I sat back in my chair. This was weird, wasn’t it? Shouldn’t there be some kind of punishment?
Adelaide stood up. “We’ll be watching you, Carter. You’ll need to keep your pants zipped from now on.”
He flinched.
“I’ll walk you out, Teagan,” said Adelaide.
“Wait,” I said. “That’s it?”
“You’d prefer something worse?” she said.
I looked at Carter. He was staring at the floor.
“Come on, then,” she said.
I stood up.
She put her hand on my arm. “If you attempt to enter this house again, we’ll know, Teagan. And we’ll put a stop to it. You need to stay away from Professor Alexander.”
Her voice. I’d heard it before. She was the one who’d led the chant in the woods. I looked at her sidelong. She was part of Scales and Fangs, wasn’t she?
This was all connected.
What was going on?
* * *
Carter
I slumped in my chair. “I don’t see what the big deal is. I’m supposed to fuck her. So I did it early. What does it matter?”
Adelaide was pacing. She’d sent Marcus home after he’d seemed a little too congratulatory and impressed. I could tell that disgusted Adelaide.
I was a little disgusted by it too. It hadn’t been that way. I hadn’t seduced some innocent young girl, manipulating her into my bed. It had been more like the two of us were drawn together like magnets, and that we’d both fought as hard as we could against it, but that—in the end—we’d succumbed.
And now, I couldn’t see her anymore. I couldn’t even watch her in rehearsals. They’d taken that away from me too.
I knew better than to try to sneak around the society. They had power. They could hurt me if I didn’t follow their directives.
The worst thing was that I’d been planning on subverting them. I’d been planning to rescue Teagan from the ritual. And now, I wasn’t sure how I’d manage that.
She laughed. “Nice try, Carter, but I don’t buy the idea that you’re indifferent about her. You got her a glass of water? You’d never have done that for me, and I let you fuck me for months.”
I winced. “I’m sorry, Adelaide. I’m sorry about all of this. I know it’s awkward. I know it’s embarrassing for you. I never meant—”
“Me to find out,” she said. “I know.”
“That wasn’t what I was going to say.”
“Right. You’ve suddenly developed compassion. How do you suppose Forest feels about that, hmm?”
I sighed.
“You weren’t going to go through with the ritual, were you?”
“Of course I was. I am. I will.”
She shook her head. “You stood there in my kitchen and told me it was the most important thing in the world to you, and I believed you, even though I saw the way you’d been looking at her all night. I never thought you were capable of this, Carter. The society would never have picked you if we thought you’d go soft.”
I couldn’t look at her. I guessed she was right. Here I was, planning to throw away everything I’d ever worked for. And over what? Teagan Moss?
Why?
“We were counting on you, Carter.”
I sat up straight in my chair. I had to make a choice here. I could choose protecting Teagan or I could choose Scales and Fangs. I wanted Teagan. I wanted her more badly now than I ever had. And the thought of hurting her was like a dagger in my heart.
But.
I owed Scales and Fangs everything I had. And once I had the power, maybe I could find some way to fix her. Or, at the very least, I’d take care of her. I’d be rich and influential. I’d keep her safe, even if she wasn’t herself anymore. I’d...
I dragged a hand over my face. “You can still count on me, Adelaide.”
She knelt down next to me. “I don’t believe you, Carter.”
“I promise you, I’ll do it. Whatever it means happens to her—” My voice broke.
“You care about her.” It was an accusation, a dirty insult.
“No,” I said.
“You do,” she said. “You care about her. You don’t want anything to happen to her, and you’ll do whatever it is that you can to save her.”
“No.”
“She is a means to an end. You can’t afford feelings for her. You have to wipe this from your mind.”
I swallowed. “I know that.”
“It will destroy you if you don’t,” she said. “Just like Armstrong.” She stood up, turned her back to me.
“Did he... care about the girl too?”
“Not at first.” She sighed. “It seems to be a common affliction amongst men who complete this ritual.”
My jaw worked. “He did it anyway.”
“Yes.” She turned to face me. “He had to. The society needed him, and he did his duty. But he never forgave himself.”
It was what I’d just been contemplating. Doing the ritual, and then trying to help Teagan afterwards. It hadn’t worked out very well for Armstrong.
“We picked you because you were ruthless, Carter.”
“I... I didn’t mean...”
“Be ruthless. Forget about her.”
I turned away.
“Whatever the case, you won’t be alone with her again until the two of you are naked on that altar together.” She whisked up her coat from where it was lying over the back of the couch. “And you’ll be chained there if necessary.”
I stood up. “Listen, Adelaide, I swear to you that—”
“One thing is different.” She looked thoughtful.
“What?”
“I’ve never heard of the girl caring about the ritual performer before. The last girl certainly fought Armstrong. She seemed to hate him. Considering you’re the biggest jerk on this campus, I’m not sure how you managed it.”
“I’m not a jerk,” I said. And I didn’t manage anything. It simply happened. Why did everyone think I’d manipulated her? I hadn’t wanted this. “You never used to think that.”
“I was an idiot,” she said. She started for the door.
I went after her. “There isn’t another way? Any other way to get the power for the society?”
“No.” She looked at me. “I’m sorry.”
I looked away.
“You are going to perform the ritual.”
“Yes,” I said, my voice frayed. And it was true, too. I had thought that I could save Teagan before, but now I realized it was pointless. I had to do my duty. I’d do it. No matter the cost.
That didn’t mean I had to like it.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Teagan
It was black dark outside. There weren’t even stars in the night sky. Just inky blackness. I had waited until after midnight to sneak to Carter’s house. I had to talk to him.
I knew that Adelaide had told me that they’d know if I ever went back, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t leave things that way. Earlier in the day, we’d made love, and we’d been happy. They’d ripped all that away from us. I wouldn’t let that awkward meeting be our goodbye.
Truthfully, I didn’t want to say goodbye at all. I wanted to be with him. I wanted us to find a way to make it happen, even if it could only be with secret getaways away from school. I wished I had the ability to transfer somewhere else. If I wasn’t his student, it wouldn’t matter.
It would be better in so many ways, because I was suspicious of what was going on at Thornfield, and I knew it had something to do with Scales and Fangs. There were too many odd connections.
That was another reason I needed to see Carter. He knew something, and he wasn’t telling me. He needed to explain it to me, especially if I really was in danger, like my aunts thought.
So, under the cover of darkness, I moved like a silent shadow into Carter’s house, making sure that no one saw me. I crept up his steps, into his bedroom.
I found him in his bed, asleep. In the scant light, I could see his sleeping
face. He looked so innocent and carefree that way. I bent down and kissed him.
His lips were warm. At first they didn’t move against mine, but then, as he woke up, they stirred, and he kissed me back.
Then he pushed me away. “Teagan?”
“Carter, I needed—”
“You shouldn’t be here.” He shoved aside his covers and got out of bed. “They’ll know you’re here, and they’ll be coming.”
“Who will?” I said. “Scales and Fangs?”
He pulled me into his arms. “Oh, my sweet, sweet Teagan.” He rained kisses over my face. He rested his forehead against mine. “It’s too late. There’s nothing I can do. I have to do it.”
“Do what?” I was so confused.
“I wish I knew a way...”
“You have to tell me what’s going on here, Carter. Scales and Fangs worships the same snake god as my aunts. Or close, anyway. Something really close. And my aunts have always warned me about you. They say you’re a danger to me. Are you? What is going on?”
“Always warned you?”
“I dreamed about you,” I whispered. “Before I ever saw you, I—”
“How is that possible?” He let go of me.
“I’m so confused. I’m afraid.”
“If you knew that I might hurt you, then why did you ever let me touch you?”
“Are you going to hurt me?”
His expression was anguished. “Yes.”
I took a step back. I hadn’t expected that.
“Believe me, if I thought there was another way, I wouldn’t do it. But I took vows, and I swore sacred oaths, and the society is so powerful. You have no idea how powerful it is.”
“Are you talking about Scales and Fangs?”
He nodded.
“What are they going to do to me?”
He kissed me again. Hard. He was urgent. “You’re so soft. Holding you like this, I can’t help but want to change it. I want to save you.”
I grabbed his face and forced him to look at me. “You need to tell me what’s going on.”
“There’s no time,” he said. “They’ll be here any second. They’ll make you leave me, anyway. You need to go.”
“But—”
“Run,” he said. “Baby, run and don’t stop. Leave Thornfield. It’s the only way you’ll be safe.”
My aunts had said our house was safe from the Evil Ones. Was this what they were talking about?
He was serious, though. I could see it in his eyes. He was frightened, and he was anguished, and he didn’t know how to help me. Maybe he couldn’t. Maybe he wouldn’t. “Carter, I—”
“Go,” he said. “Get away from me, please.”
I hesitated for only a minute.
And then I heard the chanting coming from outside. I looked out the window to see several people walking out of the woods in hooded robes. Their voices slithered up into the air to my ears. I couldn’t understand what they were saying.
But I felt something reach inside my chest, grab hold of my insides, and squeeze.
I screamed.
“You have to get out, Teagan,” he said. “Leave. They’re putting wards on you.”
Wards? What the hell did that mean? It hurt. I could hardly move.
He shoved me, and I went sprawling, several feet away from him.
The further I was from him, the less it hurt.
I staggered to my feet. “This isn’t fair,” I whispered. “I love—”
“Don’t,” he said. “Just get out. I don’t want to see you anymore.”
I heard the sound of a door opening downstairs, and the chanting grew louder. They were inside.
The pain increased, and I cried out again.
He gritted his teeth. “For fuck’s sake, Teagan, just go.”
I stumbled to the doorframe, holding onto it to keep me upright.
“This will happen to you every time you come near me,” he said. “She promised you that you couldn’t come here, didn’t she?”
I took a few steps into the hallway, putting distance between us, and getting a little bit of relief.
“Run,” he said again. “Run away.”
It hurt too much to run. I barely made it to the steps. I slid down them, leaning on the railing.
When I got to the bottom, the robed people opened the door for me, gesturing for me to go.
I went through the door. The minute I was outside, the pain stopped.
As I walked away, I looked up at his window.
He wasn’t there. He wasn’t watching me go.
I was alone.
* * *
There was a faint chill in the night air, the first I’d felt since arriving at Thornfield. I raced through the streets, away from Carter’s house. I wasn’t going back to my dorm. He’d told me to run, and that seemed like the best idea.
I didn’t have much with me. I’d shoved my wallet in my jeans, but I’d left my phone and my purse back in my room. The little bit of money I had would have to be enough. I needed to get out of here.
I knew that there was a payphone at the edge of campus, down one more block. It was also an emergency phone. If you dialed campus security, it was free.
I doubted campus security could help me in this situation.
Things were too weird. There should have been more serious repercussions for what had happened between Carter and me. But there hadn’t been. Adelaide and Professor Bancroft had wanted to keep that quiet. Didn’t make any sense.
But it had something to do with Scales and Fangs. And those people in robes that had come into Carter’s house were obviously part of the society.
What had they done to me? Why had it hurt so bad?
I saw the payphone up ahead. My destination. I slowed to a walk. I’d been running a lot lately, hadn’t I?
Well, whatever Scales and Fangs was up to, it didn’t matter. Because I was getting out of here. Now.
I fumbled in my pocket for change. I had a few quarters. Would it be enough?
I hadn’t used a payphone... well, ever. But I’d seen people do it on movies, so it couldn’t be that hard, could it?
There was a phone book inside the payphone, and I paged through it until I found what I was looking for. Then I inserted my quarters and dialed.
“Big Yellow Taxi Service. How may I help you today?”
“I need a taxi,” I said.
“Is this for the future or currently?”
My hand was sweaty. The phone was sliding out of my grip. “Um, right now.”
“Okay, and what location should I send that to?” I looked up at the street signs. “Corner of Queen and Duke.”
“It’ll be about fifteen minutes, ma’am.”
“Okay,” I said. “Thanks.” I hung up the phone. I needed to call my aunts too. But I didn’t have enough quarters left.
It would have to be okay. I’d see them when I got home. I was pretty sure I’d have enough money to pay the taxi to take me to the bus station. Surely the buses would be cheaper than a taxi ride all the way.
I gulped. I really had no idea.
I had nothing to do but wait.
I wrapped my arms around myself, peering out into the night. I was leaving this place. My dream to get out, to get away from my aunts, to be an actress—it wasn’t going to come true after all. When I’d gotten this scholarship, I should have known it was too good to be true. I should have realized that things like that didn’t happen to me. I was destined to hide out with my crazy aunts, and my crazy mother, going crazier than all of them.
And I had to leave Carter, too.
Well. He wasn’t even trying to help me, was he?
He cared. I could tell that he did. It was in the way he’d kissed me. But caring about me wasn’t enough. He was afraid of Scales and Fangs. And he’d admitted he was going to hurt me. He’d admitted that he wasn’t going to save me.
I remembered his words. I want to change it. I want to save you.
But he wasn’t going to.
By the time the taxi showed up, I was sobbing. I’d lost everything that mattered to me. I was going home, defeated.
“You okay?” said the taxi driver.
I nodded, pulling myself together. “I’m fine.” I got inside the cab.
“Where to?”
“The bus station,” I said.
The car took off. “You failing out and heading home? You’d be surprised how many other people do the same thing. You’re not alone.”
I gazed out the window at the archaic buildings of Thornfield college, their oppressive forms cut dark against the night sky. “I’m not failing out.”
The car rolled past the last of the buildings. We were leaving Thornfield behind. It was one block behind us. Two. Three. I looked back to get one last look at it. At my shattered dreams.
And sharp pain lanced through my chest. I huffed, the pain robbing me of my voice.
“You all right?” said the taxi driver.
The pain intensified. I groaned, scrabbling for the door handle. “Stop the cab,” I wheezed.
“What?”
“Stop,” I gasped, “stop, please.”
He pulled the cab over to the sidewalk.
I flung the door open and tumbled out. The pain eased a little, the minute I was out of the cab. I took a few steps back towards campus. Better still.
“Hey,” said the cabbie. “You haven’t paid your fare.”
The last thing on my mind was money right then. I was in excruciating pain, and it wasn’t going to stop unless I got back on Thornfield’s campus.
They’d done something to me. It would stop me from seeing Carter and stop me from getting away from here.
I shook my head at the man, trying to find words.
The pain was throbbing through me. Every breath I took was agonizing.
A car stopped on the other side of the street. Adelaide got out of it. She walked across the street to the cab driver, her posture regal. She shoved money at the man. “This should cover it?”
“Whoa,” said the cabbie.
Adelaide turned on me. She smiled. “Teagan, would you like a ride back to your dorm?”
Otherworldly Bad Boys: Three Complete Novels Page 44