Peeling my gaze from the ugly room stuck several decades in the past, I turn my attention to the sound of soft breaths beside me. Long, thick lashes I’m completely jealous of rest along Sebastian’s cheekbones, his chest rising and falling in even relaxed breaths. One arm rests above his head while the other, along with his leg, hangs over the edge of the mattress as if he fell there and was too tired to move the rest of the way onto the bed. I scoot closer to him, cringing at the way the blanket scratches my arms. My knee hits something hard and I glance down at an open laptop displaying the end credits to a movie I don’t remember watching. Behind it, a bag of half-eaten microwave popcorn lies on its side, most of the contents spilt out around it.
I cock my head, my eyes narrowing. What are we doing here?
At the thought, bits and pieces of hazy memory push through my mind in stabbing bursts. Skipping school… pulling into the parking lot of the most recent motel Sebastian’s been staying at… making popcorn... watching a movie…
My eyes widen. We fell asleep.
I pat my pockets for my phone and come up empty. Twisting around, I find it face down on the nightstand. I snatch it up with a silent prayer. Please don’t be past three in the afternoon. Please. Please. Please, don’t be past three.
3:30p.m.
Crap.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
Aunt Claudia is going to kill me.
I shake Sebastian, eliciting a groan, followed by a mumble too low to make out. “Wake up. We fell asleep watching a movie.”
“Five more minutes.” Rolling onto his side, he throws his arm around my waist and tugs me toward him until the laptop gets in the way. Grunting, he yanks it out from between us, tosses it to the other side of the bed, then resumes tucking me against his chest. “This is better.”
I lift his arm from around my middle and sit back up. “We don’t have time for five more minutes. It’s already after three, and I’m grounded. I was supposed to be home right after school. Aunt Claudia is probably finding me something to clean with a toothbrush right now. We have to go.”
I check my phone for messages or missed calls, finding several from my cousins, and none from my aunt or uncle. Half a sigh escapes, the other half held back in uncertain horror. Just because there are no messages from the parental figures doesn’t mean I’m in the clear. The lack of messages could just be the calm before the storm—which will hit the moment I walk through the door.
Swiping my thumb across the screen, I open Liv’s texts first.
~ Where are you?
~ Indi?
~ Call or text me so I know you’re alive.
~ Mom and Dad are going to be home any minute, where are you?
~ I told Mom your math teacher asked you to stay after class to tutor a fellow student. You owe me.
I open up Jack’s messages next, dreading what his will say. He’s been so high-strung lately with everything going on, my unintentional absence might just be the final straw. And if it is, I’m definitely done for. Aunt Claudia and Uncle Caleb will never let me leave the house again.
~ Indi, please answer your phone or at least reply to this text.
~ I’m seriously starting to get worried. Where are you?
~ I’m going to scry for you.
~ You’re at a motel! Why are you at a motel? Are you with Sebastian? I know yesterday was a lot, but you can’t just run off when there’s some psycho witch or whoever putting curses on you.
~ Are you getting my messages?
~ Indi?
~ Respond damn it!!!
~ Liv is covering for you and she’s dragged me into it, but I swear if you don’t call me back or answer my text within the next 15 minutes, I’m telling Mom and Dad everything. Everything, Indi!
Crap! Crap! Crap!
I look at the time again. He messaged thirteen minutes ago. My fingers fly over the keys so fast I’m misspelling every other word and can only pray what I’m trying to say gets across as I hit send.
My phone chimes two seconds later.
~ You fell asleep? That’s your excuse? It’s not a very good one. You had us freaking out thinking something bad happened to you.
~ I’m sorry. I really did fall asleep. I’m on my way home now. Thanks for covering for me, I text back.
I swing a pillow at Sebastian, and he catches it before it makes contact, without ever opening his eyes. “I’m awake.”
“We have to go.” I scoot to the side of the bed in search of my shoes. A tinge of pain shoots through the side of my neck and I massage at the tender spot. I must have gotten a kink when I fell asleep.
Aunt Claudia is waiting on the porch when Sebastian pulls up to the curb. Still in her work clothes, she stands with her arms crossed over her chest. A scowl pinches her face, deepening the lines between her brows.
Sebastian waves at her, then grimaces at me. “I’ll park down the block and sneak into your window in five.”
I smile at Aunt Claudia with cheerful hesitance. Her left eye twitches, and I drop my smile. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” I mumble, afraid she’ll read my lips. “She looks mad. The vein in the middle of her forehead is starting to throb, and her eye’s got this twitchy thing going on.”
His hand lays over mine, and I turn my attention to him. Aunt Claudia’s stare fixes itself to the back of my neck. “I told you I’m not leaving your side until we find out who spelled you. I don’t care how mad your aunt is, I’m not leaving you unprotected.”
“It’s your funeral if she catches you. Mine too, most likely. But hey, at least we’ll die together.” I open the door and step out before dunking my head back in. “See you in five.”
I take my time making my way up the porch steps, unsure of what I’m about to walk into. I have no idea what details, if any, Liv gave for my tutoring excuse, so if Aunt Claudia asks I’ve got nothing. Why didn’t I ask about the details earlier when I was texting my cousins?
Aunt Claudia opens the door for me. “When did you sign up to do after school tutoring? And why didn’t you tell me?”
“Um, I didn’t. Sign up, that is. I was roped into it last minute. Audrey’s tutor went home sick, and Mr. Leto asked me to stay and help her since there’s a test coming up. I told Liv to tell you. I didn’t think you would mind since it was school related.” I force myself to breathe and act normal. Lying isn’t something I’d say I’m good at, and everything I just said was completely made up. There’s not even a student named Audrey in my class.
Crap. I hope Liv didn’t give a name.
All of my muscles tighten of their own accord, my fingers gripping the straps of my backpack so hard they hurt. Forcing myself to chill, I relax my hands and take a slow, steady—normal—breath in, while maintaining eye contact.
Suspicion clouds her eyes. Perspiration dampens the back of my neck, and my body enters into an internal battle of look away, don’t look away.
“So,” she begins slowly, studying every slight move I make. “Sebastian was just giving you a ride home then, and you’re not making up a tutoring session to lie about being with him after school? It hasn’t gone unnoticed how you two have been spending more time together.”
I swallow slowly and pray my spit doesn’t get lodged halfway down. “Nope. I was tutoring Audrey. I swear. Sebastian just happened to still be at the school when I was leaving, and he offered to take me home. That’s all.” A bead of sweat rolls down my back, and I start to grip my straps too tight again and have to command myself to loosen my fingers into a more carefree hold.
She scrutinizes me, her eyes narrowing the tiniest bit. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you. And the way you look at him for that matter. It’s different from the way you used to look at Evan. When you were dating him, I never felt like I needed to worry, but with Sebastian, I think maybe it’s time we had the talk.”
Hellfire shoots up through the floor to deposit in my cheeks. I am in Hell. Literal Hell. “We don’t need to have the talk. Really. I know everything I n
eed to know from health class. And anyway, we haven’t… we’re not… so… there’s no need to say anything. But if I ever have questions, I’ll um… I’ll find you.” I’m going to die. Literally die of embarrassment right here in the middle of the foyer. “I’ve, uh, I’ve got a lot of homework, so if it’s okay with you, I’m going to go do that. Right now.” I run up the stairs before she has a chance to say anything else.
Closing the door behind me, I press my back against it and take a deep breath. The only thing that would have made that worse is if Uncle Caleb had been there too.
A knock reverberates through the door behind me, and I jump.
“It’s Liv—”
“And Jack.”
“Let us in,” Liv finishes.
I step away from the door, praying my face isn’t still on fire. I’d rather throw myself out the window than explain the reason behind its flaming color. Fanning my face, I take a few deep breaths, set my backpack down by my dresser, toss my jacket on the floor, and take a seat on the bed. “It’s not locked.”
Liv is through the door first. “Was Mom mad?”
“Yes, and no. But I think she bought the lie.” A twinge of heat ignites beneath my skin as my mind drums up the two most disturbing words from our conversation. The talk. Jerking my gaze down to the hole in the knee of my jeans, I hide behind my hair and fidget with the fray until it’s safe enough to look back up.
“Why did you skip school?” Jack’s gaze bores into mine. “Was it because of this morning? Because I said I wanted to discuss the latest secret you’ve been keeping?”
“No, it wasn’t because of the Book of Shadows,” I say, even though it’s not entirely true. A little bit of it was because of that, but Jack doesn’t need to know everything.
“Then why did you skip, if not because of the book?” He crosses his arms over his chest.
“Honestly, after what happened with the symbol carved into my chest and knowing it was because someone was trying to rip my soul out so they could control me, I’ve been seriously freaked out. So when Sebastian pulled onto the lot this morning all I could think about was what if whoever did it goes there? What if they corner me and try again? I don’t even know how they got it on me the first time. Or who it was that did it. Or why they did it. I started panicking and just wanted to get away. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to either of you. It was kind of spur of the moment.”
Jack’s face softens, the ghost of his former before our lives got turned upside-down self, peeking through his now constant on edge state. He takes a seat beside me. “I guess I can understand that. I’m sorry I’ve been a big grouch who’s been hard on you. I’ve been freaked out lately, too.”
I squeeze his hand. “I know. We all have. I’m sorry for dragging you guys into my mess, and for keeping things from you. I swear it’s all been out of some warped sense of protecting you both.” I nudge him with my shoulder.
“I know.” Slipping his hand out from beneath mine, he throws his arm around my shoulders in a one-armed hug. “I just don’t want to see anything else bad happen to you. I’ve spent the majority of my life looking out for you, and after everything that’s happened, I feel so incompetent. Like I’ve failed you somehow. Failed Mom and Dad. Failed everyone.”
I rear back and stare at the side of his face until he looks at me. “You’re not incompetent, Jack. And you haven’t failed. I just have a nasty habit of making questionable decisions that more often than not get me into trouble.”
A ghost of a smile brightens his face. “I’m not going to argue with you there. You are definitely a trouble magnet.”
I heave an overdramatic sigh. “Right?”
He laughs, and I do too. And for just a second, a small amount of the tension tightening my muscles relaxes... until I think about the evil book of magic hiding amongst my schoolbooks, and how he’s still waiting to discuss it.
I take a deep breath in to settle my nerves without much success. “The Book of Shadows is in my backpack. Just be careful with it. It can be… tempting.”
“I figured as much, which is why I searched for a spell to negate any allure it could pose to the user in one of the other Books of Shadows in the attic. Once I’ve cleansed it, we should be able to look through it without it affecting any of us.” He strides across the room and nudges a dirty shirt on the floor. “Then we can discuss where you got it.” His hazel eyes meet mine.
I nod and shift my gaze to my backpack, fighting the urge to snatch it up and squeeze it to my chest. “It can be nullified with a spell?” That would have been nice to know.
“Yep. All magic can be countered if you know the right spell.” He grabs the shirt he’s been toeing off the floor. “Mind if I borrow this?”
“Have at it.”
Using my shirt as a buffer, he pulls the Book of Shadows out of my backpack and wraps it up in it. “I’ll be in the attic if anyone needs me.”
Once Jack leaves, Liv turns to me with a huge grin on her face. “So, what did you and Sebastian do during your skip day? Anything torrid that would warrant needing to have the talk with mom?”
“Oh God, you heard?” Please, let the floor open up and swallow me whole now. I cover my face with my hands.
“Oh, yeah. Jack and I both heard.”
I drop my hands and she laughs at the horror, no doubt, stamped across my face.
Closing her eyes, she makes kissy faces. “Oh Sebastian, you’re so cute. I can’t keep my hands off you,” she singsongs.
I throw a pillow at her, and she laughs. “For your information, no, we did not do anything torrid. We watched a movie and ate popcorn in his motel room, and that was it.” The words spill from my mouth, but for some reason they don’t quite ring true. Which is ridiculous, considering I woke up there, and a movie had been playing. But still, for some reason, something doesn’t feel right about it.
“Are you sure? Because even you don’t look convinced by that explanation.” Her eyebrows rise before she makes more kissy faces and falls into another fit of giggles.
I ignore her antics, a headache starting to form behind my eyes. Absentmindedly, I rub at the side of my neck while I reexamine my memories from this morning. Sebastian wanted to do something fun. And I wanted to…
“What did you do to your arm?” Liv asks, interrupting my thoughts. I look down to where she’s pointing.
“I don’t know.” I rub my fingers over a fresh bruise on the inside of my elbow. “Weird. I must have hit it, or pinched it, or something.” I look a little closer. There’s a small darker spot in the center, almost like a puncture of some kind. I squint my eyes, bringing my face and arm closer together.
A pillow hits me on the side of the head, knocking me over sideways.
“Or maybe it’s a hickey from all the making out you and Sebastian did.” Grinning from ear to ear, Liv breaks into song. “Indi and Sebastian sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love.”
I hit her with double pillows, and she bats them away.
“Second comes marriage,” she bellows.
I grab the pillows from the floor and attack her full force. She throws her arms up to shield her head, laughs tumbling out between lyrics. “Then comes baby in a baby carriage.”
A light knock at the window stalls my assault. So much heat rushes to my face it might actually catch fire. Sebastian grins from the other side of the window, and all I can think about is Aunt Claudia saying she wants to have the talk and Liv singing k-i-s-s-i-n-g.
Heaven above, please say Sebastian didn’t hear any of that.
Uncle Caleb drops three boxes of pizza down onto the kitchen table while Aunt Claudia passes out the plates. Everyone is silent as usual. Silence has become the new normal since Liv, Jack, and I have been grounded. I hate it. I miss sitting around the dinner table, having fun, and sharing our day.
Uncle Caleb takes a huge bite, dribbling sauce down his chin. He wipes it off with the back of his hand, then shares a look with Aunt Claudia before he settles h
is gaze on Jack, Liv, and me. “Claudia and I have discussed it, and we both feel you three have been punished enough. Starting now, you’re no longer grounded.”
Liv perks up. “Really? We’re not grounded anymore? No joke? I can have my phone back and everything? No more scrubbing down rooms?”
A smile spreads across Uncle Caleb’s face. Out of the three of us, Liv took being grounded the hardest, especially the no phone part. “No joke. You three are good kids, and I know we can trust you. Making mistakes is all a part of growing up, and I’d like to think you three have learned from yours. Besides, there’s nothing left for any of you to clean. I don’t think I’ve seen the house sparkle this much since we moved in twenty years ago.”
“Hey!” Aunt Claudia jabs Uncle Caleb in the side. “Are you saying I have bad housekeeping skills?”
His face goes red. “Not at all. You run this household like a well-oiled ship. I just meant the kids here are a little lax in their cleaning when it comes to their weekly chores.”
“Nice save, Dad.” Jack laughs.
Aunt Claudia grabs hold of Uncle Caleb’s shoulders from behind, then leans forward to look him in the eye. “Yes, Caleb. Nice save.” She stares him down until he squirms beneath her gaze. At his nervous smile, she laughs. The rest of us join in, the lightheartedness cutting through the heavy weight we’d all been under the last few days. It almost feels like normal. Which I suspect is the real reason for our reprieve. As much as being grounded sucked for my cousins and me, it sucked just as much for my aunt and uncle too. Especially Uncle Caleb. He’s always been a softy.
After dinner, I offer to clean up the kitchen so I can swipe a few slices of pizza to sneak up to Sebastian. I find him lying on the floor on the other side of my bed, fast asleep. On his stomach with his arms wrapped around my pillow, his face points toward the door as though he were watching it from beneath the bed. He looks so peaceful I’m tempted to not wake him, but I don’t want him to go all night without something to eat. Or heaven forbid, have him wake up in the middle of the night, sneak downstairs to raid the fridge, and end up busted by my aunt or uncle.
Of Darkness & Light: Blood Descent Book 2 Page 32
