Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
After getting Asher and the pups settled, we go over everything that needs to be handled while I’m away.
He’ll follow up with Miss Edna and Mayor Declan about who handled the placement of my sisters and how we can track them down.
Also, if S’Nark ever shows up, he might be interested to know what I’ve been dealing with.
While I have no idea of the job criteria of being a witch’s familiar, I can safely say S’Nark sucks ass.
I sling the strap of my duffle bag over my shoulder and step out onto the wide, covered porch.
It’s Laurel who stands at the railing and turns to greet me as I exit. I hesitate mid-step. “Oh, hell no.”
The woman turns to me, but other than an elegant arch to her silver brow, shows no sign of offense.
If things had been different, I could see how the witches of the coven would admire her.
She’s majestic with long silver hair, gray eyes, and wearing a Bohemian peasant skirt that has airy layers that flow in the late October breeze.
But things have been different, and my instinct of self-preservation surges. Laurel is very powerful, and my instincts are screaming to get away from her and to protect myself.
“Hello, Poppy. Thank you for seeing reason and for agreeing to do the right thing.” Laurel’s voice is warm and melodic, and when she speaks, the chaos buzzing inside my cells settles a little.
With a deep breath, I stand straight and meet her assessing gaze. “I didn’t realize it would be you coming to escort me. I’m sure you’ll understand when I refuse to go anywhere with you.”
She tilts her head to one side, her owl earrings swaying over her shoulder. “You have the same disrespect of authority as your mother. I had hoped you might be more reasonable.”
I scoff. “You separated me from my sisters and knowingly removed me from my life. You dropped me into a strange city, unconscious and vulnerable. Excuse me for not being willing to give you that opportunity a second time.”
“The past can’t be changed.”
“No, but amends could be made. You could tell me what the fuck you were thinking. You could give me back my memories. You could tell me where my sisters are so I can bring them home where they belong.”
“That is not meant to be.”
“Why? Because it would make you look bad? Do the other members of the coven know the lengths you took to destroy the lives of one of the Elite families?”
The flaring of her pupils is the only sign that I struck a chord with that one. “Our lives unfold as the goddess mother intends, and that, in itself, is exactly as it is meant to be.”
“You can’t be serious. You’re saying that because you were able to do it, the goddess mother intended it to be so? That’s some major gaslighting bullshit.”
“Damn straight it is.” A tall brunette woman strides out of the shadows of the front lawn, accompanied by a jogger-fit, twenty-something guy with ebony hair and piercing silver-blue eyes further accentuated by black eyeliner. “Hey, Poppy girl, it’s been a long time.”
Asher looks to me for a clue, but I haven’t got one.
“Wow, you really don’t remember me? Declan said the coven wiped you, but damn, that’s cold.”
Lauren’s spine stiffens. “This is none of your concern, Eliza. You have your people to govern, and I have mine.”
The woman flashes me an easy wink, and I straighten when I see that the slits of her pupils are vertical, like a cat.
“Maybe so, but Orion here has been having trouble controlling his shift, so I’m sending him to Arcana.
And since he and Poppy used to be close, I thought we’d hitch a ride with you, and they can get reacquainted while ensuring everyone gets to where they’re supposed to go. ”
The insinuation that Laurel is not above trying to make me disappear again is plain, and I’m relieved to have someone other than me acknowledging it.
The woman looks down at me, and that’s when I notice the family resemblance. Not only does Eliza have the same tall, muscled frame and brown hair as Mayor Declan, she also seems to enjoy going flannel top and jeans casual.
“Poppy, you may not remember us right now, but my husband and I were good friends with your parents, and when Orion came to live with us, you and your sisters welcomed him as one of your pack.”
I glance over at the looker with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. “Hey, Popstar.”
Asher chuckles. “I like it. I usually go with Pop-Tart.”
The two share a look and size one another up, apparently each of them finding the other acceptable. “Are you the best friend who went after Wylder in the diner?”
Asher straightens, his gaze narrowing. “He had it coming for what he did to Poppy.”
Orion holds up his hands. “I’m not accusing or condemning you. I’m just saying that if you are as protective as Uncle Declan believes you are, you might feel better knowing I’ve got you covered. I’ll stick close and keep an eye on her.”
The relief in Asher’s eyes hurts my heart. “Thanks, man. That actually does make me feel better.”
Eliza nods. “All right. Then it’s settled. Shall we?”
After another round of goodbye hugs, I leave Asher to take care of things on the Hallowind homefront, and head out with Laurel, Eliza, and Orion. It’s obvious the two women don’t like each other much, and in my book, that scores big points for Mayor Declan’s sister.
The four of us descend the stairs on the porch, and when I expect us to make our way down the driveway, Laurel leads our group around the house and toward the forest at the back of the property.
Laurel must read the confusion in my expression because she points to the circle of standing stones in the distance. “The most powerful of our kind use the convergence of ley lines to enhance our powers and to travel to the pocket realms we keep hidden from the nocana populations.”
Right. That’s probably why Sebastian rushed me there. Thank goodness he came for me. I honestly don’t know if I would’ve survived without him.
Not that I’d confess that to Laurel.
I may technically be a junior witch under her charge, but I don’t trust her motives or her judgment.
When we fall under the shadows of the forest, I glance around to ensure my ancestor auntie isn’t around, and then slow my pace and drop a few feet behind Laurel and Eliza.
Matching strides with Orion is similar to keeping up with Asher. They’ve got the same long, sure steps. “So, your aunt said we were friends? Was that when we were little or in our teens?”
Orion’s smile is sad. “Both, actually. We were close. It stung that after you left, you didn’t contact me. I’m ashamed to say I was pissed at you for a long time. I’m sorry I didn’t look into it more. If I had, maybe I could’ve found you sooner and brought you home.”
I wave away his apology. “It’s not on you. I don’t know what happened back then, but I’ll find out.”
“And I’ll help you. I certainly don’t have any clout within the ranks of the coven, but I’m a member, regardless.”
“You are?”
I’m not sure what he sees in my expression, but his eyebrows rise until they disappear behind a swath of ebony hair. “Is it that hard to believe?”
Heat flushes my cheeks. “Sorry, no. I learned about magic a week ago and know nothing that I haven’t read in my mom’s books. I sort of thought you were a shifter or something. Is that what your aunt and uncle are?”
He grins. “I’m both, actually. My father was a witch from Massachusetts, and my mother was Eliza and Declan’s younger sister. The Carmichaels are a rare shifter race, but super powerful.”
“Double trouble, then.”
He grins and waggles his brows. “I do my best.”
The two of us walk along the forested path, the sound of our steps absorbed by the pithy earth and fallen leaves.
“Poppy…”
When he says nothing else, I cast a sideways glance. “Yeah?”
“I don’t want to sound like a dick, but you may find looking so much like Zoe makes things difficult for you in witch circles. Living under your mother’s shadow will be a challenge.”
“Yeah, I got that impression. And me having the same spirit affinity has people spinning.”
“You’re a spirit witch, too?”
“Seems so.”
He purses his lips. “Yikes, the goddess has really tossed you into the fire, hasn’t she?”
I shrug. “People don’t choose how they’re born. They are who they are. Maybe that’s the will of the goddess or maybe that’s just the luck of the draw.”
He seems to consider that and nods.
“So, did I understand Laurel right that this Arcana place exists in a magical pocket?”
He reaches to pull a low-hanging branch to the side, so I don’t walk into it. “Yeah. It’s a magical expanse hidden from this realm.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“It might sound like it. The important part is that for those of us having control issues, it’s a place that can handle and absorb magical fluxes, so no one gets hurt and no exposure occurs with the non-magical population.”
That’s what Wylder said. And as good as that sounds, I still would rather stay with Asher and stick close to the standing stones.
Even walking toward them right now, I feel calmer and more in control. They give me a sense of peace and rooted belonging I’ve never experienced before.
When we break through the trees, that feeling doubles.
So does my apprehension. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be stuck in a magical pocket, separated from Asher.
“Hey, Poppy?” Orion’s whispered words are filled with concern. “It’s fine. I won’t let anything happen to you. My aunt pulled strings, and we’re staying in the same dorm and everything. I’ve got you covered.”
I swipe at the moisture on my cheeks. “I haven’t been apart from Asher since he found me unconscious in the street and took me in. It probably sounds silly, but he’s my lifeline.”
“It’s not silly. You two have obviously been through a lot. Having someone who has your back when the world kicks you in the face is as rare as it is amazing. And I’m sorry, Poppy. You should never have been thrown away like that. It’s not right.”