Anathema (Causal Enchantment #1)(29)
Author: K.A. Tucker

“Wonder why,” I grumbled. Sofie glanced up, shushing me with her finger.

Sofie wants me to tell you to stay put. Don’t go looking for the portal.

“But what if—” Sofie’s hand clamped over my mouth, accompanied by a severe glare of caution.

You’ll never find it and you’ll just be putting yourself in danger. It will find you.

My mouth opened to speak but snapped shut when Sofie’s mint eyes flashed with another stern warning. Did that mean she knew where it was? I nodded once, my eyes darting suspiciously between the two of them. Did Sofie ask Max to relay the message earlier, or could they also communicate? I was dying to ask, but I couldn’t. I’d ask Max later. I had something more important to ask.

“Sofie?” I said, hesitant. “Do you think there’s any way I can bring more than one of them back?”

“I wish I could say yes or no,” she murmured. “There’s a chance, though … There. One done.” Her hands moved to the next strap. “You’ve really taken to them, haven’t you?”

“No,” I lied. Viggo didn’t need another way to hurt me. I caught Sofie’s knowing smile. “It just seems cruel to bring one back and leave the rest there.”

“Yes. It would be,” she agreed. “Let’s hope you don’t have to make that choice. Either way, I wouldn’t mention that part to them. For your sake.”

I listened to the clock ticking as Sofie finished buckling me in.

Sofie opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated. “I know they’re your friends,” she began, “but please be careful. You’re such a trusting girl, Evangeline.”

Desperately gullible. That’s what I was.

Fiona had a torch burning within seconds of my arrival. “Let me help you with that!” She started on the straps of my backpack.

“It’s so good to see you,” I exclaimed, smiling with genuine happiness. It vanished the second I saw jet black hair in my peripheral vision. My body went rigid, a prickly sensation filling my lungs. Rachel was back. And wearing an outfit Sofie had purchased for her. “Hi Rachel.” I held my breath and forced a smile, hoping it looked authentic.

She looked at me like a snake studying a mouse it was seriously considering for dinner. Did Caden mention to her that I threw myself at him? No, I’d already be dead.

I heard myself exhale, all fear of Rachel vanishing as Caden walked in. My heart practically leapt out of my chest and a big, dumb grin that I couldn’t control stretched my face. I was filled with a volatile mixture of anxiety and excitement. All I needed was that returning smile, a glint in his intense jade eyes that would tell me all was okay. That we were okay.

His eyes skimmed over my face—no smile, no wink, no sign that he even recognized me—before he strolled over to Rachel. He wrapped his arms adoringly around her, nuzzling into her thick mane of black hair, whatever aversion to public affection he had before clearly gone.

My smile slid off my face.

“What did you bring us?” Rachel asked, her cool lemon eyes passing over me, giving me chills.

“I … Stuff,” I mumbled.

“You’re back!” Amelie exclaimed, suddenly appearing to skip over and give me a big hug.

I nodded, unable to form words.

“Did you bring blood?” Rachel’s eyebrow arched severely.

“Are you nuts? No! She’s not bringing us human blood,” Fiona snapped, her normally placid face showing rare annoyance. She untied the strings and knots and began pulling items out of the bag.

“Boots!” Amelie cried in delight, hoisting a pair of brown leather riding boots. Fiona had a matching pair. There was a third set for Rachel. I wanted to burn those.

“Mine!” Bishop shouted, startling me, as an acoustic guitar appeared. I had barely noticed him stroll in, even when he stopped to ruffle my hair. Seeing his genuine pleasure, I felt a tiny ball of warmth swell in the pit of my twisting stomach. Sofie had listened to every word I’d ever said about them.

“Check it out!” Bishop tossed the instrument to Caden, who caught it with one hand. Letting go of Rachel, he strummed the first few notes of some song.

“You play too?” I asked, giving him a chance to acknowledge me.

“Of course I do.” His voice was detached and cool, his expression remote, his eyes not leaving the guitar strings as he spoke. He may as well have smashed me over the head with the instrument.

“Stupid girl,” Rachel mocked, laughing at my wounded expression.

“Show us how to turn this on.” Fiona shoved a portable DVD player in my face, forcing my attention to her. It gave me a chance to hide the pain on my face. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. Sympathy. Caden must have told them.

“Oh, this … for movies,” I stammered. “There’s a bunch of battery packs as well, to keep it running.”

“Are any of them good?” Amelie interjected, holding up a collection of DVDs.

They were trying to distract me, to keep my mind preoccupied. A very considerate, if useless, act. “Um, yeah. I mean, no. I mean—” I couldn’t think straight. “I don’t know.”

“Has she always been so stupid, or is this new?” Rachel said to Caden, loud enough for me to hear.

“I know. The witch could have looked a little harder,” Caden responded, reaching out to grab her hand and pull her into an affectionate embrace.

It was a razor–sharp verbal stab. I dropped my gaze to my hands, salty tears welling in my eyes. I couldn’t take much more of this.

Fiona’s hand grasped mine again and squeezed as Rachel giggled wickedly, likely pitying me. I dared one more glance at Caden, one more gaze at that beautiful face before I accepted the instant and horrible demise of my fantasy and moved my focus to the dark reality of my situation: my death if I didn’t find the secret of this spell.

My eyes crawled up along Rachel’s back, over Caden’s arms, still wrapped lovingly around her, to his perfect face. To see his eyes glued to me, a strange look in them. What is that look … pity? No, pleading. But for what, exactly?

Rachel’s hand massaged Caden’s chest and abdomen seductively, her fingers curling into claws that raked over him hard enough to leave impressions in his shirt. I shut my eyes, a mixture of revulsion and anger flaring, though I knew I had no right. He wasn’t mine. He was Rachel’s, as ghastly a proposition as that was. She could do whatever she wanted with him—to him. But telling myself that did nothing to ease the pain of the knife being twisted in my heart.

I opened my eyes. Rachel’s face was now burrowed in Caden’s neck, her attention otherwise occupied. I glanced up at Caden’s face again to see that same pleading look, only more intense. I’m sorry, he mouthed slowly.

My eyes went wide in surprise. Sorry for what? For morphing from sweet and affectionate to exhibitionist ass**le?

Amelie loudly cleared her throat. I turned to look at her. She stared hard at me, as if sending me a message telepathically. I’m not your pet, Amelie! I don’t know what you’re trying to tell me!

Something very strange was happening here and I hated it. I wanted the last trip back, with its laughter, its ease. Its time with Caden. No Rachel. If only there was some way to make her go away again …

“Sofie says I can bring you back with me,” I suddenly blurted without thinking.

Everyone’s eyes bugged out, Caden’s in horror.

A plan was forming in my head. My own web of deceit. The very idea of lying to Amelie, Fiona, and Bishop made me ill but I had no other choice. I needed Rachel gone. I’d explain afterward. “Sofie thinks the answer is somewhere out there and someone needs to go looking for it,” I continued, my voice trembling.

“What the hell does that mean?” Rachel’s face screwed up.

“Well …” Think fast, Evangeline, or she’s going to see right through your sloppy efforts! “You know how the statue just appeared, out of nowhere? Sofie’s spell put it there. To create a point of origin. But something else also appeared. A portal for my necklace. It will tell me how to bring you back with me.” Not you though, Rachel.

“She’s lying to you,” Caden said, throwing a panicked glare in my direction.

I ignored him. “It could be a scroll, a book, another statue. Whatever it is, you’ll know. It won’t look seven hundred years old.”

“Where do we start?” Amelie leapt onto her feet, her typically animated personality in overdrive.

Rachel was more wary. “It could take years to find it, if at all!”

“No. It wants to be found.” By you, Rachel. Go fetch. “Sofie thinks it’s either in the mountains or in a city. Somewhere still inhabited, where someone who was familiar with the city could find it.” Like you.

“The only city left is New Shore,” Fiona began.

“Hey, isn’t that where you went, Rachel?” I asked innocently. “You know it really well, don’t you?”

“Yes, but there’s nothing like what you’re talking about there.” She bit her lower lip. “I’ll have to do some searching …”

I have her.

“Maybe I’ll go look around during my trip there next week.”

No, it has to be today. This instant! I silently screamed, my thumbs squeezed so tightly within my fists that I thought I might break them. “That’s a problem …” I said, pausing to formulate my next lie. “Sofie said that we’re running out of time. I only have a few more trips before the spell wears off.”

“Oh my God! We better start looking!” Amelie exclaimed. “Come on! Let’s go! I’ll take the north mountain, you take the south, Fiona,” she rambled.

“We can go to New Shore,” Rachel said, her arm around Caden.

No, not ‘we’! Just you! I reached over to grab Fiona’s hand, squeezing hard, wishing I could take a time–out and explain everything.

“What about using Scout and the others to search?” Fiona said. She hadn’t picked up on my panic. I wanted to cry.

“Of course! Great idea, babe!” Bishop cried, kissing Fiona.

No, no, no! This plan wasn’t going how I wanted it.

“Of course Caden is connected to half of our guard around here, so he needs to be here to communicate,” Fiona said slowly.

My panic escaped through my mouth in a long sigh. I glanced over at Fiona, who winked at me. She understood. I fought the urge to hug her, silently begging her forgiveness for lying.

“But, I just got back!” Rachel scoffed, a horrified expression on her face. “We’ve barely seen each other!”

“Fiona’s right,” Caden said, taking Rachel’s hands in his and staring into her eyes. If he was indeed feigning great disappointment at the idea of being apart, his acting skills were impressive. Rachel began shaking her head in response. “We need all the help we can get in these mountains and the valleys.” He cupped her chin. “Plus, as long as Evangeline is here, we should have as many of us as possible around for protection. You know New Shore best, out of anyone. And you’ll have no problems searching it, being part of the Council. No one will question you.”

Rachel’s bottom lip curved down in a childish pout.

“Think of this new world … human blood,” he whispered.

I could see the uncontainable lust flash in her eyes with the mention of human blood. Her dangling carrot. That Caden had previously renounced the act of killing humans didn’t phase her. “Fine. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” With one obscenely long, mauling kiss for Caden—one that I didn’t watch, instead locking eyes with Fiona—Rachel vanished.

I exhaled slowly, covering my overjoyed smile within folded hands in the small chance that it may be inappropriate. The ball of anxiety over Caden still sat prominently in my stomach but at least now I’d have a chance to find out what the hell was going on.

“Let’s do this!” Bishop announced.

“Wait.” Fiona’s eyes narrowed, communicating silently with him, nodding toward the cave entrance. With a slight frown of concern, he nodded and walked over to stand by the entrance, staring out into nothingness—listening or smelling, I assumed.

We sat silently, waiting for Bishop’s sanction. My eyes flitted over to Caden to catch him staring at me, expressionless. His eyes dropped.

“And she’s gone! Crossed over the first mountain,” Bishop announced in a booming voice.

I had to figure out how to do that with Max, I promised myself.

“Okay Evangeline, what’s going on?” Fiona asked.

At the same time Caden yelled, “I told you not to say anything!”

“Don’t get mad, everyone,” I said, my hands out in a sign of peace. I had just lied to a group of vampires about the one thing they desperately wanted. The gravity of that began to sink in.