I nodded, ready to leave and track down Rhiannon and finish this before she had a chance to hurt Ava or anyone else.
“You shouldn’t go alone,” Finn stated, stepping forward.
I didn’t have time to argue about this. I turned away, moving down the steps.
“Don’t you dare leave without me, Ewan Macgrath!”
I sighed and dropped my head at the sound of Ava’s voice. She came down the steps and I saw that she was already wearing her shoes.
“You’re my ride home,” she clarified as she came up beside me.
“I don’t have time to deal with this right now. I have something important to do.”
Her eyes narrowed and I felt the whisper of her power on my skin.
“I know. You’re on your way to find Rhiannon and you’re taking me with you.”
I shook my head. “No, I’m not.”
Her stance shifted and she crossed her arms over her chest. “You are.”
Instead of engaging in an argument with her, I prepared to trace out. Though I lied to Rhys before about lacking the ability, I didn’t have the time to argue with Ava. It was better for me to get out of here now before Rhiannon had a chance to get away. Unless she had already.
As I reached for the power, a sudden heaviness infused my limbs. Ava looked at me, arms still crossed, her hip cocked to one side, and a smirk on her face. Somehow she knew what I was about to do.
“Release me, woman,” I demanded.
Her smirk spread into a delighted grin. “Make me,” she taunted.
I was tempted. Goddess, how I was tempted, but she couldn’t know of all my abilities. Not yet.
Kerry’s voice rang out. “We’ll all go.”
Now it was Ava’s turn to look upset. She twisted toward the witch.
“Kerry, I realize you’re one of Rhys’ friends, but I don’t know you. I don’t know what you’re capable of. I don’t even know if I can trust you. Until those questions are answered, I don’t want you involved.”
The witch smiled. “I’m already involved.” Her eyes flicked to Finn, who gave a single nod. “A few months ago, I found a book in my library. It belonged to my mother and she left a vision spell inside.”
Ava’s brows lifted at the mention of the dangerous spell. If the witch who spoke the words wasn’t powerful enough, they could find themselves trapped within the spell, forever lost.
Kerry approached Ava. “What’s interesting is the witch I saw while I was in the vision spell. She looked a great deal like you. Her name was even similar.”
Ava’s body grew still and her arms fell to her sides. She was on alert, her attention completely focused on Kerry.
“Aveta,” Kerry murmured. “Her name was Aveta. And strangely enough, she was a deity of fertility and childbirth with a deep affinity for water. Much like the mother Goddess.”
The name pierced my heart for some reason. It resonated deep within me, as though it were shaking the foundations of my very soul.
Ava went utterly still and silent, her eyes flaring to life almost as a vampire’s would. Her hair lifted as a maelstrom of magic suddenly whipped into existence.
“That name,” she whispered. Even I could barely hear her over the howling wind. “I know that name.”
Kerry moved closer to Ava. “You know that name because it was yours,” she stated softly. Hesitantly, she reached out and touched Ava’s arm. “I’m here to help you, Aveta. I’m here to bring back your memories of who you once were. Not just a witch, but one of those blessed by the Goddess with a piece of her power, a deity in your own right.”
All at once, the storm of power surrounding us dissolved as quickly as it came. Ava’s legs collapsed beneath her and, though Kerry was closer, I was the one who caught her before she could hit the ground.
My hands grippedthe steering wheel so tightly that it creaked and groaned in protest.
