Page 27 of Which Witch is Willing?
“I take it you’re over the whole immortal thing,” Claire said.
“Not over, exactly,” Tierra admitted. “More like I’m coming to terms with it.” She didn’t think she’d ever be over it. For now, she was choosing not to think about it.
“Have anything to do with all that orgasmic screamin’ comin’ from your room last nightandthis morning?” Moira asked.
Heat flared in her cheeks, but she was too happy to be embarrassed for long. “Maybe.” She filled the kettle and set it on to heat.
“Oh, dear Goddess, youarein love with him!” Aerin exclaimed.
“Guilty,” she admitted with a sappy smile. She held up her hand and showed them her ring. “He asked me to marry me. Actuallyasked.”
Claire squealed, jumping up and embracing Tierra. “I’m so happy for you. For you both. We have to plan a wedding.”
“I’d love a spring wedding.” She sighed at the thought. She’d always wanted a spring wedding as the season represented new beginnings and rebirth. By then—if they’d survived the Apocalypse—she’d be a new mom and wouldn’t have to waddle down the aisle. She tried to dial back her joy as not all of her sisters were content with their love life. Part of her felt bad about that, the other wished they could see through their obstacles like Claire and she had.
Obviously, this Apocalypse depended on all of them. Each elemental witch and each Horsemen mating together to form something epic. Goddess she hoped so. Claire had bonded with War, and her with Death, but the other two were still up on the air.
“Seems redundant to have a wedding when you are already bonded,” Aerin muttered, “and immortal.”
“Bonded without her permission, remember?” Moira said. “I think a weddin’ is just what we need. We’ll make sure there is plenty of booze at the reception so that you can suffer through it in style, Aerin.”
“I’ve located the book.” Julian entered into the kitchen.
Tierra stared. Normally Julian wore impeccable suits, some accessorized with a cravat. But this morning, his suit jacket was absent, the cuffs of his white dress shirt were rolled to the elbows, and his long black hair shot with strands of sliver and usually tied back with a strap of leather, flowed wild about his face and shoulders. “My brothers are waiting for you to join us in the parlor.”
Tierra turned off the heat under the kettle and followed her sisters as they traipsed after Julian. He took up a position beside the hearth. Killian reached for Tierra’s hand and drew her to the loveseat where he sat next to her, his arm anchoring her to his side.
Claire sat beside a frowning Dru on the windowseat, but left enough space that they weren’t touching. It didn’t seem as though Claire had taken the news of her possibly living forever any better than Tierra had.
Aerin and Moira took the sofa, leaving Nick to perch uncomfortably on the edge of the Queen Anne chair, glowering at Moira with lust and irritation.
Julian got the meeting underway by holding up a leather volume. “While this book matches the others in the Paladin Planetary Magic it has obviously not aged like the others have, which means Stain the Wanderer must have brought it forward through the stones like we believed.”
“We don’t need a history lesson. Get to the good part,” Nick grumbled, his eyes never leaving the long expanse of Moira’s bare legs.
“We’ve been amiss in how we’ve regarded the Seals,” Julian continued. “In reality, they are tumblers in a complicated lock, each cleansing the earth in preparation for the Goddess to be released from her prison. We were created to bring about the Apocalypse.” Julian shared a look with each of this brothers. “Yet we have failed her with our compliance, our contentment of living in this world. We’ve fallen for the temptations of the Devil, seduced into believing what she’d told us. When our real purpose has always been as the harbingers to lead the crusade for the Goddess, and we’ve lost our way.”
“May I see that?” Moira reached for the book and started reading the page Julian indicated. “The Goddess will be released from her prison on the event of the seventh Seal being opened by the four born of one.”
“Wait,” Claire said. “Is that bookactuallysaying we need toopenthe last Seal?”
“I knew it,” Aerin said, her eyes alight with the promise of power. “Weare the new order.”
“You make us sound like Nazis,” Tierra commented. “Besides, it says the Goddess will be released.”
“Let me get this straight,” Claire said. “Thisonebook says we need to open the last Seal while nothing else we’ve come across evenhintsof something like that. Where is the proof to back this up? How can we trust that this book is right?”
“Moira, show them the picture on the next page,” Julian instructed.
She turned the page and gasped. “It’s…us.” She held up the volume and showed the intricate drawing of four identical women standing in a circle, wearing their elemental crowns and holding wands from the tree of life.
“That’s me,” Aerin said. “And I have my crown. I’m finally going to get that sucker.”
“There’s more. Read the top of the next page, Moira.” Julian didn’t take his eyes off of Aerin as Moira translated the indicated text.
“The four born of one will conceive two children, one good and one evil, keeping all things in balance so that the earth will be restored for the coming of the Goddess’ time to rule.”
Moira glanced up at Tierra, and she laid a protective hand over her belly.
