Page 101 of Bad Witch

“Half a day’s walk,” he said.

Fuck.

Strange sounds came from the trees around us, and I let my protective instincts radiate from me as aggression and noticed Roman was doing the same. It seemed to be working, though, because whatever was in the forest with us had kept their distance, at least for now.

Keeping Tempest in front of me, so she and Zari were between Roman and me, we carried on through the forest. I had no idea how this realm worked, or if Pan had been alerted to our arrival, but we had to be on full alert. I had to fight this urge to let my beast out to play.

Pan was a god, one who enjoyed chaos, and drawing his attention would be a very bad thing.

We walked for a long time, and slowly the sun began to lower in the sky. As night fell, the trees and plants began to glow in the darkness. All the colors became more vibrant, the smells richer, and the beast surprisingly grew languid inside me, rolling and basking as if the animal was tipsy. I found myself smiling for no reason. I glanced up at Roman, and he had a broad smile on his face as well, and he was nodding his head, like he could hear a beat.

Then it reached out to me…

A deep bass sound that seemed to grow in the center of my chest. I liked it, a lot. Zari danced as she walked, and when Roman grabbed her hand and spun her, she threw her head back and laughed.

In the back of my mind, I knew something was wrong, but I couldn’t seem to make myself care. Why would I? This place had everything we could ever want or need.

I wanted nothing more than to follow the music. I wanted to pull Tempest in to my arms and dance with her under the stars, surrounded by the perfume and glowing lights of this forest, and I never wanted to stop.

The music grew louder, a chaotic sound that made my beast purr and my heart beat faster, feeling more like a cat than a hound, yet so utterly contented.

The sound of happiness reached us, and the heady scent of sex drifted to us on the night breeze.

The beast purred again.

Tempest

I tugged on Fender’s hand. “What are you doing?”

“We need to dance,” he said. “Come on, baby, dance with me.”

Pan’s power had somehow called to their beasts, and they’d answered. They all seemed to be in some kind of trance, well, all the hounds except Kurgan.

“Roman, can I see what we have to barter with?” I said, afraid he’d lose it or run off with it.

With a grin, Roman took it from his pocket and tossed it to me. I caught it just as the hound laughed and threw Zari over his shoulder. Her laughter joined his, ringing out as they ran into the clearing ahead.

Kurgan turned my way, his eyes red, his expression conflicted.

“We have to do something,” I said to him, not sure if he would even talk to me.

His gaze slid between the clearing where Zari had just disappeared and somewhere beyond, to where he had tracked the weapons.

I looked down at my hand, to the item Roman had tossed to me. It was a small pipe flute made of gold. Magic radiated from it, the same magic I felt here in this realm. It had once belonged to Pan, I was sure of it. I tried to hand it to Kurgan, but Fender caught me around the waist and nuzzled my throat. All I could do was throw it. Kurgan caught it.

“Go, quickly. Leave it in exchange for the weapons,” I said.

“Zari,” he snarled. “I need to protect her.”

“I’ll stay with them. I’m a witch, I’ll make sure Zari’s okay.” All of that was true, or at least I would do everything I could to keep her safe, but my magic was hobbled here. I’d tried to use it and nothing happened. “Please, Kurgan, you need to go.”

His lips curled in a snarl, but he finally nodded before he broke into a run, sprinting away and disappearing into the forest.

Fender took my hand and kissed it, his expression one of pure joy. He spun me then, and walked backwards, leading me toward the others. “Let’s join the fun.”

He pulled me into a clearing and tugged me against him, before he buried his face in my hair and began to sway.

“It’s so beautiful,” he said against my ear. “The most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. The colors, the scent, I never want to leave this place.”