Page 30 of Bewitched

“Why not?” she asked. “It’s going to eat me if I don’t.”

“Nay, it won’t, I promise,” said Alaina. “That wolf is my son, Zann.”

That’s when she remembered Rhys telling her that his brother was a shapeshifter and could turn into a wolf. She supposed this could be Zann Blackseed after all.

“Quick, Medea, get out of the cave.” Rapunzel grabbed her and pulled her outside into the sunlight. Alaina followed with the wolf right behind her.

“We need to protect ourselves from those gnomes,” Medea told the others.

“They won’t come out into the direct sunlight,” Alaina explained. “They prefer cloudy days, or to stay inside their caves.”

“They’re mean. Just like you said. They attacked me!”

“They did?” Alaina looked over to her in question, as if she didn’t believe her. “Are you sure?”

“Of course, I am. I have a prick on my backside as well as bruises from their feet on my back to prove it.”

“The gnomes only attack if they feel threatened,” the fae explained. “They have children in those caves. You must have done something to them first, or they wouldn’t have been so defensive.”

“I did not! And I was the one having to defend myself, not them.”

“Medea? Did you do something to rile them?” asked Rapunzel, narrowing her eyes and folding her arms over her chest.

“You think I purposely attacked the gnomes for no reason?” asked Medea.

“It wouldn’t be the first time you did something like this,” said Rapunzel. “Or have you forgotten all the trouble you gave me while growing up?”

“That’s when I was naught but a child, Sister.”

“Perhaps Medea was innocent, like she says,” commented Alaina. “It is best not to bring up incidents from the far past that happened between siblings.”

“Oh, it’s not so far in the past as you think,” said Rapunzel.

“Rap! Let it go.” Medea’s eyes flitted over to the fae. The less the woman knew about her and their siblings, the better. For some reason, Medea felt as if Alaina would take information about her and use it against her. She also decided she’d better confess before the damned fae read her mind and called her a liar. “All right, I did blast the gnomes with my power, but only because they pricked me with their spear first.”

“Pricking another is their way of investigating you and saying hello,” explained Alaina. “They weren’t trying to hurt you, but rather trying to figure out just who you are, since they haven’t seen you before.”

“Now is a great time to mention that,” she mumbled, brushing the dirt off her clothes.

“Well, that was just so much fun, I can’t even stand it,” came a male voice from the mouth of the cave.

The women looked over to see Zann getting up off the ground, having shifted from his wolf form back into his human form again. Medea gasped when she realized he was naked.

“Son, please,” said Alaina, hiding her eyes. “Put on some clothes.”

“Well, it’s not like I can carry clothes while I’m in my wolf form, Mother,” Zann told her with an edge to his voice. “I can’t wear what I do not have.” He picked a large leaf off a nearby plant and held it in front of his groin. Then he did a sidestep, hiding behind a boulder that was up past his waist, trying to seek cover. “Darium and Rhys sent me ahead to tell you they’d be here soon. Also, to protect you.”

“Good thing they did,” said Rapunzel. “It seems my sister has a knack for getting into trouble.”

“It’s not my fault,” said Medea in her defense. “I was bored just waiting around for the men to show up. And curious, too. Besides, how was I to know that gnomes were so finicky?”

* * *

It was already starting to get dark before Darium and Rhys showed up.

“We’re here,” called out Rhys, getting off his horse, seeing Zann standing behind a rock. The women were all sitting around, but no one was talking. “I’m sorry it took so long, but the horses have a difficult time traveling over the steep mountains.”

“Brother, I’ve got your clothes.” Darium took clothes from a travel bag and brought them over to Zann.