by Amy Star
“Just be glad you didn’t have to meet them. Let’s get you inside.” He tucked Holly under his arm.
Garret stepped up to Holly’s other side. She leaned against him, letting her head rest on his thick bicep. She peeked over her shoulder at Loch, who’d shifted back. She wanted to make sure he made it into the house. She let her eyes wander down his sculpted chest before she caught herself and looked away. That didn’t stop a blush from heating her cheeks.
“Sit here,” Garret urged once they were back in the familiar living room. He deposited Holly on the couch, quickly wrapping her in blankets. “Tea?”
“I can make some.” Holly moved to get up, but Garret held her in place.
“Just sit for a spell. I’ll get dressed and be right back.” Before Garret retreated to his room, he looked to Loch. “I’ve got something you can borrow. Wait in the guest room down the hall on your right. I’ll knock when I have the clothes.”
“Thanks.” Loch kept his hands cupped over his lower region.
Holly stifled a laugh as Loch walked toward the guest room.
Keller also went up to his room to change. Holly was alone in the living room.
She stared up at the familiar vaulted ceilings and their rustic exposed beams. She looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows that took up the entire wall opposite the door. Looking out into the blackness sent a shiver down her spine.
She looked away, praying that Trevor and his followers weren’t watching her from the woods.
A chime caught her attention. On the coffee table, right where she’d left it before she and Keller had hiked to the natural springs, was her phone. She had left it plugged in the whole time.
She grabbed it and started looking through her notifications. She’d missed hundreds of emails, phone calls, and texts, most of which were from her sisters.
She had sent each of her family members an apologetic text saying she’d sworn off technology for a week and that she’d call them later. It was a lame excuse, but she was tired and stressed. She’d deal with it properly tomorrow.
She was prepared to put her phone down for the night until she noticed an email from her boss with a subject line in all caps. Against her better judgment, she opened it. Contained in the email were several very angry, very colorful paragraphs about Holly’s lack of communication and the devastating effect it had on several significant networking events. In short, and in long, Holly was fired.
Tears welled in her eyes.
By the time all four men rejoined her in the living room, she was sobbing into one of Grandmother Pearl’s decorative pillows.
“Holly?” Johnny took a seat beside her and gathered her in his arms. She lifted her face from the pillow and began to cry into his neck. “What happened?”
“What do you mean, what happened?” Keller asked. “She just survived a kidnapping. That’s what happened.” He took a seat on Holly’s other side and began gently rubbing her back.
Garret stood behind the couch, gently stroking Holly’s hair.
Holly wasn’t sure where Loch was, but she could sense his presence.
“It’s not that,” Holly sniffed when she finally had control of her voice again. “Well, I mean it is that. It’s also other stuff. It’s everything, okay?”
“You don’t have to justify anything to us, all right?” Garret said.
He moved from his position behind the couch and walked into the kitchen. Holly heard the sound of the tea kettle filling with water.
“I got fired,” she mumbled into Johnny’s neck.
“You…got fired?” he repeated, uncomprehendingly.
“She lost her job,” Keller clarified.
“Yes, I know what fired means. I just didn’t realize Holly loved her job so much.”
“I didn’t.” Holly brought a shaky hand to her face to wipe away her tears. “I liked it, but I didn’t want to be there forever.”
Johnny pushed the wayward locks of hair away from her face.
Holly spotted Loch sitting on the coffee table, opposite her. She could practically see all of his thoughts whirling around in his head. Concern gleamed in his eyes, but she also caught him glancing between Johnny and Keller.
In all of their time cooped up in their neighboring cells, Holly had never told Loch about the arrangement she had with the others. She didn’t even fully understand it herself. All she knew was that sitting on her grandmother’s couch, in Johnny’s arms, with Keller rubbing her shoulders, and Garret making his special tea in the kitchen, she had never felt more secure and cared for. She didn’t have to explain a damn thing to Loch. Not tonight.
“Then don’t worry about it,” Keller advised. “You can get a new job.”
“I know, I know,” Holly sniffed. “It’s just so…ridiculous. I just spent a week in an old mine in a cage, I’m destined to unite the bear clans through the birth of my child, and I regularly convene with what I can only assume is some kind of ancient goddess—”
“You heard the voice again?” Loch said. “I knew it! You always get that look on your face when you speak to her.”
“What? What voice?” Keller asked.
Holly sucked in a breath. “The day I was kidnapped, I heard a voice in my head. She called herself the Maiden. We’ve been looking at the legend of the Maiden the wrong way. I’m not an incarnation, I’m a chosen vessel as was Phaedra Glint.”
“Who?” Johnny furrowed his brow.
“The first Maiden. Rather, the first vessel,” Holly corrected. “The true Maiden doesn't have a physical form. She told me just now, as we were running from the mines that I was worthy of her.”
“A vessel,” Keller murmured thoughtfully. “Did she say anything else?”
“Yes.” Holly nodded. “She told me I was a special kind of human. She also helped me figure out we were being held in the silver mines. She also said—” Holly bit back the words at the last moment.
“What?” Loch leaned forward. “What did she say?”
“Did she not tell you?” Keller asked. “You were trapped in there with her all this time.”
“No,” Holly said. “I told him I heard a voice, but I never went into specifics. I didn’t think the Maiden would like it.”
“And now you think otherwise?” Loch arched a brow. A slight smirk played on the corner of his mouth.
“The Maiden said I’m right to trust you. Why she waited so long to confirm it, I don’t know.”
I said he was one of yours. Do you not listen? The voice of the Maiden made Holly jump.
“Are you all right?” Johnny murmured.
“Yes.” Holly nodded. “I heard her again. She startled me.”
A picture on a wall isn’t enough to earn my trust, Holly replied to the voice. Trevor’s portrait is on the wall and look how trustworthy he is.
He is lost.
Not my problem.
“Is she speaking with the Maiden now?” Keller asked Loch, who nodded.
“What is she saying?” Johnny asked.
Pain shot through Holly’s temples. She pressed her hands against the side of her head.
“Please,” she whimpered. “It’s too much. I can’t have this many of you talking to me at once.”
I will allow you to rest. But, remember my words. It is me you serve above all others. That is your duty as my vessel.
I hear you. Holly felt the Maiden slip out of her mind. With a sigh of relief, she sunk into Johnny.
“Can we speak now?” Johnny asked in a low voice.
Holly nodded.
“Did the Maiden say anything new?”
Holly paused, turning the Maiden’s words over in her mind once more.
“No,” she said at last. “Just that she is going to allow me time to rest.”
“At least she’s reasonable.” Keller nodded.
Garret appeared with a steaming mug of tea and placed it in front of Holly.
“Speaking of rest,” he said, “I put something in there to help you sleep.”
“I hope it’s strong.” Holly lifted the mug and took a long sip, not caring that the hot drink burned her tongue. “I could sleep for a week.”
“No one would blame you if you did,” Keller said. “Would you like to lie down?”
“I think so.” Holly nodded.
Johnny and Keller helped her stand. She felt drained and utterly exhausted, but she insisted on walking on her own.
“I think we all need some rest,” she said. “I’ll see you in the morning?”
“Of course.” All four offered her kind smiles.
She smiled back before disappearing up the stairs. She stumbled down the hall until she made it to the room that had once belonged to her grandmother. What she wouldn’t give to talk to Pearl right now.
Her grandmother had possessed the gift of foresight. She saw all of this bullshit coming long before her illness got to her. She had arranged everything before her death, but even the best-laid plans can go completely off the fucking rails.
Pearl wanted Holly’s introduction to the world of shifters to go far smoother than it had. She wanted Holly to feel comfortable with Johnny, Keller, and Garret before her destiny as the Maiden was revealed to her. From what Holly could gleam, she was supposed to stay in town for a month before everything was to be revealed to her.
She laughed softly as she crawled into her bed. “I know you tried, Grandmother,” she murmured through a yawn.
There was more she wanted to think about. She needed to analyze everything that had happened to her this week. If she didn’t take the time to process everything, she’d likely end up having another meltdown in the living room.
However, her body had other plans. The moment she rolled over onto her side, she fell fast asleep.
CHAPTER SIX—Holly
Her sleep was not long-lived. Startled awake by dreams of dark corridors and enchanted bars, she climbed out of bed and began pacing the room. When her heart rate refused to settle, she left her room.
She poked her head into the hallway and listened. When she heard no signs of anyone in the lower rooms, she made her way down the stairs and into the study.
Now was as good a time as ever to look into the mystery that was Elise.
Holly stepped over to the eastern wall, where Trevor’s family tree was painted. She found Trevor’s face easily. Just looking at his image sent a shiver down her spine.
Bastard, she muttered inwardly.
I told you. He is simply lost. The unexpected voice of the Maiden sent Holly’s heart racing all over again.
I wasn’t talking to you, she snapped. I thought I was alone.
That was your first mistake. You’re never alone. Not anymore.
That’s not true. I’m only alone when you decide you can’t be bothered to speak to me. You’re not at my beck and call, remember?
Holly traced a finger along one of the black branches of Trevor’s family tree.
You need my help less often than you think. I didn’t tell you to come here, did I?
No, Holly admitted, but you knew I needed you, so why not just tell me?
Then what would you have learned?
Holly’s finger came to the end of the branch. No Elise. She picked another branch and started again.
I’m not learning anything now, so I’m not sure what you mean.
Do you remember a specific complaint you made when we first spoke?
I made a lot of complaints the first time we spoke. Holly would’ve smiled at the memory if everything surrounding it weren’t so bitter.
Yes, the Maiden chuckled, but, in particular, you said that it was your brain doing the work and your body going through the movements. That’s true. You are a vessel of my will, but I do not control your physical form. You have more control than you realize. Your mind needs to learn to look for things. Your body needs to become stronger. You’re worth nothing to me, or the bear clans, dead.
I’m sure you meant that to be comforting, but it wasn’t.
The Maiden paused.
I was not trying to comfort you. I am trying to be honest. Coddling you won’t benefit either of us.
Good to know.
Pain shot up Holly’s neck and settled between her eyes.
I think you’re giving me a headache. Can we speak later?
No. The Maiden’s voice grew stern. This is part of your training. You must learn to bear the weight of me in your mind. When the time comes for me to reveal things to you, I need to know you can withstand the impact.
I thought I had to figure things out on my own?
Holly pressed her hands against her temples and winced.
There are things you will learn that are not meant for human minds. When the time comes, I will reveal those things to you. Now is the time for you to prepare.
Holly’s finger reached the end of another branch. Still no Elise. Shaking her head as if that would help relieve the building pressure, she walked the opposite wall. Now able to see the entire wall, she searched for Elise.
She’s not here. Where is she?
You will find the answer, the Maiden replied. That was an example of me trying to be comforting. Be honored. I don’t often do that for mortals.
Just Phaedra?
The Maiden sighed softly. If she had a mouth, Holly imagined it to be smiling.
Phaedra was exceptional. I expect the same of you. Don’t let me down.
I’ll do my best.
The pressure in her skull lifted so suddenly she teetered off balance. She reached out for the wall to steady herself.
As always, she had no clue what to make of her latest conversation with the Maiden. She could be mistaken, but from the sound of it, she had a new ally she could count on even if said ally mentally kicked her ass every time they spoke.
She turned her attention to Trevor’s family tree one last time, just to be sure. No Elise. Trevor had called her sister. Why wouldn’t she be on the family tree?
Holly felt certain the Maiden knew the answer to that question but refrained from asking. Things were only going to get harder from now on. Holly needed to learn how to rely on herself in this. She knew she had her men. Johnny, Keller, Garret, and even Loch would help her in any way she needed, but what if she were kidnapped again? What if she ended up alone somewhere and they couldn’t get to her?
She was in the middle of a conflict that could erupt at any moment. She needed to be able to hold her own, should it come to that.
That started with solving her mysteries. The Maiden did urge her to destroy Trevor and his followers from the inside out, no matter how lost she seemed to think Trevor was.
What did she even mean by that? Trevor didn’t seem lost at all. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing and didn’t care who he hurt to do it.
“Lost, my ass,” Holly muttered as she left the study.
She felt a little better knowing Elise truly wasn’t anywhere to be found on the murals, but that discovery only left more questions.
Holly still didn’t feel like she could go back to sleep. A piping hot cup of tea sounded like the next logical step. As she padded through the living room on the way to the kitchen, something outside caught her eye.
A figure stood on the deck.
The blood in her veins turned to ice as fear gripped her heart so tightly, the air rushed from her lungs. She felt like she’d been hit in the chest with a baseball bat. Sucking in a burning breath, she forced her fear back. Her panic cleared just enough for her to recognize the man on the balcony.
It was Johnny.
Holly leaned against the back of the couch as the first hit of adrenaline seeped out of her.
What was he doing out there? Didn’t he realize the house was likely being watched?
She had to get him inside before someone struck him with a silver bullet or whatever killed bear shifters. Holly should probably look into that. That seemed like valuable information for her to have on the back burner.
On shaky legs, she stepped onto the deck.
“Johnny?” she whisper-shouted, keeping her eyes trained on the dark woods before them. Anything—or anyone—could be hiding in the blackness.
“What are you doing up?” Johnny looked at her with that hazy smile of his.
She didn’t realize how much she’d missed it until right then. “What are you doing out here?” she countered. “It can’t be safe.”
“Remember that gift from the witches I mentioned?” he asked. “It’s the motherlode of concealment spells. To anyone who wasn’t written into the spell, the house is literally invisible. How cool is that?”
His face lit up like a kid on Christmas. Not even Holly, whose nerves had reached a new level of fried, could hold back her smile when she saw him like that.
“I didn’t realize you were so into magic,” she said.
“It’s completely fascinating to me,” he went on. “Maybe it’s because shifters can’t do magic the way witches can. They can pull magic from mushrooms and swamp water.”
“You forget you can turn into a bear.” Holly laughed. “I can’t do anything with mushrooms, and I can’t turn into a bear, either; how do you think I feel?”
“You’re a cut above all of us.” Johnny shrugged. “There are thousands of bear shifters in the country. There are a handful of covens still thriving, as well. However, there is only one you. You’re the only human on the planet strong enough to become the Maiden’s vessel.”
“Not yet.” Holly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and frowned. “The Maiden doesn’t think I’m strong enough to handle everything yet. She wants me to train. She has a point, though. I feel like I’ve only made it this far because of you and the other guys.”
Johnny opened his mouth to speak. He looked as though he was going to disagree with her but then thought better of it. “There’s some truth in that.” He chuckled. “Don’t look at it as a bad thing. It’s our job, some would even say our destiny, to keep you safe.”
“But what if I get taken again? It was pure luck that Loch and I got away.”
“How did you get away? You never told us.”
Holly’s breath caught in her chest.
“It…” She struggled to find the words. “It all happened fast. The cells weren’t well built. One moment we were trapped. The next, we weren’t. I didn’t think about it too much. I just ran.”