Chapter 16 Jaxon
Jaxon
“Are you sure you don’t want any?” Gentry offered the last of the chicken drumsticks to me.
I shook my head, nursing my mead.
“I’ll eat it.” Amir snatched the leg away and finished it off in two bites. I was surprised he didn’t swallow the bone. Gentry growled at him. Ahmad laughed. Tisiphone shook her head, seated at the far end of the table. As far away from me as she could get.
I wasn’t hungry. They’d all eaten—Tisiphone had eaten—and that’s what mattered. But I couldn’t stomach the thought of food when her anger still had me in a chokehold.
Fix this. My wolf snarled. Make it right.
I took another long draw from my mead.
I couldn’t fix anything. I shouldn’t. How many times did she have to make her desires known before I got the hint and left her alone? She didn’t need or want me. Hadn’t she made that clear enough?
Don’t say that.
I lowered my eyes so Tisiphone wouldn’t catch me staring at her. This was pathetic. An Alpha. A warlock. A powerful wolf-witch. Reduced to this simpering mess.
“Witches and warlocks, and wolf-witches too,” the pretty female Ossory witch who’d found me earlier addressed the gathering alone as she lit the bonfire. “A list of tomorrow’s activities will be posted at the welcome tent. I suggest you all get a good night’s sleep after the festivities of today.”
Her speech was short and sweet, but her eyes darted around the crowd, until they locked on mine. A coy smile turned her lips. And that’s when I saw it. Just past her shoulder, the trees in the distance called to me like Earth was known to do as their leaves shook and branches swayed.
Here. They seemed to say. This spot.
“Midnight,” the pretty witch said in passing. One word. I didn’t even know her name. She didn’t stick around to offer it. The crowd swallowed her up, leaving me frowning as I stared into my cup of mead.
If Tisiphone noticed the witch’s attentions, she didn’t make any mention of it. Why should she?
You’re wrong. He started to pace.
“What do you think we’ll be missing tomorrow during this Vincent guy’s trials?” Amir asked the table.
“None of us have to miss anything…” Gentry started. I knew he was anxious to get back to his mate, not that I blamed him. And I also knew he was staying here because of me. Gentry was a good wolf. He’d always been that way.
“I’ll miss the festival,” Ahmad said proudly. “Seeing how Trish is going to do tomorrow with Vincent’s testing should be more fun.”
My wolf growled at the teasing tone her cousin took, but Tisiphone just rolled her eyes.
Calla shocked me by kicking his foot under the table, causing the wolves sleeping at her feet to raise their snouts and growl. She turned to Trish. “When are we expecting Kera to arrive?”
“A few more days.” Tisiphone rested her elbow on the table and her chin sank into her hand. “I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t put an end to the whole festival when she gets here.”
Calla chuckled. “I could see that.”
“Wait.” Trish’s eyes widened. “Can you?”
“Not literally.” Calla waved her hand in the air. “My visions still don’t work like that.”
“Oh.” Trish chewed her lip. “But they are still… working… right?”
Calla nodded. Silence descended around the table. I would’ve filled it, but Tisiphone didn’t need me to come to her rescue anymore.
It was dumbass Ahmad who spoke next. His tongue moved faster than his brain. “What happened with your magic, anyway?”
Tisiphone’s cheeks reddened, but she played off her embarrassment with a shrug.
“No one can explain it. Right after Gram died, I tried to help Mom in the café, but I started a magical explosion. Things kept getting weirder from there. My sisters and I were training, and I was using defensive magic, but I almost hurt Meg when my shield began to choke her. I just… I don’t know. ”
“We heard about it,” Gentry said. “You can’t use your innate powers now at all?”
“I still can use basic magic sometimes. But no. I can’t access anything deeper and I don’t dare try it anymore.” Tisiphone twisted a lock of teal hair between her fingers, studying it in the dying light of the bonfire, and I cursed myself for hanging onto her every word.
I poured a refill.
“That’s got to suck,” Amir blurted out.
She smiled, but tears misted her eyes. “Agreed.”
“Is that why you ditched us?” Calla asked.
Trish’s smile dropped. “I guess so. Figured I’d spare you all the trainwreck that is my life.”
“We would’ve helped,” Gentry spoke softly.
Tisiphone suddenly faked a yawn and stretched her hands above her head. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m beat from today.”
“Me too,” Gentry said. The others nodded.
I glanced around the tables, seeing a few familiar faces from Vincent’s tests. They too had tired eyes, but still they lingered among their more animated companions, watching as the fire burned out.
Vincent—it seemed—would not be regaling us with another speech tonight. I shook my head. He was no true leader. An Alpha wouldn’t abandon his pack after a trying first day. But he wasn’t an Alpha either. And this wasn’t a pack.
“I’m calling it a night. See you all tomorrow?” Trish stood from the table. Her eyes met mine, and I hated the look in them. “Since we’re a coven and have to stick together like you said.”
“Sounds good.” Gentry rose too. “I think I’m going to hit the sack.”
“I’ll walk you to your tent.” The words I spoke were automatic, ingrained. I didn’t even think before I said them.
Because that’s all we want to do.
Tisiphone didn’t want that, though. Her glare told me as much. And for the first time, I was glad she didn’t have her full power anymore.
She was already killing me.
“I don’t need you as an escort, Alpha.”
Calla sucked in a quiet breath. The twins nudged each other. Gentry looked everywhere but my face as Trish held her ground.
“Fine,” I grit out, slowly lowering myself back to the seat. I knew this dance. Knew my place. And I was sick of getting my toes stepped on.
“Fine?” Her jaw dropped. She quickly closed it. I was surprised she sounded shocked. This was what she wanted, wasn’t it?
“Sleep well, Tisiphone. Big day tomorrow.” I raised my cup to my lips, downing the rest of the mead as I stared at the trees in the distance. My wolf whined in pain and I ignored him. Her tent wasn’t that far away. She could walk there. Alone. Without me.
Besides, I was wanted somewhere else tonight.