She would have had an easier time believing the Easter bunny was real than she did this, and she was seeing it with her own eyes!
Sandra’s long, golden blonde hair was always perfectly brushed and amazingly shiny, but now it hung in limp disarray to the middle of her back. Her usually bright emerald eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot. Avery couldn’t tell if Sandra hadn’t gotten any sleep or if she’d been crying.
What was going on with her cousin?
Avery had only seen Sandra look worse than this once, and then they’d been in the maze. She never believed she’d see Sandra looking less than perfect again after they escaped Regan. Sandra’s beautiful face twisted into a disapproving scowl, probably because they were all gawking at her like she’d answered the door naked. Avery would have been less stunned if she had.
“You look awful!” Alex blurted.
Sandra gave him the finger. “What are you doing here?”
Avery didn’t know what to say; Sandra’s appearance had thrown her for a loop. This was not the Sandra she’d grown to like and admire while in the maze. Sandra had her moods, but there was usually an underlying wildness and vitality about her; neither was visible now.
“Sandra, are you okay?” Karen asked.
Sandra’s eyes flashed to her, and some of her defenses crumbled. In the beginning, Sandra hated that Avery had nonmagical friends outside the coven, but she’d grown to like and accept Tina, Lila, and Karen.
“Fine,” she mumbled. “Too much partying last night, but you know how that goes. I suppose you might as well come in.”
“Thanks for the invite,” Alex muttered.
Avery elbowed him in the stomach; he jumped and turned toward her. “Don’t,” she mouthed.
Something was wrong here, and Alex couldn’t provoke Sandra when she was already in a pissy mood. The others filed into the room ahead of her, and Avery finally followed them into the living room. Sandra waited for them to pass before sliding the wooden doors shut behind them. She walked over to plop onto the couch.
“What do you want to talk about?” Sandra muttered as she draped her arm over her eyes.
Avery blinked at her broken nails as her mind spun. Those nails were perfectly manicured last night, but some of them were broken so low Avery could see the bloody and raw flesh beneath. What remained of the red polish was chipped.
“Did someone hurt you?” Avery demanded.
Sandra lifted her arm to peer at Avery from underneath it. “No. Why?”
“Your nails.”
Sandra lifted her arm to inspect her nails; her brow furrowed as she seemed to notice them for the first time. Then she shrugged and grimaced. “Like I said, too much partying; I fell.”
Okay, a hangover and a fall could explain Sandra’s appearance, but Avery wasn’t buying it. Something was wrong here.
“I’m tired, Avery,” Sandra said. “Why are you here?”
“It’s time to regroup the coven,” Avery said.
Sandra’s bitter laugh caused Avery to flinch. “Regroup what? The saints, the sinners, and the heartless harpy?”
Avery realized she was the heartless harpy.
“That was uncalled for,” Alex said. “What has gotten into you?”
“Reality.”
This was not the way things were supposed to go; she’d counted on Sandra’s help. Sandra was the one to suggest getting the coven back together last night. Now they were the most unwelcome people in the world.
“Sandra, what is wrong?” Karen asked.
“Killer headache,” Sandra muttered.
“Okay,” Avery said slowly, wishing she was dealing with an angry hornet’s nest. At least then she would know to run, but now she felt like she was walking through a minefield and one wrong step would blow everything up. “Should we come back?”
“I don’t care what you do.”
“Well, we’re going to go talk to some of the others. Do you need us to bring you anything before we go? Some water or aspirin or something?”
“No,” Sandra muttered. “I’ll be fine.”
“We’ll come back later.”
“Don’t,” Sandra said. “I’d prefer some time to recuperate.”
“Okay, we’ll see you tomorrow then.”
Alex opened the doors, and the others stepped out of the room. Avery paused in the doorway and turned back. “You know, if something happened, you could tell me.”
Sandra waved her hand at her but never bothered to look up. “I’m fine, little cuz. Close the doors behind you.”
Avery hesitated before stepping from the room and sliding the doors closed. She followed the others out of the house and into the crisp October air.
“That didn’t go as planned,” Alex said.
“Something’s not right,” Avery said. She shoved her hands into her pockets while she gazed at the pumpkins decorating Lela’s porch across the street. “I don’t buy the too much partying excuse.”
“If she’s not going to tell us, then there’s nothing we can do about it,” Lila said. “Maybe she is hungover and will be better tomorrow.”
“Probably,” Alex said with a note of doubt in his tone. “Let’s go talk to Mario, Shawn, and Eric. Then we’ll figure out a plan for everyone else.”
Avery nodded and followed them down the porch steps. They made a right and headed toward Mario’s house.
CHAPTER 5
Avery rose and stretched her back, her stiff legs protesting the movement. “Is that everything?”
A smile lit Mario’s handsome, olive-skinned face as he popped a chip in his mouth. A strand of dark brown hair hung in the corner of one of his brilliant, forest green eyes. “And chips, but make sure they’re sour cream and onion.”
One of the things that amazed her about the members of the coven was how they glowed with vitality. It was as if their powers lit them from the inside out while they drew life from the elements without trying.
When her powers were awakened, the same thing happened to her. It still astonished her to see the radiance of her sapphire-colored eyes and blue-black hair in a mirror. She didn’t know if she would ever get used to it.
“You already have a bag of popcorn, cupcakes, and soda on the list,” Tina said.
He grinned at her as he put his feet on the ottoman, propped his hands behind his head, and leaned back on the couch. “I’m a growing boy; I need food. So, add sour cream and onion chips to the list, please.”
Tina scribbled it down. “Do you have a hollow leg?”
“More like a hollow head,” Eric said.
Mario scowled at him before smiling again.
“Anything else?” Avery asked.
“I’m good,” Eric said.
“Me too,” Alex replied.
“I’ll take the ride with you.” Tina ripped a sheet of paper from the notebook and climbed to her feet. “You guys behave while we’re gone.”
“Of course.” Eric feigned a look of innocence while he grinned at them. His amazing red-brown eyes twinkled mischievously as he brushed back his fiery red hair.
“We’ll be back in a little bit,” Avery told them as she walked out of the room.
“Hurry; I’m not nice when I’m hungry!” Mario called after her.
“When are you nice?” Karen teased.
“Ouch, fair lady, you’ve wounded my heart.”
Avery glanced over her shoulder when Karen squealed. Mario had hopped off the couch to tackle her where she sat on the love seat. She looked at Tina who raised her eyebrows; Avery had sensed a growing closeness between them in the maze, but things had been so hectic in the month since then that Mario and Karen rarely saw each other. They seemed to be making up for it as Mario sat back but kept his arm around Karen’s shoulders.
“That’s cute,” Tina whispered, and Avery bit her lip to keep from laughing.
Having them in her house felt right. She’d almost forgotten the powerful bond of ancestry, love, friendship, and blood linking the coven members. When the
y went to talk to them, Eric welcomed them eagerly, and Mario yelled at her for waiting so long. Shawn’s mom said he was at football practice; he might be home now, but Avery would wait until tomorrow to talk to him. Right now, she was starving.
Avery stepped outside and glanced at the night sky. The air was crisp and clear; the stars and moon illuminated the night sky. In the distance, she heard the delighted cries of children as they trick-or-treated.
She glanced over at Tina who smiled at her. “Feels good, doesn’t it?” Tina asked.
“It does. It’s not complete, but I have hope it will be.”
“It will.”
Avery glanced at the houses belonging to the coven; her eyes lingered on Reid’s. She wanted him here, but in her desperation to keep him safe from Regan, she severed the deep bond between them. It felt like a giant piece of her soul was missing without him.
Ending things had been the right decision to make—no, that wasn’t right. She’d never been sure she made the right choice, but it needed to be done. However, she would have to talk to Reid. She hoped he could forgive her enough to tolerate being in her presence when she did.
So far things were going well with the coven members she gathered. She hadn’t seen one distrustful look all night. She suspected that once the entire coven was back together, things would become hostile again.
While the skull remained missing and the traitor in their midst hidden, they would never be able to completely trust each other again.
She didn’t know how Reid would react when she approached him. He would either continue to hate her, or he would forgive her. In fact, he might have already moved on as he’d looked pretty comfy with Talia last night.
Her hands fisted at the possibility he might be with Talia. Not only would that mean he’d moved on incredibly fast, but if he was dating Talia, it was a big slap in the face. Avery had brought Talia into their group, considered her a friend, and the entire time Talia was using her to get closer to Reid.
If he’s dating Talia… you’ll what?
Avery knew what she’d like to do, but she vowed not to use her powers to harm another when she was initiated into the coven. But if anyone deserved a bolt of energy in the ass, it was Talia.
“Why don’t you go talk to him?” Tina suggested.
Avery shrugged as they descended the steps and headed toward Avery’s car. Her father decided to upgrade last month, and instead of trading in his car, he’d given it to Avery as an early Christmas and birthday present. Avery loved the silver Camry and would have given up the next five Christmases for the car, but she’d kept that information to herself.
“I can’t,” Avery mumbled. She opened the door of the car but stood staring at Tina over the roof.
“You still love him,” Tina stated.
“I always will,” Avery admitted.
“Then why stay away from him?”
“You know why.”
Tina opened her mouth to protest but closed it and climbed into the car. Avery glanced at Reid’s house before sliding into the driver’s seat.
“Awful big grocery list,” Tina muttered.
Avery was grateful Tina changed the subject. Sometimes, Tina could seize a topic and refuse to relinquish it, and Avery was not in the mood for one of those occasions.
She smiled as she started the car. “We’ll order the pizza before going to the store.”
• • •
Avery glanced nervously around the packed pizza parlor. Standing beside her, Tina stared at the menu while mumbling something about jerks under her breath. Many of the high school students packing the restaurant had stopped talking when they entered. The conversation resumed, but she felt their eyes boring into her back.
She tried not to fidget beneath the weight of those stares. She should have sent some of the others to do this. Mario, Eric, and Alex had grown up here; they had friends here. Avery was an outsider who’d been receiving death threats since her first day of school. She’d been an idiot to come here.
“Ignore them,” Tina said.
“I’m trying,” Avery whispered.
“Here’s your change.” Avery turned to the middle-aged woman behind the counter and accepted her money. “Your order will be ready in half an hour.”
“Okay, thanks. Come on, Tina, let’s get out of here.”
“Huh?” Tina muttered distractedly; she was too busy scowling at the people in the pizza place. “Oh, yeah, okay. Let’s go.”
The kids near the door stepped out of her way when Avery strode toward them. Avery kept her chin high, but inside she was a seething mass of turmoil; she’d never get used to being so hated or feared by people she didn’t know.
CHAPTER 6
“Damn it,” Avery muttered as she surveyed the packed lot outside the pizza place.
“Park in the back,” Tina suggested.
Avery drove around the building and parked near the back door. A single bulb that mostly revealed the two dumpsters next to the door was the only source of illumination in the alley. An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach, but Tina popped open her door and hopped out.
“Come on!” she called.
Avery told herself she was only feeling antsy because of the frosty reception she received earlier. However, she couldn’t shake the sense of impending doom clinging to her as she slid from the car.
The metal back door had no outside handle, so Tina led the way around to the front as Avery studied the quiet streets. They’d seen some trick-or-treaters on their way to the store to pick up the rest of Mario’s grocery list, but when they returned, the streets were nearly deserted. The kids had all returned home to hunker down with their goodies and stuff themselves.
The empty streets and quiet night only enhanced Avery’s uneasiness. The hair on her nape stood up as she was assailed with the feeling of someone watching her. She glanced behind her, but she didn’t see anyone there. However, Regan could remain hidden if he was watching her.
When Tina opened the door to the pizza place, music drifted out. Avery gulped; she wanted to get back in her car and go home where she and Tina were a little safer, but if Regan was watching, she refused to let him see her run from here.
What could he possibly have planned for them? She didn’t want to know the answer, but she wouldn’t have a choice; if Regan was coming for them tonight, they wouldn’t be able to stop him.
The pizza parlor remained packed and the people within had raised their voices to compete with each other and the music. Her stomach grumbled when the smell of food hit her. Avery ignored the people who stepped away from her as she strode to the pickup counter and handed over her slip to a woman.
“I’m starving,” Tina mumbled. “This smell is making me crazy.”
“Me too,” Avery said.
The woman returned and set four pizzas on the counter.
“We only ordered three,” Avery told her.
She glanced at the slip, went out back, and returned a minute later. “Someone called in and added another pizza to the order. They paid over the phone.”
“Mario,” Avery and Tina said at the same time.
“Thank you,” Avery said and lifted the pizzas from the counter.
Tina held the door for her, and they returned to the car. Avery set the pizzas in the back and carefully wedged them against her seat to keep them safe. She did not want to deal with Mario if they fell on the floor.
Shutting the door, she glanced around the shadowed alley, but she didn’t get the sense of anyone watching her again as she walked to the driver’s door and climbed behind the wheel. She buckled her seat belt and started the car.
“Those pizzas smell delicious,” Tina muttered and turned to pull a bag of chips out of the grocery bag in the back. She opened it and scooped out a handful of chips before offering the bag to Avery. “Want some?”
Avery grabbed a handful from the bag before shifting into drive and pulling away from the pizza place. She turned right out of the lot and onto a back roa
d lit only by the occasional streetlight. Some older trick-or-treaters strolled the sidewalk, but Avery suspected they were looking for mischief instead of candy.
She went around the rotary in the center of town before heading down some side roads illuminated only by her headlights. The crunch of potato chips and the hum of the tires was the only sound in the car as they traveled the windy back road. Towering maples and smaller locust trees crowded the road, and she was sure more than a few people had taken some of the trees on with their cars and lost.
She cracked her window to let some fresh air in before wiping her hand on her jeans to remove the grease from the chips. Tina leaned forward to turn on the radio and started stabbing at the buttons until she landed on a song she liked.
Swaying back and forth in the seat, Tina started singing, and Avery chuckled at her offbeat rendition of the song before joining in until their awful voices drowned out the singer. Tina held a pretend microphone out to Avery, and she took over the chorus before Tina moved her hand away to take over. They finished the song at a near shout together, and for the first time in so long, Avery felt almost carefree.
Tina finished the last word of the song as a flash of movement on her right caught Avery’s attention seconds before a massive beast leapt onto the road. A head the size of a lion’s turned toward them to reveal enormous, misshapen jaws and vivid blue eyes.
“Look out!” Tina shrieked.
Avery stomped on the brakes, and the tires shrieked as the car skidded toward the monstrosity blocking the road. When the creature didn’t move, Avery yanked the wheel to the side as she desperately tried to avoid hitting the beast. Instinctively, she knew hitting it would be like hitting a brick wall.
The back end of the car skidded sideways while smoke and the acrid stench of rubber burning filled the air. Avery found herself staring straight into the forest as the car continued sideways down the road.
No! No! No!
And then the back end hit the beast, and the car shuddered before bouncing off the monster. Avery struggled to keep the vehicle under control, but it was already too late. The trees became a blur as the car spun out of control, and then they were leaving the road to plummet down an embankment.
Dream Walker (The Coven, Book 3) Page 3