Aconite (The Elektita Series Book 1) (19 page)

I would finally
get my wish. Everyone that held the answers that I needed would be in one room
together. I wouldn't get the standard that is not my story to tell line. My
happiness at the opportunity quickly became over shadowed by the feeling of
pending doom. They all hated each other for one reason and that reason was me.
It would be interesting to see how this would all turn out. Maybe they could
set aside their hatred to come together for a common goal; figuring out me.

"Are you
insane?" Jo's shriek interrupted my internal thought process.

As long as I could
remember this was how I operated, within myself, probably because even as a
child, voicing my own thoughts rarely produced much. Now as an adult where the
problem seems to revolve completely around me, I was kept in the dark about
most everything unless I could be useful.

"It is the
only way. We need them and I would rather meet on my terms rather than bend to
them."

"But our
wards; you would have to bring them down to let them pass."

Jonathon must have
set wards specifically against Sebastian and Richland. Of course, the day that
Sebastian had waited in the parking lot made sense. He couldn't pass the
doorway of the cafe. That is also why Richland had met me in the street. The
wards blocked him from coming any further. What I found curious was Sebastian
had never set wards against them, at least against Jo. She had walked without
issue right into Sebastian's shop the day I had chosen Richland over her. Now that
I knew our history I felt guilty. The past really did repeat itself. I had
already begun abandoning those around me for him. I reached over and placed my
hand on top of Jo's petite one. It was odd being able to cover a woman’s hand.
Jo was a ball of fire crammed in a small package. She gave me an odd look
before returning my smile.

"They are
coming here?" I was just as amazed as Jo. It didn't seem like Jonathon to
bring his enemy here. Since there was a greater enemy maybe he had thought
better on that rule.

"No Alexis,
they are not. If you would have been paying better attention you would know
that we are meeting with them at your newly acquired home."

I didn't want to
go there. Beads of cold fear sprang from my palms and I had to wipe my hands
against my jeans. My breath came in short painful intervals. Fear glued me in
place. Did he not hear me when I had explained my dream? It didn't matter about
the wards the bad people were going to get through and there was nothing they
could do to stop it.

"It will be
okay. We will protect you after all that is what a familiar is for." Jo
winked at me, renewing her grip on my now sweaty hand. I knew she was trying to
quiet the fear that held me to my seat. It wasn't working very well. I didn't
know what was worse at a time like this paralyzing fear or magically induced
storms. Could there not be a happy medium?

Jonathon left to
close up the cafe. Mack couldn't run the entire place by himself. I was
beginning to wonder if Jonathon would have to close this place down permanently
if he lost any more business due to me. Maybe if I ran from them all they could
finally move on and have a real life. Find someone that would love each of them
in the way that love should be given. I knew I would be breaking my promise of
not abandoning Jo but it would be different this time. I would run with
Sebastian or have to choose a side. She would not have to feel my death by the
same blade over and over. Maybe I could harness this curse and make it hard for
those who want me dead to find me. I would grow old and Jo would finally feel
what a normal death would be. Peaceful. I watched her out of the corner of my
eye watching me. Her face held knowledge and insight. She was already waiting
for me to run. Even if that would be the best thing for all I couldn't do it. I
couldn't run from it all.

"Will it
really be okay?" My voice sounded hollow compared to the life that it had
held just moments ago. I didn't want to be comforted; I wanted her to tell me
the truth. She had been through this many times over. I just needed her honest
assessment of how this ranked with all the other times that preceded my death.
I hadn't even called my parents since I had been here. What kind of daughter
was I? Not theirs, a traitorous voice echoed through my thoughts. Still I knew
they must be worried, but my life hadn't exactly been filled with unnecessary
free time since arriving here. Maybe I should call them now. What would I say?
Hey Mom and Dad, how is everything? Yes, I know it has been too long but you
know how it goes. One day you find out you’re a reincarnated witch, the next
you find out you are surrounded by werewolves and have acquired a familiar and
to top it all off you have a death sentence on your head spanning longer than
even you, my dear parents, have been alive. Other than that everything is
great. Yes, I have a job and my boss was my lover in a past life.

Nope, that
conversation was set for failure even before it began.

"If you truly
need honesty, I'm not sure what will happen. Maybe we should look at the good
in your premonition. Christmas is months away, so that should give us some hope
that this isn't going to go badly." I knew she was trying to reassure the
panic that was building inside of me but it didn't calm my nerves in the
slightest.

"Let’s
go."

I stood almost
robotically. His hard command demanded compliance. I followed Jonathon out of
the office my eyes wondering absently across his backside. Even at a time like
this his body demanded my attention. The way his muscles moved just under his
shirt had my fears slipping away. My eyes followed the motion downward trailing
along the definition of his ass. The pants he wore where tailored to fit his
masculine curves perfectly. I barely stopped in time to avoid ramming right
into that backside.

"Will my car
do?" He was completely unaware of where my focus had wandered and I was
happy to keep it that way. I didn't want him to get any ideas, but Jo on the
other hand had witnessed the entire thing. She shot me a knowing look while I
tried to will her with my eyes to keep her trap shut. She let out a slight
giggle before going through the motions of zipping her lips. Real slick Jo, I
would get her for that.

"Yes, your
car is fine." Hell yes, his car was fine. I wanted to compare it to the
Maserati I had borrowed from Sebastian last night. I highly doubted Jonathon
would let me drive the Jag. So, my assessment would have to be done as a
passenger. I could relate as the pretty car purred its excitement at being
driven.

"Shot
gun!" I hit the front seat running. There was no way anyone would steal my
joy at being in one of these babies. Sitting in the low backed seat I had a
moment of clarity. These cars would be the reason I jump head first in the
trend that is ’taking selfies‘. If I wouldn't have abandoned my cell phone days
ago I could have two selfies in two of the nicest cars I have ever been in, in
my entire life.

Jonathon slid in
next to me while Jo took the back. Neither of them seemed even remotely as
excited about this car as I was. Yes, this week has turned me into a car junky.
I could always sell the house of my nightmares and buy one of these. That
actually wasn't a bad idea.

"Hey, let me
see your phone." Jonathon quickly shot me a puzzled look.

"What do you
need my phone for?" His confusion at my request was cute in a way.

"If I am
going to die tonight I want to take a selfie in this car." I thought I had
covered the wide range of emotions this week but apparently I hadn't covered
nonchalance. I had watched everyone else around me exercise that quite well, so
what the hell, I figure it was my turn. Jo had her phone out, waiting for me to
take it before Jonathon could even process what I was talking about.

"This is how
you process danger?" The shock in his question was further emphasized as I
leaned over in his space making a duck face while simultaneously working the
angle just right, to include him in the picture. Jo's laughter was contagious
which made it difficult to get the perfect picture. I thumbed through the three
work related pictures he had to check out the few I had taken.  They were all
shaky and wouldn't make good background pictures.

"What else
would you like me to do? I could freak out and create a storm that would send
your car, with us in it, careening into a twenty foot ravine or I could act
like none of this was happening. Which do you prefer?"  His silence gave
way to his answer.

"Exactly."
I handed Jo back her phone resigned that I wasn't going to get a good picture
out of this drive.

"There is
something you must know before we arrive." He didn't sound like I was
going to like whatever he had to say very well.

"What?"
I turned to look at Jo but she didn't seem to know what he was about to reveal
and that made me nervous. She normally had an idea of what was about to happen.

"Tonight is a
full moon." His declaration was blunt and to the point. It took me a
moment to find the significance in that. I looked to Jo to see if she was going
to weigh in on that fact. But her passiveness told me I wasn't getting anything
out of her.

"Does that
mean you will change...into...a wolf tonight?" Did Jo and I have to chain
up all three men in the basement after the meeting? I didn't think I was good
for that. I hadn't exactly had time to read “What to Do In Case You Spend the
Night with a Werewolf”. They hadn't covered that in school either.

"No, not for
us—anymore at least. We have not been bound by the moon for quite some
time."

"Then why
tell me?" If the moon didn't make them change like the wolves of legend
what was so important that I needed to know that tonight was a full moon?

"Our change
may not be affected by the moon but it still affects our wolves greatly."

I couldn't push
out the onset of mass problems while he talked like that.

"Please, just
spit it out already. I cannot take much more of the roundabout before getting
to the actual issue." He gave me a wry smile at my demand. If I read him
right he actually liked that bit of insistence. I just may need to exert myself
more often.

"If I must.
Our temper and moods are hit hardest. We have control but it is easily broken.
You must not use that fire of yours to ignite a blaze."

"In other
words tread lightly tonight."

"Yes, Alexis,
please. Wolves are nothing to mess with especially on a full moon. They have a
hair trigger and even the smallest things can cause them to change. Jonathon
and yes, even Sebastian and Rich, have stellar self-control. But even the most
controlled of the Lupo can be broken." Jo said trying to explain the
situation further.

They both where
deadly serious, I had to try to be good. This group hated each other coming in
I could not do anything to provoke and all-out war. All I could do was pray
that I could reign in and use what little control I had mastered to keep my own
freak outs to a minimum.

I watched out the
window unaware of what else to say. I didn't want to ask all the question I had
been burning to ask. Too afraid of what my own reaction would be. We had left
town going the opposite direction as Halo—go figure.

"How far out
does the ward extend?" It felt like we'd driven forever or maybe it only
felt that way from the weight of the conversation.

"Far enough
that we didn't just create our own personal prison."

That was a hell of
an answer. So I went back to my silent observation. The scenery was beautiful
out here. Trees only extended along one side going this direction out of town.
The road had curved just enough to bring the ocean into view on the other. I
wish I had time to enjoy it. Even with the chilled temperature I was sure that curling
my toes in the sand would be a blessing in itself.

The lights of the
small town where long gone by the time we turned down a road labeled PRIVATE
DRIVE, a private drive usually had no outlet so that must be it.

"Are you
ready to see your gorgeous new house?" Jo was still overly excited even
after finding out about my doomsday dream I had about the house. The one thing
I couldn't argue with was how gorgeous it was.

The road wound
around two large bends putting a large log cabin in its own little cul-de-sac.
Yellow lights illuminated the large wrap around porch even though in broad
daylight there was no need. Great tree trucks stood as the pillars that sat on
each side of the unfinished marbled steps. The whole house seemed to have grown
from the ground instead of being built by man.

"This is far
too big for just me." The gravel of the drive crunched to a stop directly
in front of the massive oak doors that made up the house's entrance.

"Maybe
someday it won't just be for just for you," Jonathon said as he came
around to open my door. That was something I didn't think I would ever get used
to. Even though Jo had come from the same time, she didn't wait to receive the
same treatment. Her door was open and she was bounding up the great stairs
before Jonathon had time to close the doors.

"I could stay
here with you if you want." His offer was bold and didn't hold any of the
hesitation that it would have if I were to offer.

"I don't even
know if I want to keep it yet." I made sure to keep my eyes averted as I
said it. I knew my refusal would hurt, and I didn't want to see that hurt on
his handsome face. Each and every one of my lives had refused him one way or
another. I heard the beep of the car alarm before Jonathon was behind me. I
took my time going up the stone steps. They too were rough and unfinished. It
felt like Mother Nature had made her own stairway into the house. When I
reached the top I ran my hand along the tree trunks. The massive roots where
rough and natural, holding the house up in all their glory. A small hum of
power pulsed against my fingertips. It felt amazing quieting my restless self.
Jo and Jonathon stood at the great entrance letting me take it all in. Even in
a time of urgency they knew when it was time to wait and let me soak in as much
as I could. They had seen me many lifetimes before it was understood just how
fragile I was.

"There is
energy in this house. It feels alive." I didn't phrase it as a question
because I already had my answer. This place was alive. But I received two happy
nods in response.

"You are
sensitive to the earth and everything that she provides life. It is one of the
many gifts of your blood." It was a marvelous gift. Finally something out
of all of this I was thankful for.

"Here, I
think you should be the one to go in first." He placed a large iron key in
the palm of my hand. I wrapped my hand around the cold metal and felt nothing.
The key was silent and lay dead in my hand. There was no warning pains or
pulses of energy but I still didn't want to be the first one in. I already knew
what I would see and the pending evil that would eventually find me here. But I
did it anyway. Reaching towards the door, I twisted the key in the lock and
with a click I pushed the door open and stepped into the house Jonathon had
bought for me. It was baffling to even think that a man I barely knew would
have bought me such an extravagant gift.

The house was open
and inviting. I could tell that this cabin was authentic to its name. The same
log walls stood tall spanning at least ten feet up into the vaulted ceilings of
the living room. Two more tree trunks flanked the real fire place that glowed
bright from an already lit fire. The space even held the faint aroma of spruce
and pine. I purposely tapped my shoe against the wood floors. They were
beautiful, raw and expanding throughout every room in the house.

Old, timely
furniture filled the space. The same Victorian couch that I had shoved Richland
in sat in amongst the rest of the furniture.

"You have got
to be kidding me. You all hate each other but you will shop at his store?"
I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the irony of that.

"It is the
only business in town that carries any decent furniture. It is not my fault
that the owner is a bastard."  There was something going on there that I
would find out eventually. I scanned the rest of the space for any signs of
more furniture from Antiques and Oddities, but that was the only piece that I
could remember anyways.

"What about
Interior Designs?" Jo had said it was the best.

"That is Jo's
idea of nice furniture, not mine."

I looked to Jo
standing just behind him. She rolled her eyes and shot me a smile. I coughed to
cover my laugh at her antics. It was nice to see she wasn't a sheep when it
came to some things.

 He had gone to
great expense to leave little for me to have to do. The living area opened up
to the kitchen and a large formal dining room. The walls each had their own
colors. The living room had been painted a deep crimson and with that it faded
into a burnt orange. The space felt like sun set. On the other side of the room
stood large wooden doors of the same make closing off another space.

"That is your
master suite," Jonathon explained noticing my questioning look. Jo was no
longer in the room no doubt exploring the rest of the house. A large hallway
sent you further into the house.

"It is a true
masterpiece." I ran my hand across a table that was clearly meant for mail
and other notes that sat next to the free standing coat stand. I was scared to
go further, scared that if I did I would make it all real, the present and the
future.

"Yes, it is
far more modern than the original."

"The
original?" He had to rebuild? I couldn't image what would have stood here
before something like this. The wood seemed far too old for something modern. I
finally gave in, venturing further into the house. Whatever would happen has
already begun whether I stood here or further into the house. I headed straight
for the kitchen. All the rooms lit up from the yellow lighting that extended
inside but the kitchen shined the brightest. The lights that hung from the
ceiling reflected brightly off the stainless steel appliances. Out of habit I
opened the fridge to check out its contents. It was stocked with fruits,
vegetables, meats, and more varieties of cheeses than I had ever seen outside
of a cooking show.

"When will
you learn, my old friend, that building her a house will not keep her at your
side?" Sebastian's condescending voice caused me to slam the refrigerator
door harder than I had intended. The sound of it rang out through the tension
that Sebastian had caused with his arrival.

"I thought
there were wards?" For some reason the thought of him here now with
Jonathon scared me more than a faceless monster from a dream. Sebastian gave me
the same slitted look I had left him with frozen in his own house. I knew how
my question sounded but with my fear already ramped up farther than ever the
fact that anyone could get passed them caused my fear to border panic.

"I took them
down. I told you it had to be done." Jo came in behind Sebastian. So that
is where she had gone. Not to explore but to tear down the safety measures they
had built.

Richland came in
behind her and I could tell by her stiff movements she didn't like the thought
of being surrounded by them. Someday I would find out if there was a more
personal reason that she disliked Richland so much or it was simply because he
had chosen the side of the woman stealing murderer. Richland, I wasn't as
scared of so I offered him a warm smile in way of greeting, keeping the warning
that Jonathan had given me in mind. They are wolves on the crest of a full
moon. I didn't want to chance pissing anyone off; not tonight. It seemed
Sebastian had that job covered already.

"The home is
where the heart is. To be fair, at least I have given her something that at
least resembles normalcy all you have ever done is bring death." He
stepped forward with his words. I knew this could go bad quick.

"Let’s all
just calm down. The house is of no importance right now. We are all here to
share information and figure out how to stop whoever is testing your wards from
coming after me." Finally I was being the voice of reason. It felt pretty
good too. Jo came up to stand next to me, lacing her arm into mine.

"I
agree," she said, pride filling her voice.

"Of course
you would, cat. You have to." The sneer came from Richland which rather
surprised me. He was one of the few that I actually hadn't wanted to hate.

"Richland,
I'll blame your little outburst on the moon. I don't want to have to entertain
the idea that I had gotten you all wrong from the start. So can we all keep our
history at bay for now and focus on me not dying, again?" I added in the
again because apparently I had done it quite a few times while none of them could
stop it.

"Yes. I can
behave if they will." That was probably as good of an agreement as I was
going to get. Jonathon had tensed at his insult and Jo looked as though murder
was the only thought in her mind.

"Can you all
agree to those terms as well? Think of me as Switzerland. There will be no war
between you while I am still breathing."

Sebastian gave
Jonathon a knowing smile, and it was then I realized the error in my words. I
did not have a great track record of living very long and I had just given them
permission to start a war upon my death. Well let’s all hope this time around I
didn't die.