“Then what? It’s not like we’ll be able to fit through them,” I mutter. The sandstorm spirals around, peeling back layers of rock and mortar from the wall that holds the other side of the stairs up.
“Maybe we can peel back one of the treads. It might give us some room to get out. If nothing else, it looks like the wall is blocking the sand a bit better than this damn coat. Come on,” he says, nodding toward the stairs.
Getting up into a crouched position, I shield the side of my face with my right arm and start almost duck-walking toward the stairs. Wade does the same, continuing to hold his leather jacket up to protect us.
Sand pelts the other side of his jacket. The sound is reminiscent of rain falling on the roof or hitting the edge of a windowsill. Larger stones buried in the walls crumble and pull into the cyclone, as if being drawn to the center of a black hole.
I race forward, practically diving into the small alcove in order to be shielded beneath the stairs.
“That was close,” I breathe, turning around to face Wade.
Just as I face him, a stone the size of his head dislodges from the wall beside him. It hits him in the shoulder, pushing him off balance. He stumbles backward a couple of steps. Another rock, much larger than the first, and already caught in the vortex, cycles around, catching him in the back of the head.
I blink back my horror and dismay. But before I can even reach out for him or call his name, his eyes dim. His expression doesn’t even change.
Then, as if in slow motion, his knees buckle beneath him. In the longest of seconds ever, his arms fall to his side, and he lets loose his jacket. It’s scooped up by the sandstorm behind him, instantly consumed by it. The dark strands of hair across Wade’s forehead flutter wildly, almost as if he’s just on a joyride in a convertible, as he drops to the ground.
Rushing forward, I somehow manage to grab onto his upper body, hoisting him up before he can fall face-first into the dirt. With all the strength I can muster, I yank him backward, dragging him into the tiny space beneath the stairs.
My body trembles as I try to gently set him down on his back. Placing a hand behind his head, I support his neck as I lay him flat. Removing my shaky hand, I fight the urge to hurl. My hand is totally covered in crimson, and a small pool of blood begins to spread across the sand beneath his head.
A guttural cry escapes my lips as I scramble to find a pulse on his neck. My fingers slip and slide against his skin and my hands quake too much to get a good read.
“Wade, stay with me—” I say, barely holding back my sobs. “I’ll get you help. I swear, I’ll get you help.”
The typical flush of color that would be splashed across his cheeks is fading and even his lips take on an odd whitish tinge. I bend forward, clutching him to my body as I instinctively rock back and forth.
My worst nightmare is coming to pass.
“Wade,” I repeat, over and over. Tears stream from my eyes, mixing with the sand and grit covering my face, but I can’t bring myself to care.
Beyond the small wall, the stones and sand continue to circle, ripping away years of history from this space, but all I can worry about is Wade and whether or not he’s okay. And if he’s not—then the fucking cyclone better just scoop me up now, because I’m done. End me now.
“Stop—” I wail, wishing there was some way to get through to my father. Some way to make him understand what he’s doing and just make him stop.
Instead of slowing down, it’s as though the sound of my pain pisses him off more. The walls of the resurrection chamber rumble with a thundering roar that’s deafening. Bowing my head and pulling myself over Wade, I cover him, refusing to let anything else hurt him without going through me first.
All around us the stones rattle like they’re about to collapse the room completely, and I almost welcome it. The wall giving us a momentary shield of cover crushes in on itself, flying apart rock by rock as it gets sucked into the vortex in the room. A few of the stairs that were attached to it fly off, joining the chaos. The remaining stairs dangle from the supporting wall like wobbly teeth, ready to pop out at a moment’s notice.
Unable to hold back my sobs, I cover my face in Wade’s neck. Sandalwood and soap mix with the potent, sickly stench of blood. Though I’m not willing to face the end, I hold my breath, waiting to be swept away with the cyclone of sand and stone.
I never should have given in and brought him back into my world. This was always going to happen. One way or another, Wade was going to die because of me.
He knew it, I knew it…even his dad knew it. Being around me brought him into my family’s curse.
I should have trusted my instincts and let him go. It would have kept him safe.
Now it’s a horrifying mistake I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life.
What in the hell was I thinking?
Chapter 24
Tick Tock
The floorboards from the room above groan, snapping the beams and buckling a handful of them inward. It’s only a matter of time before the upper level collapses completely. My body quakes uncontrollably as I cling to Wade, wishing this was over. If the Moirai want to wipe out the Blackwood family so badly, just do it already.
I’m ready to die. At least I’ll be with Wade.
Suddenly, the raging wind and cacophony beyond comes to a complete halt and the room goes deafeningly silent. Too terrified to look up, I clutch Wade closer, rocking with his body for fear of what might be on the other side of my eyelids.
Are the Fates here to accept my challenge? What will they do with us?
Footsteps creak on the stairs above us and my head snaps up. Opening my eyes, it’s as if the entire room has been put on pause. Every rock, board, nail, and granule of sand is suspended in mid-rotation. Even Wade’s jacket floats at an odd angle in the mixture of it, almost as if it’s suspended in water.
My ears still ring from the commotion, but I swear I hear movement and voices, but I can’t be sure. I watch the ceiling above me, waiting for the shoe to drop. Or at the very least, the craziness to resume. There’s no way the Lemure would stop for the fun of it.
“This looks like a death trap. Are you sure the stairs are secure?” a male voice says from somewhere above me.
“For godsake, he’s got this. Would you just go?” An air of irritation filters from a second, female voice.
Narrowing my gaze, I hold my breath and wait.
Two sets of feet make their way down the steps, each one descending with a little bit of caution. Clutching Wade close, my heart pounds in my ears.
A rush of relief sweeps over me and I collapse back into Wade as Dominic and Cat round the bottom of the rickety steps. Cat’s eyes brighten when she sees me, but she twists back toward the stairs.
“They’re here—” Cat calls out.
Dominic races forward, dropping to his knees beside me. As he takes in the situation with Wade, his face goes ashen, but he doesn’t say a word. His eyebrows just tip up in the middle in a silent question.
“Is he okay?” Cat asks, her eyes full of worry. Gently, she reaches out and runs her hand along my upper arm.
I look from Wade, back to her, tears blurring my vision. I shake my head. “I don’t…I’m not sure.”
Cat settles back onto her feet, releasing a slow breath.
“Come on, we need to get you both out of here. Colton’s not gonna be able to hold all of this back for long,” Dominic says, jumping into action. As he stands, he reaches out a hand for me to latch onto.
As smoothly as possible, I release my grip on Wade, allowing Dominic and Cat to pull me to my feet. My body aches and my legs feel like they’re going to give out at any moment.
“Are you hurt?” Cat asks, her dark eyes full of concern. Her hair looks different from when I last saw her, braided in dreadlocks and tied into a sophisticated-looking ponytail.
I shake my head, unable to get my brain to form any more words.
“Can you make it up the stairs on you
r own? Cat and I can manage Wade,” Dominic says, his white eyebrows tugging inward.
“I’m not leaving him,” I say, jutting out my chin defiantly. My body continues to shake uncontrollably, but I reach for him.
Cat grabs hold of my arms and forces me to look her in the eyes. “You’re too shook up, Autumn. Let us help you. Okay? We got this. I promise.”
I glance back at Wade’s pale face. He needs help, and fast. He’s not going to get it bleeding on the floor of the resurrection chamber. “Okay.” I nod.
Dominic grabs my hand, leading me over to the edge of the stairs. “Stay to the wall side. Colton’s promised me he’s got them steady, but no reason to test that theory.”
My eyes follow the steps up to the small door at the top. Most of them look like they’re barely hanging on.
Suddenly, Diana Hawthorne crouches in the doorway. “Well, what in the hell are you waiting for? We don’t have all damn day. Come on, guys. Clock’s ticking.” She holds out a hand as if I could reach it from where I’m standing.
I nod, leaning against the stone wall as I begin my ascent. The stairs feel oddly secure despite not being attached to anything that supports them on the one side. But the steps with the missing treads are a pain. Cat and Dominic follow me, taking their time and maneuvering with care. Dominic has his arms locked beneath Wade’s as he carries his upper body, while Cat carries his feet. My legs are wobbly, but I push myself through until I reach the doorway. Diana latches a firm grasp around my forearm as I extend my hand to her.
She pulls me into my bedroom, which looks again like it’s been tipped on end. There’s broken glass, wood, and items scattered all over the place. My bed is cattywampus, resting on its side against the window seat, and there’s an enormous crack down the wall behind me.
To my left, Colton stands completely still, his arms raised out in front of him and fingers splayed. His eyes are a bright, glowing white, without a single hint of the normal deep brown.
“Coming through,” Dominic calls out behind me.
I step out of the way, rushing over to Wade as they enter the room with him.
“We need to get out of this house. The manifestation is only being held back by Colton. As soon as he lets go, the Lemure will resume its destruction,” Diana says, tipping her head toward the door. “Let’s get the hell outta here and assess everything when we’re at a safe distance.”
Dominic nods his head and starts walking toward the door. Cat keeps up the pace, making sure to keep Wade’s body somewhat level.
“Autumn, follow them. Colt and I will take up the rear. He has to pull his power back very slowly so we can all make it out with the least disruption,” Diana says, raising an arm and pointing to the door.
Trembling, I nod my head and do as she says. Everywhere I look, things are smashed and strewn across the floor. It’s as if all of the previous construction work and cleanup has been completely erased. Rushing to catch up, I walk beside Wade’s body, holding onto his right arm as it drapes over his torso. My eyes are drawn again to the sickly color of his complexion, and I hold back a sob.
Please don’t be…
I shut down the thought, darting ahead of Dominic, so I can open the front door. I step over a broken vase and pry the door back. Dominic treads carefully, making sure not to trip or drop Wade’s upper body. Whenever possible, he pushes debris out of the way so Cat has an easier time focusing on the path ahead.
Once they go through, I leave the door open wide and follow after them.
The man who was with Diana last semester—Blake, I think his name is—gawks at us as we rush out of the building. His arms open wide as his dark, penetrating eyes look straight through the three of us, searching for something else.
As Diana and Colton make their slow exit from the building, he races past us and up the steps toward them.
“What in the actual fuck, woman?” he sputters, wrapping his arms around Diana. “Why can’t you just stick to our plan?”
She chuckles softly, pulling back from his embrace. “I don’t know what you were so worried about. It’s not like I can die, Blake,” she says, patting him on the chest.
“Regardless, I can. I just about had a heart attack out here,” Blake shoots back.
“So dramatic,” Diana says, running a hand along his jawline.
My eyes widen and I stop to gape at them. “Wait, what? You’re immortal?”
“Later,” Diana says, placing her hand on my shoulder as she walks on by and heads to the black SUV parked on the drive.
“Autumn, can you get the door?” Dominic calls out, tipping his chin to the back door of his red Honda Civic.
I scramble around them, pulling the door open and rushing around to the other side. Sliding into the backseat, I help take Wade’s body. Half pulling him across, Dominic helps Cat feed him into the back seat so he rests across my lap.
The irony of this situation isn’t lost on me.
Shuddering away my trepidation, I run my hand over his forehead.
“I’m here, Wade. I’m right here,” I whisper.
Once Wade’s fully inside, Cat closes the door and races over to the black SUV. She opens the back door and reaches for Colton, whose eyes are still white and face expressionless. Her hands guide him to the seat and Colt disappears inside.
Dominic, on the other hand, hops into the driver’s seat and starts the engine. Leaning out of the window, Blake does some sort of hand signal to follow them and he gets inside. When everyone has taken a seat, the black SUV spins its tires, propelling the vehicle forward.
As they do, the front door to the house slams shut. The stained-glass windows along the outer edge shatter, speckling the ground with multicolored glass.
“Go, go,” I cry out, knowing just what my dad’s capable of doing—even outside the manor.
Dominic doesn’t waste a moment. He puts his foot down and the Civic jolts forward as he races after the others. The smell of burned rubber filters through the air, thankfully taking over the smell of blood momentarily.
Exhaling a jagged breath, I blink back tears as I run my fingertips across Wade’s forehead repeatedly, pushing back any stray hair.
“How is he?” Dominic asks, his tone painted with worry.
I look up, catching his gaze in the rear-view mirror.
Shaking my head, I say, “I don’t know.”
“Is he—”
“I said I don’t know,” I say, louder this time. “My hands are shaking too much to find a pulse.”
“Sorry, it’s just that...” Dominic slams the butt of his hand on the steering wheel. “This is all my fault. Dammit, I’m so sorry, Autumn. I really am.”
Anger wells up inside me and I fire back. “You should be. He asked you to wait for me, but you didn’t listen.”
“Do you honestly think I don’t know that?” he says, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “I thought he was just being overprotective. I thought I knew what I was doing.”
“Yeah, well, your arrogance may have gotten him killed,” I spit, ignoring the tears that distort my vision. “I know you wanted him out of the picture, but this—”
“It wasn’t like that and you know it,” Dominic says through gritted teeth.
“Sure as hell seems like it now,” I say, swiping the tears from my cheeks.
Dominic snorts, shaking his head. “Whatever. You don’t get it.”
I roll my eyes, casting my gaze out over the driveway.
Right now, the only thing I know is my dad is dead and my boyfriend might be next.
The trees blur by, and the only think I can think about is what happens if Wade is dead? Could I resurrect him the way I did with Cat? How would I know for sure? Wouldn’t I see his spirit leave his body the way I did with Cat? What would happen next? Will his dad come for him?
Will I ever see him again?
Chapter 25
What Is It Good For?
The end of the driveway comes into view a few yards away. I close my
eyes, relieved to be leaving my family’s domain behind so we can focus on Wade.
But I no sooner let the emotion roll through me than the trees around us begin to sway heavily. Dominic tightens his grip on the steering wheel, shifting in his seat to sit up straighter.
“Christ, the wind—” he mutters.
My eyes widen as I look out into the wooded area. Everything from the trees to the underbrush moves like a hurricane is coming to town.
“That’s no ordinary wind,” I warn, my voice creeping upward into a screech. “Go, Dominic, floor it—”
Ahead of us, the black SUV also picks up speed. They must have noticed the change. Small trees and bushes start to uproot themselves as they get swept up into the angry force that is my dad. A tree branch cracks apart from one of the large oak trees along the right edge of the driveway. It lands feet in front of the SUV, but Blake somehow manages to dodge out of its way, narrowly avoiding it as the SUV off-roads into the grass and keeps going.
My eyes widen in horror as I stare out into the sea of trees literally uprooting themselves.
“Hold on tight,” Dominic says, swerving to avoid a large branch.
The second our tires leave the driveway, a birch tree on the left dislodges itself from the ground and contorts at a strange angle like it’s ready to catch us. Dominic veers us back onto the driveway and floors it.
The SUV hits the road, taking a quick turn to the left. As it disappears from sight, another tree uproots beside us. I don’t even have time to figure out what it is before the branches of it slam into the side of the car, smashing the windows on my side and veering us wildly off course. I dust the glass chunks away from Wade, ignoring the rest of them scattered across the seat and lodged into my hair.
The car careens into the woods, barely managing to miss being smashed by a falling willow. I brace my hand on the ceiling of the car as underbrush, branches, and small trees whip at the edges of the vehicle, smashing against the windshield and windows.
Haunted Legacy: The Windhaven Witches Series Page 16
