“I know I made a mistake in judgment.” I grit my teeth as I have a sudden vision of the knife grazing down my bare skin. A mistake, I assure myself. Julien and everything about him has been a mistake.
“That’s the understatement of the century.”
“I trusted him,” I cry, willing him to understand, “but I can’t take it back now. I’m scared, and I don’t know what to do, because if Julien did break in here, I’m not sure if I could hurt him, even if it was to save my life. I’m not a killer. I’m already so many other things I can’t stand, I would never be willing to add that one to the list as well.”
Reid swallows hard, and I can tell he is biting back all the words he wants to say, the I-told-you-so lecture in particular. He continues to look into my desperate eyes, sensing my weakness. “That’s why I’m here,” he says finally, pulling me toward him. “Because I can and will make that choice to keep you alive.”
I fall into him as he pulls me over, and we sink to the floor against the wall. My head rests on his shoulder as his fingers play with the edge of my hair. I always knew he would protect me, as well as Abby and Sadie, but somehow hearing him say it finally makes it real. It feels odd having a family I can depend on, a shoulder always available to cry on. I take advantage of that, my tears leaking down to soak into the soft cotton of his shirt. “I’m sorry. I should have listened to you.”
“I’m sorry too,” he whispers back.
I snort. “What do you have to apologize for?”
He is silent for a moment, and when he speaks, his voice is soft. “I pushed you toward him. I should have been the one you trusted, but you couldn’t even come to me when you needed help.”
“Honestly, I was afraid of disappointing you. Although I did that when I decided to stay here.”
He pulls me over into his lap, sighing. “I was wrong on that point too, Willa.” He guides my head until it lays against his chin, and I don’t think I’ve heard him be so gentle. “I had no idea how much they needed you to stay. You’ve filled a void in my mother’s life that I couldn’t. You’ve brought smiles back to Abby and Sadie’s faces that I thought I might never see again, and most importantly, you’ve taught me being right isn’t as important as seeing you happy.”
I look up at him, my eyes wide with something between disbelief and giddiness. He brushes my hair from my eyes and smiles reassuringly. “I will make this right,” he promises, but before I can respond, the door to my room rattles.
We both jump, having been too engrossed in our own conversation to hear the footsteps coming up the stairs. The door rattles again, this time followed by Grady’s booming voice. I scoot off Reid’s lap to allow him to reach the lock, and Grady barges in, his blond curls in disarray around his face.
“Your guest has vanished,” he says, and I can tell there will be no love lost between Grady and Julien in all this, but my stomach knots as he continues. “I followed their trail all the way to the main road where they parked. The tire marks disappeared once it reached the blacktop.”
Reid’s face tenses, the muscles in his arms flexing as he carefully thinks out his reaction. “Do you think it’s Julien?”
“The tire tracks are pointed east,” Grady confirms. “They’re going to Raven Ridge or the interstate.”
Zeke silently steps inside the room, and I can see Abby and Sadie’s shadows just outside the door. They all wait on Reid. He takes a long, labored breath, glancing ever so slightly in my direction. “Abby,” he says finally, calling his sister into the room. She steps inside, immediately nestling herself under Grady’s protective arm. “You and Sadie will spend the night here, but I want you to call Mom, Jade, and the others. Let them know to be on alert tonight.”
“Of course. Where are you going?”
He ignores her question, walking over to grab my hand. He squeezes it gently before pulling me toward the door. “I want you to stay downstairs, confine yourself to the back room. I want one of you to take watch all night.” He leads me downstairs, everyone following us. “Zeke, are you able to stay and patrol the grounds surrounding the house?”
“Of course,” he says, and Sadie whines softly behind him. “The adrenaline makes me feel better,” he assures her quietly, but she continues to frown at him, clutching her hands around his arm.
“Where are you going?” Abby asks again, this time much louder than necessary. Reid gives her a solemn look, and Abby’s suspicions are instantly confirmed. “You’ve lost your mind,” she says, throwing her hands in the air. “You’re only human. You’ll get hurt, or even killed.”
“You don’t have to tell me what I am,” he yells back at her. “Trust me, I know my own capabilities.”
“Then you should know better than to pick a fight with one of the Haunted.”
Reid grits his teeth at his sister, his eyes turning black with rage as usual. I can’t stop myself from running forward, throwing myself between them. “He’s stalking her, Abby.” His voice rises, turning desperate. “What do you want me to do?”
“It’s not just your responsibility to protect her,” she shouts. “We can help. You don’t have to do everything by yourself.”
“You’re wrong,” he says, and I fall back against him. His arm wraps around my shoulder, and his breath comes out shaky and uneven. “It is my responsibility.”
Abby stares at us, appearing as confused as I feel, but we are all caught off guard by a short knock on the door behind us. Everyone spins around, staring at the closed door as if it just magically learned how to talk. The second knock comes shortly afterward, and we glance around the room, taking account of each person, concluding no one is missing.
“Sera or Mom wouldn’t knock,” Sadie reasons.
“Maybe it’s Cari or Julie,” Zeke says.
“Can’t be.” Grady walks over and tries to peek through the window. “They’re both still at work. Rooster’s doesn’t close for another hour.”
Everyone stares at the door, and I jump as the third knock breaks through our silence. I clear my throat, straightening myself up and walking toward the door. “Well,” I whisper to the group. “There is only one way to find out.”
I feel slightly awkward while I turn the knob, finally remembering I’m wearing my scanty excuse for pajamas. However, it is too late to worry about that. The door opens to a round of gasps behind me, followed by my own as I stare into the concerned face of Julien Cote.
“You’re home,” he says with relief, his blue eyes swirling happily. “I’ve been waiting all day to talk to you, to finally get a chance to explain everything—” But then he catches sight of the five sets of glaring eyes, and his voice falters. He quickly takes a step back. “I’m sorry,” he says, holding up his hands. “If this is a bad time, I can come back later?”
I open my mouth to speak, but I’m pushed aside before I can voice the words. Reid rushes by me, shoving Julien backward off the porch. He lands on the ground with a hard thud. Reid jumps on top of him, landing a single, yet effective, blow across his face. Julien screams in agony, his hands cupping his nose as blood trickles between his fingers. “You will never come back here!” Reid screams at him. “I can’t believe you had the nerve to walk up to her door after that little stunt you pulled earlier.”
Julien attempts to shove Reid off him, but to my surprise, Reid is able to stand his ground, pinning Julien beneath him. “Get off me!” Julien yells in fury. “Or so help me, Reid Thomas, I will break something doing it myself.”
Reid punches him again, this time with an audible crunch upon impact. I’m not sure if it’s Julien’s nose or Reid’s knuckles that suffer, or maybe both. Julien begins to spit out blood that drains between his lips.
“I have feelings for Willa,” Julien yells through the pain. “Obviously, the news is out, but it’s none of your business. This is between me and Willa.”
“The hell it is.” Reid punches him again.
This time Julien struggles but throws Reid off him and scrambles to his feet. Grady instantly mo
ves between them. I stand speechless as I watch Julien wipe the massive amount of blood from his face. It pains me to see him hurt, even now when I know he lied to me. He looks desperately at me, his pain outshining my own. “Willa,” he begs.
“Don’t talk to her,” Reid yells, rushing forward, but Grady catches him and holds him back. Grady knows as well as I do that Julien won’t be caught off guard a second time.
“This has nothing to do with you,” Julien says, attempting to find his balance.
“It has to do with all of us now.” Grady struggles to keep Reid back. “The minute you stepped foot in Frog Hollow without her permission, it became our business. Did you actually think she didn’t see you earlier? That she wouldn’t call us?”
“You scared her to death,” Zeke says, pulling away from Sadie to join in the effort to control Reid, because he’s managing to wiggle his way out of Grady’s grip. “You can’t expect us to let you stalk her.”
Julien looks at me, his eyes wide in disbelief. Every muscle in his body goes limp, as if the breath has been knocked out of him. “You told them I was stalking you?”
“Of course she did,” Reid bellows, breaking free for only a moment, but Julien doesn’t even flinch. His eyes are locked on me.
“I saw someone,” I say in a whisper, slowly making my way down the steps. “Through my window.”
Julien’s mouth drops open, and he takes a step toward me, and I falter, stumbling back up the steps away from him. He stops, hurt by my retreat. “You saw someone,” he says cautiously, “at your house?”
“Yes.”
“There are footprints leading all the way back out to the main road, and the tire tracks are directed toward Raven Ridge,” Grady adds.
“Or the interstate,” Julien says, his tone turning acid. “Hell, that road leads to the other half of the country. All of you just assumed it was me?”
The next thing I know, Grady is bent over, groaning as Reid manages to knee him in the stomach. Zeke immediately lets go, knowing he can’t hold Reid back on his own. Reid tackles Julien, but just as I predicted, he is ready this time. Julien flips him over, returning the favor with a hard punch straight to his face.
All I can think about is Julien’s voice and the look on his face as he considered there was someone else here and that someone was after me. It was genuine fear in his eyes, and the reality of his reaction sinks in. I leap forward, screaming at them. “Stop!” I yell frantically, thankful to see Grady recovering and stumbling to his feet. “Stop it right now!”
Of course, neither of them listens. They wrestle on the ground, screaming profanities and accusations at each other. My annoyance for their blatant disregard grows, and the wind begins to whistle around me. Violence isn’t solving anything for us right now. Even if Julien is only trying to save his own skin, I can’t allow Reid to follow through with his plan.
“Stop!” I say again, but this time it’s followed by what appears to be an explosion between the two boys that knocks them backward in opposite directions. They land loudly against the ground, each groaning as they turn over, but I’m not finished with them yet. I raise my hands from my side, as do their bodies from the ground. Their feet dangle helplessly as they struggle against a force they can’t see.
Abby chuckles behind me. “Nice to see those lessons with Mom are paying off,” she muses, letting herself calm the storm my anger is beginning to brew.
The boys stare helplessly down at me, their feet still kicking uselessly in the air as if that will somehow save them from my vengeance. I look at each of them in turn, letting them note the seriousness of my words. “You two are going to stop fighting,” I say through my teeth. “And I don’t mean just right now, I mean for good. This insane feud you have between you is officially over, and that goes for Grady and Zeke too. You got it?”
The boys groan in the air, Grady gives a disgruntled huff, and Zeke merely shrugs. Next, I turn my attention to Julien because his words are still eating away at me. “Were you here earlier tonight?”
“No,” he proclaims. “Check your phone. I even called to ask permission to come by, but you didn’t answer.”
“Liar.” Reid is still furious.
“I second that.” Grady makes a face at Julien.
Julien scowls down at him, fighting against me to somehow reach his adversary, but my hold is strong. Abby’s right; my lessons are really starting to pay off. Once Julien figures out no amount of strength and effort can save him, he turns his attention to me. “You know me, Willa,” he says, pleading. “Just because I’ve lived here with them half my life doesn’t mean they know me better than you do.”
“I can’t just take your word for it.” I’ve lost my patience with him. “It’s not enough anymore.”
“So you’re going to automatically assume I’m guilty? How is that fair?” His frame slumps down. “It’s not only your feelings and your heart at stake in this anymore. I deserve a chance.”
“You deserve nothing,” Reid snaps.
Both boys yelp as I lose my patience, and my invisible grip tightens around them. I meant what I said earlier; I want the feud to stop. It will be impossible to figure out the truth as long as they continue to hate each other, which means the truth will be lost.
The trees begin to sway around us again, the wind howling at the dusky moon overhead. I’ve never wanted to lose it more than I do in this moment. To once and for all let my power control me, bend the world to its will as it guides my hand, but I stop. I flinch against the warm hand that touches my shoulder, and my attention returns to keeping my hostages in midair.
Sadie taps my shoulder. “There is another way to find out the truth. Sera can be rather persuasive when she needs to be.”
“Persuasive?” My concentration falters to the point I accidentally let the guys drop two feet but quickly adjust them back to their original position.
“That’s right.” Grady looks to Abby. “Sera used some kind of spell to get me to confess Abby and I were dating.”
“She can do that?”
Reid wiggles in the air above me, still frustrated. “The person has to be willing.”
“Or too stupid to know what she’s doing to you.” Zeke elbows a scowling Grady in the ribs.
A spell. There is spell that can make him tell the truth!
Hope isn’t lost after all, although their feud will likely continue, but that is a problem for another day. I drop both boys to the ground, walking gingerly over to Julien, who lies hurt and bruised. “If you’re innocent, let Sera prove it.” I loom over him. “Are you willing?”
He shifts up onto his elbow, the blood drying on his face. He looks at me through swollen eyes. “I think it’s obvious I’d do just about anything for you.”
***
Twenty minutes later, we are all crammed in my house. Julien sits at the kitchen table washing his face with a damp cloth. I hand him a rag full of ice cubes for his eye and nose. “Thanks,” he says under his breath, because he knows Reid is watching us.
“You’re welcome.” I turn around to find Reid. He stands at the edge of the entrance, a scowl on his face. I hand him ice as well, guiding his hand up to his rosy cheek.
“I’m fine.” He lets me hold it there anyway as I lead him into the living room.
“You’re upset.”
“You’re taking up for him again.”
“I’m trying to find out the truth.” He takes the ice from me and steps away. It hurts. “If it was Julien, case solved. If it wasn’t, then we need to know it. What if it is someone else, and you’re right that they’re somehow connected to my mother’s death? And now they are hunting me as well?”
He purses his lips, because he knows I’m right, but he still doesn’t want to admit it. “I’m still worried,” he says, and I know he’s chosen his words carefully. He is reminding me of the change that has occurred between us recently, as if I can forget it.
“You worry too much,” I say playfully, and I let my voice drop so o
nly he can hear. “Even if he isn’t a danger to me, he still kept the fact that one day he will be like his father from me.”
Sera’s car pulls into my driveway, and I squeeze Reid’s hand to let him know everything will be okay. Sera seeks me out as soon as she walks through the door, hugging me and scolding Reid for not calling her sooner. “Well, it’s difficult to get in contact when someone has you suspended twenty feet in the air.” He gives me a crossways look.
“Well, from now on, call me before she has to resort to such drastic measures.” She beams with pride at me. “Now, where is my victim?”
“Kitchen.” Abby points behind her.
Everyone starts to follow her, but I block their entrance into the kitchen. “Give us some privacy, please?” I look directly at Reid. “Sera can tell you the verdict when we’re finished.”
Reid’s mouth gapes. “You expect us to wait outside?”
“Yes.” I give him a sympathetic smile. “Please?”
“I second that.” I turn to see Julien standing at the corner, his arms crossed over his chest. He gives Reid and Grady a loathsome look. “Trust me, you don’t want to know all my secrets.”
“What does that mean?” Reid shoots back.
“Out.” Sera lets out a frustrated sigh. “I want everyone out except Julien and Wilhelmina.”
Everyone moans and groans as they exit the house. Reid gives me a tentative hug. “I’ll never stop worrying,” he says. “It’s what I do best.”
He smiles weakly at me before closing the door behind him. Sera turns to look between Julien and me, motioning us to the kitchen. “Well, let’s get started.”
Julien returns to his seat at the table, while Sera takes off her jacket and washes her hands. I stand in front of him, trying to decipher the look on his face. “Are you nervous?”
“No.” He leans casually back in the seat. “Are you?”
That ruffles my feathers. I suspect it has something to do with his newfound cocky attitude. “Why would I be nervous?”
He smirks, glancing over to make sure Sera isn’t paying attention. “What are you going to do about Reid when you can’t pretend to hate me anymore?”
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