Burned (Keeper of the Flame Book 1)

by Lila Kane

  “We’ll help you,” Cheyenne says. But she glances toward the door, looking like she could use some time, too.

  “Go ahead. I’ll be here.”

  She bites her lip, but finally nods. “I won’t be long. And Ryan’s going to be back early, too. We can talk about the rest. Make a plan.”

  “I like plans.”

  She grabs her purse off the couch and goes for the door.

  “Cheyenne‒wait.”

  She pauses with her hand on the doorknob. “Yeah?”

  “Is it okay for you to go out there by yourself?” I ask. “I mean, what if Logan is there? Will he try to…hurt you?”

  She flashes a smile. “He can try, but he’ll have a fight on his hands. His power has been heightened but so has mine. Don’t worry about me.”

  She leaves, closing the door firmly behind her. I peer through the small window and watch her get into her car. I don’t see anyone else out there. But that doesn’t mean Logan isn’t there. If he didn’t want anyone to see him, he’d make sure of it.

  As I pull on a sweatshirt from Cheyenne’s duffel bag, I tell myself over and over again that Logan doesn’t want to hurt me. He needs me. So even if he is out there, he’s not going to do anything to put me in danger.

  And if he isn’t, I can make it to my mom’s house and search for more information there. She might have more spell books. She might have some kind of weapons. Like wooden stakes.

  I really don’t know what I’m looking for, I just need a task. I’ve never been stuck somewhere before. Even when my dad was alive, I traveled a lot, moved around, kept busy. Not only am I stuck in this small town, I’m stuck in Ryan’s house.

  Before leaving, I run back upstairs to the bedroom and grab the necklace out of my dirty jeans. I latch it around my neck and hope that will be good enough. It saved me from Logan last night, it should keep me safe if he comes around today.

  I take a deep breath and pull open the front door. The day is bright with sunshine. I hope if Logan’s powers are stronger that means it will be harder for him to come out during the daylight. But I’m definitely starting to doubt the “creature of the night” saying really applies to vampires. Logan has been fine every other time we were out in the sun.

  After a swift look around, I race past the hedges, jog up the steps to my mom’s house, and twist the handle. The door is still open like last time. Once I’m in, I shut it behind me and slump against the surface. No sign of Logan.

  My heart races faster than I thought it would. I’m afraid of him. What does a vampire do to someone who’s stabbed him?

  I push away from the door. No time to worry about that.

  I go straight for the bookshelves. It doesn’t take long to find something of interest. Another journal. I flip open the cover. It’s one from our family. When I spy Selena’s name in there, I tuck it under my arm. That has to be important. I find a few other unmarked books that look like they contain general spells. Nothing like the Book of Shadows, but I have no idea what information is going to be useful now.

  Besides, it’s about time I start exercising my powers.

  When I hear a noise toward the back of the house, I freeze. My heart jumps into my throat. Logan? Or just the house settling?

  I’m on edge. It could be anything.

  After a moment, I call out, “Hello?”

  Nothing. Of course not. If there really is anyone there, they’re not going to answer.

  “Shit,” I whisper. I should have thought about this longer.

  I take what I have and decide to leave. I can come back later with Ryan or when things calm down. When I have some clue where Logan is or what he’s up to.

  I head straight to the door. I whip it open and gasp.

  “Hi,” Logan says, hand propped against the door frame. “I thought I might find you here.”

  Chapter 15

  I step back, reaching automatically for the necklace.

  I’m ready to slam the door in his face when he holds up his hand. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to hurt you.”

  “Apparently kidnapping doesn’t fall under that category.”

  “Okay, then, I’m not here to kidnap you. Better?”

  I swallow. I hate that I actually believe him. He looks good, wearing dark wash jeans and a black leather jacket. He doesn’t look like he’d chased me through the woods last night or that he had a letter opener protruding from his back.

  “You…you can’t come in,” I say. My voice trembles a little and I thrust my chin up.

  “Yeah, that’s one thing that hasn’t changed since last night. But.” He flashes a grin. “You could invite me in and we could have a little chat.”

  “Go to hell.”

  “So that’s a no?”

  “You seriously think I’m going to invite you in after what you did?” Anger pushes through the fear. I’m halfway tempted to toss my necklace at him just to see him writhe in pain. “You kidnapped me. You stuck a needle in my arm. You do realize these things were against my will. If I go to the police, they’ll arrest you.”

  He laughs, straightening and pacing away, toward the stairs. For a moment, I think he’s leaving, but then he doubles back. “You can try. But I’ll just influence them to think it was your fault. I can make them think other things, too. Like your new friend Cheyenne is planning an attack on Main Street. She probably has a gun‒she has to be taken out.”

  “Logan, no‒”

  “I’m just saying, you’re going to want to keep this to yourself. We can handle this like adults.”

  I grit my teeth. “Your tactics so far have proven otherwise.”

  “Still full of spunk. I like it.” He grins and paces back to me. “Let’s clear up a few things, why don’t we?”

  I fold my arms over the books, keeping them secure against my chest. “I’m not coming out there.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  I frown. He’s making fun of me. Screw him. “What do you want to clear up, Logan? You might have all day to irritate me, but I’d rather be doing other things.”

  A dangerous smile skims his lips, like he thinks I should have all the time in the world for him. He leans as close to the entryway as possible. “How about you forgive me for kidnapping you, and I forgive you for stabbing me?”

  I straighten. He wants to make apologies? He wants me to forgive him? “It was self-defense,” I say.

  Anger flashes behind his eyes. “I don’t recall you looking very defenseless when you ripped my shirt off. In fact, you looked like you were about to‒”

  “Stop.” I look away. If he wants to be an ass, I can play this game, too. “You got your feelings hurt because I used you to get what I wanted. Boo hoo. Get over it.”

  His chest moves up and down with a few deep breaths. He doesn’t say anything for a long moment, then his face relaxes into a smile. “If it makes you feel better to tell yourself that, fine. I was after more of a truce.”

  “What kind of a truce?”

  “You agree to help me with the spell and I don’t hurt anyone you care about.”

  He’s bluffing. He has to be. There’s no one I care about here. My mom isn’t even here. Cheyenne and Ryan are just…new acquaintances. But still, I don’t want to see them hurt.

  “I don’t know how to do your spell. I don’t even have my mother’s book anymore, thanks to you. Maybe you can find another witch to help you.”

  I’m about to slam the door when he says, “Wait.”

  “Now what?”

  “I’ll give you your mother’s book back if that’s what you need for the spell.”

  I narrow my eyes. He’s negotiating now? Is it really that big a deal for him to break this curse?

  “I almost thought you got out of Shadow Hill last night,” he says, brows drawn low. “I followed you and saw you get stopped by the boundary. You weren’t hurt too badly, were you?”

  I cross my arms again. “No, I was fine.”

  His eyes capture mine, black beg
inning to take over the irises. “I’m not going to hurt you,” Logan says, repeating his words from before. “You can come out now.”

  I lift the necklace off my chest. “Care to repeat that?”

  His eyes go back to blue. “I meant it, I just think you’re having trouble believing it. Come on, let’s talk. Trade stories. You’ll see I’m not that bad a guy. And maybe I’ll convince you to work with me.”

  “In your dreams.”

  He’s about to speak again when we hear tires on gravel. Logan glances over his shoulder and frowns. “Ryan.” He looks back at me. “It was good seeing you, Willow. I’ll be in touch‒unless you are first. Think about what I said.”

  He leaves the porch, walks down the drive and casts Ryan a wave before vanishing through the trees.

  Ryan brings his truck to a haphazard stop, barely on his driveway, and races around the hedges. He looks in the direction which Logan vanished, and then to me, standing just inside the doorway.

  He strolls over, jaw clenched, and hikes up the steps in two long strides. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  I hold out the books as if that will explain it well enough.

  “Are you serious?” He glances behind him again and steps inside. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed.”

  “He doesn’t want to kill me.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  I frown. “Because if he wanted to, he would have done it already. Besides, he needs me for the spell.”

  “Vampires can be unpredictable. I don’t think you want to test him.”

  “Ryan, I have to do something. I can’t just hide in your house all day and hope this will all go away.”

  “One day,” he says, voice hard. “You could have given it at least one day. To recuperate. For things to calm down. Or waited for me to get here.”

  The anger in his eyes is offset by the fear I also read there. My own frustration fades. “I’m sorry.”

  He sighs, shaking his head. “What did Logan want?”

  “To negotiate.”

  “Negotiate what?”

  “He still wants me to help with the spell.”

  “No.”

  “Ryan, he said‒”

  “No. Willow, you know what he could do to you? If you break that curse, you know what could happen to every person in Shadow Hill?”

  “Will you stop?” I ask. When his eyes narrow, I continue. “I’m not saying it’s smart to help him, I’m just saying he threatened to hurt people.”

  Ryan rubs a hand down his face, looking tired. “I imagine that’s going to be happening a lot more. Him threatening you.” He narrows his eyes at my necklace, reaching out. His fingers stop an inch away from the pendant. “What’s this?”

  “It was given to me,” I say. “From one of my ancestors.”

  He lowers his hand. “Amethyst. Smart. How did they give it to you?”

  “I’m pretty sure it was a ghost.”

  He clears his throat. “Well. That’s different.”

  I laugh. “It helped. It hurt Logan.”

  “That’s good to know.” He gestures in the direction of his house. “Ready to go?”

  I nod. He takes my arm and we leave my mother’s house. He stays vigilant, rushing me to his door, and doesn’t let go until we’re inside. Once the door is shut firmly, he turns to me. “When did Cheyenne leave?”

  “Not too long ago.”

  He frowns.

  “Come on, Ryan,” I say with a sigh. “I’m going to have to leave sometime. And Cheyenne‒or you‒can’t be here all day. In fact, I should probably figure out where I’m going to stay now that I’m stuck here.”

  Ryan doesn’t answer, just walks to the kitchen and pulls orange juice from the refrigerator. I follow him, setting my books on the table before sighing.

  “You’re quite the conversationalist,” I say.

  He settles his hand on the door, peering over the top of it. “What do you want me to say?”

  He’s right. I don’t know what I want him to say. I’m independent by nature, he’s obviously quiet by nature, and neither of us really knows what to do.

  “Yeah.” I give a short laugh. “You’re right. This whole situation is…” I shake my head and scoop up my books. “I’ll just give you some space.”

  I leave the kitchen and walk upstairs into Ryan’s bedroom. My clothes from yesterday are still on the chair, and the pajamas I discarded on the bed. But it’s awkward being in here because now I feel like I’m intruding.

  When I turn around, I freeze. Ryan’s standing there, shoulder propped on the door jamb. He runs a hand through his hair and says, “I was pissed, okay?”

  “What?”

  “When you got here, I was angry because things were coming together just like my father said they would.”

  I step back and sit on the bed, shaking my head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  He walks inside and blows out a breath. “The original four families were, of course, vampire, werewolf, witch and‒”

  “Shapeshifter?”

  He lifts his brows, mouth curving into a smile. “Yes. Because they were allied with the witches, our kind was deemed as‒guardians, I guess you could call us. Someone to help protect and look after the witches. To provide a lookout, since we could manipulate other forms besides animal.”

  My mouth opens in surprise, but he continues before I can ask questions.

  “Anyway, I’m supposed to be looking out for the witches.” He gestures. “That’s why I live so close to your mother. But…we didn’t know she was related to the Keeper of the Flame. And when you got here, I didn’t know what to do besides try to run you out of town. It’s not like I practice my powers. And it’s not like I’ve really needed to. Until now. It was easier just to try to get you to leave.”

  He props his arm on his dresser, running his hand down his face. “But instead, it just got you kidnapped and hurt.”

  I stand. “Ryan, it’s not your fault.”

  “It’s entirely my fault. A lot of this could have been prevented. And you‒” He breaks off, throat moving in a hard swallow.

  The guilt is written all over his face.

  I walk to him, stopping close enough our shoes are almost touching. He’s so tall I have to tilt my head back to look at his face. When I reach up to touch his cheek, he goes completely still. My fingers catch on the stubble at his jaw.

  “If you hadn’t come last night, I might not have gotten away. Then I’d still be stuck in his house and he might have‒”

  “Don’t,” he says softly. He reaches up, catching my hand in warm, strong fingers. “Don’t think about what he might have done.”

  He turns his cheek into my palm again and I nod before pulling away. “I’m glad you were there.”

  “It’s my job to help you and to protect you.” He swallows again, chin dipping to stare at our feet. “I want you let me.”

  It’s a big change from him trying to chase me out of town. His eyes lift to meet mine, and I nod. I’m not usually one to depend on someone else. I like my space. I like my freedom. But a lot of that has been effectively ripped away from me.

  At least I know I can trust Ryan.

  He blows out a breath and backs up, creating some distance between us. “I’d feel better if you stay here again tonight.”

  My lips curve. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

  “And I’d appreciate if you don’t leave unless I know where you’re going.” At this, I frown and it’s his lips that curve. “For today. For my peace of mind.”

  “Deal. Just for today, though.”

  “We’ll discuss that stipulation after we get through today.”

  I nod reluctantly.

  He laughs, and I’m glad to hear the sound. It eases some of the stress I feel.

  “Get used to it,” he says. “We’re connected now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When you did…whatever that was when you were
at Logan’s‒projecting yourself so I could see you? So you could talk to me?”

  “Yeah?”

  “It left sort of a…residual effect, if that’s what you want to call it.”

  I back up to the bed, clutching one hand around my necklace. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I can still feel you. It might not be permanent, but it’s like part of you is still with me. That’s how I knew something was going on here and why I came home.” He shrugs, pocketing his hands. “I could feel your distress.”

  My heart picks up speed. What does that mean? That was great for saving me from Logan, but…what about when I was with Logan? When I was feeling the opposite of distress? I’d connected with Ryan twice by then so that connection had already started.

  “Can you feel other things, too?” I ask. “Besides distress?”

  He nods, another smile curving his lips before he walks out the door. “Yep.”

  Chapter 16

  That evening, Cheyenne brings Chinese take-out and an armload of books.

  “Please tell me you have wine,” she says to Ryan when I take some of her bags.

  “Something red and something I can’t pronounce.”

  She smiles. “Good. Where?”

  “Pantry.”

  Cheyenne disappears into a door around the corner of the refrigerator and makes a noise of approval. Ryan lifts his eyebrows at me, amused. She returns with a grin.

  “Now, that’s what I’m talking about.” She nods at me. “Get some glasses, you’re gonna need this.”

  “Why?”

  Ryan starts unloading the cartons of food from the bag. “Cheyenne always has a plan. Let’s hear it.”

  Cheyenne searches the drawers until she finds a wine opener. “Willow needs to practice her magic.”

  I give her a doubtful look. “I think a fire extinguisher is more what we’re going to need.”

  “Wine will help you relax. Tell her, Ryan, she needs to be relaxed.”

  Ryan glances at me. “Being relaxed will help. And it’s not just the fire you need to learn how to control. You need to learn spells and‒” He breaks off with a shrug. “I don’t know what all, but it’ll probably be important.”