26. Amma

Chapter 26

Amma

A mma had no idea what to say as noncombatants and warriors cleaned up the aftermath of the battle. Every surface was covered with a thick layer of blood and other bodily fluids. Wailing voices filled the air as loved ones found their dead. The witches were nothing but dust, and blowing in all directions while the warriors who had been under their control sat in a circle surrounded by guards. It was painful to watch the warriors' faces express such horror and shame. They may have been weak-willed and manipulatable, but they didn't deserve to be forced to witness the pain and suffering they brought to others. She wished her cousin Lesedi was present. She would have been able to help the warriors heal and face what they have done without emotional and mental damage.

She glanced at the two damaged warriors they had been able to save. Amma had cried when she had touched their minds and heard the screams of their souls. These two were both powerful warriors. Even after having been under a witch's control for some time, their hearts had remained pure. The other two had become evil under the witches' influence, relishing the horror and death they created. Amma had tried to spare Shelly from the worst of it, and had the younger girl pour a steady flow of healing energy to the two good males while she had dealt with the others. She was saddened that their minds would eventually be healed, but their bodies would stay forever changed.

"Don't look so sad." Jo stood by her side as their mates walked the battlefield, helping where they could. "I know we have lost some good warriors today, but we saved our home. The fallen will be honored and welcomed beyond the veil."

"I know." Amma crossed her arms to stop her hands from visibly shaking. "I wish they didn't have to make that journey so early in their lives. I hope the evil witches of the High Coven stay up on their mountain."

"I doubt they will take the killing of more of their own lying down," Jo said with a sigh. "This is turning into a blood feud, and those never end well for anyone."

Amma glanced at Jo. "Maybe we should be proactive and knock on their gates. Introduce ourselves. Explain that many of us are here, and as a family we can kick their butts, so they should stay away."

Jo chuckled before turning serious. "I like the way you think. If we had more of our family here in the village, I would be right beside you on the march."

"Do you think there are any good witches up there?" Amma hadn't seen such blatant use of evil magic before. "Or are they all like the ones we have seen?"

"I have only seen the evil."

"It's a shame. We could have all been allies. Do you think Suni and I should stay a little longer? Make sure they don't return?"

Jo faced her. "If they return, they return," she said. "I want you to go start your life with your mate. Meet his family and set up house. If we need help, we can send a messenger."

"I never thought you would be the reasonable cousin," Amma said, and half-smiled. "I guess finding your mate has been good for you."

"It has." Jo's eyes bounced around the field and found her mate. "Ru has shown me that I am not only my magic. He loves me for me, and treats me like a queen." She patted her growing belly.

"It never crossed my mind that I would have to go to another world to find true love," Amma said. "Remember how we used to laugh and joke about love at first sight?"

"Yeah," Jo laughed and shook her head. "I guess we were just in the wrong world."

"Yeah, we were. Oh, I saw the warriors from Ru's home village coming to our aid, did they ever arrive?"

"Oh yes." Jo turned back to the battlefield. "They are the warriors over there, with green stripes on their arms. I fought alongside them, and they are just as powerful as our warriors."

"I like knowing they are not too far away from you."

"Don't tell Ru, but I agree. We are still a new and growing our warrior force. Some of our defenses are still a little weak." Jo cut her eyes in Amma's direction. "So, you should know, there is this thing about Shelly."

"What about her?" Amma knew what was coming. Shelly had always been a handful, and during the last couple of years she had started pushing back at anything she felt was a rule.

"I think she should go with you and Suni." Jo held up her hand to keep Amma from answering. "Hear me out. You share the same magic, and she'll need training. Look what she did during battle."

"Controlling that many birds was amazing but dangerous," Amma agreed. "If she had been in any other situation, someone could have wounded her or taken her out."

"That was my first thought. I know she wants to be one of us, but she has years to grow."

"And she will get them."

"Speaking of leaving, will you guys stay for the burning of the pyres?"

"It would be an honor," Amma said. "But would I be stepping on anyone's toes? I didn't know anyone who fell. What are their funeral ceremonies like?"

"They are amazing. Everyone tells stories, eats, laughs, and just enjoys talking about the fallen warrior."

"Amma? Jo?"

Amma took a deep breath before turning to face her disobedient younger cousin. "Shelly." The words she wanted to say lodged in her throat as she took in the scared look in Shelly's eyes. She hugged herself as if seeking comfort. "Are you doing alright?"

"Yes. No." Shelly's eyes scanned the battlefield. "I don't know. I can't just sit and do nothing. Can I help?"

Amma pulled her cousin into her arms and hugged her tightly. "You are way too young to be seeing this. How about we both go and check on Mike, Sam, and Astro."

"You're not needed here?"

"I'm sure Jo can keep everyone in check." She looked over Shelly's head and locked eyes with Jo. Without words, they understood that Shelly would need a lot of gentle care in the coming days as she came to terms with the destruction she had witnessed and helped cause.

"You two go have fun with your animals. I'm going to bother my mate." Jo gave Amma a nod before walking away.

"How are you and Astro getting along?" Amma asked as she gently guided her cousin toward the housing area.

"So far, good," Shelly muttered with a shrug. "We haven't had a lot of time to get to know each other."

"Just remember, he's a pup and has lost his mother. It's your job to make sure he doesn't get into trouble or hurt himself."

"Like you do with Mike and Sam?"

"Exactly, but you and Astro will develop your own relationship."

"Amma, why didn't our mothers tell us how wars really are?" Shelly asked.

"No one in our family has been in a real battle for generations. After Vietnam, we stopped joining any armed forces. And before that, women were usually only allowed to be nurses."

"I don't think I'm cut out to fight."

"There are other ways you can help. Talk to Jo and listen to what she says. I don't think I said how proud I am of the battle circle you cast. It was perfect."

"It was, wasn't it?" Shelly puffed out her chest and almost tripped.

Amma caught her. "Pride comes before a fall."

"That was a little too literal," Shelly laughed.

"Shelly!" Nej, Ru's mother, rushed toward them. "I have been looking everywhere for you," Nej murmured softly and pulled Shelly into a hug. "You didn't get hurt, did you?"

Shelly returned her hug and Amma was reminded of a child who was finally back in the arms of her mother. "I didn't. I should have stayed with you and Han."

"All calves must learn. I would have been heartbroken if anything had happened to you," Nej said. "I made that stew you like." She looked at Amma. "I have her now. I promise to keep her safe."

"Thank you for taking care of my cousin. She can be headstrong, but she is growing into an amazing young woman."

"Yes, she is." Nej stroked Shelly's hair. "She is like a daughter to me."

"That makes me happy. I will catch up with you guys later. I am going to find my mate and see if he is hurt. Males always try to hide their pain."

"My mate is too old to fight. When he was younger, he was always coming back with one wound or another. Go check on your male." Nej smiled.

Amma watched the two walk away. She wondered if she was wrong for wanting to take Shelly with her. Nej had adopted the girl as one of her own, and Shelly needed a strong hand. They could always practice by using animals as their intermediaries.

Chapter – Amma

Amma. Are you okay? Mike's voice screamed in her head.

"Yes, I'm fine. Come find me."

We are behind you. Sam said.

She spun and caught the two brothers as they jumped into her arms. Amma hugged them to her chest and breathed in their earthy scent. "I am glad you guys are okay. Thank you for listening when I told you to hide."

We do not fight. Sam said. Where is Suni?

"Oh, you are worried about him now?" she teased.

He is your mate and our protector. Mike said.

"He wasn't hurt," Amma promised. "I am going to find him now. Want to come with me, or do you want to go back to the house?"

We will come. Mike said. Astro is with Shelly.

"He wants to stay with her, and I think it's a good idea." Amma said. She started back toward the front of the village. "They are good for each other and will grow to be quite the pair."

"Are you talking to yourself again?" a deep voice asked as familiar arms wrapped around her. Amma leaned back against her mate's chest. She hoped she never took the feeling of safety he gave her for granted. "I have been looking for you," Suni whispered in her ear. "My blood is hot in my veins, and I need my mate."

"I can tell. I want to spend some time alone with you too." Amma murmured. She tilted her head back to stare at his strong jaw and took a deep breath. "I was just making sure Shelly was taken care of and didn't end up in some type of trouble again."

"She is a strong-willed calf." Suni stepped to the side and tucked Amma under his arm. "How about we see if Ru needs us for anything?"

"That was a brutal battle. Such a waste of lives." Amma had to take two steps to his one.

"For both sides," Suni agreed.

"Do you know where they came from?" she asked. "We should send word to their families. The dead and living should be returned to their homes."

"I have never seen any of these warriors before today. Ru and Volt have not either."

"Which means?"

"They come from a village we have not been in contact with. I do not believe Ru has had time to interrogate them. I do know they do not come from the same one as the warriors with mutated bodies. They seem to fear them."

"It's sad." Amma wished she could heal their bodies. "They will be forever changed physically."

"Do you think you can speak to them?"

"I mean, I was able to control them during the battle." She shrugged. "I will try."

The usual marketplace tidiness was almost restored when they finally returned. "Amma," Jo called. "Can you come here for a second?"

Amma patted Suni's hand before walking to Jo's side. Jo stood near the two magically-changed warriors. They had been separated from the others and didn't even look up as their shoulders dropped with shame.

"We need you to try to talk to these two," Jo said. "We need to know–"

"Jo, you know I can't read their minds," Amma interrupted. "The only reason I was able to control them during battle was because their minds were hazy and animalistic. That isn't true anymore."

"Can you please try?" Jo begged. "Some of the warriors are talking about putting them down, like they are simply wild beasts."

"Who?" Amma glared over her shoulder at some of the guards.

"Never mind who," Jo said. "Please, just see if you can reach them."

Amma took a deep breath and cleared her mind. Pinpoints of light started to pop into existence as she searched the darkness for their souls. She found the two males huddled together, their souls flickering like flames about to go out.

"Hello?" She moved closer. "Can you hear me?"

"Who are you?" The voice was raspy from disuse. The soul who was speaking leaned over the other, shielding them from Amma. "What do you want?"

"I want to help you." Amma moved closer and let a little of her magic flow. She stopped when the souls dimmed in response. "Don't go. Please. There is still so much here for you."

"Look what we have become." The soul flared for a second. "We are no longer the proud warriors we were born to be."

"You are stronger than any warrior I have ever met." Amma again sent a flow of calming energy. The souls brightened. "You have survived hurtful magic twisting your mind and body. I am not from your world, and I have family members who will need strong warriors to love and care for them."

"Who would want us ? We are broken. Tainted."

"You are warriors." Amma opened her mind so they could see her memories of her family: of them sitting around the table, bickering and laughing, of them training and dancing and singing and playing. "Your mate lives and needs you."

"Our mate is beautiful, but we have nothing to offer her."

Amma smiled. If they had seen their mate in her memories, that meant someone in her family was about to have not one, but two males to keep her happy. "How about we make a deal? Come with me and my mate when we return to his village. There is a healer who may be able to help you more than I can. You don't have to live within the walls if you don't want to. Just close enough for me to know you're okay."

"You would do that?"

"Yes, I would," Amma said. "Let me help you, please."

"Brother?"

"Let us trust her."

"We will go with you."

Amma smiled. "Thank you for your trust." With a deep breath, she opened her eyes. "They will be fine. Suni, we are taking them with us when we leave. They need a new beginning, and their mate is someone from my family."

"Are you sure?" Suni asked.

"Yes." Amma covered her heart. "I feel it here."

"I trust you." Suni whispered in her ear. Amma shuddered from head to toe as her blood heated. She wondered if she would always be turned on by those three words.

"You two need to get a room," Jo laughed.

"Maybe later," Amma whispered. She kissed Suni's cheek and pushed him away. "Go talk with Ru. I need a few words with my cousin." Suni gave her a look filled with unsatisfied hunger before stepping away.

Jo smiled and said, "I'm glad to see you're happy. Suni is a little intimidating, but I can tell he cares for you."

Amma laughed. "Your mate is wielding a hammer. Like a fucking hammer. He is intimidating."

"Yes he is." Jo smirked. "He knows how to use it too."

"Jo, I love you, but I do not want to think about you and your mate having sex." Amma punched her cousin's arm. "How about we leave some things private."

"My mom and auntie thought he was sexy," Jo said. "I wonder what they will think of your mate."

"He's beyond sexy." Amma looked over at Suni, who was standing next to Ru as they spoke to another warrior. She admired his broad shoulders and tight butt. "Is it weird that the battle has me all horny?"

Jo snickered. "Nope. That's something the adults didn't tell us about. The warriors call it ‘battle lust.' I call it fun."

"Well, before you run off to have fun, I think we should talk about Shelly for a minute. I think Shelly should stay here."

"Why?"

"When we were forced to run from our childhood home, she was dropped into this world alone and scared. I saw the way Nej comforted her like a mother and that's what Shelly needs. There's no way she is going to see either you or me as a mother figure."

"How will Shelly train? I have no clue about your magic."

"I'm sure Flix will follow me to Suni's village. I can always come back through him and teach her things. If not him, another bird or animal."

Jo sighed. "You're right. Taking Shelly away from another mother figure wouldn't be good. Besides, Auntie Charlotte did want me to keep an eye on her."

Amma's heart jumped. She couldn't wait to see her auntie again. "You saw Auntie Charlotte? Where is she? Why wasn't she in the middle of the fighting?"

"I am sure she was watching," Jo gently said. "She has joined my mother beyond the veil."

"Are you serious?" Amma gasped and blinked back tears. She had hoped everyone had made it out of the house to safety. How many other women from her family had joined everyone on the other side of the veil? "She had so many years left to teach us. What happened? Did those assholes get to her?"

"She didn't tell me the details. Mourn her like we should, but remember she gave her life so we could get away. That is the way of our family."

"I know, but I don't like it." Amma glared into the distance. She wanted to return to Earth and make every wild creature around their home turn on the town. Now she understood why her ancestor had done the same. "Why did those assholes attack us? We weren't bothering anyone!"

"I have asked myself the same question too many times to count." Jo scanned the area. "I know we will have to have time to honor those of our family who have crossed over, but right now we should celebrate life. I hate the way we came to this world, but if we hadn't, we wouldn't have met our mates. There's not a man on Earth who could measure up."

"Especially not Grim." Amma said and burst out laughing at Jo's growl. "What? We all told you that man was a snake."

"Yes, and I left him." Jo rolled her eyes. "He was one of the group of people who attacked our home. I had to jump through the portal to get away from him."

"Really? I always thought there was something off about him." Amma had always hated the way Grim was always perfectly put together. "Did he follow you?"

"Not that I know of. Actually, I wish he had. Ru promised to stomp him to pulp and present me with his head."

"When the fuck did you get so bloodthirsty?" Amma's stomach flipped at the thought of hanging a human head on a wall like a trophy.

"When our home was destroyed for no reason."

"I get that. How many of us do you think made it here? I was thinking about the aunts and cousins who had left early to go back to their own homes."

"I want to believe everyone made it," Jo sighed. "But in reality, maybe a hundred or so. The hunters are always on the lookout for humans. I'm worried some of the fanatics might make their way here and cause trouble."

"When I reach Suni's village, I will ask the chief if we can have hunters on the lookout too. I will also warn them about the fanatics and the weapons they may carry."

"That's what I fear. These warriors are powerhouses, but they have no idea of the damage one bullet can do."

"Maybe guns won't work in this world." Amma could hear the hopelessness in her own voice. "It's almost like we were dropped into this world at the right time."

"Or the wrong time. I keep thinking that we may be the reason the witches are coming down from their mountain. When I asked Ru, he said he hadn't ever seen a witch in his life. Suddenly he's married to one and has a whole coven coming for his people."

"What did Auntie have to say about it?"

"You know seers," Jo snorted. "If I have a seer, I'm going to drop kick them back to the family still on Earth. I've never heard of one speaking plainly."

"Remember Zuri from the celebration? I wonder how her mother is handing her powers."

Jo's shoulders slumped. "I hope she and her mother either made it home safely or are somewhere in this world. So many of our family could have been lost that night. We may never know."

"I think our parents' generation knew this would happen. The survival packs we all carried were too precisely filled to prepare us for anywhere other than this world."

"I had to abandon mine when I ran from Grim. What was in them?"

"They each had a way for us to escape, and all led to the same world. The mode of transportation was fast, but it could have been more comfortable."

"You're telling me," Jo laughed. "I fell at Ru's feet and almost got crushed."

"I landed on my back with Sam and Mike on my chest." Amma joined Jo in laughing at the undignified way they had entered the new world they called home. "I think the best thing about this world is we can use our magic openly, and no one looks at us funny."

"I got some looks after my first battle," Jo smiled, remembering. "But using my magic for good makes me feel like I am part of something. Maybe my magic isn't all bad."

Amma frowned at her cousin. "Your magic isn't all bad. Your magic is a shield for the rest of us."

"I know, but sometimes I want a gentler magic. Something that doesn't make other witches want to cross the street."

"Jo, they crossed the street because you enjoyed teasing them. You've always had a lot of pranks up your sleeves."

Jo shrugged with a grin. "I had to practice somehow."

Ru walked up behind Jo and caught her hand in his much larger one. "My mate, the battle is over. There is no need for you to be throwing your magic around."

"I don't throw my magic around." Jo narrowed her eyes at him. "I do it with pose and dignity."

"Yes, you do. My mistake." Ru swung an arm around her shoulders and tucked her close. "We should start getting ready for the ceremony at suns' set. Suni, Jo, you may use the house next to ours to get ready."

"I do not have my formal clothing," Suni said. He walked up behind Amma and pulled her into his arms. "I hope it is not seen as a slight."

"It will not," Ru said. "I can send over some of my paint, if it would make you feel better."

"No. I would prefer to wear my own for such an honorable situation," Suni replied. His low tones rumbled through Amma's whole being.

"I understand." Ru replied. He picked up Jo, hoisted her up over his shoulder, and began running for their home.

"See you guys later, and don't make too much noise." Jo shouted over his shoulder.

" Someone is impatient to get my cousin alone," Amma said. She turned in Suni's arms and blinked in surprise. "Suni, why are Sam and Mike on your head?"

"I have no idea."

We are safe up here. Mike said. No one can beat Suni.

"Aww, they feel safe up there," Amma translated. "Mike says no one can beat you."

"They are growing on me." Suni spun her around and started walking. "I will need to add a small area for them in our house."

She shook her head. "They are wild animals. I am sure they will find a tree nearby and make it into their nest. What did you mean about paint?"

"Warriors paint their faces and hooves for the pyre burning ceremony. If I was at home, I would be wearing yellow and lighting one of the pyres."

"Why don't you use some of Ru's?"

"A warrior only uses paint in his family's colors." Suni answered. "I cannot wear another color."

"That's understandable. Is there anything I shouldn't do? Jo told me a little about what to expect, but I don't want to offend. anyone"

"No, just be yourself. You will fit in. We remember the fallen by remembering the good things about them."

"I may not know any of the fallen warriors, but I have always loved a good story."