Will of the Witch [Legacy, BK 2 - Completed]

Chapter 5.2

EZRA

The chair protested as I leaned back. I sat at the dining room table with Avery, Hunter, and the twins. Tessa and Anissa were talking to Avery in soft tones at the at the end of the table. I smiled a little as Avery bit back a yawn.

It was getting late, but none of us seemed ready to sleep. Hunter especially. I glanced at him over the rough farmhouse table as he continued to fidget with his fork, but he hadn't touched any of his food.

Leaning forward again to rest on my elbows on the table, I put my face in my hands. This hurry-up and wait mentality ate at me and my resolve. I needed to be doing something. Anything. But what was left that we hadn't done already?

The wind picked up, coming through the opened windows bringing the smell of rain with it. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"How did you and John meet? I don't think he told me," Hunter asked, drawing my attention back to him.

I laughed. "We were college roommates."

"But, how'd that work? With you being a Necromancer?"

"It was last year, back before I had any sort of power. In fact, I thought I was Talentless, that's why I was at college, to begin with. I was called home at the end of my first semester, and that's when it all happened."

Avery reached across the table, taking my hand in hers. "A lot happened that week," she said. "My father a had passed away, and for me to take over as Head of the Manser Family, I had to get engaged."

The others stared at her. Tessa swore.

"It's not as bad as it seems," Avery continued. "A guy in the same position would have had to do the same. But they need to be a Necromancer, to make sure that the Talent would pass to our children."

Hunter interrupted, "But if you were talentless, how did you-"

"I offered to take the test to become a Necromancer, even though I didn't have any talent at that point." I said, "I was raised by the Standwoods, so I thought my power was to raise the dead, like them. It wasn't until just before I took the test that my father told me that I was adopted. That they didn't know if I'd have any power at all. "

"But you still with went through with the test?" Tessa asked. "That's pretty impressive."

I shrugged. "Maybe, it wasn't until I was in the test that I found out about the Reinhardt family and that I was one of them."

"How does John fit into that thought?" Hunter asked.

I cringed. "About a month or two later, a group of us went to investigate a witch's compound, to see if some information we'd gotten was correct. It went south and I got caught. Everyone else made it out but me."

Avery's grip on my hand tightened. "Scariest day of my life."

"John was there, working with his family. He helped me escape. And through an accident, he ended up leaving with me. He's been with us since then.

Hunter's eyes rose.

Anissa and Tessa look at each other, then focused on me. "John is a witch?"

"It's not like that, " Hunter said. "He's not a threat to us. There are others, some like him and my father..."

"Your father!" Anissa shouted.

A boom of thunder cut her off and shaking the house a little. In the split second of silence that followed, a black, winged shape flew into the room through the open window.

Avery gasped and my heart began to race. The raven came to rest on the back of an empty chair, cawing. I stared at it and knew right away it wasn't anything back a regular bird. And that hurt even more. I clamped down on my emotions and stood.

"Is that? " Avery started to ask, but she trailed off as I walked over to the bird. Slowly, trying not to scare it, I coaxed it on to my arm and carried it back over to the window. It took off on its own, and I quickly lost sight of it in the darkness.

"Ez..." Avery's voice was soft, but I didn't turn toward her. I focused instead on the yard, running my blurring eyes over the landscape as I tried to swallow past the painful tightness in my throat.

My phone started buzzing. I pulled it out of my pocket and answered it without glancing at the display. "Yeah."

"Ezra." John's voice sounded relieved and out of breath.

I rocked forward, closing my eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I got out, but-"

"Where are you?" I asked, cutting him off.

"That's not important, I need-"

"No, tell me. I can get you." The harsh sound of John's breathing into the phone bothered me. "Send me a picture, I'll open a portal. "

Hunter was by my side now, eager for details.

"Ezra, you've got to listen-"

"I'll listen when you're safe, back here."

"There's no time."

"Then send me a picture, and let me get your ass back here."

"Fine." He hung up.

"Was that John?" Hunter asked.

The picture came through on the text along with the zip code and the address. Holy crap, how had they gotten him all the way up to Virginia in a day?

"Yeah." I rushed from the kitchen to the archways in the living room. The others followed right behind me. "Stay back," I said quickly and started the casting the portal. I used the picture in my mind as the anchor, sending my thoughts outs towards John, hoping it would be enough to get the portal to go through.

It took root, and the portal opened before us. Harsh neon lights from a drugstore illuminated the back alley that John stood in.

"Hot damn," Tessa said from behind me, as John stepped through the portal and I quickly closed it. He was wearing different clothes from before, a hat pulled low on his face, but it was him. He stumbled a little and I grabbed hold of his arm, keeping him upright.

"We gotta get out of here," he said harshly, looking up at me.

"What?"

"They're coming." 

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To my US fans and friends: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!   To my more worldly fans: HAPPY THURSDAY!!

I've been hard at work on a new series that will be going straight to publication hopefully next year sometime. Depends on how crazy my life continues to get!  But, until then, I'm looking at continuing updates on Will of the Witch and Lightwalkers. I'm not sure yet how regular updates will be, just that they will be coming. 

Thank you for all your patience and comments! This year has been one of learning, growth, and just finding myself again. While writing is my passion, my family and self-care have to come first. Now that I'm feeling more or less back on track, I hope to be more productive in the words department!

Peace, Love, and Happiness, y'all! 2018 is going to wrap up with a bang!