I know he’s angry and he’s hurt. I should let it go, but I can’t. It isn’t how we work. I’ve always told Julien the truth. He deserves that much. “How dare you? Do you know that Seraphina had to trick me into taking a potion this morning so I could have one day of peace? One day when my every second…every thought didn’t revolve around you. All I’ve allowed myself to think about since you came back is how I have to save you. And you’re going to stand here and throw today in my face?”
He moves closer to me so that I can’t see anything but his face. His eyes are so full of pain. “Where have you been?”
I pinch my lips together to keep from spitting the words at him. Maybe this is one truth I just can’t tell him. He walks away. It feels like losing him. There’s an urge to scream for him, to beg him to come back. It won’t solve anything, though. Not now.
I have to let him go. Even if it means really letting him go.
Abby is at my side. I’m not sure if she thinks I’m going to run through the darkness after him, but she tugs me to her and holds me still. I’m not going anywhere. I can’t. I stand there for a long time anyway. It’s Reid who finally comes back to get me. He takes me inside and sits me down next to the fire.
Lyric sits across from me. He’s dirty and his hair is untidy like he’s been rummaging in an old attic. I half expect to see a spider crawling in his hair or a moth fly out of the sleeve of his shirt. He puts his elbows on his knees and looks up at me. “He’s had a bad day.”
“What happened?”
“Erika found the Bessette spring before we found the chalice. We know because as soon as she collected the water, Julien was overcome with that stinging sensation in his chest again. And just like that night at the Tower, he knew he had to get the chalice because he’s the most selfish among them.”
I wince, but Lyric only sighs like there’s more. “Then it happened a third time,” he says, blowing out a long breath, “when we found the chalice. That third time, it sent him back over that edge he’s been teetering on since the other night when you calmed him. Except you weren’t there to talk him down this time. He was alone. And that made it so much worse.”
“I’m sorry—”
Lyric holds up his hands. “It isn’t your fault, Willa. I know you’re the strongest among us, but you needed today. We all agreed to leave you home.”
“And you brought him back here thinking I would be home.” I keep hearing Julien’s words in my head. Do you even feel guilty?
Of course, there’s guilt. Julien is my friend, and he needed me. But I don’t think I feel guilty enough. I don’t think I can give him what he needs to make his guilt go away.
There’s a clink, and I lean around Lyric to see Sera setting what I can only assume is the Chalice of Franz E’tour onto the table along with a small clear bottle of water. I stand at the sight of the three ingredients sitting on the table. We’re so close. I owe Julien this much. I have to finally set him free of this curse. “Lyric? Have you checked the weather for tomorrow?”
He ruffles dust out of his hair. “Snow. Nothing but snow for the next two days. The next clear day is Thursday. The day before the Winter Solstice.”
Relief. “Okay. We’ll perform the spell in the circle on the mountain at sunset on Thursday. Make sure your brother is there.”
“Don’t worry. He’ll be there.”
***
My bedroom is extra warm when I wake up. Maybe it’s because I’m snuggled deep down in the covers to the point that all anyone can see is my eyes. It’s still snowing outside, but not as hard as when I fell asleep. It should stop soon, and then I’ll start to prepare. Thursday will be the day the curse of the Haunted will end.
I sit with what I expect to be eagerness and hope, but it spills out as a groan.
Ow.
I move my legs again. Crap, that really hurts.
“What’s wrong?” Reid’s voice is sleepy. When I glance over at him, I’m reminded exactly why I seem to be sore this morning. Him and his uncanny handsomeness that I can’t seem to deny myself. His eyes are still closed, so he can’t see the grimace on my face as I carefully scoot to the edge of the bed, one careful inch at a time.
“It’s nothing,” I say, sliding off the edge. “I think I’m going to take a quick bath.”
His eyes pop open, and I try to straighten out my face, but he catches it. “What’s wrong?” he asks again. He’s up now. His brows scrunched together. “I hurt you, didn’t I?”
I hold up my hands to shush him. “It’s fine, Reid. Everything is perfectly normal. It’s nothing a long, hot bath can’t remedy.”
At least I hope so. I don’t exactly have experience in this area, but a hot bath seems like it should work. Reid still looks worried, so I reach back up into the bed and kiss him. He leans back, but he’s still frowning.
“Stop that,” I say, pointing at his face. “It’s not allowed today.”
I leave him sitting in the bed to go take my bath. I take my time, soaking in the bubbles until the water goes cold. Flurries float outside the window, dancing around like puppies at a park. Reid is back in my bedroom, but his hair is wet from the shower. He pulls a red flannel shirt over his head, spraying water out from his hair. He grabs another shirt from the closet and puts it on too. “Dress warm today. It’s freezing out there.”
I nod, tugging my house coat tighter around me for a second before taking it off. I walk across the room to my closet, naked. I grab some clothes from my dresser, and Reid clears his throat behind me. I glance over my shoulder at him, and his face is flaming red.
His gaze is on the floor, but it raises to meet mine slowly. “Glad to see you’re feeling well enough to tease me.”
I grin. “You’re welcome.”
He shakes his head, laughing. Reid waits until I’m dressed to come to me. I’m not sure if he’s trying to be a gentleman, or simply enjoying the show. The way he bites his lip seems to imply the latter. That look…like I’m the only thing he’s ever wanted in the world…it takes my breath away. Every. Single. Time.
He kisses me softly. Even his touch is gentle. He’s quiet. I know he wants to say something else, but he doesn’t. Instead, he kisses my temple. “Finish getting ready. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
I take Reid’s advice and dress warmly. Julien’s toboggan is still on my dresser, so I put it on, leaving my hair down to keep my ears nice and toasty. I have to dig through a box to find a pair of gloves, at least the kind I’m looking for, with the fingers cut out. I slip them on and head downstairs. The muffins Sera made me yesterday are still on the table. I could eat another one. I wonder if the potion will still work.
Reid hands me a glass of orange juice. He’s stuck to the simple stuff today. Toast and butter. I bypass the muffins and grab a piece.
Reid hands my phone to me. “Abby texted you while you were in the bath. She wants to meet with you this morning.”
I take my phone and scroll through the texts until I find it.
Abby: Can you meet us at Rooster’s at 10 for a girls only breakfast?
“Girls only? I wonder what this is about.”
Reid turns his piece of toast in his hand. “I could take a good guess, but you should go and find out. I’m going with Talbot to the Bessette house to get all the books and things they stole from the Guardians. He wants to give them back to Leo.”
“That’s nice.”
He shrugs as if the entire idea bores him. “I said screw Leo, but apparently Talbot is all about making amends for his family’s failures in life.”
I grin around my toast. “Good for him.”
Reid makes a face that clearly says he disagrees. I give him a light love tap as I go by him. “Stop being prejudiced.”
“Prejudice is an opinion not based on reason or actual experience. I know for a fact that Leo Galloway is going end up with my fist in his face before he leaves this town. At the very least…completely voiceless.”
“He hasn’t hit on me in like tw
o days.”
“Just because he’s beat Julien’s record doesn’t make it okay.”
I shoot him a frown from the front door. Not because of his reasoning, because I don’t like Leo either. It’s this thing with Julien. I think I’m losing him. I’m going to save his life soon, but I’m still going to lose him.
I run back to Reid and give him a kiss goodbye. “I’ll see you in a couple hours. Be careful with Talbot. I know he’s seems harmless, but he is a Bessette.”
“Of course. And be careful with Abner. She’s my twin, but she’s still a complete pain in the ass.”
I slug his shoulder. “Runs in the family.”
He steals another kiss before I leave. It’s not until I’m out the door that I realize how much it’s snowed. I sink into it. Ugh. It’s my first real snowstorm, and I already hate the stuff. It crunches in defiance all the way to my car. I have to let it warm up before I can even get my fingers to function enough to hold onto the steering wheel. When I arrive at Rooster’s twenty minutes later, I’m the last to arrive.
Abby waves at me from a booth in the back. She sits next to Erika, with Sadie across from them. I slide in next to Sadie and pull off my toboggan. “Good morning, ladies.”
“Good morning, indeed.” Sadie has her chin propped up in her palm, looking at me like I’ve committed a crime and I’m about to confess.
Even Erika sniggers. I glance around at all of them in turn. They’re just sitting there…waiting. “What?” I ask finally.
Abby breaks first. “What happened yesterday?”
I sit up a little straighter. “W-w-what do you mean? I took the day off.”
“To rest because you’ve been stretching yourself thin with worry over this whole thing,” Sadie says stoically. “Yet, when we show up to present our prizes to you…”
A nervous laugh escapes me. “Is this an interrogation?”
Abby raises a brow. “Does it need to be?”
I start to speak, but Erika beats me to it. “Girls, give Wilhelmina a chance to explain herself. She might willingly offer you the information you want without the third degree.” Then she smirks.
I gasp. “You’ve turned into one of them, haven’t you?”
Sadie laughs, waving a waitress over to us. “She’s always been one of us, Willa. Erika was compromised by the curse.”
“Possessed. That’s what it felt like.” Erika glances down at her hands in her lap, and for the first time, her demeanor matches her appearances. She is just a young girl.
The waitress comes over, and I eye Abby and Sadie. Abby is trying to keep a straight face, but can’t. We order breakfast, and as soon as the waitress turns her back, Abby kicks me under the table. “Spill it. We don’t have all day.”
“Look, you guys are reading way too much into this. Reid wanted to get my mind off the curse for one day. He took me to see the treehouse he built with Zeke.”
Sadie’s eyes dance at the mention of her husband, but then she leans in closer. “And?”
I glance at Erika. I can’t help it. All I can think about is all those stories about how she was in love with Reid. Even if she claims all those feelings are gone, I’m not that kind of cruel.
She reaches across the table and grabs my hand. “Please, don’t hold back on my account.”
“But—”
“I had a crush on Reid. The shadow in me took something that was innocent and probably fleeting and turned it into something it could use against me. I’m back to myself now…my original self. I’m sane for the first time in my life. And with sanity comes clarity. I’ve never seen Reid Thomas happy. Ever. You are his Moon, Willa.”
Abby points her finger at me. “What happened? And don’t lie. Your face does this horrible rusted robot thing when you lie.”
Sadie places her hand on my shoulder. “Let me make this a little easier for you. Have you and Reid been intimate with each other?”
I press my lips into a line. My fingers pull at the corner of my napkin. “How did you know?”
Sadie hugs me. “Oh, sweetie. It was so obvious.”
“Me?”
“No.” Sadie is full on laughing now. “It was Reid. We all knew the moment that boy stepped out of the truck. And then the way he stood behind you.”
“The way he touched you,” Erika added, hiding her smile with her hand.
“And you just knew?” I still can’t believe it.
Abby reaches across the table toward me. “Julien was already upset, but when he saw the two of you…he knew it too.”
I rub my hands down my face. “He’s going to hate me forever, isn’t he?”
Abby’s expression evens out. “No, Willa. Julien can’t hate you. If hating you were possible, he would have chosen that option a long time ago.”
“Should I try to talk to him?”
“No,” Erika blurts out immediately. “He still has the darkness in him. It feeds on these kinds of emotions, and even though we have control of it right now, Julien could still choose to let it take over.”
“Yes,” Sadie says, pointing out that the waitress is on the way to our table. She starts to whisper. “It’s best to do the spell first. Just to be safe.”
The waitress sets my food down in front of me, but I’m not sure I can eat it. There’s so much at stake. I haven’t even had a chance to run through all the things that could go wrong.
After the waitress leaves, Sadie leans over to me. “So, the more important question of the day…how are you feeling after yesterday’s events?”
I fiddle my fork in my eggs. “I took a long bath this morning, but I could be better.”
“That’s what I thought.” Sadie reaches into a bag beside her and pulls out a vial of pink potion and pours it into my orange juice. “Drink all of it. You’ll be better by tonight.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. I mean, if I can make a potion for Reid to keep Leo from making moves on you, I can definitely make a potion to help cure the morning after blues.”
“You made that potion for him?”
“Of course.” She says it like it should have been obvious all along. And maybe I should have known. This group runs as thick as thieves. There’s nothing I would put past them at this point.
Especially with Erika in tow now. Geez. Leo better be glad it’s only his voice he stands to lose. I drink my potion then poke my fork around in my eggs some more. I still can’t manage to eat anything. I can’t stop glancing out the window, checking the weather like it might actually change upon command. I finally set my fork down. “I honestly don’t know how I am going to keep my mind busy until Thursday.”
Abby shoves another gigantic bite of pancakes into her mouth and talks around them. “Well, for one thing, you’re not going to speak to Julien. You can only make things worse at this point.” She finally swallows and gives me a brilliant smile. “And two, you’re going to spend the next two days with us. No boy drama allowed.”
I smile at that. “What are we going to do?”
“Camp out at my mom’s house. Work on some potions, paint our nails, take ridiculous quizzes out of fashion magazines.” She whirls her fork around in the air like a magic wand. “We’re going to do everything we missed out on growing up without you.”
It sounds amazing, except the worry is still so tight in my chest my smile comes out more of a wince. I fear their grand distraction won’t be quite elaborate enough.
Chapter 13
A RUBY BLADE
Overboard would be an understatement when referencing the length Abby has taken to distract me during our two-day wait. The first day, she filled me with so much buttery popcorn and sugary treats that I had no choice but to stay up all night with her and watch re-runs of her favorite 90s sitcoms. She painted my nails and curled my hair. I’ve had a complete make-over which includes my outfit and make-up. It would have been nice, and maybe even a little fun, if the circumstances were different.
Abby is busy in the kitchen cooking breakfast, e
ven though it’s well past lunchtime. I take the opportunity to sneak into the sunroom and peek out the window at the weather. The sky is so white. Not even a hint of blue through the heavy clouds that seem to have settled and made themselves at home in the valley. Snow lightly peppers down at a steady pace, and I check my phone one more time to assure myself this mess is going to stop by tomorrow morning.
Clear skies. Zero percent chance of precipitation.
It seems cruel to have to wait. Or better yet, place the future of someone’s life on the whim of a snowstorm.
“What are you doing?”
I twirl around, clearly caught fretting again. I smile sheepishly at Sadie. She left early this morning before Abby and I woke up, but apparently, she’s back. Her black hair is damp from the snow. I pick up a blanket from the chair and wrap it around my shoulders. “Admiring the view?”
Sadie walks down the steps to me. “Everything is going to work out,” she says confidently, taking my hand.
I’m not sure how she can say that, especially Sadie, of all people. Things didn’t work out for her. She lost her husband because of this curse. Yet, she smiles at me, so assured in her words that it makes them almost like truth. I walk back to the kitchen with her, and we help Abby with her breakfast extravaganza. She seems prepared to go overboard on every aspect of her party, including breakfast.
I pick up a plate of pancakes high enough to feed an army. “Abby, you realize we can’t eat all this?”
“We’re going to try,” she says, bending down to taste test her platter of fruit. She approves the dip then moves on to the plate of sausages and bacon.
I elbow Sadie. “We should share this with everyone. I’d hate to see all of this go to waste.”
Abby glances up, shooting Sadie a quick glare before turning her gaze back to the bacon. Sadie smiles sympathetically. “I’ll take a plate to Reid later.”
“What about Lyric and Jul—”
Abby jumps and claps her hands, startling me off balance. “Who’s ready to eat?”
Shadow Bend (Witches of Sanctuary Book 3) Page 11
