Everwild (The Healer Series, #1) (32 page)

Willow quickly blocked everything out and
focused on the spot, willed it to heal, just like she did all the
other wounds. But nothing happened. The spot was still growing,
albeit very slowly, but it wouldn’t stop at her command. Suddenly,
she felt herself being forcefully ripped away from the ailment. She
was being pulled out of Elirana’s mind, but not by her own doing.
Willow’s hands flew into the air and she backed up gasping and
falling onto the couch on the opposite side of where Elirana
sat.

“Well? Well?” Bryon questioned in annoyance,
coming up to her in a flurry of movement. Willow blinked and saw
two of him, then three and four. Her head was spinning and her
stomach quenched with nausea. “What happened? Did you fix her?”

“Let her have a moment, Byronistasta!”
Carmela scolded the infuriating Elf. “Can’t you see she needs
it?”

Byron stepped back in shock. “Of course, of
course. My apologies.”

Willow waited while her mind cleared. What
she just experienced was totally overwhelming, totally surprising,
and totally confusing. She just entered someone else’s mind! How
was that even possible? She didn’t care, but felt rather proud of
herself for accomplishing such a feat at her level of magic. But
that wasn’t what surprised her the most. What surprised her was
that Elirana didn’t
want
Willow to heal her. That was why
she was pulled from her mind. Elirana felt the invasion and
purposely threw Willow out of her mind. Elirana was letting her
memories fade on purpose. She didn’t want to be helped, and by
acknowledging that, somehow countered Willow’s power and stopped
her from healing the sore spot in her mind.

“Did it work, Healer?” Byron pressed her
again, this time a little softer.

Willow looked over at Elirana. Her eyes were
still off in a daze. Then, she looked at Chase and the werewolves
who were still frozen in place. Elirana looked at Chase too, her
eyebrows furrowed, like she was trying to remember him. Did Chase
really cause Elirana that much pain that she would refuse to save
her memories, even those of her family and childhood? Willow held
her head high and spoke directly to Byron. “No.”

“NO? NO! What do you mean no?” He yelled.

“Release my friends and I’ll tell you more,”
Willow said gaining strength.

Byron looked at the werewolves still stuck
and watching the whole process occur. “If you try anything Chase
Hawthorne, I will kill you,” he said bluntly and waved his hand
releasing them. The triplets raised their hackles and lowered their
heads, growling menacingly at Byron for threatening Chase.

“Get off your high horse, Byron,” Chase said
approaching Elirana. Byron allowed him to crouch in front of
Elirana and look up at her. Willow didn’t expect Chase to go to
Elirana, but to her, so it was kind of surprising. There was
definitely something here she was missing. Elirana and Chase had a
past history. How much history they had was a mystery. Willow
watched in awe as Elirana focused on Chase, her eyes clearing
momentarily as she looked at him. It was really, really
strange.

“Hey Eli Baby,” Chase said softly, almost in
a cooing, affectionate way. “Miss me?”

“Who are you?” She asked as her eyes grew
watery. She was really trying to think about who he was. Chase
looked tormented.

“I’m yours, baby,” he said softly. “Remember?
Do you remember my name?”

“You’re a werewolf?” Elirana asked. Chase
nodded. He reached for her hands but Elirana pulled away, and
faster than imaginable, she was at Byron’s side. Willow didn’t even
see her move! “He’s going to eat me, Father!” Elirana cried and
shook at his side.

“Shh, shh,” Bryon said putting an arm around
her. “You’re safe, okay? He won’t hurt you. Not anymore.”

Chase stood up pissed off and angry. “How
dare you keep accusing me of hurting her! You’re the ones who hurt
her! If you just allowed us to--”

“Enough!” Byron said. “Carmela, Healer, if
you cannot help us, we will take our leave and try different means.
We refuse to be in the company of werewolves! The lowest caste in
the magical world! Werewolves are useless and—”

The triplets pounced on Byron before he could
finish his sentence and knocked him to the ground. Byron screamed
and tried deflecting them with his magic. He managed to wrench two
werewolves off of him and throw them across the room. To the other
one, he physically pushed him off and stood to his feet, but the
other two werewolves had already recuperated and jumped in front of
Byron. They stood on their hind legs and pushed him backwards. He
knees buckled and he tumbled over one of the wolves who had gotten
behind him to trip him. They worked as a team. It was kind of funny
to see them fighting, the werewolves’ energy was pulsating around
the room. They seemed to almost enjoy ganging up on the poor Elf,
proving their worth among the magical races and showing him they
were not one to be messed with or insulted.

At the same time the werewolves were
attacking, Elirana had flown across the room to hide in a corner.
Chase was timidly approaching her, trying to get her to calm down
and see he wouldn’t hurt her. There was so much chaos around Willow
and she didn’t know where to look until Carmela came up to her and
blocked her view.

“You seek the key,” she whispered, which drew
her full attention on Carmela.

“Yes, Seeker, where can I find it?”

Carmela produced a piece of paper with a
fancy script on it and placed it in Willow’s pocket. “Everything
you need to know is on this parchment. You need to get out of here,
now. You cannot have the werewolves and Byron follow you here. No
one needs to know where you’re going. Remember, I have seen many
futures…”

“And you chose this one,” Willow finished her
sentence and rolled her eyes automatically. “What if I went to
another Seeker, Carmela? What would she tell me, then? Choose this
same one for me or risk sending me on another adventure guaranteed
with death and despair?”

Carmela’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you know I’m
the best Seeker of all?” she said smugly. “Besides, you’re always
in control of your destiny. Never forget that. I simply…steer you
in the right direction.” Willow grabbed the paper in her pocket so
she could read it, too curious about where Carmela was sending
them, but Carmela stopped her with a warning.

“Not here.”

Willow started to protest when suddenly, a
loud crashing filled the room and she watched in horror as Byron
went flying through the window outside, tossed like a sack of
potatoes by the triplets. The fight was growing more intense as the
werewolves also jumped through the large window, making more glass
crash to the ground. Carmela used the distraction and raced to the
back room, opening the curtain to reveal a portal.

“What portal is this? Where are you sending
us?” Willow cried “I need to talk to you more! I need answers! I
can’t leave now!”

“Everything you need is on that paper,
Healer!” Carmela shouted through the sounds of the fight outside.
“Chase and Elirana, come!”

“I’m not taking that Elf with me!” Willow
screamed at Carmela when she saw Chase carrying a forced Elirana in
his arms. She was kicking and flailing her arms screaming bloody
murder as Chase struggled with Elirana in his arms.

Willow heard Byron crying outside for his
daughter. “LEAVE HERE NOW!” Carmela shouted. Without even
questioning it, Chase jumped through the portal with a screaming
female Elf leaving Willow standing there gaping at Carmela. Willow
turned to the window to see Byron racing up to it, throwing arrows
and casting spells towards the werewolves, who stumbled in the yard
as they were struck.

“NOW, HEALER!” Carmela cried and grabbed
Willow’s wrist. Willow was thrown, once again, in a swirling portal
of the unknown. She could just see the infuriated Bryon reaching
the window and yelling at Carmela when everything around her went
white as she was hurdled through time and space to another
place.

Willow landed hard on her back on the ground.
She gasped for air; her heart was still racing from the events that
just took place. In the distance, she heard shouting, but she
couldn’t make out what they were saying. She recognized the voices
belonging to Chase and Elirana, the newest edition to their group.
Willow sat up quickly remembering the note Carmela gave her and
pulled it out of her pocket, scanning the words.

The key you seek lies deep in the mountain

Terror, darkness, chaos surround it.

Where dead things lurk and hunt you down.

Stay strong in love and you won’t drown

In fires, ice, and waters too.

The Deadlands are what lie before you.

Trust your powers, you will not fail.

The key is there, but Healer beware.

“OH SHIT!” Willow outwardly cursed. Silence
followed the area where she was. Either the fighting had stopped
between Chase and Elirana, or she was so deep in her thoughts that
she could no longer her them. Where was she? She didn’t even know
as she read the paper over and over again, dread filling her being.
The Deadlands? She had to go to the Deadlands? Possibly even worse
than the Everwild, the Deadlands was a place so dark and full of
evil that not even Hekate herself would venture to tread. She sent
the key there to ensure Willow would never find it. She was cruel,
down her very soul for doing this, and she would pay.

Hekate had another thing coming. Even as
Willow’s heart threatened to burst out of her chest from fear,
Willow would go to the Deadlands. She no choice! She had to rescue
her sisters. She would not leave them to suffer an eternity in the
box of souls. She needed her sisters like she needed air to
breathe. She loved them so much. Willow would free them, even if it
killed her.

Chase came up to her and crouched, taking the
paper from her shaking hands and stood back up reading it. He
didn’t say anything. Willow stared at the woods around her like a
dead person, lost in her thoughts. This mission was suicidal.
Literally. She may not come out alive this time, but maybe someone
would find a way to save her sisters if she failed.

Chase still wasn’t saying anything, and
finally the silence was too much for her to bear. She looked up at
him as he continued to read the paper. Then she looked over to
where the elf girl was standing with her arms crossed and confusion
on her face. She had to take Elirana with her? What purpose did she
serve here? Was Carmela playing a stupid trick on her? Was this
really real?

And then she looked past Elirana and
realization hit her. She stood eyes gaping at what lay before her.
The castle of Darkmeer Academy. The silver gate with a large emblem
written in the middle signified the warlock school. Willow’s heart
beat even harder. She was here to get Declan. Carmela sent her here
first, sending her a strong, very obvious message. She was here to
take him with her! But would he even go? Her breathing grew
panicky. She was having a panic attack! Go to the Deadlands, sure!
Why not? Go get the one warlock who claimed her heart and now hated
her for it? No. Freaking. Way!

Chase stood in front of her blocking her
view. “Well, it seems Carmela’s sending us on another
adventure…”

“Are you sure you want to go with me?” It
came out as a whisper. “You don’t have to, Chase. I don’t want to
put you in danger.”

“Danger? Ha! I laugh in the face of danger!”
Chase hollered and smiled. Then, he turned serious. “Willow Rose, a
long time ago I made a vow to you protect you. I also told you I’m
mission kind of guy…”

“It wasn’t that long ago, Chase.”

“Well, it feels like it. Healer, I feel like
we’ve known each other for a long time even though we haven’t. It’s
like our destinies are linked. I feel a connection to you that I’ve
never felt with anyone…well,” he glanced back at Elirana, “maybe
another, and my pack too, and maybe…” he shook his head to clear
his rant, “okay, the point I’m trying to make is that where you go,
I go. I want to do this. I was made to protect you and to help you.
So yes, I’m sure I want to do this.”

Unwanted tears welled in Willow’s eyes. She
ran into his embrace and hugged him, enjoying the feel of his arms
around her, holding tight. Sometimes, it was great to have a
werewolf around. “I feel the same way, Chase,” she whispered.

“Now…do you know where the Deadlands are?
I’ve heard of them, but just rumors of nasty beasties that live
there. I live in the Everwild, so I’ve seen some really horrible
things, but nothing I couldn’t handle. The Deadlands, on the other
hand, are a whole different story. But hey, I like the element of
surprise, so bring it.”

“Well…no. I don’t know where it is. I thought
you did…”

“I do,” a soft voice made them turn. Elirana
was standing closer to them now, listening intently to their
conversation. She was so beautiful, even in the darkness, with some
green warlock light from the academy stretching out towards them,
Willow could see her flawless features and grew jealous.
Apparently, she had gotten over her fear of Chase being a werewolf.
Willow caught Chase looking at her, too, with hidden love behind
his eyes that he masked with a cheeky grin.

“Eli Baby, you are one surprise that truly
surprises me.”

Willow rolled her eyes. What a stupid line!
“Elirana,
you
know where the Deadlands are?”

Elirana ignored Chase too. “Yes. Long ago, my
people had to fight unmentionable creatures and cast them into the
fiery depths of the Deadlands, so they would never cause chaos on
this Earth again. I know the way.”

“Way to be morbid, baby,” Chase said and
winked. “I like it.”

Well
, Willow thought and smiled to
herself,
at least he’s not flirting with me anymore.
But it
was funny, because Elirana almost seemed to enjoy it. Then another
thought reached her. “That was why Carmela sent her with us!
Because she knows the way! Before, how I got to the Everwild was
through a portal she created. This time is different. We’re…”