Page 54 of A Witch Out of Time
As if knowing what I needed to discuss, Tan gently prompted. “Why do you think your mother didn’t teach you about any of this, Acey? She said Nox’s grandmother was equipped to educate him on the gods and whatnot, so why didn’t she do the same for you?”
“I don’t know,” I sighed, adjusting my rifle along my back. “She claimed to have prepared me for finding Nox, but I honestly can’t remember anything unusual with my upbringing. My schooling, the sports I played and hobbies I had, it all matched what my peers were doing. It wasmyidea to enroll in a military-style boot camp, if only to reject the political path of my father. She and I were onvacationin London when we stumbled upon a recruitment event for the Facility…” I scowled, suddenly realizing that vacation may have been more of a business trip after all.
Another lie.
My fury had bubbled up again when Vasi suddenly spoke, her voice instantly calming me. “Perhaps she just wanted to be human.” When we all simply gaped at her, she shrugged. “Mokosh mentioned she somehow knew Tan had already been born, and so she focused her energy on raising you. I can only guess, but a god being given the rare opportunity to live as a mortal mother for a while? Perhaps she wanted to experience what it was like.”
We walked in silence for a few minutes, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Breathing evenly, I voiced the question I’d been too afraid to ask Mokosh when I had the chance. “Do you think she would have left me, too?”
So much love shot down the bond from every direction, I would have fallen over from the impact if Tan wasn’t suddenly draped over my shoulders to steady me.
Vasi answered carefully. “She may have if she’d been needed to create the third Rider. However, I also think she would have reconnected with you, as she most likely planned to do with Nox...eventually.” She sighed. “It’s difficult to explain howtimeloses its meaning when you know you’re living forever. I do understand your perspective, because I was human for the first 27 years of my life. But after 400 years of immortality, I often lose track of entire months. Therefore, I assume a human lifetime must feel like the blink of an eye to the gods.”
As usual, Tan added his special brand of levity to the conversation. “427, eh? I must say, you have aged remarkably well, mytutly juddah.”Vasi laughed, which only spurred him on. “And ifInow have eternity to look forward to, there are a few things I’d like to accomplish with my abundant time. Including—but not limited to—learning how to make baklava, finally readingUlyssescover to cover, and skydiving, preferably while my face is buried in magic pussy.”
I love this man.
We quieted again as the concrete mass of the Facility became visible between the old-growth trees. Crouching low, we cautiously approached the tree line, although you would have needed exceptional eyesight to spot us. Tan, Nox, and I were dressed in the full tactical gear we’d wear during our forest patrols, with Vasi outfitted in our leftover items. Being the tiny thing she was, our witch looked slightly ridiculous and not at all like anyone the Facility would recruit. We hoped she would blend in with the sea of camouflage during the confusion of the attack.
And if anyone tries to hurt her, one of us will kill them.
Crawling the last couple of yards, I swore under my breath at what awaited us. Hundreds of men were stationed outside the perimeter fence—armed to the teeth—with guns aimed at the surrounding forest on all sides. The only time I could recall seeing a display of this magnitude was during our company-wide simulations of an unlikely enemy attack.
It doesn’t seem so unlikely now.
“How thefuckdoes my father predict my every move?” Nox growled, veins bulging in his neck as he reached for his satellite phone, probably to call Gerard and regroup.
I grabbed his arm. “We stick to the original plan, Nox,” I hissed. “It doesn’t matter that they’re ready for us. The shifters will still provide the cover we need to get inside.”
“Right,” Tan agreed from somewhere behind his massive frame. “Not to mention, now there will be lesssvolochsinside for us to deal with, ya?”
Nox grunted in agreement, and I lifted my binoculars. Right on schedule, a large regatta of swans appeared on the horizon, their wedge-shaped formation blending with the overcast sky as they rapidly approached the recruits gathered below.
It’s time.
In reply, a chorus of bone-chilling howls and roars echoed through the trees. Matthew’s men shifted uneasily, but they held their positions against what was coming for them. The first wave of wolf and bear warriors appeared on the far side of the Facility, drawing our enemies’ attention in the opposite direction, just as the swans attacked from above. Shots were fired in response, with some younger recruits already breaking rank, and I smiled at the chaos already spreading. Rolling over to instruct Vasi on our next move, my blood turned to ice in my veins to find her missing.
“What is wrong with that goddamn woman?!”Nox roared like a bear himself, completely abandoning any semblance of stealth as he scrambled to his feet.
Horrified, I followed his gaze to find Vasi already on the battlefield, facing down hundreds of guns and bloodthirsty shifters, unarmed and completely alone.
Chapter 44
Vasilisa
Astrange calmness washed over me as I walked toward the deafening battle. Although not much could kill me, we already knew the Facility had been testing bullets to use against supernatural creatures, which possibly included me. At the moment, however, I wasn’t worried about the men screaming in rage and terror as a legion of brown bear and gray wolf shifters descended. Because I had a weapon in my arsenal that humans could never defeat.
Time.
I’d discovered something vital while my men and I chased our release together the night before. Just as my elemental powers were pulled from source, the bond between my Riders and I created a closed circuit that magnified this pull. This supercharge only enhanced my abilities.
While our pace never slowed, the surrounding forest had gone into an almost dormant state, a selectiveness similar to when I’d frozen everyone except Koschei so he and I could make our deal. Observing the army of humans waiting for us, I wondered if I could intentionally wield this power in a targeted but widespread way.
There’s no better time than now to try!
Hearing my men shouting my name as they closed in, I quickly reached one hand into my pocket to grab the doll while pointing at the Facility’s men with my other. Pulling on our bond, I supplemented our collective power with that of the ancient forest surrounding us and the blessing of my childhood. Aiming this store of energy at the line of humans before me, I focused on slowing their life-force to a crawl while allowing the shifters to continue attacking at full-speed.
Almost there...
