by Salem Cross
The last time I had been around a witch, it had been when seven Supremes from neighboring covens had come together to tell the three Guardians surrounding me that something was afoot. They had been less than pleasant to me due to my questionable bloodline. I had expected no different from Katie. Instead, she was sweet and polite. It did not seem to bother her that I was what full-blooded witches called a “mutt.”
Arthur had called Katie last night and explained what we needed from her without telling her why. The Supreme had jumped at the opportunity to work with us. She had driven most of the night to get here as soon as she could. When she arrived, she did not hide her curiosity when we were introduced, but she did not ask any questions.
“You will need to direct your power into these gems. The quartz will collect your power, and it will be sealed inside. Whoever has one of these will have a piece of you with them,” she told me.
I nodded to show I understood, but I knew this was going to be hard. I had no idea how to channel my power in one direction. When I had attacked the Kraken, it had been luck that it had gone up in flames. Rylan put his hand on my shoulder.
I will help you, he assured me as if he could hear my thoughts.
Katie set the stones down on the ground before Arthur guided her some distance away. Jasmine followed the two, but the three of them didn’t go far. I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath. My power surged forward right away. It seemed to be getting easier to call for it the more I used it. A small victory, but a victory nonetheless. With a slow exhale, I allowed my power to seep from my hands. The dirt shifted beneath our feet. I allowed a little more out. The tree close to my right side erupted into flames. Behind me, I heard a gasp, and I tensed.
It is just you and me, Rylan assured me.
His hand squeezed my shoulder. I nodded and continued to allow my power to trickle out of me. A crack of lightning erupted from the ground several yards away from us. Two more followed it. I tried to focus on the gems, but another two trees caught on fire. The violet blaze was hot, and the frost on the ground began to melt.
Then, Rylan was there. I felt him redirect the next bolt of lightning as it came charging up from underneath us. His grip on my shoulder tightened as he focused. I watched in amazement as the violet bolt of energy hit the gems. Instantly, they turned purple. Rylan and I shared a grin before he turned his attention to the fire that was beginning to spread. Immediately, the blazes went out. Curiously, my body reached for the power running through his veins, and I felt it return to me.
You did it!
I reached out and picked up the gems that were glowing brightly with my magic.
We did it, he corrected.
“They are ready to be used,” Katie said, coming to stand next to us, staring at the stones. She looked up, and our eyes met. “I don’t mean to be rude but… what are you?”
I felt the heat in my cheeks rise. At my side, Rylan stiffened. Before he could say anything, I quickly answered, “I’m an American. I know, we’re a strange lot.”
Katie chuckled. “Alright, keep your secret. It is probably for the best I do not know.” She turned to Arthur and said, “You mentioned you would like for me to scry for someone. I can do that now if you would like.”
“Yes, the shifter’s pack leader, her mate, and her beta have gone missing. I have searched for her to no avail, and her pack has become anxious.”
“Of course. Let me get the supplies from my car, and I will do so immediately.”
Arthur followed her back to her car while Jasmine, Rylan, and I lingered behind.
Rylan turned to Jasmine. “Gabriel and Ashe will be here in two hours. Do you wish to go feed before they arrive?”
Jasmine frowned and said, “I need to talk to you about something.” She glanced at me before continuing. “The park rangers work in the park all year long. What if they are tainted in some way? Our first day here, I went to ask them about any unusual activity in the park, but after what we have dealt with since we have arrived, I do not trust their responses. What if whoever is behind casting the dark magic here has managed to get the park rangers involved?”
Rylan frowned as he thought about what she said.
“I suppose it is possible. Since we cannot sense the dark magic all around us, it is possible you did not sense it affecting them. That could be something we look into. Once our guests have arrived and things get settled here, Mae and I will go speak with the park rangers again.”
Jasmine nodded.
“Good idea. In the meantime, while we wait for our guests, I am going to grab something to eat.” She pulled off her blouse, and I stepped forward to take it from her. On her arms were thick pink scars that had not quite healed yet. Jasmine noticed me staring and said, “Do not fret, Mae. It could have been much worse. I could have been Kraken food.”
The blood drained from my face. She was right. Jasmine’s wings grew out from between her shoulder blades and stretched out behind her. I stepped back to give her room, and Rylan wrapped his arm around my waist. Jasmine took off into the sunrise, and I watched until she was out of view.
The two of us headed back to the house. I made myself a small breakfast, too anxious for the arrival of our guest to eat much. Rylan hung close by. Just as I finished eating, Arthur and Katie walked into the kitchen.
“The Alpha shifter and her men are dead,” Arthur told us, his expression grim. “Katie could not pinpoint the exact location of their bodies, but I have a general idea of where they might be. I will call the pack to notify them.”
The silence that followed his statement hung heavy in the room. Who had killed the shifter and why? Had the werewolves gotten to them? Or was there something more sinister happening? My stomach twisted painfully. I had liked Patricia a lot. Who would take over her pack now?
“Before I leave, may I speak with you for a moment?” Katie asked me. Beside me, Rylan growled. Katie’s cheeks turned pink. “I promise I have no intentions of harming your mate. I simply would like to talk.”
“Of course, we can talk. How about I walk you out, and we can talk on the way?” I offered before Rylan could object. While I understood he was worried about me, his protectiveness could certainly be stifling.
As we walked out of the kitchen together, Katie surprised me by hooking her arm through mine. When I looked at her curiously, she smiled sweetly.
“I just wanted a moment alone with you. I noticed that you do not have much training with your power and how nervous you were to use it earlier,” she started.
I sighed. “Yeah, I came into my power relatively recently. I’m sorry if I scared you.”
“Do not be sorry,” Katie said with a shake of her head. “I wanted to tell you that when I was younger, I did not know I was a witch. I did not grow up in a typical coven, but on an indigenous reservation far from here. Magic has always been prevalent in tribes like ours, but mine was incredibly strong. As I grew and matured so did my powers. Without the proper guidance of a Supreme, I messed up a lot. To help me, my people found that if I centered myself and focused on calming my inner turmoil that I was able to cast spells much easier. When I was accepted into the coven that I oversee now, I had teachers who helped me solidify my strengths and helped me understand my weaknesses.”
We stopped in front of the door, and she turned to face me.
“I am not sure what you are, so I do not know who could teach you about your power or help you build a solid foundation for your power, but you should try meditation. It will help ground you, and you will learn much about yourself.”
I was surprised and touched by her concern. I smiled.
“Actually, since we arrived here, I have attempted to meditate a couple of times,” I told her.
“Usually, it takes time to come to know yourself and your mind, but I am curious. Did it help you at all?”
The knee jerk response was to tell her no. My power was still wild and dangerous. As she could see earlier, I had needed Rylan there to get the job done.
But as I thought about it, I realized maybe it had helped a little. After my first time meditating, the following day I had been able to deliberately throw a car across the yard. The last time my power had been triggered, I had been able to fight the defense mechanism and stay in control of my body. I had even been able to keep my power from reacting at all. And despite not successfully saving Jasmine, I had been able to direct my power towards the lake creature and kill it. That may not seem like much, but… it was something.
“I think it may have… a little,” I admitted.
“Good! You must continue to practice. Once you can center your mind, learning control won’t be far behind. It will not happen overnight, but it will come,” Katie assured me. “If you need my help with anything else here, please do not hesitate to call.”
I thanked her and walked her out to her car.
The next two hours were tense. When Jasmine returned from feeding, the Guardians busied themselves by making sure the territory they’d marked was clear of any danger. I didn’t know how far around the house they had marked to claim as their own, but I knew one was never far from me. For a while, I stood on the highest deck of the house and watched them fly around.
When I grew too anxious to stand around, I changed and worked out. By the time I was finished, I was more anxious than I was before. I showered and changed. Just as I came down the steps to the first floor, Rylan reached out to me.
Gabriel and Ashe are coming down the road now.
I jumped when the front door opened, and Jasmine strolled in.
“Arthur and Rylan will greet our first guests. They will let us know when we should make our appearance,” she told me. She glanced at my bare feet and said, “I would put some shoes on just in case things go awry…”
“I thought Guardians were a civilized bunch of warriors. Do you really think they would attack me right away?”
“If they believe there is danger, yes,” she admitted.
Outside, I heard tires on the gravel as a car pulled up. I quickly slipped on my shoes and waited with Jasmine by the front door. A door opened and shut, followed by another one. Voices mingled together, I couldn’t tell who was talking or what was being said. I twirled the large engagement ring on my finger nervously. After what felt like an eternity, Jasmine looked down at me.
“It is time. Let us go meet our guests.”
Jasmine opened the front door and stepped out first.
“Is that Jasmine Sing?” an incredulous voice asked. “You are a legend in the East.”
I stepped out of the house and shut the door behind us. The two men standing by a large SUV looked to be in their fifties though I knew they were much older than that. The man closest to us was taller than both Rylan and Arthur. He was all muscle. He had tan skin, sharp facial features, and dark hair that was gelled back. The second man was shorter than Rylan, but about the same height as Arthur. His complexion was pale, highlighted by a five o’clock shadow and thick brows, but streaks of white shot through his brown hair.
“It means a lot to hear you say that when you are a legendary warrior yourself, Ashe,” Jasmine purred. Was she flirting right now? I stared at her back in disbelief.
“When did you arrive? I figured we would be the—,” the voice cut off. Jasmine tensed as she approached the new Guardians.
“Who is that behind you, Jasmine?” another voice asked. This voice was deep and rich. Squaring my shoulders, I stepped from behind Jasmine as we continued to walk forward.
The moment both men caught sight of me their eyes turned blood red. Their bodies tensed, and the taller one even flexed the muscles in his arms. Rylan and Arthur shifted ever so slightly, placing themselves between the new Guardians and Jasmine and me. They could still see me, but now the two Guardians had three obstacles to go through if they wanted to attack me.
I walked past Jasmine. As I drew closer, I watched the familiar shudder run through both men as my presence lifted their curse. The fangs on the taller one descended, and his nostrils flared. I stopped next to Rylan and waited for the introductions to be made.
“Gabriel, Ashe, I am pleased to introduce to you my mate, Mae Wellington,” Rylan said.
The silence that followed was tense. The muscles on both men began to flex. Their jaws clenched and relaxed as their eyes trailed over me to assess the danger I presented. When the silence continued to stretch, my patience wore thin. I took another step towards the new Guardians and then smiled and extended my hand.
“Until I sign the marriage paperwork, I’m still Mae White. In any case, this is the twenty-first century, maybe I’ll talk him into taking my last name,” I joked.
I waited, refusing to back down. After another long silence, the taller Guardian took a step towards me. His blazing red eyes watched my face as he closed the distance between us. Next to me, Rylan stiffened.
“Gabriel Knight.” The Guardian’s hand engulfed mine, his grip tight and far from friendly. “Mae White, you are quite a specimen.”
Gabriel Knight… I knew that name. It took me a moment to realize this was the Guardian who had sent Arthur the pictures of Zein’s murder scene. While I felt awful that he had stumbled upon such a horrible scene, irritation ruffled my nerves. The grip he had me in was almost bone crushing.
“A specimen?” I asked with a raised brow. “I’m just a young woman with some crazy abilities… which you will be able to see firsthand if you grip my hand any tighter.”
Rylan growled next to me, and Gabriel dropped my hand.
“Rylan, what is this? Who is this woman, truly?” the shorter man (Ashe, I presumed) snapped. “She cannot be your mate when I so clearly have regained my emotions back. She is most certainly mine, but she is….” His upper lip curled in disgust. “—tainted. I do not think I could accept such filth as my other half. I would rather cease to exist.”
Rylan snarled so fiercely that I looked up at him in surprise. He leaned forward in a crouch as his expression twisted in anger. His fangs lengthened, and he hissed. He took a menacing step forward, but I grabbed his wrist to prevent him from going any further.
“She is not tainted,” he snapped at the Guardian. “And she is my mate. She bears my mark upon her neck, and we have completed our Joining. If she were yours, you would never say something so despicable.”
Do not listen to the trash he spouts, Rylan told me.
I’m not offended. I’m here to help save the world, not impress this asshat, I assured him.
Ashe bared his teeth. He took an aggressive step towards me, but Rylan was there before he was able to move any closer. He pulled himself up to his full height and snarled down at Ashe, who snapped his teeth at him.
“If you cannot control yourself, you are welcome to leave,” Rylan growled.
“She has seduced you, Rylan. She has blinded you three with that pretty face, but I cannot be fooled. Her power radiates like a god’s,” Gabriel said as he stood next to Ashe. His expression darkened as he glared at me.
“That is because she is a progeny of one,” Arthur explained calmly. Both Gabriel and Ashe gasped in surprise, and possibly horror. Arthur came to stand next to me. “Mae is quite an extraordinary woman. It is because of her that we have become aware of the issues in this area. We will explain everything to you, but I need you to trust us when we say that Mae is not the threat here.”
Gabriel and Ashe exchanged looks with one another. The soft buzzing in my head was loud as they communicated. Time stilled as we waited to see how the two Guardians would proceed. I stole a glance at Rylan who, without looking at me, took my hand and brought it to his lips. Ashe’s eyes narrowed at the contact. After an agonizing silence, both men appeared to come to a decision. Gabriel looked at Rylan.
“I have known you for a long time. Every battle that you have led, I have followed you, and we have been victorious,” he said. He turned to Arthur and continued, “The same goes for you, Arthur. Your concern over the well-being of our people is known throughout the community. I trust y
ou both. If you say Mae is not a threat, then she is not a threat.”
The way Gabriel’s gaze swept over me assured me that even though he trusted the Guardians, he certainly did not trust me. Ashe glared at Gabriel, then at the two Guardians at my side, before he turned his attention back to me. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“You called us here for help, and it is my duty as a Guardian to make sure the safety of creatures from all walks of life are protected. I will help you with whatever is going on here… and any other threats we will face after this,” Ashe promised, his voice a barely contained growl. He was talking to Rylan and Arthur, possibly even Jasmine, but his focus was solely on me. While his promise to help us was appreciated, the underlying threat sent chills down my spine.
I was sure Ashe expected me to cower at his unspoken threat. He was certainly an intimidating person and knowing that he could potentially kill me with a flick of his wrist was definitely a reason to fear him. But standing here knowing my potential and having my mate and my friends stand with me, I was far from scared. Instead of cowering, I smiled at him.
“Alright. Now that pleasantries are out of the way, can we get to the point about why we asked you here?” Jasmine drawled.
Both Ashe and Gabriel turned their attention to her.
“Let us get down to business,” Ashe snapped and brushed past Rylan towards the house.
“There is one more thing…” Arthur hedged and pulled two quartz necklaces from his pocket. Both Gabriel and Ashe eyed the jewelry suspiciously. There was no doubt they could feel my power radiating off them. “Every day something happens in this park that makes people go insane. The Alpha of the pack station nearby described it as a wave of depravity. We believe it may have something to do with dark magic. When it touches you, you will feel the need to kill or destroy whatever or whoever is around you. By wearing these, we are hoping it will prevent you from being affected.”
“Hoping?” Ashe repeated incredulously. He bared his teeth at Arthur and then turned to look at me again. “You want us to wear something she has manipulated?”