Page 23 of Scarred

“We do, but they do not live among us.” Gar answered. “They are taken as soon as they show magical abilities by the High Coven.”

“Taken? They don’t get a choice?” Amma frowned. “That doesn’t sound right.”

“‘Taken’ was the wrong word. Their family gives them into the care of the High Coven to learn how to harness their powers. They are not captives.”

“I can understand the need for young witches to learn how to control their magic. The trouble my siblings, cousins, and I got into was legendary.”

“I would love to hear the stories one day.” Suni smiled. “In return I will tell you about some of the antics me and my brothers caused.”

“Makes me wonder what kind of interesting things the hybrid children will get into.” Amma could picture a small child with mostly minotaur features strutting around finding things to get into. “My mom always warned us that our children would be ten times worse than we were.”

Chapter 9

Suni

Suni was in love. He never thought he would fall for a female who was as strong in mind and body as Amma. It wasn’t just her naturally beautiful dark skin or her expressive eyes, it was her intelligence and the way she viewed the world. She had survived in a wilderness without knowing anything about the world she had been dropped into. If the same thing had happened to him, he couldn’t say if he would react the way she had.

“If that is true, my calves will be terrors.” Suni chuckled. “I think at one time my dam threatened to take me and my siblings deep into the forest and leave us to find our way home.”

“No she didn’t,” Amma laughed. “What did you do?”

“Nothing,” Suni smirked. “I dared everyone to stay awake. The first to go to sleep had to do the chores of everyone else for three rotations.”

“Are you telling me that you didn’t sleep at all?”

“Not for two days and we were hyper. I’m sure my dam gave us something to sleep on the third day.”

“I would have.” Amma shook her head. “I can’t even imagine what your poor mother was going through.”

“You will get a chance to ask her,” Suni couldn’t wait for his dam to meet Amma. He knew she would love her and take her under her care like she did Mia. “Not trying to change the subject, but would you mind telling me how you came to this world? Mia said she used a portal; did it remain open? Will it pose a danger to my tribe and family?”

“That’s a lot of questions, but I’ll try to answer them to the best of my ability. I came here through a portal, but not the same one Mia did. I don’t know how she opened her portal, but I used a chant given to me by my mother and the portal closed as soon as I used it. It was the first time I’d used it to travel such a long distance and I doubt I ever want to do it again. Your tribe and family are safe from anything coming from my world through a left open portal, or as much as I can tell you.”

“Why did you have to use the portal to begin with?” Rown asked. He was helping his brother clean the kill, but both were listening intently. “You are witches, what would cause you to run?”

“We were told to run because a mob, or a group of people intending us harm, had broken through the front barrier of our home. While my cousins, siblings, and I wanted to fight, my mother said it wasn’t the time or place. I’m guessing a massacre on our property would have brought the wrong type of attention to our family.”

“What is a mob?” Suni asked. “Warriors?”

“I doubt there was one warrior or soldier as we call them in that group. We were being attacked by an old society that felt witches were inherently bad and yet they still wanted to harness our powers. Before humans spread so far around the earth, we were able to pick up and move to a less populated area.”

Suni gripped the handle of his weapon as his body tightened, preparing for a fight. “Is there a way to your world? I will show them the error of their ways.”

“I’m sure there is,” she placed a hand on his leg, “but I am never returning. My family is here and after we are all found, we will start a new life free of being hunted.”

“If any of those who pursue your family dares to drop into this territory,” he lifted his claws to the firelight, showing off their length and sharpness. “They will face justice by my claws.”

“They would run screaming if they came face to face with you or any other warrior in this world. They’re cowards who hide behind hoods and other forms of masks.”

“They hide their faces?” Gar asked. “Cowards.”

“They don’t want their pictures being taken and their true self to be shown to the world.”

“What is a picture?” Suni asked.

“It’s a likeness of a person. In my world, there is a real fear of anything you do being saved and shared for others to see.”

“Here word of mouth is enough.”

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