Shadow Bend (Witches of Sanctuary Book 3) Read online

  I elbow her, but she only huffs.

  “Well, I’m not,” she says, jutting her chin out.

  She would. If it meant saving Lyric, she would totally lie to Grady. I’m certain of it.

  Leo leans back on his heels. “Well, I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary at this point. You probably have Talbot to thank for that. I think Grady will go along with the plan for his sake.”

  Talbot stands at the door of the jail in his customary stance. Slumped shoulders and bowed head. Geez, Grady and Roux really worked a number on that kid. Grady should feel horrible about it. “So, can we go now? Can we go open the door?”

  “Yeah,” Leo says, calling it out to the crowd like an announcer at the beginning of a show. “Let’s get prepared.”

  “We are prepared,” I say, jerking his hand down. We’re on the middle of the street, and someone else might hear him. “We’ve been prepared. It’s you we’ve been waiting on.”

  “Well, then, let’s go.”

  I take a step back, eyeing him like he’s telling me a joke. “You’re ready to go?” I reach up and touch the button on his fancy suit jacket. “In that getup?”

  His mouth drops open a little. “Getup? This is a—”

  “It’s not something you wear to Raven Ridge. You’re not in your castle anymore, your majesty. You need boots, and pants you don’t mind getting ripped open in a briar patch.”

  Julien comes up next to me, a smirk already forming on his lips. “No, let him wear it. I need a good laugh today.”

  Leo bites his tongue, his eyes narrowing into slits. “Where would I find such attire? Is there a store in town, perhaps?”

  “There’s no time for shopping.” I give Julien a gentle shove in Leo’s direction. “He will loan you something.”

  “What?” Julien whirls around on me. “I most certainly will not.”

  “Yes, you will. And if you want to live long enough for that bike ride we talked about, you’ll do it quickly.”

  Julien grits his teeth. “He gave you flowers last night.”

  “That my cat made into potpourri.”

  Julien stands up straight, the same stubborn look on his face that Abby gave me. “I’m not helping him.”

  “I’ll give him some clothes,” Reid says from beside me. He’s already shooting Leo a dirty look. “But only because I refuse to carry you back up the mountain when you break an arm trying to hike in those clown shoes.”

  Leo is apparently very fond of his leather shoes, because he appears quite offended by Reid’s remark, but he keeps it to himself.

  Reid and Julien take Leo back to my house while I go on with the others to the Tower. Reid insisted the two of them take him alone. Leo actually looked a little scared.

  Abby sits next to me in the passenger seat. I follow close behind the caravan of vehicles going up the mountain. It feels almost normal now—going to Raven Ridge. I wonder if it feels the same for the people there. Are they used to watching the Innocent walk their streets? They don’t bother to stare out the windows anymore. That might simply be out of courtesy, though.

  Abby fidgets in the seat next to me. She tugs at the end of one her long blue strands, wrapping it around her finger like a rope.

  I give her a minute then glance over again. “What’s wrong?”

  Her gaze shoots to the window. “Nothing.”

  “It isn’t nice to lie, Abner.”

  The glare she shoots me is absolutely genuine. She really does hate her real name. Her annoyance with my teasing quickly fades, and she looks like a sad puppy again. “Do you think I should talk to Grady?”

  “I don’t know. I thought you were pretty set against it.”

  “I am. I mean—” She groans. “Even the thought of him makes my blood boil. I can’t fathom the idea of having any kind of civil conversation with him. It would just be me screaming, and then the jail would fall into a giant crevice from the earthquakes.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  Her sadness deepens. “It’s Grady. My Grady. This is the longest we’ve gone without speaking to each other…ever. It feels wrong.”

  “You miss him.”

  Abby pushes her lips tight together to keep them from trembling. “I spent every day with him, Willa. He woke me up every morning. He’d show up at my house with breakfast, or pick me up and take me to Rooster’s. And we would just sit there together. Most of the time we didn’t even talk.” Her fingers covered her mouth. “It’s so hard to believe all of that. All those moments weren’t real.”

  I try to keep my eyes on the road while I reach over and touch her shoulder. “Some of them could have been real, Abby. We aren’t certain what kind of state of mind Grady was in before he changed that night in Charleston. I mean, look at Talbot. He’s in an almost catatonic state of submission. Roux probably did the same thing to Grady when he was in charge.”

  Abby shakes her head. “I know I should hate him, and I do. It’s just, sometimes these things catch me off guard, you know? And I can’t exactly cry about it in front of Lyric.”

  “How are you and Lyric?”

  “Great. Lyric is amazing.” It sounds like she means it, but there’s still something there. Something that brings the tears back to her eyes. “I’m really sorry about pouring this all out on you. I know you have your own problems.”

  I put my arm around her and tug her to me. “It’s fine, Abby. You know you can tell me anything, and I want to know these things.”

  She sniffs, trying to wipe her face clean with the sleeve of her shirt. “Do you ever think about what life will be like if we end the curse?”

  “Honestly?” I fix my eyes on the road. The curves get deeper. Soon we will pass the giant house in the mountain. There won’t be any red tulips in the yard. “No. I can’t bring myself to think about it.”

  “Do you think Julien will stay in Sanctuary?”

  “Why wouldn’t he?”

  “Wilhelmina.” Her tone is surprised. “You really think he’ll stick around and watch you get married? Have kids? Live happily ever after? This is the same guy who made Reid promise not to kiss you in front of him.”

  “I—” There’s something stuck in my throat. “I’ve never thought about it.”

  Can I have a happily ever after without Julien in it? I know I couldn’t without Reid. But that doesn’t make Julien expendable.

  We go by Julien’s house, but I refuse to look at it. I can’t right now. I’ve suddenly contracted some of Abby’s pain. And it hurts. I’ve been so worried about saving Julien’s life that I never stopped to think about what I was saving it for. What will his life hold after all this?

  I put the car in park, and Abby starts wiping her face again. Her eyes are red and swollen. There will be no hiding the fact that she’s been crying from anyone, especially Lyric. “Go ahead,” she says, fanning her face. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

  I give her another quick hug, but she pulls me closer. She holds me tighter. “We’re all going to be okay, Wilhelmina. We’ll figure this all out together.”

  She gives me a little nudge, like a mother would give their toddler who is just learning to walk. “Go on.”

  I get out of the car to give her some space. I pull the hood of my jacket up to block out some of the wind. Really, I’m just hoping no one notices the look on my face. There aren’t any tears, but my expression could probably use a lift. I join the others, listening as Lyric and Talbot discuss the maps of the Bessette caves. They’re already planning their trip to find the fountain. I might let the boys handle that expedition. The thought of crawling around in the dark isn’t on the top of my to do list. I almost suffocated the last time.

  It isn’t long until Reid’s truck pulls in. Abby finally gets out of the car and hides herself behind Sadie. My attention is on the boys. I search for Leo only because I want to make sure he survived. I know they wouldn’t kill him, but I wouldn’t count out maiming him. I could definitely see Julien cracking a couple of his fing
ers.

  Leo appears surprisingly unscathed when he gets out of the car, even though he doesn’t look anything like himself. He barely looks like Leo at all, and not in a good way. Turns out, Reid is the only guy who can pull off that rugged country boy look to perfection. Poor Leo is lost beneath the over-sized sweatshirt, and those jeans on him…he’s too thin for them. The worst part is Leo knows it. The poor guy has the expression of a neutered dog without his fancy suit and leather shoes.

  Reid grins at me, and my heart does a little sputter.

  Yes…absolute country boy perfection.

  “Let’s get going.” He grabs my hand and pulls me to the front of the group. The tug on my hand is deliberate, so I rush to keep up with him. Reid makes sure we’re the first ones to drop down below the cliff. Once I find my feet, he’s already pulling me away. We stop with the group still within sight. He’s out of breath by the time he turns to me. “Would you like to go out tomorrow night?”

  “What?”

  “On a date,” he says, quickly. “You know, like we talked about the other night. Will you go on a date with me tomorrow night?”

  I open my mouth, but he’s already rambling again. “Because Lyric called my cell, and he already has plans to go find the fountain tomorrow. Julien doesn’t think it’s a good idea to take everyone down in the caves, so I thought maybe we could sit this adventure out. You know, just this one.”

  He starts to say something else, but I place the palm of my hand over his mouth. “Yes,” I practically shout at him. “Yes, I would love to go out with you tomorrow night.”

  “Really? I mean, you wouldn’t be upset that you’re missing out on finding the spring?”

  “I don’t want to be anywhere near those caves. In fact, I’m a little nervous this door is going to send us down in one tonight.”

  “Okay,” he says, nodding quickly. “Good. Tomorrow night, then.”

  The others are already on their way down the hill, but I can’t help wondering why Reid was in such a hurry to ask me that. He could ask me that question anytime and the answer would always be the same. “Hey—” I grab his arm before he can turn away. “Thanks for helping Leo. Did everything go smoothly?”

  “You mean, did Julien break one of his ribs, or cut off a toe?” He grins. “No. Julien might have thrown a couple hateful remarks his way, but he behaved himself.”

  “Good. We need this to work out.”

  Reid nods and starts walking on down the hill. “I did slip a potion in his drink that will make him lose his voice if he tries to hit on you again.”

  I start to laugh. “You’re joking?”

  Reid laughs harder. “No. Not even a little bit.”

  “But how—” Then I remember Reid read the Book of the Sun in its entirety when his grandmother had possession of it. He knows spells, and apparently, potions, that the rest of us don’t know yet. “Did you give it to Julien too?”

  “He’s a Cote. He knows better than to accept anything from me.”

  I roll my eyes as the others catch up to us. Julien is in my ear before we even make to Svetta’s house. “Reid poisoned the little fancy git. I saw it.”

  “He didn’t poison him,” I say quietly, trying to make sure no one else hears me.

  “He did. He poured some funny colored vial from your magic wardrobe into his drink.”

  “It won’t kill him, Julien. Though I’m surprised you’re so concerned for Leo’s safety.”

  “Not concerned. I just want to make sure he survives long enough to open the door. Then Reid can dispose of him any way he wants. I’ll even dig the hole.”

  Poor Leo. He really didn’t know the crazy pot he was stirring when he came to Sanctuary. I should feel sorry for him, but no. I probably would have given him that potion myself if I knew it existed. The closer we get to the Tower, the more my nerves hitch into high gear. Third time is the charm. That door has to open this time.

  Abby lights up the room inside the Tower for us. We each take our turn, just like last time. Grady makes sure he turns around and stares at Abby right before he touches the Mountain Lion. The only thing that remains is the tree, the symbol for the Guardians. Leo places his entire palm over it, closing his eyes as he presses his weight against it. The door takes its time. The lights weave through the branches of the tree slowly, spreading like a virus until all the lights burst into a flame.

  The door is on fire.

  We all jump back. Did something go wrong? How can we stop it?

  “It’s okay,” Leo says, though he doesn’t sound very convincing. “It’s just getting rid of the magic.”

  The fire slowly starts to fade, and the door doesn’t appear burned in any way. Once it’s completely gone, there is a very noticeable click. Julien reaches out and touches the door carefully as if it might still be hot. He runs his hands down it until he reaches the door handle. He turns the knob quickly, the grinding gears loud in the echoing confines of the small hall. The door lurches open, revealing blackness.

  Leo lets out a gush of relief. “Well, that’s one step down.”

  “One step?” I move in front of the open door, trying to see down into the black nothingness. “You mean there’s more?”

  He shrugs before pointing into the doorway. “We’ll see.”

  I grab Reid and make him take the lead. I can’t see, but it’s pretty obvious the stairs lead straight down. And it’s narrow. The walls are tight against my shoulders. Even with the light Reid shoots into the cavern, everything turns a hazy black. My footsteps don’t feel as if they’re landing on stone anymore.

  It’s more like quicksand. And I’m sinking into it with each step.

  My breath quickens, but the air is thinner. It can’t find my lungs, and suddenly…I’m gone.

  Chapter 10

  SHADOWS

  I wake up with a scream. My arms flail around me, trying to fight my way out of the sand, except there isn’t any sand holding me down. Hands keep me in place, and faces loom above me. Reid holds my head steady until the room finally comes back into focus. “Wilhelmina? Are you okay?”

  My legs are weak. I’m not sure if I can stand. “I don’t know.”

  “The texts,” Leo says, standing above me. “The old texts must be true.”

  Reid glares at him. “What are you talking about?”

  “There is a book that says there are more requirements to obtaining the black fruit than just needing me to open the door.”

  Reid squeezes my hand and stands. “Well, what does it say?”

  Leo suddenly looks uncomfortable and quite a bit sheepish when I give him my best now-you-decide-to-tell-us face. He takes a small step away from me. “It says that upon entering the door, the strongest of us will fall.”

  They all look at me, but it can’t be right. There’s no way I’m the strongest one here. Reid knows twice as much magic as I do. I try to stand to prove them all wrong, but I can’t. My legs won’t work. Reid bends down, and I grab onto him. “I can’t move.” I try to use my power, to do anything to make myself get up, but I’m stuck there like a boulder in the hillside. Reid glares over his shoulder at Leo.

  “What else does this old text say?”

  Leo rubs his head as if he’s trying to remember. “The weakest among us must prove themselves worthy.”

  Reid glances around the room. “How do we know who is the weakest?”

  A figure steps through the darkness, their hand raised in the air. “It’s me.”

  Grady’s head is bowed low. He resembles Talbot in the way his shoulders slouch over.

  “I’m the weakest,” he says solemnly, his long curls falling into his eyes. “It’s me. It’s always been me.”

  “I hope you don’t consider that an apology,” Lyric mumbles under his breath, but Abby grabs his hand. It’s a warning to let it go, but just in case, she puts herself between the two boys.

  Abby’s voice is less harsh. “How do you know for sure?” she asks him, and it’s the first words she’s spo
ken to him since that day in Sera’s backyard.

  Grady can’t even manage to look at her. “I feel it. I feel something inside of me, pulling me into the darkness.”

  Julien gives Grady a not-so-gentle shove forward. “Well, go follow it.”

  I want to go too. My limbs are like lead dumbbells though. Instead, I shoot Abby a pleading look. “Go with him. Make sure he gets the fruit.”

  Abby nods, though she doesn’t look exactly sure if she should go or not. I know it’s a lot to ask of her, but we need the fruit for the spell. I don’t know what Grady is going to face in there, but I’m sure he can manage it with Abby by his side.

  I turn my stare on Leo, who seems to have taken a liking to the wall. That, or he’s scared I’m going spark his nose off for leaving out these details. “Is there anything else in your texts that we should know?” I can’t believe he didn’t think to warn us about this. “Anything at all?”

  “Probably, but the book was torn to pieces when the Bessettes broke in our house. We only recovered a few pages.”

  Abby straightens out her jacket. “Don’t worry, Wilhelmina. Whatever happens, we’ve got it under control.”

  She stalks through the cavern into the darkness, Grady and Lyric rushing to catch up with her.

  Reid holds onto me like I might really sink into the floor and disappear. The chamber around us goes quiet. I can’t hear the group anymore. Leo tries to peek around the corner, but there isn’t any light. Reid brushes a piece of my hair away from my face. “Can you move at all?”

  “Everything is heavy, and my magic won’t work.” Reid helps me move up so I can at least lean on my elbow.

  There’s a scream in the distance. It vibrates the walls.

  Reid jumps to his feet. “That’s Abby.”

  The weight in my limbs vanishes. I’m still weak, but I can stumble up to my feet. Reid helps me through the cavern, following the winding turns until I see it.

  The tree.

  It’s an exact replica of the one from the door, like something that would have grown wild in an open field. It doesn’t make sense that a tree could live down here, but it’s there, standing tall and strong, long limbs stretching out in every direction. Abby sits on her knees next to someone beneath the tree.