Romani Prophecy (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 4) Page 2

  “You’re that waitress from the café.” The man lowered his gun. “A bunch of vampires showed up. They didn’t attack the Romanies, but the Romani Elders didn’t want to take any chances, so they hired us to install the fence, put up cameras, and patrol the community.”

  Victor breathed a loud sigh of relief. “I don’t understand why you won’t let us in. I live here and—”

  “What’s the problem?” a familiar voice asked as three more men approached the fence, all wearing camouflage and carrying guns.

  “Ethan, is that you? Thank God,” Victor said. “It’s me.”

  “Isn’t that his cousin?” Rosella whispered. “This just got interesting.”

  I folded my arms, wondering if this night could get any worse. Rosella knew that I’d almost ended up married to Ethan Istrati. He was the jerk who’d put his hands on me. I hadn’t seen him in months and was surprised he’d cut his black hair short.

  Like the other men, Ethan wore camouflage clothes, had a knife strapped to his belt, and carried a shotgun. He was the last person I expected to find guarding the Romani community. This man didn’t have an ounce of bravery in his entire body.

  “Victor, what are you doing here? I thought you were in Dover.” Ethan and the men stopped a short distance from the gate.

  “We heard about the storm, and I couldn’t get hold of Drina. Is she okay?” Victor asked.

  “Yes, she’s at her parents’ house. They’re safe.” Ethan tilted his head, an oily smile on his face as he looked at me. “Sienna? Is that you?”

  “It’s me.” I held my head high. “Aren’t you going to open the gate?”

  Ethan rubbed his jaw, glancing from me to Rosella, then nudged his head at the gate. “Open it.”

  As the gate opened slowly, the men inside raised their shotguns. Ethan stepped outside the community and stood in front of the car while the others spread out.

  The man who’d refused to open the gate earlier looked at Victor. “If you’d told me your cousin was a Romani Elder, I would’ve—”

  “You’re an Elder?” I blurted out. Victor had never told me Ethan was an Elder, but then, why would he? It wasn’t as though I had any interest in his cousin or what he did.

  “Yes. A lot’s changed since you left,” Ethan said. “I’m guessing you’re here because of the vampires. They took out the phone lines and cell towers, but the Town Council’s promised everything will be up and running tomorrow.”

  Victor nodded. “We ran into some vampires tonight, and Sienna killed one of them.”

  “Hard to believe.” Ethan chuckled, looking me over again. “So, is the rumor about Kaleb true?”

  “What rumor?” My stomach tightened as I imagined the worst.

  “When the vampires attacked Norwood Isle again last night, they kidnapped Asher, and he named Kaleb pack alpha. They’re holding his alpha ceremony Thursday night,” Ethan said.

  My mind raced. That would explain why Drina hadn’t seen Kaleb. When he arrived in town, he must’ve heard about the attack on Norwood Isle and gone straight there to help. I couldn’t believe they’d managed to take Kaleb’s father.

  “Great.” Rosella sighed. “That’s three alphas and nine witches.”

  “Are you sure the vampires attacked Norwood Isle twice?” I asked, hoping Ethan was wrong.

  “Yes,” Ethan replied. “The Elders aren’t sure what to believe. Kaleb’s supposed to be dead, which would leave the Norwood pack without an alpha.”

  “I saw Kaleb in Dover. He’s alive,” Victor said.

  Ethan’s eyebrow shot up. “If that’s true, then you shouldn’t be here, Sienna. The wolves don’t like witches coming to town uninvited, and given you were—”

  “What the…?” The man to my left pointed his gun at the car. “There’s a Norwood wolf with them. I recognize him from the café.”

  With my telekinetic powers, I quickly locked the car doors. Luckily, Markus had already rolled up the window, and Rosella’s protection spell had a few hours left. “He’s not a threat. Lower your gun.”

  “He’s a wolf,” the man sneered.

  The other men pointed their guns at the car while Ethan yanked on the door handle. No way were these men getting their hands on Markus.

  “Unlock the door,” Ethan commanded.

  “No.” I scowled at him.

  Ethan’s lips twisted. “I’m a Romani Elder. You will obey me and open this door.”

  Rosella moved closer to the car, chanting under her breath. Hopefully, casting a stronger protection spell in case one of these men got trigger-happy.

  “Lower your guns,” I said again, louder this time.

  Suddenly, Ethan turned away from the car and pointed his gun at the side of the road. Their weapons raised, the other men scattered to my side of the vehicle, blocking my view of what was going on. It had to be those vampires, seeking revenge for their friend I’d killed.

  I walked around the men, preparing to summon fire. When I finally caught sight of what had scared them, it shocked me—three wolves, their eyes flickering yellow, watched us from beside the road.

  “Get back in the car, Sienna,” Ethan snapped. “We’ve got this.”

  The wolves’ ears perked up.

  Rosella appeared next to me and whispered, “Never a dull moment with you.”

  A soft chuckle escaped me. Leave it to her to find the comedy in this situation.

  “It’s that wolf in the car,” a man said. “We should hand him over.”

  “You’ll do no such thing.” I turned to the wolves and glared at them. “Leave now, or you’ll force—”

  A man tugged on the car door handle, trying to open it. When unsuccessful, he raised the butt of his shotgun and aimed for the window.

  With a wave of my hand, I knocked him to the ground. “Try that again, and I won’t be so nice.”

  As Rosella stepped closer to the car and Victor, she nodded at me while keeping her eyes on the men.

  Were these wolves from Norwood Isle? If they were, wouldn’t Markus have gotten out of the car?

  When a wolf growled and crept forward, the men cocked their shotguns.

  “Get back,” Ethan yelled.

  “You can’t shoot them,” I insisted. “If you do, you could start a war, and I guarantee that’ll upset the Elders. You should get behind the gate and close it.”

  “We’re not running, and we’re not listening to a lowly witch like you,” Ethan scoffed.

  I rolled my eyes and waved my arms, sending their guns flying over the fence. Then, with a flick of my wrist, I pushed the wolves fifteen feet away as the men pulled out their knives.

  Ethan’s eyes widened. “You can’t show up here and do whatever you want.”

  One wolf rolled over, righted itself, and snarled.

  “Leave!” I summoned a fireball and held it an inch above my hand, where it sizzled and spat red sparks. Something Rosella had taught me last night. Definitely one of the coolest things I’d ever seen.

  The wolves glanced at each other before running off into the dark woods.

  Grumbling, the men retreated and grabbed their guns, except for Ethan, who stood less than five feet from me, cursing.

  I extinguished the fireball and ran to check on Markus, who’d passed out in the back seat.

  “I see you’ve learned a few tricks,” Ethan grunted. “It’s time you guys left.”

  “We’re not leaving without Drina,” I snapped.

  “That wolf in your car isn’t welcome here,” Ethan said, “and you were banished from the community, so I shouldn’t even be talking to you. I’m not sure why Victor’s with you when he knows he and his family could be punished.”

  “Things are different now. Sienna’s a powerful witch,” Victor said. “The Elders need to meet with her.”

  “I seriously doubt that,” Ethan said. “The Elders won’t waste their time. They’ll only meet with the High Council, and when the phone lines are working again, we’ll call them to report what you
did tonight.”

  “Why wait when you have a High Council witch right here?” Rosella asked.

  “You expect me to believe you’re a High Council witch?” Ethan snorted a laugh.

  “Not me.” A huge smile crossed Rosella’s face as she nudged her head in my direction. She was enjoying this entire situation way too much.

  Ethan’s eyes widened as his gaze drifted to me.

  “She’s right. I’m a High Council witch.” I cleared my throat. Although I’d wanted to tell Kaleb first, Rosella had left me no choice. “We had a few issues at the Raven Coven, so now there’s a new High Council.”

  “You’re too young.” Ethan shook his head. “I know Calandra’s your mom, but there’s no—”

  “Calandra isn’t my mother. Marie Dinescu was.” I remembered what Victor told me—the Elders wouldn’t care about my banishment when they learned I was part of the Dinescu bloodline. Marie was from Woodlake and had lived in the Romani community. Calandra was a High Council witch, and we’d let everyone believe she was my biological mother. “Tell the Elders I’m the Lost Raven in the prophecy. They should understand what that means. That’s why we’re in town.”

  “I’ll speak to them, but it changes nothing tonight,” Ethan said.

  I bit my lower lip, fighting to control my anger and frustration. “We’ll leave, but Victor stays with his family.”

  “That’s acceptable.” Ethan strolled back through the gate, and one of the other men returned his gun.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll talk to the Elders and explain what happened.” Victor grabbed his bag from the trunk and looked at Markus. “Is he going to be okay?”

  “Yes.” I gave Victor a quick hug and whispered, “Get to the coven tomorrow. The witches will take care of our family until it’s safe. Promise me you’ll go.”

  “I promise.” Victor waved to Rosella then turned and hurried through the gate.

  As it closed behind him, Rosella and I got back into the car. My gaze stayed on Victor as he walked behind Ethan. At least Victor wouldn’t need to worry about Drina anymore. I just wished I could see her before they left town, but having them far away from the vampires and wolves was more important.

  “How do I get to Keswick?” I asked.

  “Head downtown.” Rosella pulled a piece of paper with directions to Keswick Camp out of her purse. “I still can’t believe your uncle almost forced you to marry that jerk.”

  “Yeah, I know.” I turned the car around and onto the main road, hoping nothing else happened tonight. I was much too tired and had a lot to think about, such as what Kaleb being the Norwood pack alpha might mean for us.

  Chapter 3

  The following morning, I woke up on a couch, alone. When we arrived at Keswick Camp last night, the electricity wasn’t working, and since none of us were familiar with the layout of the house, we’d decided to sleep in the living room.

  While Rosella and I slept on the couches, Markus slept in an armchair, even though I’d insisted he should take a couch. After we’d argued for some time, I’d relented and pushed the coffee table against the armchair so he could prop up his feet. Not the most comfortable, but he didn’t have to stay alert since my protection spell on the house kept us safe.

  The aroma of coffee drifted into the living room, signaling the presence of electricity and enticing me to explore. Like at Hale House, the living room here sat at the front of the house—across from an enormous library—and the kitchen and dining room were located at the rear, along with a half-bathroom. Although the bedrooms were on the second floor, bunk beds also lined both sides of the spacious attic.

  Someone had opened every window, letting in a pleasant cool breeze, and despite the slightly musty smell, the house was immaculate. No dust. No grime. Nothing out of place.

  After showering upstairs, I braided my curly brown hair and rummaged through my bag, trying to decide what to wear. Not that I had much to choose from. In the end, I decided on what I typically wore at the coven—a white blouse with the coven’s emblem stitched in purple on the right-hand side, a black skirt with its hemline sitting just above the knees, and my black knee-high boots. I tucked my hunting knife in the right boot and a small pouch of vials into the left.

  “Hey, guys?” I strolled into the kitchen, expecting to find Rosella and Markus, but instead, a fresh pot of coffee and a plate of muffins greeted me.

  With a cup of coffee in one hand and a blueberry muffin in the other, I headed out the back door and stood on the deck to admire the breathtaking view. The huge backyard contained an Olympic-size swimming pool, an outdoor kitchen with a grilling area, a metal pavilion with picnic tables, a large greenhouse, and a row of small cabins in the distance. Woods surrounded the backyard with paths that led to hiking trails.

  I followed the wraparound deck to the front of the house, where I found Rosella relaxing in a white rocking chair. She looked comfy in a long-sleeved pink shirt and white yoga pants, and she’d twisted her long black hair up into a high bun.

  “We’re fine,” Rosella said into her cell phone as she wiped her dark brown eyes. She pointed to the empty rocking chair on her right. “No, we haven’t seen Kaleb yet.”

  I took a seat, enjoying the fresh morning air and beautiful view. Unlike the backyard, the front yard had only grass and a road leading up to the house. No water fountains. No statues. No bushes or trees. Not even a fence to keep unwanted visitors off the property. Just grass, woods on both sides of the yard, and two metal light poles at the main entrance.

  “I know.” She clutched the heart pendant that hung on a gold chain around her neck, a necklace that once belonged to her mom. Glancing at me, she continued her conversation. “Sienna’s still in bed, but I can… Alright, I will. Bye.”

  Rosella set her cell phone on her lap with a sigh and wiped her eyes again.

  I sipped my coffee, unsure what to say. Asking if she was okay would be ridiculous. Of course Rosella wasn’t okay. She was still grieving her mother’s death, and I understood what she was going through. When my father died almost two years ago, nothing anyone said made a difference; it just made the grief worse. If only things had gone as planned the night of the Mabon Ball, then we wouldn’t be in this situation, and her mom would still be alive.

  “I see Ethan was right about the cell towers coming back online,” I said once I’d finished eating my muffin.

  “Yeah. My phone kept chirping this morning with a bunch of text messages. Made Wolfie all grumpy.”

  I smiled at her nickname for Markus. “Where is Markus? I didn’t see him inside.”

  “Wolfie went for a run, but he made me swear we wouldn’t leave the protection spell.” She rolled her eyes. “He promised to make my life miserable if we did.”

  “Sounds like something he’d do.” I set my empty mug on the porch, clasped my hands together on my lap, and gently rocked my chair. “Where did the coffee and muffins come from?”

  “The caretaker stopped by and said Calandra contacted him. He turned on the electricity, stocked the pantry and fridge, and made the coffee. A girl from Le Loup Gris café delivered the muffins this morning. They came with a welcome note from someone named Bill.”

  “Bill was my boss at the café. He’s also Woodlake’s mayor and on the Town Council.” Hearing about the note surprised me, especially since we’d been in town for only a few hours. Ethan must have contacted the Town Council after we left last night.

  “Guess we don’t need to announce our arrival.” Rosella exhaled loudly as we watched deer trot across the front yard. “I was wrong last night. I have been here before, with Mom and Garrett when I was five years old. We spent the summer swimming during the day and roasting marshmallows at night.”

  Her older brother, Garrett Sherard, was a half-warlock who’d gained the ability to control all five elements by making a blood oath with Julius. The oath, which he’d made long before meeting me, required him to hand me over by Samhain or lose his powers.

  “It’s so
pretty here. I had no idea this place existed in Woodlake. Does the camp belong to the Raven witches?”

  “No, and we’re not in Woodlake. We’re about five miles east, in a tiny town called Keswick.” Her phone chimed, and she glanced down at it. “A half-witch with no powers owns this place. When the camp first opened, it functioned as a school for half-witches, a place for them to feel safe and not be ridiculed, but it shut down about ten years ago when she moved to Europe. I think the High Council pays for its maintenance and upkeep.”

  “Guess Calandra must’ve stayed here when she came to Woodlake. I can’t understand why your brother chose to sleep at the hotel and not here.”

  “I’m sure Garrett wanted to be where all the action was.” She met my gaze. “That’s who I was talking to on the phone. He’s worried about you. We all are.”

  “We’ll make it through this. Vadoma won’t win.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about. I meant this thing with Kaleb. I know you care about him, but it won’t work. They’re holding his alpha ceremony on Thursday night, and the wolves won’t—”

  “It’s not a thing. We’re in a relationship.” I sighed. It was far too early in the day to talk about my love life, especially when Rosella didn’t know Kaleb had proposed and I’d accepted. I didn’t only care about Kaleb; I loved him, and we’d sealed our commitment by making love to complete our bond. A bond for life, and I had no regrets. “Did your brother ask you to talk to me?”

  “No. He’d kill me if he knew I’d said anything. Look, I know you and Garrett are pretending to date, and it makes sense. No reason to piss off the wolves right now. But you obviously care about each other.”

  “I’m not sure what you want me to say. Did I have feelings for your brother? Yes. But things are different now, and Garrett understands.” No point in denying the truth. I cared about him, and we’d talked about going on a date, but I’d struggled to get over Kaleb. Garrett accepted that and had told me he’d wait. Then Kaleb showed up, alive and well, and everything changed.