Just Like Fire | J. Saltzman - Legacies [2]

F O R T Y - F I V E

"Care to tell me why we are trudging through the Bayou?" Lexi asks as Stella walks ahead. The blonde whines as mud covers her shoes while Stella just continues in her boots. "Stella?"

"Well, if I told you, you wouldn't have come," Stella replies over her shoulder with a teasing grin. Inside, she can feel her gut twisting every which way. She is not lying, per se, just withholding certain information with good reason. That reason being, she needs her mother or else she'll fail.

Lexi purses her lips with a sigh. "I cannot help you if you don't tell me what we're doing."

Out of the corner of her eye, Stella sees something moving in the trees. It only takes her a second to engulf her fists in flames and spin towards the movement to find nothing. "Mom, do you hear anyone?" She asks as she looks around.

"Just you and me. Why don't you put your hands down and explain?"

Stella clenches her jaw. "Did you tell someone about this?"

Lexi rolls her eyes. "How could I? I have no idea where we are going."

"Bullshit, Nyx got the location from you."

With a frown, Lexi shakes her head. "What location?"

Narrowing her eyes, Stella lets out a huff and crosses her arms expectantly. "Really? I wouldn't know where it is without you."

Another flash of darkness darts behind Lexi. This time, Stella only follows the movement with her eyes, her fists heating up. "Never mind," she mutters before she begins walking again.

"Stella," Lexi says, an edge in her voice. "Just explain."

With a flash of silver, Stella's eyes finally find the source of the movement. A man stands by her destination with his arms crossed over his chest and a grin on his face. He wiggles his fingers in the air as she opens her mouth. "Be careful," he says quickly. "Mommy-dearest can't see me. Maybe it's better that way. She'd only try to stop you."

After a moment, Stella clears her throat. "It's better seen than said," she replies quietly as she steps up to the tree.

Lexi pales as she takes a step back. "Why are we here?"

Stella glances over her shoulder. "I need it." She hesitantly runs her fingers over the names etched into the bark, glancing at the man repeatedly. "Spells happen in threes. I need another power conduit, and this is the only one I know of. So, you are going to hold back your protection spell for a minute so I can get what I need."

The man scoffs. "Cue the refusal."

As Stella looks back at her mother, she frowns at the anger in her face. "No," Lexi says. "I will do a lot for you, Stella, but this?" Tears spring to her eyes. "To do this? I cannot."

"Cannot or will not?" Stella asks. "Look, I get you're scared—"

"This is not fear," Lexi snaps. "This is reality. This tree is off-limits."

"Really?" Anger rises in her stomach. "Like dark magic was off-limits? Mom, this is the only way to do what I need to do. Without this power, the spell will fail, and everything I have done will have been for nothing. People will die, but you have the chance to stop that now. Just weaken the spell."

As Lexi shakes her head, the man pushes off of the tree. Stella narrows her eyes as he walks over to her mother, circling the blonde. "She's smart, I'll give her that," he says with a click of his tongue. "But I'm a god. I would be a laughing stock if I fell for this nonsense. She wants to stop you from going through with it. Granted, I do too, but I know better than to deny you."