by Lia Davis
We all nodded with heavy hearts. "We do it together on three. No leaving anyone behind."
Meda gave a short nod and started counting.
"One."
An explosion sounded right outside the dorm room, shaking the structure. I reached out and grabbed Randell’s hand.
"Two."
A fireball from the explosion crawled up the exterior wall and the windows shattered, glass flying inward. "Meda."
Fire flowed off of her skin, uncontrolled. It raced to meet the flames outside. "I can’t control it."
"We go now."
I ported to Hell with Randell at my side the second Meda said, "Three."
Landing in Poppy’s private bedchamber, I turned in circles, looking for my sisters and the rest of the sentries. Seconds ticked by and they never appeared. "Come on," I whispered urgently to the empty room.
Another second ticked by, and then I felt it. A scream erupted from my throat. My sisters. I’d never felt a moment that they weren’t a part of me, in my mind and heart.
But they weren’t there. They’d disconnected. The bond that linked us together was broken, which could only happen upon death.
My eyes opened, and I shot up in bed gasping for air, my heart hammering in my head, throat, and chest. "No!" I still smelled the smoke from the vision. Randell’s shadowed form sat up beside me, and he drew me into his arms. "What's wrong?"
Glancing around, I realized that I was in my room in the dorm. It wasn’t half-exploded. "Is the campus on fire?"
"Um, no."
I sagged into him and inhaled his spicy scent. "I had my first vision. Go wake the sentries. I’ll get my sisters up and make coffee."
He didn’t move immediately. Instead, he lifted my chin with his finger and held my gaze. Something dark filled his depths before he kissed my lips softly, then left my room. I took a shaking breath and got out of bed.
Once dressed, I went to Meda’s room, very thankful to see all three of her mates crammed in bed with her. "May," I whispered, using a pet name I hadn’t used since we were very small. She blinked awake. "What’s wrong?" Her vampire, Dorian, had opened his eyes the moment I’d opened the door, and her witch, Sterling, sat up, blinking owlishly. Her wolf and my best friend, Peter, snored like a freaking chainsaw. "Kick him and come on. We gotta talk."
Opening Ami’s door, it didn’t surprise me to see Harper in with Ami. After all, the vision had confirmed my suspicion that our female sentry was a mate for my Ami. "Ames, Harper," I called. "Come out here. Emergency meeting."
I was pouring cups of coffee for whoever wanted one, by the time everyone entered the kitchen. They surrounded me, mostly feeding into my whirlpool of emotions. Ami and Meda moved close, wrapping their arms around me. I leaned into both of them and lost myself in their scents for a moment. The overwhelming urge to call the niswi and Mom rode me hard. I was going to lose them all.
No. Poppy said visions weren’t set in stone. They’re a warning. This was a warning that we could all die if we didn’t figure out who in the hell was powerful enough to wage an attack as large as the one in my vision.
We were strong. I looked at my waiting family, friends, and protectors, as they patiently stood silently until I could find the words. We could overcome whatever evil was heading our way.
Straightening my spine, I motioned to the living room. "Get coffee. Sit. I had a vision. Like Poppy said I would."
After everyone moved to the living room, I walked to the couch and stared at Randell for a long moment. The space next to him was empty, but fuck it. I sat on his lap. After we talked about this damn vision we were all going to talk about the mating bullshit.
After taking a deep breath, I told them, in great detail, what I’d seen. "I never saw who or what started it, just the outcome."
"Do you know when?" Meda asked.
I shook my head. "I do know it’s in the future but not when. I can’t think of anything in the vision that would tell me an exact time frame."
Sterling spoke up. "There is a Foreseer in my circle. He says that he writes down every detail he can remember from each vision so he can look back at them at a later time. He says the dream visions don’t stick around as long as the ones you would have while awake." Meda smiled at him and he shrugged. "My parents make me learn about all the aspects."
Good idea. I could write it all out and analyze the words on paper. I stood to go grab a notebook from my room, but Ami beat me to it. She handed me one of her fancy leather ones. I swore she hoarded notebooks. "Thanks."
"No problem," she said and handed me a pen. I was glad it wasn’t one of her girly ones with feathers or glitter or fake fur.
I felt Poppy’s energy right before he materialized in the room. "Oh good, you’re all up." He searched my face and advanced to me, stopping to glare at Randell, but my sentry mate was not easily intimidated. Not even by Satan himself. Randell lifted a brow, making Poppy frown and turn his attention back to me. "He’s a keeper. But that isn’t why I’m here. You had your first vision."
No point in asking how he knew. I nodded and gave him the brief version. "How do we stop it?"
Poppy started to pace. "I had the same vision, but mine was different. I never saw a face. I do know the magic used will be very old and dark." He shook his head. "I need to think about this."
Meda, who was now sitting in Sterling’s lap with Peter sitting on the chair arm and Dorian on the floor at her feet, shook her head. "It would take an army to attack The Collective and the University at the same time. Two locations. Two people leading two groups of minions."
"And the safehouse," I said.
Ami tapped a pen on her bottom lip and leaned into Harper. "But our elemental powers were blocked? Are you sure?"
Poppy stopped and whirled around. "What? That wasn’t in my version. That changes things. I’ll be in touch."
He dematerialized. I met my sister’s gazes and frowned. "He’s planning something."
"Yeah," Meda said and then added, "I hate it when he does that. We never know what he’ll do."
Just then Marvin, our fat white cat, came into the living room. He jumped up on the back of the sofa and curled up behind Randell’s head. Randell growled and Marvin let out a soft meow in response. I couldn’t help but laugh. It was the tension breaker we needed. "Oh look, Randell, Marv loves you."
"I don’t like him," Randell grumbled.
I rolled my eyes. He could say he hated cats all he wanted, but I’d seen him on a number of occasions petting Marv or sharing his food with the cat. So, he liked Marvin. The white fur ball loved to torment Randell every chance he got.
Bringing the conversation back to the vision, I said, "We need to plan a defense of some kind."
Meda nodded. "We need to call the niswi. They need to know, plus they’ll have a better idea of how to prepare for this."
I pulled out my phone and dialed Dad’s number. My anxiety feared that he wouldn’t answer. The vision was still riding me hard. Tears filled my eyes when I heard his voice. Swallowing a lump in my throat, I asked, "Are Paw and Pa awake?"
The sound of bed sheets rustling came over the phone. Then I heard mom’s voice in the background. Crap. I didn’t want her in on this conversation.
"What’s wrong?" Dad’s sleepy voice told me I woke him.
I glanced at Meda and held her gaze, drawing strength from her. I really wanted to go drown in my water. "I had a vision."
A string of curses was his response then the phone sounded like it was muffled. Another second went by, and Mom came on the line. "Was it bad?"
"Yeah. Mom, I don’t want to stress you out with this. You need to take care of you and the baby." Ami and Meda rolled their eyes at my attempt to get Mom to not worry.
Mom growled at me over the phone, which made Randell tense under me. I sighed and linked my fingers with his. When the High Alpha growls at you with the power of The Collective, you can’t help but submit to her. My sisters and I were used to that growl and didn’t affe
ct us like it did non-family members.
"Tala, you don’t worry about me. You and your sisters are still my babies. I will worry about all of you and my people however I want." She paused and I heard her take a deep breath. Suddenly, I wished she was there so I could hug her. "Your niswi are all here and I’m switching to speaker."
I also switched to speaker and set the phone on the coffee table. Paw was the first to speak. "Tell us about this vision."
I repeated the vision for my parents while writing it down in the notebook. I left out the part about my mates. They didn’t need to know that part right then. One crisis at a time. "Even writing it down, I can’t see a time frame on how far in the future it will happen. Poppy said he had the vision, too, but his was different, and he didn’t share details."
"Is he still there?" Dad asked.
"No. He’s planning something." I slid off Randell’s lap to sit next to him. Something about talking with my parents while sitting on my mate’s lap made me uncomfortable. It didn’t matter that my parents couldn’t see us.
Dad grunted. "I’ll talk to him to see what he has cooking up. There’s no telling what he’ll do."
I pressed my lips together to keep the smile from forming. He said almost the same thing Meda did about Poppy.
Paw added, "Quin and I will double the sentries on campus." he paused for a moment. "Hey, is Sterling there?"
"Yeah," Sterling answered.
A half grunt, half growl sound came over the line simultaneously from all the niswi. Paw said, "Not even going to think about why you’re there so early in the morning. Anyway, is it possible to set up wards around the entire campus?"
"Yes," Sterling replied with a smirk. "I can do a double-layered one, like a magical alarm. Meda can help so I can include her energy into the layers that will surround the campus. When the first layer is breached, she and I will know and we’ll have time to get out before they get into the second."
"Good," Paw said. "We can get together to talk about how to implement it. I’d like one around The Collective estate as well."
Sterling nodded. "Meda and I can come over later this afternoon. I’ll need to find another witch to help. The power of three will strengthen the wards."
I perked up at his last statement. Fenton could help. Possibly. Dread hit my system at the thought of facing Fenton again. "I know someone who could help. I’ll ask him."
"Do that, please."
Sterling pulled out his phone and typed on it.
A moment later my phone dinged. Hightower Circle popped up, and I glanced at Sterling. He lifted his phone. "Give your witch my number."
My body seized as I stared into Sterling’s eyes. He did not out me to everyone. My water vibrated inside me and Meda’s heat warmed my skin. Meda leaned forward with her hand over my phone. "Actually, we all have classes and homework. We’ll talk more at the family dinner on Sunday. Bye."
She hung up on our parents and grinned at me. "Your witch?"
I glanced to Randell then back to Meda. "This is all your fault. You found your mates and it unlocked some damned internal mate-o-meter or some shit inside me. I’m assuming Ami too." I pointed at Ami and Harper.
Both girls froze and met our stares. Harper shrugged and wrapped an arm around Ami, who snuggled into her like she belonged there. Which she did, apparently.
Meda smiled and sat back against Sterling. "So you have two mates." She turned her gaze to Randell. "Welcome to the family."
Frowning, I met Randell’s dark expression and shook my head. "Three."
"That is interesting." Meda studied me for a long moment. "Who are the other two?"
It was none of their fucking business. However, they were family. Even our sentries were considered family. I lifted my chin and calmed my roaring water inside me. "Fenton and Kevin."
"Fenton?" Harper sat up straight, her eyes wide. "As in the teacher of Mixology. Oh, man. He’s hot."
Meda and Ami laughed. But Meda said, "And Kevin from History. Now I understand why you ran out of class yesterday."
"I guess you won’t need to give your witch my number," Sterling said. "I’ve got his."
Harper was still chuckling. "But a teacher? Can you image the torture he’ll have to go through to sit in faculty meetings with Voss!" She burst out laughing.
My heart sank. I hadn’t thought about that. Fuck me.
Chapter Five
"I’m going for a run," Meda said. "There’s not really anything we can do right now, is there?"
I shook my head. Without knowing when something would happen, how could we properly prepare? And how could we figure out how to keep someone from taking our Elements?
"I’ll join you," Harper said.
Ami waved at them as they disappeared to go change. "I’ll make some breakfast," she murmured. Everyone sort of drifted off after that, except Randell.
"You okay?" he asked.
"My mind is spinning."
"Come here." He opened his arms, and it felt right to climb back in his lap.
"It’s kind of amazing how everyone accepted us. We didn’t even make an announcement or anything." I pressed my back against his chest and looked out the window. From my angle, I could see the sunrise on the horizon.
"After Meda, maybe they expected it."
"Or maybe," Ami called from the kitchen side of the big room. "We’ve known about you two for years."
I jerked upright and twisted to look at her. "Are you kidding me?
"Come on, Tala. Did you really think you were smooth enough to go this long without any of us finding out?" She laughed and pulled a carton of eggs out of the refrigerator.
Looking at Randell, I was sure his panicked expression mirrored my own. "Do our parents know?"
"I don't think so." She cracked eggs into a bowl. "They’ve never seemed to. Besides, I think Paw would lose his mind if he knew Randell was boinking his precious baby back in high school."
Randell blanched. "Yikes."
Laughing, I hugged him. "I’m going to get ready and go to class."
He squeezed me tight. "Be safe."
"You know I will." I left him in the common area and went to my bedroom.
We had no way of knowing who was coming after us or when. Of course, it was almost definitely Calista, but I couldn't figure out how she’d be able to get that much firepower.
As I put on leggings and an oversized t-shirt, I remembered that I didn’t know what Kevin’s schedule was. He could be in my next class. The class that was one door down from Fenton’s class. Fuck.
I threw my hair up in a messy bun, looking at my shapeless body under the tee. The last thing I wanted was to wear something sexy that would tempt Kevin or Fenton.
Then why had I put on a black lace thong?
Well, just in case.
I took my time dressing, then peeked my head out of my bedroom. Nobody around. Maybe I could make it out of the dorm without a shadow. I snatched my backpack and walked quickly out, passing the eggs Ami made without taking any. I wasn’t hungry. My water kept me feeling full most days, and I only had to eat once a day or so. I’d been known to go a day or two without consuming anything. Meda thought I was crazy, but Ami understood.
Once I got to the stairwell without any interference, I figured I was home free. Pushing open the utility door exit at the back of the building, I nearly called my water in fright when Elijah spoke. "Where you going?"
"Dammit, Elijah," I chastised him. "How do you do that?" As a vampire he, in theory, should’ve never been able to sneak up on me, a hybrid. Somehow he always managed it, though.
"I was waiting for you. Randell texted and asked me to walk you to class."
"So you came out here to lie in wait?" I shook my head and started down the path to Keegan Hall.
"No." He caught up quickly and walked beside me. "I was doing yoga in the courtyard. I like doing it outside."
Nodding, I didn’t reply.
"So you and Randell, huh?" He smiled at me. "That’s
new."
"It’s not new, exactly. But the intensity of it is. And the acceptance."
"What do you mean?"
I gave him a sideways glare. "According to Ami you all have known for a while that Randell and I are involved."
He shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "Well, we didn’t know it was a real relationship. We thought you were like, friends with benefits."
"We were. But when Meda’s mating call hit, apparently it unlocked mine, and possibly Ami’s."
"I guess that means I’m not any of your mates since nobody is banging down my door."
He sounded a little forlorn.
"I always thought you, well, never mind."
"You thought I was gay?"
Nodding, I watched his reaction. He just grinned. "How’d you know?"
"My Empathy."
"You’re right, but I kept hoping that a fated mates sort of situation would happen. I mean, can’t gay vampires be fated?"
"I don’t see why not," I said as we reached Keegan Hall, named for our Grandma Tina’s maiden name. "You have Physical Education with Ami and Randell, don’t you?"
He nodded and faced me. "You sure you’re okay?" he asked.
I looked up at the building, then around the campus, keeping an eye out for any of my mates. "I am. I’m apprehensive about all these changes."
His face was concerned. He had his own shit, but he still cared enough to worry about me. I pulled him into a hug. "Man, if I could give you my mates, I would. I don’t need all this bullshit. I wanted to go to school, learn about my powers, maybe date around."
"Embrace it," he said. "You might as well."
He was right. With a sigh, I let him go and went inside. I was still about ten minutes early for class, and those ten minutes had the potential to be filled with either awkward or sexually charged conversation with Kevin, should he end up being in the class with me, so I ducked into the same bathroom I’d hidden in after my fuckfest with Fenton.
I fiddled with my hair and checked my watch every ten seconds or so as the hands slowly ticked toward the top of the hour and class time. Finally, I’d redone my bun seven times and it was a minute to eight. I could go in.