Chapter 12
Josephine climbed from the bed feeling rejuvenated. She started toying with the idea of giving her favorite pet some of his own magic. Would he be willing to accept? He would simply need to complete the ritual, cutting into the next captive, chanting the words. She could help channel the magic and he could claim a little before she took the rest.
She had them all so brainwashed to believe all magic was to be feared. The only one who realized she had her own was Mason, though Butch wouldn’t mind. He simply wanted in her good graces.
Mason, on the other hand, had fallen for her, the same way Coltrane did. Perhaps she could change his way of thinking to align with hers. Show him her great secret.
Or maybe he’d turn on her, and she’d have to wipe his memory.
Sighing, she stood at the window, looking out.
Mason’s hand landed on her shoulder, then his body pressed against hers. He offered warmth she could never quite manage to hold.
“You’re too quiet, Josie.”
“Would you hate me if you learned I keep the magic I drain from all those witches?”
He shook his head. “No. I knew. You don’t harm others with your magic. You’re protecting those too stupid to fear magic.”
“You mean that, don’t you?”
Mason swept his fingers across her cheek. “Yes, Josie, I do. Come back to bed. You’re cold.”
“Mmm, you do know how to warm me up.” And later, she’d discuss his next mission.
* * * *
Was Mom right? Was love more important than saving them all? Mom loved her father to this day. And as much as she missed him, she never stopped loving him.
Chatan’s hand wrapped around Jacinda’s leg and she melted from his touch. She knew he could relieve the building ache.
She couldn’t help stealing another glance. There wasn’t a single thing about Chatan she didn’t like. Which only made everything more complicated.
Chatan parked while she was still sorting through her head, then climbed out of the truck. She was slow to get to the door, and he surprised her there.
“Hey, Jace, you ready for a hike?”
She nodded.
“An hour or so?”
“I could hike all day and be happy.” Especially in Chatan’s company.
“I know places we could do that. Beautiful places. But not until the elders deal with the problem in Saint Morton.”
“Which is all too easy to forget when I’m with you.”
“Hmm, I can say the same for you.” He took her hand. “But you can’t forget. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Nothing is going to happen to me. I’m staying here.” At least until that was dealt with, or until she had to deal with something far worse.
“I won’t let anything happen to you. You have my word.”
“You’re sweet.” Perhaps crazy, but definitely melt her heart worthy.
He took her down a trail that led to the river flowing fast and hard. No wonder he said not to swim in the water. Probably why he didn’t have her change to a bathing suit. Remove temptation.
“Only for you.” He squeezed her hand.
They came to a boulder taller than her with enough foot holds and grips to manage. She scrambled up and grinned down at him. “See, hiking, I’m good with. Even some rock climbing.” She needed more practice to get really good, but maybe if she ever managed to settle down somewhere she could do more of that kind of exploring.
“Where did you learn to climb?” Chatan asked as he joined her.
“My mother. She’s far more in tune with nature than I ever was.” She couldn’t do much with animals. Mom could, as well as a whole array of nature magic Jacinda couldn’t master to save her life.
But she found other ways to work around that.
Chatan nodded ahead. “We’re following the trail. I want to see what you can do.”
Her brow arched, but she was ready for the challenge. “Rough but straight forward?” she asked.
“Very,” he answered.
She pushed herself harder, taking the pace faster. His presence behind her comforted as much as annoyed. He wanted to protect her, and she wanted to show she didn’t need that.
“Talk to me,” she said.
“About?”
“What you do for work.”
“I work in a nursery. The plant type, not the kid type.”
She giggled. “Do you like working with plants? Is it difficult?”
“Physical, but I wouldn’t say difficult.”
“Do they need a temporary helper? I like to take a job if I’m going to be anyplace for long.” She could transmute paper to cash, but she’d only done that once in an emergency. She preferred to transmute her possessions into similar things. Like a mug into a bowl, or a shirt into a dress.
“We can always use an extra set of hands. And I’d be happy to train you.”
“Then, when you go in, could I follow? I want to talk to someone about work.”
“Yeah, and I’ll put a good word in for you. But does that mean you’re staying?”
She ducked her gaze. “I’m not in a hurry to leave.” A first.
They fell back into silence.
Soon, they came to a clearing beside the river that stretched to a waterfall. Stopping, she stared at the majestic sight. And the water was definitely far faster than she imagined.
“No one can swim in that, can they?”
He shook his head. “Many of us have tried. We’re usually fished out downstream by the elders.”
“Have they fished you out?”
He shook his head. “No, because I’ve managed to get back to the river bank.”
“So, you’ve tried?”
“Yes, I have.” He placed his hand on her lower back and she leaned against his side, taking it in. A rainbow bounced from the middle of the waterfall, into the sky.
“This is…breathtaking.”
He pulled her tighter. “Mmm, and there’s a great place to sit where I can tell you the story.”
She turned to him and got lost in his deep, dark eyes. “Story? Oh, right. That.”
Smiling, he pulled her to a fallen log and sat down in front of it, leaning back to watch the waterfall. Every step closer increased the hum that started the moment she came within view of the falls.
This was similar, but different from the pillar. There, it had been like a familiar calling. This was something else—and it was under the cascading water.
There had to be a way under, to whatever was hidden in the cave beyond. And she had an idea, but it would require a little thought to figure out the best way to get past the water. There had to be a way.
Chatan touched her chin, drawing her attention his way. “Hey, you can’t swim in that water. Trust me.”
“Not thinking about that.” Not exactly at least. She’d have to get into the water, after creating a shield around part of the cliff. But the moment he touched her, that faded away.
“What then?”
“You,” she answered breathlessly. Because she couldn’t help it when he looked at her like she was the only thing worth looking at.
He shifted his weight and swallowed. “You make it hard to concentrate.”
She giggled. “Yeah, you do the same for me. Now, you were going to tell me a story?”
Nodding, he dropped his hand. “Long ago, when the first people walked the earth, there was a great darkness that tormented the lands. Dove brought light to lock away the darkness, and Hawk helped her. She was locked away where he can’t reach, and now he searches for the one who can release her.”
“But what about the gift and soulmates?” she asked, wrapped up in his story.
* * * *
The more he thought about it, the more it all tied together. Chatan glanced at the waterfall and back. Then he pulled the leather thong around her neck, revealing the hawk he’d glimpsed before. “Hawk left this land long ago to search for the fiery woman who could unlock Dove. I think that’s you.” He admired the hawk carved out of redwood. “I think he found who he was looking for.” He flipped the carving and smiled. “That string of symbols is what you touched on the pillar.”
“Right, but explain, because I’m confused.”
“My mother always told me the story of Hawk and Dove, and how they saved our lands from the shadows. See, there used to be this pendant our tribe told about. This was our Hawk.”
“Your Hawk?” she whispered.
“Not exactly. He was one of our guiding spirits. When all of us could see them. Now they’re all faded away or lost. He’s still there, but only their guardians can release them.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m not the great storyteller my mother was. As I understand, the spirits were the first of our people. They were more in tune with the land, their spirit animals, everything. In fact, they were the embodiment of those animals. Dove was wise, peaceful, sought to bring light. Hawk was brave, loyal, and did everything he could for his lover, Dove.”
Jacinda smiled. “Okay. Tell me you don’t believe Hawk is this necklace.”
“Not exactly, and, man, I really am bad at telling this story. Let me try this another way.”
She took his hand. “Relax. I’ll shut up and listen. No more interruptions.”
One corner of his mouth tipped up. “I like when you ask questions.”
“Well, I’ll wait until you pause.”
He wanted to kiss her. Instead, he dove back into his story. “Back to the beginning. Long ago there was a dark presence in these woods, hunting the shaman of the land, draining their powers, leaving little more than dust behind. Hawk was one of their talented spirit animal warriors. He embodied the spirit of the Great Hawk. Our stories told that a hawk needed to find a dove to seal away the darkness.
“The elders didn’t believe he was ready, but he chose to go anyway. He searched until he found a fiery woman with the soul of Dove inside. One look, and he knew she was his other half, and the savior of his people.
“It didn’t take much convincing. Dove followed him without question, back to his lands, and they encountered the evil spirit. He was a dark soul, so dark shadows swirled around his body. The battle was long and won by Dove’s pure magic. Not pure as in light, but pure power. They locked the evil into the pillar and brought many types of casters to seal him in by wards. That’s why only our symbols light up for me. But you influenced them all. You lent your strength to the wards, like many before you did.”
Jacinda’s head tipped. “Why didn’t you warn me I could unlock the evil being?”
He smiled. “No, Jacinda, the wards have been powered since the beginning. I don’t think anything can break those wards, not alone. It would take many people to tear them down, and they would be stopped before they could manage.”
She frowned. “Still, a warning might be nice, but I felt no evil there.” Her eyes widened. “What does that mean?”
Taking her hand, he nodded to the cave.
“The wards around the reservation, they are here because of that pillar. The evil entity may have faded away over time. No one feels it now. But Dove sacrificed herself to keep him locked away. She sealed him into the pillar, then made it to the cave under the falls to seal the final lock, but she couldn’t leave.”
“So, helping her leave would destroy the magic?” Jacinda glanced at the cave. “That can’t be right.”
“It’s not. See, when Dove trapped herself between realms to lock the evil in the pillar, she told Hawk she’d continue to weave the magic to ensure the evil never escaped. She told Hawk to find a way to free her, that he should never give up, because one day he’d find the people to free them. Dove’s guardian would find a gift meant for her. One that would help her lock away evil. That Hawk’s guardian would help her.”
“Hmm, sounds like an old Faery story.”
“You know tales of the Fae?”
“I have a little Faery in me.” She giggled. “That sounds stupid, huh?”
“No, fascinating. You’re not one type of caster, you’re many. Dove was many too. She wasn’t of our tribe. She wasn’t what anyone expected to save them all.”
She tipped her head from side to side. “Mama thinks I’m something else. I’m not sure what. I have a mixed bag of tricks. Some things are stronger than others.”
Chatan wished he could say the same. No, his magic was pretty weak, unless they were talking plants. Shaking that off, he smiled and lifted her necklace again. “Hawk left to find the one who could free Dove.”
“They were soulmates then?” Jacinda asked, awe on her face.
Chatan nodded. And that was why he believed maybe he could help her more than she knew. “The prophecy tells of a man whose spirit animal is the hawk, who’d help a fiery woman save Dove.”
“That’s sweet,” she murmured.
“Yeah. I suppose.”
“And your spirit animal is the hawk?”
He nodded. He wouldn’t bother telling her that the prophecy told that the man and woman would be soulmates. He didn’t want to push her away. No, he’d prefer she fell for him all on her own. Besides, this was new, and there was always the chance he was wrong.
“And the gift?”
“Some say the pendant is the gift. Others say the gift is at the pillar. No one has ever found anything there. Not anything they could use. It takes someone special, and I think you might be the special one to find it.”
Sighing, she looked back at the waterfall. “And the stupid thing knocked me out. For a couple hours.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Seems to me you took a spirit journey. Maybe you need to look into safer ways to travel the realm between.”
“You going to teach me?”
“I’ll try. And if I’m a horrible teacher, I know someone who can do a better job.”
She smiled. “I think you’ll do fine teaching me. I have faith in you.” She leaned closer, her eyes closing.
He met Jacinda halfway, placing his hand on her neck and tasting her lips. She made the softest sound as her lips parted. He swept in, savoring her taste as he kissed her.
The moment Jacinda scooted closer, he sat back. As much as he craved taking things further, he wanted to do it right. And out here, under the sun, didn’t seem like the right place for Jacinda. Not her first time.
“I wish you wouldn’t keep stopping,” she whispered, glancing away.
He moved closer, putting his arm around her. “If I don’t, I’ll take things too far. I need to know you’re ready for that.”
She leaned into his side and sighed. “And who’s the judge if I’m ready?”
He laughed softly. “Jace, it’s beautiful here, and trust me, I want you. But my interest in you is more than sex. I can’t help it. You’ve captivated me in a way I dreamed about but never imagined would be this good.”
“Scares me.”
“What does?” He hoped not being with him.
“Never felt like I needed someone in my life. I woke up excited to see you. Man, I missed you last night.”
He stilled. “Don’t be scared. We have all the time in the world.”
“You don’t scare me, Chatan. It’s just that I’m not used to wanting someone around.”
“I’ve never been totally on my own. I’ve always been surrounded by people I care about. I can’t imagine your existence, being alone all these years.”
“Never bothered me before.” She stood up, walking toward the water.
“Don’t go in.”
“I’m not.” She walked closer to where the sheer cliff met the ground.
He moved to catch up. He’d felt the power draw him toward it too many times to count and had fallen in, trying to follow the call. She felt it too. Maybe more than he did.
Jacinda reached out to let the water cascade over her hand. “Really think I’m meant to free her?”
He wrapped his hand around her waist and pressed in from behind. “I do.”
“Then I need to find a way in there.”
“There’s another story. About the cave hidden behind the waterfall. That’s where she’s supposed to be locked away. But the water is too powerful to get past. None of our water shifters have found a way.”
She turned toward him, a smile on her face. “Water shifters?”
“Creatures who can swim better than we ever could.”
“Interesting. Though maybe it will take a little creative magic.”
“A million things have been tried. What’s your plan?”
“Still working that out,” she admitted.
“Will you tell me when you do?”
“I don’t know. Are you going to try to stop me?”
He grinned. “No. Not unless I’ve seen it tried before and it failed.”
“We should go. I’m too tempted right now, and I need to think.”
“With or without me there?”
“With,” she answered. “Definitely with.”