The Complete Spellbound Trilogy Bundle

by Penelope King

  “So you guys don’t know exactly what’s wrong?”

  They shook their heads. “We just wanted to talk to you as soon as possible,” Sophie said.

  “Where is he?”

  “Well, that’s the thing… they were all meeting here. At Ana’s, I mean. Justin might be there right now.”

  My jaw went slack. “Really? He’s here?” I couldn’t help but feel a bit miffed that Ana hadn’t let me know.

  Sophie nodded. “That’s where my mom was headed.”

  “Same with my parents,” Lily added.

  “I have to go there now—” I turned to leave, but Lily put her hand on my arm, holding me back.

  “Wait, what about your dad and Nicholas?”

  I looked at her, incredulous. “I think this is just slightly more important than supper, don’t you?”

  “Of course it is.” She sighed. “But we don’t even know what’s happening for sure yet, and how would you explain just leaving in the middle of your own dinner?” I opened my mouth to reply, but she held up her finger to silence me. “Let Sophie and me find out what’s going on. We’ll let you know the second we know anything for sure, okay? In the meanwhile, enjoy your dinner, but try to make it short in case you need to make a sudden exit.”

  Enjoy my dinner? Was she high? “You really expect me to go out there and make small talk and act like everything is hunky-dory?” I asked.

  “Just keep it together for now and carry on as normal until we know more. That’s all we’re saying,” Sophie said. “As soon as we know something definite, we’ll report in. No use charging in there guns all ablazing until we know what’s up.”

  I glowered at the floor. Of course they were right, but I hated feeling so helpless and out of the loop. The least Ana could’ve done was told me that he was coming back, and that something was wrong. I deserved to know the truth.

  “All right,” I relented. “Go see what you can find out. The second you know anything, I mean anything, I want you to tell me, ‘kay?”

  They nodded. “Promise,” Sophie said. They held hands and faded into nothingness.

  *****

  “Well, don’t you clean up nice. Hardly recognized ya without half the beach stuck in your face and your hair,” Dad teased as I emerged from my room. Whatever Nicholas was cooking smelled amazing and my stomach grumbled, despite my nerves.

  “Very funny, Dad.” I smiled and joined Nicholas in the kitchen. “Can I help?” I asked as he flipped some steaks on the indoor grill.

  “You wanna finish making the salad there, that’d be great.” He nodded at the green leafy lettuce and the array of freshly washed, brightly-colored vegetables next to the sink. I picked up a large knife and started chopping some carrots on the cutting board.

  “What’re you making?” I asked him over my shoulder.

  “Filet mignon with sautéed Portobello mushrooms. Baked potato with all the fixings. Garden salad.”

  “How very exotic, Mr. Super Chef.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I’m saving all my real treats for when it’s just the two of us,” he said in a husky voice. He glanced up and saw that my dad’s attention was firmly focused on the basketball game on TV, so he leaned in for a quick kiss. “I just had a feeling that fancy wasn’t the route to go with him. Thought he’d appreciate something a little more down-home. I know I do.”

  “Have I told you lately how much I love you?” I whispered as I was pulled into his emerald gaze.

  “If it’s half as much as I love you, then I’m the luckiest guy who’s ever lived.”

  It took all of my self-control not to fall into his arms and kiss him with the burning passion of a thousand flames. But not with Dad sitting twenty feet away.

  He stole one last quick kiss and returned his attention to the stove. He added a little more butter to the mushrooms and gave them a stir. I was mid-chop on a green bell pepper when I heard Sophie’s voice.

  “We’re outside… seems like there are a lot of people at the house.”

  “I might shimmer us into an empty room and see if we can hear anything,” Lily added.

  “Okay, just don’t get caught,” I warned.

  I took a deep breath and tried to focus on what I was doing. But as much as I attempted to concentrate on making the pepper strips even, I couldn’t stop wondering what was going on with Justin.

  “You okay over there?” Nicholas asked under his breath, giving me a sidelong glance. I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. “Those are some pretty heavy sighs,” he added. “I wish you’d tell me what’s bothering you. Maybe I can help.”

  I grimaced and dumped the cut-up veggies into a large wooden bowl. “I wish you could help, but I don’t see how you can. We’ll talk later,” I whispered.

  I carried the salad out to the dining room area and put it on the table. Then I made up three place settings, while Nicholas served up the steaks on a platter and covered them with the mushrooms. When he was done, he pulled out the potatoes from the oven and started filling them with sour cream and shredded cheese.

  “It’s a good thing I like running,” I laughed as he crumbled a handful of bacon on the potatoes. He grinned and handed me the plate.

  I turned and started walking back to the table. “It’s ready, Dad. Come and—”

  “Okay, we’re in. Everyone’s downstairs talking, but Justin is definitely on the premises. Repeat: Justin is definitely on the premises!”

  I’d frozen mid-step and mid-sentence. Both Nicholas and my dad glanced at me curiously.

  “—get it,” I finished weakly and plastered a smile on my face.

  “Perfect timing. First half just ended. Wow, this looks great. Thank you, Nich’las, Cal. ‘Preciate it.” Dad pulled up a chair at the round table and took a seat, and Nicholas and I joined him.

  “It was my pleasure, sir. I had an excellent selection of meat to choose from. Hope you enjoy it.”

  “Shore it’s all great.”

  We started to eat, and Nicholas and Dad made small talk about the Lakers’ chances for the playoffs. I bowed my head and pretended to be focused on cutting my steak.

  “What’s going on now?” I asked.

  “I heard Justin’s voice earlier, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying… it seemed like they were asking him some questions,” Sophie replied.

  “So he’s well enough to speak?” My heart brightened. If he was talking to them, surely if anything was wrong, it couldn’t be too serious.

  “Wait a minute… Okay, I hear him laughing. Yes, that’s definitely him,” Lily said.

  “Can’t you get closer—?”

  “…Don’t ya think, Cal?”

  Startled, I looked up and saw two pairs of curious eyes staring back at me. Correction— one pair curious, one pair knowing.

  I quickly swallowed my bite of steak and tried not to cough. “I’m sorry, what was that? My mind went somewhere else when you started talking about Kobe Bryant.”

  Dad chuckled. “Was just sayin’ that Nich’las here could give ol’ Dee a run for her money as far as the cookin’ goes.”

  “And where does that leave me?” I pretended to pout.

  “The competition would be for second place, obviously. You’re the all-time best, hands down. We’re just tryin’ to figure who’d be runner up.”

  I grinned. “Nice save.”

  “Okay… something is definitely going on… Justin just went off with my mom and another Healer,” Sophie whispered.

  “Why are you whispering? The only ones who can hear you are me and Lily—”

  “Oh! I think someone’s coming.”

  My temples were starting to throb. I took a long drink of water and rubbed the sides of my head. As much as I was actually enjoying this dinner with Dad and Nicholas, I desperately felt the need to be elsewhere.

  “You all right there, Cal?”

  I nodded at Dad. “Yeah. Just have a bit of a headache is all. It’s been coming on all day.”

  “Wa
nt me to grab you a couple a’ Bayer?”

  I shook my head. “I’m okay. Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t cure. And a pair of very magically gifted hands.

  Dad returned his attention to his potato, and Nicholas caught my eye. I could tell it was driving him crazy trying to figure out what was going on. I wondered what he must be picking up from me right then, what with the earlier drama with my mom, and now the stress and uncertainty of Justin’s unexpected return. If he really could read hearts, could he feel how troubled mine was?

  But I couldn’t tell him anything yet… not with Dad sitting right here. I couldn’t eat another bite either, and Dad and Nicholas were only about halfway done with their meals. I didn’t know how much longer I could sit here watching them chew their food and listening to them talk about basketball and the upcoming Super Bowl. I was about to jump out of my skin, and I didn’t trust myself to keep it together much longer. I needed to get away.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, and slowly rose to my feet. “My head is hurting really bad right now and getting worse. If you guys don’t mind, I’m going to have to cut this short. I think I will take some of that aspirin and lie down before this turns into a full-fledged migraine. I’m really very sorry,” I repeated. I picked up my plate and gave them a weak smile.

  “Oh, that’s a shame you’re not feelin’ well, hon. Anythin’ I can do?” Dad crinkled his forehead, and looked at me with concern.

  I shook my head and gave him a peck on the cheek. “I’m fine. Just need to lie down. But take care of Nicholas for me, since I’m being the world’s worst hostess.”

  Dad looked at Nicholas and shrugged. “Maybe he wants to hang around and watch the second half of the game.”

  Nicholas smiled, but only on the surface. “Sounds good, sir.”

  “No more of this ‘sir’ business. In my home, we’re all friends.” Dad waved his hand indicating the matter was closed, but I could tell he was flattered to have been shown respect, and Nicholas had easily won him over. No real surprise there.

  “Have fun.” I gave Nicholas a light squeeze on the shoulder and leaned over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek as well. “I’ll talk to you later,” I whispered.

  “Yes, you will.”

  Chapter 22. Justin

  The second I got to my room I called for Lily and Sophie. “What is going on?”

  “We had to move. They took Justin to the other side of the house and—”

  “Come get me,” I commanded.

  “What about your dinner?” Lily asked.

  “This is way more important, and I can’t take it anymore…”

  Lily was standing at the foot of my bed before I finished my sentence. She gave me a small smile. “Your taxi has arrived.”

  “Where’s Sophie?”

  “Waiting in a room on the second floor. Let’s hurry; I don’t like leaving her alone.”

  I nodded, and the prickly, icy sensation covered my skin. I blinked, and we were standing in a darkened spare bedroom. Sophie was crouching by a door that was partially ajar.

  “Thought we heard someone a bit ago, but it was a false alarm,” she told me silently.

  “Won’t they sense that we’re here?” I thought back.

  Lily nodded. “Yeah, but only if someone gets too close or is on the lookout for intruders… otherwise we should be okay.”

  My heart raced, both from the excitement of our clandestine spying and from knowing that Justin was right downstairs. I held my breath and stayed very still, hoping to hear something… any clue as to what was going on.

  After several long moments of silence, my frustration got the better of me. “This is pointless! We can’t hear anything from here! We need to go somewhere else.”

  “You’re right,” Lily agreed. “But where? I don’t know where they moved him to or where the best location would be for us to go and still stay undetected.”

  As I racked my brain for ideas, inspiration struck. Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest ones. “Take me outside to the back door that leads into the kitchen,” I finally replied. I was counting on it being unlocked, as always.

  “What’re you going to do?” Sophie asked.

  I gave a half grin. “Well, as a matter of fact, I’m going to walk right on in. It’s my house, too, and I don’t need an invitation. I’m going to see for myself exactly what is going on.”

  Lily and Sophie’s hands reached for mine in the dark, and an instant later we were standing outside on the kitchen porch. We looked at one another warily.

  “Should we go in too?” Lily asked.

  I thought for a moment, then shook my head. “No, not right now. That would be too obvious… it might seem like we knew something was up and were barging on in. If it’s just me, I can play it off better.”

  Sophie nodded. “I agree, although I’m dying to know what’s going on in there. Tell us the second you find out anything.”

  “I promise.” I gave a slight nod. “But stay close, just in case.”

  “Of course. We’ll go over to the rose garden,” Lily replied.

  The three of us looked at each other for a moment. “I’m scared,” I admitted in a hoarse whisper. “What if something is really wrong? After all we’ve gone through to save him, what if we failed?”

  Lily frowned. “I want to be optimistic,” she whispered. “But there is that possibility. We always knew it was a risk.”

  “But what about your vision?” Sophie asked. “You saw him all happy, even if he was with Savannah. You said your visions were always right.”

  I shook my head and studied the fleur-de-lis design on the porch. “I’m not a hundred percent convinced that what I saw was a real vision. Like I said, it was different.”

  “I just think we need to try and stay positive until we can see what—”

  She broke off as the door to the kitchen suddenly swung open, and the three of us jumped back.

  Ana stood in the doorway, her blue eyes blazing. “Well, are you going to stay out here all night or are you coming in?”

  I was almost rendered breathless from the force of her power, and had she not been wearing her blocking charm for me, I was absolutely positive I would’ve suffered another ‘episode’.

  “You knew we were out here?” I asked quietly, suddenly feeling guilty.

  Her mouth twisted impatiently. “Of course. Nothing happens in or around my house that I am not aware of—” She looked me straight in the eye. “And you’ve been skulking about long enough. It’s time you come in and make yourself useful.”

  She stepped back to let us on through, and although her words were a bit on the hard side, I felt her compassion. She was worried, and a little afraid.

  I entered first, with Lily and Sophie right behind me.

  “Where’s Justin?” I asked once we were all in the kitchen. I had heard some voices coming from the parlor.

  Ana took a deep breath. “I will take you to him shortly. I was going to let you know he was back, but we needed to assess him first…” She paused and lowered her voice. “And there may be a complication.”

  My heart stopped. She’d so much as confirmed that something was wrong. “What complication?” I whispered.

  “It’s best you see for yourself first so I don’t influence you in any way and have you project your will on him. He’s fragile right now, but I’m hoping seeing you will help.”

  I could tell she was choosing her words carefully, but they made no sense. Project my will on him? What was that supposed to mean? Was she suggesting I could make him be a certain way just by thinking it?

  “He’s in the sunroom waiting for you. And yes, we all knew you were here,” Ana continued, answering my unspoken question.

  “Should we go too?” Sophie asked.

  Ana hesitated. “Calista first, then we shall determine if it’s a good idea for you to see him or not. For now, you two will wait with me.”

  They nodded, their eyes wide. The fear and worry pouring from thei
r hearts was almost more than I could stand. The four of us walked through the main room where dozens of pairs of curious, supernaturally-sparkling eyes watched in silence as we continued on to the back of the house. Over and over I did a silent chant in my mind, praying that Justin would be fine when I got there… that this was all just a misunderstanding, and he really was totally okay after all.

  We finally reached the doors to the sunroom and paused. Ana and I looked at each other, and I took a deep, steadying breath. I was glad I couldn’t really tell what she was feeling at this moment, because I had a sneaking suspicion I wouldn’t like it. Then I walked in.

  Justin didn’t see me at first. His back was toward me, and he was lost in thought, gazing out the full length windows to the choppy ocean beyond.

  My heart leapt with joy, and I covered my mouth with my hands to stifle a happy laugh. It felt so good to see him there. His tall, lanky body stood relaxed, as he absently ran his fingers through his tousled, slightly too long, dirty blond hair, and stared out at the gray abyss.

  But even better than how good he looked was how good he felt. I’d always had strong Empath with Justin from the first day we met, and it’d only gotten stronger over time. The worst part about what had happened between us, worse than him actually attempting to murder me, was the devastating anguish he’d continued to feel afterwards.

  His soul was heavy with guilt and despair, and I’d feared he would never be able to recover from it. It had been downright painful to be around him at times, and his continual suffering was the only reason the Council had attempted the dangerous memory removal. Despite the risks, Justin needed to forget that we were all witches, that he had tried to kill me, and that he’d undergone a magical and violent curse removal that had nearly killed him. His memory of those horrible events had been torturing him worse than any punishment ever could have.

  But not anymore. Now as I watched him, not only did he look strong and healthy, he felt wonderful. Pure, clean, innocent. Happy and full of life. All the things that had drawn me to him in the first place and made me cherish him so much as a friend. It was a beautiful energy, unique only to him and amazing to be around. I blinked back the tears that sprang up as I finally was able to feel it again. I’d almost given up hope. I’d thought that part of him was gone forever. But whatever the Council did, whatever spell they cast, it had worked. Ana and the others were wrong… everything was fine. Better than fine. It was a miracle.