“Hello, Samara,” I said when I was close enough to breathe down her neck.
The elder goddess jumped with surprise, and when she swung around to face me, there was murder in her ocean-colored eyes.
“You,” she growled as she stared at me from head to toe. “For heaven’s sake, get out of my head.”
“Why should I?” I grinned. “You always entered my mind without consent. Now, tell me, how does it feel, Samara?”
“Why don’t you just go to hell where you belong?” she snapped before she took a step closer toward me, and at this point, our noses were practically touching.
This dream-like encounter seemed so real I could even smell her perfume, which reminded me of red roses and lavender. I took a quick moment to carefully study her, and her skin was smooth and bright like the finest white silk. Her lashes were long and as dark as night, and her lips were as crimson as the trees of the redwood. Her long, golden-brown hair tumbled over her bare shoulders, and she wore a sheer, light-pink gown with a deep neckline that exposed the curve of her full breasts.
“We both know you’re struggling with your faith,” I said as I stared deep into her eyes. “Why don’t you simply accept that you belong with us? With me?”
“Never,” Samara spat before she tried to spin around, but I reached out and grabbed her wrist without thinking.
The touch of her skin sent a shiver up my entire body, and we both stared at each other for a long moment before she snatched her hand back and looked at me like I was a monster.
“Don’t you dare touch me!” she snarled.
“You’ve never had a problem with it before,” I said as I took a step even closer, and I looked down at her full lips. “Remember when you kissed me? I knew you felt something.”
“You’re wrong,” she said, but there was a tremor in her voice. “Get away from me.”
“I won’t,” I said, and I could see her breasts heaving up and down as she stared at me with a mix of fury and confusion plastered across her face. “I can feel what you feel now. There’s no escaping it.”
“Get out!” she screamed before she placed her hands over her ears and took a couple of steps back.
For a moment, I thought she would fall over the cliff and down into the purple ocean, so I raised my hands in a truce and took a few steps back.
“Alright,” I said in a softer voice. “I will leave you be… but mark my words, we will see each other again soon. And then I’ll do all the things to you that you’ve been wishing for.”
Before Samara could answer, the world slowly vanished from existence, and when I opened my eyes, I was back inside my tent with my women. It was still pitch black, and everyone was deeply asleep, but I knew I couldn’t get another wink in, even if I tried. So, instead, I took care to slowly rise from the silks and blankets and quietly left the tent. When I was outside, I passed by the pile of slumbering familiars and saw Vanessa was wide awake and sitting by the edge of the forest. Her familiar was lying down next to her with her heavy wolf head on the dark-haired witch’s lap.
“You couldn’t sleep, either, I take it?” I asked before I sat down next to her.
“No,” she replied without looking at me. “There’s too much on my mind.”
“Me, too,” I responded as I watched the sun slowly peeking over the horizon.
“Did she speak to you again?” the professor asked without turning to look at me. “Samara, I mean. Not the mysterious woman from your dreams.”
“Yes, I spoke with Samara,” I said, and this time, Vanessa turned to me with wide, curious eyes. “I’ve been able to penetrate her mind, rather than the other way around. It all began after we discovered the second artifact.”
“That’s impressive,” she said in a stoic voice. “Do you think she’ll listen to you?”
“She won’t have a choice,” I replied with a small shrug. “Once we have the third artifact in our possession, anyway. It will be over for her, and she knows it.”
“True,” Vanessa sighed before she turned back to look at the rising sun. “Wake up the others… it’s nearly time to sneak into the kingdom, and we still need to find those ingredients for the potion.”
“Of course,” I said, but before I stood up, I carefully studied her profile, and as the sun glowed on her dewy, flawless skin and long dark hair, I couldn’t help but admire her beauty but deep sadness as well. “Are you alright, Vanessa?”
The professor quickly clenched her jaw, and for a moment, I thought she would snap at me for using her name, but instead, she looked down at her hands and took a deep breath.
“I’m fine, Cole,” she replied in a soft voice, “but please, don’t ask me again.”
“If that’s what you want,” I answered before I left her alone with her thoughts for a few moments longer.
I turned to go into the tent, but by the time I slipped inside, the women were already getting up, and some of them were either braiding or pulling up their hair.
“I think the rest of you should stay here while Penelope and I hunt for the ingredients,” I said as I looked at each woman. “There’s no point in all of us wandering deep into the woods and separating from one another.”
“Yes, master,” they replied.
I turned to look at the orange-haired Wicca. “Are you ready, Penelope?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “Let’s go.”
