Charade (Heven and Hell #2)(85)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“She knows I’m here, Sam,” I said, annoyed. Why did he insist on taking everything on himself?

There was a hint of a smile on Airis’ face when she said, “If I was to take back the life I gave Heven, wouldn’t it make sense that I would take yours back as well, Sam?”

His body stilled.

“I did give Heven back her life, but then I took yours in payment for hers. Then I gave it back as well, therefore I restored both of your lives.”

“Leave Heven out of this,” Sam said tersely, not bothering to deny that what she was saying was true.

“I gave your lives back to you because they are important. I do not give and take away life so frivolously. I will not be taking your lives away as payment for the loss of the scroll.”

Sam practically stumbled from relief.

Airis actually looked like she was sorry for his fear. “Do not look at this as failure. Look at it as a bump in the road, a turn in the path you are walking.”

“So it is possible to get it back,” Sam said.

“I believe so.”

“Do you know if they have gotten it open?” I asked.

Airis shook her head. “I do not think so. The key that you have. It isn’t just any key. It’s enchanted and has to be inserted into the lock of the Treasure Map by a Supernatural Treasure for it to open completely. It is why you were being lured into Hell by the Dream Walker.”

“So he does need me to open it.”

“Yes.”

“We’ll get it back,” Sam vowed. “I know where a portal to Hell is.”

This was news to me. “You do?”

He nodded. “It’s a fountain in Portland. I’ve always been drawn to it.”

“You showed it to me once,” I said, remembering the day I walked in the rain to be with him. The day I tried my first bubble tea.

“That’s the place,” he said, nodding.

“It seems that you have somewhere to be,” Airis said.

Sam took my hand and we waited for Airis to send us back home.

“Remember, sacrifices might have to be made in your quest. Not everyone can be saved.”

For a moment my heart froze, I thought she was talking about my mother. But she was looking at Sam, whose face had gone unnaturally pale.

He opened his mouth to protest. I could feel the denial within him, but Airis cut off whatever he might have said by sending us back home.

*   *   *

Something wasn’t right. The minute our feet touched the grass in the yard at home, I knew that something was wrong. I glanced around, realizing what it was. It was even darker here than when we left.

“Why is it so dark?” I wondered.

“The porch light is off,” Sam said, looking in the direction of the house. I could make out the white stairs leading up to the porch and light was shining through the kitchen window and door. “Bulb must have burned out. I’ll replace it in the morning.”

“Oh.” I laughed. I guess all that talk of death and sacrifice up in the InBetween creeped me out.

“That didn’t go as bad as I thought it would,” Sam said.

“Yeah, she even seems to think that there is a chance we could get the scroll back.”

“We should leave as soon as possible to get it back.”

“How did you figure out where the portal was?”

“It was something Gemma said while we were in Italy about remembering a place that I was drawn to—I remembered the fountain. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to fit.”

“I’ll call Cole and tell him. We can leave tomorrow.” I started toward the house, but Sam caught my hand and drew me back.

“Listen, Hev…”

I looked up at the hesitation I heard in his voice. “Yes?”

“There are some things going on with Logan… things that I haven’t told you about.”

“I know you feel caught between us, Sam. But you aren’t. I understand that he’s your family. Your brother. I won’t ever ask you to choose between us. You don’t have to.”

“You don’t know what he’s done.”

“I know that you love him. That’s all I need to know right now. We’ll figure the rest out.”

“I love you too, you know.”

“I know. It’s because I am so hot and the total package,” I joked. The turmoil within him was upsetting and I only wanted to take it away.

I saw his white teeth flash against the night and he laughed.

Just then Logan opened up the back door and stuck his head outside. “Sam?”

All the laughter died and Sam tensed. “I’m out here.”

Logan looked toward us. “You coming inside?”

“Be right there.” Sam moved by me and I caught his hand, threading my fingers through his. He gave my fingers a squeeze as we both walked to the house.

Whatever was going on with Sam had to do with Logan. Airis’s warning came flooding back in my mind.

I truly hoped that the sacrifice that she was talking about was not Logan. I would never make Sam choose between me and his brother, but if I had to choose, it would be Sam every single time.

And if it came down to that, I was very afraid that Sam would never forgive me.

*   *   *

“You’re sure this is the place?” Cole asked, staring at the fountain like he couldn’t quite wrap his head around the fact that it would take us into Hell.

“Yeah, I’m sure. I can feel its pull stronger than ever before,” Sam answered.

“Me too,” Logan said, his voice and eyes thoughtful. “I was here before. This is where I met China. The air around the fountain seemed to shimmer. Now I know why.”

I thought it was a little strange that Sam wanted to bring Logan. I was surprised when Sam told me this morning after I visited my mother that he filled Logan in on what happened in Rome and was bringing him along. As protective as Sam is over his little brother, taking him to the most dangerous place I could think of didn’t seem right. But when I voiced that, Sam looked at me with those whiskey eyes and asked me to trust him. He said he couldn’t explain now, but he would soon.

So, I let it go.

And here we stood at the portal. Me, Sam, my brother and his brother staring at a fountain, a pretty one at that, which supposedly led to a nasty, vile place. It was ironic really.

“So how do we, you know, use it?” I asked, looking dubiously at the fountain. There wasn’t exactly a big handle and an arrow that stated ‘Enter here to go to Hell.’