by L. Danvers
He chuckled to himself as we strode hand-in-hand.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m still laughing about taco girl.”
I smiled. “I have to admit, I never imagined the day I’d see a breakdancing taco. That girl had skills.”
“Whoa,” Bellamy said, holding his arm out in front of me to protect me. With it being so dark out, I hadn’t even noticed the big dip in the trail before me. “Careful.”
“How did you even see that?” I asked as we walked around the hole.
“How did you not?” he teased.
We continued along the path, the chilly air filled with the earthy scents of the balsam fir and red spruce that surrounded us. I spotted a pair of yellow eyes watching us from one of the trees. “Oh, look. An owl,” I pointed out. The owl seemingly hooted in response.
“That’s a Great Horned Owl.”
I gave him a playful jab with my elbow. “So, what? You’re a wildlife expert, too?”
He shook his head. “No. I just enjoy being outdoors. I love hiking and camping.”
“Really?”
“Does that surprise you?” He smiled one of those full-faced smiles that made his eyes crinkle.
“Maybe.”
“What’s something about you that would surprise me?”
I tucked a strand of blonde hair behind my ear. “Nothing, really. I’m afraid I’m perfectly ordinary.”
“I assure you, there is nothing ordinary about you, Grace Addington.”
I was thankful the night sky kept him from seeing me blush.
“We’re here,” Bellamy announced. I let out a gasp when I saw it. The reflection of the moon sparkled like diamonds in the water that seemed to stretch out for eternity. The shore was hugged by rocks and boulders, and we carefully climbed on top of one of the larger ones to get a good view. We talked for hours under the velvet sky, which was speckled with what seemed like thousands upon thousands of stars.
Just as our evening together was about to come to an end, Bellamy brushed my hair away from my face. “You’re freezing,” he observed. He removed his robe and wrapped it around my shoulders. I turned to face him. His hazel eyes locked in on mine, and he lifted my chin with his finger, drawing me closer. A tingly sensation filled my chest. His lips brushed against mine, his kiss somehow delicate and passionate at the same time. And I knew that there was nowhere else I’d rather be than here in Crescent Cape, tangled in Bellamy’s embrace.
Xander
I blinked. My clouded vision faded in and out. My breaths were slow and shallow. I tried to breathe deeper. I had to get it together. I needed to gather whatever strength I could. I had to find a way out of here. I needed to get to Grace.
I hated myself for the way I’d left things with her. I’d never meant to fight with her that night. I wondered what had happened to her... Evangeline never did give me the full story. All she said was that Grace was fine and that she wasn’t coming back for me. But that didn’t make any sense. Grace wouldn’t have abandoned me. Would she?
We’d bickered, but we’d never fought. What if I’d gone too far? I’d suggested she walk away from reopening the portal—from getting her best friend back. Even worse, from getting my brother and sister back. I never had been the best sibling. I left Crescent Cape as I pleased, leaving Aiden to rule. I fell off the map completely from time to time, enjoying my freedom. I’d never been one to put others first, which my siblings had no problem pointing out. Maybe that had been the last straw for Grace. She’d seen that I was willing to walk away from something because it was the easier choice. But Grace didn’t do easy. She’d get Danielle back or die trying.
Maybe she’d found a lead. Maybe she’d actually managed to get her hands on some faerie dust and was working on a spell to reopen the portal right this minute... I wouldn’t put it past her. She was more than capable. And while we made a good team, or so I thought, she certainly didn’t need my help. She could take care of herself.
Even still, after watching what Sofia had done to me, she would have tried to stop her. Or she at least would have sent someone else to come for me. Though who would she have sent? Aiden was a human now. And Uncle Ben had his magical objects, but could he take on an entire coven? I highly doubted it.
I’d lost track of how many days I’d been here. I wondered if I’d missed Grace’s birthday... I felt a deep ache in my chest at the thought. Looked like I had another thing to apologize for—if I ever found a way out of here.
An all-too-familiar beep blasted from beside the metal door, which promptly opened. Letting out a groan of annoyance, I tilted my head to watch as Evangeline strode in. Her hair was tied up into a tight bun, and her glasses were sitting atop her head. Her mouth was pressed into a hard line as she marched around the table and situated herself by my side.
“Rough day?” I asked.
“Not as rough as yours is about to be, I’m afraid.” I realized then that she hadn’t yet offered me my usual ration of artificial blood. “Now that you’re weak enough,” she explained, “I’m going to take a peek into your mind.”
“You just can’t get enough of me, can you?” I said, but it came across more pathetic than I’d meant for it to given the unnatural quivering of my voice. “What are you looking for, anyway? Maybe I’ll just tell you what you want to know.”
“I want to know your greatest weakness,” she said flatly. “Would you care to enlighten me?”
I certainly wasn’t about to tell a deranged witch how to kill me. Did she know it took more than a wooden stake to kill a Blood Heir? “Do I look stupid to you?”
She smirked. “I had a feeling you wouldn’t be interested in sharing.”
“I thought you weren’t planning on killing me...” I still wasn’t sure what they were doing with all of the blood they were collecting from me. Storing enough to heal themselves in the midst of battle? Creating their own vampires?
Her deep red lips curved into a grin. “Actually, I said we weren’t killing you yet. And anyway, there are plenty of ways to make someone suffer without actually killing them.” She stood above me now, an arrogant gleam in her eye knowing that there was nothing I could do to stop her. She pressed her fingertips to my temples and lowered her head, her nose just inches away from mine as she spoke. “This is going to hurt,” she warned matter-of-factly.
She recited a spell, and a scream so feral erupted from my lungs that I didn’t even recognize the sound as coming from myself. It felt like her nails were scraping against my brain. Jaw clenching, I closed my eyes, trying to fight her off. Whatever it was she wanted to know, I wasn’t going to share willingly. Beads of sweat trickled from my temples, and heat flooded my veins. I balled my hands into fists and tried fighting, tried breaking free from my restraints. But it was no use. I wasn’t strong enough.
Opening my eyes now, I realized just how closely Evangeline was hovering over me. Her eyes were closed, entranced with her spell. She clawed deeper, scraping my mind for information. But I could tell she wasn’t getting whatever it was that she’d wanted.
Seizing the opportunity, I willed my razor-sharp fangs to slice through my gums. And with a swift jerk, I thrust myself toward her throat and sank my teeth into her throat.
Evangeline’s eyes flew open, and she shoved me so hard that the back of my head slammed against the hospital bed. Wincing, she covered her neck with her hand, which quickly turned red with blood. “You know what happens to vampires who drink witch’s blood,” she spat.
Of course I knew. Soon, I’d become violently ill. But it was worth it.
The door beeped again, and a witch I didn’t recognize popped his head in the room. “Evangeline? What happened in here?”
“Nothing,” she said abruptly, still covering her throat. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Sofia. She wants to speak with you.”
Nodding in submission, Evangeline shot a nasty glare at me before charging out of the room.
A smile split my lips as I watch
ed the door slam shut, glad that I’d staved her off, at least for now. Then, all at once, I felt that familiar sensation of my insides being shoved into a woodchipper.
Ben
“Glad you could make it,” I said, squeezing Aiden’s shoulder. He had called me a little while ago and told me that he was in Quarter Square, the small town where I lived. I was both excited and concerned. He was family, and these days, I rarely got to see him. And yet, I couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in the pit of my belly.
I’d suggested we meet for breakfast at Magnolia’s, a local café. We had a lot to catch up on, and I felt like I was going to need a strong cup of coffee to brace myself for this conversation. Because if Aiden had left Victoria’s side to come all the way here and talk to me in person, something was very wrong.
The redhead behind the counter handed over our maple pecan scones and drinks of choice, and we found a table by the window. Magnolia’s was packed, but it was so loud that we didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing us.
I took a bite out of my scone and shook my head in appreciation. “Mmm. Mhmm.”
“So,” Aiden said, leaning across the table and speaking in a hushed tone—ignoring my appreciation of this local delicacy entirely, “I found a witch and got her to perform a tracking spell on Xander.”
My eyebrows rose. “She found them?”
“Yes, but...”
“What’s wrong? Where are they?”
“The place is somewhere on a dirt road about fifteen miles out of town.”
Xander and Grace had been a short drive away this whole time? It didn’t make any sense. Why wouldn’t they have just come home? Judging by the hardened look in Aiden’s eyes, I was guessing they weren’t there by choice. I chased down the mouthful of my scone with a long sip of coffee, burning my tongue in the process. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go find them.”
“It’s not that simple,” he said, blowing at his drink before sipping from it.
“Not that simple? Your brother has been missing for weeks, and you’re telling me he’s just outside of town. Let’s go.” I started to get up, but he grabbed me by the wrist, stopping me. Warily, I sank back into my seat. “Okay, then. Why don’t you enlighten me as to why we shouldn’t go rescue Xander and Grace?”
Aiden dragged his hand through his dark, brownish-red hair. “Do you remember how the witches fled Crescent Cape when the boundary fell?”
I nodded. Of course I remembered. The Carlisles had been long gone—after all, it was Reed, their leader, who had dropped the boundary in the first place. But the Albright witches weren’t stupid. So, as soon as they realized the boundary had come down, they got out of there, too.
“Well,” Aiden continued, “the location the witch pinpointed is the location of the Albright coven’s new compound.”
“I don’t get it. What would the Albrights want with Xander and Grace?”
Aiden shrugged. “I don’t know. But it can’t be good. They know Xander is a Blood Heir. They know what happened to Freya and Evanna. Maybe they want revenge. And as for Grace,” he said with a sigh, “what if they found out Reed Carlisle was her biological father? The two covens were bitter rivals...”
I rubbed my temples, feeling the beginning of a pounding headache coming on. I suddenly wished I’d opted for booze rather than coffee. I’d had my fears about Xander and Grace, but I never would have imagined that they could have been taken hostage by the Albrights. “Are you sure they aren’t there of their own will? You know how Grace is always studying grimoires and learning about magic. Maybe she went to them with questions.”
Aiden had to keep himself from laughing. “You’re joking, right? Xander and Grace are smarter than that. And why would her going to them for questions lead to them staying there for so long? That doesn’t make any sense. Something is definitely wrong. And if we want to get them back, we’re going to have to be smart about this.”
I straightened in my seat. “Of course,” I said, gathering my wits. It wasn’t like I was new to the world of supernaturals. I had shelves overflowing with magical objects—some of which I had experience using. Granted, I’d never infiltrated an entire compound full of witches. But if that’s what it took to get Xander and Grace back, I’d find a way. “Let’s head back to my place,” I suggested. “I can show you some of the objects in my collection. If we put our heads together, we can figure out the best ones to bring with us.” Aiden’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. I eyed him, trying to decipher the emotions he was trying so hard to hide. “It’s okay,” I said, trying to reassure him. “We’ll get them back.”
“It’s not going to be enough.”
Perhaps he was right. After all, he was the former vampire. He had more experience with witches than I did. And he did have a point. Could two humans really take on an entire coven? “What if we reach out to the Book Slayers?” I offered. The Book Slayers were a sect of vampire librarians that Xander had turned decades ago. It stood to reason that they would be willing to help us.
“They chose to live peaceful lives. They’re not fighters. And they aren’t all that strong, even for vampires. Living off the over-the-counter stuff has its downsides.”
I nodded, understanding. Since vampires had been outed to the human world, they could now get synthetic blood over the counter. But Aiden knew all too well that when vampires weren’t on the real stuff, they weren’t as strong as they would be otherwise. “What other choice do we have? We have to try.”
He glanced up at me, the hint of sapphire in his eyes darkening like a summer storm. His jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth with determination. Resigning himself to whatever had been weighing on him, he finally agreed. “You’re right. We can’t just sit back and do nothing.” He took one last sip from his coffee. “We have to get Xander and Grace back. Whatever it takes.”
“Whatever it takes,” I repeated.
Ben
Needing to speak with the Book Slayers, we headed to Books & Brews, the shop Xander owned here in Quarter Square. To your average customer, Books & Brews was your typical bookstore—well, typical bookstore-slash-bar. But what the humans (other than myself) didn’t know was that the Book Slayers lived upstairs in the restricted section. He had recruited them to help us dig up information on how to open the portal. And we hoped they’d be willing to help us now.
The front door chimed as we entered the shop.
“Hi, there!” a male voice called out from the back of the store. “Welcome to Books & Brews. Is there anything I can help you with today?” By the time he reached the front, his deceptively innocent-looking face paled. “Oh. It’s you.”
I wondered which one of us he was referring to. “Sorry to disappoint you,” I offered.
Jasper flipped his ashy brown hair out of his eyes. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “This little visit wouldn’t happen to be about Xander and Grace, would it? No one’s heard from them since—”
I nodded, and his mouth pressed into a hard line as he eagerly awaited what we had to say.
Aiden gestured toward the staircase. “I think it’d be best if we spoke upstairs.”
Understanding, Jasper lead us in that direction, weaving between rows upon rows of bookshelves. On the second floor, we found the Book Slayers gathered around the fireplace, open books scattered across the floor. Most didn’t even look up to acknowledge us. They weren’t being rude, though. They were just busy. They worked tirelessly to help Xander and Grace find someone who might have an idea about how they could get their hands on faerie dust. Though at times it seemed futile, they refused to give up.
Though most weren’t looking anyway, I gave a polite wave before Jasper ushered us into his room. “Somebody please tell me what’s going on,” he said.
“We found Xander and Grace,” Aiden explained.
“And?”
“The Albright witches have them.”
Jasper’s face fell. “You�
�re kidding, right?”
I shook my head. “I’m afraid not. A witch Aiden knows did a tracking spell and found them. We wanted to ask you and the Book Slayers for help,” I explained, pausing for a moment to gauge his reaction. But by the way that Jasper lowered his eyes when I said it, I knew he didn’t want to fight—even for Xander and Grace. Whoever would have thought there could be a downside to there being a peaceful group of vampires? Clearing my throat, I added, “We have to figure out a way to rescue them.”
Jasper’s gaze ping-ponged between the two of us, waiting for further explanation.
“Do you think you could speak to the others for us?” I asked. “Maybe someone will be willing to help. If you recall, he’s human now,” I said, gesturing toward Aiden with my thumb. “He’s not any more useful than I am. I mean, we’ll try to get him back ourselves if we have to. But it’d be a lot easier if we had vampires on our side.”
“You know that we chose to live in peace,” Jasper calmly reminded me. With a sigh, he added, “I’ll go speak with them. You two wait here. And... don’t get your hopes up.” With that, he strolled out of the room and closed the door behind him on the way out.
“There is another way,” Aiden said in a heavy tone.
I cocked my head to the side. “Do share.”
“As you just pointed out, this is only an issue because I’m a human now.”
“You aren’t suggesting what I think you’re suggesting... are you?” I gulped.
Aiden dipped his head. “You heard Jasper. They’re not going to help us. What other option do we have?”
“You can’t do that!” I said, raising my voice. I didn’t care if all of Books & Brews heard me. I wouldn’t stand for this. “You just got your life back.” Aiden tore his eyes from mine. “What’s really going on here? Aren’t you happy? You got everything you ever wanted. Why would you give that all up?”
He shook his head. “I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Try me.”
