Everspell: The Kindred

by Donna Grant

  Brom glanced at the bird and could’ve sworn the damn thing smiled.

  “I also read people,” she said, gaining his attention once more. “I’m able to draw the things I see, and I gift it by marking it on a person’s body.”

  He frowned as he got to his feet. There was something about her words that pulled at a distant memory.

  “I wondered if you would remember,” she said in a soft voice.

  Brom shook his head as he met her eyes. “Remember what?”

  “We met once. Long, long ago. In a dream.”

  “That’s impossible,” he scoffed.

  She gave him a flat look. “Brom, how do you think you’re here?”

  He thought about the voice from his dream. It had been a female’s, he knew that much. But he’d thought it was from someone older. The more he tried to recall it, the deeper his frown became.

  “You have the ability to listen to the Varroki. With a special spell, I can speak with certain people as they sleep. It’s how I met you when you were very young, when I had just come to this land. It’s how I told you to look for Runa the other night.”

  Brom wanted to deny all of it, but the more she talked, the clearer his memory became of that long-ago dream. He searched it, trying to remember her name. The information was elusive, just out of his grasp each time he thought he’d found it. Then, finally, he had it. “Asa.”

  A smile lit up her face. “There you are.”

  “Why did you want me to find Runa when you found her?”

  Her gaze dropped to the snow. “I thought I was here to battle the Coven. However, my path is taking me elsewhere. It’s up to you to help Runa.”

  “Help her with what?”

  Asa swallowed and lifted her eyes to his. “I’ve seen your path. I’ve seen her path. They converge. For a time.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You are the answer.”

  “The answer to what?” he demanded.

  Asa’s smile was sad, her eyes filled with sorrow. “There are two paths. Everyone has two paths. We each have to choose the one to walk upon.”

  “You want me to stop her.”

  “I honestly don’t have an answer for you. All I know is that you need to be here.”

  He nodded slowly. “Did you tell her any of this?”

  “Of course, not,” Asa said with a chuckle. “She wouldn’t believe me.”

  “Then talk to her in dreams as you did with me.”

  Asa’s lips twisted. “I can’t. I can tell you where the Varroki are.”

  He stilled. “You know of them?”

  “I do. The closer you are to them, the stronger your magic will become.”

  “Is that how it works with all Varroki?”

  She smiled as she shook her head. “Just you. You’re unique in many ways.”

  “Where are they?”

  Asa took a deep breath and slowly released it. “I can tell you where the Varroki are. Or, I can tell you where Runa is. You must choose.”

  5

  Nothing turned out like it was supposed to. Runa still wasn’t sure what to make of her encounter with the witch. Everything Asa had told her left her feeling more lost than ever before. The more Runa learned, the more it seemed as if she were pulling herself out of quicksand that continued to suck her down quicker and deeper. At this rate, she’d be swallowed in a matter of hours, not days.

  Runa hadn’t hesitated to leave the witch behind. Not because she had a bad feeling about Asa. In fact, she liked the witch. No, it was more because the longer she was around Asa, the more she sensed she would learn things she was better off not knowing. And that went against her general rule, which was that knowledge is power.

  However, two separate people had told her similar stories about Asrail and Synne. Runa was glad because it meant she didn’t have to hunt down the Gira from a few days ago again.

  “You’re going to be pulled in two different directions. You’ll have to choose a side.”

  Asa’s cryptic words rang in her head like a bell. She had asked the witch to give her more, but Asa had simply smiled. Runa couldn’t imagine what she would have to pick a side for. She was merely trying to find her sister and save her grandmother.

  Each time she thought of Asrail, pain, sharp and searing, cut through her. Why hadn’t her grandmother come to visit her? Why had she stayed away and instead chosen to seek out Synne? What was it about her sister that made her better than Runa? And what of her sister? Why hadn’t Synne sought Runa out? Some might argue that Synne had been running from the Coven, but she still could’ve tried to look for her sibling.

  The more Runa’s thoughts churned, the angrier she got. She might have been saved from the Gira as a child, but she had also been discarded by her family as if she meant nothing. She remembered nothing of her parents or her sister—or the day her parents were killed and Morea secreted her away.

  She halted and took in a steadying breath. Her mind had to be clear if she wanted to sneak up on the Gira and the Coven. The past didn’t matter. She needed to concentrate on what was happening now.

  Runa shoved everything out of her mind. She had discerned the Giras’ location. They were situated deep in the Cairngorm Mountains. The Rothiemurchus Forest was vast, holding ancient pines and countless places to hide. Runa knew of two Witch’s Groves there. No doubt that’s exactly where Sybbyl was holed up with the Coven while the Gira hid amongst the trees.

  If the weather held, it was still two days’ walk for Runa to get to the forest. She eyed the sky and the clouds, unable to see where the sun was. Another storm would most likely hit, prolonging her journey.

  With a sigh, she continued walking. To her surprise, her mind drifted back to Brom. She wasn’t sure why she kept thinking about the man. Sure, he had surprised her, and he was incredibly handsome, but they had shared few words. What was it about him that kept bringing him to mind?

  But she knew.

  It had been the way he looked at her. As if he couldn’t tear his gaze away if he tried.

  Coupled with the fact that he hadn’t dismissed her as some frivolous female or someone in need of saving, it made him even more intriguing. Though she usually went out of her way to avoid others, she had wanted to stay and continue talking with him. To discover who he was and find out why it seemed he’d recognized her face.

  But that wasn’t the only reason she wanted to be around him more. There had been something between them. She had felt the unquestionable attraction, the enticement of pleasure that swirled around them like the wild flurries of a snowfall. And, oh, how she wanted to give in to it. She just knew his sensual mouth would feel amazing against her lips. Certainly, that intense look of his would translate to heated kisses.

  It became difficult to swallow when she thought about his large hands on her body. Runa came to a halt as her stomach fluttered in excitement, and her sex clenched in need. She didn’t turn away from the emotions, but neither did she embrace them. She let them float through her until they were gone.

  The last time she had given in to her desires, it had been monumentally catastrophic. She was of two worlds, and yet she didn’t fit into either. Most of the time, it didn’t bother her. Then there were times, like this, when she found someone she wanted to spend time with.

  Not that it mattered. She would never see Brom again. He had been going in a different direction. Knowing he was gone forever made her sad, which irritated her. She didn’t even know him. How could she be forlorn that he was gone?

  “Get ahold of yourself,” Runa stated.

  She blinked and looked around, belatedly realizing that she had been walking for some time lost in her thoughts—again. She never did that, and yet, that was twice in one day. If she didn’t want to get killed, she couldn’t let herself do that again.

  It wasn’t just the distance she hadn’t noticed. She also hadn’t felt the drop in temperature, or the fact that it had begun to snow once more. The flakes came down fast and thick, making
it difficult to see. She needed to find shelter quickly.

  Runa turned in a slow circle. Her tracks were nearly covered by the newly fallen powder. She had been climbing upward, following the gradual rise of the land. Seeing nothing near, she hurried as fast as she could in the thick snow to the top of the hill. When she reached it, she looked out at the mountains before her, now merely dark shadows against an even darker sky.

  She might have Gira blood running through her veins, but Runa could still die in the cold. Shivering, she started to the left and the edge of the forest. She paused and looked around when she thought she heard something, but no matter how hard she looked, she couldn’t see anyone. Runa kept walking. She had to keep her head down to stop the flakes from hitting her face. The hood of her cloak was up, and she had to hold onto the sides to keep it in place. Her hands hurt from the bite of the wind, but she kept her feet moving because once she found shelter, she could get a fire going and warm up.

  When she finally made it to the forest, she breathed a sigh of relief. The trees blocked some of the wind while their sturdy branches gathered more snow atop them. The trees creaked as her feet crunched in the snow. In her haste, she wasn’t careful where she put her feet and slipped, sliding down the mountain’s slope. As she twisted to try and stop her fall, her knee slammed against a rock hidden in the snow.

  Runa cried out and grasped her knee as she fell to the side. Her cheek stung from the impact against the ground. She gritted her teeth and pushed herself into a sitting position to look at her leg. Pain radiated through her, and the last thing she wanted to do was move her limb. But she didn’t have a choice. She had to in order to see how injured she was. All she could hope for was that her kneecap wasn’t busted.

  She bent forward and used her hands to feel around her knee. Nothing felt broken, but that didn’t mean anything. She slowly shifted her leg. At first, everything was going fine, then a sharp, stabbing pain shot through her. She bit back the startled yelp that rose, but not before a sound made it past her lips.

  “Bloody hell,” she murmured.

  This was the last thing she needed. She had no other choice but to get to her feet and find shelter. She couldn’t stay outdoors or on the ground. No matter how much it hurt, she had to get moving.

  “It appears as if you could use some aid.”

  Her head jerked around at the sound of the deep voice. Even before her gaze landed on his face, she knew it was Brom. Runa wasn’t sure how she felt about the joy that leapt inside her at the sight of him. He didn’t wait for her to reply as he made his way to her and squatted down beside her.

  He inspected her knee, then lifted his hazel eyes to hers. “Can you walk?”

  Runa nodded, unable to find words.

  “Come, then. Let me help,” Brom stated as he wrapped an arm around her.

  She was so stunned by his touch that she wasn’t prepared when he straightened, taking her with him. One moment, she was in the snow. The next, she stood next to a tall Scot who held her as if nothing could make him loosen his grip.

  “All right?” he asked.

  Runa nodded once more as the heat of him wrapped around her, melting away the cold. She liked the feeling of his strong arm around her and how his hand cupped her waist. His hold was firm without crushing. Unable to help herself, she turned her head toward his and found him looking at her. His expression was unreadable, and she hoped hers was, as well. Though she had a feeling it wasn’t.

  “Can you put any weight on it?” he asked, shouting over the wind that had suddenly grown louder.

  Runa looked around as unease filled her. Her eyes snapped back to Brom to find his eyes narrowed as he too scanned the area. She didn’t feel any Gira near, but there could be witches about. Then she spotted something ahead that looked like a cave. She tapped Brom’s arm and pointed to show him. He nodded to let her know that he had seen it, as well.

  She tentatively put her weight on her leg and hissed in pain. In response, Brom pulled more of her weight against him. Runa was able to lean on him and walk with him. It wasn’t dignified or easy, but at least she was on her feet. She kept looking around because she wasn’t going to let an enemy blindside them.

  Brom didn’t stop or slow, even when the snow became so deep they had difficulty wading through it. Their pace was steady, but even with that, they made little progress through the storm. If it was this bad within the forest, Runa couldn’t imagine what it was like outside of it.

  The wind howled, sounding ghostly as it rushed through the trees. She fisted her hand in Brom’s cloak to keep her grip. Her fingers were numb, which made it difficult to know if she was holding onto him or not. Despite the frigid temperature, sweat ran down her face. She glanced at Brom to find him sweating, as well. The beads froze to their faces almost instantly.

  Runa hated that she had injured herself. If she hadn’t, neither of them would have gotten caught in this weather. But she couldn’t change what had happened. She put a little more weight on the leg without any pain. Then she made the mistake of thinking she could do it again. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, but Brom must have felt her jerk against him.

  “What is it?” he asked close to her ear.

  She kept her face turned away from him so he wouldn’t see how much pain she was in. With the wind at its deafening roar, she didn’t even attempt to speak. Instead, she shook her head.

  Brom mumbled something beneath his breath. The next thing Runa knew, he lifted her into his arms. She was so surprised that she couldn’t find the words. No one had ever carried her in such a manner. And she wasn’t sure if she liked being handled in such a way or not.

  But it wouldn’t have mattered if it did bother her. She needed Brom’s help.

  She might not like being manhandled, but she had to admit—at least, to herself—that she liked being in his arms.

  6

  Brom had managed to catch up to Runa quicker than he thought. Just as he did, the storm descended upon them. He shouted to her, but she hadn’t heard him. Then, she had slipped. Seeing her roll down the slope had left him shocked. He started running toward her even before she came to a halt. When she did stop, he winced at her startled cry of pain that she quickly cut off.

  He was even more surprised when she didn’t rebuke him for offering aid. The fact that she had accepted his help told him how bad the injury was. He would’ve preferred to take a look at it there, but a sense of dread ran down his spine. Something was near. He didn’t know if it was an animal or a person, but he knew it meant danger for them. Runa must have sensed it, as well, because they were soon off.

  If he thought trying to get through the deep snow on a mountain to what he hoped was a cave was tough, it was nothing compared to having her lithe body against his. He knew the feel of her soft curves, her warmth that seeped through his clothes and into his flesh.

  He shouldn’t be thinking about what Runa looked like without her clothes, or how he wanted to run his hands up and down her body, learning every inch of her. They were in a blizzard, she was wounded, something dangerous was near them. He needed to keep his head clear. The problem was, he couldn’t when it came to Runa.

  Ever since he had woken with her face in his dreams, she had occupied his thoughts. Once he met her and felt the instant, irresistible yearning, he’d thought of nothing but her. His body craved her, hungered for her as if he were starving, and she was sustenance. It was ridiculous, wasn’t it? Surely, one person couldn’t make another feel this way.

  He’d just about convinced himself of that when he heard Runa gasp in pain. Without a second thought, he’d lifted her up into his arms to carry her. Instead of demanding to be put down, she’d wrapped her arms around him and looked behind them. He knew without a doubt that she would watch his back.

  Brom’s pace was slowed when he had to feel his way with his feet up the slope to avoid the rocks and boulders buried in the snow. He nearly lost his balance once but managed to catch himself before they both tumbled
back down the mountain.

  “It’ll be easier if I walk,” Runa said in a loud voice.

  It was the first time she had spoken since he’d found her. He looked into her eyes and grinned. “I’ve got you.”

  “I’m not a petite woman.”

  She certainly wasn’t, and that’s what he found so damn appealing. Well, that and so much more. She was tall, toned, and striking. A combination that knocked him off his feet.

  “Brom,” she started.

  He shook his head to cut her off. The wind was so loud, they had to yell. He smiled again and gripped her tighter, telling her without words that he had her. She didn’t say more. He focused on putting one foot in front of the other. His muscles throughout his body strained. He kept his gaze locked on the cave’s entrance as it grew closer and closer until, finally, they reached it.

  Brom gently set Runa on her feet. He waited until she was propped against the side of the cave before he loosened his hold on her. His gaze swept the area. There were no tracks—human or animal—near the entrance or the slight outcropping of the mountain. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t something inside.

  Once more, a shiver raced down his spine. He looked over his shoulder back the way they had come and then at Runa. She too peered into the distance. Her gaze swung to him, and their eyes clashed. She reached behind her and withdrew her blades. To his surprise, she offered one to him. He shook his head and then faced the entrance.

  Brom walked toward the yawning darkness of the entry. He kept to the side in case something rushed at him. The cave quieted the howling wind by several decibels. He stood still, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. Two steps later, a growl stopped him in his tracks. It wasn’t the deep rumble of a wolf, but that didn’t mean whatever animal had made the sound wasn’t dangerous.

  Then he heard the unmistakable hiss of a wildcat. They might be on the small side, but they were still fiercely territorial. Brom sighed as he listened to the blizzard. There were really only three options open to them. He turned on his heel and hurried back outside to Runa, helping her inside.