I let Tyr leave out the back, since he’s not at all anxious to run into Jack
Five minutes later, I’m heading back to my office. Jack’s still out front, watching the bar. Asswipe. I decide to go out and tell him the deed is done. Mostly because I don’t want to think of him hovering there all day.
Pushing open the door into the chilly, but relatively mild day—at least by November standards—I’m still trying to process what Tyr said. The Dark Council. I should be more preoccupied with them trying to off me, but instead I’m trying to picture Jack as part of such an entity. It’s all too easy.
He’s ruthless, cold as ice (ha!) and highly pragmatic. I thought he was a lot of other things, too, but I can’t trust myself where Jack is concerned. Not one bit.
My phone chimes at me as I jaywalk across Superior Street. It’s Sy.
Can you pls come & get me from work? The colossal POS died. For good this time.
Damn. Poor Sy. She loves that ugly behemoth of a car.
I text her back in the affirmative and look up to see Jack studying me, a softness in his eyes that comes and goes so quickly, I’m sure I imagined it. But then Carly’s voice echoes in my head, The way he looked at you whenever you couldn’t see him...
“You let Tyr go?”
I blink at the sound of his voice. “Huh? Oh yeah, just as you ordered.”
Jack doesn’t try and argue that it wasn’t an order, like some guys would, because we both know that’s exactly what it was. “Good.”
“So, you can leave now. Go on, shoo.”
He raises a dark eyebrow. “Did you just tell me to ‘shoo?’”
“Glad to know your hearing is as keen as ever.” My voice sounds too high to my own ears. Tight. Nervous.
Jack frowns. I’m shit when it comes to playing games with this man. Pity that doesn’t work both ways.
Those icy eyes study me unblinkingly, then he bends down, lips finding my ear, fingers circling my upper arms. “What’d Tyr tell you, Seph?”
“Nothing. I just gotta run.” I wave my phone between us, almost babbling. “Sy has stuff. Out at Beaner’s. Her car went poof.”
I don’t think he’s going to let me go at first, but finally his hands loosen and fall. He doesn’t say anything, just watches me, his lips pressed tightly together. But I can’t break his stare and step away. Even though I know I should. After what Jack did to me, I know he’s a bad, bad man. It’s just…
I don’t know. Maybe falling for someone as hard as I fell for him—so hard the bastard put cracks in my soul—means I’m always gonna hope there was some part of it that was real. That there was a nugget of truth deep in all the lies.
Maybe I have to believe that, or I’ll go insane.
Whatever.
I might already be insane, but hearing Jack is part of the Dark Council? It’s a proverbial slap upside the head, shaking me hard. Maybe that’s why I have to ask.
“Why did you come back? What are you really here for, Jack?”
He stares at me, a look on his face I can’t quite get a lock on. For a second I almost think he’s going to be straight with me. But I should know better by now.
“A lot of things in this life I’ve been told I can’t have.” He eyes my ass as he says it and I can’t help it, I flush with both anger and frustration. His lips curve in that smirk he has, the one that makes me squeeze my thighs together just a bit even as my blood boils.
“You should leave town, Jack. You’re not wanted.”
He doesn’t even blink. “Really, Seph? Because the way you said my name last night says otherwise.”
“I can’t help what I do in dreams. Unlike you. Sneaking around, stealing kisses for years—”
“If memory serves, you started the whole kissing thing this time,” he interrupts pointedly.
Touché, but I’m not in the mood. “Jack. That was a moment of temporary insanity. And I was drunk.”
“You were not.”
“Oh, you believe me now, do you?”
“I’ve always believed in you, Seph. More than you can possibly know.”
The words and the suddenly brittle way he says them take my breath away, tightening my chest. “You don’t even know me,” I hiss. “You knew a girl, and you destroyed her.”
“Oh princess, I didn’t destroy you,” he says softly, eyes on mine. “It would take a lot more than me to do that to the likes of you.”
He can’t really believe that. Can he?
“Fuck you, Jack.” I turn to go, beyond done with this conversation and this man.
“Is that an offer?”
Before I know what I’m doing, I whirl and slap him.
Hard enough the burn immediately streaks from my fingertips to my elbow, making my eyes water. The crack echoes sharply against the stone facade. A few passerbys give us wary looks, stepping off the curb to avoid coming any closer to the crazy couple. Jack has an oddly satisfied look on his face before he turns away without a word. Down the street the casino’s lights are just coming on. I watch his lithe figure vanish into the neon glow, breathing hard before walking back to my car.
What the hell did he mean by that? Believing in me. Believing that I will fall for his bullshit again, is more like. My head hurts and I want to hit something again.
I’d always assumed Jack did what he did simply for power. My mom clued me in on that score. I get in the Fiat, firing up the heater along with the memories. During that long winter after Jack left, she and I spent a lot of time together. She said that a man can’t stand the thought of a woman stronger than he is—that Jack had gone after me to take away the possibility of a witch who could one day take him down.
When I’d asked her why he’d think I’d ever be stronger than him, she’d only smiled in that vague way she had, saying sometimes the idea of a thing was more powerful than the reality of it.
I’d wondered where Jack would’ve gotten such a ridiculous idea about me, of all witches, but every time I’d poked at the subject, Mom had evaded. Eventually I stopped asking. What did it matter why Jack had broken my heart? It only mattered that he had. The why had seemed rather irrelevant at the time.
Considering recent events, I’m rethinking that position. Does Jack buy into this whole secret power deal? If he’s a part of the Dark Council, that seems likely. Maybe he even knows what it’s supposed to be…
Having reached Beaner’s I head to the alley in back and stop the Fiat, looking around for Sy. It’s only early afternoon, but shadows are everywhere, the thin grey ones peculiar to November. I don’t see the tow truck, or Sy’s damn relic of a car, which is hard to miss.
My phone chimes just as I’m getting out to go inside the coffee shop to find her. Beaner’s often has live music and it is a pleasant surprise to hear one of my fave local bands tuning up as I trot up the sidewalk. I hum along with RoofTop Fable as I check my text.
It’s only two words. And it’s from Thomas.
They’re here.
21
Son of a bitch.
I start to run, wanting to grab Sy and go, already starting to text Thomas back for details, when a soft cry stops me in my tracks.
I slip in something wet, floundering before I can gain my balance. There is a snarl that sounds more like a laugh. A shadow forms behind the dumpster. This one is not thin and grey. It grows as I step forward and catch sight of a crumpled figure on the icy asphalt. Sy? I’m reaching for my magic, opening my mouth when a familiar yellow werewolf slinks into view, wrapping his teeth around Sy’s throat. Not with enough strength to tear, just enough to show me the imminent possibility.
Owen.
My jaw drops, along with my hands. The wolf’s eyes shine triumphantly, black lips drawing back from those gleaming teeth. He tugs and Sy’s body slides slowly over the alley. Inch by inch, foot by foot until more shadows wrap around them both.
I feel the change in the air when Owen shifts, but by the time I run forward to the point they vanished, he is nearly out of sigh
t, blocks away. Sy’s barely visible, limbs hanging limply from his arms.
I can’t hope to catch a werewolf with that kind of a head start, even with magic. With a curse, I race back to the Fiat, but before I can open the door, my phone chimes again.
Where are you?
Thomas again.
I text back Beaner’s my mind still racing.
Surely Syana has a chance. Surely. But Owen was the werewolf who went after her at my party all those years ago. He knows what she means to me. I barely saved her then.
My hands are shaking so badly, I almost drop the phone when I reach for the door again. But it opens before I can touch it.
In a daze, I look up to see those icy-green eyes I just left looking down at me.
Jack holds out a hand, which I only stare at. I can’t get that image out of my head, those teeth clamped around my best friend’s throat, white as bone, pressing into her tender flesh. If Owen bites her…
“Keys, Seph. Now.”
“Where’d you come from?” I suck in a breath, trying to clear my head. I can’t just blindly entrust myself to Jack, crisis or not. It’s hard to think about anything but Sy at the moment, but I know that much. Jack’s not safe.
“I was with Thomas when he texted you.”
What? “How do you even know who the hell Thomas is, Jack?” My mind is thick and slow, but all of this feels wrong. Like I stepped into some half-forgotten nightmare.
“Now is not the time, Seph.”
“They took Sy, Jack. Owen did. Owen took her.” I stare at him, my eyes filling with tears.
His lips tighten, but he only snaps his fingers impatiently. “Keys, princess. You’re in no shape to drive and I can’t take you on the wind, or you’ll arrive puking and sick. You’re going to need to be at one hundred percent for this.”
“Where are we going?”
“Your house.” His voice is gentle, too damn gentle. “You need to brace yourself, baby. Sy isn’t the only one who’s missing. They got Carly, too.”
Swaying, feeling numb, I make the only choice I can and drop my keys into his hand.
On the way Jack fills me in. Thomas texted me the second he felt the wolves, before he really had a bead on their position. But less than a minute later, he was able to tell Jack that a bunch of them were coming up Tischer Creek. Jack realized they must be heading to my house. I have no idea why Jack was with Thomas at the casino. I’m no longer concerned with explanations. My tongue is locked to the roof of my mouth as I watch the city streak by in abstract streaks of grey and white.
Jack used the wind to check on my sisters right away, already knowing I was in the opposite direction picking up Syana, and assuming I was safe.
Turns out, Owen is smarter than either I or Jack gave him credit for. Or someone is. He went after my bestie alone while the bulk of the pack headed for my house.
They timed it perfectly. Carly was just getting home, back from her gamer play date. Ana was in the house and didn’t realize what was going on until the howls brought her outside to find Carly’s scarf on the sidewalk, the pack already out of sight.
I listen to Jack without interrupting once. He asks me if I know where Jett is, because she’s gone missing, too. I shake my head, but honestly, I’m not worried about Jett. If anyone tried to grab her, likely they’re dead already. But Carly—Carly and Sy?
I wrap an arm high around my waist, pressing down on the gorge that wants to rise. Where does Luna fit in all this? Do I even want to know?
I feel Jack’s eyes on me as he turns down my street at last, but I don’t meet that icy gaze. “We’ll get them back, Seph.”
I don’t respond to his words.
Because I know we will. But will they be whole…or in pieces?
22
Ana is damn near hysterical when we enter the house. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen my sister with so much as a hair out of place. Her platinum curls are wild, her eyes rimmed with red. She seizes me with both hands, her nails digging in.
“I can’t get a hold of Jett. And I can’t see Carly, Seph. I can’t see her at all! At first I did—they were in Wisconsin, somewhere on the South Shore. It was just woods and snow, but the lake was there, you know, all flat like it gets along Highway 13? But every time I’ve scried for her since, all I see are teeth. Rows and rows of glistening white teeth.” She releases me, falling back into one of the blue brocade chairs, her face stark white.
“Maybe she’s unconscious? Dreaming?” I suggest. “Maybe that’s distorting your vision?”
“No, she’s awake. What I’m seeing isn’t a dream, it doesn’t have that look…but it can’t be real either, can it?” She throws Carly’s scarf on the table, the bright yellow streaked with drying blood. With a shudder, Ana wraps her arms around herself, looking very unlike the icily composed big sister I’ve always known.
Rows and rows of teeth? No, not real. Unless Carly is in the gullet of some huge monster… Something flickers in my memory.
“Styx,” I breathe.
“What are you on about, Seph?” Ana shoots me a puzzled look as Jack gives a low curse.
I’ve almost forgotten Jack is here. I turn to him eagerly. “I thought I saw Styx with Carly earlier. I wasn’t sure—but if it was him, and they are friends… He might help us!”
“No,” his voice is adamant. “Trying to enlist that crazy bastard would be like asking a thunderstorm to lend a hand. You really want to take a chance on Carly getting zapped by a stray bit of lightning…or worse? Styx can’t be trusted—“
“Neither can you,” I snap at him, “but I’m a-okay with taking a chance on anyone right now, if it means we get Carly and Sy back.”
“We don’t have time for this, Seph. Ana said she thought they were on Highway 13 at some point. That’s close to the Den. We need to get to Georg and go from there.”
Jack gives me a stern look that I return with a glare. He strides out of the room with a curse. I close my eyes, enunciating my next words carefully.
“Ana, I don’t give a shit what Jack says, you stay here and try and get a hold of Styx. Tell him Carly is in trouble and where we are headed. Call Thomas, too, and get him here as soon as possible. I want him safe from the wolves.” I expect protests, my arrogant sister scolding me for presuming to give her orders. Instead my eyes fly open at the touch of Ana’s hand. She presses Carly’s scarf into my fingers. The stark fear in her eyes is the same kind filling my heart.
“Get her back, Seph. No matter what.”
I nod, giving her a squeeze before running out the door.
He’s waiting for me inside the Fiat. The little pink car does nothing to detract from Jack’s seething masculine vibe. We both know I ignored his advice, but he doesn’t say a word. That’s fine by me, because I’m not in the mood to chat. I get in and slam the doors, content to let him drive to the Den.
Normally, it’s a good two-hour drive, but if I know Jack, we’ll make it there in under thirty minutes. Using the car will slow him down some but not much. Letting him ride the wind would take less time, but like he said, I’d arrive puking my guts out and utterly useless. Jack’s power is cool, but as travel goes, I prefer Jett’s method. I wish she were here now. Jett would know what to do, and she wouldn’t have this fear paralyzing her guts. I give another fleeting thought to my MIA sister, then shove it aside. It’s up to me to figure this out. My thoughts turn back to Carly and Sy. Carly is one powerful witch, but not in any kind of defensive way. Not that anyone’s ever seen, anyway. Still, she has a better shot of making it out of this alive than Syana. Knowing Owen, if Sy is still alive, it won’t be for long.
I let out a small whimper. Jack reaches out a hand, wrapping my cold, shaking fingers in warmth and strength. “Settle down, princess. I meant it when I said we’ll get them back. I don’t think it’s your sister or Syana the wolves are after.”
It takes a minute for his words to sink in.
“You think they want me? Why?” Then I get it. Tyr f
ailed. Owen’s crack about making a buck… “There’s a bounty on me, isn’t there?”
Those grey-green eyes flash my way. Jack gives a short nod, his jaw flexing.
“You are a part of the Dark Council. Goddamn it, did you put this bounty on me?”
His hand tightens painfully on mine, before dropping away. “I’m not denying I’m one of them. But I only found out about the bounty the night I came into your bedroom, Seph. Hell, I didn’t know about Tyr until you told me. They went behind my back on both counts.” This last is spoken in a harsh whisper. Despite the heater running full blast, a chill settles into the air between us.
“Why do they want to kill me?” I feel utterly detached from this conversation, my heart and most of my head with Sy and Carly. “What are they so scared of?” There is no curiosity left in me for this, not fear or anger or…much of anything. I only ask because knowledge is power, and I’ll need every bit of power to get those I love back.
“It has to do with a legend about you—and your sisters.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You’ve heard the rumor about witches and elemental magic?”
“Sure. Who hasn’t?”
“Some people, a lot of people, actually, think that is about your family. There’s a whole story around it. Almost a…prophecy.”
I stare at his profile, watching him swallow, twilight deepening behind him.
“What kind of prophecy?” Ana never brought this up. Did she know about a prophecy? Surely she would’ve mentioned it if she had.
He shrugs. “The details aren’t important, and we don’t have time to get into that right now. But basically it says that there will be four witches, four witch sisters. And that each of them will gain mastery over a branch of elemental magic. When they do, there will be a queen for each season.” Jack clears his throat. “You know, like they call me the King of Winter.”
I blink. I always wondered where his title came from. I thought it was mostly poetic drivel. “Why aren’t there any other kings then?”
Sixpence & Whiskey Page 14