by Cherie Marks
“Dammit! I suck at this.”
“It’s okay. It takes a while to get it right. Don’t feel bad. I’m sure you’ll get better with time.” What was I saying? I was consoling the crazy bird who’d been conning me. I shook my head at myself.
“I guess being your familiar is out of the question?”
“Totally. But, you could answer a question for me.”
I’d never seen a bird look disappointed before, but he clearly was—or he was better at conning than even he realized.
“To the best of my ability.”
“Who sent you?” Please don’t say Gambrol!
“I can’t tell you. Not yet.”
I hadn’t really expected an answer, but it also solidified the way things had to be. I changed directions to head back to the house.
“Then, you really do need to leave. I don’t want to see you ever again, Wentworth.”
“Wait! Give me a chance to explain.”
I walked on and didn’t pause again until the house was in sight. Once there, I turned back around and said, “There’s nothing to explain, Wentworth. You simply don’t have what I need in a familiar. Now, go away.”
He took off from a nearby branch and began circling above me. I watched him for a few moments before shifting my focus back to the house. The sight in front of me made me stop in my tracks once more. Finn stood on the back porch, arms crossed over his chest.
How much of my exchange had he witnessed? How did I ask without making things worse?
I thought it best if I just didn’t approach the subject at all. Maybe he hadn’t seen anything. There was always that chance. Fake it until you made it.
So, I crossed the yard and stepped up on the porch. I lifted up on tiptoe and brushed a kiss over his lips. He didn’t uncross his arms, but his mouth met mine and held for a few extended seconds.
“Any trouble getting Evie back home?”
He stared at me a few, silent heartbeats before shaking his head and opening the door to let me inside. He followed behind me, and though I could tell something wasn’t quite right, he didn’t say anything. I didn’t either, though the compulsion to spill the whole tale was strong. Guilt was beginning to eat at me. I shouldn’t keep this from him any longer.
Tonight, at dinner, I’d tell Evie and Finn the truth. It was time, and it was the right thing to do. I just had to prepare my heart for the inevitable devastation.
* * *
As the hour closed in on me, nervous energy took over, and I could barely breathe by the time I walked into the kitchen. Tonight, I would set things straight. It was the correct thing to do, and I was prepared for anything at this point. I even had my grocery bag packed with the stolen jacket so that my punishment-curse was still satisfied.
I was in the clothes I’d been wearing the day I’d jumped in front of Evie’s car. I’d hold onto the memories here, but I wouldn’t take more than I had to. As long as the curse was satisfied, I could walk away unscathed. Well, all except my heart.
I entered the dining room and stopped short. A tall, good-looking man was sitting at the table, Evie in his lap. I didn’t have to guess who it was. Dane had returned. Early.
“Look, Cara! Dane made it home tonight unexpectedly.” Evie sounded so excited and so very happy. And yet my world was falling completely apart.
“That’s great.”
I looked at Finn, but he didn’t even glance back at me, and I felt…disappointed. I shouldn’t because it’s what I was expecting, but somehow I’d hoped he’d accept me, flaws and all. Who was I kidding? Only myself.
Dane pulled the chair out beside him and motioned to it. I got the message and walked to the other side of the table to take the seat.
Evie’s face was flushed as she fiddled with something under the table. The grin on her face was the biggest I’d ever seen her wear.
“Oh, and look at the present he brought back for me.”
She pulled her wrist out from under the table and held it out in front of her. A gleaming, silver band circled her wrist and was only broken by a round gemstone like none I’d ever seen before. It sparkled with a rainbow of blues and purples, and the colors seemed to roll and change on their own, as if the stone were actually alive. I reached for her hand automatically, holding it still, so I could get a closer look.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
I spoke in a distracted voice as I said, “Yes, it is.”
She pulled her hand back, and I let it slide out of mine. I lifted my gaze to meet Finn’s intelligent one staring only at me, watching for my reaction, I was sure.
I smiled broadly and turned my brightened focus to the happy couple. “Wow! So glad you made it back, Dane. Evie’s missed you terribly.” I slid a nervous look at Finn. “There’s just no substitute for you. At least not in Evie’s eyes. She expounded on your stellar qualities on a regular basis. You must be a veritable superhero.”
“I don’t know about that, but thank you. I understand Evie’s stellar…uh…” He cleared his throat before continuing, “…driving skills landed you a spot in our guest room. How are you doing?”
“Much better. My memories are returning, and I now remember why I was in Asscrack in the first place. I’m here to find Baba Yaga, and I heard she might be in town today getting a mani-pedi. As a matter of fact, I was just coming to tell Evie how much I appreciated her hospitality, but I will probably be heading out tonight. Maybe I can catch Baba Yaga and get everything settled before she’s off on another adventure.”
“Oh, you don’t have to rush off. You should wait until morning. I’m sure she’ll stick around for a few days.”
“I think it’s best if I just make a clean break. I mean, I’ve enjoyed myself so much here, I never want to leave really. I just need to go.”
Again, I dared a look at Finn. His jaw was clenched, and he looked almost angry. No doubt, he thought the worst of me now. Cut and run. It’s what I did, and I had no doubt in my mind it was time to do just that while I still could.
“You’re at least going to stay for dinner, aren’t you?” She swung her arm over the table and the most delicious smelling roast chicken appeared with sides of new potatoes and lemon asparagus. It did smell great, but my gaze was drawn to the bangle on her wrist, and I had to bounce my focus away before I snatched it off her and ran. Was it the curse? Or was it hope for freedom? Didn’t matter. I refused to be that person any more.
“Who me? Give up a chance to eat? Of course not. I’d love to stay for dinner.” And stare at Finn for a few last moments to give my heart a chance to shatter into a million pieces as I let go of what could’ve been.
Chapter 14
I had my pitiful to-go bag in hand, and I was ready to walk out the door when Evie suddenly perked up.
“Wait! We have to show Dane the tree that almost killed Finn and you.” She stood and moved toward the back door. “I wouldn’t let anyone magic it away, of course, because I wanted Dane to see it.”
Dane followed obediently, and a sullen, quiet Finn did the same. He hardly said two words during dinner, and avoided my gaze the entire time. The writing was on the wall.
We stepped into the backyard and crossed to the fallen tree.
Dane whistled loudly. “This almost fell on you two?”
Though he still didn’t look at me, Finn finally spoke up, “It was close.”
Was he thinking he should’ve just let it smash me into the ground? Probably. Maybe he should have. Would’ve saved us both the pain of where we were right now.
Suddenly, a dark figure swooped from the sky, and Evie cried out, “My bracelet!”
Wentworth was flying toward the forest, Evie’s gift from Dane in his mouth. Without even thinking, I gave chase, calling out the bird’s name. I glanced behind me to see all three people staring in complete and utter shock, but the look on Finn’s face was one of pure betrayal. He thought this was my doing.
“Cara…what’s going on?”
To make matters worse, I co
uldn’t slow down to tell him I’d had nothing to do with this. Instead, I ran on, hoping I could convince Wentworth to give me the bracelet so that I could return it to Evie and make everything right again.
As I made my way through the brush though, I heard the sounds of someone behind me. One look over my shoulder, and I spotted Finn closing in fast. I knew he’d accuse me first without listening to what I had to say, so I did the only thing I could.
I threw a spell at him, and one minute he was in motion and the next he wasn’t. I’d frozen him completely. “Sorry, Finn!”
But I knew he’d never forgive me. Would hate me for the rest of his life. I’d done something unforgiveable, even if it wasn’t permanent. The spell was only temporary, and he’d be even more determined to catch up to me when he could move again.
I put my head down and charged forward, beginning to aim my spell at the bird I could just make out through the tree branches. But it was like he knew when to zig and zag at just the right moments. I couldn’t make contact.
Then, he did something unexpected. He landed on a branch ahead of me.
“If I were a cat, Cara, I’d spend all nine lives with you. Alas, I’m a bird.”
“Yeah, with a bird brain.” I stopped and rested my hands on my knees. We’d begun to go uphill, and in my rush, I hadn’t even noticed until I was out of breath with an ankle throbbing once more.
“Wentworth, give me the bracelet.”
“Can’t do it. I’ve been given other instructions.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Whatever Gambrol is paying you to screw me over, I’ll double it.”
Turned out birds could chuckle. It was very unexpected, but Wentworth laughed heartily. “First of all, you don’t have any money. Secondly, I don’t work for Gambrol. And finally, it’s for your own good that you not touch this stone.”
I straightened, having mostly caught my breath. “Your right about the money, but now I’m confused. If you don’t work for Gambrol, who do you work for?”
“Your father.”
He could have knocked me over with one of his own lightest feathers. My father? I didn’t have a father.
“Now, I know you’re lying. Both my parents died when I was a baby.”
“Actually, only your mother died. Your father left, believing it would save you both. It didn’t.”
What…the…? I rubbed my hands over my face. No! It couldn’t be true. He was lying. And I was just about to say so when, out of nowhere, he stiffened and fell toward the ground, landing in a bush below.
I turned, expecting to see Finn, recovered much faster than I’d expected, but instead, I saw my worst nightmare. Mr. Gambrol stood not twenty feet away with about twenty of his goons around him.
“Well, well, well. Bruno was getting worried his sister had abandoned him to a fate worse than death. This is huge. He’ll be happy to know you were just late.”
“Forget it, Gambrol. Deal’s off. Let Bruno go and keep me. I’ll work for you however you want me to.”
“Yeah, I know you will. We’re going to make America great again…my way.” Then, he turned to his men and said, “Get the stone, and get the girl.”
“What about the bird, boss?”
“Bring him too. I want to see who he’s working for.”
“And the others?”
Long pause in which I interjected, “It’s me you want, not them. Just leave them alone.”
“Oh, don’t worry. They’re not on my agenda. Not yet, anyway.”
The next thing I knew, one of his henchmen raised a hand and threw a spell across the way. It hit me squarely in the chest, and everything went black.
Chapter 15
I awoke in a cinderblock cell that was surely in the grungiest prison ever erected. White paint peeled from the walls, leaving dingy, gray craters where the coating had once been. I was on a thin mattress, on a rickety cot, and as I looked around, things didn’t get much better. A sink and toilet jutted from the side wall and actual bars fronted the cell. Waking up to this was a low blow, especially after the antithetic past week at Evie’s house. Of course, I reminded myself, this was more my norm.
“Well, that didn’t go as planned.” Oh, goody, just when I thought I was finished with Wentworth, the betrayer, they put us in a cell together. I turned and saw him perched on an exposed pipe.
“You think?” Then, our final conversation came back to me, and now that I had him in a space where he couldn’t get away, I wanted answers. “What kind of crazy nonsense were you spouting back in the forest about me having a father? I don’t have a father. Never have, never will.”
“He said it wouldn’t be easy to convince you, but I have to try.”
I snorted. “More bullshit…or should I just start calling it birdshit since it comes from you.”
“Good to know you still have your sense of humor. You’re going to need it in here.”
“Just tell me who actually sent you, and why he didn’t come himself?”
He hopped down to the ground—his wings were bound—and looked up at me. “He tried to talk to you…twice.”
“What? When?”
“Once at the doctor’s office. And a second time at Evie’s house. You ran both times before he could explain anything.”
My mind traveled back to the man I thought of as a stalker. I’d assumed the worst, but could he have meant me no harm?
“I thought he worked for Gambrol. He knew about the stone.”
“Yeah, we’d learned about Gambrol’s plans from one of his idiot men who’d had too much to drink. Bragged all about the stone and how he was going to trick you into bringing it to him. They plan to use it to take Evie and Dane’s son from them. The stone is linked to their unborn child, and if it’s destroyed, he will die.”
“What? I had no idea.”
“Your father did extensive research on the stone after that.”
“But you attacked him in the parking lot.”
“All staged to try to gain your trust. Considering the life you’ve had the past year, you should recognize a con when you see one.”
I stood and began to pace in the small room. “Does the stone really break curses?”
“Yes. That much is true, but unless you’re a Hale witch or warlock, it completely washes away your emotions with one touch. You can no longer feel for others. You just become an emotional zombie. Gambrol plans to use it to make an army of sociopaths. Without that emotional response, he plans to turn people into mindless killers with no ties to anyone and no guilt for what they’ve done. Evie and Dane’s son will lead them. They’ll listen to his every word and do anything he tells them to do, and of course, Gambrol will control him.”
Horror bloomed in my chest. This was getting worse and worse. Why hadn’t I talked to Finn when I’d had the chance? He might not have known all this about the stone, but at least he would’ve helped me. I was tired of never relying on others. It got me into a mess every single time.
“So, what can we do now?”
“We have to get the stone and get out of here.”
I rolled my eyes and stopped pacing. “Thank you, Captain Obvious. How are we going to do that?”
Ten minutes later, we still hadn’t thought of anything when guards came and took us out of the cell. Many of the cells we passed were filled with pitiful creatures that I figured had been conned and swindled by Gambrol. He needed to go down…hard.
We were shoved into separate rooms across from each other. I got one last glimpse of his blue, tightly enfolded wings before the door shut, and I was shoved into a seat at a metal table. My hands were cuffed once again, and I had a sense of déjà vu. Just as before, my magic didn’t work in here.
The door opened, and I didn’t even turn to look. Sure enough, the minute I saw the orange skin, white hair, and pursed lips, I felt my temper rise.
“Let me just say, Cara, I’m so grateful you completed your mission, even reluctantly.”
“Go to hell, Gambrol!”
&
nbsp; “Yes, yes. I’d say I’ve earned quite the executive office down there. But until then, I’ve got things to do here. With your help, of course.”
“I’m done helping you. Did you even let Bruno go?”
“What? Are you questioning my integrity? He’s long gone. Couldn’t get out of here fast enough, even when he learned you were still my prisoner. Guess you’re disposable again, as always.”
“Asshole.”
“Me? Him? Doesn’t matter.” He shifted. “Turns out, there’s something I need you to do for me.”
“I’d rather die.”
“Yes, well, that’s always an option, but then again, you haven’t given up yet. Don’t think you ever will.”
“Maybe if I lost my emotions, it would be easier. When do I get a go with the stone?”
“About that. Your curse is one of the best things about you. Why would you want to get rid of that?” It was also long overdue. I was pretty sure when it finally hit me this time, I’d be dead afterward.
Shit! I knew he’d double-cross me, but I never thought he’d go completely back on his word. “So, how does my curse help you?”
“I have enemies that I’d like you to get close to. Whatever makes those wonderful accidents happen around you will be your weapon. When I tell you to, you take care of whatever triggers the curse, and make sure my enemy can’t walk away from one of those mishaps.”
“That’s all? A little murder?”
“Well, you might have to spread those pretty legs a little too. You know, to get close to your target.” He tossed a picture on the table between us. It slid to a rest in front of me. One of the ugliest trolls I’d ever seen was looking at the camera, snot running from his nose into his mouth, which was littered with blackened teeth and days’ worth of food between each one. “Here’s your first job.”
“And if I refuse?”
“I knew you’d ask, so I decided to give you something in return.”
