I look back at Reid and sigh. “Finish getting ready, and I’ll go mediate.”
I start to take off his shirt and give it back to him, but he stops me. “Keep it. It looks good on you.” Then he leans in closer, whispering in my ear. “It’ll be a good reminder of your ultimatum.”
I smile at him as I leave the room with Lyric. Once in the hallway, I give Lyric a not very happy shove on my way past him down the stairs. “Whatever Abby wants to do to you down here, she’s getting my permission. You realize that, right?”
Lyric scowls, but follows me. As soon as I enter the kitchen, I see what all the fuss is about. Abby is a beautician. It’s her day job, and she’s officially turned my kitchen into a makeshift hair salon. She stands next to an empty chair, scissors in hand. She immediately points them at Lyric, who instantly huddles behind me. “Get your butt in this seat,” she says.
“You’re not cutting my hair. I like it like this.” He intentionally shoves his hair out of his eyes to make his point.
Abby’s eyes narrow. “And I told you that if we want to convince Svetta to let us go searching through the Ridge for this Raven Tower, we need to make you remind her of your brother. I’m cutting your hair.”
Lyric looks desperately at me. “Save me.”
I sigh and turn around to plead his case to Abby. “You think that is really necessary?”
Abby walks toward me, setting the scissors down on the table. “The Haunted don’t just let the Innocent go walking around the Ridge. Svetta’s house, it’s the first of many down in the valley. She’s like the gatekeeper. We have to have her permission to pass.” She points behind me at Lyric. “He’s our ticket in.”
“I don’t see how that has anything to do with my hair,” Lyric says over my shoulder.
Svetta loves Julien. You could hear it in her voice that day, the way she talked about their time together. His absence has really taken a toll on her heart. We have to find that family history, and if our only way to the tower is through Svetta, then Abby is right. Lyric is our ticket in. Lyric was born in Charleston after Francois left Sanctuary. It’s possible that Svetta doesn’t even know she has another nephew. We have to make him remind Svetta of Julien.
I smile weakly at Lyric. “I’m sorry, but the hair has to go.”
“Witches,” he says, snarling his nose. “All of you.”
Abby laughs behind me. It’s deep and evil, and purely for Lyric’s benefit. “Well…yeah.”
She holds her hand out and an invisible force grabs Lyric by the shirt and jerks him toward the empty chair. He falls into it, his eyes already black and brimming red as he stands back up to face her. “I like when you’re rough. Do it again.”
She steps in his face, closer than I would have expected. Her nose almost touches his, and she takes an exceedingly long time eyeing him down. “No.”
Lyric grins. I know that grin. I’ve seen it before.
Abby brought the Mr. Hyde out in him.
Maybe that’s it. Maybe that’s why the Haunted are so attracted and drawn to the Innocent. The monster inside of them knows that being around us, that natural opposition, will set them free, even if only for a moment or two.
Grady takes that opportune moment to walk in behind me. He sees it too. The look in Lyric’s eyes. Not just the evil glint that reveals Lyric’s alter ego’s possession of his thoughts and actions, but the pure seduction in them. That look could crumble empires. In fact, it could stop a witch as powerful as Abby in her tracks. And it does. For one second.
Unfortunately, it only takes that same second for Grady to recognize Lyric’s intentions. Grady barrels across the room toward him. I catch hold of his shoulder, barely able to stop him even with the jolt of electricity I send down his arms. “Grady, stop.”
He winces as the heat of the sparks continues to sting his arms. “That Haunted piece of crap is trying to hit on my girlfriend.”
I jerk him back, holding him steady as I look him dead in the eye. “You’re right. He is one of the Haunted, and you’d do well to remember that.” I force him to see the seriousness on my face. “You might be bigger than him, Grady, but that’s it.”
The Haunted, especially when consumed by their alternate personalities, are strong, quick, and crafty as hell. Despite Grady’s size, he would be no match for Lyric. And Lyric knows it. He chuckles behind me. His eyes are full-on blacked out now. His gaze darts around the room, searching…hunting for something. “Je sais que vous etes ici. Venir jouer,” he says in perfect French, his lips peeling back to showcase the edges of his razor sharp teeth.
Abby snaps her fingers, and a spark ignites right in front of Lyric’s eyes. He grabs his face and sinks down in the seat, screaming. When he finally looks up, the blackness in his eyes is gone. He’s merely Lyric again. “That hurt,” he says, rubbing the spot between his eyes.
“Then I suggest you do a better job keeping that psycho inside of you under control.”
He glares up at her. “You keep provoking him. He likes it when you tease me.”
Abby’s lips press into a hard line, and Lyric smiles at her.
“We both do.”
Grady tries to take a go at him again, but I keep him in place. “Lyric,” I say, bringing his attention to me. “What was that you said in French right then?”
“What? I didn’t say anything in French.”
I give Grady a stern look before releasing him to walk over to Lyric. “Your Mr. Hyde did. It was like you were talking to someone. You said Je sais que vous etes ici.” My French is horrible, but I think I get it right. “And then venir jouer.”
Lyric looks at me strange. “Are you sure?”
“I think so. Why? What is it?”
“I know you’re here. Come out and play.”
I move in front of him now. “Why would you have said that?”
He shakes his head, trying to remember. “I don’t know. I was so focused trying to regain control I hadn’t even realized he said anything.”
“You said it in French, though. Julien is the only person I know who speaks it.”
Abby looks at me. “You think Julien is here?”
Lyric rubs his head. “It’s possible. It would explain why it was so difficult for me to take control back. I’m usually a little more disciplined than that. Being around my brother, someone who has been completely consumed by the curse, it makes this monster inside of me want to come out. One of the many reasons I wanted away from him.”
Something flashes behind me and I jerk around. It’s only Reid. He looks around at all of our wide-eyed stares. “What? Do I have toothpaste on my face?”
We all sigh. “No. I think Julien is back in town, though, and I think he’s close.”
He immediately walks to me. “Why do you think that?”
“Because psycho’s other personality was talking to him in French,” Grady says bitterly, clearly not ready to forgive Lyric yet.
Reid eyes him. “And why was your other personality even in control?”
Lyric points accusingly at Abby. “Tell your sister to stop flirting with me.”
Abby’s eyes light up and I immediately grab her. Provoking Lyric isn’t going to solve anything. “I think if we’re going to Raven Ridge today, we need to wait on Sadie. Julien knows the land a lot better than we do. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”
“Like cutting your hair,” Abby says under her breath toward Lyric. “We have to make sure Svetta will let us pass first.”
“I brought something too,” Grady says, holding up a small white box. “It’s buckeyes. My mom says Julien used to stop in the bakery and pick up a box for Svetta all the time. They’re her favorite.”
“So you think a new haircut and a box of candy is going to convince some crazy old lady to let us into a restricted part of town?” Lyric says, throwing his hands in the air.
“Not some crazy old lady,” I say, patting him on the shoulder. “Your great-great aunt.”
His eyes roun
d. “Oh.”
Now he got it. Now he understood why we needed him to remind her of Julien. He knew why we needed her to believe what we tell her is true. Lyric huffs and flops down in the seat. “Cut my hair,” he says, droning out each word. “Let’s get this over with.”
Abby picks up her scissors and smiles. “My pleasure.”
Chapter 10
The Raven’s Tower
The Raven returned just after Abby finished Lyric’s haircut, carrying Svetta’s acceptance of our request to return to the Ridge. We decide to take extra safety precautions and have Grady drop us off and pick us up at the top of the Ridge instead of leaving our vehicle behind again. If Julien is in Sanctuary, we don’t want him tinkering with it again. Reid, Abby, Sadie, Lyric, and I hike down the Ridge to Svetta’s house. It’s mid-day by the time we make it to the clearing and the sun stands directly over our heads.
This time Svetta watches for us. She stands covered in her black cloak at the edge of her garden, her wild hair bouncing in the shifting breeze that winds its way through the mountains. “Two visits from the Innocent in one month,” she says as we approach. “Can I assume this time is more for business than pleasure?”
I lean up against the side of a tree and try to catch my breath as I pull my hair into a ponytail. Sadie takes the lead this time. She’s seen Svetta more than the rest of us. She accompanies Jade on her annual visit to Svetta’s house to purchase merchandise from her garden. “I think you know why we’ve come back, Svetta.”
Svetta’s smile is slow. “And you, my dear Innocent, should know I cannot let you pass in our borders. Not without cause.”
“We have good cause,” I say, finally catching my breath enough to talk. “We need inside a Tower here. We’ve been told that the history of the Haunted can be found there. We need to know the name of the other Bessette brother.”
“You waste your time child,” Svetta says, her eyes low. “Even if I let you pass, you can’t enter the Raven’s Tower. Neither can I. Only one of the Haunted can pass through the doors of the Tower.”
“That won’t be a problem.”
Svetta shakes her head. “No amount of magic can grant you entrance if that’s your plan.”
I walk toward her and I take her hand. “Svetta, I want to introduce you to someone.”
I bring her over. Lyric, who has been conveniently hidden behind Abby, steps out. Svetta gasps. “Julien?”
Lyric looks up, and I can’t blame Svetta for the mistake. Without his shaggy locks, Lyric shares a striking resemblance to his half-brother. The Cote genes runs strong in them both. Svetta stops just short of him, her hands covering her mouth. “No. You’re not my nephew.”
“But he is,” I say, smiling at her. “He isn’t Julien, but he is still your nephew.”
Her eyes widen. “Francois had another son.”
Lyric reaches out and takes her hand. “Yes. He met my mother shortly after the curse took him. He hoped that having another child would replace the need to find Julien, since he was so well protected here, but it didn’t work out for him.”
Svetta moves forward and touches his face. “What is your name?”
“Lothaire Cote. My father named me. My mother hated it, so she called me Lyric instead.”
Svetta laughs, showing all her teeth. “It’s a family name, Lothaire. It belonged to my father. He hated it too.”
Lyric smiles back her. A genuine smile. The first genuine smile I’ve seen from him, ever. He hands Svetta the small white box. “I know nothing we can offer right now will bring Julien back. I’m here to help them, though. I’m here to try to end this curse for all of us.”
Svetta opens the box of chocolate and then looks up at me. “You think bribery will get you past me?”
I open my mouth, but she snaps the box shut. “You’re absolutely right. You have until dusk to get Lothaire to the Raven’s Tower and back. I will make sure you pass safely, but I warn you all. There are worse things in these mountains than crazy old ladies. Follow the road. Move quickly. Stay together.”
I nod, and Reid is already in front of me motioning us forward. Lyric doesn’t move, though. He still watches Svetta. “You knew my father before the curse took him?”
Svetta nods. “He grew up here on the Ridge, yes.”
“What kind of man was he before the curse?”
The pain on Svetta’s face is real and deep. “A good man. He would have loved you. You and Julien. You two would have been the prestigious prize of a man who had everything.”
Lyric’s gaze falls to the ground. “Thank you.”
Svetta lifts his chin. “No, Lothaire Cote. Thank you. Thank you for giving this poor, lonesome lady something to believe in again.”
Lyric swallows, trying not to smile. Svetta guides him forward. “Go now. You must not waste any time.”
Lyric catches up to me and I elbow him playfully. “Lothaire? When were you going to tell us?”
He rolls his eyes. “Never.”
“I like it,” Abby says, not bothering to turn around.
Lyric stumbles to a stop, gaping at Abby. She doesn’t look back. Lyric finally realizes Abby isn’t going to acknowledge what she said, so he rushes to catch up. “I guess it isn’t so bad,” he says in her general direction with no response. He turns to me. “I always hated it because my father had given it to me. It helps knowing he wasn’t always a soulless murderer.”
“Oh, wow.” Reid stops dead still at the edge of a steep embankment. We huddle in behind him and I try to peek over his shoulder. “What is it?”
He lets out a small laugh and turns around. “You’ve got to come see this.”
I scoot between Abby and Sadie, and I also find myself laughing. In the low valley beneath the ridge, hidden in the darkest shadow of the mountain, is a town. A city of houses.
Tall, ascending into the treetops, the houses are skinny and twisty. They circle around the trees as if following their awkward path to the sunlight above. Large porches extend out into the branches, connected by swinging bridges and hidden paths that disappear into shadows. Gardens of corn and soybeans outline the yards where the tree canopy has been stripped away to allow the sun access. People hoe and till the soil, the harvest season in full swing as they diligently prepare the land for the coming sleep of winter.
“I had no idea,” I say, laughing at the unbelievable sight.
“Me either.” Then he laughs. “I mean, I knew people lived back here, but I never knew it looked like this. It’s beautiful.”
Raven Ridge was a dream. Peaceful as an afternoon nap.
Why hadn’t Julien told me about this place?
He ran out of time.
Reid motions for me to follow him. I slide down the hillside, stumbling out into the deep grass. The first person we see is an elderly man. He shoos a young deer away from his wagon of greens. The deer isn’t afraid of him, though, and returns to steal another bite once the man is distracted by us. He pauses mid-step. At first I think he’s looking at me, but then I see his hands shake as he holds onto the wagon. He’s scared.
He thinks Lyric is Julien. He thinks Julien has returned to Raven Ridge in his cursed state. Everyone stares at us now. People stand out on the porches of the houses above me and in lightless windows in the mountains. Lyric immediately takes the lead and nods kindly to the man as we pass. “Just keep walking,” he says quietly.
We all heed his advice and advance through the long row of houses, keeping to ourselves. No one follows us. The well-worn road slowly fades to a barely visible path in fresh grass, and the trees no longer peel back to allow the sunlight down on us. The temperature feels like it’s dropped ten degrees as the shadow under the mountain grows. “Look,” Sadie says, ducking down to point up through the trees. “I see something on top of the hill.”
I move over to see what she means, and in the distance I can see a small steeple on the mountain. “That has to be the Tower.”
“We can cut through the trees,” Lyric says,
pointing in the direction of the steeple.
“No.” Reid takes my hand, holding it tight. “We do what Svetta said. We stay on the road. It will eventually take us there.”
We follow the winding road around the mountain. We come upon more houses, but there are fewer out here in the distant trees. The brush surrounding the road grows thicker. The tall trees with their orange and rust leaves block the sun. Reid and I look at each other. A silent recognition. Always aware of where my Sun is at all times.
As we approach the mountain, I spot the large wooden door outlined in the rock of a long cliff wall. Abby runs toward it and tugs on the handle, but of course it’s locked. If I step back and look straight up, I can see windows in the exposed rock, and at the very top, a peak with a small steeple. “Lyric has to be the one to open it,” Reid says. “You heard what Svetta said. The Raven’s Tower only permits the Haunted to enter.”
Lyric tries the door, but it doesn’t budge. “I was afraid of this.”
He looks back at me, and I know what he’s thinking. “You have to let him open it.”
Lyric glances at Abby. “The last time I let him be in charge, she about sizzled my nose off my face.”
Abby snaps her fingers, lightning bursting from the tips. “And I’ll do it again.”
I shoot Abby a look. She isn’t helping at the moment. Lyric faces the door and then glances at Abby again. “Could you go stand over there?”
“Why?”
“Because despite what you might think, I’m not a bad guy. I don’t want him ruining your perception of me before I have a chance to change it for myself.”
Abby takes two very small steps back. “Just open the door, Lyric.”
He bites the edge of his lip, his eyes closing. When he opens them again, they go straight to Abby. “Are you always this stubborn? Or do you merely enjoy brightening my day?”
“Open the door,” Abby says again.
Lyric grins. “This door? Why would I want to open this door for you?”
He circles around her, stopping at her shoulder. “I’m warning you, Lyric.”
Raven Ridge (Witches of Sanctuary Book 2) Page 10
