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  “You made me a better man,” he whispered. “You saw me when no one else did. I will never forget you, my Jessie.”

  Gulping down the lump in his throat, he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. When he came back up, he had her in his arms. He carried her down the stairs to the waiting tribe of witches.

  Brandon stood next to his sister as Daniel passed them. He could see the pain in their eyes. He could feel their pain. Daniel walked over to Rickon, Robb and Justin, where they all kissed her on the forehead saying their goodbyes. He took a deep breath as he walked to Asteria.

  “You will prepare her for the Trials?” he asked, Jessie still cradled in his arms.

  “She will face the Trials in one week with what she knows, and what she can learn in that time frame. Unfortunately, I have been forbidden to train her.”

  “Then she will die either way,” Rickon said.

  “I’ll go with her.” Daniel turned to Helena. “I can help her train. I’ve already been teaching her,” Helena said.

  “You are not an Amazon,” the witch to Asteria’s left said.

  “No, but I am a woman, and that’s the only requirement according to your laws.”

  “Then you also know that sharing our location is punishable by death,” Asteria said.

  “I do. I will obey your laws.”

  “Helena, you can’t go,” Bender said.

  “I’m the best fighter here. I’m not being cocky, but it’s true,” Helena said. “If Jessie only has a week to learn enough to pass the Trials, then I’m her best shot.”

  Asteria squinted her eyes at Helena before finally saying, “Very well. You may come as her trainer.”

  Daniel looked to Helena. He had never been so grateful for Helena than he was right now. Helena nodded to him before taking Jessie from his arms. Colt came over and kissed Helena before she turned back to Daniel.

  “I will make sure she passes,” Helena said.

  Daniel nodded and then looked at Jessie one more time.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “It’s time,” Asteria said. Helena stepped back as all the witches held hands. Asteria put her hand on Helena’s shoulder and in less than a second, they vanished, along with Daniel’s heart.

  CHAPTER 18

  Helena felt like she could throw up when her feet hit the ground. She had only teleported once before, and she hated it then as much as she hated it now.

  She shifted Jessie in her arms and looked around. It looked like an island. Sand covered the ground, and although Helena couldn’t see the ocean, she could smell the salt in the air and hear waves crashing against rocks nearby.

  The sun was hot as it shone down on her. Her jeans and long sleeve shirt stuck to the sweat on her body, and the sweat was already beginning to drip down her face.

  “Follow me,” Asteria said, waving for Helena to come. Helena carried Jessie in her arms towards a shack made of bamboo branches and leaves. It was a circular building with no windows. Only one way in, or out, and all that covered the entrance was lion skin.

  Helena ducked her head as she entered the short door frame. She was thankful that the ceiling stretched up and she could straighten her back.

  The shack was small, and every wall was lined with shelves and a counter that wrapped the exterior of the room. Helena could smell the different ingredients and herbs that sat on the counter, along with bowls and grinding tools scattered around. In the middle of the hut sat a long table with no chairs.

  “Put her down there,” Asteria said, motioning to the table. Helena laid her in the middle and stepped back. Asteria walked around the dark room and lit the torches along the walls with her magic.

  “Her powers are strong,” Asteria said. “And unchecked. I have to lift the spell Agnes put on her and replace it with one that will allow Jessie to control her magic without it ripping her apart.”

  “You can do that?” Helena asked.

  “I guess we will find out,” Asteria said shortly.

  Helena rolled her eyes, but she took another step back just in case. Just because she could heal herself didn’t mean she couldn’t feel pain.

  Asteria began mixing something in a bowl before she wrapped something else in white paper. She lit a fire over the bowl and Helena watched the liquid burst into flames. Asteria then took the rolled up paper and lit the end. White smoke began to fill the shack. Asteria walked around the table, circling the trail of smoke like a ribbon. It weaved in and out and Helena recognized the pattern. Asteria was making symbols in the air. They were ancient symbols that Helena hadn’t seen in over two thousand years. Each one floated to the middle of the room before dropping down to Jessie’s body.

  When Asteria had made a complete circle around Jessie, she stopped at her head and put down the burning white sage. Slowly she lifted her hands to Jessie’s head and placed one on each temple. In the same ancient language, Asteria began to whisper.

  Jessie’s body jerked and Asteria began whispering faster. The torches flickered, as a wind picked up in the shack. Helena looked around as the plants and herbs blew with the breeze, her hair flying across her face. She looked back at Jessie as the torches blew out one by one. Helena could feel the power swirling around the room. It was strong and consuming. Jessie began to seize under Asteria’s hands. Her body was jerking in a thousand different directions. Helena feared that her bones would snap from her movements.

  And then she fell still. The wind stopped swirling and the torches relit as if they had never been touched.

  A minute passed. Maybe two.

  Helena was about to walk to the table when Jessie’s eyes flew open and she sat straight up.

  Jessie looked up at Helena as she gasped for breath. She looked around the room before her eyes landed on Asteria behind her. She sat up and looked at her.

  “Where am I?” Jessie asked the woman.

  “You’re home, my daughter.”

  CHAPTER 19

  “Daughter?”

  Jessie sat up on the hard table and looked at the beautiful blond woman. Maybe she didn’t hear her right? Or maybe it was just an expression? She looked in her late twenties, but there was maturity to her delicate face. Her hair was braided back into three elegant French braids that flowed past her narrow shoulders. Her frame was small, but Jessie had no doubt that this woman could rip her a new one if she wanted to. Even her honey colored eyes were fierce.

  Jessie did a double take as she looked back to the woman’s eyes. Her eyes.

  “What did you call me?” Jessie asked.

  “My name is Asteria, and you are my daughter.”

  Jessie blinked. She looked at Helena and Helena nodded back to her. Jessie turned back to Asteria.

  “I’m your daughter?”

  “Did you think you had no mother?” Asteria asked. “Even Helena had a mother once.”

  “You can leave me out of this family reunion,” Helena said.

  “So this is real?” Jessie asked Helena.

  “Oh, it’s real, all right. And it gets better.”

  “Better?” Jessie knew Helena never said things get better.

  “Yeah, as it turns out you’re half witch,” Helena said.

  Jessie’s blood turned cold. Everything her father had feared was coming true.

  Ashley must have found out what she is, and sent the Dark Lords to do her dirty work. And she sent their best. Jessie had no hope of defeating Helena.

  There was only one thing she could do.

  Run.

  With panic spurring her on, she quickly leapt from the table and ran outside at full speed. The sun blinded her, making her stop in her tracks. She looked around at the sand filled terrain. She thought she was in the desert, but she caught the scent of sea water and heard the waves folding into themselves to the east.

  Either way, this was definitely not New Orleans.

  And a new panic rose in her.

  Where was her family?

  “Dad!” Jessie called out. “R
obb! Justin!”

  She frantically turned, her feet sending sand flying in every direction.

  “Dad!”

  “Jessie, calm down.” Jessie turned to Helena with a new rage inside her.

  “Where are they?!” Jessie screamed. “What did you do with them?”

  Jessie didn’t care if Helena could take her in a fight. She didn’t care if she would lose. She ran up to Helena, her fists swinging. Helena quickly stepped to the side, and Jessie went face first into the sand. She quickly jumped to her feet and started swinging again. Each time, Helena was able to dodge her blows, only infuriating her more. She kept swinging, her rage and fear packed into each punch.

  “Jessie, calm down!”

  “Stop telling me to calm down! Where is my family?”

  Jessie didn’t give Helena a chance to answer. She swung her right arm into an uppercut, slamming her fist into the bottom of Helena’s jaw. Helena staggered back, flexing her mouth.

  “Enough!” Helena said.

  Jessie wasn’t going to quit. If Helena taught her anything, it’s never let up. She swung again, but Helena acted fast and grabbed her right wrist. Helena pulled her arm, twisting it. Before Jessie had a chance to process what had happened, Helena had her on her knees in a headlock.

  “Will you stop?” Helena said, still pinning Jessie’s back to her.

  “Never!” Jessie tried to hit Helena, but Helena held her secure. It was useless. This was her end. But her brothers didn’t have to die, too. Jessie felt her tears start falling down her cheek. The realization that her brothers were dead sunk in, and it shook her to her core. She loved them. And now they were gone. All because of her. She knew she would be the cause of their deaths.

  Jessie felt Helena let her go, and she sank forward on her knees, her shoulders trembling with each sob.

  Jessie looked up to Helena.

  “They were innocent,” Jessie said. “They were only trying to protect me. They didn’t deserve to die.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “My brothers were innocent. They were only doing what they were told. Why did you have to kill them?”

  “First of all,” Helena said as she dusted the sand from her pants. “I wouldn’t describe your brothers as ‘innocent’. They fuck anything with boobs and an ass. Second, they’re not dead, unless they’ve done something stupid in the past hour that we’ve been here. And lastly, why would you ever think I would kill them?”

  “You mean they’re not dead?”

  “No.” Helena creased her brow as she continued, “Why would you think I would kill them?”

  “Because I’m half witch. Ashley didn’t send you to kill me?”

  “Holy Hell, Jessie. I’m a Dark Lord not an attack dog. I don’t kill on command, and I don’t do other people’s dirty work. I’m your friend, and that’s not a word I use lightly.”

  “Then where am I?”

  “The Island of Woe. It’s the Amazon’s island. You’re an Amazon witch.”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  “It means there’s a way to beat the disease that’s killing you.”

  Jessie’s head was spinning. She sat down and looked around. Really looked around.

  Palm trees were spread throughout the island, growing thicker as they moved farther inland. A few shacks were scattered around, varying in shape and size, and cross-bridges stretched from tree to tree. The sky was clear and bright blue with the sun shining down on the white sand.

  But what really caught her attention was the amount of women that had circled around to watch the fight. Tall, and short. Fair skinned and dark skinned. But despite the obvious differences, they all dressed similar with fur braziers, some leather, and fur, or leather skirts and boots. They also all wore weapons of some sorts. Spears, bow and arrows, swords, daggers, and Sais. Jessie even thought she saw a chakram hanging on the belt of one of them.

  “This is real?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Helena said.

  “And my brothers?”

  “Safe in New Orleans with your father.” Helena held her hand out for Jessie. “Are we cool now?”

  “Yeah. We’re cool.”

  Jessie grabbed Helena’s hand and stood up, wiping the sand from her jeans and shirt. Jessie looked around again. This was too surreal. Helena went over and rested her arm on the top of Jessie’s left shoulder.

  “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.”

  “You got that right.”

  “I’m glad you were willing to fight for your brothers,” Jessie turned to the woman from the shack. “But you have a long way to go in your training.”

  “Training?”

  “I told you it gets better,” Helena said.

  “Yes,” Asteria said. “I’ve been forbidden to train you in combat, so Helena has offered to continue your training.”

  “What exactly is going on here?”

  “Long story short,” Helena said. “You went all rabid on Daniel, Agnes had to come and put you in coma, then your mom showed up and said you can be cured of your disease if you can pass some test thingy on your one hundredth birthday. Apparently, it’s some Amazon loop hole.”

  “What do you mean I went rabid on Daniel?”

  “You nearly tore him to shreds. Ashley had to go all ‘Alpha Wolf’ on you and command you to wolf form.”

  “Is he okay?”

  “Do you doubt my healing abilities?”

  “No, I just, I can’t believe I did that.”

  “Neither could we. It seems your bitch side was coming out. I mean witch side.” Helena winked.

  “Then what’s your excuse?”

  “Ha. Ha.” Helena rolled her eyes.

  “Seriously though, Daniel is okay? Is he mad at me?”

  “No. In fact, he was so worried about you he didn’t even care about his injuries.”

  “Back to the task at hand, daughter,” Asteria said. “You have a far way to go before you are ready for the Trials.”

  Jessie turned to the woman.

  “Why do you keep calling me your daughter?”

  “Because you are.”

  “My mother abandoned me when I was a baby.”

  “I left you so you could go through the Change. And now, if you pass the trials, you won’t be a werewolf anymore. You will be an Amazon.”

  “I don’t want to give up my wolf half.”

  “You don’t have a choice. You cannot be both.”

  Jessie looked to Helena.

  “This will allow you to live,” Helena said. “This is your only chance.”

  Jessie looked back to Asteria. She never thought she would meet her mother. She looked like her. But she had been a wolf for so long. She loved being a wolf.

  “So I become a witch.”

  CHAPTER 20

  “Get up.”

  Jessie tried to catch the breath that was knocked from her. Her back screamed in pain as her lungs filled. She looked up to see Helena standing over her. Her leather pants were skin tight and her black tank top was already soaked in sweat. Jessie wiped the sweat from her own brow. Unlike Helena, who refused to wear a skirt, Jessie opted for the Amazon’s clothes. Her lion’s skin skirt was dangerously short, and her top was little more than a bra, but it was much cooler in the hot sun. Jessie still wasn’t sure how she felt about the clothes yet, but right now, she had bigger problems.

  They had been training all day. Helena was teaching her, but she wasn’t an easy teacher. Helena held nothing back, and each blow was meant to wound. Jessie already had bruises forming up and down her arms and legs, and based on the pain in her jaw and ribs there would be bruises there as well. Jessie thought the training in New Orleans was hard, but she didn’t realize how much Helena was holding back. But not anymore. Helena was throwing everything at her, and Jessie’s face seemed to be catching it all.

  Jessie wasn’t a fighter. She never had been. That’s how she was raised. To be protected, not to protect. And now she had to fight
to survive.

  The Trials were in three days. A series of challenges, all in the effort of becoming a true Amazon. Jessie didn’t even know what that meant. An Amazon? The term was as foreign to her as her mother. A woman who shows up after nearly a hundred years and claims to be her mother. If the woman was her mother, then how could she just have abandoned her? Asteria tried to explain it last night. She tried to explain how she gave up Jessie to protect her, but the truth was Jessie didn’t care. She didn’t want her excuses. She didn’t want her reasons. All Jessie knew was that more pain was put on her in an effort to protect her.

  Everyone was trying to protect her, but they can’t protect her from her fate.

  The Trials were something Jessie had to face alone. She can train all day and night, but in the end, she was alone. She missed Daniel now more than ever. If only he could be here with her. She never felt alone when she was with him.

  Jessie slowly stood to her feet. The second she was on them, Helena attacked again. Jessie stepped back and tried to dodge the blow, but her chin still caught Helena’s left hook.

  “You’re not focused,” Helena said. “I know I say that a lot, but you have to learn how to prioritize the chaos.”

  “I’m trying.” Jessie rubbed her jaw as pain shot through the right side of her face.

  “Try harder. Focus.”

  Helena lunged again, and Jessie barely missed her fist. She tried to return with a right jab, but Helena blocked it and sent her right fist into Jessie’s ribs. Jessie staggered back and hunched over as she held her side.

  “Do you need a break?” Helena asked.

  “No. I just need to be better.”

  “You will be,” Helena said.

  Jessie shook her head as she thought about her impending doom. She knew the disease would kill her eventually, but three days? She was getting better at fighting, and she had all the steps down, but she was no match against Helena. And to make matters worse, she had no idea what she would be facing in the Trials. What if it was something worse than Helena? Jessie had a hard time believing there was anything worse than Helena, but there were so many unanswered questions.