by Wendi Wilson
She was pissed.
“What’s wrong?” I asked when she didn’t say anything else.
“What’s wrong?” she sneered. “What’s wrong is I needed my best friend, but she was too busy macking all over her boyfriend to be there for me.”
“What happened?” I asked, suddenly remembering that she’d gone off with Xander as soon as we got to the estate, and I hadn’t seen her since.
“Nothing happened, Piper. I wanted to talk to you about Xander… You know what? Forget it. I’m out of here.”
With that, she whirled around and disappeared back inside. I stared at the empty space she left behind, my mind whirling with confusion. What had just happened?
“I see what you mean,” Levi said in a low voice from just behind me. “She is behaving differently.”
I kept my eyes on the doorway, hoping she’d come back and try to work this—whatever it was—out so we could get back to normal again. But she didn’t come back.
It felt like some kind of omen, like her leaving me standing on this veranda was a metaphor for our whole relationship.
I was losing her, and I didn’t know how to stop it.
Chapter Nineteen
“This group of girls better be less insane than the last group. Those kids made me never want to have any of my own.” True stood beside me, her arms across her chest, a sour look on her face. Her eyes seemed sunken and bloodshot as if she hadn’t been sleeping well.
Well, that’s what you get for not coming back to the cabin at night.
I didn’t respond to her statement, nor add one of my own. It seemed like lately anything I said set her off. And I’d spent plenty of time over the last few days worrying about her. Her attitude had not changed much since she’d stormed out of the party two nights ago. Since then, she hadn’t slept in our cabin, and hadn’t checked in to tell me where she was. I had to hear it from Levi that she was out with Xander, taking advantage of our free weekend to spend every minute with him and none with me.
Where had they slept? Had they slept? Was she “sleeping” with him now? Was she being careful?
But I couldn’t ask her these things. I couldn’t even mention the lack of fresh coffee at breakfast without some snide comment.
But I wasn’t bitter. No, not at all.
Instead of ruminating on our dwindling friendship, and what the hell I was going to do all summer with a former best friend who seemed annoyed at my very presence, I focused on watching the girls as they filtered off the buses. We had fourteen-year-olds this time. A little older and maybe, just maybe, a little better behaved.
They filed off the bus in ones and twos before standing in a clump and glancing around. True didn’t approach them, so I took it upon myself.
Bubbly Piper, now is your time, baby girl.
“Hey, gang!” I waved my hand in a large salute.
Hey, gang? Where the hell did that come from? Gah. Talk about cringe-worthy.
The girls eyed me like I had two heads, but I was not going to let a bad start ruin this day. I took a deep breath and tried again.
“I’m your counselor, Piper, and this is True. We are very cool, I promise.”
One of the girls, a waifish brunette in the front raised an eyebrow. “Sure. Cool people always declare how cool they are. You must definitely be cool.”
Her sarcastic smirk was like a slap to the face, but Bubbly Piper would not be dissuaded. I took a breath and tried again. “Well—”
“Listen up, brats. We’re the bosses for the next two weeks, got it? And, if you don’t like it, you can march your asses back on that bus.” True shot them a hard look as if daring them to challenge her.
God, she was beginning to sound like Sarah. I shivered.
I stepped close to her, whispering out of the side of my mouth. “Maybe lay off a bit.”
True shrugged. “What? I am not playing around, and I want them to know it. I will not have another group like the last ones.” Turning away from me, she shouted at the girls. “Saka’am Cabin. Let’s go. Move it.”
The girls grumbled but listened, hauling their bags and suitcases as they trailed after True. I brought up the rear, unable to look my friend in the face. She’d stopped just shy of calling them meat sacks like Sarah used to do. We were going to need to have a serious talk if this was how counseling with her was going to go. It was one thing to be mean to me. It was a whole other ball game to be mean to these poor kids.
Things were getting out of hand.
As I was ruminating on future conversations with True, Amelia and Rose walked by with their group. They stopped, seeming to notice my unease.
“New group already got you down?” Amelia fluttered long, dark eyelashes. She looked fresh and lovely in a black and white sleeveless shirt that tied at her midriff, black capris, and a matching headband. I hadn’t seen her in a while, except in passing, and I’d forgotten the charm she exuded wherever she went. And her 1950s style was on point, as always.
Rose, beside her, had the opposite effect. Her cold stare washed over me like a bucket of ice water. She was wearing her same cut off shorts and red Camp Shadow Lake T-shirt, cropped to show off her flat stomach. “Your partner sure has a case of the grumps, Piper.” She arched a gold eyebrow. “What crawled into her cereal and died this morning?”
We all stared after True, who marched into the distance, a string of girls reluctantly following behind her. I thought for a moment about spilling my frustration, letting out all the pent up anguish I’d been feeling about True, but quickly realized good friends didn’t talk shit about their bestie behind her back, even if said bestie was being a total bitch.
“She’s just having a rough day,” I said with a shrug. “We all have them.”
“She’s having a rough month,” Rose retorted. “No wonder. Anyone who spends time with Xander Banks usually ends up that way.”
My head whipped toward her so fast I thought my neck would crack. “What did you say about Xander?”
Rose looked as though she might speak again, but Amelia stepped in front of her. Putting a gentle hand on her shoulder, she made it clear she didn’t want Rose to answer me.
“My dear Rose is just venting frustration since she and Xander used to be an item. They are no longer, and the green-eyed monster often comes a-calling when she sees him with someone else.” When I wrinkled my brow in confusion with her decades’ old dialect, she clarified. “She’s jealous since she and Xander used to date.”
Rose glowered. “That’s not it, and you know it.”
Then she whirled and stalked away from us at a fast clip.
Amelia watched her go, her perfect smile wilting slightly.
Something was going on here. Something I wanted to get to the bottom of.
“What did that mean?” I probed.
She shook her head, brightening. “Rose is prone to exaggeration. Never mind her. I think your girls might need rescuing.” She stretched an elegant finger toward my cabin, reminding me that True was probably reading them the riot act right now about bunks and closet organization.
Glancing between Amelia and the pathway to our dorm, I fought between warring emotions. I needed to go, but also knew Amelia was avoiding talking about Xander.
And I really needed to get to the bottom of the Xander situation.
“Tell me this,” I said just before leaving. “Would you trust Xander Banks with your best friend?”
Amelia tossed a dark lock from her shoulder before giving me an enigmatic look. “Piper, if you have to ask that question, you probably already know the answer.”
THE FIRST DAY with the new group was about as awful as I could have expected. True was on a real tear, yelling at the girls for minor infractions. She made one cry at dinner, and another wouldn’t come out of the bathroom for an hour. I spent my time between trying to get her to chill, doing damage control, and working extra hard to make the girls feel at home.
Half of me wondered if I should go to the dean and turn True in, b
ut then, did I really want to be the one to get her fired and sent back to her alcoholic uncle?
No. No, I did not.
She’d come around, right?
Either way, by the time we got to the evening afterglow and welcome campfire, I was exhausted.
But, there was no rest for the weary, because afterward I was supposed to meet Warren for my next training session.
At the party, Warren had said we needed to have a working relationship, and that was true. He was our best ally in the fight against the vampires who wished to harm humans. He’d made it possible for Levi to track down and eradicate my father’s murderer. Plus, he’d still agreed to train me after I’d blasted him in the doughnuts.
Levi hadn’t been keen on me picking up where we’d left off, but he’d reluctantly agreed. He knew he had my heart. Nothing would change that.
Back in the cabin, True had stormed off with the girls in tow to the campfire. Of course, she was pissed I was missing it, but then she’d been pissed about everything today, so I didn’t feel bad this time. Plus, with her drill sergeant attitude, the girls had perfect behavior. She didn’t even need me.
I changed into my workout clothes and headed out to the soccer field to meet Warren.
He was already there, wearing the outfit he knew I liked. I had to admit he looked attractive in the athletic gear, his hair tousled perfectly, and the five o’clock shadow darkening his chin.
I shook my head, reminding myself that this was the same vampire who wanted to break up my relationship so he could claim me as another of his trophies. Hang my head on his office wall with the other prey he’d captured.
Sucking in a deep breath, I gave him a cold nod. “Warren.”
“Ma belle,” he said, his eyes taking me in. “You look divine.”
“Save the flattery. We need to practice. I have to get back before the campfire ends.” True would kill me if I was late.
Warren frowned. “I can get someone to cover. You don’t need to worry about getting back at a certain time.”
“I don’t need someone to cover. If you can’t train me in an hour, maybe we should find someone who can.”
Badass Piper was back, baby.
He straightened up, a frown appearing on his face. “What’s with the hostility, Piper? I’m here to help you, remember?”
He locked eyes with me, a stare that made me shiver. I knew I wanted to stand up to Warren, but I also felt strongly in my gut like trusting him was the right thing to do.
“I remember.”
“Good.” He closed the gap between us in a few confident strides. “Now, where’s your practice knife?”
I produced it from the bag at my feet, and Warren lost no time in getting me into a hold that he told me to break out of. We trained with the blade and without, going through several complicated blocks and takedowns until I was exhausted and sore.
On the last attack, Warren knocked me down so hard, the air whooshed out of my lungs. I lay gasping on my back, staring up at the stars that had appeared in the darkening sky. My head spun wildly. I shook it to clear it.
His face appeared over mine. “You okay?”
I nodded, sucking in air in staggered gulps. “Give me… a minute.”
He crouched beside me. One hand brushed the hair away from my face as he gazed on it. “You know, there’s a simple solution to your problem. Have you put any more thought to it?” His voice had become a purr, seductive and alluring.
I shook my head. “There’s nothing simple about becoming a vampire.”
His fingers trailed down my neck, stopping where it met my shoulder. His touch made me shiver again, as did the intensity of his gaze.
“I could bite you right here.” He circled the sensitive skin with his finger. “It would be so quick. Then you’d wake up a new being. A new Piper. A better Piper.”
“A better Piper,” I whispered.
His words encased me like a swirl of sweet-smelling smoke. Everything else went foggy.
Did I want to be a better Piper? Of course. Who wouldn’t want to be better than they are?
“Piper?!”
As Warren stood, I lifted my head in time to see Levi hauling ass across the soccer field. His hands were fisted and his eyes flitted between Warren and me. “Piper, are you okay?”
I nodded, sitting up. “I just fell. We were sparring. You know how it goes.”
He was at my side in an instant, one arm around me protectively. His eyes did not leave Warren as he asked me, “Are you hurt?”
The tone of his voice made it sound more like, Did he hurt you?
I knew if I answered yes, Levi would attack Warren with the ferocity of a rabid bear.
“I’m not hurt. I’m fine.” I brushed grass off my backside and straightened my shirt. “Really, Levi. It’s sparring. I’m going to get knocked down.”
He inhaled, that muscle memory kicking in again, before letting his shoulders relax just one notch. “Are you done?”
“We’re done,” Warren said, before his intense eyes found mine for a split second, causing me to shiver again. “For now.”
Chapter Twenty
“Good mornin’, Piper m’dear.”
Chef Zelda’s soft, accented voice washed over me, soothing my frayed nerves as she handed over a cup of piping hot coffee. I nodded my thanks and took a small sip, my eyes falling closed with pleasure.
“Is everythin’ okay? Ya seem a little… off this mornin’.”
I glanced around quickly, noting that the mess hall was empty save for the two of us. The smell of cooked bacon permeated the air, and Zelda had been setting out trays of fresh fruit when I’d entered. Breakfast would be served in an hour, but for now, we were alone.
“I’m fine,” I said, my face tightening with the lie.
“Tis hard to get one over on a Cailleach, such as meself. You can trust me, Piper. Maybe I can help ya.”
I shook my head, wondering why I even tried to pretend with her. I knew she was a witch, and it seemed her talents stretched to being an empath, too. I didn’t know her well, but my own gut told me I could trust her, as she said.
“It’s just…” I started, trying to choose my words carefully. “I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed. My training with Warren, the fear of an attack by the mountain vamps, watching over these kids, and my roommate having a personality transplant… I’m just feeling a little stretched thin, I guess.”
“And, on top of all that, you’re a’worryin’ if I was right, and you’re a witch?”
She walked over to the nearest table, sat down, and patted the chair next to her. Pushing the cloud of red hair out of her face, she smiled warmly at me, inviting trust. I slid into the seat and set my coffee cup gently on the table.
“Well, there is one sure-fire way of tellin’,” she said softly. “I could taste a wee sip o’ your blood.”
My lungs collapsed, and my heart stopped at her words. The blood drained from my face as I blinked at her, fighting the sudden itch to run. Far away and fast.
“Och, Piper,” she said, her tinkling laugh filling the space around us. “I was only teasin’ ya. I don’ need yer blood to tell me you’re a witch. I can see it in yer eyes. In the bright aura that surrounds ya like halo of light. You’re a Cailleach, through and through. No doubt about it.”
My relief that she was joking about the whole blood thing was quickly erased by the rest of her words. She seemed adamant that I was, indeed, a witch. In her mind, there was no question about it.
“My aura?” I croaked out, latching onto something I could debate.
“Aye, yer aura,” Zelda murmured. “It’s so bright, I bet you could see it if you opened yer eyes to it.”
“But… my eyes are open,” I said, looking down at my arms. “I don’t see anything.”
“Not those eyes,” she said, patting her chest, her rings clinking on her decorative necklaces. There were many with strange symbols, but I recognized the star-like pentagram and the Celtic trinity k
not. “The eyes of yer spirit are the ones I’m talkin’ about.”
The eyes of my spirit? What in the actual—
“Now, don’t be lookin’ at me like I’m daft, child. You have the sight. You’ve had at least one vision o’ the future, haven’t ya? Is it so mad that ye might be able to see other things, too?”
“I guess not,” I whisper, my mind whirring a million miles a minute.
“Good morning, Zelda.”
My eyes snapped to the mess hall entrance, where Analise, Miranda, Naveen, Ian, Rose, and Amelia were filing in. They passed right by us, heading into the kitchen area without another word.
“I keep a stash of cow’s blood in the fridge for them,” Zelda explained, leaning in close so she could whisper. “Better than having a camper catch one o’ them bitin’ the neck of a barnyard animal.”
I nodded, realizing the thought of the other counselors drinking blood in the back didn’t freak me out the way it once would have. I was becoming more and more desensitized with every day I spent around vampires.
I didn’t know if I should be happy about that, or worried. Warren’s words echoed in my head. “It would be so quick. Then you’d wake up a new being. A new Piper. A better Piper.”
Shaking it off, I focused on the other thing bothering me. “Xander doesn’t come with them?” I asked, noting his absence with a sense of foreboding.
“He says he can’t stomach the cold stuff,” she huffs. “Says he prefers his food warm and fresh. Went straight to Count Thornberry and got permission to hunt the wild game in the woods.”
I started at the mention of Warren. I knew Xander had borrowed a car from him, but this? True certainly hadn’t said anything about Xander’s “special permission.” I wondered if she even knew her boyfriend hunted animals like a savage beast in the woods.
I shook my head to clear it. I was being catty, and that just wasn’t me. Vampires needed to drink blood, and as long as Xander wasn’t killing humans, what right did I have to judge? I was in love with one of them, and would one day become one…