Book of Love

by Julia Talbot

  What if they were in trouble? What if… Oh, shit. He’d just go out and see.

  Clothes. Where had he— The dryer? Right.

  He headed downstairs and dressed quickly, heading out into the forest, telling himself that it wasn’t scary. Wasn’t worrisome. Nothing was waiting.

  Okay, maybe he was a city boy from Denver more than a woodsman. He chuckled, hearing it echo in the fog.

  He got bonus points for bravery, right? Or maybe demerits for stupidly not telling anyone where he was going. Maybe he should have grabbed his phone…

  Shit, there. He saw a flash of red. He turned left to follow it.

  “Hello? Do you need help?”

  Nobody answered, and Liam’s voice seemed to echo wildly, as if he were in a snow globe with his words bouncing off the dome. Fucking weird. The hint of red in the gray air caught his eye again, and he turned to follow.

  “Hello?” He stomped through the deepening snow, his feet aching.

  What the hell? Snow? This thick? That didn’t make sense, even up here… He panted, his breath so frigid his lips felt frozen. He kept going, though. The silver hair, the dried-apple face looked familiar. “Bella? Bella, honey? Is that you?”

  No one answered him but the wind, which picked up hard for a moment, blinding him.

  “Hurry. We’ll miss her.”

  “Miss who? What’s going on?” He turned in a full circle, squinting. “Who are you?”

  “Hurry up! She’s coming!”

  “Hurry where?” Frustrated, worried, Liam followed the voice.

  “She’s waiting for me. Finally. I’ve worried so long.”

  It was Bella he heard. Lord, she was too damned old to be out in this weather. “Bella? Come on, hon, it’s Liam. Who are you looking for?”

  “Jenn. Jenn’s calling for me.”

  “I can’t hear her, Bella.” He moved closer, able to see her red coat again now.

  “No? See, there’s the fishing hole.”

  The what? Ice fishing? Now? Here? This was crazy. They weren’t even near the stream, let alone a lake.

  “Bella, let’s go back to Shiloh’s and have some coffee.”

  “Not until we find Jenn. You have to help.”

  Liam knew that Jenn had been missing for three years. He waded through the intense wind to get to Bella, hoping to talk some sense into her. The problem was, someone else was here.

  Someone he didn’t know. Maybe something.

  “Bella. Come on. I’ll get Shiloh and Elijah. We’ll all look together.”

  Bella turned to look at him, her face shadowed by the hood of her coat so he couldn’t make out her expression. “You swear?”

  “I do. I need socks, huh?” He held out a hand to her, terrified she would just disappear.

  “Uh-huh. She’s close.”

  “Is she?” He took her hand when she reached for him, and she was cold but solid.

  “Bella? Bella, you have to hurry! He’s coming!”

  What the fuck was that? Another female voice, and not Shiloh’s.

  “Oh, Goddess! Jenn!”

  “Bella.” He followed her but wouldn’t let go. He wasn’t about to lose her.

  “It’s Jenn! Hurry!”

  “I am. I just don’t want to let go, honey.”

  “Thank you. Thank you. You’re a good boy.”

  “I try.” She was totally out of it, he thought, but strong for her age, towing him along.

  He was freezing, and he was having a hell of a time comprehending what the hell was going on. His brain felt like mush, as if he were swimming in honey. “Bella…”

  Something was seriously wrong… Hypothermia? How long did that take? Her hand almost slipped from his, and he tightened his grip. They were so lost.

  “Almost there, Bella. Hurry.” The Jenn woman had a foghorn for a voice.

  “We’re coming. Liam is so slow.”

  Bella knew who he was, at least.

  “Hey!” They started downhill and he was suddenly running. He was gonna go ass over teakettle. Someone was going to fall. Seriously. He couldn’t keep his feet.

  Bella sobbed with frustration. “Move!”

  “I’m try—” The ground under his feet started to slide, to skid.

  He shouted, his feet sliding out from under him. He didn’t want to hurt Bella, but he couldn’t let her run off. He lost his balance, pitching forward.

  The world spun, tumbled end over end, all white.

  When he hit his head this time, it didn’t even hurt, really. It just sent him to sleep, his brain shutting down. The last thing he heard was Bella calling Jenn’s name.

  “Where the hell is Liam?” Shiloh sat up, sore and a little hung over, the pressure behind one eye throbbing. That meant the weather was changing. Usually meant a snowstorm. She frowned. Spring. It was late spring.

  “Mhn?” Elijah sprawled on her bed, his heavy chest rising and falling, his arms spread wide.

  “Where is Liam?”

  She’d heard him calling for her.

  Elijah sat up, blinking, his long hair sliding over his shoulder. “Liam? He’s not in the bathroom?”

  “Not that I can tell.” She’d have to go downstairs to look.

  “Shit.” Elijah sprang out of bed and headed to the window.

  There had been the barest dusting of snow—she could see hints of it in the shadows.

  “What the hell? Where is he?”

  “I told you, I don’t know!”

  “Sorry.” Elijah came to her, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. “I’ll get dressed and see what I can see outside, huh?”

  “We’ll go together. I don’t want you to go alone.”

  His dark eyes searched hers for a moment before he nodded. “Okay. The house is warded, though. You’re safer here.”

  “We’re better together. I know this place, you don’t.”

  “We can do that.” Elijah cupped her chin with his fingers.

  “He’s okay, right? That thing didn’t get him?”

  “I’m sure he’s fine. He’s just having a wander.” Elijah looked worried. He was a terrible liar. Why on earth would Liam leave them if it wasn’t a magical compulsion or something?

  “Okay. I believe you.”

  He smiled, then went to grab his clothes. She’d tossed them in the dryer at maybe two am.

  Shiloh threw on a sports bra and a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a hoodie. They both stomped into boots and headed out, Elijah sticking close. Liam’s clothes were gone, Elijah said. Mostly. He’d forgotten his socks.

  “Liam? Liam, you out here?” she called, peering into the hill that led up out from her yard.

  The wind picked up, but no one answered.

  “If you were him, which way would you go?” She didn’t ask Elijah if he had some weird Native American psychic tracking ability because that would be crass. She wanted to, though.

  Elijah gave her a sideways kind of look, but nodded toward the heavy trees at the lower end of her property. “I’d start there.”

  “Okay. I used to play up there when I was little.”

  “Good. Then you can tell me if there are any danger areas.” He took her hand, tugging her through the light crust of snow.

  “It’s not dangerous. I never thought it was dangerous here, though, but now I’m not so sure.”

  “It wouldn’t be but for that book, love.” He squeezed her hand. “Things get stirred up.”

  “Yeah, obviously.”

  “Can you hear anything?” They both stopped, held their breath, which was coming out in huge puffs of vapor. It wasn’t that damned cold, was it?

  “What’s going on here? This is fucked up.” She looked around, seeing snowflakes starting to dance in front of them.

  “I don’t know, baby.” Elijah shivered, frowning when a snowflake landed on his nose.

  She blinked, then set her mouth. Enough of this crazy bullshit. “Liam! Liam, are you here?”

  Elijah cocked his head the other
way, listening. “This way, I think.”

  She nodded and followed, trying to hear what ’Lijah did. All that came to her ears was the wind, whipping her hair around her head.

  The snow got deeper, the air colder as they moved. Someone surely would notice that, right? How could this happen? She shook a little and Elijah let go of her hand to wrap an arm around her.

  “I’m scared, Elijah.”

  “I know. It’s fucking creepy.” Just to hear him say it made her feel better, actually.

  They looked at each other, nodded. God, yes. Creepy. Crappy. Either worked. She straightened her shoulders, her chin setting. Liam needed them.

  “Okay, come on. He needs us. Something’s wrong.”

  Elijah nodded, hugging her a moment before he slid his hand back down her arm to catch her fingers with his. “Let’s stay together.”

  “Yes.” Separating them was part of the plan. It had to be, or Liam wouldn’t have wandered off. This was all some kind of mystical crock of shit, and she was over it, damn it.

  She was going to deal with this, then she was going to move to Denver or Chicago or somewhere with no magic. Or, hey, Florida, where it didn’t snow.

  “I hear Santa Fe is nice, even with the snow,” Elijah teased, just as if he’d read her mind.

  “It’s a little witchy, I hear.”

  “True. Ley lines and all. Did you see that?” Elijah went all bird dog, staring up the slope as if he were part pointer.

  Shiloh shook her head, trying to see what Elijah did. “No. What?”

  “Red. As in red cloth.”

  “Let’s go.” She didn’t think Liam’s jacket was red, but she couldn’t be sure. It wasn’t as if she’d been paying attention last night. Not to clothes, anyway.

  They headed in the direction Elijah indicated, the weather getting weirder by the moment.

  It was almost as if they’d slipped through the back of the wardrobe or something. The entire situation had this edge of surreality.

  Maybe that was the whole deal.

  “There. See it?” Elijah pointed, and she saw a flash of red.

  “Yeah…” That was too little to be Liam, right?

  “Come on.” Elijah started to jog, tugging her with him. The red flash came again, along with the faint sound of a woman’s voice.

  “Bella?” Was that Bella? She sure hoped not. No one needed to be out in this mess, let alone someone Bella’s age. She started toward where she’d seen that flash of cloth, and immediately tripped over something.

  “Oh, fuck. Buddy!”

  Elijah had her blinking, looking back. “Liam. Liam!”

  “Shit. Help me, Shiloh.” Elijah knelt down next to Liam’s prone form.

  “Lord, he’s got one hell of a bump.” She touched Liam’s forehead, wincing. Second time in twenty-four hours. Ow.

  “Yeah. God, he’s freezing.” Elijah tugged Liam’s head and shoulders up off the ground. “Liam?”

  “Should we move him?”

  “He’s got a good pulse, but he’s cold, Shiloh. We can’t just leave him here.”

  “Okay. The house is safest and warm.” They would get Liam up, get him safe and then beat him for walking out and getting hurt.

  Not to mention the fact that somehow they had to get out of this unreasonable weather.

  Elijah stood, then hoisted Liam up into the air as if the man weighed nothing. “Hold on to my jacket.”

  Wow. “I got you.”

  “Good. Not losing you to this freak.” He trudged.

  “You think that thing will come for us now?”

  “I don’t know.” Elijah panted, his feet slipping a little.

  “How can I help?”

  “Help me make sure we’re going back to the house?”

  “Sure.” Except she couldn’t see the fucking house. Good thing she knew exactly where it was.

  She’d played on these hills since she could remember. Her feet knew the way even when her brain was telling her she was going the wrong way.

  They moved quickly at first, then slowed down as Elijah tired. Liam never twitched, and she was worried about him, hoping they made it before ’Lijah dropped him.

  “I know it doesn’t feel like it, but we’re almost home.”

  “You’re doing good, honey.” Elijah tried for a chuckle. “Just keep walking.”

  “We’re almost there. We should see the house in a few minutes.”

  “Can you see anything? God, no wonder Liam got lost.”

  “No. No, but I know where I am. Stay with me. This isn’t real.”

  She didn’t know how she knew, but she did. The illusion faded around the edges, her certainty helping her see reality. “This isn’t real and I know it! This is my land!”

  The fog cleared to something thin and weak instead of pea soup, and the house appeared. Woo. Go her.

  “Look at you.” Elijah sounded out of breath, but pleased. “Good deal. Almost there.”

  “I know, and it’s getting warmer.” Shiloh couldn’t see her breath anymore.

  “There. Okay, get the door, honey.” They had made it to the steps.

  She hadn’t locked up and she thought she could hear growling, fury in the sound as it chased them up the stairs.

  Elijah made it inside before he stumbled, going down under Liam’s weight.

  “Oh, God.” She grabbed Liam’s head so it didn’t hit the ground.

  “Sorry,” ’Lijah huffed. “I tried.” He’d also pushed himself under Liam and taken all the impact.

  “You’re good. Come on, Liam, come on. Up. Wake up.”

  Liam’s head lolled, and he moaned, which she guessed was good, right?

  “Come on. That’s it. Wake up.” As soon as he did, she’d go for supplies.

  Liam blinked, lashes fluttering. Elijah rumbled. “Come on, man, you’re squishing me.”

  “You want a drink, Liam? A blanket?”

  “Bella.” Liam grabbed her hand. “In the storm.”

  “Bella? Our Bella?” No way.

  “I saw her. Held her hand. She’s looking for Jenn, Shiloh.” He didn’t seem addled.

  “Jenn? Jenn disappeared three years ago, honey. Drowned.”

  “Bella—I swear, someone was calling Bella.”

  She looked at Elijah. Was the head wound really bad? Elijah was examining the bump, and he frowned. “It doesn’t look that bad. A scalp tear more than a concussion.”

  “I’m not crazy!” Liam groaned, held his head.

  “No, but there’s a lot of weird out there,” Elijah said.

  “You think?” She stood to get blankets, rags, maybe coffee.

  Liam leaned on ’Lijah, rising up to go sit on the couch. “I know what I heard. We have to help Bella.”

  “We will. After you warm up, I’ll go.”

  “No. No going alone.”

  Shiloh pressed her lips together. “What am I, chopped liver? I can go too.”

  “You’re way cuter than chopped liver, baby.” Liam was dopey.

  Still, he made her smile.

  “Coffee. Blankets. Something to clean Liam up. Please.”

  “Yep.” She preferred to be busy. She grabbed a pile of blankets, brought them to Elijah and then went for some soft old towels—one wet, one dry—to clean Liam up.

  “Bella,” Liam said.

  “Why would she be out there? I’ll call her.”

  That would be easy, call, talk to Bella, find Liam a doctor. She grabbed her phone on the way to make coffee, dialing Bella’s cell. Bella’s phone rang and rang, the voicemail picking up.

  “Bella, are you there? Call me?”

  She tried the bookstore next, then Bella’s landline.

  Nothing.

  Shiloh bit her lip, going to ’Lijah to nod him into the kitchen. “Bella’s not answering.”

  “What?”

  “None of her phones.”

  “That’s bad.” Elijah frowned, dark face set in worried lines again.

  “Yeah. She always an
swers.”

  “Okay. So, do you know someone who can check the shop?”

  “Nova.” She grabbed her phone.

  “She’s not at the shop.” Liam appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, swaying.

  “What? Why are you upright?” Shiloh waved a hand at him.

  “We have to help her.”

  “I’ll go out,” Shiloh said. “At least I know the lay of the land.”

  “Not alone.” Elijah nodded to her phone. “Call Nova anyway. Have her come stay with Liam. We’ll go look for Bella.” Giving Liam a stern glare, Elijah growled, “And you’ll stay here so we don’t have to go hunting your ass again.”

  “Hey! I was… It started to snow, man. Hard. And look outside.”

  “No.” Elijah shook his head. “As soon as we got to the house it stopped.”

  “It wasn’t real,” Shiloh said.

  “Bullshit. I was freezing, Shiloh.”

  She knew, but she also knew it hadn’t been real. Not even a bit. “It had to be an illusion. I’m not sure Bella isn’t one, but I’m worried.” She hit the button to call Nova.

  “Shiloh? Shiloh, have you heard from Bella?”

  “No. I was calling to see if you would come help. Something is going on, Nova.”

  “You think? The coffee shop isn’t open. Your Aunt Chrissie has a closed sign up.”

  “No way.” What the hell was going on? “Come to the house, okay?”

  “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. I’ve been walking Main Street. No one’s here.”

  “No one—” She drew in a gulp of air.

  “No one. It’s dead.” Nova sounded utterly freaked out. A little mad, maybe.

  “Don’t say that.”

  Elijah and Liam both turned sharp gazes on her.

  Tears threatened. This was ridiculous. This was a cruel joke, an illusion that made no sense. “Come here, Nova. I’ll wait for you on the porch.”

  “Tell me you have coffee brewing.”

  “You know it.”

  “Good. Now, get me a muffin in the microwave, and I’ll be happy as a bug.”

  “Uh-huh.” Muffins. Right. She had part of a dozen in the fridge.

  “I’ll be there.”

  When Nova hung up, Shiloh put muffins in the toaster oven because the mic would make them mush, and went to wait on the porch. She didn’t want to ignore the boys, but how could she even talk to them? She’d gotten them all into this.