by Zoe Arden
It was a scary thought because it meant that these two attacks had been targeted directly at me, not Natalie. They had happened one on top of the other. First the daggers outside Coffee Cove, then the car ride home with Colt.
I was almost positive that Colt hadn't been the intended victim in that car chase. No, something had changed. I thought back to the other day when I'd run into Natalie outside Bill's office and she'd been running for her life. A dagger had nearly sliced my head off that day. At the time, I'd assumed that he'd been aiming for Natalie and had missed. Now I wasn't so sure.
I worried about walking to the bakery alone when it was still so early, or so late, depending upon your perspective, but I tucked my wand into my purse for extra insurance and felt a little better. If I needed to conjure some defensive spells, I'd have an easier time of it if I had my wand with me. Other witches could've done it without a wand, but I hadn't grown up surrounded by magic so I wasn't as adept at using it as other witches.
It was about four by the time I reached the bakery, and I could still see the moon in the sky. There was no rain, but the air had a hazy, foggy quality to it that I rather enjoyed, but which seemed to also be sending my allergies into overdrive. I sneezed three times on my walk to the shop, and three more times just entering the store.
"For witch's sake," I mumbled to myself when I sneezed yet again.
Enough was enough already. I went back to my extraction station, which was my ultimate destination anyway, and opened the cabinet on the wall. My allergy pills sat on one of the shelves. I grabbed the box and opened it, turning it on its side so the foil packet would fall out and I could pop a pill, maybe even two.
The pills slid out easily enough, but something else slid out with them.
"Oh, my roses," I said as a silver necklace with a ball pendant sat in the palm of my hand. "Mack's necklace. It's been here the whole time."
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CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
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The first thing I did was go to call Eleanor and tell her what I'd found. Then I remembered it was just after four in the morning and Eleanor wouldn't be up for another hour. There was also Sheriff Knoxx to contend with. He'd been polite and helpful when he'd come down to take our statements yesterday, but if I woke him up at four in the morning, I was pretty sure "polite" was the exact opposite of what his response would be.
I sat for a minute, thinking. Trixie and my dad would still be asleep as well, though I knew that they would want me to wake them up.
I was still holding the necklace in my hand when my palm began to itch. I looked down at the pendant and could have sworn it was vibrating. Either that or I was shaking. The itch began to turn into a warm tingle. I knew it was nuts, but I was almost positive the necklace was trying to tell me something.
"What do you want?" I asked it, feeling like a crazy person. The warm tingling sensation grew hot. It felt like I had just submerged my hand into a hot bath.
My neck began to itch. It was like the sensation was spreading. I felt a warm tingle begin at the base of my neck, near the top of my spine, and stay there. Carefully, I unclasped the chain and placed it around my neck. Immediately, the tingling sensation in both my hand and my neck died down. I pulled the necklace away from my neck and set it on the table, and the tingling sensation returned.
"Oh, my roses," I muttered.
I wasn't sure what to do. I knew what the necklace wanted me to do, but that didn't mean I should do it. I sat staring at the silver chain and pendant, transfixed with it, for several minutes before the itch in my neck turned into a burn. It felt like the sun was roasting me alive. Somehow, I knew that there would be no relief for me until I put the necklace on and left it there.
I picked the necklace up and a flash of excitement rushed through my veins. This felt right. I placed the necklace around my neck and fastened the clasp. The burning sensation went away almost at once. Not only that but my nose, which had felt slightly stuffy and runny, seemed to clear up suddenly.
I put my allergy medication back into the cabinet without giving it another thought. I was dying to know if this necklace would really enable me to read people's thoughts, but there was no one around for me to try it on. I looked at the time again and was surprised to see that it was nearly five. That couldn't be right. When had so much time passed?
I wondered briefly if hallucinations were part of the necklace's spell, but other than the time, everything else seemed in order.
The door to the bakery chimed suddenly, and Trixie's voice called out to me.
"Hello? Ava? Are you here?"
"In back," I called.
Trixie and my dad walked into the back room and glowered at me.
There she is, thought Trixie. Thank the witches. I wish she'd stop running off every chance she gets. Why couldn't she have left us a note? Doesn't she know how worried her father is about her?
I blinked. Did that just really happen? Had I just read Trixie's thoughts? My head felt like a sledgehammer had just hit it.
"Did you just say something?" I asked Trixie.
Trixie scrunched her brow together. "When?"
"Just now," I said to her.
She and my dad exchanged a look.
Great, thought my dad. She's acting weird again. Is she hiding something? Why doesn't she trust me more? It's because I let her down, isn't it? She hates me. I don't blame her. I wasn't able to save her mother, and she'll never forgive me for it.
I looked at my dad, horrified that I'd just read his thoughts. More than that, though, I was horrified at what his thoughts were. Is that what he really thought? That I hated him? How could he think that?
"I'm sorry I didn't leave a note when I left," I told them. "I should have. I just wasn't thinking." I looked directly at my father. "It's not because I hate you or anything like that, I was just anxious to get out of the house."
Trixie and my dad exchanged another look.
"Okaaayy..." my dad said. Should I even bother to ask her if she's hiding anything? I can tell by the look on her face there something she's not telling me. Maybe I'd do better to leave her alone and let her come to me when she's ready.
"I'm not hiding anything," I said.
My father drew his eyebrows together. "I didn't say you were."
My head was really thumping now. I couldn't believe how much it hurt. The burning sensation had just been replaced with a new level of pain. But under the pain, there was a strange sort of bliss. Like I'd had one too many cocktails at a party. I wish I could feel more of that sensation and less of the other one.
"Ava?" Trixie said. "Did you hear me?"
"Oh, no. Sorry, what did you say?"
"I asked if you got enough sleep last night."
"Oh, yeah. Sure."
"Did you eat any breakfast this morning?" she asked. That could explain why she's acting so loopy. Ava never does well without coffee and something to eat in the morning.
"No, I skipped it. Actually, I skipped my coffee, too, come to think of it."
Trixie looked relieved. She looked at my father and shot him a knowing glance. "You skipped dinner last night, too," she said. "You must be starving. We have coffee here. I'll put on a pot and make you a sandwich." Thank heavens. I was getting worried about her.
"Sounds great," I told her.
"Anything else on your mind?" my dad asked. Maybe today's not the best day to tell Ava about Sadie. She's got too much on her mind. I should probably wait to see what Sadie says first, anyway. What if she says no? The only thing that would be worse than Sadie telling me no when I ask her to marry me is if I told Ava about it first. At least if no one knows, then I can face the humiliation alone.
My jaw dropped open. "Dad?"
"Yeah?"
I suddenly realized that there was no way for me to broach the subject of him marrying Sadie without telling him how I knew what he w
as planning to do.
"Nothing," I said. "You're just an amazing person, that's all. Have I ever told you how much I like Sadie?"
"Uh, yeah, I think so. Why?" He was looking at me suspiciously.
I shrugged. "No reason."
I knew then that there was no way I could tell my dad and Trixie or Eleanor what I'd found. If I did, they'd make me take it off. And there was no way that was going to happen. Not now, not ever.
* * *
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FOUR
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Coffee Cove was packed when I got there. Because yesterday's rain had driven so many people away, there were twice as many people here today to make up for it. Plus it was the weekend. There were always more people on the weekend.
Lucy was stuck behind the counter, and I saw that she would probably be there for a while. I guessed I could wait.
I looked around the coffee shop and picked up on fleeting thoughts from everyone in the room.
There was a woman in the corner wondering whether she should ask her coworker out or wait for him to ask her.
There was a man seated at a table with his boss, sipping coffee, thinking about the last vacation he'd taken to Paris with his wife while his boss prattled on about some new motorboat he'd just bought.
There were two siblings with their parents, one of which was thinking how much he loved his mommy. The other thinking how much he loved his daddy. They were both thinking how much they hated each other.
It was all a little overwhelming. Sometimes, with so many people in the room, I couldn't tell whose thoughts were whose. I had no idea how Mack had ever been able to pick out one voice from another when there were so many voices crowding in on each other.
My head still hurt, but I didn't mind as much anymore. That blissful feeling ran up and down my body from my head to my toes, making the headache worth it. My eyes landed on Colt. He was seated at a table drinking a latte. He must've sensed someone looking at him because he suddenly lifted his eyes and saw me. His thoughts hit me like a wave crashing against the shore.
Oh wow, she looks beautiful.
I blushed and made my way to his table. "Hi," I said and sat down.
"Hi," he said. "How are you feeling?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
He scrunched his brow together. "I was only asking because of what happened last night. My car spun out of control and we landed in a ditch. I thought you might be a little achy this morning."
"Oh. Sorry."
He shrugged. "It's okay. I think we're all a little on edge right now." If other people are asking you what's wrong, then it's because you act a little loony sometimes. Like now.
I glared at him.
"What?" he asked.
"I'm not crazy," I snapped at him.
"I didn't say you were." He looked startled, and I had to remind myself that he didn't know I could read his thoughts. It was definitely better that he never knew that.
"Want some coffee?" he asked. "My treat."
"I'm not thirsty," I snapped. "Everyone keeps trying to shove coffee down my throat this morning. I don't want any coffee. Why does everyone think I want coffee?"
"Well... I thought you might want some coffee because you're in a coffee shop," he said. Even when she's acting like this, I still want to marry her. I must really love her.
I wasn't sure whether I should be offended or touched.
"Sorry," I said again, opting for touched.
"It's okay."
We sat in silence for a minute. I had only gotten away from Eleanor, Trixie, and my dad by telling them I needed some air. They hadn't wanted to let me out of their sight, so I promised them I'd go straight to Coffee Cove where I wouldn't be alone.
I would've preferred to go and sit in the park for a while so that I might be able to drown out some of the voices I'd been hearing all day, but one of my dad's last thoughts before I left was that he would have Trixie call Melbourne and check on me in ten minutes to make sure I had arrived safely. So here I was, arriving safely.
Lucy came over after a few minutes and set a latte down in front of me. "It's my newest creation. Cherry cinnamon. Let me know what you think." Melbourne hated it, but what does he know? He has vampire taste buds.
"Melbourne didn't like it?" I asked her. "Usually Melbourne loves your creations."
Lucy cocked her head. "How do you know Melbourne didn't like it? Did he tell you that?" She scowled. "Is he badmouthing my creations before I've even tested them out? That's really going too far."
She turned around and stepped away from the table before calling Melbourne's name so that the silencing charm wouldn't mute her voice. "Melbourne!"
He looked up from his spot by the espresso machine. Sometimes I thought that was the only spot he was comfortable in in the entire coffee shop. It was the only spot I ever saw him in other than his office.
"No, Lucy," I said, shaking my head at her. "Melbourne didn't tell me anything. I was just... it was a guess. That's all."
She glared at me. "Don't cover for him." The only thing I'm any good at is making these coffee drinks. If Melbourne takes that away from me, I might as well get off the island.
Colt was staring at me. "How did you know Melbourne hated that drink?" Something's not right here.
Uh oh. "I, uh... because it's terrible," I said. "Sorry, Lucy. I don't like it either."
"You haven't tried it yet," she said. Now she was looking at me suspiciously, too.
I felt my face burn a bright red.
"I have to go," I said suddenly, rising from my seat just as Melbourne arrived at our table.
"What is it?" Melbourne asked, getting straight to the point. He saw the cinnamon cherry latte sitting on the table and smiled. "She hates it, too, doesn't she?"
I waited, both curious and terrified, to see what Melbourne might think, but nothing popped into my head.
"I was just about to try it," I told him. I picked up the latte and took a sip. "It's delicious."
"See?" Lucy said triumphantly. She's lying. She hates it.
"No, really. I don't hate it. It's delicious."
Lucy's draw dropped open. Her eyes widened.
"Well," Melbourne said, "if you really like it, then I suppose we can put on the menu and see how it does."
I stared hard at him, waiting to get even a snippet of his thoughts, but his mind was just one big blank. At least to me. I watched his eyes and could tell he was thinking something, I just didn't know what it was.
Hmm. I guess vampires' thoughts were unreadable. Interesting. He left us alone again and Lucy and Colt both jumped on me.
"You found the necklace, didn't you?" Lucy said in an accusatory tone that made my blush deepen.
"What? No," I said, trying to deny it.
"Yes, you did," Colt said.
I might have needed a necklace to read their minds, but they didn't need one to read mine. I heard it in their thoughts. They both knew I was lying. They were certain of it. There was no point in denying it anymore.
I threw my hands up in the air. "All right, you got me. Now what?"
* * *
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FIVE
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"Let me try it," Lucy begged, reaching for my necklace.
"No," I said, jumping away from her before she could yank it off my neck.
"Why not?"
"Because it's mine."
Colt was shaking his head. "Something's not right here. You know that, don't you?" Like that necklace is making you act crazy.
"Stop thinking that," I snapped at him. "I'm not crazy."
His eyes widened.
"What does it feel like?" Lucy asked.
"It feels like someone's hitting my head with a sledgehammer," I told them.
We were still at the coffee shop. Lucy's break had ended five minutes ago but she didn't want to leave our table. She kept asking if she could try the necklace out like it was a new app or something.
She made a face. "That doesn't sound like much fun." I love Ava. I love Ava so much she's my bestest friend ever. The only thing I want in his whole entire world is to try that necklace, and I know she'll let me because she's my best friend.
I laughed. "I'm not falling for that."
"Falling for what?" she asked innocently.
"I'm not letting you try it. Either of you."
"Why not?" Colt asked. "I mean, if it makes you feel like crud anyway, then why wouldn't you want to take it off?"
I paused, uncertain how to explain it to them. "Because it doesn't just make my head hurt, it makes it feel good, too. Like I've been sipping champagne all morning."
He nodded. That makes sense.
"What makes sense?" I asked him.
"That's kind of irritating, you know that? Most people probably wouldn't like getting their minds read." No wonder Mack couldn't stop.
I furrowed my brow. "What you talking about?" I asked Colt. "What do you mean Mack couldn't stop?"
"Think about it," Colt said. "You read his journal; you know how much he loved Natalie."
"Yeah..."
"But this necklace changed him. Their relationship ended because of this necklace. Because he couldn't give it up."
I bit my bottom lip.
"Mack found this necklace when he was a senior in high school. He was thirtysomething when he died. That's at least twelve years spent with this thing," Colt said.