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Chapter Twelve
Willow
Diana shoots me a “what the fuck” look as I circle back around the row of port-a-johns, but her lips are curved in a smile as she asks, “Hey there. I was wondering where you were. Off stretching your legs?”
“Yeah. Just needed to clear my head a little,” I say, very aware of the curious eyes locked on us from the mostly witch women making their way across the glen to the facilities. “And the air smells so…interesting this morning.” I nod back toward the cabin. “I’ll tell you all about it while we walk.”
“Great,” Diana says, falling in beside me, her hands tucked casually into her dress pockets. She lifts her head back to catch the early morning sun on her face and says in a soft, pleasant voice, “Really glad you didn’t run off without me, or I might have had to track you down and bite you a little.”
“I would never run off without you,” I promise, then amend. “Unless I had no other choice, and then I’d come back for you as soon as I could. I promise. And I expect the same from you. If you find a way out but coming back for me would put your window of opportunity at risk, I want you to run first and worry about me later. I can take care of myself.”
“No, you can’t,” she says. “None of us can. We need each other, now more than ever.”
Especially Maxim, I think.
He needs me, needs us, but for some reason I don’t want to tell Diana about the smell, at least not until I have something concrete to share. She’s already scared enough, no need to make it worse when there’s nothing either of us can do about it right now.
So, I tell her about the road, instead, and watch her features perk up.
“And you think you could make it down the cliff?” she asks. “In the dark? Because you know we’d have to go at night. It’s the only time Kelley and Elsbeth aren’t up our asses.”
“I think I can, yes. And the moon is nearly full tonight. As long as it doesn’t rain, we should have enough light.”
She exhales, shaking her hands loosely at her sides. “Okay. Nice. Good work, your majesty. Options are good. Options make me feel less like a rat in a trap, waiting for someone to feed me to their pet boa constrictor.”
I huff. “And if we run, I won’t have to become ‘your majesty.’ I honestly don’t know if I’m cut out for ruling thousands of shifters, Dee, especially considering at least half of them won’t want to be ruled.”
“Doesn’t matter,” she says, arching a wry brow. “If this prophecy is correct, they won’t have any choice. It’ll just happen. Like magic.”
Like magic…
The words echo in my head, setting my thoughts to spinning as we reach the cottage. I follow Diana back up the steps and through the door, slamming into her back when she stops so suddenly I can’t adjust my pace in time.
I laugh and hurry to apologize, “Sorry, Dee, I didn’t—”
“It’s fine,” she says, cutting me off in a stiff voice. “I just… I suddenly don’t feel well. I think I’d better go back to the toilets. I’m afraid I’m going to be sick.”
“You aren’t going to be sick. You’re the picture of health,” a deep, patronizing voice rumbles from near the stove.
The evil energy from yesterday wafts toward us along with the words, leaving no doubt who’s decided to pay us a visit.
I move to stand beside Diana to see Bane sitting cross legged on a pillow beside a large quilt spread out on the floor. It’s already covered with plates heaped with food and three other place settings.
I cut a quick glance Kelley’s way and she smiles, motioning to the quilt. “Go ahead, pull up a pillow and load up. The eggs are coming off now.”
“All right. Thanks, everything smells great,” I say, doing my best not to shiver as I cross to the quilt, feeling Bane’s creepy gaze on me the entire way.
“Good morning, Willow,” he says as I settle onto the pillow farthest from his, his voice alone enough to make my skin crawl. “I trust you slept well?”
“Very well,” I say. “Thank you.”
“I slept like shit,” Diana pipes up, playing the part of the bratty, betrayed sister we decided was the best call for her to a tee. “And I really do need to go back to the bathroom. Sometimes it doesn’t all come out the first time, you know. I might have irritable bowel syndrome. Even shifters can get that sometimes. The leading cause is bossy, violent older brothers who suck and are huge assholes.”
Bane smiles. “Noted. I’ll try to suck less, then. Meanwhile, you’re going to sit down and eat your breakfast like you were raised with some manners. Kelley went to all this trouble, and I won’t have it go to waste.” He motions toward the pillow between his and mine. “And we have so much catching up to do, don’t you think?”
Diana crosses her arms over her chest, not budging from her place by the door. “We could have started catching up yesterday, but you decided to lock me in a cage and beat up my boyfriend, instead. I could hear it, when the men were hitting him. I have excellent ears.”
Bane’s grin doesn’t waver. “Sit down, Diana. Eat. You’ll feel better after you get something in your stomach.” Her lips part but he cuts her off in a louder voice, “Sit down and eat like a lady, little girl, or you can go back to your cage. If you’re going to act like an animal, you’ll be treated like one. The only reason you’re here is because Kelley thought you’d respond better to kindness than discipline. If she’s wrong, I’m happy to return to my original plan. I will break you of the bad habits Maxim allowed to take root in your nature—one way or another.”
