Page 14

CHAPTER 14

ZAIDE

A s soon as her eyes flickered open and she told me her vision, she immediately fell limp again, and my heart lurched. I quickly carried my Little Cat from the bathroom to Charlie’s bedroom, where Baelen and I had been sleeping for the past two nights.

She was exhausted. Her eyes were swollen red with deep shadows underneath them, and her head bled from the cut made by the tile as she fell face-first into the floor.

As I placed her on the bed, I healed her threads back to a healthy green. Despite seeing the wound on her head mend, my brows tightened with worry for her as I stroked back the strands of hair littering her face.

I may have spent years seeing the toll visions took out on Daithi, but watching Clawdia was different. She was my soul pair. She’d fixed the chasm in my soul by reuniting with me and offered me a future beyond anything I could dare to dream of. She loved me beyond all reason.

Seeing her suffering hurts more because I love her so much more.

Our relationship was built on strife and struggle as we navigated challenge after challenge, but this seemed to be making her more beaten and scared. She was even more powerful, but with no knowledge on how to properly use those powers. She handled decisions that went against her healing nature, and now she was even more tortured by being forced to have visions of a man who frightened her to death.

Even my forefathers, the titans of old, would have struggled with her power, and they were not born human or so entangled in this fated web.

She muttered in her sleep and rolled away from me as I tucked her in and prayed her sleep was peaceful. For her sake, I begged my gods that no more visions haunted her, that no one disturbed her by pulling her into a dreamscape, and that her dreams were as tranquil as a still lake.

They might not help, but I hoped they could still hear me. Baelen’s fathers were dying, his mother was dying alongside them as their mate, but they were still my gods. And they needed worship to survive.

If we can save the titans, if we can rebuild them and give them faith in their gods again, then perhaps we could save my gods and save Clawdia from this fate.

It was a problem to reflect on another day.

I placed a soft kiss on her forehead, then dressed quickly before hurrying to the house next door. Isaac let me in and followed, grim-faced and silent, as I charged through the living space and kitchen, into Winnie’s pink and purple witch room. Everyone looked up and stopped when they saw me. Arabella and Elizabeth were pouring over a book, Charlie and Lydia were glaring at each other over a potion and a sheet of paper, and Alcor lurked in a corner.

Omaira was missing from the room, but I didn’t have time to waste.

“Zaide, what—” Charlie started, his annoyance morphing to worry as he took in my face.

“Clawdia had a vision. She couldn’t tell if it was the present or the future. Fafnir captured and tortured a task team witch. She informed him of Clawdia’s visions, our powers, and our plans.”

“Goddess,” Arabella gasped and immediately pulled out her phone. “Head count,” she demanded when someone answered.

“Is Clawdia all right?” Charlie asked quietly as he approached while Issac went to comfort his lover with a hand to her lower back as she listened intently to her team.

“Shaken. Sleeping now,” I replied. He nodded but mirrored my concern.

Arabella looked drawn when she hung up the phone. “Sarah is missing. Only for an hour now. They didn’t call because they thought she’d be back any moment now.”

Charlie ran his hands through his hair. “Fuck. What are we going to do?”

“Did Clawdia see where she was being held?” Arabella asked, her eyes hopeful.

I shook my head. “Nothing that could help us with identifying it.”

“She could portal there, though, right?” Arabella asked.

“She’s sleeping.” It was a weak excuse, but I didn’t want her facing the reality of her vision when it frightened her so much.

Arabella’s features hardened, and she shook her head fiercely. “I can’t lose another witch in my team. This monster has done enough damage already, killing Rose and now taking Sarah … I won’t leave her to die. I don’t care if Clawdia’s sleeping. Wake her and get her to portal us there.”

Both Charlie and I bristled at her tone, but I replied calmly, “Portaling straight into the room with a male who has nothing to lose and dark magic we can’t counter is foolhardy. He could drain us within seconds.”

Charlie added, “If the vision is of the future, we don’t know how far away it happens. We could portal into an empty room.”

She clenched her hands into fists, but didn’t reply. She knew I was right. We didn’t know what kind of danger Fafnir was and even though he was without a dragon, we couldn’t afford to underestimate him.

A male who has lied, manipulated, died, and been reborn did not just fail at the first hurdle. He had more to his plan than we knew. Of that I was certain.

“We have to do something,” Arabella whispered. “She is missing. The present is becoming the future right now. Your priority might not be saving Sarah, but surely you don’t want her to inform Fafnir about Clawdia’s powers.”

I glared, but before I could reply, Elizabeth interjected, “It’s in all of our best interests to stop Sarah from saying anything. Perhaps we can find a spell to prevent her from talking. That might give us more time to plan a way to save her.”

“Or it will just enrage Fafnir enough to kill her faster.”

Elizabeth sighed deeply. “I understand your desire to rescue the witch, Arabella. No one wants to see their friend and team member die to this beast, but not all of us will survive this battle. Some have already perished to our cause, and we cannot risk doing something so hasty as charging in to save one person.”

“Maybe we can,” Charlie muttered, his brows drawn together in thought as he rubbed his lips.

“Pardon?” To hear him side with Arabella shocked me, especially when it put Clawdia and us in danger.

Charlie gave me an apologetic shrug. “If we surprised Fafnir, we could save her. We can kill him using titan threads just as quickly as he could drain us, only we would have the advantage of a surprise.

“We don’t know how far in the future Clawdia’s vision was, but keeping the visions a secret gives us extra leverage, so I think we should try to save the witch. If she hasn’t already told him anything, then he won’t be expecting a surprise. We can rush in, overwhelm him, hopefully kill him, save the witch, and pat ourselves on the back for a job well done.”

Elizabeth frowned. “But if he knows of your powers, he may already have found a way to ward against them. The building he’s keeping Sarah in might be warded against portals.”

He shrugged again. “Then there’s no harm in trying.”

“You are being entirely too optimistic.”

“Are you sure?” I muttered.

Having been through so much with Charlie, becoming a family together, I trusted him to do what was right for us all. His instincts for finding things were almost as powerful as fate.

However, we charged in without a plan to save Savida, and Clawdia ended up dead. The only difference would be that her death would end all of us.

Watching my new family die along with me would only be comforted by the thought that I wouldn’t have to live a day without them.

Charlie squared his shoulders. “We’ve got to take chances. He’s still here, living and killing, because we’ve been too hesitant. I’m doing this thing where I trust my gut, and I think throwing caution to the wind is our best move right now. Plus, if we have Clawdia with us, she can warn us if we are in danger. She might have a vision about it right now.”

His resolve was admirable, but his faith in Clawdia’s visions concerned me. Clawdia was still learning how to correctly read her visions, how to bring them forth, how to stop them from happening, and how to see the possibilities. It would take time for her to really use them as the powers intended. She was not ready for the responsibility of ensuring everyone survived a hurried plan.

“I’m not sure this is wise,” Elizabeth muttered.

“Then don’t come.” Charlie looked at me and instructed, “Wake her up and tell her to open a portal straight there. We’ll be there in a second.”

I raced back to Charlie’s home, loath to wake her since I knew how much she needed her sleep, but gently shook her awake.

“Little Cat, you must wake up,” I whispered.

“What is it? What happened?” She gasped and sat up. “My vision. Did it happen? Is she?—”

“We are planning to rescue the witch. Can you make a portal to the room?”

She blinked and licked her lips. “I can try.”

Against Charlie’s wishes, I stuttered, “I … I do not think it's best if you come with us. You need only open the portal and then leave the rest to us and go back to bed.”

“What?” Her eyes widened, and then I could feel her reaching for our bond, searching for my emotions so she could understand. I let her feel it, my fear, my worry, my desire to protect her.

“Little Cat, you are exhausted. You’ve just had a vision and are under a lot of stress…”

“I’ll only worry if I don’t come with you. I won’t rest.” She shook her head and climbed out of bed. “Besides, what if I see something? How would I warn you?—”

I stood with her, then tapped her head gently. “We have all the tools we need to succeed, Clawdia. I just want to see you safe.”

Her eyes softened. “And I want to see you safe. I’m tired of being separated from my bonds, tired of being under threat. I will not sit here and wait for you. I’m coming.”

I sighed and cupped her face. As she could feel me, I could feel her, and she, like Charlie, was determined to end this battle … soon. I gave in to her all too easily.

“ All right, Little Cat. If that’s what you wish.”

She pressed her soft lips to mine in a tender kiss I hadn’t known I needed. For a moment, there was nothing but peace.

And then the door slammed, and I heard Charlie charging up the stairs.

Clawdia pulled away with a gentle smile as the door opened and Charlie, Arabella, Alcor, and Isaac poured into the room.

“What’s all the commotion?” Savida asked, peeking blearily from his door, his flame-red hair rumbled.

“We’re going to rescue a witch and kill Fafnir,” Charlie announced as Clawdia created the portal against the bedroom windows.

“A busy afternoon, then. Stay safe,” Savida called as we rushed into the darkness beyond the blue swirl of the portal and immediately halted.

A low moan sounded from somewhere. The dim purple light given off from my scars revealed the witch curled in the corner. The air was stale, thick with the scent of dust, sweat, and blood.

It turned my stomach as flashes of my slavery and my most recent capture jolted my mind like a shock rod. Charlie brushed his hands along the wall, and suddenly, a bulb hanging low in the middle of the room lit up.

Arabella gasped and pushed past us to collapse at the witch’s side, her hands hovering over the broken and battered skin of her team member.

“Sarah, oh my Goddess, are you all right?” Arabella whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Sarah sobbed. “I told... him everything.”

My spirits sank. We are too late. Then frustration boiled my blood. Why did Arabella feel it necessary to share our powers with her team? This could have been avoided if she had simply stayed silent on the matter.

But it wasn’t the time to argue with her.

Arabella assured her witch. “We’ll deal with that later. I’m just glad you are alive.”

Clawdia kneeled by the witch, and suddenly all the torn skin repaired itself. Her broken bones realigned and fixed while the bleeding stopped. In moments, she turned from an unrecognizable ball of meat to a tired and scared human. It never stopped amazing me how much power we had and how we could use it for the good of others.

“Do you know where he is now?” Clawdia asked.

“He said ... he’d be back … to finish me … later,” Sarah quivered with fear, and I could feel the sympathy pouring from Clawdia as she stroked her arm.

“We’ve got you know. You’re safe,” she whispered.

“Let’s get her back now,” Arabella said, firmly gripping her teammate’s arm to throw over her shoulder and pull her to her feet.

The witch shook her bloodied hair. “The room is spell proof. You might not be able to portal out.”

Clawdia threw out her hand to make a portal, but no blue light appeared. My hands clenched as the consequences of us being trapped here, of Fafnir finding us here, flooded my mind in vivid disastrous images.

“Fuck,” Charlie cursed and rubbed his head.

The witch whimpered again, and Clawdia tried to assure her. Her gaze locked on Charlie and me. “It’s okay. We won’t let him hurt you. He doesn’t know we’re here, and we can overwhelm him, right?”

Isaac sighed. “I hate to be that person, but if he had the forethought to ward the room to prevent magic, then he might have warded it to tell him about anyone who portals in.”

Which meant he could return at any moment to find us. We need to leave now.

“We are six powerful supernatural and otherworld beings. We will not be captured so easily. Not again,” I growled, my fear of capture driving me. My hands ran over the rough stone walls, searching, pressing, feeling for anything that wasn’t solid.

“If we can find where he has hidden the ward, we could break it and portal…” Arabella said, and I was vaguely aware as she, Isaac, and Alcor began their own hunt around the room.

“What are you doing?” Charlie asked in a low voice.

“Looking for a door.”

He turned and examined the walls before pointing. “Over there.”

Trusting him and his ability to find whatever he looks for, I moved and pressed my palm flat against the wall, feeling the coolness of the stone and the shift in the airflow through the edges that didn’t quite align with the others. A hidden door.

“It’s here,” I said quietly.

“We can’t use magic…” Arabella began.

“Zaide, can you try punching it?” Charlie interrupted.

“Kicking would be more effective,” I replied as I tapped the stone.

“I’ll take your word for it.” He smiled, then waved at Alcor. “Alcor, you’re a big demon beast. Come, use your muscles.”

A growl rumbled in my chest as I stepped back and rolled my shoulders, feeling the tension coil in my muscles. I kicked, driving my heel into the part of the door where I assumed the lock would be. A deep, echoing crack reverberated through the walls, dust trickling from the seams.

As I retracted my foot, Alcor kicked just as I did and caused the same cracking. We traded and kicked again harder until pain lanced up my leg and the dust made our eyes water. Each failed attempt made us more desperate. The noise and the shaking couldn’t go unnoticed for long.

I wasn’t sure how long or how many kicks it took, but when we were both sweating and tiring, something gave.

A deep, splintering groan shuddered through the wall as the stone shifted, loosened, then broke. The door caved outward, opening to a dark passageway.

For a moment, we did nothing but catch our breath and wait.

Then Charlie let out a sigh of relief. “Remind me not to piss you two off.”

“How did you know that would work?” Arabella asked Charlie as she curled her arm around her still-shaking witch.

He shrugged. “Everyone with special powers forgets the basic rules. Magic isn’t always needed, and giant supernaturals can always break things.”

“Dibs not going first,” Isaac said quickly.

Charlie coughed but clearly said, “Coward.”

“I’ll go,” Clawdia said, and before I could stop her, she shifted to her familiar form and raced out of the room, leaving a pile of clothes in her wake.

“Clawdia,” I hissed, and Charlie and I immediately set off after her.

The dust tickled my throat, but I refused to cough. We walked as quickly and quietly as possible, Clawdia’s white fur leading us like a beacon up wooden stairs to a door. She looked up as we approached, and I picked her up, growling, “Don’t run off without us, Little Cat.”

Charlie opened the door and peered out. “Doesn’t look like anyone’s here. Put her down, and she can tell the others to come out.”

I placed her back on the ground, and she raced back down the stairs as we walked into … a kitchen?

“This place is nice. Definitely doesn’t suggest there’s a dungeon in the basement,” Charlie muttered as he strolled around the room.

“What are you doing, Charlie?” I whispered, looking around wide-eyed and listening for others. “Let us create a portal and leave.”

“I want to have a look around,” Charlie said. “Maybe there’s something outside of this room that can tell us more about where Fafnir’s hiding, what he’s planning, where my family are. Dralie and I have a bone to pick with him.”

I frowned. We all wanted Fafnir dead, but what did Dralie have against him? Was it just that the green dragon chased him?

Clawdia, human and dressed, came back through the door, and her eyes widened. “This is the house where your defected family are staying. This is where I saw the vision of him raising Mary’s ghost and announcing revenge.”

“Really…” Charlie drawled as he headed into the living area, Clawdia following him. “Where are the others?”

“I sent them back through a portal. Sarah was shaking so much she wouldn’t make it up the stairs,” I heard her say as I hovered in the kitchen, looking through a book on the counter. It seemed like a magic book. “There’s the knife Mary made for him. Don’t look at it. It’s hypnotic.”

My blood seemed to freeze in my body when I heard another voice shout, “Stop where you are, thieves!”

“Thieves? We haven’t taken anything,” Clawdia said, outrage clear in her voice.

“Not yet,” the voice scoffed.

Still holding the book, I walked slowly, quietly, into the living space to see the back of the witch holding Clawdia and Charlie in a magical cage. Clawdia’s gaze flickered to mine, and I sent her reassurance through our bond.

Charlie’s gaze didn’t move from the witch. He smiled. “Hi, June. Nice to meet you. How are you? Did you know there was a torture chamber downstairs?”

“How do you know who I am?” She glared. “Who are you?”

Taking a calming breath, I decided against hitting the witch in case I damaged her too much. Instead, I concentrated on the overall green threads wrapped around her body and tried to focus on her head.

As I did, more thinner and varied threads appeared. They were all green, healthy, but I imagined the threads turning white, and as I expected, June collapsed, hitting the floor with a thud and freeing Charlie and Clawdia from the cage.

“Is she dead?” Charlie asked, kneeling to feel her pulse.

“No, just asleep.”

Clawdia gaped at me. “How did you do that? You didn’t touch her.”

“While on my run, I reflected on how you described the difference between the kind of visions you are having, and I believe there are ways of being more specific with our own gift too.

“Rather than just pulling up or down on the ladder of health, I considered whether we can look more closely at the threads around specific parts of the body and affect those directly. At the moment, we are just turning the overall thread red or green and hoping for the best, but we can focus down, so I looked for her mind and attempted to turn it off without harm. White seems to be the color of mind threads when they sleep.”

“When did you see that?” Clawdia asked, her eyes wide.

I shrugged. “When I began experimenting on my run, I came across a couple napping in the park. The threads around their mind were white. I simply attempted to do the same to this witch.”

“Zaide, that’s genius. I can’t wait to see what else we can do with this!” Clawdia exclaimed, a smile lighting up her face which almost blinded me.

Charlie barked a laugh. “Such a peacekeeping golden giant.”

“You learned that while on a run…” She shook her head and squeezed my hand. “You’re incredible.”

“Yes, yes, he’s brilliant and amazing, and we really should get out of here before Fafnir and the other witches come back.” Charlie picked up the witch’s limp arm and then looked at me. “Give me a hand.”

Without thinking, I helped him pick her up, and she stood, limp and heavy between us, as Clawdia made yet another portal. My poor Little Cat must be getting tired.

“Wait. We’re taking her?” Clawdia asked when she looked back at us.

Charlie smiled widely. “Yes. They took one of ours. We’ll take one back. I’m sure Elizabeth will be thrilled to see her cousin again.”