Betrayed (Keeper of the Flame Book 3)

by Lila Kane

  We start pulling branches and stones from the opening of the cave. They’re piled high and tumble to the inside‒a place only I’m able to go. We work quickly and I don’t miss the tension in Logan’s shoulders or how he keeps looking over his shoulder or stopping to listen.

  “This really is the most dangerous place for you to be,” Logan says quietly from next to me.

  “It’s necessary,” I say in a cool voice.

  “I checked on your mom this morning. She’s fine.”

  His admission surprises me. That’s where he was? But surely not all morning. He went somewhere else, too.

  “Thanks for checking on her.” My voice is still tight. “Where else were you?”

  He glances at me, face pained, and shakes his head. “Nowhere special. Trying to find Kane.”

  “And did you?”

  Logan gives his head a brief shake. “No.”

  “You‒” I break off, reminding myself I don’t want to get into this now. It’s too painful. And I have more important things to do. “Never mind.”

  “Willow…” His hand moves just slightly, as though he wants to reach out.

  I back up. “Let me see if I can get inside.”

  He drops his hand.

  I have to squeeze between the rocks to get in. A few tumble around me, crashing to the dark cave floor or rolling over my shoes.

  “Willow,” Logan says.

  “It’s fine.”

  “I’m coming in.”

  “No.” My voice is firm. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt, and amethyst is harmful to vampires. “Give me a minute.”

  “A minute,” he answers.

  I wave my hands like I’m wiping a window with glass cleaner and the small space illuminates.

  “Cool,” Myra says from outside the gap in the rocks.

  I can only step a few feet before hitting more rocks. The entire cave has crumbled, and I wonder what’s happened to the tunnel to the hotel. If I can get in on the other side.

  But then I see something sparkling at my feet. Amethyst.

  I lean down and pry the crystal loose from the cave floor. Another one catches my eye and I dig it out from under the rocks. I start moving the smaller rocks out of the way to find more.

  “Time’s up,” Logan says.

  “No! I need a few more pieces. Stay there.”

  He must hear the anger and hurt in my voice because he pauses in the opening. I ignore him and continue to scavenge. If I don’t focus on him, and the hole in my heart, I can get this done‒and I need to get this done.

  I grab several more pieces, large ones, which I know will help, and tuck them everywhere I can. In my pockets, in my satchel I brought with me.

  When I emerge from the cave, the light is bright. Logan and Myra back away automatically.

  “Sorry,” I whisper. They can feel it.

  Myra flashes a smile, though her voice isn’t as steady as normal. “No problem. Can we go now?”

  I nod. Logan keeps his distance, but I notice with just a little satisfaction, it’s not easy for him. I want it as badly as he does. I want to touch him and be close to him. But if he’s not going to open up to me, it’s not going to happen.

  We’re all quiet until we reach the cars again. Myra looks around, frowning. “Now what?”

  “I need to get these to my mom. At least a few for her room‒to help keep Kane away until we can figure out something stronger.”

  Ryan leans against the side of his truck. “Don’t you think the nurses are going to be suspicious?”

  “I’ll just tell them that my mother’s a superstitious person and the stones are for healing. Maybe they’ll let me leave one under her pillow, and another on the stand by her bed.”

  Myra nods. “It’ll help. They’re strong.”

  I touch my pocket, feeling the lumps through the fabric. “Stronger than before? Can you really feel them that much?”

  “Yes,” Logan says, dipping his head. He’s standing a few feet farther away from our group, but I don’t think it’s because of the amethyst. “I was in that cave before, with the crystals all around me, and these few are just as strong.”

  I keep my eyes from his. “Why?”

  Ryan shrugs. “Maybe something happened when Selena made the place cave in.”

  “Or maybe our powers are stronger,” Myra suggests. “So the amethyst is more noticeable. It has a stronger effect on us.”

  “That makes sense,” I say.

  “This is probably something you can talk about later,” Logan says quietly.

  He’s right. We shouldn’t do it here. But I hate that he said “you” instead of “we.” Like he’s not part of our team anymore. Like he’s not part of “us” anymore.

  I swallow the hurt it causes and nod to the truck. “Fine. Let’s get to the hospital and be quick about it.”

  Ryan opens the door to the truck and I’m about to get in when Logan says my name.

  I glance back at him. “What?”

  “Can I talk to you a minute?”

  A muscle flexes in Ryan’s jaw. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  I smile at him, straightening my shoulders. “No, it’s fine.”

  Ryan gets inside with Myra and I keep my place by the truck while Logan leans against his car.

  “I’m sorry for leaving this morning,” he says.

  The wind rustles the trees around us and makes his eyes shift to the sky. Probably looking for the blackbird.

  I force lightness to my tone I don’t really feel. “No problem. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

  Logan winces. “Willow, please.”

  “What? You made it clear you’ve got to deal with this on your own.” I smile. “So go ahead. Deal with it.”

  He steps forward, reaching out. Pain flashes across his features. “Willow, I’m‒I can’t.”

  The amethyst.

  I don’t move. Maybe it’s better if he doesn’t touch me, and the crystals are making it easier for me to stay away.

  I sigh. “Just go, Logan.”

  A million emotions race across his face. I don’t wait for a response, just toss my satchel with the extra crystals from my pocket into the back of the truck so I don’t hurt Myra, and hop in.

  Ryan starts the truck and then curses when something lands on the hood. A blackbird.

  I clench my teeth. “Drive,” I whisper.

  He puts the truck into gear and screeches from the parking spot. The bird takes flight again, disappearing above us, and I glance back.

  Logan’s still standing by his car, face drawn, as he watches the bird fly away.

  “I think this is it,” Myra says, reaching for my Book of Shadows.

  I curl my arms around my knees at my spot on the corner of the couch. I’m wearing a warm pair of Cheyenne’s socks to counteract the chill that came late this afternoon with dark clouds. Thunder rumbles softly in the distance.

  “I don’t know.” I shake my head. “I wish we had Selena’s book to be sure.”

  Cheyenne lifts an eyebrow at me. “No, you don’t.”

  “Okay, you’re right. I don’t.” I’d thrown it in the fire at Logan’s house to stop Selena’s spirit from hanging around anymore. Sure, she’d helped me escape from Logan when we’d thought he’d been the bad guy. But then she’d tried to kill him and everyone else I cared about because she wanted to be human again.

  “It’s right,” Myra insists. She reads out loud from the page. “‘This spell will work to bind all paranormal entities. Shapeshifter, vampire, witch, and werewolf shall henceforth abandon all supernatural ability until the four are united in the circle under the full moon once more.’”

  “Which means we can put the spell back into place,” Cheyenne concludes. She sips from her glass of wine before resting it on the wooden arm of the chair she sits in across from me.

  Lightning flashes in the windows. I shift to grab my wine off the table next to me, and take a long swallow. “Put the spell
back into place. Which means we’re just putting things right back to where they were before.”

  Myra taps her fingers on the book. “Better than having vampires and shapeshifters causing problems all over town.” She slants a smile at Cheyenne. “Our town.”

  I angle my head at her. “You make a point there. This is your town now, too, and mine. It’s all of ours. If we put the spell back into place, we can’t stay here. Or not all of us.”

  Myra doesn’t answer, but Cheyenne meets my eyes. “That means we’ll have a chance to leave, though, right? At that point, just after the spell is done, we can go. And as long as we don’t come back to Shadow Hill, we’re not stuck.”

  I know this means a lot to her. She came to Shadow Hill when she was fifteen and couldn’t leave after that. Ryan’s been here his whole life, but I don’t think he wants to leave.

  And if they stay, who else is going to want to stay? Myra? I look at her. “You want to open a store here.”

  She shrugs. “I can do it somewhere else.”

  I frown. “And Ryan has his business, and you have the library, Cheyenne. Logan likes it here. His house, his job…” I swallow and move on. “I’m the one who doesn’t belong. I could leave.”

  Cheyenne points her finger at me. “First of all, we’re not making anyone leave if they don’t want to.”

  “Someone has to go‒”

  “So?” Myra asks. “It’s just temporary. And so is the spell, right? This is just a temporary solution.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean”‒she stands, taking her wine with her‒“putting the spell back in place just assures all us paranormals lose our power. Until the next full moon. If we all end up in the same town together again‒or anyone else does, for that matter‒the whole thing will start all over again.”

  I take another sip of wine, sobering even further. Of course she’s right, but it’s hard to look at that side of it. Especially when we’ve been trying to figure out how to put this spell back in place the whole time.

  More thunder rumbles and I stand as well, walking to the window to stare outside. Cheyenne’s house is in the middle of town, close to Main Street, on a quiet road with tall trees that sway in the wind.

  A few raindrops tap against the window and I shiver. I wish Logan was here.

  “We’ll keep looking,” Cheyenne says, coming up next to me, “but this is a start.”

  I glance over, trying to shake my worry. “You’re right. It’s a good start. This is what we’ve been looking for.”

  “The only other thing we’re going to need is a full moon,” Myra says.

  Cheyenne and I both turn to look at her. She nods from her spot on the floor at the coffee table. “It says in the book. That’s how it was the first time, right? Start the spell on a full moon, and end it on a full moon.”

  “When’s the next full moon?” I ask.

  “Three days,” Cheyenne murmurs.

  She would know. As the only werewolf in our group, she’s familiar with the changes in the moon. And I know, just like Myra and Logan and Ryan, her powers are also getting stronger.

  I reach out and touch her arm. “It’s fine. That gives us three days to figure this out and make sure we do it right.”

  Myra lifts her cup in salute. “We can do it.”

  “I’ll be right back,” Cheyenne says, leaving her wine on the coffee table and walking to the kitchen.

  Myra waits until she’s gone before whispering to me, “Is she okay?”

  “Full moon. Werewolf.” I glance to the kitchen. “I think she’s worried it won’t work and she’ll have to change again.”

  Myra makes a face. “I don’t envy her that. Or Ryan.”

  I open my mouth to say something about Ryan, but Cheyenne returns with a pouch.

  Myra stands automatically, eyes wide. She backs away from the table. “What are you doing?”

  Cheyenne pulls out a large amethyst and sets it in my palm. “Sorry,” she says, “but if we have three days to figure out the spell, that means Kane has three days to stop us, and we can’t let him.”

  I look at Myra. She folds her arms and retreats to the hallway, her gaze narrowed on mine. “It’s definitely stronger.”

  “Good,” Cheyenne says. “And I think, with a small spell, you can magnify its power.”

  I stare at the crystal in my hand. A small spell? Like the one I used this afternoon to make light in the cave?

  “Meaning you’re going to force me to have to stay in the kitchen all night,” Myra says, humor in her eyes.

  Cheyenne laughs. “We just want to make sure it works. If Willow can do this, she can do the same with the ones we left at the hospital. Then we have to be careful for three days. Willow, you’ll be safer when you leave the house, and if you don’t, you’re safe inside.”

  I nod. “You’re right. I want to be able to check on my mom, which means I need to make sure the amethyst is as powerful as possible.”

  “Try it.”

  I glance at Myra.

  She rolls her eyes again. “I’ll wait in the kitchen.”

  When she’s gone, I take a deep breath and close my eyes. The stone is heavy in my palm and I concentrate on it. Instantly, I feel its power humming against my hand, so strong it zooms through my veins. I whisper a short spell about heightening its power, and focus so it feels like my entire mind is wrapping the crystal.

  Energy explodes from my hand, radiating up my arm and to my whole body. My eyes whip open. The amethyst thrums like it’s alive.

  Cheyenne smiles. “I felt something.”

  “That means it worked, right?”

  “I felt something, too,” Myra calls from the kitchen.

  “Good,” I call back.

  “We should test it out,” Cheyenne says.

  I frown at her. “What do you expect me to do? Call Kane and see if he’ll drop by?”

  “Test it on me,” Myra says from the doorway to the kitchen.

  “Not a good idea‒”

  “Cheyenne,” Myra interrupts. “Tell her I’ll be fine. Let’s test this sucker out.”

  Cheyenne nods. “She’ll be fine.”

  “Don’t get too close,” I warn her.

  She waves her hand, dismissing my concern, and takes a step forward. She’s still holding her wine and it sloshes a little in the glass. She winces. She takes another step.

  “Myra. Stop.”

  She shakes her head and keeps coming, so she’s halfway down the hall. Her hand trembles. “It’s definitely stronger,” she whispers. There’s pain in her voice.

  “Myra! Stop.”

  “I want to make sure this will keep Kane away.” Her breath hitches and she presses her palm to her temple.

  “Okay, that’s enough,” Cheyenne says.

  “I could keep going,” Myra chokes out.

  Cheyenne walks to her. “No way. You’ll spill your wine and I don’t want a stain on my new floors.”

  Myra backs up a few feet, her smile less pained. She meets my gaze. “It’s a lot stronger. If Kane tries to get near you, he’s going to get hurt.”

  I blow out a breath. “I need to do the same spell on the amethyst at the hospital.”

  Cheyenne bows her head with a sigh. “Logan’s outside.”

  My gaze whips to the window. “What?”

  “He’s probably watching out for you,” Myra says. She stays put by the kitchen.

  “I can tell him to leave,” Cheyenne says.

  “No.” I lift my chin. “No. There’s something I need to tell him. I’ll be back.”

  Before they can say anything else, I open the front door and step into the night.

  Chapter 9

  “You don’t need to come out,” Logan says. His voice sounds far away‒maybe at the edge of the lawn.

  His words stop me short. There’s no love in them. He just sounds…resigned.

  I fold my arms against the chill in the air. I hear raindrops pattering against the roof of the porc
h and more thunder grumbles in the distance. “What are you doing here?”

  “I felt…something.”

  I search the darkness and find him perched by a tree near the sidewalk. So far away.

  “What?” I ask, keeping my place by the door.

  “I don’t know. Energy, maybe. Is everything okay? With everyone?”

  Maybe it was the amethyst. But how had he gotten here so fast?

  “Yes. Everything is fine.”

  He’s quiet for a long time. The rain pounds harder against the rooftop. “You should get back in. I still don’t know where Kane is.”

  “I think he’ll leave me alone now.”

  Lightning flashes. It illuminates Logan’s face for a brief moment. The strength in his jaw, in his shoulders and arms. He’s wearing his leather jacket. One he’s let me use before.

  “What makes you say that?” Logan asks.

  “The amethyst.”

  “Even I almost got around the amethyst.”

  “It’s stronger.”

  “Strong enough to keep him away from you?” I hear the skepticism in his voice and frown. What’s going on with him? He used to make me feel so strong, like I could do anything. Now I feel inadequate. I want to prove to him I can take care of myself‒but that doesn’t mean I don’t want him by my side.

  “Yes.” I step closer to the stairs.

  He straightens. “I still think it’s dangerous.”

  “I’ll prove it. Come here.”

  He doesn’t answer.

  “What, Logan?” I ask, my voice almost taunting. He’s already put me through a lot today, the least he can do is let me show him that I’m right. “You don’t believe me?”

  He steps from underneath the tree. Lightning flashes again. His eyes narrow. “What is that?”

  “I told you. The amethyst.”

  “It’s…”

  His breath catches and I feel a flash of satisfaction. Good. He has to believe me now.

  “It’s stronger,” I tell him.

  “Enough to keep Kane away?”

  I move down one step. The rain hits my head. “Enough to keep any vampire away.”

  His cheeks go taut. I stop. He doesn’t retreat but instead comes closer. “You’re right. It’s stronger.”