Page 7 of Professor and the Seer
From the moment they’d met, he’d been drawn to her. She had a fragile edge that made him want to tuck her close. He wanted to do something about the sadness in her demeanor. To provide her a shield against the ugly her visions subjected her to. Problem being, she did her best to avoid him, and he wasn’t the type to push.
Knowing she’d seen his death explained her reluctance to get involved with him, though. He remembered what Dina, Frieda’s sister, explained about her sister after a particularly nasty monster attack. “It’s hard for her to see her visions come true.” It gave him a light bulb moment about Frieda’s ability. How awful it must be to live through horrors more than once. Even worse if she thought she could do nothing to change them.
The talk at the dinner table involved dissecting the events on the island, with the general consensus being that whatever had once been imprisoned by the portal—and guarded by the Wardens, of which Bane was the last one—must have died because nothing had emerged when it opened. Nothing they’d seen, at any rate. It made him wonder what happened to the few monsters that ran into the doorway when it opened.
John didn’t mention his suspicion of the possibility magic might have cloaked a threat. Instead, he asked, “What’s the plan?”
“I’ve got to get back to Jinx,” Dina declared. “While I’ve got someone checking in on her, my poor baby gets very mopey when I’m gone even for a few days.”
“You’ll be lucky if your pet sitter still has all their fingers. That mongrel has a foul temper,” Enyo remarked.
“Hardly a mongrel, as you well know. Jinx comes from the best Pomeranian breeder in the country. Not my fault Jinx only loves me,” Dina stated.
“Don’t come crying to me when that devil dog tries to kill you one day.”
“As if my baby would hurt me!” an indignant Dina huffed.
“Whatever. You rush back to your rabid pet. Bane and I were thinking of sticking around Mexico for a little bit in case something did come out of that door. Maybe play tourists. Visit a few ruins. Go spend a few days in the jungle and sleep under the stars,” Enyo stated as Dina grimaced.
“Why you’d want to voluntarily camp and deal with bugs and all that other icky stuff is beyond me. Give me room service and clean sheets.” Dina waved her hand.
Bane addressed John. “What about you, old friend? Any plans?”
“Maybe. I’m waiting to see if a project is going to pan out.” A.K.A., would Frieda decide she wanted his help after all?
A bag of food arrived, and Dina thanked the waiter before she rose with it.
“Is that for Frieda?” John asked.
“Knowing her, she forgot to order dinner. I’m going to drop it off before visiting a friend in town. We’ve only ever spoken online, so it will be a novelty to chat in person and trade secrets,” Dina exclaimed.
“Need an escort?” Enyo offered from her spot cuddled against Bane.
Dina waggled her fingers. “I think I can handle any trouble that comes my way.” A witch with some skill, she could wield combat magic, making her probably the most dangerous of their group, a fact Enyo would probably argue, given her killer status.
“I can take Frieda the food. I was heading up anyhow,” John offered as he stood. He wasn’t about to stick around as the third wheel.
He expected Dina to say no. He’d seen how protective the sisters were of Frieda, but instead, she smiled wide and handed the bag over. “That would be awesome. Although, if it’s not too much trouble, could you stick around and make sure she actually eats some of it? Don’t let her bully you out until you’ve seen her take a few bites.”
“Um, okay?” He couldn’t help a wrinkle of his nose. Quite honestly, if Frieda asked him to go, he wouldn’t stay. His mother had raised him to listen to and respect others’ wishes.
He headed up, the elevator crowded with drunken tourists. As he exited onto the floor with their rooms, a wave of cold hit him. Odd, given earlier it had been quite warm. Part of the hotel’s cost-saving measures was not air conditioning the halls.
As he headed up the corridor, the air thickened. Every step felt like he pulled his feet from sucking mud. It had to be a spell, only he could see no magic. Not reassuring. Seeing the door to 6A—the room assigned to Frieda—ajar, he pushed against the force, gritting his teeth before it occurred to him to call on his power.
A bubble formed, its purpose to shield him from spells. The second it encased him he almost fell, as suddenly the heaviness no longer affected him. With long strides, he made it to 6A and dropped the bag of food outside her door before he burst inside, only to pause to absorb the scene.
Frieda cowered in a corner, eyes wide. Mouth, too, for that matter. Before her stood two thugs, frozen in place and drooling. One of them had a burlap sack dangling from his hand.
It didn’t take much to deduce the fuckers planned to kidnap her, only their plot failed. Frieda might appear frail, but apparently, she could defend herself. As he neared, he noticed her trembling. How long had she been holding them in place? And of more interest, was this a new ability? Because, as far as he knew, visions used to be her only power.
He stepped between her and the thugs, breaking her line of sight. Even with his shield, he felt the snap of whatever power she wielded.
She whimpered behind him, and his anger, not often roused, stirred. He glared at the two men, who came back to themselves slowly.
It didn’t take them long to blink out of their frozen state, the pockmarked-faced one spitting, “Bruja!”
Witch.