L ogan was covered in dirt, and bits of the forest clung to her.
With the door closed behind us, I ushered her into the bathroom and filled up the tub, brushing the leaves, pine needles, and the worst of the soil free.
I ignored the experience we’d just been through in order to get her settled.
I got her in the water and sat on the floor to comb her hair.
She didn’t say a word.
I stayed with her until the water cooled and eventually managed to convince her to climb out.
Logan slid into my arms, pressing the length of her damp body to mine. “I can’t believe someone killed her and left her there.”
I squeezed her tighter. “There’s a lot of evil running around in the world.”
“I hate it.” She sounded so tired.
“I know. You’re helping her get home. They’ll figure out who she is and her family will have closure.”
“Why couldn’t you and Seth see her? I thought cats can see ghosts.”
“Maybe she only wanted you to see her.”
Logan allowed me to put a fresh robe on her before I gathered her up to come into the living room. Seth already had a fire going to fill the room with warmth.
He turned toward us. “I’m thinking we’ll be okay with another night here. I didn’t go very far before that thing caught up to me, but we put some decent distance between us.”
“Are we going to run forever?” Logan asked.
“At least until we figure out what’s hunting us and how to kill it,” I replied.
She didn’t like that response. I could tell by the bristling tension of her body, but she bit her tongue.
“I need to see it again so I have a better idea of what the possibilities are.”
“Wait.” Seth’s eyes widened. “Again?”
“Yeah.” Logan seemed confused for a moment until she remembered. “Oh, right. You can’t see it.”
Seth turned to me. “How the fuck?”
I could only shrug. I hadn’t a clue why the hell Logan could see things we couldn’t.
“Is this a new thing or have you just never mentioned it before?” I asked.
“New. I don’t remember it ever happening in the past. Just since Seth popped up.”
I glared at my brother even though it was probably not his fault. Everything came back to him.
“Please don’t look at me like that,” he whispered. “I’d never hurt her.”
I bit back what I wanted to say. Intention was different from action. He hadn’t meant to hurt Rachel either. Logan set a soft hand on my chest and I let it soothe away my tension. Seth didn’t matter right now. She did.
Her stomach growled and I laughed quietly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “We should get you some food. It’s been a rough morning.”
“Food sounds amazing.”
Seth perked up. “I saw a nice-looking diner on our way in.”
“I like diners.” Logan leaned against me and I summoned up a purr to help her relax.
“Get yourself dressed,” I told her, though I had no clothes on either. “We’ll bring everything with us just in case. The last thing we want is to come back from breakfast and find that thing crawling all over this place with our stuff inside.”
We parted ways long enough to all get dressed for the day and get our supplies packed and loaded into the car.
It wasn’t until we sat down inside the diner that I realized how hungry I was.
Or how exhausted. We ordered enough food to feed an army and I gulped down some creamy coffee with extra sugar to ease the roar of my stomach while we waited.
Seth was eyeballing the sugar like he might pour it straight down his gullet to tame his hunger.
I was ready to chew my own arm off by the time the server returned.
A whole pancake disappeared in three bites without even the benefit of syrup.
I washed it down with coffee and sat for a moment as the spongy sweetness tempered some of the growls.
We polished off the breakfast platters so quickly the server’s eyes widened when she returned to top up our coffees.
My phone pinged, a notification from the forums popping up. Hope inflated a bubble in my chest. I pulled up the thread and read the reply.
My bestie is an omega witch and she said it sounds kind of like something they’ve been having problems with. They lost six of their coven in an attack a few months ago and haven’t been back together since. It drained their magic. They died before anything could be done.
Revulsion turned my gut. I read it over again. I didn’t personally know any witches. Logan was a practitioner, but she was a religious witch, not the kind this person was talking about.
I turned to Seth. Know any omega witches?
Don’t think so. Why?
I passed my phone to Logan and she clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh gods.” She took a shaky sip of her coffee.
I’d explained the difference between religious witches and omega witches to her before.
Omegas of all species wielded more magic than alphas and betas, though no one was quite sure why, and like shifters, witches were born with a core of magic.
It let them influence their bodies and the world around them if they mastered their skills.
Humans had adopted the term and applied it to their limited capacity for magic and their spirituality.
I stared at the text, willing it to give me more answers. Why was this thing following us if it hunted witches? Maybe it hunted anything with magic? We were so small in number compared to the humans. We couldn’t afford to lose entire groups or we’d face extinction.
I chewed my lip, trying to formulate some semblance of a plan.
I wrote back and asked for a list of a few nest locations in case we got desperate.
We couldn’t run forever. Eventually our supplies of money would deplete while we were paying for the gas, hotels, and food without being able to replenish our accounts.
If this thing was targeting anyone with magic, then someone had to figure out how to destroy it.
Would Logan be safer if she wasn’t with us? She was human, and if this creature wanted to eat our magic, maybe we should circle back, drop her off. Seth and I could disappear. The idea choked me. I didn’t want to leave her, but I would if it meant she was safe…
I’d never forgive myself if she died because of me.
“What’s going on in that head?” Logan asked, leaning against my arm.
It wants magic. It wants us. You don’t have to run.
Her face pinched. “The fuck I don’t. I’m not leaving you.”
“You don’t need to be in danger.”
Logan was nothing if not stubborn, and I knew the idea of abandoning us chafed her as much as leaving her bothered me.
“Don’t you fucking dare make me break down in a diner.” She sniffed back tears.
I didn’t push the issue until we were out in the car. “I don’t want to separate but I also don’t want you dead.”
She looked ready to punch me. “You can’t even see this thing. You need me.”
“She’s got a point,” said Seth.
“Shut up, Seth.” I focused on Logan. “I need you safe.”
“If you think for one fucking second I’d ever forgive myself if that thing got you because you couldn’t see it coming…” She hiccuped and wrapped her arms around herself. I reached for her, but she pulled away. “Don’t touch me.”
Guilt tore through me. I’m sorry .
She closed her eyes and curled up in her seat, looking out the window instead of at me.
“Logan, please , ” I whispered.
She didn’t respond, but at least Seth didn’t add his two cents. I hated the tension. I drove us to the cabin and we went inside in silence. Logan diverted to the patio, rolled up her pants and stuck her feet in the hot tub.
I gave her some space and stayed in the main room, sitting by Seth as he got the fireplace going again. It wasn’t necessary, but it added to the ambience.
I don’t want to lose her .
Seth looked over to me, mouth dropped open in shock, but then I didn’t suppose he expected me to open up to him about all of this.
I get why you’re worried. Lo’s a lot feistier than Rachel, though.
I sighed and shoved my hands through my hair. Rachel was a witch and she still didn’t make it. Feist doesn’t help much with a monster that’s sucking people dry.
Just…don’t push her away. We’ll keep her safe. Better to let her go on her own terms if she gets tired of running.
I stared at my brother. My chest ached.
He closed the grate on the fireplace and sat down across from me. I would take back everything that happened with Rachel if I could .
For all that I’d been furious with him over what happened, I wasn’t all that clear on the details. What did happen with Rachel?
Seth raised an eyebrow.
I know what happened physically, but I don’t know why.
I always saw what you two had and wanted it for myself, but I didn’t want to leave you to go find it. I pretty much had a crush on her from the second she came into the picture and the more time I spent with her, the more I wanted her.
I wasn’t overly comforted by the idea that he’d gone after my mate because of her proximity.
Seth had only been fifteen when I’d gotten involved with Rachel, and I couldn’t fault him for having a teenage crush, but he’d been an adult when everything went down.
She’d been old enough to know better, but it was difficult to be angry with a ghost.
Seth fidgeted uncomfortably. She told me she wanted out but was too chickenshit to say it to your face. I don’t think she really wanted me , he continued. I think I was an opportunity to her. She bounced less than a month after we left.
She’d been afraid to talk to me? The knowledge made me sick. If she’d felt safer, she wouldn’t have needed an opportunity.
I swallowed hard. The person I’d been in my younger years wasn’t as in control as the one I was today. I’d never have hurt her, but who knew how she’d felt around me back then. Guilt and disgust at myself filled me up to bursting.
I failed her.
Seth cringed. We both did. But it’s not like she was the paragon of communication and great choices, either. I have no idea how she died .
I had no idea either. All I knew was that she was gone. I’d felt the snap of our bond and there was only one reason it would have broken.
I had to do things right this time. Logan had no problem telling me off when she needed to, so I’d improved in that regard, but I couldn’t let her die because of her own stubbornness.
Seth stared at his hands, examining his cuticles with unnecessary attention. I don’t know if I’d be strong enough to send Lo away if she were mine .
Seth’s words had me laser-focusing on him.
I’d die to protect her, even when she’s yours, he said. I won’t let anything hurt her or you . I owe you that much.
I swallowed the sudden rise of emotion. My throat was thick and I knew if I tried to speak, the words would lodge themselves there. Thank you. But I don’t want you to die either.
Seth’s expression was soft. I craved more than ever for things to be how they’d been in the past. We’d been so close. We hadn’t had anyone else in the world but each other, and I missed it. I almost reached out to him, to bridge the gap, but I was too much of a coward.
His face fell.
I wanted to be brave enough to repair things, to set aside the agony that still smoldered deep in my gut. Maybe I was finally strong enough for that.
Table of Contents
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- Page 20 (Reading here)
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