Twenty-six

Eli watched as the Bathim walked around the tables with their eyes riveted on the stones Bas was carefully laying out. Each carefully chose one of the fire agates and put it in its mouth.

When the Alphas came in to have Bas check over the pieces that Genevieve had made for them the Bathim gathered and tried to touch the bracelets.

“Bas? What are they doing?” Alpha Germain pulled his arm back and gave the creatures a stern look.

One of them began to speak in a language Eli had never heard and Bas titled his head coming closer. 

“That’s… Greek. Ancient Greek.” 

The Bathim repeated it.

“When they were first made, it was the Sibyl’s brother who carved them and he told her to put her intention on them as she did with her stones.” He tilted his head, “But this isn’t a talent that I’ve ever heard of the Sibyls having. Father was surprised.”

“The ritual is to allow them to take the Sibyl and the Servant into the wilderness for a short time.” The clipped voice began, “They bring them back but only the Sibyl and the Servant may know what happens.”

Bas smiled and took a deep breath, “My sister discovered the talent on her own out of necessity, as the one who made the first of you did. The others had to be taught it.”

“That sounds like our Vivi.” Madam Cate smiled.

“She learns by the method of try it and see what it gets you.” Bas broke into a grin. “Pretzel salt and bottled water!”

“They’ll make a mistake, Bas.” Aurel put a hand on the witch’s shoulder. “And she will take advantage of it.”

“We need to find her and be close enough to help her.” Bas looked at the Bathim. “You put the stones in your mouths?”

The one who’d spoken in Greek spoke in it again and the witch grinned. “They take the intention into themselves. The stone becomes part of them. She gave them glass before and it became part of them, they’ve now taken the stones she intended for protection, stones that should reflect ill intent and negative energy back on the one who sent it. I almost pity anyone who tries to shatter them now. The Sibyl protects.”

“The Sibyl protects.” The Bathim repeated his proud words back to him as one.

“She said she has to recharge them with her intent.” Remi frowned. “How long will her protection last for them? I know my mate, she’ll want it to last for as long as possible.”

“They can do more with the glass than she can, I suspect they can do more with the stones she’s given intention than she can. It should last.”

“Have Brandon get her more fire agate for them when we get her back, so that the new ones she makes are protected.” Alpha Germain eyed the Bathim with a frown, “You can take Remi and Maria with you. They’ll watch the perimeter while you’re all occupied so that no one surprises you.”

The stone creatures looked at one another and then bowed to the Alpha. “Our Sibyl protects our pack and we protect our Sibyl.”

Eli watched the amused and vaguely unsettled look cross the Alpha’s face. 

“It’s strange to hear your own voice spoken back to you. Let’s get those pieces handed out, Bas. I want to be ready to go. I’ve already made some calls and we’re clear to stick to the interstates on our hunt. Once we find a trail we’ll need to make a few more calls and get an escort.”

“Ruby and Jacob-”

“Ruby will be going with me, but you can’t ask her to risk her mate. He hasn't been changed yet.” Madam Cate lifted her hand. “He needs to stay here, you don’t know that she isn’t talking about another Jacob, it’s a common name.”

Bas shook his head. “What did Sibbi say when Eli found him?”

“That it would hurt his mate if he wasn’t brought. It’s dangerous, Bas.”

“Let him stay with Eli and I, we’ll keep him safe.” Bas spread his hands. “Between the two of us and the Bathim, if they’ll agree to stay close, he could hardly be safer.”

“If the Bathim will be looking after you.” Alpha Germain glanced at the stone creatures and one spoke in a strange language.

“That was… Latin I think.” 

The creature repeated itself.

“Nunquam unum sine alio. Never… Never one without the other?”

“They have to keep you safe to keep her safe.” Remi nodded. “They can’t protect her directly right now but they can protect you.”

“They have to keep you safe to keep her safe,” one repeated.

“You’re responsible for Jacob, Bas. Eli, you take care of Bas and make sure he doesn’t run himself ragged and make sure Jacob doesn’t get himself killed. You’ll all stay behind us where it’s safer.”

“Yes, my Alpha.” Bas smiled and inclined his head. “I’ll give Jacob one of the pieces. I have a… feeling that Grace will already have something from Sibbi.”

“Pretzel salt and water!” One of the Bathim offered and Bas grinned.

“Yes. Exactly.”

°°°°°°°°°°

The convoys went out and Eli was driving the rental moving truck with the Bathim asleep for the day in the back. Jacob and Bas sat next to him and he was grateful they were both smaller men. Three wolves would have been a tight squeeze.

“So…” Jacob frowned out at the road ahead as they followed the SUV in front of them. “Ruby is with Madam Cate to keep her safe and we’re following Alpha Germain?” 

“Yes.” Bas sighed. “I would have suggested Madam Cate take this route with us but Alpha Germain would see that as putting her in more danger. If one of the stops on our list is the right one they’ll circle around and meet our escort.”

“You should hope that one of these is the right one, we’re on good terms with this pack. They know Genevieve and they like her.”

“That’s putting it strongly. She read for their Alpha and it’s already begun to serve him well and she gave his daughter-in-law, Dia, a necklace for protection. When she cleared away the negative energy around her, dispelling ill intent directed at her, the woman shuddered and even the Alphas could feel how much lighter it made her. There were no curses but Dia had earned bad will over the years. It was appreciated.”

Bas smiled ruefully, “They also took into consideration almost immediately what someone with that kind of gift could do if they cursed you. Sibbi just smiled at them and told them, ‘The Sibyl does no harm.’”

“So Mrs. Coiro-”

“Call her Vivi.”

“Vivi tells the future and lifts curses? Why was she doing glass? Wouldn’t her magic or whatever take up most of her time?”

“She likes working with the glass. Sibbi wants to contribute something concrete, she likes things that you can hold in your hand, accomplishments you can see. I can understand it. The pack appreciates her and what she does because she tries so hard to give them something they can see. My contributions are less visible and some of them think it means I do nothing of value.”

Eli winced. “Your work is mostly for Genevieve and not for-”

“Who laid the spells in the infirmary?” Bas asked quietly.

“You and Genevieve.”

“No, I laid the spells, she backed them up with her stones. She feels uncomfortable trying to use spells. You can’t tell it, but the spells on and around the house protect you from her as much as they protect her from anything outside of the house. I contain her energy as much as it can be contained. If I didn’t, you’d find yourself jumping at shadows. Things at the edges of her perception that she’s become accustomed to would bleed into yours.

“I tend to her needs and I protect the pack in my own way with my gifts.”

“She went off when Eli said-”

“I apologized!”

Bas started to laugh. “Remi said it must have been a hell of an apology, the Sibyl was glaring at you like she was reconsidering her vow of doing no harm.”

“She looked like an angry Alpha.”

The witch grinned as Eli glanced over. “There was a time when even Kings knelt before the Sibyl, not because they were commanded but because they felt like they should.”

“I’d believe it.” He grinned back before turning his attention fully to the road.

The phone they had with them dinged and Bas picked it up to see why.

“Rob found a video online. It went up and by the time he’d downloaded it and started digging, it had been pulled down. He sent it…” 

Eli listened intently.

“You folks know this place is closed.” 

“We’ll be on our way soon. It’s nothing you need to worry about.” The stranger sounded smug.

“I think it is.” The first man sounded dubious. “Are you ok, honey?”

“I-” the hair on his hackles raised as he heard Grace’s voice.

“She’s fine.” The smug man sounded slightly annoyed.

There were sounds of vehicle door opening.

“You’re going to leave and forget we existed.” The new voice was frigid and unpleasant.

“What in the hell?” The note of fear in the first voice made Eli’s hands grip the wheel tighter.

“Mercy. I plead for Mercy.” The voice belonged to the Sibyl. There was no mistaking it.

“S**t s**t s**t,” under the man’s breath as the car door slammed and the sound of tires squealing. “What the hell was that? Tell me I got that on the dash cam.”

“That’s where it ends.” Bas took a deep breath. “She made sure they’d be remembered.”

“Where?” Eli gritted his teeth.

“Iowa. We’re going the right way.”

It took effort not to put his foot flat on the floor.

“Rob did a little hunting online and he knows which one. It’s on our list. We’re going straight there. Once we verify it, the call will be made. It’s not quite in the Benson pack’s range but I think they’re going that way.”

“They aren’t stopping to sleep.” Jacob frowned. “They must be taking turns driving.”

“Yes. They have a place in mind and they want to get there as soon as possible.”

“They’re taking a direct route?” Eli glanced at the witch.

“It won’t be a straight line but it will be more direct than I would have done. They’re confident and they think they’ll be completely hidden once they reach this place. Sibbi will make sure they aren’t.”

“If they notice they’ll kill her,” Jacob folded his arms, “and Grace. She should wait and be patient.”

“My sister isn’t afraid to die but she’ll do her best to stay alive for me and she won’t let them kill Grace if she can stop them.”

“She’ll stay alive for you?” Jacob sounded confused.

“When one of us dies so does the other. We were born together and we’ll die together. I want to live, but she’s less attached to the concept. She can’t help it.”

“Why?”

“They rarely have pleasant lives. Either the Sibyls are kept confined like animals and used by the lines or they’re like my sister and they have a hard life without quiet and peace. Sibbi has found a safe place with the pack but it would take the Sibyl a generation or two of safety and kindness to understand that life is preferable to death.”

Eli swallowed as he considered the words. “I hope she gets that.”

“She may. If Sibbi and I both have children we’ll be starting a new line, the Valla-Coiro line. The potential for witches with our gifts and for another Sibyl will be in the blood.”

“We can figure out which ones are your kind of witch by asking if they like the creepy jewelry collection.” He teased and glanced at the witch’s annoyed face.

“I should have kept all of my collection of statuettes. You wouldn’t think the vintage jewelry was creepy at all. I used to collect Gods of Death.”

Jacob laughed and asked, “Why’d you get rid of them?”

“Sibbi channels the divine when she gives an audience. There were some she liked but some terrified her when she saw them. Father wanted her to channel very particular Gods for his purposes. All of my pieces were museum quality, so I donated them. Our family has an appreciation for the creepy.”

“Witches.” Eli smiled and shook his head.

Bas started to laugh. “Not all of them are like us! The Mesnys were known for creepiness even among the lines. Father had a Vincent Price smirk that could unsettle anyone. Sibbi was delighted by it. I think he secretly enjoyed the ragged goth look she favors as well. He adored her audience dress.”

“She didn’t look goth!” Jacob turned in the seat bumping Eli’s arm.

“She tries to dress practically when she leaves the compound, at home and when she’s staying in you’ll see it. Her favorite clothes all look… the way her foster brother describes it is that she hit Hot Topic by way of the dumpsters behind the Goodwill.”

Eli broke into laughter. “She’s frugal, I do have to give her that.”

“Those clothes were expensive.”

“I bet. That’s an aesthetic not just a look. Does she go full face?”

He shot them a baffled glance as Bas laughed. 

“No, she’s not one for make-up but she likes a dark lip and a smokey eye when she dresses up or wants to feel pretty.”

“That would look good on her.” Jacob settled back facing front. 

“I think we’re confusing Eli.” Bas’ smirk was audible.

“I’m not one for make-up and her clothes don’t look expensive. They look ragged.”

The other two broke into laughter. For a brief moment things felt lighter. They knew for sure they were on the right road.