Page 36

I wasn’t sure how long we all lay there on the forest floor.

My skin still buzzed from the impact of Logan’s power surge.

I curled tighter around her. Seth had fallen asleep with his face pressed against her sternum.

It was all more relaxing than it had any right to be.

I’d have thought the forest would put me on edge, but I was too damn content.

I kept a halfhearted watch as Logan and Seth slept, too sated to be on high alert.

Twilight washed over the forest, and before night fully claimed its domain, Logan finally stirred.

“I feel like I’ve been run over.” She groaned and stretched, rousing Seth with her movements.

He blinked sleepily. “What’s happening?”

“We should get back,” I said. “Hopefully Melinda hasn’t left already.”

I rose gingerly and gathered up Logan’s clothes. She was limp as a cooked noodle as I helped her dress before scooping her into my arms, bridal style. “Seth, I don’t know the exact way out. Can you shift and lead us?”

He shimmied out of the rest of his clothes and dropped the bundle of them into Logan’s lap before melting down to his panther form. Seth sniffed around and wrapped his tail around my leg.

This way.

I followed him on the walk to the shop. It seemed like it took a lot longer to leave than it had to get to the clearing, but we’d had the benefit of sunlight on the journey in.

The lights were still on in Melinda’s apartment above the shop when we broke through the edge of the forest. Seth climbed the stairs ahead of us and whacked his paw on the glass.

The door swung open and Melinda popped her head out. “Oh, well done. Not a single one of you was incinerated! Come in.”

The three of us ventured inside and Melinda had two suitcases standing ready at the door.

“You left us out there thinking one of us would die?” I asked, hackles rising.

“I’m not your babysitter, panther. I never agreed to teach anyone anything about their magic.

I gave her the most basic tool and the rest is up to her.

You have a chance of survival now. If I’d left her locked down, you’d be dead within a month.

” Melinda crossed her arms. “If you haven’t noticed, I have to get my ass out of Dodge because of you three.

Shut down my business, flee the fucking country, because you’re bringing a magic eater here.

So, fuck you very much. I didn’t have to help you at all. ”

She’s got a point . Seth sat at my feet.

“Rest here if you need to before you go, but I’m heading to the airport in less than an hour.” Melinda closed the patio door behind us and sat in her chair.

Logan squirmed and I let her down, keeping a steadying hand on her waist.

“Not a fan of your methods,” said Logan, “but thank you for helping us. I’m sorry we’re causing you trouble.”

Melinda softened. “It would have wandered here eventually. At least now I have a heads-up to get out.” Something flickered in her gaze and Melinda fished out her phone, tapping away before turning the screen to Logan. “I’m supposed to show you this.”

“Oh my gods! They found out who she is.” Logan grabbed the phone and showed me. “Virginia Burke. She went missing in 1972. Her remaining family members are going to have a funeral and bury her in the family plot when everything settles down.”

“Why am I supposed to tell you about a missing person from 1972?” Melinda asked.

“We found her body in the Appalachians. Her spirit led us,” said Logan.

“Interesting. Mediumship is usually one of the first gifts that manifests with a lot of us.”

“Is it?”

Melinda shook her head in exasperation. “Precious girl, you have so much to learn. Were a monster not on your tail I would try to help more, but there isn’t time for this.”

I pushed down a hiss. Melinda might be useful, but that didn’t mean I liked her. I kept a protective arm around Logan, not wanting to get too comfortable here again.

Melinda dragged a card out of an ancient Rolodex sitting on a crowded desk.

She passed it over to Logan. “You should try to meet up with Anya. She’s something of a record keeper for our kind.

If anyone can help you sort out what line you’re from, she can.

The book I’m leaving you will have some answers, but not all.

My ancestor obviously didn’t know every witch and certainly wouldn’t have had access to information about every line. ”

“Oh, thank you.” Logan tucked the card into her pocket.

“No problem. Now, all of you, get out. I’m getting on the road.”

Melinda led us down and out of her shop. We parted ways, and I made sure Logan was safe in the passenger seat with Melinda’s book before climbing into the driver’s seat. Seth sprawled in the back.

“Is everyone okay?” I asked. Surveying them both properly to assure myself they were at least physically fine, I waited for them to respond. Both nodded. My body felt heavy, like I could lie down and sleep for a year. The cabin and that amazing king-sized bed were calling my name.

In the quiet of the drive, my thoughts turned to the forest. My girlfriend and my brother had fucked.

She’d asked for it and I’d allowed it. It wasn’t all the ways they could have, but the barriers were crashing down and I couldn’t figure out why the hell it didn’t bother me more.

Melinda had been pretty damn insistent that I get used to the idea of sharing, but I’d been creeping closer to accepting it ever since Seth had turned up on our doorstep.

It was fast, sure, but considering the last few days felt like a lifetime, it didn’t feel fast. It was closer to feeling like it had always been this way.

Logan wanted him and I’d never been good at denying her what she wanted. As long as I got to keep her, that was all that truly mattered to me.

Logan set a hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

I picked up her fingers and brought them to my mouth, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles as an answer.

We arrived after what felt like hours, but the clock insisted it was only half an hour later. Naturally I was the one Logan came to once we were inside and settled. I wanted her to come to me, to be the one she always chose first, but I knew what the stoop of my brother’s shoulders meant.

I hugged Logan tighter and stroked her cheek with my thumb. Go to Seth. His heart is a lot softer than he lets on. He’ll need some reassurance after today.

She blinked up at me, but slid out of my arms and walked over to wrap her arms around Seth, resting her cheek on his chest. The fact that he looked so surprised by the affection made my stomach twist. He held her so carefully, one palm on the back of her head, the other hand spread between her shoulder blades.

It hadn’t been hard to see he wanted her, but I knew him. It was more than that now. I hadn’t properly believed him when he’d said he’d do anything for her. I also knew Logan would deny them both if I gave the word. I could separate them with one request and she would give me that.

I couldn’t ask.

“You two go get ready for bed. I’ll be along in a bit.”

That surprised Seth even more and he looked at me like I’d grown a second head. It went against my most basic instinct to leave them alone together, but it was better for all of us if I got comfortable with it.

I wandered into the kitchen and checked through the cupboards, finding a small collection of teas. It was too late for coffee, so I settled on a cup of peppermint tea instead. I could give them the time it took me to drink it.

Had Seth been lonely in our years apart?

Should I have done better when he was younger?

I hadn’t been as good to him as I was to Logan, but I’d been young and not remotely prepared to be in charge of another person.

If someone dropped a two-year-old on me today, I still wouldn’t enjoy myself, but I felt a lot more equipped to deal with it.

I sighed. I always had the choice to rebuild, and if we were going to stare death in the eye, now was as good a time as any, even if part of that rebuilding was adjusting to Logan loving us both. I loved both of them, in different ways, but one didn’t diminish the other.

By the time I’d finished my tea, I was restless. I got ready for bed slowly. My limbs were heavy, my mind fuzzy, and my eyes burned with exhaustion. I should stay up and guard, but I was so fucking tired.

Logan was sound asleep when I stepped into the bedroom, tucked into Seth’s chest. His arms around her and his eyes were on me.

You okay? he asked.

Getting there .

I slipped in on the other side of Logan. She woke enough to reach behind her to tug me closer, humming contentedly as she pulled my arm around to press along her torso.

Thank you…for today . Seth’s gaze was nervous, almost pleading. For everything, really. I haven’t said it enough.

Don’t worry about it.

No. You don’t get it. I stayed away because you didn’t want me around and I tried to respect that, but I missed you so fucking much. I know we’re fleeing for our lives but I’m grateful , as stupid as that sounds. I didn’t think I’d ever get you back.

Guilt sat heavy in my gut. I’d been totally fine not having him around, beyond occasionally wishing things were different. I hadn’t given much thought to what Seth had wanted because I’d been pissed about Rachel and had never looked any deeper.

I’m sorry I held on to my anger for so long. We should have talked a hell of a lot sooner than we did. And I want to talk more, but I also need to sleep.

I stretched my hand under the pillows until it reached Seth. I left it there, gently touching his shoulder as I drifted to sleep.

The world warped and the forest erupted around me. Thick, verdant trees above me, mossy ground below me, and a giant moon hanging overhead that illuminated all of it with a silvery glow. It was eerily quiet, but didn’t feel particularly off-putting.

A woman with long, dark hair down to her feet and pale moon-kissed skin materialized out of the dim light of the forest. Hello, Caden .

Every hair stood on end. Her voice was intimately familiar. She smiled warmly and stepped closer.

Do you remember me? she asked.

I nodded, not quite able to form words as I stared at her. She reminded me of the ocean at night, where the moonlight slanted over the water like a shower of diamonds.

Danger is approaching. More than one direction holds risk. You must make hard choices soon, but help is near.

“How do I protect Logan?”

Sweet one, you are already doing everything you can. Make room for others to protect her by your side.

“Do you mean Seth?”

She smiled again, indulgently, as if I were a toddler hanging on her nonexistent skirts. No. Many are eager for a piece of Logan. Some you will have to enforce boundaries with for her, but others you must surrender to and trust her .

“I haven’t been as good at trusting her as I should.”

You trust her with your heart. That is most important. The rest of your concern comes from knowing how dangerous the world is. She will need you.

“I want to be strong enough to protect her.”

The woman glided across the moss and paused before me. You’ve done well to this point. I brought you to her for a reason. I knew that she could save you and that you could love her, that you would build a foundation strong enough to withstand the storm to come.

The weight of potential failure hung heavy on my shoulders. I wished I didn’t need anyone else to protect Logan. I wanted to keep her to myself, safe and loved, for the rest of her life. I’d keep her alive by any means necessary, even if it meant losing her, or giving up my life for hers.

The woman’s eyes flashed. Let us hope neither of those things are necessary. Go with grace.

She vanished and the world twisted again.

I jolted awake, into the dim pre-dawn glow, next to a sleeping Logan and Seth.

Logan rolled over. “What’s wrong?”

Seth stirred next to her, but instead of waking he only snuggled in deeper.

“Just a dream.” I forced myself to lie back down.

How fast was danger coming?

What else was dangerous?

Would it kill the gods to be less cryptic once in a gods-damned while?