by Tamara White
"Oh, and make sure you fix this door before we get back. And, Talon," she smirks as she meets his eyes across the room, "if you ever hurt Emerald again, this will look like a walk in the park compared to what will happen then. Got it?"
He nods silently, looking guilty, but Britt turns us back around without another word and leads us out of the room and down the hall to the elevator. She remains quiet until the doors open on the forest level, then she turns to me. "I know everything that happened tonight."
I frown in confusion, before realizing she must be joking. "Ha! Ha! Very funny, Britt," I say, shoving her playfully. She stumbles, and I quickly reach out to grab her.
My brows furrow with concern as she grips onto me tightly for support. "Britt, what is going on? You're clearly not doing too good. Why didn't you tell the others?"
She's supposed to be immortal. How the hell can she be sick?
"It’s a long story, but my husbands know. I told them everything after I blood oathed them into protecting you."
I guide her to a bench hidden among the trees that I remembered seeing the last time I was down here. I help her sit before taking a seat beside her, facing her with a stern expression.
"You tell me everything right now. Something is going on, and don't tell me it's nothing. You look like you're on your deathbed right now."
She looks away, unable to meet my eyes. I feel my face pale. "Britt, you’re not really dying, are you?" I ask in a hushed tone.
She slowly lifts her head and gives me a sad smile. "Yeah, Mer. I am. But before I tell you everything, I need you to swear you won't tell anyone, apart from your guys, although they will probably already know by now," she muses.
It occurs to me that she separated us so that she can tell me everything that’s going on privately, and at the same time her guys can tell mine as well.
"The only people who know are Aunty Macy, my guys, and now you. Though I imagine Kel will tell your guys sooner or later. But, you can't tell your mom," she insists, staring at me intently.
"Britt, I promise not to say anything to anyone else, but if Kellan hasn’t said anything to the guys, then I’ll have to. I made them promise honesty, and I won't be a hypocrite by not offering them the same in return. It’s why I told them about the blood I accidently drank from the witch."
She smiles, looking glad, and reaches out to hold my hand. "I've known for two years that I'm dying. Despite being tied to the guys, my body is still continuing to weaken. I've been to multiple powerful witches but found no answers. We've used spell after spell until last week we finally figured it out. Dastian cursed me. One of his old associates said he cursed me before our bond was formed, and that the hex would only take effect if he died. And even though our bond is now strong and intact, each time I die, I come back less. My soul rips apart each time, until eventually, I won’t come back at all; I’ll be stuck in the in between place."
I sit here in silence, my heart breaking for her. I can't even imagine what she's going through right now. To know you're going to die would be a burden I don't think I could handle.
"Do you know when?" I ask, needing to know how much time we have left. I will make sure that she lives her life to the fullest for as long possible and do everything we ever dreamed of.
"Two, maybe three months. The more I use magic, the sooner it will be. Dastian cursed me so that any time I use magic, it eats away at my soul, one piece at a time until nothing’s left. Even though we killed that bastard, he's still going to win.” She gives a defeated sigh, and I can sense she's lost hope.
"No! Don't you sit there and give up! You need to fight this!"
"Mer, I have been. Do you really think I haven't spent the last year fighting this? I have. The only thing that can end this curse is Dastian's blood, but his body is well and truly gone. Aunt Macy and I officially ran out of options, which is why I pushed the guys to get married. I wanted to at least show my guys how much I loved each of them by being tied to them in an official way. There's nothing to do now but to make the most of my life and finalize my affairs, which is the other reason I brought you here."
Tears start to fall, knowing she's given up on her life, and I feel absolutely helpless to do anything. What good is having magic if you can't fix everything?
"My husbands are now blood oathed to protect you. With that, feelings may begin to develop, and I want to apologize for that."
I wipe away the tears, and give her a look of confusion. "What do you mean feelings? Like how they were all protective with me back there?" I ask with a sniffle, wishing I had a box of tissues.
She gives me a watery smile. "Yes, that's what I mean. I oathed you to them after you arrived and I started to sense you might be in danger. And if that witch’s blood hadn’t bound to yours, then it wouldn't be a problem. But, it happened, and now we're here. Blaine already felt a curiosity about you when he met you, and the others were nervous because I had talked about you a lot. I think they wanted your approval, but now everything has changed. You’ll find yourself more attracted to them, maybe even doing things you wouldn’t normally. But I want you to know, if anything happens between you all, it’s okay with me. I just want them to be happy and if you can give them that when I’m gone, then there’s no one better I’d rather see them with.”
I frown, wondering why this sounds like she's gifting me her husbands. Surely that can’t be what she means? Or maybe she’s saying because of the magic, I'm going to start crushing on them?
"Britt, what's really going on? I feel like you're trying to tell me something, but I'm obviously not getting the memo, because now I am just straight up confused."
She chuckles and releases my hand. "Okay, so witches who decide to commit themselves to each other share their magic during a wedding ceremony. When we were alone after our ceremony, I made a blood oath with each of them, making them promise if something happened to us, we would find a way to move on. We wouldn't be stupid and waste our lives mourning. That was before we found out about being immortal, not that it really seems to be true after all," she adds bitterly.
"Anyway, the thing I'm trying to explain is that because of the shared blood, you will begin to crave sexual attention from them. It may not happen straight away, because the oath is so new, but I have a feeling, and if earlier was anything to go by, it's only a matter of time before you become territorial over them. Hopefully I’m wrong about all of this, but I highly doubt it. I’ve been wondering if they were even meant to be mine in the first place.”
"Wait, shared blood? Britt, I haven't shared blood with you or any of your husbands," I point out, feeling a wash of relief go through me.
She flushes, and normally I wouldn't be able to see the blush stain her cheeks, but with how pale she currently is, it shows up easily. “Uh, about that. Remember when you got that really bad cut on your hand when I stayed with you guys? Well, I kept the cloth you used to wipe your hand. I’ve kept it preserved, just in case I ever needed your blood."
She did what? Stole the frigging cloth I used to clean the blood from my hand? "You... stole the cloth with the intent to use my blood at one point or another?" I ask, trying to make sense of this. Now I understand why my grandmother warned me about sharing blood. Britt nods, and I reach up, rubbing my temples in agitation.
Do not kill your best friend. Do not kill her. She stole your blood for an oath and used it to mystically tie you to her husbands. She did it to protect you, that's all.
No matter what I tell myself, though, my heart is hammering in my chest with fear. My best friend is dying. Does she just expect me to sit idly by without trying to save her? Or worse, does she want me to look after her husbands after she dies? And another thing I don't understand is why she told me she was trying for a baby if she's dying?
"Mer, if you knew you were going to die, would you not want to leave a part of yourself behind? Something for those you care for to love and hold on to? That's what I wanted with a child. I wanted to leave behind someone that my hus
bands could cherish, so they wouldn't truly be alone. Although, it’s too late for that now. So, I am doing the next best thing. I am asking you to care for them when I'm gone."
"Britt–"
She holds a hand up, stopping me. "No, I'm not asking you to love them. Love is complicated, and you already have enough on your plate in that department, but I need to know that someone will help them. My death is going to challenge them in ways they've never dealt with before. Each one of my men has their own issues and without me, there’s going to be blame, frustration, and anger among them. So, basically chaos. I need to know that you will be there for them and help them get through the hard times ahead."
I blow out a puff of air and meet her eyes, determined. "If, and I mean that as a really big if, anything happens to you, I will ensure they are taken care of. I will even vet any new girls that enter their lives if you’d like,” I tell her, ignoring the fact she implied she wants me with her guys. “But, I want you to know right now, Britt, I won't just lie down and let you die. I will search the world over for something that will help you, and you will just smile and nod and accept it. Do I make myself clear?"
She gives a small smile, but her eyes are filled with sadness and defeat, which only makes me even more determined. I won't let her die! I will find something, anything that will help her. Even if it means selling my soul to the devil.
She lets out a breath and plasters a fake smile on her face. "Okay, no more depressing thoughts. There was another reason for bringing you down here. I doubt you meant to, but you projected everything that has happened over the past twenty-four hours straight into my mind, and into my husbands’ by extension, which leads me to believe you have telepathy as your ability.”
She stands up from the bench, looking more stable then she had when we got down here. "So, we're going to do some mind training for you so you can get a handle on things. Because I do not want to be hearing about your dirty thoughts when you have a wolf or vampire in front of you." She smirks playfully, and I roll my eyes at her. There were no dirty thoughts about the wolf, and she damn well knows it. Well, okay maybe a kind of mild curiosity, but that's completely different.
"Okay, first off, there were no dirty thoughts." I glare as I get to my feet, following after her as she wanders off through the trees. "And secondly, what is mind training?" I ask, feeling completely out of the loop.
"Mind training is pretty much just that. We train your mind to keep up a barrier to stop others from hearing your thoughts, and you from projecting them. It just ensures you don't cross a witch on the street, or another vamp with telepathy and unwittingly reveal who and what you are."
I give her a sarcastic smile. "Yeah, because I totally just walk around thinking 'My name’s Emerald. I'm a vampire-werewolf hybrid shifter. Come at me, bro.'”
She laughs, her eyes sparkling rather than filled sadness like they had been earlier. "Okay, maybe you don't go around thinking that, but your beast is a part of your mind. For example, when you met with Lincoln, while you were confused and upset by the turn of events, your beast was projecting a desire to shift and rub herself all over him like a cat marking its territory."
"She was not!" I exclaim, completely shocked.
Britt smirks and nods her head slowly. "Oh, yes she was. It's why I want to help you build these walls. You were lucky that none of your guys got spill over from her. Can you imagine?"
My face pales, and I think back to Nik's add on thoughts earlier about spending time with Lincoln. Is there a chance he heard my beast in my mind? If Britt has issues controlling her thoughts with her guys, then it stands to reason my guys would be able to hear mine too sometimes. Oh no!
"Okay, let's do this." I don't want to hurt my guys any more than I already have. I want this relationship to work, and if shielding my thoughts helps to keep me from hurting them, then I'll do it.
Twenty-Eight - Telepathy
Emerald
"Come on, Mer. You need to concentrate."
I grit my teeth in frustration. We've been down here for an hour now, and I still haven't been able to block her from hearing my thoughts.
Once she assured me she wouldn't use any magic during our training, I let her teach me how to build a wall in my mind, but it’s flimsy at best. No matter how much I try, I can't get the hang of blocking her from my thoughts.
"Alright, obviously this isn't working, so let’s try something else." She sits down on the ground across from me, crossing her legs and holding out her hands. "I'm going to tap into your magic in order to get a feel for what you're doing wrong."
I narrow my eyes and pull my hands out of reach. "No, no magic for you."
She rolls her eyes, clearly annoyed, but I don't give a damn. If she weakens more every time she uses magic, then clearly the only real option is for her to stop using magic altogether.
"Mer, I am going to use your magic, not mine. I'll be fine, unless I use my own magic. I just need to peek into your mind as you build your wall so I can see exactly what’s going wrong."
I sigh and give in, placing my hands in hers. A jolt of energy runs through me as soon as her mind connects to mine. Mine feels light and carefree, filled with bright colors, while Britt’s is clouded in darkness. There are sparks of color here and there, but they fade quickly.
A tear falls, and I'm glad my eyes are closed, so Britt can’t see the heartbreak I feel for her. She's all but given up on any chance of ridding herself of this hex.
"It’s okay, Mer. I've accepted my fate. There's no need to be sad," she whispers, and I stifle a sob. How can she be okay with this?
"Concentrate on your wall, so I can see it," she murmurs, and I bring my focus back on the task at hand.
I summon a vision of a giant silver wall protecting anyone from entering my thoughts, and she appears, standing before the wall. She knocks on it once, and it shatters, raining down around us like pieces of glass.
"Gotcha.” She winks teasingly.
"Seriously?! Stop messing with me and teach me how to control my thoughts."
Stupid best friend trying to play me. I need to learn this!
She laughs, and I open my eyes to meet hers. "I wasn't playing you."
I roll my eyes in frustration. "Ugh! Stop reading my thoughts."
"Make me." The challenge in her voice makes me more determined than ever. I close my eyes despite her chuckles and concentrate on shutting her out. Instead of a wall, though, I imagine a blanket going over my mind, darkness shrouding me from any who would want to peek into my private thoughts.
Did it work? I focus on projecting my mental voice, hoping not to let too much through.
Yeah! You did it! I can't hear your endless thoughts any more. Only your voice when you’re speaking telepathically.
My eyes snap open, and my mouth gapes like a fish out of water. I honestly didn't think that would work.
Britt's eyes shine with pride. "Just as I thought, you're a telepath," she breathes. "That's... so... COOL!"
I almost fall backwards at her sudden exclamation and hold a hand over my heart, which is racing from the shock of her outburst. "Jeez, Britt. Don't fucking scare me like that."
"Sorry, sorry. It’s just, do you realize how awesome this is?! We can talk to each other in our minds now. You don't even have to try to send secret messages. Oh, I so can't wait to try it when the guys are around. Come on, let’s practice a little more and then go have a little fun."
Two hours later, and I'm absolutely exhausted while Britt is brimming with energy. Little does she know, though, I tried something while she was tapped into my mind. I fed her a bit of my own energy to see if it would help, and seeing her bounce around like this leads me to think it has. Maybe there is hope after all.
I smile to myself as I open the door to our room, and Britt skips in after me, causing her husbands to look up in surprise. I imagine they haven't really seen her bounce around like this lately.
The coffee pot is still sitting on the bench, and I place my
hand close enough to the glass to see if it's still permeating heat. It is, so I go about pouring myself a cup, while Britt leans against the counter, bubbling with excitement. I can see the giddiness in her eyes.
Kellan approaches us, and Britt jumps into his arms, catching him off guard. He fumbles to catch her weight, and she presses her lips to his quickly before sliding down his body, landing on her feet with a wide smile. He looks between Britt and I, seeming confused. "You girls okay?"
I nod with a small smile, but Britt just ignores the question completely, gesturing silently towards Talon. On our way back to the room, we had talked about showing them that I had a handle on my telepathy. I’m nowhere near a pro yet but at least I can project thoughts easily enough.
My mind goes empty and I focus on Talon, feeling the blanket over my mind peel back, giving me a peek into his mind.
She's so amazing. I can't believe I almost screwed this up because of stupid jealousy. When I find that witch, I'm going to rip him to shreds and feed on his heart.
I smirk at the viciousness he has in his mind and know he won't be the only one going after the witch who hexed him. You didn't screw it up. The witch did, and I can guarantee if I beat you to him, I'm going to do a lot worse than eat his heart.
Talon's gaze swings around to mine, and his brows furrow in confusion. What the fuck? Did Britt just project my thoughts? She promised she wouldn't invade our thoughts anymore. Blatantly listening in and projecting those thoughts to someone else, that's crossing a line right there.
I smirk, winking at him. It wasn’t Britt.
Talon shoots up from his seat at the table, his eyes wide in shock. His chair falls back, drawing everyone's gaze as it clatters to the floor.
I turn my gaze to Nik with a grin. The night you fucked me against the tree was one of the best nights I've ever had. I love you, Nikoli.
His eyes widen, mimicking Talon's shock, and he looks away as his cheeks tinge with a faint blush.
Dev is looking around, seeming confused and frustrated. “What's going on? Why are you two acting like you've just seen a ghost?" He eyes Tal and Nik for a few seconds, so I try the trick Britt showed me.