Her aunt’s face darkened. “The same to you.”
She brushed past the old witch and left, slamming the door shut behind her, hands shaking with impotent rage. If she had fought back, it would look like she had attacked them unprovoked. She had hoped family would side with her. But, just like everyone else, her aunt loved power more than anything else. And anyone who wanted power in this city sucked up to the Blackwood Coven.
Her phone rang, the ringtone alerting her that it was her least favorite relative calling: her mother. Word traveled fast.
“Hello,” she answered, voice curt.
“Enough is enough,” her mother growled into the phone. “You have embarrassed us repeatedly. No matter how many chances I give you, you still manage to screw up. Your father and I are done supporting your immature decisions. Your things will be on the front lawn, and if you don’t come get them within an hour, they’ll be gone with the trash.”
Every word felt like a knife in her gut. Of course her mother wasn’t on her side. She never had been. Never would be.
“And you are not welcome in this house, or this coven. I don’t want to see you–”
“Don’t worry, you won’t ever have to see me again.” Rather than listen to any more of her mother’s hateful ranting, she hung up the phone. She knew this would happen eventually, but for some reason that didn’t make it hurt any less. As she walked to her car, it felt like she was floating. Like none of this was really happening. Perhaps it was all a bad dream.
She reached for the car door, but stopped short, alarm cutting through the mental fog. The beat up old car looked normal but she felt something wrong.
Crouching down beside it, she whispered a spell of revelation. The car lit up like a beacon. It was wrapped in dozens of curses, all nasty and meant to harm her if she touched it.
AMBER
Amber’s phone went off, the loud jingle echoing through the library. She grabbed it and silenced it with fumbling fingers as every person in the quiet building turned to glare at her.
“Sorry, sorry,” she said as she answered the call. “Ceri, what’s up?”
There was silence, then a hiccoughing sound. She shot to her feet and grabbed her keys, immediately sensing something was wrong.
She covered the receiver with one hand. “Gen, I have to go. Steven, can you give her a ride back to the house?”
“What? Where–”
“Thanks,” she said, hurrying toward the exit, leaving Genevieve to deal with Steven. Turning her attention back to the call, she asked, “Ceri, where are you?”
“Work, but…fired. Outside,” Ceri said through her tears. “So stupid I’m crying, but they cursed my car, and I can’t even get what I need to cleanse it. My mom kicked me out. I don’t know what to do.”
“I’ll be there in just a few minutes, okay? Just stay on the line.” As soon as Amber got outside, she sprinted for the truck. She knew exactly who had caused all this. Between the Lockhart pack and that stupid coven, there hadn’t been a single day without someone being an asshole.
“I’m sorry. Didn’t have anyone else to call,” Ceri said quietly.
Amber had never heard her sound so defeated. She was usually optimistic. “You can call anytime. And you’re staying with us, I won’t hear any arguments about it. You already have a room, so it’s a no brainer.”
“But I can’t stay forever—”
“Why not?” Amber demanded. She knew what it was like to have your own mother kick you out. Having the one person that was supposed to love you unconditionally push you away like that was a heartbreak not many people understood. “As far as I’m concerned, you can stay forever. You’ve gone out of your way to help us, and I’d like to think we’re starting to become friends.”
Ceri laughed, but there wasn’t any real joy in it. “You’re basically running a halfway house for misfits now. A wolf pack, with a witch, and a bunch of bitten werewolves.”
She grinned, despite the sad truth of it. No one wanted them, but it didn’t matter as long as they had each other. “Genevieve says we have to pick a pack name. Maybe we’ll call ourselves the Misfit Pack.”
That got a real chuckle. “I guess it’s better to be a misfit than an evil dick witch.”
“Dick witch?” Amber repeated with a laugh as she pulled up behind the cursed car. Ceri was sitting on the sidewalk, head resting on her knees.
“I stand by that insult,” Ceri said before hanging up the phone. Standing, she walked over to the truck and climbed inside, wiping tears from her pale cheeks. Her messy blonde hair was even bushier than normal.
“It’s a pretty good insult,” Amber said reassuringly as she put the truck in reverse.
“What am I supposed to do now?” Ceri asked, staring at her hands.
Amber was quiet for a moment, trying to find the right words. “Tonight? Eat some ice cream. Watch TV. Tomorrow? Find a new job. We can look together.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“It’s not easy, but it is simple. You don’t give up. When my mom kicked me out of the house I had nothing. I left the state, found a job at a mechanic shop, and went to night school, then eventually nursing school. All I could do was take it one day at a time. It sucks, but you will be okay,” she said, reaching across the truck to squeeze Ceri’s shoulder.
The witch gave her a wobbly smile. “This is probably for the best anyway. I was never going to be who my mother wanted. I’m not sure why I tried for so long.”
“Because you love her,” Amber said with a shrug. “And you always will.”
Chapter 25
TOMMY
Tommy opened the oven door and pulled out the roast chicken. He could smell that it was cooked all the way through now. Every spice he had used, and the rich butter he’d stuffed under the skin, filled his nose.
Woggy poked out of Tommy’s shirt, smacking loudly as he reached for the chicken.
“How are you always this hungry?” Tommy asked, picking off a piece of gristle for the pixie. The pot with the potatoes began boiling over, so he quickly handed the morsel to Woggy and hurried to pull off the lid and turn down the heat.
The door opened. He heard Amber’s familiar heartbeat first, but the one that followed was too fast-paced.
“Damn, that smells good,” Amber said with a smile as he turned around.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, taking in Ceri’s puffy red eyes.
“I got fired,” Ceri said, staring at her feet. “So, of course, my mother kicked me out of the house as well.”
His hand tightened around the handle of the lid. “Was it that coven again?”
Ceri straightened her shoulders and brushed her curls away from her face. “Yes.”
“We have to do something,” he said, throwing his hands in the air. This was how it always went. Bullies got their way, and people like him and Ceri got shit on. It wasn’t fair. He was strong now, he should be able to fight back. The need to do something was pumping through his entire body. “We can’t let them get away with it.”
“We are doing something. We’re helping Ceri. She’s going to stay with us as long as she wants,” Amber said, trying to placate him.
It was insulting. He didn’t need to be pacified. The muscle in his jaw twitched as he ground his teeth together.
“That’s not enough. The coven isn’t going to stop just because they ruined her life. Why aren’t you standing up for her?” His breath was getting faster, and he could hear his heart thundering in his ears.
Ceri shifted uncomfortably. “Tommy, there’s nothing she can do. I didn’t—”
“No! That’s what everyone says. It’s not true. There has to be some way to fix this!” He threw the lid across the kitchen as anger ripped through him. This was wrong. He couldn’t allow it.
A growl erupted from his throat and his vision blurred. He didn’t realize he was moving until Amber slammed him against the wall.
“Enough!” she shouted, her eyes bleeding red. The author
ity in her voice shook him back into control. She waited until his breathing slowed, then stepped back.
He stumbled away from her, panting. Keeping his eyes on the floor, he turned and walked back to the kitchen. A soft squeak reminded him that Woggy was still hiding in his shirt. He lifted out the trembling pixie.
“Sorry, buddy,” he whispered, setting Woggy on the counter with shaky hands. He hadn’t meant to lose control like that. He could have hurt Woggy, or even Ceri.
The pixie walked over to the chicken and pulled a piece free, but instead of eating it, he lifted it toward Tommy. Juices dripped down his spindly arms as he held the meat aloft.
“He wants to make sure you’re okay,” Ceri said, startling him. He hadn’t realized she had followed him into the kitchen.
“I should be making sure you’re okay,” Tommy said, taking the proffered piece of chicken and eating it. Woggy looked very pleased and grabbed another piece, eating this one. Apparently food cured everything in a pixie’s mind.
“I’ll be fine, eventually,” Ceri said. It seemed like she was being honest, but he still hated the whole situation.
He grabbed the pot of potatoes and dumped it into the strainer. They were over-cooked. Staring down at the steam rising from the uneven chunks, he felt helpless. He didn’t want to feel that way anymore.
“It’s almost Halloween,” he said, looking up at Ceri.
“Yeah…” she said, dragging out the word curiously.
“Every Halloween the witches do those displays, showing off their power and skills, right?” he asked, his mind whirling with possibilities. “They got you fired. Maybe we can turn it around on them this time.”
Ceri’s eyes went wide. “That wouldn’t be right—”
“Why not? It’s just us finally fighting back. They’re awful. Everyone should see who they really are.”
Amber stood behind Ceri, her arms crossed. She looked angry and worried at the same time. “What exactly are you suggesting?”
“I don’t know,” he said, mirroring her posture. “Maybe we can sabotage them somehow?”
The door opened, and Genevieve walked in with some nerdy guy following closely behind her. She stopped in her tracks, taking in the tension in the room. “Hey…guys…”
The nerdy guy pulled out a notebook and started writing something down.
Amber cleared her throat. “This is Steven,” she said, gesturing at the guy who waved absently. “He’s helping out with research for the Trials.”
“Why does Ceri look like she’s been crying? More importantly, why is there a lid embedded in the wall?” Genevieve asked.
Chapter 26
AMBER
Amber groaned, putting her head in her hands. Once Genevieve had been filled in on what had happened, it had turned into a revenge brainstorming session. Ceri was perking up, but every new idea had made the knot of worry in Amber’s stomach grow a little tighter. She wanted to help, but with the Trials so close, it felt risky.
“Well?” Genevieve asked, annoyed.
She looked up and realized they were all looking at her waiting on an answer. Steven was surreptitiously taking notes. She wanted to smack the pen out of his hand and kick him out, but they did still need his help.
“I want to help, I do, but maybe we should wait.” As she spoke, Genevieve’s face darkened in anger. She could feel the disappointment from each of her pack members. Only Ceri looked somewhat content with her answer, but Amber suspected she was disappointed in her too.
“Whatever,” Genevieve said, turning away. “Dinner smells great, Tommy. Is it done?”
Amber felt them closing off. Her wolf whined, equally frustrated with her. It wanted to fight. It didn’t understand what was at stake, though. Clenching her teeth tightly together to keep from yelling at her pack, she slipped out the back door and left them to eat.
“That could have gone better,” the demon said as he formed in front of her. His smoky body bobbed in the wind.
“Shut up,” she muttered, walking faster. They could probably still hear her this close to the house. The last thing she needed was them thinking she was an asshole and crazy.
“I’m surprised,” the demon sighed. “I thought you were more of a go-getter than this.”
“You don’t get an opinion. You’re not even really here,” she said, swiping her hand through the demon’s body.
He gasped, pretending offense. “So callous! I’m basically your only real friend right now.”
“You’re a parasite.”
“I thought we’d established I was your guardian angel,” he said swooping around in front of her. “And as your guardian angel, I am here to prevent you from making a terrible mistake.”
She walked into the garden, feeling less exposed now that she was hidden behind the tall hedges. “What mistake is that?”
“Chickening out.”
“I’m not chickening out!” she hissed, trying to keep from shouting. “Just because I’m not running out to pick a fight with some witches doesn’t make me a coward. It makes me smart.”
“Sure, just keep telling yourself that.”
“Someone has to think about the good of the pack! If we get in trouble, we all pay the price. All this will have been for nothing.”
The demon twisted into a new form, black wings unfurling behind him and a crooked, fiery halo settling on his head. “Cautious and prudent, the new alpha chose to retreat after an ally of the pack was attacked by witches,” he said in a nasally high-pitched voice. “This was a good choice because, gosh-darnit, the odds just weren’t in their favor. No one could blame her.”
She glared at him and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from arguing. What she really needed was for him to go away so she could think. If only Dylan were here. He’d have known what to do. Hell, he would have been the alpha, not her. Dylan had been great with people. Everyone loved him. She had just tagged along, happy to bask in his light like everyone else.
“What would he have done?” Angel asked, his voice soft.
Her head snapped up. He couldn’t read her mind…could he? “Who?”
“Your brother. He was your twin, right?”
“How the hell do you know about him? Are you reading my mind?” she demanded, advancing on the demon.
He raised his hands in surrender. “Only a little.”
“Only a little?!” she shouted as she completely lost her cool. This couldn’t be happening. She wanted him out of her mind. Sharing it with the wolf was plenty crowded already. “Stop it right now.”
“I can’t stop it. Believe me, it would be marvelous if I could, but the mark binds us together. I only get a sense of your strongest thoughts and emotions. Which you have a lot of.” He changed back into the first form she’d seen him in as if he were trying to look non-threatening. “Especially when you need help. After all, I am here to serve.”
“How do I get rid of the mark?” she asked, putting her hand over it and wishing that was enough to block the unwanted telepathy.
He was silent for a moment. “A time will come when you can repay the favor owed. After that, you can be rid of me.”
The mark on her chest ached fiercely for a moment. This favor was going to come back to bite her in the ass, she was sure of it. But she hadn’t had another choice. She hadn’t had a choice about any of this.
She put her head in her hands and bit the inside of her cheek. She already knew what she needed to do, and she’d known all night. The only thing holding her back was fear. The voice in her head sounded exactly like her mother. Nagging, worrying, and fearful. Maybe she didn’t deserve to be an alpha.
“This is going to be a disaster,” she said, her voice muffled my her hands.
“I could make sure you succeed,” the demon whispered in her ear, his voice velvety smooth.
She lifted her head. “Out of the goodness of your heart?”
He chuckled. “My heart is blackened and shriveled with pure evil, so, no. It would require a small pri
ce, just another mark.”
“I’ll pass,” she said drily, trying to ignore how disappointed she was. He was a demon, not her friend.
“You’ll pass on what?” Ceri asked, startling Amber.
She turned to the witch. “Sorry, just…talking to myself.”
“Oh,” Ceri said, looking around skeptically. “It sounded like you were having a whole conversation.”
Shit. “Uh, sometimes it’s like I can talk to the…wolf,” Amber said, scrambling for a coherent excuse.
Ceri nodded, the tension in her shoulders relaxing just a fraction. “Look, I just came out here to apologize. I didn’t want them to gang up on you like that. I think you’re right, we should wait.”
“No. I realized a couple of minutes ago that I was sounding like my mother. She worried over everything to the point that she never did anything. This is risky, but so was trying to fight off that werewolf. So are the Trials. That coven has hurt you and Tommy, and they’re not going to stop just because we don’t fight back.”
The demon floated behind Ceri, settling with his elbow propped up on his shoulder. “She’s much too nice to be your friend.”
“Are you absolutely sure? Because it’s okay if you’re not,” Ceri said, her brow still pinched with worry.
She laughed. “I don’t think I’ll ever be sure of anything again. Except for the fact that I’m going to do everything I can to protect my pack and my friends. And I’d like to think we’re friends now.”
“You were the person I called crying, so yeah, definitely friends.” Ceri smiled and held out her hand. “Come on, there might still be some food left.”
Her stomach rumbled in response. “God, I hope so.”
They walked back inside. Genevieve and Tommy were sitting at the table, waiting expectantly. Steven must have left while she was outside having a mini-breakdown. Tommy’s shoulders relaxed as soon as he saw them as if he could tell it had all been worked out just from a glance.
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