Paris balked. “I don’t think everyone in the coven is involved in this. I’m not sure who is technically behind it, to tell you the truth, but it’s not all of them. And we can’t know for certain it’s any of them.”
“And we don’t believe you,” Aric shot back.
Paris stilled. “What do you mean? I thought you forgave me?”
“I do forgive you for making a mistake and trying to do the right thing after the fact,” Aric said. “I still believe you haven’t given us all the information you have.” He held up his hand to cut Paris off before she could argue. “I don’t think you’re maliciously keeping information from us. I do think you’re straddling a fence, though.
“That’s over with,” he continued. “From this point on, you’re either with us or against us. It’s time to pick a side, Paris.”
Paris sighed, resigned. “I’ve always been on your side,” she said. “You know that.”
“That’s why I haven’t killed you,” Aric said.
“I don’t know what information I have that will benefit you guys,” Paris said. “I know that the main guy in charge is Quinn Redford. The other members … I … we weren’t exactly organized.”
“We’ll handle the other members during the trip,” Aric said. “And, yes, I think we have a trip ahead of us. That will give us something to talk about besides Zoe’s need to set something afire.”
Paris mutely nodded.
“Tell me about Quinn Redford,” Aric pressed. “I want to know everything.”
“He’s about fifty, I would guess,” Paris said. “He has brown hair, but there’s a lot of gray in it. He has green eyes, and he wears a lot of khaki pants and loafers.”
I wrinkled my nose. “He sounds like a douche.”
“Thank you for the fashion critique, ladies,” Aric said, rolling his eyes. “Zoe, eat more of your breakfast. Paris, eat while you tell us your story. Once we leave here, good meals might be hard to find, so you need to stuff your mouths now.”
“Stop saying things like that,” I grumbled.
“Then eat your breakfast.”
“I met Quinn when he came into my store about a year ago,” Paris said, reaching for a couple of packets of jelly to spread on her toast. “He said he was looking for a gift for a niece. I sold him a fake crystal ball and a book, and sent him on his way.
“A week later, he came in again,” she continued. “I didn’t recognize him right away, but after a few minutes of talking with him I remembered. He said he wanted to get his niece something else to add to the gift, but after an hour or so of looking around the shop and asking me questions, he admitted he wanted to see me.
“I was flattered, to say the least,” Paris said. “Even though he’s in his fifties, he’s very handsome.”
“Gross,” I muttered, causing Aric to smirk.
“Am I going to be gross when I’m in my fifties?” Aric asked.
“I have no idea, but if your father is any indication, probably not.”
Aric furrowed his brow. “Are you saying you think my father is hot?”
“Can we please focus on Paris’ story?” I asked.
“We’ll come back to this later,” Aric muttered.
“I agreed to go on a date with Quinn,” Paris said. “We went to a Mexican restaurant, and we spent hours talking. He was fascinated with the occult. He wanted to know everything I could tell him.”
“You didn’t mention Zoe then, did you?” Aric asked.
Paris shook her head. “I never mentioned any of that stuff,” she answered. “Honestly, I didn’t want to scare him off. I thought he was looking at magic as some mystical game. I was content to play my part and pretend we were playing the same game.”
“When did things change?” I asked.
“We dated for about three months, and everything was great,” Paris said. “I didn’t think we were soul mates or anything, but we got along, and he was very intelligent. Then he introduced me to his niece Sierra. She was twenty, and fascinated with pagan arts.”
“Was she Goth?”
“Pretty much,” Paris said, nodding. “We started talking about magic, and I let her look at the books. Before I realized what was happening she was asking me to go to a coven meeting with her. I thought it would be college kids, booze and an Ouija board.”
“What was it?”
“Quinn was the head warlock,” Paris answered. “I was stunned. Even then, though, in the back of my mind I still thought it was a game.”
“Then you realized he had real magic, right?” Aric asked.
“Yes.” Paris’ cheeks reddened. “He could do some conjuring. He didn’t have a lot of power, but he was always looking for ways to find more.”
“Why did you stay with him?” I asked.
Paris helplessly shrugged. “I was lonely.”
My heart went out to her. “It was Quinn’s niece – this Sierra – who brought you The Archimage, wasn’t it?”
“How did you know that?”
“Just a feeling,” I said.
“She brought the book to me, and I ignored it for two days,” Paris explained. “She kept bugging me about it, so finally I took a look at it. It didn’t take me long to realize what I had. It also didn’t take me long to realize that they were playing me to get to you.”
“You think they already knew about your ties to Zoe when they approached you?” Aric asked.
“Can you think of another plausible explanation?”
Aric shook his head. “Once you ran with the book, it must have taken some effort to track you. How close were they when you decided to find us?”
“Close,” Paris replied. “I … I’m so sorry.”
“We can’t focus on the past,” I said, parroting Aric’s earlier words for Paris’ benefit. “We can only focus on the future.”
“Wow, that’s wise, Zoe.” Aric rolled his eyes.
“I’m telling you right now, Quinn’s future is going to end in flames,” I said, pushing myself to my feet. “Eat up. I have some parents to save. They’re going to be royally ticked off when I explain they were kidnapped because of me. I’m betting this is going to really cut down on my Christmas haul this year.”
18
Eighteen
“You can’t really expect me to sleep in a tent,” I said, eyeing the box Aric held up so he could read the side.
We were in a sporting goods store two towns over – a place I vowed never to set foot in because sporting goods give me the heebie-jeebies – and Aric was picking out camping items in case we needed them. I was hoping the bad guys set up their Fortress of Doom close to a hotel. Even a hole-in-the-wall motel touting free porn would be better than a tent.
“I have a feeling we’re going to a remote place, Zoe,” Aric said, distracted as he compared tents. “We need to prepare for everything. Besides, this won’t be a waste, even if we don’t use the stuff now. I’ve been dying to get a tent so we can camp in the yard.”
That sounded like an engaging psych experiment. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“Not anytime soon, baby,” Aric said. “Which tent do you think is better? I can stand up in this one.”
“Are you going to do a lot of standing in the tent?”
“Okay, in this one we won’t be on top of one another,” Aric said, trying a different tactic.
“Fine,” I grumbled. “I don’t like that puke green color, though. Get the purple one.”
“We’re trying not to draw attention to ourselves,” Aric reminded me.
“Oh, yeah. I guess I should probably let you do the shopping this go-around.”
“I think that would be wise,” Aric agreed, kissing my cheek. “Why don’t you pick out a pot or something? Don’t get anything too heavy. I have a feeling I’m going to be doing most of the heavy lifting. Get a frying pan that can also hold water.”
This was getting worse by the second. “Are you saying we’ll be eating in the woods, too?”
“I’m doing th
e best I can, but you’re irritating me, Zoe.”
“Fine.” I moved toward the aisle touting “all your campout cooking needs” but stilled before walking too far away. “You’re getting Paris her own tent, right?”
Aric glanced at me. “I’m not sure. I … do you think we should be separated?”
“Do you think our relationship can survive three people in one tent?”
“I’ll get her a smaller tent so she can carry it herself,” Aric replied, not missing a beat. “It’s not like we’re going to be hanging out in them.”
“I would prefer getting sleeping bags and sleeping under the stars,” I muttered.
“What happens when it rains?”
“I’ll use my magic hands and cover us with a dome.”
Aric swiveled and fixed me with a curious look. “Can you do that? I’m only asking because if that’s true it would make things a heck of a lot easier.”
I scratched my neck and considered the question. “We won’t know until we try.”
“Come on,” Aric said, grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the front of the store. “There are some woods out back where we can experiment.”
“You haven’t said that to me since that first summer we were together in college and you visited me at the golf course.” I love memories – especially if they’re as good as that one.
“We don’t have time for that.”
“Okay. Your loss.”
Aric sighed. “Well, I guess we can spare five minutes.”
“WAIT, you’re saying we don’t need tents because Zoe can make magic domes now?” Paris was incredulous in the back seat as Aric drove from the sporting goods store and back toward Barker Creek. “Doesn’t that strike anyone else as odd?”
“I gave up trying to put a limit on what Zoe can do a long time ago,” Aric said. “Not only can she make the little dome thing, but she can camouflage us inside of it. She hid herself right in front of my eyes. That means anyone looking for us will have a hard time finding us.”
“How are we going to cook in a dome?” Paris asked. “A fire will smother us.”
Aric stilled. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”
“I could open the top as long as it’s not raining,” I offered, enjoying my status as Queen of the Explorer. “I’m pretty badass. I think I could do it.”
“I’m never going to hear the end of this, am I?” Aric asked.
“Probably not.”
“We’ll figure it out as we go,” Aric said.
“Where are we going?” Paris asked.
“Right now we’re going to that ice cream shop at the edge of town so Zoe can get her sugar fix before we go,” Aric said. “I’m expecting a call from my father. Once that’s done, we’re going to let Zoe use her magic to track Quinn.”
“Are you sure she can do that?”
“She used it to track Rafael when we were at school,” Aric replied. “We knew something happened to Rafael and she managed to follow a trail only she could see, and it led us straight to Mark. That’s how we knew he was still working for The Academy.”
“I forgot about that,” Paris mused, rubbing the back of her neck. Her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her face devoid of makeup. She still looked like a model. I hate her sometimes. “Whatever happened to Mark? Is he dead?”
“Oh, gross,” I said. “You’re not thinking of going to find him after we kill your current boyfriend, are you?”
Mark was Paris’ college ex. He turned out to be a greater enemy than any of us expected when he befriended us before turning on us. The last time I saw him he was being dragged away by James’ armed goons after the final Covenant College showdown. That did bring up an interesting question, though.
“I never asked about Mark,” I said, turning to Aric. “Is he dead?”
“No.”
“Do you know where he is?”
“He was kept in custody for almost a full year after graduation,” Aric replied, pulling into the parking lot in front of the Dairy Queen. “My father asked me what I wanted done with him, and I went to see Mark.”
This was the first I had heard about any of this. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you upset unless it was necessary,” Aric answered. “Mark was pretty beaten down, and I could tell the last thing he wanted was more trouble. I told Dad to let him go. I believe they check in on him occasionally, but he hasn’t made a bit of trouble since.”
I was both comforted and annoyed by the admission. “You could have told me that.”
“You were happy. I wanted you to stay happy. I thought bringing up Mark and what he did … .”
“You mean kidnapping Paris and trying to feed her to Rafael after starving him for months?”
“I believe that’s what I was referring to.” Aric was calm. “You’re not going to make this a thing, are you?”
“We have enough things to worry about right now, but I might make this a thing when I have PMS next time,” I warned.
“I look forward to it,” Aric said. “Go get your ice cream. I’ll call my father and see if he has any leads. After that, it’s going to be up to you, Zoe.”
“I love it when the fate of the world rests on my shoulders.”
Aric smirked. “I think you thrive in situations like that. Get me a medium twist dipped in chocolate.”
“Yes, sir.” I mock saluted.
“You think that’s sarcastic, but it really turns me on.” Aric’s grin was predatory.
“Oh, this is going to be the worst camping trip ever,” Paris groused as she hopped out of the Explorer. “I’m going to have to watch you two fawn all over each other while reminding myself that my last boyfriend is a kidnapping, power-hungry loser.”
“That will teach you to date old guys,” I said.
BECAUSE the Dairy Queen is the most happening place in Barker Creek, we had to wait ten minutes to get our ice cream. By the time we returned to the Explorer, Aric was done with his call.
“What did your father say?” I asked, handing him his cone.
“Quinn Redford is an interesting guy,” Aric said, licking his treat.
“Do I want to know?”
“He’s been on the council’s radar for years.”
Paris’ eyebrows lifted. “Why would he be on the wolf council’s radar?”
“We keep an eye on anyone who might become a threat down the line,” Aric replied, grabbing my wrist and pulling my ice cream over so he could get a bite.
“Hey! That’s mine.”
“I wanted some sprinkles,” Aric said. He shoved his cone in front of me. “Have a bite of mine and shut up.”
“This is going to be a long couple of days,” I grumbled, although I did as instructed. Anyone who can say no to chocolate is stronger than me.
“I already told you the next couple of days were going to be rough,” Paris reminded me.
“You know all and see all – except for the fact that your old boyfriend was a magical-seeking douche,” I said. “What else did James say?”
“Stop saying ‘old’ like I’m dating an eighty-year-old,” Paris snapped. “He was very handsome, no matter his age.”
“Yeah, Zoe,” Aric said, making a face. “The old guy was totally handsome, so that makes everything okay. Can we please get back on topic?”
“I know who has PMS in this truck,” I muttered.
“I heard that,” Aric said. “Anyway, about three years ago Redford was arrested for breaking into a Wicca museum in Montana. He was trying to steal a chalice. What he didn’t realize is that the chalice on display was a replica, not the real thing. He did a year and a half in prison out there.”
“You’re saying I was dating a criminal?” Paris looked horrified.
“An old one at that,” I said.
“Knock it off, Zoe,” Aric warned. “It’s just going to be the three of us for the foreseeable future. Your mouth is going to get old pretty quickly.”
“You love me an
d you know it.”
“That’s why I’ll be able to put up with you,” Aric shot back. “Paris doesn’t love you nearly as much – or in the same way.”
“I’ just hope you two aren’t going to be loving each other under the dome,” Paris said.
“Don’t worry. I can pretty much guarantee that won’t happen after the ‘mouth’ comment,” I said.
“Quinn moved to Michigan about a month after his release from prison,” Aric said. “He’s technically wanted because he didn’t report for parole. Because he’s not considered a high-risk offender, no one is actively looking for him.”
“I am.”
“And when you get him you can mete out whatever retribution you want,” Aric said. “What I found most interesting about my father’s information is that the chalice Quinn was trying to steal is supposed to be used in magical binding ceremonies.”
I had no idea what that meant. Apparently Paris did.
“Oh, no,” Paris said. “He wants the book and the chalice to bind Zoe’s powers.”
“And I’m guessing once that happens he wants to find a way to steal them,” Aric added.
“Can he steal my powers?”
“I honestly don’t think so,” Aric said. “Your powers are bound to you through blood. Just because this whack job thinks he can do something doesn’t mean he can. We both know you’re terror on two legs when you want to be.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
“It was meant as one,” Aric said. “Quinn was not on the radar when he was visiting your shop, Paris, but Sierra was. Since you disappeared, Sierra and a handful of the people hanging out in your little coven have disappeared from surveillance.”
“Do we know where?” I asked.
“No.” Aric turned to me expectantly. “It’s time to do your thing, my little magical mage. We need help if we’re going to find your parents. Find our path, baby.”
“Oh, but no pressure,” I muttered, licking my ice cream.
“Finish your sugar first,” Aric said. “I have a feeling we’re going into the great outdoors.”
Rising Covenant (Living Covenant Trilogy Book 1) Page 14
