The Gamma's Dark Witch

38 - Settled Tabs

(Cam)

Finding out she was a nymph made sense in some ways, but in many, it didn’t. What I heard about nymphs was that they were either extinct or well hidden to the point that others believed they were. I reigned in my shock; I would make sense of it, eventually. Everything had an explanation.

The woman wasn’t much help. I don’t think she knew much, either. She wasn’t lying about the deal she and Soleil had, but I didn’t sense she knew much. She was more than an innkeeper. She dealt in trades and secrets and protection. She probably heralded hundreds through this place and kept knowledge for her protection, not others. She seemed simple, grown up to do this job, and it was all she knew. But the protection she kept for others would not be tampered with, and it would be folly to try.

My main question was why Soleil kept what they were from Nisha. And was Soleil the only one keeping the secret, or were her other sisters in on it? I knew Nisha didn't know, but now the question bothered me for myself, as well. If this was even a taste of the uncertainty she was dealing with daily, I didn't know how she pushed past it.

I followed Nisha up the stairs, distracted from my wheel of thoughts by the way her hips swayed and her hair moved with each step. She paused outside her door and turned to me, my stomach dropped waiting for her to ask me to stay.

“What do you know of Nymphs, Cameron?” she asked and I felt relief and sadness. I was glad she was being practical and brought me back with her. I couldn’t let the hazy mate bond pull us from what our goal was.

I sighed and motioned her to open the door, there were others staying there. The fire was crackling in her room, a nice touch. She sat on the edge of the bed and folded her hands in her lap. I moved the lone chair from the corner nearer.

“I don’t know what is true or not. I heard talk, myths, but I have never met a nymph before and I didn’t believe they existed.” I tried to think about what I read. “I thought, or I heard, they were extinct. Some even believed they found another plane near this existence where they quietly slipped away similar to the Fae Realm.” I shrugged.

She peered at me through her soft silver hair. “Go on.”

“Others believed that they lingered here for so long that they came back to the earth. Turning into trees themselves, mountains, streams. It’s hard to pick apart reality from myth, sometimes even in our world.”

She nodded. “I don’t know if it matters, really.” But I knew it did. I could feel her questions but above them all was a sort of peace, a sense of satisfaction that replaced the usual unease I felt from her.

“I’ll ask Jackson to do some research, one of his family friends is an Elder of ours and has access to a more extensive library. I’ll check in with them tonight and see what we can find out. There will be answers.”

She ran her fingers through her hair and said nothing. I took that as my cue to go. I stood but lingered at her door. She looked so fragile, so normal, sitting here in this room.

She didn’t look up as I left, and a part of me I wouldn’t acknowledge wished she wanted me as I wanted her.

(Nisha)

I slept fitfully. I dreamt of strong callused fingers caressing my skin, fresh bread on the summer breeze, and dark wood.

Cameron knocked on my door. Well, someone did, but I knew it was him. He had a distinct knock, and something about him I could sense. I wondered if it was his familiarity.

I rubbed my eyes and curiously thrust out my powers to wrap around him, seeing if I could sense anything from him. He felt warm, sturdy, safe. I felt like I might be able to find him again if I lost him. It was ever apparent I only touched the surface of not only my special gifts but of our shared powers that I tended to brush off.

A knock came again.

“Come in,” I called.

“What was that?” Cameron asked.

“I wanted to see if I could sense you from the outside.” I shrugged, stretching my hands over my head with a yawn. When I opened my eyes I saw Cameron was staring at my bare stomach that my shirt slipped over.

“Oh.” He cleared his throat. “Could you?”

“I think so. I might have to test it from a distance, and I don’t think I could do that with just anyone,” I explained bounding out of bed. “Did you need something else?” I asked.

“No, uh, I just wanted to make sure you were awake. We can have breakfast here and then head out.”

I nodded. “Where?”

“North again. The person with answers is near enough. We have to get back to a road soon anyway so we can get a car.”

“Oh.” I tucked my hair behind my ear and focused on packing. I didn’t realize that we were heading that way so soon.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want answers, I actually wanted to know. But I thought I might be able to extend my time with him before I had to go back to my world that seemed so monotonous in comparison. I had to remind myself that monotony was good; anything was good as long as I wasn’t called to do something with my powers that I would immediately regret. But I owed it to my maker, didn’t I?

“Is that okay?” He asked.

I nodded. “I trust your judgment.” He studied me, and I tried to give him a smile before I turned back to my things. “Just give me a few minutes to wash up, and I’ll be ready.” I stood and planted my hands on my hips.

He raked his gaze over me in an assessing way, and his face told me he didn’t believe me, but he thankfully asked no more questions. The door shut behind him, and the small room felt vast without his steady presence.

I took a deep breath. One day at a time. Another breath. One moment at a time.

Harder to do when you are on a deity's timeline you couldn’t communicate with. Rage and sadness clutched me, and I took a few more breaths. At the moment, that didn’t matter. One moment at a time.

We left the inn before dawn was fully chased away by the day. The woman nodded at us and eyed me, but it was in a way more welcomed than what I usually got with strangers. She glared at Cameron, and it made me feel better in comparison, I would have to ask what he asked her this morning.

I knew he had a certain flavor of tenacity that would be hard for some to deal with. But I admired him for not backing down from what he wanted. If I was faced with any pushback on something I wanted, I think I might crumble, even though I wished I wouldn’t.

(Cameron)

“Good morning,” I told the woman behind the desk, wishing I could borrow some of Luca’s annoying exuberant confidence that always seemed to get answers, however reluctant.

We worked well as a team, and that was an understatement. What I lacked, he filled in, and what he lacked, even though he wouldn't admit to lacking in anything, I made up for. We were pretty good separate; we had opposite but effective methods of obtaining information, but together, there was nothing we couldn’t figure out.

“When you’re done daydreaming, you can address me again, boy.” The woman said, snapping her fingers at me.

I studied her, but I had to hide my admiration for her. She was quick, she could assess people almost as well as I could, and she didn’t take s.hit. I did admire her, but I knew that flattery would get nowhere with her.

“The directions to someone with answers.” I raised a brow slightly.

“Ah yes, that. I told you it will cost you.” She almost ignored me, going to slip through some books or ledgers.

“Let’s cut to it. Skip the back and forth, and you tell me what you want.” I crossed my arms and leaned over the desk.

A side of her lips curved. “Very well then.”

We debated on money; it was fun, I had to admit. Eventually, she passed over an address that was mostly a vague set of coordinates and instructions. I memorized what she wrote and folded it, slipping it into a pocket inside my jacket.

“And how do I know this isn’t a dead end?” I asked.

“You gave me your money, so the time for questions is up,” she said, but I could see her smile. “I trust him. I wouldn’t send you to him if I didn’t think you were... Well, I wouldn’t say good people, but genuine.”

“That coming from you is the best compliment I could get.” I tried not to laugh. “How much for the room?” I asked and settled the bill.

“You’ll take care of her?” The woman asked, glancing towards the staircase where Nish had yet to emerge.

I was taken aback. “What do you mean?” She was a witch; did she sense the bond? I wasn’t going to make a promise I couldn’t keep - I refused to.

“She’s lost. She needs more than being reunited with her family,” the woman said, still looking away. “She needs support to find out what she wants and who she is for herself.” The woman seemed distant.

I was about to say something, but she snapped back to herself. “Next time you come, bring some of that werewolf whiskey. Don’t be cheap.” She shut the book she was working on and shuffled back to her office.

Okay then. I tapped the desk until Nisha emerged. We ate and said our goodbyes. The innkeeper barely looked at me after that, and I rarely found it so hard to read a person, but if I had to guess, and I didn’t like guessing, but if I had to, I thought she might be worried for Nisha without truly knowing her. And that both made me feel good and on edge.