by Ainsley Shay
I told myself to stop being such a frightened little girl. But with the reality of who I was dealing with, and all the power that came with each of them, I gave myself the right to be a little scared. I remembered what I told Snow. This was not only about me, but also about saving Blacwin. I closed my eyes. Blacwin. Blacwin. Blacwin. I had no choice but to step up to whatever was coming my way. God, I sounded like a person who suffered from schizophrenia, scared one minute and ready to fight the forces of evil in the next.
I rolled my neck to dislodge the tension. Breathing in my favorite scent, old books, I tried to relax and find my happy place. Books, concentrate on the books today. I came out from behind the counter, walked to the center of the store, and stood. Mr. Yves had spent countless hours arranging books on the shelves from the stacks on the floors. Each time I came in, another path had been opened up. The larger stacks were still the ones surrounding the area by my desk in the back of the store. Stacked so high, they were like a beautiful fortress of millions of impenetrable words.
I picked a book off a small stack. Flipping through the pages, I saw words crafted and engineered into sentences that breathed with life; “The sea of black and threatening waters, and of destructive upheaving of wave against wave, whose depths were yet unfathomable and whose dark forces were yet unknown.” I closed the book and looked at the title, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. It was a first edition, published 1906. That one sentence explained what I felt I was up against, unknown dark forces.
Chandler would be arriving any minute. Not wanting him to freak out when he went back to my apartment and found I wasn’t there, I had hastily written a note saying I would be at the bookshop, and left it on the ground at the top of the landing. So, when the door jingled and I turned, expecting to see Chandler, I almost dropped the Dickens novel. It wasn’t Chandler. I wish it had been though, as snaking chills raced up my spine.
Her velvety singsong voice asked, “Do you know how hard it is to find you alone, lately?”
I did; even when Chandler wasn’t within a hundred feet of me, I still could feel his shadow. But, I didn’t answer. It wasn’t a question Carina actually wanted an answer to. Blacwin had been right—Carina would come to us. Except it wasn’t us, it was me, alone. Blacwin and Chandler said her powers were not nearly as strong as Adelina’s, but since I had none, she still had the advantage.
“Oh, come now, blind one, did you honestly think I would stay on the edge of your little world forever?”
My numbed mind slowly filled with questions. But, none of them passed my lips. I simply and stupidly said, “I know who you are.”
“I’d be insulted if you didn’t.”
She glided toward me. Her walk was lazy and sexy. Long fingers with dark nails caressed the covers of books as she walked past them. An eerie, slithering smile danced on her lips like she was debating on telling me a secret.
“What do you want?” I asked, as I unconsciously backed up until the back of my knees bumped into the armrest of the club chair.
“Me? I don’t want anything. I’m only in town for my sister. This is all her doing. The poor jealous creature,” she cooed with distaste.
Her last words made no sense to me. Since it seemed Carina wasn’t the one to be scared of, not yet anyway, I stood a bit taller. “Okay, what does Adelina want?”
“I will honestly tell you,” she held up a finger, “which I am not, most of the time, honest that is, but I don’t know. And, because I think I like you, although I’m not sure why, I’ll tell you another truth, I don’t care.” Her silky hair moved with her body as she worked her way closer to me. “I think I would like to help you understand a few things, but I haven’t quite decided yet.” She picked up a book and turned back toward me, holding it up. Ironically, it was a book about statues. “Did you know they were everything she wanted to be?”
I was beginning to think Carina deBlays was crazy. “What are you talking about?”
She tossed the book to the side and waved her hand past her face. “Oh, nothing, I think I’m getting ahead of myself.”
“You outside my balcony last night, weren’t you?”
“Maybe.”
I knew it was. I wanted her to admit it. “Why did you leave that article for me?”
“I thought you might find it interesting. No harm in passing along a little piece of,” she glanced up to the ceiling in thought, “—umm...entertainment.”
“Do you know anything that could help me?” I was getting frustrated with her riddles.
“Help you?” Her laugh was rich and throaty. “Oh, blind one, you can’t expect me to be your BFF upon our first meeting, now can you?”
“I don’t want to be your BFF. I want to know how to—” get Blacwin out of the grips of Darenfys. My voice of reason shut me up. I couldn’t tell her Blacwin went to kill Darenfys, or anything else.
Carina stood less than three feet in front of me. She reached up and moved my bangs off to the side of my face so she could see both of my eyes. “What beautiful silvery gray eyes you have. It’s unfortunate that’s all you can see.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, it was rude of me not to ask...what is it you want to know how to do?”
I looked away from her. “Nothing.”
“Oh, surely you want to know something. Like, for instance...the curse. You’re more like me than you think.”
“I already know about the curse. And I’m nothing like you.”
“Insulting me is not in your best interest.” There was a swift change in the air and I wondered if Carina was responsible for it. When she smiled, I knew she was. “Besides, everyone wants to be like me.” She moved her hair around her front right shoulder. Small heads of serpents opened and closed their gaping jaws at the ends of her hair. “No worries, blind one, they won’t bite you.” Then they were gone.
Her endearing name for me brought me out of whatever spell she’d put me under. “I...I don’t—”
“I know. But in time, you will understand everything. At least what I know. My dear sister has reasons for everything she does, but when it came to you, well, reaction took over, and for all the curses, I’ll never understand why she would let love overpower her.” She glanced at her nail. “I don’t know all the details, in fact, I don’t even know what your exact place is in all this.”
I felt my heightened excitement tumble down.
“Don’t look so discouraged. Maybe from what I tell you, you can figure that part out. And, God, I hope you do; I’m tired of seeing my sister look so damned miserable.”
She didn’t want to help me; she was the one who needed my help. When the thought dawned on me, I knew I was right. “You need my help.”
“Hardly. I’m doing this for Adelina. Granted, I may have my own interests. Besides, I don’t think you’re going to be around much longer, isn’t Darenfys coming to claim you or something?”
Swells of heat rushed into my face. Anger or panic, I didn’t know which was the cause, maybe both. “You’re using me.”
Carina’s face looked like the proud parent of a baby who just took their first step. “I guess you’re not so blind after all.”
I wanted to leap across the stack of books that separated us and attack her.
She said, “Oh, don’t look like I just pulled the wings off a dragonfly.” She pulled a baseball cap out of her bag. “We can’t take chances, now can we?” Knotting her hair in a bun, she placed the cap over her hair. “I suggest you keep our little rendezvous to yourself, we don’t need your brother trying to hunt me down.” Carina shrugged. “Not that he would find me. Well, until next time.” She turned and was almost out the door when she turned back and said, “By the way, 46 days.”
As she left the store, Chandler was coming in, he even held the door for the crazy bitch, she thanked him, and he nodded. I wanted to yell, “THAT’S HER!” But, I didn’t. I wanted to know what she knew, even if she was using me. And, I wanted Blacwin back. I wanted both of those things more than my safety
or my own life.
12
Over the next several days, each day began and ended the same. There was still no word from Blacwin. Nor were there any more visits from Carina. Each day, before and after school, I made Chandler drive by Adelina’s house, with the hollow hope I would see Blacwin’s Jeep. But, all I ever saw was the two statues in the front yard: a woman and a small boy reaching for what I assumed was his mother’s hand.
Chandler told me over, and over, he’d be back. I wanted to hear those exact words from Blacwin himself, not in some good-bye letter, but a real life promise. For the thousandth time, I wondered and questioned why he hadn’t at least called? When I asked Chandler, his answer was always the same, “Phone service doesn’t exist where he went.” Then I would get mad, usually punch him in the arm, he would flinch with mocked pain, and try to hide a smile. It was infuriating to no end.
On the way home from school, Chandler sat quietly in the driver’s seat while my mind raced for a reason I could tell him why I needed to be alone. I had to find a way so Carina would contact me again. I knew why I hadn’t seen or heard from her since Saturday at the bookshop; Chandler had not left my side since. When he saw me after Carina left, he was not happy. I had no time to slap on a happy face or even to at least erase the shock of talking with Carina. He had asked me over and over what was wrong. Again, I lied, “Nothing.” And, he knew I was lying. He puffed up his chest, huffed out an angry breath, and plopped in the club chair. And, that’s where he stayed until six, when Mr. Yves and I closed the store. It was then I had a chance to update Mr. Yves on everything that had happened, except seeing Carina. He always had my best interest, so he was happy Chandler had become my shadow. Chandler glanced over his shoulder, found my eyes, and gave me a smirk that said, “Haha-haha.” Jerk.
I moved the air vent away from my face. “Listen, I need to have some time alone, or with Snow, or anyone, except you. Every time I turn around your face is all I see. And, to be honest, I’m getting sick of looking at it.”
“You always did have a way with compliments.”
“I’m serious!”
“And I have no doubt you are. But, that isn’t going to happen.”
I had the sudden urge to pull up the door handle and jump out of the moving car. “Couldn’t you have gone to kill Darenfys, and Blacwin have stayed here?”
“Now, you’re being mean.”
I couldn’t help it, I screamed. Screamed so loudly he pulled off the road and put the car in neutral. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You!” I croaked. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath I hoped would calm me. “I’m not talking a week or even a whole day, I just need a couple of hours to myself, without you hovering, shadowing, or following me.”
He turned in his seat to face me. “Okay.”
“Really?” I hadn’t thought it would be this easy, or he’d go for it.
He held up his finger. “Here’re the terms—”
“Are you negotiating with me?”
Raising his eyebrows, he asked, “Do you want your couple of hours or not?” I conceded and heard him out. “That’s what I thought. First, you don’t drive anywhere.” I started to protest, but caught myself. “Second, you keep your phone on, if I call or text, you answer immediately. And third, you don’t talk to strangers.”
“I’m not four years old, you know.”
“I know exactly how old you are.” His sarcastic smiled filled the car. He held out his hand for me to shake. “Now, do we have a deal or not?”
“I have one condition to add.”
“That’s better than taking one away. What is it?”
“This isn’t just a one-time thing. I get two hours without you every day.” He started to say something, but I cut him off. “I promise I’ll be much more pleasant to be around.”
It was his turn to concede. “Fine. Does after school work?”
And it was my turn to let my smile fill up the inside of the car. I stuck my hand out and shook his. “So, since it’s after school, you can just drop me off at home.”
He pulled back onto the road and drove in the direction of my apartment. I was doing my best not to scream again, this time out of happiness. Now, I needed to figure out a way to get in touch with Carina. I had no idea where she was staying, or if she was still in town. Chandler parked along the curb outside of my apartment. I grabbed my bag, opened the door, and almost fell out of the car.
“Slow down there, speedy. It’s just time alone, it’s not like you got a hot date.”
“Thanks for reminding me of that, jerk.” I slammed the car door and started for the stairs.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Chandler yelled out the passenger window.
I ignored him and continued up the stairs, into my apartment. I tossed my bag onto the couch and texted Snow: Come pick me up NOW! Chandler said for me not to drive anywhere, so if Snow drove, then technically, I wasn’t breaking any of his rules. She texted back immediately: Be there in ten. I loved her.
I waited on the step for her. When I saw her car come around the corner, I barely let her come to a complete stop before jumping in. “Go! Go! Go!”
“You’re going to get me in trouble, aren’t you?”
“Maybe, but I promise it won’t be with the law.” Then I thought of what I had planned and had to renege on that. “Well, at least I don’t think so.”
“Answer me this, are you escaping? Was he in the bathroom and you locked him in there or something?”
“No.” Although, it wasn’t a bad idea.
She kept her eyes on the road and both hands on the steering wheel. “Does Chandler know you’re with me?”
“No.”
“Do you know where you want me to take you?”
“Adelina’s house.”
The car swerved into the oncoming lane. Thank God, there were no cars coming. “You know he’s not going to be there, right?”
“I know.” I truly hadn’t thought I would see Blacwin. But, the idea of it sounded amazing. I repressed the ached in my chest. “Since I’ve hardly been able to breath with Chandler around, I wasn’t able to tell you, Carina came into the bookshop Saturday morning. Chandler hadn’t come back yet and Mr. Yves didn’t come in until ten. I was there alone.”
“Oh, my God. She could have killed you, or told the bad guys where you were or—”
“Calm down! She doesn’t want to kill me.” At least, not yet. “I kind of got it out of her she needs my help.” And, the fact she’s using me, but I left that part out.
Snow turned onto Adelina’s dirt drive. “This is creepy. I already have a bad feeling about this. We should turn around, get back on the highway, and go have hot chocolate at the cafe.”
Sounded like a good plan, probably better than mine, but I needed to see if I could find anything here that could help me figure out this dire, and what could be deadly, situation. “You can stay in the car; I’ll only be a few minutes. Besides,” I looked at the time on my phone, “I have to be back at my place in an hour and a half.”
“What? Do you have, like, a curfew or something?”
“That’s exactly what I have. I made an arrangement with your boyfriend that I can have two hours a day to myself; without him hovering over me.” I opened the car door and started for the porch. The front door had never been locked before, and I hoped this time was no different.
I heard the car door slam shut. Snow wouldn’t miss an opportunity to go into Adelina’s house. As creepy as it was, it was also amazing. She followed me up the porch steps. “So, I’m guessing he has no idea you’re here.”
“Nope. None—” I looked over my shoulder and eyed her. “And he’s not going to know...ever.”
“Jeez, you don’t have to spell it out for me.” She stood behind me while I said a small prayer before trying the doorknob. “You know you’re putting me in a bad position?”
“I know.”
She groaned. “My lips are sealed.”
; “I know,” I repeated. Taking a deep breath, I turned the knob. The door creaked open. Stale air greeted us. I said another tiny prayer that’s all that would greet us. We inched over the threshold.
Snow was right on my heels, and her hand on my back. “Remember when we went into the church’s haunted house for Halloween?”
“Yeah,” I whispered back.
“This is way creepier than that. And, I almost peed my pants, then.”
Having been here several times when Blacwin was staying here, I knew my way around enough to find a light switch. The instant I flicked it on, Snow screamed. She was standing face to face with a statue, its arm outstretched to her. The same one Blacwin left the necklace and note on, for me to find. This time, on the same carved finger, hung a key. It was small with wide teeth at one end; the other end was circular and dangled from the key ring. It was old. I slid it off the finger, not expecting the heavy weight of it.
“Okay, there’re a lot of questions passing through my head right now. First being, is whoever left that there, still here?” Snow moved so close to me, she could have practically crawled inside my shirt.
“I don’t think so, it’s stifling in here. You can hardly breathe.”
“My grandma never runs the air and it feels just like this, and she’s perfectly fine with it.”
Not wanting to imagine the thought of finding someone here, I ignored her. I looked around for something the key could open. It reminded me of the key desk at the bookshop, the one with the top drawer that locked with a key that looked just like the one I held. “I wonder who left it, and who was meant to find it.” As soon as I said the words, the answers were obvious. And, they were confirmed when I saw the journal on the small table next to the statue of a little girl. Carina had left the key for me. I eased past the statues to the journal.
“What are you doing?” asked Snow.
I picked up the journal and turned it over in my hand. A metal lock was fastened to the hard front cover of the book, around the pages, to the back cover. The keyhole rested on the side where the pages would open, if unlocked. As crazy as it sounded in my head, it sounded even crazier when I said aloud, “What do you think I’ll be releasing if I open this journal?”