Jared’s eyes went wide.
“Don’t let go of her,” Jared told Nate. Their eyes locked, and Nate nodded to Jared.
Cassie stared in horror as Jared began to shake more. She didn’t feel anything now.
‘Jared,’ she called to him mentally. There was no response. He had cut the connection.
“Jared,” Cassie yelled to him. She tried to get out of Nate’s arms, but he held her tighter. “You promised we’d all be safe.” She cried into Nate’s arm.
Jared kept shaking as the pain increased. Slowly, his animal seemed to rip from his body. For a second time, he was losing his panther. The tears kept falling as Cassie watched, but Nate didn’t let go.
When the panther was finally out of him, it stood up on its own four feet. It wasn’t the same as the last time he lost his animal. That time he was skinned, and the animal was dead. This time, it was like Jared was being separated from part of himself. It was a new spell, and Cassie had no clue what it meant, or how to stop it.
The clouds returned, and Nate let go of Cassie. She ran over to human Jared, who was lying on the ground; not moving and barely breathing. Panther Jared was standing next to him, watching him.
Cassie’s tears fell on Jared as she knelt beside him.
“You promised we would all live. You promised me that we were changing the future and that fate wanted us to be safe.” Cassie laid her head on his chest.
“I promised you that Nate would be safe. It’s his destiny to lead. It always has been. I was never meant to live in this future, or any one you could have ever seen,” Jared whispered, his eyes barely cracked open and his body completely defeated.
“I knew I was going to die, but this was my choice. I saw what Jack had planned. He already took Whitney’s animal before we got here, and killed it as soon as it was free of her body. She’s a normal human now. There was a second half to the spell. It had to complete to be finished. If the spell had hit her a second time, it would have taken her life. I chose to let the spell take my animal so that she can live.”
“And you will die instead. That isn’t fair. You said we’d all live.” Cassie couldn’t help but be childish. She wasn’t prepared to lose him as the life was quickly draining from him.
Cassie remembered the blood from Arianna and looked to Nate.
“It won’t work,” Jared added quietly. “I’m not dead. See? My panther is right there.”
“But it has to. We have to try it.”
“No. You have to save it and use it to heal all the wendigo who want to go back home. I did this for Whitney and Sam, but I also did this for my wendigo. They want to go home.”
“But you’re dying.” Tears continued to drip down her face onto Jared.
“My human side will die, but my animal is alive. I hope karma will forgive me for taking Jack’s life. He’s the only person I have ever killed.”
Jared grew silent. Cassie only knew he was still alive because her hand on his chest could feel the slight intake of breath beneath her.
“I may not be able to be your mate any longer, but I will always love you.”
Cassie began to cry harder. His life was slipping away, and there was nothing she could do.
“Don’t be sad. Please. For once in my life, I’m making a choice that’s completely mine. Fate isn’t taking me the way it wants. I’m leaving on my own terms.”
Jared took another ragged, shallow breath,
“Don’t give Nate too hard of a time. He knows more than you tell him, he’s just better at hiding it.”
Cassie waited for another breath to come, but nothing did. Jared was gone.
CHAPTER 12
The fall night was perfect for the ceremony. In front of everyone, the alpha was taking his vows. It had been one month since Jared was gone, but Cassie still saw his panther from time to time in the woods behind her house. She kind of wondered if Jared was still in there. He never let her get close enough to look in his eyes, but there was just something about him. He didn’t seem completely animal. There was something about him that felt human. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but Cassie had to wonder.
Nate stood beside her, holding her hand.
“I’m glad you got the whole sight thing figured out, or that would be me up there,” Nate told her.
Yes, he was ready to be alpha, and could have taken the job, but while practicing Cassie found out the real truth behind her uncle. His mate was always there all along. The previous priestess and seer had kicked her out of the coven because they feared John becoming the alpha would stop them from continuing to climb the power ladder. But she had never left. She was a waitress at the diner on the edge of town. She had always been there, and it was magic when Cassie finally dragged her uncle out there to meet the mate he had never known about.
Once mated, John was ranked right next to Nate. No one actually knew which one was higher in power, so it was Nate who actually chose to back down. He wanted to finish out his senior year, be a kid a while longer before having to manage the clan. His turn would come when John needed him. Until then, he got to be just a normal skinwalker. Well, not completely normal. He was still the beta, but it was better than being the alpha.
Nate walked Cassie away from the party that was going to begin soon. Almost everyone from town was there, including the wendigo that were now back as part of the clan. It turned out one vial of Arianna’s blood was enough to turn back all of the men that wanted to be skinwalkers again. There was still a group that didn’t want to change their way of life, including Ryder, but that was okay. They didn’t have to, and no one was going to make them. And the fighting stopped as soon as the men all had the choice. Ryder, as scary as he could be at times, was actually now the alpha in his brother’s place, and good at it.
“He’s here now, isn’t he?” Nate asked.
Cassie peered into the dark trees. Her panther was there, still not coming close. She could feel his presence like a faint whisper. His amber and green eyes were always there in the darkness, protecting Cassie even when she was with Nate.
“Yeah, like always.” Cassie turned back to Nate.
She wasn’t afraid of the dark or the things that went bump in the night now. Ryder had apologized for trying to eat her weeks ago. Things were settling down to where they always should have been.
“He still won’t come close?”
Cassie shook her head. Nate already knew that. Cassie wondered if panther Jared ever was going to come closer. Probably not.
“Does Whitney like her aunt and Florida?”
“She’s called every day for a month, so I’d assume no. At least school is better for her. Without being the oddball night human girl in a world of night human boys, she’s made new friends. She said they’re nice. I guess.”
Nate pulled Cassie down to the grass. The hill they were sitting on by the edge of the woods surrounding town gave them a great view of the festivities. Singing, dancing, and cheers filled the air. Nate wrapped his arm around Cassie. He was nice and warm to cuddle into, even though he wasn’t in his fuzzy tiger form.
“Sometimes it’s hard not to miss them,” Nate added.
“It’s good for her. I’m doing my best to be happy for her.”
There was more to what Nate was saying. He felt responsible for Jared’s death. He had seen Cassie’s version of the past and knew it was supposed to be his own. He was always going to live with some sort of regret. Cassie didn’t regret it; Jared was right. There wasn’t a single future she had ever seen with Jared still alive. Cassie leaned into Nate’s arms, and he tightened his grip.
The growl from Jared’s panther in the trees was the first sign that something more was coming. Nate stood up and pulled Cassie with him, ready to face whatever was there beside her. Cassie couldn’t help but smile. When he had first kissed her months ago, it was all about how he was going to protect her. He finally seemed to be understanding that she didn’t want to be protected. She wanted to fight alongside him and was perfectly ca
pable of doing so.
The faint glow of someone walking out of the nearest tree brought a bigger smile to Cassie’s face. She would recognize the attractive man that was walking to her from anywhere, even though he was missing his trademark T-shirt and jeans, and his hair was a bit longer than she had ever seen it.
Devin Alexander stood just inside the tree line, not venturing farther forward than that.
Cassie smiled as she patted Nate and sent him calming vibes. She glanced up to the tree where Jared’s panther sat ready to pounce and shook her head. Devin wasn’t an enemy.
“Devin,” Cassie called to him as she dragged Nate with her to the trees. “Fiona said you would visit, but were a bit busy.”
Devin gave her his picture-perfect smile. Yes, she might have had a tiny crush on him back when she was twelve and he came to town for the summer to train with the skinwalkers. Who didn’t have a crush on him? If Whitney had met Devin, she might have asked to join the sidhe instead of moving in with her aunt.
“I made a promise to a dying sidhe to give you all the memories he left you.”
Cassie didn’t know how to respond. She never knew a single sidhe before finding out she was actually part sidhe herself. Nate had taken that news better than she expected. He still was a little shocked by it all, but since she wasn’t craving blood, they both guessed the sidhe gene had skipped her.
Devin placed his hand on his head for a moment. Pulling back, there was a small glowing orb floating above his hand. He moved his hand a bit and the orb hardened and fell into his palm. He passed it over to Cassie.
“I’d suggest you look at these when you have a bit more quiet time.” Devin directed his gaze at the city and the celebration. “Probably together. It will tell you what you’ve wanted to know about your parents. They are all the memories from your father. He asked me to give them to you some day. Ari told me about you and your mate, and I knew that day had come. You’ll be able to understand them better and accept that they gave you the best life they could. I have to get back. Make sure to tell your aunt I said hello.”
Devin moved back to the trees. The glow on his skin would have been eerie on anyone else, but it looked normal on him.
“Wait,” Cassie called to him, following him back to a tree he was paused next to. “I’ve talked to Fiona tons of times, but she can’t help me. She said you would be able to tell me more. Why aren’t I a sidhe?”
Smiling, Devin looked up at her. “You are a sidhe,” he replied, pointing at her hand.
She didn’t see a difference, but Nate did. Then she saw it through his eyes. Her skin had a very faint glow to it, just like Devin’s.
“But I don’t crave blood. I can’t read the book my father left me.” That was the real problem. The book had other spells, but more importantly to Cassie, it had another note. Without being sidhe, she couldn’t read it.
“In time, you will become more like the others. The moment you tasted your own blood when you made your spell, you started the process. Sidhe blood makes a sidhe turn. I can’t tell you anything more than that because no one actually knows how long it will take. You are the first sidhe born to a non-sidhe mother. It’s never happened in the complete history of the sidhe. You’re unique. Enjoy that. Live that. And be proud of your parents. Your father was a good man.”
Devin didn’t wait for her to ask another question before he melted into the tree he was touching.
“They don’t need us here,” Nate said, looking at the party they were technically already missing. “I think I know a few places we can be alone. Let’s find out what Devin had for you.”
Cassie smiled as she took Nate’s hand. She didn’t need to worry any longer about what her future held. She’d be fine. Her life had taken some twists to get to where it was always supposed to be at. Even now as she faced one more adventure, she wasn’t scared. She was excited. Her life changed the day she tested to join the coven, and for all the turns it had taken, it wasn’t that bad of a ride. With Nate beside her, she could do anything. The rest was guaranteed to be just as much of a challenge, but Cassie was ready for it.
Author note:
Thank you for reading THE WITCHLING SEER! I’d like to ask that if you enjoyed reading this book, please consider leaving me a good review on Amazon.com. Cassie’s tale is done, but that doesn’t mean I’m done with the night human world. Whitney’s story continues in a new series, coming early 2017. Look for updates on my website on my current works, or join my mailing list at: http://www.bkristinmcmichael.com/list
I greatly appreciate all the support from everyone! THANK YOU!
Carnelian: Chapter One
While you’re waiting for the next book in the night human world, be sure to check out The Chalcedony Chronicles, my time-travel paranormal romance series. Here’s the first chapter to get you started!
Chapter 1 – Welcome to College
I had the perfect idea of what going off to college would be like. I’d move into the dorms on the first day I could. My family would come along and my mom would cry over the thought of me growing up, especially since I was her only child. They would hang around, not wanting to leave, and finally I’d have to shoo them all out, reassuring them that I’d be okay. That’s how everyone pictures it going. Yet, here I sat, a day late, staring at my new home for the next four years, alone.
My mom and grandfather made the seven-hour trip north with me from Chicago to Minneapolis, but Grandfather got called away on business and my mom had to go with him. He was her ride home after all. Grandfather was in the antique business, and he had a lot of wealthy and powerful clients. I was used to them calling him away at a moment’s notice by now. I drove the last two hours to Lake Superior and Castor, the nice college town that Morton Carole was in. I chose to go to a school far from home, and now I regretted it as I sat outside the campus dorms, pondering my first steps toward being grown up.
Independence. That’s what college was for me. I’ve spent my entire life with my grandfather and mother, and yes, my mother was the hovering type. I never was allowed to go on trips with my friends, or even leave the city without her by my side. She worried every day about my walk to school. She hated cars and was afraid I’d get in an accident. Luckily, grandfather convinced her I would need a car here at college, so I did have wheels now. She never seemed to lack for something to worry about.
Sitting in my used Civic, looking at the massive dorms with people flowing everywhere, independence scared the crap out of me. Right now, the one thing every recent high school graduate wanted was staring me in the face, and I yearned to give it back. I was turning out to be the most timid college freshman in history. Thank you, Mom!
After taking a deep breath, I steadied my nerves and finally turned off my car to go to the registration table sitting outside. I gathered all the courage I found and opened the door. The large square brick building in front of me would be home for the next four years. It was intimidating yet exciting at the same time. College was the pinnacle of growing up, and I couldn’t wait any longer. It was time to start a new chapter in my life.
The registration table was set up with several college students sitting around waiting. The fifteen-foot walk to the table was excruciating. I felt like everyone that passed was staring at me, the scared freshman. In reality, probably no one even glanced my way. The official move-in day was the day before, and I missed the opportunity to be lost in the masses of new students. I was late on purpose. Figuring the crowds would be smaller, I planned to arrive today with my grandfather and mother to help. I tried to concentrate on the table, hoping to see a helpful face, but the girl there just glared at me as I approached. I crossed the parking lot and waited. The beautiful, long-legged brunette who already glared at me, now ignored me and sat talking to the girl next to her. They were obviously friends, as the brunette kept talking and the other girl kept nodding along, never getting a word in edgewise. I stood and waited. I thought the welcome table was to welcome new students, but this girl was a
nything but welcoming.
“I’m sure by the end of the week he will be coming back to me. He always does. You know he can’t find anyone better than me,” the brunette told her friend.
Poor guy, I wanted to add. I had grown up with girls like the one in front of me. Everything about her was fake, from her eyelashes to her boobs. Private school at St. Maria’s had prepared me for two things at the same time: fake girls and dealing with the people you never really want to be associated with. This girl was exactly that.
I coughed to get their attention. I didn’t need to learn more about the poor guy that the girl had her sights set on. The brunette looked up, surprised that I was there.
“Marcella Navina,” I told the girl, pointing to my name on the list.
“Oh, a new freshman,” the brunette said as she held out her hand to the girl next to her. The second girl was digging through a box looking for the correct key. Finally, she found it and handed it to the brunette. “Welcome to Morton Carole. If you need any help, feel free to ask. We’re all happy to help new freshman.” From the tone in her voice I somehow doubted that. “You are in Murdley, which is on the opposite side of the dorms here.” She said Murdley with disgust, as if she couldn’t imagine who would want to be stuck in the studious dorm. She held out her hand and her minion placed a map in it. “You can either go through the courtyard, through the connecting hallways, or around the outside to get there. Room 215. Good luck, and welcome to college.” A smile was plastered across her face, but it didn’t reach her eyes. I gave her my best fake smile back as I took her keys and map. I didn’t really need the map. I had already memorized it weeks ago.