Reid isn’t just the best boyfriend ever…he’s a pretty good human too. A lot better one than I am. My family leaves, and I sit on the couch to wait. Romeo finds his way into my lap, and I’m thankful. He always comforts me when I need it the most. He purrs contently underneath my hand, urging me to scratch behind his ear. He’s almost lulled himself to sleep when a set of headlights flash through the window. Romeo jumps up, darting to the glass to stare down the unfamiliar car. I open the front door to watch the sleek sportscar come to a stop. I don’t know what kind it is, because I know nothing about cars. There’s a funny symbol on the front that I’ve never seen before. It appears freshly washed, but soon the settled dust from my gravel drive will ruin the shine on the black paint. Leo steps out, wearing a full three-piece suit. It’s expensive too, just like his car and his stupid leather shoes.
Leo is so flashy. He’s handsome and well put together, but so ridiculously flashy.
“Good afternoon, Miss Daniels.” He closes the door to his car, and it’s only then I realize he’s holding a bouquet of flowers. Yellow roses.
Yeah, it’s a good thing the boys left.
“Hello, Leo.” I eye him as he walks toward me, clearly disappointed in the image. “Aren’t you a little overdressed?”
He hands me the roses, and I accept them. I might already hate the guy, but it wouldn’t be prudent to our plan to be rude. “I’m dressed for dinner,” he says matter-of-factly. “You should go get dressed too, or we’ll be late.”
I maneuver the roses—there are a lot them, and they’re heavy—onto my hip. “There isn’t a restaurant in Sanctuary that requires that kind of dress code.”
He grins like he knows a secret, and, well…he does. “I didn’t say I was taking you to dinner in Sanctuary.”
I frown at him. He goes and takes a seat on the swing. “Hurry,” he says, motioning me toward the open door of my house. “Or we really will be late.”
I have to keep myself from stomping my foot like a child. “I’m not changing. This is silly.”
He unbuttons his suit so he can stretch his arms over the back of the swing. “You agreed.”
“To dinner. Not a date,” I say, twirling the flowers around.
For once, his cocky smile fades away. “Go change, Wilhelmina. Or you’ll be too late.”
I throw the roses at him and stomp into my house. The bastard. Blackmail is illegal. I agreed to his stupid dinner. Now he expects me to, what? Play privy to his every whim? I should set him on fire. A little bit, at least. Just enough to ruin his stupid, fancy suit.
I only have one dress in my closet. I know this before I even dare open the door. It’s red, strappy, and exceptionally plain. Well, plain if you don’t count the fact that it fits me like a glove. I check my closet again, somehow hoping Abby or Sadie has put something in it without me knowing. I don’t have that kind of luck.
I put on the red dress. I find a pair of black heels in the back of my closet, then pin my hair into a messy bun at the nape of my neck. It’s wrong. All of it.
I make my way back downstairs, and give Romeo a treat because I actually do want to make us late for whatever he has planned. I pause mid-step, stumbling forward. Dozens of yellow roses sit on my kitchen table in a jar full of water.
“Wow,” a voice exclaims from behind me.
I spin around, and Leo is in my doorway, gawking…again. I roll my eyes. “Enough.”
He holds up his hands. “No, I mean it, Wilhelmina. You look absolutely stunning.”
His sincerity is obvious, but it doesn’t last very long. The smirk comes back. “Your little Haunted friend never stood a chance, did he? Neither of them did.”
I shove past him and slam the door. “Let’s go, or we’ll be late.”
Chapter 7
THE GARDIANS
The last time I left Sanctuary was to go to Charleston. Julien had been kidnapped by Roux and his father. I’d been in the presence of my family. Ezekiel was in the back seat. Now, speeding through the back roads out of the town…my town…doesn’t feel right. Leo is quiet. A welcome surprise. He’s probably having to put too much effort into driving. His fancy car takes curves at a much higher rate of speed than my old Explorer. I find myself holding onto the armrest to keep from falling over the gearshift on top of him.
Which is probably his plan.
I tug at my neckline, attempting to hide the cleavage the dress insists on putting on display. I barely even remember buying the wretched thing. My California friends…the graduation party…all that seems like a lifetime ago. Once we’re on the highway, I finally let go of the armrest and relax a little. So does Leo.
He glances out of the corner of his eye at me. “So, what’s the deal with your fan club?”
I sneer at him. “I don’t have a fan club.”
He flexes his hand on the steering wheel, grinning at the highway. “No? So, Reid Thomas and Julien Cote aren’t both madly in love with you?”
“Who told you that?”
He laughs. “No one. I have eyes, Wilhelmina. They would have had my head today if you hadn’t intervened.”
“A decision I’m regretting at the moment.”
“So…” When I don’t answer, he huffs, exasperated. “What is your status, Wilhelmina? Are you spoken for?”
My glare is exceptionally glinty. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this fancy contraption was a time machine that transported us back to 1950. No one speaks for me.”
He bites his lip and I realize too late my sarcasm is only making him worse. Whatever that means. “Do you have a boyfriend? Or is it complicated between the three of you?”
“Reid is my boyfriend. It’s not complicated.”
“Hmm.” He turns his attention back to the road. “That explains why your Haunted friend was so riled up today. He’s got something to prove.”
“Do you realize this isn’t a game? We are not here for your amusement. If we don’t end the curse—”
“Then Julien will die. All the Haunted will die. The darkness will return and take them. Yes, I know what the Spell of Iniquity means. I know what it means for all of us.”
“How do you know?”
He relaxes into his seat a little more. “We’ll get to that.”
“How?” I say, almost shouting it at him.
He glances at me, still amused. “Look, don’t work yourself into a frenzy. I’m not allowed to tell you.”
“What?”
Leo starts laughing. “Don’t you think I would have by now? Don’t you think I would have spilled my guts to you this morning on your porch if it meant gaining favor with you? If you don’t, well, you’re highly underestimating how good you look in that dress. And that t-shirt, for crying out loud.”
I sit back in my seat, a little stunned.
Leo lets out a breath, or maybe it’s a sigh. “I’m sorry, Wilhelmina. My job is to bring you to my brother. Louie will tell you everything you need to know.” He glances over at me, his expression soft and sincere. “Okay?”
I huff. “Fine, but you could have just said that earlier.”
He smirks at the road. “I know.”
I grab my small clutch purse and chuck it at him. He pretends to dodge it, his laughter full and robust. He sets my purse back on the console between us, his eyes dancing in a way I definitely didn’t meant to create. “I really should have come back to Sanctuary sooner.”
We ride in silence the remainder of the trip. I don’t want to risk doing anything else to encourage him. I sit up in my seat when we pass through a large iron gate. The arch at the top has the tree, an exact replica of the one on the door, weaved through the design. We’re definitely in the right place. If only I knew what kind of place. The driveway is long, but fitting when I finally see the house.
No. Not a house.
A castle.
An actual, real-life castle. I blink at it a couple times out the window. “This is where you live?”
“Yes. Castle de Galloway.”
<
br /> I snort. “Obvious much?”
“I didn’t name it. It’s been in our family a very long time.”
I glance over at him, more uncertain by the minute of who this strange boy could be. “How big is your family?”
“Right now? It’s just me and my brother Louie.”
He puts the car in park right by the front door, or rather, the grand entrance. Double, ten-foot wooden doors can hardly be called something so—what’s a frilly, ridiculous word Leo would use?—colloquial as a front door. He gets out and opens the door of the car for me. I’m not sure if he’s trying to be a gentleman or he simply got tired of watching me stare inawe at his castle. I get out and straighten my dress. He holds out his arm for me to take, but I don’t. His expression has changed ever since I mentioned his family. It’s an expression I recognize. It reminds me of myself every time I speak about my childhood.
“What happened to your parents?”
He takes my hand and places it on his arm. “Same as your mother, I’m afraid. Roux Bessette was a ruthless man.”
I clutch his arm tight. “Roux killed them? Why?”
He reaches up and touches my cheek. “To find you.”
My stomach sinks, and Leo shushes me. “There is no cause or room here for guilt, Wilhelmina. My parents took an oath, as do all Galloways, to protect the secrets we keep. They died fulfilling it.”
“But—”
“C’mon, we’re late. Louie will answer your questions.”
I follow Leo into his castle, despite my eagerness to question him more. I expect to find servants inside, but no one greets us. The place appears empty. We walk through quiet hallways and dark rooms, each of them a little grander than the last. The lamps are made from a beautiful white porcelain, and chandeliers shimmer above us. Then I hear music. It’s soft. A piano playing a slow waltz. The room at the end of the hallway is lit by candlelight. As we get closer, I realize it’s a dining room.
The walls are a deep crimson, and the table is long enough to sit a family of twenty. Leo walks over to an ornate golden table in the corner and picks up a tiny bell and rings it. “Hello?”
A man appears in the doorway at the other end of the room.
“Ah,” Leo says, coming over to grab my hand. He pulls me to the other side of the table so the man can see me. “Our guest has arrived.”
The man—he looks barely older than Leo—bows to me. “Good afternoon, Miss Daniels. Thank you for accepting my invitation.”
Louie Galloway favors his brother. Same deep-set gray eyes. Same brown hair, except Louie’s is long. It hits just above his collar. I push my shoulders back and cross my arms over my chest. “Accept your invitation? Your brother blackmailed me to get me here.”
Louie’s gaze darts to Leo, which tells me one thing. He doesn’t know about any of his brother’s antics.
Leo brushes it off with a grin. “What? It worked, didn’t it? She’s here.”
Louie takes in a slow breath. “You’re excused, brother.”
“Wait.” I turn around to Leo. “You’re not joining us for dinner?”
“Disappointed?” He places his hand at the small of my back. “Don’t worry, I’ll still be here when you’re finished to escort you back home.”
I have to bite my lip to keep my manners about me. He gives me a quick wink before leaving me alone with his brother. Louie pulls a chair out from the table. “Please have a seat. Dinner is almost ready.”
I take my place, and Louie disappears into the other room. From the smell, which is divine, I assume it’s the kitchen.
He returns a moment later with two plates. He sets one down in front of me. “Salmon with my special crab hollandaise sauce.”
I eye the dish, taking in the deep, rich smell. “Are you a chef?”
“I have a lot of free time. I don’t suppose that makes me a chef.”
He takes the seat beside me, and I lean closer. “Who are you? What does your family have to do with the Innocent and Haunted?”
He smiles. “Eat, and I will talk, Miss Daniels.”
I pick up my fork, slicing off a small bite of the fish. It’s delicious. He must have lied. He has to be a chef. I quickly take a second bite as he starts talking.
“I am Louis Kingsworth Galloway, the Eighth. I am a Guardian. As is my brother Leo and every other Galloway in our family tree as far back as the history can go.”
“What does that mean?”
“We keep the history of Sanctuary. We were entrusted to keep it safe and to keep it secret.” He takes a bite of his fish, stopping to savor the flavor. “The original Innocents, Contessa and Elizabeth, knew there was a way to end the curse on the Haunted. However, the Haunted had to take part in the ritual willingly for it to work, and they knew Arthur, Estelle, and George wouldn’t do it. So, they took one of the key ingredients, the black fruit, and hid it deep in a cavern behind a door that would only open with the willing touch of each of the Haunted.”
“Why add the tree? Why involve your family?”
“They added the tree as a safeguard. The Guardian must decide if each party is ready. We wouldn’t want to risk opening the door, then one of the Haunted destroy the ingredient.”
“If they were so worried about that, why put it inside the Raven’s Tower?”
“Estelle Cote had the Tower built around the door. She thought she could somehow bypass the magic and open it. She couldn’t, and eventually, they stopped trying, and the door was forgotten.”
“How did you know we found it?”
“It is our job to keep track and detail every event in Sanctuary. Especially magical events.”
“That doesn’t tell me how you knew.”
“Think about it, Wilhelmina. Who chose my family? Who placed this responsibility on our shoulders?”
“Contessa and Elizabeth? Do they come to you?”
“Not me. Leo.”
My fork pauses at my mouth. “Your brother?”
He must hear the shock in my voice, because he laughs. “He’s different, I know. But he is the one they chose. He talks to them, and then I write it in the history books.”
I think on it a minute while I enjoy my food, and Louie does the same. I take a sip of water, gathering my thoughts. “Leo mentioned Roux Bessette.”
I didn’t want to come right out and say how did Roux kill your parents? It sounds too cruel and emotionless in my head. Louie doesn’t skip a beat though. “Roux wanted to find you, Wilhelmina. He knew you would be the next Innocent to inherit the knowledge about his family and curse. He also knew my parents would have followed you.”
“What do you mean?”
“It is our job to keep track of the Innocent. When your father took you away, my parents couldn’t just let one of you disappear.”
“They followed us to California?”
He nods. “They kept tabs on you.”
“Did they make a list of all the foster homes that kicked me out?” My voice raises despite my best effort against it. “Did they even try to tell my mother where he’d taken me?”
“We can’t interfere, Wilhelmina. Our job is to keep the record, not change its destiny.”
“I was a child!”
Louie goes quiet, and I don’t blame him. Wind whistles around us. I wonder if he knows what that means? Does he know of the tornado that begs to burst out of me?
I try to focus my thoughts, but the whistles only get louder. I need my Sun.
They knew. They knew where I was my entire childhood and didn’t say a word.
Are you okay? Reid can always tell by the sound of my voice, even when it’s only in his head, that I’m upset. Take a deep breath, sweetie.
I tried that.
I feel a buzz in my head, then it changes to the lake behind my house. I can see it. Small, white waves crashing against rocks. It’s so clear. It can’t be a simple thought, but rather a memory. Reid’s memories are always clearer than something he’s imagined. A small pebble goes flying into the air, di
sappearing into the waves, and then I hear a small boy’s voice. “I’ll find you, Wilhelmina. One day. I promise.”
The image disappears and I can hear Reid again. I would have found you, Willa. Eventually.
The boy was Reid? The thought warms my heart. The whistle stops. I glance up, and Louie is watching me. My gaze dips to my food. “I apologize. My childhood is a sore spot, I suppose. Please, continue.”
Louie offers me a soft smile. “Roux figured out my parents knew your whereabouts. He kidnapped them, tortured them to no avail. They died keeping their oaths.”
“Then how did Roux find out I was in California?”
“They came back to the house, raided the library, and finally found my father’s notes.”
I’m reminded of the books Talbot mentioned that had the tree emblem in them. “One of the Bessette boys says they have books at their house with your family’s emblem in them.”
“Books they stole from us that day.”
I push my plate away because I can’t bear to eat anything else. “Will you help us open the door?” It’s the most important question. The one I came here to get answered.
Louie nods. “My brother will go back with you. He will talk to each of the Haunted. It will be his decision to make.”
“Julien will die if he doesn’t help us.”
“Wilhelmina.” Louie says my name softly, quietly, as if a thousand ears listen outside the door. “If each isn’t willing, the spell won’t work. You would be wasting your one chance. Trust me. Let Leo talk to them. Allow him to decide.”
I clench my teeth. “Fine.”
He picks the napkin up out of his lap and lays it down on the table. “Would you like dessert?”
I glare at him. As if I could eat cake after hearing the fate of Julien’s life rests in the hands of his brother. “No, thank you.”
He bows his head then stands from the table. He comes over and pulls my chair out for me. We walk in silence back through the dark hallway and make a turn to the right into a large, open room. It looks to be some kind of parlor. Leo sits at a desk in the corner, reading a book. He sits up when he sees me, but there isn’t a cocky grin. Does he know what his brother told me?
Shadow Bend (Witches of Sanctuary Book 3) Page 6