Hold Tight (The Embrace Series)

by Cherie Colyer

  “His brother did. Even threw in a few extra years if I’d stop by and make sure Ben stayed on the straight and narrow.” He shrugged. “I’m always around anyway.”

  “Dan sold his soul to become one of Gloucester High’s best jocks?”

  “And for a full ride to a top-notch college.”

  “What did it cost him?” I asked, needing to know what the average improve-your-life deal went for.

  “His soul, plus twenty-three years off the top. That means he lives a shorter life than he would have had he not made the deal.”

  I swallowed. One of the reasons witches worked so hard not to use negative emotions to fuel their magic was so that they wouldn’t taint their souls, and here I was, ready to give mine away plus twenty years.

  I hid my trembling hands in the deep pockets of Josh’s jacket.

  Caden sauntered closer, stopping a foot in front of me. I could feel the heat of his body as if he were his own sun. His eyes narrowed. “What I’m itching to know is since when does a witch need to make a deal with the devil?”

  “You know what I am?” With my fists still stuffed in the pockets of the jacket, I pulled it tighter around me as if exposed with nothing else to cover me.

  “I can smell your powers. Your friends’ too.”

  “Are you really the devil?” I stammered.

  He laughed. “No. He’s not as charismatic as I am, but if you’d like, I could see if he can break away from torturing souls to meet you.”

  “No. That’s okay.”

  I was glad the demon that faced me didn’t look evil, and his statement the other day—‘even I have a code of honor I live by’—made more sense now than it had then. For crossroad demons, it was all about the deal. At least that’s what I’d read, and that’s the knowledge I clung to as I stood in the middle of the intersection with snow flurries drifting down around me.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Can we get down to business?”

  He inclined his head. “Please do tell what brings a witch calling upon my services.”

  I wet my lips. “It’s my brother. We were in a car accident, and the doctors can’t help him. He’d be dead right now if it weren’t for Isaac. He’s managing to keep Chase alive, but barely.” I took a deep breath to stifle my rambling and asked, “Can you stop death?”

  He grinned. “I’m always happy to deny heaven a soul, even if I’m only delaying its arrival. Cheating death is expensive business, though.”

  I prayed my knees wouldn’t give out on me. I shook so badly, I was sure Caden could see what a wreck I was.

  “You realize you’d be condemning your soul to an eternity in hell?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Hell for a pure-of-heart is a million times worse than it is for the corrupt. And you, a witch whose powers are fueled by good, will not find the stay a pleasant one.”

  As if he had to tell me that.

  He ran his fingers over his lips thoughtfully. “A witch’s soul is worth a lot where I come from.”

  “Then you wouldn’t want to pass up this opportunity,” I said, hoping to push him into making the deal before I lost my nerve.

  “Aren’t you going to ask the price?”

  Confused, I replied, “My soul and twenty years off the top.”

  He walked around me, stopping behind me.

  “That’s the price for a petty deal like a scholarship to a school one can’t afford.” His words moved my hair. “What you’re asking for requires more effort. The price is your soul and I give you three years to get your affairs in order before I come to collect.”

  My gaze jerked sideways so I could see him. “Three years? What type of deal is that?”

  “It’s two more years than some demons offer.”

  “Thirty years,” I countered.

  He chuckled and stepped in front of me again. “I’ll tell you what, because I like you, I’ll give you ten.”

  Counting on a witch’s soul being an extremely hot commodity in hell, I said, “Thirty’s as low as I’m willing to go.”

  “Then you’ll want to hurry back to the hospital so you can spend some time with Chase before he dies.” Caden turned and walked away.

  Guilt over having put Chase in ICU in the first place gnawed at my conscience as my heart crumbled with grief.

  “Wait. Twenty. Please.” Even as I begged, I tried to convince myself that it would be okay. I’d still have plenty of time to graduate high school and college and figure out what I wanted to be as an adult. I was doing a poor job of fooling myself, though. I’d only be thirty-six when my debt came due.

  Caden faced me, a coy smirk etched into his features. “Deal.”

  “Is my brother better?” I asked, not sure how it all worked.

  “All deals have to be sealed.”

  “Do I sign something or do we shake on it?” I held out my trembling hand for good measure.

  He strolled closer. “I’ll accept a handshake from a guy, but when it’s a pretty girl such as you, I prefer something more intimate.”

  Ignoring my outstretched hand, he put his fingers under my chin, tilting my head up. For a demon, he had a soft touch. I wanted to protest, but my voice seemed to have left my body. His lips met mine, and shame flooded me as I let it happen.

  This is a business transaction, I silently reminded myself.

  Caden wrapped an arm around my back, yanking me closer as his tongue coaxed my lips apart. Snowflakes hit our skin and melted immediately. His smoky scent was intoxicating.

  I will not enjoy this.

  But even as I thought it, my mouth moved with his. I did not just think Caden smelled nice; I liked the feel of his lips. It had been so long since I’d been this intimate with a guy without the threat of being shocked. I missed not having to focus on my powers. I missed being able to get lost in a kiss.

  A tear ran down my temple and forged a path past my ear. If it was out of pleasure or betrayal, I wasn’t sure—because, despite his elevated temperature, his touch froze every muscle in my body. No way would I tell Isaac that this was how I had sealed the deal with the crossroad demon.

  As abruptly as Caden had held me tighter, he broke our kiss and stumbled backward.

  I dragged the back of my fingers over my mouth as if I could erase the memory of his lips on mine. Caden didn’t seem to notice.

  “Deal’s off,” he said, taking another step back as if I had the plague.

  “What?” I did not just kiss another guy for nothing.

  “Your soul—it’s not yours to give.” Wonder oozed from his words. “Someone else holds its title. No soul, no deal.”

  “No one holds its title,” I snapped. But that wasn’t entirely true—not if I’d bound myself to Isaac to keep Reed from being able to feed off my aura. “Omigod.”

  My whole world crashed down on me, forcing me to my knees. I buried my face in my hands and cried.

  As unexpected as my mom’s death was, it hadn’t been sudden. I’d had time to realize that she was slowly fading from my life. That this person I loved and needed would soon be gone. Time to realize she would never sing and cook again, and she would no longer be there when I got home from school to listen to me ramble on and on about my day. But Chase…this was happening too fast. The little brat who’d wormed his way into my heart with a contagious laugh and silly smile wasn’t going to sit at our kitchen table ever again. The kid who had Mom’s eyes, who reminded me every time I looked at him that although she was gone, Mom had given Dad and me something very special to remember her by. I was losing that gift.

  Caden bent down and dried my cheeks with his thumb. “Things happen for a reason, Madison. You’re not meant to make this deal.”

  I continued to weep.

  “A broken heart mends. You’ll mend,” he added.

  A life lesson from a sympathetic demon. Never would I have believed a creature of hell could display such a human trait if I hadn’t seen it myself.

  Caden’s eyes were no lon
ger red but the dark chocolate brown I was used to. He bit his lip and glanced away. A moment later he said, “I shouldn’t do this, but I like you. You’ve got fire.”

  I sniffed, waiting for him to go on.

  “I’ll heal your brother in exchange for your services, no questions asked. Plus, when I ask you a direct question, you will tell me the truth. No more lies.”

  I didn’t remember ever lying to him. Wiping my nose with the sleeve of my top, I asked, “What will I have to do?”

  “I haven’t decided yet,” he replied. “But having a witch at my beck and call will come in handy.”

  “I won’t kill for you,” I said. I wanted my brother back, but that didn’t mean I could take another person’s life.

  “I can do my own slaughtering.”

  “And my brother will be his old carefree self?”

  “He’ll be as good as new. Do we have a deal?”

  Being at his beck and call was a better deal than my soul and twenty short years to live no matter how you looked at it. “Yes.”

  “I want to hear you promise.”

  As if I would double-cross a demon. But he knew what I was, which stood to reason that he knew that one little word held more weight for me than it did for the average person.

  “I promise.”

  This time when his lips touched mine, it was tender and for less than a heartbeat.

  “I’ll be in contact,” he said.

  I pushed myself to my feet. “When will Chase be better?”

  Silence answered me. I spun around. Caden had vanished.

  With him gone, there was nothing providing relief from winter’s chilly grip. My teeth chattered, and my body shivered. It was eerily quiet, leaving me with the feeling I may not have gotten off as easily as I’d thought.

  Chapter 22

  Miracles

  I ran into my brother’s hospital room, stopping short of his bed. My hand flew to my mouth as tears of joy flowed like the Nile.

  “Hi, Maddie. Why you crying?” he asked. Hearing his voice dissolved the growing lump in my throat.

  Chase’s bed had been positioned so that he sat upright, and the bandages around his forehead had been removed. He already had a Matchbox car in his hand. Dad sat next to him holding a miniature SUV. My friends were near the window.

  “Hey, squirt.” I rushed closer and kissed his forehead. “How are you feeling?”

  “Hungry, but the lady won’t let me eat anything.”

  I brushed his bangs out of his eyes with my fingers. “Don’t worry. They’ll change their mind once they see how great you’re doing.”

  In my peripheral vision, I saw Isaac and Josh glowering, arms folded over their chests like security guards at a club. Kaylee sat on the edge of a chair, watching me through bulbous eyes. It was obvious they knew I’d had something to do with Chase’s miraculous recovery.

  “Um, I’m sorry I took your car without permission,” I said to Josh, not in the least bit remorseful.

  Shrugging out of his jacket, I handed it back to him along with his keys. Josh looked as if he wanted to dash outside to make sure his baby was still in mint condition. Isaac’s anger hung in the air like humidity on a sweltering day. I was surprised Dad and Chase couldn’t feel it. He had no right to be angry, though. Nothing I’d done affected him.

  Isaac jerked his head toward the door and marched into the hall.

  “I’ll be right back, okay?” I told Chase and then squeezed Dad’s hand. He squeezed back, smiling. Seeing my family together and happy was worth whatever Caden would ask of me.

  Isaac didn’t say a word until we were in my hospital room. Kaylee and Josh had followed us.

  “What did you do?” Isaac demanded.

  I sucked in a breath and dried my face with my sleeve. I was too tired to lie or make excuses. “I saved my brother.”

  Isaac’s agitation rippled off him and collided with Josh’s and Kaylee’s. The air grew thick with their powers, making it hard to breathe. I knew they weren’t doing it on purpose; their emotions had simply gotten the better of them. I pushed a bit of my powers out to provide a protective barrier around myself.

  “I couldn’t let him die,” I said.

  Kaylee came closer and put an arm around me.

  “None of us wanted him to die,” she whispered, giving me an I totally understand hug.

  “Where’d you go?” Josh’s tone was as harsh as Isaac’s had been.

  “To the crossroad,” I admitted.

  Josh cursed. Kaylee sucked in a breath. Isaac threw the pitcher of water across the room. It crashed into the window and tumbled to the linoleum tile, spilling water down the wall and onto the floor.

  “You sold your soul?” Isaac spat. “How is that a solution, Madison?”

  I pointed in the general direction of Chase’s room. “I’m his big sister! It’s my job to look out for him!”

  “To protect him! Not to die for him!” Isaac yelled.

  “The accident was my fault! Chase wouldn’t have been on his deathbed if it wasn’t for me.”

  “We need to take this down a notch.” Josh closed the door to my room with a glance toward the hallway and placed a hand on Isaac’s shoulder. “We’ll fix this.”

  “No, we won’t. I made the deal, and there’s no breaking it.” I was so exhausted. I didn’t know if it was from the relief of seeing Chase smiling, the fatigue of being out of bed so long with my injuries, or if Caden had stolen my energy with his kiss. I leaned heavily on Kaylee to avoid stumbling sideways.

  She steered me to the bed, where we both sank down onto the firm mattress. “What did it cost you?” she asked.

  “Her soul,” Isaac grumbled. “A deal with the devil always costs your soul.”

  “And years,” Josh added, although his words held more sympathy than they had earlier.

  “It didn’t cost me either.” Three sets of eyes fell on me. “It turns out my soul wasn’t mine for the giving.”

  “Whose is it?” Josh asked.

  I looked at Isaac. “Apparently that little spell we did bound more than just my ‘being’ to you.”

  The rage burning in Isaac’s velvet brown eyes vanished. He grabbed the back of his head with both hands. By the way the tension in the room lifted, I got the impression he was taking that time to get a grip on his emotions. What I wanted was to feel his arms around me. To hear him say it was going to be okay.

  “Then how?” Isaac asked. His tone no longer slashed at my fragile exterior like razors.

  “I’m sort of in his debt.” I told them the details of the deal I had made, leaving out what it would have cost if my soul hadn’t been spoken for—and the kiss I’d never be able to forget.

  “Caden’s the crossroad demon,” Kaylee said, amazed. “He looks…normal.”

  Isaac pressed his palms against his eyes. “I don’t like it.”

  “We need to focus on the positive,” Josh said, taking a seat next to Kaylee. “The deal didn’t cost Madison her life, and Chase is healed.” When Isaac opened his mouth, Josh quickly interjected, “Dude, sometimes you have to be thankful for small miracles. This time it’s that you cast the unity spell.”

  “It’s in the past,” I said. I didn’t want to talk about demons and consequences anymore, so I changed the subject. “Sorry again that I stole your car.”

  “It’s in the past, right?” Josh replied with a wink. “She’s still in one piece, right?”

  I smiled. Josh was the big brother I’d never had. “Yeah, your baby’s fine. Down a gallon or three in gas, but that’s all.”

  A trip to the bathroom revealed a tear-stained face accentuated by puffy red eyes and pale skin peppered with scrapes and cuts. There wasn’t much I could do about my eyes or the scratches without resorting to a glamour, but cool water and a little makeup transformed me into a human being again and not the ashen-faced zombie I’d been a few minutes ago.

  We returned to Chase’s room with a plate of fries from the cafeteria and apple juice
for everyone. It was a good thing his doctor had given him the okay to eat while we were having our little powwow in my room.

  I was released the next morning. Chase came home two days later. Unfortunately, my time in the hospital hadn’t eased my cravings for faerie food. An emptiness grew inside, and it wasn’t uncommon for my mind to wander and my hands to shake. I managed to keep it together around my friends and family, but there were times I could have sworn I knew what a junkie felt like.

  I kept a close eye on Chase, expecting to see signs of withdrawal from him too, but he was fine. Better than fine, actually. When Caden stopped by to give my father a progress update on the doctor’s office, I asked him how Chase had managed to bounce back so quickly; he said he’d healed all of Chase’s illnesses, even his flu. I took Caden’s reply to mean he didn’t know about the bacca drops—so I dropped the subject, afraid he would tell me that undoing damage done by a faerie wasn’t part of the deal.

  Natalie’s parents had since put up a reward for any information leading to the whereabouts of their daughter. I felt terrible that Natalie would forever be an unsolved missing person’s case. I wished I could let her family know that she wasn’t dead, but anything I said would bring about questions I couldn’t answer without either incriminating myself as an accomplice to a crime I hadn’t committed or getting diagnosed as crazy.

  And I hadn’t seen Brea, but the fresh bouquet of flowers that mysteriously showed up on my dresser told me she’d stopped by. They smelled incredible at first. Now a delicate layer of ice covered them, announcing Reed had been in the house again.

  Frozen daisies weren’t the only evidence of Reed’s unseen visit. He’d also left a note and a small wooden box filled with tantalizing chocolates just inside my doorway. It was obvious by the line in the carpet that he’d used his toe to push them over the threshold.

  I’m in your thoughts. I know because your image invades my mind even when I’m not thinking of you. You need me. Denying it is only going to cause unnecessary grief for us both.

  Join me.

  R~

  “You are one deranged SOB,” I commented out loud as I read the message for a second time.