Page 4 of Which Witch is Willing?
She came to a stumbling stop in the vaulted entryway, knowing the house was too big to run through all the rooms. She needed to do the same thing she did with the rubble of the castle. Open up her senses and search for organics.
Killian pounded up behind her, and she felt his need to reprimand her brimming off him in rippling waves. Without looking at him, she held up her hand for silence, and immediately dismissed him from her senses. A grinding growl over her actions vibrated from his chest and she knew he’d attempt to make her pay for that later. Like she’d allow that to happen. They needed to a serious “Come to Jesus” talk, and soon.
Taking a deep, centering breath, she searched for her sisters. She picked up their four familiars right off. Jinx, her ancient, immortal black cat perked up from where she slept on Tierra’s bed as though feeling her probe. Jinx leaped off the bed and headed toward her direction.
Wow, this was freaking cool.
How come she hadn’t figured out that she could do this before? But then she and her sisters had become more powerful each time they destroyed a Seal. They’d also been gifted with their wands and crowns from the Druids of old. Well, all but Aerin, that was.
Cheeto and Kai, Moira’s pink, fire-breathing, teacup pig and Claire’s sonic boom, tail-twitching red fox were outside digging up bulbs in her flower beds. Dang little varmints. She sent along a sharp “cease and desist” order over the magical channel, and both of them jumped, literally caught in earth’s cookie jar, rich soil coating their furry snouts.
Doctor Lector, Aerin’s vampire bat was the last to be counted, sleeping high in the eaves of the attic. He just yawned at her, not seeming concerned that Aerin might be in trouble. Cheeto hadn’t reacted with fear for Moira either, which filled Tierra with a groundswell of relief. They would know before anyone else if her sisters were in trouble.
She opened her senses further, going floor by floor of the manor. There were four stories of the mammoth Victorian to wade through, plus a basement. Eight bedrooms, solarium, multiple parlors, and bathrooms, not to mention, all the nooks and crannies.
Finding two humanoids on the second floor, Tierra raced for the stairs, though she was perplexed as to why Aerin and Moira would choose to be in Aunt Justine’s bedroom of all places.
Aunt Justine was more tolerated than a celebrated member of the family. She’d had a major part in separating the identical sisters at birth, along with an order to kill three of them. She’d kept Tierra for some odd reason and raised her after their mother had died in childbirth. When Tierra had performed a spell to call home the missing part—pieces—of herself, and her sisters traipsed into Port Townsend, Washington one by one, Justine had panicked. Knowing about the prophecy that four born of one would bring about the end of the world, she’d attempted to kill Moira.
Moira and Justine did mend their intransigent relationship when Nick Kingswood had held them prisoner for a time, and they’d been locked in a room together with nothing to do but come to terms. They more or less endured each other now, which was a welcome change over the attempted murder. Though, Justine still made living with her a challenge more often than not. But that was family, Tierra figured.
She reached the upper landing, with Killian hot on her heels, and swung open the door to Aunt Justine’s bedroom. Only Aerin and Moira weren’t there, and she wished more than anything she could unsee what she couldn’t blink away.
Aunt Justine andhermidwife, Lila Sullivan were playing the hokey-pokey in bed together, without any real pokeys.Both women were fifty plus, and in better shape than Tierra thought fifty allowed. But still. Her aunt fondled Lila’s breast with one hand, the other thank the Goddess, was hidden under the sheet. Tierra didn’t want to think about what the other hand was up to. Lila moaned with pleasure, her head tossing on the pillow, demanding more.
They were so caught up with each other, they hadn’t heard Tierra and Killian barge in. Killian took charge of the situation as Tierra felt coated in bronze, her eyes wide, her body frozen in stupefaction. Killian lifted her off her feet and deposited her out in the hallway, shutting the door quietly on the mind-searing scene.
Amusement crinkled the crow-wings at the corner of his black eyes, his lips twisting with a smirked he fought, and failed, to keep hidden.
“Not one word,” Tierra muttered, pointing a finger at him.
He made a motion of locking a key over his lips, which made him look ridiculous, mirth dancing in his eyes.
She slapped his arm with annoyance. “Stop it.”
“Stop what?”
“You know what.”
Jinx joined them and started up a figure eight dance around her legs. Tierra bent and picked her up and she climbed to Tierra’s shoulder where she liked to perch. She hissed at Death.
Good girl,Tierra murmured at her, scratching her ears.
She traipsed down the hall, needing to get as far away as she could from what she’d just spied. The sight would probably haunt her the rest of her days.
Entering her bedroom farther down the hall, she embraced the earthy scents of lavender and roses, taking comfort in the chaos of color that greeted her.
She needed the black tourmaline that Julian had given her to help in rescuing Killian from Hell. She’d yet to return it to him, not in any hurry to relinquish the power the stone provided. Hopefully it would aid in finding Aerin and Moira. She couldn’t feel them in the house. But how did she retrieve it with Death constantly dogging her steps?
Julian had made her promise not to let anyone know she possessed it. She figured Julian’sanyonemeant his brother horsemen too. Either way, she wasn’t taking the chance.
“I need to be alone.” She turned to face Killian. “You need to leave.”
All amusement vanished from his expression, replaced by a look harder than diamonds. “Not happening.”
“Please,” she gritted out through a jaw clenched so tight, her teeth ached. She hated asking anything of him, knowing he’d require a favor, or favors, in return.
“Until we know what happened to Lucifer, you will not leave my sight,” he informed, his tone obstinate and rigid.
