Fighting Destiny (Central Coven) (42 page)

“Well, he’s alive,” I muttered. Gone, no good bye, a note left in the dirt, but he’s alive.  I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that.  Shouldn’t I know?  I should be heart broken right?  So why wasn’t I?  I mean, why did I feel okay?  Well, okay was a stretch, but I wasn’t miserable. 

I looked across the room and Dean was sitting in an office chair.  His hands peacefully rested on top of Anita’s dirt covered jeans.  Anita was sitting on top of her desk, with her feet on the arms of the chair he was sitting in. She had found a brush, and was trying to brush the mud out of her tangled hair.  Across the room, Finn stood quietly and intensely watching me. It hit me with all of the intensity of the first time I saw him.  He was all I could see. 

Just like that I knew I would be fine.  My life would move on.  Did I love Grey?  Yes.  I didn’t even need to take a second to consider it.  But he wasn’t my first love, Finn was.  Was this how I wanted my relationship with Grey to end?  No.  Oddly enough, even though I knew I loved Finn, I still wasn’t completely ready to let go of Grey.  Part of me was still in love with Grey too. 

I knew one of us was going to have to make a choice to end the cycle we were on.  I like control, especially over my own life.  But, now it was done, the choice was made.  This ordeal seemed to start with Grey coming to town, and now that he was gone it felt truly over.  That isn’t fair, but it’s easier for me.  So…yeah, I could live with this.

“You okay? You look lost in thought.” Finn remarked.  “Yeah.  For the first time in a long time, I am.”  I would read the note later, but I already knew what it said.  There was exposure, and the
Watchers
had to contain it, blah, blah, blah.  I couldn’t be pressed to care.  He made his decision.  I begged him not to, I’m ashamed to admit.  I wouldn’t beg again. It was past time I grew up a little and respected his opinion on our relationship.  If he believed it was hopeless, it was. 

Finn pushed a strand of hair out of my face, “So…” That was a loaded beginning.  “Grey left,” he finished.  It wasn’t an accusation, just an observation.  I looked at him and smiled sadly.  “Finn, I’ve made a lot of mistakes.  I’ve torn myself to pieces trying to figure out what I wanted.  I know I’ve hurt both of you in the process.  Before I even think about getting into another relationship I want to be completely sure.  No reservations.  The next time I’m going to be all in.”  “I can live with that,” Finn said with his mischievous grin.

“I can wait forever for you,” Finn said softly.  “It just so happens we have forever to figure things out,” I said and bumped into his shoulder.  “Friends?” I asked.  “For now,” Finn said his grin taking a devilish quality.  I laughed, “Yeah, you’re probably right.  But, until I’m sure…” “I’ll be right here waiting. And, until then, we will just have to put up with those two,” Finn said and pointed to Dean and Anita. 

Anita had snuggled herself into Dean’s lap, and they were busy making up for lost time. I laughed, “Yeah, it looks like everything is back to normal.”  Without skipping a beat Anita tossed a pillow at us, and knocked me over. 

“At least now we only have to fight cheerleaders,” Anita said laughing.  I couldn’t help joining her.  After all of the stress, and the fighting we finally got to be college students.  It felt good.             

Grey

I hadn’t really planned to leave, but I wasn’t given a choice.  I remembered the searing pain of being burned as the sun arose, before the elf dumped me in a hole.  I don’t like him, but it was actually a good idea. However, instead of waking up in the woods and meeting up with Chloë, I found myself in a wooden coffin. 

At first I thought that they devised another plan, and brought me home.  Then I looked around and realized I was in the cargo bay of a plane headed across the Atlantic. 

“It has been a long time Grey,” a voice said from the dark.  I laughed relieved, it was Carlos.  I was in no shape to fight, and I had nowhere to run.  “How are you, old friend?” I asked him.  His lip crooked upwards in a humorless smile. 

“Naturally I am grateful your coven rescued us.  Unfortunately a new danger has presented itself, which has cut my celebration rather short I’m afraid.  Some human practitioners, wiccans, were killed recently.  Some were drowned, hung and others were burned at the stake.  These seem like isolated incidents because they are occurring around the world, but it is the work of one group. In the blood of the victims, at each crime scene is written
malleus maleficarum.
The auto-da-fé has re-emerged.” 

“I gather this danger is the reason I’m on this plane.  Am I right?” He nodded.  ““Witch hunters? Now?  I thought all of that ended with the Renaissance?” I asked astonished. “Unfortunately it has returned.  Thanks to Simone, Angeline, and Alexander.  Now we need to go to the
Council
and receive our instructions.  Also, we need to take you to some witches who specialize in healing.”

I really was not interested in seeing Marguerite Du Lac after all of her maneuvering. We handled the last crisis we could handle this one too.  “They have called for the
Watchers
,” Carlos informed me.  “Obviously.”  It was only natural that the
Watchers
would come back together to protect our world.

The
Watchers
protect supernaturals from humans that try to destroy the balance.  This had been part of my life since I settled in America, but this was the first time I was reluctant to fulfill my duty.

I ignored Chloë for the last few days.  I’m not perfect. I avoided her because I was sure she was going to leave me.  Living for a millennium hasn’t made me unusually intelligent, because I realize now my actions probably pushed her away.  Worse even, pushed her to
him
.  After the disaster of Halloween, Marguerite threatened she would stop at nothing to have Chloë and I split apart.  I knew better than to challenge her, I would lose. 

Chloë deserves more than to tie herself to a vampire.  I know her stubbornness would keep her from leaving me.  She does love me, I know she does, but she isn’t
in love
with me.  She just hasn’t realized it yet.  We can never have children. I can’t give her the life she will eventually want.

Leaving Chloë, no matter how sure I am it was bound to happen, feels wrong. But, if I can allow her some peace and keep her safe, I can live with it.  I can do this for her. 

***************

Stay tuned for Central Coven 2 Burning coming late 2013!

I have alw
ays dreamed of being a writer.  So naturally I pursued first my bachelor's then my master's in history.  Ok, so I had always dreamed of being a writer, but there was a time I fully planned on going to law school. Then I got married, became a mother, and somewhere switched paths.

I prefer unique characters. 
I am multi-ethnic, and am drawn to people of different cultural backgrounds.  I am Mexican/Scotts Irish/and Native American.  I speak Spanish and French, and I return to characters from these cultures over and over.

I've discovered life is a journey we learn about along th
e way. My writing is the same.  I have a goal in mind, but my characters take on their own life and have their own ideas about how to live them.  I enjoy travelling with them.  I'm glad life doesn't always turn out the way you plan.

Follow me on my blog, http://kdcarrillo.blogspot.com/.