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

Chapter 8.2

EZRA

Kaylee stared at John with star-struck awe. Her father wrapped an arm around her shoulders and looked up at me with what I thought was hope in his eyes. "Has the war ended then?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "It's just become more complicated. I don't even know where to begin."

"But you really are a witch?" Kaylee asked, peering around her father to look at John. "Can you show me?"

John glanced down at his hand that was intertwined with Hunter's. "I wish I could, but it's complicated. I can't reach my power anymore. "

Benji's gaze swung back and forth between John and I. "How is that possible?"

The fire crackled between us as I tried to find my words. "The witches have developed a new weapon. John took a shot that was meant for me during a fight. It's part of the reason we're still here in the Half World."

No reason to mention that it was my brother who'd tried to poison me, or that he was why we had run to the Half World the first place.

"We were told about a temple," Avery said. She was twisting her blonde hair up into a bun, her hands working quickly. "And that the monks there might be able to help John regain his power."

Benji looked at us all in surprise. "That's a long ways from here."

"I'd do anything to help my friends, especially John," I said, glancing at John. He ducked his head as if what I'd said was too much. But it was only the truth. John had given up everything for me. There wasn't much I wouldn't do for him.

"And it's not just about that," Anissa said from the other side of the fire. "Ezra is the only one of us Reinhardts with power. Tessa and I, and Hunter, too. We all still need to find some demons. We need to rebuild the family."

Benji paled at her words. "What do you mean, rebuild?"

Bowing my head, I fought to fidget with my hands. "We here are nearly all that remains of the Reinhardts. There's one other, still in our world, but I've yet to meet them."

The noise of the fire took over, the conversation falling away.

"I can't believe it, I know we weren't in a great place when I -left. But I never thought..." Benji words trailed off.

"For a long time, the families thought all of the Reinhardts had been killed." Avery turned to smile at me. "But then, I guess fate had other plans. "

"How were you able to activate your Talent without another Reinhardt to bring you here for a Test?"

Benji's question brought an ache to my chest that I had to push down before I could answer him. "Even though I was raised as a Stanwood, when I went to take my Test, I was lucky to have a Reinhardt with me, in a way."

He looked like he was going to ask me more, but I continued. "It's hard to explain, but probably the easiest way to put it is that the gods had a hand in it." Which wasn't far from the truth. Poe had asked them to send him to me.

Benji turned to John, "And the two of you became friends, even with the war?"

John smiled. "That's another odd story, probably better if we told you another time." He said with a quick glanced at Kaylee. "Though I think it's safe to say that our friendship is definitely out of the norm. Though there are a few of us witches that don't agree with the war."

I thought of Hunter's father, and the hedge witches that were against the war. Hunter smiled at John, leaning into his shoulder to offer John his support.