“What haven’t you done? I’ve stood by for years and said nothing while you tormented that girl. It’s over,” I said.
“Like I said, it’s none of your business.”
“It is now. One more word to or against your cousin, and the truth will come out. I can’t prove everything, but a picture paints a thousand words,” I said.
“You’ll regret this, Rachel.” The call disconnected.
In the past, I would have been worried about Becky’s threat. I would have been even more worried about the idea of my mother finding out I’d used inappropriate pictures to blackmail someone. But given my current situation, the only thing I was worried about was the strange hallucinations I’d suffered earlier in the day. Something was seriously wrong, and I wasn’t completely convinced I could blame it on my migraines. Maybe my greatest fear had finally come to pass and I was losing my mind. Just like my brother, Jeffrey.
Chapter Five
Alisa
Maybe I should have gone to Jace’s house right after school. Going home first just gave me a chance to work up a good case of nerves. My anxiety increased tenfold when I stepped outside and saw Bryce’s pickup in my driveway. I definitely wasn’t looking forward to dealing with Bryce again.
Jace tried to talk and joke around during the ride, but Bryce’s crabby mood put a damper on any attempt at normal conversation. Jace turned on the radio, but it seemed Bryce preferred the uncomfortable silence.
“Touch my stereo again, and I’ll set you on fire,” Bryce hissed, reaching out to turn the radio off. “You have horrible taste in music.”
I stifled a smile. I wasn’t a huge fan of pulsating rap music either. Bryce shot me a glance. I pulled my face back to an expression of solemnity and tried not to breathe.
When we arrived at the Alexanders’ house, Bryce disappeared into another room and I relaxed immediately. Without his intensely cold presence, I felt more comfortable. While his parents finished making dinner, Jace and I sat together on the sofa. He asked me questions about school and Oaktree, and I tried to answer as best I could without making a fool of myself.
I didn’t know what to expect after everything that had happened the previous day, but the Alexanders were just like a normal family. When we sat down in the dining room, his parents insisted I call them by their first names, Abe and Jerica.
Bryce rolled his eyes. In some families, siblings hate each other, so maybe Bryce was being brotherly. Or maybe he was being a jerk.
“Thanks for coming over tonight, Alisa,” Jerica said. “And thank you for giving us a chance to offer you some explanations. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, but before we eat, is there anything you wanted to say?”
“Um, no. I can’t think of anything right now.”
“Really? You had an encounter with a Hunter yesterday, and you can’t think of anything to say?” Bryce chuckled. “Wow.”
“That’s enough, Bryce.” Abe threw a thunderous look at his older son. “Tone it down, or leave the table.” He turned his attention to me. “Jace told me what happened yesterday and I think you might have misinterpreted the situation.”
“Abe,” Jerica cautioned. He lifted one hand and she went silent.
“If you can tell me what you saw, I’m sure I can offer you a rational explanation for what happened.”
“I…I can’t really explain it,” I stammered. There was no way I was going to sit there and talk about magic and Hunters. If Jace already told his dad what had happened, why was Mr. Alexander asking me to go over it again?
“Well, if she can’t explain it, then I guess this conversation is over,” Bryce said. “It was all a bad dream. You can go home now.”
A frown furrowed my brow. It wasn’t a bad dream. As much as I wanted to believe nothing happened, I knew it did. Bryce knew it too. I’d come over to Jace’s house with the expectation that someone was going to tell me what was going on, but instead, they just wanted to know what I remembered so they could lie to me and explain it away. It sucked.
Jace must have been thinking along the same lines because he came to my rescue. “Come on. She knows what she saw. She remembers everything that happened. Are we going to tell her the truth, or not?”
Jerica nodded to her son before turning her gaze on her husband. They looked at each other for several long seconds, and at last, Abe sighed.
“Alisa, I’m going to say some things tonight which may sound unbelievable, but I assure you I will be as straightforward as possible. There is magic in our world. Not everyone believes in it, but it’s there nevertheless. Our family’s heritage is based in magic. Our bloodline is a mixture of human and an ancient people known as the Fae.” Abe paused, waiting for my reaction.
Whatever it was I’d expected them to tell me, this wasn’t it. I glanced around the room, looking for the hidden cameras. I wondered if I’d stumbled onto the set of a strange, new reality show. I hated to think I was the butt of an elaborate joke. My gaze settled on Bryce who wore his usual expression of borderline rage. Jace couldn’t quite meet my eye. He fidgeted with the silverware in front of him. Jerica and Abe met my searching gaze and I couldn’t help but believe Abe’s explanation. Nothing else made sense, so I decided to cast aside my skepticism long enough to hear what Abe had to say. He must have seen a look of acceptance, or something like it, pass over my face, because he nodded to Jerica and continued speaking.
“The creature you encountered in the field yesterday was a Hunter, a half-Demon. He was drawn to Jace’s magic,” Abe explained.
Bryce interrupted with a sneer. “Because Jace is too much of an idiot to mask his powers. If he’d kept using the suppression spells…”
“Last chance, Bryce,” Abe snapped.
“I can’t freaking believe we’re doing this. If Central found out…” Bryce threw a nasty glance my way, and I looked down at the empty plate in front of me.
Abe stood up and motioned for his older son to do the same. Bryce followed his father into the kitchen. Jerica began to speak, but when the oven alarm buzzed, she excused herself and disappeared.
“Sorry about my brother,” Jace said. “He’s only nineteen, but he thinks he runs the whole house. I don’t know how Mom and Dad can stand him…”
“Don’t worry about it,” I interrupted. I didn’t want his parents to overhear us talking about his family. I didn’t want them to think I was sneaky or disloyal.
“Hey, I’ll be right back. I have this amazing CD you totally need to listen to. It’s this band from Denver and I know the drummer,” he said, bolting from his seat and shooting down the hallway.
“No…” But it was too late. Alone in a strange dining room in a strange house, I had no choice but to listen to the raised voices on the other side of the door.
“…tell her who we are. But you’re seriously going to tell her why we’re here? That’s going too far, don’t you think?” Bryce’s angry words assaulted me through the closed door.
“I have a good feeling, Bryce. I see a good outcome.” Jerica spoke so softly, I had to strain to hear her.
“Perception,” Bryce spat. “Little good that did you when…”
“Don’t say it,” Abe shouted.
Jerica interrupted. “Help me with this, Abe. Bryce, go back to the dining room.” The door opened. Bryce stared at me with undisguised disdain. He slammed the sliding, wooden door shut, causing me to flinch.
“Did you hear all that?” he asked, striding toward me. “You don’t belong here. You aren’t one of us.” He stood over me, so close I could feel his breath on my face, and I tried to blink back tears of confusion and fear.
“I couldn’t find it…” At the sound of Jace’s voice, Bryce disappeared and was in his seat with an innocent expression plastered on his face.
Jace’s parents entered the room, casserole dishes in hand, and began to pass the steaming food around. When everyone was served, Jerica smiled and began speaking as if the angry exchange in the kitchen had never occurred.
&
nbsp; “The magical community is secretive,” Jerica said, “but we believe we can trust you, Alisa. Our family came to Oaktree for a reason. I’m a First Watcher. It’s my job to supervise Warriors, Protectors, and other magical people in my territory and to report Demon and Hunter activity to our Central Headquarters. Abe’s job is to serve as my Protector.”
She continued, “One of my most sacred duties as a First Watcher is to identify and train Innocents—descendents of the Fae who are unaware of their heritage.”
“It isn’t you, so don’t get any stupid ideas,” Bryce mumbled in my direction. He stuck his finger in his full glass of water, and the liquid began to bubble.
“You’re too old to play at the table,” Jerica said. Then turning to me, she continued speaking. “I believe the Hunter who attacked Jace was drawn to Oaktree by the presence of an Innocent. Obviously, until we can identify and offer protection, this person is in danger. Jace…”
“…is an idiot,” Bryce said.
“…is lucky he wasn’t killed. An untrained Spellbringer is no match for a Hunter. It takes a skilled Spellbringer to…and then sometimes…” Jerica trailed off, her voice trembling.
Abe gave Jerica a reassuring smile and began speaking. “Our son, Royce, was killed by Hunters five months ago. He was only twenty-two, and had almost completed Warrior training.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered. Abe flashed me a grateful, but watery smile.
“Magic is both a gift and a curse, especially for one who is untrained,” Abe said.
“Like Jace,” Bryce interrupted. Jace glared at him, looking as if he was about to jump over the table and beat his older brother to death.
Abe broke in before a fight could ensue. “Training takes time. Magic is a tool very few have at their disposal. It can be a remarkable gift, but until it’s controlled, it can be a danger as well.”
“Dad, can I say something?” Jace asked.
“I don’t see why not.”
“Oh, great,” Bryce said. “We get to hear a lecture from the idiot who spends all his time worrying about getting a date to the school dance.”
“Like you were dedicated to training when you were in high school. How many times were you suspended senior year? Weren’t so worried about training then, were you?” Jace was livid.
“I did my work. I knew enough to get accepted by the Warrior Training Bureau at eighteen. If you weren’t so …” Bryce stopped when he saw the expression on his dad’s face. “Sorry Dad… Mom,” he mumbled.
“Jace, please continue,” Abe said.
“Alisa, I don’t want you to be freaked out by everything you heard. For the most part, we’re just like everyone else.” Jace flashed me a crooked smile.
Bryce set out on a mission to undermine his brother’s declaration. He stared directly at me as he picked up a fork and dropped it. Before it clattered to the table, he lifted his hand a few inches above it. The charmed utensil spun in the air. Bryce flashed me a wicked smile as I gaped in shock. Jerica slapped his hand, causing the fork to fall to the table. Jace shot his older brother a menacing look and gave up on his explanation.
I helped Jerica clear the table and prepare dessert. As we feasted on chocolate cake, conversation drifted from the supernatural to the mundane. I noticed the Alexanders kept their explanations fairly brief, but that was okay. I’d learned enough thanks to Bryce’s scathing comments. I snuck a glance in his direction and he quickly looked away. Bryce watched me the rest of the evening when he thought no one else was looking. I knew he resented my presence and I hated being the object of such animosity.
“Alisa, we’re having a barbeque on Saturday if you’d like to come over. Nothing fancy, just family,” Jerica said casually.
And so began my relationship with the Alexander family.
Chapter Six
Rachel
Too fearful to take my morning run, I slept in an extra thirty minutes. After the incident the day before, I was afraid to go to school. For the first time in my life, I actually considered skipping and staying home. What if it happened again? I couldn’t handle another day of hearing voices—imagined or real. Nor did I want to spend eight hours drowning in the emotions of others. I was certain to put on my necklace, the one my father said would keep my migraines at bay and keep me safe. Even though I wasn’t usually superstitious, I needed all the help I could get.
Unfortunately, no piece of jewelry could protect me from Becky. After our argument, she was sure to make my life difficult, so I braced myself for a horrible day. I could still pick up on other people’s emotions and a few stray thoughts, but it was muted and somewhat manageable.
While in class, I was too focused on my studies to worry about Becky, but cheerleading practice was a different story. She used any excuse to criticize me and by the end of the afternoon, everyone on the team figured out Becky had excommunicated me from her friendship circle.
After practice, I changed clothes and sat out on the bleachers, waiting for football practice to end. My mother had confiscated my car keys the night before because I hadn’t completed my chores, so I either had to walk home or wait for Robert to give me a ride. After my morning run the day before, there was no way I was going to walk home by myself. I was still too frightened.
The longer I sat on the bleachers, the more uncomfortable I felt. Even though I told myself I was being silly, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. I’d never been afraid of the woods before. After all, I’d grown up playing in the wooded area behind our house. During the warm summer days of my childhood, my brother and I used to sit on the bank of the creek all day holding a fishing pole. We used to swing on the kudzu vines overhanging some of the taller trees. I’d never been the type of girl to allow my imagination to run wild, but now I couldn’t stop seeing things that weren’t there.
My feeling of unease grew exponentially with each passing moment. I had an overwhelming urge to put as much distance as possible between myself and the woods. When I could no longer stand the tingling, prickling feeling on the back of my neck, I got up and jogged over to the football field. Robert threw his helmet to the ground at his feet and wrapped me in a sweaty hug.
“Let me go inside and shower,” he said as I squirmed away from him. “You gonna wait out here?”
I cast a quick glance toward the woods and thought I saw movement. “No. I think I’ll wait in the gym.”
When Robert and I left the gym several minutes later, I thought I saw something in the trees behind the main school building. “Did you see that?” I asked, gesturing toward the back of the school.
“Yeah,” he said, shrugging. “I think it was a deer or something.”
“Oh, yeah. You’re probably right,” I agreed. Robert was probably right, but my shoulders still sagged with relief once we were in the car with the doors locked. By the time we left the parking lot my fears were forgotten. I ignored the vibrations in the air that surely signaled changes were coming. After all, nothing exciting ever happened in our town.
***
Robert picked me up Friday night for a party. Katie’s parents were out of town, and everyone was supposed to get together for a night of drunken idiocy. I didn’t drink, nor did I approve of others doing so, but it was impossible to change things. I made a lot of noise about not wanting to go, but in the end, I bowed to Robert’s wishes and allowed myself to be swept along on a wave of peer-pressure.
He tried to kiss me the moment I hopped into his car, but I pushed him away when his lustful thoughts poured into my mind. I couldn’t bear for him to touch me again, so I tried to stay out of reach by pressing myself as close to the door as possible. It was going to be tough trying not to brush up against anyone at the crowded party. Anxiety made my palms sweat.
“You okay?” Robert asked, noticing my odd behavior.
“Just a little headache,” I said. “Mind if I open the window?” Robert pressed the control to lower my window a few inches.
We rode along in silence. The p
arty was on the other side of town in one of the newer subdivisions. Practically everyone in our school was there. Several people called my name the moment we walked in the door, while a group of football players shouted to Robert. We went our separate ways for a about a half hour or so, drifting from one group to another and greeting friends.
One thing that bothered me was the fact that I kept searching for Jace in the crowd. I wondered if he’d been invited. Surely Becky would have asked him to come. Why did I care so much about whether or not Jace was going to be there? It’s not like we were friends. I’d never really talked to him. Becky had already made it clear he was her conquest and therefore off-limits. That in itself should have encouraged me to steer clear of Jace. Becky and I might have had a falling out, but I didn’t need to antagonize her deliberately.
Spellbound (Spellbringers Book 1) Page 4
