by Lila Kane
Logan leans back, eyes meeting mine. “Willow?”
Selena’s there full-force again. “It’s nothing. We should get inside.”
“Right.”
We both get out. Selena’s calm and collected. I can feel her mind working. I can hear her thoughts. She wants to find the book. She wants to hide it or save it from being destroyed. And she wants to kill everyone else in the house for helping me try to stop her.
I choke out a noise of horror as we reach the door. Logan casts me a swift glance.
“Yeah, I’m nervous,” Selena makes me say. I grab Logan’s hand and squeeze. “It’s fine.”
When we enter, I’m aware of his hand on the small of my back. I feel Selena’s restraint, and it wars with my own need to break through.
Myra’s there the moment we step into the foyer. She enfolds me in a hug. Selena’s anger flares and it takes all she has and all I have to keep the flames inside. To not set Myra on fire.
Not yet, Selena says in my head.
“Where’s the Book of Shadows?” I ask.
Myra’s eyes flash to Logan. “We have it.”
We follow her into the living room where Ryan and Cheyenne are seated on the couch. The shutters are closed most of the way, blocking out the setting sun, and leaving the room dim. Logan tries to keep my hand tight in his own, but Selena makes me pull away. I look around the room.
“Where’s the book?”
Myra walks to a table near the fireplace. “Are we sure we want to destroy it?”
Anger flares inside of me. No, Selena doesn’t want to destroy it. She wants to find a way to spare it.
“Of course we’re going to.” Ryan looks at me. “If that’s what Willow thinks will make Selena leave her alone.”
You little bitch. Selena’s words in my head make me flinch.
“Willow?” Cheyenne says.
My hands shake. Selena’s words claw up my throat. “We are not destroying the book.”
Ryan frowns. “What?”
Selena forces calm again. “I mean, we have to see how to reset the spell. Right? If we destroy the book without looking for that information, it could be lost forever.”
Cheyenne nods. “She’s right.”
But she doesn’t look entirely convinced and neither do the rest of them. Logan strolls over to the fireplace and flips a switch. Flames flicker from inside and he opens the door.
“I say we toss it in. Right now.”
Alarm races through me. I step forward when Logan goes for the table. Inside, I’m screaming, Yes, do it! But Selena won’t let me get it out.
“No, Logan.” Selena smiles through me. “I don’t know if that’s smart.”
But he ignores me and lifts the book. He walks it to the fireplace, head down, examining the cover.
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Myra asks.
It takes every ounce of control Selena has to keep calm. “Yes, are you sure? We should look inside first. Here. I’ll do it right now.”
In response, he holds the book closer to the fireplace. “Don’t make me do it.”
Cheyenne steps closer to him. “Do what? What are you talking about?”
Logan meets my eyes from across the room. “Tell her, Selena.”
Yes! Logan knows! I smile, but Selena’s words are in my mouth again. “What? Logan, I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yeah,” Ryan echoes. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“This morning Willow was willing to do anything to get this book from you guys,” Logan says. “To destroy it. Now she’s all calm and wants to keep it around? I don’t think so.”
“You think…” Cheyenne peers closely at me. “You think Selena is doing this?”
“How?” Myra asks.
“What are you talking about?” I move to the fireplace. “It’s me. Logan‒”
“Prove it,” he says.
My mouth opens. Selena makes me look shocked. I step even closer to Logan, fingers itching to snatch the book from his hands.
Instead, I turn. “Ryan. Cheyenne. You guys know me. This whole time we’ve been trying to figure out the spell. If we destroy the book, we might lose our chance.”
“She’s right,” Ryan says.
Cheyenne frowns. “But.”
“Cheyenne,” I start.
She shakes her head, turning to Logan. “How is she going to prove it?”
“I’ll influence her.”
Selena balks. She’s trying to hold me back, but her power splinters. I find a break and make myself walk to Logan. “Okay,” I whisper.
No! No! Selena’s shouting inside now, clutching at her hold over me. I stand directly in front of Logan, looking up at him. The firelight flickers off his face and he holds the book out of my reach.
“Look into my eyes,” Logan says.
Selena and I fight, but I can feel his pull already. His eyes go black, capturing mine and Selena’s.
“Tell me your name.”
I open my mouth, but Selena snaps it shut. Then she breaks the stare and makes me step back, a long, low laugh rolling from my lips. “You’re so pathetic,” she makes me say. I pull the necklace from under my shirt, glancing around. “All of you. And now you can die.”
She flicks my wrist and the book shoots from his hand, sliding across the hardwood floor. Then I smile at him and set him on fire.
Chapter 27
Myra starts yelling and I fling fire in her direction, too. Cheyenne is fast and she races toward me. I hold out my hand and clench my fist. She claws at her throat. Selena is making me strangle her from five feet away.
Ryan tackles me from the side and I go down hard on the wood floor. He tries to capture my hands in his steel grip, but Selena gathers her power and slams it hard into him. He flies from the top of me and lands close to Cheyenne, who’s choking and still grabbing her neck.
“The necklace!” Logan yells.
He’s managed to put the fire out. Now he runs to me, determined. Selena holds her hands up, stopping him with an invisible wall. Her power wavers. It’s her against all four of them and she doesn’t have much left.
“Willow,” he says. He tries to move forward, but it’s like he’s walking through quicksand. “Listen to me. You can stop her.”
I hear what he’s saying and it’s reaching me despite Selena trying to block it. I fight harder against Selena’s hold, and her block against Logan and the others wavers.
Cheyenne breaks through from the side and reaches for me. Selena tries to turn to her, to lash out again, but I hold her back.
“Stop,” I say through gritted teeth. “Selena, stop.”
Logan reaches me and grabs the necklace.
Selena’s rage is blinding. It takes everything I have to rein her in. “Hurry,” I yell at him.
He rips the necklace from my neck and throws it across the room. Then he tackles me. Myra’s on the other side and between the two of them, I can’t do anything. Not even with Selena’s power.
“The book,” Logan says, glancing behind him.
Cheyenne and Ryan both scramble for it.
“What do we do with it?” Cheyenne asks.
Ryan holds it up. “Throw it in the fire?”
Logan pauses and looks down at me.
I push past Selena one more time. “Fire,” I say, voice hoarse.
Logan nods. “Throw it in.”
Ryan turns, takes a breath and throws the book in the fire.
It causes Selena physical pain. She bucks and writhes inside of me and I cry out, wishing she’d leave me alone once and for all. Tears form at the corners of my eyes.
“Willow,” Logan says.
In an instant, my body settles. Selena is gone. Vanished. Like she never existed in the first place.
I blink. The pain is gone as well. All I can feel are my bruises from earlier in the day and wetness on my cheeks from the tears.
“She’s gone,” I whisper.
Myra looks skeptical. She won’t le
t go of my arm.
“Throw the necklace in the fire, too,” I say.
Cheyenne finds it in the corner of the room and tosses it in as well. Selena’s already gone, but I don’t want the necklace anymore either. Not after the hold it had over me.
Logan’s grip loosens just slightly.
My smile wobbles when I meet his eyes. “Logan.”
Faster than I can blink, I’m in his arms. His lips find mine over and over again. “It’s you,” he says.
“It is,” I choke out.
Ryan groans. “Is this really necessary?”
“Yes,” Logan murmurs, not even glancing at him.
My lips find his ear. “Later.”
“You promise?” he asks, still holding me close.
I nod.
“Are you okay?”
I don’t know what to say. I’m feeling too much right now. “I’m relieved Selena is gone. But what if the book really was our only chance at figuring out the spell?”
Logan stands and helps me to my feet.
“It’s not the only way,” Cheyenne says. “We’ll figure it out. With Selena out of the way, we can focus.”
I swallow and stare at my feet. “What about my mom?”
Logan’s arm curls around me. “She’ll be okay. We’ll check on her tomorrow. And every day after that if you want.”
I smile at him, grateful. “I think…I need to sit down.”
“Of course.”
I settle on the couch, Logan lingering nearby. My weariness from the day hits me. It all hits me. The book and the necklace are in the fire. My mom’s in a coma. And we’re no closer to ending this curse or putting the spell back into place.
I press my hands against my face. “Oh my God.”
I hear Logan crouch in front of me. He places his hands on my knees. “It’s going to be okay, Willow.”
“I attacked you guys.” My voice is muffled behind my hands. “I’m so sorry.”
“That was actually pretty impressive,” Ryan says from behind the couch.
Logan makes a noise low in his throat. “I don’t think that’s helping.”
“You don’t need to apologize,” Myra says.
I peek out from behind my hands with a wince. “Yes, I do.”
Cheyenne waves off my comment. “No, what you need is a drink.”
Myra nods. “Right. A drink.”
She turns for the kitchen and Cheyenne immediately follows. Logan sighs and stands. He runs a hand through his hair and flashes a smile in my direction. “I’ll make sure they get the good stuff.”
I nod.
“You okay?”
I nod again.
“Willow.”
“Just give me a minute. I need to wrap my head around all this.”
He gives my shoulder a squeeze and leaves the room. Ryan’s still there and he joins me on the couch.
Trying to avoid what just happened, I glance over. “Are you sure this is okay?”
“What? Sitting with you on the couch?”
My breath comes out in a laugh. “No. Me and Logan. And you having to be here with us in his house.”
His face sobers. “It’s fine.”
I frown at him.
To my surprise, he laughs. “I know you’re just trying to forget about what just happened here.” His gaze flicks to the fire. “But this might not have been the best topic for it.”
I wave my hand toward the fire and make the flames go out. I’m tired of fire now. I want to be free of it altogether, but I won’t have that opportunity if I don’t keep trying to find a solution to the spell. Which means I can’t forget about everything that just happened. Not entirely. But for now…
“Sorry,” I say. “Bad topic. I just want to make sure you’re okay about all this.”
“I’m okay.”
“Are you just saying that?”
“No, I’m not just saying that.”
I give him a curious look.
He sighs, propping his forearms on his thighs and leaning forward. “Let’s just say, my shifter powers are getting, um…more pronounced.”
“How?” I know I should be careful. It’s not often that he opens up with me‒but maybe that’s why I’m so eager to keep him talking. “Are you shifting more?”
He shakes his head. “Not that. There are other…qualities that go along with shifting. Kind of like with werewolves.”
“I don’t…” I search my mind, trying to link the two, but I come up blank. Maybe I’m tired. Maybe I need to brush up on my shifter and werewolf knowledge.
“Imprinting,” he says plainly.
He doesn’t look at me, just keeps his eyes focused on his hands. A muscle works in his jaw. I can see he’s still sorting through this information himself.
I gape at him. I can’t help it. “You imprinted on someone?”
He laughs and looks at me. “No, not all the way. I mean, the whole spell hasn’t been reversed yet. Nothing is set in stone. But like everyone else‒and you‒whatever qualities that make up our power are getting stronger. Whatever things we’d deal with if we were full shifters or werewolves or vampires…those things are starting to come into play.”
I can’t believe he’s saying this. And then suddenly my stomach drops. I hope he’s not telling me this because‒
“No offense,” he says as if reading my mind, “but it’s not you.”
I’m relieved at the same time I’m shocked. I reach out, touching his hand. “Who?”
His lips curve. “I’m not telling you.”
“But Ryan.” I stand, completely forgetting about the mess I just made in the living room. “This is a big deal.”
“Yeah. I guess.”
“Is it someone in this house?” I ask, facing him.
“I said I’m not telling.”
“But‒you have to.”
He laughs. “No, I don’t.” He stands as well. “And if we fix this spell, make it go back to how it was, I won’t be dealing with this shifter stuff anymore anyway. It’ll go away.”
“Are you sure? You won’t have feelings for this person anymore?”
He shrugs. “I have no idea. I shouldn’t have told you.”
“Yes, you should have.”
“I just figured I’d say something so, you know…” He runs a hand through his hair and faces me. “So you’d know I’m cool with you and‒him.”
My lips twitch. “Logan.”
“Yeah. Logan.”
I wrap my arms around Ryan’s waist and lean my head against his chest. “Thank you,” I murmur. “I’m glad you told me.”
He’s so steady and solid and it makes me feel better. I can’t deal with this spell if he and Logan are fighting. And if Ryan’s willing to play nice and understand my side of things, I’m hoping Logan will, too.
Voices join us in the room again. There’s a flicker of uncertainty on Logan’s face as he hangs back. I pull away from Ryan and look at Cheyenne and Myra, wondering if either one of them is the person Ryan’s talking about. I want him to find someone and be happy.
Cheyenne presses a glass of wine into my hand. “You did good,” she says.
I don’t know how to take her praise. I did just fight all four of them. And I fought dirty. But we’re all still alive and as safe as we can be. And Selena’s gone.
I look at Logan, who’s still hanging back near the hallway. His eyes are wary, but I have no idea what he’s thinking. Carrying my wine, I walk to him and take his hand. “Can we go outside? Walk in the garden?”
He nods. His shoulders are tense, but he flashes a smile at me as he opens the back door.
“I like being here,” I say. “At your house.”
“Even though I trapped you here? Even after what just happened back in the living room?”
I turn to him at the edge of the lawn, wine still in hand, and wrap my free arm around his neck. “I don’t want to talk about that.”
“What do you want to talk about?” he asks, voice close to my ear.
“The shifter?”
I pull back with a frown. Then I sip my wine, keeping my eyes on him. The evening is warm and the setting sun feels nice on my cheeks. Almost makes me forget the fire and Selena. Besides, I don’t have time for that. Now I have to figure out the spell.
“His name is Ryan,” I correct, “and you guys are a lot more alike than you think.”
A smile skims lips. “That’s a cruel thing to say.”
I roll my eyes. “You guys are on the same side.”
“You care about him.”
I stare at him, angling my head. Then I sip more wine and try to figure out what he’s getting at. “Is this because I hugged him?”
He scratches his chin, then shoves his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know.”
This makes me smile. “You’re jealous.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Good. You shouldn’t be. I was asking him if he was okay with you and me. And he is.”
Logan shakes his head. “Now, that I don’t believe.”
I sip more wine and feel my body starting to relax. “Believe it.”
I walk to the garden, strolling through the rose bushes and trying to clear my mind. I need a quiet moment without worries.
Logan catches up to me. “If that’s the case, it makes me feel better.”
“Good.” I smile at him. “That’s the case. We’re on the same side, Logan. It’ll make me feel better if you two can get along.”
He takes my hand again. “We can get things done without getting along.”
“Then get along for me. Please?”
He sighs. “Maybe if you two weren’t so friendly‒hugging all the time.”
“We don’t hug all the time. And we are friends.”
“Maybe just…” He grins at me. “Hug me all the time and I won’t feel so jealous.”
“What about kisses?”
“That, too.”
“What about…” I smile suggestively at him, sipping more wine.
“Yes. Yes, again. That, too.”
He pulls me close so my body is flush against his. His arms hold me tight enough I almost spill my wine, and then he kisses me. His lips are warm against mine, tongue pushing its way in. His hand works its way up my back and tangles in my hair.
“I love you,” he murmurs.
He doesn’t wait for me to say it back, but takes my mouth again. Urgent and needy. His hands are all over, skimming my arms, my breasts, the bare line of flesh between my shirt and my pants.