by Lila Kane
Thoughts keep swirling in my mind as I fall into a deep sleep. Selena’s in my dream.
And she’s angry.
Chapter 16
You’re mine.
My breath hitches in a sharp gasp as I wake up. I wince when pain shoots through my skull.
“Willow.”
Logan walks over from the fire, sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch. “You were dreaming.”
I rub the back of my head. “About Selena.”
He leans forward. “Let me see.”
“See what?”
“Your eyes. Hold still.”
“Why? Logan.” He takes my chin and tips it up so he can see my eyes. “What are you doing?”
“You might have a concussion.”
“And you can tell by looking at my eyes?”
He nods. “I took a few classes before I started helping at the rescue center…” He smiles and drops his hand. “I think you’ll live.”
I roll my eyes. “I was so worried.”
“And I think you should still see a doctor. Or go the hospital‒”
I laugh, but regret it when my head starts throbbing again. “I don’t need a doctor. I need some aspirin.”
“And your arm?”
“Not bad.”
He takes my arm and rolls up the sleeve of my shirt. I want to tell him he’s worse than Ryan, but bringing up Ryan right now‒or ever‒probably isn’t a good idea. He turns my arm over and looks at the bruise on the back, stretching from my elbow almost the entire way to my shoulder.
His breath hisses in. “Willow.”
“Come on, I stabbed you with a letter opener. This is nothing.”
“Not funny,” he says. “I heal faster. The doctor‒”
“No, wait. This is a good thing.”
“You’re covered in bruises. This is not a good thing. Especially because I feel like, if I let you out of my sight, you’re going to run off on another dangerous mission and I can’t help you if I don’t know where you are.”
I push the blanket aside and try to get up. Logan stands at the same time, catching me close to his body. Desire, instant and strong, shoots straight to my toes.
“Where’s Myra?” I ask, voice low.
“Resting.”
“How long did I sleep?”
He brushes my hair off my cheek. It’s wild with waves now since I slept on it wet after my shower. “A few hours.”
“Logan! I wanted to talk to Myra, and start to figure this out, and‒”
He silences me with a kiss. His fingers curl in my hair, gentle and soft. “There will be time for all that. I want you to relax, take it easy for the day.”
“I felt like I was making progress.”
“You are. Stay with me today. Stay the night. I want you close.”
My body throbs with need. I’m pressed tight against him, and every bit of him is chiseled, toned and hard.
He brushes his lips on my cheek. “I don’t want to hurt you. You have bruises everywhere.” He smiles gently. “Everywhere that I can see.”
“I think I might know how to fix that.”
“Take off your clothes?”
My cheeks warm and I laugh. “Not that. I mean the bruises.”
“How?”
“Remember the other night when my hand was cut and I made the fire again by accident?”
He narrows his eyes. Nods.
“After that, my hand was healed.”
Logan eases his grip some. “So…what do you suggest? We head out to the garden and you set yourself on fire?”
“You’re right, outside is better.” I start to pull away. “You’ll probably want to keep your distance, though‒”
“Willow.” Logan pulls me close again. Exasperation coats his voice. “I was being sarcastic. That’s a terrible idea.”
“I’m trying to figure out how to heal Myra. I need to start somewhere. If I can practice on myself, and figure out what kind of energy I’m channeling, then maybe I can do something for her without having to…you know, set her on fire.”
He winces and drops his chin.
“See? It’s dangerous.”
“Exactly,” he says. “Which is why you shouldn’t do it.”
“I don’t know what else to do, Logan. I only know one other way to get enough power to help.”
“What’s that?”
I blow out a breath. “Channel energy from an ancestor.”
“You mean, like, get Selena’s help?”
“Yes.”
“No. No way. She was the reason you fell in the well today, right? You said she pushed you in. Willow‒you can’t‒”
I step away from him and fold my arms. “What other options do we have?”
“That’s not going to make things better. It’ll make them worse. Selena’s a lunatic.”
Flames flare inside of me, a quick flash that makes me back away even farther. “Don’t say things like that,” I whisper. “She’s still inside of me. I don’t want her to come back.”
“Shit.” Logan props his hands on his hips. “She’s completely attached to you.”
I frown.
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t know how bad it was. Is that why you took off the necklace?”
“Yes.” I reach to the empty spot at my neck.
He lifts his eyebrows. “Now you have nothing to protect yourself from me.”
“I don’t need to protect myself. You’re not going to hurt me. You saved me today.”
His chest moves up and down with a few deep breaths. “Don’t look at me like that, Willow. I’m barely keeping my distance here. I want…” He swallows, glances to the other side of the room like he might find Myra there listening to our conversation. “I want you here, in my arms. I want all of you.”
My heart races. “I want you, too.”
He gives a low laugh. “Yeah, you’d probably better not say that either.”
My lips curve. “See? Fire is starting to sound like a great idea, isn’t it? Let’s go outside.”
“Are you going to be warm enough? You can use my jacket or I can get something from Myra.”
“Your jacket is fine.”
He gets me his jacket and leads me out the back door. He keeps his hand locked around mine and guides me away from the house and to the garden. The sun heated up the day nicely and I feel it seeping through the dark jacket. I tilt my face to the sky, letting my cheeks warm.
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Logan asks. “Not a bad place to be stuck for however long we’re stuck here.”
“Myra’s stuck here now, too, isn’t she?”
He nods. “But if it helps her, it’s worth it.” He flashes me a smile. “She just has to put up with me in the meantime.”
“Unless we’re all stuck here forever.”
“Would that be so bad?”
My feet are quiet on the grass as we pass a rosebush and stop by a bench. “I don’t know…I haven’t had time to get used to the idea yet. I’m not‒I’ve never really wanted to stay in one place before. I wanted to see everything and do everything and…”
“What?” he asks when my voice trails off.
My gaze is caught by a blackbird fluttering away. I focus on Logan again. “Nothing. Boring stuff, I guess. You don’t want to hear about it.”
He squeezes my hand. “I want to hear everything about you.”
“Logan.”
He squints his eyes in the bright sun. “The way I see it, life’s too short to take your time. If Myra knew she had the rest of her life, she’d jump in and take it with both hands. She’d live, she’d love, she’d have fun. She’d probably be in a relationship now‒making the most out of every day. And I want to be like that. I don’t want to miss things or hold back. You’re on my mind all the time, Willow, and I like it. I want more. And I’m not afraid it’s going too fast or I barely know you.”
There’s silence between us for a long moment. His words struck my heart, stirred feelings in me I’ve be
en experiencing since my dad died. Life is too short. And I’ve been holding back from love‒even from the feelings that lead up to it‒because I couldn’t be intimate with anyone. Because of the boy I hurt. Because of the fire.
Logan smiles at me. “Now I’ve scared you.”
“No. No,” I say again, more firmly. “I just didn’t know you felt that way.”
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know, Willow. My fault mostly.”
“You’re right.”
He laughs.
“I meant about there being a lot about you I don’t know. You’re right. And I want to know more.”
“Good,” he says, tugging on my hand. “Let’s do that instead. Forget the fire.”
“No.” I pull away from him. “I need to do this.”
He folds his arms. “It’s dangerous.”
“I’ve never set myself on fire before when the flames come. I’ve never hurt myself doing it.”
That doesn’t seem to convince him. But I can’t go back now. I take off his jacket and pass it over.
“Do you want to keep it on? Are you still cold?”
“I don’t want to burn it.”
“What about your clothes? What if you burn those?”
I think about this. “That would be embarrassing.”
He scowls. “That’s not what I meant. Though if you want to traipse around my garden naked, I’m fine with it.”
“Keep the jacket close by,” I suggest. “Just in case.”
I steady my breathing, trying not to get intimidated by Logan standing there watching me. I use Selena as a catalyst, letting the flames build inside. I concentrate on sending them to my fingertips first.
When the fire shoots out and singes the ground, I yelp and jump back. I glance at Logan. He’s holding out a hand, like he’s going to grab me and bring me back in the house.
I laugh. “It’s fine. Just surprised me. I’m still working on controlling it.”
He doesn’t look convinced. Just folds his arms and watches as I try again.
This time I keep the flames confined to my hands. Fire flickers from my fingertips. When I look at Logan, his mouth is open in wonder.
“Be careful,” he says.
“It doesn’t hurt.”
I feel the heat from the fire on my cheeks, but it’s warming me up. It’s heating my core and it feels good. I try to force the flames to move up my arms, and in a moment they start their slow ascent. Farther and farther until it’s up to my elbows. My skin is tingling.
“Willow,” Logan says.
“I’m okay.”
He steps closer, however, the dark jacket still tight in his hands.
I push hard and the flames move to my shoulders, then race up my neck and down my back. I gasp, my eyes whipping to Logan’s. My breath catches in my throat as my entire body is engulfed in fire.
Logan hits me hard, tossing the coat over my body. We both tumble to the ground and the flames go out instantly.
He’s patting my arms, my back, everything, and I groan. “Logan‒it’s gone. Stop.”
He yanks off the jacket, breath coming in sharp spurts, and looks at my arms. “Are you okay?”
I can’t answer before he’s turning me to look at my back, lifting my shirt.
“Logan,” I choke out with half-laugh, swatting his hand away. “I’m not hurt.”
“God.” He flops over on his back and releases a long breath. He rubs a hand across his eyes. “You were on fire. All over.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t like it.”
I glance over from where I’m propped on my arm next to him. He’s staring at the sky, cheeks taut with worry.
“I’m fine,” I assure him.
He grunts a response that I can’t make out but doesn’t say anything else. Doesn’t move.
I rise up to my knees and then straddle Logan where he’s at, lying in leaves and grass that’s mostly green and lush.
His eyes connect with mine and he grabs my hips. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
I nod. “Actually, I feel pretty good.”
Placing my hands on his chest, I feel his heart thumping erratically against his ribs. He’s looking at me like I’m crazy.
“Does this scare you?” I ask quietly. I stare at my hands, where there had just been flames only moments ago. “I mean, you’re a vampire so you can’t judge too harshly, but I understand if this is a little too much‒”
“It’s not too much. You’re just…unlike anyone I’ve ever met. The fire, of course, but you’re not afraid of it anymore. It’s who you are. It’s a little terrifying, sure, but it’s amazing, too.”
His words warm me, make me feel like it’s okay to be who I am. That I don’t have to make apologies for it.
When his hands slide up my arms, I straighten.
“What?” he asks, trying to sit up.
I push him back down and he laughs. “It worked,” I say. “I think it worked.”
“The fire healed you?”
This time he does sit up, keeping me settled in his lap. He examines my arm, running his fingers over the skin all the way to my shoulder. “It’s gone,” he says quietly. “Your head?”
I feel for the bump in back, but I already know it won’t be there. It’s not throbbing anymore and I feel rested, energized.
“I just need to figure out how to do that with Myra.” I nod, meeting his eyes. “Then maybe I really can help her. She’ll be cured and‒”
He kisses me hard, hands on my cheeks to hold me still. When he pulls away, there’s hope in his eyes. “Now we just have to figure out how to get rid of Selena.”
Chapter 17
“So tell us what happened with the well,” Myra says.
She insisted on cooking dinner even though I can tell she’s tired. She props her hip against the counter and tests a noodle.
I glance at Logan, who’s pouring wine into thin-stemmed glasses. He gives me an encouraging nod.
“I woke up in the middle of the night. My Book of Shadows was flipping through pages.” I accept the wine from Logan with a smile.
Myra angles her head. “Flipping through pages? On its own?”
I nod. “It does that sometimes when it’s trying to help me. Obviously, I was trying to figure out a way to stop Selena.”
“That’s…creepy,” Myra decides. She sips her wine. “But helpful. What page did it land on?”
“A part about how destroying a witch’s Book of Shadows severely limits her power.” And for the first time I consider my Book of Shadows. What would happen if I destroyed it? Would I get a break from the fire? Would I even miss my powers?
Logan stands beside my stool, brushing my hair off my shoulder. “And you thought if you could find Selena’s Book of Shadows and burn it, she’d leave you alone.”
I shiver at his touch on my neck. “Yes.”
Myra’s eyes follow Logan’s gesture, her eyes dipping to his hand before they focus on me again. I’m not sure how she feels about me and her brother, but I have a feeling she’d tell me if she didn’t like it. “So how did you end up in the well, then?”
“I figured her Book of Shadows was in the cave behind the hotel. That’s where I was going‒that’s where I should be looking now.”
Logan squeezes my shoulder. “We’ll have time for that later.”
“I need to figure it out soon. She tricked me. I saw something over by the well. Glowing lights. And when I got close to the opening, she pushed me in‒or the wind did, but it was her.”
Logan’s jaw clenches. “She’s playing dirty. What was she trying to accomplish? Killing you?”
I take another sip of wine, shaking my head. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. But she was definitely trying to stop me. And if she was willing to go to that extreme, I think the Book of Shadows really is in the cave.”
Myra nods. “You’re probably right.”
“So I need to get out there and find it.”
Myra tu
rns back to the stove and pulls another spaghetti noodle from the boiling pot. Logan sits next to me on the other tall stool, his eyes like storm clouds. “If she’s willing to throw you in a well, what do you think she’s going to do if you go into that cave?”
I smile at him. “I’m ignoring that side of the equation.”
“Clearly.”
“I’m with Logan.” Myra pulls plates from the cupboard. “I think she’s dangerous. And you going to the cave is equally dangerous.”
“Too bad.” I sip more wine. I’m relaxed now and warm, and I have a focus. I feel good. I’m making progress. “Someone has to go in there, and sorry to say, it’s off-limits to you two. In fact, it’s off limits to any supernatural being. Cheyenne and Ryan can’t make it through the barrier, and it’s harmful for either of you to do it.”
Logan clasps his hand around mine. “I guess the cave is going to have to be off-limits for now, then, right? We can find another way to stop Selena.”
“I’m glad you’re so optimistic, but I don’t know any other way.” I stand from my chair and start to pace, taking my wine with me. “I’m not willing to risk anyone else’s life by waiting longer for her to try to influence me.”
Logan folds his arms. “You’re not willing to risk anyone else’s, but you’re willing to risk your own?”
I frown, glancing at Myra. She shoots me a look of sympathy. “Sorry, can’t help you there, Willow. I see where you’re coming from but if something happens to you, we can’t stop the curse.”
“And we can’t help Myra,” Logan adds, standing as well. “And who knows what Selena will do. Not to mention I’d be severely pissed off.”
It warms me that he cares. But there’s a bigger picture here.
He snags my arm before I can respond. “Seriously, Willow. You wanted me to work with you, as a team, so I’m doing it. This is what teams do. They figure out the solution together. And since you’re the only one who thinks this is a good idea, you’re overruled.”
I start to argue, but he puts a hand over my mouth.
“Please, Willow. Let’s just eat dinner and try to figure out another solution.”
