Chapter 29
Trish
“Hey! Wait up!”
Gods, she was fast.
Though I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to say that anymore. Was it sacrilegious? What gods were I really praying to? Ugh. Vincent and that incense had really done a number on my head. And a number on my lungs and running stamina, if I was being honest with myself.
You okay in there? I asked my wolf as whatever witchy drugs were in that tent burned out of my system.
She raised her head up and it swayed a bit. Give me a minute.
I came to a stop at the corner where I’d seen Sarah disappear, resting my hands on my knees as I looked around. All the stupid black tents looked the same. Nothing like the colors and vibrance and life at the magic festival in the next valley over.
Where we could also be…
“There.” I sensed movement in the tent up ahead, locking onto the faint scent of a panicked witch.
Why she was scared of me—and running—I didn’t know, but my intuition said that I needed to find out. And I could actually hear it again since I got my magic back.
“Sarah…” I used my softest voice, pushing open the flap of the tent. “You don’t know me well, but I’m here to help you.”
My eyes adjusted as I looked inside. The tent was set up similar to the one I was staying in, with a bronze tub in the corner and large framed bed over the Persian carpet on the ground. This one was empty, though. Except for the faint scent of Ossory witch…
“Why are you following me?”
“Hi-yah!” I karate chopped the air, heart leaping into my throat as I spun around, coming face to face with Sarah. “Gods, don’t sneak up on a girl like that.” I slapped my hand over my heart. “It’s been a freaking day.”
Sarah frowned as her gaze went to my bare arms. “So it’s true.”
“What’s true?” I asked.
She tugged her sleeves down, but not before I saw the bandages still there. “He hasn’t tried with you yet.”
“Hasn’t tried what?” I inched closer, scared she’d take off running again and still not totally sure I wasn’t hallucinating this encounter too.
“You’re powerful.” Sarah glanced around as if the tent had ears, and I had to wonder who would be listening. “We all heard what you did to Alpha Jaxon.”
You don’t know anything about Jaxon. My wolf bristled. She didn’t much care for anyone talking bad about him. Truth be told, neither did I—another thing I’d unpack later once I’d gotten the dirt on Vincent and left this strange place.
“I don’t think I’m all that powerful,” I said.
Sarah blew out a frustrated breath. “He wouldn’t have brought you here if you weren’t.”
“He being Vincent, right?” I pressed. This was what I needed. I knew it. “What exactly does he need powerful witches for?”
“Their blood, of course,” she said like it was obvious.
He what?!
I shushed my wolf.
“Wha…Why does he need… Blood?” I stuttered, trying to sound like we were two girls having a totally normal chat about a warlock and potential blood magic.
“Don’t be afraid.” Sarah gave me a serene smile. “The gods will bless us all, especially the witch deemed worthy.”
Yep. That’s it. That’s all we needed. Let’s go tell Kera and get the hell out of here now.
“I don’t understand… What is he doing with their blood?” I asked.
A commotion outside interrupted this mind-fuck of a conversation, and I blinked, making sure I was fully awake as Sarah peeked through the flap door of the tent.
I moved behind her, able to see over her head, as a group of warlocks carried a stretcher between them with Calla’s wolves growling on either side of the convoy.
“Looks like they won’t need you after all,” Sarah said.
Oh heck no. I stormed outside.
“What happened to her?” I jogged alongside them, seeing Vincent trailing behind. The wolves stopped growling and sidled up to my legs, whining as they brushed their bodies against me.
“She had a vision and collapsed.” Vincent was way too busy staring at the crusted blood on her nose. Or maybe I imagined it, because when I looked at him again, he was staring at me and Calla’s wolves.
“Interesting,” he said. “I thought the two of you weren’t close. Isn’t she part of the coven you don’t have?”
“No,” I said. “I mean, yes.” What? How did he know so much about my relationships?
This is where we listen to me and abort mission.
I can’t leave her here! I glanced over my shoulder, wondering where the rest of the coven was and how she’d ended up in Vincent’s care.
“We’re from the same region, so we know of each other,” I said by way of explanation, not wanting to tell him that I’d seen Calla have visions before and she’d never once looked like this. “Is she going to be okay?”
“She’ll be fine.” Vincent stopped in front of me, blocking my path to where the warlocks carried Calla’s stretcher into what I assumed was the healing tent.
“How was your trip?” He caught me by the chin and tilted my face up so I was forced to look into his eyes. A storm brewed there, in the icy blue, and I had to swallow the sound of my wolf growling at me to get away.
“Unexpected,” I said.
“Those are the best kinds.” His smile didn’t match that stormy glare. “I trust you discovered what you needed?”
Yep. And you’re going down.
I nodded as much as I was able to with him still holding my chin.
“Good. You can thank me later. How about during dinner?” It didn’t sound like he was asking.
“Sure,” I drew out the word, wondering what else Vincent had up his sleeve as I slowly pulled his hand off my chin. “But I should check on Calla first.”
I swore his eye twitched, but he took a step back and bowed slightly. “Whatever you want. I’ll send an escort for you tonight.”
That was strange.
I didn’t stick around to figure out why, especially not when Calla’s wolves were growling at me to hurry up.
The healers led me into the partition where they’d set Calla up on a crisp white cot, though I think that had less to do with my comfort and more to appease the bossy wolves who snapped at everyone besides me.
“Is she all right?” I asked the older healing warlock who seemed to be in charge. A skinny, tall man with deep circles under his eyes.
“She’s sleeping now, and I can’t detect any permanent damage,” he said.
“I’ll sit with her until she wakes up.”
“That’d be good.” His gaze lingered on me, and then Calla, a few moments longer. I waited for him to say what he was holding back, but he left, closing the curtain behind him.
Calla’s wolves climbed up onto the cot, circling and nudging each other as they got themselves comfortable on top of her legs.
I scooted the single wood chair closer to her bedside and sat, just as Calla reached out to grab my hand.
“Why is everyone scaring me today?” I placed my free hand over my heart and willed it to slow down, seeing Calla’s eyes open wide. “How do you feel?”
“Are they gone?” she whispered.
I tapped my ear, then motioned my finger in a circle.
Calla nodded. “I need something to drink.”
I helped her to the canteen set on the bedside table, sniffing it first because I’d already been drugged once today.
“What is this place?” she asked after she’d taken a few sips of water.
“They’ve got you in some kind of infirmary tent,” I said. “It’s… in the middle of the camp here. A big camp. Lots of tents.”
Calla didn’t seem surprised to hear that. “Is Jaxon here too?”
Say his name again. My wolf growled and Calla’s wolves raised their heads to look at me.
“Why would he be here?” I blurted out before this became a whole thing.
“He got in a fight with Vincent.” Calla pushed herself up onto her elbows. “His skin… It was burned… There was lightning. Trish, stop!” she rushed to say. “Don’t do anything stupid. He’s a powerful Alpha. He’ll be okay.”
I was already halfway to the curtain, trying to contain my wolf who was ready to break free from my skin and rush to her… mate.
Oh, fate.
“I have to see him,” I said.
“And leave me alone here after everything I did to get to you,” she scoffed. To anyone else, it would’ve sounded like sarcasm.
But I knew Calla.
Even if I’d thought I didn’t anymore. Once upon a time, we’d been friends. Good ones.
“We can’t have that. Whatever would you do without me?” I bit right back, moving to sit down on the chair again.
“He’s fine,” Calla mouthed the words, touching my hand for a brief moment to offer comfort, before she rolled her eyes. “I knew we were supposed to be gearing up for war, but are they planning to starve us to death too? And would it kill someone to get me a bigger bed?”
The healers rushed in upon hearing Calla’s demands, and, go figure, she got a clean bill of health.
“She can stay with me,” I told them. “I’ll take her to my tent.”
“We need to ask Vincent….”
Her wolves growled.
I smiled. “No need. I’m dining with him tonight and I’ll let him know.”
That seemed to do the trick. That or they just wanted to get her wolves out of there. The two animals were menacing little beasts, but they were all bark and no real bite. Without human brains to help guide them, though, people were always wary.
But I’d known them since they were pups, way back when Calla had been too afraid to sleep alone at night because of her future visions, and the two wolves somehow imprinted themselves on her.
A lifetime ago. It was crazy to think how far we’d come, and where we were now.
“Wow. You’ve really been slumming it up,” Calla said as she, and her wolves, climbed onto my bed.
It was large enough for all of us and more, so I didn’t argue. I was more worried about what had landed her here.
“Perks of joining the army, I guess,” I told her, touching my ear as a reminder again to watch what we said because I didn’t know who all was listening. “Are you sure you’re okay by the way? Has something like this ever happened before?”
Calla patted the bed beside her, and the wolves shifted to give me room as I crawled closer. Almost like we were really having a sleepover. Like we were pups again. Except time had made things awkward, and I didn’t really know her anymore.