Chapter Fourteen
Luke and Fergus knew energy would be vital for any oncoming attacks. They needed proper sleep, but they were too anxious for it. Being the alphas and undoubtedly the strongest of their packs, they decided to take turns with their patrol shifts and to call for backup only when the actual attack happened. Luke ordered Kevin to return to Nina, and he did so without question.
Samuel approached the alphas. “You two should cut yourselves some slack.”
“We can’t,” sighed Fergus. “To be honest, we’re too nervous to do so. We were too careless yesterday with Kaia.”
“That was the Council’s fault and responsibility. We handled it, and we’ll make up for it,” Samuel stated. “But we need you at the forefront in stable conditions to back us up.”
Luke knew he should trust the Council, but he had a hard time trusting anyone after what took place with Kaia. He also knew that Samuel was right about getting rest. Maybe if they went to their mates, they could calm them down and cuddle them straight to sleep. He ached for Cassie, like always when away from her. He ached for his cub and regretted every moment away from him. He ached for the time when all was well and peaceful.
He reminisced about the first time he’d met Cassie, wishing to go back in time and live it all over again. It wasn’t the easiest of times then, either, but it wasn’t as bad as what he and his comrades had to face right now.
Fergus patted Luke on the shoulder and pulled him along.
“Samuel is right,” Fergus said, “and don’t tell me you don’t need Cassie right now.”
“Yeah, I know,” he breathed. His chest felt heavy with unsolicited guilt and wariness. He was too anxious. Everyone was. This was too much for them to properly cope with yet. In all his years of being rogue, then alpha, he never had to face anything as difficult. This brought a new kind of strain upon everyone.
They alphas headed off to their mates. When Luke entered his given room, the sight of Cassie was enough to take away ten years of aging from his body.
She was sleeping in the most ridiculous way, but it was endearing. To see some childishness return to her warmed his heart. It made his heat swell that his love was the reason she had become this way. He dedicated his life and work so that she could experience some normality to life and heal her battered soul from the years of abuse and running.
She was lying on her back, top half hanging upside down from the edge of the bed, mouth open and drool running to her forehead. Her hair was open and a tangled mess on the carpet. And, goodness, he didn’t know she could snore like that. He chuckled and went over to her, wondering how on Earth she even found comfort in such a position.
Lifting her up by her shoulders, he proceeded to turn her body toward the pillows. She woke up with a snort, and Luke laughed as she squinted her eyes awake.
“You’re disgusting,” he laughed endearingly.
“You drool right into my hair every night, so please,” she said haughtily and opened her arms. Luke buried his head into her neck and lay against her, and she closed her arms around his shoulders, rubbing his back and arm. He sighed and melted into her hold, wrapping his arms under her back and hugging her close, placing soft kisses on her neck. Cassie giggled and he lightly bit her collarbone, licking to soothe the place. She sighed in content and placed a gentle kiss on his temple. This was all it took to calm his uneasy heart and lighten his chest. Simple intimacy. He was a wild one mostly, but Cassie’s soft demeanor always made for something more meaningful than sex.
It wasn’t long until he was knocked out cold, snoring away loudly. And drooling. Cassie’s eyes widened, then fell to slits in annoyance as she felt a drop fall onto her chest. She grumbled and reached out for a tissue to clean herself up. Feeling her shift, Luke held on tighter and snuggled her head into her neck. Cassie sighed and held him again, knowing he needed his sleep more than she needed to clean his drool. His tensed muscles relaxed under her touch. They were too tensed. Cassie understood how dire the situation had become. She worried for her cub back home and missed being with her. She was worried if they would go back to her in one piece even, with the possibility of an oncoming attack.
She wasn’t blind to how dangerous Kaia and whoever sent her was. They had the power to infiltrate the territory and take away Nina’s baby. They were powerful enough to fight off the Council members. Who knows what could be coming next…
***
Ammara stood in front of a restrained Kaia. She was put in a straightjacket, fingers gloved and tied to ensure she could not perform any invisible spells. Kaia could tell there were multiple barriers surrounding her to make sure she’d stay in place. Gazing at Ammara’s graceful and beautiful form repulsed her, but also brought her an odd sense of peace. One which she did not like, nor did she want to accept. Peace was for the weak that could not fend for themselves. For those who did not care for their survival. And Kaia did not wish to be one of them. She was in danger.
Then why don’t I feel it, she thought to herself. Something told her Ammara did not wish to harm her at all.
Ammara looked at her softly, but her face was a blank slate. She didn’t want to trigger the young witch in any way. She was too damaged and needed to be dealt with absolute care. The witches she had called upon stood at the edges of the room, forming a triangle. They started to chant, green light glowing at their feet and stretching out, two lines each, to connect to the other witch’s halfway to form a triangle on the ground. A faint tinge of green surrounded the air, signifying the existence of a barrier.
“What’s your name?” Ammara asked simply.
The young witch looked at her closely, but chose to answer. If she cooperated, then maybe they would take pity and not kill her. “I was never given one,” she responded.
Ammara nodded to acknowledge it as the truth. “How old are you?”
“I’m not really sure. The ones who picked me up said I was sixteen.”
“All right, then. And who sent you?”
“I can’t answer that.”
“And we won’t force you,” Ammara said gently which made the young witch look at her in shock. Ammara flicked her wrist and a table and chair settled before the witch, along with a plate of food and glass of water.
“You must be hungry,” the Caillagh stated and sat before her, picking up mashed potatoes and peas in her spoon. The young witch thought Ammara would eat in front of her to torture her hunger, but she held the spoon to her mouth instead. “Come on, open up.”
The witch eyed the food suspiciously, but her hunger overtook it and she parted her lips. Ammara placed the morsel in her mouth and went to spoon some rice for her. She fed her until the plate was finished, but the witch did not seem satisfied, and so the plate was refilled and she was fed more. She was made to drink water every now and then. It puzzled the young witch to be showed this much care and kindness after what she had done to them, but she didn’t question it. She couldn’t. She felt too tired to think or judge. She couldn’t think as negatively and menacingly as she used to. It confused her, but for once, she didn’t feel uneasy or restless.
Truth be told, she’d felt invaded after meeting the people who she was working for. As if something had taken over and that her thoughts weren’t quite her own. But she’d always brushed it off until now.
“Could you tell us what is coming for us?”
The young witch was hesitant, but she felt compelled to tell the Caillagh. “A squadron of sorts.”
“And what are they made of?”
“Witches. Like me.”
“And why do they want Nina’s baby?”
“Those witches know Nina. They want to hurt her.”
Ammara only nodded. She had to get this information to Nina. “And how far would they be right now?”
“It’ll take a while – a day or two,” the witch confessed easily, and she didn’t understand why. “About six people.”
“Thank you for telling me,” Ammara said, genuinely grateful. “Now could you tell me what they’re like? How they treated you?”
The young witch gave it a proper thought. It had been a while since she allowed herself to think clearly and rationally. The witches she was with weren’t the nicest bunch. Always competing, always tearing each other down. They weren’t as bad as the outside world, but they did suffocate others because of their nature. No one had any real friends there.
And so, she told Ammara everything about that place. How mean the girls were and how violent the boys got for no good reason. How they were always at each other’s throats, trying to rank higher than the other. And there was talk of a prodigy breaking away from them more than ten years ago and how she planned to annihilate the entire community. Ammara knew this is where Nina was being talked of and that a lie had accompanied her image in the community. She listened to it all attentively. At one point, the witch became aggressive as she talked of how spiteful the older ones in the community were to the orphans and rogues. Unwelcoming. Power-hungry. Disrespectful and greedy.
It hurt Ammara to know the state of the witches’ minds. This young witch was clearly hurt about not finding a home with her own kind. She figured they could make a place for her here after she was cleansed of influence.
After the young witch was gently and thoroughly interrogated, she was allowed to properly rest. Ammara promised to keep her free from harm. As she left, she whispered in Cora’s ear to start the cleansing while the young witch rested.
She looked for Kalen on the border of the territory to inform him of what had been extracted. She found him hovering around south, and she floated over to him. Upon spotting her, he landed and changed his form. She jogged toward him, and he held out an arm to her. She gently moved her way into his embrace, and he held her by the waist. Kalen felt good seeing Ammara satisfied and smiling. He wondered what could have happened.
And so, she told him everything. The news relieved him, and he sent his fairies to tell everyone to rest and to summon them to the Silver Table in two hours where he’d held the feast for Dahlia’s return. Everyone needed food in their stomachs, and it would be better to discuss this with everyone present.
***
Dahlia was finally asleep after being fed and changed. She had caused a hell of a racket, and Nina would’ve thought she’d be exhausted enough to fall asleep, but she was pacing around the room restlessly, memories of the prophecies she’d seen running amok in her head. She couldn’t seem to take a breather, especially with the encounter she had with Morrigan in her dream. What did she mean by changing her fate? Could she control the future she saw and bend it to her will? Or could she see the future and take measures to avoid it? Or could she see her options if she chose certain actions? It was all so confusing, but she needed to figure it out if she was going to find out how to keep herself alive in the war to come.
The door creaked open, and she tensed, expecting to receive news of an attack. It was Kevin. He looked weary. She waited for him to deliver the bad news, but he only stumbled over to her and wrapped his arms around her body, burrowing his face in her head. Nina visibly relaxed, moving to hug him back. He didn’t let go, but moved to put his baby in a makeshift cradle next to their bed. Nina moved with him awkwardly and giggled. Kevin smiled and kissed her forehead, and then gazed at Dahlia. He couldn’t get over how cute she was. It amazed him to think that the child was his. That he was her father. He helped make her.
He couldn’t help thinking how amazing it was that Nina, a powerful witch, was his mate. He didn’t understand what he did to have deserved all that he had. He was lucky.
It was strange how positive he’d become being in Nina’s arms like this. He liked how he could focus on better things when he was with her. It eased him.
He pulled his head away to look at her. His hand came to rest over her cheek. She gave him a worried look as she rubbed her cheek into his large hand.
“Luke sent me to get some rest,” he explained. “I’ll go when needed.”
Nina sighed, relieved. So, nothing had happened as of yet. That only meant more stressing and pacing around, though. Kevin seemed to have caught onto her train of thought and chuckled, dragging her to bed and pulling her on top of him, wrapping her up tight.
“Don’t think too much, okay?” he whispered. “I’m here for you. I’ll protect you.”
“You always have, sweetheart,” she whispered back as she rubbed his head softly and ran her hand through his hair. He breathed deeply and lifted her higher, letting her rest her head in the crook of his neck. She traced intricate patterns onto his chest. Kevin gently grabbed her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers, then her palm, her shoulder, and her cheek. Then, finally, her lips. Softly and gently. It didn’t last long, but it was enough to satisfy them for the time being.
“You’re still bothered, baby,” he commented. Nina pouted lightly and sat up on his stomach. He looked at her worriedly and rubbed her jaw with his thumb. “What’s wrong, Nina?”
“I keep thinking about the prophecies I saw,” she started nervously. “I keep remembering them clearer each time.”
Kevin carefully sat up against the pillows and drew her closer. “Tell me about them. What did you see?”
Nina looked up at him uncertainly, but she always knew she could trust him. But she didn’t want to distress him. He was already expecting to be called for defense at the border.
“It’s okay, Nina,” he reassured her. “You can tell me. I’m not going anywhere.”
She breathed deeply and proceeded to tell him all that she’d seen. He listened as attentively as ever, without any questions. His facial expressions fluctuated from confused, to calm, to alarm, to disbelief, and so on. He was getting his cheeks and eyebrows quite the exercise.
“Now I don’t understand what Morrigan meant when she said that, but I’ll talk to Amma…I mean, Mom about this later to see if maybe she understands.”
She sighed heavily, “I just…I don’t know, Kevin. Just how hard is our life going to become for Nina to become that way? Will she be okay? Will we be okay to make sure of that?”
Kevin looked uncomfortable. He had no idea how to answer that. And it was about time he accepted that there were promises he simply couldn’t keep. He wanted to reassure her, ease her discomfort and pain, take her away to a place where none of this would ever bother her again. But he knew that it was impossible, and that running away from problems was never an answer. So, he drew her close in an effort to provide her some physical comfort.
“Nina, listen to me,” he whispered in her ear. “You’re strong, you know that, right? You’re more than capable of protecting yourself, and I trust in you because I know that. And I know I’m not the strongest, or the smartest, or the most powerful, but I love you and Dahlia. I promise, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you two. I’ll do my best to take care of myself for you. I’ll try my best. And for that, I’ll need you to trust me.”
“I do trust you, Kevin…”
“Then stop worrying,” he chuckled, drawing her into his chest again, “and let’s get some sleep, okay?”
“Okay…” Nina trailed off. She cleared her head with difficulty and settled herself comfortably over his body. His breathing deepened, and she rose and fell lightly against his chest. She looked up at his face, eyes closed and forehead smooth. He looked so peaceful this way that all her worries flew right out the window at that look. She reached up to give him a soft kiss on his lips, and snuggled into his chest to get some shut eye.
She trusted him. He’d protect her well.
***
The Silver Table was quiet as they awaited Ammara’s announcement. Fireflies in thousands lit up in the trees, providing them all the light needed. The moon was dark tonight.
She allowed them to start eating before she spoke. “So our young witch is absolutely nameless, but we have a lead of where she comes from.”
She looked at Nina who grew confused. “The ones who sent her know of you. I suppose it’s from the community Asther gave you away to.”
Kalen visibly stiffened next to her in anger, but remembered that Kalen was no more and that their daughter was among them. Looking at Nina calmed him down. She was with them, and that’s all that ever mattered.
Nina paled, and Kevin grabbed her hand for a squeeze, bringing her back to her senses. She shook her head, coming around to the present and stuttered, “Oh, um, y-yeah. I know where that is. Awful place, really.”
“As I was told,” Ammara agreed dejectedly. “They’re pretty far off, though. They could attack anytime tomorrow, or the day after. Six people. They’ll be after Dahlia, so everyone needs to be extra aware of her presence within us.”
“They’ll be very powerful,” Samuel recalled Kaia’s attacks. “How will we hold them off?”
“I’ll have you under protection spells,” she replied. “Adelaide, Willow, and Cora will be there to fight with us.”
“But what would they want with Dahlia?” Kevin demanded.
“Same thing they wanted with me. Same thing as what had happened with Morrigan,” Nina forced out through gritted teeth. “They know she will be the most powerful. They’ll use her to achieve world domination.”
“But why do they want this control so bad?” Abigail demanded, getting frustrated. “Can’t they leave everyone be?”
“Power is a very enticing notion, Abigail,” Ammara stated. “And greed is a stronger evil to overcome than most.”
“You should drop Heather a message,” Samuel told her, and Abigail nodded and excused herself for the time being.
“That’s all the news for today,” the first Caillagh announced. “Now fill yourselves up and get a good night’s sleep, everyone. We need you all fresh and wide awake by the afternoon.”
There were mutters of agreement as everyone took in mouthfuls of food gratefully. They all took their time and fill, but Nina was done particularly early and excused herself for a walk nearby. Kevin took Dahlia into his arms as she left. A few minutes later, Kalen announced his leave to check up on his daughter.
Kalen identified his daughter’s location through his powers and headed over. He came into a clearing where firefly-speckled wisterias rose and sunk to form a beautiful, starry dome. Nina was at the center of it, spinning childishly in circles. He watched for a while in amusement.
“What on Earth are you doing?” he chuckled deeply.
She screamed and tripped, but Kalen was quick to reach her and set her upright.
“Ah, sorry. I mean, thanks, da…I mean, Kalen,” Nina stumbled over her words nervously.
“You can call me Dad,” Kalen happily piped up with a large grin. “I am your father, after all.”
“Sure didn’t act like it before,” she deadpanned, and he laughed, patting her head. She let him, and stood on her tip-toes to rub her head into his hand. Kalen grinned. The mood was particularly good for a father-daughter bonding moment. God knew how much he needed it.
Kalen snapped his fingers, and soft music played from within the trees. He crossed his arms and looked around, and Nina followed suit. More fireflies swam in past the thick trunks, floating slowly and softly around them, coming together to form ever-changing patterns. Nina looked in awe as Kalen smiled at her face.
“Your mother and I would dance here often among the fireflies,” he reminisced. “She was awful at it.”
“W-what?” Nina stammered through her amazement. “But she’s so graceful!”
“Yeah,” he snorted, “that’s what they all think. They’ve never danced with her.”
Nina laughed lightly.
“Say, do you know how to dance?” Kalen asked. Nina gave him a pitiful smile that made him regret ever asking.
“Well, the community I was in didn’t practice all that. Plus, the boys weren’t that nice,” she answered. “Also, I’ve been on the run for the most part, so I never really got the chance to do a lot.”
Kalen felt ashamed. He wished he’d never slept the night Asther took her away.
But she’s here now, Kalen’s heart whispered. Show her what daughters are meant to be.
With that, he grinned and took her arm. “Well, now that you’re here, I can teach you.”
Nina smirked as he took her hands. “You couldn’t teach Mom. How will you manage it with me?”
“I’m the king,” he said haughtily with his nose in the air. “I can do anything.”
Nina snorted as he told her to step on his feet. She protested until he picked her up and placed her there himself.
“Now watch,” he started to move with her. “One, two, three, and one, two, three, and one…good grief, Nina! You’ll wrench my foot off!”
Nina lost her grip and fell, laughing. Kalen shook his head and grinned. “No bed time for you until you learn the steps, young lady.”
“Dad, I c-can’t…” she choked through her snorts.
Ammara and Kevin watched from a distance. It made them happy to see them bond. Who knows when they would get this time again to be happy.
And as everyone went to rest up for the night, they replayed the good times. The memories gave them strength and the will to go on a little longer. Something was in the air. Something different. They knew this might be their hardest battle yet, but something told them that they would get past it. They would be okay.
For now, they had to be ready. And they felt it.
THE END