The Willow

by Stacey Kennedy

  “But you never came up to the house?”

  “No, you are right, I didn’t.”

  “Why?”

  “You looked so happy. The smile I saw on your face that day showed me that I made the right decision for you. You were safe, in a world without danger, and loved deeply.” He cupped my cheek and I leaned against it. “I could not separate you from her. No matter how much I wanted you for myself.”

  Christ, he looked tormented. And the sight of it unsettled me. I held no anger toward him. How could I? The visions made it clear enough—he only wanted to keep me safe. Besides, I wouldn’t have changed a moment of my life spent with Gloria and Frank. And in order for me to move past all this, he couldn’t continue to carry that guilt and sadness in his eyes. It would be a constant reminder. “You know one thing about Gloria,” I sniffed loudly, collecting myself, “one thing she would be saying to us right now?”

  ”What would she say?” Drake asked, curiously.

  “She’d say what the hell are you two doing here when you have a life to live? She’d be right ripping mad that we were mulling over things we couldn’t change, and that the only one worrying about the past is us. She lived a life filled with great memories, that time means nothing, and she had everything she ever wanted. She’d say that if we didn’t shape up and pull ourselves together, she’d pull out the wooden spoon.”

  Now, it seemed comical. Why had I been so afraid of that damn spoon? She never laid a hand on me, but just the sound of the drawer opening had me shaking in my boots and apologizing quickly.

  “Wise woman.” He laughed. “Best we listen to her then.”

  Rubbing my hands along my face, I sent the rest of the sadness away to store in that part of myself that I’d never go back to. A place I knew all too well. One thing Gloria taught me was to take life as it came. Could I change this situation? No. So, why mull over it. Better just step up and find out what I landed myself into. “So, what happened to my mother exactly?”

  “Tyrianna was a powerful witch, and because of that, she was killed by a vampire, Lazarus, who was raging war against the Otherworld.”

  “And you sent me away because of that?”

  He nodded. “It was safer for you not to be here, and not to discover your powers. Tyrianna would have wanted you to be safe.”

  This came with a whole mess of emotions. I was glad for the time spent with Gloria and Frank, but to know my birth mother, a little longing did filter through. I stuffed it away. “So, he’s been caught, right?”

  “No,” he responded through gritted teeth. “He has long been in hiding. As I told you earlier, the threat from him has been gone for many years and we haven’t heard or seen him since that night.”

  The pain running across his face was heartbreaking. More than just an ache over her death, it was not having a resolution for it all—a means to end his pain. Undeniably, the wound was still very raw. So, I said the only thing that came to mind, “I am sorry you lost her.”

  “My darling,” his voice was soft and full of despair, “I am sorrier that you will not have the chance to know her.”

  Questions about my mother swirled in my mind. How did they meet? What was she like? But seeing the utter torment running through him at the mention of her, as if I’d ask more, a change in conversation was in order. “Let me get this straight, I’m a…” I couldn’t even think the words let alone say it.

  “Witch and Guardian,” he said concisely.

  “And you’re telling me I’m going to have magical abilities?” This was just all types of ridiculous.

  “Indeed you will. We will not know the level of witch magic you hold until it comes in, and I am afraid I cannot tell you when that will be. However, your Guardian powers are not so difficult to discover.”

  Before I could ask what the hell any of that meant, Zia said, “The Council welcomes you to the Otherworld, Nexi.”

  Startled, I chuckled at the absurdity that I had totally forgotten we weren’t alone. Then, I repeated. “The Council?”

  She nodded toward the others. “We are the governing body of the Otherworld.”

  As if to prove that thought, the wolf began to vibrate. Then, he wasn’t a wolf anymore. He was a man.

  My hand flew to my mouth. “Holy shit!” I said beneath it.

  Zia adamantly ignored my shock and continued, “Brax, Master of Weres.”

  I’d consider him a softy with his sweet soft features and long dark hair. That is if the two hundred and fifty pounds of muscle on his body didn’t put him into the category of scary as hell.

  “Talon, Master of Guardians,” she said next.

  He stepped forward and bowed his head. When his gaze rose to mine, it’s a surprise I wasn’t blushing. His short brown hair, bright green eyes, and hard jaw only added to the rest of his handsome features. He wore gear similar to Drake’s—just a little more extravagant, which sat deliciously against one rock hard bod. Pretty obvious, Guardians were warriors of some sort, but warriors against what was the question?

  “Zade, Master of Vampires,” she finished.

  He was the tall guy from the vision, and he indeed towered over me, but that was the least of my concerns. His black sinful eyes couldn’t pull a fast one on me. He was a vampire.

  I began to tremble. My breath coming out in short gasps as fear instantly consumed me.

  “You have nothing to fear from me, child,” Zade said, reassuringly.

  Yeah right, trust a vampire—sounds like a brilliant idea. One had killed my mother, for flippin’ sakes.

  “Not to worry, sweetie,” Zia interjected as she took my hand. “Here, this will help.”

  The moment her hand closed around mine, a surge similar to an electric current tore through me. “Bah,” I gasped, snapping my hand away. “What the hell was that?”

  “I used my magic to release the block I had put on you to hide your Guardian power. You will feel more settled now.”

  “Right, you used your magic.” I rolled my eyes. “What, is the Leaky Cauldron around here somewhere?” When scared shitless make jokes—Frank’s number one rule.

  “Wish it was.” Zia laughed. “Those Harry Potter movies are fabulous.”

  But as my mind cleared of thought, it was apparent that something had changed within me. I took a few deeps breaths trying to understand it. Then, the realization hit. My reason for living, my purpose, had suddenly been answered. For the first time in my life, I felt at home.

  And that wasn’t all it fixed. Zade wasn’t so scary. In fact, why had he been so scary? After a moment of contemplation, I came up blank. “This is—wow—I.” Yup, that was me stumbling all over the place.

  “This has been a long day for you,” Zia said. “I think it’s best for you to get some rest. Everything will be easier to process after that.”

  Yeah right!

  “Zia is right. Come Nexi,” Drake said, raising his hand toward the door.

  The moment we exited, I gasped a deep surprised breath at the room before me. Essentially a long rectangular room made up of pure white stone walls that seeped into a ribbed vault. On the left sat a large wooden door with wrought iron handles. To the right were four tremendously large windows with intricate stone carvings decorating the sides.

  “This is the Council’s foyer,” Zia said. “Quite remarkable isn’t it?”

  “Very.” Hand me a goblet of ale, call me wench, and I’d fit right in. “What’s that room called?” I asked, nodding behind me.

  “The Council’s Hall.”

  “Wow.” I laughed. “Someone busted a vein coming up with those names.”

  She grinned. “It is what it is.”

  We passed through an arched doorway and the word Guardian was etched into the stone wall. Before I could voice my question, Zia said, “The Otherworld is home to many of us. We each have a part of the castle that is ours. This is the Guardian’s House. Since you will be training among the Guardians, it is o
nly right for you to stay with them.”

  “Training to do what?”

  “Baby steps.” She smiled softly, patting my shoulder. “Let’s get you settled first.”

  As we went through another doorway, a giggle escaped me. What was this a medieval hotel? The hall was lined with thick wooden doors on the left and pointed arched windows on the right. Each door we passed had a name written in pretty gold calligraphy on it. Keir, Drake, Nexi.

  Wait, rewind!

  I skidded to a halt. “Why is my name on this door?”

  “Because this is now your home,” Zia answered, opening the door.

  Don’t know what I expected, but it definitely wasn’t this. Matching beige sofas were huddled around a stone fireplace that reached from the top of the ceiling to the bottom of the floor and in between them was a thick dark oak table with a vase full of yellow tulips on top.

  The kitchen was just off to the side—a rustic oak island matched the large cabinets with brass decorative handles, and a thick pine country table rested in the corner.

  On the other side of the living room sat the bedroom, which fit the country charm perfectly. Centered against the back wall was a huge white iron king size bed with a frilly white duvet on top. Two aged wooden tables sat on either side of the bed, which held pretty, decorative lamps, and to the left was a walk in closet that happened to be stocked full of clothes. Beside it, was the bathroom.

  “Is this to your taste?” Drake asked. “Your mother liked this look. I thought…”

  “It’s perfect.” And it was—the country motif was just my thing.

  His body relaxed from the tense one it had been in and a grin rose to his face. “I’m sure you need a moment. Join us when you are ready.”

  After they left, I made my way to the bathroom. When I entered, I grinned to myself. A huge—perfect for two bodies huge—claw foot bathtub sat against the wall with a toilet and pedestal sink off to the side. An antique bookcase rested beneath an oval mirror filled with washcloths, thick white towels, and bath products.

  This room, I was sure to enjoy. Baths and I got along real well.

  Meeting the sink, a complete and total meltdown threatened to rise. I was sure as shit entitled as far as I was concerned. The question weighed heavily for a moment, but I eventually gave up. It wouldn’t get me anywhere. I’d still be here and have to deal with this. So, I quickly washed up and went back out to join them.

  As I drew closer, Zia was preparing some toasted sandwiches with a spinach salad. I was beyond delighted. Who knew what they ate here? Very relieved it wasn’t something with a heartbeat.

  “I hope you are hungry,” Zia said as I sat.

  “Starving,” I responded, grabbing the sandwich and took a bite. After I swallowed I asked, “Out of curiosity, what happened after I disappeared from Carson City? I mean, did anyone notice?”

  “The police were contacted by a neighbor who hadn’t seen you in a while,” Drake responded.

  Probably Mrs. Taylor, the wife of my former employer, Dr. Taylor. Days answering phones and filing documents was a cushy job. I could never complain. And the Taylors’ are wonderful souls. At the funeral, they told me to take off as much time as I needed and my job would be waiting for me when I was ready to return. But they also fed me and let me shower at their house. Going back to the home I shared with Gloria and Frank wasn’t an option, and it was a need they understood. Completely kind and sweet people they are, and nothing felt good about having them worried sick right now.

  “The search for you continues,” Drake continued. “But it will likely end soon and they will declare you a missing person.”

  After trying to imagine my face on the back of a milk carton, awkwardness began to sink in as silence filled the air. I hadn’t expected to meet my birth father, and wasn’t prepared for it. I had no idea what to say.

  Bless Zia for stepping in. “Tell us a little about yourself, Nexi.”

  And that was the beginning of an hour conversation as we learned every little detail of each other’s lives. It was amazing to see how much I was like him—his voice, gestures, even in his smile.

  When the conversation had run its course, Drake stood. “It is time for us to be off, you need your rest.”

  I held back a laugh. As if that was going to happen—sleep was pretty much written off until I got a better grasp of this insane situation. Of course, as I followed them to the door, I didn’t voice the thought.

  Just as Zia stepped out, she took my hand and smiled. “Sleep well.”

  Suddenly, a wave of relaxation washed over me, my eyes drooped heavy with sleep, my body felt a thousand pounds and as the door closed, Zia’s laugh came loud.

  Quickly, I made my way to the bedroom, threw on pajamas and climbed into bed. I was dead to the world before I even hit the pillow.

  Chapter Two

  The sun was just going down when I hesitantly poked my head out from under the blankets. Was it a dream?

  Scanning the area quickly, the moment my gaze hit the stone walls, my question was answered. No matter how insane this all was, and trust me, this ran right into nutty-ville, this was happening. I sucked in deep breath in an attempt to find bravery and rolled onto my side. Only to find someone lying in bed beside me.

  She reminded me of sunshine. Happiness and warmth radiated right out of her. Around my age with curly brown hair that just kissed her shoulders. Her nose was small, her lips were plush, and her big blue eyes made up most of her heart shaped face.

  “Who the hell are you?” I screamed, startled.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I’m Haven,” she said, in a high voice that was almost as cute as she was. “How do you like it here so far?” She hesitated, waiting for a response.

  She didn’t get one.

  Not like that stopped her. “Well I love it! When I finished my training Zia asked me to stay on and work for the Council. Of course, I said yes. Not just for her, but for Finn too. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had to leave him. That would’ve been horrible.”

  My breath froze when she began talking and now my air had run out. I gasped out, looking around quickly. She was alone, which relieved me. When I met her gaze again she was smiling.

  “I’m just so happy you’re finally here. I’ve been waiting so long.” She nudged my arm. “I was beginning to think you’d never come.”

  Waiting for me…what?

  That got me talking. “What do you mean waiting for me?”

  “We’re soul-sisters.” She cocked her head. “Don’t you feel it?”

  I sat up and immediately sensed this bond she was going on about. “Oh, this is er…weird.” A connection as deep as it was needy. Right now, I needed no one else but her, and knew if she left I’d only want her to return.

  And that wasn’t the only thing I noticed either—she was a witch. Obviously, the release of the Guardian Power gave some sort of built in supernatural detector because it was irrefutable.

  “Oh goodie, you feel it. Isn’t it wonderful?”

  I wasn’t totally convinced of that yet. “What’s a soul-sister?”

  “Well, it’s like a soul-mate, but without the lovely-dovey stuff. We’re sisters destined to be together.” Then, her smile grew and little flickers of happiness spread through me. “Our bond allows us to feel each other—sense emotions. Stuff like that.”

  This place sure makes relationships easy. Can’t doubt a father’s love when it’s seen in a vision, and it’s hard not to trust someone instantly with this kind of connection shared.

  “You better get up,” she said, slapping my leg.

  “What time is it?”

  She looked at her watch. “Quarter after two.”

  “In the morning?”

  “Yup, the Council likes to stick to the same routine as the vampires.” She jumped off the bed. “Zia told me to let you sleep a little longer. She thought you might need the rest.” Then, her cheeks
flushed a little as she twisted nervously. “I just couldn’t wait anymore—I needed to come see you.” Without waiting for my response, she bounced out of the room.

  Well, that was certainly weird!

  I dressed quickly and by the time I came out, Haven had cut up some strawberries, mixed them with yogurt, oats and honey granola on top. I grabbed the bowl and dug in, famished.

  Sadly, before I could even finish, Haven ripped it from my hands. “Hey, I wanted that,” I blasted.