“Vampires would explain her memory loss. They must’ve used compulsion.” Calandra glanced over at Rosella. “Has she said anything?”
“Only Sienna’s name.” Julius stared at me. “Do you remember anything else?”
“No.” I sat on the edge of the bed, feeling suddenly lightheaded.
“I can’t believe you’re questioning her like this. Can’t you see she’s weak and needs to rest?” Grace’s eyes narrowed at Julius and Calandra as she approached us. “There’s nothing we can do tonight except ensure the coven’s safe and take care of Rosella and Sienna.”
“You’re right,” Julius said. “I’ll make a few phone calls.”
“I’ll go help Boris with the barrier spell,” Calandra said. She and Julius walked over to speak with Ava before leaving the room together.
Grace walked to the sink to fill a bowl with water and grabbed paper towel from the dispenser. She pulled up a chair next to me, sat, and dipped the paper towel in the water. “Finally, some peace and quiet.”
Saying nothing, I just stared at Cindy’s shoes while Grace gently wiped my neck.
“I know we got off to a rocky start with me reading your mind. We haven’t spent much time getting to know each other either, but you can trust me, Sienna.” Grace glanced in Ava’s direction and lowered her voice. “You and I need to speak privately. Not here, but I could—”
The door swung open again, and Garrett entered the room. When he rushed to his sister’s side, Ava said something to him.
I choked back a sob, grateful he hadn’t come with us tonight.
“You’ll get through this, Sienna. Just stay strong. I’ll come see you tomorrow, and we’ll talk.” Grace stood, placing the bowl of water in the sink and tossing the paper towel in the trashcan as Garrett hurried toward us.
“I heard Rosella was hurt. But no one said anything about you being here too.” Garrett sat in the chair and held my hand. His eyes widened as he took in my blood-stained clothes. He frantically looked me over, checking for injuries. “I don’t understand. Are you hurt?”
“It’s not her blood,” Grace said. “Sienna’s fine. She just needs rest and a big breakfast tomorrow. The doctor ran some tests and found nothing, but someone needs to stay with her tonight. She can’t be left alone.”
“I’ll keep an eye on her.” Garrett squeezed my hand and moved closer.
“They’re dead, Garrett, and it’s all my fault.” Tears rolled down my cheeks as I pressed my forehead to his shoulder and cried.
“It’s not your fault. You didn’t know this would happen. No one knew. But you don’t need to worry anymore. I’m here now. I won’t let the Rocklin wolves hurt you.”
“No.” I pulled away and wiped the tears from my face. “It wasn’t the wolves.”
“But that’s what everyone’s saying. The wolves attacked you guys, but you and Rosella got away.” He gently squeezed my arms.
“That’s not what happened.” I shook my head, the vampire’s words echoing in my mind: Trust no one on the High Council. They’re not your friends. You’re surrounded by traitors.
“Sienna, I don’t understand. What did happen at the fair?”
I stared into Garrett’s blue eyes, just as I’d done so many times before. Those eyes held only concern and tenderness. No way was he a traitor; I trusted him completely. “We were attacked by vampires.”
“What?” His eyes narrowed. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I lowered my voice and continued, “I lied to the High Council when I said I couldn’t remember what happened. I had to. One of the vampires warned me not to trust anyone. He told me I was surrounded by traitors at the coven, including the High Council, and there were things I needed to know.”
“How do you know he wasn’t lying?”
“He killed one of the other vampires to save me. Why would he do that if he was lying?” Tears welled in my eyes again as I thought of Orla. “They knew my name, Garrett. They were after me. That’s why this is my fault.”
“No.” He took me in his arms and stroked a hand up and down my back. “You can’t blame yourself.”
“There’s one more thing I need to tell you.” I leaned against Garrett for support, grateful I could trust and rely on him. “Carter was there tonight too. He helped me, but he didn’t want anyone to know.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” he said. “Why wouldn’t Carter want anyone to know he was there? The High Council would be extremely grateful.”
“I don’t know.”
“Sienna,” Julius said as he approached us. “We should get you out of those clothes and clean you up.”
Garrett released me and looked at Julius. “Has the doctor cleared her to leave?”
“Yes. The tests came back negative for poison,” Julius replied. “Garrett, why don’t you go sit with Ava and your sister? I’ll escort Sienna to Hale House, and stay with her.”
“No. Ava doesn’t need me. The poison’s already out of Rosella’s system. She’ll be awake by morning.” Garrett stood, clearing his throat. “I’ll stay with Sienna tonight.”
Julius looked at me, clearly irritated. “Is this what you want?”
“Yes.”
“Very well. If you need anything, come see me.” Julius crossed the room to Ava and Rosella but kept his gaze on Garrett and me.
“I’m not sure I like the way he looks at you,” Garrett muttered as he helped me to my feet.
Taking one last look at Cindy’s black shoe, I swore I’d kill the vampires who’d done this to her and Orla. If that meant I had to become the Raven of Five and kill a beast to make it happen, I’d do it.
Chapter 26
“Are you sure training today is a good idea?” Garrett picked up the pillow and blanket off my floor and tossed them onto my bed. Yawning, he ran a hand through his messy black hair.
“We talked about this last night. Skipping isn’t an option, not when I have vampires after me.” I sat on my bed and tied my sneakers. “I need to know if Carter got answers from that vampire.”
“Maybe I should come with you.”
“No.” I shook my head. “He might not talk freely around you.”
Garrett looked at me. “Don’t you think it’s weird that Carter just happened to be there last night? This might be a ploy to get you to trust him. He could be working with the vampires.”
“You’re giving him too much credit. Carter’s not that smart.” I grabbed my water bottle and looked at Garrett. Something about his expression gave me cause for concern. “Don’t tell me you’re worried. It’s just like any other training day.”
“Sienna, vampires attacked you.” Garrett sat next to me on the bed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “You cried all night and barely slept. Why don’t we watch a movie? And I’ll cook you pancakes and sausage.”
“I can’t.” I stood, not wanting to think about last night or what happened to Orla and Cindy. I wanted to know if Carter had learned anything, and if he hadn’t, I needed to track down that vampire myself. “I have too much to do today. Besides, don’t you have a meeting in town?”
“Yes, but it’s not that important.” He sighed. “Can you at least promise me something? If Carter’s not at training, you’ll come back to Hale House and stay inside. You won’t go looking for him.”
“I promise. How long will you be in your meeting?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ll come straight back here afterward, and we’ll eat dinner together.” Just then, his cell phone chimed, and he jumped to his feet. He took his phone off my desk and glanced at the screen. “Damn.” He groaned.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s a text from Ava. She’s insisting on a family dinner tonight. Says it’s important. At least Rosella’s awake. She’s staying at Ava’s for a few days. I guess I should go check on her.” He shoved his phone into his pocket. “How about you come to dinner with me?”
“No.” I opened my bedroom door. “I’ll only be in the way of whatever fam
ily stuff Ava wants to discuss. Just come over afterward, and I’ll tell you what Carter said.”
“Okay, but remember what you promised. If he’s not there when you get to the field, come back here and stay inside,” he said. “Please be careful, Sienna. I still don’t trust him.”
When I arrived for my training session, Carter was already warming up, doing chin-ups in his usual gray sweatpants and white T-shirt. I hurried toward him, anxious for answers.
“I didn’t expect to see you this morning.” He let go of the pull-up bar and glanced at my black leggings and T-shirt. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
“I heard about your friends. I’m sorry,” he said. “Why don’t you take some time off, and we’ll train in a few days?”
I folded my arms, shocked by how tender he sounded. “Don’t you think we should talk about last night? That vampire who—”
“Now’s not a good time. Someone’s watching us.”
“I don’t see anyone.” I scanned the surrounding woods and checked no one was standing on the gravel path.
“It’s that witch from last night, Rosella. She followed you here.” He dropped to the ground and started doing push-ups. “Why don’t you drop and give me twenty?”
I dropped to the ground with a groan. “You know how much I hate push-ups.”
“We can’t talk while she’s watching.” Carter switched to one-hand push-ups. “Did you tell the High Council I was there last night?”
“No.”
He paused in the middle of a push-up and switched hands. “How about I treat you to dinner tonight? We could eat at Hale House. You like Thai food, right?”
“Yes.” As I struggled to do my tenth push-up, I realized tonight was perfect. Rosella had that family dinner so she wouldn’t be following me around. “But coming to Hale House is an awful idea. How about I meet you at the Main Hall?”
“Okay, I’ll be there at seven. Don’t be late.” He got to his feet and placed both hands on his hips. “One more thing. I need you to bring Marie’s grimoire.”
I stood, staring at Carter in disbelief. “Why?”
“It’s part of the deal. If you want to know what the vampire told me, bring her grimoire and don’t be late.” He looked around, paying extra attention to one area of the woods, not far from the gravel path. “Go home and rest. Don’t leave your house until tonight.”
“What about training?”
“Training’s canceled until Wednesday. Make sure you rest. I don’t want you passing out on me.” Carter picked up my water bottle and handed it to me. “I know it might not seem like it, but you did a good job last night. What happened to your friends wasn’t your fault.”
“Thanks.” I sighed, tired of hearing people say it wasn’t my fault. It certainly didn’t feel like I’d done a good job. If it weren’t for Carter and the other vampire showing up, Rosella would probably be dead, and I would have been kidnapped. “Why were you at the county fair? I thought you were out of town.”
“My trip got cut short. I figured you wouldn’t take my advice, so I stopped by the fair. When I saw you enter the maze, I stayed nearby and eavesdropped.”
“Thanks for your help,” I said. While I should have been upset he’d spied on us, he had good instincts, and he’d been right about me not being safe. “I’ll see you tonight.”
While Carter resumed his exercise routine, I left the field and walked along the gravel path, hoping Rosella would stay behind to keep an eye on him. She must have questions about what happened, and I had no answers to give her.
“Sienna,” Rosella called out as she appeared on the side of the gravel path. She wore no makeup, and her hair looked like she hadn’t even brushed it.
“Rosella! I’m glad you’re okay.” I did my best to act surprised and pulled her into a hug. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted some fresh air, and I remembered you had training this morning.” She glanced back toward the field. “Why are you leaving? I thought you and Carter trained for two hours.”
“We do, but I’m not feeling well, and after what happened…well…” I lowered my gaze as we continued walking toward Hale House.
“Mom told me we ran into three vampires last night. Is that true?”
I nodded. “It was those guys that followed us into the maze. They tried to attack us, and we fought them off. My memory’s a little fuzzy.”
“You’re lying. I didn’t fight off any vampires.” Rosella stopped in her tracks and folded her arms. “You helped me climb on top of the maze, and I was trying to find a way out. I heard three guys talking to you, so I lay down to wait, but I must’ve passed out. Tell me. How did you get me down? I don’t have any broken bones, so I didn’t fall off.”
“Well…” I couldn’t come up with an answer that made any sense, and I couldn’t tell her the truth.
“That’s why I’m here. I wanted to see what Carter looks like because I didn’t believe it.”
“Believe what?”
“Carter was there last night. He carried me in his arms.” She frowned at me. “Don’t lie and say you don’t remember. He’s the one who helped you fight off the vampires.”
I bit my lip. Had she seen the other vampire and heard what he’d said to me? “Why didn’t you tell the High Council?”
“I figured you must have a good reason to lie.” She unfolded her arms and let out a shaky breath. “Why was he there?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed, realizing I’d have to admit part of the truth. “He told me not to tell anyone. It’s why I showed up to training today even though I feel sick. I wanted some answers, but he refused to talk about it. He knew you were in the woods, watching us.”
Rosella gasped. “He knew? I was careful not to move or make a sound.”
“He could hear your heartbeat.”
“Damn. I didn’t think about that,” she said. “Sorry. I’d never seen Carter before, and I wanted to make sure it was him last night. Are you training tomorrow? You can ask your questions then and see what he’s up to.”
“He’s canceled training until Wednesday.” I looked away, not wanting to tell her I had plans to meet Carter tonight.
“You should go back and talk to him. I’ll leave, and he won’t—”
“No. He’s in a grumpy mood, so I’d rather wait. Right now, I need food and rest.”
She hooked her arm through mine. “I’ll go with you, and we can eat together.”
I nodded, grateful she hadn’t demanded we tell the High Council about Carter helping us last night. Maybe I should trust Rosella and tell her about the vampire. She was Garrett’s sister, and if it wasn’t for her and Orla, my powers might still be bound.
No. I couldn’t tell her. Not yet. Not when she and her mom were so close. I couldn’t risk Rosella telling Ava. I had Garrett to confide in, and that had to be enough for now.
Chapter 27
The rest of the day was quiet and uneventful at Hale House except for Rosella hanging around and insisting I join her family for dinner. I lied, saying I didn’t have much of an appetite and still needed to rest before Garrett came over. When she finally left for her mother’s house, I quickly got dressed and walked out the back door.
“There you are.”
I jumped at the sound of Carter’s voice, tightening my grip on Marie’s grimoire. “What are you doing here? We’re supposed to eat at the Main Hall.”
“You thought I was serious about bringing you Thai food?” Carter chuckled as he stepped from the shadows. “That boyfriend of yours wouldn’t like that.”
“Fine. We can talk in the gazebo,” I snapped, wishing I’d eaten dinner before leaving the house. Hopefully, Garrett would bring me leftovers since he had no idea that I planned to meet Carter. Garrett hadn’t been at Hale House this morning when Rosella and I returned, but he had texted his sister to say he’d be late for dinner and he’d see me later tonight.
“We’re not going to the gazebo. There’s somet
hing I need to show you.” He moved into the darkness again and walked in the direction of our training field.
“Wait,” I whispered as I followed him. “I can’t go with you.”
He stopped. “Why not?”
“Because…” I tried to come up with a valid excuse. “Someone might be watching me.”
“No one’s watching you. Rosella’s left the house already, and I’d know if someone was following us.” He grew quiet, his eyes flickering yellow. “You don’t trust me? Is that what this is about? After what I did last night, I can’t believe you’d act like this.”
Not knowing what to say, I sighed. I couldn’t deny the truth. Going off into the darkness with a Kingsley wolf seemed crazy. No one knew where I was. I had no idea where Carter was taking me, and I didn’t like the idea of bringing Marie’s grimoire, but it wasn’t like he could read it when the pages were still blank.
“What’s the difference between being alone with me tonight or every morning for the past few weeks? If I wanted to hurt you, I could have easily done that during training and left the coven before anyone knew what had happened,” he said. “Make up your mind. Follow me to get answers or go back to your bedroom and wait for Garrett. It’s up to you.” He stormed off across the street, avoiding the streetlamps as he made his way to the gravel path.
Damn.
I ran after him, knowing I’d regret this later, but if Carter had the answers I needed, I had no choice.
“If you try anything, I’ll use my powers on you,” I said as I caught up to him. We continued walking in silence and crossed the grassy field. “Where are you taking me?”
“To the place I’ve been staying.” He entered the woods on the other side of the field.
Reluctantly, I followed him. I hadn’t even realized he was staying at the coven. I assumed he had a nice hotel somewhere in Dover, where he spent his evenings doing whatever wolf shapeshifters do in their spare time.
After walking through the woods for what felt like forever, Carter stopped at a wall, or at least it looked like a wall covered with vines, but it was hard to tell in the moonlight.
Romani Magic (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 3) Page 16
