Chapter 24 #2
This time, Fox led the way up to two small stairs and pulled open the door. His stomach was twisting in knots and his hands shook, but there was no way in hell he was allowing Winter anywhere near this woman without him.
Inside the house, Fox’s breath caught in his throat and he nearly backpedaled out the door.
The interior of the cabin looked identical to her house in Washington.
It wasn’t that she had the same furniture arranged in the same manner or the same pictures on the walls.
It was that everything was identical. Right down to the pile of old magazines by the hearth and the sprinkling of dust across the dried flowers strewn over the mantel.
“Like being home, isn’t it, Kit?” Cheryl mocked.
“Like stepping back in time,” Fox whispered. He didn’t have a single good memory of being in Cheryl’s house in Washington, and this place was making his heart speed up. He wanted out of there as quickly as possible, but the only way they could leave was to get the answers they came for.
Cheryl propped the shotgun on the stone fireplace and dropped into the chair covered in a floral material placed in front of the fire.
She motioned for them to take the small sofa opposite her.
Fox took a seat, and Winter settled as close as possible.
He took Fox’s hand in his, holding it tight.
Of course, Cheryl’s eyes zeroed in on the sweet, comforting gesture, and she smirked.
“Isn’t that sweet? Here I thought you were just his blood slave, but you’re a pet,” she teased.
Fox could hear Winter suck in a sharp breath, and he spoke before he could launch into any comments. He could guess what a blood slave was, but he didn’t have a clue as to the definition of “pet” besides the obvious meaning. Judging by the slight tremble in Winter’s hand, it wasn’t a good term.
“We don’t want to take up any more of your time than necessary. We just need to know about a prophecy a witch made about the Varik clan,” Fox said. “The prophecy stated:
Go west to the mountains.
Find the fleet-footed Fox with the magical touch.
The fiery witch will disarm the brothers
And free the lost king.
Have you heard it or know what it means? Or maybe even who made the prophecy?”
Cheryl’s eyes narrowed on Fox for a moment. “And let me guess…you’re the Fox.”
Fox hesitated for a second before he finally gave a tiny nod.
Cheryl laughed loudly as she dropped back in her chair, both of her feet kicking up in the air. The witch looked younger laughing like that. The sound itself was evil and more akin to nails down the chalkboard as two metal cans fucked each other, but she certainly looked happy.
A low growl came from Winter, but Fox quickly squeezed his hand to keep him silent. Cheryl could laugh and mock him all she wanted. That didn’t hurt him one bit. Annoyed, but it didn’t hurt. All that mattered was that she was willing to cooperate.
“Is this your way of confirming that Fox is a magical threat to my family?” Winter asked stiffly.
The witch wiped her eyes as the last of the giggle settled.
“Well, he’s no threat magically. Kit can’t do the simplest of spells.
He’s barely a witch.” Her gaze sharpened on Winter when he opened his mouth to speak and he fell silent.
“That doesn’t mean he can’t fuck things up for your clan in other ways.
It’s just not likely to be because he’s a witch.
The prophecy could have just as easily stated that a useless red-haired twink would destroy the Varik clan. ”
Fox ignored her barbs. “Do you know who made it?”
Cheryl threaded a loose hair behind her ear and looked thoughtfully into the flickering flames for a moment.
Was she digging through her memory or using a spell to shift through the collection of futures that twisted together ahead of them?
He wasn’t sure what the flames were telling her, but he hoped the answer would see them safely back out the door again.
“Who? No. But I’ve got my guesses. Damn good ones too,” she muttered, seeming to talk mostly to herself.
She continued to stare into the flames and Fox held his breath, just waiting.
“Someone is shrouding that information.” Cheryl slowly turned her head to pin her narrowed eyes on Winter.
To his credit, the vampire didn’t flinch.
Hell, it looked as if Winter was just a hair from launching himself at Cheryl and tearing her apart with his bare hands.
“You can’t tell us anything useful about the prophecy or who made it,” Winter summarized succinctly. He shoved to his feet, still tightly holding Fox’s hand. “I’m sorry we wasted your time. Thank you for your patience.”
It was kind of amazing how he did it. He said “thank you” but it sounded like he was saying “fuck you.” It was a trick Fox would love to learn.
Cheryl smiled and lifted her hand. She held it flat with the palm down and slowly lowered it. At the same time, Winter’s body trembled as he sat on the couch.
Shit!
“I’m not done with you yet.” Once Winter was seated against his will, Cheryl looked over at Fox. “So, someone thought you were the witch to destroy the Variks. How funny. And to get your answers, you brought him here to me.”
“You’re the only witch I know.”
She snorted. “And maybe I’m the witch that destroys the Variks. Or maybe it’s still you because you brought him to me.”
“Please, Ms. Watkins,” Fox said, fighting to hold on to his civil tone.
This was starting to take a nasty turn, and he had to think of a way to get at least Winter out of this cabin safely.
She wasn’t likely to follow him, but he was in danger so long as he was inside her home.
“We mean no disrespect or trouble. We were just seeking information. We are happy to leave now and never bother you again.”
“But you’ve already bothered me. You disturbed my night. And you bothered me for months with your pleading and begging and whining.”
“Please—”
“And then you sneak out like the sniveling, crying bitch that you are!” she shouted.
“No!” Fox jumped to his feet and grabbed Winter’s arm, but when he pulled, the vampire didn’t budge.
He looked down at Winter, trying to block out Cheryl’s wicked laughter.
His face was red with rage, but he didn’t move.
He couldn’t move. The witch’s spell had him locked to the sofa while Fox remained free.
She was giving him the chance to abandon him, to escape and run free like the coward she was sure he was.
Panic raced through his body and a knot formed in his throat. He stared at Winter, wracking his brain as to what he should do next.
“Go,” Winter whispered.
“Never.” Fox didn’t even have to think about it. He was scared out of his mind. He had no way of fighting Cheryl and her magic, but there was no way in hell he was abandoning Winter to her. He’d stay and die with him if he had to.
“Run, Little Kit! Run as fast as you can!”
“Go to hell, Cheryl! I’m not running. Release him now!” Fox shouted.
Cheryl wrinkled her nose at him for a second before she shrugged. “Fine. Let’s see how well vampires burn.” She spoke words for a spell again and reached out her left hand toward the flames. Waving her hand toward Winter, she seemingly pushed a wave of fire toward him.
There was no thought in Fox’s head beyond protecting Winter. He moved his smaller body between Winter and the crackling flames, trying to cover him as much as he possibly could. At the same time, he reached down into his secret pool and breathed.
Keep Winter safe.
Muscles tensed, Fox waited for the searing bite of flames as they ate through his tender flesh, but it never came.
He opened eyes he hadn’t realized he’d closed and looked over his shoulder to find a faint white shield inserted between him and the flames.
The fire roared and bounced off the shield, but it couldn’t reach him or Winter.
Was he doing this? Was he doing magic?
He was afraid to move or even breathe. He just kept concentrating on the only three words that made sense at that moment. Keep Winter safe.
Cheryl screamed in frustration, the sound like daggers stabbing his eardrums. “Fine! Try this!” The flames disappeared, but Fox refused to move from where he was shielding Winter.
Behind him he could hear glass shatter, and he remembered the old mirror that hung above the fireplace mantel.
Cheryl grunted as she waved both hands toward the sofa.
Fox tensed, trying to hold on to whatever had protected them the first time, but he could feel his arms starting to shake from the exertion, and his knees were wobbly.
Whatever energy he’d summoned for the first spell was already weaker.
Sharp, biting pain lanced through his body from head to toe.
The shards of mirror glass dug deep, cutting through his clothes to find flesh and sinew.
The shield he’d created worked against fire but not glass.
Fox screamed in pain and Winter roared. He shook the sofa under Fox, but he couldn’t move. Fox blinked and looked down to find glowing blue eyes staring up at him, pain and rage shining in both perfect pools.
“Keep Winter safe,” he whispered, voice shaking in pain.
“No,” his vampire said brokenly.
A horrible cracking sound came from the front porch, and Fox jerked his head up toward the noise.
He winced as shards of glass dug deeper into his neck and scalp with that single motion and he froze again.
Even Cheryl seemed to stop laughing. They all strained to listen, waiting.
The cracking sound repeated as if a giant tree were snapping in half.
Fox was afraid to ask what could possibly be coming their way. There was a new tingling in the air along with the sharp hint of burning sage and sandalwood. He just barely picked it up over the incredible pain cutting through him, but it was there. Another witch.
The door exploded off its hinges, flying out into the yard, where it exploded into tiny splinters around an old woman with black hair and very angry eyes.
“No!” Cheryl screamed.
The other witch sighed heavily. “I have had just about enough of your shit, Cheryl. Cool it.” The stranger casually waved one hand at Cheryl, and a blast of frosty white air shot across the room to slam straight into Cheryl.
A whimper left Fox as he turned his head to find Cheryl frozen, a solid bluish white, her mouth open in a silent scream.
The remaining witch quickly shuffled over to Fox, and he flinched.
It hurt to move, but he also didn’t want to leave Winter helpless.
Even though she was frozen, he wasn’t sure if Cheryl’s spell still held Winter trapped.
“Look at you, poor thing,” the old woman clucked over him.
“Evil fucking bitch.” The witch never spoke a single word for a spell.
She just waved her hand over him, and all the bits of glass pulled free from his skin.
Fox cried out softly, but there was relief with the fresh pain.
The glass tinkled lightly in the air, and then with another wave, the glass turned to powder and danced out the door.
“Be a dear, Winter, and help him to the car,” she politely ordered.
Winter pushed instantly to his feet and wrapped one careful arm around Fox’s waist, coaxing him to lean on his strong chest for support.
“Who…” was all Fox could manage. His body hurt and his brain couldn’t take in anything else.
“Oh, haven’t you guessed?” she asked with a light laugh. But where Cheryl’s had been evil and mocking, this one was sweet and tender. She cocked her head and met his stare with an easy smile. “I’m Zelda. I hear you’ve been looking for me.”