Then he was gone, leaving me to my whirling thoughts. Apparently, I’d been wrong, or something had shifted between us.
The vampire wanted my heart as well as my soul.
Chapter 10
“Wisteria,” Jasmine whispered, brushing her fingers lightly across my arm.
I mumbled, refusing to open my eyes. I needed a few more moments of sleep. Even before fully waking, I knew that the day about to unfold was going to test my reserves more than any day had in over a dozen years.
I would face it, but I wanted to do so on my own terms. And well rested.
“I’m sorry,” my best friend said. “But you need to wake up now, Betty-Sue.”
It was the edge of panic in her voice that forced my eyes open. She was crouched before me at the edge of the couch, pressing the screen of her phone to her chest. Light glowed all around it. Dawn was threatening along the edges of the curtains, but it hadn’t penetrated the living room yet.
We were still in Rye, New York. I didn’t remember being woken from a dream, but … for a blissful moment, we hadn’t been in Dawn’s house. The house of her murdered parents. We had been in a place and a moment that was before whatever Jasmine was about to tell me. Before whatever had stressed her enough to wake me. But, by her expression alone, I knew we were in the midst of the after now. There would be no going back from whatever she was about to say.
“I found Jasper,” she said without further preamble.
“Okay.”
“I called Rose, like you asked. Like you wanted. But she … she wouldn’t listen,” Jasmine said. “I had to tell her everything before she’d confirm he was at Fairchild Manor. That he’s been holed up there, except for his monthly treatments on the island, obsessing about reclaiming the estate magic.”
“Okay.”
“Wisteria! Are you awake?”
“Jasper’s in Connecticut,” I said, patiently proving I’d absorbed the information that had stressed her so badly. “We can fly or we can drive.”
“No … listen to me. I told Rose everything. That you had reconstructions, plus Yale’s confession, and that we had the flight logs. She still didn’t believe me.” She swallowed harshly. “Then I told her about the contract with the Conclave. She … didn’t know.”
I snorted with disbelief.
“And … she didn’t take it well.”
I shifted up on my elbow, my hair falling around my face. “What do you mean?”
Jasmine twisted her lips, worried but hesitant to tell me what was concerning her. “She said she was going to confront him.”
“And?”
“And I can’t reach her now.”
“She’s dodging your calls.”
Jasmine looked up into the darkness above the top of the couch. Declan stepped forward, looming over me. Even in the dim light, I could tell just by the set of his shoulders that something was terribly wrong.
I glanced between them. Jasmine shifted her gaze. Declan rubbed his hand across his face.
“What did you do?” I asked, dreading the answer. Knowing that any sense of control I’d had over the unfolding situation — misplaced or not — was about to spin away.
They looked at each other, then back at me, remaining silent. As if neither of them wanted to be the one to tell me what they’d done while I’d been resting, while I’d been readying myself for a final confirmation of Jasper’s whereabouts.
“When you couldn’t get hold of Rose, what did you do?” I asked again.
“We told Grey,” Jasmine said.
“You told Grey what?”
“That you were coming for Jasper,” Declan said. “That we couldn’t stop you.”
“That we would come with you,” Jasmine said.
“That you’d tear it all down,” Declan said. “That we’d help you.”
They fell silent. I shifted up, swinging my legs off the couch. Jasmine pressed her forehead onto my thigh. I settled my hand on the back of her head.
“And then?” I asked.
Jasmine passed me her phone. Her text app was open to a conversation with Grey. I read the last few lines.
>I can’t get hold of Rose either. When did she say she was going?
An hour ago.
>I’ve contacted Violet. We’ll go to the manor ourselves.
Dad. Be careful.
>Of course, pumpkin. We’ll get to the bottom of this. Love you.
Then, by the times indicated in the app, thirty minutes had passed.
Dad?
Dad?
Dad?
Before I could look up or respond, Declan thrust his phone in my face. Two text messages appeared on his screen. The first was also from Grey.
>I keep forgetting to tell you how proud I am of you. Take care of the girls.
Always, Grey. Don’t underestimate Jasper.
I looked at Jasmine, who had lifted her head and was watching me with a fierce sadness. I shook my head in disbelief, looking over at Declan. “You sent them after Jasper. You waited until I was asleep, then you contacted them behind my back.”
“It’s their goddamn job, Wisteria,” Declan snarled. “Even if it’s almost thirteen years too late.”
“You asked me to find out where he was,” Jasmine protested, talking on top of her brother.
I stood up. And by the time I made it to my feet, I was absolutely livid. I’d had it under control. Yes, it would have gotten messy once I’d come face-to-face with my uncle, but we’d have the element of surprise and Kett to back us up, and …
The full ramifications of the missing elders hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest.
I spun to face the only two people I loved in this world, trying to moderate my tone with that affection in mind. “Did you tell them he was out of the wheelchair? Did you tell them about the birth dates?”
They glanced at each other.
“Did you tell them about the names on the contract? How they’re legally binding? Each and every one, before Kett crossed them off?”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Jasmine asked. “We were just trying to rescue the kids … and not lose you in the process. Protect you as you always protected us.”
I pressed my hands to my face, attempting to hold myself together. “So …” I whispered. “Now we’re facing all the elders.”
“They’re never going to stand with him,” Declan said. “They might be assholes, but we just told them we have evidence and witnesses of kidnapping, and —”
“Declan.” Jasmine cut her brother off sharply. “Listen for once.” She slowly straightened from her crouch, keeping her gaze glued to me. “What are you saying? With the birthdates? And the contract? You’ve put something together we haven’t.”
“If he can bind the elders and everyone else magically on a piece of paper, then he can control them in person, using the estate magic,” I said. “And the kids? He’s trying to recreate the power of three so he can stand against us when we eventually come for him.”
Declan shook his head. “That’s impossible so quickly. That took years of conditioning …” He trailed off. “Dawn’s kidnapping.”
“Yes,” I said, pleased that my voice sounded steadier than I felt. “He was expecting to be caught. Eventually. The accident was going to call attention. He just needed time. Time to reclaim the estate magic. And time to bond the children to him and each other.”
I looked at Jasmine and Declan in turn. They stared back at me, dismay etched across both their faces.
“But he won’t use natural bonds this time,” I whispered. “Declan’s right. That would take too long.”
Jasmine pressed the back of her hand across her mouth. Declan closed his eyes, pained.
“And …” I faltered, needing to vocalize all my fears at once, simply to get them out in the open. “If … when he kills me, then Kett will be forced to remake him. And he’ll have the coven and immortality.”
I stepped close enough to thread my fingers through Jasmine’s.
Then I reached up and cupped Declan’s face. His stubble caressed my palm.
“Running away was never an option,” I said.
“We’re with you.” Declan’s voice was husky with emotion.
“Always,” Jasmine murmured.
“I know. I’m sorry. And I know.”
I let my hands fall to my sides, hoping almost helplessly that wasn’t the last time I was going to touch either of them ever again. “Keep trying to contact the elders,” I said to Jasmine. “Hopefully I’m wrong.” I retrieved my bag and headed for the bathroom.
She nodded, already texting on her phone.
“Where’s Kett?”
“Out for a snack,” she said without irony. “Also, I think Copper took the SUV, so I’d guess he’s replacing it.”
I nodded, then I looked at Declan. “I hope you’re ready. We’re going to need you to get into the manor.”
“I doubt it,” he said. “I think he’ll let us walk right in.”
“But not out?”
“That would be the idea.”
“Good thing the estate likes us better than it likes him.”
Declan snorted. “Right. I’ll get the vampire up to speed. Do you think he’ll be with us?”
“To storm the stronghold of one of the most powerful witch covens in the world? Yes. I imagine he thinks it’s taken us far too long to get to this point.”
In the bathroom, I made myself presentable. I couldn’t face Jasper looking less than perfect and poised. My ability to maintain composure under pressure was one of the only things I did better than him.
Other than love.
Unfortunately, composure alone wasn’t going to get me through the coming battle. And love? Well, love might not survive the war either.
Not wanting to leave the jet too far behind, Kett had insisted that we fly directly into Litchfield. Copper had, in fact, taken the SUV, forcing the vampire to source another before we could leave. Maybe that would cure Kett of the habit of leaving his vehicles unlocked.
As close as we already were to the Connecticut border, the flight to the Fairchild airfield pretty much consisted of taking off, then immediately landing again. Not enough time for us to really prepare, but also not enough time for any doubts to set in and unsettle our plans.
Declan, Jasmine, and I disembarked into the bright early-morning light without speaking. Kett lingered in the jet, still texting or emailing. We had radioed ahead, but were forced to wait for a vehicle to be brought around for us from one of the far hangars. We hadn’t given enough notice and weren’t expected, at least not by the airfield’s regular crew.
But though Jasmine hadn’t managed to establish contact with any of the elders, I was quite certain that Jasper had become aware of our arrival the second the jet touched down.
Declan immediately found a patch of grass and stripped off his boots and socks. He began powering up his blasting rod and spelling whatever stones and other items he had within reach. Jasmine was still fiddling with a number of devices she was constructing from small electronics she’d snatched — and promised to replace — from Dawn Fairchild’s home.
I wandered toward the nearest hangar, needing to confirm for myself that the Fairchild jet was currently grounded. It was. Hearing a vehicle approaching, I started to turn back.
Then a glimmer of magic caught my attention.
I stepped into the shadow of the open building instead.
Lark appeared atop a steel desk tucked into the far corner of the hangar. She was wearing a white-and-navy-blue-striped sleeveless dress that looked suspiciously like the tea towels that normally resided in a drawer in my kitchen in Seattle. Not that they ever got used. Also, the brownie had a real talent for stretching a bit of fabric.
“Hello, Lark,” I said, quickly crossing to her. Even standing on the desk, she was still a head shorter than me.
“I’ve been waiting for you, mistress,” she said in her gravelly voice.
“Have you been to the manor?”
She shook her head. “I have been there. But he found a way to keep me out a little while ago. I’ll be able to follow you back in.”
“No,” I said. Though I would have preferred to not give the brownie any direct orders, I knew that doing so was necessary to protect her from Jasper. “You aren’t to follow, Lark. You’ve lost enough of your family to the Fairchilds.”
She settled her clenched, overly large hands on her hips, jutting her chin out defiantly. “Are you going after the children?”
I hesitated. Though I knew I should lie in order to keep the brownie out of harm’s way, I also needed to know what she knew. “Does he have them at the house?”
She nodded, regarding me unblinkingly with her large deep-brown eyes.
“Is that how he took the estate magic back? With a spell involving the children?”
She nodded again, sadly. “I tried to disturb the magic, to hold the estate. But once he figured out what I was doing, he figured out how to stop me.”
“Are they … are they still alive? Did he kill them to tie the estate to him?”
Lark fingered the ruffled hem of her dress. “Not then, mistress. But I wasn’t able to keep him away from the children when he came for them a few hours ago. Nor was I able to voluntarily leave the estate without losing hold of it, after he’d sensed my presence.”
My heart squelched. Lark had been protecting the children this entire time. And I’d put professional duty over coming when she’d called for me. “I’m sorry, Lark.”
The brownie pulled herself up to her full height, glowering at me. “You are not responsible for my actions, mistress. I choose whom to serve. Once I knew what he’d done, I chose to stay for the children.”
“Okay, okay.” I breathed deeply. I had known it was likely that Jasper was holding the children hostage on the estate — and possibly the Fairchild elders with them. That confirmation didn’t change what we were going to have to do.
Lark leaned toward me. A crafty smile spread across her face. “The house doesn’t like the interloper. It was happy when the children came, but not happy when they cried.”
“The house?” I echoed incredulously. “The house doesn’t like Jasper?” I had said as much to Declan about the estate, but I’d been attempting to be playful.
Lark settled back on her heels and crossed her arms with much satisfaction. “The house likes me. I keep the magic flowing. It heeds him because he’s forced it to. But it is more. More than he thinks, more than he knows.”
I stared at the brownie. “Will … the house help us rescue the children?”
Lark tilted her head thoughtfully. “Are you planning to take them away?”
“Well … they’ll need to return to their families.”
Lark frowned. “Don’t mention that part.”
“When I what? When I talk to the house?”
She nodded as if talking to a house, and to Fairchild Manor specifically, was something everyone was capable of.
“Does it … will it answer back?”
“Not how you mean, mistress. And you’ll have to free it from his grasp. But it will help you if you ask.”
“You mean the estate magic? Like with the vampires?”
Not answering me, Lark lifted up on her tiptoes, peering over my shoulder.
“Jasper is powerful,” I said. “I won’t be able to take control from him if he’s on the grounds.”
“I’ll do what I can,” Lark said. Then she disappeared.
“Lark! No!”
“I thought you were talking to someone.” Declan’s gruff voice came from behind me. “The brownie?”
I turned to him, nodding and already weary with the thought of the task ahead of us.
“The car is here.” He held out his hand to me.
I crossed to him, accepting his hand. “I’m sorry about Copper,” I whispered.
“It wasn’t a thing,” he said. “It just seemed …”
“Easy?”
“Normal.
”
I laughed sadly.
“What did the brownie say? Has he got the kids? Can she enter the property?”
“Yes. No. And the house likes her.”
He snorted. “Well, let’s see if we can woo it back to our side.” He lifted my hand, pressing a kiss to the center of my palm.
A warm shiver ran through me.
Declan met my gaze as he said, “We’ll promise it the birth of our firstborn.”
“Don’t be nasty, Bubba,” I whispered.
“I’m not, Betty-Sue,” he said gruffly. “I’m just not giving up.”
He squeezed my hand. Then he tucked it into his elbow and led me out of the hangar.
They were waiting for us. Though I had expected to find all the Fairchild elders at the manor, I hadn’t really expected them to stand against us. Not willingly, at least.
We had parked at the curb when we arrived, rather than continuing up the driveway through the open gate — an entrance that normally stood closed and warded against entry.
As I stepped onto the sidewalk, already feeling the pull of the estate magic despite the fact that I was holding my personal shields as tightly as I could, I cast my thoughts back over all the proper things I should have done. The steps I should have taken, including calling in a Convocation task force. But I couldn’t stop thinking about how if I hadn’t been so quick to follow proper protocol when Lark had asked for my help, I would have given up on the investigation and come to her — and found the missing children before I’d even known they were missing.
Though if I had, there was a good chance that Jasmine and I would have unwittingly fallen to Jasper without Declan and Kett.
Just as there was a good chance we were all about to fall to him, even forewarned.
But even though we were out of practice, I was fairly certain Jasper couldn’t stand against the power of three. He had crafted us into a weapon. And no matter what black magic he’d performed over the last few days, I knew he hadn’t had enough time to do to the children what he’d done to us.
Unless he’d killed them, then harnessed their collective life force. Then none of us stood a chance of standing against Jasper. Except maybe Kett, if the contract hadn’t been set with such well-defined parameters.
Unleashing Echoes (Reconstructionist 3) Page 20