know about me?”
“Relax, big guy. Jessica did some research online, plus that girl has books on everything paranormal.” Tilly turned to Sabrina. “She found a website online devoted to the Lady of the Beasts and emailed them in case they could help.”
Arand grabbed Tilly’s shoulders. “What website? Who did she contact? No one must know about us.”
“The message was vague enough so that if they didn’t know about you and the curse it wouldn’t make any sense.” She shrugged out of Arand’s grasp. “But if they are your friends, they might be able to help.”
Tilly held out a set of keys to Sabrina. “Take the car. I’ve put a few things in the backseat, just some food and candles and some stuff Jessica said you might need. Jessica is going to come over when she’s ready and we’ll find a way to get to you.”
Sabrina shook her head. “No. You guys stay out of this. You’ve already done enough.” No way did she want to be the cause of her friends getting hurt.
Tilly leaned in to hug her again. “Does he really turn into a wolf like Jessica said, or was that just one of those metaphorical things?”
Sabrina laughed and hugged Tilly tighter. “He really does turn into a wolf, a huge gray and black timber wolf. But he’s all alpha in other ways too.”
Tilly’s throaty laughter eased some of the stress weighing Sabrina down. It was such a comfort to have good friends. “I take it you’ve already tried him out,” she whispered.
“Women, I am standing here and can hear every word you are saying.” A quick glance at Arand confirmed he looked more than a little put upon.
“True?” Tilly whispered.
She nodded. “He’s got enhanced eyesight and hearing and I’m not sure what else. He can also conjure a huge sword.” One look at her friend made her smile broaden. She knew what Tilly was thinking. “I’m talking about a real sword, not his…male attributes.”
“Hey, as long as he can conjure both, he’s a man worth having around. You take care of yourself.” Tilly turned toward Arand, her hands on her hips. “You take care of her,
Arand studied her friend for a moment and then gave her a slight bow. “You have my word.”
“Good enough. Now get going.” Tilly turned and went back into her house, leaving Sabrina and Arand alone.
“Come on.” Sabrina hurried around to the driver’s seat, unlocked the door and climbed in. Reaching across, she went to unlock Arand’s door, but the lock popped open before she could reach it. She raised an eyebrow in question. “Handy talent.”
Arand lowered himself into the seat and shut the door. “I do have some powers.”
She started the car and yanked on her seatbelt. Safety first, even if Hades himself was after her. She pulled out onto the road and started toward the city limits. A quiet
“Tell me about your powers.”
“What do you wish to know?”
Sabrina stopped at a red light and drummed her fingers against the steering wheel. “I’m not sure. What can you do? What can’t you do? Where do you come from? Anything and everything?” When the light changed, she accelerated slowly. No way did she want to get pulled over by the cops for speeding.
Arand sighed and peered out the window. She realized that even now he was scanning, watching and searching for any potential danger. He was a true warrior and protector, always on alert.
“The Lady of the Beasts created us.”
“Were you born or did she poof you out of thin air?” Somehow it was impossible to imagine Arand as a small boy.
He gave a short bark of laughter. “I guess she poofed us out of thin air, as you put it. We came into being fully grown male warriors, each of us with certain skills and, of course, paired with an animal.”
Sabrina went over everything he’d told her, trying to get it straight in her head. “There was a jaguar and a phoenix, you said.” The memory of all he’d told her was muddled and she needed to get all her facts straight.
“Yes, there are seven of us. Roric is the white tiger and our unofficial leader. Then there is Marko the bear, Leander the lion, Stavros the jaguar and Phoenix.”
Counting in her head, Sabrina knew that Arand was one short. There was one he hadn’t mentioned. “Who are you leaving out?” There was something he’d told her, something important that she wasn’t remembering.
“Mordecai the serpent.” A low growl punctuated the words. “He has betrayed the rest of us and joined Hades.”
Now she remembered, and her stomach rolled over. “He’s the one who killed the woman who freed him.” It was easy to see why she’d tried to forget him. No way did she want to contemplate such a fate. There was no way she could fight off Arand if he decided to kill her.
The woman who’d freed Mordecai hadn’t had a chance. It was bad enough that the women who’d freed the jaguar and phoenix died, but at least the warriors they’d freed tried to protect them.
Time to put that unsettling thought aside and concentrate on the positive. “But you have powers, right?” That could only be good.
Arand growled in frustration. “My powers are weakened. I can manifest my clothing and weapons and not much else. My senses have always been acute so they are not affected by the long period in stasis. I do not know why my other powers have not returned.”
She could tell that was bothering him a lot. “Maybe you need time to recharge.”
“Time is one thing we do not have.” Arand turned away from her and stared out the window. Their conversation was officially over, for now. She’d give him some time before questioning him again.
Sabrina couldn’t imagine coming awake to a world that no longer remembered you, that was completely different from the one you’d left. Yes, he seemed to have absorbed learning and understanding, but seeing was believing.
She wondered what it was like for him to be sitting in a car watching the world go by. Sure, he’d been in the back of a truck when he was still in the form of the carousel animal. Had he known what was happening to him then?
She wanted to ask him but bit her tongue instead, giving him some time to himself. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and followed the road out of town. She hit the I-10 and felt herself relax. Not too much longer until she could turn off onto the I-55 toward the Maurepas swamp and her granny’s home.
Jessica willed the taxi to hurry, but she supposed the driver was going as fast as he could. She breathed a sigh of relief when Tilly’s house came into view. “Thank the goddess.”
“You say somethin’, lady?” the driver asked.
“Just talking to myself.” She smiled sweetly at him, although from his startled expression after he glanced at her in the rearview mirror, it had probably looked more like she was baring his teeth at him.
The driver said nothing as he pulled the car to a stop in front of Tilly’s place. She all but threw the money for the fare at him, grabbed her stuff and bolted from the taxi. Tilly was waiting for her, the front door to the shotgun-style house open. Like many older New Orleans’ homes, each room of the small house was directly behind the other, creating a clear view from front to back door so a shotgun blast could go in through the front door and out through the back. Hence the name.
“Did they make it off okay?” Jessica hurried toward Tilly, unable to rid herself of the feeling that time was running out for Sabrina and her warrior.
“They left almost an hour ago and should be there soon.” Tilly waved her into the living room where Jessica dumped her loaded tote bag on the sofa. “You got everything you need in there?” Tilly asked.
“I hope so,” Jessica muttered. She could only pray she wasn’t forgetting anything. “Have you had any luck lining up a ride yet?”
Tilly shook her head. “No. Most folks aren’t real friendly when you wake ’em early in the morning.”
“It’s past dawn now,” Jessica pointed out. The sun was rising over the horizon and the day promised to be a warm one, but a cold shiver raced down Jessica’s spine.
