Chapter 8

The guy from the airport appeared right in front of me. My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe my eyes. Surely I must be dreaming. Given the events from the last few minutes, I was pretty sure my mind was playing a trick on me. I mean, one moment I had been standing in the hotel's reception area and the next I found myself in what seemed to be a hotel room or a living room designed by someone with exquisite taste. The hot guy bowling over in his quest to throw up all over the wooden floor completed the surreal feel of the situation. I was tempted to hurry over and wrap my arm around him, not to help but to just be near him, touch him, smell him. I rolled my eyes at myself. Desperate, all right. I averted my gaze for an instant only to turn back to him. From a few feet away, he was drop dead gorgeous with golden skin, smooth as marble, and that ripped look that no shirt could hide. His dark hair hung into his face, obscuring his eyes. But I could see his soft lips and for an instant I had the strong urge to just jump into his arms and crush my lips against his.

"What's wrong with people nowadays? First Amber couldn't keep her dirty thoughts to herself, and now this lot," a girl said, pointing at me. I turned to look at a pretty redhead with curls and ringlets bouncing around as she inched closer. "I'm Cass."

"Sofia." I pushed out my hand, then withdrew it again when my slow brain put two and tow together. If this wasn't a dream, I had just been kidnapped. Kidnapped.

"I never had dirty thoughts about Aidan," the girl next to me said, interrupting my trail of thought. She was the one who had appeared out of nowhere, wrapped her arm around me and then, a moment later when she dropped it again, I found myself in this room.

"Of course you did, mate." The redhead—Cass—snorted. "Need I remind you of that one time when you thought I was dating your guy and your brain just couldn't shut up about that steamy kiss you shared? Boy, I thought I'd need therapy for the rest of my existence."

"I've no idea what you're talking about," the brunette said. Annoyance crossed her delicate features that seemed quite familiar. I squinted and tilted my head to the side as I tried to remember where I had seen her before.

The blue-eyed guy standing next to the hot one from the airport held out his hand and I realized I had barely noticed him before. "I'm Aidan. And this is my girlfriend, Amber." He pointed at the brunette who now turned to face me.

"How did I get here?" I could slap myself for my stupidity. Any normal human with a working brain would've tried to run for the nearest exit. And yet here I was, talking to these people, wondering who they were and, most importantly, actually liking them. Talk about Stockholm syndrome big time.

"Relax," Cass said. "No one's kidnapped you. Yet. The big guy over there just might." She giggled and pointed at the luscious god I had just eyed up.

I raised my gaze to peer into the deep green eyes with hint of brown. His cheeks were slightly flushed, a hesitant smile played on his lush lips.

"I'm Thrain." He grabbed my hand, making my knees weak. My mouth opened and closed again, my mind went blank. I knew I had to say something, but I couldn't bring out a single word.

"Don't expect an answer any time soon," Cass said behind me.

"That's okay. We have all the time in this world," Thrain whispered so low I could swear he had talked to me. His voice dripped with something. It took me a while to realize it was the slightest hint of a promise. Surely, I couldn't be this stupid. These people probably kidnapped me and now wanted a ransom or something, and yet here I was, staring at a hot guy and wondering what it'd feel like to have his strong arms around me.

"Come on. We need to talk. And not about the hot guy." Cass pulled me down on the couch next to her and Aidan offered me a glass of water. I thanked him as I took it, but I was too clever to drink the liquid. No one would drug me. Cass continued, "Seriously, you're harder to find than truffles. You're probably wondering why you're here."

I shook my head. "Mostly, I'm wondering how I got here."

Cass took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Since you're one of us, sort of, I see no reason to keep it from you. We beamed you from one place to another. You know, like Spook on Star Trek."

I raised my brows. "What?"

"Star Trek?" Cass regarded me incredulously. "You don't know Star Trek? You're kidding. Where have you been hiding? Under a stone? That series is so famous, we even have a fan club up in Heaven."

"We knocked you out and dragged you down here through a tunnel," Amber said. "Need more details?"

I shook my head. From up front, that girl was scary. And I'm not talking about the purple eyeshadow that emphasized the dark circles around her eyes—in fact, I was a huge fan of garish colors. She had that crazy, predatory look about her that would've made me cross the street to avoid her.

Thrain sat down next to me, his face inches away from my face as he leaned in, forcing me to face him. "Sofia, you're very special."

Cass's snort interrupted him. "With that crappy pickup line no wonder you're single."

Thrain raised his hand to stop her. His smoldering gaze remained focused on me. "No, let me finish. You have something that might save the life of one of our own."

"I don't understand." Which was the truth. Literally. I had trouble focusing on what he was saying already, what with those bulging arms and sensual lips, I didn't need him beating around the bush.

"Do you remember the TV show you watched a few days ago?" Cass asked. How did she know I watched it? My mind began to race in search for possible answers, and I nodded slowly unable to see where this was going. My gaze wandered to Amber who stood near the wall, quiet as a tomb. Then it dawned on me. Her straight, light-brown hair seemed a bit shorter, maybe because it was tied up in a ponytail. But her face was the same, minus the frightened expression I saw on TV. Cass snapped her fingers in front of my face, bringing me back to reality "Hey, she's not the scary one. Trust me, I'm the big deal here. You should see me in an hour or two when I'm not such a pretty sight."

"We need your help," Thrain said softly. I ran a hand through my hair as I tried to make sense of their words. They had told me their names, but they had yet to tell me who they really were because, right now, I was on the edge of believing everything in a situation that felt already surreal, like a dream from which I expected to wake up any minute.

His eyes really drew me in. I could gaze into them forever, lose myself inside that labyrinth of sparkling green intermingled with brown. I had never been one to fall quickly for a guy. Just look at Gael; we had been dating for six months, and I still hadn't gone past second base. And here I was, knowing this guy for all of two minutes, and I was already mentally choosing my bridal gown. Crazy, I know, but I couldn't help myself. And so I found myself saying the most stupid thing I could have said: "Sure. What do you want me to do?"

"Do you know who you are?" Thrain asked.

From all the questions, I had to admit I didn't see that particular one coming. "What?" I frowned. "Of course I do. I've known my name ever since my birth. It's even on my birth certificate."

"I'll show you something," Aidan said, motioning to Amber. She nodded and walked over to her bag to pull out a shirt, then tossed it my way.

I caught it in midair and touched the brown stains on the white material. "What is it?"

"Blood," Cass said. "To be more precise, my fiancé's blood."

"I'm sorry," I said, meaning it. Tears gathered in my eyes because it reminded me of my own loss. I would have loved to say something that could express how sorry I really was for her and how much I wished it were different. But no words could ever feel the void left behind.

Cass squeezed my hand. "Hey, I know how you feel. After losing your sister, I bet you wished you could bring her back."

"How do you know about my sister? How do you know so much of me?" My heart started to beat faster. The entire situation didn't make any sense.

She moistened her lips and for the first time I noticed the tiny freckles on her pale skin. "Let's just say I know where your sister is."

"She's alive?" I couldn't help the sudden hope rising inside me, only to die down like a blown out candle when I saw the pained expression on Cass's face.

"If you agree to save my brother, you can meet her, talk to her, say the goodbye you never got to say," Amber said.

Surprisingly, I didn't doubt her words. All my life I had known someone would be coming for me one day. I had also known they would want something only I could give, but I could never figure out what that was. I had no idea how I could help Cass's fiancé.

"The physical realm is not everything there is," Thrain said.

The crow popped into my mind and the darkness that kept beckoning to me in my dreams. I had seen pictures of things I didn't understand, of a cabin in the woods and an old woman who lived there, surrounded by herbs and animals. People had knocked on her door, asking for favors in a language I didn't understand—and yet, even though I didn't grasp the meaning of their words, I could feel the urgency, the hope and the trust they bestowed upon her. She had never denied anyone, just as I couldn't deny the people in this room. In my culture we recognized destiny and didn't run from it.

"Have you ever felt a strong urgency to pierce some needles into a doll?" Cass said. I shook my head. She cocked a brow. "Oh gosh, you're killing me. Not even once?" I shook my head more vigorously, wondering whether she actually meant it.

"You're a reborn voodoo priestess," Amber called out.

"Now that's preparing her for the big blow," Cass said. "Thanks for that, mate. Why didn't you just empty a bucket of ice-cold water over her head? I'm pretty sure that would've been less of a shock."

"A voodoo priestess." I rolled the words on my tongue tentatively, weighting them against my knowledge and beliefs. They sounded —right. In fact, so very right that it scared me. Something inside me clicked into place and I knew Cass was telling the truth.

Cass narrowed her gaze. "You don't need much persuasion, do you? Why's that?"

I shrugged. Maybe because she had a point. I didn't need other people to tell me what I was because my babushka had told me many times that my legacy was waiting for me. When my parents separated and my father moved to America, I stayed behind with my mother. My grandmother, who I called babushka, had taken care of me because my mother couldn't cope with the pain of losing her husband to another woman. For many years, she held on to the hope that he would return—until Theo was born and Mother finally accepted he'd never leave his new American family for what he left behind. It was during those years that Babushka told me stories about the Romanov family, and in particular a legend of how the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter would inherit the soul of a powerful witch. My mother married into the Romanov clan, but she was Babushka's sixth daughter. As far as I knew, I had only five elder siblings who died one after another in the harsh Siberian winter before I was born. I figured, maybe one of the miscarriages had been twins.

"I'm sorry." Cass gave my hand a quick squeeze.

"Before you ask, she can read your mind," Amber said, her eyes glinting with amusement. "So, if I were you, I'd be careful around her. So, no dirty thoughts, nothing about her dress style, and please don't encourage her to stay over because she does—a lot."

I nodded, thankful for the advice. But my mind had yet to comprehend the meaning of Amber's words. Or maybe I was just unwilling to believe it because no one could read someone else's thoughts. It wasn't possible.

"So you have absolutely no experience with voodoo?" Aidan asked. I shook my head because it was the truth. I had no first hand experience, which didn't mean my grandmother hadn't let me watch her fall into trance and perform the odd ritual. Of course I could've told them that I was eager to try—I had been all my life—but it didn't feel right. Yet. I wanted to find out who they were and what they could do first. Besides, something told me to wait before I revealed more about myself. Aidan tapped an impatient finger against his thigh. "Right. Cass, do you know anyone who can teach her?"

All eyes shifted back to the redhead, all but one pair. Thrain continued to stare at me. I moved in my seat uncomfortably, avoiding his probing gaze even though I could barely peel my eyes off of him. The way he seemed to take up the entire room, he made it impossible to focus on anything else. I moistened my lips only to regret it when his gaze followed the tip of my tongue. Cass tapped me on my shoulder, jerking me out of my thoughts. I turned to her, embarrassed that I had been so engrossed in my reflections I hadn't even heard her. "Sorry. What did you say?"

Cass rolled her eyes. "I said, what do you say to an all-inclusive trip to the Swiss Alps? If you're into snow and freezing to death, you might even enjoy it."

"We don't have time for skiing," Amber said.

"I know that," Cass snapped. "Give me some credit, will you? My aunt, Patricia, lives there and she's a Seer. She knows a lot about magic and stirring into pots and all that. Might be a good start until we figure out what it takes to turn this lot into a proper priestess."

"I'm ready to go whenever you are," I whispered.

She shook her head and pointed behind her. The air around her seemed to move, carrying over a strange sound, like that of cracking wood. Staring was rude, and yet I couldn't look away as dark shadows erupted from her back, taking the shape of black wings. Cass threw her head back. Her eyes rolled in their sockets. When she peered at me, I could see they had changed color from green to pitch black, pain reflecting in them. Her skin turned darker until it resembled shiny coal. I flinched, not with disgust, but with fear. Whatever Cass was, I had seen it before, or so it seemed. The memory hovered at the back of my mind, begging me to remember, and yet I couldn't quite place the familiar sight. And then I remembered the pain searing through me. It was only a moment, but it left me perturbed, and more confused than before.

Thrain stood up and placed a soft peck on her forehead whispering, "Don't worry. I'll take care of her until you're back." Cass nodded and her mouth parted, revealing razor sharp teeth. I couldn't help but flinch. And in that instant, she disappeared right before my eyes.

"Are you okay?" Thrain asked me.

"Yes." My voice sounded surprisingly strong and resolute.

"She's one of the good guys." He reached out for my hand, then withdrew again as though he didn't know whether he had permission to touch me. I wished he hadn't stopped.

"I know that," I said softly. "I can feel it." And it was the truth. In my culture, there was a name for what Cass was—a Giltinė. A mixture of angel and demon, and a reaper of souls that could mean only one thing: death. Babushka had told me stories about a woman in white clothes with a never-fading green sprout in her hand. The touch of the sprout would put a human to an everlasting sleep. Granted, Cass's clothes couldn't be more colorful, but I figured even reapers might develop a sense for fashion. Babushka's stories made me believe I was truly seeing a being of Slavic mythology. I also knew I had nothing to fear, not before my time had come.

"Why don't you get some sleep while she's gone?" Aidan said. "She might take a while."

Thrain shook his head. "We can't stay here."

"Why not?" Aidan asked.

"Because this place is fishy. There's a reason why I didn't find her straight away."

"Like?"

Thrain regarded me. "Magic."

"You think someone's trying to stop us?" Amber inched closer and snuggled into Aidan's arms. For some reason I felt jealous of how natural she behaved. I wished I had someone I could feel so comfortable with.

"Maybe," Thrain said, hesitating. "Or maybe not. Either way, I'd rather not stay here. We might outnumber whoever's involved, but we don't know what we're dealing with. I say we wait for Cass at that forsaken place in Scotland. What was it called?"

"Inverness?" Aidan prompted. "The Lore Council's still looking for us. My house's the first place they'll suspect."

Thrain hesitated, thinking. "You're probably right. But the property's protected by magic, and you both can teleport. By the time someone gets in, you're already gone. What do you say?"

Aidan shifted to face Amber. I held my breath as I turned from them to Thrain and then back to them. Seriously, the way they stared at each other freaked me out. Their faces remained blank but something seemed to cross their pale features every now and then, and I wondered whether they could actually communicate with one another telepathically.

Amber nodded and jumped up. "Goody. I take her, you take him. Whoever's last is a lame duck." Grabbing my hand, I felt that push again and the weird sensation in the pit of my stomach returned. A groan escaped my throat as I closed my eyes and leaned into the comforting hand holding me tight. I heard what sounded like a light switch. A moment later, when I dared to look again, I was standing in the middle of a large room with modern furniture and a huge fireplace. The nausea forgotten, I turned to the window to look at the low moon casting a soft glow over the huge patch of greenery stretching behind the large bay windows. In Rio it had been night. Here, morning was about to break. We had just travelled thousands of miles, from South America to Europe, in just a few seconds.

"Is that—" My voice trailed off.

"Woods?" Amber laughed. "Uh-huh. I remember the first time I came here I couldn't stop staring."

I returned the smile. "Where I come from we have lots of green but it's usually covered by a huge layer of snow. This is magical. May I?" I pointed at the window. She nodded, so I inched closer and opened it wide to draw in a huge breath of air. It smelled delicious of earth and rain and damp wood. Mystical. With the time difference, I guessed it was about five a.m. Even tough I was tired from all the lack of sleep, the sun was about to rise, and I had no intention to miss my first sunrise in the Scottish Highlands.

The groan behind me told me Aidan and Thrain had just arrived. Judging from Thrain's pained expression and body language—him bowled over as if he was about to empty his stomach all over the floor, rasping for breath—I guessed he didn't enjoy it.

Thrain let out a string of curses. Talk about travel sickness. I smiled under my breath. Gael would never have let his guard down like that. Gael. In all the drama and excitement I had completely forgotten about my boyfriend. How could I possibly? What would he think when he found out I was gone?

"I need to make a phone call," I said.

Amber eyed me carefully. "To whom?

Her attitude didn't deter me. She was anxious that no one discovered our whereabouts. Though I had no idea what was going on, I somehow understood the magnitude of the situation and was okay with her brusque way. "My boyfriend." For some reason my gaze wandered instantly to Thrain as though to catch his reaction. He didn't say a word but a thin line formed on his forehead. It could be the result of his dizziness, which was obvious from the way he leaned against the couch, his hands clutching the chocolate brown material for dear life. Did I want him to be jealous? I pondered the thought for a moment, coming to the conclusion that I very much did.

Amber winked at Thrain. "Can't be the real deal if you're mentioning him only now."

I could feel the telltale heat of a blush scorching my cheeks. "It's sort of—"

The door burst open, interrupting my halfhearted attempt at providing a believable explanation. In the doorway stood a stunning blonde with glossy hair that framed her face with skin like porcelain and elfin features.

"Aidan?" She inched closer and grabbed him in a tight hug, laughing. "Oh, my gosh. I thought I'd never see you again."

"You mean you hoped you'd never see me again." He laughed as she punched his arm playfully.

"You're such an idiot. How could you even say that?" She pushed him away and turned to Amber, regarding her for a long moment, before she wrapped her long arms around her. She was so tall, she looked like she just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Even though I had no idea who she was, the blonde had such an infectious smile I felt myself laughing with her and savoring what seemed to be a surprise reunion.

"Sofia, this is Clare. Clare, meet Sofia," Aidan said. I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off. "Where's Kieran?"

Clare let out an exaggerated sigh. "Don't even ask. Your dear brother's been gone for two weeks now and he wouldn't tell me where. But apparently it's a job that could solve all of our problems."

"That sounds like trouble," Amber said.

"Right?" The blonde laughed. "That's what I told him but he wouldn't listen. Anyway—"

"We're the odd ones out," Thrain whispered in my ear. I felt something wafting from him, making me wonder what it was. Maybe pure sex appeal. The guy oozed sensuality. Strange words echoed in my ear in a language I didn't understand. The room started to spin slowly, then faster and faster. The others became a blur that merged into one shapeless heap. Through the huge cloud enveloping me, I felt Thrain's hand tighten around my wrist. His voice came from far away. "Are you okay? Sofia? Something's wrong with her." I opened my mouth to tell him that I was all right, but he needed to remove his hand from my arm because his fingers were singeing my skin. Literally. I peered in horror at what looked like huge blisters bubbling like boiling water right under my skin. A shriek escaped my throat. I pulled my hand back but his grip didn't loosen. The room continued to spin so fast, it reminded me of the carousel I rode as a child. The spinning sensation had been the most painful and frightening experience I ever had. Then the flattering of hundreds of wings began again, drumming against my skull. I winced.

"Shush." Thrain pulled me against his chest.

"What's wrong?" a female voice asked.

"No idea," he whispered.

Something cold touched my temple. I leaned into it, welcoming the cooling sensation against my feverish skin. Thrain let me go to hold a glass of water to my lips, begging me to take slow sips. And then the spinning and strange noises stopped. The others had gathered around me and stared at me like I was a freak, which I probably was. I peered at them, probably just as surprised as they were.

"What happened?" Amber asked.

I shook my head, signaling that I didn't know. But I had a theory, even if it was an implausible one. My powers were claiming me, urging me to take the plunge before it was too late. The sudden onset of fear threatened to choke me as I looked out the window at the crow perched on the low branch of a thick tree. It cawed three times before it took off again.