by Julia Talbot
She shouldn’t have read that goddamn book. What had she been thinking?
“Shiloh.”
Shit. She jumped a mile. Was that Bella?
Nova reached for her. “Shi. Honey, breathe.”
“Oh, God.” She hugged Nova hard. This woman proved the world still existed. “Thank you for coming.”
“Honey, what the fuck is going on?”
“I don’t know!” The boys were so calm about all this mystical bullshit. “There’s that book and this weird fake snowstorm and I’m freaking out.”
“No shit on that. I’m tempted to put us in my Volvo and just drive.”
“Okay.” They clung together for a few moments. “Liam hit his head hard. Can you help watch him while ’Lijah and I look for Bella?”
“Of course. Sure. I can do more than watch.”
Shiloh chuckled. “Stop it.”
“Hey, you can’t blame me for trying…”
“We’re having a crisis.” Shiloh grinned, though. This was the first normal thing all day. “Don’t be crass.”
“Uh-huh. I can be crass later, though, right?” Nova asked, eyes twinkling at her.
“Absolutely. We figure this out and you can have a blow by blow.”
“Oh, yay. I need my vicarious adventure. You know I’ve been solo since Max.”
“I need a little less adventure and a little more logic, myself.”
“I bet.” Nova patted her arm. “Muffins make it better.”
“I warmed them up. Coffee’s on too.”
“You rock. We’ll figure this out.” Nova was so normal. So comforting. Real.
“Yeah. Come on in.” She got her heavy boots on, grabbed a parka, gloves and her phone, along with a pocketknife.
Elijah joined them. “I got Liam settled back on the couch.”
“Nova’s in the kitchen. I’m ready.” Okay, huge lie. She wasn’t ready for this.
“Can I borrow something warm?” He had put socks on, at least, which was better than Liam had done last night.
“Sure. I still have some coats from Dad.” She dug in the closet, fingers wrapping around one familiar heavy coat.
“Thank you.” He put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing in thanks.
Shiloh nodded. She was about to simply shut down. The world wasn’t real anymore.
“Hey.” He tilted her chin up to kiss her lips. “We can do this.”
“I don’t even know what this is, ’Lijah.”
“An illusion. A powerful thing, exerting its will. But it’s bound by rules. Laws. We have to figure out what those are.”
That she understood.
The snow wasn’t real. She knew it. Still, it felt scary, real and cold. And Liam was freezing.
Bound by rules.
“Are the rules in the book, Elijah?”
“I bet they are. We just have to find them.”
“Okay. So what? We go to the hotel or look for Bella first?”
“If Bella is really out there, we need to get her safe.” Elijah put a hand on her arm.
“We need to bring her here and then we need to get the book. He can’t come in the house. We’ve proved that, right?”
“Smart girl. Okay. We have a plan.”
“Uh-huh. Follow the bad guy. Go to get the book we know the bad guy wants. Run home.”
Yay. Then they would flush the bad guy down the toilet. Or set him on fire. Something. Right?
“Come on.” ’Lijah took her hand, tugging her out on the porch.
Please, she prayed. Please let us figure this out. She needed her weird little town. And everyone in it.
Every single weird little soul.
She took a deep breath, then plunged down into the yard, wading into the illusion while she clung to Elijah’s hand.
Chapter Seven
Elijah knew there had to be some way to take control of the situation, but he was damned if anything was occurring to him. Liam was hurt, Shiloh was scared but playing it brave, and he was worried that there really was an old lady about to disappear into this fake fucking storm.
He didn’t understand this—how powerful was this fucking thing if it could change the weather?
“Bella!” Shiloh was taking on a frantic note in her voice, gripping his hand as if she were a weightlifter or an arm-wrestler.
“Shiloh…” Was that the old woman’s voice?
Elijah stared into the mist, then tugged Shiloh in the direction of the voice.
“I heard her. She was this way.” Shiloh pulled the opposite way.
“No. I know she was over here, honey.” Tracking he could do, even if he was chasing sound, not prints or scent.
“Shiloh, hurry.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” Accounting for the actual breeze he could feel and the slope of the land, Bella had to be to their right.
Shiloh shook her head, but followed him, trusting him. That made him smile, made him move a little faster, knowing she had his back. They headed up, and the voice sounded again—this time from behind him, maybe. He was so confused. Shiloh though, she sighed happily and tugged him upward. “You were right.”
“Good.” He hoped to God he was right. Lord, this weird fog was deceptive, and he knew that the voice had come from behind him. He wanted to whirl around and force whoever this was to face them.
He didn’t, though. The son of a bitch was trying to separate them, and that wasn’t going to happen. He followed his gut, climbing, letting Shiloh call out for Bella while he listened. There. A scrape of a boot.
He spun around, the hint of a red coat catching his eye.
“Bella?” Shiloh dragged him toward the little bit of color.
“You two are letting yourselves be distracted,” Bella said.
“What?” Elijah stopped dead, knowing he needed to concentrate.
“Put him back in the book, Shiloh. You took him out.”
“I didn’t mean to.” Shiloh turned in a circle with Elijah, trying to figure out where Bella’s voice was coming from. “Bella. Help me. What did I do wrong?”
“Oh, honey. You just needed. It’s not your fault. I should have made sure he was locked up. I thought he was. I called Liam. I’m so sorry.”
He. So Bella had known. Damn.
“Oh, Bella. Are you— Where are you?” Shiloh sounded so sad now.
“Jenn came and got me. I’ve missed her, honey, more than I can say.”
“Oh.” Shiloh groped out and found his hand again, and Elijah clung to her.
Christ.
“Find the book,” Bella said. “Put him back in there. Tell Liam the store is his.”
“Bella… Please.” Shiloh was tearing up.
“I’m okay, Shiloh.” Now Bella laughed, the sound joyful. “Better than I have been in years. I love you, honey.”
“Love you…” The tears were falling hard and fast. He needed to get her back to the house, back with Liam and Nova while he went after the book.
“Go.” Bella’s voice echoed around for a moment, then faded away.
“I—” Shiloh looked at him, her pretty mouth in a tight line. “I am done with this shit, do you hear me? I’m going to go get this book and end this.”
“I’ll go to the hotel, honey. Come on.” Elijah tugged her back toward the house.
“No. I’m going. I did this; I’ll fix it. You’re safe in the house.”
“Shiloh.” He held her still a moment. “We’ll do it together. All of us.”
This wasn’t about him, not right now—this was about Shiloh. She needed to know she could take care of this. Needed to know she was capable. He and Liam, and maybe even Nova, would just be there to help.
She kissed his cheek. “Go back to the house.”
“Not without you. We won’t interfere, but we’ll be there if you need us.”
“I don’t know what to do, but we’ll figure it out, right?”
“We will. House. Get Liam. Get the book.” He didn’t care if they had
to do a naked dance widdershins in the town square. In fact, that could be entertaining…
Hell, from what he’d heard about this town, everyone might find it amusing.
He got Shiloh moving, got her walking. She was in shock a little, and he couldn’t blame her. Bella was her friend. Fuck, Liam was gonna go nuts. Maybe they should just go to the hotel now.
“We’ll get the book.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m scared.” Shiloh squeezed his hand.
“Me too. I know I’m supposed to be all macho, but me too.”
She smiled at him suddenly, as if him admitting it made things easier for her. He hugged her hard, adding, “Come on, lady. Advance!”
“Yeah. You. Me. Hotel.”
“Book!” He tightened his grip on her hand and charged down the hill past her house, toward town.
“Should we take my car? Is it going to be waiting in the woods?”
“No. I think its MO is deception, not direct attack.” They were on a roll. They needed to just go.
“I thought it was about sex. I just…I was lonely, you know?”
“I know.” He got it. More than once he’d wished he was braver, had more nerve than chatting online with Liam. “I get it, honey. I do.”
“You?” She gave him a disbelieving look. “You’re beautiful. Amazing. Both of you.”
“Oh, I’m a geek. I prefer my languages dead, you know?” He shot her a sideways look. “You’re the beautiful one.”
Surely she knew that.
She took his breath away.
“And Liam is just this weird ginger.” He chuckled when she whacked his arm.
“He’s a hot little bastard, isn’t he?” she said, her voice a bit throaty.
Elijah nodded, thinking how unreal it all was. “He is. We need to get this done so I can watch you together.”
“You think you’ll still want to?”
“Oh, yeah.” This whole thing might be enhanced by the book, whatever was in it, but he would still want both of them.
“Good. I want you.” Her voice was a whisper.
“Good. That gives us incentive.”
Shiloh walked, her hair flying in the wind as if it were gold silk. He wanted to put his hands in it, wanted to kiss her, and he thought they must be getting close to the book. He wanted her, sure, but this was a painful need, a desperation.
Crazy, what a spell could do. Or an entity.
“Don’t let me go, Elijah.”
“No. No, I have you.” They began to run, pelting down the empty streets.
“Where are they?”
“I think the question is, where are we?”
She looked at him, panic blooming on her face. “He moved us somehow?”
“Maybe a little bit. As in shifted us, just enough to be lost.”
“Like Jenn.”
“I think so.” That made as much sense as anything.
“That’s creepy, you know? But at least it sort of makes sense. Maybe Jenn called it before.”
“Oh.” He hadn’t even thought of that. “Was she the kind to do that for fun?”
“I don’t know, but I know they were having troubles. Maybe she was lonely.”
“Maybe. Oh, that sucks.” He hated it when people were sad. That was his tribal-family reaction. Everyone supported one another, helped each other through hard times. His online family did that too.
“Maybe…” They got to the hotel and it was eerie, quiet and awful. The wind had stopped, even, as if the whole world was holding its breath. “I’m so scared, ’Lijah. So scared.”
“This is freakish.” He held her closer, heading up the stairs to his room. Was it his or Liam’s? Damn it.
“Which room?”
“I think it was in Liam’s.” He tugged her up the stairs.
“’Kay. Hurry.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I feel it.” It crawled up his spine, the desperation, the despair, leaving buggy tingles. Fuck.
Shiloh picked up the book, shoved it in a leather briefcase. “Should we grab clothes for you guys? Are you still packed?”
“You good with us being at your place?” He wasn’t interested in leaving her. Not at all.
“Please. I don’t know what’s happening, but… Please, huh?”
“We’ll take Liam’s suitcase and get mine later. I can wear his sweats, for sure.”
“It’s a plan.” She grabbed the suitcase. “It may not be a good plan, but it’s a plan.”
“You know it.” Clutching the briefcase with one hand, he took her hand again with the other. “You ready for this?”
She shook her head. “Absolutely.”
Elijah laughed, understanding her reluctance. “Liam is waiting for us.”
“Yeah. Let’s go. Don’t lose me.”
He turned to stare into her eyes, meaning it when he said, “Never. I promise.”
She held his gaze, then nodded. “Okay. We can do this. Let’s go home.”
Elijah just hoped they made it there, and that when they did, Liam and Nova would still be waiting for them. He said a tiny prayer to the ancient spirits to aid their cause before careening down the stairs with Shiloh.
Liam listened to the wind, which had died down a while ago but was back now with a vengeance. He glanced at Nova.
“I should go after them.” Liam felt less than worthless. Why had he gone after Bella alone?
“No way. Shiloh said you needed to stay here.”
“What if one of them is hurt?” His head had let off some, the pounding easing down enough to let him think.
“I… I don’t know. I just don’t know, man.”
He smiled at Nova, trying to ease her worry by smothering his. “You want some coffee?”
“I could get some. Shiloh has muffins if you want one.”
“Sure.” There. He hadn’t meant for her to have to get him food, but that would keep her busy.
“Okay. No problem. You sit.”
“I’m okay.” He hated sitting and waiting for anything, but his lovers were out there. His lovers. Goddess, could it be love? So soon? Maybe it was the magick, but he had a feeling that was more about power than it was romance.
Sex magick had its place, but it was the love that drove them all. Love made men, and women, do crazy brave things.
And his man and woman were out there with a demon while his happy ass sat in a safe house.
Liam stood, ready to barge out into the wind. Just before he got to the door it flew open.
Shiloh and Elijah stormed in, damn near bowling him over. Relief did the rest, weakening his knees. “Oh, thank God.”
“We made it.” ’Lijah looked worn out.
“Shut the door. God, shut the door.”
Nova came running, struggling with the door but getting it to click shut.
“Nova. Nova, you’re here.” Shiloh stared. “Thank God you’re both still safe.”
“Well, duh.”
Liam glanced at Nova. “She’s been here all this time.”
“I know, but… I was worried.”
“Yeah.” Liam got that now. “Was—did you find Bella?”
Elijah winced. “Yeah, I—”
“She’s gone.” Shiloh’s voice was raw, almost as if it was cracked down the center.
“Gone?” Liam blinked, then looked at ’Lijah to explain.
“She was with her Jenn.” Elijah’s dark eyes shone with sympathy. “She wanted you to have the store.”
“What do you mean, gone?” Nova stared at Shiloh. “What happened? What the fuck is going on?”
“She’s dead.” Shiloh sat down on the floor as if her legs wouldn’t hold her up.
Liam wasn’t sure what the hell was going on, but he knew it sucked. “Frozen?”
“I— We never found her body. She was in the wind.”
“Then how do you know she was gone?” Liam didn’t follow what they were trying to tell him.
“She told us.” ’Lijah sighed. “Just as she was trying to
tell you, honey.”
He was confused, but he focused on Shiloh, on her tears. He sank down next to her so he could hug her.
“I have to fix this. This is my fault.” Shiloh sniffled. “I have no idea how.”
“How is this your fault?” Bella had known the book was dangerous, hadn’t she? She’d locked it up, but if this thing was as strong as it seemed to be, nothing would stop it entirely.
“I was so lonely.” She sobbed harder, clinging to his shirt.
“So was Bella,” Liam said. “Are you sure she didn’t leave the book out because she was messing with it?”
“It wasn’t out. It was on the bookshelf.”
“But she said she should have put it away.” Elijah stared at him, then Shiloh.
“It was on a bookshelf. I swear.”
“We believe you.” He and Elijah said it together. That might make sense. If Bella had been pining for Jenn, then maybe she’d been dinking around with the book. Nova sat on the edge of the sofa, pale but composed. Good woman. “What now? What do we do now?”
“Bella said to use the book.” Shiloh got a mutinous look on her face. “I say we burn it.”
“Burn it?” Liam blinked. He hadn’t even read it.
“Well if whatever is doing this is bound to the book, won’t fire cleanse it?”
“Cleanse it, release it. It’s a gamble.”
“Damn.” Her lower lip quivered.
’Lijah sighed. “Liam and I need to look at the book. We’ll need gloves.”
“Will gardening gloves work?”
“They will.” Liam beamed at her, knowing Shiloh needed encouragement. Support. She needed him to be strong.
Even if his bloody head was about to fall off.
“Okay, okay. I’ll go dig something up.” She got up on shaky legs.
“Thanks, hon.” Elijah waited for Shiloh to be out of earshot before turning to him. “She’s really torn up about this, man.”
“I get it. I get it. Bella was a good woman. Good.”
“I’m sorry.” Elijah came to give him a hug, then shot a wry smile at Nova. “Nova, can you check on Shiloh?”
“Sure. Sure, I don’t… I don’t know how I got caught up in all of this.”
Liam gave her a smile too. “You’re a good friend.”
“Yeah, that and four bucks might get me a coffee.” Nova snorted but got up and went to check on Shiloh.