Blake and I looked at each other quickly; torn with what to do, but eventually decided to head towards him. I wasn’t sure if we could trust Collin. It was clear that Jackie and Daniel couldn’t be trusted anymore, but Collin—the jury was still out on him.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Collin seethed when we were within a few feet of him.
“I think Abby may be in there,” I shot back and pointed at the store.
“The girl with long blond hair?” Collin asked.
My heart twisted. “Yes, that’s her. She’s really in there? You’ve seen her?”
Collin nodded. “Yeah, I saw her being carried in by a couple guys I’ve never seen before.”
“We have to go get her,” I said, turning back towards the store.
“You can’t go in there,” Collin’s tone was serious.
I turned back to look at him. He was looking at me like I’d completely lost my mind.
“But Abby’s in there,” I said, gritting my teeth.
“Yeah, well, so are about three witches who want your head on a stick. You’re the one they want, Meredith. Jude’s got everyone under some spell. He’s got them all competing against one another; ordering them to do whatever it takes to get you and bring you back to him.”
It felt like I had just been punched in the stomach. “What?”
Blake was beside me, pulling me closer to him. Oh God, that’s why Jackie and Daniel were after me. They were under a spell!
Collin shook his head in frustration. “Get over here and I’ll explain everything.”
Once Blake and I were hidden out of view, Collin filled us in on what happened at Jude’s house earlier that night.
“After you two lovebirds took off, I decided to go find out what was going on.” He glanced between the two of us. “I hid behind the bushes near the front window. My father, Jackie and Jude were all sitting at the table. Jude was talking about you.” He swallowed hard and nodded in my direction. “He was instructing my father and Jackie to do whatever it took in order to bring you back to him. It was crazy to me that they were just sitting there listening to his commands. They didn’t argue or run out of there. Once they got up and turned towards the door, I could see their eyes and that’s when I knew they were under a spell. Before they left, he told them to bring you to the old hardware store. I wasn’t sure what to do because I didn’t know where you and Romeo had run off to. So, I decided to come here and wait. If I saw that someone had found you, then I would try to do whatever I could to get you back.”
He glanced in my direction and my heart hammered against my chest. Just hearing that Collin would risk his life to save me threw my head in a tailspin. My whole body shivered and an eerie feeling passed through me. Flashbacks from a couple months ago drowned my thoughts and I found it hard to breath. When Alex and Isaac were after me, because of the power I possessed, the entire Harper family put their lives on the line to protect me. This is exactly what I didn’t want to happen. My family had paid the ultimate price ten years ago, and now that danger continued to follow me everywhere I went, there were still too many people putting themselves at risk for me.
“Hey,” Blake said, grabbing my shoulders and turning me towards him. “It’ll be fine. No one will hurt you.”
It wasn’t me that I was worried about. “It’s happening again. It’s happening all over again.” I took in a deep breath, trying to stop from shaking. “But this time it’s worse. Jude’s putting spells on innocent people. He kidnapped Abby and God knows what they’re doing to her... and it’s all because of me.”
“It will be okay. We’ll figure this out,” Blake said, talking around the lump in his throat.
It was easy to see the pain and worry his face held; it was a mirror to my own emotions.
“I have a plan, but you both are going to have to trust me,” Collin said, interrupting the trance Blake and I held on each other.
“What kind of plan?” I asked, turning my attention back to him.
“All you need to know is that I’m going in there to save the girl, but I won’t tell you anything else. You’re just going to have to trust me,” he repeated.
I looked back towards Blake who was assessing Collin as he spoke.
“So, are you gonna trust me?” Collin asked, bringing my gaze back to him.
“How do you think you can just walk in there and not get hurt or killed?” I asked.
He rolled his eyes. “Because I know what’s going on. I can tell them that Jude sent me or something.” He waved my worries off. “Just tell me where we should meet?”
“Meet?” I questioned.
Collin sighed, looking frustrated. “Yes. Just let me know where to meet you when this is all over with.”
“The top of the clock tower... Big Ben,” I blurted out as my heart pounded. I wanted to look over at Blake and say I was sorry for giving up our hiding place, but I couldn’t. Right now, our only hope was Collin. It had become clear to me that Blake and I couldn’t enter that store and walk back out alive.
Before I could ask Collin any more questions, he was making his way towards the entrance. A part of me wanted to stop him, not wanting him to get wrapped up in all of this, but the other part of me wanted Abby back so badly that I couldn’t find it in myself to say anything.
Blake and I didn’t speak when Collin left. My eyes were focused on the building and my heart stopped when I saw Collin disappear through the front door. I glanced at Blake and saw that his eyes were focused on the building as well.
It had been over fifteen minutes since Collin went inside and the guilt of letting him go was beginning to get to me.
“Blake, I can’t stand this. What if something happened? I’ve got to go in there and find out.”
Just as I stood up, Blake pulled me back down. “Let’s just give him a few more minutes. I’m sure Collin can be quite persuasive when he wants to be.”
I felt like that was a dig at me, but again, I didn’t question him. Instead, I sat back down; knowing that Blake was right, though I still couldn’t stop the guilt from coming. If Collin ended up getting hurt, or even worse because of me, I don’t know how I’d ever forgive myself.
A few long minutes passed and I glanced back over at Blake. He stared at me for a few seconds before he stood up, knowing what I wanted to do and knowing there was no chance of talking me out of it.
“Okay, let’s go.” Blake took my hand and we began to walk out of the alley and towards the store. Just as we were about a hundred feet from the entrance, the door to the store opened and a figure came into view. Collin stood facing us and was yelling at someone inside.
“They’re here!” Collin yelled.
My body froze. My mind not understanding what was happening.
“Meredith is out here!” he yelled louder, pointing over to Blake and I.
It took me a few seconds to process what he was saying. I just couldn’t believe he would do this to me. Before long, there were three men standing beside Collin; all of their cold, dark, soulless eyes focused on me.
Traitor! I screamed to myself. This was all a trick! He lied to us!
A small scream escaped my lips as Blake picked me up and we began to fly. He flew fast and hard. It was the fastest he’d ever flown with me. I began to feel nauseous and tucked my head into his shoulder. It felt like we were on a rollercoaster; up, down, hard right, hard left. I knew that people must have been after us and Blake was trying to lose them. We finally landed and I glanced around the familiar room. My heart jumped to my throat when I realized we were back in the clock tower.
“Blake, we can’t be here. Collin knows we’re here!” I screamed. “I’m so sorry. I thought we could trust him!”
“Hey, calm down.” Blake’s voice was soft.
Calm down?! How could he be calm?! Collin had lied to us and gotten me to trust him. I’d told him where we were hiding and now he would tell Jude as well as everyone else that was after me and, worst of all, our hopes of getting Abby
were gone.
“Just breathe, Meredith.” He was standing in front of me and rubbing his hands up and down my arms in a soothing motion.
“How—how are you so calm?” I asked, staring up at him.
“I trust him,” Blake said, his tone firm.
“Collin?” I questioned.
Blake nodded.
“But he gave us away. He showed them where we were?”
“True, but I think that was part of his plan.”
Just then, I heard a door open and slam shut, then a loud thudding sound come from behind me.
I turned around and gasped, seeing Collin standing there, holding a large object covered in a blanket.
“Oh my God...” I mumbled. Blake and I both ran across the room and lifted the blanket back enough to reveal Abby’s face.
“Abby!” I yelled at the sight of her. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be sleeping heavily, but as much as Blake and I called her name, she wouldn’t wake up.
Blake took his sister from Collin’s arms, brought her across the room and laid her down.
“What happened to her?” I turned to Collin.
He shook his head. “I’m not sure. She’s under a spell, but I’m not sure which one.”
“Will she be alright?” I asked him.
“I don’t know, Meredith,” Collin said, taking a couple steps towards me.
“What the hell was that back there? You told them where we were?!” I pushed him in the chest and he stumbled back a little.
“Hey, I told you I had a plan. I needed a distraction. What did you think? They were just gonna let me walk out of there with her?” He threw up his arms in frustration.
“Well, you could’ve at least told us,” I countered.
“Oh, yeah right, like Romeo over there would’ve really let me put you in any danger. Come on, love. I’m smarter than that.”
“Meredith,” Blake called. I didn’t turn around. My eyes were locked on Collin’s and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do more—punch him or hug him.
“Meredith,” Blake called again. “He’s right. He knew that I would’ve never agreed to his plan, but he knew that you would’ve done whatever it took to save Abby. He got her. She’s here now.”
When he finished, I turned around to face him. I noticed that his face held some relief, but for the most part, his eyes were still full of worry. I glanced down at Abby’s body lying on the floor and sadness consumed me. What had they done to her?
“I’m sorry Meredith. I thought I was doing the right thing–” Collin began.
“Don’t.” I held my hand up, stopping him. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m sorry. I should be thanking you, not yelling at you. You risked your life going in there. Thank you... thank you for saving Abby.”
Collin exhaled loudly. The nervousness he held was now replaced with relief.
“Do you think you could help us figure out what spell she’s under?” I asked, feeling guilty for even asking him after the way I treated him.
“Of course.” He paused and a grim look spread across his face. “But first, there’s something else I need to tell you—something else I overhead at Jude’s.”
I swallowed hard, not liking his tone or the look on his face.
“You may want to sit down for this,” he suggested.
I took a couple steps back and sat next to Blake. Blake wrapped his arm around my shoulder as Collin began to talk.
“Jude talked about the first day he saw you. How he had been crossing time, looking for an Astoria and trying to take their powers. He mentioned the day he saw you walking with her.” Collin nodded his head towards Abby. “He said that he’d never felt a power as strong as yours. He said that even though he was shielding himself... a spell used by dark magic in order to stop other witches from sensing him, he noticed that it didn’t work on you... You could still sense him. He knew at that point that you were an Astoria, but not only that, that you were the most powerful one he’d ever tracked. He never wanted anyone’s power more. A few days later, he revisited the area he last saw you and planned to take you, but when he got there, he only found Abby. When he asked her about you, Abby wouldn’t tell him anything, so he decided to take her with him. I think he must have been there that morning at Jackie’s, the day you woke up feeling ill. He must have put Jackie under a spell that morning, causing her to forget that he was even there. I’m assuming he put you under a spell, too. I think he was trying to keep you asleep or something until he could figure out what to do with you, but the spell didn’t work. You’re too powerful and it just left you groggy and feeling ill for a while.” He shrugged. “I really don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s merely a lot of guesses. I just had a lot of time to think about everything when I was sitting out by the dumpsters in the alley.”
“Wait,” I said, wondering something. “Why would he leave? Why not just take me with him that morning?”
Collin shrugged again. “Honestly, I think you scare him. He knows deep down that you’re more powerful than him; even if he has an Astoria’s power—”
“What?!” Blake and I shouted in unison.
“Probably should’ve led with that little detail, eh?” He frowned. “When Jude went back to 1905 and couldn’t find you, and after bringing Abby here, he continued his quest to find an Astoria since he wasn’t sure if he’d ever find you again.”
As I began to put together what Collin was saying, a gasp involuntarily escaped my mouth. “He killed another Astoria and that’s how he’s able to suppress everyone and put them under these powerful spells to come and find me.”
Collin nodded, confirming what I’d said. “And you would think he would be satisfied with the power he has now—but he isn’t, Meredith. He wants more. Your powers are the strongest he’s ever seen and he won’t stop until he has them.”
I glanced at Blake and it was clear that he realized the enormity of the situation.
We sat around, discussing the possible spells Abby could be under. She was breathing, but that was about all she was doing. She wasn’t responding to me or Blake’s voice. She just laid there, looking peaceful as if she were in a deep sleep.
“It may be a trance spell,” Collin suggested. Blake and I looked towards him, wanting more of an explanation.
“I’ve never heard of it. What is it?” Blake asked.
“Yeah, you wouldn’t have. It was developed in the 1950s by a witch who practiced dark magic.”
“Well, how do you undo the spell?” I asked.
Collin’s face fell. “That’s what makes it such a great spell. Only the witch who cast it can break it... or once the witch dies, the spell will be broken. Jude must have cast it on Abby in case she ever escaped... or was rescued. I guess he didn’t want her talking about his plan.”
None of us had spoken about Jude being an Astoria and what we were going to do about it. Or the fact that he still wanted to kill me. I think deep down we all knew that there were only two options: run or fight. Blake knew that there was no way I would run again, especially with the condition that Abby was in. So instead of arguing about it, I think we were trying to avoid it for now and concentrate on helping Abby.
The sun was rising, casting a bright glow into the top of the clock tower. The sounds from our growling bellies were beginning to become a distraction. Collin offered to go and get us some food, saying that he could leave and be back faster, since he knew the city better than either of us.
A few minutes after Collin left, Blake came and sat beside me. “Meredith, I know you’re going to hate me for saying this, but I just have to say it. We need to get you out of here.”
This was the conversation I had known was coming just as much as he probably knew what my answer was going to be in return. “I won’t leave Abby like this.” I shook my head. “If it takes me staying here and fighting Jude, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
“Meredith, if she knew the danger you were in, she would want you to be as far away from h
ere as possible.”
“Probably.” A small grin formed on my lips, picturing Abby giving me a lecture about how stupid I was being right now. “But that’s why I won’t leave without getting her back. I want her to be here again, lecturing me, teaching me. Plus, Jude isn’t going to stop. If he wants me dead, he’s just going to keep coming for me until he finds me. I won’t live my life running. We’ve been through this discussion before and you know how I feel about it. I won’t run, end of story.”
Blake closed his eyes, trying to calm his frustration; his breaths were deep and heavy. “Meredith, we are leaving this place if I have to fly you out of here kicking and screaming.”
Really? Were we back here again? Normally, Blake’s protectiveness was genuine and made me feel safe and secure, but this was pushing it. This was beginning to feel like smothering. I knew his job was to keep me safe and I knew that his desire to keep me safe went way beyond that, but my reasoning was plain and simple. I refused to live in fear. Even more so, I refused to leave Abby in the comatose state she was in. She was like this because of me and I would fight to free her from this spell if it was the last thing I did.
“Meredith, I think Blake has a point,” Collin said. I turned around and saw him standing there with a small bag of groceries. It amazed me that he got back so fast. I didn’t even hear him return. “You’re strong, but Jude’s stronger. He’s one of the most powerful witches I’ve ever known and that was before he obtained the Astoria’s power. He’s been a witch for a lot longer than you. He knows more spells than you do and now that we know he’s been practicing dark magic, it wouldn’t be much of a fight between the two of you.” He set the bag of groceries down and made his way over to us.
I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. The negativity in the room was suffocating, but I tried to keep a positive attitude, even if I was the only one. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I have my teacher here then,” I said, giving him a pointed look. “You’ll teach me how to fight him. Even Jackie said that you were the best teacher around and you’ve even created spells of your own. If you teach me, Collin, I can do this.” It was a little frustrating because I felt like it was Collin’s job to give me a pep talk, not the other way around.
Crest (Book #2,Swift Series) Page 14