“And deprive me the pleasure of your charming company? I don’t think so. I’ll be back at six, and you’d better not be cleaning the floor or Hawk and I will have a long chat.”
I sighed. I didn’t know where he got the idea that I shouldn’t do normal things like an average person. “You know what, wise guy? I can do whatever I want to do and you have no say whatsoever.” He opened his mouth. “Not another word. Bye.” I went back to work.
The back door dinged when he left. Minutes later, it dinged again. Then I felt a presence behind me. “Forgot something, Andris, or are you here to complain about my work?”
“You work here?” a familiar voice said.
Ah, the Irish sisters. “Yes.”
“But you are a powerful…” Rita glanced around and whispered, “Seeress.”
“You should be practicing your powers, not wasting time doing something so…” Gina waved her hand to indicate the store.
“Normal,” I said. “I like normal. What are you doing here?”
“I want to apologize for testing you with the talisman,” Gina said. “Our mother gave it to me to test any witches we met.”
From my vision, some of the witches weren’t sure whether the Call was a trap or not. I studied the circular disk between her thumb and fingers. It had the tree of life on the front and the back had Celtic knots.
“What does it do?” I asked.
“It burns when anyone evil touches it.”
“That’s okay. It doesn’t hurt to be cautious.” I put the last mirror away and gathered up the bubble wrap. Rita bent down to help.
“We texted Mom about you and she’d really like to meet you,” Gina said.
“Sure.” I caught Hawk watching us. “I have to get back to work before my boss fires me. Coming, boss,” I added louder and picked up the box with the bubble wrap.
“Hey,” Rita said and touched my arm. “Do you want to go out for a cup of coffee?”
“Rita,” Gina protested.
Rita shrugged, her cheeks reddening. “It’s okay. She can always say no.”
I could, but I wanted to know why my vision had been so clear when I touched their talisman. “Sure. I know just the place.” I pulled out my cell phone, asked her for her number, and sent her a text. “Now you have my number.”
11. PARTY TIME OR NOT
An hour later, the back door dinged and Cora entered the shop. We’d eaten lunch together and she never mentioned stopping by.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, stepping out from behind the counter.
“Coming to pick you up.” She looked around. “So what do you do around here?”
“Everything. I help with the displays, customers, inventory… Whatever Jared wants.”
“When do you get done?”
“In half an hour. Come on. I want to show you something.” I led the way to the display cases where I’d put the hand-held mirrors. A kid at a candy shop wouldn’t have reacted like she did.
She chose two. “Mom’s birthday is coming up and she’d love this.”
“You and Echo got plans for tonight?”
“Nope. He’s reaping.” She sighed. “I don’t know what to do. No boyfriend. No plans. Worse, I don’t volunteer at the nursing home on Fridays. You and yours have plans?”
I imagined staying at home and stressing over Torin. The idea didn’t appeal to me. I might hate L.A. Connection, but it was the most popular club in town.
“Torin is out of town, so we have two choices. We can hang out at my place, watch one of our favorite series, and pig out on junk food, or dress up and go partying. The cheerleaders are throwing the football team a party tonight. Torin and I were invited, but he’s not here. We are.”
Cora squealed and hugged me. “I knew you’d come up with something. This could be fun. I can’t remember the last time we did something so normal.”
It was just like old times. Pre-Torin. I’d missed the squealing Cora. Just a little. Actually, I was beginning to get pissed, too. There was a reason for portals. What was stopping him from using one?
“Now all we have to do is convince Andris to come with us.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Andris? Why?”
“Torin left him in charge.” When Cora cocked her eyebrows, I glanced around to make sure Jared wasn’t within hearing distance. “Remember, the Seeress attacks?”
“Oh crappola. I’d completely forgotten about that.” A thoughtful expression settled on her face. “Maybe we shouldn’t go out tonight. We could do the marathon and pig out. Oh, and read the responses I’ve gotten on my vlog. I’ve gotten hundreds of hits. Two people gave video responses. I’d be so stroked if it went viral.”
“The party doesn’t start until eight. We have time.”
She studied me. “You really want to go?”
“Keep asking and I’ll develop cold feet. The last few days I’ve done nothing but work, run, and worry. I want to unload.” Plus, I hated to let fear paralyze me even though deep inside I shook with it whenever I thought about the people willing to hurt others to find me. Like Torin had said, we must act like we didn’t know or care. Besides, I’d be conquering another thing tonight—the nasty memories I associated with L. A. Connection.
Six o’clock arrived and Andris was a no show. Instead, the door dinged and a customer walked in from the back. Very few customers used the back door. A woman wearing a hooded poncho walked past and warning bells went off in my head.
Witch!
No, I was being paranoid now. It was still cold and people around here liked hoodies. Besides, it rained a lot in Kayville and rain ponchos were very common. A few minutes later, I was helping a man choose a frame for a custom job when she walked past the counter on her way out and I saw her face.
My stomach dropped. I recognized her right away. What name had the old woman in my vision called her? Stefania. And this wasn’t the first time I’d seen her in the shop. She’d asked to use our bathroom before.
“Excuse me?” I called out, but she kept going. “Could you hold on a minute?” I asked the man I was helping. I didn’t wait for his response, just took off after the woman. The back door didn’t ding, and she wasn’t in the back parking lot. Could witches disappear in thin air?
“What’s going on? Did someone steal something?” Cora asked. Behind her stood Jared, and the customer I’d left inside. Of course, I couldn’t tell them I just saw a woman from my vision and she’d disappeared.
“I thought I saw her pocket something, but I could be wrong.” Back inside, I offered a brochure to the man I’d been serving. “Take this home and see which one is perfect for the background on your photograph. Or bring in the photograph tomorrow and you and I can find the perfect frame for you.”
“Thank you, dear.” He patted my hand, and that was when I noticed the ornate ring on his pinkie. Another witch, or was I becoming paranoid?
“Is it always this exciting?” Cora asked.
“No.” I glanced at my watch again. It was a quarter past six. “Let’s go. I’ll text Andris on our way.” I grabbed my phone and poked my head into the office. “I’m leaving now, Hawk.”
“Is Andris or Torin here?” he asked.
“No. I’m leaving with Cora.” A spasm crossed his face. Could that be concern for me? “I’ll be fine.”
He stood and walked to the door. He glanced at Jared and lowered his voice. “Is she the one who helps souls?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t seem relieved. “Maybe you two should use the portal in my office, and she could pick up her car later.”
“We’ll go directly home from here and use the roads with the runes. If anything seems off, I’ll call. I can create a portal on the car door.” I’d never done it and my runes for non-reflective surfaces were iffy, but I didn’t want everyone in my life worrying about me.
He nodded. “Okay. See you in the morning.”
“Ten, right?”
He nodded. “That sounds good.”
I gave him a tiny wave and high-fived Jared on our way out. Cora was already behind the wheel of her Sentra when I left the building. My eyes automatically went to where I’d last seen Gina and Rita. Their car was gone.
Andris pulled into the parking lot before we pulled out and raced toward the back door. I rolled down my window and yelled, “Over here.”
He stopped, turned, and sauntered to our car. He finger combed his silver hair. “I thought I missed you.” He leaned down and peered at Cora from above his sunglasses. “Hey, blondie.”
“Hi-Yo, Silver,” she shot right back. “You didn’t have to run down here. I got our girl’s back.”
“I’m here now. Run along and play house with your reaper boyfriend.” He opened the car door.
“Just follow us,” I said, sighing.
“We’re going by The Hub to get lattes then home,” Cora said.
Lattes hadn’t been part of our plan. Andris shot me an annoyed look. “That was not in your text.”
“It’s in the one I was just about to send,” I said. “Oh, and tonight we’re going to L.A. Connection for the party.”
He lowered his sunglasses and peered at me over the top rim. “No, you’re not.”
“Come on. You and Blaine can come with us.”
“Let me think about it.” He stepped away from Cora’s car and smirked. “Okay. I thought about it and the answer is still no.” Then he headed to his car.
Cora slapped my arm.
I slapped her right back. “Cut that out. I swear you’re still the same girl I found bawling her eyes out in the bathroom in junior high. Use words.”
“Bite me. Are you going to let him,” she jerked a finger at Andris’ SUV, “talk to you like that?”
“No. You don’t argue with Andris. He expects it, and he’ll have all sorts of reasons why he’s right and you’re wrong and make you feel immature and stupid. I just ignore him and do what I want to do. He always comes around.”
Andris followed us to The Hub As we stepped out of the car, the hairs on the back of my neck rose. We were being watched. As though he felt it, too, Andris looked around.
The parking lot was packed with people walking to and from the building. Inside, no single table or chair was unoccupied. The feeling of being watched persisted. The bookstore slush café was frequented by high schoolers and college students, but a few stay-at-home mothers with their kids browsed, too.
No one appeared to be staring at us. In fact, most of the customers had their noses buried in books or computers. The free wi-fi here was a big draw.
Andris winked at the cashier as he handed her his credit card. “I’ll pay for theirs too, Jessie.”
She blushed. “You remembered my name.”
“And your eyes. They’re unforgettable. Did my sister’s books come in?”
What a flirt. And a pathetic liar. Cora and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes. Andris preferred shopping online, but he was drawn to books and often frequented The Hub. He claimed he didn’t want anyone at school to know he was a geek, yet every time he visited the place, he left with a pile of sci-fi books. Using Ingrid was a nice touch.
“So when is this party?”
“Eight,” I said. I shot Cora an I-told-you-he’d-cave smile.
“When you get home, stay put. We’ll pick you up at eight-ish.”
I saluted him. “Aye, aye, sir.”
He shot me an annoyed look. Cora and I didn’t start laughing until we got to the car.
***
Two hours later, we were dressed and ready to party.
The printed black and white jeggings, flirty white top, black jacket, and knee-high boots were perfect for the evening. Cora chose a white dress with uneven hem and ankle-level, high-heeled boots. The back of her dress had a huge chunk of it missing.
She checked her butt and did a model twirl, the dress frothing around her calves. “What do you think?”
“It’s you.”
She flipped her hair and studied me suspiciously. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“The dress is perfect on you and you know it.” Male voices came from downstairs. “They’re here.” I grabbed my debit card and cell phone and followed her downstairs.
“Oh, I showed Mom my vlog entry,” Cora said. “She loved it. How did she put it? ‘My baby’s grown.’”
“Definitely a giant leap from Hottie of the Week,” I teased.
“Shut up. Oh, wow, look at you, guys.” She studied Andris and Blaine from the foot of the stairs and then walked toward them in a slow gait. “I think we are going to be the envy of every girl at the party.”
I studied the guys and grinned. Not bad. The hipster and the trendsetter were in their element tonight. Still, I missed Torin and his earthiness. He didn’t conform or let fashion dictate what he wore, yet these two guys couldn’t touch him in the sexiness scale.
“That’s okay,” Blaine said. “We’re ditching you ladies as soon as we get to the club.”
Cora hugged his arm and pouted. “Come on, Blaine.”
“Last time I danced with you, Echo went ape on me, so no thanks.” Blaine managed to peel her arms off him.
I didn’t blame Blaine for being wary. Echo could be scary possessive where Cora was concerned. She rolled her eyes. “Echo has learned to tame his jealous side. Come on. I want to dance.” She went toward the portal.
I hugged Femi and whispered, “I have my cell. If you need me, text.”
She chuckled. “Go have fun.”
I planned to. Then I was going on a rescue mission. Midnight here would be eight in the morning in London. The Earl of Worthington was going to get a visit from one irate American teenager before he finished his morning tea.
I followed the others through the portal to the mansion and out the door to the SUV. Cora was already in the back seat checking her makeup.
“A few ground rules, Raine,” Andris said before I joined her.
“Seriously, Andris? Stop worrying. Let’s just go, dance, drink, and have fun.”
“You don’t drink,” he snapped.
“I was kidding. Lighten up already.” I hopped in the back seat.
Andris’ eyes narrowed menacingly. “Back to the ground rules. You don’t leave my sight or the club without telling me. If anyone bothers you, you tell me. It’s spring break for colleges, and a lot of local guys are back in town, so no flirting with frat boys. That includes you, Cora. I don’t need Echo acting like a Neanderthal.”
Blaine chuckled from the front passenger seat. Echo nearly snapped his neck one night because Blaine had flirted with Cora. I never actually got the whole story, but Torin’s presence had stopped him.
“It was a misunderstanding,” Cora said, reapplying gloss. She pressed and popped her lips. “And leave my man out of this. These rules only apply to Raine.”
“No alcohol for either of you,” Andris continued, “but if you need anything, I’ll keep a tab running at the bar.”
“How I wish I was twenty-one,” Cora mumbled, snapping shut her compact.
In five minutes, we were outside L.A. Connection. For a brief moment, scenes from my birthday party flashed in my head—ambulances, people lying on the grass, parents calling out their children’s names…
I pushed the past aside and got in the moment as we joined the other students inside the club. Ingrid had reserved a table for us. We left our jackets on our seats, ordered drinks, and hit the dance floor. Blaine and Andris stayed behind surrounded by cheerleaders. I tried not to remember the last time I’d danced in this club and got lost in the music.
Cora and I were taking a breather by the bar sipping mockartinis when I felt the telltale warmth at the back of my neck.
Torin.
Nothing could duplicate the effect of his eyes on me. Our eyes met through the mirror behind the bar, and air got sucked out of the room.
The smoldering gleam in his eyes sent a shiver of heat up my spine, and I became an ad for every cliché—my heart skippe
d a beat, my breath caught in my throat, and little frogs started doing jumping jacks in my stomach. The urge to fly across the room and jump into his arms followed. Eyes followed him, but his stayed locked with mine.
Then he smirked. Jackass. Okay, so I had missed him like crazy, but his smug smile just rubbed me the wrong way. For two days, I’d worried about him, and he sauntered in here without remorse, looking like every girl’s dream man. No, I was not throwing myself at him, or kissing him, or welcoming him home.
Despite my thoughts, I wanted to throw myself at him, kiss him senseless, scold him for making me worry, and never let him go.
I dragged my eyes away from his, picked up my drink, and angled the straw. I took a long sip. Behind me, someone called out, “Over here, St. James.”
“You made it,” another shouted.
“How was London?”
“Okay, I’m super impressed by your calmness,” Cora whispered and stirred her drink with a straw. Her back was to the bar. “If Echo gave me a heated look like that, you’d have to peel me off the floor.”
If only she knew. The only thing holding me up was the counter.
“He’s coming this way. He just brushed off some girls. Seriously, some bitches don’t respect boundaries,” Cora said.
My hand tightened around my drink.
“He keeps looking at you. Turn around and welcome him already, or I’ll do it.”
“Don’t you dare,” I whispered. I knew the moment he entered my personal space. His warmth and scent swirled around me. I closed my eyes and soaked him in. Two days. How could he do that to me?
He slid next to me, his arm brushing against mine. Heat shot up my spine, and I shuddered. My eyes flew open and met his in the mirror. Of course, he noticed my reaction. The corners of his lips tilted into the sexy smile I adored. Not so adorable at the moment.
“Hey, Torin,” Cora purred. “Nice to have you home.”
“Thanks, Cora. Where’s Echo?”
“Busy, but you’ll see him tomorrow night.”
Seeress: Book Three (Runes Series) Page 17
