Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Runa

He didn’t believe me. I wasn’t offended by that. He barely knew me. But it was the truth, and it was a story I didn’t mind sharing, since it didn’t belong to me and my issues.

“The first thing you need to know is that your uncle was a monster. He deserved what he got. If I was any good at offensive magic, I would have done it myself. If you knew half of what he had done, you would’ve seen the truth. He needed to be put down. He wasn’t stable.”

“Who did it?” His eyes flicked between mine, studying me like he was unsure if he could trust what I was saying. We had a long way to go to even begin trusting each other.

“Ethan. Andrew’s younger brother. Your uncle was going to kill Andrew to punish Aiden. Ethan stepped in before he got the chance.” My eyes narrowed slightly. “To give you the full picture, I will admit I could have saved him. I chose not to. Like I said, he deserved what he got.”

Straightening, Nathan ran his fingers through his hair. “I feel like there’s a lot people aren’t telling me. It's hard for me to trust something when I don’t have the full picture.”

“It’s hard for you to trust with or without the full picture,” I pointed out. He had his own issues. He couldn’t put it all on lack of information. “But I told you once, I have no loyalty to the dragon. I will tell you what you want to know. As long as you can tell me what you hope to gain from it. What is the goal here?”

He shook his head, frowning at the bedspread. “I don’t…” He grimaced. He didn’t know. Or maybe he wasn’t ready to face it yet. The wind could speak to me now, but it wouldn’t give me answers without a good reason. It didn’t feel the need to tell me Nathan’s motives yet. Which meant they weren’t relevant.

Fatigue pulled at my senses, making it hard to keep my eyes open. I couldn’t push him anymore, and I couldn’t force myself to stay awake without risking the seedling. I sank into the pillow, trying to get more comfortable. It was hard in here. There was only one window, and I felt cut off from nature. I missed the forest. I felt connected to all the spirits out there.

“You should get some sleep,” Nathan said, moving away from me. I was still wary of him, but watching him pull away bothered me on some level. My fingers twitched with the urge to call him back. I pushed the urge aside.

“Tell the dragon to leave for the night. I’ll speak with him when I’m ready.”

He dipped his chin without argument, walking backward toward the door. His eyes flicked to the window and narrowed suspiciously. He was still waiting for something to jump out and get him. The only question was what?

The world seemed hazy. I recognized the feeling but fought against it. I didn’t have the energy for a vision. It wasn’t safe. But apparently, despite the demands of the spirits to protect my seedling, whatever they needed to say was important enough to force the issue.

Warmth spread up my arms, bolstering me and giving me the strength to accept it. I let out a slow breath, opening my mind to the vision.

A group of shifters moved with military precision through the darkness. They spread out, surrounding a familiar house with peeled paint and dying plants on the front porch. My whole body stiffened as I recognized the house. The front door opened and Nathan stepped out, already on the defensive, his teeth bared. He shifted, heading for the closest shifter to attack. He never stood a chance. They riddled him with holes and when his father came out to protect him, they killed him too.

Sucking in a sharp breath, my eyes flew open, and I sat up in a rush. “Nathan!”

He jerked upright from where he’d been asleep on the chair by the foot of the bed, his body immediately going into a defensive stance, a snarl in his throat. Not dead then. But while the wind gave me a warning, it was less specific on when. My heart hammered in my throat and I felt my magic reach out, trying to call the wind to speak with me.

“Runa, no.”

I didn’t realize Martha and Laurie were seated on the bed, one on each side of me, holding my hands. Martha’s expression was tight, reminding me of what was at risk if I tried to use my magic before I was ready. I shook my head helplessly.

“They told me what, but not when. I need to know when.”

“When what?” Nathan demanded.

Laurie who spoke for me. “A small faction of witches are blessed with foresight. Usually one for each family.” Laurie raised her eyebrows at me. “We can’t hear the vision for you, but what clues did it give you? Was it daylight? Nighttime? Did you see the moon?”

Frustrated, I gritted my teeth, shutting my eyes as I thought back on what the vision showed me. “Midnight or later. No moon. Or none that I could see.” My eyes snapped back open, and I jerked to the window. The sun was coming up. The sky was orange and pink, not pitch black. So not now. We had a few hours at least.

Laurie raised her eyebrows patiently. “Well?”

“Not now. But we can’t stay. It’s not safe. We need to leave.”

Martha dipped her chin once. “I’ll contact the dragon. He said he could move you when you’re ready. How long–”

“We leave before nightfall,” I answered before she could get the question out. “All of us.”

That order was directed at Nathan. He came with or died. And I wasn’t willing to let that happen to the father of my seedling. Not until I understood better why the strings of fate brought us together. He said he wasn’t involved with the dragon. But there was a reason we were linked. I just didn't know why yet.

Nathan’s brows drew together tightly. “What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

“You aren’t wrong to be paranoid,” I said, flinching internally at the way his face paled. “If you want to protect your family, you’re coming with me. Now.”

To his credit, he didn’t argue. He spun on his heel, racing for his father’s room, and set to getting them both ready to leave. Martha and Laurie gathered their things as well. I came with nothing but what I had on me, so I wasn’t worried. Instead, I spent my time preparing myself physically, meditating, and drawing in as much power as I could to handle the move. I was grateful that neither of my spirit sisters seemed inclined to walk away from me. With their support, I should be able to make it back safely.

The beast and his mate showed up an hour later. Nathan must have called him because he didn’t come to pester me. Instead, he helped his son pack his things. Heath didn’t like moving quickly, he preferred to go at his own pace, and was frazzled by the flurry of activity. He was eventually sent to sit with me so the rest could prepare for the move. He sat on the edge of my bed, frowning at the door, confusion written all over his face.

“I had a vision,” I explained, forcing a small smile that probably looked more like a grimace. “It’s not safe to stay here. You need to trust me. Nathan won’t live past nightfall if we stay.”

He sucked in a sharp breath, whipping around to face me. “Why do you think that? What did you see?”

I didn't often share my visions. They weren’t always clear, and fate was fickle. I could give warnings, and steer people in the right direction, but if I gave direct information, it could end up leading them straight into trouble instead of avoiding it. But something inside me said that Heath needed to know so he could better understand why we were uprooting him. He had a strong connection to this place and his animal would struggle without more information.

“I saw a military group surround the house. Nathan came outside and attacked and they shot him. And you, when you came to protect him. He’s not safe here. And neither are you.”

He visibly paled, his voice barely above a whisper. “So he wasn’t lyin’ then? He said he was being followed. That they’d come for him. It wasn’t all in his head…”

“No. Whatever he’s running from, it’s very real. And it’s found him here.”

“Dad, I–” Nathan came to a halt just inside the door, frowning at his father. His eyes flicked between me and him, confusion and suspicion gathering in equal measure. “What… What did you say to him?”

Heath straightened suddenly. It was fascinating to watch him stuff down all his emotions, putting on a gentle smile for his struggling son.

“Nothin’ I didn’t need to hear, my boy. Come on. I need to make sure we didn’t miss anything important and you need a shift before we leave. It’s safe to do that, right?”

That question was for me, and one I couldn’t answer. I pressed my lips together, wishing I could reach for the wind to give me a better idea.

“I’ll take him,” Aiden said from the hallway. His expression was cautious, guarded. He was fighting hard to keep himself in check. At least now that he was getting his way, he was doing what he could to be useful. It didn’t stop me from scowling.

Nathan looked about as enthusiastic about the idea as I was, but arguing about this only dragged things out and we needed to get moving. I wanted us well out of town before the sun fell that evening.

“Go, Nathan. Give your tiger the time. It won’t be easy on him to watch me be moved right now. He needs to stay steady. For the seedling’s sake.”

Giving him purpose seemed to help. His face hardened, and he nodded once, following Aiden out of the hall and outside for a shift. He was safe with the dragon. Aiden was a pain in my ass, but he wouldn’t let anything happen to Nathan if he could help it.