by Lori Sjoberg
With her focus so riveted on Adam, she almost didn’t hear the sound of her phone ringing in the other room. When she finally did, her eyes tracked toward the sound.
“Don’t answer that,” he murmured.
“I have to. It’s Cassie’s ringtone.”
Her daughter never called this late unless it was for something important. Marlena slipped out of bed and padded naked to the living room, where Buford was still hard at work on his bone. He paid her no mind while she retrieved her phone from the coffee table and accepted the call.
“Hey, sweetie, what’s up?” she asked as she walked back into the bedroom.
“Where are you?” The question seemed harmless enough, but the strain in Cassie’s words set warning bells off inside Marlena’s head.
“I’m at my apartment with Adam.” Cradling the phone between her ear and her shoulder, she slipped on a pair of panties and reached for her jeans. Adam must have picked up on her growing alarm, because he scooped up his clothes and started getting dressed. “Why, what’s wrong, sweetheart?”
Cassie’s voice dropped down low like she was afraid of someone overhearing. “It’s here.”
“What’s there?” The hairs rose on the back of Marlena’s neck. She pulled the phone away from her ear long enough to yank her shirt over her head.
Cassie let out a shuddering exhale. “I—I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s the being who cursed Adam’s friend. I can’t see it, but I can sense its presence. I swear, I’ve never felt anything this powerful in my entire life.”
Marlena’s blood turned to ice in her veins. Her daughter wasn’t the type to scare easily, so this had to be something pretty bad. And with her at the apartment and the twins working late, the witch was completely on her own. “Get the hell out of there, Cassie. Do you hear me? Get out of there now!”
Adam grabbed his keys and they bolted out the door. They were less than ten minutes away from the house, but who knew what could happen during that time.
“Too late for that. It knows I’m here.” Terror laced the witch’s words, and Marlena’s heart seized in her chest. She hadn’t heard Cassie sound this frightened since she’d been a little girl waking from a nightmare.
Adam jammed his key in the ignition and the truck’s engine rumbled to life. He slammed the truck into gear, and they peeled out of the lot in the direction of Cassie’s home.
“I’m on my way, okay, baby girl? Just hang in there a few minutes longer.” It took everything she had to keep her voice from cracking. The traffic light ahead changed from green to yellow, and Adam punched the gas and raced through the intersection a split second before it turned red.
Once again, Cassie’s voice dropped down to a whisper, making it difficult to hear over the truck’s engine. “I don’t know if I have that long.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Marlena snapped, trying to be brave enough for both of them when she really wanted to cry. “I didn’t raise a quitter. Now come on, think. Can you put up some kind of protection spell?”
Cassie was breathing so hard and fast it was audible over the phone. “It’s broken through all of my wards outside. I don’t think a protection spell will do any good.”
“It’s better than nothing. Can you do it for me? Please?”
The truck tires screeched as they hung a hard right, and her fingers dug into the armrest.
“Okay, Mama.” With a shaky voice, Cassie began reciting an incantation. It was one Marlena recognized immediately, and she joined in and said it with her daughter:
“By the dragon’s light, on this August night,
I call to thee to give me your might,
By the power of three, I conjure thee,
To protect all that surrounds me,
So mote it be, so mote it be!”
“Keep going,” Marlena said when Cassie’s voice faltered. The witch picked up the pace, chanting the spell faster and faster until the words all blurred together.
In the background, Marlena heard something roar. She wanted to ask Cassie what made the noise, but she didn’t want to do anything to interrupt the incantation. Maybe, just maybe, it would be enough to hold the creature at bay until they arrived. They were less than two miles away from the house, and Adam was breaking just about every traffic law on the books to get them there as fast as possible.
The truck sped through the quiet residential streets, blowing past a minivan going the posted twenty-five miles per hour. He was forced to slow down at the security gate, tailgating a Mercedes as it crept through the entrance before punching the gas and swerving around it.
“We’re almost there,” Marlena said into the phone, but Cassie was too busy chanting to answer.
The sound of breaking glass interrupted her spell, and the witch let out a shriek. Something exploded in the background, and then the phone went dead.
“Cassie!” Marlena gripped the phone so hard it cracked. Terror gripped her, and she felt so damn helpless it nearly brought tears to her eyes.
They peeled around the corner, and the house came into view—or at least what was left of it.
Cassie’s beautiful two-story mansion looked like something out of a war movie. The front double doors had been torn from their hinges, and every window facing the street was shattered. Flames and smoke poured through a gaping hole in the roof along the eastern side of the building.
Marlena tore out of the truck before Adam had a chance to stop her. Blood roared in her ears as she streaked across the debris-covered yard and rushed inside the burning house.
The place was trashed, with holes in the drywall and every piece of furniture overturned. The giant television had been ripped from the wall and smashed into a million pieces. Every shelf and drawer had been emptied and their contents strewn all over the floor. Ignoring the smoke and the cracks in the ceiling, Marlena called out for her daughter.
“Cassie!” Heavy smoke made it impossible for her to detect the witch’s scent. Maybe she got out before the fire began. In her heart, Marlena doubted that was the case, so she continued her frantic search of the house.
She ran up the stairs two steps at a time and began checking the bedrooms. The room at the end of the hallway was engulfed in flames, the smoke so dark and thick it made her stinging eyes water. Though her throat burned, she continued to press forward, crouching low to avoid the worst of the smoke, desperate to find her daughter.
“Marlena!” It was Adam, his voice barely audible above the crackle of the flames. He called for her again, louder this time. “Marlena, I found her!”
That got her attention. She took off like a shot back down the stairs, shouting Adam’s name as she ran. She found him by the fireplace, sweaty and sooty, pushing over the upended couch.
Cassie lay beneath, motionless. Blood pooled around her head, and her right leg was twisted at an odd angle.
Carefully, he gathered her up in his arms and turned toward the front door. “Let’s go!”
A monstrous groan shook the house. Something popped overhead and then the ceiling above the foyer collapsed, blocking their escape. A thick plume of smoke billowed into the room, choking out the last remnants of breathable air.
“This way!” Marlena gestured toward the sliding glass door leading to the backyard. Spiderweb cracks covered the glass, but the door was still in one piece. When she shoved the door open, the glass shattered, spraying pieces in every direction. A few flying shards sliced her arms, but she paid it no mind as she motioned for Adam to go first. He opened his mouth as if to protest, but then closed it and rushed out of the house.
Gasping, panting, his face flushed with exertion, Adam circled around to the front yard and laid Cassie on the ground. Even this far away from the house, Marlena could still feel the heat of the fire. The rafters let out another massive groan and then a huge section of the roof gave way. It wouldn’t be long before the entire structure collapsed and burned to the ground. In the distance, sirens wailed. One of the neighbors must have called 911.<
br />
At the moment, Marlena didn’t give a damn about the house. Material possessions could always be replaced. That lesson had been pounded into her head over the centuries. It was the reason she made a point of traveling light. But people were an entirely different matter. Panic knotted her stomach as she stared down at her daughter.
“Is she—” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
Adam was on his knees beside Cassie, pressing two fingers against her neck. He frowned. “Her life force is weak. I’m not getting a pulse.” Without hesitation, he began administering CPR, alternating between chest compressions and blowing air into Cassie’s mouth. He paused long enough to check for a pulse before going back to chest compressions.
A cold shiver swept through Marlena as tears pricked her eyes. Fear rose in her throat, threatening to choke her, and she couldn’t stop her lower jaw from trembling. This couldn’t be happening to her baby girl. “Cassie, come on. Don’t leave me, sweetheart.”
The flashing lights of emergency vehicles flooded the front yard. Police created a barricade to keep onlookers away while a crew of firefighters shouted to each other as they hooked up hoses to a nearby hydrant and started dousing what was left of the house. It was a losing battle, but at least they could stop the flames from spreading to the other homes in the neighborhood.
A pair of paramedics jogged across the lawn, one carrying a bag of medical gear while the other carried what she assumed was a portable defibrillator.
“She’s not breathing,” Adam told them, scooting back so the professionals could do their jobs. A dry sob racked Marlena’s body as she watched them work on her daughter. It had to be a dream. It couldn’t be real. Hands fisted, she bit down on one knuckle, praying the pain would rouse her from the nightmare.
Instead, she felt Adam’s hand on her back, rubbing circles that would have felt soothing under any other circumstance. Though he reeked of smoke, she burrowed against him, suddenly desperate for the comfort he offered. He rocked her gently, his breath warm against the crown of her head. They stayed that way for the longest time, locked together on the front yard while the paramedics tried to revive her daughter.
“We’ve got a pulse,” one of the paramedics shouted at last, and Marlena’s legs nearly gave out on her. He called some kind of code into his radio while the other strapped a mask over Cassie’s face.
“Is she going to be all right?” Marlena asked.
Either they didn’t hear her or they ignored the question. Two more paramedics raced across the yard, pushing a stretcher on wheels. Carefully, they loaded Cassie onto the gurney and secured her with straps over her neck, torso and legs.
Adam coughed into his fist. When he drew back from their embrace, he had the cool, calm demeanor of the cop he used to be. “Let me go see where they’re taking her.” He walked over to the paramedics, speaking with them briefly before returning. “They’re transporting her to Florida Hospital. Come on, I’ll drive you there.”
Behind them, another groan filled the air as another section of the roof collapsed. Adam cursed under his breath. “We’ll find who did this.”
Yes, they would. And then she’d make them pay.
Chapter 22
The eight hours spent waiting for Cassie to come out of surgery felt more like eight years to Marlena.
This was all her fault. If she hadn’t been messing around with Adam, she could have been there to stop this from happening. Now her daughter was paying the price. If Cassie died, she didn’t think she could ever forgive herself.
She sat on the edge of her chair in the visitor area, her right leg bouncing up and down and her fingernails chewed down to the quick. Her stare was locked on the double doors leading to the surgical unit where they’d taken her daughter. All the while Adam stayed by her side, holding her hand, giving her coffee, and continuously checking with the desk at the end of the hall to see if there was any news. At last, the trauma surgeon came out to inform them that the operation was complete and they’d moved Cassie to the intensive care unit.
According to the surgeon, her vitals were stable, but the next couple days would be touch and go. They’d taken out her spleen and one of her kidneys, and her liver was badly damaged. The break in her left leg was so severe they had to use rods and screws to put it back together. If she survived, she’d need at least six months of therapy before she could walk on her own, and even then, she’d probably walk with a limp.
But she was alive. That knowledge was the only thing keeping Marlena from falling apart. She finished her coffee and tossed the empty cup in the trash before riding the elevator with Adam to the floor where Cassie was recovering from surgery.
An older woman was parked at the nurses’ station, tapping away at the computer. The colorful pattern on the nurse’s scrubs was a sharp contrast to the sour look on her face. She peered up from the monitor when she noticed Marlena and Adam approaching.
“Can I help you?” Her voice matched her expression.
Marlena tried, but she couldn’t force a smile. “I’m here to see Cassandra Walther. Dr. Chan said she was moved to this wing.”
“Are you a member of the immediate family?”
“Yes, I’m her mo—” She caught herself before she said “mother.” “Her granddaughter.”
The nurse shot her a steely look. “Visiting hours won’t start for another hour. If you’d like to wait, there’s a sitting area right over there by the restrooms.”
Marlena’s gut twisted at the thought of sitting around for another hour. After waiting on pins and needles for so long, she wanted to see Cassie now. “But she just got out of surgery. Dr. Chan said I could see her.”
“Dr. Chan was wrong.” The nurse let out an exaggerated sigh. “As it says on the door you just walked through, visiting hours are from ten to six. You’re more than welcome to wait until then, or you can come back at a later time.”
The nurse’s condescending tone had Marlena’s blood pressure spiking. No way was she going to let this bitch stand between her and her daughter. Temper building, she stepped closer to the counter, only stopping when Adam placed a hand on her shoulder and lightly squeezed.
“Ma’am, no offense, but we’ve been here all night waiting for Ms. Walther to come out of surgery.” Adam’s voice took on an air of authority, something she’d never heard him use until now. His eyes narrowed, growing intense when he met the nurse’s gaze. “It wouldn’t hurt to let us visit a little early. No one has to know.”
The nurse blinked several times, confusion etched in her features. “Yes, I—I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. Just don’t tell anyone or I could get into trouble.”
“You have our word.” Adam propped his forearm on the counter, leaned toward the nurse, and flashed her a cocky smile. “Which room is Cassie Walther in?”
The nurse tapped a command onto the keyboard and then looked up at the monitor. “She’s in 542. Down the hall and to your left.”
“Thank you.”
As they walked away from the nurses’ station, Marlena glanced up at Adam. “You pulled a Jedi mind trick on Nurse Ratched, didn’t you?”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Maybe.”
For the first time in hours, she smiled. “That’s a pretty sweet trick. Thank you.”
Reaching down, he took her hand, and the feel of his fingers intertwined with hers soothed her nerves like nothing else could.
Following the nurse’s directions, they walked down the short corridor to room 542.
Cassie’s frail body rested in a bed with rails along both sides. Scrapes and bruises covered her face, making her almost unrecognizable. She was hooked up to so many things it was hard to keep track of what went where. A ventilator assisted her breathing while a web of intravenous lines fed drugs into her body.
The shock of seeing Cassie so broken and helpless raked Marlena’s insides raw. Her vision blurred, and she covered her mouth with her hand to hold back a sob.
“Her life force is s
teady,” Adam said by her side.
She sniffed as she glanced up at him. “You can feel it?”
“Absolutely.” He let go of her hand and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Your daughter’s a fighter, just like her mother. She’s taken one hell of a beating, but she’s not going anywhere any time soon.”
“Will she be okay?” Her hopes rose but fell just as quickly when the confidence on his face faded.
“I can’t say for sure. All I can tell you is how strong she is now.”
She knew he was only being realistic, but she wished he’d lie and tell her everything would be just fine. Right now she didn’t want to think about the risk of secondary infections, or organ failure, or anything else that could possibly go wrong while Cassie recovered from her injuries.
She approached the bed and touched her daughter’s hand, the one without any needles poking into it. Cassie’s skin felt colder than marble. “Oh, baby.” Her vision blurred again, and when she blinked, a tear tracked down her cheek.
Gathering her into his arms, Adam held her close and tucked her head under his chin. He pressed a kiss against her hair while he murmured soft words of reassurance. They stayed that way for what seemed like hours, until a nurse entered the room. If the woman had a problem with them being there outside normal visiting hours, she didn’t say anything about it. Quickly, methodically, the nurse checked Cassie’s vitals, the IV bags, and something on the machine by Cassie’s head before tapping notes into her notepad and leaving.
“Come on, let’s get you home,” Adam said.
Marlena shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“You’ve had a long night, and you need to sleep,” he said, his voice calm yet insistent. “If you don’t get any rest, you won’t be able to function.”
Deep down, she knew he was right, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. She was running on nothing but caffeine and adrenaline, and it was only a matter of time before she crashed. Still, she didn’t want to leave Cassie. She wanted to be there when her daughter opened her eyes. “I can sleep here.”
