Loch

by Amy Star

  “It was.” He chuckled. “Witches love their aesthetic.”

  “Witches and I have that in common,” Holly joked.

  Johnny started up the truck and backed out of the winding driveway.

  “I never expected witches to live in a place accessible by car,” Holly mused. “Granted, I never expected witches to exist at all, yet here we are.”

  “Oh, they live deep in the forest. We’re going to the stones first.”

  Holly tipped her head. “Why?”

  “Remember how I told you it’s incredibly taxing to shift from form to form?”

  Holly nodded.

  “I’d greatly prefer not to walk into a witch den drained from raw shifting two days in a row.”

  “That’s what you call it?” Holly sputtered, trying to reign in her laughter. “Raw shifting?”

  “It’s not the best term, but can you think of a better one? You’re not even a shifter! Who are you to judge?” He laughed.

  “I’m the vessel of the Maiden. I have every right to judge my shifters.”

  “And I have every right to pull over and tickle you until you can’t breathe.”

  “Tickle me?” Holly grinned. “That’s your big, scary threat?”

  “Have you ever been tickled to the point of passing out? It’s worse than torture.”

  Holly looked at him with narrowed eyes. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

  “No!” Johnny said too quickly. “I’m not. I swear, I’m not.”

  “Somehow, I don’t believe you. I’ll be sure to test that theory when you least expect it.”

  “I thought the Maiden was the embodiment of peace and mercy? That doesn’t sound very merciful.”

  “The Maiden is actually one tough cookie.” Holly nodded. “She believes peace and mercy are the best way to maintain the balance between the natural and unnatural worlds. If bloodshed and war were the better way, I’m sure she’d be all for it.”

  “Interesting. She’s always been depicted as a gentle, mothering figure.”

  “I’m sure she’s exceedingly gentle when those in her charge aren’t misbehaving.”

  “You make us all sound like naughty children.” He chuckled.

  “You’re the one who called her a mothering figure.” Holly shrugged.

  “Because she will be a mother one day soon.” Johnny smiled at her from across the cab. “Or, her vessel will be, at least.”

  Holly placed a hand on her stomach.

  “It’s so weird to think about,” she said. “I don’t hate the idea. Isn’t that weird?”

  “Not at all,” Johnny assured her. “Sure, the circumstances could be more orthodox, but you’re not wrong to be excited.”

  “Oddly enough, the circumstances are what makes me the most excited. You can’t tell me that’s not weird.”

  Johnny furrowed his brow. “Explain, please.”

  “This is how I look at it.” Holly shifted in her seat so that she could face him head-on. “When the baby is born, it’ll be born into the biggest support system anyone could ever have. It’s written in the stars that the child will be destined for greatness. It sounds like once I have the baby, I’m set for life. I’ll be able to raise my child in peace and safety.”

  “When you put it like that, you’ve got every reason to be excited.” Johnny nodded.

  “I’d like to think that the baby will have a huge family. Not just a biological father, but three unofficial ones who will love it, too.”

  Johnny glanced at Holly. “You’d want to keep whoever you didn’t pick to bear your child in your life?” he asked.

  “I think so.” Holly looked away, feeling uncertain. “Right now, I can’t imagine my life without any of you. You, Garret, Keller, and Loch aren’t just the potential future fathers of my child. You’re my friends. You’re kind of my only friends right now. If choosing one of you meant losing the rest, I don’t know how I’d get through that.”

  “I can’t speak for the others, but I can tell you one thing for certain.” Johnny let go of the steering wheel to place one hand on her leg. “I’m not going anywhere, regardless of who you choose. You can be damn sure I’ll love that kid if it’s my own or not.”

  Tears sprang to Holly’s eyes. She slid across the middle of the cab to cuddle into his side.

  “You have no idea how grateful I am for you,” she whispered.

  Johnny pressed a kiss into the top of her head. “Right back at you.” Johnny parked as close to the stones as he could.

  Holly held his hand as they made the short trek uphill. She hadn’t been to the stones since she had first learned of the shifters.

  When they reached the stone circle, Holly traced her finger over the etchings of the Maiden.

  Do you find their interpretation insulting? she asked.

  No, the Maiden replied. I find it charming.

  I’ll tell them you said so.

  “Ready?” Johnny asked.

  “If you are.”

  After removing his clothes, Johnny moved to the center of the stone circle. The air came to life with magic as a golden glow enveloped him. When the light dissipated, a proud-looking brown bear with gray-green eyes stared at Holly.

  She’d never get over watching the transformation. She couldn’t stop staring at him as she picked up his discarded clothes and tucked them into an empty backpack they’d brought along.

  Johnny lowered himself onto the ground so Holly could easily climb onto his back. They took off into the forest just as the last light of day leeched out of the sky.

  Holly buried her face in his fur. Even in the dark, watching the forest whiz by made her dizzy. She focused on the way Johnny’s muscles moved beneath his coat. She felt the power of the shifter beneath her.

  Within twenty minutes, they arrived at the gaping mouth of a cave. Light from a fire buried within its depths illuminated the inner cave wall.

  “Looks like they’re expecting us,” Johnny said once he returned to human form.

  Holly eyed his naked form with a grin.

  “Are you planning on negotiating like that?” she asked. “I think it’ll sweeten our odds.”

  “I considered it,” he admitted. “Can I have my clothes, please?”

  Holly tossed him the backpack and gave him a moment to dress.

  “Be honest with me,” she said as they stood at the mouth of the cave. “How much danger are we in?”

  “A fair amount if we piss them off,” Johnny admitted.

  “How do we avoid pissing them off?”

  “Not sure. One of them hates my guts.”

  “You couldn’t have mentioned that sooner?” Holly gaped at him.

  “I didn’t want to worry you.” He shrugged. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

  “You really know how to make a girl feel secure when she walks into a witch den,” Holly muttered.

  She allowed Johnny to lead her deeper into the cave. The light from the fire grew brighter and brighter until it suddenly changed to purple.

  “Oh good, they know we’re here,” Johnny said brightly.

  “Took you long enough,” a familiar voice purred from up ahead.

  The cave opened up into a cozy, candlelit cavern. Purple flames crackled in the fireplace.

  Edwina lounged on the couch, staring at the cavernous ceiling.

  Holly’s gaze flicked to the two other women present. A pretty blonde sat near the fire. A raven-haired beauty glared at them from an armchair.

  “Ladies.” Johnny grinned. “I believe you know why I’m here.”

  “Of course,” Edwina said. “I knew you’d rush down here to make sure I wouldn’t steal your precious plaything’s life.”

  “You came to me offering help,” Holly seethed. “I didn’t expect you to lay a claim on my life.”

  “That’s your own fault,” the raven-haired one said. “Edwina, get to it. I have things to do.”

  “Not so fast,” Johnny said. “I’m here to finaliz
e the terms of the contract.”

  “A deal was struck. There’s nothing to negotiate.”

  “Did you shake on it?” Johnny asked. “Was anything signed?”

  Edwina furrowed her brow.

  “No, nothing like that happened,” Holly supplied. “I sort of got attacked by a dark shifter.”

  “One Edwina likely summoned herself.”

  “That’s a lie,” Edwina said. “I’m not stupid enough to send a shifter, even a dark one, to attack the Maiden’s vessel.”

  “Oh, well, thank goodness for that,” Holly muttered.

  “The mortal has quite the tongue,” the raven-haired witch hissed. “I say we cut it off.”

  “Take it easy, Susanna.” Johnny sighed. “Your jealousy is showing.”

  Susanna crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.

  Johnny returned his attention to Edwina. “What do you want, aside from her life force?”

  “I never wanted her life force,” Edwina said with a dismissive flick of her wrist. “She’s vital to this world. I’m sure as hell not going to be the one who kills our best chance at peace.”

  “Then why not get into specifics in the woods last night?”

  “Because I wanted a firstborn to come to me.” She grinned. “What I want is something only you can provide.”

  “You could’ve sent a text. You have my number.”

  “Where’s the fun in that?” The blonde witch giggled. “You know we’re a theatrical bunch, don’t you, Johnny?”

  “I’d never forget, Hattie.” Johnny offered her a tight smile.

  “How do you know these women, exactly?” Holly murmured.

  “It was a phase I went through during my wilder years,” he replied. “Nothing more.”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  Johnny returned his attention to Edwina. “State your terms so I can go home.”

  “We will provide the spells requested by the little mortal.” Edwina grinned at Holly. “In return, when the dark shifters are eradicated, we would like certain freedoms restored to us.”

  “You can’t use magic in the open,” Johnny said quickly. “The non-shifter population grows every year. People love coming up here to retire.”

  “What do you think I’m trying to do, start another witch hunt?” Edwina snapped. “No, we want power. Our coven used to be over fifty witches strong. I’m determined to see it returned to such glory.”

  “I can’t make that happen,” Johnny said.

  “No, but she can. Ladies.”

  Susanna and Hattie flickered out of existence, reappearing beside Johnny in the blink of an eye.

  Before Holly could fully grasp what just happened, each of them held a bejeweled silver dagger to Johnny’s throat.

  “What the fuck?” he exclaimed.

  “What are you doing?” Holly cried.

  “Insurance.” Edwina grinned. “I wish to speak to the Maiden.”

  “I’m already here.”

  “No, you’re a mere vessel. Expendable and weak. I want to speak to her.”

  “I don’t think that’s possible.” Panic clamped around Holly’s throat. “Tell me what you want, and I will act as a messenger.”

  “That’s not good enough. The Maiden stopped speaking to the witch covens long ago when she capped our power.”

  “Capped? I don’t understand.”

  Edwina narrowed her eyes at Johnny. “So slow and stupid, this one. How can you stand it?”

  “I will nail you to a stake and light it on fire myself, Edwina,” Johnny spat.

  Edwina tipped her head back and laughed. “Temper, temper.” She turned her golden gaze back to Holly. “Fine. I’ll speak with you, for now. However, you will be held accountable for any bargain you strike with me.”

  “You didn’t have to do this.” Holly gestured to Johnny. “I would’ve talked to you if you asked.”

  “When dealing with the ancient ones like the Maiden, I prefer to have the upper hand,” Edwina hissed. “Promise us access to more power, and I will set your pet bear free.”

  “A token of goodwill, too!” Hattie chimed in. “In case you die, we still want something.”

  “Why do you need more power to expand the coven?” Holly asked.

  “It’s not as if we can advertise in the local paper,” Susanna scoffed. “We call to the souls of other witches through magic. This coven hasn’t been able to do that since before we were born.”

  “I told you that creating the veil killed many in our coven,” Edwina said. “On whose orders do you think that veil was constructed?”

  “The Maiden.” Holly sighed. “I understand now.”

  “She decimated our numbers and prevented us from replenishing. That stops now.”

  “If she limited your access to power, it must be for the sake of keeping the balance,” Holly said. “Why should I take that risk?”

  “Seriously?” Edwina looked to her coven sisters and nodded.

  Each pressed the tips of their daggers into Johnny’s neck, puncturing the skin. Johnny hissed as the silver bit into him.

  “Stop!” Holly cried. “All right! I’ll lift the cap on your power once the dark shifters are dealt with, but only enough so that you may rebuild your coven.”

  Edwina nodded to the others, who retracted their blades.

  Thin rivers of blood trickled down Johnny’s neck.

  “Shake on it.” Edwina draped her hand over the couch.

  Holly walked over to her and took her hand. Her skin was as cold as ice.

  “Release the bear.”

  Hattie and Susanna released their grips on Johnny.

  Holly ran to him at once. She lifted his chin and examined the wounds on his neck.

  “They’re shallow,” Johnny assured her. “Don’t fret.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Holly whispered to him before turning to face the witches. “We’re done here.”

  “Not quite,” Edwina trilled. “There was some mention of a goodwill token.”

  “Fuck,” Holly muttered. She forgot to set terms for that. Hopefully, they wouldn’t want a gallon of blood or an eyeball. “What do you want?”

  “Hattie?” Edwina looked to her coven sister. “You’re the one who brought it up. Is there something you want?”

  “Yes!” Hattie’s eyes lit up as she darted into another room. She returned with two gigantic, murky white crystals.

  “I forgot all about those!” Susanna gasped. “Good call.”

  “What are those?” Holly asked, fearing the answer.

  “Crystals, of course,” Hattie explained. “We use them to hold special energies. We need your help replenishing their stores.”

  Holly furrowed her brow, confused. “Um, okay. Do I just take them outside or…?”

  All three witches burst out laughing.

  “Oh no,” Hattie said. “These are special crystals. They absorb a particular kind of energy.”

  “Out with it, Hattie,” Johnny snapped.

  “Lust.” She grinned. “They harness lust. We need you two to fill them up.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN—Holly

  “Well, I can honestly say I didn’t see this coming,” Johnny said.

  After the witches made their unusual request, Holly and Johnny were led to another room in their cave system. They now sat on a plush bed covered in velvet, surrounded by at least a dozen crystals.

  “I’m not sure how to feel about all this,” Holly admitted. “I guess I’m grateful they didn’t ask for a finger.”

  “Giving them a finger would’ve been less awkward,” Johnny replied. “At least they didn’t ask to watch.”

  “I would’ve died of embarrassment right then and there.” Holly forced a laugh.

  “I still might.” Johnny chuckled. “Though, I think Susanna is more likely to kill me herself.”

  “Did you piss her off at some point?”

  “We went on one date.” Johnny sighed. “I wasn’t feeling it, so I never asked her out agai
n. She never forgave me for it.”

  Holly stared at him, slack jawed. “You went out with a witch?”

  “One date!” he repeated. “And you’re sleeping with four bear shifters, so you can’t judge me.”

  “Three,” Holly corrected.

  Johnny’s brows shot up. “Who?”

  “Are you sure you want to know this?” Holly asked.

  “There’s no point in pretending it’s not happening. You have a clear-cut job to do, and no one should hold anything against you for doing it. I, for one, would feel better knowing where everyone stands.”

  “If it makes you feel better, Loch is the only one I haven’t slept with,” Holly admitted.

  Johnny’s face lit up. “Yes, that does make me feel better.”

  “You really ought to cut him some slack,” she said. “He’s been through hell.”

  “So have I.” Johnny’s gaze hardened. “The difference between him and me is that I didn’t use my pain as an excuse to be a terrible person.”

  “Less talking, more fucking!” Hattie’s voice came from somewhere unseen.

  “Oh God, maybe they are watching.” Holly felt ill.

  “We don’t perform in front of an audience,” Johnny shouted. “Scram or your crystals stay empty!”

  “No fun,” Hattie muttered.

  Johnny turned back to Holly with a smile. “That’s one problem solved.”

  “How do we know when we’ve done our job?” Holly asked. “What if we’re here for days?”

  “I can think of worse things.” Johnny winked.

  “I’m serious! What if the others think something bad happened? If they charge in here ready to fight, we could ruin the deal we’ve made.”

  “In that case, time is of the essence. I don’t like to rush this kind of thing, but I can make do.” Johnny had the nerve to wink at her.

  “You’re secretly loving this, aren’t you?”

  “Think of it as a free night in a really weird niche hotel.” Johnny shrugged. “We’re alone. The bed is comfortable. Aside from the ominous crystal circle around the bed, it’s quite romantic.”

  Holly looked around the room. It was kind of romantic. The soft lighting was charming.

  “Look at this.” Johnny scooted to the edge of the bed and pulled on a golden rope. A canopy of deep blue gauze lowered around the bed.