Elizabeth nodded slowly. She made a sour face. “We have to cut her heart out?”
“Yeah.” I wrinkled my nose. “I know, it sounds hateful. Henrik says it’s the only way.”
“Henrik’s creepy.”
I laughed. “You… you get used to him after a while.”
“And Ligeia is so intense. She doesn’t answer any questions,” Elizabeth added, shrugging dramatically. “She just acts the way she thinks is best.”
I sighed. “I know.” I bit my lip. “Elizabeth… how the hell are we supposed to do this?”
Elizabeth sighed. She furrowed her brow and ran her hands through her long hair, pulling it into a messy bun at the side of her head.
“I don’t know,” she said quietly. “But Steven’s been acting so weird lately, ever since I got back. He’s like, totally obsessed with me.”
“I thought that was what you wanted?”
Elizabeth frowned. “I thought I did,” she said slowly. “But now… I don’t know. It feels so weird. I can’t think about him. Not with all of this shit going on. It’s too much, Monica.”
“Yeah,” I said softly. “I know.”
“Maybe we could like, trap her,” Elizabeth suggested. “And bring her to the coven. And Henrik and Ligeia could take care of this, like we wouldn’t have to actually kill anyone.”
“I had the same thought, but I don’t think it will work.” My stomach twisted with anxiety. “I think we have to do it ourselves.”
Elizabeth frowned.
“It’s not actually like, taking a life, though,” I said. “I mean, think of it like this—Andrea is basically possessed.”
“But we’re still killing her body,” Elizabeth said quietly. “Andrea wouldn’t have wanted this.”
I shrugged. I didn’t really care, but I wasn’t about to say that.
“I don’t know,” I said. “You just have to think of her as embodied by this evil spirit. I mean, Elizabeth, the spirit of Prudence has tortured people for centuries. And we’d be stopping that. Wouldn’t that be a good thing?”
“Why us?” Elizabeth said softly. “Why do we have to do it?”
I sighed. “Because you said you wanted to help,” I said. “You told me you didn’t want me to do this alone, remember?”
“I don’t,” Elizabeth said. “But I don’t get why we have to do it at all. Wouldn’t it make more sense to, oh, I don’t know—leave it to the professionals?”
I laughed humorlessly. “There are no professionals when it comes to magick,” I said quietly. “Except maybe Ligeia.”
“She should do it. It’s her sister.”
“She can’t,” I explained. “The bond between them is too strong. She could only accomplish the task if she sacrificed herself.”
“Well, maybe that would be better than having us do it,” Elizabeth grumbled.
“Hey…” I bit my lip. “You said Steven is really into you right now, yeah?”
“Yeah.” Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “He was so weird the other day. He practically tried to pull my pants down in the middle of the woods.”
“Well… what if we manipulated him somehow?”
“To kill his sister?!” Elizabeth looked horrified. “Monica, we can’t do that! We can’t make Steven do that!”
“No, no, not like that,” I said. “Like… I don’t know, we all get together and maybe you seduce him or whatever… and then I can attack his sister if she’s upset about it.”
Elizabeth stared at me and shook her head. “No,” she said. “It won’t work.”
“Yes, it will,” I said. A loathsome plan formed in my mind and I hated the sound of it, but instinctively I knew—it had a much better chance of working.
“Look, I know Andrea is creepy around her brother, but—”
“It’s not just her,” I said quickly. “Look at how much attention Steven used to give her. But something changed, right? Now he’s really into you, right?”
Elizabeth nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
“And how do you think that makes Andrea feel?”
Elizabeth shrugged and wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know,” she said. “Thinking about that creeps me out.”
“Well, think about it,” I said sharply. “Seriously—do you think it makes her jealous?”
“I think it makes her feel… powerless,” Elizabeth said softly.
“Yeah,” I said quickly. “So, here’s what we’ll do. Call up Steven and tell him you want to hook up, but it has to be at his house. But also say that you feel really guilty about how you and Andrea have fought.”
“I could apologize for you, too,” Elizabeth said slowly. “I could say that I feel really bad for what you did, and that I’m not your friend anymore.”
I smiled. “Bingo,” I said. “Do you think you can lie?”
Elizabeth nodded quickly. “I think so.”
“You better try really hard,” I said sharply. “Because you’re not always good at it.”
Elizabeth flushed.
“Anyway, yeah, so you call Steven and tell him you want to hang out with him and Andrea… but make it sound like you really just want to sleep with him. Then, you go over and seduce him in front of her. It shouldn’t be hard. I’ll be waiting outside, like, by a window. And then I’ll break in and kill her.”
“This all sounds terrible,” Elizabeth said. She looked pale and green. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
I shook my head. “I know, but it has to work,” I said. “She’s going to be much less powerful if her attention is all focused on you and Steven; she’ll angry and it’ll be easier to take her down.”
Elizabeth bit her lip. There was a deep crease of concern and worry in her forehead.
“I hate this,” she muttered. “This is so fucked up. I can’t believe we’re plotting to kill our friend.”
“Andrea hasn’t been our friend for a long time,” I said quickly. “Don’t forget how crazy she is. Don’t forget how you felt when you were alone, in jail, all night.”
Elizabeth shuddered and rubbed her wrists. “Yeah,” she said slowly. “I guess.”
“Keep thinking about how angry and helpless you felt,” I said. “And channel all of that into… you know. This.”
“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Elizabeth said softly. “I don’t think I can do this.”
“You have to,” I begged. “You have to help me, Liz. This is the only way we can do it. This is the only way we can win. Remember, you promised you’d do anything to help!”
I locked eyes with Elizabeth and stared hard. I know you hate this. But it’ll be worth it. I swear.
Elizabeth looked at me with sadness in her eyes. “Okay,” she said softly. “I’m in. When do you want to do it?”
I shuddered, remembering Henrik’s ghostly warning I’d received just an hour ago.
“Tomorrow,” I said finally.
“So soon?” Elizabeth’s jaw dropped and she gasped. “Monica… that’s so cruel!”
“We have to,” I said bitterly. “If we don’t strike now, we might not win.”
Elizabeth sighed, closing her eyes. “I wish I was dead,” she said. “I’d rather be dead than deal with all of this.”
Reaching out, I squeezed her shoulder with my right hand. “I know,” I said softly. “Trust me. I know.”
Chapter Four
Elizabeth
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned all night in a bed of sweaty, uncomfortable sheets. By morning, my throat was raw from crying and my eyes were red and swollen. I kept pinching myself, hoping to wake from this dreadful nightmare.
But this was real.
I stared at myself in the mirror. I looked terrible—my skin was even paler than usual, and I had big, dark circles under my eyes. So sexy. I stared at my reflection in disgust. I bet Steven can’t wait to get a piece of me. I shuddered. I had no idea how I would accomplish the task at hand—with murder on my mind, the last thing I wanted to do was have sex… especially with
the brother of the girl that Monica and I had to kill.
“Elizabeth, sweetie, are you still in there?” My mom rapped on the bathroom door. “Someone else would like to use the shower, please!”
“Coming!” I called hoarsely. “I’ll be out in a second!”
Flushing the toilet for effect, I washed my hands and wet my hair, pushing it back from my forehead. My skin felt hot and scratchy, like a paper towel. Taking a deep breath, I yanked the door open and walked into the hall.
When Mom saw me, she frowned.
“Oh, honey,” Mom said. “You look like you’re coming down with something. Are you okay?”
I forced myself to smile and nod. “Yeah,” I said. “I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep well, that was all. My room felt so hot.”
Mom rolled her eyes. “You know your father and the thermostat,” she said. “I promise—I’ll get him to turn it down tonight.” She stared at me and I suddenly had the feeling that there was more clarity in her mind than there had been in weeks. “Are you sure you’re okay, sweetie? You really look upset.”
“I’m fine,” I lied. “Just, um, you know. Missing school. I don’t want to repeat this year,” I added, echoing a sentiment that Monica had expressed last night. And, you know, I don’t want to kill one of my oldest friends, even if she did turn into a real bitch.
Mom nodded. “I understand.” Then she smiled widely and her eyes turned glassy once more. “I made waffles,” she said. “Would you like some breakfast?”
My stomach gurgled. “Sure,” I said in a hollow voice. “Sounds great.”
Downstairs, I pushed my waffle around in a puddle of syrup. Aidan sat next to me, inhaling his food so quickly that I felt nauseous just listening to him. As soon as he was done, I stood and reached for the phone. As I dialed the D’Amicos’ number, my hands were shaky and cold. I had a sudden flashback—I felt nervous now, just like I’d been when I’d first called Steven.
God, if only I was just nervous because I thought he didn’t like me, I thought bitterly as I held the phone to my ear. I’d given anything for that innocent time again.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Steven?” My heart was in my throat as I waited for his reply. When he spoke, I could practically hear the smile in his voice.
“Oh, hey Elizabeth! God, I’m glad to hear from you. I miss you, you know,” Steven said.
I sighed. “Yeah, I know,” I said. “Look, I’ve been thinking—I feel really bad about Andrea. What if I came over today and the three of us hung out?”
“Oh, I don’t know…” Steven trailed off. “She’s been acting kind of weird lately.”
“Yeah,” I said, forcing a chuckle. “But I really miss you,” I added, purring into the phone. “Maybe we could… have some alone time after we hang out with your sister.”
“Oh, wow,” Steven said. “Yeah! I’d love that.”
“Good,” I said anxiously. “I’ll be over in a couple of hours, okay?”
“I can’t wait.”
As soon as I hung up, I ran to the bathroom and vomited.
---
By the time I got to the D’Amicos’ house, I was a nervous wreck. Monica and I met halfway there, and she trailed behind me, ducking and hiding behind trees whenever a car passed. I’m not really doing this. This isn’t really happening—it can’t be happening!
Steven answered the door with a huge grin on his face. He leaned down and kissed me. I tilted my head to the side just in time to see Monica slide into her hiding place, a clump of bushes beneath the D’Amicos’ living room.
“Hey,” Steven said. He grinned. “I can’t believe you wanted to come over.” He put his hands on my shoulders and kissed me again, this time sliding his tongue into my mouth and biting my lower lip. I tried to enjoy it, but I still felt nauseous and after a few seconds, I gently pushed him away.
“Sorry,” I said. “Um, wouldn’t want to be rude to your sister. Where is she?”
“She’s inside,” Steven said. “You know, she’s really happy you asked to come over.” He shook his head.
“Good,” I said nervously. I could barely hear the sound of my voice over the thumping of my heart in my ears.
“Come on,” Steven said. He jerked his head toward the inside of his house and I followed meekly behind. Sure enough, Andrea sat in the living room. A strange, placid smile was on her face.
“Hello, Elizabeth,” Andrea said politely.
“All better?” I glanced down. There was only a soft brace on Andrea’s injured leg.
Andrea nodded. “It still hurts when it rains,” she replied. “I’m so glad you came over.”
I nodded. “Me, too,” I said.
Steven sat on the couch opposite Andrea. I knew I should go to him—sit as close as possible and try to start the plan. But I felt something forcing me to stay away. It was strange: the nearer I got to Steven, the more I felt like I could barely move. My limbs were stiff and it felt like the air had turned into a thick treacle.
“Having trouble?” Andrea’s smile grew a shade wider and my heart sank.
Oh, no. She’s doing it. She’s controlling me. I closed my eyes and tried to channel the energy to the coven. I thought about the magickal elements, about the power of nature. But everything from the coven seemed distant and far-away, like a dream.
“What’s wrong?” Steven narrowed his eyes. “Sit down,” he added. “Do you guys want to watch a movie?”
Andrea smiled wickedly. “No,” she said. “I was thinking that we could all just sit together and talk. Doesn’t that sound nice?”
My legs propelled me across the room and into a rocking chair, as far away from Steven as possible. But to my dismay, he didn’t even look like he cared. He looked completely happy and at ease.
And his gaze was completely focused on his sister.
“So, tell me, Elizabeth,” Andrea said calmly. “You were gone for a few weeks. Steven said you were visiting a cousin. I didn’t know you had any cousins.”
I forced a shrug—it was painful, almost like I was breaking free of bondage just to move my shoulders.
“Yeah,” I said. “You know—I have a pretty big family.”
Andrea nodded. “I see.” She reached for a glass of water and took a sip. “I think you’re lying.”
“What?” I narrowed my eyes. “I’m not lying—my cousin lives in Portland, her name is, uh, Lily.”
Andrea laughed. “Elizabeth, it’s okay—you don’t have to lie in front of me,” she said sweetly.
Steven gave me a strange look. “You lied?”
“No,” I said quickly. “I wouldn’t lie to you, I swear.”
Steven turned his attention back to his sister. “Andrea, how’s your leg feeling?”
Andrea pulled a face. “It hurts,” she said softly.
I tried to get to my feet but I couldn’t move. My body was invisibly pinned to the rocking chair. Fear and dread took over my senses—what the hell was going on? Why couldn’t I move?
What was Andrea doing?
Fuck. Is she smarter than we thought? Did she guess what would happen?
“It’s funny that you wanted to come over,” Andrea said to me, her smile as wide as ever. “I didn’t think you liked me very much, Elizabeth.”
“Of course I do,” I said quickly. “We’ve been friends for a long time.”
Andrea shrugged. “If you say so,” she said. “Steven, I’m cold,” she said. I watched in horror as Andrea got up from her chair and crossed the room. She sat down next to Steven and put her hand on his chest, smiling smugly at me.
Steven did nothing. His eyes took on a dark, glassy look and he wrapped an arm around his sister with a mechanical gesture.
“Elizabeth, why don’t you leave?” Andrea said. “You don’t really look like you’re having a good time.”
My legs straightened painfully and lifted me out of the chair. I almost lost my balance as I felt myself move through the living room. It took every ounce of my strength to turn
my head and look behind me. Andrea crawled onto Steven’s lap, caressing his face with both of her small hands.
He wasn’t even looking at me.
My eyes filled with tears as I moved closer and closer to the front door. Goddamnit. She knew. She knew! And she did this on purpose!
As soon as I on the D’Amicos’ porch, I finally regained strength over my own body. But when I tried to turn back to the door, I found that I couldn’t even cross the welcome mat. A thick, invisible barrier kept me away from Andrea.
Tears filled my eyes as I turned and walked home. I couldn’t decide if I felt relieved or angry. After all, Andrea had skillfully manipulated me into not harming her.
But I hadn’t accomplished what I’d set out to do, either. And I had a sinking suspicion that more likely than not, Monica and I would face punishment at the hands of Henrik and Ligeia.
Monica met me halfway home, on the main road of town. She no longer bothered concealing herself among the trees; instead, she slunk beside me, her eyes low with defeat.
“I should’ve known it wouldn’t work,” Monica mumbled. “She’s too strong, Elizabeth. She’s stronger than you. She’s probably stronger than me,” she added.
I shrugged. “We tried,” I said lamely. “She controlled me the second I walked in the door.”
“I know. Steven, too,” Monica said. She shuddered. “What’s her gross obsession with her brother, anyway? Like what the fuck?”
“I don’t know,” I said. I kicked at a rock on the ground. “It really bothers me.”
“Well, try not to let it,” Monica said. “Maybe we could… I don’t know. Use him to our advantage, somehow?”
“I don’t think that would work, either,” I said, balling my hands at my sides as frustration sank lower and lower into my brain. “He’s too easy manipulated. You said it yourself. He’s like a blank slate.”
“Let’s get my books and go into the woods,” Monica said. “We won’t be able to find the coven, but maybe we can find a spell or something.”
“A spell? You use actual spells?”
Monica flushed. “They’re more like… recipes,” she said. She wrinkled her nose. “And I’m not very good at them. But I think it’s the best chance we have.”
The Coven Series: Books 1-5 Page 31
