The flaring of her pupils is the only sign that I struck a chord with that one. “Our lives unfold as the goddess mother intends, and that, in itself, is exactly as it is meant to be.”
“You can’t be serious. You’re saying that because you were able to do it, the goddess mother intended it to be so? That’s some major gaslighting bullshit.”
“Damn straight it is.” A tall brunette woman strides out of the shadows of the front lawn, accompanied by a jogger-fit, twenty-something guy with ebony hair and piercing silver-blue eyesfurther accentuated by black eyeliner. “Hey, Poppy girl, it’s been a long time.”
Asher looks to me for a clue, but I haven’t got one.
“Wow, you really don’t remember me? Declan said the coven wiped you, but damn, that’s cold.”
Lauren’s spine stiffens. “This is none of your concern, Eliza. You have your people to govern, and I have mine.”
The woman flashes me an easy wink, and I straighten when I see that the slits of her pupils are vertical, like a cat. “Maybe so, but Orion here has been having trouble controlling his shift, so I’m sending him to Arcana. And since he and Poppy used to be close, I thought we’d hitch a ride with you, and they can get reacquainted while ensuring everyone gets to where they’re supposed to go.”
The insinuation that Laurel is not above trying to make me disappear again is plain, and I’m relieved to have someone other than me acknowledging it.
The woman looks down at me, and that’s when I notice the family resemblance. Not only does Eliza have the same tall, muscled frame and brown hair as Mayor Declan, she also seems to enjoy going flannel top and jeans casual.
“Poppy, you may not remember us right now, but my husband and I were good friends with your parents, and when Orion came to live with us, you and your sisters welcomed him as one of your pack.”
I glance over at the looker with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. “Hey, Popstar.”
Asher chuckles. “I like it. I usually go with Pop-Tart.”
The two share a look and size one another up, apparently each of them finding the other acceptable. “Are you the best friend who went after Wylder in the diner?”
Asher straightens, his gaze narrowing. “He had it coming for what he did to Poppy.”
Orion holds up his hands. “I’m not accusing or condemning you. I’m just saying that if you are as protective as Uncle Declan believes you are, you might feel better knowing I’ve got you covered. I’ll stick close and keep an eye on her.”
The relief in Asher’s eyes hurts my heart. “Thanks, man. That actually does make me feel better.”
Eliza nods. “All right. Then it’s settled. Shall we?”
After another round of goodbye hugs, I leave Asher to take care of things on the Hallowind homefront, and head out with Laurel, Eliza, and Orion. It’s obvious the two women don’t like each other much, and in my book, that scores big points for Mayor Declan’s sister.
The four of us descend the stairs on the porch, and when I expect us to make our way down the driveway, Laurel leads our group around the house and toward the forest at the back of the property.
Laurel must read the confusion in my expression because she points to the circle of standing stones in the distance. “The most powerful of our kind use the convergence of ley lines to enhance our powers and to travel to the pocket realms we keep hidden from the nocana populations.”
Right.That’s probably why Sebastian rushed me there. Thank goodness he came for me. I honestly don’t know if I would’ve survived without him.
Not that I’d confess that to Laurel.
I may technically be a junior witch under her charge, but I don’t trust her motives or her judgment.
When we fall under the shadows of the forest, I glance around to ensure my ancestor auntie isn’t around, and then slow my pace and drop a few feet behind Laurel and Eliza.
Matching strides with Orion is similar to keeping up with Asher. They’ve got the same long, sure steps. “So, your aunt said we were friends? Was that when we were little or in our teens?”
Orion’s smile is sad. “Both, actually. We were close. It stung that after you left, you didn’t contact me. I’m ashamed to say I was pissed at you for a long time. I’m sorry I didn’t look into it more. If I had, maybe I could’ve found you sooner and brought you home.”
I wave away his apology. “It’s not on you. I don’t know what happened back then, but I’ll find out.”
“And I’ll help you. I certainly don’t have any clout within the ranks of the coven, but I’m a member, regardless.”
“You are?”
I’m not sure what he sees in my expression, but his eyebrows rise until they disappear behind a swath of ebony hair. “Is it that hard to believe?”
