I meant to stay.
I did.
To ensure the spell worked and Toby could start fresh with his slate wiped clean. But that torment was too much for me to bear. I would never want the coven to erase one shred of the pain I’d felt in my life. It molded me into who I am. That didn’t mean in moments like this I wasn’t tempted to fall to my knees and beg them to whitewash my entire past.
Chapter Eleven
A four-hour drive through a torrent of tears landed me at the Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando. Freshly showered, I sat on the bed with one leg curled under me, petting Bacon to help coax the last of the tranquilizer from his system. Head tilted, I held my phone between my shoulder and ear. “What was he like after the spell?”
“He had no idea why he was there, or what had happened,” Dina explained, her bangle bracelets clapping together with a clink. “It was a good idea to pluck those memories from his head, Octavia. You weeded the hate out of his heart, and we are all so very proud of you.”
Clearing my throat, I skirted around the accolade I wasn’t quite ready for. “And the minotaur?”
“Cast back to the hell from whence it came, thanks to you.”
Unable to accept the bloodstained compliment, I lapsed into silence.
“Octavia?” Dina pressed.
“Sorry, I’m just tired,” I lied for exactly no reason. “Summer Solstice is only a couple of weeks away. How about if Bacon and I come celebrate with you all?”
“We would absolutely love that. You can even bring Reid along, if you’d like.”
As if cued by the mention of his name, Reid sauntered out of the steam-filled bathroom with a towel slung low on his hips.
“If my crazy hasn’t scared him off by then, I’ll ask if he wants to tag along.”
Dina gave a knowing chuckle. “Sweet child, it’s going to take a lot more than that for you to shake that boy. Blessed be, child. We’ll see you soon.”
Digging through his duffle bag, Reid hunted for the cut-off sweatpants he liked to sleep in. “Did I hear right? Did I just score an invitation to a family function?”
Bacon sat up with a series of wide-eyed blinks, looking more alert than he had since getting darted.
Relieved at his progress, I exhaled a bit of my knot of tension. “You did. I didn’t realize my coven sisters were such dog people.”
With a jerk of his head, Reid flicked a strand of wet hair from his eyes. “Funny girl. I have to admit, I didn’t think you were going to let me on the back of the bike today, much less allow me to tag along on future adventures.”
Vulnerability wasn’t my thing. But Elba wanted me to live for the both of us, and that meant taking risks with truths that were difficult to admit. “I don’t want to be alone. Not anymore.”
Sweatpant shorts acquired, Reid flung them over his shoulder as he sat down on the bed beside me. Heat radiated off of him in welcoming waves, chasing away the chill that had settled into my soul. “I’ll be here for you as long as you want… any way that you want.”
Our gazes met with sizzling intensity, an unspoken question crackling between us. One my body wanted to answer, even though my battered heart was far from ready. “For now, let’s start with friends.” Unable to tear my stare from the bow of his lips, I swallowed hard.
“I’ll take it.” He grinned. The springs of the mattress squeaked as he sprang to his feet. Halfway to the bathroom to get changed, he glanced back with a devilish grin. “If memory serves, you once said you’d declare your intentions with a rather bold request. What was it again?”
There was a time when I believed the happiness died from my life with Elba, yet there I was with a grin spreading across my face. “I said I’d tell ya to slam a Gatorade and take off your pants.”
“That was it.” Pointing at me with the shorts in his hand, he treated me to a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. “That… is going to be a great day.”
Octavia and Bacon will be back with all new adventures in 2020!
About the Author
Stacey Rourke is the author of award-winning books that span various genres, yet maintain her trademark blend of action and humor. She lives in Florida with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and one giant, floofy dog. She loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction, and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head.
Connect with her at: www.staceyrourke.com
Facebook at www.facebook.com/staceyrourkeauthor
or on Twitter or Instagram @rourkewrites
Sign up for her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/c56flr
Find the full catalog of her books here: https://readerlinks.com/mybooks/1328
The Gryphon Series
The Conduit
Embrace
Sacrifice
Ascension
Descent
Inferno
Revelation
and The Official Gryphon Series Coloring Book
The Legends Saga
Crane
Raven
Steam
Reel Romance
Adapted for Film
Turn Tables
The Unfortunate Soul Chronicles
Rise of the Sea Witch
Entombed in Glass
Coming Soon: Pursuing Madness
TS901 Chronicles (co-written with Tish Thawer)
TS901: Anomaly
TS901: Dominion
The Veiled Series
Veiled
Vlad
Coming Soon: Vendetta
Archive of the Fives
Apocalypse Five
Coming Soon: Rogue Five
The Journals of Octavia Hollows
Prequel-How the Dead Lie (A Havenwood Falls Novella)
Wake the Dead
Caught Dead
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Dead Ringer
Dead as a Doornail
The Journals of Octavia Hollows Books 1-6
Dead as a Doornail (The Journals of Octavia Hollows #6) Page 7