Raven Ridge (Witches of Sanctuary Book 2)
Page 14
I’m exhausted. My limbs are weak and my thoughts are sluggish, but sleep won’t find me. Not now. It won’t be the monster of Julien that haunts me tonight, but rather that look on his face. The look that my Julien, the one I thought was gone forever, gave me when he realized the truth.
Strong, firm hands wrap around my waist. Reid’s face nuzzles into my hair, until I turn around and his lips touch my cheek. “Of all the nights for Julien to show back up…”
I open my lips to speak, but Reid beats me. He tugs me closer, holding me tighter. “I played nice last time. It’s different now. I’ll help you save him, but if he crosses the line again, I will make him regret it.”
My spine pricks with a cold chill. I spin around. Those perfect, mystic green eyes keep me frozen. His hand tilts my chin up, and his lips take me.
I won’t share you again. Ever.
He means it. The intensity of it radiates through me. It heals all the fractured pieces of myself. Julien is my friend. I care about him. That won’t change, but Reid…he is what makes me whole.
The ground shakes beneath me. A literal tremor along the wood in the floor. Then I hear a voice. A voice I thought I might never hear again.
“Well, look at that…”
I whip around to see a ghost. Her bright purple hat sits lopsided on her head, with the yellow feathers bobbing around the front as she smiles. Priscilla DeMarci. She places one hand on her hip and points the other directly at Reid. “I should have known. That night in the graveyard. I knew the power this child evoked was too much to be just any witch.”
“Priscilla!” I can’t help but laugh. “What are you doing here?”
“Delivering a message.” She glances around at the steam-filled room. “You’ve been calling one of the Innocent, have you not?”
“Yes,” Sera says quickly. “We need my aunt Delphine.”
Priscilla nods. “She will be here by morning.”
“Thank you,” Sera says, sighing her relief.
Priscilla turns her attention back to me. “You’re growing stronger.”
Reid’s hand intertwines with mine. Priscilla catches the movement and smiles. “Take care of her.”
Reid’s grip tightens. “I plan on it.”
Priscilla smiles before disappearing as quickly as she came. Sera comes over and places a hand on my shoulder. “You heard her. Delphine will be here by morning. There is nothing more we can do tonight. We need to rest.”
“Care if we crash here?”
Sera smiles at her son. “Sure. You can take the couch. Abby and Willa can crash in her old bedroom.”
Reid purses his lips, and Sera’s grin only widens. “Girlfriend or not. My house, my rules.”
***
My eyes are still heavy when the sun beams through window into them. I rub them slowly, trying to remember the night. Nothing comes to mind except Abby’s excessive badgering over the details of my new relationship with Reid. I’d fallen asleep listening to her gab on about how she always knew we were meant to be sisters.
There were no nightmares. I sit up on my elbow, sifting through my sluggish thoughts, surprised that no matter how hard I concentrate there are no visions of a relentless monster anywhere. I’d slept the entire night.
“Not a morning person?”
My gaze darts to my feet to find a figure sitting at the edge of my bed. It’s not Abby; her snoring lump still lies next to me in bed. “Holy crap.” I grab the blanket and try to unravel myself, but end up falling over the edge of the bed onto the floor. I groan, rolling over. The hardwood is just that. Hard. My tailbone screams at the pain from the impact. The lady sitting at the end of my bed smiles at me. Her deep gray hair is long. The ends hit the top of her hips that are decorated with layered fabrics, creating a heel-length dress. Her smile is thin and warm.
“Good morning, my sweet sunshine.”
I stare oddly at her. “Delphine?”
“You look surprised to see me. Did you not get my message?”
I try to sit up. “No. No. We got the message. I just didn’t expect to find you sitting at the end of my bed.”
She tilts her head to the side. “How else was I to wake you?”
“Good point.”
She reaches down to help me up, and I catch her staring at my neck. Her fingers come up and brush across the moon emblem. “You’re too young for such a burden.”
I reflexively touch the mark. Delphine pushes her hair back, and pulls the corner of her collar down to reveal the yellow circle on her collarbone. “It’s been almost fifteen years now. I can remember the burn like it was yesterday.”
“Did you bring the book with you?”
“Yes. I know what you seek. You will find your answers there.”
“Where is it?”
She holds out her hand, and I take it. “Waiting for you in the atrium. The others are still sleeping. Let them rest. Go alone and find your answers, Willa.”
She leads me downstairs. I instantly spot Reid on the couch. His head is buried beneath a pillow as the sound of soft breathing escapes from under it. We tiptoe silently through the room and into the kitchen. Delphine leads me to the door of the atrium, where she stops. “I’ll be waiting when you’re ready to talk. All of us will be.”
I take a step inside, and I hear her close the door behind me. I walk over and take a seat at the table and small stool Sera uses when she paints out here. The book is propped up against it.
I run my hands down the spine. The leather is soft, but worn underneath my fingertips, and the edge of the pages frayed. A sun embellishes the cover, with jewels and flowers draped over the burning flames that erupt from its core. I pull the thick maroon bookmark, opening the pages to that point Delphine mentioned. The text is all handwritten. Some parts are a scrawling cursive while other parts are a tiny, boxy type print. Pictures and symbols work in odd directions and it’s difficult to tell which end of the book is meant to be upright.
Finally, I spot the words I need.
The Changing.
This is it. This is what we’ve really been looking for this whole time.
The Raven, Estelle Cote, the Mountain Lion, Luther Prescott, and the Red Wolf, George Bessette, doomed to roam the mountains of Sanctuary for eternity. As punishment for allowing the darkness to claim their hearts, they must watch the Haunting of their family lines.
The Haunted not yet consumed by the curse will be drawn to the light that dwells in each Innocent.
I keep scanning, my finger moving faster than I can get the words out of my mouth. I can’t believe it. Sadie is right in her theory. The Haunted, once urged to hide and stay away from the Innocent, will suddenly crave them.
One by one, the Haunted will seek out the Innocent, their affection and admiration transfixed upon those who can save them.
I don’t want to believe it. I don’t want to admit everything that has happened between us and the Haunted has been due to some curse. Julien’s curiosity toward me when I showed up. Ezekiel’s great love for Sadie. Erika’s attraction to Reid. Lyric and Abby.
It is only through the love, kindness, and unrequited charity of the Innocent that the Haunted will be saved. The original three must seek forgiveness. It is only when granted by an Innocent that the Changing will take place. The darkness will be stripped away from the cursed, allowing them to be temporarily free.
Take heed. Once the Changing starts, it cannot be reversed. You must perform the Iniquity spell before the next solstice to purge the blackness from their heart forever…or it will return and claim them in death.
My knees buckle.
“Willa? Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I grab onto the book and the table so I don’t fall down. Abby rushes to me. “What did you read?”
“Julien will die.”
“What? Why?”
“The Changing. Estelle Cote said watching her loved ones suffer all these years has reformed her cold heart. When Reid and I forgave her,
it set off a change in the curse.”
“What do we have to do with it?”
“I told you. The Haunted were compelled with this urge to seek us out. To bond with us because we can save them.”
“How?”
“The spell we’ve been looking for all this time. It’s called the Iniquity spell.” I find the spot in the text again and read it out loud to Abby.
You must perform the Iniquity spell before the next solstice to purge the blackness from their heart forever…or it will return and claim them in death.
I look back at her, urging her to see the terror and determination in my stare. “The evil inside of him is being stripped away. That’s why he’s in pain. We have to find the Book of the Moon and perform this Iniquity spell before the next solstice, or Julien will die.”
I clench around the stand, my fingers gripping the cold metal. The tears leak out despite my effort to hold back the pain.
If I don’t succeed…Julien will die. He’ll die because I forgave Estelle Cote.
Abby’s arms wrap around me, the pressure of her hug enough to keep my emotions and fear from spilling out. “We’ll save him. We will find that book.”
I want to believe her. I want to believe in happy endings. I want to believe this light that dwells inside of us will conquer the darkness in the end.
Right now, believing won’t bring me my book. It won’t save Julien.
Chapter 15
The Connection
I walk back out holding the Book of the Sun close to my chest. Reid, barely awake, stands in the middle of the room with Sera and Delphine. Abby holds onto my arm, keeping me steady. Reid places his palm on his chest and winces. He feels my heart break.
I take a few deep breaths, but it doesn’t calm me. Nothing will. “Julien is breaking free of the curse.”
Reid steps forward, his brows narrowed. “How?”
“The Raven has repented. She’s changed. The evil that once dwelled inside of her has been broken down by years of watching her family suffer. She asked for forgiveness, and we granted it.”
Reid watches me, reading my features. “Why do I feel like there is more to this than just waiting for Julien to come back for good?”
“It’s only temporary. The Changing has started. Once it’s complete, we only have so much time to perform the Iniquity spell to cast the evil out of him for good or he’ll die.”
“How much time do we have?”
I flip through the book, scanning for the right part. “From the day Julien completes the Changing we have until the Winter Solstice.”
Reid runs his hands through his hair. “The Winter Solstice is next month.”
I nod. Reid walks toward me, and I clench the book tighter to my chest. I don’t want him to feel the pain inside of me. It isn’t fair. He takes the book and hands it back to Delphine, then pulls me closer. “We’ll save him.”
“How?”
“We stick to our plan. Julien, or, well, the other version of him, has the Bessette family history. You convince Julien to cough up the name, we track down your book, and we find out how to save him.”
“What about the other original Haunted? George Bessette and Luther Prescott are out there in there animal forms like the Raven, watching while their family suffers.”
“Luther Prescott has been watching his family die for decades. If Zeke’s death didn’t thaw his heart, nothing will.”
I sit on the edge of the rock wall outlining the fireplace, trying to piece this plan together. “So, we go talk to Julien and find out the name of the other Bessette brother.”
Reid sits next to me. “I don’t believe I’m going to say this but, I think you should go talk to Julien alone.”
“What?”
Reid reaches over and gently places his hand on my knee. “You really think Julien is going to volunteer any kind of information to me?”
“It’s to save his own life.”
“Maybe so, but I think it will be better for both of you if you went without me.”
My eyes narrow at him. “You still think I have doubts about us?”
Reid’s gaze turns to the ground. “No. I just think you both deserve a chance to talk without an audience.”
The front door swings open, and Sadie rushes through it. “I was just at the circle with Lyric. Julien is in control. He’s weak, but he’s coherent enough to talk.”
Reid stands up, and then holds out his hand to help me up. “Now is your chance.”
My hesitation speaks volumes. I’m not ready for this yet. The twinge of pain in my chest is deep, just like the blade that Julien’s monstrous alter ego shoved there. My fingers flex over the sore spot on my ribs. Reid squeezes my hand. “I’ll be here, if you need me.”
Just let me know.
As if I needed a reminder that he could sense the turmoil bubbling inside of me. “Okay.”
Abby walks over to me. “I’ll drop you off on my way to go see Grady.”
I nod. “Let’s just get this done.”
***
The rain brought in a wicked chill that revealed each individual breath I took in a gusty puff around my lips. I place my hand on the rough bark of the giant oak at the top of the hill. I can faintly see the outline of the ceremonial circle. A low blue flame circles it. Julien’s slumping form is barely visible. I wish, even if that wish only granted me a moment, that I could take on his pain and allow him to be free. I move closer to them, but then pause.
“Wilhelmina?”
It’s Julien’s voice. Everything from the tone to the lyrical cadence of his accent is different than when that monster is in control. Lyric stands outside the circle, his hands shoved in his pockets. He turns to me, his eyes red and swollen. He motions for me to come closer. Lyric takes my hand and squeezes it. “I told him about the Changing.” He looks slowly between us, a deep sadness in his eyes. “I’ll give you two a moment alone.”
Lyric disappears over the hillside and I turn back around. Julien still sits with his back to me. “So, as I’m to understand it, I’ve been temporarily set free of my curse.”
“Yes.” My voice is small and weak. This is wrong. This isn’t how this reunion should be. Formal and emotionless. Despite all the other things that complicated our life, we were friends first. It was his uncontainable smile and undeniable charm that caught me in the first place. “I will save you, I promise. I just need you to tell me the name of the Bessette who has my book.”
Julien laughs. It’s deep and fake. He stands, wobbling to his feet. He turns, his lips tight. “I’m not a charity case, Wilhelmina. I don’t need you to save me.”
Tears instantly sting my eyes. “Julien, please don’t do this.”
“Why? It’s not like you believe the way I feel about you, or the way you feel about me is real.” Julien throws his hands out in frustration. “Lyric told me. The Changing. This insane nonsense about the Haunted being attracted to the Innocent.”
“It’s real, Julien. It’s in the book.”
Julien stalks to the edge of the circle, his eyes cold and narrow. “I admit my initial curiosity toward you might have been superficial. It might have been some supernatural pull that drove me to your tent that day.” He takes a deep breath, his hands shaking. “But you don’t get to brush off the way I feel about you. You don’t get to act like this pain ripping me apart isn’t real.”
I take a step back, my gaze falling to the ground. I can’t look at him like this. “Julien—”
“I never knew acceptance until you offered it to me.” The stern tone of his voice forces my attention back to him. “I never understood loyalty until you gave it to me. I didn’t think I was capable of honesty. Selflessness. Sacrifice. The things that make a person human and good.” His voice breaks and so does everything inside of me. “The only reason I can live with myself is because of the change you made in me.”
Tears sting my eyes. I try and fight them back, but it’s no use. They’ve been building up for too long.
I stand there. The tears leak down my cheeks. I don’t bother to wipe them away. More will follow. Julien reaches for me, but the blue flame around the bottom of the circle flares in front of him, and he stumbles back. I rush to the edge of the circle. The Innocent won’t let me enter, but I stand there on the rim.
Julien moves as close to me as the circle will permit. I want to reach for him again, but I know better. So close, but completely unattainable as he’s always been. His eyes are soft when he looks up at me. “You can love him, Wilhelmina. I won’t stop you, but don’t you dare act like the way I feel when you look at me, when you touch me, and in those rare, fleeting moments when you allow yourself to love me back is some mythical fluke.”
I didn’t think that. I couldn’t. The initial spark might have been false, but everything after it was real. It’s real in us all. I saw the look in Zeke’s eyes when he proposed to Sadie. No amount of magic could create that kind of love. I see the way Julien looks at me now.
“We were friends.”
“That’s funny. That wasn’t friendship I tasted on your tongue that night in the chapel.”
I take step back. It was the tone of his voice. It changed. It slipped effortlessly from wounded and pained back to anger. That’s when I spotted it. The black rim around the blue iris.
Julien bites his lip, closing his eyes in obvious pain. The monster is there. He might not be strong enough to be in complete control, but he is still there. The Changing hasn’t completed yet. I can’t talk to him when that evil thing inside of him is contorting his emotions. It wouldn’t be good for either of us.