slowlyseekingsecrets-blog

[slowlyseekingsecrets-blog]

It’s No Better To Be Safe Than Sorry (SL with @WeBothGoMissing and @DontWantToWin)

Logan: [I didn’t want to take Amiee too far from the house. I knew the extent of some of her magic. I could feel it in the wards that she had been maintaining since her and Leah met. Colette and I both knew that she could do the stronger magic in time. But it was going to take some time. And it was going to use something that we probably shouldn’t be using.

But the truth was that there was no other way to get her to tap into her magic the way we need to do it. I wasn’t sure if Colette was going to agree with me, but I wasn’t sure it mattered. Things had been rapidly changing since Tats had gained control of her shifting. Beezer confirmed what we all thought to be true. Her wolf saw Doc as her mate. He held her on a leash the same way I held Leah’s and Aurora held Beezer’s. It was refreshing to see.

But that didn’t mean that Tatiana was battle ready. And with Aurora out of commission, it was up to Beezer and Little Wolf to train her. I couldn’t blame him, though. If Leah had been pregnant, there was no way in hell I was going to be okay with her training a wolf. Rora was best left with Doc. They could worry together.

But this was different. This was Amiee. And training her was going to be different. None of the witches in the house practiced the same magic. I was blood, Colette was voodoo, and Amiee was pure elements. Our magic was tied to hers, though. So she needed to understand why Colette and I were so tied to our elements.

The treehouse was still in sight as we all moved into a small clearing. It wasn’t the same one Tatiana used, but it could have been used to train wolves. Sitting on the ground, I took a moment to connect with what was around me. A spiritual moment to thank the Earth for what I was about to do. It helped keep me center so that I wasn’t going crazy from the power.

I could feel Colette smiling down as Amiee just watched. I wasn’t sure what else to tell her except what was actually going on. There was no other way for her to understand my process.] You saw it when I helped Tatiana with shifting. I sat on the ground for a few minutes and had a talk with her about what was about to happen. Any power that I have is channeled to me through the Earth. It’s the element I tap into most when I use my spells. Most would think water, but the Earth is more grounded. It keeps you in place. Ties you to one spot. If I know I’m going to be doing a hard spell or something that could give me a power rush, I center myself before hand. I make sure the Earth knows that I’m thankful for the gift I am getting.

Amiee: *I could only nod my head as I sat along side of Logan. I wasn’t sure if this was going to work for me, but I could understand why it worked for him. But there was more to me than just the Earth. I could control all of the elements. It was something that was both terrifying and powerful all at the same time. But I was scared that I was going to go crazy with power. I guess it was a fear that Logan had as well.

I could only think back to the discussion I had with Josh after Colette and I had come back from watching Logan force Tatiana’s shift. And I was still confused. But I understood what he was telling me. He was going to be there for me. However I needed him to be there. And I wasn’t sure how to react to it. And in having that knowledge, I felt the magic in me stutter. I already knew I was going to have a problem if I tried to have this under control in one day. It was something I knew I needed to tell the two of them.

But telling them meant disappointing both of them. I wanted to take my time. I didn’t think rushing into all of this was going to be the right decision. Colette wasn’t going to understand. And I wasn’t entirely sure Logan was going to understand it, either. They both wanted to do nothing more than protect their family. I wanted to help. I wanted to be able to protect Leah and Beezer. I wanted nothing more than for Aurora to be safe.

My voice was soft as I let my fingers roll through the small patch of grass that I was next to. I could feel everything. I could feel the life. I could feel the love. There was something to be said about Leah’s Treehouse. She cared about it, and the land cared about her. She was about protecting the area as much as the people inside. It was evident that this place was more than just her home, it was a sanctuary.* Leah cares about everything so deeply. It’s not just everyone in the house. It’s everything around the house. She wants everyone to be safe here. It’s why the wards reach out a little further than just the house. She wants people to be able to be themselves.

*I shouldn’t have been surprised that I was getting this much from the world around me. And Logan was right. This was a gift that I was being given. There was power, but it was a power to be cherished. It was something that I wanted to protect. This land was something I wanted to protect.*

Colette: *Watching Amiee with Logan was good. She needed to understand everything about her magic. Logan and I could only teach her so much. We could show her the basis for our magic. But it was her magic that fed ours. She could make our connections to our elements stronger.

Logan needed the tie more than I did. There was no telling what was going to happen with the battle. As much as I wanted to see, I couldn’t. There was a limit to my power. I was too close to the situation to see how it was going to end. And there was any number of ways this could end. I could see how the battle was going to come together, but I couldn’t see the actual battle. Tatiana’s clearing was going to be the location. It was far enough away that Aurora wasn’t in danger. But it was close that anyone could get back if something did happen.

I had wanted to use that clearing for this. But Malachi was training Tatiana with Leah. But Logan had made a point about putting Amiee in a spot where we knew the magic. The wards in the house were a mixture of the three of our magic. Logan’s spells were the ones protecting Aurora and Malachi the most. Amiee’s were just general protection spells to keep everyone unwanted out. And mine were going towards trying to keep us one step ahead of the New Orleans pack. There was always a moment of worry when we each cast a spell. Logan’s biggest fear was hurting Aurora more than necessary. Mine was if I failed and something slipped past us. And Amiee felt she wasn’t up to par with our skills.

Today was just about connecting her to the world around her. Giving her more control over her magic. Letting her have the chance to control things around her without being completely out of control. The time table we had was limited, but with witches, you couldn’t rush the magic. Mistakes would be made.* Keep your connection to the land, Amiee. But open yourself up more to the world around you. Feel the gentle winds blowing through your hair. Listen for the river that separates us from the other training party. Pay attention to the world around you.

Logan: [I was glad that Colette was seeing the way that today needed to go. Today was just about connections. I could feel the power surging inside of me, but it was something I had to tamper down until later. I could feel the magic slipping from around Aurora and Beezer, though. It was time to do another cloaking spell. And it was something I was going to welcome Amiee to watch.

My words were soft as I let my eyes close. I knew Colette was going to be there to do more correcting with Amiee. But I wanted to see if I get her to control some of her magic. It was something that wasn’t going to be easy. But I kept thinking that she could control it if she wasn’t thinking about it. There was only so much we could show her.] Colette is right. You can’t just focus on the ground and Earth. You need to open yourself up to everything. Fire will come later. Once you can handle the other elements. Fire is tricky. It’s powerful in its own right. But at the same time, it’s very dangerous and can get out of hand. I’m not trying to say that you can’t handle it, but you’d terrify yourself if you tried to handle it.

[I couldn’t lie to her. There wasn’t time for that. This was about telling her everything she needed to know to get in touch with her magic. I knew that after she could turn the control on and off, she was going to be a force to be reckoned with. I wasn’t surprised Leah had her stashed in her back pocket. But I also knew the truth. Amiee was still a wild card. None of us knew when the battle was coming. We just knew it was coming. And none of us knew if we were going to have time to train Amiee properly. That’s why Colette and I were out here. We needed Amiee to understand what we can help her with. Because there was still things that Amiee was going to have to figure out on her own.]

Amiee: *I wasn’t entirely sure how to explain to Logan that I had a handle on fire. It was the one thing I knew I had to be in control over. It was the only element I had practiced with at first. I understood the basics with it. But there was still so much I couldn’t do.

I felt Colette place her hands on my shoulders to make my posture better. With my shoulders back, I could feel the magic start to flow better. I could feel everything around me. I felt the life in what was around us. And I was grateful. Logan had been right when he said that connecting with the magic before hand was a good idea. It was a way to be humbled by the gift you had been given.

I didn’t say a word as I let the wind gently caress Logan’s scar. I wanted him to see what Leah saw about it. It wasn’t something to look down on. It was something that Leah loved. It was a scar that made Logan come down on her level. Because I knew she still questioned why he wanted to marry her in the first place.

It was a similar feeling I had with Josh. It was a terrifying idea that, for some reason, he was still hanging around the Treehouse. He kept reminding me that he was there for me. It didn’t matter what I needed. He was there even if I needed to talk. We had both gotten into the habit of keeping the door open until we were both practically asleep. Even if I couldn’t bring myself to open up to him, I could still listen to him play.

I had gotten distracted. The clouds were dark in the sky on what should have been another sunny day. Taking a breath, I tried to gather my composure as I tried to get the weather around me to calm down.*

Logan: Don’t let go, Amiee. I know what happens when you get out of control. Focus it to one point. Feel the electricity in the air. Focus it on one point. Make lightning crack a tree. Any tree except the trees supporting the Treehouse.

[Josh was the key to everything. I knew he was going to be the one to unlock her powers. She needed someone she could be tethered to. But I couldn’t come out and tell that to Amiee. She’d fight it with everything inside of her. She wanted to protect him, but she wasn’t ready to hear just how big of a role he was going to play in her music. It was the same way I was connected to Leah. The brush of wind across my scar was Amiee’s way of showing Leah’s love to me.

Colette shot me a look as if to tell me to stop coddling the girls. First, Tats. Now, Amiee. But I also knew what the rush of power was like. I wasn’t going to be responsible for Amiee losing control because she went on a power rush. There was no way the state of Louisiana would survive. It would be our luck that she’d conjure Katrina 2.0, and the state would be wiped off the map. This wasn’t just about protecting Amiee. It was about protecting the one place we all called home.]

Don’t look at me like that, Colette. You know exactly why I can’t push her in that direction. She’s not ready for it. She cannot handle the power rush that could come with that kind of news. And don’t bother to tell me I’m coddling the girls. If I was coddling Tats, she wouldn’t be out in the clearing with Beezer and Leah. And you know I don’t trust anyone more than I trust my wife.

Colette: *Logan had my number. That was true. He knew I wanted to push Amiee into more. There was nothing I wanted more than to get everyone into their roles. We didn’t have much time after this. Malachi was going to have his hands full with Tatiana. But the truth was that she was willing to please him. She wanted to learn to defend herself for him. She wanted to help him. And for that, Malachi was going to look at her like a sister.

But Leah was a wildcard where Tatiana was concerned. I still didn’t know how Tatiana read her. And that was going to make their training session a little murky for me. It wasn’t just about how to train her. It was going to be her reaction to those around her. It was the same with Amiee.

Amiee needed to be able to understand what was going on around her. And she needed to figure out the situation with Josh sooner rather than later. There was only so much I could say to her about it. That was something she had to handle on her own. But she needed to understand why both Logan and I were as powerful as we were these days. It wasn’t just because we had been trained to use our magic. We both had something we were tied to. Although, mine had long since left the world we were in.* Every witch is different. But we all grow more powerful when we tether our magic to something else. Logan is tethered to Leah. They are one unit. And Logan’s magic is more powerful thanks to that tie to her. Long ago, I had been tethered to my husband. And then once he passed, I was tethered to Malachi’s mother. It’s not a fact that we blasted. We both wanted to protect the other. And by tethering myself to Dinah, I couldn’t tie myself to Malachi’s father.

*I saw Amiee’s eyes go wide as she thought about what I was saying. She was putting the pieces together the way I wanted her to. I needed her to understand why this was important.* Your magic will get stronger the more you use it. But the way to get it the strongest is to tether it to another human. I cannot tell you who to tie it to. But it needs to be someone that wants to be tied to you as well. Someone that you’re willing to share everything with.

Amiee: *I knew what Colette was trying to tell me. Josh was going to be the key to me mastering everything that I could do. He was going to make me stronger. But it wasn’t something I wanted to go to him with yet. He was still new to all of this, and I wasn’t sure how he was going to handle the idea of me being a part of his life for now until the day we died. Secretly, it was something I desperately wanted. But was I going to be able to open up to him? I wasn’t entirely sure.

But I had to focus on Logan’s request more than I needed to focus on Colette’s words. I needed to make the magic become second nature. I had to stop questioning myself and figure out how to make it work for me. I could feel the electricity in the air. Logan wasn’t wrong about that. But it was going to be a matter of focusing it to one point. More specifically a tree that wasn’t supporting the treehouse.

It took a few more minutes of focusing before I was able to concentrate on a place. There was a tree just behind Logan. But it was still far enough away that it wouldn’t hurt him if it did fall. I felt the surge roll through me as the rain started to fall around us. I couldn’t figure out how to stop it as the lightning hit the tree. There was a rush going through me, though. It felt like I could do just about anything in the world. I fell the ground around me start to shake as a smile slid across my face.

Taking a breath, I let everything around me register. I could feel the wind, the rain, the electricity, and the ground. I knew I was walking a fine line, but I let the wind and rain come to a stop. As happy as I was, I needed to be able to turn everything on and off at a moment’s notice as well. I had to get this to be second nature.*

Logan: [All I could do was glare at Colette. This was what I had been worried about. Amiee was going to freak out with the knowledge of tying herself to someone. But the fact was that she needed to do it. But I wasn’t ready for her to know that knowledge. It was an agenda Colette pushed. I understood, though. She wanted to make sure Beezer and Aurora had the best chance of survival. Especially now that Aurora was pregnant with their daughter. But I wasn’t looking forward to the rush of power Amiee was having right now.

I could only shake my head as Amiee tried to get everything under control. But I knew what the rush felt like. I knew she was still holding onto the thunder and ground. It was a smart move for her, though. She knew what she needed to work on. Wind and rain were the two things she knew how to handle. Those were her strongest elements. Those were the two that went out of control when her emotions got the best of her.]

Colette is right about tying yourself to someone. They make you stronger. But it’s a complicated issue. Everything about that person has to be set in stone. You have to tie yourself to someone that you want with you for the rest of your existence. It’s not as simple as temporary ties. Especially not in my brand. If, for some reason, Leah and I split up, the unbinding spell isn’t terribly complicated. But it is the most painful thing in the world I will ever experience. If you feel like you have that kind of relationship with someone, then go ahead and tie yourself to them. But we don’t need you to make that decision now, Amiee. It’s not a decision to rush into just because we need your magic. You have to think about it. You have to consider whether all of this is worth it.

[There wasn’t much more I could work with her on. Not when Colette had pushed this topic on her. Amiee had a lot to think about. And the only thing I could do was push her to take more time to think about it. I understood that Josh was everything to her right now. But nothing was set in stone with them. They could leave the treehouse after all of this was done and just not have anything to do with each other. I wanted her to come to that conclusion on her own after all of this was done. She didn’t need to rush into the decision just because the fight was right around the corner.]

Amiee: *I knew what Logan was saying. This wasn’t going to be easy. The relationship I had with Josh was volatile at best right now. We were in love with each other. There was no denying that. He wouldn’t have come if there wasn’t some kind of feeling there. But I didn’t know if I could trust myself. I was used to being on my own. It was what I did. It was how I had always been.

But there was something about Josh. I didn’t want to be alone anymore. I wanted to be with hi. Even after all of this was done. But I understood what Logan was trying to tell me. I needed to make sure these feelings weren’t just because we were all in danger.

That was the thing that Logan didn’t understand, though. I had been struggling with these feelings for Josh since before I had ever met Leah. I didn’t give a second thought to Logan and Colette walking away from the clearing. There wasn’t much they were going to help me with as far as my relationship with Josh was concerned. There was nothing anyone could say to me that would make me believe I deserve any of what was happening to me.

I wasn’t sure I deserved Josh. I knew I didn’t. Not after everything I had put him through. Not after pushing him away the way I had. And then I just pulled him back into my life without giving him a choice. But that wasn’t exactly true. He had an option. He didn’t have to be here. We could have protected him somewhere else. Or he could have told me to fuck off.

But he was here. And that was something I couldn’t change. It was a symbol of how much he loved me. In his own way. And that was something I couldn’t ever understand. Not after all this time. I guess that was the point, though. I didn’t get to understand what was going through his head. Not until we talked about it. Now wasn’t the time for it, though. Logan was right. THis wasn’t a problem for now. It was a problem for later.}

#ItsNoBetterToBeSafeThanSorry

[slowlyseekingsecrets-blog]

Damn Your Love, Damn Your Lies (SL With @LostInMyMusic_ and @WeBothGoMissing)

Amiee: *There was a lot I could have been doing. One of them was not what I was about to be doing. I still wasn’t sure if this was a smart idea. And part of me wondered if walking into the apartment with Logan was a good idea. But I knew the truth. As soon as I was back in a room with Josh again, I was going to blank.

I just didn’t know how I was going to react to him. I didn’t know if pulling him to the Treehouse was a good idea. I didn’t even know if he trusted me. He probably didn’t. I couldn’t blame him for that. I couldn’t blame him for wanting to be as far away from me as humanly possible. I was the one that pushed him away.

No. That was wrong. I didn’t push him away. I ran away from him. And now I was coming back. I felt my hands starting to shake as the wind started to pick up. It took Logan clearing his throat and looking at me with a raised brow for me to get back to my center.* At least it was something that isn’t unnatural. I’m sorry. You know I can’t control it all the time. And this? This is going to fry my nerves. So having the magic completely under control is not going to be a thing I can do right now. So I’m sorry if something slips up.

*The streets of New Orleans were just like they had always been. Packed with a mixture of tourists and residents of the city. There were days I missed being here. There was so much that had happened here. It was the place I had fallen in love with Josh. And there was no denying it. Not any more at least.

I didn’t want to park at the apartment. I needed a few minutes to gather myself before I went and blew Josh’s mind wide open to everything around him. I needed to remember why this was important. I had to remember why I was telling him everything. I still wasn’t sure I wanted to do this, but I needed to do this.* Walk me through this one more time. Why do I need to drag him into this?

Logan: [I knew the question before it came from her mouth. It was part of the reason I was here. To keep Amiee on track. I was the only person in our group that was able to get in and out of New Orleans without too many problems. Assuming we didn’t run into any of the the pack hunting my wife. I knew there was no hiding who I was with if we were spotted.

Leaning against the car as Amiee stood in front of me, I let my shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. She knew the answer. She knew why we needed to do this.] You want him to stay in New Orleans while the St Pierre pack tries to take control of everything any of us have ever cared about? I get it. You don’t want to involve him. This isn’t his world. We don’t really have humans in our little pack. Well, there’s Doc. Doc doesn’t exactly count, though.

The guy could get seriously hurt in this whole thing if we don’t protect him. He didn’t ask for any of it. He didn’t ask to be connected to you in whatever way but you’re connected. And with you helping out Leah, you know he’s in trouble. This wasn’t something he asked for. Yeah, the chances of him freaking out over everything is huge. But you have to tell him the truth.

[Wrapping my arm around Amiee’s shoulder, I gave her a half hug before letting my arm fall back to my side. There was so much she wanted to hide from this guy, but hiding wasn’t an option any longer. If he agreed to come to the Treehouse, he was going to see something. Especially with everything going on with Tatiana. Then there was teaching Amiee about her magic. Something was going to happen. There was no doubt in my mind.]

Amiee: *I could only nod as Logan told me I needed to tell Josh the truth. And he was right. There was so much going on at the Treehouse. Josh had to know the truth before he set foot in there. He had to know about everyone. It was the only way I could protect him. And I wasn’t sure how to spit all of that out.

Pulling the hood of my sweatshirt up over my hair, I started the walk to the apartment building I had once called home. I didn’t know if he had come back, but this was the only place I could think to start. I shook my hands out before I heard Logan growl to me to get it under control. Looking to the ground, I saw the drop of water hit. I nodded my head before taking a breath. Logan was right about me not being in control. But this was a huge moment for me.

As we walked into the building, I let my pace become a little faster. I felt weird being out in the open. I was a little weirded out by being in this place again. There were parts of me that were begging and pleading to be gone from here. But this wasn’t about what I wanted to do anymore. This was about doing the right thing. Placing my knuckles against the door, I took a moment to consider what was happening before I let my fist meet the wood.*

Josh: -the knock shook me out of the day dream that I’d been lost in, the guitar I’d been strumming absent mindedly was sitting unused and silent across my lap. I don’t know what I’d been thinking about because it was gone from my head as soon as the sound of a fist against wood hit my ears. It wasn’t demanding, not like a knock that was insistent I answer the door, but it was there. No one was supposed to come by today, and I hadn’t known who was at the door, but if you’d asked me if I expected to see Amiee on the other side of it when I opened it… Well, I would never have admitted that.

I just blinked for a minute, unable to form words, when I saw who was there. She had someone I didn’t know with her. A guy who was older than either of us with a scar across half of his face. I didn’t know what was going on, and I didn’t know what to say either. I just slid my hands into the pockets of the hoodie I was wearing and looked up at them both- Umm hi…

-That was all I had. It had been months since I’d seen her. She was everything I remembered, probably better, and I wasn’t going to be able to admit out loud that I’d missed her. Not when I didn’t know what her response was going to be. Maybe she’d shown up here with her new boyfriend to grab something she left, or just to taunt me. There was no telling really. I wasn’t going to know how I was supposed to react until I figured out what was going on here.-

Amiee: *All I could do was stare at him. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even know what to say. Everything was on the tip of my tongue. The apology, the confession of feelings. Everything was right there. But I knew I couldn’t just come out with all of that. I was the reason he was living in this place alone. I had pushed him to go, and I had left without another word.

The nudge against my shoe was a small push. I needed to tell Josh what was going on. I needed to get him to let us in. I needed to tell him the full story about what was going on. I had no choice but to tell him about the witches, werewolves, and shifters that surrounded him on a daily basis. He wasn’t safe here. And I knew that. I just didn’t know how to convince him to come with us.*

I know, I know. I’m the last person on Earth that you probably want to see. But we need to talk. And I need to get you out of here as fast as possible. Because it stopped being safe here the moment you and I became friends. I just didn’t know it. And I can’t let you stay here if I’m the one that put you in danger.

Logan: [Wrapping my hand around Amiee’s lips, I gave the guy standing across from us a look. I felt Amiee try to bite down on my skin, and I let out a growl.] You don’t get to bite me. That’s reserved for Leah. Now, I will take my hand away from your mouth if you agree to stop babbling. [The nod was half forced and half voluntary. But we both knew the truth. We didn’t have the time for Amiee to babble.

Running a hand through my hair, I hated to be the one to break all of the news to the kid, but it needed to be done. But I also knew that getting him to come along with us was going to be tricky.] She’s right, though. She may have a bad way of getting it all out, but she’s right about you being in danger. And if you let us in, we’ll explain why you need to come with us.

Josh: -My gaze shot between the two of them for a moment before I just let out a long sigh and opened the door fully. I had no idea what Amiee was babbling about, but apparently my life was in danger. I knew enough to believe her. She wasn’t one to exaggerate or lie just to get in the door. I’d have let her in without the lie anyway, whether she knew it or not.

This other guy would have given me some pause, but she trusted him enough to only half-assed try to bite him when he put his hand over his mouth. Anyone who she didn’t at least consider trustworthy would have gotten an elbow to the gut and a heel to the shin. I wasn’t ready to say I was about to come wherever it was they wanted me to go, but I was ready to listen to why they thought I needed to follow them.

What I was most uncertain about was whether or not I was going to tell her I’d been looking for her since I got back to New Orleans. I didn’t even know how she knew I’d been back there or that I’d be here in the apartment we used to share together after she was long gone. I didn’t know if I wanted to know, but I knew I was going to ask.- Come in I guess. Do I want to know how you knew where to find me?

-I raised an eyebrow, hanging on to the door handle until the two of them were far enough inside to safely swing it closed without hitting either of them, but not moving away from the wall near the entrance as I turned to face them.-

Amiee: *I wanted to spare him. I wanted to lie. This wasn’t easy. And I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. The easy thing was telling him about finding him.* Pure luck? I came here because this was the last place we were together. I didn’t know if you would still be here. But I wanted you to be here. It was a starting point. So I came here. If you hadn’t of been here, things would have gotten a little harder.

*Biting down on my lip, I thought about my words. I was going to sound like a lunatic to him. And I knew it. But I also knew that I could show him part of why I needed him to come with us. I was going to need Logan’s help with that, but I knew I could do it.* Long story short? A pack of werewolves wants my boss and her family killed. And because she’s my boss, I’m on her side. Not because she forced me to be, but it’s because she needs me to be on her side. Leah doesn’t force anyone to pick sides. She’s not that kind of wolf.

*I felt the fingers flick against my shoulder as I turned my attention to the man standing next to me. I felt my eyes start to narrow before he instructed me to look at Josh. I wasn’t sure what I was going to get, but the wide eyed surprise wasn’t it. Maybe rage. I’d have understood rage. But there was a look of surprise that I wasn’t expecting.* Yeah. I have a lot to tell you.

Logan: She’s not wrong about the werewolves. And she’s not even wrong about Leah being a wolf. But she’s right. There is a lot about this world that you don’t know. [I felt myself lean against the wall as I thought about what to do. I could sense that Josh didn’t trust me. It would be easier if it all came from Amiee. And me being here wasn’t going to be easy for either of them.

My phone went off with the chime of a text as I considered my next move. I was on the fence for staying and excusing myself. But the words stood out to me as well as who was texting. Leah didn’t ever just text me. Not with a message to call her. Which meant something was going on.] Look, talk to her. You talk to him. Tell him the truth. Don’t ramble like you want to. I need to call Leah. I wouldn’t be surprised if Colette needs me to do some running around while we’re down here.

[I was out of the apartment in a flash. My cell was pressed to my ear as I pressed the speed dial for Leah. I wasn’t sure what was going on at the house, but I did want to take this call in private. We hadn’t been separated since we had been married. This wasn’t easy on either of us.] Talk to me, Little Wolf.

Josh: -I heard a string of words. Amiee was babbling about werewolves and her boss and some woman named Leah… That was when the guy she was with stepped in, the one whose name I didn’t even know, and just sort of confirmed everything. Leah seemed to mean something to him, the one he said was a wolf. When he was shutting the door behind himself, I heard him talking to someone he called Little Wolf. The walls in this building were thin. They always had been. You could hear the shows the neighbors were watching on television. I’m sure they’d heard every note of the song that I was writing this afternoon as well. They’d heard the nights I sat up too late laughing with Amiee curling into my chest, laughing at anything and nothing.

Those nights were the reason I’d come back here when my band landed back in town. They were the reason I hadn’t been able to leave and find another place to live when I found this one empty. This place was a comfort and a torture all at once. Maybe I was that cliched tortured artist that was just going to spend forever doing nothing but torturing themselves.

All I knew was that for the moment we were left alone. She had a lot to explain. I didn’t know what to believe with all this talk of werewolves and whatever else was going to come out of her mouth, but she was here. I could process that much- Ok, so werewolves… -I tried to summon up a sarcastic laugh, unsure of whether or not to take her seriously- Are you trying to tell me there’s a pack of werewolves after you? And I guess that means they’re after me too.

-Was she serious? Were these some kind of metaphorical wolves? I didn’t know what was real or not, except for her right now-

Amiee: *I could hear it in his voice. He didn’t believe a word of this. And I couldn’t blame him for that. I wasn’t sure I believed it half of the time. But I was a witch that could play with the elements. I didn’t have much room to talk. Josh needed to know the truth. All of it. And that meant telling him what I had been up to since I had last saw him.

I knew that meant telling him that I had been at his last show of the tour. Granted, that had been a mistake. He wasn’t supposed to be there. Shreveport was supposed to be a safe haven for me. It was supposed to be a place I could hide from everything that had to do with Josh, including the feelings that were bubbling up on the surface.

Settling on the couch, I let my hands wipe over my face as I thought about what to say. Explaining this was going to be hard. It was going to be something I wasn’t sure I would be good at. But it was something that Josh needed to know.* Well, they aren’t exactly after me yet. They don’t know about me, but it’s only a matter of time before they find out that I’m on Leah’s side in all of this.

And to be honest, I don’t know the full story. I know bits and pieces. I know what I’ve been told. Leah owns the bookstore in Shreveport where I work. *I could see the wheels in his head turning, and I couldn't give him the chance to get the question out that was going to come. I knew it was. It was only a matter of time.* She’s a werewolf. Not the whole, controlled by the moon thing. But she can shift into a wolf at any time she wants. She used to be tied to a pack that calls New Orleans home. And it’s a dangerous pack. They have a witch on their side, so Leah thought it would be a good idea for me to come to her aid. But before she could call me, I was paid a visit by a friend of a friend. I was taken to Leah’s place so I could be properly trained as a witch. So I could help Leah defend her family. When we all realized you could be a target, Leah sent me and her husband Logan to come talk to you. We’re the only two that can get in and out of New Orleans without being caught. The pack down here doesn’t know us. They know everyone else that Leah has on her side.

*I could only shrug my shoulders as I looked at Josh. I knew that this was a lot to take in. I wasn’t just telling him about what I was doing here, I was telling him about a whole new world that he didn’t know existed. And I wasn’t sure how to tell him that there weren’t many humans where we were going. It was either witches or weres. Doc Walsh was the only human in the house. But I knew he wasn’t going to be the only one not fighting. I just needed to get Josh on board with coming north with me.*

Josh: -I felt a little lost when she let it all come tumbling out like that. There was more going on than I was ready to process right now, but I’d been there before. I had no idea if I needed to take her seriously or not, but for now I was just going to go with it.

She did explain one thing I wanted to know. Who that guy who’d walked in my front door with the one girl I’d ever loved was. Husband. Someone else’s husband. Her boss’s husband. As in, not with her. And that was good enough for me.

I had no god damned idea how to reply to all of that story. Werewolves were after someone, another werewolf, and by extension Amiee. And that meant by extension me. Why me? She gave a fuck about me. That’s why.

I’d done my share of wondering what the hell had happened between us. I’d blamed her. But I’d blamed me too. She told me to go, but I was the one who actually went. I was the one who’d packed a bag and disappeared, so I couldn’t entirely blame her when slowly she stopped answering my calls. What else should she have done? Sit around and wait on me?

It didn’t matter exactly. There was a lot of shit going on right now, but she wanted me to come with them. That was the only reason she could be here. I’d have gone even if there wasn’t the threat of being torn to shreds by werewolves. So fuck it.

Walking across the floor without a single word, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her into me, leaving a long searing kiss on her lips. She was probably going to punch me when I was done but I was willing to take my chances.-

Amiee: *Josh’s lips against mine felt right. I knew that this was where I belonged. I could feel myself getting lost in the kiss. I felt my body relax against him as I fell back into what we were together. It was the way it should have been.

I heard the rain start to beat against the windows, and the wind was whipping around us. But it shouldn’t have been raining. And there was no reason for there to be wind indoors. I could only push myself away from him as I tried to get myself to calm down. But this was a little too much. With a few breaths, I got the wind to stop. But as I thought more about what had happened, the rain just got harder. This was not supposed to be this way. He had no right to do what he did. Not after he left. Not after I was abandoned.*

You can’t just do that. It’s not that easy, Josh! You can’t just put your lips on mine and hope I forget the fact that you walked out that door. You left me behind. Just like I knew you would. Because why should I get anything to depend on? *I could feel my fury rolling through me, and the crack of thunder did not surprise me. This was just too much, too fast. These were not feelings I needed to be dealing with at the moment. I needed to focus on getting him back to the Treehouse.*

Look, I’m not going to blame you if you don’t want to come with me. I’m sure Colette and I can figure something out if you want to stay in New Orleans. You’re going to be the odd man out. There is one other human besides you. And he’s been around the wolves for long enough to know a thing or two. The only thing I can offer you is your guitar that you left here when you turned your back on me. And a gift that you never knew about.

Josh: -Maybe I’d fucked up just going in for a kiss like that, but in the long moment her body melted into mine it sure as hell didn’t feel like it. I’d been lost enough in the kiss that I didn’t notice the rain pounding against the window or the wind whipping around the pair of us until she broke away and started yelling at me. It didn’t bother me. I deserved it. Maybe she deserved it too.

I was too lost in what the hell was going on around us to yell back at her. How was the wind blowing inside? How did it go from a perfectly sunny afternoon at the beginning of fall to pouring rain and thunder crashing so loudly it sounded as if the lighting had struck across the street? I looked back at her finally when she talked about the wolves and my guitar, like this wasn’t happening or it was something she was used to- Ok, well I guess we're just not going to talk about what’s going on outside. Maybe I’m an asshole that just walked away from what we had. I’m good with taking the blame for all that.

I’m good with absorbing the fact that somehow you’re involved with a pack of werewolves or whatever else you’ve got going on. Tell me there’s fairies; I’ll wrap my head around that too. I’ll be the odd man out. I don’t give a shit.

We can fight. You can blame me for whatever, and we can work it out. I just need to know one damned thing before I say I’m going. Tell me you’re not just here out of obligation, that I matter to you enough for you to not want me to get in the crossfire of whatever is going on. You don’t have to love me. I mean I love you but that doesn’t matter a hill of beans unless you feel the same way. And that’s not what I’m asking for. I just need to know this isn’t just because you think you owe me something and would feel bad if I ended up hurt or dead or whatever.

-I knew I was babbling. But I had a lot on my mind. A lot I needed to get out. And I could let myself go and just not say a damned thing, taking the chance that she cared about me, but that wouldn’t have worked out either. I’d rather stay here and take my chances with a pack of werewolves if she didn’t want me there-

Amiee: You’re a fucking idiot if you think I came here because I felt obligated to be here. I didn’t have to come here because I felt like I owed you something. I’m here trying to convince you to stay in a literal treehouse with me and a bunch of supernatural people because I fucking love you, you asshole. *Turning my back on Josh, I finally looked out the window and saw the storm that was going on. And I knew we were on a time crunch. We still needed to get back to The Treehouse before the sun set. And that was a good four hour drive. And Logan still wasn’t back.

Everything was starting to settle into my chest as I tried to gather everything in my head. I needed to focus on the details of everything. It was useless, though. There was still so much still in the air.* Sorry about the rain. And thunder. I know it wasn’t supposed to rain today. I just lost control when you kissed me. Things tend to happen when I lose control of myself. Rain, wind, the ground moving. I haven’t tried anything with fire, though. I could imagine that being fun.

*It felt like a switch being thrown. Josh and I were back to the way things had been when we’d first met. We were both rambling about nothing in particular. But we needed to get back to the way it had been when he’d left.* I understand that you were just listening to me. I was the one that told you to leave. I just didn’t think you’d actually do it. And then seeing you in the one club I thought I could hide in? Did you honestly think that I could just walk away from you completely, Josh? You’re out of your fucking mind.

Josh: -I could only shrug as she looked out the window, though I felt my chest tighten when she told me she loved me too, even if she called me an asshole two syllables later. It wasn’t wrong. I could be an asshole. And when we were together we both could be in that struggle to keep ourselves from getting hurt. But I was over that. Getting hurt was worth it for the right person.-

Yeah, I know I’m out of my fucking mind. I spent the last few months trying to call you or find you when I got back into town. Not a trace. I don’t even know where you were hiding, but I have a clue now. I thought I saw you in a dive bar back in Shreveport, but I was pretty sure I was just hallucinating.

I couldn’t just walk away from you any more than you could just walk away from me. So I’m going. I was always going from the minute you walked in here and asked me. As for the rest of this, we can figure it out when we get to it, including the fire. Something tells me I’m in for a lot of shit I wasn’t ready for, but it doesn’t matter.

I promise I won’t kiss you again until you ask for it. I just couldn’t help myself. Once I figured out you weren’t dating what’s his face… Logan, right? I mean I was just being stupid.

Amiee: What’s his face. I met him twelve hours ago. Yeah, I’m not with Logan. I couldn’t be with Logan. Not only because he’s Leah’s husband, but because it’s not you, Josh. *I could hear Colette in my head telling me that I’d be closer to the magic if all my cards were on the table with everyone. And telling Josh the truth was laying all of my cards for the last person. I wanted to think this over. I wanted to make some judgement calls. I didn’t have that luxury. And I was surprised Josh was even coming with us to the Treehouse.*

Please just pack a bag while I talk. I need to get all of this out in the open. And I have no idea if you’ll actually listen to me as I ramble, but you need to know everything. *I could only spin my cheek piercing with my tongue as I tried to think of what to say. But even I knew the truth. I had to tell him everything. There wasn’t a single thing I could hide. He deserved to know everything, magic be damned.*

You were something I never expected, okay? Not only were we friends, but we fell in love with each other. And that? That is something that terrified me. I don’t handle trusting people. So the moment you got the chance to go out and tour? I picked a fight with you. I told you to leave because I couldn’t handle the idea of being left behind. But I didn’t expect you to just walk away like I was nothing.

*I couldn’t risk looking at Josh as I told him all of this. I couldn’t begin to understand why he would still want to try something with me after knowing all of this. And that was something that scared me.* I tried to stay here. But everything about this apartment was too painful. And you only took one guitar with you on tour. And I couldn’t risk the other one being stolen, so I took it to Shreveport with me. Yeah, you saw me walk into a dive bar. It was the one place I could go when I closed down the bookstore for the night. It was a place where no one asked too many details. But then you were there. And I turned around and left. I couldn’t stay and listen to you play the way you used to play for me. It hurt too much to go back to that place. So I dug myself deeper into a hole. Jumped into the magic more. I let myself hide from you, even though I knew better.

Josh: -I grabbed a bag, because it honestly didn’t matter what she said to me right now. I was going with her whatever, and I knew better than to interrupt her when she got into a babble. I grabbed a few shirts, a few pair of jeans, and random other shit. There wasn’t time to pack everything, but I was used to living out of a suitcase and not much else.

I wanted to know what she’d been up to while I was gone. I felt bad enough about leaving, but I needed to know she’d been ok. Maybe not great, but ok. I wasn’t sure that was the case yet. I shoved the last of the clothes in a bag and moved to pull on a pair of shoes. I still had not much clue where we were going, but I figured it was somewhere near Shreveport since that’s where I’d seen her last.

I looked up from my feet as I sat on the edge of the bed, pulling the one guitar I had with me in the apartment onto the bed next to me, my fingers accidentally brushed over the strings sending a sour note echoing out of the body of the guitar.-

You know I’ll play for you again, Baby Doll. -I hadn’t used that name in a long time. It wouldn’t ever belong to anyone else, though.  That was always Amiee- Go on. I’ll be done packing in a minute.

Amiee: *Shaking my head, I let out a sigh. There was only so much that could be done. I guess part of me knew I needed to give him a minute. I needed him to come to everything on his own terms. I wanted him to know that much. That all of this was okay. That I was sorry I had to do this. But I wasn’t exactly sorry, either. I wanted him back in my life. And I was too stubborn to do anything about it. I just needed to do what I was good at. Placing blame anywhere but myself. My voice was soft as I stood from the couch. I wasn’t sure what else was going on, but I figured a minute alone to find out where Logan was was plenty of time for Josh to come to terms.* I’m going to give Logan a call. The car is just down the street. You remember which one.

*As soon as I was outside the door, I felt myself release a breath that I had been holding. Why, I wasn’t exactly sure. But everything with Josh was different. It wasn’t exactly how I had been expecting. But then again, nothing ever went as I expected. The rain was dying down now that I was calming. My fingers quickly pressed the number I didn’t use often, but knew I was going to need now. And the growl that came out of me was 100% frustrated as it went to voicemail.* Logan, where the fuck are you?!

Logan: [I could only laugh a little as Amiee cursed me. I mean, it wasn’t her fault. But running to Colette’s store had been more than just a side trip. There was so much there that I wanted to grab, and so much that Colette had needed. So, of course, I grabbed everything she asked for. And then some. I knew we were going to need more than what had been asked for with this battle. There was no way I was leaving anything to chance.

I cleared my throat, though. I didn’t want to put her through too much torture. There was really only so much I could do. And  was responsible for the two that were here with me. Now wasn’t a time for games. We needed to get serious if we were going to get out of the city in one piece. And we really needed to get out of the city.] Good news, I got a lot of random shit from Colette’s store. Bad news, I might have had to get a small amount of blood on my hands to do it. So we need to get the fuck out of dodge. Like thirty seconds ago. Is Lover Boy coming with us, or is it just the two of us?

Amiee: *I felt my eyes narrow into slits as I heard Logan call Josh Lover Boy. It was like he wasn’t taking this half of the danger seriously. My danger wasn’t good enough for him to not joke around about. As I went to open my mouth, his phone chimed with a text. It was in that moment that the color drained from his face. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I knew I needed to let the Lover Boy comment go for the moment.

Clearing my throat, I took some of the bags from Logan’s arms and threw them into the trunk of the car. I let my fingers press against my temples as I tried to make sure everything was in place. I was quickly spiraling out of control, and I didn’t need to lose complete control.* Josh should be here any second. Do not tell me what happened at Colette’s. She’s going to kill us. You didn’t need to get your hands dirty. There were other ways to do things.

Josh: -I had no idea what I was walking into but I planned to walk into it with my eyes wide open. It was just a quick walk down the stairs to the street where I recognized Aimee’s car. I had a duffel bag thrown over one shoulder and a guitar strap over the other, and I saw Amiee looking nothing but pissed off while she and Logan threw a bunch of bags into the trunk. I had no clue why, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know after all the shit I’d learned today.

There was a whole world under the one I knew that I was finding myself quickly becoming a part of. I didn’t know how I fit into all of this, but if I could help I would. If I couldn’t, I’d just sit there and try not to be in the way.- Well, let’s go before I find out there’s space aliens too. -running my fingers lightly across the back of Aimee’s hand once my bag was loaded and she went to close the trunk.

I wasn’t going to do more than that. I could tell she was on edge and ready to get back to where she had come here from. I was ready to get going too. From the look on both their faces we needed to get some miles between us and New Orlean, and that was perfectly fine with me. I just had no way of knowing exactly what we were driving headlong into. - #DamnYourLoveDamnYourLies

[slowlyseekingsecrets-blog]

I'd Sink Us To Swim (SL With @WeBothGoMissing)

Amiee: *I wasn’t sure about anything these days. I knew that I trusted Leah. But there were things that were ringing in my ears after the showdown at the Treehouse. I knew there were going to be so many questions when I showed up with Colette. But the thing I hadn’t known was Colette attacking Logan the way she did. But to be fair, I could understand her reasoning. The moment Colette and I had stepped foot out of my car, both Leah and Logan treated her as if she wasn’t there. But I could understand their reasoning. Leah didn’t open up to people she didn’t know. She’d been hurt too many times in her life was my only guess. It was the only reason anyone kept people at arm’s length. The running joke around the Treehouse was that Leah adopted strays. But I saw it differently. She didn’t adopt us. Yes, she gave everyone a place to get back on their feet. Sometimes she’d set them up with jobs. It always depended on if she had a business she was ready to walk away from. I had lucked into the bookstore. I didn’t want much. I just needed a place to call my own. And a space where I could try to learn about my magic. I knew some. I knew enough to keep the wards up at the Treehouse. But they weren’t strong. There was no doubt in my mind about that. Logan was the wildcard for me. But in the twenty four hours I had known him, I knew that he was completely loyal to Leah. He was there for her in a way that none of us were. Those of us that had been brought in felt like we owed her for giving us a place to live. Logan was there because Leah was there. He was there to protect her. He wanted to be where she was. And if she said she wanted to go somewhere tomorrow, I had the feeling that he’d bend over backwards to make it happen. But instead of him being back with Leah, he was in a car with me while we drove to New Orleans. I couldn’t fault Colette for telling me to go get Josh. She was right. If anyone was there that could be used as a pawn against us, we owed it to them to get them out and keep them safe. I just wasn’t sure how to approach the situation. How did I ask him to come with me when I ran from him. Was I supposed to bear my soul to him? Tell him everything that needed to be said before he agreed to come with me? It wasn’t going to be easy. The only thing I could do was agonize over all of this.* I should have come alone. I can do this alone. Logan: [I could only scoff at the girl sitting next to me as she drove further away from where I wanted to be. I didn’t like the idea of separating from Leah, but everyone was right. Amiee couldn’t get in and out of New Orleans on her own. There was no way we were going to risk her going in and out without problems as long as witches were involved. And I could only imagine what kind of witches were in the St. Pierre pack. I didn’t have much information on anyone, but I knew of the curse that had been put on Beezer. It was something Leah and I had talked about at length before coming to the Treehouse. She wanted me to be aware that he had days where he wasn’t sure he could continue. I knew of the source, and with that kind of spell, I knew she was strong. Amiee didn’t have that kind of power in her. Both Colette and I knew it. We could sense it. I could tell Colette actually practiced her magic. I didn’t, but I had been trained to use it. Amiee was different. She didn’t have control. And she didn’t know what she was doing. She wasn’t going to be able to protect herself or the guy we were going to pick up. She didn’t have the focus. I could tell already.] Throw up a ward. Split your focus. Cast the spell while you’re driving. Amiee: *I could feel my eyes go wide as Logan said I needed to throw up wards in the middle of a drive. It wasn’t as easy as that. I couldn’t just divert half of my attention to casting a spell while keeping the two of us safe in the car. It wasn’t as easy as he was making it out to be. But I needed to prove him wrong. I needed him to see that I could do this I could have been on this trip without him. But this was part of the magic. The chip on my shoulder, the anger, made it easier to connect to the world around me. I felt it start to flow through me as the words slipped through my mind. But as soon as it was there, it was gone. I could see the smug smile on Logan’s face as we kept speeding toward New Orleans.* I don’t need the magic to get me in and out of New Orleans. And no one here knows I’m even associated with Leah. I don’t need to cast spells every three seconds. I don’t need to keep the wards up. I don’t need you. *The dark clouds were quickly forming, and I was mildly happy that we were in the middle of hurricane season. It wasn’t entirely unusual for the weather to change at the drop of a hat. The heat and humidity made rain a constant possibility. The heavy drops flowed like frustrated tears. And I knew that Logan was right about some things. I didn’t have complete control over my magic. But that was something I knew. I knew that the more upset or angry I got, the more my magic worked. But it was different having someone sitting next to you pushing at you. It made every inch of self doubt creep up. It made everything come into question. It made me vulnerable. I didn’t know how to handle vulnerable. And that had been the reason I had run from Josh in the first place. I wasn’t sure how to handle being vulnerable with him.* Thank you for making me realize how much of a failure I am. Logan: You’re not a failure. You’re new to this. Colette and I both know and understand that. It’s something we’re going to work on when we get back to the Treehouse. But you can’t pretend to be in control, Amiee. That’s not how any of this works. The moment you think you can do everything on your own is the moment you make a monumental mistake. [My words were serious. I needed her to understand the hard truth in being a witch. You could never think you needed no one. You were always going to need someone. It was a big reason as to why I never practiced my magic until Leah came into the picture.] Colette practices voodoo. I specialize in blood magic. And you’re working with the Earth and elements. Your magic is more pure than mine or Colette’s. Your kind of magic is the root of our magic. We’ll help you get in control, Amiee. The thing is that you cannot do this on your own. [I wasn’t sure how much to tell her, but I figured the only way to get her to trust me was to be open with her. She needed to know the truth, and if that meant telling her my story, I could do that. I could tell her some stuff I hadn’t exactly gotten around to telling Leah.] I didn’t start practicing magic until I met Leah. That wasn’t that long ago. I had been trained to use it, but I had made a promise to my mother that I wouldn’t use it. She had been raised in a coven, and hated it. She hated the power they tried to tie her down with. [I could only shake my head as I thought about my mother for the first time in years. Not since her death. The last time I had been to the backwaters of Alabama. And now I was in Louisiana. Closer to Alabama than I wanted to be. But for my wife, I’d have done anything.] My mother had wanted to give up the magic. She didn’t agree with the coven for what they used it for. Punishment and retribution. They controlled the surrounding area because they were feared. My mother was a kind person. She didn’t like the idea of hurting someone else. So she left. [My eyes found the girl sitting next to me as I took a break from the story. I wasn’t completely sure how to explain the rest of it. I didn’t know how to tell Amiee about the consequences of turning your back on those around you. I didn’t know how to tell her about the price I was going to have to pay in the near future.] Amiee: *There was more to the story. I knew there was. And Logan was right. Elemental magic was the root of both his and Colette’s magic. Whatever they did was tied into the Earth. And I hated to admit that Logan was right. I needed him and Colette to teach me how to control everything. But I could tell he was getting lost in whatever was haunting him. And it made me ache to see him like this. Leah was going to kill me if she found out about it. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell him to stop. I couldn’t tell him that I needed to know this. Because the truth was that I did. I had to know this if I wanted to be in control. Any piece of information I could gather from Logan or Colette about how they control their magic was going to help me control mine. I wasn’t going to assume that this was going to work for me, but it was going to help me figure out what was going to work for me. And that was the thing I needed the most. I needed to figure out what was going to help me control my magic.* Logan: [I could see Amiee wanted to say something. She wanted to ask a question, but was holding her tongue. I could feel the fact that she was curious. She was being serious about her magic. And she wanted to learn how I had done it. How I had the control even though I didn’t practice it.] My mom met my dad. They fell in love, got married, and eventually had me. I was a kid when I figured out what was going on. I could tie myself to people. But I didn’t know what I was doing. My mother did. And from the time I was about five years old until I turned sixteen she trained me. She taught me everything about our magic. But she told me I wasn’t to ever use it. Blood magic always came with a price. She hadn’t paid hers yet. But I was to never use it. Not until I found a woman I wanted to bind myself with for the rest of my life. It wasn’t until Leah that I was ready. I found someone I could bind myself to. [Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to the road in front of us. We weren’t far from New Orleans now. To me, it didn’t matter. We were going to make this trip as fast as possible. In and out of the city. I didn’t like the idea of Colette being the only witch at the Treehouse. It felt like I had left them unprotected.] Leah and I are bound together. She is my anchor to my magic. She makes it stronger. It’s my love for her that makes protecting her and everyone in the Treehouse vital for me. I don’t use the sinister part of my magic. Everything I’ve done was for the greater good of those I have chosen to protect. You need to figure out what will be that for you. If it’s this guy, then you need to be honest with him. Don’t try to protect him from all of this by leaving him in the dark. It’s going to be a lot to handle. But we’ll have people who can help him get comfortable with the idea. I want to protect both of you, but keeping him in the dark isn’t going to be the way to do it. Amiee: *I could only focus on the road ahead of me. The landscapes were quickly changing from trees and forests to cities and towns. I wasn’t entirely sure Logan was right, though. Maybe protecting Josh meant not telling him everything. Maybe it was keeping him in the dark. But as my tongue flicked against the piercing in my cheek, I knew the truth. Keeping Josh in the dark about everything wasn’t going to be to protect him. It was going to protect me. It was just another side of me that he wasn’t going to see. It kept some sort of mystery about me. It kept me protected. It didn’t give Josh more ammunition to hurt me with later. If I told him everything, he had another weapon. Another reason to leave me when he, inevitably, decided I wasn’t worth it. I wasn’t entirely sure what to do. I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want to pull him out of his lie. I didn’t want to bother him. But I knew there was only so much I could do. There was too much at risk to let him live his life in oblivion. There was too much at risk for anyone to stay in the dark. Besides, if he was going to the Treehouse, he was going to have to know things. There was going to be too many questions. Conversations were going to be overheard. He was going to have questions. But I still wasn’t sure I was ready for this. I was barely ready to go face to face with Josh. How in the hell was I supposed to tell him everything else that went along with being a part of my life?* #IdSinkUsToSwim

[slowlyseekingsecrets-blog]

But I Have Not Left Your Side (SL With @AWolfStHeart, @DontWantToWin, @EverSoPatiently, @iWillNotFade)

Colette: *Things were moving along as I had hoped they would. But I was almost surprised that Leah hadn’t reached out to Amiee before I had gotten to her. Leah should have known that Logan’s magic wasn’t going to be enough to pull them through the fight with the St. Pierre pack. He didn’t have the right kind of magic. They needed the witch that had just discovered her powers. She needed someone to teach her. It was the entire reason I had come up from New Orleans. Even if I hadn’t been on my way up here, the visit that was paid to my shop ensured that I needed to get out of dodge. I had recognized Aurora’s brother the moment he had stepped into the store. And the witch he was with was not someone to be tangoed with. She didn’t have the same power as I did, but I was older. I wasn’t going to be as quick on my feet as she would have been. The St. Pierre Pack was not stupid. Not by a long shot. They had found out that both Aurora and Malachi had been in and out of my shop, and threw down the ultimatum. Either I handed the two wolves over, or I couldn’t come back to New Orleans. That was the end of it. The fates had already deemed my desire to go north, but the threat just solidified it. And it was a threat that Malachi was not going to take lightly. I hadn’t been surprised that he had fallen in love with his Angel. She was his saving grace. He needed her if he was going to be able to survive this fight. It was something that had been coming since he was born. It was something Malachi knew nothing about. It was a fact that Amos St Pierre wanted to deny. I knew that coming to the treehouse meant telling him that story. It wasn’t a story I was looking forward to telling. I had no desire to put the pressure on top of his shoulders. But it was going to need to be told sooner rather than later. I could feel the nerves rolling off of the girl next to me, though. We were close to pulling up to the treehouse. I wasn’t sure if it was because she didn’t know her role or if there was someone she wanted to protect from all of this. There was no way to be sure. Not until we were all settled into our roles. As we pulled up, I wasn’t surprised to see Leah and Logan standing out looking towards the horizon. If things had been going as I saw, Malachi and Aurora should be out talking to Tatiana and Spencer. Malachi would be getting a sister. And it would be Malachi that convinces her to fight with Leah and Logan. But their attention was pulled away from the horizon as Amiee stopped the car. I could see the confusion written on Leah’s face as her and Logan began to walk down to the car. It wasn’t going to be long before everyone was back at the house.* Leah: *I could hear the car start to pull down the driveway before I could see it. I recognized the girl behind the driver’s seat immediately, although it had been ages since she’d been up here at the same time I had been. I knew she’d stopped by to work on the wards around the Treehouse. Logan told me as much, but Amiee was a loner. I knew she was just a beginner, and I wasn’t sure how much she could do. There was a reason I hadn’t drug her into this yet. I knew she wasn’t ready, and I didn’t know how much Logan was going to be able to teach her yet. Amiee was a wild card. And the one huge thing I wasn’t ready for in this whole situation was a wild card. But here was my wildcard sitting with a stranger in a car in the driveway of the Treehouse. I shot Logan a look before we both started walking to meet them in the drive. The little old woman who got out of the passenger side was tiny, with brilliantly colored eyes. There was far more to her than met the eye. I could smell it on the breeze that blew past them both and ruffled my hair. Logan was right beside me as I froze and looked them both over* Amiee… It’s good to see you again. I wasn’t expecting anyone today. *I had no clue what to expect from either of them, but the looks on their faces told me that this visit meant business. Well at least the look on the stranger’s face did. Amiee looked just as confused as I felt.* Colette: *As I stepped out of the car, I wasn’t greeted. Amiee was. Which was a surprise. But I also knew that Leah and Logan had enough on their plate. But the truth was, they needed to understand that manners were just as important as being able to lead. Nothing was going to get accomplished if the two of them had their defenses so far up that they could only see each other. It was with a flick of my wrist that I had Logan on the ground and writhing in pain. Leah’s mouth dropped open for a fraction of a second before the growl started. My eyes narrowed into slits as I turned towards Leah.* You might want to rethink ignoring the woman that holds all the cards to this battle, Mrs. Pruit. Your defensive nature has already put questions in the head that you need most. *Letting Logan free of the pain, I started to move up the stairs of the treehouse. I didn’t like the idea of being here without Malachi and Aurora here, but the timing had been off by a few minutes. My voice was stern as I turned my head* Come on, Amiee. You have a lot to learn and a little amount of time to learn it. Amiee: *I could only give Leah a sad smile as we pulled up to the house. Worst of all was that I knew we weren’t expected. I could see the stress on Leah’s face though. And it was worse when Colette had Logan on the ground. I wanted to step in, but I couldn’t. Colette had made me promise to keep my mouth shut on the drive up. I was there to learn. Apparently this wasn’t a lesson I needed to speak for. But as Colette walked away, I turned my attention back to Leah and her husband. Shrugging my shoulders, I shook my head.* She came by the bookstore. Told me I was needed here, and that she needed to see Beezer. All I can tell you is that her name is Colette. And she’s going to teach me how to use my magic? I don’t know. She seems to think that between her and Logan the two of them can teach me. *I started spinning the piercing in my cheek with my tongue. I didn’t know what I was doing here, and it was obvious that Leah didn’t know what I was doing here, either. It seemed that the only person who knew anything was Colette.* She won’t tell me anything, Leah. She told me that she’ll talk to everyone as soon as Beezer and the Angel are home safe. That’s when she’ll stop worrying. Leah: *It was a hard fought battle to keep my mouth shut and keep the wolf inside my head in her cage. Usually she was calm and easy going, but seeing Logan doubled over on the ground in pain had been more than either of us were able to take without a rage. I still had no idea who she was, much less what she was doing here, but according to Amiee she was here for Beezer and Rora. Angel was a familiar nickname. It was what he always called his wife. I had no way of knowing if she was here for good or evil, even though she had been talking about being here to help with the battle that we knew was coming. As soon as she turned to go, I rushed to help Logan up from the ground to stand and took a few deep breaths to clear my head. I was either about to fuck this up by coming at the situation all wrong or just let go of control for a moment and see what happened. I knew I was going to need all the help I could get, and if nothing else, she was powerful. The only thing I could think to do was get Logan on his feet and follow the two of them up the stairs into the treehouse* It’s ok, Amiee. I have no idea what’s going on here, but I’m pretty sure Beezer and Rora can answer some questions when they get here. They shouldn’t be long. *It took a little longer than normal to get up into the house considering the party that was headed up there. We were lead by someone shorter than me, if that was even possible, and Logan was still catching his breath with an arm draped over my shoulder in case something else happened as we went up the stairs. Feeling helpless wasn’t something I was used to, but this entire situation had left me feeling helpless from the start. Helplessness made me want to lash out at everyone and everything. I’d lashed out at Tatianna and she’d run away. I wanted to lash out now at Colette, but that wasn’t going to solve anything. My best bet was to just press a kiss to my husband’s cheek and help him onto the couch before I turned back to the people in my living room* Well, I guess that wasn’t the best way to all meet each other. I’m Leah, but something tells me you already know that, ma’am. You’ll have to excuse me for earlier, but being defensive is a bit of an instinct. *I was still wary of the small woman, but I was going to try to at least make peace until Beezer and Rora could return* The rest of them should be back soon. I got a call from them that they were on the way here before you all arrived. Do you mind me asking what’s going on? Because I feel a little lost here. Beezer: -I wasn’t sure what I was walking in on when I came up the back steps and led my wife through the kitchen into the living room. It was full of people. Leah, Logan, Amiee who I recognized from around the place. She was one of the people who Leah picked up as a stray. She ran the bookstore and came around to do something around the place from time to time. And there was Collette… The sight of the woman who I’d last seen in a bookstore in the middle of the French Quarter in New Orleans on my wedding day had me freezing in place, glancing around the room while Rora slid into my side- Colette! -The two of us walked over to the small woman with a smile. The last memory I had of her was my wedding, and as scary as that day had been, it had also been one of the happiest days of my life. I couldn’t help but look around the startled expressions in the room as my wife rushed from my side to embrace the matronly figure that stood near the center of the room, and I wasn’t sure what I had walked into- So, maybe it’s time for introductions... unless you’ve all met. Colette is the person who sent Rora here to me, and who married us in New Orleans before we went to Wyoming. -I could feel the tension in the room melt a little once the story registered with at least Leah and Logan. Amiee was still confused. I could see it on her face, but she was starting to put the pieces together.- Rora: ^I was blindsided when Mal had said Colette. There was no way… But that’s when I saw her standing in the middle of the living room. Leah was furious for some reason, and Logan was off to the side. But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except the woman standing in the middle of the room. I was over to her before Mal could even think about introducing everyone. My arms were around her as I clung for dear life. I hated leaving her in New Orleans with Derrick running around. I didn’t trust him to go after her.^ Colette. You didn’t need to come! You should have stayed put! We would have come down to you! Colette: *I could only smile as my dear sweet Aurora walked up and wrapped her arms around me. I knew that I was a mother figure to both her and Malachi. And it was a role I took very seriously. Especially with Malachi. Rubbing Aurora’s back, I pulled away from the hug before pressing my hands to her cheeks* I wanted to come, Sweetheart. I needed to come check up on the two of you. *Pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, I pulled away before looking at the man standing just behind her, but still guarding her.* You should know that your betrothed has joined forces with her brother. They came to the shop earlier and demanded to know information about you two. It was either hand you and your angel over or never go back to New Orleans. I’m not entire sure I want to go back, Malachi. Not when the prophecy hasn’t come true. Beezer: -When Colette used the word betrothed it set my teeth on edge. There was only one person that could refer to. Aurora and I had never been what you might call betrothed. We just were apart one day and together the next. It was natural, and nowhere near as formal as the word betrothed. The one time I’d been engaged before her had been a disaster. My father’s doing. Amos St. Pierre wanted nothing more than to ally himself with the witches of the city of New Orleans. The families there were old and powerful. He always figured that between the two sets of power there was nothing he wouldn’t be able to do. He almost succeeded in it with me. The Lemarquis family was one of the oldest and most respected witch families in the city. Their youngest daughter was considered a catch by everyone who was anyone in town. I’d never been much of anyone, despite the fact that I was the son of the Alpha of the most powerful wolf pack in the state, and the only one in the city. My older brothers were already married off, tied to daughters of neighboring Alphas to cement the ties and expand the pack’s boundaries as far as possible. There were no shortage of were families that were willing to tie themselves to the St. Pierre’s. I’d never considered my fate in that department. Walking around oblivious to the obvious seemed to be my speciality in those days. When my father showed up with news that I had a fiance, I wasn’t exactly pleasantly surprised, but I also knew it did absolutely no good to try to flout his will unless you were prepared to have yourself ripped limb from limb. One word came to my lips as I glanced over at Leah, the only other person in the room who would know what it meant- Delilah… -I saw her eyes grow wide when they met mine. She was the only other person who would remember what had happened to me when I finally left. How it had been Delilah who’d placed the curse on me that left me shaken and unable to drag my ass off Leah’s couch for days until I learned to drown it out or live with it. My father had hoped it would drive me back to them, begging for a respite, or to end it all at my own hand rather than live with voices reminding me of everything I’d never been able to do, the people I’d never been able to save. I didn’t know what had happened to her after I’d left. I didn’t want to keep track of any of them, but I supposed I was going to have to find out one way or another. I could tell by the look on everyone else’s face that they had no idea what any of this meant. My brows knitted together when I looked back to Rora- She’s the one who cursed me when I left my father’s pack. She’s powerful. I don’t know how much so really, but I do know my father will use her any way he can against us. Rora: ^I wanted to reject the idea that there was anyone before me. Realistically, I knew that was irresponsible. There was a million other girls in the world. And the fact that she was a witch didn’t surprise me. Not in the least. I wasn’t even surprised that she was the one who had cursed Mal. But that did not mean I had to just accept the fact that she was working with Derrick. I knew my brother better than almost anyone besides my father. I knew his motivations. And I knew his reactions. I was no surprised that he had gone to join up with Malachi’s father. But what did surprise me was the fact that he would have had to give up so much to be there. I wasn’t going to pretend to understand Amos St. Pierre. But I knew there was no way he was going to let another alpha into his pack. It made me question what was at play. And was Derrick just telling Amos everything he wanted to hear. I could only fall to the chair as I tried to sort out the information. I knew about Mal’s curse. But he had always claimed it was better when I was around. And since Colette had worked her magic, he hadn’t said a word about the curse at all. Turning my head towards my husband, I narrowed my eyes into a glare without hesitating.^ I refuse to accept the fact that you have a betrothed. Let’s just cut that shit from our vocabulary and our memory. Because no. Fuck that. ^Turning my attention to everyone else, I knew what we needed to do. I knew we needed to make a game plan. We had to figure out what the hell we were doing before we got too far.^ What do we do? We all know I’m useless in this fight. I don’t want to be, but it’s the reality of the situation. And even if I wasn’t pregnant, I doubt Mal would let me do anything. I know for a fact that he wouldn’t risk me. Leah:*It only took me a moment to put together what was going on, and it was the worst possible outcome of all of this. Delilah and I had history, and none of it was good. She and Mal had even more. She was the one who’d been the reason the St. Pierre pack was untouchable for so long. They were strong on their own and almost impossible to defeat with her. I could see the looks on both Beezer and Rora’s faces when they walked in the room to see Colette, the light of recognition and familiarity fading into one of minor panic and concern. I needed to figure out a way to make this right, to fix all of this. And I was a little lost about how I was going to make it better. The last time I’d tried to go up against Amos and Delilah, I almost didn’t make it out alive. Beezer was the reason I was standing here right now to be able to remember that. And now I had all these other people to protect. I knew they were willing to fight, but there were people who weren’t going to be able to do anything, Rora was most definitely not the least of those. Amiee was untrained. Spencer was a human. Tatiana was a wild card. There was far too much uncertainty here for my liking. Tatiana, Spencer and Amiee didn’t even live here in the Treehouse, and there was no way I could guarantee their safety outside of these walls. I wasn’t even sure I could guarantee it inside the walls at this rate, but it was better than nothing* So… This seems like a huge shit storm. *sliding my hands into my pockets as I looked around the room at the assembled members of my makeshift family* I don’t think any of us is ready to take this on alone. The best bet would be to keep everyone together until we know what’s going on. Which means, Tatiana…*I glanced over at Beezer, well aware that our last interaction had ended in her running far from here. I didn’t know how she was going to take the offer I was about to make, but I had to make it all the same.* I was hoping she and Spence would come join us here. I know she’s not my biggest fan. I can’t say that I blame her there. I just… think it would be safer for the two of them to not be alone out there in the woods. Malachi: -I was busy contemplating the implications of all this for us, especially for Aurora. The game was different now than it had been when we went to Wyoming. At least for me it was. She’d been aware she was pregnant, even if I hadn’t been. And having Delilah become a part of the equation here was more than I’d bargained for. Leah’s question took me a little off guard. I hadn’t been expecting it, though I had already seen the need for Spencer and Tatiana to be here with the rest of us.- Well, if you’re asking me to ask them, you’re a little damned late, Lee. I already did it in the car on the way over here. They’re back at their place mulling things over. I’m hoping they’ll be here with their stuff later on, but I’m not making any promises they’re coming. I just hope they at least use good sense. Leah: *Now that was as taken care of as we could manage, I turned to the young, blue haired girl that stood at Colette’s side* You too, Amiee. I don’t want you above the bookshop alone if someone comes looking. And if there’s anyone else you guys can think of we need to bring in here, I’m all ears. *I knew there were a few other shifters on the property that were close enough for us to keep an eye on. I didn’t know if any of the people here had any loved ones they needed to pull into the fold to keep them safe.* I mean, if Delilah or Amos hear that there is anyone they might use against you then they’re going to use them in any way possible to get to you all. Colette: *The two girls that were next to me still had no idea what to do about the impending battle. I understood it. My darling Aurora was pregnant with a baby girl. There was no way Malachi was going to let her fight. Even if they didn’t know Dinah was there. To them, it was still just a baby. But Amiee was the one that was only temporarily lost. Bringing her to the house hadn’t been about protecting her. It had been about introducing her to what she needed to be able to do her life’s work. Even if it was something she might reject down the line. But Leah was right. There was no doubt that everyone who needed to be protected needed to be here. I was here to help Aurora, but I knew Amiee’s mind was going to be elsewhere.* That sweet redheaded boy that used to stay in your apartment in New Orleans, Amiee. You need to bring him here. It will be good for both of you. Amiee: *I didn’t want to admit that Colette was right. As soon as Leah had said we needed to get people here, the only person I thought of was Josh. But I didn’t think Colette was right about the two of us needing each other. It wasn’t something we ever needed. I didn’t need him, and he surely didn’t need me. I wasn’t the kind of girl that needed people. But I couldn’t let him get pulled into this just because people wanted to hurt me. And by choosing to be here with Leah and Beezer, I was choosing a side. I felt the words tumble from my lips as everyone looked at me. I didn’t know how this was going to turn out, but by the sounds of it, things were about to get more complicated.* I have to go back to New Orleans and get Josh out of there. Leah: *I had no idea who the hell Josh was, but from the expression on Amiee’s face it was more important than I realized. But there was no way she was going to go into that city alone with the frying pan it had become for anyone associated with the Treehouse. My brain was scrambling for some other option than the one that first jumped into it. She couldn’t go alone, but we were limited about who could go with her. I couldn’t go. Beezer couldn’t set foot anywhere near the city, and it seemed Colette couldn’t either. There was no way in hell Beezer was going to allow Rora to go with his baby in her belly and even so she couldn’t set foot in the same city as her brother. We were down to three choices and I didn’t like one of them at all* She can’t go alone… But I don’t know who’s going to go with her. *glancing around at the people who surrounded me, hoping like hell they could come up with something other than what I was pretty sure was going to be inevitable* I mean… Half of us can’t go anywhere near New Orleans. I haven’t in years for damned good reason. They’d know the minute I set foot across any of the wards they have set up. I’m pretty sure none of the other shifters in the room can for pretty much the same reason. Colette clearly isn’t welcome in New Orleans now… and that leaves us with? Colette: *I could see the stress written on Leah’s face. She knew the answer she was going to get. But she was avoiding it. But in truth, it was the only answer there was. There was no way any of us were going to send the new witch into that city with a human. There were two options left, and one of them wasn’t what Leah wanted to hear. Moving across the room, I stood in front of the one that everyone looked to as a leader. I could see the weight of the world on her shoulders. But she had a man next to her that was ready to take that weight from her if she needed a break. He was going to do anything to make her life easier. It was why the two of them were a perfect match. My voice was soft as I took Leah’s hands in mine.* You know you can’t send the good Doctor with Amiee. If they run into trouble, they won’t be able to protect themselves. And Tatiana isn’t much of an option right now since she can’t shift on her own. *Releasing a gentle sigh, I pulled out the two talismen I had in my purse. If the timeline was right, Leah and Logan would have already done the binding ceremony. They’d already be connected. But this was just a little more protection. And something to ease Leah’s mind while Logan was gone.* It’ll take them a full day to get in and out. They’ll leave before sun up and be back just as the sun is setting on the horizon. Before they go, you place a strand of your hair over the heart of his doll, and he’ll do the same for yours. It’ll allow you two to communicate in case anything goes wrong. It won’t, but at least you can have some peace of mind while he’s gone. Leah: *I could feel the bit of resolve I had left melt when Colette walked over to me. I knew she was right, and I’d known what she was going to say before she opened her mouth. She just confirmed it for me. I let out a long sigh, but it was one of resignation rather than frustration* I don’t want him to go… *glancing back at my husband with as much of a smile as I could muster* But I know he has to. *my fingers had a mind of their own as they traced over the thin line in my palm where the cut that had joined the two of us had healed until it was almost invisible. No one would have known it was there if they hadn’t known what they were looking for* You’ll have to show me how it works, ma’am. *daring to look up into Colette’s eyes for the moment before I turned back to Logan and slid my hand in his* Please fucking take care of yourself. You know we literally cannot live without each other. *I gave his hand a squeeze and pulled myself in closer to his chest, taking in a deep breath of him* So tomorrow then? First thing in the morning, Logan and Amiee head into the city and go get this Josh. Then we can figure out what the hell we’re doing from there. *moving my eyes from my husband’s to glance around at the rest of the room.* I can only hope like fuck this works. #ButIHaveNotLeftYourSide

[slowlyseekingsecrets-blog]

Take Aim And Reload

*When I didn’t want to be found, I wasn’t going to be found. It was something I excelled at. I didn’t have to go far, though. I could very easily get lost in the bookstore. If it wasn’t the bookstore, it was in the apartment above the bookstore. There were things I needed to figure out, and it wasn’t exactly easy to figure it all out.

 There were times where I was confused, though. I didn’t know how to explain to people what I was. How was I supposed to acknowledge that I was a witch? How was I supposed to explain that all of this was okay? It was totally normal. But then again, in a state like Louisiana, this was normal. People just didn’t know how true it was. Werewolves, witches, voodoo? All of it was a common everyday occurrence. We ran into each other constantly. It was just a way of life. My landlord was a were. Leah had given me a piece of mind when she gave me this place, though.

 I hadn’t had the easiest journey. And I was still learning. But Leah gave me the bookstore as a way to find myself. There was responsibility here. But it wasn’t just that. In what downtime I did have, I had the opportunity to research what I was. I had to figure out how to hone my powers. I needed to unlock them. Trial and error was a way of life. But I knew the truth, I was lost.

 I couldn’t just tap into the magic. I didn’t know how to get there. I could trigger the magic, though. I couldn’t help the flash of red that sped through my mind. It was something that always made the fire inside of me stir. There was still so much I needed to get through with him. And I didn’t know how to do it. I knew I should have faced all of it. I needed to face my own emotions. But that wasn’t something I was ready to do.

 I felt my hands curl into fists as I thought about what had happened. The worst part was I knew I was to blame for it. I didn’t have to run. I could have stayed in New Orleans. I could have let everything happen naturally. I could have fallen in love with him. I could have learned to rely on him. But I couldn’t. I didn’t know how. Relying on people made you dependent.

 I couldn’t rely on anyone. People let you down on a daily basis. I couldn’t let myself fall into that trap. It had just been me for as long as I could remember. And I was just fine that way. I didn’t need anyone else. I didn’t need people with me. I didn’t need people to care about me. I didn’t need to care about anyone.

 And how could I let myself rely on him? He was a musician. There was no telling when he’d be back in town. There was no guarantee that he would come back to New Orleans. There was no promise that he’d remember me. I didn’t even know if he wanted to remember me. But I couldn’t forget him. I had to remember the one person I almost let my walls down for.

 I had to remember the nights where we just laid in bed and watched TV. The smile on his face as I complained about nothing but the garbage that was there. The way he kept a notebook on the edge of his nightstand. “I can���t control when I get ideas, Amiee. I need to have something close so I can get the ideas out.” My eyes fell on the journal in my own apartment. The script engraved in a gold plate was a reminder of what I was doing. The name Joshua Garrett was a reminder of what I couldn’t do.

 I couldn’t admit it. I couldn’t let my feelings get the best of me. I needed to stay in control of everything. I needed to not fall down a rabbit hole I couldn’t get out of. But it was the chime of a bell that pulled me out of whatever spiral I was in. Turning my back on the journal, I made my way back down the stairs to the bookshop. Before me stood an older woman with a bag on her arm.

 “Miss Maistros, gather your things. You’re shutting down on the bookstore for the foreseeable future. Your boss won’t mind.” I could only look at the woman like she was insane. I felt my mouth open and close a few times before I found my voice.* Leah Clearwater wouldn’t exactly understand if I just off and disappeared.

 *The woman shook her head with a scowl on her face. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I wasn’t going anywhere. I wasn’t going to risk losing this place. I hadn’t been found by Josh yet, and I felt safe here. “Leah Pruit now. But yes, she will understand. Especially since we’re heading to her. You’re needed. I’m needed. Leah and Logan are probably going to call for you soon anyway.” I wasn’t sure how to respond. Because while I hadn’t known Leah for that long, I knew that she wasn’t the kind of person to settle. So for her to have gotten married almost seemed like a joke. But there was something about the woman in front of me that I couldn’t turn down.

 Taking a breath, I walked to the front door and flipped the open sign to closed and enabled all the locks. I wasn’t going to dawdle if the woman was to be believed. All I needed was to get a bag packed. I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but I had a feeling I didn’t have a choice in the matter any longer.* And why exactly does Leah need me? She knows I’m not that useful to her.

 *The grin that spread across the woman’s face almost terrified me. I wasn’t even sure why I was letting someone into my sacred space, but here she was. Following me up the back staircase to the apartment that was sorted into ordered chaos. There were things from the shop, books on witchcraft, random things scattered across the floor, and a guitar sitting in the corner. I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to focus on it. But it was there as a reminder. “You’re going to be useful. Logan and I are going to train you. And while none of us practice the same magic, it’s all similar. You’ll learn what you need from us to unlock your gift. Now pack. Grab the journal and guitar that you’re so afraid of. Both will be of use to the pregnant wolf.”

 I felt myself flinch as she said I needed to grab the journal I had bought for Josh. I wasn’t sure why I would need it. I wasn’t sure of anything at this point. But there was something that caught my attention.* Pregnant wolf? I can barely believe that Leah got married. Now you’re expecting me to believe she’s pregnant?

 *I couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up out of me as I thought about that. But it was the exasperated sigh that made the laughter stop. “Malachi and his wife. Not Leah. Aurora is already worried about her own life. She’s going to need something to keep her distracted from what’s going on. And I can’t pull Malachi away from what he needs to do to keep her calm. Just trust me.” Okay, that was something I could believe. I hadn’t met him more than a handful of times, but I knew he was more likely to settle down than Leah was. But it was still a surprise.

 I only nodded my head as I finished throwing stuff into a bag. I didn’t care that it wasn’t neat. I had a feeling the woman with me would have just told me not to bother with making everything neat. But I watched as she picked up books and shoved them into her bag. They were all books I had been using to try and learn how to control my magic. I felt my hands start to shake as I reached out for the guitar. I didn’t want to bring this. But I knew I didn’t have a choice. I wasn’t going to risk a pregnant woman. I was just going to try to help her. Tossing the strap across my shoulder, I adjusted it until the guitar sat comfortably on my back. Turning to face the woman beside me, I tilted my head to the side.* What’s your name, anyway? You seem to know so much about me, and I know nothing about you.

 *Her eyes met mine as I waited for her answer. I wasn’t sure what was going to come out of her mouth, but I didn’t know what I was expecting. “Colette. I’m a witch from New Orleans. I run a bookshop very similar to this one. And that’s all you need to know until you get me to the Treehouse.”*

#TakeAimAndReload