Second Nature (25 page)

With a deep breath, I took Nate’s hands and
studied his eyes for the same doubts that plagued me. As our hands
touched, I could somewhat sense him and feel a little of the
uncertainty in him. I trembled, terrified things would go horribly
wrong and one or both of us might die. I still wasn’t sure whether
I wanted to be with Nate; I needed time to get to know the man he
had become in the wake of all he had been through.

Madison began speaking in an unidentified
language, making a cutting motion behind Nate’s back, then mine.
She drew a circle around us with the blade. Finally, she brought
the blade down between us, knocking our hands apart.

It felt like an invisible fist slammed into
my chest and knocked me three feet backward. I lifted myself up on
my hands to see Nate doing the same from where he’d fallen. I
couldn’t sense him, but I hadn’t been able to for so long that
really didn’t mean much. I pinched my arm as hard as I could, but
he didn’t respond. My brows shot up as I watched him scratch his
leg and I felt nothing.

Whooping, he jumped to his feet and ran
across the room to scoop me up. He spun me in a circle and set me
back on my feet. I could feel his joy, tinged by sadness and a
little trace of desire. I stepped back, smiling at him to soften
the blow. My siblings hugged me and Xander went to pat Nate on the
back.

“If she gives you another chance, don’t blow
it, man.”

Nate’s eyes were wide as Xander returned to
wrap me in a bear hug. Dylan hugged me and tried to kiss me, but I
turned my head so he kissed my cheek. He gave me his best puppy dog
eyes while I glared at him before he conceded defeat for the moment
and grinned at me.

Since the entire Otherworld knew who we
were, it was only a matter of time before we were found. There was
no longer any point in hiding. Xander contacted the guy about fake
paperwork for our real selves, changing our birth certificates and
all of our history to match our appearances.

With my new paperwork in hand, I enrolled in
college and selected archeology as my major. Somehow through all of
this, I developed an interest in history. I wanted to understand
how Otherworld history truly tied into human history.

Sariah’s wedding was small but beautiful. We
held it in the backyard in the middle of October. The trees rained
colorful leaves through the entire ceremony, not that any of the
guests were surprised at the perfection of the day. A wedding was
definitely an occasion where it paid to be on good terms with a
Gaia or two.

Xander and Russell looked dapper in tuxedos
with rust colored vests and ties. Sariah’s strapless gown sparkled
with ten billion crystals and her blond hair fell in soft curls
with fall leaves strategically placed. The colorful daisies and
autumn leaves of my bouquet complimented my own golden yellow
dress. My copper hair shone on top of my head in an artistic twist.
Once again, my grandmother performed the ceremony, a Wiccan
Handfasting this time.

Russell became a Hoffman since Sariah
refused to take his name. Nate continued to live with us—he’d
always been like family. I harbored no hard feelings towards him,
despite how badly I’d been hurt. Both of the men gave me the space
I needed to get to know my own mind. I spent a lot of time alone,
figuring out who I was without either of them. I didn’t know how
long it would take, but until I had that ironed out, I wasn’t going
to get involved with anyone.

The items from the chest were safely locked
away in the safe with all our other valuables, still under stasis.
Something told me the day we would need them was fast approaching.
We used every trick we knew to protect the house against what would
come, then waited for the storm that was coming.

All was quiet in the Otherworld, though I
wasn’t certain how long it would last. We still had to deal with
demon-draining drug dealers, and the mindless army of Fumes, not to
mention a rogue Librarian and whatever artifacts she might still
have. But for a little while, things were good.

I WATCHED THE naïve little Gaia walk out
with her family, leaving me strung up like Christ on the crucifix.
The crystal lay on the end table and I could have sung. I didn’t
care how long it took Miles to cut me free of the tree roots as
long as I still had my little bauble. I would have danced a jig if
I could have moved. Loosing Broomhilda’s Blade hadn’t been too
great a loss. The only reason I hadn’t left it behind was I knew
the Gaia would want it so she could repair her bond, and I had no
intentions of helping her if I could avoid it.

Suddenly the branches released. I landed on
the floor in a graceless heap, but I was unconcerned. Grabbing the
necklace off the table, I stared at the frivolous silver wire set
with a butterfly and rolled my eyes. I settled it around my neck
with a smile. The power of the crystal resonated with the power in
the room. How could they not know what they had? The fools handed
over the crystal that originally graced Gaia’s staff, it was
useless without it.

I had Miles gather the Fumes, thankful the
Succubus hadn’t destroyed too many of them. I was running low and
they didn’t come cheap.

I glanced about the room, grimacing at the
damage done to the historic mansion. The tree branches tearing
through shredded the wooden floor. Something would have to be done
about the gaping hole left behind. Fortunately, the owner of the
house wouldn’t care, having unknowingly joined the ranks of my
small legion while enjoying sweet tea with a fellow history buff
this afternoon. The old place had charm, and since the Gaia had
some way to track me, there wasn’t much point in hiding..

My phone rang and I flipped it open.

“Were you successful?”

“The male Gaia hasn’t shown up yet, but I
doubt he can fight it much longer.”

“I’ve spent the entire night focusing on
him. If he hasn’t brought it yet, he’s not going to. Have they been
directed to Peter Matthews?”

“They have. It worked out better for me than
I ever could have expected.” With a lazy smile, I wrapped one hand
firmly around the crystal.

“Good.”

She was a real cold bitch, and it took a lot
for
me
to say that. I’d never fully trust her, but it was
always good to know what your partners were capable of. She gave me
my instructions and disconnected with no warning. Suited me just
fine.

I wandered into the library to pour over the
ancient book that told the prophecy again. It was in Ancient
Sumerian, obscure as hell, and more open to interpretation than
Nostradamus. Nevertheless, I got the gist of it. The new Mother
Nature would mend the tatters of the Otherworld with the help of
the seven pillars who would be armed with the weapons of the
ancients. I assumed the pillars were the strong people she
surrounded herself with. I wondered if her staff had found her yet,
but if it had, she surely would have used it against me by now,
wouldn’t she? I had spent the last two years scouring the earth for
it, but to no avail. Wherever the staff was, it wasn’t going to
reveal itself to me. So one by one, I would track down the weapons
and prevent them from being used.

I wondered if we had underestimated the
girl. She didn’t seem malleable and weak when I confronted her,
despite what I had been told. But I’d already gone to such lengths
to get this plan in motion, I couldn’t give up now.

Shaking my head, I returned to my book as I
contemplated the end of the human race as we knew it.

Read on for a sample of

Book Three in the Forces of Nature Series

BETTER NATURE

I SHOVED MY books into my backpack as the
other students stampeded for the exits. School had only been back
in session for about a week, but my fellow classmates seemed to be
sick of it already. As I swung the bag on my shoulder and stood, a
voice calling my name made me stop. I turned to find the teaching
assistant beckoning me from the front.

I didn’t know too much about her. Her name
was Molly Flannigan, and she was one of the fringe elements, a
class of Otherworlders who lived and worked on the fringes of human
society. I couldn’t be more specific because I didn’t want to get
close enough. If I could sense her, she could sense me as well. My
life had taught me the importance of caution. Some very powerful
people had spent a lot of time and energy trying to kill me.

With a sigh I walked to the front of the
room, trying not to show the reluctance I truly felt. I tucked
behind my ear a strand of copper hair that had escaped my ponytail
and bit my lip as I came to stop in front of her.

“I wanted to talk to you about your paper,
Miss Hoffman.” She studied me with her strange vibrantly aqua eyes.
I was starting to wonder if all Otherworlders had strange eyes, or
if it was just the ones in my life.

“Was there something wrong with it? I
included a thorough bibliography.”

She adamantly shook her head, holding up a
hand to stop the tumble of words escaping me. “That’s not it at
all, Miss Hoffman, I am intrigued by your topic.”

“Witchcraft through the ages? What’s wrong
with that? This is religious history.”

“Oh, nothing. You just seem to know an awful
lot about the subject, and it made me curious. Are you a
practitioner?”

I glanced around the room, but the only
people I saw were two girls giggling over a flier on the bulletin
at the back of the room. I lowered my voice anyway. “Look, Molly,
let’s be honest about this. You know as well as I do the truth
about witches. Do you have any idea how impossible it is to sort
out the facts from the stories humans believe? I am simultaneously
studying human history and Otherworld history. If I crossed my
facts, please correct me, but I feel certain everything in that
paper is backed up with regular books from regular libraries.”

“Otherworld? I have no idea what you’re
talking about, Miss Hoffman.”

I did a double take, convinced the girl was
messing with me, but all I saw on her face was confusion and a
little worry, probably because now she thought she was alone with a
mad woman. Had I been wrong? I concentrated on her, but only
confirmed what I already knew, adding a bit to it. She was a
banshee, but she had no idea about herself, it seemed.

“Do you… know you’re different?” I asked her
hesitantly.

“Everyone’s different.” She waved her hand
dismissively.

“Not like that. Do you know what you can
do?”

Molly jumped and glanced around, her eyes
darting to the exits as if looking for an escape route. She lowered
her voice so I had to strain to hear it. “You mean the shadows, and
the screaming?”

I closed my eyes, relieved that she had an
idea something about her was different. I suddenly appreciated the
difficult task of explaining this crazy world hidden in myths and
legends. “I don’t know how to break it to you gently, Molly, but
you’re a banshee.”