by Amy Sumida
“The magic didn't appear to be the only thing that was sated.” He narrowed his eyes at me.
“I've had to work with it,” I went on, ignoring his bitterness. “And I've been able to change it a little.”
“The spell?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “It was all Thomas at first, and now it's shifted to be more like me.”
“More like you?”
“It used to be focused on revenge and lust,” I whispered. “Now, it's centered around love.”
“So, you love Declan?” Torin asked in a deadly calm tone.
“I do,” I admitted. “But that doesn't change the way I feel about you.”
“You want us both?” He asked with astonishment.
“The magic made a bargain with me,” I confessed. “It wants three men. Well, it wanted more, but I got it down to three. If it doesn't get three, it won't have enough energy to survive.”
“Then let it die,” he growled.
A blast of heat rushed through me and flung me to the floor. I moaned as Torin cried out my name and rushed over to me. He rolled me onto my back and laid his hand on my cheek.
“Sweet stones!” Torin yanked his hand away. “You're burning up.”
“It's the spell,” I choked out. “Just give me a second.”
“Elaria.” Torin knelt beside me, shaking his head in frustration. “I don't know what to do to help you.”
“I just need a second,” I murmured as I pushed myself up. “It didn't like your tone.”
“The spell didn't?” His eyes went round.
“It's sentient,” I explained. “We're connected, Torin. Thomas made sure that I would pay for killing him. If the spell dies, I die.”
“No,” he said firmly. “That's not going to happen. Quinlan will research—”
“My father and Quinlan both have done everything they can,” I cut him off. “You'd know that already if you would have listened to Quinlan.”
“I couldn't,” Torin murmured. “Seeing you like that.” He swallowed convulsively and looked away. “I loved you as I've never loved another, and you betrayed me. You broke my heart, Elaria.”
“And mine with it.” I laid my hand on his forearm.
Torin flinched, but he didn't pull away.
“I didn't ask for this, Torin.”
“Neither did I.”
“Please try and understand; I didn't do this to you. It was the spell,” I whispered. “What happened to loving me longer than the monuments of the world will stand?”
“You said three men.” He narrowed his eyes at me, completely disregarding my question. “Are you with Banning too, Elaria.”
“Yes,” I said softly.
“And you love him as well, I suppose?”
“The magic won't accept a man I don't love.” I sighed. “It says the energy is too weak.”
“I'll bet,” he growled. “And how quickly did you fall in love with two other men?”
“That's not fair.”
“Oh, I'm sorry, Elaria,” he snapped. “I wasn't being fair? Was it fair for me when you bargained with this magic and gave in to its demands?”
“Should I have just died with it?” I asked in surprise.
He just stared at me.
“A second ago, you were intent that I wouldn't die, and now you think that I should have burned to death rather than love three men?”
“No.” Torin sighed deeply. “I don't know what you should have done, but you have to admit that you took them quickly into your heart.”
“You know that I had feelings for them already,” I said gently. “Banning and I were together in a past life, our love was there before you and I began; it was just hibernating. And Declan...” I shook my head. “He's been there for me. I started something with him when you and I were separated for that short time.”
“Now, you're saying that you've always loved three men?” Torin growled.
“I can't help what I felt for them.” I waved a hand helplessly. “But I never acted upon my feelings.”
“Until a spell gave you the excuse to do so.”
“The excuse?” I gaped at him. “You truly think that I was looking for a way to be untrue to you? Just biding my time until I could get away with it?”
He went silent again.
“Torin, if I don't get you back, I'll have to find another man to take your place,” I said grimly.
“What is that; a threat?” He glared at me. “You're reprehensible, Elaria.”
“It's not a threat,” I growled, “it's the truth. It's why I'm here today. I had to try one last time to reach you.”
“Before you started looking for another lover,” he said derisively.
“I have no choice, Torin!”
“There's always a choice!”
“I don't know what else to do to fix things between us,” I said wearily. “I love you, and I want you back. I would do anything to have you back. Tell me what to do.”
“Leave Declan and Banning.” Torin's expression went hard. “Kick them out of your life and your heart, and I will take you back.”
“You'll be holding a corpse,” I said calmly as I stood. “But then, maybe that's what you want.”
“Damn you, Elaria!” Torin snarled and stood. “You could fight this if you wanted to, but you don't. You want all of us, and this is your way to get us. Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be a stud in your stable.”
I nodded, my heart taking another hit.
“All right,” I whispered. “I've spoken the truth to you, but you're obviously not ready to hear it. I wish I could wait for you to accept this, but I can't—it's literally killing me. Just know that I will always love you, Torin. I would have been faithful to you till the day I died.”
“Right. If not for a spell,” he said snidely.
“Goodbye, Onyx King,” I said calmly as I took my traveling stone out of my pocket.
Torin's furious face faded away as I was pulled through the Veil.
Chapter Three
I didn't go home. I probably should have; I was in that weakened state that the end of a great love always leaves you in. I felt bruised and so very tired, but also frantic. Like maybe if I could just keep moving, the pain wouldn't fully catch up with me. Torin wasn't going to get past his wounded pride. I understood that, especially after hearing his perspective. But as I said to him, I simply didn't have the time to wait for him to come around.
I needed someone to fall in love with, and that was a tall order for me. Sure, love had come into my life like a deluge recently, but up until that point, my heart had been the Sahara. I'd dated, had some lovers, but they were few and far between. I wasn't the type to go out to bars and pick up men. I didn't even know where to start; especially when you added emotions to it. If this had been about sex, then sure, I could have found a man. But I needed love, on both sides, and that's a bit trickier. Finding love under normal situations is miraculous, but I needed more than a miracle... I needed magic.
“Elaria?” Odin Earthshaker, witch elder, and all-around badass motherfucker, flinched when I appeared before him.
I admit that was kind of satisfying. I was probably one of three people who had ever seen him flinch... and lived.
“Hey, Left-Eye,” I said softly, but my greeting lacked its usual punch.
I had used the traveling stone to take me to Coven Cay, the island headquarters of the Coven, just off the Canadian shoreline. I couldn't bring myself to ask my father for more help, or maybe I didn't want to see the sympathy in his face. I definitely couldn't take one of my mother's hugs; at this point, it would break me. What I needed was a powerful witch who was professional, considerate, and could keep their mouth shut.
So, that left out Odin. He was both professional and considerate, but the Earthshaker couldn't keep a secret to save his life. I think it stemmed from all the years he spent with the Vikings. The Norsemen were notorious gossips; their whole religion was passed down orally for awhile there—talking is in their
blood. But as I mentioned, Odin is considerate. He's rather gentlemanly if truth be told—a trait definitely not gained from the Vikings. It was purely Odin.
“Elaria, what's happened? Are you all right?” Odin put his book down and got up from the massive, study table he'd been sitting at.
I'd traveled into the library, thinking that I could simply appear between the stacks and no one would be the wiser. Unfortunately, the corridor I'd chosen to reform in was set directly in front of where Odin was seated. He must have sought out a private nook too. But he was too manly to admit that I'd spooked him and too well-mannered to chide me for it.
“I'm all right,” I reassured him. “I'm just here to see Vivian.”
“Vivian?” Odin's brow lifted over his one, remaining eye. When it became clear that I wasn't going to reveal any more than that, he gave in. “She's in her chambers, last I heard.”
“Thanks, Left-Eye.”
“Anytime, Witchen.”
I stopped and gave him a look.
“Because you're a witch and a siren...” Odin trailed off and then grimaced. “Damn the deities; coming up with a nickname for you is harder than casting an avalanche spell in the middle of the Atlantic!”
“Keep trying.” I smirked. “I have faith in you.”
“Faith in me finding a nickname or casting the spell?”
“Yes.”
I hurried away before he figured out that combining the words the other way around would have given him “sitch,” a far more amusing nickname. Several jokes popped into my head right off the bat. But I wasn't there to help the witches; I was there to get some help.
I navigated the corridors of the enormous fortress with ease. My father had started bringing me there a few years after I'd learned to control my spellsinging, and I knew my way around the place like I knew my parent's home. I was standing before Vivian's door in just a few minutes. But I hesitated with my fist over the polished wood. Was this the way I should go? Should I resort to using magic to fight magic?
The door opened before I could make my decision, and Vivian stepped into the frame. She looked pointedly at my fist—still hovering mid-air—and I lowered it. Her shimmering, platinum-blonde hair was pulled back in a sensible braid, and her slim body was hidden beneath the folds of a loose caftan; one of those trendy ones with handmade lace and tassels. Vivian's liquid, blue eyes stared hard into mine before she nodded at whatever she found there and then stepped back so that I could enter.
Vivian Lake, also known as the Lady of the Lake, had a suite of rooms for herself. As a witch elder, her status warranted the very best the Coven could offer. The first room was her sitting room; a place where she entertained guests or had private meetings. But ever since I'd saved the realms by wearing the witch relic, Vivian had treated me like a beloved, younger sister. So, she didn't stop in the front room but continued to lead me through, into her private living room.
Art from all time periods adorned the walls, and priceless sculptures sat on shelves and pedestals. The furnishings were tasteful and high-quality, exactly what I had expected to find in her quarters. But Vivian had a guilty pleasure—she loved toys. So, among the ancient artwork and priceless furniture sat vintage Strawberry Shortcake dolls, Funko Pop figurines, and Tokidoki Unicornos. There were plastic sculptures of characters from video games and whole dioramas inspired by Tim Burton films. It was precious, and I mean that both in the sense that it was adorable and also something to be treasured; simply because Vivian allowed me to see it.
“What has the spell demanded?” Vivian asked as we took our seats before the crackling fire.
This wasn't my first visit to Vivian concerning the Rooster Spell. She knew all the details already, enough to assume why I was there.
“It wants Torin, but I've just come from Tír na nÓg, and Torin is being stubborn,” I said wearily. “I even serenaded him.”
“Serenaded,” Vivian said thoughtfully.
“What?”
“Tell me what, besides Torin, will appease the spell,” she demanded instead of answering.
“It wants another man,” I huffed, “but I must love him, and he must love me back.”
“And there's the rub,” she whispered as she relaxed into her high-backed chair. “You need my help, I assume.”
“I know a love spell is a cliché.” I grimaced.
“But it's exactly what the situation warrants.” She nodded crisply. “Not a spell to make someone fall in love with you, but one to draw true love to you now, when you so desperately need it.”
“Yes.” I leaned forward. “Do you think there's someone out there for me?”
“Why wouldn't there be?” She lifted a pale brow. “Do you think you've already found the love of your life?”
I went still and pensive, thinking about how much I loved Torin. I had believed that he was the only man for me. But Banning and I had a bond that had drawn us back together after I'd died and been reborn. That was nothing to turn your nose up at. And Declan... well, Declan had snuck into my heart and then latched on like a lamprey—he wasn't going anywhere.
“Ah, I see that you are starting to understand,” Vivian noted. “There isn't one true love for any of us. Instead, there are multiple people who we can love truly; love doesn't have to be singular to be real. But there are also those who we are meant to love; people who we feel instantly connected to as soon as we meet them.”
“Love at first sight?” I asked skeptically.
“It's not magic.” Vivian smirked. “It's destiny. We each have a whisper of fate in our blood; for some of us, it's more like a shout... or perhaps a melody.” She looked me over consideringly. “We can choose to ignore or circumvent our destinies and forge our own way, or we can walk the path laid out for us. That is the brilliant chaos of life. But when you embrace your fate, you—ironically—free yourself.”
“I don't know what you're getting at,” I said warily.
“I learned long ago to accept that some things are meant to be,” Vivian said gently. “By simply accepting that I may not have control over every choice, I was given more freedom in making them. Both Nature and Magic follow the path of least resistance, and that is what Destiny is: a trail with the fewest obstacles.”
“Witches and their metaphors,” I muttered.
“Elaria,” Vivian tried again, “if you had to drive somewhere, and you had a choice between taking a road that you knew was going to delay and possibly harm you, or one that would get you there safely and promptly, wouldn't you choose the better road?”
“I do have a way of knowing,” I said dryly, “it's called GPS.”
“Children!” Vivian growled with irritation. “Do you want me to help you or not?”
“I do,” I said softly, properly chastised. “I'm sorry.”
“Okay, then.” She inhaled with satisfaction. “As I was saying; when I opened myself up to Destiny, she showed me her plans and then offered me alternatives.”
“Are you saying that you can see the future?”
“I can catch glimpses of it. For example; I saw you standing outside my door tonight.” She waved her hand to indicate that it wasn't important. “What I'm trying to say is that you've thumbed your nose at Fate before, Elaria. But then you claimed the witch relic, and with it—your destiny. By doing so, you've opened the way for more of what Fate can offer you.”
“Like a man I'm meant to be with?” I asked in shock.
“Why are you so surprised?”
“Because I have two amazing men already, one of whom I reincarnated for,” I said.
“And you don't think you're destined for more?” She asked with a twinkle in her eye.
“Obviously, you do.”
“We are immortals; our long lives tend to come with several options.” She shrugged.
“Several?” I lifted my brows.
“Even true love is not always eternal,” she said softly. “Fate knows this.”
“Fate,” I whispered as a chill went down my
spine.
“I have a spell that will bring you a true love; a soul mate,” Vivian said casually. “It will draw a lover to you who you will feel an instant bond with.”
“Sounds good.”
“If you're right, and you've claimed all the love you were meant to have, then it will do nothing,” she said gently.
My heart plummeted. I just couldn't conceive of there being someone else for me, not when I had so much love already.
“But if I'm right, and there is more for you,” Vivian went on, “then this man or woman will be pulled to you like metal to a magnate.”
“Strictly dickly,” I muttered distractedly, in reference to the woman comment.
Vivian burst out laughing and then covered her mouth with a dainty hand.
“Elaria, you are a drink of fresh water for my tired soul,” Vivian said. “Thank you.”
“For not being a lesbian?” I teased.
“For brightening my day,” she said seriously. “Now, I have an idea that will bring this love to you at a specific moment, so we can be certain of who it is.”
“A specific moment?”
“The Witch's Ball is coming up.” Vivian smiled brilliantly. “I know the witches would love to hear the Relic Bearer sing.”
“You want me to sing at the Witch's Ball?” I scowled. “With or without magic?”
“What would be the point of singing without?” She huffed. “I'll cast the love spell to draw your man to you, and you will reel him in with your song.”
“Oh, great, a fishing analogy.” I teased her.
“It's a lot like fishing.” Vivian stood and headed into a back room that I had never been invited into. She stopped when she realized that I wasn't following, and looked back at me. “Come along, Spellsinger, you'll need to add your song to my magic.”
Chapter Four
“What the hell?” I gaped at the space around me.
Vivian had taken me through a doorway and down a set of stairs. The walls had changed from wood to rock halfway to the bottom, and then we emerged into a cave. Heavy bookshelves lined the stone walls, and carpets were laid over the earth floor—except for one circle in the center of the room. The circle was obviously Vivian's sacred place. Outlined in pale, smooth pebbles, the bare ground was empty; just packed dirt. But it thrummed with enough power that I could feel it from fifty feet away.