Raven Ridge (Witches of Sanctuary Book 2) Read online

  Chapter 12

  Making the Call

  Sadie and I rush up the front porch of Sera’s house. The hour is nameless, but I know it must be close to midnight. A sharp gust of wind whips through the trees as a light sprinkle of rain breaks across my face. I wait on the top step as Abby helps Lyric hobble up the incline. She hasn’t taken her eyes off him since the incident.

  Grady remains in the driver’s seat of Reid’s truck, his fingers gripped around the steering wheel like he might rip it out at any moment. I’m not the only one who has noticed this change. Reid catches my gaze on Grady and motions for me to follow Abby and Lyric inside. It’s like watching a train wreck happen in front of your eyes and not being able to stop it.

  The heat radiating from the fireplace hits me in the face as soon as I walk through the door. I rush to it, warming my hands against the welcoming flame. Abby helps Lyric to the couch, and I catch the hint of a shared smile between them as he sits down. This scene is too familiar.

  The Raven is right. Something is changing. From the look of it, we’re all falling victim to it.

  Sera glides down the spiral staircase at the back of the room. Her eyes immediately go to Abby. Reid called his mother on the way and told her the situation. At least part of it. He didn’t exactly mention Abby’s gradual pull toward Lyric in front of Grady. Sera can see it, though. Abby’s eyes remain on him, the concern and worry so readable on her face. I glance back at Sera, and she nods.

  We’re running out of time. “Jade is on her way here.” Sera goes to a black cabinet in the corner and throws it open, revealing shelves piled full of colorful bottles and jars. “Sadie, can you grab my cast iron pot from the storage?”

  Sadie’s eyes widened. “The big one?”

  Sera takes in a deep breath and sighs, running her fingers along the jars on the bottom shelf. “Yes, the big one. If we are going to find Delphine, we’re going to need it. She’s been the leader of my line for a long time. She takes the appointment seriously. She doesn’t stay in one place very long in order to keep the Book of the Sun safe. She could be anywhere.”

  Sadie rushes off to fetch the pot, and Sera glances toward me. She turns around so Abby or Lyric can’t read her lips. “How long has this been happening?”

  I ease closer to her, so that she can hear my whisper. “Those two? Since the moment he laid eyes on her. I think the pull between the Innocent and the Haunted has been happening for a lot longer than that, though.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Sadie mentioned something about the Haunted having this uncanny attraction to us. Zeke, Erika, and Julien,” I turn around and look at Abby and Lyric, “and now this.”

  Sera studies her daughter. “Where’s Grady?”

  “Outside with Reid.”

  “Probably for the best.” Sera starts grabbing bottles. “Get her out of here. She’s been with him too long today.”

  I nod before going over to shove open the heavy wooden door to the kitchen. “Hey, Abby, can you help me make some of that fancy chocolate coffee?”

  “You know how—”

  I glare at her. “Chocolate coffee, Abner Thomas. Now.”

  It was my best friend tone. It’s harsh, playful, and deadly serious. It’s the same one she uses on me when discussing my relationship with her brother. She immediately pops up off the couch and stalks toward me. She shoots me a quizzical glance. “What’s with the full name business?”

  I pull her through the heavy wooden door into the kitchen. “What the hell has gotten into you today?”

  She slides around the long counter and makes her way to the cabinet where she finds a tall mug for me. “What do you mean?”

  I point toward the closed door. “You barely acknowledged Grady when he picked us up, and you’ve been completely non-Abbyish toward Lyric all freaking day.”

  She stares dimly at me like I’m talking another language. “Lyric’s hurt.”

  I take in a deep breath. I know the feeling too well. The blindness, compiled with absolute cluelessness. “Lyric wasn’t hurt when you commented about liking his name earlier today. He definitely wasn’t hurt when you didn’t stop that K.I.S.S in my bookstore the other day.”

  Her eyes narrow. “I punched him in the nose for that.”

  I lean over the counter toward her. “Only because you were mad that you liked it.”

  She gasps.

  I stare her down. I know what she’s going through. I’ve felt that indescribable pull toward one of the Haunted. I’ve been on the receiving end of their unsolicited affection. It’s intoxicating, despite your best effort to ignore it. It’s part of their lure and undeniable charm. Part of the curse.

  Abby frowns. “What do you want me to say, Willa? I mean, you of all people should know—”

  “I do know,” I say cutting her off. “I know I hurt Reid more than I care to admit by letting my friendship with Julien get too complicated. I don’t want to see you make the same mistake, especially after the things the Raven told us.”

  She taps the edge of the glass on the counter. “What things?”

  “We won’t be sure until we read the Book of the Sun, but the Raven seems to think the curse is drawing the Haunted and the Innocent to each other.”

  Her irises dilate. “Wow. Are you serious?”

  “It makes sense if you think about it.”

  Abby rubs her head. “Nothing feels like it makes sense anymore.”

  The door creaks open and we both jump. It’s only Reid. He glances sheepishly between us. “May I join?”

  I motion him inside. “Did you talk to Grady?”

  “Do you mean did I explain to him that his beloved girlfriend is being targeted by one of the Haunted because of some weird twist in a curse? Absolutely not. Right now isn’t the time. I convinced him to go home, but he isn’t happy about it.”

  Abby slumps onto the counter covering her face with her hands. “One day he’s going to get tired of this magical nonsense.”

  Reid places a hand on her shoulder. “He’s been crazy about you as long as I can remember, and he hasn’t bailed yet.”

  Abby looks up at him between her fingers. “Imagine how much simpler his life would be if he left Sanctuary. He’s not like you, Reid. You’re family. It doesn’t matter that you don’t have powers. You’re stuck with us.”

  Reid bites his tongue and taps his finger along the edge of the counter. He glances at me. “Tell her,” I mouth.

  He takes in a short breath and Abby starts watching us. “What is it?”

  Reid sticks his hand in his pocket and pulls out the chain with the sun pendant on it. He slips it off the end and places it on the counter. Abby eyes him. “Why do you have that?”

  Reid smiles at me. “Remember when I said your mom taught me three spells?”

  “Yeah.”

  Abby leans further over the counter. “Why would Katherine teach you spells?”

  Reid completely ignores his sister. “This is number two. There is an easier way to match two Innocents. Drinking Jade’s Witchy Whiskey is merely a ceremonial thing. Technically, you don’t need it.”

  He places his palm over the circular gold pendant and closes his eyes. The pendant begins to spin, rising on its edge like a top. Abby jerks back from the counter. The pendant starts to spin so fast that it turns into a complete blur. Abby’s mouth gapes open. The blur of the spinning pendant turns a vivid green.

  Abby’s back slams against the wall, her hands cupped over her mouth. Reid lets the pendant fall back down on the counter. Abby glances at me, her eyes still round. “You knew about this?”

  Reid snorts. “Of course she knew about it. Do you think I would let Willa sit out in that back yard after the Summer Solstice and cry herself to death, thinking she was alone in the world?”

  Abby waltzes over and slugs her brother on the arm. “You jerk!”

  Reid scurries away from her. “What?”

  “You waited until after the Summer Solstice to tell h
er?”

  I grin at him.

  Reid backs further away, rubbing his head. “So, let me get this straight. You’re not mad that I didn’t tell you. You’re mad that I didn’t tell Willa sooner?”

  “She needed you.”

  “I was there for her.”

  “She looked for you.”

  He throws his hands out. “She found me.”

  Abby and Reid stand nose to nose, only because Abby forced herself up onto the tips of her toes. “You told Willa once that she should choose you because you have time. Guess what…you’re wasting it.”

  Reid glances at me and I wince. I’d told Abby about our conversation in the back yard from last summer in confidence. I should have known she would throw it back in his face eventually. Reid wouldn’t back down now, though. He wasn’t made that way. Neither of them were. “You told Grady once that he could always trust you. Guess what…you’re ruining that.”

  The door creaks open, but neither of them budges. Sera and Jade stand in the frame, their eyes wide and dancing. Jade glances over at Sera. “Did your son’s eyes just flash white?”

  Sera clicks her tongue. “It did appear that way.”

  Reid immediately shrinks down and backs away from Abby, coming around to stand behind me. As if I could save him from his mother. Then he places his hand on my shoulder. It’s a significant gesture. A telling one. It only takes Sera and Jade a moment to catch the meaning of it. “Ah. Well, now, that makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?”

  A loud groan erupts from outside the door and Jade glances back at it. “We need to get him out of here,” she whispers to Sera. Sera points her finger at her son. “I will deal with you later.”

  Reid winces. “I was going to tell you.”

  Sera laughs. “Sure. Now I need all of you to come with me.”

  We follow Sera and Jade back into the living room. The giant cast iron pot in the fireplace bubbles over with a pearl colored liquid as a very visible steam rises from the top. Lyric covers his mouth with his hands and groans again. “I swear, I’m going to be sick.”

  Abby rushes toward him. “What’s going on?”

  “The potion to find Delphine and lure her here is meant to attract an Innocent. Naturally, it repels the Haunted.”

  Lyric glares at her.

  Sera hands Reid a set of keys. “The smell is only going to get stronger as the potion begins to simmer. We need to get Lyric out of the house.”

  Abby turns around. “I’ll take him—”

  Sera holds up her hand, stopping her. “Absolutely not. The storm is only getting worse. No one needs to be out unless they have to be.”

  Abby’s lips fall open and Sera softens her tone. “He will stay with Jade and Sadie for the night.”

  Abby makes a show of shrugging it off as if she doesn’t care at all. Jade looks at Reid. “Drop Sadie and Lyric off. I’ll be right behind you as soon as we finish the potion.” Reid takes the keys, then opens the front door and motions for Lyric. Sheets of rain blow onto the porch as the storm grows steadily stronger. Lyric takes one long look at Abby, but then bolts for the door. He really does look like he might get sick at any moment. Sadie follows after him shaking her head.

  Reid’s gaze finds mine. He doesn’t want to leave. Jade goes back to sorting through glass bottles on the table, but Sera and Abby watch us. Finally, when it becomes obvious they aren’t going to give us any type of privacy, Reid gives me a look. The same look he gave me on the front porch that morning when he told me our conversation would be continued. “I’m going home after I drop them off.”

  That’s it. That’s all he says.

  I don’t turn right away after he shuts the door. I can’t. I want to keep the memory of that look just a little longer.

  “Wilhelmina?”

  It’s Abby. “I know what you’re going to ask,” I say, refusing to look back at her.

  “That look wasn’t an ‘it’s nothing’ kind of look.”

  I finally turn around and smile. “I sort of gave him an ultimatum. A twenty-four hour one.”

  “When did it start?” A smile catches the corner of her lips.

  “Oh. About sixteen hours ago.”

  Jade’s head suddenly pops up and Abby’s surprise turns into a wicked grin. “What exactly were the defining parameters of this ultimatum? Is he supposed to ask you out?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. I just kind of insinuated that something needed to happen.”

  Sera shakes her head laughing. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. Of course he is your Sun. You two couldn’t be more opposite, yet…”

  “Insanely perfect for each other?” Abby giggles now. “You really are the only person in the world that boy will open up to about anything.”

  Technically, that isn’t true. Reid told my mother things, but of course that was only after she discovered his magical abilities and forced the truth out of him by stealing his memories. Sera motions me toward her, taking my face into her hands. She pats my cheek. “You don’t realize the burden this takes off me.”

  I smile. “I’ll take care of him.”

  Jade opens the top of the pot and the water starts to spit over the rim. “Carolina Spring Beauty and a dash of maple extract.” She drops the handful of small flowers in the water followed by the spoonful of maple.

  “What do we need to do now?”

  Sera sighs as she walks over to open the windows, allowing the puffs of steam to escape. “Now we wait.”

  I run my hands down my face, the stress from the day wearing me thin. Sera takes my hand. “Go on home, Willa. We’ll call you as soon as we hear anything.”

  Abby pokes me in the ribs. “Listen to her. Don’t give that boy any loopholes.”

  I grin back at her. “You have to promise to call if you hear anything from Delphine. No matter the time.”

  “Sure. Sure.” Abby shoves me toward the door.

  “I’m serious.”

  Abby gives me one more long, stern look and then shuts the door in my face. “Go home, Wilhelmina,” she demands from the other side.

  Chapter 13

  The Changing

  The house is dark. The lights are completely out. The low hint of music trickles through the door. Did I leave my radio on? Maybe Reid isn’t home yet. Maybe he meant his old home? Technically, he might not think of this house as our house yet. A soft light flickers around the corner from the kitchen. I step to the edge and peek around the trim of the doorframe. Reid stands at the sink, draining something out of a large pot as steam billows out around it. A candle sits on the counter next to him. “The electricity is out,” he says without turning around. “It must be the storm.”

  Of course he heard me coming in the door. He and his highly tuned magic skills that keeping getting stronger and stronger. I lean against the frame watching him. The long, lean lines of his back. Sometimes I forget how strong he is even without the magic. A whiff of deliciousness catches my attention and it goes back to the food. “How did you manage to cook? Can you fuel the electricity now with your awesome skills?”

  He smirks over his shoulder at me before sitting the pot back on the stove. “You have a gas oven, Willa. No magic required.”

  “Oh.” I guess I should have known that.

  I walk in the room, sniffing the air. The sauce bubbling on the stove smells like heaven. My stomach grumbles as Reid pours the creamy white mixture into the pot of noodles. “It’s nothing fancy, but it’s the only thing I can cook without causing a natural disaster in the kitchen.”

  “You didn’t have to cook tonight.”

  He stirs the giant wooden spoon around the rim of the pot slowly. “Of course I did. A guy doesn’t fulfill an ultimatum without making a good solid effort to plead his case first.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He dips out a large portion of his noodles and sauce into a bowl and grabs two forks from the drawer. “Grab the candle. Let’s go sit down.”

  I follow him into the dim l
iving room. The storm continues to roar outside. Limbs from a nearby tree scratch against the giant bay window, the wind whipping the rain against the glass. We sit on the couch crossed legged, facing each other. Reid holds the bowl of noodles between us. He twirls a large fork full and lifts it toward my mouth.

  Delicious. It actually melts on my tongue. “Oh, man, that’s good.”

  His satisfied grin is instant. “It’s the only thing I can cook that you’d be willing to ingest.”

  “Maybe so, but for a one hit wonder, that is amazing.”

  His smile broadens. “It’s your mother’s recipe. She taught it to me when I moved out of Mom’s house. She had this insane notion I would starve to death, and it was the easiest thing she thought my sub-par cooking skills could handle.”

  I grab his hand at that. Sometimes I forget how close my mother was to Reid. It used to make me jealous, but now it only makes me love him more. He has this part of her that he carries with him, and he shares it with me. He looks back down at his bowl and takes a large bite before handing the fork over to me. I immediately dig in.

  His thumb grazes across my knee. “As you have probably noticed these last couple months…I’m not exactly an easy person to live with. At some point I’m probably going to turn your clothes pink or shrink your favorite sweater. I use up all the hot water every time I take a shower.”

  “Reid…” I pause, trying to swallow the giant bite of noodles in my mouth, “you realize a relationship doesn’t come with an application, right? And if it did…your cooking skills, laundry habits, and hot water consumption wouldn’t make the list of questions.”

  He smiles down at his hands that now clasp together in his lap. “I felt something weird in the cave while we talked with the Raven.” He glances up, his eyes stern and serious. “I couldn’t hear your thoughts, but it was like I could feel what you were feeling in that moment.”

  I drop the fork back down in the bowl. “I noticed it too. I thought it was fluke or I was just imagining things.”

  “I’ve been noticing it for a while now.” He scoots forward and points at my necklace. “Do you mind?”