Down in Flames (The Earthwalker Trilogy Book 3) Page 8

  I smiled weakly and repositioned myself against the pillow, cradling my broken ribs as he escorted her out into the hall. “No, she’s fine. We’ve already taken care of it. I’ll call you later, okay?”

  “Okay,” the girl conceded. “But who is that?”

  “Just some girl I used to know. Don’t worry about it.”

  My stomach dropped at the dismissive nature to the way he referred to me, like I was a passing phase. It broke my heart to think that he was right, we were strangers now. This girl had a key to his apartment, and she was the exact opposite of me. He kissed her briefly in the doorway as they bid each other farewell and I heard the door close behind her.

  When he came back into the room, however, I had some things to say. “You have a girlfriend?” I demanded.

  “…. yes,” he confirmed slowly.

  I stared at him dumbfounded while my stomach sank at the new meaning of the ring I’d found. “For how long?”

  “Does it matter? You’ve been gone for almost two years!” he shot back defensibly.

  “Are you sleeping with her?”

  “That is none of your business and you know the answer. If I had been with anyone it would have been you.”

  He sighed and stood up, placing his hands on his hips, and wouldn’t look at me again. After a moment, he waved back towards the bed and said, “You should probably get some rest. I’ll be in the living room if you need me.”

  He disappeared down the hall and I stared after him broken-hearted, feeling the brutal truth of his rejection.

  “I'm just some girl....” I muttered to myself miserably, looking around his room confused. In a moment of clarity, I realized there was nothing keeping me here. I could get my things and leave. Caleb might try to stop me, but that wasn’t his decision to make. Caleb had obviously moved on and it was time for me to do the same.

  I felt invalidated, empty, but had enough self-respect to know when to walk away. I’d been clinging to the hope that one day we’d be together. I was wrong. I had drastically underestimated the heartbreak I had caused him by leaving.

  I folded my ruined clothes that had come with me from the underworld and tucked them beneath my arm. I glanced out into the living space and realized the coast was clear. I didn’t wait for my thoughts to catch up with me, just walked swiftly towards the door and grabbed the burner cellphone off the table before going back outside. The smell of orange blossoms and freshly fallen rain wafted through the air as I stepped out onto the grass. It was only a couple of miles to my parents’ house, so I could walk – it wouldn’t be the first time. If I used magic that would draw attention from one of the otherworldly realms and I didn’t want that, which meant I had to go the long way.

  The screen door fell shut behind me and I held my head high, breathing out a nervous sigh, and realized that was not the only door that had been closed to me today.

  Chapter Six

  What You’re Made Of

  ML

  Nate sat on the windowsill beside me as we stared out into the yard from the hotel window. He’d grown about a foot since I’d last seen him, and both he and Dad were overjoyed to have me back, but our celebratory reunion had been somewhat tainted, because of my injuries. After I called them on the burner cellphone, he and Dad had picked me up and relocated to a neutral location where Aidan would not come looking. It wasn’t safe for them in the house anymore, that’s the first place he’d go to find me, so I came up with a different plan.

  “Are you sure this isn’t a little extreme?” he asked.

  “Not at all.”

  “If you’re so worried about Aidan finding us, don’t you think he could just look up a reservation under Hendricks?”

  I chuckled. “That’s why I made four of them, all in different hotels around the city. If a demon goes looking for us that way, they’ll come up empty. The one we’re in now is a pseudonym, it will at least buy us some time until we find a more permanent solution.”

  “Amen to that,” he muttered. “How’d you manage to book us five hotel rooms? You don’t even have a bank card.”

  “Simple, I called them up and told them I had a reservation so they believed me.”

  “Ah. So, you’re suggesting mind control.”

  “Not mind control, just a helpful suggestion.”

  “But magic was involved,” he stated clearly.

  Grinning, I responded. “Yeah, a bit.”

  “Thought so.”

  Since I’d been gone, Nate had fully learned to embrace his fairy magic, which left him void of any aura and it weirded me out at first. He’d changed so much from high school. He was tall and skinny, and even though he still wore the glasses that had framed his face ever since we were children, I couldn’t call him my baby brother anymore when he was so obviously an adult. I was proud of the stalwart man he had become.

  The last few days had been tense while I quietly moped around the room. He tried to coax me out with idle chatter and various activities, but none of them appealed to me. Dad was so happy that I was back he didn’t ask many questions and let me have all the space and time I needed. My shoulder was still wrapped in gauze from the removal of Aidan’s sigil, but the swelling around my face was finally going down. I could finally see out of both eyes and was back to a healthy weight, so my overall health was better. Baby steps.

  I missed my bedroom, the lavender walls and mismatched furniture I’d had since sophomore year of high school. Even the posters of Ed Sheeran and One Direction spoke to a simpler time when I didn’t have to deal with demonic forces lurking around every corner.

  Cleo lay purring in my lap, a full-grown cat now, nuzzling her face possessively against my abdomen as she exposed her underbelly. They brought her with them from the house, which I was grateful for. I petted her long soft coat and smiled down at her. She’d been aggressively affectionate since my return and followed me everywhere. I don’t know how she knew, but somehow feline intuition picked up on the fact I should not be left alone.

  “Maybe I’ll grow old and die alone as a crazy old cat lady,” I told Nathan dryly. “Cleo was just the beginning of the downward spiral.”

  She rolled over on her side and chirped lazily as the petting became more vigorous. Nate’s light brown hair lay carelessly across his forehead above his bright green eyes. I watched him quietly for a moment, noticing the unusual shape that brought his ears to an elfish point.

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I asked, scratching the multi-colored fur beneath her chin. “To have a dozen more brothers and sisters? Yeah, I bet you would.”

  Cleo nipped playfully at my hand and walked across my lap to jump on the desk. I had a cup of milk there left over from this morning and she sniffed at it inquisitively. Nathan and I both watched her in amusement as she patted at it with her paw and brushed up against the rim. At the same time, we jumped up from our seat to try and stop her as the cup went crashing to the ground and spilled its contents everywhere.

  “Yeah, adorable,” Nathan teased, his voice laced heavily with sarcasm. Clearly, he was not as enamored of her as I was. “I can see it now. Personally, I still think she’s kind of a jerk.”

  “How can you say that?” I demanded playfully. “Look at her fluffy face! She’d never do anything like that on purpose. It was an accident, wasn’t it kitty?”

  “Preow?”

  “Don’t listen to him, Cleo. We don’t need him.”

  He snorted at my humor and gazed out at the drizzling rain.

  “You know, I think it’s a good thing. At least now Caleb and I can have a clean break.”

  It pained me to say it and I felt a tug at my heart the instant the words left my mouth. I swallowed hard and decided to push through it. Mourning the loss of my love was not a high priority. I had to save the world from Aidan before he found some other way to invade.

  “You know that’s not going to happen,” he responded firmly.

  I folded my arms across my chest defensively with my eyes
downcast. “I don’t know, Nate. I used to think there was a chance for us, but now I’ve ruined everything.”

  He frowned, unwilling to let the subject drop. They had bonded with each other, I’m not sure why, but Nathan loved him instantly. “Just because Caleb’s moved on, doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. You could win him back,” he argued.

  “You mean like when Mom came back from Paris and decided she wanted to marry Dad?” I shot back angrily. It was an unfair comparison and I knew it, but the hurt was still too fresh, I didn’t want to be discussing it with him. “I can’t do that to him, I have to respect his decision and get over him. He’s clearly gotten over me. Speaking of Mom, where is the she-witch?”

  “Staying with Nadia in New Orleans,” he answered quietly. “Dad kicked her out after she woke up and realized what had happened. You can’t really blame him, to be honest.”

  I nodded sadly, unable to make eye contact and swallowed hard. My shoulder was still tender from removing the demon sigil and I’d adjusted my wardrobe accordingly. Only the most loose and comfortable shirts would do for now, until I could handle the feel of fabric against the wound. I never cared much for fashion anyways, so it was all about ease and comfort. The t-shirt I was wearing now actually belonged to Dad, but it was the only thing big enough to give my shoulder relief.

  Nathan watched me seriously for a moment and asked, “What was it like down there?”

  I sighed and turned toward him, not sure how to phrase this conversation. No one really wants to know what it’s like down there. They think they do, but when faced with the cruel reality it quickly spirals out of hand. Cleo got up and walked away in a meaningful fashion with her tail swishing idly from side to side.

  Out of the way, I’ve got important cat stuff to do. I snickered to myself, glancing back towards my brother. I cleared my throat and muttered cautiously, “Actually, there’s something else I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

  “What’s up?”

  “It’s just occurred to me I haven’t told you something that you might think is important.”

  He looked back without pretense and waited for me to continue.

  I sighed and started out by saying, “After Elyse died, she came to visit me.”

  “You mean…?”

  “Yes, as an angel,” I assured him. “She was beautiful and … found peace on the other side. I actually spoke with her, it was wonderful. Anyways, that’s how I found peace about her passing – I got to see and know she was okay because her soul lives on, but you weren’t there at the time and didn’t get to have that same experience.”

  He took a deep influx of air and stared out the bedroom window. “Thanks for telling me.”

  “I should have done it sooner,” I argued gently. “She’s your sister too. I know you love her.”

  Nathan smiled. “It’s okay, Wynn. You don’t have to explain yourself, I get it.” There was a long painful silence before he continued. “Elyse looked good though, huh?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s nice to hear, I wouldn’t tell Dad though – he’s still recovering. I think that would bring up feelings he shouldn’t have to deal with now. He’d got enough on his plate already.”

  I nodded stiffly. “Okay.”

  Just then, we heard voices of two people yelling at each other and Dad arguing with someone outside. I turned at the sound of the ruckus and glanced over at Nathan curiously before going to investigate. Geeze, what now?

  I walked over to the door and undid the lock to poke my head around the corner. Dad was standing down the hall, red-faced and blocking the path of whatever woman was trying to get past him. His hair was streaked with silver around the temples and a short beard around his chin. “We’ve been through this, Michele. I’m not letting you come inside. How did you even find us here?” he demanded.

  “Look, Will, I came an awful long way to speak with her, if you would just let me pass, then I could explain myself. Wynn deserves to know my side of the story, too.”

  The instant she spoke it was like the sound of breaking glass. Her hair, which was blackest black, was cut above her shoulders and curled gently around her ears with a glistening red aura all around her. She looked up at me expectantly with fierce green eyes and hope trapped there in between them. How obviously beautiful she was still caught me off guard. Her aura glittered the same awful red as it had before – the effects of her contract with Aidan. It was the curse of any witch who chose to corrupt their soul with demon power. Her arm bore his sigil, the same mine had so recently done as well.

  I’d wanted all my life to have any of the dark, mysterious beauty fate had gifted her. Fate had chosen to deny me that good luck and mark me with freckles instead.

  “I think you’ve done enough,” Dad insisted firmly. “You’re the one who put her through this to begin with.”

  “Which I have apologized for repeatedly, to everyone except Wynn!” she shot back angrily. “Because you won’t let me. It would only take a moment, then she and I can both have closure.”

  Dad shook his head. “You evil, selfish woman. This isn’t about apologizing to Wynn. Like everything else, you’ve managed to make it about you. All you want is her forgiveness so you’ll feel better about what happened. Well, I’m not going to give you that satisfaction. You killed my wife, used a spell to manipulate and control me, cheated on me, sold our child…”

  “I swear to God, Will, if you don't let me through this door I'm going to forcibly remove you from the premises. Wynn is my daughter too.”

  He blocked her path by placing his arm in front of her. “You are the last person she needs to see right now. Our daughter’s been through enough.”

  “I know, but if I could explain to her what happened ... She and I need to talk, with or without your permission.”

  “Have you met our daughter? It's not my permission you'll be needing. Wynn is perfectly capable of making these decisions for herself. She’s a demon, and if our daughter doesn't want to see you, then you’re going to have to take it up with her. I will, however, respect her wishes until she informs me otherwise. Why don't you turn around and go back to Nadia's?”

  Mom was about to respond when they both saw us watching them.

  “Mom?” Nate spoke up awkwardly from behind me. “What are you doing here?”

  Her eyes were wide, like a deer caught in the headlights. “Hi, sweetie. Your father and I were talking—”

  I scoffed in disapproval. “My God, you can’t even lie properly. Who told you I was back?”

  She frowned and shifted her weight uncomfortably as she looked over Dad’s shoulder towards us. “Believe it or not, I managed to deduce that on my own.”

  “Then how did you find us?” I insisted. “If the protection spell isn’t working and Aidan can track me—”

  “The spell’s working fine, I used a different trick. All it took was a few drops of blood and it led me here.”

  I sighed. “You found me anyway, that means it isn’t working. I’ve got to come up with something else now.”

  “I wasn’t tracking you,” Mom stated bluntly. “I was tracking Nate. I also knew that you’d be with him. Don’t worry, I already occulted him from anyone else’s scrying. You should be safe.”

  “You cut your hair,” I grumbled.

  Mom chuckled, tucking a strand of it behind her ear and ruffling the back of her neck nervously. “Yeah, I was trying something new. Do you think we could go somewhere and talk?”

  Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I leaned back against the doorframe and looked at her. “Sure, why not.”

  Dad and Nate both watched me follow her outside. His yellow aura swelled with fear, but I smiled in a way that I hoped would be encouraging. “I've got the cell phone on me, I'll call you if I need anything.”

  Dad nodded stiffly, narrowing his eyes at the woman who’d betrayed him. “Wynn, be careful.”

  “Thanks, Dad. I will.”

  HJ

  The ba
rista set our drinks down on the counter and smiled as Mom and I waited patiently in the line. It smelled heavenly, like vanilla and hazelnut candy mixed with the dark roasted beans. I’d always loved the smell of coffee shops, yet after the close call involving Ryan two years ago, I found myself strangely anxious. It brought up old memories that I would have rather left behind. I breathed in the aroma deeply and picked my drink up off the counter. “Thank you,” I said pleasantly.

  Mom grabbed her cup off the counter next to me and headed for the door. As she reached out to grab the cup, I caught sight of the long thin scars that ran along her forearm. There were dozens of them, left over from clumsy accidents in the kitchen. At least, I used to think that they were accidents, now I was not so sure. Beneath them was a faint red glow from Aidan’s sigil when he marked her with his contract as a witch – the witches mark.

  The scars were aligned on top of it in a cluster, like she’d been cutting herself deliberately. I casually wondered if that’s how she tapped into his power by activating the bond between them. They had to be connected somehow, witches didn’t have any power of their own; it had been granted them from their demonic masters. Still, there had to be another way to access him.

  She was punishing herself.

  I opened the door outside and Mom followed, delicately sipping the foam of her cappuccino. “It’s been ages since I’ve had the occasion to go out like this,” she commented. “Nadia mentioned you had acquired a bit of a taste for coffee, so I thought it couldn’t hurt.”

  As we continued down the sidewalk, I sipped my drink without bothering to make eye contact. It was a delicious toffee flavor I’d missed while in the Underworld. I drank it greedily with one hand and stuffed the other into the pocket of my leather jacket.

  “That’s true,” I agreed wholeheartedly. “I trust things are going well out there? I'm sure New Orleans has a market for fine cuisine and Nadia's glad to have you.”

  Mom chuckled dryly. “I think Nadia will be glad to get rid of me, once I’ve got my own place again,” she murmured. “After I found out your father sold my shares of the company there wasn't much left for me in Mobile.”