Page 22 of A Hunter Turned
Shaking off the paranoia, Jamie turned her attention to Cady and grinned. “How’s that PB and J?”
“Great! I ate a bite of Daddy’s too.”
“Wow. You must have been hungry.”
Cady nodded and then turned to look over her shoulder with a crinkled nose as the scent of something burning filtered through the air. With a whisper, she asked her dad, “What is Aunty Nedra doing?”
Good question. A spell of some sort would be Jamie’s guess and her stomach rolled as she wondered just what the witch was cooking up, and more importantly, considering the possible stolen locks, for whom.
Needing to change the subject, Jamie blurted, “Do you know what I liked to eat when I was your age?”
With Cady’s curious attention back on her, she smiled and said, “Peanut butter and banana sandwiches.”
“I’ve never had that, but I like bananas. Can you make me one tomorrow?”
Jamie chuckled at the girl’s enthusiasm. “I’d have to go to the store to get bananas, but sure,” and then with a quick glance at Archer, she tacked on, “If it’s okay with your dad.”
Archer nodded his agreement and Cady let out a little cheer. Grinning, Jamie added, “And since I have to go to the store anyway, I may as well grab some marshmallow fluff. Have you ever had a Fluffernutter? That was also one of my favorites.”
Cady’s eyes widened comically. “That sounds so good.”
The fun was suddenly brought to a halt as a crackling sound followed by a loud pop and the scent of gunpowder had both Archer and Jamie jumping to their feet. With a quick push, Archer had Cady hidden under the table as he called out, “Nedra? Are you all right?”
Jamie had pulled the blade she’d stashed in a sheath at her lower back and was already working her way down the hall, following the scent, ears straining to hear a reply only to pick up low chanting in a language she didn’t recognize. Glancing at Archer, whose eyes had gone the silver of his wolf, she pointed at the closed door and then held up a finger. “Nedra?”
The chanting got louder, and Archer quietly eased the door open. No assailants with guns awaited them, just Nedra in front of a table littered with overturned jars and an open book, eyes closed, arms raised as smoke trailed up from some sort of pendant.
Relaxing her stance, Jamie resheathed her blade. Both of them turned back toward the kitchen to reassure Cady that all was well when Nedra spoke, “It’s done. I have a gift for you, Jamie.”
Eek face took over before she could stop it. Luckily, Nedra wasn’t looking at her, so the witch wouldn’t be insulted. Not sure she wanted a gift with magic attached to it that went boom, Jamie shot a worried glance Archer’s way, but the alpha was no help, he just shrugged his shoulders. Scowling at him only made him smile before he made his escape, leaving Jamie to face Nedra and her gift.
With a smile of trepidation, Jamie glanced from the woman to the no longer smoking pendant and then back again. “You don’t need to give me a gift, Nedra.”Really. Really, really, she didn’t.
“You’ll take it just the same.”
Ah, crap.
Nedra picked up the necklace and let the medallion swing. It looked like a sun in aged brass, the rays curvy with sharp points. “I made this years ago when I heard about…” the woman’s voice drifted off and she shook her head. “Never you mind about that. I’ve upped the potency.”
Moving forward, Nedra pressed the necklace into Jamie’s hand. “You put this on and don’t take it off. Wear it against your skin. It’ll protect you.”
She had thought she’d feel some low-level hum, a buzzing of power as she held the object, but she didn’t. The experience was the same as holding any piece of jewelry. Smooth, slightly warm metal on one side with raised ridges from the design on the other. Reassured, she gazed at the medallion and noted that it wasn’t just a sun, but a moon as well. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
Nedra nodded sharply. “Put it on.”
Mentally shrugging, Jamie slipped the chain over her head and let the medallion settle on her chest, her fingertips playing over the points of the rays.
“Under your shirt, girl. It needs to be next to your skin.”
Wanting to scoff at the ridiculousness of the situation she’d found herself in, Jamie pointed out, “But then nobody would see it.”
Nedra snorted. “It’s not a fashion accessory child. That’s powerful magic.” And then with a pointed look that sent a chill of fear rippling down her spine, the witch added, “For what’s coming, you’re going to need it.”
Well, that wasn’t ominous at all.
∞∞∞
“What did she mean by another one?” Jamie asked Archer as soon as they arrived back on pack lands and he’d cut the engine to the fan boat so she didn’t have to yell. The entire trip, she’d stewed about what Nedra had said, the witch’s portent of doom, her fingers playing with the necklace that was now resting against her skin under her shirt. This, though, seemed like a good distraction.
