Chapter Seven
M y limbs start twitching like they have a mind of their own as I slowly blink my heavy eyelids open.
I have no doubt that I look like a half-drunk octopus with seven tentacles that has fallen asleep. Don’t ask where the other limbs came into play. I’m a floppy mess, ok?
Once my vision adjusts to the light, I realize that I’m actually safe in the cabin. I let out a small sigh, grateful for the familiarity of my surroundings. The relief is short-lived when I sit up and feel like I fell asleep a spry thirty-year-old witch and have now woken up a two-hundred-year-old crone. How is it possible that my body hurts this damn much?
Like... everywhere .
And I was sleeping on the floor? What the fuck? Did I drink too much mead again?
I swear that has only happened a handful of times.
Listen, I live alone with a raven in the middle of nowhere and talk to myself. Don’t judge.
A gentle snoring sound comes from behind me and I turn to find Ori in a makeshift blanket nest. Apparently, he was keeping watch by my head. Awe… he is so cute when his little wings twitch from his dreams.
Dreams …
Oh, no.
It all comes back to me in a rush. Ori’s injury, my headache and passing out, the dream world, my mother… or not her really…
I take a deep breath as I remember the details of the dream world I was in. Where she was.
No. I don’t have to think about that ever again. It was just a dream… or rather a nightmare. Whatever it was, it’s over now and I’m tired of thinking about that horrible experience. And since there is no one else here, clearly it was just a crazy dream and not something brought on by another magickal.
That answer doesn’t fit right with me, but I’m not interested in looking deeper into things right now. That can just be a later problem. I scooch my body closer to Ori, and gently pat his side. “Ori? Hey bud, wake up.”
His little eyes shoot open and focus on me instantly, bringing a smile to my face.
“Hey there. How are you feeling today?”
Ori shakes himself and jumps up. If ever a raven could look shocked, that would be his current expression. He sputters a bit before he manages to get out, “How am I feeling?? How are you feeling, Sythia? You made me worried sick!”
“Well, I will take that as you are back to your normal irritating self. I’m fine. Really. I had the strangest headache and just fainted. It was an overall weird day yesterday, so I’m sure it was nothing to be concerned about.” I try to smile, but seeing the weariness in my feathered friend’s eyes makes me hesitate.
Ori clears his throat before he begins talking. In a steady voice, he says, “Sythia, for starters you have been asleep for two days now and—“
“Two Days?! Are you kidding me? Why didn’t you wake me up? You know that heavy rain from the last couple of weeks has set back planting. We have to get that started.“ I yell in an almost panicked voice. I get up off the floor and turn towards my bedroom, intending to grab a fresh change of clothes and get started on the day, but Ori hops right in my path before I can take a single step toward the hallway.
“Sythia stop! We have much more important things to discuss than the garden. Let’s just start with this. Do you feel different?”
Rolling my eyes at my irritating raven friend, I give in, knowing that he will just badger me until I comply with his little line of questioning. Slowly, I take stock of my body. Starting at my head, which is thankfully back to feeling normal, and working my way down. Everything feels fine, but sore from my unforgiving impromptu bed for the last two days. Even the tug on the familiar bond seems to be in perfect–
Raising my hand, I gently touch the center of my chest lightly. The spot where I always felt the connection to my familiar was anchored. That means–
“Familiar bond?” The awed words are so soft and small that I barely recognize my own voice. “That’s not possible. What’s happening, Ori?”
“There are a lot of things that we need to discuss, and I promise I will answer all of the questions that I can, but we have some serious matters that need to be addressed right now. Is that alright?” He waits patiently until I nod my head in agreement before he continues on.
“Let’s just rip off the band-aid, shall we?” He takes a deep breath and then spews out a shit ton of words that I nearly get dizzy trying to keep up with. “All of the wards are gone, and your magick has returned to you entirely. Including the familiar bond. I believe that our distress was a result of the magick returning so quickly. Not that it was meant to be possible to return at all. I have not been able to check on the situation of the eastern portion of the property yet. Also, there is a strange man who collapsed outside the door. At least, he was there last night. You may want to deal with that part first, actually.”
My brow furrows as I continue to nod, seemingly stuck in the repetitive motion, and attempt to absorb everything Ori is saying as quickly as possible.
No wards, alright that obviously needs to be corrected, but two days shouldn’t be that big of a deal, right? My magick is back. Ok, well that shouldn’t be possible, like at all , but that will definitely make putting the wards back up easier. Familiar bond is back. Well that makes sense given that my magick is also back, and to be honest and a little selfish for a second, I missed this feeling so much. My magick came back so fast that it made all that crazy limb-numbing, migraine-from-hell, and passing-out nonsense happen. Weird, but ok. Eastern property would have to be checked as soon as possible. And lastly, there is a strange man outside...
Wait… a what?
I feel my eyes grow wide as that last bit of information soaks in. “There’s a who, what... where ??“ I shriek. I’m on my feet and hopping over the blanket nest, before Ori has a chance to respond to my delayed outburst. I stupidly fling the front door open without hesitation.
If my eyes weren’t already bulging from their sockets, I’m almost certain they are now. Shock is such an inept word to describe the paralyzing feeling that radiates up my spine. Not even a whole five feet from my front door is a hulking man, face-first in the dirt, snoring. Like snoring so loud that it truly is a miracle I didn’t hear him from inside the house.
What the actual fuck?
“You have got to be fucking kidding me! Who is he? What the hell is he doing out here?” I whisper-yell so as to not disturb the snoozing stranger. “We live in the middle of fucking nowhere!” I add, still in my whisper-yell voice, at Ori who is actually hiding behind the door.
Coward.
Closing the door quietly behind me, so as to hopefully not wake the stranger before Ori and I can put a plan together, I attempt to get my heart rate and breathing under control. Now is so not the time to panic.
Plan, Forsythia. Focus on making a plan. I’m just not sure yet if it is a plan of attack, a sneaky capture and torture for information, or... just what the hell are we making to eat because I’m fucking starving here.
I look at Ori and I am almost positive that my eyes are still just as wide as they were a few moments ago. Breathing is not helping. Pep talks are not helping. I try to close my eyes and send a silent prayer to the Gods for some composure and guidance.
I open my eyes, and…
Shit! That didn’t help at all.
So, let’s try something else. What was it that mother used to always coach me to do? Oh! Take stock of the situation and break down each task.
Ok, so I still have; a panicking raven talking too fast for me to keep track of anything he is saying, an un-warded home, my magick back when I barely had any proper control over it before, a monster possibly on the loose doing who knows what while killing everything in its path, a stranger on my “front lawn,” a grumbling stomach, and a weird pull in my chest that is making me want to go check on said stranger.
Oh what the hell have I gotten myself into now? Why can’t I ever have simple problems? Normal problems? Like a leaky roof or some shit.
I glance up, but there is no discoloration on the ceiling.
Dammit.
Deciding it is best to tackle things one at a time, I choose the easiest task first and make my way over to the kitchen. I’m pulling out ingredients for two and a half turkey sandwiches when Ori finally pulls himself out of his hysteria and flies up to the counter in front of me.
He looks around at the items I’m working with before asking me in his usual calm and incredulous tone, “Sythia, what are you doing? We have to come up with a plan!”
I stop for a moment and spare him a glance. Well, someone seems to have gotten themselves back in proper grump-ass working order pretty quickly.
“I’m making margaritas,” I reply, laying on an extra dose of sarcasm, before returning to spreading spicy mustard on the bread.
After a few minutes, he makes no other attempt to talk to me, so I take that as my cue to break the silence and explain my possibly odd reaction. “Ori, there is a lot happening here all at once, and I’m just trying to take things bit by bit. Now if I don’t get something to eat soon, I’m going to turn into a complete bitch on top of everything else going on. So, I thought eating was the responsible thing to do, and since I’m not a completely rude asshole, I’m making sandwiches for everyone.”
The word ‘everyone’ echoes in my head.
Wait a second, when did I decide to make “Sir Snorington” a sandwich?
Snarling at my hands with minds of their own, I give in and continue layering cheese, turkey, lettuce, and tomatoes, before topping it off with the other slice of bread. I assemble the sandwich a little more aggressively than I normally would and cut each sandwich in half with extra emphasis. I also make sure to cut Ori’s little half-sandwich in half.
Why?
Because it looks pretty dammit, and I’m a wreck right now.
I shove Ori’s plate in front of him without another word and quickly dive into mine with as little lady-like grace as possible. The sandwich should have been mediocre with how fast I put the damn thing together, but I’m so hungry that it tastes like a damn feast. I guess that’s what not eating for a few days will do for you.
Once I get both of my pieces polished off in record time, I set my plate in the sink to wash later. Frowning, I snag the plate with the final sandwich on it and let out a huff. Well, I’m not going to let it go to waste. Let’s get this next part over with. If nothing else, I will eat the damn thing myself.
“Sythia, you can’t be serious,” Ori grumbles around a mouthful. He swallows his bite and continues, “We don’t know who he is or what he wants. What if he is dangerous?!”
Stomping towards the door with the plate, I don’t even spare Ori a glance as I huff out my response. “Well, I don’t fucking know. It’s all a mess! I know he can’t be too awful if he just slept outside instead of pushing his way in. I know that with my magick back, even though I’m out of practice , I’m pretty capable of defending myself. I’m going to give him the damn sandwich and then ask him some questions. Depending on how he answers, we can figure out our next steps from there. Deal?”
I get the last question out as I reach the door, but I hesitate, waiting for his response. We have been a team for so long and I will not let myself be one of those people who won’t give their familiar a choice in things. Even if I am stressed out and the situation just sucks.
“Yes, I suppose that all sounds reasonable,” he finally grumbles. “Thank you for the sandwich. If it is alright, I will finish mine and gain some composure before joining you. From the sound of those snores, it may take you a bit to wake him up anyways.”
Nodding in agreement, I carefully open the door and head out. I don’t bother shutting it so that Ori can get out quickly if he’s needed. Clutching the plate tightly, I approach the man with even steps. The early morning light is just beginning to peek through the trees, and from where I’m standing I can get a decent idea of what this guy looks like.
He seems tall, and solidly built, yet a bit more lean in the torso. I can see big trompy feet, encased in what would have been some very nice, high-end combat boots. That is if they weren’t covered in some serious mud, scratches, and forest debris.
Hey... I like shoes, remember?
My eyes track up his legs and I notice that he is wearing black jeans. Ones that are fitted to his thicker legs and nicely cup his a-
Wow ... Really vagina? Now is not the time to show up to the party.
I try to quickly shake those thoughts from my head and finish taking stock. I note a basic dark gray t-shirt and a heavy leather pack that is still strapped to his back. Underneath that is… yup those are two huge fucking swords.
Who goes hiking in the woods with swords? No one, that’s who.
Well, this is not looking so promising. I hold back a sigh and continue my perusal of his body. Investigation! I meant investigation of his person. Yeah.
He has shoulder-length hair in a color that closely mimics Ori’s feathers. It’s gone completely wild and is mostly hiding his face, so I can’t see much there. However, I can just barely see the evidence of a thick black tattoo crawling its way up the right side of his neck.
Who is this guy?
Lost in my observations, I miss the point where his breathing quiets and his limbs twitch. Alright Sythia, be assertive but polite. He could just be lost or...
Or he could be a maniac with swords that you do not want to provoke. Ok, calm approach. Got it.
And if my hand itches to reach for my own blade–that I stupidly left in the cabin– well that is just a natural reaction to my trepidation.
I take another step forward... then immediately proceed to trip over a rock and plummet right toward the ground. I close my eyes–still clutching the plate–in anticipation of the impact.
Suddenly, the air pushes me a little to the left, and a pair of warm hands wrap around my back. I look up into a pair of eyes that are so light blue they are almost white. Mesmerized by the eyes, I almost miss the hand brushing loose hairs behind my ear, and the fact that I’m currently sitting in his lap.
I clear my throat, but can’t will the words to come out of my mouth. Instead, I thrust the plate, with the miraculously intact sandwich into the man’s chest. A very solid chest. Attached to a very sexy…
Oh, my Gods!
Ok, so it’s apparently been far too long since I’ve had sex. This is just ridiculous.
He stares down at the plate in his hand and begins to chuckle softly. I can’t help the smile that slowly works its way across my own face at the sound. He looks up at me, and the air leaves my lungs. His small smile is just as captivating as his eyes, and I just want to sit here and admire him. The slight smell of distant burning wood and autumn rains fills the air, and coupled with the sight of him, I nearly begin to purr.
“Well, if I would have known a sexy wood nymph lived here, I would have found a way in last night and made my way straight to your bed. How about it, Gorgeous? Let me repay you for the sandwich?” His voice is deep and velvety, like a thick chocolate mousse, so rich and decadent. I lick my lips as I feel his words rumble under my fingers…
When did my hand end up on his chest?
Wait a second…
What the fuck did he just say to me?
Regaining my composure, I smile sweetly. The wattage of his own smile amps up a few notches.
Oh you poor stupid man.
If only you knew this was your only warning to run.
Before he can acknowledge my movement, I pull back my fist and punch him right in the nose. His head snaps back, but he manages to keep hold of the sandwich with one hand, and me with the other. I use his shock to my advantage, elbowing him in the gut, and pushing out of his lap to stand up as quickly as possible. Since I’m already facing the house, I have to turn back around to give him a piece of my mind about his presumptions about the ease of becoming my bedmate.
Instead, I come face-to-face with… chest.
Holy shitballs this guy is tall.
With a smirk on his face and blood flowing freely down from his nose, he asks “So, that’s a no on the tumble I take it?”
What a slimy piece of shit! He doesn’t even know me, and he just assumes I’m going to open my legs to him? What the hell?
I pull my leg back and prepare to make contact with his nuts, he manages to twist just enough to avoid contact with his jewels and I end up kneeing him in the thigh.
Fuck him and his quick movements. I would have loved to cup his balls...
Oh, what the fuck? Get out of my head vagina! I don’t have time for your shit!
Recovering as quickly as possible, I sneer at him, and I turn to tromp back to the house. Then I finally manage to get my words out in one solid “Fuck you!” before slamming the door behind me and leaving that creep out there with a bloody nose and a sandwich. I can hear his full-bellied laughter through the door, and it makes me even angrier that I enjoy the sound of it.
Glancing down at my pebbled nipples makes me growl. No.
I take a deep breath and cover my face with my hands. That whole fiasco was equal parts embarrassing and irritating. I just hope he eats the sandwich and moves along.
Or chokes on it…
Although that would leave me with a body to dispose of, and I have other things to do today. So yeah, he needs to eat quickly and get the fuck out of here.
Next thing on my list, I have to get out there and check the eastern side of the property and make sure that situation is still secure. I will have to wait though and head out as soon as that jackass leaves.
Ori said I have been out for two days. That’s two days that the wards on the property have been inactive. Two days isn’t too long.
Would that be long enough for the monster to get loose?
I sure fucking hope not.
For all of our sakes.