Brayden shook his head and I knew he could never understand. “You mean like some kind of vigilante justice? Ella, that’s not the way to go.”
“Bray, please. I can’t explain this anymore than I already have but I need you to let me handle this. If you go to the cops, they won’t even know what you’re talking about and I have no proof that she’s done anything. Let me take care of this that way I need to.”
He looked like he was about to disagree but relented. “Fine, but I swear the second I feel like you’re in danger, I’m doing something about it.”
“Okay. Let’s not talk about it anymore.”
Brayden always knew what to do to make me feel better. We ate cold pizza while watching an old black and white movie on TV. I forgot all about my troubles, at least for the night.
18
I spent the next day filling out job applications online. Brayden came home from work early, looking much paler than usual. He thought he’d caught a stomach bug and was worried about cutting his shift short since I wasn’t working. I told him not to worry about it, warmed him up a can of soup we had in the cupboard and put him to bed. Brayden was always begging for more hours at work, so for him to come home early, he must have really been ill. He also had a writing deadline to make.
The following day I took the bus to the grocery store, spending almost everything we had left on canned foods and toilet paper. On the way home, I was busy scrolling through my phone, checking my emails when someone took the seat beside me. I wondered why since the bus was practically empty.
“How’s the boy?”
I shivered. That voice could cut glass. I looked over to see the queen dressed in a white silk blouse and black leather pants. Although she was dressed to blend in, there was still a regal quality about her that separated her from everyone else.
“Hey, Angie. What do you want?”
She smirked. “Is that the attitude to have toward someone who’s only trying to help you? I’ve come to give you a heads-up.”
“A heads-up about what?”
She pulled out a golden compact mirror and applied more deep-red lipstick. “He came home sick last night, didn’t he?”
My heart raced. How did she know? Was she watching us all the time like some creepy voyeur?
I didn’t answer her mostly because I didn’t want to hear what she was going to say next.
“He delivered a pizza to my hotel room yesterday, when he did that, I offered him a fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie. They were so warm and sweet-smelling he couldn’t resist. Chocolate chip cookies are his favorite, aren’t they?”
Yes, they were.
“There was a parasite baked into the cookie. The parasite will eat away at him little by little until there’s nothing left. You know I don’t believe in quick and painless but I do believe in torturous and prolonged punishments. The more the parasite eats, the more pain your boyfriend will be in. It’ll get to the point where he’ll pray for death.
“Once you have completed your task I will kill the parasite and the boy’s health will be restored. You have five days. You can either watch the love of your life waste away or you can do what you should have done a long time ago.”
I withered. Of course, if I had to choose between anything and Brayden, the choice would be Brayden. Even though I didn’t mean for them to, my eyes brimmed with tears. “I don’t even know where to find this girl. She could be anywhere.”
“Lies. Didn’t your faux-mother tell you where she was?”
She did. I remembered her mentioning a cabin in the woods and Covington Cove, but I would need more information than that.
I squeezed my hands together. “I’ve only seen Merna once. I don’t know where she is.”
Angeline rolled her eyes. “The little teapot goes to the chapel over on Farrington every day at noon—to pray for you, funnily enough. Maybe she can help you find Scarlett.”
Before I could respond, she was gone and I was left alone again. I wanted to tell her that Merna would never tell me. She wouldn’t want to have any parts in helping me do something so awful.
Still, I would go to the chapel. It was my only shot and I had to do something to help Brayden.
The next morning, I walked into the chapel at 11:30 to be sure I wouldn’t miss her. The chapel doors were open. A few people were nestled into the pews while one man knelt at the altar.
The chapel was lined with colorful stained glass windows and smelled like ash and vapors.
I took a seat in the last pew and waited. At 11:59 Merna strolled in, wearing a long dress and wrapped in the shawl. She took a seat in the middle of the chapel. Obviously, she hadn’t noticed me. Taking a deep breath, I moved to Merna’s pew, sliding in beside her. She dug through her purse and removed a handkerchief. Her eyes widened when she finally looked over.
“Ella, what are you doing here?” She pulled me into a tight hug. Merna smelled the way she always smelled even after all these years.
Once she finally let me go I took her hands in mine. “Merna, I need your help. I have to do what Angeline wants. If I don’t, something terrible is going to happen to the only person I have in this world. I don’t want to do it but she isn’t leaving me any choice. She says you can help me. You can tell me where Scarlett is. I only have five days so I don’t have time for a scavenger hunt. I need to know exactly where to find her.”
Merna faced forward, her eyes focused on the crucifix hanging on the wall at the back of the altar. “Ella, are you sure you have to . . . once you do something like this, there’s no turning back. You’ll have to live with it forever.”
“Not forever. This will break my curse. I can get on with my life and grow old with Brayden. I won’t be stuck in this form for the rest of eternity.”
Honestly, that part was just a bonus. My main objective was saving Brayden, and I’d do anything for him but I didn’t think Merna would understand.
She closed her eyes for a few moments. “In Covington Cove, California there’s a place called Redwood Ranch. That’s where you’ll find her.”
I made a note in my phone. “Thank you. Merna, I know this is a lot to ask but can you do me a favor—”
“Yes, yes. I’ll keep an eye on your friend while you’re gone. Don’t worry about him.” She placed her hand on my knee. “Ella, please, whatever you do, don’t be cruel about it. Don’t make her suffer long.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“Ella, there’s something you should know about Scarlett—”
“No, please, Merna. I don’t want to know anything about her. It’ll just be easier.”
Merna pressed her lips together. “No, but—”
I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a peck on the cheek. Taking a deep breath, I inhaled her scent. “Merna, don’t. I’m sorry, I have to go.”
She called after me, but I ignored her. She shouted something about Scarlett but I placed my hands over my ears so I wouldn’t have to hear it. I needed this girl to be a complete stranger to me. The more I knew about her, the harder it would be for me to fulfill Angeline’s orders.
That night Brayden got worse. I had fifty bucks to my name and I needed to get to Covington Cove. I couldn’t even afford a bus ticket. Taking my phone into the hallway, I dialed Jade’s number.
She picked up after five rings. “Hey, doll. Haven’t heard from you in a few days. How’ve you been?”
“I’ve been okay, but a little stressed with the book store burning down and having to find a new job. I could use a little getaway. How do you feel about a girl’s road trip to Cali?”
Jade gasped. “OMG, Ella, that’s an awesome idea.”
“What’s an awesome idea?” Keelie asked in the background. I should have known she would have been there too.
“Ella thinks we should take a road trip to Cali.”
Keelie squealed. “Daddy will let me borrow the convertible. It will be perfect. The weather’s so nice this time of year.”
Sure, this would be
all fun and games to them, but to me it would make the difference between life and death.
Jade put me on speaker. “When?”
“Why not tomorrow?” I asked. Yes, it was short notice, but I needed every second. Who knew how long it would take to find Scarlett and put myself into a position to get her to wear those glass slippers?
I hated to leave Brayden alone while he was sick, but I would be gone just a few days tops, and then everything would go back to normal.
“Where in Cali?” Keelie asked. “Laguna, LA, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs?”
I was really going to have to sell this. “Covington Cove.”
“Covington Cove?” the girls said at the same time.
“Never heard of it,” Keelie added.
“Yeah,” I said, “it’s the new hot spot. I was reading about it the other day.”
I pictured them looking at each other and shrugging. The girls chattered away with each other as if they’d forgotten I was on the phone and then Jade came back on. “Awesome, we’ll pick you up at noon tomorrow. Let’s see, I have to make hotel reservations at the Ritz. Have you ever stayed there? Of course not. You’re going to love it, Ella. See you tomorrow.”
I hung up and grabbed a duffel bag from the closet, stuffing all my clothes and toiletries inside. I left room for the box with the glass slippers. Someway or somehow, I was going to have to get Scarlett to wear those shoes.
Part 3
Covington Cove
19
The following morning, I made sure Brayden had enough food to last him the next four days. I knew Merna would keep her promise in making sure he was okay.
Jade sent me a text that she was outside. I grabbed my duffel bag and kissed Brayden on the forehead. He looked terrible. His skin was clammy and he had taken on a grayish tint. I had to work fast.
“Bray, I know you don’t understand any of this, but I’m doing this to save you. I promise you I wouldn’t be leaving you otherwise.”
I needed him to know that I wasn’t leaving him in his time of need just to go on some girl’s trip.
He swallowed hard. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. I’m sure it’s just a bug. It’ll pass.”
That broke my heart even more. He had no idea what the witch had done to him and what type of danger he was really in.
A cherry red convertible was parked in front of the building. The girls squealed when I stepped outside. Keelie popped the trunk and I tossed my duffel bag on top of their Louis Vuitton luggage. I already knew what they were going to say about my ratty old duffel bag.
I hopped in the back seat and we took off. For any other girl, it would have been the epitome of fun. Cruising in a convertible with the wind whipping through my hair. Hanging with my best friends with music blasting from the speakers. I should have been having the time of my life but that was impossible.
I had to worry about finding Scarlett. I didn’t know how I was going to pull that off when Jade and Keelie already had plans to spend our days on the beach and our nights partying. How was I going to get them to drive me around to some cabin in Redwood Ranches? I needed to come up with something. While they went on and on about inane things, my mind was working a mile a minute.
It was supposed to be an eight-hour drive to Covington Cove. Jade and Keelie took turns driving while I stayed in the back seat. I had never owned a car, so I never bothered getting a license. Along the way, we grabbed a bite to eat and took a few bathroom breaks. We stopped at a shopping outlet where the girls refused to buy anything because it was an outlet, so I wondered why we’d stopped in the first place.
It was almost 10:00 when we pulled into the valet at the Ritz. I kept my head down as the bellboy loaded our cart full of designer luggage and one tattered duffel bag. Surprisingly, Jade and Keelie said nothing about it. I didn’t think they’d expected me to have anything better than that.
The room was a suite and like nothing I had ever experienced. We each had our own room. Keelie and Jade wanted us to get dressed immediately to go out, but I wasn’t up for it. I needed to plan my next steps. Brayden didn’t have a day for me to waste. I would have to start looking for Scarlett in the morning and not stop until I found her. There was no time for fun and games—at least not for me.
I stood in the doorway of Jade’s room, watching her decide between a red dress and a gold one. “I think I’m going to sit this one out. I’m really tired from the trip. You guys have a good time though.”
Jade tossed the shoes she was holding onto the bed. “Are you serious? This whole trip was your idea and now you want to stay in? What the hell?” She rolled her eyes. “Is it because your boyfriend’s sick? It’s just a little stomach bug. He’s not gonna die.”
Please stop talking.
“No, it’s not that. I’m sorry. Tomorrow, I promise I’ll be a lot more fun.”
“Whatever,” Jade muttered and I left her alone.
Once she and Keelie had gone for the night, I locked myself in my room and went over dozens of scenarios in my head. I grabbed my laptop and did a search for Redwood Ranches and a bus schedule so I’d be able to get around quickly. I’d even come up with a story to tell Jade and Keelie the following morning. Knowing I needed to have a good reason for ditching them, I’d come up with the perfect story. They were going to be pissed regardless, but at least they still had each other. They didn’t need me to have a good time.
When Jade and Keelie made it in, I pretended to be asleep. The next morning, I set my plan into action. Jade ordered breakfast and the three of us gathered around the dining room table.
Jade was complaining about a headache while Keelie bragged about what a great time they’d had.
“Guys,” I told them. “I have a confession. I haven’t been totally honest with you.”
Two pairs of perfectly arched eyebrows went up.
“What do you mean?” Keelie asked.
“I didn’t want to take this trip just for fun. I took it because I’m looking for someone.”
Jade tossed back a couple of aspirin. “Looking for someone? Looking for who?”
“My family.”
Keelie ran her fingers through her hair. “Your family? Your parents are dead, right?”
I swallowed hard, wondering if I were going to be able to pull off this lie. “Yeah, they are but I recently learned I have a great aunt and a cousin who live out this way. I wanted to reach out to them and see if we can meet. They’re the only family I have left in this world and it would mean so much to me.”
“Aw, you poor thing.” Jade reached across the table and patted my hand. “I feel for you. Family is everything and I couldn’t imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t have mine. I think it’s great you have someone out there. Why didn’t you just tell us this from the beginning?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t think you would be interested.”
Keelie frowned with disappointment as she scooted herself over to the chair beside me. “Of course, we would be interested. Ella, you’re our friend. If it’s important to you, it’s important to us. Besides, we can go to the beach any old time. Let’s go find your family.”
Jade nodded in agreement and my heart warmed. I suddenly felt so much closer to them. However, I didn’t need them following me around. Dealing with Scarlett was something I had to do on my own.
“Still, I don’t want to ruin the trip for you guys. You should go to the beach and grab some lunch and we can meet up later.”
“No, way,” Jade insisted. “How are you going to get around?”
“I have a bus schedule.”
“Eww,” they replied simultaneously, scrunching their faces. A knock on the door interrupted the moment. Keelie hurried to answer it. Two hotel employees rolled in a cart of covered trays containing eggs, fruit, bacon, and croissants. After they removed the lids and set everything on the table for us, we dug in.
“As I was saying,” Jade continued. “We’re going with you. Besides, it’ll be a lot faster than
taking the bus.”
I watched my friends as they shoveled eggs on their plates and decided there was no way around it. They were going to be joining me on my quest to find Scarlett.
After breakfast, I closed the door to my room to make a quick call to Brayden before we left. He answered on the fifth ring, sounding worse than he did when I had left him.
“Hey.”
“Hey, honey. How are you feeling?”
“Like death.”
That stung me in my heart. “Bray, did anyone come by the apartment.”
“Oh, yeah. A lady who said she used to be your nanny when you were little. I thought it was kind of weird for her to just show up out of the blue but I’m not complaining. She made me some homemade soup from scratch. She said the canned stuff was poison. It was the best thing I ever tasted. Then she cleaned our whole apartment from top to bottom. The place looks amazing.”
I was relieved, but I’d always known that Merna would keep her word and take care of him while I was gone. I had four days left to break Brayden’s curse, but the sooner I could end his suffering the better.
“I’ll be back soon and I promise everything will be okay.”
He gave a painful sounding cough. “Okay. Miss you. See you soon.”
We hung up and I was more determined than ever to find Scarlett.
I grabbed my duffel bag after emptying all the contents except for the glass slippers. Then I threw on a black tank top, a pair of blue jeans, and sneakers.
In the car, I gave Keelie the directions to the cabin in Redwood Ranches and she plugged them into the GPS. It took us almost an hour to find the place, then we came to the trail that was supposed to lead to the cabin. It was a small trail, too big for a car, so I would have to walk the rest of the way.
Forever Ella: The Everly Girls Book 2 Page 11