I set my cup on the table, praying she didn’t notice the way my hand trembled. “And what did my father tell you?”
“That you’d left to return to your family in Keene Valley.”
I kept my face expressionless, but I was thrilled he’d stuck to the story I’d told him to tell. Then again, at the time, he hadn’t known I wasn’t going home to Keene Valley, so he really hadn’t lied. And now, he had no idea where I was. No one did.
“Of course, we arrived in Keene Valley, and you’re nowhere to be found.” She shook her head. “You really did give us quite the runaround.”
Did she expect me to apologize?
“Your father didn’t seem at all surprised to see us, though,” Ivy continued.
I remained silent, refusing to give her any information. Not that I knew anything she didn’t already know, too.
“He was, however, rather… upset,” she said.
I raised a brow. Was he upset because he’d killed one of their sisters and he was worried they’d come to get revenge? Or was he upset because I’d left? It was probably the former. I highly doubted he cared that I was gone. With me out of his house, his life was easier, especially now will all this stuff coming back to haunt him.
Ivy waved at the food. “Please, help yourself.” She reached for a sandwich and nibbled on it.
I did the same, more out of politeness than hunger. My appetite had vanished. “Why are you telling me this?”
She plucked a napkin from the tray and wiped her fingers. “Did you know your father murdered Samara?”
My stomach sank, and I shifted uncomfortably in the chair. “Yes.” I cleared my throat. “He did it to protect me. To stop”—I waved around at my surroundings—“all this from happening. He didn’t want me caught up in the Halstead Zoya feud.”
Ivy cocked her head, a faint smile on her lips. “Yet, here you are.”
Was she amused by this? Anger burned my cheeks. “Here I am,” I said through clenched teeth.
“So, tell me, Chloe. Did Trent know who you were when he sought you out?”
I held my hands in my lap, balling them into tight fists. “No. No one, not even me, knew about my lineage until recently. It was a very well-kept secret.”
“Ah.” She nodded and reached for another sandwich.
My headache from earlier began to build in my temples again, and I rubbed at them. I had no idea what she’d done to me when she kidnapped me, but the aftereffects were terrible. I really just wanted some aspirin and to be able to sleep for more than an hour at a time.
“Well.” Ivy leaned forward, her gaze intense. “Allow me to be perfectly clear. One way or another, this curse will be broken, and the magical balance will be restored.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood on edge. “How? You can’t force me to become a witch, and like I told you before, Trent won’t change me unless I ask him.”
“Oh, I know.” She sat back, a smug, satisfied smile curling her lips. “Which is why I’m going to offer you a little bit of incentive to help us out.”
A sinking feeling started in my chest and dropped into my stomach. “Incentive?”
“If you do not cooperate, we will take revenge against the person who killed Samara.”
I gasped. “What?” My ears rang, and panic choked me.
They were going to kill my father! I may not have the best relationship with him, but he was still my father. And what about Little Frank? He’d have to grow up without a dad, and that’s the very last thing I wanted to happen.
“Please don’t,” I begged, tears pooling in my eyes. God, I was so tired of crying all the time. “Don’t hurt my father. Please.”
“I will grant you his life for your cooperation.” Ivy smiled with satisfaction and gave a courteous nod.
I couldn’t stand to look at her, so I averted my gaze to a painting on the wall. It was of a breathtaking sunset against the backdrop of a shimmering lake. What I wouldn’t give to be there right now, or anywhere other than here. I hastily wiped at my tears.
“I thought your coven was supposed to be good,” I said like a petulant child.
Ivy titled her head in confusion. “Excuse me?”
“You threaten to kill my father so I’ll cooperate. That sounds like something the Zoya would do, not a coven of supposedly good witches.” I used air quotes around the word good.
It was stupid to taunt her like I was, but irritation was clawing its way to the surface, and I didn’t bother trying to stifle it.
“We are good, Chloe. But your father committed a grave offense against my coven. Don’t you agree that the guilty should be punished for their crimes?”
“Then call the cops and turn him in,” I snapped. But I knew they couldn’t because they had no actual proof. I had it all. Actually, Sean had it all.
“Perhaps your father wasn’t the right motivation.” She stood and paced the room. “What, or who, do you love the most, Chloe?”
I laughed. Like I was going to tell her that. She’d only use it against me.
“Your family in Keene Valley, maybe? Or Trent?” She turned, clutched the back of the chair she’d vacated, and looked at me pointedly. “I must say, your baby brother is quite adorable.”
“Stop!” I stood, rage burning through my veins. “He’s just a kid.”
She couldn’t seriously be threatening Little Frank’s life. What kind of monster did that?
“Clearly, you need a little more time to think about things.” She straightened and walked out of the room, her back ramrod straight. “Come,” she called.
I hesitated, my heart thumping loudly. Now was my chance. I spun around, looking for a door or any other method of escape, but the room had no door, and the only window was inches from the ceiling and the size of a cereal box.
“Now, Chloe,” Ivy said from wherever she was.
With a groan of frustration, I left the room and found Ivy in the hall. She was studying a hand painted portrait of a woman. She had a heart shaped face, plump cheeks, a pert nose, big hazel eyes, and long black hair. Her complexion was pale but not sickly.
“This is Samara,” Ivy said.
“She’s pretty.”
“Yes, she was.” Ivy smiled sadly. “She was such a bright light in our coven. Losing her devastated us.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, and I meant it. “She didn’t have to die.”
She smiled. “We finally agree on something.”
I offered a small smile, though I wasn’t sure why. She was holding me hostage with no release date in sight. She wasn’t my friend, and while I felt bad she’d lost a sister witch, I refused to feel any sympathy for Ivy.
“We’re not a violent coven, and believe me when I say we don’t want to hurt your father. Yes, he wronged us, but we can understand why he did so. Parents will go to any lengths to protect their children. And I will go to any lengths to protect my coven. Do you understand?”
I sucked in a breath and nodded.
“Also believe me when I say that one way or another, we’re going to break this curse. I’d prefer if we did so with your full cooperation.” She clasped her hands behind her back and turned to face me. “I know this isn’t easy for you. I do. But my patience is wearing thin.”
I crossed my arms.
She stared at me for several moments, then moved down the hallway, waving for me to follow. I was starting to feel like her pet, coming when I was called, being obedient. We were silent as she led me back to my room.
Ivy stopped in front of my door, keys clutched in her hand. “Give it some more thought, and we’ll talk again in a couple of days.” She moved around me to unlock the door. “But know that I’m not going to keep giving you more time. A decision needs to be made. Soon.”
“He won’t change me, you know. He’d die first.” Saying those words nearly choked me.
“I know.” She swung the door open and nodded for me to go in. “Which is why I’m offering another incentive.”
I gla
red at her as I stepped around her and back into what was now my prison cell. And then I froze. Standing in front of the window, back to me, was a male form. Tall. Dark hair. Broad shoulders. My heart jackhammered in my chest. Trent had come for me!
Then he turned around, and my heart stopped
CHAPTER THREE:
Roommates
“JAX?”
“Don’t sound so happy,” he said.
His tone was… off, like he was exhausted or something. His skin was much too pale, almost translucent, and there were deep, dark circles around his eyes.
I shook my head and flung myself at him. He stumbled back a bit, but he caught me and wrapped me in a tight hug.
“That’s better,” he mumbled, squeezing me closer. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” I pulled away and studied his face, but I didn’t fully release him. I needed the physical reminder that he was actually here, that I wasn’t just dreaming. “What’re you doing here? Where’s Trent? What’s wrong? You look sick.” Realizing I sounded much too accusatory, I said, “Sorry. I just have no idea what’s going on. It’s been a really weird few days.”
“I know.” Jax sat on the bed, and I sat beside him. “Seriously, are you okay? They haven’t hurt you, have they?”
“No.” I gave him a reassuring smile. “They’ve actually been very accommodating. Though, they won’t let me out of this stupid room.”
“Well, I guess we’re officially roomies now, then.” He sighed.
“What is going on?” I twisted to face him. “How did you get here?”
“The night you took off”—he paused long enough to glare at me—“Trent went ballistic. He took off after you, and we couldn’t stop him. Shortly after, Ivy showed up. She said she caught you trying to run, which she’d warned you not to do.” His lips twitched with an almost smile, as if he were proud of me for disobeying Ivy’s command. “She made it clear that she had you and wasn’t going to let you go or tell us where you were until we agreed to change you and break the curse.”
“And you agreed?” I bit out. Of course he did. I stood and put some much needed distance between us.
“Not at first.” He shifted on the bed so his back was against the headboard, ankles crossed. “I knew Trent would be angry, but he wasn’t there, and she wasn’t leaving without a Halstead vampire.”
I closed my eyes. Because of me and my reckless actions, Jax had been taken, too. Would I ever stop screwing things up? “Does Trent know you’re here?” I asked.
“I’m sure Sean has told him by now. I tried to hold out, but Ivy threatened your life and Trent’s life. Said if he wouldn’t change you, then I would have to. Otherwise, she was going to rain hell down on us.” He rolled his eyes. “Witches are so dramatic.”
How could he be making jokes at a time like this?
“Before I left, Sean said he and Trent would find us, and to hold out as long as possible. I told him I would, but that I’d change you if I had to.” He shrugged. “Anyway, here I am.”
My jaw dropped. Fear slowly filled my veins as realization fully set in. “So, you’re going to change me? Even though that’s not what I want.” Bile rose heavy in my throat, and I forced back a gag.
I knew this would happen. The second Jax found out, he was going to change me, and he wouldn’t care what I wanted. He hadn’t said it the night the truth came out, but I’d seen it in his eyes—he wanted me to break this curse, and he’d do whatever it took to make that happen. Just like Ivy.
I crossed the room, pressing my back against the wall. But I had nowhere to go. I was trapped here with him, exactly as Ivy wanted.
“Fear? Really, Chloe?” He shook his head as if I’d offended him. Jax ambled off the bed and sauntered toward me.
I pressed tighter to the wall and held my breath.
He stopped in front of me and placed his hand flat on the wall above my head. Then he leaned down so our faces were inches apart. “Don’t worry.” He trailed his fingertip down the length of my neck and tilted his head, watching the path his finger took, his gaze mesmerized. “I won’t bite.”
I gulped.
“Unless you ask me to.” A much too confident, devious smirk pulled at his lips. “And I’m not going to change you.”
“You’re not?” My voice came out as a terrified squeak.
“No.” He leaned even closer, putting his mouth against my ear.
I closed my eyes, biting back a groan at the physical contact.
“I’m here to buy us some time until we can find a way out of here. Or until Trent and Sean attempt to break us out,” he whispered.
My body sagged with relief. “Thank you.”
“Mm-hmm,” he hummed, the vibration in my ear sending a tremor through me.
I cleared my throat. “There is no way out of here. And there’s no way Sean and Trent are going to find us. We’re stuck, Jax, and you’re an idiot for getting yourself thrown in here with me.”
He laughed.
My eyes widened with disbelief. Why was he laughing? Our current situation was not funny.
“Trust me. They’ll find us,” he said.
My heart jackhammered in my chest. I wanted nothing more than for Trent to bust through that door, gather me into his arms, and profess his love for me as I apologized profusely for ever leaving the cabin that night.
But that wasn’t going to happen. Even if Trent did find us, there was no way Ivy was just going to let all of us walk out of here, at least not as long as I was still human.
“How can you be so sure?” My voice cracked.
“Well, they have the twins helping them, and those two are good at finding people who don’t want to be found. Sean has a lot of contacts, too. They’ll find us,” he repeated.
I really wanted to believe him, but until someone showed up to save us, I wasn’t getting my hopes up.
“Let’s be clear about one thing, though, Chloe.” His eyes darkened a shade, and I shrank against the wall even more. “If it comes down to you dying or me changing you, I will change you.”
I swore my heart stopped. My entire body went numb. I couldn’t breathe. “What? They’re not going to kill me. They need me,” I said weakly.
I’d been counting on that fact to help me cope with this situation. It was my only lifeline at the moment.
“You’re refusing. Trent’s refusing. I’m refusing. And they”—he nodded toward the door to indicate the coven—“are getting desperate. They probably won’t kill you, but don’t think for one second they won’t drop you on death’s doorstep and leave you there. And what do you think I’ll do if that happens?”
My eyes widened as his words registered in my brain. Everything clicked into place all at once—the story Trent had told me about how he and Jax had become vampires. Jax got himself beat up, within an inch of his life; he’d been dying and that had forced Sean to change him.
My stomach knotted. The witches would do the same thing: nearly kill me and then force Jax to change me. Or let me die. I glanced up at him, recognition settling over me.
“Now you’re getting it,” he said. “Trent will be furious if I have to change you, but he’ll flat out kill me if I let you die.”
Jax was right about that; though I’d bet Trent would kill him for changing me, too. I was going to have to play nice with Ivy until rescue arrived. And with Jax.
“So, you’ve been here for how long? A week?” I asked.
He pushed away from the wall. “Something like that.” He wandered around the room, checking things out. “The room I’d been in wasn’t as nice as this one. Then, today, they told me I was moving.” He went back to the bed and sat. “Bedtime is going to be awful cozy.”
“Uh, you’ve lost your mind if you think we’re sharing that bed. You can sleep over there.” I pointed to the windowsill bench.
It was barely big enough for me to sit with my legs stretched out in front of me. There was no way it would be big enough for Jax, but he was just going to have to deal
with it.
“You’re not a very good roommate.” He stood and resumed wandering around the room.
When he disappeared into the bathroom, I rubbed my hands over my face. Was this really happening? I prayed we’d find a way out of here soon, because being locked up with Jax was a very bad idea, especially if he was right about Ivy’s plans.
“Good news,” he said, popping his head out of the bathroom. “Shower is big enough for two.”
I grabbed a pillow and chucked it at him, but he ducked back into the bathroom before it could hit him. His laughter filtered into the bedroom, and I smiled despite the situation. At least now I had someone to share my misery with so I wouldn’t go completely insane.
“If we’re stuck in this room together, we need to set some ground rules,” I said.
“This’ll be interesting,” he said as he returned to the room. He sat on the edge of the bench beneath the window, legs extended in front of him, ankles crossed. “Well, lay it on me.”
“First, stop flirting with me, okay? It’s… weird.” I crossed the room, positioning myself near the door—the farthest possible point away from him—and leaned against the wall.
“Weird how? Weird like atheists trying to baptize cats? Or weird like it’s naughty and you know you shouldn’t like it but you secretly do?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
I stared at him, dumbfounded, and at a total loss for words. Was he being serious? I didn’t know if I should laugh or scream.
After a moment, he laughed. “Fine, no flirting.”
“Thank you.” My shoulders relaxed a little. “Second, no sharing the bed. Ever. For any reason.”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re about as fun as a root canal.”
I ignored him and continued. “Third, there will be no showering together. And when I’m in that bathroom, you are not to come in for any reason. That’s my private time, got it?”
The corner of his lip twitched, but he bit back a smile. “Same. I need private time, too.”
“Okay,” I said, nodding, even though I knew he was making fun of me. “Then we should be fine.”
Eternal Bond : (The Cursed Series, Book 3) Page 2