Werewolves Be Damned

Chapter Seven


The castle belonged in a Gothic horror film. One square tower made up the main structure, which was the Council’s Hall and foyer where the portal was located, and four slender towers peering high above the castle were the residences for the Council’s Guard and for the supernaturals in training. The stone walls were overrun with ivy, stretching all the way to the slate roof while four large gargoyles sat at the edges guarding the grounds.

Nexi tore away from the view behind her, not convinced those gargoyles weren’t real. She matched Haven’s stride and approached the garden in the Otherworld, her focus landing on the forest off in the distance. Not as if it was a normal forest, since it was, in fact, the gateway to the supernatural realm.

Located in Scotland, at St. Andrew’s Castle on the shores of the Black Sea, was the entranceway into the Otherworld. If a supernatural who lived in the Earthworld wanted to travel into the supernatural realm, they could simply step near the ruins of the historic castle and the magic would carry them into the Otherworld. A human would simply see the ruins of a once beautiful castle.

Nexi hadn’t believed that part until she passed from the Otherworld to Scotland, more than a dozen times. It hadn’t mattered where she entered the forest either, the second she stepped into the woods, she’d teleport to St. Andrew’s Castle.

As she strode along the grounds of the Otherworld near the garden, a light breeze wrapped around her, raising goose bumps on her skin. She inhaled the rich, sweet scent emanating from the thousands of brightly colored flowers, neatly tailored bushes, and small trees that decorated the garden.

Haven nudged her arm and waggled her eyebrows. “So, what’s up with you and Kyden?” She beamed, thoroughly proud of herself. “I knew something was brewing between you two, but Finn told me to stay out of it.”

Nexi chuckled, since clearly Finn’s advice wasn’t followed. Not that she minded Haven being up in her business; she liked Haven knowing about her life. “I’m not sure what’s going on between us,” she admitted.

When they reached the cobblestone pathway, they could follow it to the garden straight ahead, or go to the right toward the town in the Otherworld. That was home for the families of the Guard who wanted a more normal life for their children than one they’d get living at the castle, as well as for the supernaturals who were raised in the Otherworld and didn’t want to live in the Earthworld, or so Haven had told her.

Nexi visited the small town once a week to gather groceries. The houses and buildings all matched the historical gothic design of the castle. The setup of the town reminded her of Incline Village, where’d she vacationed with her family a few years ago—simple and quaint, having things like a very tiny grocery store.

Heading down the pathway toward the garden, she realized now that Haven had opened the doorway, questions did swirl about Kyden. “What can you tell me about him?”

“Let’s see…” Haven tapped her lip, slowing down as they walked. “He’s Finn’s best bud—practically brothers, really. We’ve all been close now for a few years since I joined the Council’s Guard.” Her smile warmed. “I like Kyden, a lot.”

Yeah, he was growing on Nexi, too. “Is he a good guy?”

Haven nodded. “I don’t think they come any better.” She paused, then added, “Expect for Finn, of course.” She laughed before she continued. “Kyden plays tough most of the time, but he lets those closest to him see the soft side of him.”

Didn’t that sum it up?

One minute, big brute. Next minute, total softy. “I like his gentle side.” Nexi stared at a gorgeous purple orchid they passed by before she turned to Haven. “The pushy side of him I could live without.”

Haven smirked. “Better get used to that. Male supernaturals are born with the trait, I-protect you woman.” She brushed her hand over one of the bushes, then added, “Besides, it’s understandable, really. We live in a dangerous world and supernaturals are protective over their mates.” She winked. “As well as territorial.”

Nexi scrunched her nose. “Mate?”

Haven gave her a long look, then she chuckled. “Oh, right, you don’t call them that. What is it….oh yeah, wife or husband.”

“Oh, you mean a married couple?” Nexi asked.

Haven shook her head. “Nope, we call it a bound couple.”

Confused, Nexi laughed. “Okay, if you say so.” However, her biggest concern was that not only did Kyden hold a douche bag streak, but all male supernaturals did. Maybe she’d stick to dating humans.

After a minute of pondering as they continued through the gardens, Nexi realized something seemed off. If Kyden’s brutish personality didn’t keep women away, since apparently that was typical, and she couldn’t see anything else wrong with him… “Why is he single?”

“Kyden’s had a few—” Haven cleared her throat, her cheeks turning pinkish. “He’s not really the commitment type.”

“Great,” Nexi muttered.

“Oh, don’t think of it like that,” Haven said in a hurry. “Kyden’s not a jerk or anything. He just hasn’t found anyone he’s meshed with.” Her eyebrows rose. “You know, the right one, type of thing. He’s not a heartbreaker, if that’s what you’re wondering.” She smiled, nudging Nexi’s shoulder. “Besides, he seems happy when he talks about you. Whenever he mentions you his eyes light up, which of course he tries to deny.”

Sweet and all, but did that mean Nexi was going to give the go ahead for all things hot-and-heavy?

Not tonight.

Maybe tomorrow.

Ready to get off this subject and to clear her thoughts of the sudden hot-and-heavy images rushing through her mind, she asked Haven, “Have you heard anything from Finn about that vanishing vampire?”

Haven’s lips thinned. “Nah, everyone’s going with the theory that a witch is helping him, but no one knows why.”

”Is that normal?” Nexi asked, but quickly thought to herself that nothing in the Otherworld was what she’d call normal. “I mean, different species teaming up?”

Haven shook her head as she brushed her hand over the rose petals as they continued down the pathway. “Usually supernaturals don’t intermingle, except for those in the Otherworld. Most in the Earthworld stick within their race.” She leaned down to sniff a rose before she shrugged and resumed walking down the path. “But what else could it be? How could a vampire just poof from existence?”

Nexi snorted. “You’re supposed to have that answer.” She pointed at herself. “Remember, I’m new here and everything confuses me.”

Haven giggled, hooking her arm in Nexi’s and pulling her in close. “Finn told me the Council is on it now. I know some of the guardians and trackers are out hunting this vamp.” She hesitated, then she smiled. “I’m sure it’ll be solved soon.”

Nexi couldn’t help but notice that while Haven portrayed confidence, on the inside it was another story completely. Confusion and tension swirled within her soul sister, only adding to her own. If the vampire had even bubbly Haven unsettled, Nexi was sure as shit concerned.

Glancing out to the lush garden, she inhaled the calming scents. “So, where exactly are you taking me?”

“To the witches circle so you can watch Zia call on the Elements.”

Nexi skidded to a halt, sending a rock beneath her shoe skipping down the path. “Say what?”

“I keep forgetting you don’t know any of this.” She yanked Nexi forward and added in a soft voice, “Okay, here’s a crash course in all things witchy. Our magic is gifted to us by the Elements—Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Spirit. A witch is given one Element to use defensively, but we normally get something from at least one other, too.”

Nexi might’ve been shocked, or even skeptical, but really, the time to be surprised ended the moment she awoke to the Otherworld. Now she realized how cautious everyone had been around her, only telling her what she needed to know at that moment. She figured they didn’t want to overwhelm her. “You have the Earth Element, I already know that, but what’s your other Element?”

“Yep, Earth is my most powerful gift.” She glanced up at the sky, where stars sparkled in unfamiliar patterns. “And like you saw, I can manipulate time, because it’s attached to the Earth. If I’m mad enough, Air will show itself and I can use it, but I have to be very angry for that happen.”

Nexi tried to picture what Haven would look like pissed off, but she failed miserably. “Well, the time thingy you can do is cool.”

Haven lifted a lazy shoulder. “My magic comes in handy, especially with catching the bad guys, but trust me, it ain’t nothin’ to get revved up about. Wait ‘til you see Zia in action.”

They strode past a small, rocky pond where fluorescent fish swam beneath a flourishing field of lily pads. “What kind of witch is Zia?”

“Spirit Witch, like your mom was.” Haven’s voice rose in awe. “Which means she can manipulate all of the Elements.” Nexi’s eyes widened, and Haven added with a short nod, “Exactly. Her abilities are impressive. Plus, they’re the only ones who have the ability to heal injuries.”

Nexi looked away from Haven, realizing they reached the end of the path, which stopped at a wrought iron gate overrun by green leafy vines. Its beautiful floral accents peeked through the foliage, but the intricate design paled next to what rest beyond the gate.

Before Nexi lay a meadow filled with rolling hills, plush green grass, and a large creek bisecting the scene. Wildflowers littered the ground and trees ringed the field. Some were birches and willows, but the smaller ones she’d never seen before.

“Where are we?” she gasped.

Haven smiled. “Guardians have the Guardians’ Hall for training. Witches have the Witches’ Meadow.” She glanced in front of her. “Oh, look, they’re starting.” Then she rushed forward.

Nexi hurried after her, catching sight of Zia, Mistress of Witches, standing in the middle of a large circle of witches, all holding hands. They were dressed in everything from skirts to jeans, which Nexi took to mean that witches didn’t have a uniform like the guardians did. Haven dropped down on the grass, and as Nexi sat in next to her, Zia glanced over, smiled, then looked to the witches around her.

“May the Elements protect and connect us together.” She raised her hands to the sky. “From the north, we summon you, Earth.”

Beneath Nexi, the ground rumbled and she threaded her fingers into the grass. “What’s happening?”

Haven looked all too comfortable with her arms behind her, palms resting on the ground. “Earth’s responding.”

“Right.” Nexi rolled her eyes. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Glancing out to the group of witches, she relaxed her hands against the now quiet ground as Zia called, “From the east, we summon you, Air.”

The wind picked up, the trees swayed from the wind, and goose bumps pimpled her skin. Before she could recover, Zia continued, “From the south, we summon you, Fire.”

An earsplitting sizzle sounded, and a ring of fire formed around the witches, blasting warmth in a breeze that lifted Nexi’s hair. She gasped and scrambled back, but Haven grabbed her arm.

“It won’t hurt them.” Calmness seeped from Haven and her calm traveled through their bond. “The Elements protect witches.”

When Nexi turned to Zia, she called, “To the west, we summon you, Water.”

Swirling water surrounded the witches just above the fire, and Nexi shivered from the dampness spreading across her skin. She rubbed her arms warming them, as Zia said, “Connecting it all, we summon you, Spirit.”

A brilliant explosion of light blasted through the meadow, and a glittering blue ribbon moved around the witches, dancing in and out between their bodies. Nexi stared in silent awe, since she hadn’t had the time to mull over her being part witch much considering she was preoccupied with hunting her parents’ killers. Being here, experiencing the ceremonial awesomeness, she couldn’t deny this power intrigued her.

Haven’s smile warmed, no doubt sensing Nexi’s curiosity and the odd sensation rising within her. Her blood tingled as if everything had fallen asleep, yet she also burned with power. Unreachable, but present. As if the Elements were somehow speaking to her, reminding her that she did have a place here within this circle of witches.

“See, your magic is there.” Haven’s eyes twinkled and she poked Nexi’s arm with her elbow. “It’s just hiding.”

Nexi might’ve responded with the glaringly obvious question, Why is it hiding? But Zia cut her off as she said, “Return Elements, we thank you for your presence and the gifts you’ve bestowed upon us.”

A deafening bang echoed through the air and as the magic vanished, and the dark night descended again. The witches hugged each other before they started to leave the meadow. As they walked by her and Haven some gave her odd looks, as if measuring her up, and some completely ignored her as if she weren’t sitting there.

Confused by the circle, she turned to Haven. “Really, you call on the Elements, and then send them away. What in the hell was the point of that?”

Haven smirked. “By calling on the Elements, we unite our sisterhood of witches. Together, with the Elements all around us, we give thanks.” She hesitated, nibbling her lip. “It’s kinda hard to explain with words…it’s just something you have to feel, but it keeps us joined together.”

Wasn’t everything Otherworldly hard to explain with words?

Before Nexi could state as much, Zia approached, her blue eyes twinkling with her gentle smile. “I thought we could chat a little bit.”

Haven jumped up, planted a kiss on Nexi’s cheek, and as she skipped away after the other witches, she called, “Come find me later.”

Taking Haven’s place in front of Nexi, Zia smoothed out her black, long skirt over her legs, and said, “You must have questions.”

Thousands, Nexi thought, but where to start?

After pondering to figure out which questions mattered most, she decided to start with what she’d seen tonight and work backward. “Am I part of the sisterhood now?”

Zia shook her head, settling her beautiful strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder. “Once you come into your witch powers, we’ll have a ceremony welcoming you into the sisterhood.” She patted Nexi’s leg. “Even though you’re without your magic now, you’ll eventually gain it and take your place with us.”

Didn’t that bring up a great next question? “Yes, about that. When exactly will this magic come into me?” Nexi nearly laughed at the thought. The idea of her having magic seemed not only ridiculous, but also dangerous.

“To be honest, I’m unsure.” Zia regarded her with a tilt of her head. “Do you feel any different than before you came into the Otherworld?”

Nexi considered that, then realized a truth stared her dead in the face. “After the block was removed it was all kinda confusing. At first, all I sensed was the guardian power and the increased strength. How invincible it made me feel.”

She waited for Zia to give her a yes-that-was-stupid-of-you look, but the witch’s soft expression remained unchanged, so Nexi added, “But being here tonight I did feel something I haven’t before.”

Zia’s eyebrows rose. “Which was?”

Nexi shook her head, trying to find the correct word to explain. “Rightness.” She rolled her eyes, thinking she’d gotten it all wrong. Yeah, Haven had it right—something’s, like weird magical feelings, were hard to put into words. “Does that make any sense?”

“Perfect sense, actually.” Zia nodded. “You should feel a connection with your fellow witches because your core being is joined to the Elements. Just because you haven’t touched on those powers doesn’t mean they aren’t there.”

Made sense, she supposed.

Zia picked off a piece of lint on her skirt before she flicked it onto the grass, and added, “I also don’t know what will happen once your witch powers are released, or what will trigger it. I’ve never seen a witch come into her magic so late in life.”

Nexi frowned. “Are you trying to scare me?” Her panic rose to near lethal levels, heart skipping a beat. “If so, it’s working.”

“No, I’m not trying to scare you, but trying to prepare you.” Zia took Nexi’s hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “Please don’t worry. If you cannot control your magic on your own, I can help you.”

Big relief.

She stared at Zia’s hand over top of hers and noted how comfortable she felt with Zia. How much it wasn’t weird having Zia holding her hand, which hit her as strange. She didn’t have a soul-sister bond with Zia, and she knew very little of the Mistress of Witches, but there was something there—a glaringly obvious deep connection.

“We were soul sisters,” Zia whispered.

Nexi lifted her head. “Pardon?”

“Your birth mother, Tillie, and I were soul sisters.” Zia released Nexi’s hand and her voice thickened. “Did you know that?”

“No, I’m sorry, no one told me.”

In all actuality, she knew little about her birth mother, except two things: she was dead and her death had driven Drake to send Nexi into the Earthworld. He’d lost his love due to the violence. He wouldn’t lose a daughter as well, or so he had told her. Not that she wasn’t curious about Tillie, but the heartbreak Drake suffered when he talked of her birth mother made her hesitate.

“You’d like to know more about Tillie?” Zia asked.

Nexi eyed Zia, full of suspicion. “You know at first I thought you were intuitive, but there’s no way you can only be that, so spill. Can you read my mind? Is that one of your magical powers?”

Zia nodded. “I can always read into the minds of others through touch. With you, however, it’s different.” She hesitated, seeming to choose her words carefully. “You have vivid thoughts, and you send me messages telepathically.”

“I do not.” Nexi gasped.

Zia grinned. “You do.”

“That’s bizarre, and I’m not sure I like that.” Suffering a serious case of heebeejeebies, Nexi shook out her hands, ridding herself of the creepiness crawling through her veins. “Why am I doing that, and how do I make it stop?”

Zia’s eyebrows creased with her frown. “I’m afraid to say I can’t stop it, not until I understand why it’s happening, and right now, I don’t.” She hesitated, giving Nexi a long look, then added, “On some level, I suspect it could be that your mother and I were soul sisters, and that bond has developed in another way in her daughter.”

That made sense. Kind of.

“The other part of me wonders if it’s your magical abilities coming through. I’ve never had a connection like this before. So, it is odd, and I can only make assumptions as to why I can read you without touch.”

Nexi pondered that exact thought herself, glancing out at the meadow and watching the leaves of a willow tree sway in the wind. She turned to Zia. “Do you mean that it’s one of my gifts, so to speak? That I have the power to send telepathic messages?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Zia admitted. “I had wondered that myself, but if it was one of your gifts, then you should do it with every witch, not only me.”

Nexi rubbed her eyes. Why couldn’t any of this be simple?

“Don’t stress about this.” Zia patted her leg in her reassuring way. “Right now, we’re only taking guesses on who you are as a witch. Once you come into your magic, things will make more sense.”

“Yeah, right,” she muttered.

As much as she figured nothing would ever make sense again, and regardless of the old pain that sank its fangs into her, or of the uncertainty of the future ahead of her, she knew she needed to hone every skill she had as a supernatural. For all that she’d lost. For the sacrifices so many had made. For the revenge she hungered.

She lifted her head. “All right, give me the lowdown on my witchy mom.”