by India Kells
Gentle, Ian kissed her back. Small kisses around her shoulder blades and along her spine and he smiled as his witch purred in contentment.
As he was about to propose round two, something caught his attention. “Do you hear that?”
It took a moment for Sera to understand his question and lift her head.
“What?”
“Water, I hear water running...”
That made Sera jerk. “Yes! I hear it. Patricia told me that was a strange noise too. Something she had never heard inside Sanctuary. And something tells me that it’s the key for you to get out too.”
“Get out? What do you mean?”
“Water is the only element that travels in-between worlds. You are in a world of your own, I think that if you find the water, it may be the key to wake you up in our world.”
His mind buzzed with everything that she had said, only understanding half of it. And before he could ask her a question, she was gone.
Chapter Sixteen
The transition from Ian’s mind to the real world had been one of the most painful experiences Sera had ever been through. When she opened her eyes, returning to blindness was a cruel wake up call. Reaching out, she touched the wolf form of Ian before her and it was as if part of herself had been sliced out of her and had remained with him.
Was everything she remembered even real or had she imagined all of it as in a dream? When she shifted in her chair, the soreness between her thighs confirmed that something very real had taken place though.
“Finally! You’re opening your eyes!” Hunter’s voice beside her almost made her jump out of her skin. For a moment she had forgotten being blind in the real world and hadn’t thought of checking who was near.
“Damn, Hunter, you scared me! Remember that I can’t see, would you? Even if my eyes are open! What are you doing here apart from trying to give me a heart attack?”
“Me? We were searching this damn place up and down for you. I should have known that you would be with him.” Hunter moved and called from the hallway. “She’s here!”
From what she could hear, there were at least three people running in her direction.
Valeria burst in first, followed by Asher and Violet.
“Damn you! I checked his room first, where were you?” Valeria sounded out of breath.
Sera sighed and leaned back. “I put a temporary invisibility spell on myself. It must have worn off at some point, making me reappear.”
Violet crouched beside. “You know it’s dangerous to attempt an inner healing without anybody around. You should have waited for us.”
Sera shook her head. “It wasn’t a healing. I only did this twice before. With Patricia and Ian. When we were at Hunter’s apartment. During the healing, I don’t exactly know what happened, but I seemed to have the capacity to enter her mind.”
Asher came closer. “What do you mean, enter her mind?”
Sera explained in as much detail as she could remember about what occurred earlier. The strange sensations, how she jumped into Patricia’s mind. She explained that, still charged with Hunter’s energy, she wanted to try with Ian. She skipped lots of details, but not the one about the water sound.
“Both have heard it but haven’t seen water. The sound disturbed the peace, but I swear it moved the energy too. I don’t know its meaning, but I told both of them to look for it. That maybe it held the key.”
“But why Hunter?”
It wasn’t difficult to imagine all eyes zooming on him. “Hey! Don’t look at me like that! Apart from being drained twice and running sick to the damn bathroom I didn’t do anything.”
Asher growled, but Valeria moved to the man first. “We’re not accusing you of anything, Hunter, but it’s unusual to use human energy.”
Valeria's statement made Sera wince. She would have to come clean if she wanted this puzzle solved. “I didn’t ask Hunter without a good reason, Val.”
“Yeah, she told me that because bad guys were after her, it wouldn’t be a good idea to drain Ian and Finn.”
“Yes, that’s true, but that’s not all.”
The silence surrounding her almost made her cringe. And there she went. “Since I’ve become blind, I have a new... ability. I can see auras on people.”
“What?” Violet’s outburst would have been comical in any other circumstance. “And you never found it interesting enough to tell us?”
“Calm down, Vi. Okay, you see auras, we’ll come back to that. What did you see in Hunter’s?”
The poor guy was growing restless. “I swear I’m an ordinary guy!”
Asher gave him a friendly slap on his shoulder. “Calm down. Ordinary is overrated anyway.”
“Normally for humans, they’re white. Plain white. But Hunter has a definite tinge of blue. And I haven’t seen that color before. Blue is quite rare from what I’ve learnt. But what confirmed his unknown power was the water. He brought a bowl of water to help me clean up Patricia’s wound and it helped her heal quicker.”
“Just with water, no spell, nothing?”
“He simply put an intent on it. As he poured the water, he wished for her to heal.”
Hunter harrumphed. “I wasn’t about to wish her dead.”
Violet started to pace the small room. “No, but intention has power. You may not feel it, but something inside you added healing properties to the water. Has it ever happened to you before?”
Hunter seemed tormented, unsure. “Not really. I’ve heard rumors in the family, but I’ve never experienced anything of that sort. Nobody ever talked of any magical stuff.”
Sera stood and extended her hand in Hunter’s direction. When he took it in one of his, she squeezed gently. “I’m so sorry you’ve been thrown in all of this, Hunter. I sincerely am. But I’m also beginning to think that nothing really happens without a reason. Maybe there is one why we’ve met. And now, I pray, I beg you to help me. Two of my friends are locked inside their own minds. I don’t know what caused it, but I can’t leave them there. Please, help me.”
He seemed to hesitate, to look at her face as if analyzing it for a long time before he sighed. “I don’t know how, but I’ll help you, Sera.”
Relief swept through her like a wave, and ignoring every propriety, she tugged the human cop into a fierce hug.
“Hey! Easy! You have a death grip on me! And I haven’t done anything yet. I don’t even believe I’ll be able to achieve what you’re asking me.”
Asher sighed. “He has a point, Sera. You used part of his power and yours to enter Ian’s mind. But to bring Ian back...”
“I don’t think we can bring Ian or Patricia to consciousness the same way I entered.”
Valeria clapped her hands. “The water. From the beginning, it has to be the water. Patricia noticed it and you and Ian heard it too.”
Sera blinked. “Yes, but only intermittently.”
“When did you hear it when you were with Ian?”
“Well, seconds before I was brought back here.”
Violet hummed. “At the moment Hunter entered the room. That’s when you heard water. It’s logical.”
“And as Hunter wasn’t constantly in the room with Patricia, that’s logical that she heard it intermittently.”
“Wait! I didn’t do anything on purpose! I don’t even know what that water sound means!”
“Water is the symbol of healing, Hunter. Maybe you being close by to either Ian or Patricia will help them find their way out?” Asher was half convinced of what he was saying, but his logic was undeniable.
Valeria gave her mate an encouraging kiss. “You’re right about the symbolism. It’s the manner that we’re still debating, my love. Ian hears water when we suppose Hunter is near. This means there is some sort of connection. Hunter is acting as an emitter, like a radio?”
“Auditive only, Patricia had never found the source of the water sound. And there is no water running freely in Sanctuary or Ian’s old house.”
“And what if there w
as? What would be the next step? Drink it? Jump in it? Sprinkling it all over the place?”
Violet’s sarcasm made Sera wonder. The water could be heard but never seen. And that’s logical if Hunter is the one emitting that noise. “What if it mustn’t come from the inside, but from the outside, like the source?”
Valeria came beside her. “I’m not sure I’m following you.”
Sera gripped Hunter’s arm with more force. “Can you go get water in the bathroom next door?”
“In what?”
“It doesn’t matter, just do as before, put your intention in it and bring it back.”
Hunter did as he was asked, but Sera suspected that he was far from convinced. As she was. But this was only a gut feeling, and so far in this mess, it hadn’t let her down.
“Here’s a glass of water with my... intentions. Or whatever.”
Sera smiled but didn’t take it. “Try sprinkling it on him. So far, he hasn’t reacted to anything; touch, sound. Let’s see if something happens.”
Hunter shifted, and he started sending droplets onto Ian’s unmoving wolf’s fur. Before she could ask if anything was happening, Valeria grabbed her arm. “He moved! I saw him moving.”
Asher came closer. “Yeah, a twitch on his back.”
“Throw the rest of the water on him, see if something happens.” Violet’s suggestion was a bit rough, but Sera wasn’t against it.
Hunter did as her friend said, and Sera could swear she heard a low sound coming from him.
“It’s working! We need more water! Let’s immerse him in water!”
“We’re in the middle of winter, the pond is frozen solid.”
Valeria jumped. “The jacuzzi! Next to the gym in the basement! It’s big enough, and Hunter can do his... spell... and we can immerge Ian in wolf form in it.”
Hunter stuttered. “Well... I don’t know... It’s not a spell, not really.”
But even if he attempted to back out, Violet was pulling him toward the door. “Come on, cutie. Let’s go bless the whirlpool before they bring the wolf down.”
It seems that they had a plan. Asher lifted Ian’s limp beast in his arms and made his way out the door. Valeria grabbed Sera’s hand and circled her shoulder with her other arm.
“Have faith, Sera. It will work.”
“It’s a damn long shot, Val. I hope that I’m not wrong.”
Sera hadn’t been in the basement since they had rearranged part of it. One arm bracing for objects and wall, the other in Valeria’s, she finally heard Hunter and Violet from a distance. The faint smell of sweat told her that they had reached the gym. Humidity increased as they reached the hot tub.
“I don’t know what I did! Are you deaf or just stupid?” Sera cringed at Hunter’s angry tone. Violet could be stubborn and annoying to the point where she could get into trouble.
“I just want it to work! That’s why I’m asking questions.”
“Children! Please. Ian is kind of heavy. Hunter, do I put him in the water directly?”
“How do I know!” Exasperation seeped into his voice. Sera let go of Valeria to go to him.
“Hunter, listen. Magic, or intention, or whatever you wish to call it, it’s not complicated. It’s like moving your arms. You ask your brain to use your muscles and your tendons, the arm follows. And it becomes so ingrained in your brain that you don’t have to think about it again. You move, and it becomes automatic. It’s how magic works too. As simple as that. And the more adept you become, the more complex and difficult the tricks. Now, we’re playing with basics, okay? We’ll get in the water, you’ll close your eyes, and calm your breath. And when you feel calm, pour your intentions in the water. No tricks, no words, just you and your intentions.”
“And if it doesn’t work?” There was the crux of Sera’s fear too. But they had to try.
“We’ll do our best. That’s all I ask. And if it doesn’t, we’ll find another way. We haven’t run out of options yet.”
Again, he hesitated. It was a lot to process for a human in such a short period of time. And Sera realized how much she was forcing him to do.
Hunter moved and started to remove his boots. “You'd better have a dryer here. Or another pair of jeans, because I’m not wading buck naked in a whirlpool with a wolf.”
Sera smiled and went to remove her own shoes when he stopped her. “No. Only me to start and the big guy will bring Ian. Only the three of us.”
“Oh, a hot tub with three handsome men, sexy.”
Sera didn’t have to act when Valeria elbowed Violet hard in the ribs. She heard the movement of water as Hunter took his place. There was a long moment of silence, as the man presumably followed her instructions. It was tempting to pour her own energy into the mix, but she didn’t want to jinx Hunter’s efforts. Especially since she didn’t know exactly the type of magic he was using. Steadying her own breath, she focused and prayed, hoping for the best.
“Okay, come in with him.”
Asher moved with his load and more water splashed. “Okay, I’ll kneel and release him on three. One, two, three.”
Water sloshed over the sides and a few droplets landed on Sera’s face. From the sound of it, they had immersed Ian’s form into the water. Sera put her hands together and waited.
The seconds slowed so much, she thought minutes had gone by. Desperate, she almost jumped into the water when she heard coughing followed by a roar. Ian!
By the sound of it, it was like a storm had emerged from the water. Asher shouted for Hunter to get out and a loud, wet mass splashed by her feet. Hunter’s heavy breathing could be heard as he got to his feet.
“It seems that Ian has awakened. And he’s not happy about it.”
“But why is he not calming down?” Sera felt helpless as tension increased in the room.
Asher grunted, and more water splashed. “Get out of here, all of you. Now!”
Valeria pulled Sera to the door, but she refused to go. She was the one who had the idea, and would see it through. Violet and Hunter tried to reach her, but she surprised them by magically pushing the three of them beyond the threshold and slamming the door shut in their faces.
The struggle continued in the tub as Asher tried to get a stronger hold on his beta.
Sera didn’t know what was going on, but she was determined to stop the madness before Ian or Asher got hurt. Lifting her hands in front of her, she envisioned an invisible net, and prepared to focus on Ian’s darkening aura when Asher cursed loudly.
There was no time to react, it was like being tackled by a brick wall. Sera crashed onto the floor, sliding, as Ian reared back and sliced her hand as he rolled away. The familiar noise of Asher transforming into a wolf, made Sera panic.
“Ian! No! It’s me, Sera! Come back!”
Her scream seemed to freeze the berserk wolf standing above her. Asher was only a few feet away, ready to defend her, but maybe seeing his friend in a more composed state gave him hope.
Sera wished she could see his eyes. His wolf was so tense, heaving. Any sudden movement could trigger an attack. Her voice seemed to have reached him somehow, so she continued.
“Ian, I know you’re in there, probably lost. There is no threat here. Only friends. It’s only a few steps and you’ll be back home. Please, listen to my voice. Breathe.”
The change was almost imperceptible, a slight shiver, but it seemed to work. Relaxing her body, she lay there, talking to him in the most compelling voice she could muster, begging him to come back to his senses.
When it happened, he simply transformed. And there he was, in human form again.
“Sera?”
She could have wept hearing him saying her name. Asher transformed too and called for the others to come back inside.
“Damn! You’re bleeding! I attacked you!”
Apart from the throbbing pain, she didn’t know the extent of her wound. But as she could move her fingers, she guessed it wasn’t so bad. Before she could ask, Ian had taken her in his arms.
“I’m so sorry, I would never attack you on purpose.”
His entire body shook, and she circled his shoulder with her good arm. “Don’t worry about that. It was worth it to get you back.”
Valeria and Violet knelt beside her, examining her hand as she was still in Ian’s naked embrace. “Nasty bite. Bad wolf!” Violet’s tone was half-teasing, half-menacing.
“It’s nothing, Vi. I’ll survive.”
A sudden push touched her hand and she almost jerked it away, but Valeria was stronger. “Stay still, I’ll take care of the worst, and Violet will prepare a dressing.”
“Why me? It smells, and I hate potions!” The whiney tone of Violet made Sera laugh. And like that, the atmosphere became less tense.
Asher came behind Ian and clapped his shoulder. “Why don’t we let the girls finish taking care of Sera? Let’s put fresh clothes on and prepare some food. There’s much explaining to do, and we’ll be more comfortable in the kitchen than on the wet floor. You too, Hunter, come with us.”
Hunter followed, but questions were bubbling around him like sparkling wine. The cop in him wouldn’t be deterred long. And there was Patricia to think about too.
Ian seemed to hesitate, Sera put her forehead against his. “Go. I’ll be fine. I need to change, and we need food. I’ll be fine.”
The werewolf exhaled warily. He gently rubbed his cheek against hers before pushing himself up, breaking contact.
There would be much explaining to do, but for now, she needed to get into clean clothes, patch her hand and avoid the inquisitive questions of her two best friends. Questions she wasn’t certain how to answer yet.
Chapter Seventeen
As Sera came down the stairs, the delicious smells of the kitchen made her stomach growl. She was bone tired, stretched so thin that when she entered her bedroom, it took all her might not to slide into the fresh sheets and sleep the rest of this ordeal away. That’s when the shadowy figure who attacked her popped into her mind and shut that option away for now. More urgent things needed to be discussed and taken care of.