37. Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Ena
It was a crisp fall morning when Ena found herself riding back home.
Mahnin’s dark, glossy fur shone in the early sunlight as they entered the familiar forest surrounding Auster.
It had been over a year since she’d been here in the fall—since Samhain, when she was unexpectedly taken by three daemons, two of whom now rode beside her.
Not only had she journeyed farther than she’d ever thought possible, but she was returning with a new person she’d created as well.
To say it felt strange to be back was an understatement.
The fresh breeze blew the scent of pine and moss towards her as they emerged from the woods onto the main path leading into her village.
The homely stone houses looked the same, with pathways cut through the overgrown gardens, and the sounds of goats bleating in the barn.
Her Coven was waking up for the day, getting to their chores, and she smiled at the sight of their familiar faces—though they didn’t return it.
Instead, they stared at her and her diverse group of companions with curiosity and trepidation—it was clear they didn’t recognize her in such company as she was.
She, Ty, and Turner were on horseback, but the stryx walked beside them—all on foot—covered head to toe in their furs—though they’d been able to shed a few layers the last week or so as they’d descended onto this side of the Chasm Mountains and the temperature warmed significantly, much to their surprise.
Their ragtag group headed towards the matriarch’s house—the largest and newest one in the village, thanks to the fire—to find Fergus the black cat outside it, guarding the garden gate like it was his own.
His tail swished as their group stopped and dismounted in front of him, and Ena bent down to greet him, being careful to not jostle Ladon, who was strapped to her front.
The cat sniffed her curiously before letting out a vociferous “meow” and curling around her legs and hands as she tried to keep up with his excited movements. At least someone recognized her.
Just then, the door of the house burst open to reveal Greya—her blonde hair braided down one shoulder, and her brown eyes full of frenzied surprise as she took in the large gathering of strangers. Then her eyes landed on Ena.
“Blessed be!” she exclaimed, rushing forward with a smile of pure relief and joy.
Ena returned it in kind as the two sisters moved to embrace one another, only to freeze as Greya got close, her eyes darting down to the tiny person on Ena’s front.
“Oh Gaia,” she said, tears instantly filling her eyes. “Is this…?”
Ena nodded, tears filling hers as well, as her sister saw the new little person she’d brought into this world during their separation.
Part of her wanted to collapse right there and sob, because Gaia…
so much had changed since she’d last seen her sister.
Too much. How could anything possibly be the way it was before?
“Can I…?” Greya asked, gesturing at the baby.
“Yes, of course,” Ena said, removing the wrap from her front, and handing it to Ty, who had dismounted himself and stood beside her now.
Ladon was sleeping peacefully—the rhythmic movement of the horse and proximity to his mom was always a sure way to put him to sleep—so Ena was cautious as she handed him to Greya.
Her sister reached out, cradling him in her arms like a fragile gourd. “Ena,” she breathed, staring down at him in wonder. “He is so beautiful.”
“Isn’t he?” Ena replied, a smile crossing her face unbidden at the sight of two people she loved so much meeting for the first time. It warmed her heart, and yet she ached too, for the thought of Heran and her parents, who would never have the same honor.
“I want to hear all about the birth, and your journey,” Greya said, sniffling as she tried to get her overwhelmed emotions under control. “But I’m sure you all must be exhausted, so why don’t we get you settled in first? Perse!” she called, turning back towards the house.
After a few seconds, the man in question wandered out of the front door, his eyes widening as he took in the scene before him.
“Perse, my love, could you take the horses to the stables, and get Yaro to see to them,” Greya asked him.
But he barely seemed to hear her as he flew down the path, pulling Ena into his arms for a tight hug. “I missed you so much, kid,” he said. “Let me look at you.” Pulling back, he assessed her up and down. “No worse for the wear, it looks like.”
“I’m hanging in,” she said flippantly. Gaia, there was so much to tell them all.
“Ty,” Perse greeted, extending a hand to her husband. “Good to see you again. And you, Turner,” he added, shaking Turner’s hand next.
Just then, Max and Kaya approached, entering the garden gate as the rest of the stryx continued to look around the village with a mixture of wariness and awe.
“Greya, this is Max, a member of the stryx, and Kaya—Ty’s mother, and a witch,” Ena said, introducing the new arrivals, who smiled at her sister tentatively.
“Welcome,” Greya said warmly, continuing to hold on to Ladon like the obsessed auntie she was.
“I’m sure you all must be tired from the long journey as well.
Know that you are welcome to camp wherever you like in the surrounding forests.
The River Wry is just south of us, so that area tends to be the flattest and has the best water access. ”
“Thank you,” Max said, his accent seeming even stronger now that they were surrounded by so many without it. “Your hospitality is much appreciated.”
“We’ll come find you later, Ena, okay?” Kaya said. “You should take some time to reunite with your family.”
Ena smiled at her, as she and Max turned and led the stryx back down the path and into the forest towards the River Wry, as Greya had suggested.
“Come on,” Greya said to her, Ty, and Turner as Perse moved to fetch the horses.
“Will the stryx meet any…resistance from the rest of the Coven, do you think?” Ena asked cautiously as she followed Greya inside.
“I don’t think so, no,” Greya explained.
“They’ve all been forewarned of your arrival, and though there were some who were certainly…
wary of a new race of magic, most were open to the idea of hosting them for a while—especially when I explained that they were no longer able to live on their side of the mountains. ”
“And…what about me? And the baby?” Ena asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
Greya sighed, looking down lovingly at the baby in question.
“I’ll be honest, Ena, there was a lot of skepticism—fear about accepting a half-daemon into the Coven.
It’s one thing for witches to contemplate a new accord with daemons—an alliance—but it’s another to accept one of them into the Coven itself. ”
Ena nodded—she’d known that was likely to be the case, but where that left her, she wasn’t sure.
“But give them time,” Greya said, noticing her upset, “and maybe a chance to meet this little one, and who knows.”
Their conversation faded as they crossed the threshold of the front door. Greya’s house was cozy and smelled of whatever delicious baked good was currently cooking, and Ena took what felt like her first full breath in months.
She was home—or at least the closest thing she currently had to it.
She was safe, with her sister, and all those she loved.
It was so familiar and comforting, and part of her was so happy and relieved to have made it here.
The house was an almost exact replica of Heran’s old one, so everything was the same.
And yet, just as she’d felt the last time she’d been here after the unbinding ritual, everything was different. She was different. And something about that made her feel deeply sad. Like she’d lost something she’d never truly get back.
Greya led them all into the sitting room, only relinquishing the baby when he began to stir, turning in towards Greya’s breast looking for milk.
“I still can’t believe I’m an auntie!” she said, almost squealing with glee as she passed him back to Ena.
“I’ll go fetch our other guest while you feed him. ”
“Other guest?” Ena asked, but she didn’t get a response, as Greya was already off and down the hall towards the cellar door. “Who could…?”
“Steig!” she heard Greya call. “You better come up here.”
Ty and Turner looked at each other like little boys given an entire bowl of sweets.
“Steig is here?” Turner asked, barely contained excitement in his voice.
“What do you need me for?” Steig grumbled as he came up the stairs.
“I thought you told me to stay out of sight so as not to upset—” His words cut off as he followed Greya into the room and his eyes landed on them all.
Ena saw more emotion pass over his face than she’d ever seen from him before—shock, relief, joy, pain.
Honestly, she hadn’t thought Steig was capable of it, but he was clearly overwhelmed as he rushed over to Ty and Turner, who stood to greet him.
He pulled Ty in for a hug first. “I heard you tried to die on us, you bastard,” Steig said, his voice tight as they embraced.
“Ah, it wasn’t as bad as all that,” Ty said flippantly.
“Which river were you at?!” Turner responded sarcastically, before turning and beaming at Steig, who pulled him in for a hug next.
“What are you doing here, brother?” Ty asked him after Turner and Steig had released each other. “Shouldn’t you be back home?”
“It’s a long story,” Steig said darkly. “We have much to catch up on and—”
Just then, Ladon let out a fussy cry, and Steig’s eyes landed on him. “Fucking Iblis, is that…?”
“My son, yes,” Ty said, pride oozing from every word as he smiled in loving satisfaction.
“Congratulations, brother,” Steig said, clapping him on the shoulder. “To both of you,” he added, nodding graciously at Ena. “I guess the bad omen Greya told me about must not have come to pass. He looks healthy—you all do.”