Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Zoey

I’ll never forget pulling back up the drive to witness the window of Bri’s room as it exploded outwards, nor the sound of her heart-wrenching screams as it happened. I don’t even remember throwing the car in park as I bounded up the front steps and pushed my way through the front door. Andrew and Trent were pleading with her as they attempted to break down the door.

“Bri!” I shouted flattening my palms against the wall, the Ioa were suddenly there. Two spirits placed their hands on my shoulders and I found my spirit pushed out of my body and into the ruins of Bri’s room.

She’d gone silent curled in a fetal position on her side, eyes numbly staring off. I let my spirit curl around hers and I held her and whispered into her ear. 

“You are loved, you are not alone, don’t let this loss be for nothing ma ami, do as you promised then you can find a way out.” only to Bri that idea was unfathomable. She’d staggered to her feet eventually and much like this morning disappeared into the shower to pull herself together. She’d moved into Sila’s room, besides the bed that survived which she had moved there. She didn’t allow anyone to change her sheets nor touch her linens. She claimed she could still smell them and that it gave her comfort. In my opinion as bestie to the now High Priestess, it was only making things worse.

When I confronted her about it she had pored a glass of whiskey before she told me what she’d inadvertently done, this was a few weeks ago and as I scoured through the library while She read through mail and grievances and threats against her I was prowling her father’s library looking for information on the bonds that these gifted witches made when Trent came up to me as I was skimming titles on the shelves last night.

“What are you looking for human?” 

I wasn’t sure how much I should say. “I was curious about soul bonds and their history. I thought it would enlighten me more into what Lorraine had planned.” I partially lied. Trent smirked back.

“You don’t have to tell me but I'm sure you're looking for that information for more than just Lorraine’s motives.”

“Your right I don’t have to tell you,”

“Well for one, if I were to direct you to the proper books I’d have to know the real reason you were looking for such delicate information, you are human after all. You’d need a really good reason to be looking up a history that old, that sacred. In fact, I'm still waiting for the other council members to try to make a move to bar Brianna for letting you and her mutts in here.”

“Those two men are better men than you could ever be,” I stabbed back, ignoring the mutt talk. 

“I suppose Brianna is missing them warming her bed, I bet they were very attentive distractions for her little getaway from it all.”

“You don’t know anything,” I snapped and he grinned again. 

“Oh don’t I? See I came down to talk to her that night and it sounded like they were having a very passionate thruple. Even got me all hot and bothered just overhearing it. She may have fooled Andy by tossing them off the property like strays, but I saw it for what it was. It's not every day you sense a partially created soul tether of that magnitude.”

“You know?” 

“Yes, I didn’t know what it was when I first felt it but I’ve read up on the subject, it’s a peculiar new gift, you know,” he said casually. “If you want to tell me what you are looking for I can direct you to the proper volume in the proper library. My eyes must have widened to his delight. “Since I already know the big secret, you might as well tell me, it’s for our Magnanimus High Priestess, is it not? Aren’t we all on her side now?” 

I narrowed my eyes at him. This was one of those situations Bri had warned me about. These two were on our side but we had to tread carefully, one show of our hands, one weakness exposed and they may be willing to attempt to usurp her. If he already knew who else knew?

“Show me,” I demanded.

“Aww she’s sassy, I like it,” Trent drawled. “Since we are still not 100% trusting in Brianna’s credibility of you seeing that you are human, I suggest you take a step back, you're going to have to prove you can keep everything a secret. I bet there’s a lot your friend hasn’t told you about everything just to keep you safe, Brianna isn’t foolish enough to damn the entire race over her one puny human friend. You aren’t just a human. The Ioa insisted, I knew that but did Trent need to know? What should I do? I asked them. An Ioa leaned into my ear and whispered the corner of my mouth kicked up.

“I’m not just a human Trent, I know they used to call you a Gyp before Andy took notice of you and made you untouchable, I know that you like to watch Andy with women, seems you really wouldn’t have minded if the contract had been finalized. I find it funny Trent that you’re so ready to discredit me and question my loyalty to the woman I saved from the people in this house, your damn fucking right I’ll go to hell and back and expose you all to save her because she’s better than any of you could ever be put together and her suffering needs to stop. She finally had freedom, Love, and she gave it all up to save your asses. I frankly don’t see the point. She should have left you all to fend for yourselves. I saw her with them, they love her and she loves them.”

“I never wanted the contract to finalize, I saw Bri as competition, she knew Andy when they were kids. I love Andy too much to let him go. I didn’t know then the full extent of that contract and when I did I offered to help her. And you Zoey? Who do you love?” he sneered. Bri had pointed out that lying among witches was pointless and half-truths were best. “Right now I’m not romantically attached to anyone, all my love is for my friend, is for Bri, and even if I find a man or woman worth my time to also love, they will always have to share me with her.

“You're not jealous?

“No, and don’t let Brianna hear you calling those men Mutts,” I warned. “She’s edgy these days. I just want Brianna to be happy whatever this is,” I said, gesturing to the house around us. “Isn’t doing it for her.” 

“Why didn’t she keep them here?”

“There’s more at stake than that, she’s protecting more than just them,”

“The kids?” Trent asked and I remembered he knew where they resided in the depths of the bayou.

“Yes, and more,” I admitted, there was no point in hiding what he already knew. Trent nodded.

“You passed the test, let's go up to Lorraine’s study, Bri doesn’t want to go up there, and it’s creepy as shit but there's an entire wall dedicated to the soul bond.”