I snorted. “Me?”
He nodded. “I know you don’t see it now, but you will.”
I cleared my throat. “Where are some of these other safe houses?”
“A lot are in major cities—Paris, London, New York—but there are also some in random small towns. It all depends. They also vary in size.”
“So, why’d they choose Seattle for this place?”
“The manor is outside the city, protected with lots of woods and gates, so I think it was chosen for the isolation—safe houses are always already built and have usually been abandoned. We come in and make them new again, add wards, you get the idea.”
Just then we passed a sign that said: Welcome to Nebraska … The Good Life.
Theodore pointed at it and chuckled. “’The good life’, yeah right. What’s even in Nebraska?”
I looked out the window and said, “Grass, grass, and more grass.” He yawned. “Maybe we should stop,” I suggested.
“Maybe,” he agreed. “The Iniquitous don’t come out in the day.”
“Why?” I asked and then laughed. “I thought they were evil enchanters not vampires.”
“Vampires can go out in the sun. Everyone knows that,” he snorted. I gave him a look. “Or not. Anyway, their magic doesn’t work during the day. Something about the daylight disrupts it because they’ve relinquished their faith in God or something of the sort—I wasn’t really paying attention to that part of class. But we should be safe to stop for a few hours. We need to get back on the road before darkness falls.”
It was early afternoon, so we wouldn’t have long.
The Holiday Inn wasn’t far off the highway, which was a priority for Theo. He said we might need to leave quickly.
I looked out the window and leaned my head against the glass. Theodore was sprawled across one of the full-sized beds snoring lightly.
I wished I could go to sleep that easily but instead I felt close to a panic. My whole life had been built on a mountain of lies. My dad, whom I loved, wasn’t even my dad. My mom was some kind of powerful witch, enchanter, whatever you wanted to call it. In two weeks, I was going to come into my powers. The ever-infuriating Theo was supposedly my protector. Nothing was apparently what it seemed to be, and it was making me angry.
The glass I was leaning against began to vibrate.
Startled, I jerked back.
It stopped.
What was happening to me?
I glanced at Theo, but he hadn’t moved. He was oblivious to the window shaking.
I sighed and grabbed my duffel bag before heading into the small bathroom, closing and locking the door. I set my bag down on the counter and took a deep breath.
I stared in the mirror and poked at my face. I guess I was expecting some big change that screamed you’re a witch, but there was no difference—I was still plain, pale-skinned, hazel-eyed, blonde haired, freckled, gap-toothed Mara.
I stripped my clothes off and climbed in the shower. For a hotel, it was pretty clean. I scrubbed my scalp with some of the shampoo from the small travel-sized bottle. I stayed in the shower so long that my skin turned pale pink and the water began to run cold. I climbed out and towel dried my hair before slipping into a pair of sweats and a shirt.
I found Theo just as I had left him. The only difference was he was snoring louder.
I climbed under the covers of the other bed, the one nearest the window. Theo had taken the one by the door.
I didn’t think I could sleep but, as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light.
Sleep was certainly a reprieve from the chaos of my thoughts.
Chapter 5
I JOLTED AWAKE, MY HEART racing as I took in my strange surroundings.
Where am I?
How’d I get here?
Oh. Right.
The bed beside me was empty but I could hear the shower running. Figuring Theo was occupied, I climbed out of the bed and pulled on some clothes. I didn’t have much in my bag, so I slipped on a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. I brushed my hair out and fingered the stubborn curl on the ends and then sat back on the end of the bed.
Theo opened the bathroom door and a cloud of steam billowed out.
I tried to keep my jaw from dropping open. After all, I didn’t really like the guy. But he was … Damn.
His black jeans hung low on his hips and I got a shot of his naked chest as he pulled on a white shirt. He was tan and muscular, but not in a bulky way, boasting rock hard abs that ended in in a perfect v along with a light dusting of hair down into his jeans. The tattoos only seemed to add to his perfection. I could see the script along his right side and the large, intricate, black cross on the right side of his chest. His dark hair was still damp and was beginning to curl on the ends.
His gray eyes flashed to mine. I thought he was going to call me out on my gawking but, instead, he warned, “We need to go.”
I looked out the hotel window and saw that the sun was beginning to set.
“We’ll get something to eat once we get started on the road.” He slung my duffel bag across his shoulder. He didn’t have any bags with him and I wondered if he could magically make clothes appear. That would certainly come in handy. I pulled on my Converse. “Come on.” He opened the hotel room door. I followed behind him to the car and climbed in.
“Don’t you need to return the room key?” I asked.
He laughed. “You didn’t think I was really going to pay for a room, did you?”
“Uh yeah. I did.”
He laughed, and his hand began to glow. He put it against the dashboard. The car started.
“If I can start a car with a touch of my hand, do you really think I need to pay for a hotel room? I knew it was empty, that’s all that matters.”
I shook my head. “You shouldn’t use your magic like that. It seems wrong,” I said as he sped out of the parking lot and onto the highway, cutting off several angry drivers who honked their horns and flashed rude hand signals.
“Things are different for me; I’m your protector. I can use my magic in different ways if it’s to help you.” He winked.
“How is stealing a Porsche helping me?” I sputtered.
“We needed to get away and we needed a fast car to do that. I wonder if they’ll let me keep it.” He rubbed the steering wheel and grinned wickedly.
“Who?” I asked.
“The Committee,” he answered. “Each safe house has a committee that’s a group of elected enchanters in charge. Although, Victor Antonescu seems to forget that.”
“Who’s he?”
“Victor’s on The Committee. The Committee was created so that one person wasn’t in charge, but Victor has other ideas. I don’t really trust him,” said Theo and he squirmed a bit in his seat.
“You seem nervous,” I noted.
“It’s not my place to question The Committee. I’m a novice and a child in their eyes. But try to stay away from him, okay?”
“Uh, okay,” I agreed, even though I didn’t really understand why he viewed this Victor guy as such a threat. More than likely he was just a guy that had let power go to his head.
Theodore pulled into a Burger King and ordered a bunch of food.
“Get me a Dr. Pepper!” I cried before he pulled away from the speaker.
“And a Dr. Pepper,” he sighed.
He pulled up to the window, and I expected him to pull out a wallet but, instead, he stared at the oily-skinned teenage boy until he handed us our food.
“Have a nice day!” cackled Theo.
“That wasn’t very nice,” I groaned.
“You’re still eating it.” He nodded at me.
I stared guiltily at the half-eaten chicken nugget that I had pulled out of the bag before we were out of the parking lot.
“I’m hungry,” I defended.
He laughed. “Me too.” He shoved his hand into the bag and grabbed a handful of fries to stuff in his mouth.
We ate in silence as Theo drove.
>
I jumped as a thought occurred to me.
“What? What is it?” asked Theodore, checking the mirrors like he thought I’d seen something he’d missed.
“Dani,” I cried.
“Who’s Dani?” he asked.
“And you call yourself my protector? Dani’s my best friend. She’ll get worried if she doesn’t hear from me.”
He rolled his eyes. “I guess you can call her.” He handed over a phone. “That’s untraceable but still make it quick.”
“But what do I say?” I asked him and bit my lip. “It’s not like I’m home and I guess I’m never going back.”
He shrugged. “I guess you tell her you’re gone for the summer and you won’t be coming back. Tell her your dad got a new job and it was a take it or leave it situation.”
“I don’t even want to know how you became such a good liar,” I mumbled.
He smirked. “Doll face, I think you know.”
I rolled my eyes at him and he chuckled.
I dialed Dani’s number and listened to it ring and ring.
“Hello? Who is this? Hello?”
“Dani, it’s me,” I said softly.
“Oh, Mara,” she breathed a sigh of relief. “Where are you? I haven’t heard from you. I tried to call you, but your phone was disconnected.”
I bit my lip again and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “Um … I moved.”
“What? Mara, you suck at lying. No one can move in a day.”
“It was really sudden. If Dad didn’t take this new job they were going to give it to someone else. He had to start immediately.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “I am.” A single tear fell from my eye, and I wiped it away hastily so that Theo wouldn’t see.
“We can still be friends though, can’t we, Mara?”
I knew then what I had to do, and it broke my heart. I had to say goodbye to my childhood friend and I knew I’d never see or hear from her again. “I’m sorry, Dani,” I started, “but I don’t think so.”
I hung up the phone and handed it to Theo.
I wanted to turn into a heaping pile of tears and female hormones, but I refused to let that happen in front of him. I didn’t want my protector to view me as weak. I wanted him to know that I was strong enough to survive saying goodbye to everything I had ever known and embracing what I was to become.
From that moment on, I was the new and improved Mara Pryce. Granted, it wasn’t much of an improvement.
But it was a start.
Chapter 6
WANT ONE?” ASKED THEO AS he climbed back in the car from charming the cashier for free gas and whatever else he wanted. “Unlike you, doll face, I share.”
I looked at the black and white cookie he offered.
“I only eat them with peanut butter,” I mumbled.
Dani and I had gotten in the habit of dipping Oreos in peanut butter from summer camp.
Theo pulled out a squirt packet of peanut butter. “I know. Come on, I know you want one.” He waved a peanut-butter-slathered Oreo in front of my face.
“Thanks,” I said, taking it from him. “But how do you even know that?”
He smiled crookedly. “I know everything about you, Mara.”
“That’s not unnerving at all,” I replied sarcastically. “If you know everything about me, it’s only fair you tell me something about yourself.”
He looked like he wasn’t going to say anything but surprised me by replying with, “I have a cat. His name’s Nigel. He’s a Russian Blue. Does that suffice as something personal?”
“Not really.” I smiled. “But I’m sure it’s all I’m going to get from you.”
“You’ve got that right.”
We sat quietly in the car as the gas poured in. It clicked, and Theodore hopped out to return the nozzle. A moment later, we were racing down the road. Dark had long since fallen.
I’d be lying if I didn’t say the darkness unnerved me now. It had never bothered me before but knowing something might be out there, watching, hunting me … It was scary.
I watched the speedometer near a hundred miles per hour. We had yet to be stopped by the cops, so I figured Theo had some sort of magic trick to keep them away.
“You can go to sleep,” Theo told me.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
He sighed. “You’re no good to me if you’re dead on your feet.”
I closed my eyes and laid back. “Happy now?”
“Very.”
“Night, Theo,” I said sarcastically.
“Night, doll face.”
“Shit, shit, shit,” someone cursed. “Wake up,” the same voice said and shook me.
I cracked my eyes open.
Theo’s gray eyes were wide and dark with concern. “We have company,” he said as his gaze darted to the rearview mirror. “I need you to drive.”
“What?” I asked, still groggy.
“Move, Mara,” he growled and forcefully switched places with me. “Drive as fast as you can,” he commanded.
I pressed down on the gas. I hated driving in the dark and with the added speed and an unfamiliar car I was spooked. Then I noticed the headlights trailing us, and my heart rate spiked from fright.
“You’re doing great. Don’t worry about them. I’ve got this.” He rolled down the window. “Drive steady.”
“What are you doing?” I shrieked.
“I can’t exactly get them from here, can I?” he snapped as he climbed out the window and onto the top of the car.
“Theo!” I cried.
“You’re doing great, Mara,” he called back, his voice muffled by the speed. I was too frightened to care that he said Mara instead of doll face.
A green light shot from the top of the car and hit the car behind us. The light shot in a single streak before billowing out and enfolding the entire car.
When I looked again, the car was gone.
Before I could rejoice in the fact that they were gone, another car appeared. I heard Theo’s curse above me. Despite my desire to make the car go even faster, I kept it steady.
Theo did something else this time. I watched red and orange flames in the shape of a dragon engulf the next car.
Luckily, this time, another car did not appear. I kept watching for one and apparently Theo did too because he didn’t climb back in the car.
My heart roared in my ears, drowning out the sound of the wind whipping through the open window.
I’d believed Theo when he spoke of these iniquitous that were after me, but believing it and seeing it were two different things.
I was officially terrified.
After a while, I asked, “Theo, are you okay?” Hopefully it was loud enough for him to hear. I hoped he hadn’t fallen off the car. I hadn’t heard a thump or anything, so surely, he was fine.
“I’m fine.” He slipped back into the car easily like he did this sort of thing every day. “Just making sure no more appeared. They’re sneaky bastards.”
“How did they find us?” My voice shook with fear.
“Your guess is as good as mine. Now come on, move on back over here.” He motioned for me to switch places with him.
“Why do they want to kill me?” I asked as we did a very awkward dance changing places.
He flopped down into the driver’s seat, his foot replacing mine. “I told you. It’s because you’re powerful.”
“There’s more to it than that. I can tell when someone’s hiding something. And you are definitely hiding something.”
Theo sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not lying.”
“Yeah, you are. You see, that thing you did with your hands, it’s called a nervous tic.”
“That is not a nervous tic,” he defended. “My hair was in my eyes.”
“Of course it was.”
“I saved your butt. Why are you arguing with me?”
I rolled my eyes. “Thank you for saving me, Theod
ore. Happy now?”
He shook his head. “You’re a piece of work.”
“And you’re annoying.”
He smirked. “I think you like me.”
“Of course you do. You’re a self-centered, egotistical jerk,” I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. Theo brought out the best in me.
He grinned cockily. “When you’ve got it, you’ve got it. And I’ve got it.”
“That was a lot of got its,” I remarked.
“I can’t win with you, can I?”
“No, you’re arguing with a girl. You’re gonna lose.”
He shook his head but said no more. He did drive with a little smirk on his lips, though. Theo turned the radio on which effectively ended further conversation, and I was fine with that.
We drove on and on and I knew by the end of this trip I would never want to be in a car again. I was going stir crazy. All I could to do was look out the window because the minute I tried to read a magazine, car sickness would kick in.
I watched the Welcome to Wyoming sign fly by and then the Welcome to Montana.
As soon as pale morning light began to paint the sky, Theo pulled into a hotel.
“We’re leaving a few hours before dark this time,” he commented. “I don’t want another ambush.”
I grabbed my bag and followed him to an empty room. I didn’t know how he knew it was vacant, but it was. He held his hand to the doorknob, and three seconds later it swung open without a key. It was amazing the things he could do, but I’d never tell him that. He was already arrogant enough as it was.
Theo flopped across the bed, the only bed, and stared at the TV until it came on.
“There’s only one bed,” I cried, my cheeks flaming.
He looked around like he hadn’t noticed. He patted the space next to him and grinned cockily. “Hello, snuggle buddy.”
I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw so that I didn’t start screaming at him.
Calm enough, I said, “For a protector, you’re pretty annoying.”
“How do you know we’re not all like this?” he countered, motioning to himself. “Might be a part of the nature.”
Enchant (The Enchanted Book 1) Page 5
