Tara sipped the tea and held the hot mug that Xtina had set in front of her. For some reason, she couldn’t seem to get her hands warm.
“What do you remember?” Colt asked her.
He was sitting beside her, his arm resting around her shoulders, and she doubted he would leave her side anytime soon. The way he looked at her, his eyes full of worry and love, made her feel warm on the inside.
She looked over at Selene for a brief moment and then made up her mind to tell them only what they needed to hear, knowing her sister would remain quiet.
“The three of us were standing in the field together. Then Selene and I mentioned that something didn’t feel right. The next thing I remember you were standing over us,” Tara explained.
“That’s it?” Colt asked her.
She nodded and glanced around the room. “What happened?”
“I’m afraid it was all my fault,” Joleen chimed in.
“Well, it started with me,” Liz said. “I did mention I’m an oracle, didn’t I?”
“Yes,” Tara answered, sinking back into Colt’s shoulder.
“That means I can see things. The future, the past, you name it. I knew the moment you decided to cut us out of the fun, what was going to happen. So just before you met with Brea, Ethan, Joe and me, the rest of us had met here.” She motioned around the room. “And came up with our plan.”
“You made a promise,” Tara said with a frown. She remembered sealing the deal.
“Well, the thing about promises…” Jess said, “is that you can’t make one if you’ve already made another that counters the deal. Basically, I got to them first. Besides, everyone knows that you make a pact with a witch before making a pact with a god…” Jess smiled. “The witch trumps a god every time,” she finished with a shrug.
Jacob’s arm wrapped around Jess’s shoulders.
“My wife came up with the plan to call the… your parents. We all knew they were both going to double-cross you,” Jacob said.
“It was sort of obvious. You can’t trust a god. Ever,” Joleen added. “So while Brea brought Colt to the silo, Joe went and got Scott here.” She motioned to the blond man who was brooding in the corner of the room. So far, the man hadn’t said a word to the group. Selene and he had spoken quietly in the field earlier.
“Who is…” Colt asked.
“Scott Logan,” the man said.
“My… a friend,” Selene supplied.
“We grew up together,” Scott added.
“I knew that the only way to call on the gods was to pull the two of you, Tara and Selene, from them. The spell I used to do that needed the people closest to the two of you,” Jess supplied.
“What happened?” Selene asked.
“Your parents came. They overtook you and were prepared to drag you away to consume your… well, you, I guess.” Liz shrugged. “No matter what future I saw, I knew that if they took you, everything would end. Whether in darkness, or in light, every world in existence was doomed.”
“So, we rescued you,” Xtina added.
“How?” Tara asked, feeling a little overwhelmed. The people she’d only known for a little under a month had risked their lives to save her and her sister. To save the world, yet again.
“We made a bargain with them. A sleeping god in exchange for the two of you,” Jess answered. A look of worry flashed between her and Jacob. “For now.”
“Why us?” Selene asked.
“Yin and yang,” Liz answered. “Lightness.” She motioned towards Tara. “And darkness.” She nodded towards Selene. “The same reason the two of you are more powerful together than apart. You are balance.”
“Rhea and Typhon hadn’t realized that they’d created the ultimate balance,” Joleen said.
“No matter how many lifetimes we’ve all lived, the one steady factor is that the two of you create stability,” Liz said.
Everyone remained silent for a while. Tara finished the tea and felt a little better.
“Do you think it’s true what Rhea said? That together, our power is a beacon for others to come?” Xtina asked.
“If so, then I guess we need to start planning for the next time we have to save the world,” Jess added.
Each person in the gang nodded. “Agreed,” most of them said.
“What about you?” Xtina asked Selene. “Your parents mentioned that the two of you”—she glanced at Tara as well— “would have more battles. Will you stick around here? Let us help you through whatever is coming?”
Selene glanced over at Scott, who didn’t even blink back at her.
“I… have some loose ends to tie up first,” Selene said, turning away from the man. “If there’s a place for me here…”
“We’re moving into a two-bedroom apartment tomorrow,” Tara jumped in.
“And opening a restaurant. If you need a job?” Colt offered.
Tara reached over and took his hand, overjoyed that he would so eagerly offer her sister a place in their lives.
“Then I suppose I’ll be back after,” Selene answered. Suddenly, she turned to Liz. “If you can see ahead that it’s the right choice?”
Liz smiled. “It is.” Liz’s eyes moved to the blond man. “For the both of you.”
Tara saw the man tense slightly.
“Thanks,” Selene said with a nod. “I think I’ll take Scott back to Atlanta.”
Selene stood up and walked to the door as Scott followed her.
The blond man stopped at the door. “It was… interesting meeting everyone,” Scott said, and then he walked out.
“That man doesn’t know it yet, but he’ll be back,” Liz said with a smile.
“You’re scary,” Colt joked. “Did you know all of this would happen?” he asked her.
“Yes,” Liz said with a smile. “Well, once Tara made up her mind to protect her friends.” She laid a hand over her stomach. “All of us.”
“You could have told me,” Tara suggested.
Liz shook her head. “You would have changed your tactic.” She pointed to her. “I don’t know if you know this about yourselves, but you’re stubborn.”
Tara smiled. “Only some of the time.”
“So, I teleported?” Colt asked Brea.
“I teleported,” she corrected. “You just came along for the ride. I brought you here from the field.”
He chuckled. “I didn’t even get some warning. I mean, one minute I was in the field…” He frowned. “How did we all end up in the silo one moment and the field the next? Then back to the silo?”
“That was my doing,” Joleen said. “Remember? I can command time and space. Liz mentioned that our powers were stronger in the silo, but in order to be able to push the gods, they had to think they were still in the field, where their powers were strongest.”
“So, you projected to everyone that we were in the field?” Colt asked.
“Something like that.” Joleen smiled. “Not bad for my first try I’d say.”
“On that note,” Jess stood up. “I feel the need to hug both of my men. Clara’s probably ready for us to pick Reed up.”
“We need to pick up Harper as well,” Xtina stood.
“I’ll get her,” Mike offered. “You head up. You’ve earned the extra sleep.” He bent and kissed Xtina.
As everyone shuffled out, she held onto Colt’s hand. They caught a ride to where Colt had parked his truck earlier that night, along the road to Xtina’s house.
“It’s a good thing your friends disobeyed you,” he said as he drove into the hotel’s parking lot. “You and Selene were apparently no match for your parents.”
Tara glanced over at him. “I may have lied a little about what I remember. About what happened after they took you,” she admitted.
He turned off the truck and looked at her.
“You did?” His eyes scanned hers.
“Yes. I noticed the moment that you disappeared that I no longer had the power to fight them. Selene and I tried our best. We both fought against the wind, against the storm that had surrounded us. I remembered what you’d found about Typhon, how a bolt of lightning had taken him out.”
“Please tell me I didn’t miss you throwing a bolt of lightning at a god?” he said, eagerly.
“I tried.” She winced. “Which is what apparently knocked both Selene and me out.”
“Practice,” he assured her. “Maybe you’ll get better with practice?”
She smiled. “Don’t think you have me fooled.” She took his hand in his. “You just think it’s hot, a woman who can toss lightning around.”
“Hell, yes.” He chuckled.
Tara’s smile fell away. “I doubt even with you by my side that we would have had enough strength to beat them both. Maybe if it had just been one, but together...” She shook her head. “My parents were too much for just us.”
“Apparently, not for your friends. Together, they somehow controlled the two gods. Manipulated and corralled them like they were children,” Colt said with a shake of his head. “Not only did they do that, but I’m pretty sure that if they had to, they would have overpowered them. I think Typhon and Rhea knew they were outmatched too.” He chuckled. “You should have heard Jess making demands.” He sighed. “I think they’re afraid of witches.”
“Together, I have a feeling the group can do anything. It’s one of the reasons I think I’m going to like staying in Hidden Creek,” she admitted. “I know you’re committed to opening your restaurant…”
“I’m committed to you,” he said, taking her hand in his. “If you’re staying, then so am I.” He pulled her into a kiss.