Gods and Mortals: Fourteen Free Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels Featuring Thor, Loki, Greek Gods, Native American Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, & More (201 page)

S
ophia cried
out in surprise when I slammed the door of the house open. My sleeping mom was startled awake. Her hand flew to her mouth when she saw the burden I carried. Stumbling into the room, I stopped. My mom was lying on the only piece of furniture currently in the room. Dad’s overstuffed recliner that used to be in the corner had been moved out to the garage because neither of us could bear to use it. I stood staring, unsure of what to do next. Suddenly, Sophia was there, rescuing me from my stupor.

“Lay her down, Uriah. Hurry,” she demanded.

I looked down, realizing Sophia had already set out several woven blankets and a pillow on the floor. Carefully, I dropped to my knees and laid Claire’s still body on the hastily made bed. The pain slipped away and my strength returned immediately, leaving me lightheaded.

“What happened, Uriah?” Sophia asked.

The words stuck in my throat as I tried to force myself to say out loud what had happened. “He poisoned her,” I croaked. Falling to my knees, I slipped my arms around Claire’s body. I didn’t care about the pain. It was the only thing keeping me sane.

“What?” both my mother and Sophia asked in unison.

“Thomas. He went to Zarafen.” Both women hissed at the mention of her name. “She gave him a potion to make her forget me. I guess he put it in her tea, and a second later she looked like this,” I said. My words tumbled out, nearly incoherent. “She’s so still.” My hand brushed her hair back gently. My lips touched her forehead.
Open your eyes
, I silently pleaded.

“Her heart is beating,” Sophia said trying to comfort me.

I nodded my head. That was the only thing I did know. Even still, my hand slipped down to her slender wrist. Feeling the gentle flow of her blood overpowered the pain and held back my tears. How long could she stay like this? “Can you help her?”

“I’ll try,” she said. I heard the uncertainty in the healer’s voice. Closing my eyes, I begged whatever god would listen to save her. My parents had never held too closely with any sort of religious devotion outside the tribal beliefs, so I called on the ones I was familiar with now.

The minutes dragged by as Sophia prepared herbs for teas and retrieved chemical solutions in little glass bottles from her bag. Until my mom’s shaking hand touched my shoulder, I didn’t even realize she had moved from her sick bed. I looked in her eyes and saw such fear, worse even than when she had lain in the grip of the cougar’s jaws. I knew she shouldn’t be up. I needed her near me, though. Her injured leg stuck out at an awkward angle, but she draped her arm around my shoulders, holding me steady when I feared I was slipping away with every faint beat of Claire’s heart.

Sophia crouched beside Claire and began applying her healing herbs and piercing her skin with needles. I watched, hoping for some response in her limp body. The smells mingled, strong enough to sting my eyes, but did nothing to rouse my precious Claire. I watched the clock hands tick by, counting the long minutes as Sophia worked. Nothing changed. I started to wonder what was taking Claire’s parents so long to get back with Quaile. Perhaps Quaile wouldn’t come after we refused to follow her council. My breathing grew more ragged as I felt hope sliding away from me.

“Uriah.”

“Uriah,” Sophia called more urgently. “Calm down, child. Let go of her wrist. You’re squeezing it too tightly.”

Startled, I released my grip, but not feeling her heart beat under my fingertips was too much to ask of me. I replaced my hand, careful of the pressure I applied, ignoring the unnatural pain that assaulted me. A sharp rap on the door was followed quickly by the familiar creak of its hinges.

“How is she, Sophia?” Sarah asked, rushing to her daughter’s side. Kneeling next to Claire, she looked expectantly at Sophia.

“She’s no different from when Uriah got here with her. I don’t know what’s keeping her unconscious,” she admitted. A pang of terror struck me.

“Your herbs will do no good,” Quaile said shakily.

Her voice was normally so sure and strong. The tremor of fear I heard now was absolutely stunning. I stared back at her and realized Claire’s father was huddling in the doorway. The urge to grab him and inflict the pain I was feeling back on him was almost too strong to resist. Going after him meant letting go of Claire.

Sophia’s indignant huff drew my gaze. “How can you know…?”

“I do not doubt your skill, Healer,” Quaile’s voice interrupted, “but this is no disease or sickness. Neither herbs nor Anglo medicine will cure her. This is magic stronger than I believed Zarafen capable of.”

“What do you mean?” Sophia asked.

I was shocked that she didn’t argue about Quaile’s claim of magic. While Sophia did not hold with many of the modern medical practices, despite being a nurse, she was still a practical woman. Her herbs, she argued were given to us by the gods to use for healing. There was nothing magical in them. It was the natural way to heal wounds and sickness. I had always thought that her anger towards Quaile was that she claimed some pathway to mystical power. I wondered now how Sophia accepted the idea of magic so easily.

“I have heard of this potion, but I’ve never seen it used before. I would not have thought anyone foolish enough to try it,” Quaile said. Her fiery gaze was leveled at Thomas. He cowered under her stare, backing away until he reached the far wall. “Zafaren told Thomas that the potion would make Claire forget Uriah. That is true, in a way. What the potion has done is cast the child into a deep sleep, from which she will not awaken without being given the antidote.”

“There’s an antidote?” My voice cracked as I spoke, but I felt such unbelievable relief. I stroked Claire’s cheek and a soft sigh escaped her lips. Whatever was necessary, Claire would have the cure.

“Yes, there is,” Quaile said slowly.

“Well, tell us what it is, woman. We’re not here for theatrics,” Sophia said harshly.

“The antidote is very simple. Mint, rosemary, and lavender steeped in a tea, but,” Quaile said, raising a finger to quiet Sophia’s interruption, “the tea must be…administered by her Twin Soul, or else it will not work.”

“That’s it?” Sophia said. There was a searching question in her dark eyes. “All her Twin Soul has to do is give it to her? There must be more to it than that.”

“Do not question me, Sophia,” Quaile said. “Claire’s Twin Soul is the only one who can save her. Nothing else will work.” Her voice was surprisingly shrill and tight as she spoke.

“No,” I said, “you’re only saying that to make me give up on Claire. I won’t do it! Sophia, hurry up and mix the tea.” I waited expectantly for Sophia to move, but she stood, twisting her hands silently.

“I’ve already tried giving her those herbs, Uriah. They did nothing.”

“Uriah, I am not trying to trick you about this. I would not do that. I would not have tried to stop you from taking Claire away from the tribe to marry her, either. I only tried to warn you of the consequences,” she said. A weary hand crossed her face, as if brushing away unpleasant thoughts. “Uriah, I am telling you the truth. Claire will stay asleep without the antidote, but this is not a natural sleep. Claire’s soul is locked away from her body by the potion, and without her soul, her body will waste away as her mind dreams of her Twin Soul. Uriah, if you do not find her Twin Soul in time, Claire will die.”

The room was absolutely silent except for a quick sob from Thomas. I had heard every Twin Soul story there was growing up. I knew exactly what would happen if Claire’s Twin Soul was brought here. “But,” I began, struggling to find the words I needed, “if I find her Twin Soul and let him give her the herbs, she’ll belong to him. She’ll forget about me.”

“Yes,” Quaile said. There was no satisfaction in her voice. “I am asking you to give Claire up in order to save her life.”

The words sunk in slowly. How many times had I said to myself that I would do anything for Claire? Never, had I even considered that I would be asked to give her to another man. But how could I refuse? I couldn’t sit by and watch her die. The words stuck in my throat. I couldn’t bring myself to say it. Was there no other way?

“Where is he?” I asked, my rigid throat barely letting the words slip out. I heard my mother start to cry. Her quiet sobs shuddered against my shoulder. Sophia muttered something under her breath that definitely did not sound complimentary. Sarah lowered her head, level with mine, her eyes pleading.

“I…I’m not sure,” Quaile said.

Sophia growled at the elderly woman.

“I mean,” Quaile corrected, “I do not know where he is right now, but as Claire weakens he’ll be drawn to her. He’ll want to save her. In my vision, I saw Claire meeting him in Tucson, Arizona. I don’t know if he will be there now, but it’s a place to start, at least.”

A place to start? The Tucson area held more than one million people. And what if he wasn’t even there? Where was I supposed to go next? Hopelessness washed over me.

My gaze was pulled back to Claire. I stroked her soft hair. It had fallen in rolling waves, swept to one side of her face. Her expression was surprisingly peaceful. She really did look as if she were simply sleeping. If only she would wake up. Running my fingers along her jaw as I had done many times before, fresh tears slipped down my face. Strangling fear gripped me as I wondered if this would be the last time I would touch her so fondly. I gently kissed her lips, my tears wetting her copper skin.

Reluctantly, I pulled back from her. I stood and turned away from Claire, unable to look at her any longer, not if I would only have to give her up. “Sophia, will you talk to Hale about helping out on the ranch while I’m gone?”

Sophia nodded. I trusted her. I needed her right now. I was leaving so much behind.

“My truck has to stay here. It’s the only vehicle we have and Hale needs it to do the work on the ranch.” I had to leave. There was no telling how long Claire might have. I had to leave right now, but there was so much standing in my way.

“Take one of our vehicles,” Thomas said. His voice was barely loud enough to be heard, but the desperation behind his words was deafening.

I nodded curtly. I wasn’t about to thank him, not when all of this was his fault. Sophia returned from the kitchen. I hadn’t even seen her leave. She carried a bulging pack and canteen. Shoving them into my arms, she tried to remain stoic, but worry shone in her eyes. The canteen sloshed as I accepted the packages with my thanks. “Go and change your clothes,” she ordered, “I’ll gather whatever else I can find.”

I looked down, realizing that I still wore my ceremonial clothing. Had it really only been earlier that afternoon that Claire and I stood before Quaile? Dazed by the flood of events, I carefully set the food and water down. Somehow my feet carried me to my room. I undressed in haste, though I felt as if time had slowed to a hazy crawl. I was leaving. I was leaving my injured mother and my poisoned fiancée behind.

When I reemerged from the room, clothed in my regular work clothes once again, the scene had changed considerably. The old recliner had been pulled out of the garage and covered with blankets and pillows. I was thankful for the blanket covering it. It was still hard to look at that chair and not feel the pain of my dad’s death.

My mom was resting in the chair, her injured leg propped up carefully under a pile of pillows. Claire’s body had been moved from the floor to the couch, closer to the fire. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat. It made her look more alive.

“Cole is on his way with a car. He should be here soon,” Sarah said. She gripped my hand and held me with her eyes. “Maybe Quaile is wrong about losing Claire to this other man. You have to have hope, Uriah.”

My jaw tightened to keep it from quivering like a scared child. Burying her face in my chest, I could feel her tears dampening my shirt. My arms instinctively wrapped around her small shoulders. “I won’t let her go without a fight,” I said.

Sarah pulled away from me with a firm smile. Handing me my pack of food and supplies, she said, “I know you won’t, Uriah. And neither will she.”

I went to my mom next. Looking up at me, her face was hard. She was scared. I was sure that my own expression mirrored hers. I wanted to apologize to her for leaving, tell her it would be okay, but her eyes told me it was unnecessary. She knew my fears and regrets because she shared them.

“Go, Uriah. I’ll be fine. Hale is a good worker, and Sophia will stay with me as long as I need her. Go.” I knelt by her side and wrapped her in my arms. “Just be careful. There’s no telling what you might come across out there,” she said gravely. “Come back to me. Come back to Claire.” Not wanting to stay in the room any longer, I turned to face the door. I needed to leave, but my feet denied my desires and carried me back to my precious Claire.

Leaning close to her, I whispered, “I love you.” My lips touched hers for a brief second before the pain was too great and I bolted out the door.

T
he air flowed
into my lungs more easily outside. I looked around, hoping to see Cole on his way with one of his family’s vehicles. The night was quiet and the moon revealed every rock in the road. I stood in the driveway staring down the uneven dirt road. Shouldn’t Cole have gotten here by now? Taking a step toward the road, I decided to go after him. The seconds ticking away were precious heartbeats Claire could not spare.

“Uriah,” a tired voice called out. “I need to speak with you before you go.”

“Quaile?”

“Uriah, there was more to my vision this morning than I told you at the Council House,” she said.

I stopped, waiting for her explanation.

“I have known you since your birth. I was there. Did you know that?” she asked. I shook my head. “No? Well, I was. I try to attend the birth of every child in the tribe.”

I shrugged impatiently. Was this important, considering the situation? She nodded as if reading my thoughts.

“Sometimes when I attend a birth I am given a glimpse of the infant’s future,” she said. “Your birth was especially unique for me. Usually if I see anything, I see only a few random images, if any tragedy will befall the person, when they will die, who they marry, major events that will affect them. But you, your birth was like nothing I had ever experienced before.

“As you took your first breath I was swept up in a vision so strong it left me with no strength afterward. I saw you as a young man fighting your way through thick forests. I could not tell what was attacking you, but they were more than mere animals or even men. You were searching for something, but you could not get away from your enemies.

“There was such strength in you. The evil beings were terrified of what you might do, and were conspiring to stop you. Then, suddenly, the vision changed. You were standing in a barren valley, surrounded by beasts and monsters. A man stood on a hill above you laughing as if he had gone mad, holding a young woman, daring you to rescue her.”

“Claire?” I asked, enraptured by her vivid story.

“No. I have never seen the woman before,” Quaile said.

I wanted to push her out of the way and tell her to quit wasting my time. “Then what does all of this matter?” I needed to get out of here.

“I do not know, Uriah. I don’t fully understand the dreams, but one thing was made clear to me, today, when you approached the Elders. The same vision repeated this morning with one small difference. It began with you taking the first steps of this journey to save Claire’s life. I did not know that Claire would be poisoned today. I only saw her injured and in need. If you leave tonight, you will be setting yourself on the path the vision foretold. There is more to you than you could ever have imagined. This journey will reveal that to you,” the shaman said. “This decision will change your life, Uriah. You will not be able to turn back once you begin.”

“I don’t care, Quaile,” I said, exasperated with the entire conversation. “What would you like me to do, stay here and let Claire die?”

“Of course not. I am merely trying to warn you. My vision held many dangers, physical and otherwise. There are good reasons why so few find their Twin Soul. There are forces in this world that will do anything to keep Twin Souls apart forever. You should not walk into that kind of situation blindly,” she said. Her withered frame leaned heavily on her cane. Quaile’s eyes closed for a second and she sighed as if finally letting go of a heavy burden. I couldn’t understand the relevance of what she had just told me.

Clenching my jaw in frustration, I took several deep breaths. Warn me? What exactly had she warned me about? I might end up in the middle of a forest, or fighting hoards of evil beasts to rescue a woman I had never met. How did that help me? I was still as blind as I was before she told me of her cryptic vision. I’d had more than enough of this woman for one day.

“Quaile,” I said through clenched teeth, “thank you for your warning. I intend to leave tonight, regardless. If you have any useful information that will help me save Claire, her Twin Soul’s name, maybe, I would be more than happy to hear it.”

Her wrinkled eyes narrowed and her lips thinned into an irritated line. As nice as I thought I had been, Quaile didn’t seem to appreciate my tone. Prideful and frustrating to the end, that was Quaile. Blowing out a breath I had been holding without realizing, my stance softened. Obviously accepting the change as the only apology she was going to receive, Quaile touched my shoulder gently.

“I’m sorry that you have to do this, Uriah. If there was anyone in this world who deserved a life of peace and joy, it would be you. You have always been such a strong and kind young man,” she said. Pausing, she reached into her pocket and drew a thin line of dark string out. “Claire’s Twin Soul does not have to see her to complete the connection. All he has to do is touch some part of her.”

Gently, she laid the token in my hand. The cold strands tickled my palm as I realized it was not a simple string, but a strand of Claire’s hair.

“If he touches this, he will come. He will have to come. His name is Daniel.”

I wanted to throw the strand away, wanting nothing that would seal Claire’s fate. My hand sat open, though, and I stared at the lock of hair. Could it really be that simple? One touch, and Claire would forget every kiss, every caress we had shared, and every dream we held deep in our hearts. Would she even notice my heart breaking and falling at her feet?

“Perhaps,” Quaile said softly, “you will not need this. Maybe you will convince him to come without it and find a way to keep the connection from forming. There may still be hope.”

Though her words were optimistic, the quiver in her voice revealed her true feelings. Unfortunately, that was exactly what I was hoping to do, save Claire without losing her forever. My hope was barely more than Quaile’s, but I was clinging to it fiercely. “I won’t lose her,” I said. Her expression melted into a mask of pity. Wanting to shake the look off her face, I instead simply said, “Thank you, Quaile.”

The shaman’s lips parted, about to speak again when the purr of an engine reached us. Quaile grimaced, disturbed by the interruption. Turning away from her, I walked closer to the road. Cole wasn’t far away, now. I silently pleaded with him to hurry. Glancing back toward the house, I jumped when I realized Quaile was still standing behind me.

“Just be careful, Uriah,” she whispered, then turned and headed back into the house.

Her quick departure made me pause. Knowing that she had wanted to say more, I wondered about what had been left out. Was there more to the vision? Stepping toward the house, I wanted to ask her for the whole truth. The scattering of rocks and cut of an engine stopped me.