“An action?”
“Or reaction.”
Considering he was actually trying to help her, frowning at him the way she was probably wasn’t the best move, but with the amount of time and energy she’d put into healing Sabina and working her way through the journal Tate had given her, patience wasn’t exactly in short order. “What are you trying to say?”
Priest huffed out a sharp laugh, shook his head and turned for the door. “Coyotes are hunters.”
“And?”
“And I’m telling you sometimes action is more effective than talking.” He opened the door and jerked his chin toward the backyard. “Hurry up and get downstairs. We’ve got over a hundred people ready to see you and celebrate. Not to mention, Katy’s due here anytime with Sabina. It’s her first glimpse into clan life. If you take too long up here, Tate will come up to get you, you’ll both end up distracted, and then Katy and I won’t have any help introducing her to everyone.”
Boy, that was the truth. Tate might have been more cautious with her in the last few days than he had been that first night, but his sex drive hadn’t abated in the least. Frankly, she was surprised Priest had managed to get him to leave her alone in the same room with another man, father figure or not. “Fine, but you have to promise to spend a little time talking to me about the journal before tonight’s over. There’s a mark next to some of the rituals that I don’t know how to interpret. There’s no legend to go with them.”
Priest’s brows dipped into a sharp V. “What mark?”
“It’s weird looking. Nothing like the other marks I’ve seen. Two circles. One big one and a little one on top of it. Kind of looks like BB8 but with a cross perched on its head.”
One second and Priest’s whole demeanor changed, a darkness she’d never seen in him surfacing like a long dead demon. Just as fast, he seemed to shove whatever had gripped him back into place and shook his head. “Nothing with that symbol next to it can help you do anything except know what never to do. They’re recorded as a warning only.”
Black magic.
The kind Draven had used to steal each primo’s gifts and killed them in the process—her great-grandmother included.
“If they’re so dangerous, why record them?”
“There are two choices. Leave our future generations ignorant, or take a chance and at least provide a warning. Which option is worse?” Not waiting for a response, he nodded toward her shirt still clutched in her hand. “Get dressed. Forget about the journal for tonight and come meet your healers. Something tells me we’ll have more than our share of darkness to contend with soon enough.”
He left without so much as a backward glance, quietly closing the bedroom door behind him and leaving her to ruminate on the things he’d said. Located upstairs and furthest away from the gorge where most of the gatherings at Priest’s house happened, Tate’s room gave no clue as to the number of people who’d come to help celebrate the arrival of a new prima. Certainly nothing to warrant the number Priest said to expect. But the silence was a comfort. A tiny buffer in the seconds before she faced the full scope of her new reality.
She was a leader.
A powerful one.
Maybe not in the way Kateri was with her sorcerer magic, or fast and strong like Alek, Priest and Tate with their warrior magic, but an important piece in the clan’s makeup.
She wriggled into her bra and pulled on her shirt. While she hadn’t selected the trendy cotton tank with its low scooped neck and narrow straps with the end result of her tattoo in mind, it did a remarkable job of leaving much of the work on display. The contrast of its bold coral color with the understated green Priest had worked into the shading made it even more compelling. A bold, yet beautiful statement.
Funny, how much she’d changed in such a short span of time. Yes, she’d grown through therapy since high school, but nothing like she had in the last four weeks. For the first time in her life, she wanted to be seen. Wanted to share the joy of what she’d been given with the people who shared her heritage.
Maybe Priest was right. Maybe tonight she should just enjoy the moment. Tuck all the responsibilities of the future aside and simply focus on celebrating right now. Be with the people who’d so readily accepted her and see if she couldn’t share the same with Sabina.
Resolve in place, she gave her loose hair a quick fluff and hurried to the door—only to have it open before she could get there.
Tate stood in the opening. In a matter of seconds, he scanned the room, her and the ink now lying beautifully against her skin. His amber eyes warmed with mischief. “Aren’t I supposed to get a private showing before everyone else does?”
Oh, no. If Tate got anywhere near her sans clothes she’d never get out of this room. Let alone have the social skills to face so many people for the first time as prima. “I think the point of having the celebration is for me to actually be there.” She braced her hand at his sternum and pushed him backward, giggling as he gripped her wrist and used the momentum to pull her flush against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her laughter melted into an easy sigh, just the press of his body against her and his warmth settling what was left of her apprehension. “How about if we save the private viewing for when we get home so we can take our time?”
“Home.” He cupped the back of her head and skimmed his nose alongside hers, the low rumble of his coyote’s approval mixing with his own pleased hum. “That word has a whole different feel to it when you’re a part of it.” He pressed a lingering kiss to her lips then murmured against them, “And I can definitely see the benefits to not being in a rush when I get an unobstructed view of Priest’s work.”
God, the man was addictive. Not just the feel of him against her, but the rich baritone of his voice, too. The subtle hint of earth that clung to him. She closed her eyes and breathed in deep. “I do believe this is the first time I’ve considered ducking a party for a reason other than avoiding being social.”
His low chuckle coiled around her. “Under normal circumstances I’d not only approve, but aid and abet your absence, but this time, Priest would flay both me and my coyote.” He reached behind his neck, grasped one of her hands and guided it to his mouth for a kiss. “Come on. Katy, Jade, Sabina and your mom got here just a few minutes before I came up to get you. The way Sabina eyeballed the crowd, I think she needs a stiff drink and a hand to hold on to.”
Getting to the isolated cluster of lawn chairs where Katy, Jade, Sabina and her mom had set up camp proved to be more of a challenge than either of them had thought. Where everyone in the clan she’d met to date had been pleasant and polite before, they’d also been a bit reserved. As though they hadn’t been entirely sure what to make of the outsider Priest had brought among them, but were cautiously optimistic on what her future with the clan might be.
Today was a whole different experience. A throng of well-wishers intent on sharing their happiness in the form of hugs and blessings for the days ahead. If those she met were healers, the conversations were even more intense. A mix of reverence and gratitude she didn’t even remotely feel she’d done anything yet to earn woven into each word.
By the time she and Tate finally reached everyone at the edge of the crowd, she felt almost as exhausted as Sabina looked. “Hey, Sabina. How are you holding up?”
Sabina scanned the people meandering from group to group behind them with the same wide-eyed wonder Elise had probably had the night of Beltane. “I’m still not convinced I’m not dreaming.”
“Boy do I remember that feeling,” Katy said. Dressed in a flowing chambray skirt and a white blouse that made Elise think of poets and flower children, she sat in a sling patio chair with one leg crossed over the other. As relaxed as she looked, there was no way to tell she’d only learned of their clan a few months ago. “Even after I saw Nanna change into her hawk the first time, I thought for sure I’d either lost my mind, or w
oken up in an alternate reality.” She focused on Sabina and smiled. “It’ll settle in eventually, though. You’ll see.”
Sabina didn’t look convinced. It wasn’t every day a person found out their heritage included shapeshifting and magic. And while the dreams Sabina had had of Draven over the last month had made her more receptive to the idea than most, it was obvious the reality had yet to fully settle in. Her physical appearance, on the other hand, was remarkably improved. The paleness that had almost obliterated the rich olive coloring of her skin was long gone, and the gaunt, desolate weight that had burdened her every movement was now replaced with a curious, yet cautious wonder.
Priest insisted it had been Elise’s persistent healing over the last few days, but Elise suspected the bulk of it was from healthy, uninterrupted sleep. “Have you eaten?”
She should have known the answer without asking. Getting Sabina to tackle any more than a bite or two at a time had been a struggle since the first time she’d woken up. Though, she had perked up this morning when Naomi and Jenny had double-teamed the kitchen for an old-school breakfast fitting for a day’s worth of manual labor. Then again, it was hard to say no to bacon. “I got distracted talking to Jade.”
Jade rolled her head on the back of the lounge chair she’d stretched out on toward Sabina. “Oh, no. You don’t get to use me for that one.” She focused on Elise. “Naomi and I both tried to ply her with homemade snickerdoodles and sugar cookies right after lunch and she defied us both.”
Standing slightly behind her with his hand resting on her hip, Tate gave her a gentle squeeze. “I’ll go grab you both a plate.” He kissed the side of her neck, the subtle rasp of his exhalation as he did so sending a welcome shiver down her spine. “I know damned well you didn’t eat the whole time Priest was working on you.”
She was hungry. Enough so her stomach let out a muted rumble of agreement. But Sabina needed more than food. She needed grounding and a chance to realize this new reality was...well...real.
She stopped Tate with a hand over his at her hip, craned her head up and back so she could return the kiss to the strong line of his jaw. “How about if you take a load off and Sabina and I go explore what everyone brought?”
Whether it was the firm undercurrent in her voice, or just his experience in watching his mother work with people growing up, understanding moved behind his eyes and he dipped his head in agreement. “Makes sense to me.” He turned her and pulled her in for a chaste, but lingering kiss. “Just be sure you skirt the edges of the crowd instead of cutting straight through it. Otherwise, it’ll take you too long to get back to me.”
“Yuck,” Jade said with more than a little sibling disgust in her voice. “Tate being all macho is bad enough. The lovey-dovey stuff is painful.”
Katy and Elise’s mom both laughed, but the warmth and happiness in her mom’s eyes as she watched them said she didn’t care how mushy Tate got. Only that she was thrilled to see Elise so well taken care of.
More hesitant to pull away than she cared to admit, Elise forced herself to step out of his arms and waved Sabina out of her chair. “Come on. Let’s go see what everyone brought to eat, and you can tell me what you and Jade talked about today.”
Sabina glanced at Katy on her right, then Jade on her left, at least one or two excuses obviously poised on the tip of her tongue.
“You should go,” Jenny said before Sabina could speak. “You’ve had enough time being alone and afraid. The sooner you meet everyone, the sooner you’ll realize how safe you are now.”
The comment hit its mark. A fact evidenced by a stubborn resoluteness that flashed across Sabina’s face. “Right.” She stood and smoothed her hands over her hips. Her sleek near black hair gleamed in the softening sunlight, the single length, yet angular cut landing just at her jawline and accenting her sharp features. Whether she’d intended to or not, the stonewash jean shorts she’d paired with a white Rolling Stones tee fit perfectly with the casual attire of everyone else in attendance. “Lost time is never found.”
“Who said that?” Jade asked. “Thomas Jefferson?”
“Ben Franklin,” Priest answered, stalking into their tiny group. “‘You may delay, but time will not, and lost time is never found again.’” Stopping in front of Kateri’s chair, he braced his hands on the arms, leaned in and kissed her forehead.
“It scares me a little how far away you can hear,” Katy murmured as he straightened to his full six-foot-five height.
He flashed her a wicked grin and settled into the empty lounger beside her. “It’s not me who’s listening. It’s my panther. Your lion could too if you’d learn to half-shift.”
“That’s a thing?” Elise said.
“Sure it is,” Tate said. “Once you’re further along, it’s almost natural. Like shared resources between you and your companion. The bodily form isn’t there, but all the senses are available for you to use.”
Sabina inched a little closer to Elise, her gaze locked on to Priest. “You’re a panther?”
The smile he shot her was full of amusement. “Don’t worry, I’m not inclined to hunt the woman who’s probably my seer prima.”
“Priest, stop it.” Katy grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. “He’s harmless.” She frowned. “Mostly.”
“This is crazy,” Sabina muttered. “I’ve barely adjusted to seeing Jade shift into a lynx. I might be better off with a beer than food at this point.”
Elise laughed, wrapped her arm around Sabina’s shoulders and steered her toward the food laid out on three long tables closer to the house. “How about if we wait to mix alcohol into the equation until after your eyes aren’t as big around as dinner plates.”
Fortunately, the people they ran into on their food run pulled Sabina out of her startled bewilderment, the need for good manners and general decency forcing her fears to the background. As they’d been the night of Beltane, those they talked to went out of their way to be respectful and polite, asking general questions about where Sabina was from and what she did for a living. If any of them knew the circumstances that had brought her to Eureka Springs or the fact that she hailed from the seer primo’s family, they sure didn’t show it.
Left alone as they filled their plates, Sabina sidled closer to Elise and lowered her voice. A confession shared in a stolen moment. “I can’t believe it. I felt you in my mind. I watched Jade shift with my own eyes, and I still don’t believe it.”
God, she understood that feeling. Totally comprehended the clawing panic and disbelief that followed everything she’d thought to be true being turned on its head. “I get it.” She spooned far too generous of a helping of ambrosia onto her plate then forced herself to throw in some raw veggies to balance it out. “The first shift I saw was Alek. His companion is a gray wolf. A huge one. Right after that, Kateri showed me her sorcerer magic. Built this huge ball of...oh, I don’t know what it was. Energy I guess. Then she hurled it forward and took out a tree that had to be a hundred years old almost half a mile away.” She faced Sabina. “Even after I’d seen it, my mind insisted it was a trick. Honestly, I think the only reason I adjusted as fast as I did was the fact that my mom had been trying to tell me about my heritage for years. I just never believed her.”
“Your mom knew about all this?”
Elise nodded. “Jade told you about soul quests? How sometime in your early twenties you’re called by the Keeper to the Otherworld and are given a choice to accept your gifts and your companion, or live an ordinary human life?”
“She told me.” Sabina sighed and scanned the food spread out in front of them as though she was just as overwhelmed by the selections as she was with all she was learning. “Honestly, I can’t say it makes much more sense to me than anything else.”
“Well, my mom chose not to accept her gifts. She regretted it later, but she spent most of my teenage years trying to convince me she wasn’t making things u
p. I still haven’t really forgiven myself for not at least trying to listen.”
Sabina pulled in a big breath and surveyed the people gathered in the wide gorge. “It’s a bit fantastical.”
“Fantastical, yes. But also very real.” The memory of her first shift blossomed with the same rush as when her eagle had soared out and upward into the sky. “I’ve lived it, Sabina. This isn’t an illusion. And the best news is, you’re with people now who can keep you safe from Draven. At least until we can find him and deal with him.”
“Yeah, Alek talked to me about that today.”
Figured. Though, Elise supposed she should be glad he’d waited a full forty-eight hours before hitting Sabina up for help. “You’re going to help us?”
Sabina hadn’t really had a lot of opportunities to smile in the time since they’d found her at the old motel, but the lopsided one she shared with Elise in that moment was sweet. “I’ve had more solid sleep in the last few days than I’ve had in the last month combined. I might not understand everything I’m learning yet, but I’d help just on the basis of feeling sane again.”
Naomi bustled up to the table with casseroles in each hand. “You two need to spend less time talking and more eating.” She slid each dish into place, one of them some kind of an Italian dish and the other covered in an abundance of cheese, then frowned at Sabina’s near empty plate. “Oh, sweet girl. Couldn’t you find something you liked?”
Sabina smoothed her hand along her stomach. “It all looks great. I’m just not convinced any of it would go down well.”
“You know what you need?” Naomi said. “Ginger ale.” She shifted some dishes around and consolidated two plates of cookies into one. “Just let me get these tidied up so we have more room and I’ll get you some.”
“I’ll get it,” Elise said. “In the fridge upstairs?”
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