Bound

by Christina Garner

  They walked hand in hand, stopping at various booths, making small purchases, and gathering pamphlets from various organizations. Sarah even signed up to volunteer at an LGBTQ youth organization.

  “Eden will be so proud,” Sarah said, setting the pen and clipboard down.

  “You do know volunteering means more than just putting yourself on an email list, right?” Kai handed her clipboard back to a volunteer.

  “Oh, well, then forget it.” Sarah grinned, and Kai swatted her behind.

  As they moved on, Sarah’s phone vibrated in her coat pocket.

  Eden—We’re here. Next to the giant inflatable candy cane wearing a condom.

  Sarah and Kai made a beeline for one of the booths handing out literature on the importance of safe sex as well as rainbow-colored condoms.

  “You made it!” Sarah hugged Eden and Quinn.

  “Thanks for coming.” Kai managed to sound sincere, and Sarah thought despite her reservations, maybe she was.

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” Eden said. She gave Sarah a meaningful look. “Big step.”

  “It doesn’t feel that way.” Sarah glanced around. “I thought it would, but it just feels…right.”

  For the longest time, Eden was the only person Sarah had come out to, finally going public with Kai at a Coventry House party. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

  “I hear this is your first Pride event.” Kai and Quinn began walking. Sarah and Eden followed close behind.

  ”Yeah,” Quinn said then added quickly, “Not on purpose. I’ve just never been invited to one before.”

  Kai grinned at him and cast her eyes back at Sarah. “Don’t you just love straight guilt?”

  “Behave,” Sarah said, but she, too, was smiling.

  The sights, the sounds, and the colors all washed over her. She really did feel at home. She might even follow through on volunteering.

  If I do, will Eden stop harping on me to recycle?

  “Where are you?” Eden asked.

  “I’m here.” Sarah gestured at the scene. “To the incredible surprise of the me one year ago and even me four days ago, I’m right here. Am I the worst person in the world that I feel good right now?”

  “Absolutely not. It’s what Carolyn would want. And Jules.” Sadness shone in Eden’s eyes then faded. “Of course, Rebecca would still hate you.”

  She flashed a sideways smile, and Sarah laughed. In Haverland, she didn’t even have to worry about who might be watching.

  What did you think?” Eden and Quinn walked hand in hand as they left the Pride carnival.

  They’d offered Sarah and Kai a ride, but they wanted to stay in town a while longer and take the party bus back. “Get the full experience,” Sarah had said.

  “Key takeaway? I need to start doing crunches.” Quinn’s eyes cut to one of many men, his shirt pulled tight across a well-muscled abdomen.

  Eden smiled and patted his stomach. “Your abs are just fine the way they are.”

  “Thank God.” Quinn exhaled, and his belly relaxed. “I really hate crunches.”

  The air outside was cold and hit Eden like a slap. So did the quiet. She was instantly aware of the voices and their demands to be fed. The past two days they’d been getting louder, more insistent. The noise inside the convention center had done a decent job of drowning them out and had been a welcome respite.

  Just a little while longer…

  She was being strong, ignoring them as best she could. But how long until they couldn’t be ignored? How long until what happened with Davida happened again? Eden shivered.

  Quinn put his arm around her and pulled her close. “Fall in Washington—not quite like New England, huh?”

  She managed a smile. “There’s cold, and then there’s Arctic.” Eden snuggled into him, needing his warmth in a way that wasn’t physical.

  “You hungry?” Quinn asked as they reached the car.

  You have no idea…

  He opened the door for her. “I thought we could get some dinner on the way back.”

  How long until he noticed she wasn’t really eating? Putting food atop the oil slick that churned in her belly wasn’t working out so well, and she often wretched soon after. Less than a week, but her jeans had grown baggy.

  Quinn slid into the seat next to her. “You need to eat something.”

  I guess he’s noticed.

  “How about Maggie’s?” She did her best to inject some enthusiasm into her words. “Feels like soup weather.”

  Broth and crackers seemed the least likely to come back up.

  “Maggie’s it is.” Quinn started the ignition and reached to put the car in gear but stopped, turning to Eden. “I don’t know how it feels to be inside your head right now, but I know it has to be hard. Even on a normal day like this.”

  “It’s okay.” Eden didn’t want him worrying any more than he already was. “I’m fine.”

  “I know you are. You’re amazing. I just need you to know, we’re in this together. Whatever it takes, I’m not going to leave you like this. We’re going to fix it.”

  The look he gave her was earnest and filled with care. Eden shook her head and wondered aloud, “What did I do to deserve you?”

  Quinn touched her cheek. “I ask myself the same thing all the time.”

  He kissed her, and everything stopped. The buzz in the back of her mind faded. Everything except Quinn’s lips on hers disappeared, his hand cupping the back of her head, pulling her closer.

  The spell he’d found would work because it had to. Eden was going to get her life back—her mind back. She wanted this life—without the darkness and with Quinn.

  Sarah watched as they let the air out of the giant, inflatable condom, feeling a pang of regret.

  “Did you want me to get you one of those for Christmas?” Kai smirked as she approached and handed Sarah a hot chocolate.

  “Huh? Oh, no.” Her cheeks grew warm. “I was just sad it’s over.” Sarah started toward the door. “The carnival, that is, not the condom.”

  Kai stepped ahead and held the door for Sarah. They used to trade off, but for some reason, Kai now made it a point to open every door.

  Outside, the temperature had dropped considerably from when they’d arrived.

  “Sounds like you’ve been bitten by the Pride bug.” Kai sipped from her cup.

  “There are worse things I could be bitten by.” Sarah revealed a smile she hoped was sultry.

  “Do tell.” Kai answered with a playful nip on the shoulder.

  “Oh, that’s hot.”

  Startled, both women spun around to find three guys lurking in the corner. Each leered, and one of them stepped forward. “Don’t stop on our account.”

  “We don’t want any trouble.” Sarah turned and started away, the euphoria she’d just felt, gone.

  “I might want some trouble.”

  Sarah turned back to see Kai squared off, chin jutting forward.

  “Kai—”

  “It’s okay, babe. I’ve got this.” Kai didn’t even spare Sarah a glance.

  “That’s right, babe. She’s got this.” The guy grabbed his crotch, and his friends howled.

  Sarah’s heart pounded. The moment stretched. There was no one else around to help. Kai stayed rooted as the creep advanced. “Kai.”

  “I said I’ve got this.” Kai’s tone was as hard as her expression.

  What was she thinking? There were three of them, and Kai was still a walking bruise.

  In a flash, an idea came to Sarah, and then there it was. The guys who hung back were the first to notice, their mouths going slack. “Um, Chad…”

  Chad licked his lips and waved them off. “You’ll get your turn. I’m gonna dance with her first.”

  Kai cocked an eyebrow.

  “Chad.”

  “What—” Chad saw it, the whites of his eyes nearly overtaking the irises.

  Kai turned, her breath catching when she saw what they did—a hulking, amorphous shape, emerging from the shad
ows. In truth, it was made entirely of shadows. Had they bothered to try, they could have walked right through it. Instead, Chad cursed, one of his friends made the sign of the cross, and all three sprinted away.

  “Was that really necessary?” Kai shot Sarah a flat look.

  “There were three of them.”

  “I was handling it.”

  “You were about to get hurt,” Sarah sputtered. Was she seriously having to defend protecting her? “More hurt.”

  “Doing magic in the open is dangerous.”

  “More dangerous than you taking on three drunk frat guys? Besides, even if they tell someone they saw a shadow monster, who would believe them?”

  “It was reckless.” Kai would not let up. “That’s not like you.”

  “I was reckless?” Sarah felt as though she’d slipped through the looking glass. This entire argument made no sense.

  “Not everything can be solved with magic, Sarah. You’re relying on it way too much.”

  “Some things need to be solved with magic.” Like stubborn girlfriends who start unwinnable fights. “And thanks, but I’ve got a High Priestess to tell me when it’s too much.”

  Kai shook her head. “Let’s just forget it. I’m not going to let those cretins spoil an amazing day.”

  Sarah didn’t want to forget it. Whatever was going on with Kai, it was getting worse, and they needed to talk about it. But when Kai held out her hand, Sarah took it.

  One problem at a time. First, I help Eden, then I fix things with Kai.

  Chapter 11

  “How will you know when you’ve found it?” Sarah asked.

  “I’ll know.” Eden hoped she sounded more confident than she felt.

  They walked with purpose down an alley that ran behind a row of shops in Haverland.

  It was dark, and a hush had fallen over the town. Even their footfalls were drowned out by the soft snow. The hairs stood up on the back of Eden’s neck, but it was more likely fear than a signal of nearby magic.

  “Are we being reckless?” Sarah’s eyes darted this way and that.

  Eden glanced around too. Feeling watched was uncomfortably normal now, but she felt more exposed than usual. If they were close, it would make sense the entrance was being watched.

  Sarah had used the word reckless more than once in the past two days. Eden couldn’t blame her for having second thoughts.

  “We don’t have to do this.” Eden stopped and faced her friend. “We can go home.”

  Eden did have to do this, but if Sarah wanted to leave, she would come back alone.

  “No. The spell says we need it, so we need it.” Sarah started again down the alley.

  When they’d first heard about the magical black market, it had sounded exotic and terrible, like something in a faraway place run by faraway people. As with most nightmares, the real thing turned out to be closer than Eden could have imagined. The magic app had a helpful little icon that pointed out the town where each market was known to exist. That was the only direction it provided, however, and she and Sarah had been walking the streets for the better part of two hours, trying to sense something that said, “eye of newt sold here.”

  Of course, the wares got a lot worse than eyeballs on the black market. Anything anyone could imagine was bought and sold, including witches—auctioned off to the highest bidder and used for their power. Eden shuddered and shoved her hands in her pockets.

  The din in the back of her mind grew to a cacophony, and Eden stopped.

  “We’re close.” The voices always grew more active around power. Being inside Coventry House made them stronger and had her interacting as little as possible with her sisters. It had not improved her popularity.

  She extended her hand and watched as the energy rippled around it.

  “Looks like we’re here,” Sarah said. “Where’s the door?”

  Strong scents filled Eden’s nostrils—some earthy and exotic, others putrid. Sounds of haggling tickled her ears.

  “There isn’t one.” Eden unfocused her gaze and allowed herself to really see.

  The quiet alley disappeared. Rows of booths surrounded them, stretching in each direction as far as she could see. She spun around, amazed.

  “What are you doing?” Sarah squinted at her. “What are you looking at?”

  Eden laid a hand on her arm, and Sarah’s eyes went wide.

  “Oh.”

  Someone hurried by, struggling under the burden of two large parcels. Eden tugged Sarah out of his path.

  “This is crazy,” Sarah said, sounding out of breath.

  “This is magic.”

  Both women jumped at the sound, turning to see who had spoken.

  She was older—much older—but Eden couldn’t guess at an age. Her gray hair was pulled back into a bun, stray wisps sticking out just enough so her appearance wasn’t too severe. She had a round face and plump body, which reminded Eden of Mrs. Claus.

  “First time?” The old woman smiled.

  “Is it that obvious?” Sarah said, blushing.

  “I’m hard to fool.” Her eyes crinkled when she smiled. “Been around a while.” She busied herself rearranging the items on her table: crystals and wands like you might find at any magic shop. “What brings you to the market?”

  “We need an Urn of Capio.”

  The woman appeared taken aback. “Now what sort of mischief have you two gotten yourselves into to need one of those?”

  “Us?” Sarah said, wide eyes feigning innocence. “No mischief. It’s for our High Priestess. We’ve learned not to ask questions.”

  The woman smirked. “I’ve had a few priestesses like that. Always with the jump and carry.” She started off down the row of stalls then turned back. “Well, come on. Unless your priestess likes to be kept waiting.”

  Eden and Sarah exchanged a look. They rushed after the woman.

  She might have been old, but she was spry. Eden and Sarah raced to keep up, dodging people and animals as they did.

  The market was bustling, not at all what Eden had imagined. She’d pictured scary-looking men lurking in shadows with vials of dangerous potions hidden in the pockets of their trench coats. This market was alive with sights and sounds and scents.

  Fists pounded and kicked and scratched at the translucent barrier inside Eden’s mind, souls desperate to take control. They knew why she was here and what she planned to do. They wouldn’t leave her of their own accord like Carolyn and dozens of others had, because then they would really be dead. But being trapped in an object rather than a living, breathing body had to be a worse fate. Eden steeled herself and pushed back against the onslaught.

  They passed a tent with thick, dark curtains and a sign proclaiming Druid healings. Eden was tempted to fling herself inside and beg to be freed of this torture, but fear kept her moving. The black market might appear a harmless magical flea market, but she must never let herself forget that this was where the borahn demon had planned to sell her and her friends. Many here might not actively participate in such heinous acts, but they earned their livings looking the other way. She needed to remain on her guard until they left this place.

  “Maeve!” The barrel-chested man greeted the old woman with a smile. “I never see you on this side of the market.”

  “That’s because your lot don’t pick up after the sheep, Torwille,” Maeve said, but it was a good-natured taunt.

  Eden’s nose had been wrinkling for the past few minutes. Now she knew why.

  “These are my new friends.” Maeve paused so each could provide their names. “They need an Urn of Capio. It’s for their uppity priestess, so don’t give them any trouble.”

  Torwille spread his hands. “When would I be trouble?” Then he leaned forward and in a conspiratorial tone added, “Don’t answer that.”

  “Have you got one?” Maeve tucked a particularly unruly lock of hair back into her bun.

  Torwille rubbed his dark stubble. “Might be I do. For the right price.”

 
“Torwille Abernathy, I told these young women you were a straight shooter. Don’t make me a liar.”

  Maeve hadn’t said anything since telling them to come on, but Eden stayed quiet. Better to let this woman do the haggling.

  “Woman, when did you stop being any fun at all?” Torwille stooped down and rummaged through shelves hidden by the tablecloth.

  Sarah flashed Eden a look that said she, too, couldn’t believe their luck. Had they seriously come to the black market and stumbled onto what they needed in their first fifteen minutes? If Eden’s luck was changing, she was all for it. The thought she might soon be rid of the screams gave her the strength to quiet them further.

  “Here it is.” Torwille set the item down on the table. “One Urn of Capio.”

  Eden reached out. “May I?”

  When Torwille nodded, Eden lifted it with trembling hands. It was smaller than Eden had expected, just larger than her hand. It was made of red clay and had runes painted on the black band at its widest point. She lifted the stopper and peered inside, incredulous that such a small thing could house a demon.

  “Name your price,” Maeve said. “And don’t try to get one over on us.”

  “Fifty.” Torwille held up his hand before Maeve could open her mouth. “Fifty, and not a drop less.”

  Eden was so stunned she nearly dropped the urn. Fifty dollars was all that stood between her and freedom? She had borrowed a hundred each from Sarah and Quinn and sold her textbooks—even ones she needed—just so she’d have enough, and all she needed was fifty dollars?

  I love the black market.

  Eden opened her purse and pulled out her wallet. Torwille gave her a bemused look while Maeve laid a hand on her arm. “She’s new,” she said to Torwille. To Eden, she said, “Your priestess sent you to the market without telling you how it works?”

  Eden opened her mouth but felt too much like a deer in headlights to speak.

  “She’s more of the ‘sink or swim’ type.” Sarah made it sound true. “We aren’t leaving without that urn. Fifty what?”

  “Fifty drops.” Torwille took the urn from Eden’s hands and placed it back on the table, as though he were suddenly worried she might run off with it.