Jace complied, looking sheepish and uncomfortable.
“Is there anything you wanted to talk to me about in private?” Jerica asked the moment we were alone.
“No. Not really.”
“Are you sure? You seem like you have something on your mind.”
I had a lot on my mind. Not just Jace and our argument, but the Hunter attack. And Re’Vel. And why the Alexanders had never taught me Transport. Were they deliberately trying to hold me back like Re’Vel had accused them of doing in my dreams? Wait… Re’Vel wasn’t real. He was a figment of my imagination. Maybe a manifestation of my own doubts and suspicions. So why did it feel as if he were as real as Abe and Jerica?
I spent the next thirty minutes with Jace and Jerica fussing over me. I worried about getting home before curfew, and then berated myself about caring about something so trivial when I should be worrying about Hunters and how long it would be before I was trained enough to be able to take care of myself. Jerica mentioned Protectors several times while we waited for Abe to return, and though I deflected her suggestions with half-hearted responses, there was no way I was actually going to accept a full-time Protector into my life.
“Rachel,” Jerica said. “We need to decide what to say to your mother. I think it might be time to talk to her about who you are. You can’t keep it a secret forever, and I think she should know the danger you could be facing.”
I shook my head and Jerica reached out and held my hand.
She sighed. “You don’t have to explain everything tonight, but you need to tell her something. Do you want me to help you talk to her?”
I appreciated the offer, but there was no way I was going to tell my mother anything about magic. “Thank you, Jerica, but I think I’d better talk to her alone. I’m not sure what I’ll say yet, but you’re right. I’ll have to say something.” I tried to be as kind as possible while rejecting her offer.
“Okay, sweetie. I’m always here to help if you need me,” she said. I could tell this discussion wasn’t over. Jerica might have decided to cut me a break for tonight, but this conversation would be resumed sometime in the near future.
The front door opened and Abe stepped inside. “Everyone okay?” he asked.
“We’re fine. I’ve been talking to Rachel about hiring a full-time Protector. She promises she’s going to give it some serious thought,” Jerica said.
“Well, she needs to give it more than just thought. After what I found out tonight, we need to put a plan in motion immediately.” Abe, sounding very grave, took a seat next to Jerica.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Quinn and Craig were still at the site when I went back to get Rachel’s car. We spoke for a few minutes. They’d heard something from one of the Warriors out of the Southwest District who’d tracked Re’Vel from Southern California to the Georgia border. They think Oaktree is his destination.”
“Re’Vel?” Jerica repeated. “Why wasn’t I informed of this sooner?”
Re’Vel? No. It was impossible. Re’Vel was real. Not just a figment of my imagination. Oh, my God. If Re’Vel was real, and my dreams were more than just dreams, what did this mean for me? Re’Vel was in Georgia? My numb, cold hands felt detached from my body and my face was frozen, but the Alexanders were too distracted by their discussion about Re’Vel to notice that I’d gone into full blown shock.
Jerica and Abe’s voices penetrated the strange rushing in my head, and I struggled to make sense of their words.
“I’m calling Central tonight. This is outrageous. I should have been informed the moment a Demon crossed into my territory,” Jerica fumed.
“Honey, we don’t know if it’s true. Let Craig and Quinn find out more. They’re going to report to you tomorrow,” Abe said.
“They damned well better. I can only think of one reason why Re’Vel would be in Oaktree,” Jerica said.
“I thought Re’Vel wasn’t our enemy,” Jace said. “Not really.”
“Make no mistake, son. All Demons are our enemies. Re’Vel might have helped us in the past against a mutual enemy, but that doesn’t make him a friend,” Abe said.
Re’Vel. Demon. I couldn’t wrap my head around everything they were saying. I knew why Re’Vel was in Oaktree. For some reason, he’d taken a liking to me. He was coming after me.
I wanted to tell Jerica about Re’Vel, but I couldn’t do it. What would they think about me if I told them I’d been dreaming about Re’Vel all this time, but hadn’t mentioned it? We were supposed to have a “no secrets” policy. Abe and Jerica would be furious if they found out I’d kept Re’Vel a secret all this time. And it wasn’t just about Abe and Jerica. I didn’t want to damage my chances to mend my relationship with Jace. Admitting my near romantic relationship with a Demon was sure to be the kiss of death to any chance we might have.
Re’Vel wasn’t just a dream, and that put everything that had happened in a different light. We’d shared confidences, embraces, love. Basically, I’d cheated on my boyfriend with a Demon. I may not have known much about the magical world, but I knew this didn’t make me a good person.
“Rachel,” Jerica said. “Do you think you can drive, or do you want to leave your car here overnight? One thing’s for certain—Abe will either drive you or follow you home. You aren’t going anywhere by yourself.”
“I don’t think I can drive, but if one of you could drive my car home, I would appreciate it. I don’t want to inconvenience anyone, though. I’ve already been enough of a burden lately.” I was on the brink of bawling.
“Oh, sweetie, of course you’re not a burden,” Jerica said. “You’re part of this family and you would do the same for us if we needed you to. Come on, let’s get you home.”
Abe drove my car while Jace and I followed in the truck. We were almost completely silent on the drive home. Jace made numerous apologies while I tried to assure him I wasn’t angry. It was true. I was still hurt, but if anyone had a right to be angry, it was Jace. Of course, Jace didn’t know about my infatuation and dream-relationship with Re’Vel. If he had, he wouldn’t have been nearly as kind and apologetic.
My mother greeted me the moment I walked in the front door. I knew I wasn’t in trouble. I still had five minutes to spare until curfew. I would have some explaining to do about the car, so I decided to take the plunge and jump right in.
“Mama, I had some trouble with my car and…”
“What happened? Are you hurt?” Leave it to her to overreact.
“I’m fine. My tire blew out and I went into a ditch. Mr. Alexander came and put the spare on, but I was pretty upset, so he helped me get home.” I concentrated on keeping my explanation as simple as possible.
“Oh, Rachel, you should’ve called. I’ll have to thank Mr. Alexander,” she said.
I swayed a little on my feet as I started toward the stairs.
“What’s wrong? Are you sure you didn’t hurt yourself? Maybe you hit your head when the tire blew out. How fast were you going when it happened? Were you wearing a seatbelt?”
It was time for me to take control of the situation before the paramedics were called. Mentioning magic, Hunters, and Spellbringers was absolutely out of the question. In my opinion, it was never really an option.
I took a deep breath. “Mama,” I said, pushing a thought ever so lightly into her brain. When I felt the connection, felt her succumb, I said, “I’m fine. I’m just tired. There is nothing to worry about at all.”
“Okay, Rachel,” she replied. I exhaled a huge sigh of relief. “We’ll take care of the car tomorrow. I’m just glad you weren’t hurt.”
With leaden feet and a heart filled with despair, I climbed the stairs to my bedroom, yearning for the days when my life had been easy. How could things have changed so drastically?
“Rachel,” Jace called across our link. “Is everything okay?”
“Goodnight, Jace,” I replied before severing our connection. I fell across my bed, and although I wanted to cry myself to
sleep, to drift off into the oblivion of slumber, I couldn’t do it. Re’Vel would find me there—my own personal nightmare. I struggled to stay awake until the early hours of the morning, but at last, my tired eyes could take no more.
I shut off my magic the way Jerica taught me, my link to Jace included. I called upon my church upbringing, mumbled a desperate prayer, and succumbed to emotional and physical exhaustion. In my dreams, I could see the forest, but I chose to run the other way.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Alisa
A week before Bryce’s anticipated return, I received a very alarming email. It was about ten o’clock at night, and I had just stepped out of the shower and settled back in front of the computer. I clicked on his newest email and my mouth gaped open as I read.
Alisa,
Central just received word of another attack. No casualties have been reported, but additional back up has been requested. I’ll send an email to Dad right away. For once, I am praying you’re not with my family. Please, please be at home, Alisa. Send me an email to let me know you’re okay, then if you can, call Jace and find out what the hell is going on.
Love,
Bryce
I dialed Jace’s cell phone and listened to it ring while I typed out a quick email to let Bryce know I was at home, and therefore, safe. Jace’s phone rang six times before his voicemail picked up. I tried Rachel’s phone and the same thing happened. No one picked up the home telephone either. Panic began to set in.
I spent the next hour alternately dialing cell phones, burning up the Alexanders’ home phone, and sending Bryce reassuring messages. I was completely worn out and borderline hysterical by the time Jerica called me back a little after eleven.
“Is everything all right?” I yelled into the phone, probably bursting Jerica’s eardrum.
“Everyone is fine, Alisa. I’m so sorry. I should have known Bryce would have told you about the call for assistance. I’m sorry for not calling you sooner and for making you worry,” she apologized. Typical Jerica—she always worried more about others than herself.
I rapidly typed an email to Bryce, letting him know everyone was safe and that his mom was on the phone with me. “I’m just glad everyone is okay. What happened?”
Jerica gave me a quick, but detailed account of the Hunter attack. It was amazing that Rachel was able to escape virtually unscathed. I couldn’t wait to see her just to reassure myself she was okay.
I typed another message to Bryce, trying to replay Jerica’s version of events. After hitting the send button, I realized Abe had most likely sent the same type of email to his son. Oh, well. I was a little surprised I hadn’t heard from Jace yet, but he was probably too concerned with Rachel to think about calling me.
Bryce and I sent several more emails back and forth in fairly rapid succession, each of us speculating about the attack and the rumor that a Demon was lurking around southern Georgia. Not exactly a regular occurrence in this neck of the woods. I finally insisted that Bryce go to sleep. It was extremely late where he was and he had examinations to contend with in the morning. I received one final message from Bryce before he went to sleep.
Dear Alisa,
Every time I hear about some horrible event back home, I can’t breathe out of fear of losing you. The most recent incident has only reinforced what I’ve known for a long time. I love you and I can’t stand for us to be apart for months at a time. Since you and Rachel seem to attract trouble, I have definitely decided not to continue my training in the fall. My mom may have ordered additional Warriors to cover the area, but I think I’d prefer to protect you myself. I hope you’re not disappointed by my decision to abandon my calling as a Warrior only to take up residence in a small town, attending a small college. I miss you, Alisa. More than you could ever know.
Love,
Bryce
I realized after reading his email that Bryce had some deep-seated insecurities—yet another thing we had in common. He feared I would not love him as much without the glamorous sounding title of Warrior. I worried he would become bored with a silly high school girl and seek a sophisticated woman for companionship. I suspected we were perfect for each other. We were both completely unbalanced.
***
I expected to receive a call from Jace the following morning filling me in on the crazy events from the night before. As morning turned into afternoon, I decided to go ahead and call him. He sounded completely exhausted when he answered the phone. I could tell he didn’t want to talk to me. Something beyond last night’s attack was weighing on him, and for some reason, he didn’t want to tell me what it was. Jace continued to act evasive and uncommunicative, and eventually succeeded in getting me off the phone.
My attempt to contact Rachel was completely fruitless. She didn’t answer my phone call and never returned my text messages. I tried to convince myself she was still upset from the night before and would respond when she felt better, but in my heart, I knew something was wrong. Just thinking about Jace and Rachel filled me with anxiety. I decided to stay home that day. No trips to the Alexander house for me. I would stay by my beloved computer and focus my attention on the guy who appreciated every word I typed.
Bryce had a rough day of final exams. Even though he’d decided to leave for good, he still put forth the effort to finish in good standing and to gain his Protector ranking. I tried to talk him into waiting until fall to make a final decision. Not because I was trying to get rid of him (as he feared), but because I didn’t want him to burn any bridges.
I decided not to tell him about my concerns regarding Rachel and Jace. Bryce had quite enough to worry about, so I tried to send him upbeat, happy emails, at least until his examinations were over. Each time I remembered I would be able to see him in less than a week, shivers of anticipation wracked my body. I found myself reverting back to my old ways, fantasizing about our reunion and rehearsing in my mind every word I wanted to say to him.
I didn’t want to head down into the dark abyss of the fantasy world of years past, so I came up with a cool strategy to occupy my mind in between emails from Bryce. I carried my I-pod everywhere, earbuds plugged into my ears, volume turned up, singing along to each song at the top of my voice. It was obnoxious, and my parents were probably ready to kill me, but it worked. Each time I lapsed into a daydream, I forced myself to concentrate on each and every lyric I bellowed. I congratulated myself on my creative and effective solution.
After three days of Rachel ignoring my phone calls and Jace rushing me off the phone, I decided I’d had enough. I borrowed my dad’s deathtrap of a truck and headed over to the Alexander home without even calling first. Jerica answered the door by pulling me into a fierce hug.
“Long time, no see, kid. We’ve missed you,” Abe announced, smiling from ear to ear. “I’ll go get Jace. He’s been hiding in the basement.” Abe disappeared down the steps.
“I’ve been worried about him,” Jerica confided. “According to Jace, he and Rachel had an argument just before the attack. She rushed out of our house and the attack occurred immediately after, so Jace blames himself. Rachel has barely spoken to Jace since. He won’t talk to us. Maybe he’ll talk to you.”
Heavy footsteps sounded on the steps, followed by a sullen-looking Jace. “Hey,” he mumbled as he slumped into the room and onto the sofa in one seamless, lazy movement. His eyes were brimming with exhaustion and despair.
“Hey, yourself,” I said, sitting down next to him. “So, it’s been a crazy week, right?” I paused, waiting for him to say something. The conversation was going nowhere and someone needed to take charge. I wasn’t a take-charge kind of person. I waited in vain for the friendship fairy to come and make everything better, but as always, she failed to show. It was up to me. I had to do everything, apparently.
“I’m not leaving here until you tell me what’s wrong, so you’d better start talking.” I thought I was off to a good start—firm, yet friendly. “Now, if I’ve done something to offend you, tell me. If
not, then stop treating me like crap. What’s going on?”
“It’s too hard to explain. Rachel and I…we almost broke up that night. She left the house because of something I said. She was upset, and I just let her drive away. She could have been killed. It was my fault.” Jace looked like he was ready to cry, but I wouldn’t relent. He needed to get this out in the open.
“What was your fault, Jace? The fight? Okay, maybe. But the attack would have happened regardless. Your argument didn’t cause her tire to blow. Stop blaming yourself. That’s just stupid.” I hesitated for a second before asking, “What were ya’ll fighting about that almost caused you to break up?”
Jace couldn’t look me in the eye, so I knew it was bad. “We started off fighting about something totally stupid. Rachel was lecturing me about the way I treated my parents. She said I should stop bugging them about getting me a car. She was right, I mean, I have been acting like an ass. I called her preachy and said she reminded me of an old woman. I told her she was just like Bryce and maybe she should have hooked up with him instead of me.”
Spellbound (Spellbringers Book 1) Page 23
