He carried the tray of food over to the bed and set it down.
“This looks good,” she commented, taking it all in.
“Your mother made it.”
“Oh.”
She stood there, unmoving.
Andrej felt like he’d messed everything up by mentioning her mother, but he didn’t want to lie to her. After all, if she were anything like him, she would be able to tell if someone was lying.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” he asked.
“Maybe later,” she replied. Folding her arms over her chest, Brailynn walked over to the floor to ceiling windows. “Is this actually as beautiful in the daylight as I think it will be?” she asked, staring toward the mountain range.
“It is,” he told her. “But you should see it during the winter. The mountains are covered in snow and you just get hints of evergreens here and there.”
“Sounds amazing.” She turned back to him and smiled. “I can’t wait to see it.”
“Hopefully, you won’t have to wait too long,” he said. “With the temps lately, it feels like winter is just around the corner.”
She smiled at him again and Andrej thought he felt his heart slam into his breastbone just from that look. It was the most innocent, yet sexiest thing he’d ever seen. He watched as she turned back to look outside. Neither of them said a word as the minutes seemed to tick by in slow motion. There was so much he wanted to know, but he was terrified to overwhelm her. Scared out of his mind that she would get spooked and run. And with her ability to mask herself, Andrej would never be able to find her.
“Have my parents been here long?” she asked out of nowhere.
Again, he hated having to tell her the truth. “About fifteen years.”
She nodded silently.
“They showed up here after being chased down by Hunters,” he tried to explain. He knew the words wouldn’t make anything better, but still, I tried. “To save your Coven, they ran after being spotted.” He shrugged like it was no big deal. “They got into a couple of battles along the way. When they got here, your dad was pretty beat up.” He nodded his head, recalling the memory. “About a hundred yards outside that window is where the fight took place.”
Still, Brailynn didn’t speak.
He wanted to go to her and wrap his arms around her. He wanted to give her comfort, but instead, his feet stayed rooted to his spot.
He thought about asking his own questions, anything to take her mind off being abandoned by the two people who should have loved her enough to stay, but he was afraid of what she might say. What if her coming there had nothing to do with him? What if she had just wondered by his place by happenstance?
He didn’t know how the answers would make him feel. Honestly, he knew they shouldn’t matter. It wasn’t like she even knew about him. But at the same time, nobody wanted to know that the person they cared for the most, didn’t feel the same about them. So, instead of speaking up, Andrej remained quiet.
“I thought they were dead,” she finally said, her arms crossed protectively over her chest as she continued to stare out the window. “When I started on this journey, I never imagined I would find them along the way.”
Along the way? He picked up on her words. If here was just ‘along the way’, then that meant… “So, where are you heading?” He could have ripped his own heart out. He cursed himself for even opening his mouth.
Brailynn turned to face him. This time, there was no softness in her eyes. There was no vulnerability. All he saw was the sheer iron will and a fire that nearly burned him to ash. “I’m going after the man who murdered nearly all of my people.”
Andrej felt his bottom jaw drop in shock. All her people… were dead? “What happened?” he asked, genuinely wanting to know.
“Derrick Petrova happened.”
Andrej knew the name. When Harriet and Oscar arrived, they had spoken about the Petrova’s and while he had never met them personally, he’d heard of them enough times to know they were like royalty in the Wiccan world. So, to find out that one of them had done something to deserve Brailynn’s wrath left him a bit unsettled. “What did he do?” He couldn’t imagine a Petrova doing anything bad.
“He got into bed with Hunters,” she stated matter of factly. “He sold us all out. Came in the middle of the night and set fire to our homes. He stood by while Hunters slaughtered innocent people. Men, women, children – fought and burned because of his treachery.”
“What?” To say he was surprised would have been an understatement.
“Derrick is under the impression that all Wiccans should be the superior supernatural race,” Brailynn explained, holding nothing back. “He believes that all Wiccans should rise as one and overthrow all others, including humans.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Andrej had a hard time believing what he was hearing. Except, he heard no deception in her voice. Meaning, she told no lies. “We would all be massacred.”
“Join him or die.” Brailynn shrugged. “My people refused to harm the innocent. He is using the Hunter to do the dirty work and when all those that oppose him are dealt with, I have no doubt that Derrick will turn on the Hunter, too. He will place himself at the top of the food chain.”
“Oh, my god. Brailynn…”
Before he could think about it, Andrej was across the room. He pulled her into his arms and held her close. With all his might, he tried to pour comfort and love into her via their mating connection, even though the line was weak.
“I’m going to kill him,” she said, her words muffled by the press of her face against his chest. “I am going to hunt him down like the rabid animal he is and kill him.”
Hearing those cruel words coming from her innocent lips caused a feeling in him that Andrej hadn’t felt in several lifetimes. He felt protective and murderous, at the same time. He felt the emotions deep within his bones. He would die from the woman in his arms. He would kill for her, too.
Kill. Blood. Death. Kill. Blood. Death.
The monster in him rejoiced in the thought of a good fight. It smiled sinisterly. Its razor-sharp teeth glistening. The beast salivated at just the mere thought of going into battle.
“Not alone you won’t.”
Something, or someone, had brought her to his door, and giving the fact that she didn’t know about her parents, he knew they weren’t the reason. Andrej genuinely didn’t believe in coincidences. So, for Brailynn to end up there, told him a higher power deemed it so. Maybe the Fates. Maybe someone or something else, either way, she needed him as much as he needed her.
The thought brought up an old memory. Andrej’s brows furrowed. He hadn’t thought of his old friends in hundreds of years, but he smiled nonetheless at the memory.
“I can’t live without her,” Vlad had said to him. “I need her, and she needs me.”
And it was after that, that his dear friend and Sire had walked out into the midday sun and sat to wait for death to come to get him.
That had been the day that Andrej had learned the truest lesson about love. It didn’t end upon a lover's death. It continued on. Building and burning and needing. But without the other half there to receive, love would also consume. And that’s what had happened to Vlad and his love…
Gaia.
The goddess’s name fluttered across his mind and suddenly an idea popped into his head. What if Gaia brought her to me? he wondered.
After all, that would be the least the goddess could do. Andrej wouldn’t be the man he was today if it weren’t for Gaia, literally and figuratively. It was Gaia who led him to the man who would become his best friend and sire. Way back when, Gaia was Vlad’s mistress, or maybe he was hers. Andrej wasn’t too sure. Back then, Gaia had been the most powerful being in the supernatural world. Hell, in the entire world. Inheriting her powers from Cybele, Gaia became the new Mother Earth. The Great Mother. However, with the gift, also came great responsibility. Gaia was still able to watch over the earth and all those who called it home. She could pull
strings and play humans and supers like puppets, willing them to complete her every desire. People lived their entire existence under her influence, and they never even knew it. But eventually, it all started to catchup to her. No longer able to tell friend from foe, Gaia had chosen to leave this world and move her spirit-self to the land of Everlasting. A place Vlad could not follow, and it ripped him apart. He remembered his friend turning into a shadow of himself. A hollow man, with no desire for life.
“Gaia?” Her name came out as almost a whisper.
“What?” Brailynn replied, pulling back a bit to look at him, clearly confused.
“Did Gaia send you here?”
“You know Gaia?”
Those three words almost gutted him. Andrej dropped his hands and took a step away. The lines of confusion on Brailynn’s beautiful face only deepened.
“How do you know Gaia?” Andrej asked.
“I don’t,” Brailynn responded. “Well, not exactly.”
“What does that mean?” He questioned. “Either you know someone, or you don’t.”
Her brows furrowed. “Boanna is my goddess,” she said, a slight annoyance in her voice. “Gaia introduced herself to me and bestowed me a gift after I nearly killed myself sliding down the side of the mountain after your friends scared the crap out of me.”
“What gift?” he asked, deciding to ignore the snide remark about his friends.
“What difference does it make?” Brailynn crossed her arms. Her entire demeanor changed as she became guarded.
“Gaia can…” he paused as he searched for the right word to use. “… coheres people to do whatever she deems appropriate.”
Brailynn’s brows drooped again, but she didn’t respond.
“Look.” Andrej sighed. “We both know that we are mates, just putting it out there. No need for that monkey to be in the room. With that being said, Gaia has a way of sticking her nose in places where it shouldn’t be. She sometimes interferes with what the Fates have chosen. Which, as you can guess, can cause quite a stir and end in horrible results. She can, and will, because I’ve seen it with my own eyes, influence people to do things that they normally wouldn’t do.”
He watched as the look on Brailynn’s face changed completely. It was almost instantaneous. Her eyes went from a deep chocolate brown to an almost glowing shade of sea green. Anyone else would have been shocked by the sight, but not him. Andrej had seen it before…
Chapter Seven
Brailynn
She had no idea what was happening to her. One minute she was standing in her bedroom, having a discussion with her mate, and the next it felt as if she was losing control of her body. Her mind didn’t feel as if it were her own.
“How dare you speak ill of Gaia!” She roared. Brailynn felt the utter fury coursing through her veins. It was hot. Unlike anything, she had ever felt before. It literally felt as if it were burning her. Scorching her alive from the inside out.
But she didn’t understand because those weren’t her feelings at all. Brailynn felt frantic. Like she had broken mentally.
And all the while, a slow smile curved the corner of Andrej’s mouth. “Hello, Gaia,” he smugly said. “It’s been a long time.”
Brailynn felt her arms cross. “I am not Gaia,” she said, but again it wasn’t really her talking.
Whatever was happening, she was no longer in control of her body.
Fear gripped her. What’s happening?
“No worries child,” she heard an echo through her head. “I will handle this.”
“You took over my body?” Brailynn’s fear quickly morphed into anger. “Get out!”
“Calm yourself!” Gaia snapped.
“No!” Brailynn refused to back down, even to the goddess of all goddesses. “Get out!”
She pushed at the invisible barrier that she seemed to be trapped behind. It almost felt as if Gaia had put her in a box of some kind when she’d taken over.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Brailynn said. Or rather, Gaia said.
Brailynn watched through her own eyes as Gaia used her body. She walked over to Andrej and slid her arms around his neck. “Let’s not fight,” she purred.
Inside, Brailynn didn’t know if she should laugh or vomit. Or if she should rip Gaia apart, limb from limb.
“There’s other…” Gaia paused, “… more exciting things we can do.”
At the invitation Gaia sent out, Brailynn raged. The mating link between herself and Andrej told her he was internally doing the same thing.
“Gaia, I am not interested in taking advantage of my mate,” Andrej snapped. “Especially when her body isn’t under her control.”
“Oh, Andrej.” Gaia laughed. “Always the fuddy-duddy.”
“Or maybe I was just the only one with morals, huh?”
Gaia rolled her eyes. Or rather, Brailynn’s eye.
The two continued to make snide remarks and comments to one another as Brailynn internally looked for a way out. Something to help her gain control of her body again and evict Gaia.
“Boanna!” she mentally called out to her goddess.
“Yes, my child?” Boanna responded immediately. “Oh, dear!”
Brailynn didn’t need to say anything for the goddess to fully understand what was happening. “How do I get her out?”
“I’m…” Boanna stammered. “I’m not sure.”
“Please!” Brailynn begged. “Help me get her out of my head!”
Unprepared, Brailynn’s head nearly exploded. Not only could she hear Boanna, but other voices had joined. The noise was so loud, Brailynn covered her ears as she bowed over in pain.
“Boanna!” Brailynn cried. It was all too much. She felt as if she were losing her mind entirely.
“It’s alright, child,” Boanna replied, hushing the other voices. “I have brought the others to help me. Brailynn Wallachia, daughter of Harriet, of the Petrova Coven, I bring forth to you Vesla, Goddess of fire, and Tinia, Goddess of the air and winds. Together, we form the three Triads of the Order of Elements.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Brailynn,” said one voice. It fluttered across her mind as a whisper and Brailynn assumed it was Tinia.
“Yes, yes,” said the other. “Nice to meet you.” This voice was much different. It felt warm. Like a cozy little fire and Brailynn automatically pictured it belonging to Vesla.
Her own mind felt incredibly cramped to the point that it was giving her a headache. The pressure was almost unbearable. “Please help me,” Brailynn said. “Get her out.”
Inside, it suddenly went quiet. All her emotions seemed to drain out of her. Brailynn felt… empty. The sudden change made her woozy. It was as if everything just went blank. “Boanna?”
However, only silence followed.
She felt alone, aside from Gaia still being there, talking shit to Andrej and walking around the bedroom, in full control of her body.
As she tried not to panic, a slight hum vibrated from somewhere in the back of her mind. As quickly as the others had abandoned her, they returned.
Brailynn felt a burning sensation in her middle. It swirled with the help of the wind until it formed the most perfect ball. Her gut almost felt as if a million butterflies were beating their wings inside of it. She had no idea what was happening to her.
Then the most amazing thing happened. She heard three beautiful voices start to chant in her mind. Each one in complete harmony with the other. If things weren’t so dire, Brailynn would have gotten lost in the tune. The voices rose and fell like the waves of the ocean.
Ebb…. and flow…
“What in the…” Gaia’s voice trailed off and her face scrunched in pain.
“I want…” Brailynn tried to speak but was quickly interrupted.
“What are you doing?” Gaia internalized. “Stop it!”
“Gaia, you cannot take over possession of Brailynn’s body,” Boanna chided. “This isn’t thirteen-twelve.”
“Who are you to t
ell us what I can and cannot do?”
“I want my…” Again, Brailynn was interrupted.
“I am Boanna, Goddess of water, and I am…”
“I know who you are,” Gaia said dryly. “It was a figure of speech.”
“I want my body back!” Brailynn shouted, this time refusing to be ignored.
“Why?” Gaia laughed. “You have no idea what to do with it? I could take that vampire around the world in a hundred and fifty different ways.” She smacked her teeth.
“Gaia!” Vesla scolded.
“What?” The Earth Goddess asked.
A white-hot rage surged through Brailynn. She mentally shot out a vine of water toward the Goddess Mother that quickly wrapped around the other woman’s throat. Brailynn tightened the hold, slowly choking the air from the powerful woman’s lungs, her lungs. The anger she felt seemed to come alive. Hearing the Goddess speak of her mate in such a way triggered something inside of her. And it wanted the Earth Goddess’s head for it.
“Nobody touches what is mine!” Brailynn roared. “Nobody!”
With a powerful jerk on the vine, she brought the Earth Mother to her knees. Mentally, Brailynn saw herself walking toward the Mother. Rage and death shining in her eyes. But she couldn’t kill the Goddess. The woman was already dead. Her body was sacrificed hundreds of years ago to create new life. But that didn’t register in her mind. All she saw was a threat. A threat that she would eliminate if it even tried to touch a hair on Andrej’s head.
Gaia looked up at Brailynn with eyes that swirl in colors of brown, blue, and green. A hazel concoction that closely resembles the earth itself. “Very well, my child.” The other woman waved a hand and suddenly, Brailynn’s vine was gone. “Very well, indeed.”
Brailynn blinked in confusion.
The goddess stood, towering over her. “Keep that fire, child. You will need it for the battle ahead. You will be tested at every turn. As will your mate. Only together will the forces against you be brought to heel. Be ready, my child. The time of great sorrow is coming.”
And then she was gone. Vanished like a puff of smoke.
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