Redemption (16 page)

As they flutter, the sun strikes each
monarch, causing them to glow. The effect is a warm amethyst
radiance that enfolds us. It’s indescribable.

Asher comes up behind me, wrapping his arms
around my waist. He lifts one of my hands in his and leans in,
speaking very softly. “If you put your hand out and stand very
still, they’ll come to you.”

I hold my breath and become motionless as
the beautiful creatures land effortlessly on my arm and hand. Their
small bodies tickle my skin as their wings flap with a slow
ease.

“Oh. My. God. Asher,” I say in subdued
excitement as not to scare the monarchs.

He moans. “Fuck, siren, you can say that
here if you don’t want me to throw you down and have my way with
you,” Asher scolds, nuzzling my neck.

I ignore him. “It’s like a
National
Geographic
picture,” I breathe out in appreciation.

“The warm climate is why the monarchs thrive
here. It’s similar to Mexico when they migrate,” Keegan offers next
to us, stopping my body from sinking into Asher’s touch.

“I thought monarch butterflies were orange?”
I question.

“On earth, here in the magic dimension,
love, they’re purple. For the sorceresses, violet signifies
spiritual awakening, protection and power,” Gage answers
flatly.

“It’s amazing,” I reply, lowering my arm as
the butterflies’ retreat.

Asher lifts his mouth to my ear. “You’re
amazing.”

“Christ. I hate these damn insects,” Gage
spits out around his nicotine stick, watching us.

I spin and narrow my eyes at him. “You’re
not going to light up, are you?” I challenge, stepping away from
Asher and planting my hands on my hips. The jaguar comes up beside
me, studying Gage with disdain.

Gage just holds my gaze for a moment before
angrily stomping off, mumbling something under his breath about me
being a pain in the ass.

“I agree with the traitor.” McKenna offers a
pointed glance at me.
Have I mentioned how awesome it is to have
her on this journey today? So. Much. Fun.

My eyes drop to the cat’s amber ones before
we both turn and continue toward the dark gray stone cottage.

The chalet gives new meaning to the word
enchanted. It’s nestled in oak trees, and has smoke coming out of
the chimney, signaling whomever is there has a fire going. The
entrance door is located in a turret that juts out from the front
of the home. It’s very quaint.

“Are you nervous?” I ask Asher as we make
our way through the meadow.

“About our engagement with Sorceress
Lunette? No,” he answers.

“I was referring to the scrolls and what
they’ll say.” I slide my eyes to him.

Asher kicks a rock on the ground and shrugs
casually. “It doesn’t mean anything, siren. Either they say we were
created to fulfill the divination, proving we’re meant to be, or
they don’t. Whichever, I’ll still feel the way I do about you. It
won’t change.”

I inhale and chance a nervous look behind us
at Keegan, McKenna and Gage before returning my eyes forward toward
the cat leading us.

“What about the council? You can’t just
break your oath, Ash,” I speak softly.

He stops and faces me. The rest of the clan
moves around us and keeps on walking.

“Trust me to handle the council, yeah?”
There’s that damn word again. Trust.

I drop my voice. “I won’t survive if you end
up a stone statue for eternity. The time I was without you…it will
kill me if you actually become a gargoyle sculpture.”

Giving me a boyish grin, he brushes the hair
off my shoulder. “I won’t. I’ll figure it out.”

“You mean we’ll figure it out?” I
correct.

He exhales, his expression morphs into a
heated look. “Yeah, siren. We’ll figure it out.”

A high-pitched woman’s voice cuts through my
Asher stare. “Here kitty, kitty, kitty.”

My eyes go wide as I watch the jaguar run up
to a petite lady. Her hair is so blonde it’s almost white. With
joy, she bends down and pets the cat, cooing in its ear.

“There you are, Malefica. What a good
familiar you are, baby girl. Did you find her, sweetheart? Did
you?” She talks to and plays with the animal like a baby.

As we approach, the older woman’s steel grey
eyes lift and meet mine in welcome. Her lips draw into a smile. The
slight wrinkles around her eyes pull then disappear as her face
softens. She straightens her slender body to greet us while wiping
her hands absently on her bluish-purple medieval dress.

The old-world material is adorned with bell
sleeves and a lovely metal belt, decorated with crescent-shaped
charms, hanging off her skinny hips. As she moves forward to us,
the long braid she has in her hair falls over her right shoulder,
showing off the lilacs she’s weaved throughout the design. Her
flat, open sandals are barely noticeable under the length of her
outfit.

“Welcome. You must be Eve. It’s lovely to
finally meet you, dear.” She holds out her frail hand and extends
her fingers covered in gemstone rings, one adorning each
finger.

I step up to greet her, offering mine as
well. “I am.”

We hold this pose for a few awkward moments
of silence. Unsure of what to do, I begin to pull my hand away.

“Oh my.” She blows out dramatically and face
palms herself. “I can be so scattered sometimes. Perhaps I should
familiarize myself to you as well. Yes, that would be proper.”

I wait for her to introduce herself but
she’s just looking at me and smiling, as if she’s waiting for me to
say something. This goes on for several seconds before my eyes
shift to Gage. He looks just as perplexed as I feel. He simply
shrugs his bewilderment.

“OH, RIGHT. Me again.” She laughs
boisterously. “Oh dear. I am Sorceress Lunette.”

THIS is Sorceress Lunette?
I was
expecting someone a little more majestic and well…put together, and
less…um, outlandish.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I say and go to
introduce the gargoyles before she waves me off.

“No need, dear. When it comes to handsome
men, I prefer to reacquaint or introduce myself,” she answers and
stalks to the boys like a cougar.

McKenna’s eyes catch mine as I just watch
the bat-shit crazy sorceress.

“Sorry,” Lunette says, fanning herself.
“Good-looking supernatural beings make me nervous.” She giggles,
sidling up to Gage. “How do you do, sir? I am Lunette.” The
sorceress gives him her hand to kiss, along with bedroom eyes.

Playing along, Gage releases his
panty-dropping smile while taking her hand and kissing it
gallantly. “Sorceress Lunette, it’s a pleasure. Gage Gallagher,
Eve’s protector.”
Poor woman didn’t have a chance.

“Backup protector,” Asher snaps out.

It takes Lunette a few minutes of batting
her lashes before she moves on to Keegan.

“I’ve always had a thing for tall, dark and
silently strong,” she coos and moves closer to him, running a dark
purple fingernail down his chest.

Keegan squirms.

McKenna sees red.

“Nice to meet you,” Keegan says
uncomfortably while Kenna moves in front of him.

“Remove your hand from my mate, witch,” she
seethes at the fanatical being.

The sorceress places her hand over her heart
in mock shock at McKenna’s clipped tone.

“You must be McKenna. Apologies, dear. I
didn’t realize he was spoken for.” Her tone is anything but
apologetic as she winks at Keegan before making her way to Asher,
who I have to admit, looks terrified.

“Prince St. Michael,” Lunette purrs and
curtsies.

My eyebrows rise in curiosity.

“Lunette,” he replies guardedly.

“How’s the piercing?” she asks in a
seductive voice.

Asher blushes. Actually fucking blushes as
my mouth drops.

He clears his throat in an uneasy manner.
“It’s fine. Thank you.”

“I knew it would be.” The sorceress’s eyes
sparkle as she turns to me.

“Oh my god,” I whisper under my breath.

“It’s a thing of beauty, isn’t it, dear?”
Lunette asks me, licking her lips.

The blush stains my neck and cheeks at her
boldness
.
How the hell does she know about the piercing and
is she really discussing this in front of everyone?

“I’m guessing by your reaction, it’s made
you writhe more times than you care to share.” Her voice is at a
conspirator tone.
Yep, she’s really asking.

Asher grabs Lunette by the arm. “Shall we
visit?” he asks with a cracked tone.

The eccentric woman clasps her hands
together in delight and motions to the cottage.

“Yes. Yes. Of course, I’ve been waiting for
you. I’m so glad that Malefica found you and guided you to me
safely for our appointment.” She beams, petting the cat. “Such a
good familiar.”

“Familiar?” I question with a small voice,
trying to forget the last ten minutes.

“Sorceresses have familiars, dear. They’re
like magical helpers. Malefica was given to me by an incubus I once
bedded,” she answers and wiggles her eyebrows.

McKenna groans. “By the grace.”

Lunette dismisses her with a wave of her
hand. “Apparently, I was the best he’d ever had. As a gesture of
appreciation for my…talents shall we say, he gave me Malefica.”

“I need to smoke,” Gage mumbles as he
escapes the discussion.

Lunette hums and smiles before shooing us
into the house. I brush off her rant and enter the cottage. It
looks like a page right out of a storybook fairytale.

The sitting room is cluttered with spell
books, candles, gemstones and vases of lavender. I feel like it
should be disorderly, yet somehow it’s cozy and warmly
inviting.

That is, until I notice all the Kama Sutra
sculptures of couples in various sexual positions. It’s then that I
see mixed in with her spell library, Lunette has various books of
the tantric sexual nature that match the themed artwork on the
walls.
Holy hell.

“A hobby of mine.” She winks.

I smile awkwardly and continue to study her
home. A painting on the wall catches my eye when Lunette’s voice
makes an appearance behind me.

“Interesting that you are drawn to that
piece of artwork, dear,” she states.

“Why is that?” I question, fixated on the
picture.

“It’s from the collection of the
Mauritshuis. It’s Rubens & Brueghel’s
Adam and Eve in
Paradise
. Rubens painted the figures and Brueghel the
landscape, as well as the native and exotic animals surrounding the
soul mates. Such a masterpiece, wouldn’t you agree, daughter of
Heaven?” Lunette asks peculiarly.

“It’s lovely,” I answer even though I get
the feeling her question was rhetorical.

Lunette runs her hand over Adam’s naked
body, and for some absurd reason, it bothers me.

“Forbidden desire is a yummy thing, isn’t
it? The tempting act of pleasure is one of the finest and most
powerful gifts we’ve been granted,” the sorceress seduces.

I just politely nod because really, what the
hell else am I going to say to the odd woman?

“Please make yourself at home while I fetch
some brew.” She shifts her focus.

“I think she’s had enough brew,” McKenna
mutters under her breath.

Gage joins us just in time to see Lunette
handing out goblets filled with some sort of red liquid that I’d
rather not touch my lips to. Instead, I sit back on the antique
sofa.

There’s an odd silence. It goes on for far
too long before Asher finally breaks the quiet.

“Lunette, our appointment with you is so we
can see the scrolls,” he says point blank.

The sorceress smiles brightly and folds her
legs under her body on the winged backed chair she’s perched in.
“Of course. Anything for an old friend,” she agrees while taking a
sip of the infusion and holding Asher’s eye contact in a seductive
manner.

I clear my throat.

He fidgets under her gaze. “If you don’t
mind, we are pressed for time.”

She smiles brightly and shifts her focus to
me. “What has the keeper of the scrolls told you about what is
written in them, dear?” Lunette asks.

My eyes roam from Gage’s to Asher’s. Both
protectors nonverbally agree for me to answer Lunette’s
question.

“Professor Davidson explained that Asher’s
and my bloodlines have been created to fulfill the divination of
redemption,” I answer while McKenna rolls her eyes.

Lunette throws her head back in laughter. “I
suppose Henry never was one for flowery words. Although in bed, his
bowtie is deceiving.” She winks.

What the hell does that even mean?

Asher rubs his face in frustration.
“Lunette, the scrolls, please.”

“Yes. Right, of course your highness. As the
guardian of the scrolls, it’s my job to safeguard them therefore
I’ll only allow Asher and Eve to join me for a viewing. The rest of
you may wait here at the cottage for us to arrive back,” the
sorceress states, oddly focused.

“Where are we going?” Asher questions.

“You don’t think I would keep something as
important as ancient documents in my cottage, prince. I might be
flighty but I am certainly not stupid.” She gives him a look.

“I need to be present as well,” Gage
states.

“No,” Lunette responds in a firm tone.

“No?” Gage repeats. “I’m Eve’s protector.
There’s no way she goes without me.”

Lunette shrugs, unaffected while sipping her
beverage. “Then we don’t go.”

“Look, witch, we don’t have all day to play
your fucking games,” McKenna spits out.

“Kenna,” Keegan warns.

“Lunette.” Asher says her name gently. “Eve
and I will go with you. Gage is fine to stay here with Keegan and
McKenna.” Asher gives Gage his
don’t argue
face.

“Wonderful, then it’s settled. The rest of
you may make yourself comfortable while Eve and Asher join me in
the spell room,” Lunette states, standing.