by Cherie Marks
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. At this point, either would’ve been appropriate, I was pretty certain.
“Okay. Don’t know what’s going on, but I think it’s time for you to fly away. I’m done with crazy today. I’ve had my fill.”
I turned toward the door into the house but stopped before going inside. I needed to close the garage door, but how could I if the bird was still in the garage?
“Listen. This will sound a little insane, but I couldn’t help noticing you were in a little a trouble back in that parking lot. Looked like you needed more than just a quick getaway.”
“What exactly are you proposing?”
“Do you like apples?”
I was more confused than ever, but I wanted to know where this was going. I couldn’t resist saying, “I’m a witch. What do you think?”
“I’m going to be your familiar. How do you like them apples?”
Things were beginning to sink in. “Don’t remember posting for the position.” I rested my hand on my hip and cocked my head to the side. “Don’t you already belong to a witch or warlock? Like have a piece of his or her soul inside you?”
“Alas. My employment has been terminated.”
“Shocking.”
He hopped back and forth excitedly. “I know, right?”
“Look. Just to be honest with you. Besides the fact that I don’t want or need a familiar, you picked the wrong witch to connect with. I’m cursed. Twice-over. Trust me, you don’t want to hang around me. It’s hazardous to your health.”
“Doesn’t take a genius to realize you’re cursed, and I’m not a photographer, but I can picture you and me together.”
I exaggerated the roll of my eyes. But come on—how could I not after that cheesy line?
“This conversation is over. You need to leave, and I need to…well, I have things to do.”
“I could help you with…whatever it is. I mean, have you ever really had someone you could count on? You saw what I could do for you back at that parking lot, and that was spur of the moment. Imagine what I could do with a little planning?”
What was it with others today? Was I wearing a t-shirt that said You found me, now remind me how fucked I am?
I didn’t need every creature I encountered to remind me just how sucky my existence was and that I wasn’t currently getting help from any corner. It was how things had always been, and I didn’t see how accepting some stranger’s offer of help was going to do anything but make things worse.
“Thanks for helping me out in the parking lot, but I don’t owe you anything. And, like I said, I don’t want or need a familiar. You’ll have to find some other lonely witch to hook up with.”
I’d never heard a bird sigh until that moment, but all the frustration he could muster came out in a long, released breath, and I couldn’t believe this turn of events.
“Alright. I guess I won’t stay where I’m not wanted. I just have one more thing to say to you. Good luck with whatever you’re trying to do.”
Shitburgers! And with that final decree, Wentworth flew off, leaving me with my curse activated once again.
* * *
Four hours later, I was a nervous wreck. I still hadn’t gotten what was coming to me, and it was making me more and more anxious by the minute.
I’d gone through every drawer and cabinet in the kitchen with nothing to show for it. Everything was exactly what was normal for a kitchen, and no stones at all. I’d also made it through three other rooms downstairs, and I could confidently say there wasn’t a single stone in the living room, the downstairs bathroom, or the dining room. But, I found it was almost impossible to make progress when you were constantly looking around for a wall or ceiling plaster to come tumbling down on you at any moment.
At this point, my time alone was nearly up, and, as I saw it, I’d made little progress. Evie and Finn would return at any moment. Fortunately, Clooney had left the minute I’d made it home. He apparently had a date…possibly dates…plural, I didn’t quite get it all, but the minute he’d disappeared, I’d gone into action.
The only thing that had concerned me was how sharp the knives were in the kitchen, how large the china cabinet was in the dining room, and how shaky the ceiling fan was in every single room in which one was installed. I just knew the curse would kill me someday, and it made sense it would happen when I was this close to breaking it.
“Hello! We’re home.” Evie called from the kitchen, and I put the contents of the drawer I was going through back together carefully and made my way to where she was.
She waddled in and collapsed on a chair. I poured her a glass of water and handed it off to Finn, who set it on the table in front of her.
“Thank you.” She took a long drink and put the glass down empty.
“Long day?” Seemed like an understatement.
“Not bad, actually. Just tough to be on my feet most of the day. I don’t sit down.”
Finn piped up, “Against my advice, I might remind you.”
“I know, I know. It’s just impossible when we’re in the middle of a lesson. I like to be moving around the room to see how students are doing.”
“Well, you need to go lay down for a little while before dinner. Let me take care of the food situation…and anything else that needs to be done.” His gaze shifted until I could feel the heat of his focus. I had a feeling he hated that I’d been here alone, out of his sight, all day. If only he knew just how right he was to worry. Thank goodness he couldn’t read my mind.
“Not because you told me to, but because I’m dead tired, I’m going to do just that.”
With some effort, she stood up again and pushed herself toward the stairs. The minute she was out of sight, Finn turned toward me once again.
“What’ve you been up to today?”
The question wasn’t exactly suspicious, but I already knew why he was asking it.
“Saw the neurologist. She seems to think I’ll get all my memories back in time.”
“How much time?”
I shrugged. She’d told me it would happen soon, but I didn’t want to set myself a deadline, not when I didn’t have any leads on the stone. “She didn’t know for sure. In her professional opinion, it might be a gradual return, or it could happen suddenly. Not much to go on, but a little bit of hope.”
“You look like you could use a little hope.”
I stared at him out of the corner of my eye. “Are you offering to sponsor me, Finn? I don’t mind if you do.”
“Only if you do me a favor.” He was looking at me like he could eat me. And I was okay with that.
I held my breath for a few extra seconds. What a loaded statement if ever there was one. “Um…I’m listening.”
A muscle in his jaw jumped as he ground his teeth together. “Let’s take a walk outside.”
My first thought was that he was going to walk me to the end of the driveway and shoo me away. Maybe, he’d take me for a ride in the country first, find me a nice farm to run free on. Despite his admitted attraction to me, I got the feeling I was a nuisance, and he wanted to get rid of me as soon as he possibly could. That was probably the favor. Could I please just leave? Unfortunately, he was stuck with me. I’d just find a way back inside. Not because I wanted to hurt anyone but because I had no choice. I couldn’t go on like this any longer when there was a cure out there. I just had to find it.
“I could use a walk.” I squeezed my hands together as we started for the door. The urge to grab something as we were leaving was strong, but I focused on his broad shoulders and nothing else.
We went out the back door and toward the edge of the forest behind the house. I looked around warily. The current round of the curse still hadn’t played out, and I was anxious just thinking about the possibilities.
The minute we reached the tree line, he stopped, feet braced apart, arms crossed. It was the same place he’d shifted his form into that of a wild-looking panther just last night. My insides thrilled at
the idea that he might shift in front of me. I wasn’t sure if he’d let me run my hand over his fur, but I wasn’t above asking.
But when he stopped, he didn’t begin to remove his clothing, so I knew he wasn’t going to be doing any shifting, and I wasn’t getting the chance to sink my fingers into the fur of a wild animal. Instead, he looked over my head in the direction of the window of the bedroom where I was staying. For a few silent moments, I stood there waiting for him to speak and for the sky to come crashing down on top of my head.
“You seem a little jittery? Something you want to tell me.”
“It’s nothing. Just not quite sure why we’re out here.”
“Dane trusted me to keep Evie and the baby safe. You see, there are people you can’t possibly even imagine who would love to get their hands on a piece of a Hale witch. They’d do anything for that opportunity.”
Oh, I could imagine them. It was a real possibility one of those type of people had a stranglehold on me right now. “I am most definitely not here to hurt Evie.”
“How do you know?”
“What do you mean? You don’t think I’d know my own mind? I think I would know if I meant to harm someone.”
He shook his head. “You say you barely remember your name. How can you possibly know why you were in Asscrack in the first place?”
I gaped at him. He had me there. Finn was one smart cookie, and I didn’t have a ready answer prepared for that question.
“Why were you in Asscrack? I mean, it’s not exactly the center of the universe and not necessarily a popular, vacation destination. What would’ve drawn you here?”
“I…I…I’m…I can’t imagine…”
“It’s all just rather convenient that you show up right when Evie’s pregnant. I mean, a Hale witch is a valuable connection. Why would you reconnect with your old friend at this particular time?”
“I can’t answer questions that I just don’t remember.” I started back toward the house, but he grabbed my hand and twisted me back toward him. My chest slammed into his, and he wrapped his hands around me to steady us both. It was effective in keeping us from falling, but it also worked to chase all the breath from my lungs.
Our gazes locked, and time seemed to slow as he gradually lowered his head toward mine. I eased up to my tiptoes to close the distance between us.
He paused, a breath away. “This is so wrong. But I can’t fucking stop this.”
His lips closed over mine, a groan rising from his chest. The kiss was soft at first, and I couldn’t seem to get close enough as my hands snaked behind his head and pulled him nearer. My breath caught as his thumbs brushed the undersides of my breasts through my thin t-shirt. Suddenly, I couldn’t get enough of him as the tip of his tongue found mine and pushed deeper, tangling wildly. Fiery fingers rioted in my abdomen as I felt my control slipping away.
My desperation built as I reveled in the feeling of touching another person. I’d spent most of my life chasing this kind of closeness, and right now, it was everything I’d ever wanted and more. In that moment, I was ready to climb his big, beautiful body and do naughty, naughty things.
I wanted to tell him we should take this inside, but I didn’t want to pull apart. As lost as I was to the sensation, information might come spilling out unchecked, and who knew what I’d confess. Mostly, I’d no doubt tell him what I wanted to do to his body. But, I couldn’t take the chance that I’d compromise whatever it was I was doing here, which I couldn’t seem to remember just now. Maybe I did have amnesia after all. I had a nagging feeling I was forgetting something important.
Then, reality came crashing in—literally. From behind him, a crack like thunder sounded, followed by loud pops and creaks, and in the next moment, he broke the kiss and looked over his shoulder. I watched in wide-eyed horror as the nearest tree began falling rapidly in our direction. With a shout, he jerked me into motion, directly perpendicular to the right of the falling timber. At the last moment, he shoved me to the ground, rolling down beside me just as the tree hit the ground with a pounding thud that shook the dirt around us. The evergreen branches barely brushed my feet. It had been close, much closer than it should’ve been.
“What was that?”
I was afraid I knew. The curse had built to the point that the only thing to satisfy it was to drop a freaking tree on my head.
It was getting worse.
“I don’t know. But thank you for your quick thinking. You saved my life.” I just hoped he didn’t regret his actions. It would’ve been an easy solution to the problem of what to do about me.
The back door flew open, and Evie looked panicked. “Finn? Where are you? Are you okay?”
He stood and brushed off the layers of pine needles and other debris that covered him. He lifted a hand in a wave toward Evie and shouted, “We’re fine. Guess this tree was rotting from the inside. It nearly fell on top of us.”
“Us? Is Cara with you?”
I stood and brushed myself off. “I’m here. No worse for wear, just completely shaken up.”
“At least you’re both okay.”
Finn turned his attention back to me, and I was suddenly overwhelmed with discomfort. Intelligent eyes watched me.
“What’s going on with you?”
“You mean besides almost getting pounded into the ground by a tree?”
“Yeah. Why is it that bad things always seem to happen to you?”
He was getting a little too close to the truth for my already stretched nerves. I had to get him thinking in another direction before he came to the conclusion that would lead to other questions I didn’t want to answer.
“Just coincidence, I’m sure.”
“I don’t believe in coincidence. I think you’re walking around under a cloud of bad lu—.”
“Don’t say it!” I interrupted him and hoped it was in time to avoid triggering the curse again. “I mean. Let’s not press it, right?”
He stared at me hard, but he didn’t say another word. With a nod, we turned toward the house together. Evie stepped backward into the kitchen, leaving the doorway empty for us to walk through.
With a motion of his hand, he ushered me inside, but before I’d crossed the threshold, he said, “I’ll figure it out, Cara. Whatever you’re hiding. It won’t be a secret for much longer.”
Chapter 10
The next day, a storm was brewing. The sky was darkening and the air felt thick with moisture. The heavy smell of rain was in the air.
The minute I found myself alone, I went to work searching. I made it through the entire top floor of the house, examining every closet and drawer. My heart thundered, sure I would be discovered at any moment, but Clooney never showed, and Finn and Evie were at school throughout the entire day.
I’d had all the time I needed to go through every nook and cranny of the entire house, but it hadn’t produced the stone or even a single clue to its whereabouts. I was beginning to doubt the thing even existed. It would fit the situation completely if I was on a complete wild goose chase. But it had to be real. If it were just a pipe dream, that would mean I would have to live with two curses for the rest of my life. That possibility was unthinkable.
It had to be real but just not here in the house. Surely, if Evie had a valuable, magical stone, it would be something she guarded well. It might be in a safe deposit box or something similar. How would I ever get access to something like that?
Currently, I sat in the kitchen once more, hoping for some kind of inspiration to strike. So far, it wasn’t working at all. I seemed to be losing my touch because, for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t sure how I was going to figure this one out.
Startling me from my dark thoughts, the doorbell rang. I was lost for what to do for a few moments until it rang again. I stood up and walked on the balls of my feet to the front of the house. As unobtrusively as I could, I looked out of the window beside the door. The curtains barely moved as I opened them just a crack and stared out. I pulled in a quick
breath as I spied a man in a fedora on the other side of the door. My stalker was back.
I pulled back, searching the room as if the danger was inside instead of out. I was suddenly aware of just how alone I really was. I should’ve kept the damn pick-up-line-happy bird around. One glance at the lock, assured me it was in place at least. It wouldn’t be much of a barrier if he really wanted in, but it reassured me just a little bit.
“Cara! I can help you find the stone.”
I cringed with the confirmation that Gambrol had sent this stranger, despite his strong denial, to check up on me. How else would he know about the stone? I had to get away from him, away from here, and I had to do it with as little drama as possible.
Making my way back to the kitchen, I glanced over at the car keys back on the hook beside the door. I could take the car and drive away, but would I be able to run over him if he decided to try to block me? I didn’t think I had it in me to kill someone, even if they were creepy, possible serial killers who worked for crime bosses.
One look at the back door, and I had an idea of a plan. I’d hide in the woods. That way, if he got into the house, I’d be nowhere in sight. I just had to watch out for randomly falling trees.
As quietly as I could, I opened the back door and stepped outside. The rain was just beginning to fall from the roiling clouds. It was shaping up to be a huge storm, and I thought twice about going outside. Maybe I could find a stand of trees to stay under, considering I hadn’t even grabbed a jacket.
What was I thinking? I was a freaking witch. I magicked a jacket I’d noticed from a closet in the house. I could put it back when I got back inside, assuming I did get back inside and assuming the curse would back off enough to let me return it.
I hesitantly closed the door behind me and made my way down the couple steps. I sprinted across the backyard, around the remnants of the tree that had almost killed Finn and me, and sighed with relief as I came to rest with my back against a nearby trunk, hidden from view of the house.
I glanced around the tree and was satisfied no one called out as I was making my escape. It would seem I got away without being seen. Hopefully, he’d give up quickly and leave me alone. The longer I was out here, the wetter I got. I didn’t want to become a sponge out here in the open. Or hypothermic, for that matter.
