by Cherie Marks
With one last look at the house, he bounded into the forest, and I watched the spot where he disappeared until not a leaf moved. He had been magnificent, and I wanted to watch him more. I wanted to know if he’d really meant what he said. Was he attracted to me? Like I was to him?
Well, that was impossible because I wanted him like the rain wanted the ground. I couldn’t have slowed the motion toward him if gravity suddenly reversed and magnets repelled steel. Like it or not, contact was inevitable, and I was certain he wasn’t willing to accept that just yet…or ever.
And if I could work on not losing my mind whenever I was around him, I might even be able to use this newly found attraction I’d discovered he had for me to work the con job. Unfortunately, barring a lobotomy, I didn’t think I was going to be able to think past the hormones coursing through my body whenever he was near.
I stepped away from the window finally and sat on the bed. If I played this just right, I might even be able to get Finn’s help in finding the stone. After all, he’d probably looked over every inch of this place and the surrounding property. If anyone knew where to look for something like that, he would.
Tomorrow, I might tell him a memory had come back to me—a memory of a stone. I could do it. With his help, I could end all of this by tomorrow evening and be on my merry way with no curses, no connections, no worries. There would be no strings on me, and that’s what I wanted.
I laid down on the bed, tucking the covers around me comfortably. It was a good feeling to be safe and relaxed. I could get used to it. Of course, for a little while, it had been nice to hang out with Evie, Celia, and Liz. I’d even enjoyed the time with Finn, especially when things got all hot and confusing. Had to admit, I would miss this when I left it all behind. Maybe my returning memories could wait for a while still. I would be forced to leave soon enough. No need to rush it.
Maybe wherever I settled, I’d find people like them, who would take me into their group, make me feel like I belonged.
I yawned sleepily. Who was I kidding? Truth was, I didn’t know how to belong. I’d never really felt wanted, and though I got a few hints of it with Evie and her friends, I wasn’t naïve enough to believe I was really a part of the group. No, I had to remind myself of my reality. I was meant to be alone…forever. No connections to anyone. It was just the way it had to be, and the sooner I accepted that, the sooner I could get my hands on the stone and let go of all ties to others forever.
Why did that suddenly sound like the saddest cable network movie ever made?
Chapter 8
The next morning when I came down to the kitchen for breakfast, Evie and Finn were nowhere to be seen, and I remembered Evie saying something about her job as a teacher at Mount Shelley High School. The idea didn’t quite mesh with the Evie I’d known in California, but honestly, that seemed a lifetime ago anyway.
Then, she’d been an out-of-work actress and part-time talent manager for Clooney. We’d crossed paths at auditions at first, and eventually, we became friends. Then, my brother had come to visit. He’d found he liked the California weather and decided to stay. It was on an audition for kitty litter, one that Clooney had already landed, that my brother, Bruno, had convinced the casting director they didn’t need a cat at all. They needed a blonde female and a date-gone-wrong because of bad kitty litter. They’d listened and rewritten the whole commercial. He and I had gotten the parts as two people on a date, which was weird in itself, but when I found out what he’d done, I’d refused to do the spot. But it was too little, too late. By that time, Evie and Clooney had packed up and left the state. Gone—goodness knew where—and leaving me no chance to make amends. I really hadn’t known what had happened to them until Gambrol had pointed me in their direction and told me why I should pay attention. If only I could go back to a time before that moment, before I ever met Evie Hale, before I was even handed off to the first foster home, maybe things would be different. But that was just wishful thinking.
It occurred to me that this would be a perfect opportunity to begin my search for the stone. The question was where to begin looking. I surveyed the drawers and cabinets of the kitchen, and thought they were as good a place as any to begin. I began to push the barstool I was on back so that I could stand, but stopped and cocked my head to listen.
A sound behind my back startled me, and I swiveled to see who it was. As if my thoughts conjured him, bright green fur topped off the familiar form of Clooney as he snuck through the cat flap cut into the back door that led into the kitchen.
He glanced up then leaped to the stool beside me. “So, amnesia is your story, huh?”
My insides felt squeezed as I battled against throwing myself on Clooney’s mercy, to apologize for everything my brother had done. Yet, to admit I even remembered would make the fact I was here under false pretenses that much more obvious and then I’d never get that stone.
“Look, Clooney, I get the sense there’s animosity between us. Did I do something wrong?”
His tail twitched like a bright, green tree swaying in a breeze. “You could say that.”
I pursed my lips together tightly to keep from reacting. I just wanted to blurt out how sorry I was, but rather than making things better, it would’ve made things so much worse.
At least it hadn’t affected Clooney’s appetite. Setting his paws on either side of the food bowl someone had left for him on the breakfast bar, he devoured the contents and sat back with a loud, drawn-out burp. His paw patted his stomach as if to pack it in a little tighter.
I stood up slowly. “I’m getting ready to head out. I have an appointment with a neurologist.”
“Well, you certainly have to play the part, don’t you?”
“Does public transportation come this way?”
“There’s a car in the garage, and the key is hanging on the hook by the door.”
I didn’t know what to say, but the curse was triggered. My fingers twitched at the thought of taking something that didn’t belong to me. It was going to happen eventually, but I needed it to be the thing I came for. Besides, nothing came strings-free. I knew that all too well. I had to wonder, was he testing me? “I don’t think I need to just take a car.” Oh, I so did!
“Don’t get your panties all bunched. Evie told me to tell you it’s yours to use for as long as Finn is here. He’ll drive her everywhere she needs to go. But, I don’t expect you’ll be here longer than Finn. I expect you’ll get what you came for and split long before he leaves. Seems to be more your style anyway.”
Relief hit me. The curse eased. I wouldn’t be stealing anything just yet.
It gave me the strength to deal with the shade being thrown my way. “Okay. I get the message. You don’t trust me, and you don’t like me either. Is there anything that could make things right between us?”
“Yeah. You could tell the truth and get the hell out of here before you hurt anybody else.” He leaped to the floor and rubbed against my legs before he sashayed toward another room.
Ugh! I hated this. I didn’t want to do this anymore, and I wanted to just hop on the nearest bus out of here. But the emotional ties hadn’t been broken yet, which meant I’d have to live with the guilt of what I’d done to my brother—the one who’d protected me from the time we were both little. I could still feel the sting of slaps and the loss of my few possessions. Bruno had made the other kids stop hurting me. I just couldn’t abandon him, but I also couldn’t wait for the day that I felt nothing. Then, I’d never let myself be put into a situation like this again.
My gaze swung to the keys hanging on a hook beside the door that led to the garage. What if it was a test? What if he were trying to see if I’d take him at his word? Then, he’d probably call Evie and tell her I couldn’t be trusted because I’d stolen her car.
Of course, if I brought it back before she got home from work, I would prove I’d never had the intention of stealing her car. The curse might make it hard to bring it back, but I could do it. It might go a lon
g way in building trust and helping Clooney lower his guard. Someday, I would apologize to him, but it would have to be when I no longer cared what people thought. It would be after the stone had worked its magic.
I grabbed my purse and marched to the door. With my mind made up, I grabbed the key and opened the door into the garage. After a moment of investigating, I pushed the button to raise the garage door, and squinted against the sunlight that poured inside.
I pushed the remote to unlock the car and half expected it not to work. However, the locks clicked, and the door opened when I pulled the handle. I climbed inside, shut the door carefully, put the key in the ignition, and started the engine. It fired to life, and I ecstatically put it into reverse. With a quick adjust of the mirrors, I gave it a little gas and began to back out into the driveway. I thought it might be a good idea to try to remember the position of the mirrors as they’d been so that I could put them back the way they were and show what a thoughtful person I was. Not the raging liar Clooney obviously thought I was. The fact that I was lying to them all was irrelevant. My lie wouldn’t hurt anyone in the end, and it would help my brother and me.
Apparently, bullshitting wasn’t just for politicians anymore. I knew the truth. I’d known it for a while now. I was wicked. Bad to the bone. No amount of justification could make up for the fact that I was lying and stealing to get what I wanted. That didn’t make for a good person. Therefore, I wasn’t a good person. I was bad. Very, very bad. Might as well embrace it. Show them what I could really do.
I pulled into a spot in the doctor’s office parking lot. With my courage screwed up tight, I trudged into the office and signed in. I took a seat in the lobby and picked up an outdated magazine about celebrities I hadn’t heard anything about in months. Their fifteen minutes of fame was probably almost up, and I hoped mine never came.
The door to the doctor’s office opened, and someone walked in. I didn’t even look up from an article about how a well-known celebrity was getting on now without her cheating husband. Good for her, I guessed. I didn’t know them from Adam, but I’d had aspirations to be her at one time in my life. That faded though when I realized just how impossible it would be for me to have a normal existence living under not just one, but two curses. Considering I would never be able to accept well-wishes when just being told good luck would guarantee an injury. And how could I ever commit to staying in one place for very long when eventually I wouldn’t be able to resist taking something valuable and running away.
The seat next to me was suddenly occupied, and I looked up from the article to a mostly empty waiting room. I looked to my right, surprised to see the same man from the diner yesterday. He even had a fedora resting on his lap.
I was confused as to why he was here, but what baffled me even more was why he’d chosen to sit right beside me when there were so many other possible seats available.
“How’s it going?”
“Well, I can barely remember my own name, and I’m mixed up in something a little overwhelming, something caused by things I’ve had to deal with most of my life. But other than that, I’m just peachy as punch.”
“Sounds like you could use a friend.”
Warning bells began sounding for me. I didn’t trust anyone anyway, but when someone started trying to get close and friendly, I got defensive immediately.
“Look. Nothing personal, but I’m going to move across the waiting room. You stay here, and we’ll be apart together.”
I stood up and crossed the room, settling into a chair as far away from him as I possibly could.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. You just looked like you’d lost your best friend.”
Maybe he really was just trying to be friendly, but that had never been my experience for as long as I lived. To my knowledge, if someone was being nice, he or she was just buttering you up for some plot they were about to hatch against you.
“You do you, man. Just leave me out of it. Besides, what you’re suggesting is impossible. I couldn’t lose a best friend I’ve never had.”
He looked genuinely sad for just a moment, and once again, I was drawn to his eyes that were so like mine. It was strange and strengthened the feeling that I needed to get away from him as soon as possible.
Bracing myself to stand, I was just about to tell the receptionist to cancel my appointment when a female in scrubs opened a door and called out, “Cara?”
I blew out a heavy breath and stood up. I couldn’t stop one final, awkward clash of our similar gazes before I focused straight ahead and followed the woman through the door, leaving the man behind.
I hoped he was gone by the time I made it back out into the waiting room, but somehow, I doubted I’d seen the last of him. From the way things were going, I might’ve just picked up my first ever stalker. It wasn’t nearly as sensational as I’d expected it to be. It was actually rather boring, and—I hoped—short-lived.
* * *
I wasn’t shocked by the doctor’s conclusion. All my scans came back normal. No brain-bleeds or extra fluid accumulating. No surprise there. It was her opinion that time was the only cure for my amnesia, and she had full confidence that my memory would return. I played the part perfectly, acting anxious yet relieved at the fantastic news. However, that put a countdown on my efforts to find the stone. Time to get serious about what I was here for.
I left the doctor’s office relieved to see the waiting room empty. I couldn’t help but grab the outdated magazine I’d been looking at earlier. I didn’t figure it would be missed, but it eased my cursed bones.
Even as I walked outside, I scanned the area and was relieved not to see a sign of the odd man. Apparently, the whack-job had moved on. Goddess, I hoped so.
With a deep breath, I made my way quickly toward the car. But before I’d even cut half-way across the parking lot, the man from the waiting room stepped out from around the side of the building and began making a beeline toward me.
I picked up my pace, practically jogging toward the car and reaching for the keys, trying to pull them from my pocket quickly. Panic began to take over, and as my fingers fumbled for the keys, I dropped them to the ground.
As I reached down to scoop them up, I could feel him coming up behind me.
“Cara! Wait! Carrasandra Reed, stop! I can help you.”
If I’d been panicked before, it was nothing compared to now. I’d just hit Defcon one. This guy knew my name. My full name. This was beyond creepy. Unless…
“Did Gambrol send you?”
He stopped walking and just stood still. His face took on a pained look as he said, “No. Of course not. I don’t work for that guy, and I never would.”
His denial was just a tad too emphatic for me. I didn’t like this one bit, but it made sense that Gambrol would send people to spy on me. His trying to get close to me made sense now.
“I don’t need your help. Just leave me alone.”
“But I can help you find the stone.”
That was all I needed to hear to know for sure that he was a part of the problem, not the solution. Time to go. Right now.
Keys firmly in hand now, I strode toward the car, unlocking it with the remote as I went. I threw glances over my shoulder to make sure he stayed away from me, but just as I’d feared, he began walking in my direction once more.
I reached for the door handle, and nearly made it when I heard a strange squawking and flapping sound behind me.
“Get off me!”
I yanked the door open and began climbing into the car but stopped mid-motion as I caught sight of the scene taking place in the parking lot. A black and white, yellow-billed bird with blue wings was swooping and attacking the man. He was swatting at it, but the bird just kept coming back for more as the man made grunting noises with every swing of his hands.
Not wanting to wait around for things to turn back around on me, I sat in the driver’s seat and started the engine. I backed the car out and, putting it in gear, left the scene,
glancing one more time in my rearview mirror. The bird seemed to be flying off as the man, visibly shaken with mussed hair and rumpled clothes, watched me driving away.
What was that all about? Going crazy. I had to be. Strange men chasing me, birds saving me, and crime bosses extorting me for magical items pointed to one thing. I was completely bonkers, and if I wasn’t yet, I soon would be.
Chapter 9
As I pulled the car into the garage and turned off the engine, I pulled the key from the ignition and sat with my back against the seat for a moment, trying to figure out just what I’d gotten myself into. Everything seemed out of control, which only made the idea that I had to make sense of the insensible that much harder. But I had to find the stone. I had to forget all the other stuff, find the stone, and touch it. With one touch, the crazy would all go away.
Then, I’d hand it off to Gambrol and walk away forever. The call of freedom was strong.
I opened the car door and stepped out.
A male voice echoed through the garage as it said, “You’re welcome.”
I screamed an expletive and turned around to see who’d spoken, but the only living thing noticeable was something completely unexpected. Somehow, the bird who’d attacked the man had found me and was now in the garage. It sat perched on the handlebar of a bike leaned up against the wall.
“What? Did you just speak to me?”
Its yellow beak tipped down and back up again as if nodding. “Of course. Name’s Wentworth, and I just have one question for you.”
“Oh. One question, huh? Must be nice because I’ve got about a zillion.”
“I’m sure you do. But I need to ask you, are you Google?”
Stranger and stranger. “Excuse me?”
“Because I think I just found what I’ve been searching for.”