Will of the Witch [Legacy, BK 2 - Completed]

Chapter 7.4

John

I shot up, my chest heaving with every gasping breath I swallowed. Wiping at my face, I fought against the lingering images from the nightmare and struggled to clear my mind of teeth and claws.

The fire had died down to a low flame, and everyone else slept soundly nearby. Even Hunter, who was rolled onto his side, facing me. His eyes were peacefully closed, all the strain gone from his features.

Watching him helped to calm me the most. I imagined what life might be like if we were together, what it would be like to kiss him and to hold him close. Just his being there chased the uneasiness of the dream away, though it left another kind of tension in its place.

I stood and, after a small wave to the warrior standing guard, walked off into the trees to relieve myself. Afterward, I didn't feel ready to try to sleep again. I walked instead, staying where I could just see the light of the dying fire through the leaves, working my way slowly around the camp as I made my way through the darkness.

On the south side of the camp, I caught the sound of water. I glanced back at the others and found them still sleeping. Another guard stepped out from around a tree, whistling softly at me. I pointed towards the water and he nodded.

I walked towards the sound, emerging through the leaves on a small outcrop over a flowing river. The water stretched wide enough that it was difficult to make out the opposite shore in the darkness, but the break in the trees allowed a brilliant view of the night sky, with the moon and the expansive scattering of bright, shining stars.

The sight caught me off guard, stealing my breath as I offered up a silent prayer of thanks to the Goddess. Sinking down, I took a seat and dangled my legs the ledge. The water was a good fifty feet drop down, but the sound was soothing.

This was what I loved about the Half World when I first stumbled here behind Ezra. This untouched wilderness was filled to the brim with magic and natural power. But now, staring out at this amazing view, all I could feel were tears threatening to spill. While I could sense my power, I couldn't delve into the earth and feel the thriving plants living this close to the river, nor reach even further to learn what grew in the depths of the water. And who knew for sure if I ever would again?

The scenery blurred and I impatiently wiped the tears away. Anger rose in my chest. There was no question in my mind how Liam had gotten the poison. Nathan had given it to him. And Nathan had gotten it from the Witches, of course.

All this hate and killing and rage. It was senseless! What would my parents say if they'd known the same poison they'd been brewing for their so-called enemies, had been used on their own son? What would they do? Probably just find another way to justify it in the name of the cause, and use it to rally more witches into the war. Harness it as an excuse to kill even more Necromancers.

I stared up at the stars. For all their uses in navigation, I'd never felt so...lost.

Heavy footsteps came from behind me. I turned, looking over my shoulder, ready to get up and run back to the camp.

Hunter raised a hand, a half-apologetic grin on his face. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

Relaxing, I turned back to the stars. My face still felt wet, so I rubbed it against my arm again and hoped it didn't look like I'd been crying. "It's ok."

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, settling down next to me on the ledge. With a small area available, he sat close, our legs almost touching.

I glanced at him. He was taking in the view, his hair bedraggled from sleep. "Yeah, you?"

"Yeah."

We sat in silence, and I struggled with it. I should've said something, but everything sounded wrong in my head; too dry, too funny. Nothing fit the mood that had grown between us.

"This is beautiful," Hunter said finally, breaking the quiet.

"Hmm."

Oh, gods, I couldn't even think of a good reply. Why'd he even come out here? After everything I'd said to him in Tamner's hut. Shaking my head, I squeezed my eyes shut. I shouldn't have yelled at him. I turned to Hunter.

"I'm-"

"John-"

We both laughed a little, the tension melting away.

"You first," he insisted, giving me a shy grin.

"I'm sorry," I said, focusing on my hands in my lap. I picked at my nails, trying to find the right words. I don't know if they were, but they all came out in a rush. "About what I said a few days ago, I was upset and I took it out on you. I really shouldn't have done that-"

Hunter's hand rested on my shoulder, making me glance up at him. His eyes were kind, gentle, as he spoke. "It's okay, really. I can't even imagine what you're going through."

"I never really thought something like this could happen to me."

"With this poison out in the world, it could happen to anyone, no matter which side they're on. It's dangerous and it needs to be destroyed." Hunter dropped his hand, looking back out over the water. "That's what we should do. Once you've got your power, and I've figured out this whole summoning thing. We should find where the witches keep it all and get rid of it. Make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else."

The sincerity in his voice stole my breath away, and I couldn't look away from the way the moonlight caught the color in his eyes. The slight breeze coming off the water stirred the wild strands of his hair. It all cast a spell that seized my heart in a painful squeeze.

Hunter glanced back at me, about to say something else, but paused. Instead, he leaned in close, his lips hovering over mine as he stared into my eyes, a question unspoken between us.

Was he really doing this? Was I? Reaching up, I gently cradled his head with my hands and pressed my lips to his, giving in to him inch by inch. The velvety sensation as he pressed back sent tingles down my spine, and lifted my heart to a place I'd begun to think was completely out of my reach.

It was everything I craved and more.

After a long moment, we parted, but he pressed his forehead to mine, staying close as we both caught our breath.

"Sorry, you were going to say something earlier," I whispered to him, thinking back to when we'd both spoken at the same time.

"I only wanted to confess my feelings for you." Hunter straightened, sitting back, but there was a sad smile on his face. He shifted over closer, claiming one of my hands in his own. "I had to do it before something else tried to kill you."

That startled a small laugh out of me. "I have had a bad run of luck."

"Understatement of the year," he said, bumping my shoulder.

I looked down at our hands, liking the way his fingers fit in mine; the feel of it. Suddenly, I didn't feel so lost anymore.  

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Happy Valentine's Day !! 

I wasn't really planning on this scene going live on Valentine's Day, but it's certainly fitting.  

Here's a song that I used to help me write this scene, inspiration for Hunter and John <3