by Alicia Rades
“Well, it sure as hell isn’t the drugs talking,” he snapped.
I was so angry I wanted to stab something. Couldn’t he see how reckless this was? How dangerous it could be for him?
“Forget it.” I whirled around and stormed out of the room. I didn’t know where I was going, but I had to get out of there before I hurt somebody.
Venn’s voice followed me down the hall. “So that’s it? You’re done nurturing that connection?”
“No. That one’s on you.”
My legs carried me outside to the back yard, where I found Teagan and Fiona flinging knives at a target set up beside the long fence. Sondra and Ryland sat at the firepit close by, though there was no fire in it. They were snacking on potato chips. It was already past lunch. I hadn’t eaten, but my stomach twisted just thinking about food.
I stomped over to Teagan and Fiona, fuming. “I need a knife.”
Teagan raised her eyebrows. “Who won the fight?”
“You heard that?”
“Not really,” Fiona admitted. “Enough to know you and Venn are fighting. Not enough to hear what you said.”
Teagan handed me a knife. Before she could demonstrate how to use it, I hurled it at the target. It bounced off and landed in the grass.
“Another,” I demanded, and Teagan handed the whole pile over to me.
I vented, accenting each word when the knives left my fingers. “Venn thinks it’s cool to start doing drugs and to share with my sister and hide it from me. How stupid can he be? Doesn’t he know how that shit messes with his body?”
I ran out of knives, and not a single one stuck.
Fiona’s eyes widened, and her hand shot over her mouth. “Venn’s been doing drugs? How long?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Since he came back from Detroit, I guess. Maybe even since we got off the island.”
Teagan froze and blinked a few times, like she was trying to absorb it. “I knew he’d been acting strange, but I thought it was from losing his brother.”
“Look, I get trying to deal with the pain, but why didn’t he come to me?” My anger began to melt into pain. The three of us started toward the target to retrieve the knives. “I know he’s been going through withdrawals, too. I can tell by the way he’s been acting. But I don’t get it. I was fed on more while we were on Gregor Island, and I feel fine now.”
“But Venn had been fed on for years,” Fiona pointed out. “If a vampire bit him on the island, all of that would come rushing back. He’d have to go through the whole recovery process over again.”
“The whole thing?”
“It wouldn’t be as bad as last time,” Teagan said, “but it’d be worse than what you’ve experienced.”
We all just stood there in silence for several moments, like we were waiting for someone else to say something. Fiona’s eyes were beginning to brim with tears.
“Come on,” I said.
We returned to our spot in front of the target, and I started throwing the knives again. The first one stuck in the target, and I felt a small surge of victory.
I sighed. “I’m just conflicted. I think he’s right that I don’t know what he’s going through, but he’s not even giving me a chance. We’re supposed to be a team, and I don’t think we can do that when he’s hiding things from me.”
I bit my lower lip. “The truth is, I'm worried about him.”
“I think we need to get you out of here,” Sondra suggested. I hadn’t even realized she’d come up behind me, or that she’d been listening. “You and Venn both need to cool down, then you can talk once you’re both in a better mindset. How does that sound?”
“It sounds great,” I said honestly. “But Venn…”
“We'll talk to him,” Teagan offered.
“Yeah,” Fiona agreed. “You don't have to worry.”
“What are we going to do?” I asked Sondra.
“I’m still unable to get ahold of those friends of a friend I was telling you about. I’m starting to worry. I’d like to visit them in person. Are you up for a drive?” Sondra asked.
If this was anything like our last two visits, there was no way I was missing out. I had to burn off some of my energy if I was going to face Venn with a clear head.
“Absolutely.”
19
The car ride was under an hour, but it seemed longer. Teagan insisted Ryland come along because she knew he’d only make things worse if he spoke to Venn about the drugs. Ryland agreed because he was sick of missing out on all the fun.
“And here I thought you were just scared,” I teased.
“Hey,” he joked back. “You want a rematch on that arm wrestle?”
“No thanks.”
Ryland would crush me.
Genevieve also came along. We thought she'd be able to help us convince these people to join us.
It was late afternoon when we exited the highway. We drove another twenty minutes past endless farm fields. I was starting to think we might be lost, but then Genevieve pulled off the road and down a long country driveway. We stopped at a large house nestled in a small cluster of trees. It was large and looked only a few years old. It had multiple peaks made of different colored bricks and a large porch on the front. It looked like it belonged in some sort of architecture magazine.
“You’re sure this is it?” Ryland asked.
“This is the only address listed for Carla and Adrien Bell,” Sondra said. “So it better be right.”
The air was unusually cool for the end of summer when we stepped out of the car. It was quiet, too, like the family had abandoned the property. I glanced around for signs of a vehicle, but I didn’t see any, though that didn’t mean no one was around. There was a two-car garage attached to the house.
Sondra knocked on the door.
“Maybe they’re not home,” I suggested while we waited.
“Or maybe they’re just being cautious,” Sondra replied.
I glanced to Ryland. Yeah, he’d definitely send off alarm bells. He was kind of scary.
Sondra knocked again. I continued to scan the property. As my eyes roamed over the porch we were standing on, I noticed movement in the nearest window. As soon as I spotted it, the curtains returned to their proper place, as if nothing had been there at all.
“They’re home,” I whispered lowly.
Sondra frowned, then raised her voice. “Carla and Adrien? We’re sorry to drop in like this. I’m friends with Jordan Chase. She gave me your names. I’ve been trying to get ahold of you for a few days. When I didn’t hear back, I wanted to check to make sure you were okay.”
The front door opened a crack. A man in his forties peeked out at us. He was dressed casually and had a sort of dad vibe going on. The screen door remained closed between us, like it would protect him if we were unfriendly.
“You’re Sondra?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said kindly. “These are my friends, Genevieve, Rae, and Ryland.”
“Adrien.” A woman’s voice came from behind the door. “Let them in. We need them.”
Adrien hesitated, then opened the screen door.
The woman came into view. She looked Adrien’s age, with dark blonde hair and a friendly smile. “Any friend of Jordan’s is a friend of ours. Please, come in.”
We stepped into the house, and the woman extended her hand out to each of us. “I’m Carla, and this is my husband, Adrien.”
Greetings traveled around the entryway as we introduced ourselves, then Carla gestured for us to sit in the living room. Their house was filled with warm tones and family pictures, making me feel right at home. Sondra, Genevieve, and I took the couch. Ryland crossed his arms beside us like he was standing guard. Carla and Adrien both took a seat across from us in individual chairs.
“You’ll have to forgive us for not getting back to you,” Carla said.
“I understand,” Sondra said. “None of us can be too careful with the way things are right now. Jordan didn’t tell me you had children.”
; Adrien’s face went white, but he quickly recovered when he glanced to where Sondra was looking. A family picture hung above their mantle. In it, Adrien and Carla sat in a pile of autumn leaves with a son and daughter who looked around the ages of five and seven.
Carla folded her hands over her knees. “Yes. Jordan said you might be contacting us, but with the kids, we were just afraid it’d be too much.”
“We’re glad to see your family is okay,” I said. “Sondra was really worried.”
“We should’ve called back,” Carla admitted. “Things have just been really stressful around here lately.”
I shifted uncomfortably on the couch. The way she said it made me uneasy.
An immediate look of concern crossed Genevieve’s face. “Is your family in trouble?”
The couple exchanged a glance.
Adrien leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He glanced down to his hands, like telling the story was difficult. “About a week ago, the Department of Magical Regulation came to our house with a search warrant.”
I gasped. “Did they find anything?”
Carla shook her head. “No, thank heavens. But you can understand our caution.”
“Of course,” Sondra replied. “But you do… practice magic, don’t you? Jordan said you did.”
Adrien looked to his wife with concern, but he turned back to us with a sigh. “Yes, we do, but we don’t profit off any of it. It’s more of a hobby. We meet with a group of local witches about once a week, and we use our magic to bring fortune to our lives and others’, but that’s it. We’re not actually sure how the DMR found out about us.”
“We think maybe one of our group members exchanged our names for a reduced sentence,” Carla theorized. “We haven’t heard from most of them since everything changed, so it’s impossible to know who.”
“Jordan wouldn’t,” Sondra said with certainty.
“No, of course not,” Adrien said. “We trust Jordan with our lives. In fact, she was the one who suggested we get rid of all our evidence before the DMR arrived. She basically saved us.”
“The investigation is still ongoing, though,” Carla told us. “Look, the reason we’re telling you this is because Jordan said you might have an offer for us. She said you could help.”
Genevieve sat up straighter. “We actually need your help. As Matias has been building an army, we’ve been building our own. We have over a dozen groups in the local area who have either donated potions or magical objects to help us or who have agreed to help us go up against Matias.”
“You intend to get your magic back from him?” Adrien asked with raised eyebrows, like it was impossible.
“Precisely,” Genevieve said confidently.
Carla narrowed her eyes, looking skeptical. “How exactly are you going to do that?”
Genevieve held her head up high. “Through any means necessary.”
“Yes, but how?” Adrien pressed.
“I’m working out those details,” Genevieve said confidently.
Carla sighed. “Look, we’d really like to help you, but this sounds dangerous. With the kids… we just can’t commit to something like this.”
Carla shot Adrien a glance, and he nodded back.
“However, we have something that might be of use to you.” Carla stood and unclasped the bracelet on her wrist. “This is the only thing we kept since the DMR crack-downs.”
She held it out toward us. Since I was closest, I took it and examined the bracelet. It wasn’t anything spectacular, just a silver chain with fake diamonds embedded along it.
“Adrien is a therapist who works with victims of domestic violence,” Carla explained. “We were working on designing artifacts that would protect women in these situations. This was our prototype. If the wearer is in danger, it will send a strong blast of air back at their command. It disorients their attacker to help them escape a dangerous situation.”
“Are you sure you want to give this to us?” I asked.
Adrien nodded. “If you can defeat Matias and we get our magic back, we’ll be able to make hundreds more artifacts just like this one.”
“That’s very generous of you,” Sondra said. “Thank you.”
“No,” Carla replied. “Thank you. What you’re doing is very—”
Carla cut off when the sound of tires came from outside. More than one set, too.
Adrien rushed to his feet and raced toward the window. Ryland was at his side in less than a second, and they both peered out past the curtain.
Adrien swore under his breath. “It’s the DMR! What are they—?”
“Everybody down!” Ryland shouted.
Before I knew what was happening, Ryland flung himself away from the window. He spread his arms wide and knocked the three of us on the couch to the floor. My head narrowly missed being smashed against the corner of the coffee table. Carla immediately dropped to the floor and covered her head.
A second later, the sound of shattering glass filled the room. Something hard bounced across the floor. Then came a sharp hiss. The room began to fill with visible gas.
“Everybody run!” Adrien shouted.
Carla’s face went stark white. “Adrien, the kids!”
Ryland dragged Carla to her feet. “Where are they!?”
I shot to my feet as fast as I could and raced after them down the hall. Gas was starting to fill the house. I could hardly breathe. Carla raced into the kids’ room, and Ryland followed close behind. I paused outside the door to make sure the other three were behind us. Sondra and Genevieve stumbled down the hall, covering their faces.
“Adrien!?” I cried. “Where’s Adrien?”
He rounded the corner and pushed past the other two to get to the kids. Ryland burst out of the room carrying both of the children. They were each wrapped in a blanket.
Carla grabbed clothes out of the basket near the door and shoved them at the children. “Cover your mouths! Don’t breathe it in.”
Both children had a look of terror fixed to their faces. The boy had frozen up, while the girl was crying and reaching out for her father.
Adrien leapt into father mode and took his daughter from Ryland’s arms, cradling her. “This way!” he shouted.
Just as we all took off down the hall again, the front door burst open. My heart leapt into my throat. I stole a glance toward it as I rounded the corner into the kitchen. All I caught was the sight of men in gas masks and holding guns flooding into the house.
“Everyone on the ground!” one of the soldiers shouted, but we were already moving far back into the house.
My eyes burned, and my lungs felt like they were on fire. Adrien threw open the door to the garage and ushered his wife and Ryland through. I was next, but I paused when I looked behind me to see that Genevieve had stopped to catch her breath beside the kitchen island.
Sondra backtracked to take her hand. “We have to go!”
Genevieve took another deep breath, but she looked a little disoriented. I ran back to her and looped her arm over my shoulder. Whatever gas they’d fired into the house was seriously messing with Genevieve’s respiratory system, because she was hacking up a lung.
“Genevieve,” I said sternly, “there’s no time—”
“ON THE GROUND!” a harsh voice sounded behind us.
Genevieve, Sondra, and I all froze up at once.
“Go,” I mouthed to Adrien, who the soldiers couldn’t see from the doorway.
Adrien’s eyes went wide, but one look at his daughter, and he knew what he had to do. He turned and swung the door shut behind himself.
“I said on the ground!” the soldier demanded.
I twisted my head to see at least a dozen guns pointed in our direction. My heart slammed against my rib cage. I’d never had to go up against guns before.
“This residence is hereby found in violation of DMR regulation three,” one of the men said.
“Please,” Sondra said as she held her hands up in surrender. “We don’t even li
ve here. We’re just visiting—”
“Arrest them,” another deep voice commanded.
As three men with guns stepped toward us, instinct kicked in. Suddenly, I was back on the streets, surrounded by a group of vampires who’d like nothing more than to suck me dry. No way in hell was I going down without a fight.
Anger and fear rose within me. I could feel the strong emotions sweeping across my body like the tingle I used to get from shifting into raven form. My whole body felt like it was alive with fire, as if for just one moment, my magic had returned. I didn’t know exactly what was happening. All I knew was that I had to run.
Arrest this, you asshole!
Boom!
Everything happened so fast. One moment, I could feel the magic from the bracelet tangling with my emotions and offering to save me. The next, the air in front of me exploded, blasting back all the soldiers. Fire shot out of one of their guns, and the deafening sound filled the kitchen.
A split-second passed in which I had to process everything that had just happened. It all sank in in a flash.
“Let’s go!” I took Genevieve’s arm and dragged her behind me.
She stumbled, like she couldn’t quite find her footing. It felt like she was fighting me, but we were in too much of a hurry. I didn’t slow.
Sondra, Genevieve, and I ran through the door to the garage to find a minivan waiting there for us.
“Get in!” Ryland shouted from the open side door. He gestured frantically for us.
We stumbled inside and fell across each other in the second row of seats.
“Go!” Ryland yelled to Adrien in the driver’s seat. The children sat in the back, huddled up against their mother.
“Everyone hold on,” Adrien warned.
He clicked a button above his head, and the door to the garage slowly opened. I didn’t even catch a glimpse outside before the door to the house burst open and a soldier in the doorway was pointing a gun at the window.
“Drive!” Ryland shouted.
Adrien didn’t wait for the garage door. He slammed his foot against the gas, and we went flying backward. The minivan tore through the door, and Adrien wrenched on the wheel. Six big DMR vans were parked in the driveway, and another line of soldiers were pointing their guns at us.
