Abby wadded the paper onto a ball and dropped it onto her tray; then she picked at her food as if nothing had happened. I wanted to ask her how she’d gotten that note, but now wasn’t the time.
“So, Whitney, I was wondering if you could help me with something.” I cleared my throat, propped my elbows on the table, and discreetly tapped the side of my head. Hopefully, she’d take the hint that I needed her to invade my mind for a minute.
“Sure, what?”
Isach has info and needs to meet all of us tonight at midnight.
“Can Abby and I come over tonight?” I asked aloud.
“Yeah, of course.” She nodded, head cocked with confusion.
I widened my eyes and rubbed my temples. “My head is killing me,” I said, staring directly at her. I repeated the thought about Isach, until finally, Whitney straightened.
“I have to go find my brother. I’ll be right back.” She was gone before anyone could say anything about her strange behavior.
At least she got my message, and I didn’t have to say it out loud. Who knew if anyone was listening or watching or using magic to tap into our minds? I was becoming seriously paranoid.
Trent arrived and sat next to me. He dropped a kiss onto my cheek, then took my hand. “I just talked to Whitney. You’re coming over today?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I nodded.
A weird, unexpected and unwanted sense of sadness crept through my veins. It felt like forever since it had been just me and Trent, which was crazy because we’d just spent all last weekend together. Still, I missed the days we spent hiding out in his cabin and our time in Malibu. Things had been so much simpler back then. Of course, back then, I’d thought it was all terrible and that my life was over.
Sighing, I rested my head on his shoulder. I couldn’t wait for our honeymoon. Even though I had no idea what he had planned, I didn’t care as long as it was just the two of us. I craved more alone time with him.
When lunch was over, Trent and I walked toward our lockers. “You’re quiet. What’s wrong?” he asked.
I pressed my back against my locker. “I’m just tired. I want all this stuff to be over. I want Abby to be happy again. I want to know Isach will be okay. And I miss us.” I clutched the front of his shirt and tugged him closer.
He flattened his palms on the locker above my head. “You miss us?” His voice was low and husky, and a teasing smile flirted with the corner of his mouth. “We’ve seen each other every day this week.”
“I know,” I whispered. “But I miss having you all to myself. I want it to be just us again, just for a little while.” I fidgeted with the collar of his shirt, then snaked my arms around his neck. “Forget it. I guess I’m just in a weird mood.”
Trent captured my lips in a searing kiss as his hands slowly encircled my waist, effectively pinning me between his body and my locker. The rush of students, the excited chatter, the obnoxious bell ringing… it all faded away, and I was lost in Trent.
He broke away, his eyes dark and lustful. “Just a few more months,” he said.
“I’m not sure I can wait that long.” I frowned.
I wished I could explain it in a way that made sense. It wasn’t just being near him—it was the feeling of complete peace and happiness and contentment that I missed. The serenity of not needing to go anywhere or worry about anything. I wanted those quiet moments where we could just… be. The intimate conversations and the hope as we planned our future. The private jokes and teasing that he only ever did when we were alone.
Tears pooled in my eyes, and I blinked them away. Or rather, I tried, but they fell regardless. Trent wiped my cheeks with his thumbs.
“Sorry.” I laughed. “I have no idea what’s wrong with me today.”
Without a word, he placed a lingering kiss on my forehead, and my eyes fluttered closed. The hallway was mostly empty now, and if I didn’t hurry, I’d be late to class. I was still serving detention for Mr. Gordon; I didn’t need to get more from a different teacher. Trent walked me to class, and I got there just as Miss Prescott was closing the door.
I took my seat and stared out the window. Where had this sudden melancholy come from? And what was up with the intense nostalgia? Maybe it was all the stress. My brain was trying to tell me I needed to rest. Maybe, like Abby, I’d reached my breaking point, too.
Propping my elbow on the desk, I rested my chin in my hand.
Trent hadn’t said much at my locker. He probably thought I was being moody or overly emotional. Maybe he was right. There was no way I could make him understand, though. I’d just have to tell him when we were in the moment. Hopefully, that time would come on our honeymoon.
Where was he taking me? Somewhere warm? Warm meant sunshine, though, and that would be uncomfortable for him. Maybe we’d go somewhere cold so we’d have to snuggle to stay warm. That thought brought a smile to my face. Of course, we needed to get married before any of that.
The plans were pretty much all set. Whitney and Ellie had taken charge of everything, and I wasn’t complaining. The girls still needed to buy bridesmaid dresses. We should do that next weekend. I’d have to suggest that to them.
Aunt Beth had secured a Justice of the Peace to officiate the ceremony—a personal friend of hers from Lake Placid.
Trent and I hadn’t talked about the actual ceremony and if we were going to say our own vows or not. When Aunt Beth had asked me, I’d told her no, but now I wasn’t so sure.
Part of me wanted to tell Trent myself exactly how much I loved him and how I was going to devote my life to only him. But if I did that, then he’d have to write his own vows, too, and that was a disaster waiting to happen. I’d be a sobbing, blubbering mess with makeup streaking down my face. I wasn’t so sure that was the best way to kick off our wedding day.
But I was curious to hear what he’d say. I was sure it would be beautiful and heartfelt, whereas mine would probably be rambling and nonsensical. Might be worth it, though.
It wasn’t every day I got married, and I wanted it to be memorable. After all, our wedding was the last thing on my human bucket list—after Trent bit me one last time, but I was sure he’d do that sooner rather than later. Why not go out with flair?
That settled it—I was going to tell Trent I wanted us to write our own vows.
My stomach fluttered. I was going to have to write vows. I’d better start working on them now, and I was going to need as much help as I could get. Whitney, Ellie, and Abby officially had one more wedding task to help me with.
The bell rang to indicate class was over. That went fast. I’d spent the entire time daydreaming and hadn’t heard much of Miss Prescott’s instructions other than there would be a practice test on Monday. Lovely. I gathered my stuff and rushed to my locker.
“Hey,” I said to Trent, smiling. “So, I have an idea.”
“You’re in a better mood.” He grinned and leaned against his locker as I quickly switched out my books. “What’s this idea?”
I closed my locker. “I want to write our own vows.”
“You do?” He raised a brow.
I nodded. What if he thought it was stupid and didn’t want to do it?
“Okay.” He straightened.
Excitement whipped through me. “Really?”
He laughed. “Yes. Really.” Taking my hand, we headed toward our final class of the day. “Actually, I’m glad you suggested it because I’ve already written mine.”
I stopped. “You did?”
His eyes sparkled in that special, teasing, loving way that I adored. “I figured if I didn’t get the chance to say them at the wedding, I’d say them to you after.”
My heart melted, and I leaned into him. “You’re going to make me cry, aren’t you?”
“You’re going to be crying so hard you won’t be able to talk.” He paused. “Maybe you should say your vows first.”
I smacked him, and he laughed. “Okay, I changed my mind. No vows,” I said.
“Too late. I
t’s a done deal now.” He gave me a quick kiss, then ushered me into class, his hand still firmly locked with mine.
When I entered the room, Isach glanced up, and my smile faded. His normally vibrant green eyes were dull, and there were dark circles under his eyes. It looked like he hadn’t slept in days, and his hair was a mess.
My God, what was Rector doing to him? I almost stopped to say something to Isach, but Trent gave me a gentle shove, and I kept walking toward the back of the room.
“He looks terrible,” I whispered to Trent as I slid into my seat.
I couldn’t imagine how Abby must feel seeing him like that and not being able to comfort him or ask him if he’s all right.
“We’ll find out what’s going on soon enough,” Trent said.
Tonight, hopefully, Isach would tell us everything and not just bits and pieces before disappearing and ignoring all of us again for God knew how long.
Midnight couldn’t come fast enough.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:
Midnight Meeting
“HE’S NOT GONNA SHOW UP,” ABBY said for the millionth time as she paced a hole in Trent’s living room floor.
“He’s going to show up,” I said again. “It’s only ten after twelve.”
I refused to admit I was starting to worry, too. What if something happened to him? What if he couldn’t get away from his father? Nerves gnawed at my gut, and I stood, too restless to sit still a second longer.
“He’s here,” Wyatt said.
A moment later, there was a knock on the door. Trent opened it, and Isach strode in. Without saying a word to anyone, he marched up to Abby, took her face into his hands, and kissed her in a way that wasn’t suitable for an audience.
My face heated, and I looked away, but I couldn’t contain my smile knowing how thrilled Abby must be right now.
Finally, Isach released her, mumbled something I couldn’t hear, and then turned his attention to the rest of us. “I don’t have a ton of time, but—”
“Wait.” I held up my hand to stop him. “Before you tell us anything… How are you? You didn’t look so great in school today.”
He looked slightly better now, but he still wasn’t his normal self.
“My father grounded me.” Isach rolled his eyes. “I haven’t been leaving much, except for school, so I’ve had a lot of time to eavesdrop.”
“How did you get out of the house tonight, then?” Jax asked.
“My father is harnessing the energy of the full moon tonight. He does this every month, has been for almost a year now.” Isach dragged a hand through his hair. “When he cursed your family, he bargained his soul for power, and now he’s trying to bargain to get his soul back.”
Abby’s jaw dropped. “Your father doesn’t have a soul?”
“No.” Isach shook his head. “It’s why he’s so… vicious and cold.”
“Why does he suddenly want his soul back?” I asked.
“What’s he trying to bargain?” Trent asked at the same time.
“I don’t know.” Isach sighed.
If Rector was soulless, and therefore vicious and cold, how did he ever manage to fall in love and have Isach? That didn’t make any sense. Then again, nothing about any of this made sense. I should really stop trying to apply logic to situations where there was none, and apparently, supernatural relationships were logic-free.
“Thought you’d been eavesdropping?” Jax asked. He still stood near the fireplace, arms crossed. He hadn’t moved from that spot in the last hour.
“I have, just not about that. When my parents start fighting, I start ignoring. But I have been listening to my father talk to his eventual successor.” Isach took a step away from Abby, and her face fell. Isach blew out a breath, cracked his neck, then moved back toward her. “He’s been trying to do a locator spell to find Felicity, but it hasn’t been working.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” I asked.
“Yes and no. Yes, because he can’t trace her back here or to any of you, but no because now my father thinks she has information that she’s hiding. He’s more determined than ever to find her.”
“He won’t.” Sean stepped out from the kitchen. “I made sure of it.”
“How?” Isach asked, eyes narrowed.
“I buried her in pieces.” Sean cleared his throat. “Across multiple states.”
Sean had chopped her up into pieces? My gag reflex made a sudden appearance, and I nearly choked as I tried to swallow against the urge. I rubbed my hands up and down my arms in an effort to get rid of the sudden chill that had settled into my bones. Nausea rolled through me.
“Well, that explains why the locator spell isn’t working.” Isach laughed. “Smart thinking.”
He laughed! There was nothing remotely funny about this. How could they talk about another life like it meant so little? Sure, she could have learned the truth about me and told Rector, who would then kill me, but still. Felicity was a person, and she deserved better.
“Is that your big news?” Jax asked, his tone bored.
“No.” Isach’s gaze darted around the room as if he were too afraid to look directly at any of us. “My father doesn’t trust me, which is why he had Felicity following me in the first place. At first, it was because I was never home, which raised suspicions about what I was doing. Then, he found out about Abby, and I assumed I could just tell him it was nothing, that it was over, and he’d leave me alone.”
“But he’s not,” Trent said. He moved to my side and took my hand. The comfort of his touch eased some of the chill clinging to me.
“No, he’s not.” Isach frowned. “He wants me to prove my loyalty to the coven.”
My blood turned to ice, and my stomach dropped. “How?”
“He wants me to bring Abby home to meet him.”
“No,” I said immediately, my jaw clenched painfully tight. “No way. She is not going anywhere near your psychopath father.”
Trent gave my hand a squeeze, but rage continued to boil inside of me. Putting Abby in the same room with Rector was asking for trouble, or worse, her death. She was already caught in the middle of this because of me. I wouldn’t let her get any closer to the danger.
“Is that all?” Trent asked. “Abby just needs to meet your parents?”
“This is so stupid,” I snapped. “How is letting her meet your father going to prove your loyalty?” I released Trent’s hand and flexed my fingers. The urge to punch something consumed me.
“She’ll have to submit to a truth test,” Isach said, giving Abby a sad smile.
“What’s a truth test?” Abby asked, her voice small and uncertain.
“A spell that will force you to tell the truth, even if you don’t want to. It’s like a witchy lie detector test,” Isach explained.
All the fear and nervous energy buzzing around me suddenly stopped. I blinked, trying to process what Isach said. If Abby would be forced to tell the truth, then that meant…
I jerked my head toward Trent. Rector was going to find out everything. About me. How I planned to break the curse. Our blood oath with Ivy. Isach’s plan to betray his coven. I sank down onto the couch. There was no way Abby could agree to this, but if she didn’t, what would happen to Isach?
“What’re we supposed to do?” I asked.
Trent sat beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side. “You know we can’t let this happen,” he said.
“If we don’t, my father will know I’m hiding something, and then everything we’ve been planning will be ruined.” Isach’s tone was a mix of fear, pleading, and regret.
“Isn’t there a spell or potion you can use to make it so I can lie?” Abby asked.
“No,” Isach said.
“What about Ivy? She might be able to do it,” I said, a flicker of hope igniting in my chest.
“All magic leaves a trace, and my father will be able to detect it.” Isach dragged his hand through his hair again, his movements agitated. “
But I do have an idea.” His gaze landed hard on Trent. “You can help her.”
“How can Trent… Oh!” My mouth formed an O in surprise, and I risked a glance at Trent, who’d gone still as a statue.
“Please?” Isach begged. “It’s the only option I can think of.”
“What option?” Abby asked.
I stood and tugged on Trent’s hand. Then I motioned for Isach to come with us. “Stay here,” I said to Abby, then glanced at Whitney, who nodded, and I was confident Whitney wouldn’t let Abby follow us.
But Jax did, and I was grateful for that. He’d help work this out, even if he said things no one wanted to hear. And then Colt followed, too, and I stifled a groan. He was only going to make things worse.
Once in Trent’s room and out of earshot of Abby, I crossed my arms. “You want Trent to erase Abby’s memories?”
Isach nodded. “Yes.”
“No.” Trent shook his head.
“What do you mean no?” Jax said. “If you don’t, everything falls apart.” Belief and indignation rose with each word. “They’ll find out about Chloe, and they will kill her, Trent.” Jax’s eyes turned to inky puddles of black.
I held my breath, praying they didn’t start fighting about this.
Trent snarled. “Half the time, I have no idea what I’m doing when I erase myself from someone’s mind. And I sure as hell can’t pick and choose what memories to get rid of and which ones to keep. What if I erase everything she knows?”
“You’ve done it before,” Isach said. “But let’s say you do erase everything she knows. We’ll just tell her everything again when this is over.”
I chewed nervously on the inside of my cheek, my thoughts racing with everything that had happened when Trent wiped my memories.
“When he did it to me, I didn’t remember anything about him, but I also didn’t remember anyone associated with him. Like you.” I glanced at Isach. Ideas and questions and worst-case scenarios tumbled over one another in my brain. “So, if he wipes himself from Abby’s mind, he could erase her memories of you, too.”
Eternal Promise: (The Cursed Series, Book 5) Page 19