by Suzi Davis
“I just needed some time. It wasn’t like that.”
“It was exactly like that.”
Our eyes locked together.
“You do realize, I never promised not to hurt you,” I pointed out.
“Careful, Caoilinn. Remember who it is that you’re playing games with.”
“My name is Gracelynn,” I snapped back. “Try to remember my name, David Turner, and I will try to forget yours.”
He glared back at me but for once, he didn’t speak.
“There was a man who came to my mother’s house the other night, he was with another old acquaintance of yours, Lily. He became angry when I said I wouldn’t help them, he threatened me. I think he might have something to do with Sebastian’s disappearance, it’s a starting point at least. Whoever took him, there must be others helping him because they’re blocking my magic somehow. If I’m to stand a chance of getting Sebastian back and stopping the people who took him, I’m going to need numbers on my side—starting with you. Will you help me?”
“Don’t act like I have a choice. But yes, I will. Despite how I feel about you, Sebastian might still be worth saving. It’s midnight—we’ll start in the morning. Until then, get the hell out of my room.”
And with that, he rolled onto his back and shut his eyes. I had been dismissed.
“I’ll see you at dawn,” I murmured as I left. I might as well have been talking to myself for all the acknowledgement I received.
I didn’t sleep that night, I couldn’t. I was vibrating with magic and restless energy, battling guilt and fear, working my way through my shame and regret. There was nowhere to go but forward. I would save Sebastian and I would make everything right. I had to focus on the future and stay positive. The alternative was too bleak to consider.
I realized I needed to let my mother know that I would be leaving town for a few days. We were going to have to postpone the wedding indefinitely. Since it was around three am when I made this decision, I sent her an email making up a ridiculous story about needing a last minute retreat to a remote spa to escape all this stress while we waited for Sebastian to return. It was frivolous and vain: my mother was sure to understand. I also emailed the head curator at the art gallery and told her a story as close to the truth as I could allow: that my fiancé was struggling with depression and had gone missing. I explained that Sebastian’s good friend and I had an idea of where he might be and we were going to try to find him and bring him back home. I told her I didn’t know how long I’d be gone for or when I’d be ready to return to work. I hoped she wasn’t too angry but honestly, I didn’t really care. All that mattered now was finding Sebastian and bringing him back home safely.
In the last few hours before dawn, I tried to formulate a plan. What would I say to the others I had turned away? What would I do if they wouldn’t help us? And where might Jeremy have taken Sebastian? And what if he hadn’t taken him after all, what if I was wrong? Who else might have kidnapped Sebastian? What could they possibly want with him? Or what if Sebastian had run away? And could I really trust David, even with the vows he had spoken?
Eventually I came to one miserable conclusion, that this was all my fault. I had ignored the tasks laid out for me by a powerful priestess, dead for two thousands years and now I was being punished. I had made the worst mistake of my life and now I was having to pay for it. And worst of all, not only was I suffering for my foolish pride but Sebastian was too. The spirit in my dream had said he had been taken somewhere so far away, that even she couldn’t reach him. She had warned me that I didn’t know what I was up against… And I was afraid I wouldn’t be strong enough. I was afraid I might never find him and even if I could find him, what if I couldn’t save him? Tears shimmered in my eyes, blurring my vision.
I walked over to my window and let my gaze wander, my eyes reaching out to the horizon. The sky was shifting from night’s inky black to the bright and clear blue of winter’s cold dawn. The rift between sky and earth was filling with pure, golden light. As the sun’s rays cracked above the horizon, blazing through the gathering clouds and washing the sapphire sky with light, I felt emboldened, I felt inspired. I brushed my tears away. I would fight, I promised myself, and I would win.
The sun slowly rose above the horizon, a blazing ball of golden fire and light. The day had begun. It was time to go.
The Jensons were already awake. I could hear Mrs. Jenson’s soft steps in the kitchen, a spoon clinking against a mug as she stirred her coffee. Mr. Jenson was on the phone already, his words indistinguishable but the steady, low hum of his voice carrying to the small entranceway. I wondered if they’d slept at all either. They must be almost as worried about Sebastian as I was.
I quietly gathered my things and made my way down the stairs, careful to avoid any creaky steps. David stood by the front door, waiting for me.
He met my eyes with a cold, flat stare. He looked more like his old self than he had in months: clean-shaven, slicked back hair and dressed all in black. Somewhere, he had gotten his hands on a crisp, black, button-up shirt and a pair of pressed black pants. He wore a pair of biker boots and a leather jacket that looked suspiciously like Sebastian’s. In fact, the jacket was Sebastian’s—I was sure of it.
David smirked as he followed my eyes.
“Don’t worry about it, Gracelynn. Sebastian won’t mind,” he murmured in a soft, low voice.
I glared back at him but didn’t speak as I pushed past him and out the front door. I was almost too angry to respond anyway. David slipped out behind me, closing the door as quietly as possible, so as not to alert the Jensons. I had left a note for them up in my room explaining that we were going to look for Sebastian and we wouldn’t be back until we found him, however long that took. My mind was set, but I still didn’t want to give them the opportunity to try to change it. I had begged them not to tell my mother or father that I had gone looking for Sebastian, worried that they might come looking for me. Instead, I’d suggested they stick with my story that I had gone out of town on a retreat, to escape the stressful situation I’d found myself in and to try to relax while they continued searching and waiting for Sebastian.
Outside, we hopped into my Austin Mini and without giving the engine time to warm up, I quickly backed down the Jenson’s driveway and pulled out onto the street.
“I assume you have some kind of plan?” David asked after several minutes of silence.
I drove slowly and carefully, aware of the slick roads and the silver frost that had crystallized over everything overnight. My eyes remained fixed on the road as I responded in a quiet and level voice.
“I’m hoping some of the others that I’m supposed to ‘guide’ are still in the city; if they weren’t involved in Sebastian’s abduction, of course. I’ve glimpsed Jai and Nathaniel a few times and they were often accompanied by others, strangers I didn’t recognize. We need to find them first and get their help to find Sebastian…”
“And?”
“And to make sure whoever took him pays.” My voice was soft and chilling. I could feel David staring at me but I didn’t look away from the road. “I’ve seen Nathaniel and Jai twice near the waterfront: once by the museum and again near Bastion Square. If they’re still in the city, that’s where we’ll find them.”
“That’s your master plan? What makes you think that Jai and Nathaniel will just be wandering around near the waterfront at seven thirty in the morning?” David drawled.
“They’ll be there because I want them to be there. If you want to be useful, you could try doing the same.”
“You’re as charming as always this morning, Caoilinn.”
I gritted my teeth and didn’t comment. Instead, I attempted to focus on the task at hand. I was so worried about Sebastian I could barely think straight. It would be extremely foolish to relax around David now or to let my guard down around anyone. And I was so exhausted both emotionally and physically, I wasn’t sure how I could possibly get through today, let alone the possib
ility of more days to come without Sebastian. I was living a nightmare, a nightmare I had created. Perhaps that was the worst part, knowing that this was all my fault. The guilt would easily consume me if I let it.
I parked my car in a small parking lot down near the inner harbor. The air was still bitingly cold, even though the sun was now attempting to weakly break through the gray clouds. I wrapped a knitted gray scarf twice around my neck and stuffed my hands into my jacket pockets, shivering already from the brisk morning air. Wherever Sebastian was, I hoped he was inside, and warm, and safe.
“Lead the way,” David gestured politely.
“We’ll find them at the square,” I announced confidently, marching on ahead. David followed in silence, matching his pace to mine.
Seagulls called out overhead as we made our way alongside the inner harbor. I breathed in deeply, loving the mixed scents of the salty ocean and the bustling little city. Over the past year, Victoria had really started to feel like home to me. I might have even enjoyed this morning stroll if it weren’t for the dangerous person walking just a few feet behind me, and the reason for why we were there in the first place. I tried to push the thoughts aside. We were almost at Bastion Square now and I needed to concentrate. I focused on the noise and rhythm of the traffic that passed us by, waiting for the right moment to slip out and dash across the street between cars. When I found the perfect moment, I abruptly hopped down onto the street and quickly jogged across the road. David cursed, and then ran after me.
“There’s a crosswalk just down the street,” he remarked, glaring at me disapprovingly. I shrugged.
“We’re in a hurry. Try to keep up.” And with that I made a quick turn and attempted to skip up the stairway that ran alongside the sidewalk and up to Bastion Square. I should have grabbed onto the railing but the metal was sure to be freezing cold and my hands were warm in my pockets. Just as I reached the top step, and noticed with disappointment that the square was empty, my foot flew out from underneath me. My stomach dropped as I fell backwards and I found myself staring straight up at the cloudy, overcast sky with nothing but air underneath me. There was no time to pull my hands from my pockets. I fell, helplessly, backwards, wincing as I waited for the moment when my head made contact with the steps.
The air rushed from my lungs as I fell against something hard. It wasn’t hard enough or cold enough to be the concrete steps. In fact, my head wasn’t touching the ground at all. I opened my eyes in wonder, my head spinning and adrenaline coursing through me.
Sebastian’s arms held me tightly against his chest, cradling me protectively. He smelled just like I remembered, of ice and oak trees and magic. My heart swelled as I tipped back my head, leaning against his leather jacket and gazing up at his face in wonder, not understanding how this was possible.
My breath caught in my throat.
It was David’s face only inches from mine, his eyes wide with surprise and another emotion that I couldn’t identify. I had always thought of his eyes as black, but this close I could see that they were really a warm and soft shade of gray, like pools of molten silver. There was a depth to his eyes that I had never noticed before, a warmth that glowed steadily from within him, hypnotically pulling me in. We stared at each other like we’d never truly seen the other person before, and perhaps we hadn’t. Confusion was bubbling up within me. I wasn’t sure what was happening or why I was feeling this way. What had just happened?
“What are you doing?” I questioned, it was difficult to catch my breath enough to speak.
“I’m here to help, aren’t I?” Was it my imagination or did he sound out of breath too? “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“I… I thought you were Sebastian, for a second,” I tried to explain, my brain unexpectedly fuzzy. “Why are you still holding me?”
“I don’t know.” He broke his gaze from mine, only for a second, but it was long enough for us both to regain our equilibrium. He looked back down, his grip on me slowly relaxing. “It looks like things just got more interesting,” he smirked as he gently placed me back on my feet.
“What do you…” My eyes followed his across the square.
Nathaniel and Jai were walking towards us, marching confidently across the cobbled stones. I wasn’t truly surprised to see them, I had summoned them to me after all. But it was the third figure who skipped along beside Nathaniel, her arm looped through his as she strutted across the stones in ridiculously expensive and dangerously high heeled shoes. Her long brown hair flared out behind her in the icy morning breeze, her pale cheeks unusually rosy from the frigid air. She waved as she saw me, her delight and excitement obvious. I felt my jaw drop.
What was Bridgette doing here?
Chapter Ten – New Lessons
“Grace!” Bridgette exclaimed, beaming with pleasure. I couldn’t stop staring. “How strange to see you here! We were just talking about you. Oh, my goodness, you look awful! Are you alright?”
Nathaniel and Jai greeted me with subtle nods, waiting patiently for me to speak. They barely acknowledged David which was probably for the best, I could feel him fuming with silent anger beside me despite the fact that I had warned him we were here to meet with them. Their presence had definitely set him on edge. Luckily, Bridgette seemed oblivious to all the tension going on around her.
“No, I’m not all right,” I answered in carefully modulated tones. I fought the unexpected, violent urge to slap her. “Sebastian is still missing. I haven’t slept all night and I’m worried sick. I have more important things to worry about than how I look, not that you’d understand.” My words wiped the smile off Bridgette’s face as quickly as a slap. She looked stunned, her eyes wide and her neatly arched brows lifted. I only felt the slightest glimmer of guilt. “What are you doing with these two anyway? Where’s your chaperone… Lena?”
“She’s back at the hotel,” Bridgette sniffed. She straightened her shoulders and looked haughtily down her nose at me. “I’m not a child, Grace, I know how to take care of myself. Besides, I have my friends here to look out for me. This is Nathaniel and this is Jai; they’re guests at The Queen’s also. We met in the restaurant this morning and ended up having breakfast together. The boys were just about to escort me on a stroll around the inner harbor.” Bridgette smiled sweetly, batting her eyelashes up at Nathaniel, her arm still looped through his.
“Bridgette told us she was here for your wedding, to act as your Maid of Honor,” Jai commented, his brown eyes apologetic. “Naturally, we were curious.”
“Wait, do you know each other?” Bridgette asked sharply. Her eyebrows drew together, her eyes flashing back and forth between us.
“We’ve met Grace before, yes,” Nathaniel admitted softly. “And her friend, David.”
“I am not her friend,” David immediately corrected. His sharp words caught all of our attention. “I am only helping her hunt for Sebastian since she has deceived and manipulated me with her magic so that I no longer have any choice.”
“Her magic?” Bridgette echoed curiously. Her eyes had lit up with excitement.
“David, shut up,” I warned, glaring at him. He laughed, a harsh, chilling sound.
“What’s wrong, Caoilinn? Don’t like how the truth sounds?”
“Stop it—now. I’m warning you.”
“Or you’ll what? Don’t think I haven’t noticed your reluctance to actually use the Lost Magic. Only if you deem it truly necessary, if there’s no other way—is that how it works? You’re a fool and a coward.”
“This isn’t a game, David,” I growled. I felt like I was rapidly losing control of the situation. Nathaniel and Jai were watching me silently, waiting to see how I would react. Bridgette was looking back and forth between David and I, her eyes wide with confusion.
“What’s going on?” she demanded. She turned to glare at David, I was surprised by the fiery spark in her eye. “And you should not be talking to her like that!” she scolded, looking and sounding indignant.
“
Grace isn’t who you think she is,” David announced, turning to Bridgette with gleaming eyes. “And neither are these two boys. Isn’t that right, Nathaniel Gregory Lewis and Jai Ashok Tagore? Remember me now?”
“David—no!” I yelled but I was too late.
Nathaniel’s eyes rolled back in his head and he crumpled to the ground. Bridgette’s arm was still linked through his and she desperately tried to support his weight, preventing him from hitting the cobblestones too hard. Jai collapsed a split second later but there was no one close enough to slow his fall. His head bounced off the stones with a sickening cracking sound. I stared in horror at the two young men, one thrashing against the ground and moaning, the other lying motionless and mute.
“Grace, help me,” Bridgette called. She had left Nathaniel’s side and was leaning over Jai, her fingers pressed against his throat, searching for a pulse. Surprisingly, she appeared calm and in control, all traces of the vain, spoilt teenager from moments before had vanished. “He’s bleeding,” she announced as blood began to slowly trickle from Jai’s nose and ears. I made no move forward to help her, I could do more help from where I stood. I turned to David, my whole body trembling with rage.
“You’re making them remember everything,” I hissed. “I warned you what would happen. Their minds can’t handle it!”
He shrugged. “Oops.”
“Grace—help me!” Bridgette demanded, this time with real fire in her voice. My attention snapped back to her.
“Does he still have a pulse?”
“Yes, but it’s faint,” Bridgette immediately answered. Despite her cool exterior, I could see that she was alarmed, the panic rising in her eyes. “He needs help, and now. Help! Someone help us!” she began yelling, her eyes desperately searching the square.
“No, I don’t want anyone else involved in this.” My voice was hard and thickly coated with magic, refusing to be disobeyed. Bridgette gaped at me, her voice immediately silenced by both magic and her own surprise. I turned from her without a second thought. “Nathaniel Gregory Lewis and Jai Ashok Tagore, you will recover only the memories that I took from you in the Necromanteion, nothing more. You will awaken and you will be peaceful. You will help us and you will harm no one other than to defend your own lives. You will follow where I guide you. Heal. Live.”