“Apology accepted,” Alisa said graciously. “I always knew you were a good person, Rachel. Deep down, you were never like her. I’m glad we’re friends now.”
“So am I, Alisa. I really am.” And I meant that.
***
Bryce would be home in a week, much to Alisa’s delight and Jace’s displeasure. Jace had used and enjoyed his brother’s truck, and now he hated to give it up. I couldn’t blame him, really. It would be hard to give up my source of transportation after getting used to having it for so long. As the deadline for giving up the truck approached, Jace began harassing his parents with a vengeance. Even after Jerica carefully explained that his older brothers had to wait until graduation to have their own vehicles, Jace continued to beg, plead, and complain.
Given my strict upbringing, I had a hard time understanding how a child could argue with a parent. It would never have crossed my mind to say no to my mother, or even bring up a topic she had previously closed for discussion.
After listening to yet another bout of manipulative pleas over dinner, I decided to talk to him about it. Thanks to Jace, the meal was ruined, and I felt sorry for Jerica for having to feed such an ungrateful son. After I helped clear the table, I suggested to Jace that we should hang out in the basement and talk.
As soon as we’d descended the staircase, he immediately pulled me into an embrace and started kissing me. This was my fault. I’d forgotten that talk in the basement was code for make out in the basement. After regaining my senses, I gave him my sternest look and told him to sit down across from me so we could talk.
“What’s up?” he asked. His crooked, sexy smile almost made me lose my resolve. What was I supposed to talk about again?
“Um, don’t you think you were a little rude to your parents tonight?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Nagging your parents isn’t going to make them buy you a car, Jace. Let it go.”
“You know, that’s easy for you to say. You have a car.”
Hmm. Good point. “Yeah, I know, but your parents obviously have different rules. And it’s not like you can’t use one of their cars whenever you want to…”
“Why do you care so much about me asking my parents for a car?” He leaned back and crossed his arms in front of him.
“Because it’s irritating having to listen to you argue with your parents. You shouldn’t do it at all, but especially not in front of guests. It makes me really uncomfortable, and I can tell by the expressions on your parents’ faces that it makes them uncomfortable too.” And besides, it was totally un-hot to have to listen to my boyfriend whine.
“Well, if it bothers you so much, you can leave. I don’t expect you to understand. You roll over and do whatever your mother tells you to do.” Jace’s voice increased in volume, and his tone dripped with venom.
Part of me wanted to back down, to go back to the way things were earlier in the evening when we were getting along. But Jace had no right to get mad at me for speaking my mind. And I was right. He shouldn’t treat his parents like that.
“It’s called respect, Jace. Do I like everything my mother tells me? No. But I listen to her whether I like it or not. Her house—her rules. Same thing applies to you. As long as you’re living with your parents, you need to obey them.” I matched Jace volume for volume, tone for tone.
“I can’t believe how self-righteous and preachy you sound. You remind me of an old woman, or Bryce. Maybe you and Bryce should have hooked up, and I should have hooked up with…” Jace stopped himself abruptly, but I knew what he’d been about to say.
This was not how the conversation was supposed to go. We were supposed to have a rational discussion until he came around to my point of view. Then he was supposed to apologize so we could kiss and make up. I thought I’d been doing Jace a favor, helping him to see the error of his ways. I had his best interests, and concern for his relationship with his parents, at heart.
I easily filled in the blanks of what he’d been about to say. Alisa. He should have hooked up with Alisa. My head hurt and a stabbing pain shot through my chest. Did he harbor feelings for Alisa, or was he just trying to hurt me any way he could? It didn’t matter. All I wanted to do was leave. I stood up and walked toward the stairs, my limbs heavy and my head spinning.
“Rachel,” Jace called out, both verbally and across our link. I slammed the lid shut on the nonverbal messages he tried to send, leaving him no other choice but to shout up the stairs. “Rachel, I’m sorry. Come on. You know I didn’t mean it. Please.”
I continued toward the front door, away from his ragged pleas for forgiveness, grabbing my purse and keys on the way out the door without even stopping. For once, my manners failed me and I didn’t say goodbye to Jerica and Abe. Fighting back tears, I backed my car out of the driveway without even checking my mirrors.
I couldn’t imagine how our relationship could recover from such a blow. We could both apologize, certainly, but I would always wonder if somewhere in the back of his mind he’d meant what he said. I thought back to the day he found out about Bryce and Alisa, and how strongly he’d reacted. He was vehemently opposed to any relationship between the two of them and he didn’t even know the whole story. How would he have reacted if he’d known Bryce kissed her?
Every look, every conversation Jace had ever shared with Alisa was now suspect. No matter what happened beyond this point, I would always wonder, and things between Jace and I would never be the same. Even if Jace gave me access to his mind, he could still block certain memories. He had become very skilled all of a sudden at putting up security blocks. Maybe it was because he had something to hide.
I was about halfway home when my front tire blew out, causing me to swerve and slide into a ditch. This was bad. I didn’t know how to change a tire, but even if I did, it was too dark to see. Why did I take the stupid dirt road through the woods? It was so isolated out here, with the nearest house almost a mile away.
I fumbled around in my purse for my cell phone, but didn’t feel it. I quickly searched my pockets before remembering that I’d left my phone on the end table in Jace’s basement. I could easily reach Jace through our link, but I wasn’t ready to talk to him yet.
The car would be fine for a while, I decided. It would take me about twenty minutes to walk home—thirty tops. Pulling the keys out of the ignition, I turned on the hazard lights, grabbed my purse, and closed the car door. Walking quickly and purposefully along the dirt road toward my neighborhood, I could see lights in the distance, and with every step I took, they looked a little brighter.
My thoughts began to drift toward Jace once again and my steps slowed. I was so absorbed in my inner turmoil, I almost crashed into the dark form that stepped in front of me. As I turned to run, another figure blocked my escape. Stumbling over a tree-root, I dropped my purse. The moonlight cast an eerie glow along the road, illuminating the Hunter who stood closest to me. He growled and I scrambled to my feet.
“Jace!” I removed the block on our link, hoping his side would still be open. I prayed my stupidity wouldn’t get me killed. Why hadn’t I tried to contact Jace across our link the moment my tire blew out?
“Rachel, what’s wrong?” he replied, sounding worried.
“My car broke down on the dirt road. I started walking…There are Hunters. Two of them.” My growing panic was causing spurts of magic to spark from my fingertips. Jolts of lavender electricity erupted from my palms, causing the Hunters to back away warily.
“I’m on my way. Talk to me.” Jace’s command swelled in my mind, pushing away some of my fear. I held on tightly to the sound of his voice, his presence in my mind.
“Hurry,” I begged. “Please.”
One of the Hunters began to approach. I backed away and moved off the road into the woods. The last thing I wanted to do was get lost in the woods, but with a Hunter blocking each side of the road, I had no choice. I moved slowly, afraid to make a sudden move. Suddenly, one shot toward me and held m
e in his grasp. Dark energy tugged at my magic. I tried everything I could think of to block him, but I wasn’t strong enough. In blind panic, I thrashed around, trying to free myself.
The second Hunter approached swiftly and I knew at that moment I was going to die. But instead of siphoning my magic, he bared his teeth and snarled at the Hunter who was holding me. As air began to fill my lungs again and energy returned to my weakened limbs, I realized I was no longer being restrained.
The two Hunters squared off, ready to fight over me. Too stunned to move, I stood in one spot, swaying on my feet, trying to summon the strength to run.
“Rachel,” Jace screamed in my head.
“Jace…”
A light appeared in the distance, slowly coming closer. An engine roared. Headlights bounced along the dirt road and through the trees, moving slowly and then stopping a few feet away.
“Rachel, where are you? Talk to me. I don’t see you,” Jace screamed in my head.
“In the woods. I…I see your car.” A car door slammed. “Here. I’m in here,” I called.
Jace and Abe thrashed through the woods, distracting the Hunters. The creatures turned in unison, eager to do battle with the newcomers. Headlights illuminated Abe’s face as he lurched toward the Hunters. Twin daggers flew from each hand, impaling both creatures within seconds.
While Abe crouched down to make sure both Hunters were dead, Jace scooped me into his strong, comforting arms. After everything that had happened between us, he was the only one I wanted. I cried in a mixture of pain and relief.
“Are you okay, Rachel?” Jace asked, scrutinizing me closely. “Oh, shit. You’re bleeding.” He pulled off his shirt and used it to dab the side of my face. I cried out involuntarily.
“What happened?” Abe asked.
“She’s got a gash on her cheek,” Jace replied. “Rachel, how did that happen?”
“I…I don’t know. I didn’t even realize I was hurt. I must have cut it when I fell, or maybe the Hunter…”
“It’s okay. We’ll take you back to our house and clean you up,” Abe said. “Jace, a little help?”
“Are you gonna be okay for a second? I can take you to the car…”
“No,” I interrupted. “I mean, yes. I’m okay, but I’ll wait here.” I didn’t want to sit in the car by myself, afraid more Hunters might track me down.
Jace helped his dad drag the Hunters so their corpses were piled on top of each other. “We need to take care of this before we leave,” Abe said. “Your mom called a couple of Warriors, but it’ll be several minutes before they arrive.”
“Are they taking these with them?” Jace asked, gesturing toward the dead bodies. “Or are we disposing of them here?”
“I think here is fine. If you help, we should be able to do it quickly.”
“Okay.” Jace and Abe reached their hands out before them and flames shot from their fingertips. The Hunters’ clothing erupted into flames. They burned quickly and within minutes, were nothing but a pile of steaming ash.
I was so absorbed by the funeral pyre in front of me, I didn’t notice the sound of men approaching until they were practically on top of me.
“Crap,” I yelped when a dark figure walked past me. I stumbled back a step before I realized Abe had been expecting them, and they weren’t Hunters after all.
“Craig, Quinn, thanks for coming out,” Abe said.
“You got started without us,” one man said.
“I figured time was of the essence,” Abe replied. “Can you take over from here?”
Jace led me through the woods and back to his dad’s car while Abe exchanged a few words with Craig and Quinn.
“Who were those guys?”
“Warriors,” Jace said, helping me into the backseat of the car.
“Wait. How did they get here?” I asked, looking around. “I don’t see a car.”
“They probably used Transport.” At my obvious confusion, Jace explained, “Spellbringers can disappear and reappear somewhere else. I can move about a foot or two. Some Warriors can travel several miles. Remember that day at the track?”
I shuddered. How could I forget? It would be burned into my memory, just like tonight would forever be seared into my mind—for more than one reason.
“My dad and I arrived at about the same time, but we didn’t come together. I drove, but my dad was out with my mom shopping. Mom drove him to a secluded spot and then he Transported the rest of the way.”
“Oh. Why didn’t he do that tonight?”
“He wasn’t sure exactly where you were. Without me using our link, he wouldn’t have found you.”
“Jace, thank you so much for coming. I wasn’t sure if you’d…”
“Of course. I’d never ignore you when you need me. Besides, tonight was my fault. I’m sorry. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
Abe opened the driver’s side door and climbed inside, ceasing all conversation between me and Jace. In my heart, I accepted Jace’s apology, but I was still hurt. We had a lot to talk about before things were going to be the same between us, but first, I had to sort out my own chaotic thoughts. Lingering terror prevented me from finding clarity, but there was something about what Jace said about Transport. Where had I heard that word before?
The ignition started and gravel crunched, jerking my thoughts back to the immediate present. I wondered what would happen with my car. What time was it? Was it close to curfew? If so, was my mother worried?
Jace must have picked up on some of my distress, because he sent soothing thoughts across our link. “Calm down, Rachel. My dad will take care of your car and bring it back to the house. I’ll never let anything happen to you again, I promise.” For the moment, I believed him. I always felt safe in his arms.
The second Abe pulled into the driveway and stopped the car, Jerica ran out the front door to greet us. Jace put his arm around me, steering me inside to the sofa as gently as he could. I squinted a little as my eyes slowly adjusted to the bright light of the living room.
“Jace, go get the first-aid kit,” Abe instructed calmly. He spent the next several minutes examining my wound and asking me questions while Jace hovered around looking helpless and concerned.
After assuring him that the cut on my cheek was the only wound I’d suffered, he cleaned it with antiseptic wash. I flinched, sucking in a deep breath when he poured the cold liquid over my wound. Abe held his hand over the cut. I felt a brief stinging sensation followed by ice-cool relief.
“What did you do?” I asked.
“I just used a little bit of magic to speed the healing process.” I reached up and felt my cheek. It was tender, but the flesh had knitted together.
“Jace, what time is it?” Jerica asked, coming into the room with a large glass of water and handing it to me. It took Jace a minute to locate his cell phone and read off the time. It was just a few minutes after ten. “What time do you need to be home before your mother starts to worry?”
“I have to be home by eleven. I’m never late,” I said, remembering how Jace had accused me of doing whatever my mother told me to do. The flashbacks of our argument were more devastating than the memories of the attack. I closed my eyes against the emotional pain.
“I want you to stay here a while longer if that’s okay,” Jerica said as she packed up the first-aid supplies. “I just want to make sure you’re not in shock.” I could read the worry in her eyes as she leaned over me, feeling my forehead.
“I’m going to go put the spare tire on Rachel’s car and bring it back here,” Abe said. “Is everyone going to be okay while I’m gone?”
“Of course, honey,” Jerica said, kissing him on the cheek. “Be safe.”
Abe walked out the front door, leaving me confused. Was he going to walk all the way to where I’d left my car? If he drove, he’d have two cars to deal with. That wouldn’t make any sense. Transport. The word writhed around in my mind. Jace said his dad could use Transport. And I’d heard that word from… I scre
wed up my face in concentration. Re’Vel. I’d heard about Transport from Re’Vel during one of my dreams. But that was impossible. Wasn’t it?
“Rachel, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just a little bit of a headache,” I lied.
“No wonder. What a horrible ordeal,” Jerica said. “Why didn’t you call us? You should have stayed in your car instead of walking.” Her voice was calm, but I could sense the mild reprimand behind her steady words.
“I left my phone downstairs.”
“What about your link?” Jerica asked. I looked down at my lap, reluctant to lie, but hesitant to tell her about the argument between me and Jace.
“Jace, why don’t you go downstairs and get Rachel’s phone so she doesn’t forget it again?”
Spellbound (Spellbringers Book 1) Page 22
