by T. A. Foster
“No, Ivy. I remember Vegas.”
“What?” My lungs were still working, but the breath sliced through them in sharp slits.
His hands cupped my shoulders. “I’m confused and I don’t know what’s happening, but I remember everything from Vegas and don’t try to tell me it’s a dream.”
I shook his hold and moved closer to the door. It felt like the room was closing in on me.
“I seriously don’t know what you’re talking about. You and I have never been to Las Vegas together.” This couldn’t be happening. Holly’s spells were foolproof. She had never lost her hold on an Eraser Spell. She was the best Eraser.
He braced himself on the edge of the bed and stood. “I knew you would try to backpedal.” He smirked. “And I don’t know why you had your cousin do whatever voodoo she did to my head, to my memories, but they’ve all come back. I know it’s not a dream. I remember Helen, and the Locator Spell. You showed me that floating light thing at my house. I know you’re a witch.”
“No, you are definitely talking crazy talk. I think you should go.” I reached for the door, but he blocked me.
“Stop. We’ve done this exact thing before. You tried to run, I stopped you, and you finally trusted me. I remember it.” He rubbed his palm along his jaw. It looked like he hadn’t shaved in days. “What I don’t understand is why you did it. Why did you erase it? We shared things.”
I couldn’t take the hurt look on his face. In his mind, Holly and I had done the unthinkable.
“I was going to take you on a date.” He cut the distance between us.
I pressed my palms against his chest, trying to keep him an arm’s length away. There was no use trying to pretend all of it was a dream. He obviously knew too many details to try to use that story.
“It was to protect you. Can we leave it at that?” I searched his eyes.
“No. That’s not good enough. What did you need to protect me from? I already saw you defeat the Proxy. What else was there?” He hung his head. “What in the hell could be worth stealing my memory?”
“You were going to die! Ok? I did it to keep you alive.” It all came out in rapid succession. More than I meant to say.
He took a step back. “What?”
“Your life was in danger if you knew about my magic. It was the only thing I could do to undo it.” I slid against the door until I was sitting on the floor.
“Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“That’s not how it works. If you knew about my witchiness, you were going to die. There were no other options.” I paused, remembering how it tore my heart in two to make the decision. “I didn’t want to erase any part of that trip from your mind, but if it meant you got to live, it was worth it.”
He sat on the bed, and I was glad there was more space between us.
“This is insane.” He looked at me.
“It is.” I ran my fingers through my hair, unsure of what to do next. I hated to call Holly at this hour, but she needed to know her spell didn’t hold. I reached for my phone.
“What are you doing?” he questioned.
“I have to call Holly. Something’s wrong with the spell.”
He walked across the room and grabbed the phone from my hand. “No. I don’t want her in my head again.”
I stood to match his glare. “You will die. Don’t you get it?” I tried to pull the phone from his grasp.
“No, you don’t get it. I want to keep my memories.”
He was being ridiculously stubborn. “She can’t do anything to you over the phone.” I held out my palm. “But, something is wrong. You shouldn’t be able to remember anything, and all of a sudden, you can. On top of that, I learned a whole lot of crazy stuff tonight, and I have a feeling it’s all connected somehow. Please let me call my cousin.” I waited, hoping he would cave to reason.
He planted the phone in my hand. “Ok, but as soon as she shows up, I’m running in the other direction. I’m definitely not shaking hands with her.”
“Got it. You’d rather die than forget Vegas. I think with most people, it’s the other way around.” I tapped the screen for Holly’s number.
Jack threw his hands in the air then stomped to the mini-bar. At this point, we both needed a drink. I held up my fingers so he would know to pour me something. Anything.
“Hello?” Holly sounded groggy, like a person who had just been awakened from a deep sleep.
“Hey, girl. I’m so sorry to call you like this, but we have a major problem.”
She yawned into the phone. “What’s wrong? Are you still in Charleston?”
“Yes, and Jack just showed up.” I watched as he poured two mini-bottles into rocks glasses. “Anyway, he remembers everything, Holly. Every little detail.” I waited for her to scream.
“What!”
There was no way to break that kind of news to her. “He has all of his memory back. I couldn’t wait to call you in the morning. Something is wrong for the spell to break.”
“I can leave now and try again. We have to do something.” She sounded panicked.
“No, he doesn’t want you to erase his memory. He’s being a stubborn ass.” I glared at him. “But there’s more. Hold on.” I headed to the bathroom where Jack wouldn’t be able to overhear me. I closed the door. “I did a Time Spell tonight to follow Grandma Grace, and I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Ok. Just take a deep breath and start from the beginning. This is a lot to take in right now, but I’m totally awake.”
“Thanks.” I sat on the edge of the tub. I wished I had talked to my cousin about the journal and all of the things I had discovered before now. It would make retracing the night a lot easier. “Ok, so my grandmother was in love with this guy named Leo in 1949.”
“Oh, sounds romantic. Go on.”
This was exactly the type of story Holly loved. “Anyway, she met him in Charleston, and it turns out they were part of some secret witch council. So, tonight I followed them on their first mission from the council, and they ended up on an island right off the harbor.”
“Ok.”
“And while I was following them, I saw the hooded man from my Foresight.”
“That creepy guy? What do you mean you saw him?”
“It was him, no doubt. The same one who told me to stay away from Jack, and now he’s the same one who told me to stay away from Finn. I had a nightmare the other night that Finn was in danger.” I ran my fingers through my hair; everything was a terrible nightmare.
“What did you do?” she asked.
“I flew back with my grandmother and Leo. They went straight to the council, which is a weird group of nerdy-types, but anyway, I learned a little something at their meeting.”
“What did they say?”
I wish I had recorded the whole thing. “Whatever the hooded man is, he has a group with him. And they meet every sixty-five years. The council was planning on taking them out.”
Holly breathed into the phone. “Oh, good then they’re probably gone.”
“No, they can’t be, because I’m seeing him now in the present. He’s wrecking my dreams and threatening Finn and Jack.” I thought about it for a second. It seemed hard to accept that Jack’s spell coincidentally broke in the middle of all that was going on.
“Right. Well, did they say how they were going to get rid of them? Maybe we can do that?” I liked that Holly was brainstorming with me. I felt less alone.
“The other part is that one of the witches in the group was a Sensor. She knew I was there, even with my Double Fade Spell. She couldn’t see me, but she knew I was spying on their meeting.”
“That sucks.”
“It does, so I ran out of there before they tried to figure it out.”
“I’m glad you’re ok. This sounds dangerous. Maybe I should drive to Charleston and help you.”
“I might need it.” Another pair of witchy hands couldn’t hurt. Besides, how was I going to keep Jack safe now that he knew about me and
refused to go back into the safe zone? “There’s one more thing I haven’t mentioned.”
“What’s that?”
“I think it’s the most confusing part to me. I don’t understand why she never told me. I should have known this before. My grandmother was a Laurel and Leo was a Guardian.”
When I returned from New Orleans last spring, I told Holly everything that happened with the consul, Finn, and the revelations from Madame Chantilly. I hoped that maybe one of her grandparents or a distant aunt would have mentioned Laurels, but like me, she didn’t know anything about them. It was a part of my identity that I had tried to uncover for the past nine months.
“What? How long have you known that?”
I felt guilty for not sharing more with her, but it seemed like a private journey at the time. “I only learned about it last night when I decided I had to drive here.” My days were blurring together; I think it was last night. “The council kept saying that they could defeat the group because they had a Laurel and a Guardian. Somehow, that’s part of the deal.”
“Oh my God, this is insane. I’m packing up tomorrow and heading to Charleston. You shouldn’t be doing this alone. Whatever it is.”
I was about to argue with her, but she was right. If my grandmother and Leo were part of a council of witches, why did I think I could handle all of this alone?
“Thanks, Holly.”
“We’re going to figure this out together, but you know you need to call Ian too.”
“I know. I know. He’s my next call.” I had no idea how my brother would react to all of this information.
“I’ll get Mike to check in on Cooper for you if that’s ok.”
“Of course.” I hated leaving him like I did, but I hoped he was enjoying the new yard. “It’s probably best not to ask my parents.”
“Hey, before I go, where’s Jack now?”
I looked at the bathroom door that separated us. “He’s in the other room, working on the mini-bar.”
“Well, I won’t be there until tomorrow, so might as well take advantage of the situation.” She giggled.
“You can’t be serious. We’re on the brink of magical disaster.” I twisted my lips.
“Think of it this way, if we all go down in some magical apocalypse, at least you won’t have any regrets. Bye.”
She hung up before I could lecture her on how that was wrong on so many levels.
I had one more call to make, and it wasn’t going to be easy. Ian was Finn’s best friend. I should have called before now. I tapped on the screen.
“Hey, it’s Ivy.”
MY PHONE calls had taken an hour. It’s not easy to explain all the details of the magical world when you’ve kept the people closest to you in the dark. Ian was understandably upset with me. I should have asked for his help. He and Holly were riding together tomorrow after he got off work. At this point, we both decided to keep it from my parents. Part of him had to understand why I was trying to handle it on my own.
I brushed my teeth before opening the door. I expected to see Jack pacing with a drink in his hand, but instead, the room was dark and I heard long deep snores.
I guess he had given up on me. I cracked the bathroom door enough to let the light filter through. He was sprawled across the bed. I was not about to sleep on the floor, not after the night I had.
I grabbed my T-shirt and pajama pants, and traipsed back to the bathroom to change. I could do this. Jack and I had spent the night together before. It was a year ago, and things had gotten fiery hot. I shook my head. All I had to do was climb in the bed, turn on my side, and will myself to sleep. It also wouldn’t be an idea to come up with a plan to make sure he was safe, and Finn wasn’t in some terrible evil danger. I could do that.
I pulled the door behind me and crept to the bed. I slid one leg under the covers and then the other, careful not to disturb the sleeping bear next to me. I adjusted the pillow under my head and tried to inhale and exhale normally, but the nearness of Jack had me thinking about all the wrong things.
Sometime during my phone session, he had stripped off his shirt. I accidentally brushed against his chest when I pulled the sheet against my chest. He was warm. This was not good. I didn’t want to know whether he was wearing pants. Surely, he still had on his khakis. You know what they say about cats and curiosity? I scooted my back toward him, only a few inches, and pretended I needed to rub my leg. I reached toward my calf, letting my hand skim his leg. Holy shit. He was pantless. I closed my eyes and bit my lip. I was failing miserably at this. If Jack knew about me, then why couldn’t I just give in? I knew the reasons all too well.
Before I had a chance to make my usual pro and con list, I felt his hand circle my waist and draw me to him. His chin nuzzled against my neck, and the simple gesture lit my nerves on fire. I fought to stay still and calm my pulse. Maybe he was sleep cuddling.
“I remember this.” He growled as he kissed the space along my neck.
Ok, he was definitely not asleep. My body came alive wherever he touched me, but the sirens rang in my head.
“And I remember this.” His hand pulled on the edge on my T-shirt and pushed it toward my breasts. He ran his thumbs against the T-shirt, over my nipples, urging them to respond to his touch. I was glad my shirt was between us. I could already feel the heat from his fingers, and he wasn’t even touching my skin yet.
I closed my eyes and leaned into him. He roamed my body, holding me in place with one hand while the other explored parts of me he hadn’t touched in a year. This was not the road Jack and I were headed down. This couldn’t happen.
His teeth raked over my ear, causing me to gasp. “You remember, don’t you?”
I nodded as his hand slipped under the waistband of my pajama pants and near the strip of lace I was wearing. He kissed my neck as his fingers toyed with the fabric. No matter how my body reacted, I couldn’t squash the flag waving in the back of my head. I tried to push it down, and convince myself that I wouldn’t be a terrible person if I gave into this moment. A year ago, I wanted nothing more, but things had changed, my feelings for Jack had changed.
He groaned into my ear while he pinched the little bit of lace, gathering it in spots. I knew it couldn’t happen. Not like this, and not while I was the reason his life was in danger.
I wiggled free until I was standing next to the bed. My breath was ragged, and my core was burning from his touch.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I— We-we need to slow down.” The words were out, but my body was screaming at me to get back in bed with him and let him take me—bad pajama pants and all. “You seem different. Determined.”
He propped himself on his elbow. “I guess I am. I learned the hard way I need to seize the moment. I just wanted to pick up where we left off. I’m sorry.” He pulled the covers back. “I didn’t think it was too much, but I guess it surprised you. If you get back in bed, I promise I won’t touch you. Come on. You need sleep.” His eyes softened.
I looked at the sheets. I was a complete idiot. I had the hottest man in Charleston in my bed. A man I had crushed on for three years, and I just told him to get out of my pants. Seriously, I must have lost my mind. I kicked myself for not being able to let go of all the responsible and sensible barriers that had made me jump out of bed.
“Ivy, I’ll behave. We both need some sleep.” He patted the mattress. “But, I did sort of crash your room, so I can take the floor if that makes you feel better.” He started to climb out of bed.
He was always such a gentleman. “No, don’t do that. The floor is crazy.” I sat on the edge of the bed, unsure my hormones could adhere to the plan my brain had formed. Knowing Jack, once he had made a promise, he would keep it. He was a man of his word.
He turned so his back was toward me. “Good night.” And three minutes later, he was snoring again. Of course.
I faced the ceiling and pulled the covers to my neck. Tomorrow was going to be embarrassing.
“Coffee?
” Jack held out a cup in front of me. I had somehow managed to sleep through him ordering room service and the delivery.
I sat up, stacking a pillow behind my back. “Yes, I’ll take some.”
He must have just taken a shower, because he appeared freshly shaven, a look I seldom saw. “About last night—”
I stopped him. “No, don’t say anything.” I held the mug between my hands.
“I want to say something.” He sat next to me on the bed. “I was stupid to think that just because I got the memory of last year back that we could just pick up from that same point. I’ve been trying for weeks now, and I should have known you have probably moved on. It won’t happen again.”
“Wait. Did you say weeks?” How long had he had his memory back?
“Yes, I’ve known for a month, I guess.” He blushed. “I guess you know my real reason for trying to push the Nashville trip. I wanted to get out of town with you. But, like I said, I won’t cross the line again. At least not until you want me to. We’ve worked together for years. I can live with the rest.”
“Did it come back in a flash, or a little bit at a time?” I didn’t have a chance last night to question him about all of the details.
“I guess it was a little bit at a time. Well, first the fishing trip memory was gone.”
I sat up. “What do you mean gone?”
“Someone at the office asked me if I was going on that annual trip this year, and I had no idea what he was talking about. I mentioned it to Ann, and she reminded me last year I went fishing. I checked my calendar, my computer for pictures, but there was nothing. I thought I was having early dementia or some kind of breakdown.”
I listened as he explained how the spell was lifted from his mind.
“Then, the next day I remembered the letter and you coming over to my house. The orb. I remembered that.” He stopped and looked at me. “And then the rest hit me. It was not a dream.” It was as if he needed to keep repeating it to reassure himself that there was reality hidden in the magic somewhere.
I placed my hand on his forearm. “It wasn’t a dream. I’m sorry I had Holly erase your memory, but I would do it again if I had to. Remembering those few days isn’t worth your life.”