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Belesh faintly asked, "Their anchors?"
"Tessa's father is her mothers. Tessa and Mercer are each other's anchors. Tessa changed into her third form first and he anchored her. But when she got hurt, he found he could change and she was able to sooth him."
Xotchi interrupted. “And we cannot forget Sterling and Koran.”
I scowled, my mood darkening. “Ugh! I don’t want to talk about them.”
She raised an eyebrow before turning back to Belesh. “Sterling is a hawk shifter who is an information trader. He worked with me for a while.” She grimaced, recalling that time. “Another who was with me during those dark times was a man called Koran. He was a mercenary who was intent on capturing lycanthropes for nefarious experiments being performed by the government.”
I snorted, the sound loud even to my ears. She actually went there. She said nefarious like it was a word used outside of romance novels!
Ignoring me, she continued. “It turns out the warmonger wasn’t as pure as he thought. He has a considerable amount of Naga blood in his veins.”
This time, Belesh jumped up, knocking her chair over backwards, her hand at her throat.
“A Naga? Are you sure? Where is he now?” The woman looked almost horrified as she stared across at the dragon.
Xotchi shrugged. “He's a snake, in more ways than one, but I think he is still with the trader. Since Naga’s can open gates like dragons can, the two of them have been traveling the stars, allowing Sterling to gather information like it is his hoard.”
The older woman swallowed several times, her eyes almost crossing. Unfortunately, I had more.
I studied her while I added, choosing my words carefully. “My soon-to-be sister-in-law talks with Artemis. We think she may be the human vessel for her. She appears to know things that the goddess has deemed important for us to learn. But she is off planet with my mate right now. Oh, right... I'm not quite done. Sorry.”
Belesh didn’t appear to be able to take anything more, but these last facts were minor compared to the rest. Still, they could be important.
“Witches exist. My mother was one, and Soren and I were living with the coven before all this happened. He picked up the ability to use witchy powers, which was not expected for a shifter. I guess shifter magic generally cancels out witch-types of magic.” I paused for a moment before smiling. "And I cannot forget Alemos, my home. My mother had poured her magic into making it become an almost living protector for us kids and the energy gate that exists on our land."
Belesh spun around, walking away at a brisk pace, her form quickly disappearing into the darkness of the humongous cave.
“You think we overwhelmed her?” Xotchi turned to watch her friend go.
“For sure.” I sighed tiredly. “But she needs to have some idea about the shit storm she will walk into if she goes to Earth with us.”
The dragon shook her head. “I don’t want to go back and be a part of what is going on there anymore. I like it out here, traveling and learning. People on the various planets are easier to deal with. And if they aren’t, they fear my other form, giving me time to escape.”
I gave her a sharp glance. “Right. Until you meet someone bigger and badder than you. What will you do at that point?”
“Haven’t met anyone yet. Want coffee or tea?” She moved over to the fire, grabbing a pot next to it and rinsing it out in the lake.
“Tea, please.”
Xotchi’s movements were efficient as she poured water into the pot. She placed it on the rack over the flames before finding two mugs and pulling out loose tea leaves from an enormous container. She put the leaves into two round tea strainers and place them inside the mugs.
She talked, not looking at me while she was working. “I think Belesh has been alone for a long time. She has this whole fantasy in her head about prophecies and her family and being able to change people.”
I peered at the older woman. “You don’t think what she is saying is true?”
Xotchi slowly lifted her head, her expression troubled. “I am not sure what to think. I have met so many types of beings during my travels, but none quite like her. Those who are similar are not sentient.” She waved one hand towards the set up behind her. “Belesh's intelligence is at a genius level. But if you mix that with extreme isolation—” She shrugged.
“You get insanity.” I said the words she didn’t want to say out loud. I understood where she was going with this. “Except I don’t think she is insane. In fact, much of what she says makes sense. Not just to me as a lycanthrope and human, but me as an oracle. What I saw—”
Her gaze sharpened, but a high-pitched whistle filled the air and she hurried over to take the pot off the fire. She poured the boiling water into the mugs, spooned in a bit of some type of sticky syrup, and walked over to me, carrying both. She handed one to me before hooking a chair with one foot, dragging it closer. Dropping into it with controlled grace, she cupped the mug in her hands, soaking in the heat.
“So you prophesied about what she spoke?”
I took a small sip of the burning hot liquid. It was minty with a touch of sweetness.
“No, I haven’t. But I have seen beings that appear similar to her in my visions.”
