by Lila Kane
“What is going on there?” Cheyenne asks.
I look away and shrug.
She shifts so she’s standing in front of me, arms crossed. “Really, Willow? You think I haven’t noticed something’s going on? And I know you know what it is.”
“Not so loud,” I hiss, glancing at Logan.
I turn to face the counter, even though I’m sure he can still hear us. But he looks distracted. And worried again.
“Tell me,” Cheyenne says.
“It’s not my place to tell.”
She angles her head, then looks toward the door Myra and Ryan disappeared behind. Ryan and Myra? she mouths.
I shrug again. Her eyes widen.
“It’s not what you think,” I say.
“It’s something,” she murmurs. When she catches me looking at Logan, she asks, “Are you okay?”
“Sure. Great.”
“So, not really?”
I sigh and swallow a thick wave of emotion. I can’t keep breaking down. I need to focus. “I don’t know what to do.”
“We’re going to figure this out.”
“He said he’d hurt one of you,” I say quietly.
“Logan said the same thing if I recall correctly.”
He did. But I hadn’t really believed it. Not the way I do now. “He’s serious, Cheyenne.”
“What are you saying?”
I shake my head. I don’t know what I’m saying.
Cheyenne bites her lip. “I know what you’re thinking and it’s not worth it.”
I frown. “What am I thinking?”
“That you’ll do what he wants,” she says. “You’ll work with Kane because that means keeping everyone else safe.”
Logan looks over from his place by the window. “What?”
“Cheyenne,” I hiss.
“I’m sorry, Willow, but it’s not just your decision.”
“It kind of is since I’m the one who’s going to be doing it.”
Logan strides over, jaw clenched. “You’re saying you want to work with Kane?”
“No. No,” I repeat when he doesn’t seem to hear me. “I don’t want to. But listen‒if I say I will, it’ll give us time.”
“To what?”
“Figure out a spell to end this altogether. Or at least put the spell back into place.”
“What if that’s not how it works out?” Logan asks.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, working with Kane isn’t going to be what you think. If he doesn’t trust you’re on his side, he’s not going to be happy.”
“I’ll make him trust me,” I say.
Cheyenne folds her arms. “How are you going to do that?”
“Lie.” When neither of them says anything, I nod. “Those are our options. Either lie to him, make him believe me or someone is going to get hurt.”
Chapter 13
That night, I go home. My small rental is cold inside and I pull on a sweater while Logan makes coffee in the kitchen. The rest of the group wanted to be together, but all I want is alone time with Logan before tomorrow changes everything.
And I know it will.
There’s amethyst outside the front and back doors, close in case I need it, but far enough away it doesn’t hurt Logan much.
When I return to the kitchen, he’s pouring coffee into two mugs. I watch him while he doctors each drink, strong muscles moving in his back, and speed and stealth no human can possess. Even doing something as simple as making coffee.
He doesn’t turn when he says, “You’re watching me.”
“I am. Nice view.”
When he smiles as he faces me, my heart squeezes tight with love for him. It’s heightened today. Maybe because I’m finally accepting it. Maybe because I don’t know what tomorrow will bring and I want to bask in it.
“Let’s sit in the living room,” he suggests.
I lead the way to the couch, my socks quiet on the hardwood floor. “I miss your house.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. The gardens mostly. When I needed to get outside.”
I accept the mug of coffee and sit with my legs curled up beside me. Logan joins me, grabbing my feet and settling them in his lap.
“We should visit tomorrow. After we deal with…”
“Kane.”
He sighs. “Yes, after that.”
“Do you think he’s going to believe we’re on his side?”
Logan doesn’t answer. He sips his coffee, and then sets it on the table. His hands find my feet and start a slow massage that makes me want to sink into the cushions and close my eyes.
“Logan?”
“No,” he says softly. “I don’t think he’s going to believe that for a minute.”
My stomach clenches. “We don’t have a choice, though, do we?”
“I trust you, Willow. If you think this is the best course of action, I believe you.”
I don’t want to tell him that I don’t know what the best course of action is. This is the only way I can see to keep things from getting even more dangerous.
Setting aside my cup of coffee, I scoot toward Logan and then climb in his lap. “Let’s not talk about it anymore.”
He brushes his thumb on my cheek. “Any other ideas?”
“One.”
He smiles as I lean in for a kiss. And then in a swift movement, he’s standing with me in his arms.
“You done with your coffee?” he asks.
I’ve only had one sip, but I nod. “Yes.”
“Good.”
He turns off the lamp as we pass and carries me to the bedroom. We leave it dark, letting the night comfort us as we climb into bed. We shed our clothes and lose ourselves in each other until we’re too tired to do anything but sleep.
This time I don’t dream.
My cheek is pressed against the pillow when something makes me stir. A voice floats to me, soft and friendly.
“Willow.”
I sit up. I can only see the outline of furniture and hear Logan’s quiet breathing. Everything looks like normal, but it doesn’t feel like it.
The voice speaks again, saying my name like a caress. “Willow.”
But it’s so quiet, I can’t tell where it’s coming from. After another long moment, I almost start to believe it’s my own imagination.
Logan shifts beside me and reaches out. “Willow?”
I lay my hand on his briefly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
His voice is thick with sleep. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Something. I’m not sure.
But I don’t want to bother him with it.
“I’m going to get some water,” I say, standing.
“Want me to go?”
I smile as his words slur. He’s still halfway asleep and I know he needs it. “No, I’ll be back in a minute.”
I shut the door behind me as I go, not wanting to keep him awake. I lost my socks somewhere in the room and the wood is cool on my bare feet as I pad to the kitchen.
“Willow.”
This time, the voice sounds closer. Louder.
My breath catches. I spin around, searching the darkness for an explanation.
“Outside,” the voice says. It’s definitely male.
Kane. It has to be. But how’s he doing this? It’s not possible. And I’ve got amethyst at the door.
Then, what’s going on? Is he really strong enough to get inside my head?
I walk to the back door and peer through the blinds, trying to see if there’s anything out there. It’s too dark to tell.
I can’t leave this house. And I have to wake Logan up. Something’s going on.
“Don’t do something stupid,” the voice in my head says. “Open the door.”
“Shit,” I whisper. Something stupid must mean getting Logan.
My hand closes over the doorknob, but I can’t make it move. No, this is wrong. I can’t open the door.
“Open up, and no one gets hurt.”
/>
I swallow hard, my fingers tightening on the knob. No one gets hurt? I ease the door open, letting in a small rush of cool, night air.
There are figures out there. Three of them in the backyard, all shadowed, and hard to make out.
When I hear a voice, though, I know one of them is Kane.
“Hello, Willow. Let’s make this quick. I’ve got a vampire and a shapeshifter watching your friends’ houses and a witch and a werewolf here with me. You’re outnumbered and your friends aren’t expecting company. So if you don’t want anyone to get hurt, come with me, and this will be over.”
My heart thumps so loud, I’m sure he can hear it. He says he’s has a vampire now, too. More people he’s brought to town. He’s right, we’re outnumbered. How did he get so many people here to help him?
“Quickly, Willow, before this gets ugly.”
I whip around when I hear Logan’s voice from inside the house. “Willow?”
“I’m‒I’m coming,” I say back. But my voice shakes and I don’t believe he’s going to buy it for a minute.
“Don’t make me send them in,” Kane says, gesturing to his friends. He holds out his hand. “Come with me. Make this easy.”
Tears burn my eyes when I step out the door.
“That’s it,” Kane says, voice calm and low. “No one has to get hurt.”
Another few steps and Kane captures my hand, pulling me to him. I cringe, tempted to make a run for it. To set him on fire and hope for the best. But then what will happen to my friends? And Logan?
“No!”
Logan’s shout comes from just inside the door. He drops to his knees, his face a mask of pain. The amethyst is just feet from him at the corner of the porch.
Kane’s grip tightens on my arm. “Don’t you dare.”
“Logan,” I say, keeping my voice calm. “Look at me.”
His gaze connects with mine.
“It’s okay.” I nod, trying to get him to understand. “I’ll be okay.”
“Take your hands off her, you bastard!” Logan yells.
Kane sighs. “It’s time to go.”
“No.” Logan struggles to his feet, and immediately the werewolf and witch step in front of me and Kane. “Let her go.”
“Don’t turn this into a fight, brother,” Kane says. “You know I always win.”
“You get your fucking hands off her or I swear‒”
Kane hisses and jumps back from me. I feel a moment of triumph, realizing I’ve burned him, before anger flashes in his eyes. His witch twists his hand like he’s screwing in a light bulb.
Immediately, the wind picks up, forming a small tornado around us. I gasp.
Kane steps toward me. “Don’t make me do this the hard way, witch.”
“Willow!” Logan yells. He’s hanging onto the side of the door like his legs will barely hold him. “Get inside!”
The wind blows harder, whipping my hair as I hesitate. Torn.
“You go back in there, I swear I’ll kill him,” Kane says.
The words rip me apart. My heart breaks and I turn away. Kane takes my arm while I keep my fire locked inside.
“Good.” Kane nods his head at the witch and werewolf. “Let’s go.”
The witch sends a swirl of wind in Logan’s direction, knocking him to the ground as we exit the fence around the backyard and walk to a car parked at the edge of the street.
The front door jerks open. “Willow.”
Logan’s voice is full of anguish. He can’t make it across the porch. The amethyst is too strong. The stone I enchanted to keep me safe is hurting the one person who wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.
“Get in the car,” Kane says.
With one last look at Logan, I get in the back next to Kane. He shuts the door and we drive away from my house.
“Now, that wasn’t too bad, was it?” Kane asks.
I bite my tongue to keep from yelling at him. I stare out the window, watching the neighborhood pass in a blur of shadows. My heart wrenches in my chest. Logan. He doesn’t know where we’re going‒and neither do I. All I know is I kept him safe.
And it still hurts.
“Don’t be sad, witch. We’ll do what we need to do and Logan will stay unharmed.”
He says nothing about letting me go. What’s his plan? Where are we going?
But I don’t want to speak to him. I’m afraid of what will come out. I’m afraid, like back at the house, I’ll burn him and make this worse.
I look over and see the red marks on his arms. They’re fading away already. He’s strong. A lot stronger than I expected.
“Give me a few days,” Kane murmurs. “You’ll see what it feels like to use your power. To embrace it. And then, trust me, you won’t want to go back.”
My hands tremble and I squeeze them together in my lap to get them to stop.
The witch and werewolf are quiet up front as we head away from the center of town.
“Where are we going?” I finally ask.
“Shadow Hill Hotel.” He smiles in the darkness. “Should be familiar to you.”
I grind my teeth together. He knows about my history. Knows about my ancestor Selena. That must be how he knew I was the Keeper of the Flame. The one who can end the curse on all the paranormals of Shadow Hill. In fact, if I end this curse, maybe any paranormal that enters Shadow Hill will be able to recognize their full potential.
“You can’t do this,” I whisper.
“What’s that?” Kane asks.
“Undo the spell.”
As we turn into the parking lot, he shifts to face me. “That’s why you’re here. You are the one who has to undo the spell. With some help, of course.”
I glance to the front seat. Is that why he brought others here with him? To help with the spell? Or are they just here to build his team?
“I won’t. Kane‒you don’t understand‒”
“We’ll talk inside.”
He steps out before I can respond. Shit. What do I do now? Make a run for it? I swallow. And then start a war. With Logan, Ryan, Cheyenne, and Myra right in the middle.
I step out of the car on wobbly legs, breathing in the night air. I’ve come to appreciate this place. Shadow Hill. My mother is here. My history is here. And Logan is here.
I’ve got a family, even if it’s an unconventional one. Cheyenne and Ryan, even Myra, feel like they’re part of my life now. And Kane’s trying to take that all away.
“You coming, or do we have to do this the hard way?” Kane asks.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” I snap.
He steps back with a grin. “Yes, you are. This way, then.”
I follow him and the others inside the hotel, a place I’ve been only a handful of times. It used to remind me of Selena. Now, I’m not thinking of anything but Kane and what he’s going to do.
What if I help him with the spell? Will he let me go? If he does, then I can try to put the spell in place again. I can put it all back to how it’s supposed to be. As long as he lets me go.
The inside of the hotel is dimly lit and quiet. It’s just after midnight as we walk the upper hallway to one of the suites on the corner. Of course it’s a suite. He’s got money, just like Myra and Logan.
But there’s something so much darker about him.
“You wouldn’t really hurt them, would you?” I ask as he opens the door.
Kane gestures to the others and they disappear into one of the bedrooms.
“Hurt your friends?”
“Not just my friends. Your brother. Your sister.”
“There’s no love between us.”
“You’re family,” I say, hands clenched at my sides. “Don’t you care about that? Don’t you‒”
“Willow.” He gestures to the couch. “Why don’t you relax? Have a seat?”
“I don’t want to relax. I want to go back to Logan. I want to be with my friends and my family. You’re making a mistake. You’re‒”
My breath catches in my throat when h
e moves. It’s so fast, he’s only a blur, until he’s right in front of me, gripping my arms.
“Enough,” he says, eyes going dark. “You’re here now, and you will help me. If I have to take away everything you love, I’ll do it without blinking an eye. So, no trying to change my mind. Got it?”
I can’t breathe. His eyes are so dark and fathomless, and all too late, I realize I have no protection. No amethyst. Nothing to stop him from compelling me to do whatever he wants.
“I don’t think you’re going to cooperate,” he says, lips hinting at a smile.
“I am. I will.” My voice comes out uncertain, though. I break his stare and focus my gaze on the collar of his shirt.
“How come I don’t believe you?”
“I’ll help you with the spell as long as you promise not to hurt my friends. Swear you won’t lay a hand on Logan or Myra, and swear you won’t hurt my mother, or Cheyenne or Ryan, and I’ll help you.”
His breathing slows, but I refuse to look at his face. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but at least he’s considering it.
“Look at me, Willow,” he says.
His grip is so bruising, my arms ache, but I shake my head.
“Willow,” he says. “Look at me.”
I grit my teeth and lift my chin. To my relief, his eyes are clear blue, almost the exact shade of Logan’s.
“I promise not to hurt your friends. And I’ll leave my brother and sister out of this. Under one condition.”
“I said I’d help you.”
“You will help me. That’s the deal. But you’ll do it my way.”
My heart skips a beat. Logan’s face flashes through my mind. The words I love you on his lips. At least I had the chance to say it back.
“Which way is your way?” I whisper.
“We start over. Brand new.”
My lips part. I know what he means. I know what he’s planning. To compel me. To influence me‒probably to make me forget what’s gone on. To forget he’s the bad guy.
“It means saving your friends,” Kane tells me.
I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to be a part of this. But I can guarantee safety for everyone‒at least everyone I care about.
“It means keeping Logan alive,” Kane continues.
“I don’t want to lose who I am.”
He smiles, hands loosening their grip. “Don’t worry about that. You’ll be the same person you are now. Loyal, but stubborn. Willing to stand up and fight. A very powerful witch. We can learn so much together.”
