Rise of the Witch (The Yaga’s Riders Book 1) by C. Rochelle

Author:C. Rochelle [Rochelle, C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-03-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Vasilisa

Dinner was uneventful, although this Harbison kept reminding me why I usually didn’t associate with humans. He spoke incessantly of pointless things, openly gawked at me as if I couldn’t plainly see him doing so, and overcooked his food. I didn’t eat meat very often, but even I knew chicken shouldn’t taste like tree bark.

Breathing evenly, I reminded myself that the reason I’d accepted the occultist’s invitation was to possibly discover new clues as to what was devouring my home. If the forest was destroyed, the shifters and other supernatural creatures inhabiting it would be exposed, making them vulnerable to human interference. If those who ran the Facility were already aware of shifters—wanted to tag and track them for whatever reason—there was no telling what might happen if the sacred boundaries of my woods were breached. I would gladly put up with a tiresome human for one night if it helped me combat what was happening.

Our host was at the head of the table, with me to his left and Anthia to his right. Tan was next to me, alternating his flirtatious attention between me and Asa, who sat on his other side. As usual, Nox positioned himself as far away from me as possible—across the gleaming, mirrored table and down a couple of seats, successfully using the monstrous floral centerpiece as a shield against any possible eye-contact.

Probably so neither of us has to acknowledge what we saw in that photograph.

Seeing physical proof of my link with Nox had shifted something inside me. Until now, I could pretend that any attraction I was feeling toward him was simply due to forced proximity. The tether in that photograph told a different story, reminding me how I needed to finally accept our connection.

Thinking back to our first encounter at the thermal pools, I had noticed a subtle pull from each man, even then. Now that Tan and I had thoroughly enjoyed each other, I could feel his presence as if he were a part of my own body, even when he was in another room of the house. The sensation seemed to originate from my heart, causing my new tattoo to pulse in response. I wondered if he was experiencing the same phenomenon but didn’t dare ask in front of an audience.

And I still don’t know if he fully understands what he’s committed himself to.

Anthia had pulled me aside before dinner, confessing she’d accidentally revealed more to the men about our shared legacy. She was apologetic, but I waved it off. I should have told them already and promised my friend I’d explain everything the first chance I got.

But first, some parlor games.

Having cleared the dishes—and the floral arrangement, much to my annoyance—Harbison took his seat before solemnly looking around the table, his greased hair catching the flickering candlelight. “Please, take the hand of the person next to you. It’s time we begin.”

Although I’d offered my dream tea, Harbison claimed the house’s unique global positioning and many angles of the mirrored surfaces inside would be enough to initiate communication with the Nav and its inhabitants.

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