She had never seen his dark hair tamed before. On the car ride over, she’d refused to even look in his direction. Maybe if she ignored him, he’d go away. Laney caught a whiff of cologne that drifted through the air in the short space between them.
“Aren’t you going to raise your glass?” Jonas puckered his lips and raised his eyebrows like some poor, pathetic puppy.
She stiffened in her seat, turning her back to him. “Go away.”
Jonas crouched down behind Laney’s chair and rested his chin on her shoulder. She stiffened at his touch.
His lips were right next to her ear. “No, Delaney. We need to make a toast first.”
He sprang into the chair next to her, raising his flask again. Laney’s hand shook on her glass but there was no way she was going to raise it.
“I guess that’ll have to do.” Jonas’s whole face lit up. “A toast to the fun we’re going to have tonight. You won’t believe the things I have planned.”
Then he was gone.
Laney’s heart constricted. What type of plans did Jonas have for Missy? For Nick? Last year, it was on the night of Manor Hill that he killed Jason. Did he have the same plans for them? She fought back the panic rising within her and tried to keep her body language as normal as possible, but her hands still shook when Nick came back from his trash run.
“Sorry it took so long. The trash was already full, so I helped one of the caterers pack it up to go outside.” He plopped down in the seat next to her. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Don’t worry. Are you ready to dance?” She scanned the dance floor, but Jonas was nowhere in her line of sight.
“That’s the thing.” Nick looked different without his glasses. She’d never had a clear view of his eyes before. The flecks of gold in his brown irises glimmered in the candlelight. “I don’t really know how to dance. I just asked you to the dance because I know you like this kind of thing. And maybe I wanted to impress you.”
“By your lack of dancing ability?” She reached her hand across the table to take his. “Come on, all we have to do is sway. I know you can handle that. We’ve done it before.”
While they swayed to the beat of the music in the middle of the dance floor, Laney searched for Jonas again. Missy wasn’t anywhere to be found either, but that didn’t mean anything, because last year she spent half the time in the bathroom primping.
“You’re far away,” Nick spoke above the music into her ear. He stepped back and swept her hair off her shoulder.
Laney drew him closer to her to demonstrate her intent. “I promise to be here for you as much as I possibly can, but we have to be aware of Jonas. Even though you think he’s some kind of reformed person, I can’t trust in that.”
A young woman with a white shirt and black pants came up to them carrying a silver tray. An envelope lay in the middle. “For you, miss.”
“Who’s this from?” Laney let go of Nick to scan the room behind her.
“My supervisor just told me to bring it to you. I’m sorry, I don’t know more.”
As the woman walked away, Laney stuck her nail under the flap on the envelope, reached in, and took out the contents.
Meet me in the garden. Don’t bring your date.
Your roommate is playing the first game, so don’t be late.
“Is it from him?” Nick leaned closer to try to read the card.
Laney pressed it against her chest. She’d have to do a lot of this alone tonight, and Jonas’s plan was to keep her away from the Gate Keeper with his game of chess.
Chapter 14
“Something happened to Grady.” Laney tapped the card against her side. “I need to go call my parents.”
“I’ll come with you.” Nick grabbed her hand and placed his other hand on her shoulder.
“No. I’ll be fine. I’m just going to the foyer. There’ll be plenty of people out there.” He’d take further convincing. “Didn’t you see the long line to get your picture taken in front of the tree?” He needed a task. “Can you get me some cake while I’m gone?”
Laney picked up her purse and headed toward the rear door of the room before Nick could argue. He’d realize something was up eventually, but right now, he didn’t need to know where she was going.
The snowfall had lightened slightly as Laney exited onto the front walk after retrieving her coat from the doorman. Heels were absurd for tromping around the grounds when she had no idea where she was going. It crossed her mind to get her sneakers out of her backpack, but she didn’t have the key to the Mustang.
She followed a concrete path on the right side of the castle, hoping it led to the gardens. Because of the cloud cover, darkness loomed all around her, but she thought she made out some hedges toward the back of the property. Beyond that, the cliffs dropped off to the ocean. She raised her hood over her head to block the wind gusting from the stormy sea.
Slipping at least twice, Laney finally arrived at the hedges, but her dress was soaked and probably stained. In the middle of the wall of bushes was an entrance into what she assumed was the garden. Being November, all of the plant life was dormant, but Roman-like statues circled the perimeter next to the hedge. In the center of the garden stood a large gazebo. Jonas leaned against one of the poles.
“Welcome, Delaney. I’m glad you could join our game.” He descended the stairs and took Laney’s arm.
She yanked it away and grabbed the railing instead.
Missy lay on one of the benches unconscious, with her coat draped over her body.
“What did you do to her?” Laney rushed over to check her roommate’s pulse. It was still there.
“You have so many more conveniences today. Another guy at the dance gave me a pill to put in her drink—knocked her out. I don’t want her remembering our interactions tonight. It might get a little messy if she makes it out alive.” Jonas approached the two girls and ran his hand through Missy’s hair.
Laney slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch her!”
He laughed and picked up an object from the other side of the gazebo. It was Laney’s backpack. “I’m glad you care so much about her. This will be easier than I thought. Perhaps we can avoid game number two, which is really too bad. I was looking forward to playing more than one game tonight.”
He rummaged through her pack, tossing out her clothes until he found the notebook. “This game is easy. You write what I want, or I carry Missy about thirty yards in that direction.” He pointed at the cliff. “And we’ll see if she floats.”
“Why are you doing this to me?” Laney touched Missy’s arm. “To Missy?”
“Doesn’t this get old? I’ve gone over it before. The Clarke family killed my brother, and you’re just as guilty because you wrote the story.” He shook with the words. A large vein bulged on his forehead threatening to burst.
“I’m sorry.” Her heart actually felt Jonas’s grief for his brother. “I had a brother who died before I was born. I understand what that loss feels like.” It was a futile attempt to connect with a murderer.
“Do I look like I care? Like I said, you write, or your roommate’s dead.”
She swallowed, reliving the guilt she’d felt over the past year. She didn’t have a chance to save Jason. She did have a chance to save Missy. “What do you want me to write?”
William woke to a burning pain in his lower back. A chill ran through the air, causing him to shiver. His left arm was twisted beneath his body, and his right cheek was squashed against the hard floorboards. He lifted himself from his awkward position. The Wanderer sat by the hearth, staring at the slow-burning fire.
“My intention.” Her gaze didn’t move from the flames. “Is not to hurt you, William. You’ve done nothing wrong and are innocent in all this. Your only crime is falling in love. I can understand that.”
“I will not let you hurt Laney.” He paused after each word as he struggled to sit up. “She’d never hurt me, or anyone for that matter.”
The Wanderer crouched
next to him. Her electric eyes remained a mystery. Three silver chains were visible around her neck. He longed to know what the other chains held. One was a Watcher, and one was from a Gate Keeper, was the other…
“Weavers will do whatever it takes to protect the people they love in their world. That’s reality for them. A book is just words. You are just words, William. As much as Delaney tries to flesh you out with her flowery descriptions and prose—you are just words.”
“Then, is Laney writing this right now? Is she in control? Because for some reason, I don’t think she’d put me in this situation.” He pushed up off his elbows into a full sitting position. His back screamed out to him, and he winced. “She knows that what she writes happens to me.”
“Of course, she’s in control. I showed you the picture of her new lover. This is a way to be rid of you. Why do you think Silas took your pendant? She didn’t want you coming back to her.” The Wanderer drew her eyebrows in feigned compassion. “Now, she has you here with me to keep you away from Manor Hill.”
“She’s at Manor Hill?” His mind flashed back to last year—their first kiss, finding the Gate Keeper, Jason’s death.
“Yes, with this man named Nicholas. My sources tell me they’re having a wonderful time together.” She tapped her finger on her leg. “They might even share their first kiss before the night is through.”
“You’re lying.” He let out a breath. Calm—remain calm. “She loves me.”
“Delaney loves many people—her parents, her grandfather, her roommate, Nicholas. What makes you think she’d place your life above any of them?”
William understood the logic in the statement. Prioritizing whom she loved more was not something he expected her to do.
“I thought maybe this time we’d get right to the point.” Jonas produced a flashlight and held it directly over Laney.
“Do you need me to read over my last entry?” She turned the pages in slow motion, not wanting to reveal that the book had taken on a life of its own.
“Read the last page. Let’s get this going.” He moved the flashlight as if turning a page back in the journal.
She read aloud the previous page. As the scene unfolded between William and the Wanderer, her heart constricted inside of her. She didn’t want him to believe any of the woman’s lies, and it hurt Laney that he possibly bent to her manipulation.
Jonas’s face held a wide jack-o-lantern grin. “Looks like there’s some trouble in paradise. This new revelation is changing my plans. Perhaps unbearable heartbreak is much worse than death. What you write in that journal happens. Correct?”
“Yes.” Her mind spun, trying to figure out the rollercoaster ride Jonas took her on.
“Then maybe we’ll just sit here until your other lover shows up. You’ve been gone for at least fifteen minutes. I’m sure he’ll come running after you.”
Laney shivered so much her teeth chattered. The wet dress and exposure to the cold seeped into her bones. She didn’t understand Jonas’s diabolical plan and didn’t want him involving Nick in this sick game. It was going to take a lot for her to get Missy out of there alive. Jonas paced the gazebo, but as he grew antsy, he took his pace to the garden to watch for Nick.
He was rewarded about a half an hour later when Nick’s voice drifted through the snow. “Laney! Laney!”
Jonas jogged to the gazebo with the first sign of her date. “Call back to him,” he hissed. He wrung his hands and then ran them through his hair. His impeccable hairstyle turned into a wayward mess.
She moved forward, cupping her hands around her mouth. “Over here!”
Nick ran through the entrance of the garden, but Jonas intercepted him. The Ender escorted him up the stairs of the gazebo. Nick’s eyes were wide when he took in the scene. He looked at Laney after noticing her dozing roommate.
Laney mouthed, “She’s fine.”
“Welcome to our game, Nicholas.” Jonas bounced on his toes in anticipation.
“Game? If you hurt either one of these girls, you’ll be regretting it for the rest of your life.” Nick puffed up his chest and stepped into Jonas’s personal space, but their size difference was laughable.
“On the contrary, I don’t plan on hurting either of these girls. If you do what I say, no one gets hurt, and I think you’ll find my plans quite pleasurable.” Jonas sat down on the bench across from them tenting his hands. “Now, if you disagree, I might have to toss the blonde off the cliff. But I know you won’t double-cross me.”
“Can we get on with this?” Laney’s patience reached its tipping point as her legs grew numb from the cold. “What do you want from us?”
He stood up and slid across the thin layer of snow on the gazebo floor. After sidling up to Laney and Nick, he put an arm around each of them. He lowered his head like they were in a football huddle. “I want the two of you to share your first kiss.”
“No.” They said it at the same time.
Nick’s face flushed bright red, and Laney felt the flames igniting her own cheeks.
“What kind of sick joke is this?” Laney was infuriated and done with Jonas’s games.
“It’s not a joke.” He scanned the garden. “This Wanderer woman said she has spies everywhere. I don’t want William to miss the documentation of this important moment. Maybe he can place the picture in his scrapbook.”
“We’re not doing it.” Nick added an authoritative tone to his voice, surprising Laney.
She placed her hand on his arm. Jonas held Missy in his hands. He didn’t hesitate with Jason. She truly loved Nick as someone loved a best friend. Kissing him might not be too difficult. But then she thought of William, and how this one moment would crush him. Her torn heart ached. “We have to do it. He’ll kill Missy.”
“I know you love him. Not that I haven’t dreamed of this moment, but it never played out like this. If William gives up on you, it will kill you.” He raised his hand, cupping her cheek.
“And if I have another friend die at my hands, I won’t have a reason to go on.” She forced a weak smile.
“Alright, alright, let’s get on with this.” Jonas flopped down next to his date. “And it better look pretty legit and passionate and all that other crap.”
Laney let out a sigh. Nick raised his other hand to the back of her head. The smell of his breath mint hung in the air between them as he leaned in and touched his lips to hers. Her stomach flipped. This was her first kiss in over a year. His lips were gentle, but a little rough, needing Chap Stick and when he retreated slightly, she could feel the smile on his lips.
“Missy, darling,” Jonas called out behind them. “I think we need to take a nice walk by the ocean.”
Nick whispered, “I’m sorry.” Then his lips engulfed hers, his hands tangled in her hair.
His kiss became deeper, and Laney needed to come up for air as images of William filled her mind. She drew back and gasped. Nick took hold of her coat and drew her to him again, his lips rough on hers. His heart beat wildly beneath his clothes. When he finally let go of her coat, her emotions were tangled in a massive knot.
She looked over her shoulder at Jonas—the pleasure written all over his face, but there was doubt in his eyes. He had to think that was good enough to break William’s heart. Her shoes suddenly became very interesting as she swallowed back the bile in her throat. This wasn’t fair to Nick. It wasn’t fair to William. It definitely wasn’t fair to her. Nick took her hands and leaned forward, placing his forehead against hers.
“I’d almost say we need a second take on that scene, but it was almost perfect. I’m sure the Wanderer’s spies got exactly what they needed to turn William’s heart away from you.” Jonas gathered a handful of snow and rubbed it on Missy’s face.
She stirred. He lifted her to a sitting position next to him, cradling her in his arms. He caressed her hair, and her eyes opened. She stared lovingly into his eyes—the stars apparent even from Laney’s vantage point.
“You’re right, Jonas. The snow is
beautiful out here in the garden.” Her eyes rested on Laney and Nick. “I didn’t know you guys were out here, too.”
“I didn’t want them to miss this, sweetheart.” Jonas continued to caress her hair, smiling at Laney over Missy’s head. “This will not be a night they’ll soon forget.”
Chapter 15
Jonas stuck to Missy’s side for the next hour, making it impossible for Laney to get the car keys from her roommate. For her plan to work, she and Nick had to slip out without Jonas’s knowledge.
Time passed at an excruciatingly slow pace because Nick had now become her awkward sidekick. He kept trying to bring up lame conversations about the weather, or a professor, or the changes in the menu at the dining hall. His obvious avoidance of their kiss got to the point that she had to put her hand over his mouth when he rattled on about how construction workers use orange cones to test the slump of cement.
“Just talk to me about it.” She removed her hand, leaving him in a shocked state.
He shuffled his feet and stared down at them, standing by the Christmas tree in the foyer. “I just wish it didn’t happen.”
“I know.” This subject had hurt written all over it, and she didn’t know how to avoid it. “Some girl will be so lucky. But I’ve let you know the whole time…”
“He’s going to screw things up between you and William.” His voice was now louder and stronger than she’d ever heard him speak before.
“Probably.” She trusted in William’s faith in her, despite the picture he’d inevitably see. If she’d get to him tonight before he saw it, she’d explain what really happened, and he’d understand. He had to understand.
“I’m going to get the keys from Missy.” Nick walked backwards towards the door of the main hall. “If Jonas is with her, I’ll find a way to distract him—spill punch on his shirt or something.”
The doorman retrieved the coats while she waited for him to return. The snow picked up again outside as he came back with the keys in one hand and an empty punch cup in the other.
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