Two Halves Series (37 page)

“How do we get Aseret to remove it if he wouldn’t for his own gain?” I asked.

“If he needed my help, it must mean something’s stopping his to do so.” Alex explained.

Two mocking jays began their morning songs above us.

“We should head to the hill.” William did not look satisfied with the witch’s explanations. He still focused on Alex as he added.

Atram’s stomach grumbled. The small meal from the hunt hadn’t appeased months of malnourishment.

“We’ll eat there—I promise,” William said to his father.

Xander frowned but said nothing. I’ve known for years now that he didn’t like it when others took charge.

Six of us could travel at great speed with our superhuman powers. I welcomed the wind pressing against my face and limbs. It felt right to move at such speed. Atram carried Willow as he ran through the forest, jumping over downed trees and ducking under low branches. Ekim, despite his hunger, kept up with his friend’s quick pace. Xander held Alex tightly in his arms—I thought his squeeze on the witch was too strong. The feeling of jealousy surprised me; after all, Xander was like a brother to me.

We arrived at the hill in less than ten minutes, slower than normal, but Xander insisted on stopping every few miles. He trusted Harlow, who had been overhead since we emerged from the underworld, but insisted on climbing the tallest tree to scout our passage from above, making sure Alex watched his every move.

Show off!

The sun dipped below the horizon, and we arrived at what looked more like a higher mound of shrubs and trees at twilight. I didn’t expect much and wondered if “the hill” was a code word for another hidden cabin as Xander pressed his palm against the trunk of a tree and unveiled a concealed doorway. We followed the siblings through a gap in the yellowing grass, and I inhaled the aroma of fresh mint and rosemary, Mrs. G’s signature scent—we had entered Mira and Xander’s other home.

The turf-covered door opened into a large combination family room and dining area. Furniture made of wood and other materials from the forest blended with the organic space. Roots sprang out of the ceiling and snaked a few feet across its surface before pushing back into it. A hanging basket chair dangled from one of the ceiling roots to the left; others suspended candle chandeliers, dried herbs, baskets of berries, and cloths and towels hung to dry. Though organized for convenience, everything worked more as décor than utility.

The underground hill contained everything a home should have and even if this wasn’t the Amazon, it felt cozy. I wondered whether I would return to the jungle and if anything remained of the cabin.

We spent a quiet evening at the hill. I stayed close to William, the sizzling electricity between us pulling us closer. As difficult as it was to be together, it was becoming harder to be apart. The vision we’d shared in the underworld showed a spark of a promise, enough to elevate hope. At least I knew we’d be together. I was grateful to no longer see the fears William recognized and found it easier to concentrate. I imagined Willliam appreciated not having my visions.

We were closer to each other than before and shared more than our thoughts or visions; we shared our souls. Eagerness filled me, and I couldn’t wait until our bodies connected without painful electric shocks.

I sat in the wicker chair that hung from the ceiling, watching William cook, wondering when he caught the extra rabbits on our way here. His eyes glowed as he whistled a tune from one of his songs under his nose. My gaze fell to the muscles flexing in his upper arms, exposed when he’d rolled the sleeves of the shirt he’d borrowed from Xander, and I recalled a favourite dream:

I sucked in a deep breath when his mouth made its way down the back of my neck, and with it came his scent of jasmine, rose, and lilac overlaying a woodsy musk. Taking the satin of my halter in his teeth, William pulled, ripping the thin material. Holding one of the torn ends in his mouth, he travelled downward, close to my skin, until the dress hung halfway on my body, exposing my perky breasts. He pressed his bare chest against me, still supporting most of his weight with his hands. I arched my back, pushing my torso toward him. His hard body dropped even closer. My eyes closed, and I listened as fabric split, then glided over the loveseat, down to the floor.

I returned to reality to see William staring at my smile with great interest. My jaw tensed and I tried to shift my thoughts to the critters that might be lurking in the earthen ceiling.

He came to kneel beside me. “There are no bugs here, Sarah. I asked Mira to talk to them,” William whispered, then chuckled.

“Oh, after what I’ve seen, I’m not afraid of bugs anymore,” I said.

“If you say so, but that’s not what your aura tells me.” He winked, “You don’t have to fear that we’ll never be together. Remember what we saw. There’s only one way to do that.” William gently kissed the inside of my palm, sending fire through my veins. The ache and frustration returned and I had to keep busy to keep my mind off the curse.

We made arrangements for the next day. Xander and Mira would leave in the morning to join Mrs. G in her journey to the hill. We were hoping she might have an answer to the problem of the spell. Atram and Ekim would hunt.

Willow wanted to make a family dinner to celebrate our reunion. Giggling, she’d hug William and me whenever she had a chance, and I welcomed the embrace each time. Alex volunteered to help with dinner. Willow and Alex behaved like best friends.

William observed Alex constantly, keeping his distance, brows drawn downward. “I don’t like her here,” he whispered to me.

“If it wasn’t for her, we’d still be underground. Just bear with her for now, please?”

“For now,” he grudgingly conceded.

That night, we lay on the mattress in the second bedroom, me on one side, William stretched far on the other side, hands under his head. My longing to touch him in the way I always dreamt of trembled my hands. The same fire and hunger shone in his eyes. Unable to act on my desire, I closed my eyes, remembering my dream again

William’s lips tasted like raspberries. His eyes were closed. The lights were dimmed, and the soothing fragrance of vanilla candles hung in the air. I pulled the loveseat’s white coverlet over William’s naked back. I knew it was my dream and no one would walk in on us, but I needed this moment to be completely between us. I wanted to be enclosed as much as we could be.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

“No.” I laughed quietly. “I couldn’t be hotter.” I placed my palms on his hips to guide him where we both knew he was ready to go.

“I know.” He gazed into my eyes and smiled. My longing and desire blossomed. Taking this as a welcome, he came forward; I arched my pelvis toward him, unwilling to wait any longer. Joy and pleasure sparkled in the turquoise eyes still fixed on my face.

Being so close was everything we’d wanted. Our hearts and our bodies were truly one. We completed each other. I smiled at William, tasting blood as my fangs pierced my lower lip. Then the vampire inside me overpowered my human side, and I lost control.

The rest of the evening became a beautiful dance as our bodies connected fiercely, tumbling across the floor of a night club somewhere in New York City.

“What are you thinking about?” William asked.

“You.”

“Have I been a good boy?” He peered at me from below his eyelashes. I knew he read the lust on my face, felt the small vibrations of my body no one else would have noticed.

“You’ve been good in a bad way.” I bit my lower lip.

William moved closer, as if inexorably pulled by gravity. “Soon, Sarah. Soon.” He touched his lips to my forehead. “Get some rest.”

“Good night.”

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite,” William whispered.

The walls of the cave-like dwelling absorbed most sounds, except for Mira’s and Xander’s chuckles outside our room. I shook my head ruefully, then took a deep breath in and closed my eyes, falling asleep within minutes.

Chapter 21

The morning bustle began before diurnal creatures stirred.

“We should be back by dinner time. Stay inside; we’ll get the herbs for you,” she said to Alex.

“Thank you.” Alex inclined her head.

“Keep applying this cream.” Xander handed me one of Mrs. G’s herbal concoctions to heal the red spots on our bodies.

After the siblings left, I cleaned up the kitchen. William stole painful kisses as we dried the dishes. The smell of fresh rabbit baked in bread filled the house. Willow hummed under her breath, swinging her narrow hips from side to side. Atram and Ekim compared floor plans of the dungeons they’d drawn with sticks in the dirt floor by the fire pit. Alex waited patiently for Willow to assign each new task.

As I looked at them, I realized I had never been happier before in my life. Willow, Atram, Ekim, William—my family. I missed my mom, and Helen, but I knew how fortunate I was to be here with the rest of my family. Things could have gone so wrong in the underworld, but they hadn’t. I was grateful for that.

A few weeks earlier, I’d had no one. Now we were all here, completing one another’s lives. I tingled with joy—which triggered a new premonition:

William and I walked hand in hand through the largest sunflower field I had ever seen. The plants were in full, brilliant bloom, and there was no end to the yellows. The sun was low in the sky, illuminating the flowers with its mellow glow so they looked like golden crowns. William slipped his arm around my waist.

“Here.” I pointed to the picnic blanket in the middle of the field.

“It’s beautiful,” he said, kissing the back of my hand. “Are you ready?”

“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.” I turned to face him.

He took me in his arms and kissed me passionately. We didn’t feel any pain. Locked in an embrace, we lost our balance and fell to the blanket while laughing. Our limbs entangled.

“I don’t think I can eat now,” I said to William.

“I, on the other hand, am hungry,” he answered with a spark in his eyes. His hands travelled down my chest, quickly unbuttoning the first layer of my clothing.

The vision ended and I screamed. A plate fell out of my hands and shattered on the hard floor. Everyone rushed to my side.

“What did you see, Sarah?” William asked as my eyes rolled back down.

“Me and you getting ready to . . .” I gave him a meaningful look so I wouldn’t have to be specific. Then I knelt to collect the pieces of broken plate to avoid everyone’s stare.

“Oh.” William raised his brows. “And you didn’t want to?” He knelt beside me, taking the pieces of broken ceramic out of my hands.

“We’ll leave you two alone,” Willow said abruptly, taking Atram by his hand and waving for Ekim and Alex to follow her to the far side of the living area.

“I did—I do, but the way I saw us . . . I wasn’t there. You were with someone else.”

“You know I would never touch another woman. You are my true match. I would never hurt you.” He brushed my cheek with the back of his hand.

“I know. It was me, but . . . I didn’t
feel
like it was me.” I huffed in frustration.

“Do you think your visions have changed because of the crystal?” William asked.

“I’m not sure.” A tear streaked down my cheek. “William, I should be happy. . . you and I were together . . . but I’m afraid. I feel danger and loss of hope.”

“Sarah, I promise you, I will never leave your side,” he assured me. “I belong with you and only you. I could not live without you. I could not survive. You bring out the best in me. You give me strength.”

“I feel the same way.” I leaned over and rested my head on his shoulder. He rubbed my back. “Maybe I’m just mixing in the fears from the underworld.” The flames in the fire pit suddenly rose higher, as if receiving more oxygen.

William held me tight. I didn’t want him to let go, despite the pain. “William? Promise me you will not take me to a sunflower field.”

“You know you can’t change the vision.”

“Promise me?” I insisted.

“All right,” he said, “I promise.”

“And if we happen to get there somehow, we will not get too close to each other.”

“I promise. I may not be able to control where we are, but I can control what we do . . . or not do.”

“Even if I persist? No matter what, it cannot be there. I want to be fully present for our first time, and somehow I didn’t feel like I was there.”

“I promise it will not happen in the sunflower field. I can guarantee it.”

“Pinky-swear?” I asked

William hooked his smallest finger into mine and said, “Pinky-swear.”

“Thank you.”

He set aside the broken glass and did not let me go as he rubbed my arms. “You’re trembling.”

“I have a feeling something bad is about to happen, but I don’t know what.”

“We’re safe here,” William assured me. He covered my lips with his, then I pulled away squeezing my eyes shut.

“I’m sorry you’re hurting.”

“It’s not your fault, William. We’ll get these fixed.” I pressed my hand against the left side of his chest.

“May I speak with you?” Alex interrupted, walking into the kitchen area.

A new wave of chills invaded my skin.

I sensed trouble, and I felt Alex’s presence carve into my visions. Like she was part of a future I’d already seen. We turned and watched her approach with her typical small steps.

“I’m sorry, but I overheard you speaking of the spell that’s keeping you apart.” She straightened the drying cloth overhead. “I can help you. I want to help you, to thank you for taking me in.”

“How can you help us?” I asked, straightening my shoulders.

William frowned. “Let’s go to the family room.”

I set the sweeper back in its corner and followed William.

Atram and Ekim sat on the couch, sharing a quiet conversation about the delivery of new serums. Their attention flew to us as soon as we walked in.