Logan was making his way up the aisle. His eyes were as cold as steel glaring at anything that dared to look his way.
“If you come with us, I’ll let you find out,” the spineless creature croaked.
“Triss, now’s not the time,” Logan hissed. He was standing beside me. “This isn’t a joke.”
“I’m not taking it as such, but I certainly am not going to be taken easily.” I turned briefly to Logan confused by his reaction.
Just days ago we were in the woods practicing a way to protect myself, and now he wants me to give in? It didn’t make sense. Nothing did. What side was he on? Please let him not be involved in this.
The red-cloaked beings came to stand behind the apparition, and they ceremoniously took off their hoods. Their gaze moved up to meet mine and every single set of eyes looking back at me were fiery red. I was looking at human witches with blazing red eyes, and I had never seen anything like it. I didn’t think it was possible.
“Whatever it is you’re planning is a waste. Our covenstead is protected. I placed a protection spell on it. Nothing inside of it can be touched. Go ahead and try.” I prayed silently that what Logan had taught me would actually work.
I looked down at my pinky and was thankful it was still silver. Lame clue or not, I’d take it as a positive.
The red-cloaked men began chanting, and I knew it was directed at me. I looked over at Logan. His eyes were full of rage, and I wasn’t sure if it was directed at me or at the black magicians. I had no idea what they were saying, but I was guessing it was a curse of some form.
“Imperium in Mentem. Imperium in Mentem. Imperium in Mentem,” their voices were low and vicious.
I began feeling lightheaded and glanced over at Logan whose eyes were fully focused on the men in front of me. I searched the crowd and saw my aunt gripping Ellsy in fear. If everyone would stand up against these intruders, there would be no issue. We could chase them out of here, whoever they were. Unless I’m completely misguided, it seems like there has to be at least one hundred coven members in the audience. Why aren’t they doing anything?
“Triss,” Logan’s voice was somber, “go to your aunt.”
He wouldn’t look at me.
“No. It’s me they want. You shouldn’t be involved.”
“Triss, none of us have time for your stubbornness at the moment,” he growled.
The chanting was still quietly being sung, and my dizziness was only getting worse. I hoped there wasn’t a connection.
“I—” I started, but Logan interrupted.
“Now!” he barked.
My aunt stood up and held out her arms. The entire pew cleared way leaving Ellsy and my aunt waiting for me. I didn’t want to let my gaze off of Logan, so I spun around and began backing up toward my aunt. The cloaked figures turned and watched me the entire way. The apparition, however, was still facing Logan. I felt my aunt wrap her arms around me, but I wouldn’t dislodge my stare from Logan. If anything happened to him, I would never forgive myself.
“Exuro Anima Aeternus,” Logan shouted, as his wand pointed at the apparition.
The entire room gasped as the words left Logan’s lips, and the apparition turned to a ball of fire and vanished with a loud explosion.
Anima, anima; what is that? My mind was not functioning the way it normally did. Everything seemed so hazy. I knew I just learned the meaning for anima. Finally, I remembered that was the word for soul. What’s he doing? The dread was spreading through me. He was using black magic, and it was my fault. My head was pounding, and the guys dressed in red were looking more and more distant.
I started fighting my aunt’s hold. I couldn’t let Logan continue to do this for me. I knew he had fought to leave the evil behind, and now he felt he needed it again to protect us. My aunt’s grasp grew tighter, and I grew weaker. Logan was getting farther and farther away. My vision wasn’t right. There were now eight of the red-cloaked figures standing. That couldn’t be. The room was spinning, and I couldn’t fight my aunt’s embrace any longer. I tried focusing back on Logan, but everything hurt and was too fuzzy.
“Imperium in Mentem. Imperium in Mentem,” the chant was now a whisper.
Logan’s voice roared through the air, “Exuro Anima Aeternus!”
His eyes were blazing with hatred, and it was all my fault. There he was, standing with his wand pointed at the group of four or eight cloaked figures; I really didn’t know how many I was looking at. First, one being exploded into fire and then the next—he was destroying them all. The only sign that they had ever been here was their cloaks they left behind. With every new fireball, a little bit of clarity started to be restored. My eyes focused on Logan immediately. He was executing his chant flawlessly, but his gaze would torch anyone who glanced in his direction. I recognized shades of it from our earlier talks, and my heart fell a little.
As soon as the last cloak dropped, he ran toward me, grabbing me from my aunt’s arms, hugging me with the strength that I needed.
“She needs to lie down,” he ordered, clearing my aunt and his mom out of the way just by his stare. They backed up and began ushering people away from our area.
He picked me up and placed me on the pew. He was kneeling next to me. His eyes were vacant or maybe just spent.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” he said, his voice soft and his eyes warming, as his hand gently moved through my hair.
“Yes, I do,” I mumbled, fighting to keep my eyes open.
He looked at me quizzically, shaking his head. He brought his other hand to my arm and gently traced his finger along the outside.
“You turned to the—” His finger touched my lip, stopping my words.
He shook his head, and he bent down to my ear for only me to hear.
“I did nothing more than save the one I love. There is nothing dark about that, Triss. There never will be. I’d do it ten times over if I had to,” he whispered softly.
“But your eyes, they were so dark,” I whispered back.
“I was filled with hate because of who they were trying to hurt. It had nothing to do with what you’re thinking,” he murmured. “I promise.”
“Was that one of the Lonely Souls someone conjured up?” I whispered.
He nodded grimly.
He leaned back, looking at me. His eyes were beginning to get the vibrancy back, and I felt a little sigh escape. He wasn’t very far away. I could pull him back.
“Can you go get that pendant?” he asked my aunt.
“The pendant?” my aunt asked, confused.
“Yeah, that thing I threw when I made my grand entrance,” he said icily, the cloud beginning to return.
“Sure,” she said, already walking over to the aisle where we all saw the piece of metal bounce and land.
“A pendant?” I asked, trying to sit up, only to be pushed back down gently by Logan.
“I promise you, you aren’t ready to get up with that spell they tried on you,” he said solemnly. “And yes, a pendant. You know that so-called gift from Brenda?”
I nodded my head. Nothing seemed clear any longer. The room was emptying out pretty quickly, which was also odd. Where’s the worry or the concern about what just took place to one of their members, namely—me?
“I didn’t see Brenda with the rest of the elders when the ceremony began,” I said.
“Frank was missing too,” Logan said. “I noticed that the moment I sat down.”
My aunt brought the jewelry over and stood behind the pew I was laying on. Her fingers opened to expose the piece of silver that I couldn’t make out from the angle I was resting at.
“What is it?” I asked, attempting to maneuver to see it again, only to have Logan lightly stop me with his hands.
“I’ll bring it to you,” he said. “It’s an arrowhead.”
He dropped the pendant in my hand. It wasn’t any larger than a quarter piece. The workmanship was beautiful, with inlaid jewels a
t the tip of the engraved blade.
“I’m taking it you don’t think this was a gift from my mom?” I asked, trying to smile, but instead I groaned a little.
“Starting to get sore?” he asked.
I nodded. Logan looked at his mom and Aunt Vieta, his lips pursed.
“Wanna get the car door for me? I’m gonna carry her out. I doubt she’d make it that far if she tried walking,” he asked.
“I’m fine,” I objected and bolted upright, only to have my head feel as if it were about to explode.
“Okay. Guess I’m wrong,” I said sheepishly, as he scooped me up and carried me through the pews to the exit.
“Triss, are you okay?” Leslie’s voice popped up over the murmurs of the crowd as we made it outside.
“Yeah, sorry about everything,” I mumbled.
“Don’t you dare apologize,” Logan whispered in my ear scolding me.
Logan was about to step off the sidewalk, and I spotted our car. My aunt already had the door open and waiting for me.
Jenna, one of the elders, came running over, and Logan blocked her with his back as he continued to cradle me in his arms. He was taking no chances.
“I understand, Logan,” Jenna began. “I was shocked at what just took place, but I want you to know if anything is needed, please contact me. You may not trust me or anyone right now, but I will be here if you need anything.”
She reached around Logan’s body and found my arm that was hanging and grabbed my hand, tucking a piece of paper inside.
“I’m so sorry, Triss,” she whispered.
She started shaking her head, and I began to feel lightheaded again. Logan must have picked up on it and he began moving toward the car.
“Thank you… Jenna, wasn’t it?” Logan stated, not looking back. “We appreciate your support. It’s a shame that the coven couldn’t be counted on in a time of need, but your kindness is noted.”
How could Logan be so mature and well, strong? I felt so safe in his arms, hearing his voice protected me as much as his physical strength. I rested my head on his chest and took a deep breath in, inhaling as much of him as I could. With everything that had just happened, I knew I wasn’t thinking correctly, but something was coming over me. Being in his arms provided me with a safety I’d never once experienced before.
“Maybe you two should go out of state for a little while,” Jenna’s words hit me hard. She must have still been staring at us as we moved toward the car. I didn’t bother opening my eyes.
“I was already thinking that,” Logan replied coolly. “I think she might do well in Illinois back at our house. It’ll give her some time away, which is exactly what she needs.”
“Thanks, Jenna, for this,” I said, trying to hold up my hand with the paper but the fatigue took over every cell in my body.
“Take care, honey,” her voice an octave higher, as Logan leaned through the car door, placing me in the front seat.
My body was behaving like a wet noodle or at least how I imagined a wet noodle would move. I tried to roll my neck upright to stare at Logan and tell him thank you, but my head only rolled to the other side. I had no control over anything. The fear began building deep inside. I’d never experienced sensations like this before. All of my extremities were useless, dangling like a ragdoll.
“It’s okay, Triss. It’s part of the process. It’s horrible, but you’ll be okay. I promise. It’s part of the curse they were trying to cast on you. I tried to stop it as soon as I could,” he sighed, using his one hand to keep my body propped up, while he fastened the seatbelt around me. Under normal circumstances, I think I might have enjoyed being buckled in by him. His finger graced my cheek, and I was sure a smile spread across his lips, but my eyes were still closed so I couldn’t confirm my suspicions. It was too much effort to open them.
“This is the quietest I’ve ever seen you,” he chuckled.
“Noodle,” I mumbled, completely puzzled at my attempt to communicate. Why would I say noodle? He gave one last tug on the belt and closed the door.
I heard him speaking to my aunt and his mom, but I couldn’t decipher what they were saying. I tried to keep myself from drifting to sleep. I needed to know what was going on. Were we really going to Illinois? That didn’t sound like fun. Isn’t it muggy this time of year? My brain wasn’t functioning. I think I almost got kidnapped or worse, and I’m worried about the weather. I need sleep. I need Logan. Sleep sounds better. No, maybe Logan sounds better.
The driver’s door opened and Logan sat down, slamming it shut. Turning on the ignition, he shot in reverse out of the parking stall and stepped on the accelerator hard, slamming me back in the seat. This wasn’t a fun ride in my condition, but I wanted to get out of here as much as he did.
“We aren’t heading to Illinois, Triss. It’s odd they are suddenly so concerned with your whereabouts but apparently not your safety,” his voice edging every syllable with anger.
“Thank you,” I mumbled, wishing I could look at him to see what’s in his eyes. Instead, my neck remained strained, bouncing around, while I’m sure he took to speeds that weren’t deemed reasonable in any situation.
“As soon as my mom leaves for Illinois, we gotta get out of here. It’s the only way to keep you safe and have a shot at figuring out what’s going on. It’s far bigger than I guessed,” his voice sharp, he reached over and placed his hand on my knee. His thumb began circling my knee, and I tried to focus on getting my wits about me again. Being in a fog like this was frightening.
“It’s all overwhelming.” I managed to tilt my head back on the seat, probably because of the speed he was driving.
“I’m sure it is. I didn’t imagine you’d have any visitors in such a public place. I don’t think we should talk about it until you’re back to normal,” he sighed.
“What do you mean normal? I feel fine,” I said teasing him, feeling my neck muscles begin to come back to life slowly.
“Temporary paralysis isn’t the best look on anyone, but somehow you manage to make it look kind of sexy. But at least your lips aren’t drooping any longer.”
I forced myself to open my eyelids, and as I guessed, he was smiling. Focusing all of my energy on my left hand, I tried to move it over to his, and it worked. His skin was so soft and warm, and mine was freezing. I was freezing.
“Wooh! Victory!” I whooped, feeling so close to Logan with even this little amount of contact.
“Nice work. Not every day a person slides their hand over to mine,” he replied coyly. “Seriously though, I think over the next ten or fifteen minutes, you’ll start to get the feeling and control back all over.”
“I hope so. I can’t believe how much work it is not to move. It’s like I can’t move and haven’t moved, yet my muscles are on fire and completely spent. Not a feeling I enjoy.”
“It’s happened to me a few times too. It sucks.”
“What? Why’d this happen to you?” I spurted out, not sure I wanted to hear the answer. His hand moved from under mine, and then he set it back on mine, gently squeezing it.
“There’s a lot we’ve got to catch up on, isn’t there?” He quickly glanced at me, before driving onto the freeway.
“Not going home?” I asked, exhausted and hoping for my bed.
“Probably not the best idea for a little while. I’m waiting for the all clear from my mom before we head back.”
I rolled my head to the side, so I could look out the window. We were quickly passing through downtown Seattle by way of Interstate 5, under the overpasses and bridges, leaving the copper and metallic-looking skyscrapers behind.
“How are you doing?” Logan asked.
“I was just starting to recover from what I saw at the floral shop so this didn’t help. Although, the good thing is that you saw everything. It wasn’t just me thinking I was falling off the ledge into insanity,” I smirked.
“You aren’t crazy, Triss. I’d have let you know if that was the case. It wouldn’t have been easy for
me to tell you, but I would have.” He was serious, and I was thankful for that.
“So where are you taking me to that I can just roll out of the car and not look like I escaped from rehab?” I teased, looking back over at him for a reaction. I became completely distracted by the muscle that tightened in his jaw as he spoke, my eyes following the rhythm of his lips.
“We’re headed to Alki Beach. It’s not every day that we get sunshine and a subdued Triss,” he said, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“That’ll be a nice, relaxing time for two roommates,” I sighed, not taking my eyes off of him.
“Discussing spells on a beach and how to better block them so that one roommate doesn’t have to come the defense of the other roommate all the time sounds like a mighty fine plan indeed.” He was completely in his element.
“Are you winded after all that hot air?” I asked, completely enjoying this side of Logan.
“Not at all. I’m used to it.”
We both laughed, and I looked out the window again.
“Believe me; I can’t wait until I zap somebody to another dimension, especially if it means bringing my mom home.”
He flipped the blinker on, and we glided over to the exit to the West Seattle Bridge. This area of town was completely industrial. Cargo containers in oranges, browns, and blues were all stacked up at the port, with cranes in every direction. There were mills and industrial parks and, of course, lots of trains. It was hard to believe that driving over a few minutes of mess would lead to such a fun part of the city. Alki Beach was one of the more “beachy” places Seattle had to offer. Rather than the overly rocky beaches that were the norm in Washington, Alki Beach had some long stretches of sand. Volley ball games could even be found on this side of the water. It was a great place to people watch. I liked the idea of resting here while everything got checked out at home and my energy revived. Pulling into the parking lot, I was relieved we were far away from everything having to do with the coven.
***
Logan and I were sitting on the bench overlooking the Sound. There were countless sailboats bobbing in the water, and ferries chugging to and from the islands. Off in the distance was the beautiful skyline of Seattle, with the Space Needle and the Smith Tower displayed prominently highlighting the beauty of old and new merging as one. One structure was as space age as it could be, and the other the oldest skyscraper in Seattle. I always thought it would be a dream to get married at the Smith Tower, in an evening ceremony overlooking Seattle’s twinkling lights. The sadness started rushing through my body as I thought about my mom. I long ago discounted never being walked down the aisle by my father, but I never once thought about going through my wedding day without my mom. The lump in my throat was front and center, and I did my best at swallowing to force it down. I leaned my head on Logan, thankful that for the time being, I at least had someone like him on my side. This time, however, I wouldn’t let any dampness escape through to his shirt from my tears. I was stronger than that.
Witch Avenue Series (The Complete Set) Page 12