Page 20 of Fire And Ice

“Yet, he followed me here,” Amira told her grandmother. “Then Griffen has been here and already tried to get me away to show him where the mountain was.”

Rissa nodded. “I felt you three days ago when you began your journey here and I knew it was time for me to come home as well. Maybe this is the right time to make our stand.” She looked at her granddaughter’s blue hair and nodded. “You are the next shaman, the next Keeper of the Maiden. All those born with blue hair are to be trained as Medicine Women. It is in your blood. You are of the People with your mother’s blood and mine in your veins.” Then she looked at the three men beside her and said, “These men could be part of your council.” She turned to look at Luther and the bikers, “These men could be part of it as well.”

The MC men all stared at her.

Amira shook her head. “While they are all good men, I don’t have any connection to them.”

Rissa smiled as she reached out to take her daughter’s hand. “Close your eyes, my dear.”

Amira stared at her then did so.

Rissa reached for Luther’s hand.

He looked surprised but set his hand into her palm.

Rissa closed her eyes as she held their hands.

Luther suddenly closed his eyes too.

The room went quiet as all the men stared at them in confusion.

After a couple of minutes, Luther gasped and his eyes popped open.

So did Amira’s.

They stared at each other from across the table.

Luther raised his brows. “Well, shit.”

Amira went red in the face and looked away from him.

“Oh, wow!” Diesel exclaimed as he looked over at his Prez. “So, you know now?”

Luther could only shake his head.

“We took it like you weren’t even aware of...” Swag halted at Luther’s glare.

“Yeah, that was hot...” Viper caught himself and jerked his head up.

Steel laughed. “Yeah boss, we did not expect that!”

“Quiet all of you,” Luther growled.

Amira swallowed heavily and turned to her grandmother. “I already felt that these three men.” She motioned to Kinsen, Trent and Jacks. “... were good inside and I think I can depend on them. But I have been alone my whole life, ignored by my father and grandfather and I have seen their hate when they looked at me. I have lived my whole life on the edge of his pack, always the one looking out through a pane of glass and seeing everything he kept me from.” She shook her head. “I was the one who peeked out and saw people I knew didn’t realize I was even there. I would watch them laugh and run, something I wasn’t allowed to do. They could feel and see the sunshine, the rain and sometimes even the snow fall on them but I couldn’t. Mostly, because he couldn’t allow them to know that I existed. I lived my life in the shadows, never belonging to them or anywhere else.” She paused then looked at Luther and his men. “Then I came here and the first thing they did was to tell me I didn’t belong here either. I could feel that they meant me no harm, but I don’t know that I can trust them. I’m not sure I know how to trust.”

Rissa smiled sadly. “Your father did you no good by keeping you a secret. He kept this secret to one day make you show him the way back to your mountain. You are part of the Maiden, the same as I am and your mother is. We were born there and someday we will die there, but that day won’t be today.” Rissa rose her feet. “Not today.”

Amira frowned. “Wait a minute, you said my mother is...I thought all my life that my mother was dead. Is she not?”

Rissa shook her head. “No, your mother lives in the between. When she fell and struck her head, I used my magic to keep her in the between. The space between the living and the dead. I knew one day, you would come back, and that you would be strong enough to help me pull her back to this side.”

Amira shook her head. “But I don’t have any powers.”

Diesel cleared his throat loudly.

Steel chuckled, as did Jacks.

Kinsen and Trent shook their heads.

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