The Complete Spellbound Trilogy Bundle

by Penelope King

  Nicholas tilted my chin up again, and I looked deep into his eyes. I could feel his compassion. “Don’t,” he whispered. “Don’t you dare apologize for caring about your friend or for telling me how you feel. You can tell me anything. I hope you know that.”

  I looked away.

  He nuzzled my neck. “Besides,” he whispered, “you can’t lie to me about how you’re feeling inside. Don’t forget, I can read your heart. I am very much aware of the fact that you are sick with worry. And I am going to do everything in my power to find a way to help resolve this situation. Even if it’s a way Ana and her ilk don’t necessarily approve of—”

  “Let’s not do this now,” I whispered. “Let’s just get Justin back here and take it one step at a time.”

  Nicholas nodded. “You ready, then?”

  “Yeah. I am. I’ll go get Sophie and Lily and head to the south garden. See you in a few.”

  As Nicholas leaned in to give me a quick kiss before shimmering away, I prayed we weren’t making a huge mistake.

  Because something told me we were.

  Chapter 12. Forgive

  “Okay girls, you sit there.” Ana pointed to the low, ornately carved marble bench next to the rose bushes. “The boys should be arriving any moment now at that spot right there.” She turned and pointed to a small patch of grass a few dozen yards away, on the other side of Ecudiar and Drakonas.

  The two monstrous gargoyles slowly moved their massive necks to and fro as their glowing, bright-yellow eyes scanned the grounds for the slightest hint of danger. I shivered and willed myself not to look at the grotesque beasts, as Lily, Sophie and I sat huddled together on the bench.

  “Okay, hand me your amulets. I’ll hold them for safekeeping. I’ll give them back just as soon as we are certain the Hunter doesn’t react—”

  “His name is Justin!”

  “Of course. Justin. Forgive me. I’ve never been on a first name basis with a Hunter before, so my mind slips. I assure you it won’t happen again.”

  My fingers trembled as I unhooked the clasp of my enchanted pendant and handed it to Ana. Whether it was my own nervousness I was feeling or everyone else’s, either way it was almost making me sick.

  “Now remember, you are not to move until I say so. Remain seated, and let’s see how Ecudiar and Drakonas react to the Hunt—to Justin, before engaging in physical contact. No running over to give him a hug, or anything like that. Am I understood?” Her blue eyes shone with a brilliant intensity, and I knew I didn’t want to cross her.

  We nodded.

  “If there is any reaction from Justin, stay calm and don’t panic. The sentries will take care of—”

  “Look!” Sophie stood up, pointing. “There… On the other side of the tree!” She took a step forward.

  “Sophie, what did I just tell you?” Ana shot her a stern glare.

  Sophie obediently sat back down. “It’s just that they’re here. And they’re further away than we had figured, so I thought it was safe. Sorry.”

  Nicholas emerged from the dark thicket, with Justin a close step behind him. I caught my breath as I recognized the familiar amble—the same easygoing swagger I’d seen countless times in the hallways. It was slower now and more cautious…less confident. But even from here, I could see the drastic improvement Justin had made in the past forty-eight hours. It was nothing short of miraculous.

  They reached the clearing and saw us. Justin held up his hand in acknowledgement, and Nicholas gave a quick nod.

  “Are we allowed to talk to them?” Sophie loudly stage-whispered.

  Ana’s mouth twitched slightly, but she shook her head, watching the gargoyles intently. They continued to scan the grounds, and several times focused on the spot where Nicholas and Justin stood. But the beasts remained silent. I thought my heart might explode with joy.

  The three of us grabbed one another’s hands. “It worked. It really worked. He’s better,” Lily whispered under her breath.

  “I knew it did,” I whispered back. “I felt it when I visited him. But I didn’t know if the others would be able to tell. I was worried because Nicholas said some of the curse was still there—”

  “Come closer…stand beneath the two statues here,” Ana instructed, motioning for Justin to move right under Ecudiar and Drakonas.

  Good grief. Why doesn’t she just serve Justin up on a platter for them?!

  Justin obliged and stood beneath the now docile creatures for several long moments before Ana finally nodded her head. “Okay...now…” She took a deep breath. “Go stand next to the birdbath beside the pond. Nicholas—”

  “I’m on it.” Nicholas moved to keep in lock-step with Justin and appeared ready to spring into action if needed.

  “This is sooo overdramatic and unnecessary,” I thought to Sophie and Lily. “I stood closer than this to Justin when I visited him at the cabin and nothing happened.”

  “Yeah, but Ana doesn’t know that,” Lily thought back. “And besides, you said he was badly injured and weak as a kitten. He probably couldn’t have done anything even if he wanted to—”

  “He didn’t want to—!”

  “Stop right there…that’s far enough,” Ana said as Nicholas and Justin moved to within a few yards of us.

  Ana came over and slowly paced around Justin, appraising him like he was a piece of meat hanging in a butcher shop. As she moved, I caught a glimpse of something in her hand…like a tiny green vial. I didn’t know what it was, but something told me I wouldn’t like it if I did. I watched as she continued to examine Justin for any sign of trouble.

  Finally, I began to fume. I knew she was just being protective of me, but this was getting ridiculous. What would it take to convince her that he was better?

  “How do you feel?” she asked Justin, staring deep in his eyes.

  He favored her with an easygoing smile. “I feel fine, ma’am. Like myself.”

  In the pale moonlight and the soft glow of the scattered lanterns on the ground, Justin’s physical injuries didn’t look as pronounced as they had in the bright cabin. His face looked narrower, and his shaggy blond hair desperately needed a good wash and a trim. And he definitely needed to change his clothes. But other than that he looked like the same Justin who was my friend.

  Except that unlike my friend Justin…so happy, carefree, and full of life…this Justin stood before us with devastating guilt, unbearable shame, and agonizing remorse. I felt his anguish snake its way inside my heart and squeeze it tight, and it was all I could do not to cry.

  “He’s healed, Ana,” I said and rose to my feet. “He’s better.”

  Ignoring her earlier warning to stay seated, I walked over to where they stood. I flashed Nicholas a quick glance before I wrapped my arms around Justin’s shoulders and pulled him to me. I felt his heart stop and start as he stiffened, unsure what he should do.

  “Welcome back, Justin,” I whispered in his ear. “I’m so happy you are okay. I missed you. We all did.”

  I felt the conflict of emotions rush through him, and then his tense muscles gradually began to relax just the slightest bit. Gently, he hugged me back.

  “And you need to know that I forgive you. I forgive you…we all forgive you. Now you need to forgive yourself.”

  “Callie…” he moaned, and I pulled away. As I turned and walked back to Sophie and Lily, I knew one thing for certain…I may have forgiven him, but he was never going to forgive himself.

  And the guilt alone was going to drive him insane.

  We had no choice.

  We had to make him forget.

  *****

  “So, you don’t think it’s kind of weird that Justin is staying with Nicholas? I mean, isn’t it kind of…I don’t know…awkward?” Sophie sat on the floor in front of the full-length mirror braiding her hair, while Lily and I rummaged through the dresser looking for some pajamas.

  “Where else is he gonna stay?” I took out a long grey jersey t-shirt and pulled it over my head. “He still
looks too messed up to go home, and he’s definitely not ready to deal with his dad yet. Besides, Nicholas has plenty of extra room.”

  “It is a little weird,” Lily agreed as she slid her legs into some capri sweats. “And not just because of the fact that Justin tried to kill you. I mean, as horrid as it is, we all understand what happened. But he kissed you…he declared his love for you!”

  I chuckled under my breath at her appalled expression. It was almost as if Justin kissing and loving me was a far more offensive sin than trying to kill me.

  “It was practically his dying words!” Sophie exclaimed as she undid her braids again and shook out her long, blonde curls. “If he would’ve been successfully suicidal, him telling you he loved you would’ve been the last thing he said! Well, on paper, anyway.”

  I put my finger over my mouth to quiet her. I was pretty sure Dad was crashed out by now, but if he heard them in here I’d have a lot of explaining to do—like how both Lily and Sophie had managed to show up here in the middle of the night when they both lived over five miles away.

  “Let’s take the melodramatics down just a notch,” I said in a hushed voice. “Justin knows where things stand with us…that we’re just friends. And Nicholas understands. He respects it. He knows Justin isn’t a threat to what we have going on.”

  “Uh huh,” Sophie said as she changed into some boxers and a t-shirt. “And is this something Nicholas has told you with actual words, or are you just telling yourself this to make yourself feel better?”

  I was already in bed, and I turned my head, ignoring her question. After they had both brushed their teeth, Sophie crawled in on one side and Lily on the other. I flicked my fingers to turn off the lights, and within seconds we were all staring at the colorful heavens again.

  “It’s so beautiful,” I observed. “How much longer will the sky stay like this?”

  “Another week or so probably. And don’t change the subject,” Sophie said.

  I let out an annoyed sigh. Thinking about some stupid imaginary love triangle was the absolute last thing I wanted to worry about right now. I had real problems to deal with.

  “If Nicholas wasn’t fine with Justin, I doubt he would’ve done all this stuff to help him, and I’m sure he wouldn’t have offered to let him stay at his house,” I whispered, hoping that was the end of it.

  But Sophie was just getting warmed up. “Nicholas cares about you. He probably thinks he’s in love with you. He wants you to be happy. That’s why he’s doing all this. Not because he actually likes Justin and is okay with him being in your life the way he is.”

  I sat up, exasperated. “Why does it matter, then? What do you want me to say? I can’t tell you why Nicholas does what he does, or how he feels about it—”

  “Can’t you? Aren’t you an Empath?”

  I threw up my hands. “Sophie! What is this? The third degree? Why are you pushing this—?”

  “Because I think you’re lying to yourself, and I think that’s going to create even more problems! You need to open your eyes and realize this is not a game you can play without serious consequences. Justin is head over heels in love with you. Any idiot can see that. Anyone. And what is one of Nicholas’s super cool powers? Oh yeah, he reads hearts.”

  “I can’t help it if Justin feels something more—”

  “And you and Nicholas have this deep connection that transcends the boundaries of the physical world, and may have started in a past life,” Sophie continued. “And now they’re shacking up together. You’re a smart girl, Calista. One of the smartest I’ve ever met. So don’t be so damn stupid.”

  The room was silent. Lily was so still beside me, I wondered if she was even awake.

  “You think I’m being stupid?” I finally whispered.

  “I don’t think you’re being very smart if you don’t realize there’s about to be a lot of drama here, no matter what happens. I just want you to be ready for it. I mean, come on, Cal. Crap like this would mess up regular teenagers, but you three aren’t regular by a long shot! A powerful warlock and a magically cursed killer fighting for the love of the fair maiden witch. I mean really…you can’t make this stuff up. Well, I guess you could if you’re writing a fantasy novel. But this is real life, and you know it doesn’t get any crazier than this!”

  I stared at her for a moment, then rolled over and mashed a pillow over my face to muffle my frustrated shriek.

  “When did my life get so crazy?” I groaned as I tossed the pillow aside, narrowly missing the candle Lily had lit. “I mean, one minute I’m a simple nobody in the middle of nowhere, where nobody cares about me at all and no one notices anything I do, and now suddenly I’m the cause of all these problems.”

  “Calista, you’ve never been a nobody,” Lily protested adamantly. “And no one is blaming you for what is going on now. We just want you to be honest with yourself, and realize that things might not go as smoothly as you may hope. It is possible that there’ll be some serious tension between Nicholas and Justin, and we don’t want to see you get hurt in the crossfire.”

  “Because we’re your friends and we love you,” Sophie finished.

  I let out another deep sigh and returned my gaze to the cloudy swirls of emerald and fuchsia that lit up the sky. “Thank you for being honest with me,” I whispered. “And you’re right. I probably am lying to myself. Because I’m scared of the truth. And the truth is, I have a feeling something very bad is going to happen very soon. And there’s nothing any of us can do about it.”

  Chapter 13. Unspoken

  I fly over the churning sea of black and white, ripples rolling into angry peaks of foam. I will myself to move and I am there, sailing effortlessly through the night.

  The island calls to me. My spiritual home. Our Eden.

  I touch the ground, and my mind senses the pleasure of the silky moss beneath my feet.

  I move slowly toward the shimmering pool of water.

  He is there. Waiting.

  He turns to me, and in an instant we are one. I feel him without touching him. The senses of our souls are all that matter.

  “I needed to see you…tonight…here.” His words echo through my mind.

  “I’m here,” I respond. “I’m always here for you.”

  “I need to know that it’s me you love,” he says.

  “It is you I love. It has always been you. It will always be you.” The truth of this is embedded deep within my soul.

  “But you also love him,” he whispers.

  “It’s not the same.”

  “How?”

  “Because I didn’t exist before I found you. I became alive when you saw me. And I’d rather die than live a lifetime without you. But we need to help him.”

  “I know.”

  “Will you help me?” I ask.

  “I will help you if I can. But now you must search…find the answers. They are there. And Calista…”

  “Yes?”

  “Know that I live to feel your love. To see your smile. To hear your laughter and to wipe away your tears. To taste your sweet kisses. I’d die a million deaths before I ever let harm come to you. You are my everything, now and always.”

  “Can you feel how much I love you?” I wonder to him.

  He smiles. “I can feel your love within me from a thousand miles away. Can you feel my love for you?”

  “I want to, but I can’t believe it’s real. I’m afraid this is all just a dream.”

  He lips caress mine. “Someday, you’ll know,” he whispers. “Someday you’ll know just how real my love for you is.”

  ***

  I bent over to tie my tennis shoes while Lily and Sophie finished getting dressed.

  “I can’t believe today is our last day of freedom,” Sophie moaned. “Back to the salt mines tomorrow.”

  Lily shook her head as she sat down on my bed and laced up her boots. “Can you even believe all this has happened just over our Christmas break? It’s insane!”

  I stood up and
started brushing my hair back in a low ponytail. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m pretty ready for things to get back to some kind of normal around here,” I said. “Even if it means going back to school.”

  “You’re just happy ‘cause Nicholas is going to be there, too.” Sophie flopped down on the chaise and looked out to the ocean. “You’re just looking forward to making every girl in the school die of envy, aren’t you?”

  I smiled. “I admit, that part won’t be too bad. But actually, that’ll probably be the weirdest part of all. I mean, going to school and sitting in class is just so…normal. Nothing between Nicholas and me has ever been in the same universe as normal. I almost feel like we’re doing everything backward.” I chuckled.

  “When do you think Justin will be able to come back?” Lily asked.

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I dunno. Your guess is as good as mine. I’ll talk to Nicholas when we do our run this morning. I’ll let you know what he says.”

  “What about…you know?” Sophie raised an eyebrow.

  I shrugged again. “I’m going to see Ana later and hopefully she’ll know what’s up…what the Council has decided to do. I’ll let you know. Promise.”

  “M’kay…sounds good.” She walked over to Lily. “Ready?” Lily nodded and Sophie grabbed her hand.

  “Later, Callie,” they said, and faded away.

  *****

  Nicholas was already down on the shore as I jogged down the hillside. Dressed in black sweatpants and a black hoodie, he was stretching his long legs on the sand, much like the first time I spotted him upon my arrival to Crystal Cove. I bounced over and gave him a quick kiss.

  “Mornin’, Red,” he said with a seductive smile, his full lips parting to reveal his movie star teeth. “How’d you sleep?”

  “Perfect. Like I was in heaven.” I flashed him a coy grin.