The Witching Hour: 11 Enchanting Novels Featuring Witches, Wizards, Vampires, Shifters, Ghosts, Fae, and More!, page 113
I cracked a smile. “And you’re much friendlier than the vampires.”
He chuckled. “So tell me, why isn’t your place safe?”
“Someone’s been there.” My stomach twisted in knots.
He pushed his dark bangs off from his eyes. “Let’s sit. Do you want something to drink?”
I shook my head and then followed him into the living room, where we sat on the couch.
Concern darkened his handsome face. “Who was there?”
“I’m not sure, but it felt like someone using dark magic. There was a rune, so they have access anytime they want.”
His brows came together. “Runes?”
“There’s much about the powers of my people I haven’t spoken of to anyone.”
He nodded. “What do you need from me? Do you want to stay in my mansion with the protection of my guards? Can I take you back to the castle?”
“I can’t go back to the castle. Not with all those vampires.”
Toby chuckled. “Not exactly the most welcoming crowd, are they?”
“Don’t get me wrong, Alexis and the other leaders have been great. They—”
“No, I get it. They accept us, but everyone else barely tolerates outsiders. Honestly, I don’t know how you lasted as long as you did.”
“Being in the woods gave me the strength I needed, but it wasn’t enough to protect me completely from my own people.”
He leaned closer, resting his elbow on his leg. “Explain.”
“I had a vision recently. My old coven is after me. But there’s not much we can do about that. Let’s focus on Victoria. You haven’t found anything else of hers I can use for a spell?”
“Just the bracelet I gave you. I thought you said jewelry was one of the best items.”
I nodded. “Because it spends so much time on a person. A lock of hair is even better, but people don’t often have those lying around.”
He frowned and shook his head. “Why do you think your spells aren’t working? You don’t think she’s dead?”
“No, I’d be able to find her then. A blocking spell can only protect the living—at least as far as I know. I’m beginning to realize just how little that is, though.”
“I’ve got to find her.”
“We will. I’ll figure something out. Maybe the answer is in one of my mother’s books.” My eyes grew heavy. “Do you mind if I get some sleep?”
“Of course.” He showed me to the guest room and set my bags on the bed. “If you need anything, just say the word and it’s yours.”
“Thanks, Toby. I promise to run another locator spell when I wake up.”
He shrugged. “You’ve run enough of those. We need a different course of action.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
“Sweet dreams.” He closed the door.
I closed my eyes and spoke a quick protection spell over the apartment. Then I sat on the bed and pulled out a book from one of the bags as I climbed under the covers.
My eyes grew heavy as I read and took notes. Either my mother had been more powerful than anyone ever realized or I had somehow missed it, being her daughter—too young to practice anything myself.
I leaned back against the couch and glanced around the room. If only she were there to ask. Had she been holding back from the coven, not wanting them to know what she knew?
She hardly wrote any history in the books. Just spells and other magic lessons she thought I would need. Part of me wished I’d gone over these long ago. But I’d been determined to stay away from magic as much as possible. Only when other supernaturals found me and begged for help did I tap into my power.
Not only that, but using my magic would make it easier for my old coven to locate me—as they now had. I’d been running the daily locator spells for Toby and tapping into both the forest’s and the moon’s strength.
I’d been careless, and now they knew where I lived.
My eyelids continued growing heavy, but I read until I couldn’t fight it any longer.
When I woke up, it was dark outside. Spending so much time with vampires had really thrown my schedule off. I stretched and got up. It sounded like Toby was on the phone—either that or he was talking to himself.
I got up and peeked out the window. The bright moon greeted me, casting its glow over the sleepy town. I closed my eyes, trying to draw more of its strength. It wasn’t at a strong phase, so it didn’t help much.
The top of my head tingled, and the sensation radiated down until it reached the soles of my feet.
A breeze blew by, getting hair in my face. I opened my eyes, once again finding myself on the Icelandic beach. It was early, the last signs of a sunrise remained in the sky.
My feet carried me toward a field in front of some woods. I could feel the magic of the forest as I neared. It warmed me with each step.
The wind continued, so I took an elastic band off my wrist and pulled my hair back. My feet took me through the field and led me behind a small building, no larger than a house.
Conversation drifted my way. I pressed myself against the mossy wall and listened.
“Johan, our daughter lives.”
I froze. That was my mother’s voice. My pulse drummed in my ears and I fought to listen.
“I can’t do this, Nora.”
Mama’s name. My breath caught.
“You can ignore me, Johan. That’s fine. We were young and careless. But she needs you. The coven is after her. I can’t find her, but she lives. We can all feel her power.”
I scooted down the wall and peeked around the corner.
Mother looked exactly as I’d remembered her. Long, flowing black hair and piercing eyes the color of the night sky. Her caramel skin was as beautiful as always. I’d always been envious of her pretty, dark skin.
The man she stood with—Johan—had my coloring. Blond hair, light skin, and blue eyes. He was tall and muscular. I could feel their strong magic from where I stood.
Johan narrowed his bright eyes at my mother. “I have a family. We’re part of a long-established coven. It’s not welcoming of visitors. After all these centuries, I can’t tell my family I have a daughter.”
I clutched my heart. It was true. Johan was my father. I had siblings.
Even more incredibly, my long-lost mother was alive! She had made it over from the other side of death and returned.
My mother pleaded with her eyes. “Please accept her.”
He shook his head. “I can’t. You’re going to have to handle your coven.”
“They’re onto her. I’m an outcast. They want us both dead.”
“I wish I could help you, but I can’t.” He turned around and walked away, sorrow covering his face.
“Johan.” My mother reached her arms toward him, but didn’t run after him. A single tear ran down her face.
I tried to run to her, but my feet wouldn’t move.
“Mama!” I called.
She didn’t appear to hear me. Because I wasn’t actually there.
“I’m staying near Seattle,” I called. “Delphic Cove.”
A crack of thunder sounded.
I found myself back in Toby’s guest room.
“No!” I reached for my mother, now long gone.
All I could hope for was that somehow on some level, my mother had heard me.
Or I could find a way to Iceland.
5
“How do you know it was a vision, rather than just a dream?” Toby asked after I explained that I needed to leave immediately.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my still-thundering heart. “Dreams are when I sleep. Visions happen when I’m awake. And everything was so clear—as if I were right there.”
“I’m going with you.” Toby stood taller.
“To Iceland?” I exclaimed.
He nodded.
“But you have so much on your plate here, what with your pack troubles and all.”
“My wolves will be fine on their own for a while. I can’t let you can’t go alone.”
“Of course you can. I have a current passport and a credit card. I’m set.”
“I know you’re used to doing everything on your own, but everything is different now. You don’t have any witches on your side and you’re only beginning to learn your craft.”
“Beginning?” I exclaimed. “I’ve been working with the light magic for centuries. No, it’s the advanced spells and blessings I’m studying. And once I find my mother, she can teach me herself. She’s alive again.”
“I’m not trying to upset you. It’s just not safe for you to travel alone. Not now.”
“You have enough problems here.”
“My pack is spread all over the place. I don’t know where most of them are, so they won’t even miss me. Let me protect the one person who can help me find my Victoria. Right now, you are my pack.”
I had to laugh. Some pack. Or coven, or whatever we were.
“We help each other. Isn’t that what covens are supposed to do, also?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
He pulled out his phone and slid his finger around the screen. “They are. Grab something to eat while I check for flights. If there’s nothing, we’ll see about borrowing one of the vampires’ jets.”
“Perfect.” Just what I needed—more vampires. I headed into the kitchen and dug around his fridge. It was pretty well stocked for a bachelor pad. I cut up some fruit and stuck bread in the toaster.
Toby came in. “I don’t suppose you want to wait three days?”
“What?” No, I need to get there as soon as possible. My mother could have already left and gone who knows where.”
“Then it’s a good thing Alexis is having a jet prepared for us as we speak.”
I frowned. “I suppose the bright side is that I’ll be able to draw some energy from the woods.”
“Let me just get a quick shower. Then we can get going.”
“Okay.” I sat on his couch and allowed the vision to sink in. It had been so long since I’d had any visions, and now two in such a short period of time. They had to mean something big. Some kind of change. Or something to do with the new magic all over the world.
Only recently, the vampires’ enchanted forest had been the only remaining one in the world. But now, each continent had at least one. The world was changing, but the question was whether the changes were for the good or the bad.
My parents were alive. That had to be good. Though it was strange that my mother hadn’t found me yet—she certainly knew I was alive. Did she think it was dangerous to contact me? Was she being followed?
Either way, I wanted to find her.
An unusual feeling surged through me. Hope. With everything else going on, that seemed like the last thing I would feel, but it was growing stronger by the minute.
The sound of the shower broke my thoughts. I hadn’t even noticed Toby leave the room. Part of me wanted to sit on the couch and let the hope take hold of me, but if we were headed to Iceland, I really needed to get ready.
While I fixed my hair and repacked my things, the feeling only grew stronger. Whether it was misguided or not, I wanted to cling to it.
Before putting my mother’s books back into the bag, I held one close. “Please stay in Iceland so I can find you.” I returned it to the bag and zipped everything in.
Out in the living room, Toby packed a bag of his own.
“Are you sure you want to go with me?” I asked. “You certainly don’t have to.”
He gave me his smile that made most girls weak in the knees. Victoria was certainly a lucky woman. “You’re my pack,” he insisted.
A fresh wave of hope ran through me. I couldn’t remember the last time I was part of a group where someone wanted to take care of me. I’d had some friends along the way—like Alexis bringing me to the castle—but I was never a part of that group.
Toby zipped his long oval bag and flung it over his shoulder. He adjusted the strap across his chest. “Ready?”
I nodded. “How are we going to get to the woods?”
“Drive, of course. One of my guards is bringing a car over, and he’ll drop us off as close to the jets as possible.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
We went downstairs, where a luxury car waited. Toby held open a back door for me, and he sat in the passenger seat. He and the guard spoke the whole way, giving me time to think. The more I thought, the more I realized I needed to figure more out.
First of all, it wasn’t just my mother in Iceland. My father was there—with his family, who he didn’t want to find out about me. I didn’t know where my mother was staying or how to find her. I would need a locator spell, and hopefully the books would work as being something of hers. She’d clearly spent many hours writing in them.
I hadn’t figured much out by the time the car stopped in front of a different part of the woods. We got out, and Toby took one of my bags. I followed him into the woods since I hadn’t been on this side before.
“How far are we from the planes?” I asked.
“Only about a mile or two. We’re fortunate to have gotten this close.”
Didn’t I know it? The forest stretched for miles and miles in any given direction from the castle. “Let’s get going.”
The driver said goodbye and got back in. Toby and I entered the woods. The feeling of hope grew within me as we entered, and it intensified as we made our way through.
“What if we run into vampires?” I asked. A little optimism faded.
Toby pushed aside some branches to let me through. “We’re both welcome here by the queen.”
I had my doubts about all vampires realizing that, but I kept them to myself as we hurried along the various trails.
Before long, the smell of jet fuel welcomed us.
“Are you ready?” Toby asked.
My pulse picked up speed. Was I ready for Iceland?
“They say the Icelandic forest holds the strongest magic of all the enchanted woods.”
“I’ve heard that, also.”
“Maybe it’s exactly what we both need. To get our happily ever afters.”
“We’ll find Victoria. I promised you that, and I mean it.”
“What about you?” He turned to me.
“My version of that is a quiet, peaceful life of solitude.”
“You can’t mean that.”
“Of course I do. I’ve never been in love, and I’m quite happy that way. I’ve seen the heartache it can cause. No offense.”
“But it’s worth it. There isn’t anything that compares to falling in love and having it returned.”
“If it happens, I suppose I’ll see.”
He gave me a funny look. “You will. I have a good feeling. While we’re there, I’m going to keep my eye out for you. We’ll find some guy who adores you and will take care of you—make you feel like a princess.”
“I don’t need to feel like—”
“That’s what every woman deserves.”
I shook my head, unable to keep from smiling.
“What?” he asked.
“It’s just no wonder so many have fallen head over heels for you.”
His face brightened and then clouded over. “Let’s hope it works on Victoria again.”
“It will. Once we find her.”
The smell of the fuel grew stronger.
“I have a good feeling, don’t you?” he asked.
I didn’t want to admit it, but I did. It would probably be a long road before we found the answers we wanted, but hopefully it would be worth it.
We stepped out of the thick woods into a clearing. An airstrip stretched before us and a row of planes greeted us. One sat, running.
Alexis and Alrekur emerged. They both greeted us with a warm embrace. Alexis looked back and forth between Toby and me. “I’m so glad you’re traveling together. If you need anything, just ask.”
Toby nodded. “We will. Thank you so much for letting us use one of your jets.”
“After everything you’ve done for us?” Alrekur asked. “It’s the least we could do. You’ve kept the werewolves out of our hair, and that’s been a relief.”
“I wish I could take credit for the recent peace,” Toby said. “But it has more to do with the packs fighting each other than anything I’ve done. They’re too busy to worry about vampires. I’ve heard of some flare-ups between some mutt packs and common vampires, but that’s about it.”
“Mutt packs?” Alrekur arched a brow. “I’ve been alive for well over three thousand years, and I’ve never heard that expression.”
Toby raked his fingers through his hair. “They’re sort of our version of your common vampires.”
Alexis and Alrekur exchanged a curious expression and then turned to me.
“I know even less about the wolves than you do.” Alexis gave me another hug. “We’d better let you get going. I’ve called the royal vampires in Iceland and let them know you two are in town, and to offer you help if needed. You can stay in the Fyrsturae mansion if you need a place to stay.
Toby and I exchanged a glance. A witch and werewolf staying in the vampire mansion? He was as leery as I was.
I turned to Alexis and smiled. “We can’t thank you enough for everything.”
She gave us both a kiss on the cheek and then Alrekur shook Toby’s hand and gave me a hug. “Safe travels.”
Toby and I climbed into the plane. It was wide open inside with tables lining walls. Couches sat around a fireplace which had a large screen TV over it.
I arched a brow at Toby.
He laughed. “This is how they fly.”
“No wonder they don’t take commercial flights.”
A servant came over to us and welcomed us aboard. Though he was friendly enough, I could tell he was less than thrilled about us being there. So, the feeling was mutual.
6
The wind whipped my ponytail in my face.
“It’s a little breezy, isn’t it?” Toby asked and took a deep breath. “Gotta love being this close to the ocean, though.”
“And so close to the original enchanted forest.” Though I couldn’t see it yet, the magic embraced me.
