by Chelsea Luna
Peter stretched. “She’s either a brilliant actress or she’s clueless about why we’re here.”
“We’re in the middle of nowhere,” James said. “I could never live in a place like this.”
“Really? I think it’s beautiful,” I said.
Vanessa returned with a tray. She poured each of us a glass of sweet tea. Peter eyed the drink suspiciously. I nudged his toe and glanced at his rubber band. He couldn’t be spelled. Not with the charm on. This seemed to calm his nerves, because he winked at me and chugged the tea.
“Have you’ve enjoyed New Orleans?” Vanessa sat beside me.
“It’s fantastic,” I said. “Hot. But it’s a great city.”
“You’ve been to the Quarter?”
I nodded.
“Jackson Square?”
“Not yet.”
“The Garden District?”
“Nope.”
“St. Louis Cemetery Number One?”
“No.”
Vanessa shook her head. “What have you seen?”
“The Quarter.”
“Ah,” Vanessa said. “Spring break. Have you been to many bars? Other than the one I saw you in last night, of course?”
“A few,” I said vaguely.
Vanessa sipped her ice tea. “James, how do you know Alex and Peter?”
“I’m friends with Peter.”
“That’s nice,” Vanessa said. “Do you play hockey, too?”
“I do,” James said. “I actually scored more goals than Peter did this year.”
Peter choked on a mouthful of tea.
I patted him on the back. “How’s work at the hospital?”
“Busy. It’s hard to get away. That’s why I wanted this place. It’s the perfect retreat from the bustle of New Orleans.” Vanessa sat down her glass. “How’s your mother doing?”
“She’s okay.” I lowered my head.
“Still walking around like a zombie?”
“No.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” My eyes were glued to the cement. I hated talking about my mom to Vanessa. It brought up too many emotions. I had to stay cool. Vanessa was being hospitable. I didn’t want to ruin it. Maybe she’d help me after all. Ethan would wake up and we could all go home and focus on Liam.
“What’s she doing now?”
“Huh?”
“Emma,” Vanessa said. “If you don’t mind me asking, how are you getting by without Victor’s help?”
“Oh. Mom got a job.”
“Emma has a job?” Vanessa’s voice thickened with sarcasm. “Doing what? Trying to find a new husband?”
“She’s working at the Hazel Cove Diner,” I said. “We all can’t be surgeons.”
I dared her to say something about the diner, but she didn’t. A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between us. Vanessa abruptly stood up. “Let’s go inside, shall we? I’ll give you a tour before the other guests arrive.”
We followed Vanessa to the porch. “Alex, would you grab that empty pitcher of tea for me, please?” She patted Peter’s arm. “And will you and James help me move a few chairs out of the way before everyone arrives?”
“Sure,” Peter said.
Vanessa opened the screen door and James and Peter walked inside the house. I grabbed the empty pitcher. The sun had set and the stars were making an appearance in the darkened sky. It was beautiful. Quiet and peaceful.
I walked up the porch. The others were already inside the kitchen. Vanessa opened the screen door for me. I stepped inside, but slammed against something.
The empty pitcher slipped from my hands and glided through the air. Vanessa froze. The glass jug smashed against the kitchen floor. I was so confused that I stepped forward again.
Again, I hit an invisible wall. I reeled back from the impact.
Vanessa blinked twice. Her face was expressionless.
I looked down at my feet. They were stuck at the threshold. I nudged my sandals forward an inch, but they couldn’t break the plane of the doorway.
Then it hit me. Vanessa had an Il Gaurdenarium spell on her house.
And I couldn’t enter.
CHAPTER 25
Vanessa and I stood inches apart between the invisible barrier.
James realized what was going on first. His mouth slid open. He took a step toward me.
Vanessa’s neck snapped in his direction. She raised her hand and swiped the air in one giant arc.
“No!” I screamed.
Peter and James soared across the kitchen. They slammed against the cupboards and slid to the floor. I ran to them, out of pure instinct, and met the invisible wall again. My body ricocheted off the barrier.
“Saucilaxeria Petfundo Meinheriil,” Vanessa said.
Fire sprouted from the polished hardwood floors. Five-foot high flames penned Peter and James against the kitchen counter.
“What are you doing?” I banged the side of the house.
Vanessa gritted her teeth. “What am I doing? What am I DOING? Explain to me, Alexandria, why you can’t step foot in my house?”
“I don’t know,” I said honestly.
“Oh, please, your little innocent routine doesn’t work on me. I told you about the Il Gaurdenarium spell. Remember? Keeping those that mean you harm outside of the house. It’s my security system from pure blooded trash like you.”
Peter opened his eyes. He raised his arm to shield himself from the wall of flames. Sweat beaded his forehead.
“Leave them alone. Please.” I had to keep cool. It was the only card I had. I was completely useless to Peter and James as long as I was stuck outside.
“Why should I?” Vanessa smoothed her dress. “You’ve come to collect, haven’t you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“My heart.”
“That’s not why I’m here,” I said.
“Liar. You need my heart to perform the reversal. Why else would you come all the way to Louisiana? For a visit? I don’t think so. Not why your father’s in a trance.”
My heart pounded in my chest. “I came to talk to you. To reason with you. I have no intention of hurting you. I swear.”
“Hmm, now why don’t I believe that lie? Oh wait, because you can’t come inside.” Vanessa walked toward Peter and James.
“Leave them alone! I swear, if you touch them, I’ll -”
“You’ll what?” Vanessa smiled. “What’s the big bad pure blood going to do when she can’t even come inside? Try again. Maybe you’ll get lucky this time. Or you can watch from there while I tear them apart.”
I raised both hands at Vanessa to levitate her away from James and Peter. My body trembled with effort.
Nothing happened.
I tried again.
“Your magic can’t penetrate the walls of the house, idiot,” Vanessa said. “I swear, you really know nothing at all.”
I was trapped outside. Rendered one hundred percent useless.
“I wasn’t positive until just then.” Vanessa’s high heels clanked against the floor as she closed in on Peter and James. “Of course, I suspected when Ethan was moved out of the mental hospital. And then I saw you on the strip in the Quarter the other night. I knew the only reason you’d come down here was for my heart. Where did you move Ethan?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“Of course not,” Vanessa said. “But I’m sure Emma and Nancy would’ve moved him somewhere safe.”
“How did you know he was in the mental hospital?”
“A locator spell.”
“How could you do that to him?” I stood at the door. “How could you do that to your own sister?”
“What about what Emma did to me?” Vanessa closed her eyes and mumbled.
Peter and James crumbled to the floor. Their bodies twisted in pain.
“Stop! They have nothing to do with this.”
James clutched his stomach. His face contorted into complete agony. Peter grunted. He placed one shaky hand on th
e counter, trying to pull himself to his feet. Both boys dripped with sweat from the fire.
Vanessa opened her eyes and the boys stopped withering in pain. “Emma stole Ethan from me.”
I must have made a face, because she sneered.
“What?” Vanessa shoved the contents of the center island onto the floor. Dishes and glasses shattered to the ground. “You don’t think I could’ve had Ethan?”
“From what Grandma Claudia told me, Ethan sounded pretty in love with my mother.”
“Well, hear the truth. I loved Ethan first. I followed him around the playground in elementary school. That’s how far back my love goes.”
Peter and James were getting to their feet. The flames penned them against the counter. The fire didn’t spread or rise in height. It constantly burned in place forming the perfect cage.
“Emma wouldn’t even look his way until they were in high school,” Vanessa said. “She knew I loved him, but she didn’t care. She was a spoiled brat who always got what she wanted. And if she knew I wanted it, then she wanted it even more.”
The deep roots of hate between Emma and Vanessa were because of jealousy over my father.
“She must have spelled him,” Vanessa said.
“Emma’s not a witch,” I said defensively.
Vanessa laughed. “No, no she isn’t.”
“So Ethan falls in love with my mom and you spell him into a coma? How screwed up are you? You never really loved him. If you did, you wouldn’t have hurt him.”
Vanessa’s eyes flashed dangerously. “If I had more time, Ethan would’ve realized that he loved me. But Emma got pregnant and he was going to leave town forever. All because of you.”
Peter made eye contact with me. He reached behind his back.
“You spelled my father because he didn’t want you?” I tried to keep Vanessa’s focus on me. “That’s the most pathetic thing I’ve ever heard.”
Vanessa raised a blonde eyebrow. “What’s the saying? If I can’t have you, no one will.” She smiled. “But that’s in the past. There’s no reason to get worked up about it.”
“Fix it, Vanessa. It’s not too late. We forgive you. Do the reversal and let us go. You’ll never have to see us again.”
“And let Emma have him? No way. Besides, this isn’t just about Ethan. I know you had something to do with my mom’s death.”
“Grandma Claudia? No, I didn’t!”
“Give it a rest. She didn’t have a heart attack. Something happened. And I’m one hundred percent sure it had something to do with you.”
“I didn’t do anything,” I said. “She conjured and a spirit overpowered her.”
Vanessa’s eyes filled with water. “Why would she conjure?”
“She tried to get information from a spirit. About Liam.”
“It was your fault.” Vanessa wiped her cheeks.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not interested in apologies. It won’t bring her back. Instead, I’m going to give you a taste of how it feels to lose someone you love. We’ll see if you don’t go bat shit crazy once they’re out of your life forever.”
I stiffened.
“Which one of them do you want me to kill first? The cute boyfriend? Or the equally cute hunter?” Vanessa flashed her teeth. “Don’t look surprised. I know who James is. I’m not stupid.”
Peter twisted at the hip. He yanked the water spout from the sink and aimed it at the circle of flames. Water poured over the fire, dousing the flames near the refrigerator. James jumped out of the circle with Peter on his heels. They ran into the adjoining dining room.
“Lex!”
“Run!” I screamed.
“Perfect timing.” Vanessa’s eyes rose over my shoulder. “Come in, guys… and girl.”
James and Peter’s attention shifted to the window. On something behind me. I didn’t want to turn around, but what choice did I have?
There were four of them. Three guys and a girl.
“I’m not sure if you know or not,” Vanessa said. “But there is an enormous bounty on James’ head. Huge. And I promised to add significantly to that bounty if they would kill Peter, too. Two birds, one stone.”
Vanessa lied to us all along. There was never a party. It was a trap to get us alone in the middle of the swamp.
The group of witch hunters calmly stood where the patio met the lawn. Three of them I remembered from the club last night. They were sitting in the booth with Vanessa. Planning our murders while listening to death metal. Obviously.
The woman’s candy apple red hair was tied into a long thick braid. She had on tight jeans and a black tank top. In her hand was a whip. No kidding. An honest-to-goodness Indiana Jones whip.
The thin blonde man with goggles and the black man with piercings all over his body flanked the girl. I had no idea how dangerous or efficient they were at hunting. By the looks of them, I’d guess they were pretty deadly.
James and Peter stared out the window. James looked really, really concerned. His eyes were locked on the fourth hunter who brought up the rear of the pack. I was already well acquainted with the man. James and I both were.
It was Gabriel Vega. All two hundred and fifty pounds of witch muscle and ponytail.
CHAPTER 26
We were outnumbered five to three and I couldn’t get inside the house.
“Run!” I screamed to Peter and James. “Run!”
Peter hesitated, but James grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him deeper into the house. Vanessa chased after them and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. I had to hope that Peter and James could defend themselves or hide until I found a way inside.
I had my own pretty big problem to deal with outside of the house. The four hunters fanned out their attack line. Like a hunter stalking its prey - which was essentially what it was - witch hunter stalking witch.
Redhead uncoiled her whip. She twisted the leather in her hand and snapped it in my direction.
Well, that had to go.
Gabriel moved to my right. Just as I’d assumed, he had no interest in me whatsoever. He veered away from the other hunters. His eyes were dead set on the house and his prize inside. I prayed that Peter and James could dodge Vanessa long enough to escape the house. They didn’t stand a chance against Vanessa and Gabriel by themselves.
Gabriel strayed further. I flicked my wrist in his direction. The lounge chair lifted from the patio. It spiraled through the air and crashed to the grass in front of him.
“I hope you can do better than that,” the blonde man said in a thick Australian accent. “That’s not going to stop him from rippin’ your mate’s head off.”
“Don’t worry, I can do plenty more,” I said.
Dark clouds rolled in over the clear starry night. Frogs croaked in the swamp as lightning flashed across the sky. The wind increased its speed.
The black man with piercings crouched forward.
“Steady there, Mo,” Australia said. “She’s a pure blood. We have to be careful.”
Gabriel eyed the other three hunters. Something passed between them, because they all nodded.
Glass shattered inside the house. I couldn’t look. I had to focus. James and Peter would be okay. Just a few more minutes to deal with these hunters and then I’d find a way inside.
Australia’s face twitched. “Now!”
Redhead and Australia rushed at me. Gabriel and Mo ran in opposite directions, heading for the front of the house. They were going inside after James and Peter.
Gabriel had nearly reached the side of the house. I inhaled and exhaled, visualizing the energy inside just like Liam taught me. A ball of electric green shot out of my palm like a bullet. It launched through the air and shattered the column near Gabriel’s head.
His long ponytail whipped around when he twisted in my direction. It was the first time he’d ever directly looked at me. His nostrils flared. But instead of attacking me, he sprinted around the side of the house.
I start
ed after him, but a horrible sting slashed my skin. A bright red line materialized on my forearm. It took me a moment to process that it was Redhead and her stupid whip. That tramp actually whipped me. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from the wound. It was a dumb move, because Australia tackled me to the ground. .
He must’ve had a running start, because he was an awfully thin man. Nevertheless, he smashed against me like a freight train. We fell hard onto the stone patio. My jaws clamped together with the impact, crushing my tongue in the process. Blood pooled in my mouth.
I didn’t have time to worry about the blood. Australia was quick. He whipped his legs around and mounted me. He pulled a hunting knife out of his boot.
“Vieomorphis!” I screamed.
A gust of wind blasted Australia off me.
A window on the second story shattered and a television crashed to the patio. There was a lot of commotion coming from the house. By now, Gabriel and Mo were inside with Vanessa. That meant at least two witches were after James and Peter. Possibly three. And they had no magic to defend themselves.
I had to get inside.
Redhead cracked her whip. The air beside my ear whistled. Her eyes flickered to the broken window. “I hope they don’t kill them too soon. I want to play with the blonde one.”
I rolled to a crouch and spit out a mouthful of blood. Talk about saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. I flicked both wrists. Objects flew through the air like missiles. Chairs. Tables. Flowerpots. Shingles.
Redhead ducked. Patio furniture crashed to the ground around her. She retreated a few steps. Beside her, Australia staggered to his knees.
Flames roared out of the broken window. I had to get inside. I couldn’t waste anymore time out here. I needed something big. The stainless steel barbeque grill sat untouched on the corner of the patio.
Just what the doctor ordered.
The grill propelled though the air at a remarkable speed. Redhead was too busy dodging shingles to get out of the way. The grill collided against her small frame and knocked her to the grass.
Australia stepped over Redhead’s legs.
I had to get inside. Precious time was being wasted on these two. I was done playing games. I directed all of my energy at Australia. The familiar feeling returned. My eyelids fluttered. Fingertips vibrated until they went numb. My heartbeat thumped in my ears.
