I nodded.
Chase frowned. “But you said you guys were just friends.”
I stretched my arm to the rocks again, grabbed ahold, and faced him. “We are friends. I just don’t know what else we are. It’s all very confusing. Even for me.”
“Sounds like homeboy’s the one who’s messing up, if you’re not sure. There shouldn’t be any doubt.” Chase shrugged and then smiled at me. “If you change your mind, believe me—I’d make sure you knew I wanted you. I know I’d be there for you, and I’m damn sure I’d never let you go.” He kissed my cheek softly, and leaned back.
What is wrong with you?
Those five words rang through my head. Chase was right. Roman admitted he couldn’t be with me. But he also said he wasn’t sorry he kissed me. And whether or not he wanted to be with me, I knew that when Chase kissed me it wasn’t right, because it was Roman I thought of.
“And did you say you might be moving?” Chase screwed up his face in surprise, drawing me out of my thoughts.
“Looks like it. Dad got offered a cool new job in Sacramento,” I lied. The moment I did, my stomach twisted with guilt, and I knew I needed to get away.
Who was I kidding? I couldn’t be friends with Chase. Friends don’t lie to each other. He didn’t deserve it. I didn’t deserve him.
“I gotta go, Chase. Thanks for cleaning my locker. You rock,” I said before hopping out of the pool.
I looked over to the far side of the pool where Taylor and Jack were in the middle of a make-out session. “Tell Romeo and Juliet I had to run, will ya?”
Chase climbed out. “You want me to walk you out?”
“Nah, it’s okay, I’m good.” I waved and then turned, running into the house. My wet skin prickled into instant goose bumps when the air-conditioning hit me. Like walking into a deep-freeze. “It’s like a morgue in here,” I mumbled, rubbing my hands up and down my arms.
I ran through the kitchen, my wet feet sliding against the marble floors, heading toward the staircase. The Egyptian eyes on the sarcophagus stared down at me, but I bit my lip and took the stairs two at a time, avoiding eye contact.
I headed to the bathroom where I’d left my clothes, still upset from having hurt Chase, and noticed flickering lights at the end of the hall. They cast shadows dancing across the eerie gargoyle that sat perched like a gate-keeper, awaiting its bidding.
Someone’s voice echoed against the walls, startling me. I followed the sound to the end of the hall and hid behind the creepy statue, curiosity getting the better of me. Its wings were spread wide like a bat in flight, and its eyes were made of crimson red stones that made them look like lasers. Pressing my back to the wall, I bit down on my finger to stop from screaming. Reassuring myself the gargoyle was made of stone, regardless of how disturbing it looked, I peeked out and into the shadowy room where the voice came from.
A woman kneeled with her back to me in the center of the room surrounded by two rows of candles. I clasped my hand over my mouth, scared I would gasp aloud. A row of small, white candles dripped, creating little pools of molten wax on the floor. Behind the wall of white were a mix of red and black candles and the woman held a white satin ribbon.
Her voice rose as she chanted. “With this ribbon I plead for power, growing stronger by the hour. To make me brave when I am weak. To grant the wisdom that I seek. For access to the truths untold, and witch’s blood to soon unfold.”
“True!” Taylor’s voice called out from downstairs.
The woman twisted around, and I jerked my head back behind the gargoyle.
Snap! I’m so caught now. I recognized Taylor’s mother from the picture on her nightstand. Her words lingered in my head. Witch’s blood to soon unfold? Was she a witch too, or trying to become one? Horrifying thoughts rushed in, overwhelming me. Did she know about me, or was she planning to hurt me? Aunt Eva said it was okay to be here, but that knowledge was only partially reassuring. Inching my head out, I saw she had turned away, snuffing out the candles and swiping everything into a bag.
Relieved she didn’t see me, I dashed down the hall without looking back. My heart whooshed in my ears as I reached the bathroom and dipped inside quickly. I locked the door behind me and then leaned against the counter, steadying myself.
“True?” Taylor called from behind the bathroom door a couple of minutes later.
“Uh-huh. I’m just getting changed, Tay. Gimme a minute?” I called out, keeping my voice even.
“Sure.”
I quickly changed and pulled my hair back into a ponytail, anxious to get out of there.
“Mom? What are you doing home?” I heard Taylor say. I tensed.
“Oh, hi, honey. My meeting was cancelled. I didn’t realize you were home.”
I pressed my ear to the door in case there was some comment I might miss. Did Taylor know what her mom was into, or worse, was Taylor really a witch and just not telling me? I couldn’t really blame her if that was the case, since I wasn’t exactly a wealth of information and honesty myself. But then, if Taylor knew her mom was into witchcraft, why did her mom seem to panic when she heard Taylor was home?
“True’s here,” Taylor said.
After a long pause Taylor’s mom spoke up. “That’s nice, dear. You didn’t mention she was coming. Do you girls want something to eat?” Her words came out shaky.
I took in a deep breath, hoisted my backpack on my shoulder, and then opened the door slowly. Stepping out into the hallway, I cleared my throat and said, “Hi, Mrs. Snow,” I reached my hand out to shake hers, and she grasped it firmly. She looked normal enough. Blond hair styled in a pixie cut, make-up so perfect it was as if the woman traveled around with her own stylist. Hard to believe she was the same woman I watched chanting over some ribbon a few minutes ago.
“You hungry, True?” Taylor asked.
I withdrew my hand from Mrs. Snow with a smile, and looked at Taylor. “No, thanks. I’ve really gotta get home.”
Taylor tapped me on the shoulder. “That’s why I came in. I was wondering how you planned on getting home. You took off so fast I could’ve sworn you sprouted wings or something.”
I laughed. “You were a little busy,” I said with a smirk.
Taylor giggled. “I’m just gonna give True a ride home, Mom. C-ya in a bit, kay?”
Taylor’s mom’s gaze roamed over me and then back at Taylor. “All right. Don’t be too long, I’ll order pizza.”
Pizza and witch’s blood, perhaps?
As we walked to Taylor’s car, I suddenly felt claustrophobic. Too many things were happening at once, my life was a mess and I needed time alone to process. Taylor seemed to be better for now, jabbering on about Jack and prom night.
“Hey, Tay. You know, I think I’m gonna walk home…”
Taylor blinked dramatically at me. “Walk? But it’s like a mile away. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, seriously. Don’t worry about me. You take care of you and your mom,” I ticked my head toward the house. “I just need some air…some warm air…you know, now that I’m outta the meat locker.” I snorted. “And maybe you could hang back a few minutes before heading in, so your mom doesn’t know I’m walking and send the hounds after me.”
“Aunt Cujo?”
“Yup,” I said with a laugh, backing away toward the gate. “See ya tomorrow. Thanks for the swim.”
Taylor walked me out, pressing a button to release the gate, and I left.
Taylor’s house was on an isolated road, and in that moment, I was thankful for the quiet. A warm, swift breeze pressed against me and the leaves on the trees above me fluttered, twirling like ballerinas. The gravel crunched beneath my feet, the hot Floridian sun warmed my skin, and the colorful flowers grew wild in the fields. I should’ve enjoyed the walk and the beauty around me, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. I felt anxious. Anxious to get home. Afraid of the shadows under the trees and the unknowns behind the bushes.
Soon my feet hit the sidewalk, and the smack of my flip-flops
sounded out into the silence. Then, someone screamed.
My skin prickled and the fine hairs on my arms stood on end. I twisted around to find the source of the sound, only to see a little girl giggling and screaming as her father chased her around their house, into the backyard.
I released a relieved sigh.
I seriously need to chill.
But I couldn’t. The mostly empty street seemed ominous, and a zing of nervous energy flowed through me. What I’d hoped to be a peaceful walk was quickly turning into paranoia. I quickened my steps, noticing several cars crossing the intersection a few blocks away. I wished I’d worn runners since running in flip-flops wasn’t the easiest task.
A man rushed out of a driveway in front of me, covered in sweat, causing me to jump and squeal. He held his hand up as if to apologize and continued running on past me. His eyes surveyed me as he went.
Everything suddenly seemed so surreal, and I felt like a dog with enhanced hearing. All the background noise I normally didn’t notice suddenly blared. The man’s footsteps slowed down behind me in the distance, until they stopped. A car engine’s whir grew increasingly louder in the distance. I twirled around to see the man stopped behind me, staring at me and talking on his cell phone. He sauntered back toward me, eye’s hollow.
The car! Find the car. They’ll help you. I reached down, yanked off my flip-flops, and threw them at the man. Gripping the handle of my backpack, ready to whip it at him if he touched me, I fled, my feet hitting the pavement as I ran. I listened closely for the hum of the engine, focusing. Reaching the corner, I took a right and saw the car heading in my direction.
Heavy breaths drummed behind me. “Help!” I screamed.
The car pulled over. I knocked on the window, panicking. “Please, let me in!” A swift glance revealed the man had slowed his pace, but still marched quickly in my direction.
The lock popped open and I hopped into the backseat. “That man is chasing me! Please drive,” I wailed to the woman behind the wheel.
“Which man, dear?” she asked almost too calmly. I mean, the man was just a few feet away. Was she blind? “Right there,” I pointed at him accusingly. But he kept walking toward us steadily, staring at me through the windshield, and then at the woman. A twisted smirk crossed his face.
And then it came to me all too suddenly and my legs tingled, growing numb.
A trap.
My breath caught in my throat, and I banged my fist against the seat. “What are you doing?”
Stone-faced, she caught my wrist in a death grip. The man climbed in the car beside me.
“Let me out of here,” I screamed, pulling on the now locked door handle with my free hand. The woman dropped my wrist and drove away.
“Check her, Henri,” the woman said over her shoulder. “dépêchez-vous…make sure it’s really her.”
French, she’s speaking French! Who are these people?
The man reached toward me, lifted my ponytail, and then ran his fingers over my neck. Muttering, he lifted the edge of my t-shirt, looking down my back.
I flung my arm, knocking him in the face. “Get away from me, you pervert. Let me go!”
He yanked my ponytail, snapping my head back. “Stay still, Spectral,” he whispered into my ear.
A sudden coldness hit me at my core. The man knew who I was. I stopped struggling, reality sinking in that I really was the Spectral. I focused on that, and on what happened to me at the beach. I closed my eyes, trying to calm my breathing, and imagined all of my nervous energy rounding itself into a giant ball surrounding me, until finally, his clammy fingers were off my skin, and their voices became muffled.
“What’s going on, Dominique?” Henri asked the woman.
Nausea twisted in my stomach, mixed with pride at the same time. Pride that I’d accomplished something—anything—on my own.
“She’s on to something,” Dominique said, face ashen. “But how did she get that power? Her birthday’s not for two more weeks.” She stared at me. “But look at her, she can’t sustain it.”
Sweat trickled down the sides of my face and I trembled uncontrollably. My brain distorted; my thoughts fuzzy. But I knew she was right. They could still see me as plainly as I saw them. I wasn’t able to create a barrier like Roman did, and even if I could, just because they couldn’t touch me didn’t mean I could escape. They knew who I was, and I could only imagine what they wanted to do to me now that they had found me. The chilling thought spiked my heart rate to new levels.
I thought of Jayden and his reaction to finding out I was dead. I pinched my eyes together tightly as tears wet my lashes. I willed an idea to come to me, but got nothing.
Soon the barrier that kept Henri’s prying hands off me disappeared into vapor. I twisted my hands together, too weakened to fight him. He tugged up my left sleeve, then my right. When he saw my birthmark, satisfaction washed over him like rain in the desert.
Henri draped his arm around my shoulder, patting it gently. “Nice try.”
I tried to shrug him off, but he just pulled me tighter into him. “Don’t worry, ma cherie. We’re not going to hurt you. We just had to make sure it was really you. You’ll be a welcome addition to our coven.”
Chapter Fifteen
The car suddenly lurched backward and then stopped. The wheels kept spinning as Dominique accelerated. The stench of burnt rubber and smoke filled the air, making me cough.
Henri whipped his head back to look out the rearview window. “Go Dominique! It’s someone from the Augusti Forza!”
Chills ran through me at the sound of the familiar words, just as Dominique’s face turned an odd shade of gray. The Augusti Forza—my guardians. I followed Henri’s gaze and realized it wasn’t just anybody from the Augusti.
The lock popped up, and then the door swung open. Henri and Dominique sat frozen.
It was incredible how, in that moment, looking up into Roman’s face, the fear washed away from me. He reached in the car and gathered me into his arms, cradling me tenderly.
Safe. I was safe in his arms. In a way no one else had ever made me feel.
“Roman,” I whispered. “You came.”
Roman quickly carried me behind some bushes. He sat me down gently on the grass. “Of course I came, butterfly. Did they hurt you?”
I shook my head, stunned.
Roman frowned. “I could never forgive myself if anything happened to you…” He looked over both of his shoulders and back at me. “Never.” His fingertips traced circles against my arm. “I’ve so much to explain to you. I only hope you can forgive me.” His voice was thick. “When I thought I’d lost you, I knew I couldn’t…”
“Couldn’t what?” I reached out and took his hand. “And forgive you for what, Roman? I don’t understand.”
His eyes focused solely on me, roaming over me tenderly. He pressed me backward. My shoulders sank into the ground as he leaned over me, his face inches from mine. He moved his nose teasingly against mine, stopping to kiss each of my eyes, while his hand slid up my arm. Something inside me danced and then spiraled into desire. He grasped the back of my neck, bringing my face toward him.
“No time to talk,” he whispered against my mouth. “Just kiss me.”
“Really?” I asked breathlessly. My heart thumped in my ears. “I don’t want you to be sorry.”
“I’m way past sorry,” he said just before his lips touched mine. I folded into him, knotting my fingers through his hair and pulling him down, breathing him in. His velvet lips molded gently into mine and I trembled. Heat ignited my skin, spreading though me like wildfire.
Car tires screeched, followed by a car door slamming. Then another. The sounds jolted us back to reality.
Roman peeked over the thick hedges, and then dropped to the ground beside me again.
Reaching over, he held the side of my face. “Don’t move until I come back for you…no matter what you see or hear.” There was an edge to his voice that made my stomach tumble.
I sat up. “What’s wrong?” I whispered.
“Jewel,” he whispered more urgently, holding me back. “I’m serious.”
I had the sudden urge to run as fast as I could, to get away somehow. I realized there’d be no red concoction from Mom. No sleep induced coma where I’d wake up somewhere new, disaster avoided. The thought smashed me in the face and a scream made its way to the back of my throat.
Instead, I swallowed and nodded. “Where are you going?” I choked out.
“Taking care of business.”
Roman crept stealthily from behind the bushes onto the road. My heart lurched and my palms grew damp. I edged closer to the bush-line, peering out. Two men in uniform twisted around to face Roman.
“What’s this mess about?” one man said as Roman approached him. My eyes drifted from his black polished boots to his crisp black fitted pants. I forced myself to look past his canary yellow button-up shirt to his serious face. His thinning salt and pepper hair was slicked neatly into place.
The French people’s car sat unmoving. I could barely make out the back of Henri and Dominique’s heads. They didn’t budge. It was as if they had locked eyes with Medusa herself.
A younger man, dressed the same as the other, looked in the car window and grunted. “They are from the Parisian Coven, Les élus.” He turned back to face the older man, and I noticed a bright red, raspberry birthmark below his left eye.
Roman coughed. When he spoke, his voice sounded low and calm, but I sensed an edge to it. “I’m on her trail, and these wing-nuts were following me, attempting to ambush me.” Roman gestured to the car.
The older man folded his arms over his chest. “You said you were hot on her trail last week. You’re nothing like your old man.” He mocked, disgust showing clearly on his face.
Roman’s jaw clenched and then relaxed. “I’ll find her. Don’t worry, Paolo.”
Paolo hooked his thumbs under his belt. “Ya see, worrying’s the one thing I do well lately, Roman. I took a chance on you. I gave you this job before anyone else felt you were ready.” He poked Roman in the chest, but Roman didn’t even flinch. “All of the Augusti warned me that you were too young…even your beloved father. But I took you under my wing. Taught you everything I know. And in the training drills, you scored far more advanced than you are proving to be in the field. Do you understand what it will mean to you and the Augusti if you fail? Not only will you be set to face trial, and disgrace your father and me, but I’ll be stripped of my title that I’ve worked so hard for.” His eyes narrowed. “You will recover the Spectral. You will bring her to the Augusti Forza. And she will be disposed of before her quickening can transpire.”
Spectral Page 11
