The Witch (5 page)

Do what the older, more experienced people told you. It might just keep you alive.

Don’t go wandering into dangerous places. Monsters might be lurking.

What was he going to do with a witchie and her mother?

The girl shifted, her smallish breasts pushing against him and one thought popped into his mind. It had been a long time since he’d felt a woman’s warmth around him. There were a few things he’d enjoy doing with a willing female, one who wasn’t afraid to get physical. Perhaps he would set the mother up somewhere safe, and he and the girl would discover other ways they could wrestle upon the floor.

That would be something…

Someone shouted his name, and Jushua turned. Nalik walked toward him.

Jushua grinned. “I found something!”

“I’ll say. What have you there?”

“A pretty little witchie, much like your own, I think. Though less plant, more elementals. And her human mother.”

“Interesting.” Nalik leaned down and looked at the witch. “What do you plan to do with her? She is much like my Cass, isn’t she? Similar eyes, though the color is far from Cass’s green. You can keep her, then maybe you’ll leave my Cass alone.”

“Hmmm. A possibility. About the same age, too. Wonder what they were doing here?”

“We cannot leave anyone here. It is far from safe.” Nalik’s tone was firm. Jushua understood. He’d witnessed the paralysis Nalik had experienced after this place had been attacked previously. “We can sort them out when we return to Thrun.”

The rest of their party—Barlaam the Healer, and the two Taniss males who’d accompanied him—were slow to rejoin them.

Jushua waited, his burdens over each shoulder. The first Taniss, Marshall he thought the male’s name was, frowned when he saw the women. “What are you doing?”

“Found a few strays who need relocated.”

“Against their will?”

“For the time being. They don’t need to be poking around here. And this one, at least, isn’t human. She’ll be sorted out in Thrun,” Nalik said as Barlaam joined them. He carried a large bag. “Barl? What we came for?”

“I have it. It’ll be safe within the walls of your city, according to the goddess’s decree.” Barlaam looked at Jushua. “What is this?”

“Found some new friends.” Jushua turned his back slightly, so that the healer could get a look at the witchie. “Figured to take them home. I have so few friends, after all.”

The healer looked at the girl and frowned. “That is not a new friend. I believe that is an old one.” Barlaam put a hand on the witch’s shoulder. Jushua still had her contained within his power. “That is Loren. My Rajni’s closest friend. Best put her down and set her free. She has quite a temper, I understand.”

Well that was a turn he hadn’t expected. “You know her.”

“Yes, I do. And I can safely say you can put her down without there being a problem. I’m not sure why she was in Dardanos today, but I’d like to find out. My mate has been worried. She has been missing for a while now. We feared her dead.”

Jushua lowered first the mother, and then the girl. Taniss grabbed the mother and steadied her. But Jushua did not take his hands off the girl.

Why should he? She should have just told him who she was. And there was no explanation for how she had known him, was there? She knocked me upside the head a few times. You sure she’s a friend?”

“Yes.” Barlaam reached for her.

Jushua growled, shocking the hell out of himself. He didn’t understand it. He certainly didn’t feel the least bit possessive of the girl. That was ridiculous.

But he did not want another male touching her. Perhaps there had been more attraction between them than he thought?

Or just more foolishness.

Barlaam held up a hand and stepped away. “I see. So that’s the way of it, then. Best unfreeze her. She’s a bit pissed.”

Nalik stepped between them and lifted the girl’s chin. She became animate.

Dammit, how had the reborned one done that? No one should have been able to undo what he had done. That was not the way the world worked for him.

“Barl!” The girl shocked him when she hugged the Healer. “Thank the great stars. I was worried…Jade? Becca?”

“Both are fine.” Barlaam hugged her back quickly and then stepped away. “Why are you here, and not in Levia?”

“I went to Levia. And it wasn’t the best place for a human, so I returned to my mother.”

“I see. Exceptions would have been made for her to join you there. If you had asked. She would have been protected. And there are Tanisses there. You would have been protected.”

“But that was not the way for us. Now is. Although…tell me…Is Jushua the only Dardaptos son who still lives? Kennera, the daughter? The Fates…”

Nalik grabbed the girl’s arm and turned her toward him. Jushua stepped up to her side, just as the mother became animate. “Just who—what—are you? You are not human, yet you are not fully Druid.”

“At times I do not know.” Her expression was sly, and he knew again that she lied.

“And I have a lot of questions. Come. There is much we need to discuss—once we get out of this world. I trust you have traveled by portkey before.”

She smiled, then raised one slender hand. A faint lavender light emanated from her fingertips. “Boys, I don’t need one.”

An opening between worlds grew between them.

The males all stepped back. That was definitely something they hadn’t expected.

The only creature that had ever been capable of traveling between the layers of the worlds so easily was the Laquazzeana Phaenna.

Not even his mother could manage that feat.

So why was a supposedly twenty-something half-human girl able?

“Just what in the Three Hells are you?”

Loren closed her eyes and let the power that she had known from that first moment of rebirth almost five thousand years ago fill her body.

She had grown stronger, she knew she had. Every life, the power within her would have doubled from the previous.

It was truly terrifying, and she had always refused to know the full extent of it.

Before.

This lifetime was different. And she’d known that from the moment she’d matured into an adult at sixteen. It was always at sixteen years, two hundred and six days when she came into her powers. In every lifetime.

Because the Dark Sorcerer had killed her when she was sixteen years, two hundred and six days old. It had taken her a few lifetimes to figure that out.

She had traveled to Levia without her mother when the first evacuation order had been given, and had stayed for three weeks. Three weeks too long. She was not meant to be in the world of the deities for too long. She’d known that easily. She was supposed to be at the forefront of the war, not hiding with the rest of the Druids, mixing healing potions and balms while protected by Lupoiux werewolves.

And she’d worried about her mother.

So she’d opened the barrier between the worlds and come home.

They’d lived like refugees ever since.

No more. She would not let her mother worry any more. She had come to Dardanos for a reason, and now she knew what that reason was. Why else would Barlaam be there, if not to take her to the world where Jade was?

She had worried about her friend, and been consumed with thoughts of the other woman, though logically she knew Jade was most likely safe wherever she was. No, it was the Four Fates’ way of getting her to wherever she was supposed to go. She had to trust in that.

Somehow.

The opening between Gaia and the next widened. She looked at the men, all with shocked and wary faces. Her mother’s own eyes were wide. Loren felt a momentary rush of guilt for not telling her mother about this little ability of hers.

The less her mother knew, the safer she was. That had long been Loren’s reasoning.

“Well? Are you coming?”

She held out a hand to her mother. Her mother walked toward her, fear on her face. Loren understood; her mother had never been to another world, though she knew it was possible. But even when scared Renee Nellano faced her fears and kept going.

“Gentlemen? The worlds await.”

She was gone before he could stop her. But the opening remained. He looked at Barlaam and at Nalik. “Care to explain what—or who—that little creature was?”

“Loren Nellano. That’s what Jade and Becca call her.” Barlaam looked at the Taniss brothers. “Marshall? You ever met her?”

“I think so. She may have been wandering around at Becca’s graduation. She looked familiar. I may have seen her in Bec’s photos, or something. I’m afraid I don’t know much about her. I never met all of Becca’s friends. Jase might know more.”

“But first, we must get to her again. Before she wreaks havoc in my living room. What would happen if she just appears there with no warning?”

Jushua thought for a moment. “It probably wouldn’t be good. She already whacked me upside the head; she seems to be the kind to hit first, ask questions later.”

Barlaam laughed. “Yet Jade is probably in that living room. I doubt there will be much hitting today.”

“Still…” Nalik pointed to the dwindling portkey. “I’m curious about this. Shall we?” He stepped through with all the confidence of an all-powerful Laquazzeana.

Jushua followed. He had some serious questions. The witch needed to answer them.

**

She held her mother tightly, knowing the other woman was terrified out of her mind. But Renee Ramsey Nellano was also the bravest woman Loren had ever known. Her mom kicked ass, and didn’t bother taking names. She just kicked; especially where Loren was concerned.

There wasn’t anything her mother wouldn’t do for her, and Loren knew it.

When the ether around them cleared, Loren took one look around and laughed. Laughed so hard she almost fell over.

Sometimes the Fates really came through…

And then she stepped aside, because she knew the men they’d just left would be right behind them.

“Well. So here’s where the party’s been all along. And I must have missed the invite.”

The room was filled with people. Silent people.

Three that she recognized—Jade, Becca, and…Mara.

Her three closest friends. All in one place. Jade and Becca didn’t surprise her—Jade was Dardaptoan vampire and Becca Lupoiux werewolf—but Mara…

Loren had been concerned for her friend when Mara and her family had disappeared months ago. She’d known Mara was part Dardaptoan and had suspected Lupoiux, as well.

But Mara hadn’t known. And it wasn’t Loren’s place to tell her.

The sweet soul that her friend was would have to have been terrified and shocked when she found out. “Mara, thank the stars you are safe. I was worried.”

“Loren.” Jade was staring. “Loren. How did you get here? And where is—“

“Your husband will be along in a minute; he was right behind me.”

“Hello, Mrs. Nellano. It’s good to see you again.” Becca stood and hugged Loren’s mother. Becca had been Loren’s first college roommate. Her cousin Jade had been across the hall, with Mara. The four of them had been friends from their first day at the University of Colorado. They’d traded roommates off and on throughout the four years they’d spent in college, but always they were near each other. Other than her mother, she’d never been closer to anyone in this lifetime.

Like had drawn like, after all.

Loren’s mother had taken to putting Becca’s favorite cookies in the care package she’d sent to Loren once a week. She’d felt for Becca, knowing Becca’s mother had died when Becca was born.

Loren hadn’t had a father, and Becca hadn’t had a mother. And Jade had a father, but an absent mother. Mara’s father had been gone for years. They’d found common ground in each other. And had stuck together for four years.

They and her mother were all the family Loren had.

Tear welled up when she looked at Mara, the smallest and youngest of them all. She had been so worried, especially about Mara.

She’d told herself she shouldn’t have gotten attached. Eighty lifetimes of loss and grief for friends should have made a better impression. But that hadn’t mattered.

She’d still wondered what had happened to Mara. “Mara…”

Loren hugged her friend.

Next thing she knew they were all jumbled together, her, Mara, Jade, and Becca. They were laughing and crying and things started to feel right in her world again.

The sight that met his eyes was definitely not one he had expected.

Women everywhere and crying. Laughing. Hugging.

So…the little witchie had friends among the Dardaptoans. Interesting.