My cell buzzes. You didn’t take your meds did you.
Kacie. She seems to know me pretty well. No.
See the news?
Hard to miss.
The Circle sure can spin a story.
Had to do something to explain a bunch of screaming sorority girls. My head still aches from the incessant screeching.
Yeah, but crickets and cockroaches?? Eww!
I can almost feel her shiver. Poor Kacie finds insects much scarier than ghosts. Explains the extermination tent.
Greek prank gone wrong—story at 10.
If only they knew the truth—now that would be a newsflash—ghosts gone wild.
Lol, try to sleep. Meeting at 9. Know u won’t wanna miss it.
My lips curl into a smile. Well, at least my girlfriend isn’t coddling me, acting like I’m useless because I’m injured. Pick u up at 8:30.
Several moments later. Daniel will pick us both up. Driving might be hard.
She’s right. Craptastic. Now I can’t even drive my own car. And Daniel. I shouldn’t be mad at him, I know I shouldn’t… but I keep seeing him kissing Kacie. Damn it, why can’t I get that awful picture out of my head? I guess I wait too long to reply.
Logan you ok?
I lie. Fine. Get some sleep.
You too. Night ♥
Night ♥
I toss the phone aside. Silence fills the house now. It looks like my parents gave up on their argument and went to sleep. Stifling a groan, I push myself up into a sitting position on the bed. While my laptop boots up, I rub the bandage on my side. Torn intercostal muscle was the official diagnosis. Several weeks of hell, more like it.
Concentrate!
The ghosts, they sounded like they were in The Brady Bunch or Scooby Doo, using words like groovy. So, they were in college in the late 1960s or early 1970s. I type the sorority and San Antonio University into Google. A refined search of 1970 brings up the article I’m looking for. Take that, Rebecca. Found it in ten seconds, and she called me useless when it came to research.
San Antonio Tribune
November 13, 1972
Three female students from San Antonio University were found dead in and around their sorority house yesterday morning. Preliminary findings are unclear as to cause of death and whether it was suicide or homicide. Police are interviewing members of the community, the university, and the sorority. They are asking if anyone has any information to contact police headquarters immediately.
The article continues for three more paragraphs of nothing useful. Two weeks later I find the real story.
San Antonio Tribune
November 27, 1972
For once the actual story rivals the best Hollywood blockbuster in plotline. It’s a story of greed, love, insanity, and death. A story that shows just how warped a human being can become until the word “human” seems to no longer apply. Had I not talked to the witnesses myself, I don’t think I’d believe it could possibly be true—and yet here I am writing this article, wondering how I can ever reconcile these events in my psyche.
Three women in the prime of their lives, with everything to look forward to, are dead. Amy Terrence, Renee Becker, and Tracy Rodriguez are gone but will live on in infamy due to the horrendous crime committed against them. You’ve heard the phrase “publish or perish”? Well one assistant professor took that motto to terrible extremes on the night of November 11, 1972. In what can only be called insane, Dr. Jeffrey Rosenthal used a sorority for his ultimate psychological experiment. I wish I could say it was an experiment gone terribly wrong, but according to Dr. Rosenthal, everything went according to plan. “Better than I ever planned,” he was quoted telling police.
Dr. Rosenthal started by seducing a young student, using every psychiatric trick in his arsenal to mold her into the perfect accomplice. From there he convinced her to aid him in an important study to help America win the cold war. By using love of him and love of country, he was able to completely control his unwitting accomplice into committing the most heinous of acts.
The stage was set: a high dose of LSD, a horror movie script, an adoring accomplice, and three innocent sorority sisters to play the victims. Even after reading his manifesto, I still don’t understand what he was trying to accomplish from a scholastic perspective. But in Dr. Rosenthal’s twisted mind, it all made a macabre sort of sense. Ply someone with LSD and a bit of fear, and they will do anything, reveal anything to stop the torment. He quoted CIA operation MKUltra as his inspiration, but the CIA denies the existence of such a program, so it remains nothing more than a conspiracy theory. They have also denied Dr. Rosenthal’s claim that he was working on this project with funds provided by the government.
The police have not released the actual chain of events from that evening other than to reveal cause of death for the three victims. Amy Terrence fell down a staircase, breaking her neck. Renee Becker ran out into traffic and was struck by two cars. Tracy Rodriguez suffered the worst fate of the three. She was hacked to pieces, fingers, hands, then arms and left to bleed to death.
The tragic tale continues, but I have what I need. Three traumatized spirits haunting the site of their brutal murder. But why now? The spirit board may have called them forth, but that doesn’t explain why they are so powerful…
Chapter Nine
Morning
KACIE
The chilly morning air feels invigorating against my heated skin as I step outside onto our front porch. Dad always keeps the house too warm in the winter. You’d think we lived in Alaska not San Antonio the way he cranks up the thermostat. Raising my face to the sky, I close my eyes and revel in the tiny drops falling in a mist around me. The scent of ozone fills the air, and I breathe deeply before licking moist drops from my lips.
Leaning against the wooden porch railing, I glance around the yard, noting the absence of my feathery familiars. Instead of bereft, their absence makes me feel good. I know they’re over at Logan’s house watching over my wounded friend. Boyfriend. That thought makes me smile. It’s been eight weeks or so since we took our relationship from friends to more. There’s just something about Logan that makes me feel… safe, understood, and special.
The soft flap of wings draws my attention to the sky. Poe soars down, landing on the railing beside my hands. He tips his head and gazes at me with curious eyes before releasing a small, cooing chirp. I run my fingers down the black feathers on his back, and he reacts like a cat, nuzzling against my hand.
“How is Logan?” I ask the large bird.
Poe jumps back and forth, then pecks at the downy feathers under his wing. So much for open communication with my familiar. Perhaps if things with the Circle ever quiet down for a week or two, I’ll have time to read through some of the books Logan’s mother recommended. As the high priestess of my Wiccan coven, she should be able to answer all of my witchy questions… yet that woman speaks more in riddles than anything coherent.
Poe’s body becomes rigid, pulling me from my thoughts. I hear the roar of the engine before I see Daniel’s SUV round the corner. The crow hops onto my shoulder as I head out to meet Daniel.
“Please don’t tell me that bird is riding with us,” Daniel says as I open the car door. “Go on, Poe. You can fly to Logan’s much faster than I can drive there.”
Poe hops onto the steering wheel and stares at Daniel. “I think that’s an ‘I’d rather ride’. Morning, Daniel.” Poe waits for me to buckle my seatbelt before settling down on my lap.
“Strange, Cici… just strange. It’s too early in the morning for more strange.”
“More strange?” I ask as he pulls from the curb.
“I touched the spirit board last night and got a whole lot of strange.” His hands grip the steering wheel hard enough to turn his knuckles white. “Then those three ghosts invaded my dreams.”
Fear lances through me. “I—I didn’t know that was even possible.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
“What—”
“It’s bad. I only want to share once. Please… wait for the meeting.”
“Sure.” I glance at his pale face. Dark circles under his eyes attest to his lack of sleep. “You should’ve called me.”
“There was nothing you could do,” he says with a heavy sigh. “You were up half the night at the hospital with Logan. You didn’t need my baggage on top of it.”
“You don’t have to deal with this stuff by yourself.”
“I know—”
“No… I don’t think you do.” My hands ball up into fists. Poe chirps, trying to soothe my tension. “I was alone for so long, Daniel. It was awful. You have friends, you have the Circle. Use them. Let us support you when you need it. This lone wolf crap is starting to get real old.”
“I don’t—”
“You do. You keep us all at a distance with this charisma crap and all the jokes.” I stare at him while he pulls to a stop in front of Logan’s house. “Let us in.”
“It’s hard. I don’t want to set myself up…”
“For a fall. I know. You and I have been in the same place. I’m telling you now… you will never be happy until you learn to trust again. I’m sorry about your father.”
His stormy gray eyes meet mine, filled with raw pain. “He used me in a psych lecture again, as a lesson in delusion. God, Cici, once. I told him about my abilities once, years ago, and he won’t let up on it. No matter how many psychiatrists I lie to, no matter… it’s never good enough. He hates me.”
I try to pull him into a hug, but he pushes me away. “Daniel…”
“Not now. Please, not now. We have a job.”
“Okay.”
He shoves the car door open and leaps from the driver’s side like the seat is on fire. Poe lets out a loud caw and flies out, joining the other crows covering Logan’s car. Though Daniel heads to the front door, I walk over to the Mustang. Sure enough, Logan sits behind the wheel, a dark scowl marring his face. Warmth floods me, along with a strong desire to comfort him. I softly rap on the window with my knuckles. He turns his head in a slow, deliberate movement, making me cringe inside. I’m not a morning person—dealing with two morose guys may be too much for me to handle… at least not without a heavy dose of caffeine. A smile lights his face when he sees me peering in the window.
The grin turns to a look of chagrin as he opens the car door. “I know, I know. I can’t drive. I just couldn’t help myself.”
“How you feeling?” I step back, watching him ease his way out of the low bucket seat, torn between helping and letting him do it himself. Refusing to play mother hen, I lace my fingers together.
“Your birds…” He slams the door shut. The crows covering the car flap their wings and ruffle their feathers but don’t fly away. “They’ve been all over this car since yesterday and there’s not one ounce of bird crap anywhere on it.”
As if to emphasize Logan’s words, several birds take flight, plopping their business all over the front lawn.
“Sometimes I think they understand us a bit too well.” I glance at the dozens of bird eyes staring at me. “It’s unnerving. And you didn’t answer my question. How are you?”
“Better. The compression wrap cuts down on the rib pain, and the swelling in my knee is way down now.”
“That’s good,” I murmur, leaning up to kiss his chin. The urge to hug him is so strong, but I nuzzle his neck instead to avoid hurting his side.
He wraps his arm around my shoulder. “Perhaps I should get you a leather jacket for Christmas.” His fingers play with the collar of his jacket which I haven’t returned since I borrowed it two months ago. He points to the arm holes which extend beyond my fingers to emphasize his point.
“I think I’ll have to get one for you,” I reply, wrapping my arms around my body. “I have no intention of returning it.”
“You look adorable in my jacket.” His lips brush my ear. A shiver courses through me from the light contact. He gazes over my shoulder, his mouth curling into a grimace. “Oh, crap. Please don’t make me laugh. It hurts like a…”
“It isn’t funny from where I’m standing,” Daniel says from behind me.
I spin around and let out a short bark of surprised laughter. Poe is perched on top of Daniel’s head, delicately pulling at the black strands of hair with his beak.
“Would it help if I told you he’s trying to comfort you?” I bite my cheek to keep from doubling over in laughter.
“Hmm, that’s a big no.” Daniel crosses his arms over his chest. “Please do something before this giant bird decides to take a crap on my head.”
“Come here, Poe,” Logan says, holding out his arm. The crow flies from Daniel’s head with a low caw and settles on Logan’s forearm. “Need to talk?” he asks Daniel.
“Yeah, but later… at the meeting.”
“He doesn’t want to say it more than once,” I add while stroking Poe’s feathers. The action is soothing, akin to petting my dog, Kodiak, yet different. “We need to go.” Poe takes to the sky, circling above us, while I take Logan’s hand and lead him to Daniel’s SUV.
Chapter Ten
Circle Gossip
LOGAN
What I thought was a blessing has quickly morphed into a curse. While I recline on the sofa with my injured knee propped up on a pillow, the girls surround me gossiping. It’s the guys’ turn to prepare the breakfast spread for the Circle, so they’re all in the kitchen working while I relax. The smug smile leaves my face the moment the gossip turns to two Circle members.
“I walked in on something interesting last night,” Rebecca says in a low voice.
“Share, share,” Yolanda and Michelle chant in unison.
Rebecca glances at the kitchen before continuing. “Carl and I were over at Raven’s researching the sorority ghosts.” She pauses, staring at Raven who is arguing with Blake in the kitchen. “Blake was there, and he was fighting with Raven.”
“Um, they fight all the time,” Kacie says while fussing with the pillow behind my back. I could get used to this attention. “Nothing exciting there.”
“No, I mean they were sparring in Raven’s dojo.” Raven comes from a whole family of hunters. Instead of a rec room, they have this awesome dojo.
Yolanda shakes her head, sending her multiple braids flying around her face. “Still nothing new. Those two train way too much.”
Rebecca crosses her arms over her chest. “Shut it, they’ll be back in a minute. Let me finish. Raven was using silver daggers, and she sliced Blake’s arm.”
“With silver?” Michelle’s question comes out a mousy squeak. Being a werewolf, he’s quite vulnerable to silver.
“Why would she use silver?” Kacie asks, her voice rising with each word.
“Shh, keep it down,” Rebecca murmurs. “I haven’t even gotten to the good part yet.” She glares at the other girls, daring them to say anything else. “Okay, she went nuts—fussed over him like she cut it off. All traces of any animosity out the window.”
“No way!” Yolanda says in a loud whisper.
“She tended the cut, then…”
After a long pause, I lose control, slapping my hand on the arm of the couch. “Then what?” The girls stare at me, startled by my sudden intrusion.
“She cradled his arm in her hands and kissed his bandaged forearm.”
Silence. Deep, profound silence. Saying Blake and Raven fight like cats and dogs would be the understatement of the century. Odd. Before anyone manages a comment, Carl and Devon walk into the room, carrying trays of pastries and fruit.
Yolanda blows out a large puff of air. “What does that mean?”
“What does what mean?” Blake asks as he enters the room. His piercing, blue eyes take in the nervous titters and averted gazes of the girls. A small frown crosses his face which immediately changes to a bright, fake smile. He’s wearing long sleeves, so I can’t tell if his arm is still bandaged. “Talking about me again, eh? No worries, I’m used to being the
elephant in the room… oops, I mean wolf.”
“It’s not like that, Blake,” Kacie says, directing a glare at her silent friends. “Look you’ve only been with us for a few weeks. When I first joined, I can’t count the number of times that conversation stopped when I walked into a room.”
“So, princess, what were you all whispering about then? Hmm?” Blake’s eyes narrow when Kacie remains silent. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
“We were worried about you and Raven,” she blurts out amid startled gasps. “You’ve been working together a lot lately on this vampire thing, and the animosity between you guys is no secret…”
“It’s fine, Kacie,” Raven says, appearing from the kitchen with her arms folded across her chest. “It’s a job, and I’ll use whatever tool is necessary to complete the job.”
Blake glances across the room at Raven—the hurt he’s trying to hide with a blank expression apparent in his eyes. “Ouch, starshine. That hurt.” His tone is light and joking. I don’t know how the hell he manages it.
Raven’s lips curl into a snarl. “I told you not to call me that, wolf boy.”
“Breakfast is served!” Mrs. Kincaid says, stepping between the fuming pair. Her voice is cheerful, chirpy… just like my mother’s when she’s trying to diffuse a tense situation. “Everyone fill a plate. We have a very busy morning.”
“Rebecca, why don’t you start the meeting with an overview of your findings from last night,” Mr. Kincaid says while the group is over filling their plates.
Kacie returns and places a plate of food on my lap. I must be predictable since she managed to pick out all my favorites, including a Boston Crème doughnut. When I smile at her in gratitude, her entire face lights up. My heart races. Damn that girl is gorgeous. She leans over and kisses my cheek before settling down beside me. She grabs the doughnut from the plate and brings it to her lips. Before taking a bite, she giggles and offers it to me instead. Though I’d rather kiss her senseless, I take a bite of the doughnut, wishing for the thousandth time that we were alone.
Twisted Sisters (The Orion Circle Book 2) Page 5
