“We are finished for the night,” Louie tells him. “I believe Miss Daniels is ready to go home.”
“Okay.” Leo clears his throat. “And me?”
“Accompany her back to Sanctuary. Make your decision and stay for as long as she requires your assistance.”
His smile is back, but suddenly it’s strained. “Of course.”
Louie turns to me and takes my hand. He kisses the top of it. “Thank you for coming, Miss Daniels. May we meet again, under more favorable circumstances.”
“Yes,” I say gruffly. “Let’s hope so.”
Louie leaves, and I finally let out the growl I’ve been holding in. Leo steps out from behind his desk. “Don’t be angry with him. He’s only doing his job.”
“His job? Was it also your parents’ job to allow a child to be neglected? To be forgotten?”
Leo winces. “It’s part of our oath not to—”
“Intervene. Yes, I know. Trust me, I’m going to take that up with Contessa and Elizabeth.” Leo starts to open his mouth, but I shake my head. “Just take me home.”
“Wilhelmina…”
“Take me home, Leo. Now.”
He bows like he’s suddenly become my servant. “Of course.”
Chapter 8
DECISIONS
It’s late into the night when Leo pulls into my driveway. Reid sits on the front porch, his figure a shadowy outline in the light of the porch lamp. Leo doesn’t say anything when I get out. I’ve warned him to keep his mouth shut. I will deal with him later. I jump out of the car and slam the door. Reid stands as I walk past him inside the house. His eyes widen slightly at my attire, but my stare is a warning.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
I rush upstairs and go to my closet. I need warm clothes if I’m going to go to the circle and talk to Contessa and Elizabeth. I find the nearest sweatshirt and jerk it off the rack. Reid comes in the room and closes the door behind him as if we’re not the only people in the house. “What happened?”
“We’re going to the circle.”
He’s still eyeing the dress. “Why?”
“Because they knew, Reid. Contessa and Elizabeth knew we would need Leo Galloway to finish the curse, but did they tell us? No. They’ve been letting us run around, wasting time.”
He moves cautiously toward me. “So, you’re going to do what? Go yell at them?”
I ignore him and pull a pair of jeans out of my dresser. The leg gets hung on the edge, ripping a hole. I start to cry. I’m not sure why. It’s definitely not because of the hole in the jeans, but I hold them up, clinging to them anyway.
“Baby.” Reid’s arms catch me, and it’s only then I realize I’m falling to the floor. He wraps me up tight, and I bury my face into the waist of the jeans, trying to hide my tears. His hold grows tighter. “Talk to me, Wilhelmina.”
I shake my head. He pulls my chin up, kissing the edge of it, tracing his lips down the line of my jaw. “Please.”
His request guts me even more, because part of the pain is because I missed so many years with him because of them. Because the Galloways thought an oath was more important than I was.
“Leo’s family knew,” I finally manage to sob out. “They knew exactly where my father took me, and they just left me there. All those nights, Reid. All the days…the weeks…the years of loneliness. I could have been here. I could have been here with you and my mother.”
He kisses my temple, holding me to his chest. He doesn’t say anything. What can he say? They were wrong. Everything about my childhood was wrong. My breathing finally starts to slow. Reid hums a soft lullaby into my hair, and I relax into his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Willa.”
“For what?”
He pulls back so I can see his face. “I’m sorry I didn’t grab you up in my arms that first night I came to the house. I’m so sorry I told you to leave.”
Those green eyes. I’m enchanted by them…still. Even after all this time.
I hold him close. Everything inside of me hurts. It’s a constant, throbbing pressure behind my heart. His words are at my ear. “We can’t change the past, Willa. You’re here now. We can only focus on what we can change right now.”
“It’s not even up to us. It will be Leo’s decision if Julien lives.”
“Leo?” Oh, Reid really doesn’t like it. So obvious. “Why?”
“He’s a Guardian. He and his brother Louis Galloway. The originals chose his family to protect the the black fruit needed to complete the Spell of Iniquity.”
“Why wouldn’t he help us, though?”
“Apparently, the spell won’t work unless every member, Innocent and Haunted, wants to take part in it willingly. The Guardians won’t let us waste the ingredient unless they’re sure the spell will work.”
“Grady,” he mumbles.
“Or Erika. Either one of them could ruin it for us.”
I lay my head on his shoulder, finally dropping the jeans in my hands. Reid is right. Screaming at Contessa and Elizabeth won’t accomplish anything. It won’t make the little tainted piece of my heart go away. It’s there. A permanent piece of my story.
“Everything will work out,” Reid says, his voice barely a whisper.
I let myself believe him. There isn’t room for doubt. Fear has already taken up all the space. I stay there like that for a while, Reid holding me, believing happy endings exist. It isn’t until Romeo weaves behind Reid and weasels his way underneath my arm that I finally sit up. His giant paws go to my face, his grainy tongue taking a lick at my cheek. I must really look like a mess. Romeo never fusses over me.
“Stop,” I have to say finally, because Romeo is practically giving me a bath. “I’m fine.”
I push him away, only to see yellow flower petals stuck in his collar. I pull them out, eyeing them.
“Romeo. Have you been in the flowers?”
He huffs then sticks his tail in the air and struts off as if I’ve wrongly accused him.
“Romeo…”
He yawns, and I get up. I go out to the stairwell and go down until I can see the the kitchen table. The jug of flowers has been turned over. Petals and stems are tossed wildly in every direction, and water cascades off the table onto the floor. I turn around to find Romeo in Reid’s arms. Reid scratches his head, and Romeo is practically grinning. His little mischievous I-hate-the-world-and-will-watch-all-the-flowers-die smile.
Reid nuzzles his face. “You’re such a good boy, Romeo. Have I told you that lately?”
Romeo purrs happily under Reid’s affection.
I roll my eyes. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear they planned it together.
“We’ll clean it up,” he says, setting Romeo down. Romeo goes over and hops up on the table and sits himself in the middle of the mess like a king on his throne. “But the next time that bastard gives you flowers, they’re getting returned. By me.”
I start to smile, but I’m distracted by the ring coming from Reid’s pocket. He pulls out his phone and frowns before he answers it. “Yes?”
He moves into the other room so I can’t hear the conversation. Naturally, I follow him.
He glances over his shoulder at me before answering. “I don’t think tonight is a good time.”
I stand at the doorway, my arms crossed over my chest. He’s pacing the floor.
“It’s been a rough night already. She doesn’t need any more stress.”
“Who is it?” I ask, walking further into the room.
He runs his free hand down his face. “Hang on,” he tells the person on the phone, then puts it down to talk to me. “It’s Sadie. She says Erika wants to talk to you.”
“Me? Why?”
“I don’t know. I told Sadie it needs to wait.”
I jump forward. “No. No, we should talk before Leo gets to her. We need to make sure she’s really on our side.”
“Tonight, though?”
“Yes. Tell Sadie we’re on our way.” I give his shoulder an en
couraging nudge. “Tell her!”
“Okay.” He puts his phone back to hear and starts talking to Sadie again. I’m already planning my conversation with Erika in my head.
I hate you. But that shouldn’t matter. This isn’t about me or you. We have to do this for Sanctuary.
Reid hangs up and turns around, concern thick on his face. “Are you sure about this? You were crying your eyes out not five minutes ago.”
“I’ll have all the time in the world to deal with my screwed-up childhood when this is over. We need Erika on our side.”
“Two days ago, you were ready to kill her.”
“I still might…but after the spell.”
Reid takes in a shaky breath. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“It’s as good a one as we’ve got right now.” I turn around to leave, and Reid clears his throat.
I glance over my shoulder, and he leans down on the counter. “Julien is with them.”
“Okay.”
He waits, but I don’t get it. Not until his gaze drops from my face, slowly, all the way to my toes.
Oh. The dress.
Reid ruffles the front of his hair. “I’m already going to kill Leo Galloway. But it would be counterproductive for me to have to kill Julien too.”
I bite my lip to keep from smiling at him. “I’ll go change.”
“Please.” He’s biting his lip too, but for a very different reason. “Please.”
***
My jeans—not the ripped ones—feel a lot better than that dress. Pretty much anything I put on would feel better than that dress. Though I kind of enjoyed Reid’s reaction. Leo’s—not so much. Unfortunate consequence, I guess.
Seraphina’s house is lit up like the moon in a blank sky. Sadie and Julien stand outside, waiting for us. My breath comes out in white puffs. It could snow any second. I really hope it doesn’t. Just the sight of it makes me start to panic. Each snowflake feels like a grain of sand in our emptying hourglass.
Sadie comes out to meet me. “Erika is waiting for you down by the lake.”
“Okay.” I glance over at Julien. He suddenly invades my space, checking my face as if he might discover some minute sign of something. What? I’m not sure. I move away from him. “Julien, stop it. I’m fine.”
“What did he do? I know that bastard did something.”
“Everything is fine. Reid can fill you in.”
Reid goes and sits on the front steps of the porch, looking rather smug. “He bought her flowers, but don’t worry, Romeo already shredded them.”
Julien sits next to him as if they’re about to have an in-depth analysis about the death of flowers I didn’t even want. I give Sadie a quick thank you hug and head around back. I tug the sleeves of my sweatshirt over my hands to keep them warm. I spot Erika’s small frame in the distance, standing out on the dock. Her back is to me, her gaze staring at the blackness across the lake. The clouds are thick, so there is barely any light. I stop at the edge of the dock and wait.
“My brother used to love the lake.” Her voice is barely a squeak, and I realize it’s because of all the emotion. When Erika turns around, it’s obvious she’s trying not to cry. “He used to love to sit out on the dock behind our house.”
Fudge.
Now, I’m going to cry. “I know.”
“Sadie said you two were close. Did you ever get to sit out there with him?”
I nod, my voice already choked up. “The first time I met him.”
Her tears spill over, and she tries to swipe at them with the back of her hand, but there are too many to manage. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes, Wilhelmina. Things I can’t take back.”
“You were under the influence of the curse.”
“Which was my biggest mistake of all.” She wipes at her tears again, but it barely does any good. “I tried to fight it. I wasn’t strong like my brother, though. It promised me things I wanted if I let it take control, and I was weak. Selfish. I don’t even remember being told he was sick.” She turns back around to face the water. “Thank you, Wilhelmina. Thank you for being there for him when I should have been.”
Tears dampen my cheeks. I’m just full of them tonight too. That speech I had planned doesn’t seem so fitting anymore. I go out onto the dock. It’s so different this time.
Different weather. Different time of day. Different Prescott.
I’m filled with the same kind of emotion, though, like it’s the beginning of something. I put my arm around her. “How do you feel now with the darkness finally gone?”
“Like it should have been me instead of him. He was always the good one. Always. He had the same darkness inside of him as the rest of us…but Ezekiel was always so good.”
I hug her. “You can be good too. The darkness doesn’t have control now.”
“It’s still in there, though. I feel it. It’s still a part of me.”
I hold her face in my hands. She’s so much shorter than I am. She’s like a fragile little child. No more a monster than Julien. I’m not sure what’s taken hold of me, but I’ve never wanted to end this curse more than I do right now. It’s like I’ve suddenly been overwhelmed by this instinct to protect her.
Maybe it’s Ezekiel. Maybe he’s out there somewhere, putting crazy thoughts in my head. That would be just like him. Using all his supernatural goodness to continue to guide me. He would want me to help her. As much as I hate the thought, as much as I want to allow my bitterness to drive me, it can’t. Just like that night in the Prescott’s Grand Hall when I left Erika alive. That was probably Ezekiel too.
Sneaky, interfering bastard.
I miss him so badly.
“I’m going to free you of that darkness, Erika. I’m going to get rid of it for good. We’re going to end the curse of the Haunted. Do you want that?”
She looks up at me, her blue eyes big and round. “Of course.”
“Good. Because there is going to be a boy come talk to you tomorrow, and he’s probably going to ask you questions about the curse. He needs to know if you will take part in it willingly.”
“No one wants this curse to end more than me,” she says, and I believe her.
“Good.” That’s one down. “Very good.”
Erika is shivering, but I can tell she has something else she wants to say. “Wilhelmina…I just want you to know that all that stuff…the feelings I had for Reid are gone.”
Crap. I really hoped we weren’t going to go there. Things were going really well. “What do you mean by gone?”
Erika shrugs. “I don’t know. They’re just gone. Sadie thinks maybe it was the darkness. That maybe the darkness somehow magnified the way I felt about him so it could use it against me.”
“Oh.” I don’t know what to do with myself, or my hands. They’re just kind of roaming around awkwardly in front of me. “Well, that’s good too. I mean, it makes everything less complicated.”
“I just want you to know, because Sadie says you two are together now.”
“Yes. He’s my boyfriend.”
“And I’m happy for you,” she says quickly. “Both of you.”
I smile too big and nod like an idiot. “Thanks.”
There’s movement up at the porch, and I can almost feel Reid trying to prod into my head, though it’s useless. He can’t hear my thoughts without my permission, no matter how hard he might want to bypass that requirement. I let him off the hook.
Everything is fine. We’re coming back.
“Let’s go inside,” I say, motioning with my chin toward the house. My hands are stuffed like sausages inside my sweatshirt. “I’m freezing out here.”
Erika nods and starts to follow me up the hill toward the house. Julien and Reid come into view, and Erika suddenly grabs my arm. “Oh! I almost forgot…Julien. I apologized to him already, but I feel like I owe you one as well. I’m sorry for trying to hurt him.”
“Kill him,” I say, my brows narrowing at her. “You tried to kill him.”
; “I’m so sorry. I don’t remember any of it. I don’t know that I’ve ever held a knife. I’m not sure what I would even do with one.”
I sigh. Yes, I had to let this part of my grudge go too. “It’s okay, Erika. Thankfully, Julien is still alive.”
But not for long…not if we don’t end this curse.
Chapter 9
ONE REQUEST
I pace back and forth in front of the jail, waiting on Leo to talk to Grady and make his final decision. He met with Erika this morning and passed her, but I knew she would pass after our conversation last night. It’s Grady who has me worried. Everything about this situation has disaster written all over it. Grady is angry at Abby for refusing to talk to him and acknowledge his general existence. We’ve also been keeping him in a locked jail cell, so he’s probably angry at us too.
Tough luck. He betrayed us.
I pick up a rock out of the flower bed and give it a throw across the lawn. I must have added some magic behind it, because the rock flies over the lawn and deep into the woods, breaking tree branches in its path. I’m not sure how much longer I can wait. I keep trying to stop myself from formulating alternate plans. There isn’t any other option, which is why I don’t want to think about it.
We’ve got one shot at this, and that’s it.
Five more days.
Leo appears in the doorway, straightening the jacket of his suit—apparently, he wears those every day—and smiles at me. I run to him. “Well?”
He gives me a sort of non-committal shrug. “I think we are good to go.”
“You think?”
“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to have your friend,” he says while waving his hand in the general direction of Abby, who stands behind me, “talk to him. He’s still pretty upset that she’s apparently dating someone else now.”
Abby stomps her way forward, glaring daggers at the jail. “Not happening. I’m never speaking to him again.”
Shadow Bend (Witches of Sanctuary Book 3) Page 7
