The Keepers: Ethan

Jenna knew the nightmares were about the witch massacre that had occurred many years ago, when a group of witches had exposed their magic to a few ordinary folk in hope of living in harmony. The backlash had been tragic. Whilst their Keepers had stood by and watched, dozens of witches were rounded up and burned, proving how essential it was to keep the existence of their kind a secret.

Something they still fought for, everything their enemies despised. As for the Keepers who’d betrayed their witches …

“What are the dreams about?” he asked, the soft words spearing her thoughts.

She looked back at him, caught by the urge to tell him. She’d never shared them with anyone, never dared. Because admitting to the massacre nightmares would spark several unwanted questions, all of which led straight to her family.

He deserved to know the truth – and she’d tell him. Soon.

The thought made her heart skip a beat. Not surprising. The Bennett brothers lived and breathed to protect witches. She’d been born into a lineage of Keepers exiled to live in Ameera as punishment for harming them. It wasn’t a conversation she looked forward to.

Especially if it altered the way they saw her.

Shaking her head, she tucked her hair behind her ears, needing to give her hands something to do. “It’s not important.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Jenna.” Despite his even expression, his tone held a serious edge. “Considering what we’re facing, who we protect, everything that goes on in my home is important.”

“Your home, Ethan. Yours. Your brothers, your witch, your town. Arriving here hasn’t been a picnic for me. Sometimes I need air and you don’t get to monitor me, so back off. Please,” she added quickly, not sure why she’d felt the need to.

He studied her for a long while before nodding. “Fair enough. But next time you go for a midnight cruise on your own, you should let someone know.”

“Same goes for you and your business trips.”

The lights flickered several times, extracting a ripple of surprised murmurs across the room. The crack of thunder echoed in the distance and Ethan glanced outside, a deep frown hardening his expression. “The storm’s getting closer.”

“The crows, the storm … Hazel’s near and I hate that we can’t stop her.”

“We’d need to find her first.”

She caught the frustration in his tone. “Even if Archer agreed, it’s no use. You’ve been tracking her for weeks and still have no idea where –”

A trickle of awareness raced down her spine, and a moment later Archer slid into the seat beside her. He had the ability to manipulate water and was the quietest of the three brothers, always brooding. But now, his green eyes blazed with fury and a muscle worked in his jaw.

He shot Ethan a raised brow. “You went searching for Hazel?”

“Eavesdropping again, brother?”

“Your recent trip to New York. Is that what you were doing?” Archer’s tone held a dangerous edge, but failed to evoke a response from Ethan. Archer turned to Jenna. “Did you know?”

“Leave her out of it, Archer,” Ethan said quietly, his voice unwavering. “We agreed we’d try locating Hazel.”

“We agreed we’d put out feelers, ask around. Not go hunting for her.” He slapped Ethan’s shoulder with the back of his hand. “Alone, Ethan? What the hell were you thinking?”

“I’m sick of waiting for her to show.”

“She will, and when she does we’ll be ready for her.”

“But how many lives will be lost until she does?”

“Did you find her?”

“A few of her hideouts, a few followers.”

“But no Hazel?” When Ethan didn’t reply, Archer scowled. “Did they see you?”

“I’m frustrated, not stupid.”

Archer gave Ethan another smack on the shoulder. “Hunting down an evil witch caster alone is stupid.”

“It would’ve been nice to have company, brother, but you refuse –”

“We’re Keepers, Ethan. We vowed to protect, defend. We fight for peace. Going on a killing rampage is not what we vowed to do.”

“And sitting back letting innocent people die is?”

They glared at each other, tension simmering between them. Jenna caught a few curious glances sent their way and she quietly leaned forward, placing a hand on each of them.

“Guys, there are people watching,” Sienna muttered, coming up behind them. Her tone reminded Jenna of one a mother would use to reel in her squabbling children. “We can discuss this at home. Tonight’s supposed to be fun. For our friends, at least.”

Scowling, Ethan leaned forward, his face close to Archer’s. “Our duty is to our witches, to the people –” he nodded in the direction of the crowd behind him, “– and the balance. We’ll always honour that, but things have changed, brother. Our enemies are stronger, people are dying. The same rules don’t apply anymore.”

Archer’s eyes flared. “You think I don’t know that, brother? But if we start hunting our enemies, what separates us from them?”

Ethan didn’t reply. He stared back, his eyes a grey storm of emotion, the truth of Archer’s words striking a chord for them both. What Ethan was suggesting went against everything they believed in, everything they were. But sitting back and waiting for an attack seemed just as wrong.

The muscles in Ethan’s jaw slackened and he swallowed. Glaring at his brother, he turned around and headed for the door.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Anger churning in his gut, Ethan dodged a grey cat on the sidewalk and bolted up the steps to the roof. The brisk breeze that trailed behind him went ignored.

He went to the railing and drew in a few deep breaths.

The band had tempered their music, opting for more mellow songs to suit the mood. Dozens of fairy lights were cast across the street, creating a blanket of white below him. The air smelt of rain. At the end of the street, the senior kids were preparing for their march, a flurry of wild decor, extravagant floats, and costumes that ticked every colour of the rainbow. Visitors had cleared the street in anticipation, the sidewalks crawling with a stream of people.

Sienna and Kate had settled at a table in the park. Declan and Archer hovered nearby, their heads bowed together in a heated discussion.

Arguing about him, no doubt. He knew they’d be furious he’d gone to search for Hazel alone, but what was the alternative? To wait for another attack?

His chest tightened.

Being a Keeper was all he knew, a destiny he treasured, honoured, but sometimes, like now, he resented the hell out of it because of the stifling confines that came with it. Keepers were good, noble, respected – dedicated to protecting witches and the balance of nature. Protecting the innocent. That was the easy part, something he’d sworn to do, but over time, as their enemies had grown stronger and claimed more loved ones and innocent lives, something had altered inside him. A rebellion against everything he was.

Their war was a constant, monotonous battle, where they only attacked when absolutely necessary. Self defence.

They defended.

And it was bullshit.

Their enemies had killed his parents, Sienna’s parents, Rose, his sister, and many other innocent people. They’d attacked Sienna. Kate.

And yet, despite all that, their nobility and duty prevented any retaliation.

A rush of air swept across the floor, unsettling a pot plant at the top of the stairs. The railing groaned beneath his grip, caving from the pressure. He relaxed his hand, the motion triggering the flow of colour to his whitened knuckles. He frowned at the indentation he’d left in the metal.

Turning back to the street, he breathed in again, but it did nothing for his agitation, only calmed the breeze. The overturned plant he’d deal with later.

“Ethan?” Jenna murmured from the top of the stairs. She’d moved so quietly and he wondered how he’d missed her approach.

A few strands of blond hair had escaped the messy knot at the nape of her neck, softening her features. She wore a sleeveless black shirt tucked into jeans, the cut neat and simple. Not a frill or bow in sight.

She held up two beers, the sight of her easing his frustration. But instead of going to him, she held back and glanced at the steps. “I can leave if you’d prefer to be alone.”

The flash of uncertainty in her eyes surprised him. She was a powerful warrior. A kick-ass ninja. Always sure. Always certain. Seeing that flicker of doubt intrigued him. Why, he wasn’t sure. But it did. More than he’d care to admit.

He motioned her closer with a wave of the hand. “Plying me with alcohol?”

“Always good for easing tension.” She edged into the dim light, handing him a beer. Her lips were pressed in a thin line and for a moment he wasn’t sure if the worry was directed at the reality they faced … or him. She sipped her beer and scanned the street. “Wow. It’s beautiful from up here.”

“It’s one of my favourite places. It all seems so serene from up here, doesn’t it?”

“Which is why I come here.” He nodded at the crowd below. “It’s nice to see everyone so happy. It validates everything we do. They have no idea how fragile their serenity is.”

“If serenity even exists. We’ve had quiet times between trouble, but they’re more like beats, pauses, in a whirlwind of threats.”

He didn’t reply and sipped his beer, absorbing the truth of her words. Cynical but so true.

And it sucked.

She glanced at his brothers in the park below. “They look serious.”

“Archer’s the poster boy for serious.” His brother had a forehead permanently creased into a frown. So different to Declan, the wilder, more reckless brother, who operated without a filter.

“Ten bucks you’re in for a mammoth lecture when we get home.”

“Like I care.” Arguing with his brothers seldom bothered him. Tolerating them was easy. He’d had years of practice. He took what he needed, ignored the rest. Suited him fine.

The grey cat appeared on the top step, leapt onto the metal railing and walked toward them. Silent, casual, purring quietly. A burst of music filled the air, the sound echoing in the darkness that stretched beyond the town. Moments later, the steady rhythm of beating drums joined the melody, followed by an eruption of cheering. Startled, the cat meowed and sauntered off.

Ethan pointed at the parade in the distance. “Your timing is impeccable. This is the best spot to watch the parade and the fireworks.”

“Just as well I brought beer.”

“You’d make an awesome date.”

She snorted. “I haven’t had many of those.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Being known as the orphan girl at school had little appeal to the guys.” She shrugged her shoulders. “And once I discovered my strength and abilities, I kept screwing up. Still do. No matter how hard I try to be more feminine, to hide my strength, it always emerges in some way. Besides, it’s not much fun walking on eggshells around a man ‘cause you’re terrified to hurt him.”

He smiled, all too familiar with that feeling. The strength they possessed was exhilarating, but in the company of ordinary humans, restraint was always a challenge.

She grinned. “Thank God for Kate. She keeps me busy, gives my life a purpose. Keeps me from knitting socks and making soup.”

He laughed, not quite able to see her as a knitting, soup-making type of woman. Far from it.

The parade began their march through the street, the band pounding away at their instruments. Floats of all different sizes and colours moved along the street, creative and cleverly designed. Colour and excitement lit the air as the fireworks erupted. They were perfectly timed to the music, extracting murmurs of awe throughout the street.

His brothers had taken up a spot on the table in the park, Kate and Sienna between their legs on the bench in front of them. The women were smiling up at the fireworks, chattering wildly. Despite how calm they appeared, Ethan knew they were all wary.

Two grey cats sat nearby, unperturbed when the sky suddenly erupted into red and white sparks. A mild grin curled Jenna’s lips and she sipped her beer. A gentle breeze toyed with the strands of hair framing her face and he had the urge to reach out and tuck them behind her ear.

His gaze shifted to her lips, full and soft and promising. Tempting. His abdomen tightened at the thought.

A steady pulse beat in her throat. Another round of fireworks lit up the sky, illuminating her face in a colourful glow. Beautiful.

He saw the moment it changed for her. The shatter of stillness.

Her expression tightened and she straightened, staring at the street below. “Ethan,” she said, grabbing his arm. “The cats!”

****

A hot spurt of alarm hit Jenna as she pointed to the cats below. One by one, they transformed effortlessly into humans. The shift was so subtle, so graceful and quick, that it went unnoticed.

“Oh no,” Jenna breathed, an icy sensation raking down her spine. “They’re shifters, Ethan!”

“What the hell?” he grumbled, reaching for his phone.

“Hazel must’ve opened the portal to Ameera.”

What that meant sparked a torrent of emotions that Jenna was quick to sidestep. She couldn’t think about that. Not now.

Ethan had Archer on speed dial, his barked orders swallowed by an explosion of fireworks that lit up the sky in a rainbow of colours. The fires in all the metal bins that lined the street flared brighter.

The bins exploded, in sync with the noise of the fireworks, white sparks flying everywhere. A few people noticed, moved out of the way, but the noise and sparks were so perfectly timed with the parade that it caused little alarm.

One by one, like a snake slithering toward its prey, the bins exploded, moving toward the parade.

Archer and Declan were already on their feet, Sienna and Kate sandwiched between them.

Smoke filtered from the sidewalks. It triggered a few surprised looks from the marching crowd, but they moved on, caught in the excitement of the night.

Energy, noise, and colour filled the street. Music played, people laughed, unperturbed by the explosions. It was all part of the show.

The smoke thickened. A few people coughed and backed away from the parade, arms flailing.

Fireworks exploded. Bins exploded. Perfect synchronisation. Light bulbs erupted. A tree caught alight.

By the time the cries of alarm added to the chaos, Jenna and Ethan were already running.

CHAPTER NINE

They raced down the stairs and onto the street, merging with the crowd. Confusion had broken up the parade. The music stopped, the explosions continued. Everyone began running. Screaming.

Ethan bolted into the panicked crowd, dodging people and fire, his focus zeroed in on one woman across the road. Sienna.

Jenna felt it too. That burning need to protect her witch above everything else. Despite the anguish. Despite the screams. Their witches came first. Always. She raced through the crowd, searching for Kate through the thickening smoke. Kate!

Declan came up behind her, taking her arm. “You have to get Kate home!” he shouted, tugging her with him as he walked.

“Where is she?”

He turned into the alleyway beside the restaurant. A wave of unease crashed through her as her instincts lit up like a runway. In a brisk movement, she yanked her arm out of his grasp and spun around, delivering a powerful kick that sent him reeling against the wall.

She launched at him before he could recover, slid around him and grabbed his neck between her arms. A death grip that could snap his neck in a heartbeat.

“What the hell was that for?” He gripped her arms, trying to break free. “Kate’s in trouble, you crazy woman!”

“You think I’m stupid?” She tightened her grip, taking satisfaction from his grunt. “Declan would never, ever leave Kate alone during an attack, so next time you try your Mimic crap with me, try a better story.”

He grumbled something beneath his breath, his words barely audible, and grew still. Then he laughed. The image of Declan disappeared to reveal the man beneath the facade. She recognised his mop of black curls and his jagged teeth. One of Hazel’s sidekicks, although Jenna had hardly spoken to him in her time with them. A Mimic. Known for his ability to imitate others.

And now there were shifters too – able to shift into cats at will. Both dangerous and deceptive.

“There are innocent people here!” Jenna said. “Are you all insane?”

Safety aside, a magical display like this risked exposure and severe consequences.

“Mildly, but watching you and the Bennett brothers fight to keep our secret is so entertaining.”

Jenna didn’t respond, distracted by a movement in the distance. Two cats sauntered toward her, unperturbed by the chaos in the background. In a sleek, agile movement, they effortlessly shifted into their human form, two women Jenna had never seen before. They were small in build and had dark hair, porcelain skin and narrow, bright green eyes that smacked of malice.

Jenna heard the rush of air a moment before she felt the impact from above. A third cat collided with her, a light force that instantly grew stronger as it shifted. But Jenna was faster. She dropped the Mimic, simultaneously delivering a vicious elbow to her attacker’s face the moment she became human. The shifter crashed into a dustbin but was on her feet in an instant. She had a similar appearance to the other two, almost identical.

They circled Jenna, snarling softly, the sound emanating from the back of their throats. Three against one. And the damn Mimic. Just her luck. Jenna braced herself as they closed in.

“STOP!” A voice demanded from above. “Get away from her! Hazel was clear this one was hers.”

A young woman leapt from the roof and landed on the ground in front of them. She had short jet-black hair, eyes outlined in dark makeup. Small in build, but a fierce and powerful witch Jenna instantly recognised.

Megan. The young witch her parents had taken in. Despite their mercy, love, and guidance, she’d joined Hazel’s cause anyway. The last time Jenna had seen her had been the night they’d tried to sacrifice Kate.

Jenna’s hands closed into fists, her body flooded by conflicting emotions always sparked by an interaction with Megan. Good versus evil. Right versus wrong. Two women on opposite sides of the war. Bound by a twisted childhood friendship.

Their gazes locked, silent animosity bristling between them. A shared past, a secret they both fiercely protected.

“We were only having some fun,” the Mimic replied, watching Megan with wary eyes.

“Get out of here,” Megan ordered, turning to the shifters. “And tell your people to tone it the hell down. We’re here to deliver a message, not spark a damn war!”

They hurried away, leaving behind two estranged woman and a heavy silence.

Anger soared through Jenna as instincts demanded she avoid Megan. The witch who wouldn’t hesitate to harm them.

The witch who had just helped her.

An age-old voice reared to life within her, a whisper of a twisted loyalty Jenna had always felt but never understood. So compelling. So wrong. Manifested during the years her parents had fostered Megan. They’d both been seven years old when they’d met and had become firm friends. Sisters.

Enemies.

“It would’ve been nice to have a warning before you invaded our town,” Jenna said.

“I warn you and I’m dead, Jenna. Besides, why would I bother? You destroyed any ounce of relationship we had when you betrayed me in New Orleans.”

“You were about to kill my witch!”

“A witch we needed.”

It was an ancient war between them, an inner battle they both fought. In truth, their friendship had altered the night Jenna’s mother had sent them through the portal. They’d parted ways. Jenna had joined the academy and Megan had aligned herself with the very people Jenna’s parents had despised. In time, they’d grown to be enemies, allied in opposite armies.

But somewhere beneath all that was a slither of respect and loyalty neither of them could shed. A legacy of the parents who’d raised them in a glimpse of time when they’d mattered to each other.

And if their alliances ever found out, they’d both be shunned. Or dead.

“I told you never to set foot in Rapid Falls again,” Jenna hissed through gritted teeth, temper flaring.

Megan grinned. “But this is where all the good witches are.”

“If you harm my witch, no amount of –”

“I’m not here for that. Not today.” Megan’s expression grew serious, her brows creasing with worry. “Hazel’s opened the portal to Ameera, Jenna.” Hearing the name aloud sent an icy spurt of alarm through Jenna. Their gazes locked, the mention of their old home jarring the rivalry between them. “I have a message from her.”

“Forever her sidekick.”

Megan let the comment slide. “She’ll keep the portal open until Sienna hands over the Brogan Grimoire.”

Ah, the damn Brogan Grimoire. Sienna’s mother had once sealed the book with a powerful spell. According to her grandmother, a Beckham spell and four enchanted stones would unseal the book, but so far Sienna hadn’t been able to crack it.

Hazel was convinced the book contained the location of the witch massacre – a minefield of potent energy left behind by the slaughtered witches. If she ever found where that magic was buried, she’d have access to a power that went beyond anything they’d ever seen. She’d be unstoppable. So the book remained in hiding, safely tucked away at the Bennett Estate.

“Sienna will never relinquish the Grimoire,” Jenna said.

“You know what will happen if that portal stays open!”

“And you know what will happen if Hazel finds that magic!”

“Ameera is so much worse now –”

“You’ve been back?” Jenna cut in. When Megan looked away, her lips thinning into a grimace, Jenna gasped. “Hazel’s in Ameera, isn’t she?”

“Jenna –”

“Did you find my parents?” A surge of desperation had Jenna in front of Megan in a sudden movement. “Did you see them?”

Megan’s unfaltering gaze met hers and held, an ocean of memories bristling between them. “No.”

The ache in Jenna’s chest was almost unbearable. “Why’s Hazel in Ameera?”

The question served as a stark reminder of everything that stood between them and Megan jerked back, her expression hardening. “Like I’d tell you.”

A scream in the distance jarred Jenna into action. Anxious to find Kate and instinctively knowing that Megan wouldn’t offer any more information, she backed away, scowling at her. “Stay away from my witch, Megan.”

Turning around, she bolted for the street.

The fire had spread, claiming trees and plants along the way. The awning above a boutique window went up in flames.

A child stood in the centre of the chaos, clutching the arm of a teddy bear, crying hysterically. Jenna raced forward, scooped him up and pushed him into the arms of a young woman with saucer-wide eyes.

It began to rain. Soft droplets that soon grew heavy and persistent, dousing the flames. Archer?

A ripple of energy washed over Jenna, one she instantly recognised. Kate’s magic. Her body soared with relief when she spotted her witch beside Sienna in the distance, surrounded by the three brothers. They were all drenched from the rain. Kate wore a blank expression, almost oblivious to the chaos, but Jenna knew better. Her witch had gone into that quiet, private place that would stop the madness.

Jenna was beside her in a heartbeat.

Instantly, as though Kate had flicked a whip, everything began to settle. The explosions stopped, the panic lessened, and the shifters retreated. Clearly, they’d been warned that the hybrid Null was no match for them. More so now that Kate had been practicing with her grandmother every day for the last few months. Honing her powers, developing her skill. Lethal.