by Lila Kane
But if he knows about the blue fire…he might try to hurt me. No, he might try to kill me.
“How many are left from the group last night?” Ryan asks.
“There can’t be too many. Kane and Wes of course,” Cheyenne says, holding up her fingers. “And…two more?”
“There were twelve of us total,” James says. “Including me, Willow, and you.”
Myra nods. “That leaves nine. Minus the two shapeshifters who trashed my store.”
Ryan touches her arm. “We’ll fix it. I promise.”
“I know. But still–grrr. That’s irritating. Okay.” She relaxes her shoulders and smiles at me. “Anyway. That’s seven. And then…the girl who was here today.”
A pang of anger goes through me. How could Kane have done that to her? “And the vampire last night at the border,” I whisper. “And the other two in the clearing. So…that can’t be right. Only two?”
“Besides Kane and Wes.” Logan squeezes my hip. “This is good. Let’s find the last two and make sure they’re not causing any problems. I have a feeling Wes is sticking with Kane.”
“And probably causing problems of his own,” James mumbles.
He’s standing with my mom at the back of the group. I’m still angry with him for not telling me about the blue fire, but we need him on our side.
And pretty soon we’ll have another witch here. One who’s intimately familiar with Logan. That’s going to be fun.
“Just a regular location spell,” I say, stepping forward. “I can do this.”
“Are you sure you don’t want James to do it?” Faye asks.
“I agree,” Logan says. When I look back at him again, his eyes are compassionate. “You need to save your energy.”
“This will be quick and easy. I promise.”
I take off the chain at my neck to use as a locator, and let it swing over the map. Myra’s gaze zeroes in first. “Oh, shit.”
Cheyenne leans in. “What is that?”
I grin at them both.
“That was Grandma’s,” Myra breathes. “Oh my God, Logan! You asked Willow to marry you?”
Ryan whips around, looking at me first, and then Logan. But my gaze is trapped by my mom’s. She gives a small smile.
“You knew,” I say.
She lifts her shoulders. “He asked me.”
My heart twists. I meet Logan’s eyes. He nods, and for a moment, I want to forget all about paranormals and Kane and anything that doesn’t have to do with us. I walk to him and wrap my arms around his neck.
“I love you,” I murmur in his ear.
“It was the next best thing to asking your dad.”
A lump grows in my throat. He knows how much my dad meant to me, and clearly, he’s seen the bond growing between me and my mom.
Unabashed, I lean up to kiss him full on the lips. He holds me close, ignoring the few groans that echo around us.
“We should really focus,” Ryan says after a minute, but there’s a smile in his voice.
Myra’s hands are held together in front of her like she’s going to clap. “Oh, please, you have to let me make your wedding cake. And–”
“Ryan’s right,” I say. “Let’s focus. Let’s get this done, and then we can celebrate and plan whatever we want.”
Cheyenne smiles at me as we lean over the map again. “Interesting timing.”
I can’t help but grin at her. “I like to do things the hard way.”
“I noticed.”
I focus my energy on the map and my locator. The diamonds sparkle in the light as the ring makes large swoops across the map, and then in circles. After a moment, it stops on the south side of Shadow Hill.
Ryan frowns. “There’s barely anything over there. Just a bunch of abandoned houses.”
“Makes sense,” Cheyenne says. “If they’re hiding out.”
James nods. “The two left are a werewolf and shapeshifter.”
“The werewolf probably isn’t going to be causing too much trouble right now,” Cheyenne says.
“That might be her.”
“Let’s find the other one,” I suggest.
I let the ring swing again, and this time it’s quick. So fast, the necklace jerks straight out of my fingers as the ring sticks to a familiar spot on the map.
Logan’s voice is right behind me, the words Shadow Hill Hotel deep in my ear as my world blends into another one.
Kane’s.
It’s like astral projection in a way, but my body hardly feels like it’s there. It’s me, invisible, in a room at the hotel with Kane, Wes, and the other shapeshifter.
“Just leave this town,” Wes is saying.
Kane paces one way and then the other, walking by the bar where he’s got a glass of something dark. It’s the same room he kept me in for weeks when I thought I was on his side. When he influenced me and erased my memory.
His voice is agitated when he says, “You know as well as I do that we can’t walk out of here. The place has a spell on it.”
“Then let’s get her to take it off.”
Kane faces Wes, looking like he’s talking to a small child. “And leave? We didn’t come here just to walk away when things started to get good.”
The other shapeshifter grins at Kane. “The blue fire.”
My breath hitches, and I start to cough. There are hands on me and for a moment I’m afraid it’s Kane. My fingers charge with energy.
“No, Willow, hey–it’s me.”
Logan’s face fills my vision. An orb of blue glows between us. He winces, turning his head away.
“Willow.” Faye sets a hand on my shoulder. “You’re safe.”
I squeeze my hands together, making the blue light fade. My fingertips still tingle as a wave of dizziness hits me.
“I need to…” I cling to Logan. The words are thick in my mouth.
“Willow.” He glances behind him, and then helps me to the couch. “Sit.”
“I’m sorry,” I murmur, leaning over so far my forehead almost touches my knees. “Dizzy.”
“What did you see?” James asks.
“Give her a minute,” Logan snaps.
I hear Myra’s voice. “I’ll get some water.”
Sitting next to me, Logan rubs my back. “Maybe your mom can make you something, to help you sleep. You can get some rest and then–”
“No. We don’t have time for that.”
His jaw clenches. He glances over his shoulder, maybe at Faye. Maybe for backup.
I squeeze his leg, slowly raising my head. Myra returns with the water and I drink it gratefully.
“Is the other shapeshifter at the hotel?” Ryan asks.
I nod. “They all are. The other shapeshifter, Wes, and Kane.”
Logan blows out a breath at the last name.
“Wes said they should leave but Kane doesn’t want to.” I close my eyes, leaning my head back on the cushions.
“Maybe if we can get the other shapeshifter away from them we can talk to him. Get him on our side,” Myra suggests.
“He’s most definitely not on our side.” I open my eyes. “And I don’t think he’s going to be.”
Ryan folds his arms and leans against the cherry wood lining the fireplace. “Why do you say that?”
I look away. “They know about the blue fire.”
“Shit.” Logan stands, running a hand through his hair. “That’s why they didn’t try to leave.”
“I don’t know if that’s why they didn’t leave last night, but that’s why they’re staying now.”
Faye sits on the arm of the couch next to me. “That shapeshifter saw you outside the hospital.”
“That’s right,” James says. “It was Wes. The blackbird. He saw you and he told Kane.”
I set my water aside. “We’ll deal with it. We have to.”
“Maybe we should take care of the werewolf first,” Cheyenne suggests. “One thing at a time.”
Standing, I say, “That’s probably smart.”
/> “I didn’t mean you,” Cheyenne says. “We can take care of this.”
Ryan nods, stepping away from the fireplace. “She’s right. We’ll head over there and see what’s going on.”
“I might be able to help.”
“Sweetie,” Myra says, “I think you’ve done enough for now.”
My mouth drops open. “Very funny. What? You guys are teaming up on me?”
“It’s just until you feel better.” Cheyenne shrugs like it’s no big deal. “We’ll talk to the werewolf, check in at the library because things are probably a disaster without me there–”
“And I’ll grab something for dinner,” Myra takes over with a smile. “Then we’ll figure out our plan for tomorrow.”
Faye nods at me. “You can stay here and rest. It’ll be good.”
I frown at her. “You can stay here and rest. You’re the one who just got out of a coma.”
“And you just broke a decades old spell almost single-handedly,” James says. “Not to mention it’s probably safer for you here.”
The blue fire buzzes in my fingertips when I glare at him. “I’m sorry, but you’re the last person who needs to be telling me what to do.” I face Logan. “Come on, it’ll be fine.”
He doesn’t move. When he lowers his chin to stare at his shoes, I toss up my hands. “This is ridiculous.”
I walk to the table with the map and snatch up my necklace. I put it on again, tucking the ring safely under my shirt.
Logan trails after me, touching my arm. “Can we talk a minute?”
He takes my hand before I can answer and I follow him to the kitchen. He nudges me into a chair in the kitchen, and I’m too tired to argue.
“I know you want to be there to help,” Logan says.
“But you don’t think I should go.”
He smiles and brushes his thumb on my cheek. “I think you’re capable and smart. If you feel like you should be there, you should.”
I look up in surprise. “What?”
“I know you just want to help.”
I glance around, pretty sure he’s trying to trick me. “Logan.”
“Yes?”
“Is this a joke?”
“Why would I joke about this?”
“You wouldn’t,” I mumble. Then I nod, moving to get off the stool. “Good. Okay. Let’s go.”
“Wait.” He steps in front of me, setting his hands on the arms of the tall stool.
“Ah.” I smile at him. “Here it is.”
To my surprise, he chuckles softly. “I’m pretty sure between us all, we could find a way to make you stay here. Not because we don’t think you’re capable, but because you’re about to fall down from exhaustion–”
“I am not.”
He puts his fingers to my lips. “Let me talk, please.”
Crossing my arms, I lift my eyebrows, waiting for him to continue.
“I’ve been watching you,” Logan says.
“Stalker,” I murmur around his fingers.
His lips twitch, but his face goes serious quickly. “I can tell you don’t have much left. I know something happened to you last night and that’s not helping, but I’m afraid if you keep going like this, you’re going to slip.”
His words hurt, but he’s right. I would hate for someone to get hurt because I can’t keep it together. Or because I slide into a vision right when I’m supposed to be helping my friends.
“And then there’s the blue fire,” Logan says. He sets his hands on the arms of the chair again. “If Kane knows–if his group knows–they could be coming for you. And he won’t stop with your memory this time. He’ll take everything. I…”
He trails off, eyes like storm clouds.
Leaning in, I wrap my arms around his waist. His lips brush my hair.
“I’ll be careful,” I say.
“More than careful.”
Glancing up, I smile at him. “You take the lead on this. I want to be there in case you guys need me, but otherwise I’ll stay in the background.”
“Really?”
“Whatever you need me to do to make you feel better.”
“To make you safe,” he murmurs, kissing me.
I return the kiss, long enough Logan pulls back. He grips my chin and peers into my eyes. “You’re not going to make me wait long, are you?”
“For what?”
“To marry me?”
My heart races at the question. A million thoughts whirl through me, like how I’m so young, how we’re in the middle of a paranormal battle and how things could get so much worse before they get better. But mostly…I think about how much I love Logan and how sure I am that this is right.
Before I can answer, Logan smiles gently. “You think about that. In the meantime, we have a werewolf to talk to.”
I’m nervous as we drive through Shadow Hill, and keep an eye out for the blackbird. But the ride is quiet and uneventful, which relieves me. Ryan is right, there’s hardly anything around here except for abandoned buildings. Wind kicks up dust in front of a run-down house with a porch that’s halfway caved in.
“Can you stay in the car?” Logan asks as he gets out.
I nod. “Sure.”
He blinks, then smiles. “Thanks.”
My fingers start buzzing and I look to the house. “She knows we’re here.”
Logan shuts the door and heads toward the house. Ryan and Cheyenne are there in an instant, with Myra heading around the side. I tense in my seat when someone darts from the house. But she’s not attacking, she’s trying to run away.
I put my hand on the door, ready to get out as they disappear around the back of the house. But I remember Logan’s words and try to sit still unless I feel like they’re in danger.
When the blackbird flutters down from the sky and lands on the windshield, my fingers clench tight on the handle. I automatically reach to the lock the doors, but find that Logan already has. My window’s down slightly, and I roll that up, too.
But the blackbird only flies away and disappears through the trees. I try to see where he’s going. To see if he’s going in the same direction as Logan and the rest of the group. I can’t see from where I’m sitting.
Anxious, I unlock the door. My fingertips are buzzing, the blue beginning to light up my whole hands. Which means Wes is probably still here somewhere.
Hesitantly, I put my foot out of the car. It’s not like he couldn’t get in if he wanted to anyway.
I don’t see him until he’s standing right next to me. I hold up my hands, covered with the buzzing blue, just in case.
Wes smiles. “Hi there.”
The vision hits me hard, rocking me backward into the car. When I see my father’s face, full of fear, my heart clutches so tight I can barely breathe. He’s standing close to a protective circle, one someone has sketched on the hardwood floor of our apartment. Everything looks like I remember it. The same furniture, the same shelf of books he always has by the entryway to the dining room. The same broken lamp by the front door that we purposefully didn’t replace because it came from my mom.
“Just tell me where she is, and we’ll leave you alone,” Kane says.
“I won’t tell you anything,” my dad says.
“We already know she’s the Keeper of the Flame.” Kane shrugs. “If you tell us where she is, we can help her, too. Help her when her powers get out of control again.”
“She’s under control. She doesn’t need your help.”
Kane shoots forward so fast, my dad doesn’t have time to move. Kane’s hands are around his throat, teeth bared. “Tell me where she is.”
My dad meets Kane’s eyes. “No.”
Kane releases him with a deadly smile. “Then I guess we don’t need you anymore.”
I see the gleam of something sharp, and as my heart explodes with heartbreak, I come out of the vision.
I’m in someone’s arms.
“That was strange,” Wes murmurs.
I struggle to get away from him, b
ut my legs are too unsteady. Tears stream down my cheeks. “You–you were there. You helped kill my father.”
His grip tightens on me. “Nothing personal.”
My fingers throb with blue energy. Even though my feet and legs won’t cooperate, my supernatural side is kicking in. Trying to protect me.
“Get away from me,” I say through clenched teeth.
Wes grins. Flames shoot from my fingertips. I hit his hand. He howls in pain and tries to put it out, releasing me in the process.
I collapse on the ground, my palms scraping the dirt. The wind whips my hair in my face as I struggle to get to my feet.
Wes’s hand is still on fire, and it looks like it’s spreading. “Put it out!” he yells. “Help!”
In a blur of movement, he’s knocked to the side and Logan’s there, teeth bared. Myra’s on the other side, snarling.
“Help me!” Wes shouts again.
The flames travel up his arm, and Logan steps back in surprise. Myra looks confused, her shoulders relaxing.
I use the door handle to try to pull myself up, but my chest is heaving with sharp breaths. Harsh sobs. For the loss of my father. For the hatred in my heart toward the people who killed him. For the fire on Wes I don’t want to put out.
Logan wraps his arm around me, and I’m so full of emotion, I can barely cling to him.
“Willow.” Alarm coats his voice. He glances from me to Wes. “It’s going to kill him.”
“I know,” I whisper, breath hitching again. “I can’t–I don’t know how to stop it. I don’t know–”
“It’s okay.” Logan turns my face to his shoulder, blocking me from Wes and Myra. Blocking out the world.
“I want to go home.”
He helps me into the car, shutting the door so I don’t have to hear Wes’s screams. I close my eyes, pretending I’m back in the garden at Logan’s house, with Logan smiling at me as he asks me to marry him. I picture us away from Shadow Hill, traveling somewhere–anywhere but here. Happy. Safe.
In a few moments, Logan’s in the driver’s seat. He touches my cheek when I don’t open my eyes. “Sweetheart. Are you okay?”
My chin wobbles, and I turn my face in the other direction. “No.”
His hand slides away. “I’ll take you home.”
