Magick (Book 3 in the Coven Series) Page 9

  “We don’t know if any of your coven might be nearby,” Hope says. “We’ve not detected them, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t shown up since we checked. You’d be making yourself a target.”

  “I’ll sense them if they are anywhere close.” Because we’re related, I’ll be able to detect them before the Bane members can. I glance at my bracelet. “But to make sure they can’t detect me, I’d like you to put another bracelet on me, double the protection.”

  “I think it’s a good idea,” Sarah says, drawing surprised looks from the others. “You’ve done everything we’ve asked, and you’ve been working hard and virtually nonstop. Maybe a break will actually help our progress when you come back. Just don’t be gone too long.”

  I nod at her. “Thank you.”

  Amanda leaves the room but isn’t gone long. In her hand is a silver bracelet identical to the one on my left arm.

  “It won’t hurt this time since we’re not attaching it to your wrist,” Sarah says.

  I stand and approach Amanda then extend my right arm. The darkness inside me feels agitated, but I’m able to keep it from raising too much of a fuss as Amanda clicks the silver band together. She touches the bracelet with her fingertip, causing the closure to disappear and making it impossible to easily remove the bracelet.

  “We should send someone with her,” Amanda suggests.

  “We’re all going,” Keller says, indicating our foursome.

  “And we’d like Piper to come,” I say.

  Piper’s eyes widen in surprise at my request.

  “She’s been studying hard every night. To me, that deserves a day off, too. Especially since part of it was for physics.” I give a dramatic shudder.

  Sarah looks at me a bit more closely as if she knows I’m up to something. But she must not sense anything negative because she nods. “You all go have fun, but be very careful and observant.”

  We hurry from the room before Sarah changes her mind. After retrieving our coats, we head for the exit.

  “I feel like we’re making a jail break,” I say as I hurry down the hallway holding Toni and Piper’s hands. But when we make it up the stairs and through the house above, I feel like our escape has taken us to the North Pole. When I open the front door of the house, I gasp. Snow blankets the landscape in all directions, at least six inches of it. The pine trees in the distance are coated like a scene from a nostalgic Christmas card. Luckily, the driveway is clear enough to navigate.

  “Let’s take the Jeep,” Egan says and bounds off the porch.

  Though it’s cloudy, it feels incredibly good to be outside. I breathe deeply as I head toward the Jeep.

  Keller, Piper and I pile into the back while Toni sits up front with Egan. Once Egan starts the engine, he wastes no time flying down the driveway. Keller wraps my hand in his, and I lean against him.

  When we reach Salem, Egan glances over his shoulder. “Where to first?”

  “The herb shop,” I say. Toni gives me a knowing smile in the rearview mirror, knowing I have a reason beyond getting the Ending Book.

  “What are you two up to?” Keller whispers in my ear.

  “Nothing.” But I have to stifle a giggle.

  When Egan pulls up in front of Wiccan Good Herbs, it feels like forever since we’ve been there. And suddenly I’m too nervous to move.

  “What’s wrong?” Keller asks.

  “What if he doesn’t want to see us? Me?” Rule and Adele had said they didn’t blame me for Fiona’s death, but they’ve had more time to think about it. What if they’ve changed their minds? Plus, now they’d seen death dealt by my hands. “I don’t think I can stand it if they hate me.”

  Keller grasps my hand and squeezes. “I’m sure nothing’s changed, but there’s only one way to find out.”

  I’m not sure I want to find out if I’ve lost Rule, one of the few friends I have, but I manage to force myself from the Jeep. I lead the way inside and am not surprised to see the front empty. I am surprised by how different everything looks, at least at first. Then I realize that the change in the arrangement of the front counter and displays and the completely new flooring make sense. It makes the shop seem like a different place than it was when Fiona was always here. If Adele hadn’t made the changes, I doubt she could have stepped foot back in here each day without falling apart.

  There’s also a new security camera high up in a corner pointed at the front door. It’s a good idea, though I hate the reason behind its installation.

  One thing that is the same is the curtain in the doorway separating the shopping area from the supply room. I hold my breath as I hear footsteps behind it. For a moment, I imagine how happy I’ll be to see Fiona step through that doorway. My heart breaks to think that she never will again.

  When Adele appears, she halts when she sees us. My heart rate increases, and I get ready to flee the pain if she hates me. “Jax.” She looks beyond me to the others. “We didn’t know if we’d ever see you again.”

  I can’t tell how she feels about our sudden appearance. “Is it okay that we’re here?”

  She hesitates for a fraction of a second, a tinge of fear in her eyes, before coming more fully into the room. “Of course. It’s good to see you. Are you all okay?”

  I know there’s more to that question than just our physical well-being.

  “We’ve been told nothing since we . . .” She hesitates when she sees Piper.

  “It’s okay,” I say. “This is Piper, Sarah’s niece. And yes, we’re all fine.” I pause for a moment as a rush of memories assaults me. “At least as well as can be expected.”

  Adele nods slowly, sharing in the unspoken sadness.

  I look back at the front door to make sure no customers are about to step inside before returning my attention to Adele. I quickly explain about our harnessed magic, assuring her that Egan and I pose her and Rule no harm. I cross to where she’s standing. “Sarah said she recruited you to reach out to the other observers to watch the covens closely. Please tell me you’re being careful.”

  Adele’s eyes reflect surprise, as if she’d expected me to ask about their progress first. “We are. I won’t take any unnecessary risks with Rule.”

  “What have you found out?” Egan asks.

  Adele shifts her gaze to him. “There’s been increased traffic in and out of some of the coven compounds.” Her eyes turn to me. “Especially Jax’s family’s. Unfortunately, we don’t know who all the visitors are yet or what’s going on inside.”

  “It’s coven leaders,” I say. “And they’re discussing how to draw us out so they can make quick work of killing us.”

  Adele jerks at my harsh truth, but there’s no sense in sugarcoating it. Part of me itches to head back to Bane Central to work some more, but another part can’t stand the thought of being cooped up again quite so soon.

  “Is Rule here?”

  Adele nods. “Upstairs.”

  “Do you think he’s up for company?” My stomach twists as my nerves threaten to take over. Adele had been more understanding than I expected. Would Rule?

  She gives me a sad smile. “I think he’d like that.”

  We head for the back of the shop, but after I pass Adele I stop and turn around. I retrace my steps to her and wrap her in my arms. Neither of us says anything, but there’s no need. I step back without looking her in the eye and head toward the back of the building and the stairs that lead to the top floor residence.

  When I reach the top of the stairs, I find the door that leads into the kitchen open. I step through and see Rule slouched on the couch watching a football game.

  “Do you need something, Mom?” he says without looking away from the TV.

  “Hey, Rule.”

  He jumps to his feet and stares at me then toward the stairs. My heart aches that he’s probably wondering if I’ve hurt his mom.

  Keller walks into the kitchen behind me, and Rule relaxes a little.

  “They let you out,” Rule says.


  “Just a short break,” I say. “We have a lot of work to do prepping for battle with the covens.”

  “I don’t understand.” Rule swallows visibly. “You killed a man right in front of me.”

  “Yes, I did.” I sense Keller about to rise to my defense, but I raise my hand to stop him. “And I’m trying to atone.”

  “How can they trust you enough to let you walk free?” He’s not being harsh, just matter of fact.

  I lift my arms to show him the bracelets. “Because of these.” I give him the quick and dirty explanation of how they work.

  “Is everyone else safe?” he asks, thawing a little but still hesitant.

  “We’re okay, dude,” Egan says as he and Toni reach the top of the stairs and step into the Latimers’ living quarters.

  Rule finally seems to relax enough to round the edge of the couch and approach us. But he stops suddenly when he sees Piper. “Hello.”

  “Hi,” she says.

  Does she sound a little nervous, too? I glance at her to see she’s suddenly found her feet very interesting.

  “This is Piper,” I say as I nudge her with my shoulder. She lifts her gaze from the floor and gives a little wave.

  “Nice to meet you,” Rule says. He unconsciously smoothes his hair.

  I resist smiling, hoping not to jinx what looks to be an initial attraction.

  Rule stares at Piper a moment longer before returning his attention to me with a questioning look.

  “Don’t worry,” I say. “Piper’s one of the Bane.”

  He looks relieved and surprised at the same time. “So what have you all been doing?” He motions for us to sit in the living room.

  I start with the day I woke up chained to that massive chair. With everyone tossing in bits of the story, we tell Rule everything that’s happened. It all sounds crazy, like something out of a movie, when we say everything out loud.

  Rule leans forward, his elbows on his knees, when we finish. “Wow.”

  “Yep, that about sums it up,” Egan says.

  “What happened to you and your mom after . . . ?” I could have asked Piper for specifics, but I want to hear it from Rule in case she’s under orders to either not tell me or outright lie. I trust the Bane more than I did a short time ago, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think they can lie if it serves their purposes.

  “After you were taken down? They knocked us out too, and we woke up a few hours later in their hidey-hole.” He glances at Piper before returning his attention to me. “They questioned us, told us they needed help monitoring the covens, then brought us home.”

  “With no protection?”

  “We’re not doing anything to draw attention, just acting normal and carefully relaying information from the other observers.”

  I understand why they’re involved, the Bane’s numbers being as few as they are, but I don’t have to like it.

  Rule turns his gaze on Piper as he’s tried to do without being obvious throughout our retelling. “So you’re really Bane?”

  “One hundred percent.”

  “And you’ve been here the entire time.” He shakes his head in disbelief.

  “Witches, witches everywhere,” Toni says.

  “So, who’s up for pizza?” Keller asks. His question sounds so normal in the aftermath of everything we’ve been talking about that we all burst out laughing.

  It’s wonderful to hear, but it’s especially great to see Rule smile. He’s a good guy, and he deserves better than what has happened to him since I arrived in Salem. I glance at Piper and notice her pink cheeks. Maybe both of them will find something positive to fill the days ahead.

  We decide to check out a new pizza place by the harbor and file down the stairs. I deliberately hang back with Rule. “You all go ahead,” I say. “We’ll catch up.”

  Rule looks after the group, maybe more so after Piper. “What’s going on?”

  “I need to take the Ending Book.”

  Rule glances toward the front of the store. “Mom won’t allow that, especially after . . . you know.”

  “That’s why I need it. I don’t want anything bad to happen to anyone else. If there is something I’m overlooking, something the Bane can help with, I have to know.”

  He gives the curtain separating the back room from the front a wary look then reaches for the cupboard door that hides the staircase to the basement. “Wait here.”

  I cross my fingers that Adele will stay up front. I breathe a little easier when I hear customers come in and begin asking Adele questions. I jump when Rule reappears quietly at the top of the stairs, the Ending Book in hand. He extends it to me.

  “Quick, hide it,” he says.

  I accept the book and slide it into my shoulder bag. “Thank you. When I’m finished with it, I promise to return it.”

  “Preferably before Mom finds out and I’m grounded until I’m twenty-five.”

  Overwhelmed with love for this boy, the kind of love I feel for Egan, I pull Rule into my arms. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  He hesitates for a moment then hugs me back. “Now where was that enthusiasm when I had the hots for you?” he teases.

  I pull back but don’t let go of his hands. “Had? Have I been replaced in your heart so easily?”

  He snorts. “What do you expect when you bring a beautiful girl in here? Seriously, are there any ugly witches?”

  I shake my head. “Not externally anyway.” I drop one of his hands but keep hold of one. “So, you like her, huh?”

  He narrows his eyes. “You did this on purpose.”

  I smile. “Of course, I did. You’re perfect for each other.”

  “How do you know that? You haven’t known me that long, and her even less time.”

  “Call it women’s intuition.”

  “What are you, Match.com for witches?”

  “Hey, I am pretty good at this matchmaking thing, aren’t I? Maybe that’s my calling. You know, after opening up a can of white witch whoop-ass on the covens.”

  Rule laughs and leads me toward the front of the shop. “Come on. Even kick-ass witches have to eat.”

  We wave good-bye to Adele, and I try not to focus too much on the lines of worry on her face as she sees Rule walk out the front door. I can tell it’s all she can do to let him out of her sight, to let him leave the shop with me, someone they saw kill a man. Even though she had more reason than anyone to hate Barrow, it still can’t be easy to trust me with her son. But I will protect him, die for him if I have to, so that Adele doesn’t lose anyone else.

  By the time we reach Harbor Pizza, the others already have a table and menus. We leave talk of covens and hunters and killing behind and let ourselves have fun. The pizza is good, but the company is better as we talk about movies we want to see, which of the guys is better at playing Call of Duty and the fact that Christmas has somehow slipped up on us. It’s only three days away, and I haven’t even thought about it since the day the five of us got our picture taken with Santa.

  As Egan and Keller polish off the last two slices of pizza, Toni leans back in her chair. “I think I need to do some Christmas shopping. Anyone else up for it?”

  “Sorry, can’t,” Rule says. “I’ve got to hold down the fort this afternoon. Mom’s got to run down to Boston.” He glances at Piper, and I get the distinct impression he’s sorrier about having to leave her than not being able to go shopping.

  “I’m surprised she’d leave you alone,” Keller says.

  “We’ve argued about it, but I told her that I couldn’t stand her watching my every move. I need things to be as close to how they were before as they can be.” He rolls a balled-up straw wrapper beneath his finger on the tabletop, his sorrow at losing his grandmother breaking my heart all over again. “Mom’s trying, even though I know it scares her.”

  I reach over and squeeze Rule’s hand, not having to say anything to convey that I totally understand that burning need for normalcy.

  As we leave the restaurant, Keller
surprises me by kissing me on the cheek and saying, “I’ll catch up with you later.”

  When I meet his eyes, a surge of joy goes through me. He has a sneaky look on his face, and I get the feeling he’s going to search for a Christmas present for me. “Okay.”

  “You two coming?” Toni asks Piper and me.

  “We’ll walk Rule home first,” I say.

  Toni nods with a cheery expression on her face. She likes this matchmaking, too.

  Despite how chatty everyone was during lunch, the three of us fall quiet on the walk back to the herb shop. The wind kicks up, and I pull the collar of my coat up higher on my neck.

  Rule laughs.

  “What?” I say.

  “You’re never going to get used to the weather here.”

  “Because it’s a freak of nature.”

  This time, both Rule and Piper laugh and share a look as if to say, “Silly Southern girl.”

  “You look like a turtle going into its shell,” Piper says.

  “Turtles are too smart to live here.” I try to warm myself up by imagining the heat of the sun and sand in Miami. If ever my family isn’t a problem there, I’m going to go back and bake in the sun for hours.

  When we reach the herb shop, Adele sees us outside and starts gathering her things.

  “You need some help this afternoon?” I ask Rule.

  “Nah. You all go and shop,” Rule says. “But keep in touch, okay?”

  “Deal.” I give him a hug. “Thank you,” I whisper next to his ear before I pull away.

  He shifts his gaze to Piper. “Glad you came along today.”

  “Me, too. We’ll have to do it again sometime.”

  Rule looks a little startled but then smiles. “Definitely.”

  Piper and I are half a block away before she makes a sound of distress.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “I was a total dork.”

  “You were not,” I say as I swat her forearm. “Don’t be silly.”

  “I just basically invited myself out with him. Yeah, that didn’t seem desperate.” She sighs and shoves her hands in her coat pockets.