Chapter 237

Joseph’s POV

2 weeks.

I had been out for 2 weeks??

“I can’t stay here,” I said, attempting to get up but feeling a shot of pain in my stomach. I winced at the pain and instantly fell back onto the bed.

“Easy now,” Bernard said, trying to get me to calm down. “You’re taking a little longer to heal because you were shot a few times with a silver bullet. You need to let yourself heal.”

“Tessa is in trouble. I need to get to her,” I said through my teeth, unable to sit still.

“If you don’t let yourself heal, you’ll do more damage,” Bernard said, narrowing his eyes at me. “You need to rest, Joseph.”

“Bernard,” I said through my clenched jaw. “It’s Tessa…”

“I’m aware, Joseph. You won’t be any good to her if you are damaged.”

I wanted to argue more with him, but I also knew he was right. I wasn’t thinking rationally, I had no real plan.

Moments later, Anna was returning with Carter on her tail. He rushed toward me, running his hands through his mound of hair and he looked stressed.

“Man, you had us scared shitless,” Carter huffed as he leaned against the bedside. “I was starting to think you wouldn’t wake up.”

“Carter,” Anna scolded as she went around my bedside and started to check my vitals.

“I need to get out of here,” I said, and then I looked at Carter, pleading to him with my eyes. “It’s Tessa.”

Carter nodded as if he understood.

“I’ll get some of the warriors to patrol her father’s farm and see what we can find out about her—”

“No,” I said firmly. “She’s not on the farm. Her coven has her.”

They all looked at one another surprised.

“She found her coven?’ Anna asked, raising her brows.

“They found her,” I said, turning my attention to her. “She’s in trouble.”

“How do you know she’s in trouble?” Bernard asked, folding his arms across his chest. “Is it because she hasn’t called you back? I thought a coven was like a witch’s family or something.”

I shook my head, not sure how to put this feeling into words. But then I remembered what Claira told me.

“Esmeralda,” I said, more to myself than to them, but it got their attention. “I need to speak to Esmeralda.”

“That crazy witch in the town?” Bernard asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “What do you need to talk to her for.”

“She can help me get to Tessa. I need to speak with her.”

“There’s no way you are well enough to travel there. Even if it is a short distance,” Anna said, worry evident on her face.

“It’s not a good idea to get mixed up with the witches,” Bernard added.

“This is important. It’s about Tessa. If Esmeralda can help me save her, then I need to speak with her,” I said firmly, staring at Bernard.

“What makes you think Esme would even help with Tessa?” Carter asked.

“Because Tessa is a witch like she is. Witches help their own kind,” I answered, not wanting to tell them about my talk with my dead wife. “Can someone bring her to me?”

“You want this witch to come here?” Bernard asked, his brows raising to his hairline. “Have you lost your mind?”

“If you don’t bring her to me, I will go to her,” I said, seconds away from getting up and walking out of the room.

“Not a good idea,” Anna said. “You are too weak and damaged. You need to rest a few more days before you attempt to go anywhere.”

“Then bring her to me,” I said through my teeth. “Have her disguise her scent so no one can smell her when she arrives.”

“I’ll speak with her,” Carter said, shrugging.

Bernard whipped his eyes in Carter’s direction.

“You are not bringing that witch to my village,” Bernard said through his teeth.

“Look, I don’t want her here either. But if she can help us save Tessa, I think we need to find out,” Carter told him. “I’ve spoken to her more than anyone here and honestly, I don’t think she’s that bad. A little crazy maybe, but who isn’t?”

“She’s a witch,” Bernard said as if we had forgotten that fact.

“I need to speak with her,” I said, loud enough to silence their bickering. “If she can’t come here, then I will go to her.”

“Can we have a word?” Bernard muttered to Carter, motioning for him to follow.

The two of them left the room, leaving me alone with Anna.

“I’m just going to check your wound,” Anna told me as she reached for the bandages around my stomach.

I sighed and put my head on the pillow, staring up at the ceiling.

“Carter said he found you in a puddle of blood in the middle of Tessa’s apartment,” Anna said with a timid frown on her face as she undid my bandages. “Thankfully he got to you on time and was able to keep you alive until you got here. I have to be honest; we really didn’t think you were going to make it. But you always have been a fighter.”

“I have a reason to fight,” I told her simply. “I’m not leaving this planet without knowing that Tessa is okay.”

A small smile formed on Anna’s face, and she nodded.

“You really do love her, don’t you?”

It was a question I really wasn’t expecting, but I nodded anyway.

“More than anything,” I answered. “She’s my reason.”

“She’s a lucky girl,” Anna said kindly.

“Claira said the same thing.” I hadn’t realized I said that out loud until Anna raised her brows.

“Claira?” Anna asked. “Your late wife?”

I nodded.

“I know I sound ridiculous,” I said, shaking my head at the thought. “I really didn’t want anyone to know about it. I’m not sure why I mentioned it…”

“You saw her, didn’t you?” Anna asked.

She didn’t sound judgmental; it didn’t even sound like a question. I looked at her as she started to clean my wounds.

“Yes,” I answered. “I got to talk to her. I was in some realm where sunlight didn’t make me sick. It was nice there; I felt at peace despite everything going on here. There was no concept of time. It felt like I had all the time in the world.”

“It must have been nice to see her again,” she breathed.

“You don’t think I’m crazy?”

She raised her brows at me.

“Why would I think that?” She asked.

“Because I spoke to my dead wife,” I told her. “Even I think I’m crazy.”

Anna laughed and shook her head.

“You aren’t crazy Joseph. Your body went through something traumatic. Your soul needed a place to go while its vessel recovered. It went to the only place it knew it could feel safe. It went home.”

“My home is with Tessa,” I said, staring out the window on the far side of the room. It was dark out; I felt like I was wasting so much time being here when I should have been out there looking for her.

“Don’t you know a soul can be in multiple places at once?” She said and I could feel her eyes on me.

I looked back at Anna.

“Claira said something similar,” I said in response. “She said that a part of her soul is in Tessa.”

Anna smiled.

“And do you believe her?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “I do.”

“Then, there you go. Your soul’s home is not the vessel,” Anna told me. “Perhaps that is why you feel more drawn to her than you ever had for anyone else. Your soul recognized it’s home.”

“When I died and became a vampire, I thought I lost my soul,” I said, shaking my head at my own ignorance. “But Tessa made me realize that wasn’t the case.”

Anna laughed.

“If you lost your soul, you wouldn’t be the Joseph we all know and love,” Anna told me.

She finished bandaging me just as Bernard walked back into the room. He looked stressed and annoyed. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed as he leaned against the far side of the wall.

“He’s going to get the witch,” Bernard muttered. “I hope it’s worth it.”

“Tessa is worth everything,” I said firmly.

……

It took no time for Carter to return, and I was honestly surprised he managed to convince Esme to come with him. She stood behind him with her arms folded around her body and she looked majorly uncomfortable. She looked as if she would rather be anywhere but here but when she saw me, her eyes darkened, and she stepped further into the room.

She wore a dark purple hooded cloak with a hood over her head to disguise herself and I was pleased she was also hiding her scent.

“I explained to her why we need her help,” Carter said, motioning for Esme to step closer. “She said she can help.”

“Why would she want to help us?” Bernard was quick to ask before I could say anything.

My eyes never left Esmeralda, but her eyes quickly shot at Bernard, and I could see the anger and resentment in them.

“I’m not helping you, vampire,” Esme spat bitterly. “I’m helping a fellow witch.”

“Thank you,” I breathed, relieved.

“Don’t thank me yet,” she muttered, folding her arms across her chest. “This won’t be an easy task. I know which Coven she’s a part of and they are a powerful bunch.”

I wanted to question how she knew what coven Tessa was in, but I decided now was not the time.

Without another word, she walked over to the window and opened it. I wasn’t sure what she was doing, but then she started to ‘who’ like a howl. The rest of us were staring at her as if she had just lost her mind and then we looked at one another, confused.

Soon, a white owl flew through the window and flapped around the room. Everyone ducked in shock as the owl flew over our heads and then shockingly landed on Esmeralda’s arm.

Her grin widened as she stroked the white feathers of the owl.

“What the fuck,” I hissed. “What is this?”

She narrowed her eyes at me and pressed her lips in a thin line.

“This is what’s going to get your message to Tessa.”