Текст книги "Something Witchy This Way Comes "
Автор книги: Veronica Blade
сообщить о нарушении
Текущая страница: 15 (всего у книги 19 страниц)
Chapter Thirty-one
Tessa
“He’s getting your lunch.” Nadia wiggled her brows. “Must be serious.”
“We have a long ways to go before we call it that.” I glanced at Hayden piling food on two trays. “We’re just hanging out.”
“You must feel safe with him,” Bryce added, taking the seat next to me.
I chuckled, remembering when Hayden had man-handled Bryce. “Yeah.”
“I’ve been exposed to him since ninth grade and I’ve never known him to spend so much time with one girl. Going on two weeks, right?” Corinne asked.
“We haven’t been together all that time though,” I said. “Only since the weekend.”
“So you’re together now?” Nadia grinned. “It’s official?”
I swallowed, the heat rushing to my cheeks. “Yes.”
Corinne squealed. Bryce groaned. He was a bit of a geek, but he was still a guy and I imagined the girl talk was getting a bit thick for him.
Hayden’s arms brushed my shoulders and a tray appeared in front of me. He dropped a kiss on my temple and eyed Bryce who scooted away. Hayden filled his spot.
“Thanks.” I smiled, aware of many eyes on us.
“Damn.” Hayden growled and took off toward Skyler and a couple of their friends. He pulled one of them off a smaller kid. “Guys, let him eat, huh?”
“I don’t like his attitude.” Sklyer straightened his own shirt.
“You’re not in kindergarten anymore,” Hayden said. “Try acting like it and don’t let me catch either of you picking on anyone again. I mean it.” He cuffed Skyler in the head and walked away.
I beamed at Hayden as he returned to our table.
That was it. I’d gone over the edge with him. Even Chait, with all his sweetness and physical perfection, wouldn’t be able to help me through the heartbreak once Hayden dumped me. And he would leave me. It was only a matter of time. My heart ached thinking about it.
* * * *
When Hayden dropped me off in front of my house, Mom’s car was parked in the driveway. He needed to check on his own mom anyway, so he left, promising to return shortly for our dinner appointment with Boris.
The aroma of pot roast met me at the door. Too bad I wouldn’t be staying. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetheart. Dinner will be ready in about an hour.” She wiped the cutting board and set it in the sink.
“Hayden and I are going out to dinner. Hope that’s okay.”
“You two are getting serious?” Mom still hadn’t glanced my way. Typical for me to get stuck talking to her back.
“It’s only been two weeks. We’re still getting to know each other.” I sat my purse on the counter.
She patted her hands on a towel, then pulled a large envelope off the counter and handed it to me. With her eyes still averted, she returned to the sink and faced the window. “Your father and I agree to all your terms, even the child support. We’ve declined visitation, as you suggested.”
What? I took the brown envelope and read the return address. Abrams and Abrams, Attorneys at Law. I pulled out the papers, slowly revealing them. Grandma had a hand in that, no doubt.
“We’re covering the legal fees, too,” she added.
When we’d spoken about it the other day, I didn’t think Mom would actually go through with it. But as I took a chair at the dining room table and flipped through the documents, I occasionally saw Mom’s and Dad’s signatures. Dad… how could he? My eyes were fixed on the papers, but I’d lost focus. “Really, Mom, is it that easy? You’ll just let us walk away?”
She sat next to me, turned away and gazed out the window. “Easy? You think it’s easy to lose a child? You think it’s easy to have two others around, constantly reminding you of your loss?” She spoke softly and I knew she didn’t mean it in a bad way. Still, she had two other children who were very much alive, but apparently meant nothing to her.
Things were the way they were and I couldn’t change any of it.
“You fed and clothed us, nursed us when we were sick.” I rose and kissed the top of her head, a kind of goodbye. “You did your best. I know you did.” As I glanced back, I saw her head drop into her hands and heard her weeping softly.
* * * *
Hayden insisted we drive his Viper to Boris’s, in case we needed to make a quick getaway.
The grounds outside the gate to the palatial estate were exquisite. Various shades of salmon-colored earth surrounded huge, perfectly arranged cacti that partially obscured the high stone wall. The security man nodded from his cubicle and the immense iron gate slowly opened, welcoming us into all that it protected. Smiling faces greeted us outside the front of the house.
As usual, Boris was surrounded by bodyguards, most of whom I recognized from the park. Boris, with his easy wave and casual stance, reeked of impeccable moral fiber. But as the car rolled up the driveway, I didn’t feel like we’d entered a safe haven. Anything but. If I hadn’t already spoken to my grandmother and gotten an inside view of Boris and his people, I would have bought the innocent act.
My stomach knotted and I reminded myself that this was a friendly meeting. Dinner. That’s all. Hayden and I still had time.
Boris showed us to one of the salons and made small talk. Hayden sat close to me on the settee, squeezing my hand occasionally as if to comfort me. But by his clammy hands, maybe he was the one who needed assurance.
After what seemed an eternity, a well-dressed man, Boris’s butler I assumed, announced that dinner was served. Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief at the lowered expectation of conversation while eating.
Diane and Kyle, who Boris had introduced us to at the park, sat at the long table with us while ten guards inconspicuously lined the walls of the room. The topics of discussions remained light and everyone laughed at the appropriate times.
The food was to die for. I was spearing the last bite of chicken when Boris dabbed the sides of his mouth with the white linen retrieved from his lap. “You’re probably anxious to meet with Kyle,” he said.
Hayden lit up and took my hand as he stood. “You have no idea.”
I couldn’t wait either. Anything Kyle had to offer, I’d take. Things would heat up soon and I needed any skills I could possibly learn. Besides, working off the tension from our visit with Boris didn’t sound like a bad idea to me.
Flanked by his usual goons, our host led us through the labyrinth of tastefully decorated rooms and hallways to the spacious training area. Weapons of every sort lined two of the walls; mirrors covered the other two.
Hayden grinned as his eyes devoured the shapes and metals. “From now on, you should bring all your recruits straight to this room and bypass the ‘getting to know each other’ crap. They see all this and you own them. No real man can resist this kind of temptation.”
I remembered Chait’s stories about his mentor and seeing those fancy bullets. I wondered what else Chait had. I suspected that once Hayden spent some time at Chait’s house, Boris’s toys would be long forgotten.
“Kyle, work with Tessa first. But be careful. She’s much stronger than the average newbie.”
My head whipped around. Why would he say something like that? “What do you mean?”
Boris smiled. “Just assuming you’re like your sister.”
I blinked, too taken aback to say more. “Oh.”
Chapter Thirty-two
Hayden
Boris watched from a spot in the far corner of the room, probably keeping his distance so he wouldn’t distract us. But his presence still weighed heavily on me, even after the thirtieth time Kyle knocked me down. Why such an interest in us?
Even with my back to him, I knew when Boris approached.
“You’re going about it all wrong, Hayden,” he said. Kyle backed away and Boris took his place. “Martial arts, especially aikido, can be very spiritual compared to, say, boxing or wrestling. As a sorcerer, you can take it to the next level. Let me give you a demonstration.” He dropped his arms to his side, feet together. “You try to take me down.”
I struggled to get past the fact that he knew which of the martial arts I used. He clearly knew his stuff. He also knew I had zero chance of getting the better of him on the mat. A guy like Boris only took bets he would win. But if I didn’t put myself out there, I’d never learn.
In an attempt to fool him, my arm shot out, but I put the real power behind my favorite kick. With a grunt, I ended up face down on the mat. I hadn’t gone down so quickly in years. But then I’d never sparred with a guy like Boris.
A week ago, the concept of protecting Tessa seemed as easy as making coffee. Now, the idea of failing at that scared the hell out of me. And the possibility of losing her was all too real. If I didn’t improve by leaps and bounds quickly, Tessa could die. And I would be at fault – because I couldn’t protect her.
“That should give you something to think about. I’d like to work with Tessa now.” He nodded and I knew I’d been dismissed. I stepped off the mat as Tessa replaced me.
“Now you try it,” Boris told her.
She backed up. “Seriously? Spar with you? Maybe we should start off a little lighter. Like on a day when all my energy isn’t being funneled off to digest my dinner.”
He chuckled. “I understand you don’t have Hayden’s experience and I will spar accordingly. I want you to come at me with all your strength, but don’t forget that the result will be in direct proportion to what you do here.” Boris pointed to his head. “You haven’t even begun to tap into your abilities. And while you’re concentrating on your physical skills, don’t forget that most of your battles will be won by out-powering your opponent mentally and spiritually.”
Watching Boris knock Tessa around the next half hour made me want to pummel him. I concentrated on gauging his powers and looking for weaknesses. I didn’t find any.
* * * *
Tessa had warned me about Chait’s collection of weapons but I couldn’t imagine, even in my wildest dreams, anything like it.
“This…” Chait gingerly lifted a sword from its place on the wall. “Is a Scottish basket-hilted broadsword, circa seventeen hundred. The baskets were designed to protect your hands in battle. This particular sword belonged to my mentor.”
I ran a finger reverently along the blade. “I’m speechless.”
“Hey.” Tessa squeezed between Chait and me. “Enough with the foreplay. I want to see the modern technologically advanced stuff. Like those bullets. Let’s hurry though because it’s getting late and I want to make sure I have time to see your library.”
“Hey.” I held her hand a moment. “Guess you’re not getting much time with Bree, huh?”
She shook her head. “No. But in the long run, maybe I’ll have more. I can hope.”
“You know,” Chait began, “our records are meticulously updated. Well, every few years anyway. We’d have everything from ten years ago, for sure. We log everyone by their original name and whatever they used later. Everyone changes their name eventually and since your grandmother is older, she’d have to be there somewhere.”
“Your grandmother?” I asked. “Why would she be in their record books?”
“Oh, yeah. Uhm…” Tessa squeezed her eyes shut a moment. “She was a witch. With everything that’s been going on, I didn’t get a chance to tell you.”
“Your grandmother was a witch and you forgot to tell me?” I shook my head, remembering that she’d also forgotten to tell me she’d quit her job. “But you found time to tell him?”
“Hayden,” she said, resting a hand on my wrist. “Chait and I had lot of time to talk on the way to the cemetery last night.”
My mouth dropped open. “And all the rest of the time, you’ve been with me.” I held my hands up in surrender. “You know what? Forget it. I don’t want to get into it.”
“Can we have a minute, Chait?” she asked.
“Sure.”
The door closed and Tessa draped her arms around my neck. “It doesn’t have to do with anything, Hayden. You and I have been doing other things like playing with Bree and… kissing. I wasn’t trying to keep it from you. I swear. In this whole mess, you’re the one I trust most.”
I nodded. Of course, I believed her sincerity, but it still bothered me how Chait had been getting so much quality time with her lately.
“Okay.” It wasn’t okay, not really. But I knew she meant what she said. I buried my face in her hair and tried to forget how screwed I was. I’d never before worried about my relationship with a girl or been jealous. Because the other girls never truly mattered. “How do you know she was a witch?”
Tessa grinned, then pressed closer and whispered in my ear. “Actually, was isn’t accurate. Grandma visited me the other night, but it’s supposed to be a secret. I left that part out when I told Chait that she was a witch. And she’s insisting on helping me financially, so I can spend more time with Bree. That’s why I quit Delia’s.”
“Hey.” Chait cracked the door open and peeked his head through. “All safe?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Why don’t you show me to the library, then you and Hayden can go crazy on each other?”
Chait came inside the rest of the way, then ducked his head back out. “The thing is,” he whispered, “you’re not supposed to be in the library. Not until you’re one of us. I’m going to get in trouble if I get caught. We have to be careful.”
“Let’s go,” Tessa said.
I kissed her goodbye, then returned to the wall of joy and fondled a thirteenth century poignard. Of course, I’d never have known what the dagger was called if not for the plaque below telling its history. Over six hundred years old, complete with a jeweled sheath. I sighed in longing for the dagger, then returned it to the display case on the wall.
“David would kill me if he knew I let you touch that stuff,” Chait told me, reappearing.
“Then why’d you let me?”
He laughed. “You would’ve done it anyway once I left. Same thing I did as a recruit.”
As much as I disliked Chait… oh, hell, I didn’t dislike him at all. If I were going to be honest, I’d admit – at least to myself – that Tessa wouldn’t be doing badly if she hooked up with a guy like him. She’d probably be better off with him than me.
Christ, I needed to beat the hell out of him. I was in the perfect place to do it, too.
It took me only five minutes to learn that I had a ways to go before kicking his ass. He gave me bruises to prove it.
Chapter Thirty-three
Tessa
I’d been through so many old, dusty books, I’d almost lost count. No record of my grandmother and nothing about sorcerers that I didn’t already know. I leaned forward and rested my chin in my palms. Where would I find the information? In all the centuries past, we couldn’t be the only family that had inherited powers.
Closing my eyes a moment, I listened to approaching steps beyond the door. In front of me sat a pile of books. Except for my legs, I was completely hidden from anyone standing at the door. The knob turned and I raised my feet then put up a shield around myself, blocking the intruder from sensing me. I didn’t know if it would work, but it was my best shot.
“See? No one’s here. Must have been your imagination,” a female said with a trace of a Spanish accent.
“Strange,” another woman said then the door shut.
It had worked. I could block. What else could I do?
I’d been about to resume my search when I spotted the bottom of a thick, ancient-looking volume lying flat at the very top of the bookshelf, the end partially obscured by another book.
With the utmost care, I retrieved it and laid it on the table. A Brief History of Vampires, Witches and Shifters. Brief. Yeah, right. The book weighed a ton.
I started at the beginning, since I didn’t want to miss anything that could be helpful. I learned about vampires and werewolves, as well as other shifters who could change into any form at all. I came to the next section of the book covering sorcerers and scanned each page:
Divine sorcerers were a different breed with almost god-like powers that far surpassed those of other sorcerers. They preferred a quiet life, due to their propensity to reproduce girls and because of their love of family. Although the divine sorcerers were capable of giving birth to males, it was rare, and their children’s power remained pure whether the father was a sorcerer or human.
Dark forces feared divine sorcerers and sought their dominion. Legends told of divine sorcerers’ powers successfully transferred to other life forms. This gave the dark forces license to kill any sorcerer they encountered, in hopes of acquiring the powers of their victims. By the time that theory was proved false in the early nineteenth century, it was too late. They had been hunted to assumed extinction.
Propensity to reproduce, meaning they had children. I flipped the pages to see if the author had included any pictures or renditions. My eyes halted at a photograph of what looked like a very old painting. Two women stood side by side, both with blond hair. My family didn’t look exactly like them, but we were eerily similar – straight nose and narrow, high cheekbones, almond shaped eyes. The caption read, Mother and daughter share their blond hair, so common among these powerful sorcerers.
I flipped back to where I’d left off before hunting for pictures.
It is believed that many divine sorcerers migrated from Europe and settled in Salem, Massachusetts. Easily identified by their coloring and aristocratic features, many were captured and accused of being witches.
I wondered if the less powerful sorcerers were the ones doing the accusing as a way of eliminating anyone more powerful than them. But what other powers did the divine sorcerers have? I wasn’t sure how much time I had in the library or if I’d get another chance to read that book. I continued skimming the pages. If my suspicions proved right, any powers were shared by my grandmother and me. And our group would soon include Bree.
While sorcerers had only one special ability, divine sorcerers had many, including physical strength beyond any other superhuman species in history. Moving a boulder was as easy for them as taking a breath.
Boris knows. That’s why he made comments on my strength. That’s why he’d taken such an interest in me. He either wanted to kill me for being a threat or he intended to use my powers to his advantage. Chills tickled my arms and my stomach lurched. I was in deeper than I’d thought possible. And I’d dragged Hayden right smack into the middle of it.
With that much power, they couldn’t be allowed to live. But killing a divine sorcerer proved to be more difficult than anyone imagined. When it was discovered that cutting off their heads eliminated them permanently, swords were sharpened and men trained vigorously to rid the world of what they deemed the greatest threat to plague the earth since the ice age.
No!
In horror, I swallowed to keep from vomiting, my eyes blurring. I blinked tears away and wiped my wet cheeks, then dug out my phone to text grandma with simply, Get 2 the cemetery now. She’d know I wouldn’t demand it unless it was an emergency.
Finding Hayden to alert him would waste time. And what if he tried to talk me out of going? I bolted from Chait’s library, then slowed my pace, so I didn’t attract attention.
Outside, the car’s top was down. But the keys weren’t in the ignition. Hayden had them, but I couldn’t wait. I jumped in, not bothering to open the door. Laying my hands on the steering wheel, I closed my eyes and took in a long, deep breath. In my mind, I saw the car start. A moment later, the Viper vibrated beneath me and I guided it down the driveway. I waved to the security guard and smiled. The red and white gate lifted.
Once on the street and out of view, I raced toward the sorcerer burial ground, the pressure against my heart and lungs straining my every breath. My hands trembled as I barreled down the street, praying a cop wouldn’t spot me.
The red light ahead commanded me to stop and I took a moment to wipe my sweaty hands on my jeans. The light turned green and I gunned the engine. The car all but peeled out. If I kept hitting red lights, it would be another twenty minutes before I met with Grandma. She’d wonder where I was. She might panic and come looking for me.
At last, I was freed by a green light and my foot stomped on the accelerator. When another light flashed red, I whimpered involuntarily. I whipped out my cell and quickly texted her again. I’m on my way.
I’d put Grandma at risk by sending her there. Oh, God, of all the magical abilities, why couldn’t teleporting be one of them?
The silver sedan was following me. Lila. I had to lose her – quickly. At yet another red light, I dialed her phone. “I want some privacy. It’s not as if I’m going anywhere. You know I couldn’t desert my little sister.”
“But Tessa, we want to keep you safe,” Lila’s tinny voice tried to soothe me.
“You’ve done such a great job of that so far.” I made a right when I needed to make a left. I couldn’t give her a clue to my destination. “You guys expect me to trust you and yet you can’t do the same for me. Just this once, I want to be alone.”
“Tessa, be reasonable. At least tell me where you’re going.”
“It’s none of your business. But if you must know, Hayden and I had a huge fight,” I lied. “And I’m going someplace where I can get a little space and think. Where people aren’t hovering over me and constantly kissing my ass. Get off me, Lila. If you’re still following me in five seconds, I’m turning around and coming after you.” I growled and hung up. In my rearview mirror, the silver car slowed and turned at the corner.
I’d wasted time. But I couldn’t afford to head in the right direction yet, in case Lila had somehow out-smarted me. I needed an open road where any cars behind me would stick out like one of Boris’s lies. But there was no such thing in Scottsdale. They had deserted roads on the way to Gilbert, but I couldn’t lead them that far. I made several more turns and hit a main thoroughfare.
Time was ticking by. I’d have to take my chances and run for it. Several minutes later, I entered Gilbert. The small town looked easy and inviting with dirt roads winding off in the distance. An open road lay before me and I checked all my mirrors. Behind me looked clear, not a car in site. I stepped on the gas and sped to the cemetery.
When I pulled over, I searched the vicinity and spotted Grandma right away. Four more sorcerers surrounded her. Thank God, she’d brought help. If Frank or Lila’s people managed to stay with me…
I bolted to Grandma and leaped into her arms.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” She stroked my hair. “What happened?”
My eyes found each of her people and noted how far away they were. I didn’t want anyone to overhear. “Centuries ago, there were these people, like witches, but more powerful. They were truly magical, not just extra strong or perceptive.” My throat thickened and I wanted desperately to begin digging. But Grandma needed to know. And I needed her help. “Back then, it was believed that their powers could be stolen. So they were hunted for that and, also, because other species considered them a threat.”
I swallowed, my voice rising with the urgency to spit it all out. I made an effort to lower it again. “They were eventually assumed extinct. But they weren’t, really. Any left alive must have hidden by blending in with the only species they could – sorcerers. They had the same sort of energy, so a Detector could easily mistake them for their own.” I held her hands. “I came across an ancient book that talked about Divine Sorcerers, which are essentially very powerful witches. It showed drawings of them. In every picture I saw, they were blondes and resembled us an awful lot.” A short sob escaped me. “And they were very fertile and only gave birth to girls.”
“Go on. What else?” she asked, her eyes boring into me.
“They’re like werewolves or vampires. To kill them, you have to cut off their heads.” I put my hand over my mouth, hoping to stave off the threatening hysteria.
She looked at me blankly.
“Do you feel Zoe? Here? Now? Don’t you feel her presence?” My hands clung to hers, the cool night air brushing against the wet on my cheek. “Don’t you get it? It’s the only way to kill them. To kill us.”
“Which means…” Grandma glanced at the gravestone. “We’re wasting time.” Throwing herself on the plot of earth, she cupped her hands and dug at superhuman speed, dirt spraying and quickly forming a mound beside her. I joined her. The earth over Zoe’s coffin disappeared rapidly. Finally, we reached the top of the casket. Grandma attempted to unclasp the large metal clamps. “The latches are stuck.”
Or the lid was nailed shut. I focused on the wood, imagining where the nails would be. I saw them in my mind, and melted them. The hot metal seeped through the cracks in the wood and relinquished their hold. I wrenched open the lid.
Zoe lay frozen and untouched by time, her skin grey and her arms crossed over her chest. How long had she been like that?
“Zoe,” I shouted, but she didn’t respond. I lowered my ear to her chest. No heart beat, no intake or release of air. But I could feel her. “She’s alive.”
Except for her coloring, she looked exactly the same. Perhaps her comatose-like state was the reason she hadn’t aged.
“Let’s get her out of here,” Grandma said. Through my watery vision, I saw her motion to her men. “Tal,” she said as he approached, “Joshua and I are taking the body. I’m trusting you to make sure no one follows me but you. Once you’re sure we’re safe, we’ll split up. You’ll return to the base and report to the others. Tell them I went on sabbatical. You’re not to say anything about the body. Not a soul. Understand?”
Tal nodded. “I understand.”
“Have the others fill the grave. In a moment, you and I will leave.”
“Yes, Your Maj—” His eyes touched mine briefly. “Yes, Ma’am.”
Had he been about to say Your Majesty? What the hell? Today was the day for revelations. “You’re Jane Doe?” I accused my grandmother.
She stood straighter and gave me her mom glare, the face that said I’d be grounded if I dared talk back to her. “We can’t go into this right now. We’ll talk when it’s safe.”
“Fine. Let’s go.” I glanced over my shoulder at Hayden’s car, uncomfortable leaving it behind.
“You can’t come with me.” Her tone brooked no argument.
No. I couldn’t bear to be without Zoe or my grandmother so soon. “Take me with you.” I pleaded, tagging along with her to the driver’s side.
Grandma laid her palm on my cheek, gazing into my eyes. “I would love nothing more. But I have to heal her and it needs to be someplace safe.”
“Why can’t I come?” I pouted.
“Because if you disappear, Boris’s people will think you’ve made your choice… me. Then, when you returned, you wouldn’t live five minutes. And then what will happen to Hayden? You’re safer here. Goodbye, sweetheart. I love you.” She effortlessly scooped up Zoe and hefted her into the backseat of the waiting gray Escalade.
As they drove off, I watched her guards follow in separate cars. I wished for them to see her safely away from danger, that Grandma could heal Zoe and that they’d both survive for me to see again.
It seemed like I’d been gone forever. If I didn’t reappear soon, Boris would have people scouring the city for me. If they caught me here, in front of a recently disturbed grave, things could get unpleasant.
I had to get the hell out of there.
Jumping into Hayden’s car, I cringed at my dirty hands and hoped I could get to a bathroom to wash before being spotted. If Hayden noticed me missing, he’d be worried sick. At the stop sign, I called him.
“Tessa, where the hell did you go?” Hayden almost barked the words, sounding royally pissed off. “Are you alright?”
“For now. Can you and Chait meet me at your house?” If anyone figured out what had happened, at least I’d have the protection of the gates and security system, as well as Chait and Hayden.
“Yes. What’s going on?” he asked.
Oh, my God. I’d left the book open to the page I’d been reading. “I can’t talk now. I’ll see you soon.”
I hung up and dialed Chait.
“Tessa, what the f—”
“Chait, go into the library and put the book away. I left it open on the table and it belongs on the top of that tall shelf. Do it quickly, then go with Hayden to his house as fast as you can.”
They would beat me to Hayden’s. I prayed danger wouldn’t follow me there. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a choice. I drove under the speed limit, taking care not to attract attention with my movements.
My sister, my grandmother and I were divine sorcerers. If that were widely known, we’d be hunted. Did Boris know? Maybe not everything, but I sensed he knew something. I couldn’t fathom Boris permitting people like us to live – people that might threaten his empire – unless we were on his side. Then he’d capitalize on every last one of my abilities.
Which were what? I should’ve asked Chait to steal the book instead of putting it away.
I’d watched Boris in action, aware he would make a formidable enemy. Any revenge or punishment would come fast and furious. Grandma was right – I had to do better than Zoe. But how?
As I neared Hayden’s place, my body slipped out of flight mode and dragged, the adrenal rush waning. My limbs turned to jelly and my mental defenses sagged. The gate to Hayden’s house loomed ahead.
After I’d gotten a nod from Hayden’s security guy and was past the gate, I sent Hayden an image of me pulling up. He rushed out and met me at the car. I killed the engine, jumped over the door and flung myself at him. “We need to get inside,” I whispered at his ear. I couldn’t take a chance on being overheard. Who knew where Boris’s people might be?
Hayden encircled me with his arms and I felt safe again. His warm and calming energy held off the panic that had hovered at the edges of my mind.
Once inside, we locked the doors and checked all the windows, closing the curtains as we went. I disappeared into the bathroom to wash off the graveyard dirt.
“What the hell is going on?” Hayden asked from the doorway. “Where did you go?”
“I—” I didn’t even know where to begin. I nudged Hayden out of the way and headed for the living room, almost barreling into Chait. “Hey, did you find the book?”
“Yeah, no one was around. I put it away,” Chait answered.
“What happened?” I couldn’t blame Hayden’s impatience, since I’d vanished with his car. He must’ve been worried.
