necromantic powers from…but what’s this man called Duff have to do with anything?”
“He’s part of the Obscurus ,” he said.
Willow’s eyes widened and she glanced at me. “The idiots that want to kill Sierra?”
Oren nodded.
“Shit,” she said. “Can I ever meet my grandmother?”
“No way, she wants us dead too.” I blurted. I hadn’t meant for that to slip out, but Willow needed to realize her grandparents posed a deadly threat to us both.
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s true,” Oren said, steering the conversation back to him. “Jacinta is the leader of the Alliance—a group meant to protect humans from supernatural threats—and she placed an order on both of your lives. It’s a sad and very long tale of betrayal and jealousy, so I won’t go into it. I just wanted to make sure that you know who I am and who they are. If you’re ever approached, make sure you don’t make the mistake of putting your trust in either of them. Emotional ties are something neither would hesitate to use if the rest of us refuse to accept the order.”
“Wait a sec. What does this order have to do with you, Oren?” She appeared to be confused now.
“I’m part of the Alliance. I—”
“What?” Willow cut him off. “No, don’t tell me any more. I need some time to get the gist of everything else you just told me.”
“Fair enough,” Oren said with a nod.
My mind was filled with a new danger, one I hadn’t even contemplated until Oren mentioned emotional ties. “You really think they would try to grab Will by telling her who they are?”
“I wouldn’t discount it.” He shook his head. “The fact Duff is part of the Obscurus confirms Jacinta has an ulterior motive. There is no way he would join with such a group without her approval, or suggestion. I’m starting to think she might be a part of it too.”
“It makes a sick sort of sense.” The thought made my insides quiver. Duff was responsible for helping Papan’s brother establish the situation he’d tried to force on his pack. These two oldies sounded like a formidable force. When—no, if —my plate ever cleared up, I would deal with Duff and Jacinta myself. I refused to have them pose a threat to my little sister.
Willow swallowed the rest of her coffee. When she stood and placed her mug in the sink, I thought she might march back to her room. She surprised me by saying, “Oren, I need you to teach me that incantation Sierra uses so well.”
“I plan to teach you every protection spell and incantation I know.” He swiveled around to look at her. “But which one in particular are you referring to?”
“The protection shrouding one,” she said sternly.
I wondered if she knew they were two different incantations.
“You’ve got it,” Oren said.
“Good, let’s go.”
Oren straightened. “You want to learn them now?”
“I’ve got exams coming and will have to devote every bit of brain power to studying, how about I learn some magic now so I can actually use it if I become someone’s target?”
Oren nodded and stood. “Fine, that sounds like a great plan. Besides, I’ve got just the place for you to record everything I’ve taught you so far. Let me just get it from my jacket. I’ll meet you in your room.”
Willow leaned over and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “Don’t worry, big sis. No one’s going to kill us. I’ll make sure of it.”
I squeezed her tight, glad to see the herbs were obviously already working. She wouldn’t sound so positive if she was still wallowing in grief. Not after the bombshells Oren had just dropped. The sneaky man probably chose this precise moment to come clean.
She headed for the stairs and descended back to her room.
“Are you okay?” Oren made his way around the table and sat on the chair next to mine.
“I don’t know.” I wanted to be okay, to stay strong for Willow, Lavie, Papan, and even Oren. But so much had happened that I felt like I was
“He’s part of the Obscurus ,” he said.
Willow’s eyes widened and she glanced at me. “The idiots that want to kill Sierra?”
Oren nodded.
“Shit,” she said. “Can I ever meet my grandmother?”
“No way, she wants us dead too.” I blurted. I hadn’t meant for that to slip out, but Willow needed to realize her grandparents posed a deadly threat to us both.
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s true,” Oren said, steering the conversation back to him. “Jacinta is the leader of the Alliance—a group meant to protect humans from supernatural threats—and she placed an order on both of your lives. It’s a sad and very long tale of betrayal and jealousy, so I won’t go into it. I just wanted to make sure that you know who I am and who they are. If you’re ever approached, make sure you don’t make the mistake of putting your trust in either of them. Emotional ties are something neither would hesitate to use if the rest of us refuse to accept the order.”
“Wait a sec. What does this order have to do with you, Oren?” She appeared to be confused now.
“I’m part of the Alliance. I—”
“What?” Willow cut him off. “No, don’t tell me any more. I need some time to get the gist of everything else you just told me.”
“Fair enough,” Oren said with a nod.
My mind was filled with a new danger, one I hadn’t even contemplated until Oren mentioned emotional ties. “You really think they would try to grab Will by telling her who they are?”
“I wouldn’t discount it.” He shook his head. “The fact Duff is part of the Obscurus confirms Jacinta has an ulterior motive. There is no way he would join with such a group without her approval, or suggestion. I’m starting to think she might be a part of it too.”
“It makes a sick sort of sense.” The thought made my insides quiver. Duff was responsible for helping Papan’s brother establish the situation he’d tried to force on his pack. These two oldies sounded like a formidable force. When—no, if —my plate ever cleared up, I would deal with Duff and Jacinta myself. I refused to have them pose a threat to my little sister.
Willow swallowed the rest of her coffee. When she stood and placed her mug in the sink, I thought she might march back to her room. She surprised me by saying, “Oren, I need you to teach me that incantation Sierra uses so well.”
“I plan to teach you every protection spell and incantation I know.” He swiveled around to look at her. “But which one in particular are you referring to?”
“The protection shrouding one,” she said sternly.
I wondered if she knew they were two different incantations.
“You’ve got it,” Oren said.
“Good, let’s go.”
Oren straightened. “You want to learn them now?”
“I’ve got exams coming and will have to devote every bit of brain power to studying, how about I learn some magic now so I can actually use it if I become someone’s target?”
Oren nodded and stood. “Fine, that sounds like a great plan. Besides, I’ve got just the place for you to record everything I’ve taught you so far. Let me just get it from my jacket. I’ll meet you in your room.”
Willow leaned over and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “Don’t worry, big sis. No one’s going to kill us. I’ll make sure of it.”
I squeezed her tight, glad to see the herbs were obviously already working. She wouldn’t sound so positive if she was still wallowing in grief. Not after the bombshells Oren had just dropped. The sneaky man probably chose this precise moment to come clean.
She headed for the stairs and descended back to her room.
“Are you okay?” Oren made his way around the table and sat on the chair next to mine.
“I don’t know.” I wanted to be okay, to stay strong for Willow, Lavie, Papan, and even Oren. But so much had happened that I felt like I was
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