“Thanks, Mer,” I said, realizing how much I missed working in the floral shop with the girls.
Trevor slid his arm around Angela’s waist and led her down the hall, and Jenny seemed awfully bouncy, smiling and laughing with Angela’s parents. I started to shut the door when Dace and Bakula fluttered between the small crack.
“Geesh,” Dace complained, brushing himself off. “Almost got clipped.”
“Oh, sorry!” I said, doing a double take before I attempted to close the door the second time.
Music turned on in the back of the house, and laughter filled every crevice. I had no idea what was actually going on, but I was completely intrigued.
“Are you just going to hang out by the door all night?” Dace asked, aggravated.
“Not at all,” I said, looking over at Logan who always got a kick out of the fairies’ bluntness.
“Right this way,” Logan said, looping his arm through mine, and leading me down the hallway.
Once we reached the kitchen, I realized that something way bigger was going on. Every inch of the counter space and kitchen table had been filled with trays of food. There were beautiful arrangements and tea lights scattered around as we made our way into the family room. Maybe it was my mom’s way of redoing the festivities she missed out on?
Ellsy and my mom were in the far corner talking quite animatedly, and it dawned on me that they were wearing similar outfits, and each wore a miniature rosebud bracelet. Something very suspicious was going on, and I was pretty certain I was the only person who didn’t know what it was.
I slipped my arm away from Logan’s and began to step away, but he grabbed me before I could leave. We were in the center of the room and the lights dimmed. The music quieted to a slight hum, and Dace and Bakula were surrounded by more of their fairy friends who must have slipped in. The flecks of the fairies eyes flickered throughout the room, creating a gorgeous smattering of silver, and I could feel the excited buzz in the air. More people from the coven wandered into the room, smiling and waving.
Logan brought me into him, cradling me in his arms. “I know what we’re facing,” he whispered next to my hair. “But there are a lot of people willing to fight for the same cause as you, myself included.”
My heart sputtered as he took a step back from me. The pounding in my ears turned to a muffled quietness. I felt lightheaded as I looked around the room, everyone waiting for what was about to happen. I saw my mom and Ellsy take a step forward, holding each other’s hands, as they both beamed from ear to ear. Was this really happening?
“I wanted to bring everyone here to show you that you’re not alone,” Logan said. “No matter how hard it might seem or lonely it feels, just know how many people are on your side. Everyone here has brought something for you. But the coven asked me to tell you that no matter what you need, all you have to do is ask.”
I looked around the room at all of the friendly faces and felt tears of joy begin to form. And then felt silly for thinking that this gathering might have been for another reason, like an engagement. Now’s not the time. I’m just glad I didn’t stick my foot in my mouth.
“Thank you for coming to show support. It couldn’t have come at a better time. I think the Praedivinus is cracking, but they may not be the only ones we have to worry about. If we stay vigilant and continue reporting anything suspicious, it will help tremendously. You all have given up so much to get our way of life back, and I can’t thank you enough for your help,” I told everyone and then turned to Logan. “It would be impossible without you.”
The room erupted into applause and whoops as Logan held me.
Aunt Vieta waved at us as she chatted with Angela’s parents. The voices grew louder as the music was turned up. I saw Trevor making his way over, and I squeezed Logan’s hand. “Be nice,” I teased Logan.
Trevor walked up to us and gave me a big hug, with Angela hopping up and down behind him. “I’m really proud of you,” he whispered.
“Thanks, Trev. It’s been a trip so far. Thank you for everything.”
He took a step back and grabbed my hand. Opening it up, he placed something very tiny inside and folded my fingers over the gadget.
“And here’s a little something that might help you guys with checking up on some people or organizations,” he replied.
“Nice,” Logan said, nodding. “That will come in very handy.”
“Come sit down, dear,” my mom said, ushering me to the couch. “It’s going to be a long night, and you don’t want to be caught standing the entire time.”
“Thanks,” I replied to my mom. I glanced back at Logan who was discussing the gadget with Trevor.
“You look a little blue,” my mom whispered.
“Oh no. Are you serious?” I asked, mortified.
“You do,” she confirmed, sitting next to me on the couch. “Were you expecting something else tonight?”
I flushed and stared at the floor, feeling absolutely ridiculous. “No. Well. Maybe. It didn’t even cross my mind until maybe two minutes before he started talking, and then my mind jumped there and then…”
“Ellsy and I both caught it,” she whispered. “But don’t worry. We were the only ones.”
“You’re sure no one else did?” I asked, my heart pounding of embarrassment.
“Doubtful. Sometimes men have no idea the clues they’re giving along the way,” she said, squeezing my hand. “But not to worry, your secret is safe with us.”
Dace and Bakula were on their way over, zipping through the crowd, leaving the rest of the fairies behind. Bakula shrugged her shoulders as she landed on my knee, and I knew I was in for it.
“Don’t know what to say, my dear,” Bakula said. “I thought he was gonna pop the question.”
I hung my head in my hand and started laughing. “Glad no one else thought that, mom,” I replied.
“I think the whole room thought he was going to whip out a ring, dear. It wasn’t just you,” Bakula continued.
My mom and I both couldn’t stop laughing as we caught the attention of Logan, who looked over and smiled and waved, completely oblivious.
I waved back and watched as Angela’s parents wandered over. Natalie, Angela’s mom looked nervous, which was very unusual for her. Then again, this was probably her first time in a room full of witches.
“We’re very new and unfamiliar with everything and have only heard about things through Angela,” Natalie began. “And since things look serious with Trevor, we know we need to get up to speed.”
I smiled.
“Anyway, what Angela doesn’t know is that her great grandmother had a bit of a spirited side. I never knew what to do with this, but it seems fitting for you now.” She opened up her hand and a large opaque blue stone sat there.
“It’s beautiful,” I said.
“That’s blue chalcedony,” my mom said. “It offers protection from evil lore. Wow. That’s very interesting.”
“So it might be helpful?” Natalie asked, smiling.
“Absolutely. Thank you,” I said, giving her a quick hug.
People had begun lining up with their gifts and a swell of emotion hit me. This was what community was about, and this was what we were fighting to keep.
***
We had finished unpacking the last of the boxes and were sitting in the family room when I began to hear it— the soft crunching of gravel outside our window. A spike of fear ran down my bones as I thought about who might be trespassing. Barely anyone knew we were living here. We had just moved in.
“Do you hear that?” I whispered, as the crunching continued.
We were both sitting on the couch, preparing to snuggle in and make it a movie night.
“I do,” he sighed. “Is there not one time where we can just chill?”
The steps were coming closer to the house, and it sounded like only one person, which— under the circumstances— was a welcome relief.
“I’d like to think that it’s just a friendly visito
r, but we need to be cautious,” I said, sliding off the couch.
“What are you doing?” Logan asked, pulling his brows together in confusion.
“We can’t let our shadows be seen. We have to crawl to the window to look outside. If we walk over to the window the person will see us. The light will silhouette us.” I pointed to the window before I got on all fours to begin my journey to where I could look out.
“Seriously?” Logan began laughing quietly, which was infuriating considering the situation we were in. I stopped crawling and shot him a glare, but even as he laughed he was complying. He crouched right behind me, winking at me as we made our movements shadowless.
“Sorry,” he said solemnly, but his eyes spoke another story.
“Laugh all you want, but you know I’m right. I saw it on the Military Channel,” I whispered.
Becoming one with the wall, I snaked up alongside the window and peered from beneath the curtain.
“See anything?” Logan whispered.
“Nothing, and I don’t hear anything either.”
The moment the words left my mouth, glass shattered in the kitchen, followed by a loud thump. Logan took off running toward the ruckus, and I began placing a protective spell around him and the house.
Another window shattered. This time it was in the dining room. We were under attack.
“A gas is being released from some sort of canister,” Logan shouted.
I heard Logan chanting and felt the air change. Every breath felt burdened but clean. He picked up the canister, which had a note stuck to it, and tossed it to me.
“You’ll be fine. I’m not letting this guy get away,” he yelled, as he darted out the door.
‘You’ve been talking about me. Why not come talk to me? If you don’t, our next encounter will not be so innocuous.’
~E. Wenthers
“I guess this was the invitation I was waiting for,” I whispered to myself.
I threw the canister with the note down and raced after Logan. I didn’t see him in the front yard but heard a scuffle around the side of the house. I ran to the noise and saw Logan on top of some guy I didn’t recognize.
“Who are you?” Logan shouted. “Why are you here? What’s your name?” His clenched fist was hovering right above the culprit. The light teal glow around the intruder’s hands and feet meant he was already subdued. He wouldn’t be going anywhere.
“Who are you?” Logan yelled again.
“Tom,” the guy choked out.
“How’d you know where we lived?” I asked, slowly walking over to him.
“I’ve been following you. Mr. Wenthers had me tail you—”
“Logan, we need to turn him over to our guys,” I interrupted, connecting my eyes with Logan’s.
“Sounds like a plan. They’ll know what to do with him,” Logan said, a smile spreading across his lips.
“What are you going to do to me?” Tom’s eyes were nervous and shifty, darting from me to Logan.
“It’s not really up to us,” I said, kneeling down to him. “Why would you take a job like this? Are there a lot of you?”
“I don’t know. There’s a small group of us.”
Logan twisted his fist around Tom’s shirt collar, squeezing the answer out of him. “There’s twelve of us.”
“I’m not guaranteeing your future, but if you’re lucky enough to have one, I’d suggest thinking hard about the path you want to go down. The one you’re on won’t end well for you.” I closed my eyes, watching our intruder’s fate unfold in my mind. Going back to his leader would undoubtedly prove to be deadly for him.
“What are you saying?” his voice trembled.
“I’m saying if our people don’t kill you, yours certainly will. Mr. Wenthers doesn’t look to be too forgiving for witches who can’t complete a mission.”
I texted Trevor the details and he instantly texted back. There was never a moment where he wasn’t reachable. I wondered how Angela felt about that. Maybe it was too early in the relationship for her to care, but I doubted it.
“He’s on his way,” I told Logan.
Logan nodded and stared back down at Tom who was cowering beneath him.
“Now tell me about this Mr. Wenthers,” I directed, raising a brow.
“He’s a very powerful sorcerer,” Tom said. Logan twisted his shirt collar a little tighter. “He’s close to changing the world we all live in.”
“How so?” Logan growled.
“I don’t know the details.” Tom winced as if the lack of knowledge would get him punched.
“Do you hear that?” I asked.
“Sounds like he’s right on time,” Logan said as we heard a car slowing down out front. The car engine wasn’t turned off but a door slammed.
“Around the side,” I called out.
Trevor walked around the corner of the house, his eyes landing on me and then our guy.
“Tom?” Trevor asked, his eyes narrowed.
“You know him?” I asked.
“Yeah. He’s a member of the Praedivinus Order,” Trevor said, glancing at Logan.
“Apparently not any longer,” I replied, shaking my head.
Logan lifted Tom to his feet and Trevor grabbed him and put restraints on his wrists, pushing him toward the car.
“What do you mean?” Trevor asked.
“He said he was sent by the Demonikers,” Logan replied.
“Huh,” Trevor said, pulling him along the side of the house.
“Trevor, don’t tell me you’ve become one of them…” Tom sneered.
We followed Trevor and Tom toward the car, and I’m not sure why, but I was shocked to see Angela sitting in the passenger seat.
“It’s the best decision I’ve ever made,” Trevor replied to Tom. “And if I were you, I’d start thinking seriously about what you plan on doing.”
Angela gave a quick wave and rolled down the window, only giving Tom a sideways glance.
“Hey, Triss.” I caught an edge of excitement in her voice. “Things certainly are a lot more interesting in your world.”
“That’s one way of looking at it.” I smiled and watched Trevor shove Tom in the backseat. He placed restraints on his ankles and closed the door. I felt a wave of relief wash through me, and I realized it had nothing to do with the capture of Tom. It was because Trevor had found someone — someone other than me.
“Trev, we’re taking this as an open invitation. We’re gonna head to Ethan’s home tomorrow,” I said.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” he asked Logan. “Will you be able to control—”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine,” Logan said, cutting him off. “I can’t let my personal stuff get in the way.”
I looked up at Logan, admiring his strength. I only hoped it would be true.
“All right, man. If you need anything, you know to call,” Trevor said, climbing into the car.
Logan looped his arm through mine as we watched them drive off.
“What do you think he’ll do with him?” I asked.
“My guess is scare him a little, enough to impress Angela,” Logan said, laughing.
“You have to admit you’re relieved,” I teased.
“About what?” Logan said, still smiling.
I rolled my eyes and switched subjects. “Do you think Tom really is with the Demonikers?”
“There’s only one way to find out,” Logan said. “And I wish it wasn’t the only way.”
“Let’s clean up the mess. I think there’s a few boards in the garage we can nail over the windows.”
“And get some sleep. I know you’re ready to go, but you can’t constantly run on empty,” Logan replied as we wandered back inside our home.
***
The wind was blowing and darkness made it impossible to see any buildings.
“This doesn’t look inviting,” I said, staring at the elaborate chain-link configuration that was laid out in front of us as we walked closer to the property.
The
crashing of the waves behind us made it difficult for me to completely catch my bearings. I felt off-kilter, and there were other — more ominous — sounds in the darkness. The hum of the electrical fence, and the yips and snarls off in the distance made concentrating on the task at hand, getting inside the property, dicey.
“Do you hear that?” Logan asked, his jaw tightening.
“Which delightful sound are you referring to?”
“The welcoming committee,” he answered. His fists curled into a tight ball, and I saw the hesitation rise with every step he took.
It was impossible not to hear the dogs. The barking was our chorus for the night, which only added to my increasing level of fear. But I refused to reveal how frightened I was even though there was no doubt that the nectunt had already blown my cover to Logan.
“The chain-link fence looks oddly like a maze,” I said, slowing my pace to match Logan’s.
“Or a trap.” He grabbed my hand and stopped me from continuing. “I don’t feel comfortable with this.”
“I don’t think we have much choice. Under the circumstances, I can’t ignore the Demonikers’ invitation. I practically begged for it, and I don’t want any more drive-bys.” I looked over Logan’s shoulder and saw a flicker of light in the distance. “They know we’re coming. They probably already know we’re here. There’s no turning back.”
“There’s always a way out,” Logan mumbled, letting go of my hand.
I looked into Logan’s blue eyes, which were shrouded in darkness.
“I need to plant the listening device and then we’ll get out of here,” I promised.
A huge spotlight turned on from the corner of the property and pointed directly at us, temporarily blinding me. Another searchlight at the far end clicked on and landed on us within seconds. The beams of light danced across the metal fencing and rocky terrain inviting us to press on. We’d have to finish our conversation later.
“It’s now or never,” I whispered.
“I’ve got your back, but you’ve got to promise me you won’t...”
Witch Avenue Series (The Complete Set) Page 76
