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

Chapter 10.2

Ezra

It was well past sunset. A young monk had visited us in the twilight hour, bringing fresh food and lighting the candles set in little alcoves along the walls of our room. Avery and I sat on the far side from where Hunter was still parked near the doorway. He'd curled on to his side, using his arm as a pillow. Even with his eyes closed, I didn't think he was asleep. I could see the tension in his body clear across the room.

Avery offered a piece of the green fruit she'd peeled and I took it. The thought of eating turned my stomach, but it was something to do, and I knew I'd probably feel better if I did eat. But honestly, I was more concerned with what was happening with John,

I kept trying to distract myself by making plans, but my thoughts just circled. What were we supposed to do now that we'd gotten John here? We still needed to head back to Tamner's village and meet up with the twins and Benji. And Hunter still needed to learn how to summon his demon. But after that? What then?

Another piece of fruit appeared in my line of sight. I looked at Avery and she gave me a sad smile.

"It's going to be okay. John will be okay. I can see it."

Reaching out, I accepted the fruit from her fingers but held on to her hand. "If it's going to be okay, why do you look so upset, then?"

Avery glanced away and shook her head. "It's not going to be great anytime soon, but in the end, I think we'll all be okay."

I started to ask her what she meant, but something caught her attention behind me. I turned to see that Poe had reappeared in the doorway. His hair wet hair dripped on to the different set of robes he'd changed into. The expression on his face was one of exhaustion.

"How is he?" I asked, climbing to my feet and held out a hand to help Avery to hers.

"John is resting now," Poe said, stepping into the room.

Hunter popped up off the floor like he was spring-loaded. "Did it work?"

Frowning, Poe looked at each of us in turn. "It was too late for the monks to repair the damage caused by the poison."

The bottom fell away from my stomach.

"Oh, no," Avery whispered behind her hands.

"I was able, however," Poe continued, "to create a new connection between him and his power. It'll be different and I doubt he'll still have his affinity with the Earth. But he'll have something to work with."

Relief rushed through me, taking all the tension I'd been holding on to. John would be fine.

"Can we see him?" Hunter asked.

Poe nodded and turned, signaling us to follow him with a flick of his hand. I let Avery step ahead of Hunter and me as I reached over to squeeze his shoulder. Hunter dipped his head at my touch but didn't say anything.

One cavern-like room led to another, then into a hallway. Candles the same as the ones that had been lit in that I'd began to call "our room," lined the corridor, casting wavering shadows as we followed Poe deeper into the mountain. He finally stopped at a doorway that was covered by a woven tapestry and pushed cloth back.

John was inside, laying on a rough-made wooden bed, and covered with a large fur blanket. His eyes were closed and his breathing easy. In the light from the cluster candles next to him on the table, his skin looked pale and his hair was soaked with sweat. Or was it wet with water as Poe's was?

Hunter pushed past us all, walking quickly over to sit on the edge of John's bed while the rest of us paused at the door.

Poe opened his mouth to say something but held back as Avery placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm glad that we could check in on him, but we should probably leave the two of them alone," Avery whispered. She squeezed between me and Poe and stepped back out into the hallway.

I watched her form disappear into the dark hall for a moment more before turning back to Hunter and John. Hunter had taken John's hand into his own, and John's eyes were open.

"How long will it take him to recover?" I asked softly, not wanting to disturb them.

"It'll take as long as it does. I'm not well versed in the complexities of witch magic, but I wouldn't expect it to take more than a week," Poe said, watching the others closely. "He's one of the Lost Children, correct?"

"Yes, he was the first to return after I put out the call. He just needs to learn how to summon his demon. And then hopefully, he and the twins can learn how to make the portals as well. We need someone else to be able to travel here as I can."

Poe nodded sagely and stepped back. "Yes, I think that is wise. You don't want to be tied up by having to take care of all the travel arrangements."

He said that last bit with a grin, letting the tapestry that hung on the door fall back into place. "Come we will go, get some food and talk some more. I feel like there is more between us that needs to be spoken."

I looked over at him, as we walked side by side back down the corridor. Poe was more than a teacher and old friend. He was my great grandfather and one of the Reinhardt's famous leaders. He had all the history that, after Nathan had killed him, I thought I would never have a chance to know.

"I would like that."

JOHN

I had the sensation of someone sitting very close to me, with a hand wrapped around one of my own. I didn't want to wake up just yet. A heaviness had filled my body and there was no resisting the exhaustion that threatened to pull me under.

Whispers drifted across the room and I forced my eyes open. Poe and Ezra stood in the doorway across the room, but I couldn't catch what they were saying to each other.

The hand around mine tightened. "John?"

Hunter was perched on the edge of the bed, leaning over. I felt a smile pull at my lips as I struggled to keep my eyes open. "Hey."

"How are you feeling?" His voice sounded as tired as I felt.

"Sleepy," I mumbled. I pulled at his hand weakly. "Lay down with me."

As Hunter stretched out beside me, the thin wooden bed protesting our combined weight, I felt whole. More so than I had before I fell through that first portal with Ezra last year. More than when I left for that first day at the University. It was as if something had clicked into place. I had my friends who'd cared about me, who had traveled this all this way to help me. They had done more than what I thought my own blood would do.

I burrowed closer to Hunter, laying my head against his chest. This would be my new home. Right here. My world would be what I made it, and nothing less.

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Stay safe my friends.  - J.D.