CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
As Asher was parking on a side street, Valeria hopped out of the truck and waited a beat for her nerves to settle before closing her eyes. After that intense session in the truck, not only did her body feel edgy, but her magic sizzled as well. It was as if something moved off balance the more time she spent with the shifter. And despite everything ingrained since infancy, and what the Elders had ordered, she was falling for Asher. Falling in a very different way from James. It was like a deep craving, a connection and an unspoken understanding. But to a werewolf. Not good. So not good. She was already way over her head without having the Elders on her back as well. Right now, she needed them on her side. But she had absolutely no idea how to deal with the reaction of her heart when Asher was concerned.
Sensing Asher approaching before hovering close by, Valeria sighed, before opening her eyes.
“Can you just take a couple of steps back so I can get my bearings?”
Asher only arched an eyebrow before crossing his arms. “Why do you need to get your bearings? I know this town. Tell me where you need to go and I’ll show you the way.”
Valeria ground her teeth as she looked at the infuriating man. “I don’t know the address. Yet. And to find it, I need to concentrate.”
Again, not one of his delectable muscles moved. “Okay, go ahead.”
“Asher, move!” The wolf smiled, apparently amused.
“Why? I’m not doing anything.” Behind his grin, she could see how much he enjoyed riling her up. And if they weren’t in such a rush, she would probably find it amusing too. But they were losing time, so she closed her eyes again and used all her tricks to ignore the presence of the wolf by her side. It didn’t actually require magic, as what she was searching for acted more like a beacon. All you had to do was to be open and willing to find it. Her instinct locked to it within a minute, just enough so she knew where to go.
“I know where it is. Follow me.”
The werewolf stayed close by. “And will you finally tell me where we’re going? Or rather what you were searching for?”
There was no way she couldn’t offer an explanation. “Well, when it was forbidden to witches to mingle with other species from our realm, we had to find other bolt holes, a little like your sanctuary.”
“Why didn’t you use this witch sanctuary when you ran? Why keep to the streets?”
“I was fleeing from the Enforcers, and I didn’t know if that particular haven would be able to keep them away. And also, I didn’t think my powers were stable enough to be there at all.”
Valeria swallowed painfully. “And I still don’t know if they are. But both of us need answers, I just have to be careful.”
“You were perfectly fine when you defended us at Sanctuary. No destruction, apart from our enemies, of course. Same in the forest. Even in the truck earlier, I imagine it was a small spell, but you performed it successfully.”
Valeria nodded but was far from convinced. Something deep inside made her hesitate; made her doubt that every time she summoned her power, was some kind of exception. Or that there was something keeping catastrophe at bay.
Rounding the corner, Valeria stopped when she finally spotted what she was searching for. It was Asher who followed her gaze and frowned at the store sign.
“Impossibilities Inc. Spells and Solutions. What kind of place is this? And I’ve been on this street before; that store wasn’t there.”
“Not surprising. It only caters to witches. If you’re not one of them, it would be nothing less than pure coincidence to stumble upon it, or because you’re desperate enough for that store to find you instead.”
“You mean that it only appears when you want to find it?”
Valeria winked at his puzzled expression and pushed open the door, the joyful ring of the bell making her smile. But it was the smell of dusty parchment rolls, beeswax and the special tingle of ozone, so characteristic of the constant use of magic, that made her feel like she was returning home from an interminable trip, tired and impatient to finally drop her heavy luggage.
The store was as she remembered, an open floor plan like an ancient British library, with endless shelves of books along the walls, rows after rows of pots and bottles filled with both familiar and rare ingredients, and strange objects scattered in an order known only to the store owner, Layla.
In his usual spot by the cashier, stood a tall, wire-thin man, dressed in a three-piece pinstripe suit, with a gleaming bald head and empty eye sockets.
“Hello, Miss Valeria, always a pleasure to have you visit our store.”
Valeria felt Asher shift by her side, taking in his surroundings, probably analyzing everything, his senses in overload. Even for her normal nose, the smells were distracting, and the magic made her skin tingle. She was grateful that he remained silent for now, although he still stood close, his heat seeping through her clothing, steadying her more than she was ready to admit.
“Good day, Abrams.”
“It’s been a while, miss.” His crisp, old-world accent suited him.
“Yes indeed. Hope everything has gone well for you.”
“Very well, miss. Thank you for inquiring. It’s very kind of you.”
“Is Layla here?”
“No, she’s not. But you will be pleased to know that Sera is in the study.”
Emotion clogged her throat for a moment. Valeria didn’t have many friends growing up. Being set in a separate cast and a powerful family, such as the Lancasters, pushed people away. Well, almost everyone away. And Sera was one of the brave souls who didn’t give a damn about the color of her blood, from the very start. Deep down, Valeria knew that her own difference drew Sara to her. Freaks tended to hang around. And for the first time, she dreaded the moment she would tell Asher of her … difference.
“Who is Sera?”
Asher’s deep voice was suspicious, but before she could answer, Abrams spoke.
“Miss Sera Dover is one of our most famous scholars and researchers. Impossibilities Inc. is proud to have her, Mr. Stonelake.”
The werewolf tensed, and Valeria put a calming hand on his forearm. “It’s okay, Asher. Abrams may not see, but he knows everybody entering the store. It’s his job as guardian, and just one of his many talents.”
Asher nodded reluctantly, but before he could reply and probably antagonize a powerful being, she took his hand and squeezed.
“Abrams, is it alright if we go see Sera?”
The man smiled, and as always, it was freaky to watch. “Yes, miss. You and Mr. Stonelake can go into the back store. I’ll tell Miss Layla that you came by.”
“Thanks.”
Pulling the shifter with her, Valeria made her way through the back door into a small corridor. There were stacked boxes piled up precariously along the walls with empty cages and so many books, they occupied most of the space. The door of the study was ajar. Trying to release the werewolf’s hold, Valeria realized he tightened his grip, refusing to let go of her hand. She frowned, silently asking what was going on, but he just stared at the door. Of the two options, which were to fight, or let it pass, she chose the second one and pushed the door open.
The study had always been her favorite place here, holding her fondest memories. At home, studying was a constant battle with her father, trying to turn her into a war machine, drilling knowledge into her brain as if she was a super computer. The only upside of having a father so influential in the magical community was that he went away quite often, giving her the opportunity to come here. That’s where she met Sera, one of her only two friends. Sera was a self-proclaimed bookworm who only found solace from a difficult childhood in books. A real scholar in Valeria’s eyes, Sera was also so much more.
Her friend had her back to them when they entered, her pale blonde hair piled up haphazardly on top of her head. Valeria knew that when Sera turned to face them, her tortoise-shell glasses would be perched on her nose, and behind them would be the face of an angel with creamy skin and piercing light-blue eyes.
“Sera.” Her voice caught when she spoke her name. It had been too long. Too long since her own world turned upside down and she had disappeared without a word, even to her dearest friends.
Hunched over a wide book, Sera’s body froze. Valeria took another step, letting her hand fall from Asher’s grasp, already regretting the loss of his steadying energy. When her friend’s body moved, pivoted to face her, it was Valeria’s turn to be frozen in place. It was as if nothing had changed and, in an instant, she was back to two years ago, laughing and carefree, secretly meeting in the store’s study.
“Valeria.” Sera swallowed, shaking her head as if to disperse any illusion she may have cast. “Val. Is that you or do I have a vision again?”
Mechanically, Valeria took a step through blurred vision, hesitant, unknowing of Sera’s reaction. But despite all her fears and remorse at leaving her friends in the dark, her body moved of its own accord, and she was embraced by Sera. Hanging on tightly, Valeria inhaled deeply, the airy, fresh perfume she knew so well surrounding her, as the delicate but strong body of one of the only people who knew her, almost as well as she knew herself, held tight.
A sob escaped her lips, and she clenched her jaw, unwilling to let the pain and sorrow of the last two years surface.
“I knew you were alive and well. I was certain of it.”
At the words of her friend, Valeria eased back.
“What do you mean alive?”
“Well, there were rumors…” She stopped talking when she saw Asher standing silently a few feet away. Sera didn’t tense, but Valeria sensed her friend’s magic surging. “You brought an unusual friend. A werewolf.”
“Yes, Sera, this is Asher. He’s here to help.”
“Val. You know the Elders ordered that witches steer clear of other species.”
She heard a low growl from Asher and ignored it. “I’m not sure the orders of the Elders apply to me, Sera. I’m not sure I’m a witch anymore.”
Sera blinked, opened her mouth like a guppy and closed it again. “Okay, I think I’m missing some information. And I guess that you coming back from the dead with a wolf is no coincidence to what you’re saying.”
Valeria sighed, her shoulders sagging a little. Almost imperceptibly, Asher shifted and moved close. Even without touching her, his heat and energy steadied her. Sera listened intently as Valeria told her every detail of what happened, from the moment she met the werewolf, her destructive bouts of energies killing her mother or so she thought, her fleeing, and her hiding as a vagrant until Asher found her. She skipped the prison part, not that she wanted to hide anything from her friend, but she suspected Sera wouldn’t take it kindly that her friend had been held prisoner. She tried to be as descriptive as possible about her feelings, and the reaction of her magic, from her encounter with Genevieve and Maya, to the attack on Sanctuary and her healing session on Asher.
For a long moment, Sera felt silent, her brain clearly in overdrive.
“And you say that from the last time until the moment you healed the werewolf, you didn’t sense any particular shift.”
“Apart from when I had been attacked and my magic acted on its own to protect me, no.”
Sera stared at Asher for a long moment, her eyes squinting behind her glasses. “If you’re trying to intimidate me, witch, it’s not working.”
The blonde witch shook her head, undisturbed. Then, her pale blue eyes slid to Valeria, and she knew exactly what her friend was projecting.
“Well, my dear Val. It’s certainly quite a cluster fuck you’ve got yourself into. And probably for nothing.”
“What do you mean for nothing?”
“First, about your mother. She’s not dead. That’s the official information coming from the Elders. She’s still at Lancaster Estates, suffering from some sort of coma, but as your father had forbidden the healers from approaching, it’s difficult to know the truth about her condition.”
Even though she already knew her mother hadn’t transitioned to the Summerland, it was still a blow. Unable to speak, Valeria was grateful for Asher’s towering presence.
“What about what happened to James Cooper, Valeria’s fiancé? And the investigation into Lionel Lancaster as Head of the Enforcers?”
Sera nodded at Asher. “Well, the death of James Cooper had never been in question. He’s alive and well, and very close to your father, although he hasn’t been sanctioned by the High Council. I don’t know why your father told you that lie, Valeria. There’s also an investigation concerning your father, but it’s very hush-hush. The main, and most probable, rumor is that he tried to overthrow the Territory Council of Maine. And even worse, if he had succeeded, he was aiming for the one in New York.”
Valeria blinked. She wasn’t versed in politics as her father was, but each defined territory or state had a territorial council formed of the most influential members of the Otherworld community. Mostly, witches and wizards, shifters and vampires, although faes and other creatures could also be a part. Being elected was a blend of connection and influence, as much as personal power. To make sure the power within the territorial councils was as stable as possible, the High Council forbid any of them to merge or make alliances with other territories, let alone allow members to claim power over two different territory councils.
“The High Council would have acted immediately. They oversee territorial council members just like the Beast Masters oversee individual werewolf or shifter packs. And from what I understand it’s the same with the Elders of witch covens and Kings of vampires. Otherwise, it would lead to open wars.”
Sera nodded. “And that’s one of the reasons any fraternization with other species is forbidden. Mixed couples would threaten the equilibrium, and children of mixed breeds are known to die young, overwhelmed by the different powers of both parents. As you know.”
Valeria clenched her teeth. Those rules had been established a long time ago. And as for all rules, at some point, someone was deemed to break them. And she thought about young Maya, and how she was an undetected altered blood in this world.
“But not my father. Lionel Lancaster lives for order and rules, and despises anyone from the other communities, apart for political and diplomatic necessities.”
Again, Sera peered deeper into Valeria’s eyes, and she clenched her fists. Something that didn’t go unnoticed by Asher, who growled in disapproval.
“Okay, enough. If you want to talk, say it with words. Enough of telepathic talking.”
“We don’t communicate telepathically, it’s not our thing, although I suspect that our dear Violet may have abilities, Sera replied.
“Violet?”
“Our friend, one of the mighty trio of freaks that met secretly in this shop under the cloak and protection of Layla. Didn’t Val tell you why she brought you here in the first place, wolf?”
Valeria felt Asher’s electric blue eyes bore a hole in the side of her head. “I think that I’ve waited enough, and you know that I’m far from a patient man. So why are we here? Speak.”
“I came here because it’s the only place I know that I can trust…”
“Sanctuary is secure enough…”
Valeria didn’t allow him to finish. “… and without any risk for innocent victims if I decide to test my magic again.”
“There is no need to check it. You have healed me, you have transformed into me, a wolf and an eagle without a glitch.”
Sera’s eyes widen, and she grabbed her friend’s elbow. “You let him see that!”
Asher’s expression turned questioning. “Why is that a bad thing? Personally, I find it kind of cool. If other species could experience shifts…”
Valeria swallowed hard. There were so many unanswered questions threatening her life, including Asher and his Sanctuary, that she had to choose her confidants wisely. Sera already knew her secret, and a deep part of her knew she could trust Asher.
When she turned to him, it was as if the werewolf was prepared for battle, arms crossed and widened stance, as if ready to shift and attack.
“I suspect that, after many years, my powers are finally going berserk. The power surges in the forest, and later at home when I killed … injured my mother, may be the proof of it.”
“Power surges. That’s unknown in witches. What I know of, at least.”
“Those type of power surges typically happen way earlier in life. This sort of magic deficiency can affect the yielder in different ways. One of them you have seen with little Maya.”
It took a moment for the information to register in his brain, but when it did, shock registered on his face. “You’re mixed blood. And Sera said that you were a freak. Is that what she was referring to?”
Valeria slowly nodded. She was taking a risk in revealing her secret to a man she respected but didn’t know the extent of his acceptance.
“There are not many freaks in our worlds. As most of us die at an early age, those who survive, like Maya, are usually hidden.”
Sera came closer and rubbed her friend’s shoulders in support. “That’s what you think? That after so many years, the other side of you is scrambling with your magic?”
“Do you have another explanation?”
Sera frowned. “I think it’s a clear explanation. But you know me, perhaps a little too noticeable.”
Asher came around Valeria, almost pushing Sera away, and put both hands on her shoulders.
“If you’re what you say you are, mixed blood, or whatever they call you, what are you mixed with?”
The moment of truth, Valeria took a deep breath and forced her eyes to meet his. This was her moment of truth.
“No witch can transform into other humans or animals as quickly, so I believe that my mixed blood is that of a shifter.”