The Tiger Prince's Witch
Chapter 60 - Santi's Return

"There is a large field not far from me. I'll be near the trees in the back." Santi said, walking quickly to the area. His heart was racing as he tried not to run. He didn't want to draw attention to himself. Then it hit him what Anna had said. Teleport. Kamryn was going to teleport to him? What the hell kind of power do they have?

"Anna, what's going on?" Randal asked with a shaky voice. She wanted Santi to come here? Wouldn't that put them all in danger? Anna looked at Kamryn.

"I need Legend to teleport to Santi and bring him here. Santi, let us know when you're there." Anna looked toward Randal sympathetically. "I know this is going to be hard for you, and there is a lot of history there, but this may be the only way to give us more time and save everyone. I'll explain once Santi is here. Please trust me; I know what I'm doing."

Randal was shaking on the inside but trying not to show everyone how affected he was. His brother hadn't been anything good for a long time, but if Anna said this was necessary, he believed her. He was willing to put his hurt and anger on the back burner to save his family.

"I trust you, Anna," He answered carefully. Lynn took his hand, knowing how hard this was for him.

"I'm here," Santi said breathlessly into the phone. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so excited and nervous at the same time. How would it be seeing Randal after all these years? He had a lot to make up to him, but he understood if his brother could never forgive him.

"Kamryn's tiger is Legend, and he's white. He'll be there in a minute. Get on his back and hold on." Anna explained.

"Will do," Santi answered. Kamryn stood up, kissed Anna on the forehead, and went to another room to shift into Legend. They had never been that far before, but Legend assured him they would be fine.

After shifting, Legend focused on Santi and his location. He teleported to the area, appearing right in front of the startled man. Santi jumped on the tiger's back, holding on around his neck, and then suddenly, they were in the room at the palace. Legend shifted back to Kamryn, who quickly put his clothes on. The two men who had never met stared at each other wearily. Kamryn mindlinked Anna to see what she wanted him to do.

*"We're here. Do you want me to bring him to the office?" He asked, still eyeing his uncle with uncertainty. He trusted Anna, but that didn't make this any easier.

*"Yes, bring him here. It will be fine, I promise."* Anna spoke with conviction. They would see why this had to happen once everyone was there.

"Gary, are you and Shila still on the phone?" Anna asked.

"Yes, we're still here." He answered.

Everyone looked toward the door as Kamryn, and a nervous Santi entered. No one in the room breathed as they stared at the man they had thought of as the devil himself. He was wringing his hands as he took in each face around the table. When his eyes landed on Randal, it shook Santi to the core. He had to say something to make them see that he wasn't the same now that he had been able to stop the potion from being forced on him.

"Hello, everyone. I know I'm not anyone's favorite person right now, and I understand. I...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything." They all watched with widened eyes as Santi dropped to his knees with his face in his hands as he cried. Randal felt his heart aching for his brother. He could clearly see the anguish on his face. Anna walked over to the crying man and wrapped her arms around him. That seemed to make him cry harder.

When Santi felt Anna hugging him, it almost broke him. No one had hugged him like that in a long time. This sweet little witch he once planned to kill was now offering him kindness and compassion. That was more than he had ever expected. He put his arms around her and cried on her shoulder while everyone watched. Once his tears had stopped, Anna moved away from him with a smile as she patted his shoulder.

"Santi, you can sit here." Anna showed him the seat she had been in across the table from Randal. He stood up and sat in the chair, not meeting anyone's eyes. Santi felt raw from all the emotions going through his body.

"I know everyone is wondering what this is about, and I'm going to tell you. When I was reading the scrolls, I found several things. The first was what I shared earlier about the abilities of the unborn. There was also a lot about Astaroth and how this battle had been foreseen for centuries. All of us around this table have the mates we have due to this fight. It was the only way to ensure that we'll win. There was even information about Santi and the potion he was given, which was also necessary to get us what we needed. Now that he was able to stop it, we had to get him out of there to help us. The potion and black magic are leaving his body, and you'll notice changes in his feature as they leave. Once it's gone, he will be filled with good once again. I understand there is some doubt and concern, but this was all meant to be. It may have been set in motion before any of us were alive, but it's time for us to join together and take down this demon, as our ancestors foresaw."

Anna paused and looked around the room. Santi was speechless watching the woman who looked like she couldn't hurt a fly speak with so much authority that it made her seem like the most powerful person in the room. He was positive that everyone would bow to her proudly when she became queen. He felt like kissing her feet already, and they'd just met.

"Santi, you may have noticed that your tiger has been quiet lately." At his nod, Anna continued. "He's going through changes too but should be back to you soon, better than ever. Astaroth is going to be in a rage once he realizes that Santi is gone, so we need to be on alert. I don't believe he'll think he came here, but he may send spies. We've seen how sneaky Alice and Marcus are, and I'm sure he has others." Everyone looked at Santi, who nodded. "He has many spies, but Alice and Marcus are his most powerful," Santi said quietly.

"I'm going to place a protection spell over the palace that will alert us if anyone comes near here. Santi will need to stay out of sight as much as possible. The longer we can keep Astaroth in the dark about Santi's whereabouts, the more successful we'll be. Gary, we need you to be on the lookout as well. He may think Santi went to you, so continue keeping Shila hidden. Okay, everyone. We can rest now and go eat some dinner. I think it's time Randal and Santi sit down with each other and clear the air." Anna looked at the two men, who were both much older than she was but looked away as though they were rebellious teenagers being forced to shake hands.

Everyone stood up, with the exception of the two brothers. Anna held Kamryn in place as well. In case they needed some buffers, they would be there for them. Randal looked at the young couple and gave a slight smile.

"You two can go. We'll be fine." Anna looked between them and nodded. After they left, Randal and Santi stared at each other without saying anything for several minutes. The king took a deep breath, knowing they needed to get this over with.

"Santi, I think we have a lot to talk about."

Astaroth kept trying to contact Santi, but it appeared he had left the mansion. One of the servants said he went outside a few hours ago, but they never saw him come back.

He was furious. Where did Santi go, and why has he not returned? Astaroth finally had a stronger potion that should help get the weretiger back under his control. Now he just had to wait for him to return. The demon was beginning to get anxious about not being able to get out of his underground area. How could he take more souls if he couldn't be near others?

He banged his fist on a table, making things fall to the ground. He noticed something odd in the dirt as he picked the items up. When he lightly brushed the dirt, he growled in frustration. It was clear why Santi hadn't been affected by the potion. He wasn't drinking it. Astaroth vowed as soon as he came back, he wouldn't let him leave. It was time to show the tiger how evil a demon can be.