Chapter 4 #3
I’m no longer in the back room of my shop, kneeling on a hard wooden floor inside a magical circle.
Instead, I’m in a circular clearing in a forest. All around me crowd tall, dense trees, their leaves of gold and red tumbling to the ground and dancing in the breeze.
I lean forward to press my hands into the thick carpet of moss beneath me and feel a rush of power travel up my arms. I watch in fascination as thin tendrils of golden energy wind around my forearms, pulsing and infusing me with their magic.
“Earth has always been your strongest element,” a smooth female voice says, and I jolt, looking up.
The winding golden ribbons release me, and I sit up sharply, my eyes widening.
I can’t help but gasp as I find myself staring at a beautiful woman.
She’s wearing a short dark-green tunic cinched at the waist by a thick brown leather belt.
From it hangs a quiver of arrows, and a large ornate bow is slung diagonally across her back.
Sandals adorn her feet with straps crisscrossing up her calves to her knees.
Her thick, dark hair is twined into a long, intricate braid, which coils over her shoulder and dips almost to her waist. I don’t need an introduction to know who this is.
Diana, Goddess of the Hunt.
Her lips curve into a slow smile, and my heart begins to pound. I glance around in panic. What the hell is going on? Where am I? What exactly was that spell? The questions tumble over themselves in my mind.
“Be calm, my son,” she says soothingly.
“Son?” I blurt out.
“All those of true magical ability are mine.” She steps forward and offers her hand. “Do not make yourself uneasy, my child.”
I take her hand, a crackle of intense power shooting up my arm as I rise to my feet. It feels like I’ve been electrocuted, that or my body now contains enough electricity to power the national grid.
Once I’m standing, she releases my hand, and I’m a little relieved. Touching a goddess is not something mortals are designed for. I look around at the forest and then back to Diana.
“What is this place?” I ask curiously.
“You tell me,” she replies, her dark eyes dancing with amusement.
“What do you mean?”
“This is your place between worlds. You conjured it.”
“Oh.” I blink and look around once again.
It’s very beautiful, lush and teeming with life.
“I don’t understand what happened,” I confess.
“I’ve been a witch my whole life. I’ve been casting spells since I was a teenager, but I’ve never experienced anything like this. Never been brought to another place.”
“You are not like the others,” she says gently. “You are one of the five, and more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
“One of five what?” I frown. “I don’t understand any of this. Everything lately is confusing. I’m probably not making much sense, but nothing around me makes any sense.” I look at her imploringly. “Can you tell me what I am? Because I don’t understand any of this.”
“My beloved child.” She reaches up and traces my cheek lightly, but it still feels like being hit with a lightning bolt. “I wish I could, but like the others, you will have to discover the answers for yourself.”
“What others?”
“It is not yet time for you to meet, but soon enough the first shall find you,” she answers. “Your element is Earth, it is the source of your power. It will ground and heal you. Hers is fire, and she will burn brighter than a thousand suns.”
“Well, that’s…slightly terrifying. I take it I’m not actually looking for a girl literally on fire.”
Her mouth curves. “You will know her when you meet her.”
My breath rushes out in a frustrated exhale. “I have so many questions. About my birth mother, about her family. The building where she lives. The things I’ve seen lately. My abilities—”
She chuckles. “Like all mortals, you are impatient. The answers will come in time.”
“Can’t you just give me the answers or at least some of them?”
“No. I could. But I won’t.”
“Why?” I scowl.
“Because it is the journey that is important. I could tell you what you want to know, but you wouldn’t understand. Not really. You have to experience it and trust that the answers will reveal themselves at the right moment.”
“That’s not fair,” I huff sulkily.
“So your kind are so fond of saying, but fair and worthwhile are rarely comfortable bedfellows.” She smiles at me softly. “Harrison, your path lies at your feet. You have only to step forward.”
“Like Dorothy and the Yellow Brick Road, I suppose. Only I’m the witch. Maybe I should look out for falling houses.”
“Your kind really is very curious.” She tilts her head as she studies me. Suddenly, she looks up at the sky above us in the clearing.
I watch as time seems to speed up. Like a time-lapse video, the sun travels across the sky, the clouds racing along with it, and the sky darkens. Stars begin to appear, twinkling like fairy lights.
“Come,” Diana says firmly, and turns towards the tree line.
“Where are we going?” I ask as I obediently follow her out of the clearing and deeper into the forest.
“There is someone who wants to meet you, and we don’t have much time left,” she says.
As we make our way through the trees, I can hear owls hooting and small creatures rustling in the undergrowth. Nearby is the musical rush of water tumbling over rocks, and soon enough, a stream comes into view.
Diana stops and I halt beside her. Shafts of moonlight filter through the canopy of trees and make the water sparkle.
I suck in a sharp breath as I see an enormous stag grazing at the edge of the stream.
He’s stunning, far taller than any horse I’ve ever seen, his coat pure, unblemished white, not so much as a smear of mud or a stray twig attached.
From his head protrude two magnificent silver antlers.
I watch mesmerised as he laps gently at the water, drinking his fill. Then, as if sensing our presence, he lifts his head and turns his gaze to us. His huge liquid eyes are a golden brown swirling with flecks of amber.
He steps in our direction, and as he moves, the air around him seems to shimmer. I blink and the stag is suddenly gone. In his place is a man. A gorgeous and very naked man.
I swallow tightly as he continues his unhurried pace towards us. He’s tall, his body slender, all lean muscles and pale skin. His hair is long and pure white, spilling down his back and reaching the backs of his powerful thighs. From his head protrude two huge, graceful silver antlers.
My whole body flushes hot at the sight of him, and I avert my eyes, trying not to stare at his large cock and the heavy balls swinging between his legs as he walks. My cheeks burn as he reaches us.
For several long seconds, he remains silent, and I can feel his gaze boring into the side of my face.
Finally, I give in and look at him, making sure to keep my gaze at eye level.
He is studying me intently. Suddenly, he lifts a hand, and with one finger, he moves a lock of my bright red hair from my forehead and then traces the curve of my flushed cheek.
“He is a pretty colour for a human,” he mutters, and his voice is as gorgeous as the rest of him, deep and sexy. “Is he one of them?”
“He is, my love,” Diana replies.
The look they share is intimate, one of lovers, and I try not to think the words lucky bitch just in case either of them can read minds. Last thing I want to do is insult a goddess and a—
I suck in a sharp breath as I realise who he is.
“You’re Herne,” I blurt out.
He turns those liquid eyes back to me, a hint of amusement playing on his lush lips.
“Hmm,” he says after a while. “Yes, I think he shall be adequate.”
Adequate? I only just manage to bite my tongue and not hiss the word in indignation, but Herne’s eyes glitter as if he knows what I’m thinking.
Oh god, I hope that’s not true. Do not think about his naked coc–
“A storm is coming. You have a difficult path ahead of you,” Herne says, his eyes narrowing on me, as if looking at something only he can see. “You are surrounded by shadows.”
“What do you–”
But before I can complete my question, the forest spins and swirls around me.
I drop to my knees, the motion and blur of colour making me lose my balance.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to regain my equilibrium.
When my head finally stops spinning, I open my eyes and find myself once again in the back room of my shop, kneeling down in the centre of the circle.
A brief hint of damp leaves hangs in the air and then is gone.
I stare down at the book in front of me, which is now closed, and uh, I’m pretty sure I didn’t close it.
I look around, but there’s no one else here. The candles gutter slightly, having burned down a fair way, and I wonder how long I was vividly hallucinating for. Climbing shakily to my feet, intent on closing the circle and tidying up, I glance down at my bare feet.
They are filthy, covered in mud and leaves like I’d trekked through an autumnal forest.
What the fuck?
Shaking my head, I quickly close down the circle, give my thanks, and extinguish the candles.
After all, safety first. Picking up the book by Elias Black, I turn it over in my hands and flick through the pages.
Just who was this man, and how could his spells work so… I don’t even know what the word is.
I need to find out where this book came from, and I know the first place to start. I reach into my trouser pocket for my phone, frowning when I realise it’s not there. I must have left it in the shop earlier.
With the book still clutched in one hand, I open the door and head out into the shop.
There’s my phone sitting on the counter.
I’m about to reach for it to call my dads when I notice how dull the light is.
I glance at the time and although a few hours have slipped since I cast the circle, it’s still early afternoon.
Why is it so dark?
I head towards the front door, unlock it, and step out onto the pavement, wincing at the cool concrete beneath my bare feet. Ignoring the discomfort, I look up and the once bright blue sky is now churning. Black and grey clouds roil ominously, and the air feels heavy.
Herne was right. A storm is coming.