Fantasy Land

Chapter 24

Willow

Damon

"Aunt Willow?" I ask as I take her in. She looks just the same as when I was younger, knowing smirk on her face as she holds a rifle over her shoulder. Not a new one, one of the old ones from decades ago.

"Give the sweet boy a minute will ya?" She says, strolling over with a weird walk. As if she's compensating for an instability that isn't there. She gives Callum's foot a kick, causing him to rocked upright with wide eyes and gasping for air.

"Callum?" I ask as he catches his breath. It's safe to say we're all astounded.

"I died?" It sounds like more of a question than answer. "You're an angel." Callum says as he looks up at Willow. Fafnir let's out a loud and hearty laugh at the comment.

"Far from it actually." Willow says. "You'll have to thank your girly for the life save." She turns to me. "Now, where's my dear Mystique. I've been waiting to hug her for decades." Fafnir's laugh dies sharply.

"She's alive?" I ask softly.

"Course she is. Where else would she be but here after finding out you're alive dear boy." Willow cups my cheek. "I don't remember you being this naïve."

"She's not here." I tell her. Willow turns a deadly glare to Fafnir who actually looks slightly scared.

"Not here?" Willow steps towards Fafnir with her arms crossed. "Where is she?" Willow demands.

"I don't know." Fafnir says honestly.

"You don't know?" Willow takes a deep breath.

"This will be good." A boy says beside me. I look down to see a kid who looks like the perfect likeness to Willow, hair a brighter red rather than her copper rust colour. "Mom's been looking forward to seeing Mystique again for forever."

"Do promises mean nothing to you anymore?" Willow screeches making my ears ring. "You swore to me you'd look after her until she was able to free herself or you could free her."

"I tried." Fafnir shouts back. "I tried every god damned spell I could to try and free her, but nothing worked. They came for me and I've been leading them away from her ever since."

"Damn bastard." Willow growls under her breath.

"Stupid half blood." Fafnir shoots back.

"For those of us uninformed, where exactly if my mother?" I ask, cutting into the heated exchange of insults.

"She's been trapped in elvish magic. Ancient shit we can't undo without the original caster." Willow explains.

"Who is dead." Fafnir interjects.

"She is trapped in her own mind, her body locked in stasis. She's been like this since we came back from war. Fafnir was supposed to watch over her until we could break the spell."

"She's alive?" I ask, heart racing.

"Barely." Fafnir let's out a cruel scoff. "If she were still somehow alive, she'd have lost her mind by now. There's no reason to go save that damn creature."

"Still angry about Jillian?" Willow asks in a cold voice id never heard.

"Wouldn't you be?" Fafnir asks, eyes flickering to the boy beside me.

"No." Willow crosses her arms as she steps between Fafnir and the boy. "Bitch deserved it anyways." Willow turns to me now. "I hear you have a mate kidnapping issue you need solved. Allow me to offer my services."

I open my mouth to respond when a cough takes over. I keel over from the coughing fit, pulling my hand back to see a small pool of blood there.

"Best get moving without delay then." She helps me stand upright again. "Children, follow along, would you?" Willow walks off into the woods then, the boy following her. My pack mates give me a questioning look.