by Holly Hook
* * * * *
I get a call—not a text—from Noah as soon as I get home. That's good, because after my insistence that Cayden stay at the Lowe residence instead of following me back to my house, I feel alone, even while I have Aunt May with me. Or maybe it's because I have her with me and the power shift has changed. I'm the one meant to provide answers now.
“You had better answer that,” she says.
I retreat to my room and close my door behind me, though it won't do an ounce of good. Aunt May will hear every word. But what can she do? I'm alpha. It's my job to take care of her and the rest of the pack. Though there are only five of us, it feels like the world.
“Hey, Noah,” I say.
His voice is crackling like the connection at the hospital isn't great. “Hey, Brie.”
“How's your shoulder? I'm sorry I haven't called.”
“You have a lot going on. So, spill.”
Even with a busted shoulder, Noah's still Noah. He's the last part of an old world I can hold on to. I'm not responsible for him, but yet I feel he deserves my protection.
“Still busted, but the second surgery went great. I have to walk around with my arm in this sling for about eight weeks, and when I get it out, I have some painful therapy to look forward to. That's gonna last for months. At least Olivia's mother is blunt and tells the truth. She told me I'd be in a world of hurt, but it was a necessary world of hurt.”
“Well, I have good news,” I say. “I'll give you the bad first. I saw the Savage King again tonight, and he chased us away from rehearsal. Olivia drove like a movie stuntwoman. You need to compliment her as soon as--”
“She called me already. She and Ellie are at her house. They plan to get out of town for a few days. And Ellie's new boyfriend left.”
“Jansen,” I say. I should have known Olivia would talk to Noah before even her absent mother. They're dating. “The whole situation freaked him out.” My phone beeps with an incoming text from Cayden. “He must fear the Savage King will break his arm next or worse. He screwed up.”
“Brie--”
“Let me check this text,” I say. “Real quick. Then I'll be back. I have to make sure it's nothing important.”
“Sure thing.”
I swipe the call to the side. Instead of the green bubbles that mark Cayden's texts, these bubbles are from Remo.
Cracked Jansen's phone.
And the verdict is...
He was never texting Brett. He was texting his mother. Argument.
Mouth open, I stare at the texts. I'd forgotten about Remo's side project. I put the phone on speaker as Noah says, “Brie? It's not an emergency, is it? I know my hearing isn't as good as yours.”
“Not an emergency. Just something confusing.” I tell Noah what I've just read. Then another text pops up and I read.
Can't find evidence he's working with Brett or anyone.
Maybe the phone is a distraction, I text back.
“Brie,” Noah says, his crackling voice filling my bedroom. “I'm not surprised with Jansen. Never told you this because they drugged me, but he's the one who pulled me out of the way when the beam fell. If it wasn't for him, then I would have taken a blow to the head. And then you'd have an idiot for a friend, at the best.”
“Noah—what?”
“You didn't know? I thought Ellie would have told you. He saved my ass.”
A horrible, sick feeling fills me. Jansen shouldn't have pulled Noah out of the way. Ellie had been trying to tell me something multiple times when we were arguing, and Noah sounds sober right now.
“He saved you?”
“Well, yeah. And he was so nice to Ellie. The two would have made a great couple. It sucks he had to leave. I know you suspected him, Brie, but we might have been wrong. Jansen would have let the beam smack me on the head if he were working for the Savage King.”
I stand there, heat filling my face and wanting to sink into the floor.
And Aunt May makes her way up the stairs. Her footfalls thud closer. She's heard the conversation, too.
“I'm...I'm stupid,” I mutter. Already, I'm messing things up. “Noah, that means someone else is keeping an eye on us. Either Brett's spirits are great at surveillance or there's another mole rehearsing with us. Romulus knows right when we get out, even when the time changes and it's not official on the schedule. That means whoever or whatever is watching us is watching us from close.”
“I think you're right. You and Cayden need to figure it out, and pronto.”
I don't want anyone else getting hurt by magic or a Savage Wolf.”
Chapter Eighteen
Aunt May can't make me feel any better, not even with hot cocoa complete with cream. Neither can Cayden when I sit on my bed and call him.
“Brie, you did your best. Maybe Brett allowed Jansen to look suspicious without the guy even knowing,” he says. “He took advantage of the new kid and none of us knew.”
“But how did Brett know there was a new guy who would distract us?” I ask. “He waited until a scapegoat showed up to do anything.”
“That's disturbing,” Cayden agrees. “I'm coming back to rehearsal tomorrow, even if Mr. Saffron refuses to let me take part. If I have to, I'll linger in the shadows. I know he's angry at me and I don't blame him.”
“I've smelled nothing weird there,” I say. “Just the usual. I have to warn you. Mr. Saffron will be even angrier tomorrow now that Jansen's gone, and Ellie won't like me either.” I have a lot of apologizing to do, and I don't think Ellie will forgive me a hundred percent. I'll be lucky if she forgives me at all. And I must give her Jansen's phone to mail to him or something, because I don't know how to give it back.
That's the least of my worries. We've missed something, and now Cayden will put himself in danger.
“Can you hold back from trying to defend me?” I ask. I have to protect him. The instinct sweeps over me and I know I'll do anything to make sure Cayden doesn't get hurt, even if it involves sacrificing myself. And the instinct hurts. Just the thought of Cayden dying makes me chest ache and beg for relief. I lean over on the bed and force the thought out of my head. This is what he‘s been dealing with.
“Brie, are you okay?” he asks.
“I'm just learning what you went through.”
“Oh,” he says, knowing. “I warned you it was strong, almost as strong as the curse.”
“It's still there,” I say.
“But maybe I can resist it now. It'll be hard and I still want to protect you with everything I've got, but I don't think I'm guaranteed death.”
“That's the answer I want,” I say.
“Good,” Cayden says. “I think we have time and it's good that Leonora got the coven together. That gives us hope. Who knows what else can happen?”
I want Cayden here. “I wish you could come over.”
“I'd love to, but we don't know where the Savage King is,” he says. “The whole situation is weird.”
“No kidding. Something's not right. Not right at all. Cayden, if something happens, I want you to run. That's an order.”
* * * * *
Though I'm too nice again, the sense of power remains the next morning. I think of the order I gave Cayden, and how he ended the call right after that in shame and anger. This power shift isn't easy for him.
And he shows it during our first class. Olivia shows up, too, and smells of adrenaline as she sits beside Cayden. She's stressed and I don't blame her. I sense she's here at school to stay around people, despite the horror last night. It's not as if her mother's around.
Cayden and I lock gazes for a few seconds before he looks down at his Economics book with shame. But the love shines in the hazel forest of his eyes. Warmth fills me. Despite the issues, Cayden's glad to be back with me and I'm glad to be back with him. Things are still dangerous, but the knife of death has dulled. It'll take more effort for the Savage King to separate us forever. The tingling, perfect sense of love forms an undertone between us.
&n
bsp; We hold hands when the bell rings and class ends.
Cayden doesn't let go until we meet the fork in the hallway. “Brie, I should have never left.”
“You did what you had to. If you hadn't, you'd be dead.”
“That's what scares me.”
“And I don't have to die to protect you,” I say with a wink.
Though Cayden smiles, the shame returns to his eyes. I shouldn't have said that.
“I'm sorry,” I add as we let go of each other.
“It'll be okay, Brie,” he says. “I think it was meant to be this way.”
His words leave me with an inner glow as I walk to my next class, and the next. I'm confident. That's another change that has swept over me in the last twenty-four hours. We have a test in one class and I'm sure I've aced it. At lunch, the Lowes nod as I sit at the table. It's a gesture I haven't noticed before, and one I've done when greeting Cayden. My ability to read others and sense the world around me has opened even further.
“The phone,” I say. “I need to apologize to Jansen and own up to my mistake.”
“We all made that mistake,” Everly says. Jealousy still burns in her eyes, but she holds back on her tone of voice. That's another change I've noticed. She will challenge me sooner or later and I'd hate for that to happen. Everly stews enough.
Remo hands me the phone. I look to my usual table and find Ellie sitting beside Olivia, stabbing her lunch tray. Neither speak. Jansen's leaving is affecting her even more than the freak incident last night.
“I have to fix my dumb mistake,” I say, rising. I can do it. The confidence fills me again, a confidence I wouldn't have had before winning the challenge last night. Maybe owning up to this is part of being super-Noble. Whatever. I'll roll with it.
Ellie looks up as I approach. “I was stupid,” I say, forcing the words out. “I thought Jansen was working with those creepy people I've seen around town. The ones from last night. I don't think he was, and I shouldn't have been mean to him. Here's his phone, if you want to tell him he was right. And if I get in trouble for taking it, well, I deserve that, too.”
Ellie's jaw drops as she surveys me and then the phone. “You took it from him?”
“And he has every right to be mad at me. The creepy people wanted me to suspect Jansen instead. = And I'm sorry about all of this.” I hand Ellie the phone.
Emotion steals over her face when she looks at it in her hand. “Jansen couldn't stay forever, anyway. He was just here until the end of winter. Maybe it's better we ended things right now instead of dragged them out, you know?”
“I still didn't make things better.”
“You were scared,” Ellie says.
“We all were,” Olivia adds. “Whenever there's a new person, they're always the suspect.” She's agreeing with me. It's a shock.
“Sounds like things are going well over there,” Everly says from across the room.
“What would you know about that?” Cayden asks.
“Shut up.”
“I've got to go,” I tell Ellie, retreating. “Tell Jansen I'm sorry and I'm a jerk.”
“I won't tell him you're a jerk. The reason he left wasn't you,” Ellie says. “It was the wolf. And the cult people.”
“I didn't help. See you after school?”
“You handled that better than I would have,” Cayden says once I return to our table. “You've got something I don't.”
“I'm sorry I took so long to crack the phone,” Remo says. “Jansen had fingerprint protection on that thing.”
“We're doing the best we can. And rehearsal tonight. It might be a good idea if we all attend.”
Everly nods. “We will.”
“We don't know who the real mole is,” I add. “But we will find out and then we'll make sure everyone leaves in one piece tonight. Backing out of this play isn't an option anymore.”
* * * * *
I expect my nerves to make me sick in the last hour of the school day, but they don't. Now I'm calculating. Thinking. While I didn't scare much after turning, this is another change that unnerves me on a different level. Instead of hiding, I want to hunt down the Savage King myself. I want to end this once and for all even though I know he's more powerful than me.
But he also seems impossible to find.
Cayden joins me outside the backstage doors once the halls clear. “It's good to be back here, even if I'm not wanted.”
I kiss him. “Believe me, you're wanted. You might get your role back now that Jansen's gone. At least, I think he's gone.”
We enter the backstage area. Mr. Saffron sits at his desk with his clipboard and he scratches off another name. I know whose name it is, too.
“Hey,” Cayden says.
The teacher snaps his gaze up. “You're back. I see. Your part is not waiting for you, I admit.” His words are curt and fast. He wants Cayden to leave and leave now.
“Did you know Jansen isn't here anymore?” I ask.
Mr. Saffron's jaw shifts. “Yes.”
“Well, he was temporary, anyway. He would have left by the end of winter.”
“So you don't have a King Oberon?” Cayden asks.
“No. We don't.” The teacher turns his attention to his clipboard even though there's just our names and roles on it. Mr. Saffron has already crossed off Jansen's name. He must have heard about his leaving before I told him. Ellie must have been here already.
He's just doing this to spite Cayden.
“Then who will be Oberon?” I ask. “We might have to cancel the play if we don't have him.”
Mr. Saffron glares at Cayden. “We are not canceling the play. The Drama Club would lose funding. I will find another fae king somehow. And he's not standing in here.”
“Come on,” I say. I'd hate to have Cayden wait in the shadows for me to finish, but it's better than nothing. “Cayden's not leaving again. I promise. We need an Oberon, and if you feel you need someone else, I'll find him for you. Cayden agrees he can stand in for today if someone else will take the role later.”
“I do,” he pushes out.
Mr. Saffron eyes him. “Get out.”
“What is your problem?” I want to stand up for and protect Cayden. The instinct is as powerful as love. “It wasn't his fault he had to leave. Let Cayden stay just for this rehearsal, and then he agrees with getting kicked out.”
Cayden gulps. He hates I might get in trouble. “I know I haven't showed up as much as I should.”
“Look, we've lost three people already,” I say. “Noah got hurt and Jansen just left.”
“We have more extras I can ask.” Mr. Saffron refuses to soften until the door opens and Ellie comes in. Olivia walks in behind her. The two deposit their backpacks in the props room.
“Cayden!” Ellie shouts.
“You're back.” Olivia's a little less enthused, but she forces a smile.
“Well, I don't think I'm back,” he says, walking towards the door.
“Wait,” Mr. Saffron says, changing his tone. “You can stand in for today. I'll see how you perform. Afterwards we'll discuss if you can come back. But I have to warn you, we're now rehearsing without referring to our lines.”
“That's fine.” Cayden puts his chin on my shoulder. The power shift might be real, but we're still mates. That hasn't changed.
Others enter the room, and everyone stares as Cayden sits down in Jansen's former spot and recites King Oberon's lines. After that, Mr. Saffron has us doing standing stuff, and I'm able to feed Cayden his lines by whispering so low no one else can hear. Ellie watches us and though she says she forgives me, her body language reads otherwise. Her shoulders stay hunched, and she keeps looking at me and Cayden with narrowed eyes. Her look matches Olivia's before she learned the truth about us.
I'm hoping that's why I feel so tense.
Mr. Saffron continues to direct us, with increasing energy as the rehearsal draws to a close. At five, when the light outside is starting to dim, he dismisses class.
I link
my hand with Cayden's. “You did well today. We shouldn't hang around for long.”
He nods, serious. “I agree. It's good to be back, Brie.”
For a moment, I don't care about the Savage King. “At least Matthew's gone and Romulus can't possess him anymore.”
“See you later?” Ellie asks.
We still have to make sure they get out. Ellie's eyes beg us to walk out into the parking lot with her. I nod to Cayden.
“We'll come out with you,” I say.
“I wish they'd find that wolf,” Ellie says, wrapping her arms around herself as we step into the icy evening. “I reported it to the police, and they said they'd keep an eye out for it. Not convincing.”
“But if they found it, Jansen might come back,” I say.
“You reported the cult people, right?” Cayden asks.
“I sure did. Olivia did, too. We should have taken pictures.”
“Don't beat yourself up, Ellie. They were in hoods and we were running for our lives,” I say.
She's coming around. Cayden and I watch as they climb into Olivia's car. I watch the two of them leave before the other students. The parking lot clears and I sniff, finding no trace of any Savage or human lurking in the trees. At last, only the Lowes' SUV remains.
“Cayden,” Mr. Saffron calls from the doorway of the school. “Your role. I may consider giving it back to you if you will not duck out of Drama Club again.”
“Just a minute,” he says.
My spine tingles, even under my thick coat and with Cayden here. Something's still bothering me. It's not as if Cayden and I haven't been alone around the woods before. Or at night. Even while chasing Brett, the uneasiness wasn't this bad.
“Cayden, we should go,” I say.
“What about the teacher?” he asks. “We can't leave him alone out here, either.”
He has a point. Mr. Saffron isn't immune to getting attacked by Romulus or his cult. Or the remaining members of the Savage pack. Having focused on my friends, I forgot about him.
“Okay. We go back and don't leave until he does,” I say.
“Brie, you're uneasy.”
“The Savage King can appear at any time.” We walk back to the school, hand in hand.