Page 39 of Seduced
And I work. There’s so much to be done, and I’ve lostdaysto the illness. I missed the fall equinox and the power it would bring to the spell. I’m so angry at myself for overextending my power and burning out, but there’s nothing I can do to change the past. I just have to make sure that I don’t repeat the mistake over and over again. Aiden said he won’t allow me to help the villagers with my healing spell anymore, but I’ll find a way to do it all. I swear I will.
The protection spell needs to go up as soon as possible, and I haven’t even set up all the routers properly. We need to distribute them in all the households to make sure the village is well-covered, then I’ll be able to connect them all to the grid. And, hopefully, set the protection spell on top of it all.
Ugh. I have no idea if any of this will work. I wish I had my entire family here to help, that’s how complex the spell will be. Of course, I don’treallywant them to be here—they sure as hell wouldn’t help protect the clan. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to have another witch friend. Maybe there’s a forum for witches somewhere. After all this is done, I’ll try my luck online and see if there are other like-minded people out there who wouldn’t mind my limited magic and the fact that I have no coven.
Ty finds me hours later as he shuffles down the stairs to make breakfast. He doesn’t comment but brings me a large mug of milky coffee and two pieces of toast spread with homemade blackberry jam. He gives me a long, slow kiss that kindles a fire in my belly, then grins down at me and strolls back to the kitchen as though he’s not affected at all.
I can’t wait for all this to be over. Then we can take a couple of days off and just…mm.
Shaking my head, I return to my code, and it’s suddenly two hours later. It’s crazy how time flies when I’m in the flow. I take a break to have a proper breakfast with everyone, and they’re all happy to see me healthy, especially Maya who was worried I’d gotten myself into this situation because of her. Which is absolutely mad, but I guess everyone feels some guilt over the events of the past week, even if it’s completely irrational.
It wasn’t Maya, Aiden, or me who caused all of this. My family is the main culprit, along with Devlin Ward. We got rid of the latter, but I still have no idea what to do about my sister and Cameron. The worst part is not knowing when or how they’ll attack: we’re sitting ducks out here, completely exposed to whatever they’re planning on doing. The dragons will hopefully keep to their human forms, but I’m not even sure that the witches would stop at hurting humans. They want me, and they might roll over anyone who tries to stand in their way.
The guys unanimously agree that I’m still too weak to leave the Lodge, and they’re probably right. That means I have to explain router setup to Jack and Ty. They practice in the Lodge until they get all the parts of the process, then they leave for the village to visit as many homes as possible. In the meantime, I make lunch for once, throwing together a hearty lentil soup and baking carrot cake muffins. It’s been a while since I cooked, and I find the familiar process relaxing—it allows me to think things through while keeping my hands busy.
It’s almost dark when the fire alarm blares to life. At first, I don’t recognize the sound, because the speaker seems to be in the village proper, more than a mile away from the Lodge, but Aiden comes charging out of his office, his expression fierce.
“Stay inside,” he barks as he shoves on his jacket and boots. “I don’t know what’s burning yet, but if you see flames, retreat to the beach, do you understand?”
“Yes,” I reply, snapping to attention. “What can I do?”
He pauses at the door and frowns. “Don’t die.”
Sure. Okay.
I want to run after him and see what I can do to help, but he’s right to worry about me: I’m not completely recovered and I’m far from being a trained firefighter. I could only get in the way and make matters worse. Still, I worry about the clan and whoever will be on the frontline. Just in case, I put my bracelets back on, afraid I’ll fry all the kitchen appliances because I’m too anxious to keep my temper steady. Keeping my phone close at all times in case they need my help, I focus on preparing dinner—whenever the guys return, they’ll probably be hungry and exhausted.
It’s hours later when they bring with them the smell of soot and burning oil.
“What happened?” I cry as I rush to meet them.
Jack wraps me in his arms and buries his face in my hair. “The boats burned.”
“What? How?” I step away from him and glance from one to the other. “Was anyone hurt?”
Aiden shakes his head. “We don’t know what happened, but it doesn’t look accidental. All the remaining fishing boats were destroyed, and they were moored far enough apart that the fire couldn’t have jumped from one to the other on its own. Someone set them alight, and they did a good job.”
Ty sheds his parka and drops it in a heap on the floor. “It was all we could do to sink them to put the flames out. Then we had to drag them to the shore in case any equipment survived.”
I can tell by their expressions that not much was left.
“What does this mean?” I whisper, even though I already know I won’t like the answer.
Aiden sits on the couch and buries his face in his hands. “It means we have no means of getting enough food in to feed everyone in the village. We’ll have to go fishing as dragons, and that’s exactly what we’ve been trying to avoid.” He suddenly growls deep in his throat. “We can’t catch a fucking break! I feel like we’re constantly trying to handle one catastrophe after another.”
I bite my lip, guilt swirling in my stomach. “I’m sorry, Aiden, I—”
“Stop saying you’re sorry!” he bursts out. “Did you set those boats on fire? No, you fucking didn’t. So stop taking the blame for things you didn’t do.”
“Hey,” Jack says, his shoulders straightening. “Don’t—”
“No, it’s fine,” I snap back, my temper flaring. “He’s right. It’s not my fault. I do get that. But it’s rich, coming from you.”
Aiden falters, his expression suddenly unsure. “What?”
Now that I started this, I can’t stop. “You takeeverythingpersonally. Every little thing that happens, it’s on you, isn’t it? And you have to do everything by yourself, without accepting help from people who love you!” I’m so angry, I’d breathe fire if I was a dragon. “You push Jack and Ty away, you won’t trust me with rebuilding the villagers’ trust, and then you act like a martyr when it all goes to shit!”
A ringing silence descends in the room. I keep staring at Aiden, unwilling to look away first. I’m aware of Jack and Ty standing beside us, waiting to see how this argument will evolve. It feels like a turning point, and there’s no telling which way it’ll go.
