Page 32 of The Arcane God

A witch on the other side of the Chasm Mountains, with eyes the exact same as Ty’s… There was no doubt in her mind.

This was Ty’s mother, Kaya. The woman they’d been looking for.

Ena smiled despite herself, relief and trepidation surging through her in equal measure. “We’ve been looking for you,” Ena said, her voice shaking as she spoke hurriedly. “We’ve come a long way to find you and your…people,” Ena added, glancing at the man with the arrow pointed at Turner, who must have been one of the Omnis worshippers.

“Looking for me? Why?” she asked, glancing suspiciously at Turner as her hand tightened around the knife at Ena’s throat.

Ena paused. How to explain that they were on the run from Cole and the Covens for breaking the bond, and that she and her baby were possibly in danger? And that Mel had seen them come here, so they knew they needed to come here, but they weren’t exactly sure why—they just hoped it was somehow related to whatever the Canus Elk had portended?

That was all far too much to explain right now with a knife pointed at her throat, so she just settled on something simpler.

“It was Gaia’s will that we come to you,” she said. “We need your help.”

Kaya’s brows jumped up in surprise. She hadn’t been expecting that. Ena hoped this would change the dynamic of their interaction, but then Kaya’s eyes darted to Turner. “Maybe it was Gaia’s will that you come to me, but what about him?” she asked, looking with hesitance towards Turner. “He is no follower of Gaia.”

Ena glanced over at Turner out of the corner of her eye, but all his onata were covered. How could she tell he was a daemon?

“I’d recognize Zak’s genes anywhere,” she explained venomously. “You do so resemble your father.”

Turner’s face sank with displeasure. Ena knew how he felt about his father, and to be associated with him against his own will must have been a tough potion to swallow. “I am a daemon, it’s true,” he said fairly, “but I mean you no harm. I came with my friends. We were told we must come here, for protection.”

“For protection?” Kaya asked. She raised her brow at them, seeming shocked by this development. “You expect me to believe that you weren’t sent here by Cole to kill me?”

Sent here by Cole to kill her? Why would Cole want her dead?

“Granted,” Kaya continued, “I am surprised he’s followed up after all these years. It’s been a long time since I left the Underworld.”

Ena didn’t have time to answer or explain because suddenly, the sky interrupted them—drawing their collective attention. Kaya looked up, watching as a loud boom of thunder crashed across the darkening clouds—threatening to unleash upon them.

“Kaya,” her companion said, his tone serious. “We must go. The storm is coming.” He had not lowered his bow, still holding it steady at Turner’s head. Unspoken was the implication that they should leave Ena and Turner here, to their own devices, or kill them quickly.

Ena peeked up at the sky, concern filling her at the prospect of another storm. They were out in the middle of the forest now—away from any significant shelter other than their worn-down tent. They would be vulnerable to the worst of the storm, and Kaya and her companion knew it. Killing them might be a mercy.

“Damn,” Kaya said, glancing up at the cloud-covered sky, before looking back at her and Turner, assessing the best course of action. She looked to Ena then—studying her—and Ena Knew in an instant that she herself was subject to the witch’s Knowing at that moment, so she bared her signs for Kaya to see.

“I swear, we mean you no harm. We come here for your protection, and I will be happy to explain, if we can get to some shelter first,” Ena said sincerely.

Kaya paused, watching her, until slowly, she lowered the knife at Ena’s throat. “My Knowing tells me they are being sincere,” she said to her companion.

He made eye contact with her, some unspoken instruction passing between them, before he, too, lowered his bow, but he didn’t take his eyes off them, and continued to watch them like a predator watched prey.

“You two can come with us back to our camp to discuss this further. But we must seek shelter now, before the storm hits,” Kaya offered.

Turner looked to Ena, as if seeing how she felt about this development, and Ena would be lying if she said she wasn’t hesitant. Were these people dangerous in some way? They didn’t exactly seem friendly, though she understood their initial reaction towards her and Turner—they were strangers, after all.

But this was what they had come for, right? To meet these people. To find Kaya and seek a safe place to deliver her baby. To learn about Omnis and see if, somehow, it was all connected to the strange future Mel had seen.

But her fears were irrelevant—this was their path, and she had to trust it.

“Okay,” Ena said decisively. “Lead the way.”

Chapter Thirteen

Ena

After packing their things quickly, Ena and Turner followed Kaya and her companion on foot, leading their horses behind them as they made their way deeper into the forest, east of where they’d been. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the wind picked up and it began to snow, slowly at first, then harder and harder, just as the man had predicted.

Blessedly, it wasn’t long before they came out of the steepness of the mountainside, and Ena could see before her that the land flattened out significantly. No more sharp, jagged peaks rising before them—just smoother, rolling hills.