CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Everything in Asher went still at her words. A mix between species was impossible, no one could survive it. Even what happened with Maya was hard for him to understand. Everything they were taught, ingrained since infancy, even discussed with the older members of the pack made it difficult for him to even wrap his mind around it. His eyes scanned her again. Although he knew every inch of her skin, her smell always in his nose, Valeria appeared somewhat different to him now. She wasn’t supposed to exist. On the other hand, some things suddenly made sense, especially their very first encounter. The moment he had seen her, knowing she was a witch and most probably a threat to his pack, her smell caught him off guard, making him act differently. He had accompanied his father to many Territory Council meetings, and encountered witches and vampires coming and going within the territory or pack limits, and knew the characteristic smell of each of them.
But her? Valeria? Apart from the evident, it was impossible for him to describe. Curiosity, enticement, desire all mixed up with the impossibility of her. A man could want a woman, a wolf could never be drawn to a witch. Not the way he was attracted to her. But what about a half witch?
Willing his fingers to open and release her, he schooled his features and took a step back. The flicker of hurt in Valeria’s eyes was undeniable, but Asher was so lost that he couldn’t help it. Or could he?
Irresistibly drawn to her, he traced his fingers over her cheekbones, losing himself in the softness of her skin, her warmth, but especially in the dark molten gold of her eyes. Without even realizing it, his hand fisted her thick chocolate mane, and he brought her to him, holding her firmly against his chest, banding his arm around her waist. Even if he was not susceptible to magic, this must be how it felt to be enthralled by a witch’s spell. His lips hovered over hers, impatient to take control. His wolf howled at him to stake his claim as there was now the possibility to do so, but Asher knew better than making a damn move that would endanger what he had worked so hard for. It wasn’t the wolf that claimed the witch’s mouth, but the man. Only him. For now.
Fuck, she tasted as good as she smelled. He had kissed her before, but each lick, each tender bite wasn’t enough. He needed more. More of her, more of her body. He shivered as he remembered when he was deep inside her heated sheath, when she tightened around him in orgasm in the truck. And that’s when the wolf tensed, fighting to take control, unsatisfied of being forced to the sidelines.
“Guys?”
Reining himself in was harder than he expected, when the voice of Sera made its way to his brain. All his well-honed control had vanished, and when he opened his eyes, looking deep into Valeria’s golden eyes, Asher saw that he wasn’t the only one who had forgotten where they were. Valeria was gripping his shoulders tight, heaving. The smell of her arousal was almost enough for him to take her here and now, even with an audience.
Gently, he released her and turned to Sera. She may have that school teacher look on her face, as if reprimanding them for their behavior, but he wasn’t going to apologize.
“Sorry to interrupt your forbidden make out session, but we have work to do.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
At the strange female voice, Asher pivoted to place himself between Valeria and the possible threat … or cat? A beautiful white cat, with wisps of white fur elegantly framing its face and unblinking pale green eyes that locked on him. And they were annoyed. Asher blinked, not that he felt threatened, there was no way a shifter could turn into an animal that small. And for that matter, the shifters that were walking this world were much more exotic than a simple white cat.
“No need to protect my dear Valeria, wolf. She’s in no danger here. However, I wouldn’t say the same thing about you. One of the perks of owning this store is that everything said and done here, I know.”
Before he could react, the white cat hissed, and a wave of energy came crashing through him. Once the searing heat passed, it was the pain that surprised him the most. It was as if his skin was crawling with fiery ants, and he realized that his wolf was howling in pain too. The spell, the witch-cat, it was attacking them both. Asher pushed against the pain and was about to attack when Valeria jumped between him and his attacker. The witch-cat barely had time to deflect and avoid Valeria.
“Layla, he’s a friend, back off.”
“Careful Valeria, you may have disappeared for a while, and things may have changed on your side of the mirror, but remember that the immunity and protection of this shop are tenuous. Witches, wizards and humans only. And let me remind you of the fact that any relationship other than with another witch is strictly forbidden.”
Valeria seemed to hesitate for a moment, and once again, she surprised him, taking his hand and pulling him toward the door. Sera yelped and ran to block their way out.
“Val, you can’t go, not when your powers are unstable. What will you do if your condition deteriorates?”
Layla swished her tail and jumped onto the table, before sitting like a queen, analyzing the situation.
“Child, I sense something is wrong with you. Is that the reason why you disappeared for more than two years? I let you be, but if I had known you were in trouble… Let me remind you that I don’t harbor mixed-bloods to let them die. I want you to live. “
Asher didn’t let go of Valeria’s hand as she once more repeated what happened, but this time, he could feel fatigue pulling at her. Damn politics, he couldn’t remain there when she was almost swaying on her feet. Instead, he pulled her closer to him, letting her body lean against his, a hand on her hip to ground her. She didn’t react, but her voice had grown stronger simply by lending her some of his energy.
Once silence fell again on the four of them, Asher waited. There was a lot he didn’t understand about witches and the way they yielded magic, but he knew, on an instinctual level, that it was much more than Valeria’s magic on the fritz. It was impossible for him to get the bigger picture yet, but he knew enough to see too many loose threads for his own comfort.
The witch-cat angled her head. “Come closer, child, and sit beside me.”
Reluctantly, Asher opened his arm but remained close. As she sat on the table, the cat jumped on her lap and swished her tail in annoyance once again at him.
“Move, wolf! How can I examine her if you remain so close?”
“If you aren’t powerful enough to do so, witch-cat, maybe we should seek guidance elsewhere!”
For a moment, he could physically feel the fury and frustration emanating from her lithe body, but also something else. An emotion more tender, softening her an inch.
“Just step aside a little, your own energy and magic scramble with mine. And the body I can guess under that shirt messes with my mind.”
Blinking at her admission, Asher heard Sera snort. Valeria rolled her eyes just before she winked at him. Asher decided to take two steps back, but no more. The cold war may have been averted, but he wasn’t used to trusting witches. Apart from Valeria.
A strange buzz filled his ears, and the smell of ozone became more insistent. Valeria didn’t seem affected by what the witch-cat was doing. The moment stretched for a while until the white feline gracefully leaped off Valeria’s lap and shook herself.
“So? What did you see?”
Layla gazed at each of them before answering Valeria. “You’ve always been difficult to assess; your magical wiring is different from a pure witch. For lack of a better word, yours is more fluid. Similar in a way with Sera and Violet. That may be the very reason you three have survived past infancy without requiring immediate intervention.”
“Interesting, but it doesn’t tell us what’s happening with her magic.” Asher felt more restless. He preferred action to discussion, and he feared that this one wouldn’t answer all the questions they had.
“Wolf, magic can’t be treated like a wound on a physical body. Think of it more like an electrical circuit with a mind of its own. From what I could sense, I didn’t see any conflict inside her magic. I think that Valeria’s magic is broken. Or at least is shifting, maybe even influenced.”
Valeria shook her head and jumped off the table. “Broken? That can’t be. How can it be broken?”
Sera came closer. “Can it be a curse? That’s what you mean by broken?”
Swishing her tail some more, Layla sighed. “I didn’t sense a curse. Nothing’s out of order inside Valeria. But there’s something … broken. Maybe done two years ago. Since then, your magic is trying to rewire as a consequence.”
Valeria shook her head. Sensing her distress, Asher started to rub her lower back. The contact seemed to appease her agitation a little and ease his own restlessness.
Sera bit her finger, lost in thought. “So you say that her magic is broken, but she can still do magic.”
Layla nodded, her green eyes on the blonde witch. “Imagine that a spinal cord is broken, not completely, but enough to sever the nerves. Some of them still touch, sending signals. And if you move a certain way, you either better connect the nerves or pull them apart. It’s the best comparison I can find for Valeria. It’s her witch side that is affected. Maybe something happened to her in the forest that night, maybe that blow to the head was one of the physical aspects that triggered the magical breakage. If there was a curse, it acted once and then dissipated, leaving no possible trace to follow. Afterward, when trying to use her magic, depending on the connectivity, or if you like, a factor that bridges the two broken parts, Valeria could use it again. And with some level or power and accuracy from what she described.”
Asher’s body tensed. “And how can we bridge the two parts again for good?”
“That’s the thing wolf, I don’t know. Until we find what makes the bridge stabilize her magical abilities, there is nothing to be done. Apart from being extra careful. The blast that nearly killed your mother and possibly killed the wolf’s sister may happen again. There is a real risk.”
On the witch-cat words, Asher felt Valeria slowly inch away from him. Just before she could move out of reach, he circled her wrist. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Asher, if there’s still a risk that I may injure you, or anybody here for that matter, I prefer to go away, far away.”
Layla jumped on Sera’s shoulder. “I understand your fear, child. Uncontrolled magic may be destructive and lethal, but returning to the street won’t do you any good. And while it may be safe, let me remind you that your father is still under investigation, and from what I know of Lionel Lancaster and what you told me about the rogue Enforcers, something is brewing, and not in the best way. Then there’s your mother, still in a deep sleep and your fiancé who faked his death to lead you astray. Questions are piling up.”
Valeria pushed a brown lock of hair from her face. “Why would my mother tell me James was dead if he wasn’t? And why would my own father ask me to run if my mother was still alive?”
Sera took her friend’s other hand, sorrow on her face. “You didn’t see all those details before. You were shaken by your powers getting out of hand, by believing you had killed your mother. Of course, you would have listened to Lionel. He’s your father, after all. Using your powers or not, we must find out what actually happened, Valeria, especially who’s on your side and who’s threatening your life. And we don’t know if your father knew you were mixed blood, and who your real father may be. They’re questions to ask your mother when she wakes up.”
Asher nodded. “They’re right. And if your magic had been damaged, there is a probability that your parents might have the answer.”
“Maybe, but getting to Lancaster Estates may prove harder than not. First, because he’s held prisoner there by the High Council, personal guards of the members are patrolling the sector, and nobody can go in out.”
“And the Enforcers?”
Layla swished her tail. “Disbanded. Some of them were captured for interrogation, the others are under surveillance. As you were gone for two years, you’re probably safe from them… those not working for Lancaster, I mean.”
“Probably?”
Layla sighed. “You’re still under the radar for most, so it’s up to you. You go to the High Council and surrender yourself, praying that they don’t suspect you of anything, or you wait and see what happens to your father.”
Valeria shook her head. “Or we try to find James. From what we heard at Sanctuary, he may have played dead, but someone at Sanctuary accused him of murder. And as you said, Sera, he stayed close to my father.”
Asher turned to her, not liking what he heard. “And you don’t believe what Ian said is true?”
“I don’t know!” Throwing her arms in the air, Valeria started pacing the study. Asher wondered what the witch was thinking about the sudden reappearance of her fiancé. And the fact that he was a murderer. Personally, he didn’t have any doubt about him being guilty. Shifters don’t lie. If Ian’s mate said she had seen him, it was true. His first instinct was to convince Valeria of the fact, but she wasn’t shifter. Not entirely, and he suspected that she would need concrete proof. And probably a confrontation with the man, which didn’t sit well with him, nor his wolf.
His eyes not leaving the pacing witch, Asher felt Sera move closer, speaking so softly that if he hadn’t been a wolf, he wouldn’t have heard her. “I’ll do some more research about her condition. But I have my suspicions. In the meantime, stay with her. Times have changed since she came out of hiding. Accusations are flying, and we’re in the middle of another witch hunt, pardon the pun. Because of her bloodline, she may very well be a suspect. And between you and me, I wouldn’t let her too close to Lionel Lancaster or James Cooper. Not until you have solid proof that they’re innocent or won’t make any attempt on her life. Her father forced her to lead a very sheltered life, for reasons of his own, making her an incredibly powerful witch. That alone would make her a target for retaliation.”
Asher remembered how the refugees reacted to her. “Why?”
“Imagine the reaction of our community if she sided with her father. with her talents and her mixed blood. Contrary to what Val thinks, I believe Lionel knew what she is, and only hid it, for a mysterious purpose of his own. And if her mixed blood enhances her capabilities?”
Was she that good? For what he had seen earlier, during the attack at Sanctuary, she deployed impressive talents, perhaps even more than she had shown him. Asher had his doubts, but he hadn’t spent much time around witches. To be totally honest, she had taken down several Enforcers all by herself, which was an amazing feat in itself. His eyes followed her restless form as she walked, rubbing her face. Valeria was way past tired, and it would be impossible for her to think clearly at this stage.
“Can her condition deteriorate?”
“What do you mean?”
“Can magic pour out of her without her consent, or is it only when she summons her powers that a possible blowout can happen?”
Sera hesitated before answering. “I may have more answers later. But my advice remains, stay close to her. I think you may be linked to her sudden magical stability somehow.”
Cryptic answer indeed, and only served to remind him why he steered clear of politics for so long. However, it appeared to be no longer a possibility.
Layla approached as Valeria finally calmed down. “Whatever you do next, be careful until you know where the threat is coming from. I’ll reach out to my contacts in the Territorial Council. It may give me an idea where the wind blows for you, Valeria. Until then, try not to reach them. Apart from a few shifters, rogue Enforcers and your father, nobody knows that you’re back. And I doubt any of them will start blabbing. Just for leaving so suddenly, the Elders may wish to have a word with you, and that too, I wouldn’t recommend. At least, not until you have solid answers. And it may be too risky considering the problems with your magic. You may unwillingly reveal who you truly are, and that will inevitably lead to consequences.”
“What kind of consequences?” Valeria swallowed reflexively.
Layla shook her head. “Let’s not focus on that just yet. My suggestion would be to find James, Valeria. Your fiancé may have possible answers for you. I doubt he will be easy to find, but it may be worth the risk.” Then the witch-cat turned to Asher. “As for you, wolf, keep the Sanctuary as secure as possible. You’re stirring a nasty cauldron, and you must be prepared for some splashes your way.”
Asher nodded, but was already planning in his head. He had to return to Sanctuary to have a talk with Ian, Patricia and the other sentinels. And he was bringing his witch with him to prepare for war.