Chapter 19

"So, no one wants to talk about anything?"

Bryn's voice grated on his nerves, but he took a deep breath and let out that frustration.

"We could talk about witches," Sara offered.

Barron growled under his breath, but kept his eyes on the road. He wasn't risking hitting someone else. The SUV already had four more people than he wanted there. "Can we talk about nothing?"

Molly chuckled beside him, and he could feel his body relax. "You wouldn't let them ask me questions last night."

"You were tired."

"And you're sweet, but they have questions."

Snickers from the back of the car had him growling again. "I'll drop you all off at the next gas station and leave you there."

"No, you won't," Owen said with humor in his voice. "You promised Ally to bring me where I needed to go. You don't break your promises."

"They need to trust me, Barron. That's the only way this little trip will work out."

He glanced at Molly quickly before looking towards the road once more. The smile on her face wasn't forced. She was relaxed, and if he wasn't mistaken, happy. "Fine, but the only one that needs to be on this trip is Owen. The rest of you, I'll leave."

"I'll push them out if they go too far," Owen offered cheerfully.

Barron chuckled lightly. He knew Molly hadn't realized it at the time, but her caring about Owen earned her a protector for life. "Deal."

"No deal," Bryn said in irritation. "No one is going to hurt her. Both of you need to get over yourselves. Now, first question. Do you want a big family?"

His hand tightened on the steering wheel. "Bryn."

Reaching over, Molly placed her hand over his and pulled it down in the middle of their seats. Her hand intertwined with his. "I already have a big family."

"Ah," Namir said from the back. "I love a big family of witches." He paused. "If they're not part of the council."

"I had an aunt on the small council like seven years ago, but she gave it up. Our family doesn't really get into the light and dark war."

"Light and dark war?" Owen asked. "Wait, take the next exit."

Barron eased off the interstate as Namir answered. "A century ago, the witches were separated into light and dark. When a witch is born, they have a lightness or they have a darkness."

"Occasionally, now, people will be born with both or neither," Molly interrupted. "Back then, light witches thought if you had the ability to control darkness, it meant you were bad."

"A lot of them still think that way," Sara threw in. "They don't realize that the power you have doesn't determine whether you're a good person or a bad person. I've met bad light witches and good dark witches. There isn't anything predestined that makes a person bad or good. It's their decision."

Molly turned in her seat to look at Sara. "You've met witches before?"

"I ran across sisters a couple years ago," Sara answered. "They had different abilities, but they were both evil bitches."

"Gotcha," Molly mumbled as she flipped back around.

"However," she continued. "There's this woman named Katherine that I met briefly. She has dark powers like you wouldn't believe, but she uses them to catch criminals."

"Which are you?" Owen asked.

Molly shook her head, sending her hair all over the place. "I don't have the ability to control either. I was born a healer; that's it."

"Okay, next question," Barron demanded.

"What happened to you?" Sara asked.

The hand holding his tightened. "About a year ago, I decided I needed a break from my family and I was going to go on a weekend trip to the city." A harsh chuckle escaped her. "I was there one night before they grabbed me. I don't know how they knew I was a witch, but they snagged me because of it. I guess they picked me because I don't have any special abilities. I've never learned any defensive magic. So, there was nothing I could do but scream. You'd be surprised at how easily people will ignore someone else when they need help."

Owen cleared his throat, but it didn't keep the emotion from entering it. "They had you for a year?" Molly nodded. "What did they do to you?"

"Mainly tests," Molly answered with a shrug. "They took a lot of blood, gave me a ton of stuff, and kept me weak the entire time. They had to give me water to keep me alive though. So, each time they did, my body used it to form an immunity to whatever drug they'd been using. Every single time I'd build my immunity, I'd try to escape."

Barron turned her hand in his. "How'd you get out this time?"

"The other times I'd gotten out and into the woods it was because they were stupid. They didn't think that I was brave enough to smack a guard over the head with a chair and run. The first couple of times I got away, they caught me pretty quickly. After that, they locked me in a cell and were more cautious. Then, about a week ago, they had a new employee. I don't know who she was, but I knew she didn't realize what they were doing until she saw me. She slipped me the key to my cell. I waited until my body raised enough immunity to whatever they'd been drugging me with, and then, I ran."

"Then I hit you with a car."

Molly chuckled. "Yep. Then, I got saved by a group of shifters."

"And a guardian," Namir threw in. "How'd you shift? Do you know what they gave you?"

"I don't know exactly what they gave me that put the ability to shift in me, and they didn't know either," she admitted.

"But?" Barron asked, hearing the dread in her voice.

"I think I know what caused the shift itself. My body healed itself, and when it did, it healed whatever broken animal they put inside me. They didn't know what it was at the time, but they will eventually. If they find anymore healers, or if they capture a healer to do their work for them, they can create more shifters."

"Damn," Owen whispered. "What do they want them for? Hang a left."

Barron flipped on his blinker. "Were they government?"

"I don't know," she said with a huff. "I wish I knew more; I really do, but they didn't say much in front of me. They weren't that stupid. I know the human woman wanted to become a shifter, but why, I wouldn't know."

"Wait, there were shifters there?" Sara asked, shock in her voice.

Molly nodded. "A lion. Him and the woman were together, I believe. A couple of the guards were shifters too. Some of the techs might have been, but I didn't interact with them as much. I can't sniff out a shifter like y'all. I have to wait until they growl at me."

"You might want to get used to the growling," Bryn said in amusement. "I don't think my brother knows any other language."

"That's fine. I think I talk enough for the both of us. Plus, at least he can growl. All I do is make a creepy yip noise."

"It's not creepy," Barron denied as he glanced around the small town they were entering. "I like it." Bryn made a gagging noise, but he ignored her as he pulled into a mom and pop looking gas station. "Time to switch it up. If anyone wants snacks you have fifteen minutes."

As soon as he parked the car, Sara, Bryn, and Namir jumped from the SUV. Owen stayed, leaning forward between him and Molly. "I don't know where we're going, but could it be possible that we're following someone?"

"What do you mean?" Barron asked. "I figured whatever you were looking for would be in this town. It's the first you've wanted to stop in."

Owen shook his head. "No. Whoever it is, they're gone. After I got here, I didn't feel any kind of drive in a different direction. Maybe they're like Namir and Zeke?"

"Or maybe they're in the gas station," Molly offered. "You never know. We could have been sent to drop you off at a random gas station in the middle of Colorado."

"Yeah, not feeling anything towards there either. It's like it's gone."

Owen looked towards Barron as if waiting for all the answers. Barron had none. They were on a trail somewhere to something, and Barron had no idea who or what it was. All he knew was that nothing was following them. Whatever had been taunting them less than a week ago, it wasn't there. Whoever was after Molly, wasn't there. For some reason, they were in the clear. Barron didn't trust it. Things never quieted down for them. They were never easy. Even with the good, the bad was waiting in the shadows.

"Hey," Molly said, pulling his attention towards her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing I can't handle," he mumbled before shaking his head. "Ready to get in the back? We're going to have to listen to country music for the next two hours while Owen drives in circles."

Molly hopped out of the car before Barron could blink. He shook his head at her. That was one thing he'd have to work with her on. Around humans, they couldn't be too fast, too strong, or anything that would clue them in on the fact that they weren't normal. The hair was easy to explain now. Hell, even the glowing eyes wasn't too difficult to explain. Anything further, and people would look at them sideways. They didn't need the added attention, not when there was already someone out there trying to make shifters.

"Can we take a nap?" Molly asked, tilting her head to the side curiously.

He smiled at the action, wondering if she realized her fox was out to play. "We'll get in the third row, force Sara and Bryn to sit together in the middle." She raised her eyebrows at him, but he shrugged her question off. "They need to get along on this trip. We all do."

She chuckled as he exited the SUV. "What happened to you dropping them off in the middle of nowhere?" He growled at her, but her laughter only doubled in amusement. "You're such a softly."

He reached the other side of the SUV and swiped at her. She didn't try to get away, only allowed him to pull her towards him. Wrapping his arms around her, he took a deep breath and let her smell calm him. "They're my responsibility."

Her arms encircled his waist. "You do know that you can't be responsible for everyone. Things happen and will continue to happen that you can't control."

"I can try though."

She sighed into his chest. "We're going to have to work on your God complex."

A surprised laugh escaped him as he shook his head. "We're going to have to work on how much you talk."

"Hey," she said in mock annoyance as she drew away from him. "I'll have you know, I'm the quietest one in my family."

"Then save me from your family," he joked.

She smacked in on the arm and opened her mouth to say something. Before she could, Owen flung himself out of the SUV. With a frown, Barron watched as the man jerked upright and stared at them wide eyed. "We need to go now. I don't know what the hell is happening, but it doesn't feel good."

"Where?" Barron snapped as he pushed his thoughts towards Bryn.

Owen shook his head. "I don't know, but I'll drive. It'll be quicker. Where's the others?"

"Right here," Bryn answered as she jumped into the passenger's seat. "Let's go."

Barron watched as the rest of them filed into the vehicle. "Well," he said as he jumped into the middle seat. "I guess the nap should wait."

Molly shot him a look that was half disbelief and half amusement. "Yeah. The nap can wait."

"Seriously, can you two not be adorable for five minutes?" Bryn mumbled from the front seat as she frowned at Owen. "Are you okay? You need me to drive?"

"No," Owen barked, "I got this. We're almost there. I was wrong; the feeling wasn't gone. It was subdued, like someone was trying to hide it. It's back though, and we have to hurry before it gets worse."

"You're hearing voices?" Molly asked, worry flowing off her.

Owen nodded, paused, and then shook his head. "No, gibberish. Too much is going on at once, I can't understand what's happening. Someone's asking for help. That's all I can get. Damn, is this what Ally can hear?"

"I don't think it's to this magnitude," Barron admitted as they took a turn to hard.

"We're here," Owen said as he slammed the car in park.

Barron glanced out the window at the abandoned looking building in front of them and sighed. He knew the other shoe would drop. He knew that things couldn't be calm for too long, not with him around. He had just hoped that they'd have a little more time before the shit hit the fan.