by Hood, Holly
I looked at Slade.
Audrey stood up angry. “Slade’s biggest mistake was making the decision to turn her into one of us.”
Karsen gasped finally understanding. “You’re a witch.”
I nodded, tears escaping my eyes. “All because I was stupid enough to believe what him and I had was true.”
Karsen hugged me. “Maybe it is.”
“It’s not.” I broke away from her. “And I’m not mad anymore. If you want to pick Audrey over me that’s fine.” I looked at Slade. He didn’t speak. He didn’t even look at me.
I turned to Hutch. “I’m ready to go home.”
Audrey caught me by the arm. “Nobody is going anywhere.”
I pulled away. “It’s very clear I don’t need to be here. You wanted him. You can have him.”
Audrey shook her head. “Do you think I am going to sit back and let those people destroy us?”
I shrugged. I didn’t know what she would do.
“We are going to finish what we started.” She took me by the wrist. “You and I."
Slade shook his head. “Leave her out of this. She doesn’t know the first thing about fighting off a whole town.”
“That didn’t stop you from using her the first time,” Audrey said to Slade.
“Nobody is using me for anything,” I spoke up. I was a human being I had a right to voice my opinion when it came to my own life.
“Audrey, I didn’t use her. Leave her alone and I will take care of the mess myself. It’s my mess to take care of.” Slade bit his lip in angst.
Audrey was silent for a few seconds. “Fine. But under my rules, you finish the spell I created.”
Everyone looked at Audrey stunned. But not me, I knew just what she was talking about, the café. The day they all came in when I was singing. She had done something just like I expected.
“This will take care of both our problems.” Audrey nodded. She gave Slade a long stare before he willingly shook his head.
Hutch stepped forward. “I know other ways to take care of this church. Hope doesn’t have to be a part of it.”
Audrey laughed. “Oh, nature boy, as lovely as that sounds. What we have in mind is going to be so much better. It seems you’re just going to have to find a new girl to admire and wish was yours.”
Hutch flexed his jaw in anger but didn’t say anything else.
“If only Hope wasn’t stupid enough to hold onto hope all summer that she ever had a chance with Slade.” Audrey laughed.
Karsen was stopped before she lunged at Audrey. Kidd wasn’t about to let Karsen stand up to Audrey.
“So it’s settled. Slade, Hope and I will head on over to the church to take care of this little problem.”
I swallowed. I wasn’t sure I had much choice in getting out of it.
“Let me freshen up,” Audrey told us taking off into the rv.
Slade and Kidd were off, in the distance, talking to each other while I chewed my nail nervously trying to think of something to do. Karsen paced back and forth.
“You never told me anything about this. I don’t know what to do.” She kept her eyes on the rv as she paced.
Hutch stood beside me silent.
“Do you have any ideas?” I asked him. He was my last hope.
“I promised I’d help you.” He leaned in and pretended to kiss the top of my head but secretly whispered into my ear. “I’ll figure something out, I promise.”
Panic
I was sandwiched between Slade and Audrey. Not particularly the place I wanted to be in. Even with the circumstances I couldn’t help but wonder about their relationship, I knew Audrey’s feelings toward Slade, she made them very clear all the time.
But the idea that Slade enjoyed being around Audrey was hard to believe. Audrey was everything Slade seemed to hate. She was obnoxious, territorial and demanding—not to mention a psycho.
Audrey and Slade came to a stop in the sand. The dimly lit beach coupled with the music, and candles placed an eerie presence on everything. Soft chatter and laughter flowed toward us as we watched the large crowd. It didn’t seem like the party was dying down anytime soon.
Slade kicked at the sand with the toe of his boot, “so what’s your idea?”
Audrey ignored his inquiry and kept taking it all in. I stared at the large sign introducing the church to the citizens of Cherry. A family posed with bright and smiling faces smiled upon everything below. And the saying in a shiny gold scrawl read: We take the bad out of everything and make it good again.
I wasn’t sure what that even meant, but I knew enough about churches to know that this wasn’t one of them. It was a ploy to gain compassion. It was a way to get the entire town on their side.
“I’m going to go get a feel of things. You hang back with Hope.” Audrey instructed not wasting any time. She hurried across the sand, fluffing her hair and smoothing down her white dress as she walked.
I secretly glanced in Slade’s direction. We were alone for once. However, I wasn’t sure I had anything I wanted to say. It was strange.
He let out an audible sigh as he watched Audrey. “Not the way I saw my night going down.”
I scoffed. That’s what kind of conversation he had in mind when my life was possibly on the line?
“I’m sorry to have ruined your rendezvous with Audrey.” I crossed my arms looking at the water.
“Ouch, harsh words. Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?" He laughed, amused with my sarcasm.
“I believe I already did. It seems you’re the one that has the problem doing that.” I snapped.
“We communicated just fine last summer.” Slade turned, locking his eyes on me. I kept my eyes glued to the water.
“If sex is considered communication, then sure, we communicated just fine.” I sighed. The whole back and forth wasn’t getting us anywhere. I had the perfect opportunity to get some answers.
“Sex was great,” he said.
I could feel his eyes, almost as if they were boring right through my skin. I looked up fighting the smirk that was trying so hard to escape my lips. It sent a shiver down my spine to look at him.
“Do you really like her?” I asked. My voice came out a whisper. I just wanted him to be honest with me for once. It wasn’t that I thought Slade was lying to me. It was more he was hiding a lot from me. And I didn’t understand why.
Slade looked toward the sands for any sign of Audrey. And then he looked back at me. “I would think that was fucking obvious.”
I raised an eyebrow in irritation. “You don’t have to be so—
“No, I don’t like her. I don’t want anything to do with her.” He grabbed me by the wrist. My eyes fell on his grip. My heart plunked about in my chest.
“Those weren’t the words I expected to hear.” I pursed my lips, closing my eyes trying to fight the overwhelming emotions ready to pour out of them. Slade touched my face.
“The last thing I wanted to do was lie to you all summer. But once again, another part of this coven comes along and screws everything up.” Slade released his hold on me and concentrated on the party. Audrey still was nowhere in sight.
“We made it through Ezra.” I shrugged, maybe there was a way to make it through Audrey too. I reached out and touched his shoulder. “Wouldn’t it be better to try?”
Slade pulled away, "if only everything was as simple as you seem to think it is in your world. If Audrey wants something gone, she will get her way. I’ve been playing nice all summer to keep you safe. Maybe one day you will thank me and stop being so resentful.”
I swallowed. “Don’t you see how amazing you are?”
Slade shot me a confused look. “Did you hear anything I just said?”
I ignored his comment. “Nobody wants to let you go because they see your worth; they see how amazing you are. The only problem, all the people who want you are evil.” I moved closer. “But I’m not. And you’re not either.”
“You don’t know the first thing about me.
You know what I let you see. What I was willing to tell you.” Slade turned away from me as Audrey approached. He crossed his arms. “You’re better off finding a way out of this mess. Nature boy seems to be more your style.”
I bit my lip in anger. He knew nothing about my style. Or who was right for me. And it wasn’t his job to tell me what to do next. “I saw everything. I know who the real Slade is. He’s the guy who puts everyone else first before himself.” I hurried to push the last word out before Audrey was close enough to overhear.
“Just like the night the coven changed all of you. I don’t need to be saved. All I need is for you to be honest and tell me what you want.”
Slade whirled around in an instant. He grabbed me by the shoulders; his finger's digging into my flesh. His lips close to mine, but his eyes were frantic almost. “I’ll always want you,” he said. He shoved me, sending me backwards into the sand.
Audrey giggled in pleasure at Slade’s behavior. She brought her hand to her hip. “We need to get our hands on the mayor’s kid.”
My mouth dropped. “There’s no way.”
She stared down at me, giving me a pathetic grin. “There’s always a way.”
Slade grabbed me by the arm lifting me back up off the ground. He shoved me toward the party. I was confused.
“What are you doing?” I asked, begging Slade to stop tugging me toward the mess that was about to take place.
“You’re going to lure him away from the party, let him know you are ready to come clean.” Slade explained. “He’s dying to hear it. They are all dying to hear someone say so.”
Audrey nodded. “And we will do the rest.”
The plan
There was no way I would convince Tucker to go anywhere remotely close to being alone with me. However, nobody else understood that but me.
I kept my arms hugged tight to my body as I made my way through the crowd. I never felt so uninvited in my life. But knowing Slade and Audrey were right there watching me I knew not to try anything funny.
I bumped into a strange man and quickly apologized. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone I never expected to be there. Nona. She was dressed in a silk white gown and sipping on the fancy champagne.
Before I could get past her, she had hold of my arm.
“I thought you went out for pizza after your party?” She eyed me closely clearly bothered that I wasn’t in white like everyone else.
“We…we were…I need to talk to Tucker. Do you know where he is?”
Nona took another sip. She wasn’t buying it. “You hate Tucker. What is really going on? And why are those two hanging out down there?”
I racked my brain. “I’m being honest.”
“And I’m sober seven days a week. Remember, sweet pea, Nona hears and sees everything that goes on in Cherry. And trust me this party is not where you want to be.” She covered her mouth and whispered. “These nut jobs think we have a witch on our hands.”
I made a face. “So I heard. That’s just crazy.”
Nona nodded in agreement. “I think I saw Tucker by the boardwalk with his buddies. Promise me you won’t cause any trouble.”
I agreed. I quickly kissed Nona’s cheek and hurried off to find Tucker. And as I slipped passed all the dancing guest he was exactly where Nona said he was.
His friends quickly dispersed as I approached. Apparently, the rumors was enough to keep people away from me.
“What do you want?” He asked, stumbling as he stood. He was drunk, and this was getting more and more perfect every minute.
“Could we talk somewhere private? I have something I think you want to hear.” I asked lightly.
Tucker studied me very cautiously. “Whatever you want to say, say it right here. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
I dropped my gaze to the sands. A sudden flash of inspiration coursing my veins, I scanned my memory for any spells that would put Tucker under my control, even if only long enough to get him to the water.
I moved closer. Raising a hand, my fingers trembled as I uttered a spell I remembered from Hutch’s family spell book. “Go to the water now.”
Tucker was still. Not even blinking, I held my breath hoping it was enough to work. Suddenly, he was moving as if it was his idea not magic. I was the only one who knew that it was.
I followed quickly behind him, looking over my shoulder to make sure nobody suspected anything. Nobody was paying attention.
Tucker stumbled across the sand, his fancy sandals kicking up debris as he trudged along. I held my breath that we made it there without being caught. After that the rest was up to Audrey.
The waves became louder the closer we got near the water. A cool chill blew from the water slipping over my skin as I walked. Suddenly, Tucker stopped. He shook his head, hard.
My muscles tensed. He spun around on his heels. “What did you do to me?” His eyes went from alive to dull right before my eyes. The spell wore off. And I wasn’t sure what else to do.
“Nothing. I just need to talk to you that’s all. I swear it.” I said innocently.
“What is there to say?” Tucker kicked the sand under his feet sending it flying in my direction. I ignored his annoying behavior. “Are you going to admit Slade and his gang are into black magic?”
My mouth went dry. I opened my mouth and prepared to be honest when Slade yanked me backwards, and Audrey stepped in my way ending my confession. Slade kept his grip on my wrist keeping me in my place.
Audrey muttered something under her breath and I screamed at the sounds coming out of Tucker’s mouth. He was in pain. He dropped to his knees, falling forward into the sand. He used his hands to keep himself from face planting.
“What is she doing to him?” I asked Slade. He ignored me. Sure, I didn’t like Tucker, but I didn’t want to see someone hurt him.
Audrey pushed into him with her fancy heel, “that would be too simple. We are going to use you.”
I shook my head in disbelief. Tucker seemed to be fading right there in front of us. And I was the only one who cared. I tried again to break Slade’s hold. “Please, just let him go. Do you know how much trouble we could get into?”
Audrey whipped her head in our direction annoyed with me. “Get her out of here. We will meet up later.”
Slade didn’t hesitate. He pulled me toward the party, but he soon stopped when several men were wandering across the sands towards us. It was obvious they were looking for Tucker.
“What are we going to do?” I asked him.
Slade didn’t speak. He lowered his head. I gasped as part of the decorations went up in flames falling on the dance floor. The crowd screamed, running toward the sands.
“Are you kidding me?” I couldn’t believe my eyes.
The men heading towards us quickly turned around running back to take care of the fire.
We slipped through the crowd. Nobody cared anymore that we were there.
“Nona is here.” I told Slade. “What if something happens to her?”
Slade’s eyes softened. He scanned the crowd. “I don’t see her, do you?”
I searched myself not laying eyes on her. Even so, that didn’t make me feel any better. “We need to make sure she is okay. Do you have a phone on you?”
“We are right here. We don’t see her. She’s okay.” As soon as those words left his lips the church sign crashed onto the ground, knocking the table of refreshment over, sending them spilling onto the sand.
I couldn’t believe what was happening all around us, because of Slade and Audrey.
“I didn’t think this was you.” I told Slade as we headed back down the beach.
“Relax, it’s not like I killed anybody,” Slade said.
“I’m sure you wouldn’t care if Audrey killed Tucker.”
Slade let his grip on my arm go. And I settled into a slow pace next to him as we headed down the beach toward my house. I dared him to fight me on it. I wasn’t going back to his Rv.
“Whatever you want t
o believe,” Slade said. We stopped in front of my house. Dad was gone. Which gave me a bit of relief; I didn’t want him involved in any of my newest issues.
I unlocked the door, and Slade walked in before I could. I scrunched my nose in disgust at his forcefulness and shut the door behind me. He leaned against the kitchen counter. I picked up the phone.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Calling Nona, making sure she hasn’t burned alive in your shenanigans.”
Slade let out a soft laugh. Was he really amused by me in a time like this?
As soon as I knew Nona was alright nothing else mattered. Whatever I was going to have to do was fine by me. I wasn’t going to go down without a fight against Audrey.
“Now what?” I asked standing in front of him. I put my hands on my hips waiting for an answer.
“Now we wait,” Slade studied me closely. He pushed off the counter and grabbed a seat, as if it wasn’t that big of a deal we were stuck together.
“Maybe you could wait outside,” I suggested, I crossed my arms. My idea of waiting didn’t involve staring at the boy I once was so into. A boy who at one time stirred things inside of me that I didn’t even know was there.
I suddenly felt weak. I didn’t have it in me to treat him bad, even if he was doing that to me.
“What,” Slade asked, noticing my expression.
I took two waters out of the refrigerator and handed one to Slade before I sat across from him. He let it rest on the table in front of him.
“I just realized that no matter how awful you make me feel. I can’t do the same to you.” I blinked back the tears and looked away. I sounded foolish. “And that makes positively no sense to me.”
Slade cleared his throat. “That’s news to me.”
I looked at him astonished, had I been the one causing the unneeded stress in our flaky relationship? Maybe I had fallen and knocked the sense out of me and just didn’t remember.
“You think any of this has been easy for me?” Slade asked, his eyebrows lifted as he waited for me to gather my wits.