I still cannot believe that Axel backed out of our challenge, Rica grumbled as they quickly shifted back and changed in the tent that they had just left a few minutes ago. I know. I’m sorry you didn’t get to show everyone just how awesome we are, Emily tried to console Rica since they had to meet with the witches to return their powers to them. It’s okay, Rica pouted. I think most of them saw how awesome we were the other day when the hunters attacked, she added with a grin. That’s true. We apparently put on quite the show that evening. We did. I will be glad to get some of these powers gone. With their true hosts here, they are becoming more defined. It is weird because I can sense that they are not you. It is almost like we have several other souls in here with me. It is starting to feel a little cramped. Really? I do not feel them separating out. It still just feels like one big mass, Emily said. She stopped for a moment before she opened the front of the tent to see i
In less than five minutes they had reached a small clearing in the woods where Agatha, her sister, and Breanna were standing with eight women that looked like they had just survived a very rough ordeal. All eight of the women looked very thin, tired, dirty, and several had visible marks and bruises. As soon as Emily saw the women and hopped out of the Jeep, she could feel the power in her rising. It felt like the power was surging forward to try to reunite with its owners. All of the women turned and looked at Emily as soon as she hopped out of the Jeep. In their looks Emily could see the longing and desperation that she had felt when Rica was gone. It was like they were looking to reclaim a piece of their soul. None of the women moved or said a word as they slowly approached. Gabriel kept Emily partially shielded behind him as they made their way to Agatha. “Agatha,” he said with a nod. “Does everything seem to be okay?” “Yes. We have already tested all of the women here. T
Wake up, wake up, Rica was begging nervously. Wake up before Conri and Gabriel kill that poor witch. What, Emily said groggily. Wake up! Conri and Gabriel think that witch did something to you. Agatha, Angela, and Breanna are having a hard time trying to convince them otherwise, Rica said quickly. Conri won’t even believe me since you won’t wake up. Crap! Emily thought as she opened her eyes and tried to sit up. “Look she is okay,” Breanna said pointing to Emily who was now sitting up by herself. “What is all of the fuss about,” Emily asked as she pulled some leaves and a small twig from her hair. Gabriel was by her side within seconds. “Did she hurt you,” he growled, looking his mate over for any injuries. “Who,” Emily asked, pretending not to know what was going on. “Her,” she asked, pointing to the brunette that was now standing behind Angela. “Yes,” Gabriel growled, helping his mate stand. “Did she hurt you? As soon as she grabbed your arm you passed out. Even Rica c
“So…let me get this straight,” Gabriel sighed. “We potentially have a great opportunity to be able to know the time, place, and everything with Rotterford’s attack, but we don’t actually know where this will take place. Did I get that right?” “Yes,” Alice admitted, lowering her eyes and fidgeting with the thin fabric of her dress. “I’m sorry.” Turning to Agatha, Gabriel asked, “Is there any way to get a message to Jenna or to contact her?” “I do not know,” Agatha admitted. “There are ways, but since I do not leave the valley, I would not be able to sense as well if Jenna is alone or if someone would be able to intercept a message.” “Can you think of anywhere that Jenna liked to go or ever mentioned that would look like a good place for us to prepare for an attack,” Breanna asked, trying to be helpful. She could see the frustration growing on Gabriel’s face. “No,” Gabriel practically growled. “We were never close. I spent most of my time trying to avoid her stalking.” Alice fl
“What do you mean you have been contacting Jenna,” Agatha asked suspiciously. “How do you even know her?” “I initially knew about her after talking with you,” Anglea said calmly. “Once she was no longer allowed in the valley…I was tasked with keeping tabs on her,” she said a little more reluctantly. “What do you mean you were tasked with keeping tabs on Jenna? Who told you to keep tabs on her,” Agatha questioned suspiciously. Sighing, Angela looked at her sister and admitted, “I have been working for the Witches Council for the last ten years or so.” “What,” Agatha exclaimed. “You know they would like nothing more than to get a hold of me and bind my abilities. How could you work for them?” “I know,” Angela said, slightly exasperated. “Why else do you think they have kind of backed off of you?” She raised her hand to stop whatever Agatha had been about to say and continued on. “The Council had been after me for a while and leaving you alone was one of my main conditions for ac
The next two days were almost a blur with everyone getting ready for the possible war. They were lucky that they had a time and a place, but no one knew for sure if Lord Rotterford had any hidden surprises. Wanting to be prepared for all possibilities took up a great deal of their time. Gabriel, Hunter, Agatha, and many others spent hours in the conference room looking at all possibilities and setups. Samuel, Axel, Emily, and many others spent the majority of their time training and finding more places for additional packs and warriors to stay. Over the last two days five more packs came to the valley to help, and Abraham and several of the alphas already there had an additional five hundred warriors arrive from their packs. Emily was forced to split her time three ways. She spent two hours each day learning basics with her powers and practicing transferring powers to others with Agatha and Breanna. She then spent two hours learning how to fight and train without Rica just in case
Emily stretched and enjoyed the quiet and comfort of their bed for a few more moments. Today is the day. Today she will face Lord Rotterford again. She felt a shiver travel down her spine at just the thought. Don’t worry. You have me now, Rica said, trying to offer some comfort. I know, Emily smiled gratefully. I am not scared of him per se, but I also just dread seeing him too. He has found a way to hurt so many people. There is something in him that just enjoys being cruel. Yes. He does get pleasure from being cruel, Rica agreed. He is even cruel to ordinary humans that work for him. Emily nodded her head in agreement. I hope no one gets hurt with this plan today. I know that he has been planning some of this for a while, but I still feel like if I never came then they wouldn’t be putting their lives on the line. Look at the ones that were hurt the other night trying to come to the valley with Abraham. You know this was coming either way, Rica said not wanting Emily to
After eating a quick breakfast, Emily went with Gabriel to the conference room to make sure that everyone knew their places and parts. None of the guards on watch over night reported any movement or anything seeming amiss. It really seemed like Lord Rotterford did not expect this to be a trap. Shifters that were stationed further out to scout did report that a large number of hunters had left Lord Rotterford’s property yesterday in four large convoys. The shifters could not report if Lord Rotterford had been in one of the groups that left yesterday. All of the convoys were stationed about twenty minutes from the meeting site and none of the hunters there had made any move yet. It was also reported that Jenna had been released yesterday morning and she had been steadily making her way to the spot where she was supposed to meet Gabriel and the others. She had a few hunters tailing her for a while, probably to make sure that she wasn’t making a run for it, but they had fallen back ear
“She’s waking up,” Emily heard a femine voice yelling right before she heard the pounding up feet and then her hand being held tightly. “Emily. Emily, can you hear me,” her mate asked in a trembling voice. The sound of his voice and the pain that was in it broke her heart. It took more energy than she would have ever thought, but Emily finally forced her eyes open. As soon as she could focus, she found her eyes locked with beautiful relief filled green ones. “Hi,” she managed to croak out with a small smile. “Hi beautiful,” Gabriel replied huskily as he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “How are you feeling?’ “Thirsty and tired for some reason. Rica said that I have been out for three weeks.” Gabriel helped Emily to sit up a little so that she could take a few sips from the cup of water that was pushed into his hand. “Yes. The wound hit you harder than anyone thought. Agatha thought that she had lost you for a moment, but Rica pulled you back. We just couldn’t get you to wa
I kind of figured we would have to do something like that. Do Gabriel and Conri know? Emily asked grimacing. Nope, Rica said. How much trouble are we going to be in for doing this?Loads. They might even kill us if we make it. Do you think that my grandmother would have suggested this if she thought we wouldn’t. No, but I also know that things can go bad quickly, Rica said hesitantly. Why are you so hesitant? Do you know something? I know a lot actually. There just isn’t anything that I can tell you right now. That was helpful. I know. All I can say is that we do need to survive. For Gabriel and Conri? And others…Rica said carefully. What others? I can’t say yet. Okay…so do you not want to save Agatha? I do want to save her, I just need you to be strong and to get us through this. Promise me. I promise. Should we tell Gabriel and Conri? I think we have to. They are going to have to give a lot of their energy to Agatha to heal us. Okay. Do you want to tell them? No.
“Angela, how are they,” Emily asked as soon as they made it back into the valley and then rushed to the hospital where all of the injured were receiving help. Emily was relieved to see that everyone that they passed at the hospital did indeed have minor injuries. “Not good,” Angela said, quickly swiping a tear from her cheek. “I can’t keep them in this state much longer, and as soon as they are no longer in this frozen state, they will quickly bleed out.” “Can’t I pull energy and give it to them to help them heal,” Emily asked sadly, as she looked at her grandmother and Agatha. Angela shook her head. “No, the bullets have done too much damage for them to recover from.” “Could we do surgery while they are frozen to repair the damage to give them a fighting chance,” Emily asked, refusing to give up. Angela sighed and slumped in a seat by Agatha’s bed. “Even frozen, the surgery would kill them. Rotterford knew what he was doing when he shot your grandmother. He missed her he
“You are right,” Emily’s uncle said, sighing heavily. “I know that saying ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘I was wrong’ will not fix the mistakes that I have made.” “Then what do you want? The only reason that you are not dead is because my mate was hearing you out,” Gabriel growled. “I wanted Emily to know the truth, and I think I just wanted to clear my conscience.” “You came all of this way so that you could have a clear conscience,” Emily asked skeptically. “And so that you could know the truth,” her uncle said with a small shrug. “I am dying, so if you decide to kill me it won’t matter,” he laughed bitterly. “That might be better than what is coming. I have cancer in case you were wondering.” “I can’t heal you,” Emily said quickly thinking her uncle was hoping that injuring Lord Rotterford and finally telling her the truth would make her help him. She felt bad thinking that, but she also knew that she had to try to help Agatha and her grandmother if possible. She couldn’t help her uncle t
“What do you mean,” Emily asked. “I have made a lot of bad decisions in my life. I know that I can never make what I have done to you right, but I can at least make sure that you are able to live the life that you have now.” “What have you done to me? Do you mean the part where you called me a whore for taking my chances with Lord Rotterford over you,” Emily cried as she pointed to the man that was still withering in pain on the ground. “Or do you mean, where you stole from myself and my parents and forced me out of my own home to pay your gambling debts?” Emily’s uncle looked pained as he admitted, “I have done way worse. I was the fool that told the hunters where they could find your mother. I was blinded by jealousy of my brother. I was hoping that I could make it look like he was the one that told them where she was that day then she would run to me for comfort.” “You wanted to have me killed so that my mom might turn to you for comfort? How could you even think that she woul
Emily wanted to close her eyes as she heard the gun fire, but she found that she couldn’t look away. Knowing that you are about to die is a funny thing. It is almost like time stands still. You have all of the time in the world to think about things, but in reality everything happens within seconds. Since Rica had tried to come forward when Jenna first placed the spell on them, Emily’s eyesight was much sharper. She could see every detail of the bullet as it came barreling toward her, but at the same time her mind took this opportunity to think about all of the things that she would regret. Emily hated the fact that she and Gabriel and Rica and Conri never really got a chance to enjoy each other. Hopefully they know how much they love them. Emily also hated the fact that she couldn’t save her grandmother. She had only come out of hiding after all of these years because of her. Just as the bullet was about to reach her, Emily heard another shot fired. Her eyes changed focus just in
“What in the world is that,” Emily asked. She didn’t realize that she had spoken aloud till Gabriel answered her. “I’m not sure what Rotterford has planned. I think that I hear something metallic mixed in with the sound of the trees moving, snapping, and falling.” “I hear it too,” Hunter replied, taking a step forward. “I don’t suppose that giants are real,” Emily asked, only half joking as she watched more trees shake and then give way to whatever was making their way toward them. “They are real,” Gabriel said, “but this doesn’t sound like a giant. If it was a giant you would know it.” “What do you mean by that,” Emily asked. “Giants are old,” Agatha said. “They are elementals. They are made of rock, water, and ice. If one of them moved you would know. When the ones made of rock move it makes the news because they have either caused an earthquake or a landslide.” “Oh,” Emily said as she felt the ground vibrating under them. I still think it could be a giant. It’s not, Ric
“Remember our deal,” Lord Rotterford said as Jenna fought to not roll her eyes while looking into the two-way mirror that he had given her to use to communicate with her during her trip to meet with Gabriel and the others. . “I remember,” Jenna said, trying to mask the frustration on her face and while trying to add a little tremor to her voice. “I know that my life depends on this.” “If you cross me, I will make sure that you die a very slow and painful death,” Lord Rotterford growled out one last time as they disappeared from sight. With a quick scream of frustration, Jenna threw the mirror at a tree and watched happily as it shattered. Hopefully she would get an additional seven years of bad luck for breaking that mirror, she thought ruefully. Rotterford threatening her with a slow painful death was a joke. He must not realize that she already wished that she could die. The only thing that kept her going was thoughts of Alice. She couldn't lert Alice down. If she didn’t help
An hour later everyone had made it to their assigned locations as far as Emily knew. She was waiting with Gabriel, Hunter, Agatha, and the rest of their core group. Always worried about an attack Gabriel was making sure to keep Emily blocked by him, Hunter, Samuel, and Axel, but they were also trying to keep it from looking obvious at the same time. Emily and Rica tried not to roll their eyes at the guys worrying about protecting them. She also knew that there were warriors all around them even though she could not see them. A few of the witches like Breanna, Agatha, and others could aparate warriors as needed, but due to the numbers needed, Gabriel and the others decided to find another way to have warriors able to be in multiple locations unseen. The solution that they found was a small charm that would allow the warriors to be invisible for up to four hours. This time frame allowed enough of the warriors to be set up and prepared if the hunters attack. The rest of the warriors wer