“Is it all magic or does he have any help?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like potions you guys drink or —”
“Everything is done by searching deep within one’s own soul.” Trevor interrupted.
He has no idea, but why isn’t he as far gone as my mother?
“Kids?” My mother’s voice rang through the air. I suddenly felt like I was ten again.
I bent down and ripped some lavender to smell. Bringing it to my face I froze as I recognized the earthy scent that was definitely not lavender. Dropping the herb, I ran to the nearest worker.
“Do you guys fertilize everything out here?” I asked, startling the worker.
“Of course. You can’t get gardens like this without fertilizer. It’s all organic though. Nicholas wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Everything’s beautiful,” I muttered.
“What’s your deal?” Trevor asked, coming up behind me.
“Nothing,” I said, wiping my hands on my clothes.
“You look like you saw a ghost.”
I started laughing trying to throw him off.
“Come on, let’s go get some lunch. This is just me with low blood sugar.”
We met up with my mom and walked back to the main house. Stopping in the kitchen, I grabbed some fruit that I never intended to eat and watched Trevor carefully. He seemed to get more nervous on our way back, and now that we were in the kitchen, he seemed almost terrified.
“What’s up?” I asked. It pained me to continue this playacting. Did I really care?
My mother came up behind me and rested her palm on my shoulder.
“Is that all you’re going to eat?” she asked.
“For now. I think the dinner from last night is still with me. I was actually going to go take a nap.” I looked at her and realized I was treating her as a stranger, but I was only following her lead.
“I know the feeling. I gotta go finish some stuff for your dad,” Trevor replied, waving as he left the kitchen.
“I was thinking about doing that too,” My mother replied, leaving me standing in the kitchen by myself. Looking around the space, I was completely stumped at how easy it was to rid myself of everyone. I plopped the fruit back in the bowl and took off back outside.
I walked by the building that Ellsy was being held in. There were now two people chatting downstairs exactly as she described. I nodded at them as they watched me with curiosity as I continued toward the woods.
As I neared the forest, I heard a large knocking. Looking up quickly, I saw a woodpecker, pecking away at a dying tree. It was such a large creature and quite beautiful. It seemed fitting as the dead wood crumbled from the sky. Lately it felt like the sky was falling.
Walking into the darkened woodland, the chirping and warbling from the many birds sounded wonderful. It brought me as close to peace as I would find for the moment.
I found the stone wall that was only as high as my hip, and I followed it along the property, attempting to get my bearings. I was getting thirsty and looked for one of the markers that indicated I was getting close to one of the drop-off points. If I could get a few nutrition bars and a couple bottled waters, I’d be set. My eye spotted the grey piece of fabric tucked in a branch and relief flooded my system.
I leaned over the wall and found the bag immediately. I quickly stuffed the bars in all my pockets, and twisted the cap off of one of the waters, drinking it as fast as I could. I placed the empty bottle back in the bag and grabbed two more. I tucked the bottles in my socks and secured each around my ankle with a ribbon that was provided. This brought new meaning to the word bootlegging as I pulled the cuff of my jeans back down over my hidden goods. Tossing the bag back where I found it, I decided that I might as well grab the pendant at the end of the wall since I was out here.
I wanted to believe that Logan was watching me. Like he and the others were only hiding in the woods, waiting for me to come search everything out, but I knew that wasn’t the case. I was alone.
Reaching the corner of the wall, I slid my hand along the wall, until I found the coldness of the metal. I quickly fastened the chain around my neck and hid the pendant under my shirt. Rather than make my way back along the way I came, I decided to weave my way through the woods. Calmness met me out here amongst the trees and the birds chirping. It centered me. I could see the buildings from where I was, and I didn’t want to go back yet.
I sat down and leaned against the tree, wondering if I’d be able to find out what I needed from my father and if that would even prove anything. It seemed like the only way to stop the traditions from my father’s past was to stop him and ensure that I didn’t pick up any bad habits along the way.
A bank swallow landed on the ground in front of me and began singing her song. I thought back to when Logan and I were at the beach and somehow I compared myself to a crazy cat lady. Even though it seemed like the weight of the world was on our shoulders, and I narrowly avoided being attacked, I’d felt loved and comforted. Like the possibilities all led to a good place. I didn’t believe that any longer. Instead, it felt like any choice I made was going to be the wrong one.
The bank swallow flew away, and I closed my eyes letting the sounds of the forest wrap around me. The cheerfulness of the songs surrounding me came to an abrupt halt as their silence warned of a predator. I opened my eyes to see my father talking with the elder Trevor had mentioned earlier.
“I don’t know what more you want me to do,” my father snapped, running his fingers through his hair.
“If we’re going to get this to market in time, you must speed up production. This whole thing with your daughter is holding us up. Either get rid of her or I will. She’s of no use to us.”
“But she holds powers from her mother that I know we can tap into,” my father retorted.
“You haven’t done well at choosing so far. Think about that Logan kid. That was a waste. He’s not still around I hope. I don’t have time for your screw-ups. I’m getting older, and I want to see everything the way the masters have planned for centuries.”
I could see my father clearly and was sure if he took his eyes off the elder, he would see me too.
“I’ll step up production, and my daughter will not cause any disruptions. Let me deal with her.” His eyes flickered to mine and I remained frozen.
“Now let’s get you back to the house before we head to the production facility.” My father placed his hand on the elder’s back and directed him toward the house.
I held my breath until I hovered on the verge of passing out. Was my father trying to protect me or did he only believe that I was of some use to him? I knew he saw me, but he probably didn’t give my presence away more for his self-preservation than mine.
The birds began their songs again, and all I wanted to do was hop the fence and never come back.
“Triss,” a voice whispered.
Was that Logan?
“Triss, over here,” Logan commanded.
It wasn’t in my head or was it? Without moving my head, my eyes scanned the forest, and I saw no one.
Feeling the warmth from the nectunt, I placed my hand over it.
“Are you here?”
“No, Triss. I’m not. Why? What’s going on? Did you hear something?”
“Nothing. I’m fine.” I returned. “Just wishful thinking.”
The limbs to my left snapped back, but I saw no one, nothing to cause the motion. My eyes traced the branches, hoping to see a squirrel or bird hopping around, but I found nothing except leaves rustling. I leaned my head back and frowned. Could the mushroom dust from the lavender be causing this?
“What aren’t you telling me?” he asked.
“Nothing. I’ve got to go give some items to your mom. She asked about you. She’s proud of you.”
I felt the pain as he thought of his mother. I wanted to ease his suffering, but there was nothing I could do until we got her out of here.
“I’ll talk to you toni
ght. Love you.”
“I love you too, Triss.”
Standing up, I heard the voice directly behind me.
“Why are you fighting your father’s wishes?” he commanded.
I looked to see Logan standing by the birch, but it wasn’t really Logan. I rubbed my eyes, and tried to refocus on the being. What was going on?
“Who are you?” I yelled.
A pixelled retransformation began as Logan’s features began vanishing. I wanted to scream, but no one would care even if they heard me. As I stood motionless watching the imposter transform into his true character, I began doubting everything, but most of all my abilities. I needed to get out of here.
My hand slowly reached around to my back pocket, gripping my wand.
“Don’t bother.” The impersonator replied as he stepped toward me. It was the old man my father had been talking to. His face was marked with battle scars, and he looked older than humanly possible. “How’d you know I wasn’t Logan?”
“My father will come looking for me,” I replied, lying to myself and ignoring his question.
“No he won’t. I’m still with him. I have the uncanny ability to be more than one place at a time.” His laughter bounced off the trees. “And you know as well as I do he wouldn’t come for you anyway.”
“Who are you?” I asked, hoping to buy myself time.
“I’m the future.” He lowered his voice.
I remained silent.
Licking his lips he began again. “I will not let you disrupt the process.”
“I don’t think you have a choice.” My laughter dripped with rejection as he leapt toward me.
His hand came down on my shoulder, and the anger of eighteen years without a father ran through me. This was the man who turned my father against his family. I turned my head and bit his hand. My teeth entered his flesh and a wave of hatred followed.
“That’s what I thought,” he snarled. “You’re not special. You hate like the rest of us.”
He shoved me to the ground, and I wiped my mouth. The sickness began spreading through me. What had I done?
“Who said I didn’t?” My eyes flashed to his, then to his bloodied hand.
“Your father,” he snarled. “But you do. You do hate.”
“You’re wrong,” I replied, looking away from the man.
“I’m seldom wrong.”
“What did you promise my father eighteen years ago?” I asked. “What did you tell him to steal him away from his family.”
Remembering Logan’s words I kept pushing down the disgust and hostility, trying desperately to disallow hatred to seep back in to my blood. I was not going to prove this person right, whoever he was.
My fingers started tingling with the desire to destroy this old man. I had to stop myself.
“Children are supposed to listen to their parents,” he replied, twitching. “I only showed my son the possibilities of a world he attempted to abandon.”
“You’re my grandfather?”
Chapter 22
“Eben,” he responded. “Grandpa Eben. Hmm. Never heard that before.”
He paused and looked down at me. “Not sure I like it.”
I glared at him, saying nothing.
“I’ll allow you one pardon since you’re my granddaughter. Give me your allegiance, and I will forget this ever happened.”
“Why do you need my allegiance if I’m like everyone else? Why not destroy me?” I smiled, springing to my feet.
“You’re certainly naively determined.” His eyes darkened, and I knew I’d struck a chord. I backed up until I felt the tree trunk behind me for support.
“I call the wind to my side. I sing to the creatures above and below,” I whispered. The breeze picked up with a certainty that didn’t exist before. “Be by my side in this world and the other.”
Eben’s rage grew with every second that passed. What was he going to do to me?
I heard a snap coming from behind, and Eben took his eyes off of me long enough for me to start running. My heart raced with fear at the realization that I had nowhere to go, but I kept running.
“Come back here, girl,” he hollered.
The first flame whipped by me, lighting the ground on fire. He may have dark magic on his side, but I had youth and speed on mine.
My lungs began feeling heavy as I darted through the trees, fire bouncing in every direction. And then it hit. I’d been struck. Collapsing to the forest floor, I rolled on my back to get the flames extinguished but nothing worked. I heard footsteps coming near me, and I struggled to get up, to run again, but my body collapsed once more. My mind drifted to blackness.
A buzzing and throbbing woke me up, but I was too afraid to open my eyes.
“We have to get you out of here,” Trevor whispered, shocking me to my senses.
“No,” I shot up. “I can’t leave.”
“Whatever you think you came here for isn’t going to happen,” Trevor replied softly. “You need to leave and never come back. Never be connected to the Wiccan world again. It’s the only way for your survival.”
“Where am I?” I asked, seeing nothing I recognized.
“My room, but it’s only a matter of time before they find you.”
“Why are you helping me?” I asked.
“Because I love you.”
“If you love me, you’ll help me get my mom and Logan’s mom out of here safely.”
“He’s too powerful, Triss. It can’t be done.”
“He’s not any more powerful than you or me.”
Trevor shook his head, and extended his arm to touch my cheek.
“Get me to Ellsy at least. I need to give her some items.”
I saw fear lodged behind Trevor’s eyes, and I wasn’t sure he could get past it.
“Please.”
He shook his head and helped me off the bed.
“I’ll take the items for you, but I won’t let you go there.”
I was getting somewhere. I sat back down on the bed and raised my legs up, lifting my pants up to reveal the bottled waters.
“You’re willing to risk your life to give her water?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
I nodded.
“Why?”
“My father doesn’t have power so much as he’s been poisoning everyone’s mind with the food you eat and the water you drink.”
Trevor’s jaw dropped open. “That can’t be.”
“Well it is.”
“That meeting my father was having today?”
He nodded.
“I think it was to go over distributing it beyond our community. And that man he was meeting with was my grandfather.”
Trevor’s expression turned to horror, and his skin paled to a ghostly shade.
“I know. It’s pretty horrible.” I replied. This was what Trevor used to be like. I could talk to him. He seemed normal before—
“I destroyed him,” he muttered.
“Wait. What?”
My world was spinning.
“I didn’t know,” he replied. “I was trying to save you. He wouldn’t listen to reason. He wouldn’t stop throwing fire. I heard him begin the chant for the Golems, and I knew I had to stop him. I banished him to the underworld.”
“You can do that?” I asked.
“It’s a pretty common spell in black sorcery.”
My body began to overheat with worry as I remembered my grandfather’s words.
“When he met me in the woods, he implied he could be two places at once. That he was also with my father.”
“Oh no.” Trevor raised his hand to his temple. “Triss, you don’t understand what we’re dealing with. You have to leave. Your grandfather is very much alive. I’ve only made him angry.”
“What about you?” I asked. I began emptying my pockets of the granola bars and tossed them on the water bottles for Ellsy.
“I’ll be fine,” his replied solemnly.
“Please make sure she gets these.”
“Triss, she’s not there anymore,” he replied.
My soul felt like a bottomless pit of despair. I was too late. We were too late.
“She went missing.” He slid everything under his pillow and grabbed my hand, pulling me to the door.
Missing? She didn’t go missing. This was the surprise Logan had told me about, but that meant he had been on the property. Oh no. Please no.
The hallway was deathly silent as we snuck along the wall, hiding in the shadows. My heart was pounding so fast I wasn’t sure I’d hear anyone coming.
“We’re going to go out the back entrance,” he whispered.
I followed him down the stairs and knew this was far too easy. It was only a matter of time. My hands were wet with anticipation, and my mind was impossible to calm, but we made it outside. How could this be?
“This way,” Trevor said, pulling me to the land behind the house. The darkness provided cover, but also the realization that I didn’t know this part of the property. But I didn’t care. All I could think of was Logan.
“Stay here,” he whispered, pointing to a very tiny area.
The only way I could fit under the boulder was to curl into a ball.
“Triss, I’m sorry but this is as far as I can take you. Wait a little while and then do your best to run. Run as fast as you can and don’t stop until you reach the wall.”
I nodded, and he took off in the direction we came from.
I placed my hand on the nectunt to reach Logan. I needed to make sure he was all right — that Ellsy was okay — but there was nothing. I felt nothing.
“Logan,” I tried pushing the communication through, but it went nowhere. It was an empty word rattling around in my own mind.
I clamped my eyes shut. What did this mean? Where could he be?
I heard a rustling in front of me and opened my eyes to reveal a large shadow towering over me.
“Aw, there you are,” my father replied, reaching down he grabbed my neck.
“What have you done with him?” I whimpered.
“Who?” He grinned so wide, his teeth glistened in the night’s sky.
“How did you turn so evil?” I asked, as he pushed me in front of him. He knew I wouldn’t run. There was nowhere and no one to run to.
Altered Souls (Witch Avenue Series #2) Page 19