion.
If only it were that easy. “I’ve already told you Claire no longer has her powers. She’s not a threat.”
“Because you have them.” His tone conveyed how little faith he had in Dru’s decision.
He met his friend’s gaze with a dark one of his own. “That’s right.”
“Don’t be so naïve.” Nick leaned forward. “This is the end of the world we’re talking about. As long as she and her powers co-exist on this planet, she’s a threat.”
Behind Nick, a woman stood and slapped her boyfriend’s face before she stomped off. Dru barely gave her a glance. “Her power isn’t on the planet. It’s buried deep inside me. There’s no way for her to reclaim it. Besides, she gave it up freely. She didn’t want it.”
Nick chuckled. “You’re playing with fire, brother.”
“I’ve eliminated the threat. No further action is required.”
Angelica brought his whisky, and Dru knocked it back with one shot. “I’ll take another,” he said as the fiery liquid traced the familiar path down his throat. She nodded and left.
“She can’t win,” Dru continued. “There’s nothing stronger than blood magic, and there’s no way I’ll return her power to her. Problem solved.”
“Do you truly believe when she reunites with her sisters, they’re not going to convince her she made a mistake?”
Dru sucked in a deep breath, expanding his chest, not letting on that he’d already delivered Claire to her sisters. “Don’t question my tactics, Nick. I’m aware of what’s at stake, but the threat is dead.”
Nick narrowed his eyes. “She has your balls.”
An argument broke out behind Dru, one man taunting the other, leaving the second man to threaten to kick his ass.
Dru leveled a heated look at Nick. “No fucking way.” Just because he didn’t want to kill her didn’t mean he wouldn’t if necessary.
A mocking laugh erupted from Nick’s chest. “She has your fucking balls. All of these centuries you fight like a heartless bastard, but when the time comes to prove you’re the ultimate warrior, you let a woman castrate you. A fire witch no less.”
Angry shouts multiplied around them, but Dru didn’t take his eyes off Nick as his own wrath swirled in his veins. “I have her fucking power burning a fiery hole through my goddamned soul right now, and I’m telling you, she’s never getting it back.” He lifted his hand in time to catch a sailing tankard before it shattered against their table.
“Then you better get the hell out of town because one Seal has already been broken, and I can damn well guarantee those witches aren’t going to stop hunting you. They’ll get what they want, or they’ll die trying.”
“I’m not afraid of them. If they come sniffing around me, I’ll start a war they won’t likely forget. They’ll be too busy plucking bloody bodies off the street to fight me.”
Dru stood and grabbed a burly fisherman flailing in his direction, shoving him back toward his friend where they both fell in a pile of other fighting bodies. “What the hell’s the matter with these people?”
Nick snorted. “This is only the beginning, my friend.”
****
Sizzling sensations seared Claire’s mouth, and she pushed at the burned areas with her tongue. She met tiny balls of resistance and forced them out between her lips as she coughed and tried to clear her airway. Bright light assaulted her eyes, and she blinked in an effort to regain her bearings.
Turquoise eyes peered intently into hers. “Tierra! Hop your ass in here. I hauled her back from the brink like a ten-pound catfish into the boat!” the woman yelled.
Claire stared at the strange, yet familiar face, wondering if a dream inside a dream held her prisoner. Had she somehow been trapped in a mirror that distorted her image?
Dru had held her prisoner. Was this another of his illusions? She lifted a bandaged wrist, sure she wouldn’t have brought that memory along with her into a dream. It must be real.
“Oh my goodness!” Another woman rushed into the room, bangles tinkling as the scent of lavender and roses accompanied her. She gripped Claire’s hands, and again, her own face, smiled back at her. They were so alike, and yet so different.
The room, filled with plants and the heavenly scent of burnt logs, was nothing her imagination could have conjured. She inhaled, letting the ginger and nutmeg smells fortify her. “Dru?” she managed to whisper, thinking he must be there somewhere.
“Not that bastard,” the woman who held her hands hissed.
“He’s the one who stole your powers and dumped you on our doorstep like a bag of day-old gator gizzards. You don’t want nothing to do with that skunk-licking bog buzzard. You got your kin now. I’m Moira.”
“And, I’m Tierra,” said the one with the bangles. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to meet you. When I sent out the conjuring spell and Moira showed up, I thought that was it. But now I find I have two sisters. I can’t imagine anything better.”
“’Cept the prick almost killed you ‘afore we even knew you was alive.” Moira studied her face with excitement shadowed by a hint of hesitation.
“Sisters?” Claire tried to sit, but found she didn’t have the strength.
“Don’t try to get up,” Tierra took an orange carnelian and placed it in her palm. “You gave us a nasty scare. We thought for sure you’d wither after that bastard stole your power. Luckily, I found an old potion in Aunt Justine’s things that I hoped would work, and it looks like it did.”
“That and a shit load of Red Hots,” Moira added with a laugh.
Tierra narrowed her eyes in question. “You gave her what?”
“Red Hots. You were worried about giving her too many cinnamon sticks, and I remember when Butch Tucker and I ate a whole bag full of Red Hots one night sitting out on the dock when we was just kids. It set our mouths on fire, let me tell you, but it didn’t kill no one. So I figured why not? She’s a fire witch. They’re probably right up her alley. And look, it worked.”
The sting of cinnamon still hovered on Claire’s tongue, helping to take away the cottony feeling in her mouth. “Sisters?” she said again as tears formed in her eyes. After all this time, after all these years, she had sisters?
Tierra gathered her into a hug. “Yes, sisters.”
Chapter Eleven
It took Claire two days, numerous cups of Tierra’s special fire potion, and a pound of Red Hots before she had enough strength to shower and dress. Afterward, she made her way downstairs, following the scent of coffee, wearing a deliciously warm brown sweater Tierra had loaned her. She tried to ignore the hollow feeling echoing inside her. It wasn’t until she’d woken up without her power that she realized how much of her very being existed inside the gift that she’d so willingly given to Dru.
Dru who’d promised her friendship. Dru who hadn’t stopped by or called to check on her. Dru who’d dumped her on her sisters’ doorstep when she’d needed him the most.
Claire found her sisters sitting at the kitchen table, Tierra staring intently into a teacup while Moira slathered butter on a slice of toast. Her heart melted at the sight. She had sisters. Real live, honest-to-goodness sisters. They were worth the trade.
As she stepped inside the kitchen, she caught sight of her suitcases sitting next to the back door. “Oh my God! My stuff!” She’d been wondering how she’d manage to get new clothes. She no longer had the power to convince men to give her money, and she didn’t want to start her new relationship with her sisters by asking for a loan.
“Goddess,” Tier
ra mumbled as she helped herself to a slice of wheat toast.
Claire glanced at Moira, hoping she could decipher Tierra’s comment, but Moira just shrugged.
“Did Dru stop by?” Her sisters had cursed his name each time she’d mentioned him, so Claire knew the question wouldn’t be well-received, but a small part of her still wanted to believe in him. She longed to see Dru, longed to feel his arms around her, hoping beyond hope that she’d feel her fire once again if he held her. It might be how she’d survive the loss of her element.
She’d tried to get her sisters to discuss the events that brought her to their house, but they refused. They limited conversation topics to sharing their pasts, and anything more would have to wait until she was stronger.
Tierra scowled at her from beneath lowered brows, while Moira rolled her eyes and looked away as though she wasn’t about to get in the middle of the forthcoming discussion.
“We need to have a talk, Claire.” Tierra stood. “Have a seat, and I’ll get you some tea.”
She took a spot next to Moira where the sunlight coming through the window would warm her. “Don’t you have coffee? I swore I could smell it.”
“See?” Moira said to Tierra. “Not everyone likes to slurp that hot water of yours.”
Tierra tisked. “We’re going to have to fix that along with a few other things.”
Claire glanced between the women, jealous of the relationship her two sisters already had with each other.
“Thank you,” she said when Tierra placed a steaming mug of black coffee in front of her. Moira pushed the sugar toward her with raised brows that said if she was going to commit a sin such as drinking coffee, she might as go all the way and add sugar and cream. She gave her rebellious sister a smile as she did exactly that.
“How on earth will you ever realize your true powers if you keep polluting your bodies with those toxins?” Tierra asked, her face a mask of serious concern.
“Slowly,” Moira answered. “Plus I think the powers like a challenge, which is why I make a point of givin’ them plenty of toxins to fight with on a daily basis. Anyway, you’ve had your whole life to learn up on this stuff. We’ll catch up after a bit.” She winked at Claire, letting her know it was a ruse to keep Tierra happy.
“I saw that,” Tierra said as she refilled her teacup and settled in.
“You didn’t know about your power, either?” Claire asked Moira.
“Nope. I mean, I could get a man to drop his pants just by looking at him.”
“You could have done that without your power, Moira,” Tierra said with a sarcastic tone.
“I know. But all those men needed my help. I’ve told you this.”
“That doesn’t mean they all have a right to…” Tierra shook her head and lifted her teacup.
“She don’t like my whoring ways.” Moira gave Claire a serious look. “I’m working on it, learning some self-respect and all that happy horse pucky. It helps. Having sisters, ya know?”
Claire drank her coffee, letting the scalding heat soak into her body, giving her a glimmer of warmth. If Tierra didn’t approve of what Moira had done, she certainly wouldn’t appreciate her own antics, so she’d be keeping that tidbit to herself. “How did you find us, Tierra?”
Tierra took a cleansing breath. “I knew you were there. All my life, I’ve known something was missing. Aunt Justine kept discouraging me from exploring my better senses. She warned me something bad would happen if I didn’t leave things alone. But I couldn’t ignore the yearning inside me any longer. I sent out the call to bring you home. Look at us now. How can this be bad?”
“Aunt Justine? Is she here?” More family? Claire glanced about the homey kitchen. And then to the doors beyond.
“She moved out,” Tierra started.
“You mean we moved her sorry ass out.” Moira turned to Claire. “She didn’t like me, and she won’t like you. I’m used to women wanting me dead, but I ain’t ever had none of them come at me like that coven did. If it wasn’t for Cheeto, I’d be deader than the pecker on a corpse.”
“Cheeto?” Claire asked.
“My little pig.” Moira nodded as though pet pigs were an everyday occurrence. “I’ll introduce you when he wakes from his morning nap.”
Claire looked to Tierra, and she shrugged. “He’s adorable.”
“I look forward to it.” Her sisters were anything but ordinary, and she suddenly realized she preferred it that way. She’d always been an outcast, but now, finally, she belonged.
Except she didn’t. She’d given away the thing that made her different from others, but bonded her to her sisters.
Tierra fixed her with a determined look. “Now that you’re stronger, we need to find that son of a bitch and take back what belongs to you. I felt it inside him when he brought you here, and he ran like the devil when we questioned him.” Her expression fell into a tangle of worry. “I’m scared to ask what he did to you to get it.”
Claire shook her head as clammy emotion churned in her hollowed-out soul. The feeling was foreign, unwelcome. “I’m all right.” Tierra’s concern and pity weighed on her, making her feel less-than. She’d always been alone, always had her strength if nothing else. She’d always taken what she wanted, even if she couldn’t have what she needed.
She didn’t have to worry about that anymore, though. She’d made the choice to give her curse away. She had her sisters instead. That would be enough.
“Did he hurt you?” Moira asked with wide eyes. “Like rape you or torture you to get you to give your magic?”
Heated thoughts of their imagined encounter swarmed her, making her ache for his touch. “No.”
“But your wrists…” Tierra said in a soft voice.
“That was my fault.” She’d struggled when she should have listened.
“How’d he do that, anyway?” Moira watched her with eyes the color of stormy seas. “I can’t imagine it’s like guttin’ a catfish or anything.”
“No,” Tierra interjected before her gaze strayed to Claire. “She’d have had to give her soul to him.”
“I did. I gave him my power.” The disappointment in their eyes echoed the grief in her heart and nearly undid her. What if they no longer wanted to claim her?
“Why?” Tierra asked with a look of bewilderment that nearly broke Claire’s heart.
“So I could find you. So I could have a chance at a real relationship…maybe with him.” His explanation had made so much sense at the time.
“With him?” Moira asked, her expression turning again to pity. “Why would you ever give up your power to be with a man?”
Claire ventured into new territory. She’d never given up anything for anyone. It had seemed so noble. “He’s not like any other man I’ve met.” When she turned to Tierra, she found her face ashen, like remnants of scorched earth.
“Good goddess. Do you even know who he is?”
Claire searched both of their faces, never feeling so powerless in her life. “Dru?”
Moira lifted disappointed brows. “War, Claire. The man is War.”
She wrinkled her expression. “War? I don’t understand.”
Tierra leaned closer. “War, as in one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. As in heated crusades and bloody battles. As in, you willingly gave him your power? What do you think a man like that will do with your fire?”
Claire swallowed as a shadow of her previous essence sparked. “He said it was the only way he could let me go. It was the only way I could find you. It was the only way he and I could be friends.”
Tierra scoffed. “Do you really think War has friends?”
“Now don’t go getting your britches in a bundle, girls. Claire ain’t the first girl to fall for a cheap line.” Moira split her focus between her two sisters.
“Cheap line? Neither of you have a clue what I went through to find you. Tierra sends out this cryptic message to return home. I had no warning of danger, no idea who or what I was looking for, no idea who I c
ould trust. He might be War, but there’s a man behind that title, and he’s not completely heartless.” Whatever fire she’d found fizzled. “If he was, he would have killed me like he’d planned.”
Moira patted her hand. “Don’t feel bad. I had my own demon to fight, too.”
Claire gave her a sideways glance. “What did you do?”
She grinned. “I blasted his ass six ways to Sunday with a huge wall of water. That soggy bastard will think twice ‘afore messing with me again. Seriously, we have to get your power back. I had no idea the stuff I could do. With Tierra helping me, it’s like a Cajun Christmas every day of the week.”
Claire couldn’t deny she yearned to have her power back as well. Without it, she’d be surviving, not living. “Dru said me having my power would bring about the end of the world. What did he mean?”
“He sounds like Aunt Justine and all her crazy-ass talk.” Moira took another bite of toast and licked the stream of butter trailing down her thumb.
“He’s wrong, Claire.” Tierra met her gaze head-on, sincere belief echoing from her eyes. “Aunt Justine feared the same thing, but they’re wrong. Look at us. We’re three women. Good women, not spawns of the devil. We’re not going to hurt anyone.”
“Least not anyone who don’t deserve it,” Moira added.
Tierra nodded. “Everyone knows it’s the Horsemen who bring about the end, not us. War having your power plays into that scenario better than anything does. Fire is your gift, your heritage. It doesn’t matter if you believe he took it for a good reason or not. It’s yours, and you need it. You’re lucky you’ve survived without it.”
Claire slowly nodded. Her soul without fire was like the heavens without the sun. She’d die without it. If not now, then soon. Perhaps Dru hadn’t known that. If he’d wanted her dead, he could have just killed her. “I need to talk to him. If I explain, maybe he’ll give it back.”
Tierra choked on her tea. “Oh, Claire. I’ve lived one of the most sheltered lives, and even I’m not that naïve. It’s because your fire is missing. I know you wouldn’t talk like that with your energy burning inside you.”
Which Witch is Which? (The Witches of Port Townsend) Page 15