“I should go check on her.” I motioned toward the cabin with my thumb. “Keep an eye on my book?” I looked over at Annabelle and then back to Wren. They nodded.
I followed the arc of the indigo sky and hugged my arms on my trek back to the cabin to chase away the night’s chill. Blaire held it together better than most, but even the strong-willed had a breaking point. I let myself in through the back door and found her struggling with a corkscrew opener and a bottle of wine.
“Hey,” I said, letting my presence be known.
“If you’ve come to make me apologize you can forget it. I’m up to ninety with her bloody shenanigans.”
“Translation?” I grinned.
“Sorry,” she said, giving up on the bottle and placing it–along with the opener–down on the counter. “Bryna’s always meant well enough, but she can be an awful pain in the arse when she feels like it. I should have said something earlier when she pulled that stunt with your grimoire. I’m sorry.”
“Blaire,” I reached out, placing my hand on her shoulder, “you don’t need to apologize for anything. I came to see if you were okay.”
Blaire nodded. “She’s older than me, our Bryna. Not by a year, but, I’ve no doubt she thinks that entitles her a bit.”
“I think it’s pretty safe to say that she’s not my most favorite person in the world, but, there is a part of me–however small that part may be–that can sympathize with where she must be coming from.” I paused, dragging my fingernail across the cool surface of the countertop. “I know you two were very close growing up in Ireland. She’s always had you in her corner and things are changing now. You’re part of something so much bigger. Maybe she’s acting this way because she’s scared of losing you.”
Blaire braced her hip against the counter. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Annabelle was scared, too. I recognize the signs.”
“Still… It doesn’t excuse the way she’s been treating you.”
“I can handle myself,” I said, and felt Rionach’s amulet warming in objection. I ignored the pull, clearing my throat. “And, for what it’s worth, I’m glad the Trinity chose you, Blaire. I couldn’t do this without you.”
“Me too.” She grinned. “Despite what Bryna said earlier, I hope you know that Wren and I back the calls you made during the council meeting. You did the right thing, forging a new alliance. It was the decision a leader would have made.”
“Thank you,” I told her earnestly. “I sort of needed to hear that.”
“Yeah and you sort of need to trust your instincts a little more, too.” She winked. “Well, we should get back. The clouds are thinning out. The grimoire should open any time now.” She nudged my shoulder and we headed back to the campfire.
“Anything?” I asked once we’d returned.
“Not a thi–oh look!” Annabelle pointed to the grimoire and the symbols began to glow.
I watched as the crescent moons spun to face inward, almost as if they were cupping the trinity knot in a gentle embrace. I knelt on the blanket, spinning the cover to face me while the others huddled around. I tried not to gloat as I opened the grimoire and saw the same poem and the bow and arrow symbols lighting up in metallic silver on the second page.
Over my shoulder, Blaire read aloud, “By lunar light she follows, the stars shall guide her way. Beneath the moonlit meadow, behold: a night within a day.” When she finished the incantation, the little golden arrow appeared at the bottom right-hand corner. I flipped the page, allowing them to see the map of the coastline. Bryna got up from her spot opposite the fire, and when she looked at the book her eyes expanded. I was above saying it out loud, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t thinking it in my head. I told you so.
“That’s it?” She reached for the book–presumably to turn the page, when a spark of blue and gold erupted from the page and she yanked her hand back like it had zapped her. “Ouch!” She gave her hand a little shake.
“I told you not to touch it,” I said. She scowled.
“Wait a minute,” Annabelle said, craning her neck. “I think I recognize this.” She pointed to a piece of land that jutted out in the shape of a crooked C, half on land, half in the water. “This is near the abandoned Firefly Light Station on the peninsula.”
“Oh, you’re right,” I said, picturing the small white building at the end of a long pier with its red tin roof and black storm shutters. Annabelle and I had spent our spring break vacation with her family there three summers ago. It was a marsh lighthouse, placed in a small harbor on the sound side of the ocean. The C curve stretched up the inlet, curving before meeting the deep ocean on the other side. Miles and miles of maritime forest lay in between. “Annabelle, you’re brilliant!”
“I’m aware,” she said, grinning.
“It’s still not an exact location,” Bryna pointed out. “The enchantress could be anywhere on the coastline.”
“But it’s still our best lead,” Wren said.
“Well, as exciting as this is, I better get home,” Annabelle said, brushing invisible debris from her pant legs as she stood. “Some of us still have a curfew.”
“I’ll walk you out.” I linked my arm with her elbow and the glow of the campfire faded behind us; the night air cooling my cheeks.
“So, you’re leaving tomorrow?”
“Yep, just before sunset.”
“How are you feeling?” Annabelle turned on her heel to face me once we’d reached the driver’s side of her parents’ car.
“A little nervous, but strong,” I said.
“No, that’s not what I meant. I know you’re ready to take on the Darkness, I just meant–how are you doing with the amulet?”
“Oh, that.” I glanced over my shoulder, watching as the others were making the trek back to the house. I saw the way the moonlight was playing against Wren’s skin and knew that he would be listening in even if he wasn’t trying. The truth was I could feel two halves of myself–almost an even split right down the middle now. I was still in control, but I could sense the balance of Light and Dark–fire and ice spreading through my veins.
“It’s getting harder isn’t it?” Annabelle asked when I didn’t respond.
“I can handle it.”
“That’s not what I asked. I can see it draining you. I know you have to be tired.” She reached out, squeezing my arm. “I just don’t want you to get too brave. You’re not in this alone; it’s okay to ask for help.”
The amulet was listening and it began to grow heavy. It seemed to be resonating in time with the beat of my heart. You could make them all obey, the Darkness seemed to whisper. I closed my eyes, clutching the moonstone at my throat. The surface was like cool liquid beneath my thumb; a sea of endless energy swelling within it.
“Quinn?” I looked up, meeting her dark eyes. “Are you hearing me?”
“I’m hearing you.” I forced my lips into the shape of a smile. “I’m fine Annabelle. I appreciate your concern, but you don’t need to worry about me. I just need you to stay safe.”
“I’ll be safe,” she said.
“You’re still carrying the talisman I gave you for protection, right?”
“Yes.” She rolled her eyes.
“I gave one to my dad, but, it would mean a lot to me if you could just keep an eye on him while we’re away.”
“You know I will. Just like I know you asked him to keep an eye on me, too.”
I grinned and pulled her in for a hug. I smelled the lingering scent of her shampoo and it reminded me how familiar everything about her was to me. I still remembered the first day we met in our Kindergarten classroom, when Mrs. Gunther sat us in alphabe
tical order. She’d been wearing a Hello Kitty headband and a matching pink dress. Our friendship was easy and instant. The thing about Annabelle was that she’d never pretended to be anything different than who she was. Maybe that’s what drew me to her. The world I lived in could be altered; changed, manipulated by magical events. Nothing in my life was constant, so I clung to the one person who was.
So when the Darkness tried to strip the Light away from me; I would remember why I was fighting in the first place. For people like Annabelle–and my dad, whose light was too bright to extinguish. I’d keep pushing myself for them.
“Take care of you,” I said, releasing her from my grip.
“I will,” she said, slipping behind the wheel. I backed away from her car, giving her enough room to maneuver into reverse, and then she was pulling out of the drive. I stayed there a while longer, becoming a shadow in the night. A small sound rattled in the branches above me, and I looked up to see the barn owl stretching her wings. She looked down on me with her star-filled gaze, and some of the weight pooling in my chest began to lift. I was comforted to find that she was following me.
Strong arms circled my waist then. I jumped, but only just a little as laughter vibrated in Wren’s chest at my spine.
“You know,” I said, “this whole predator thing is hardly fair.”
“Still so jumpy,” he murmured, bending to press a kiss to the back of my neck. “Blaire and Bryna are having a heart-to-heart. Since I can hear everything they’re saying to one another, I thought I’d better give them a little space.”
“Is it not going well?” I turned to face him, looping my arms around his neck.
“I’d say their relationship is on the mend. Not that it’s any of our business.” He grinned. “That was some display between you and Bryna earlier.”
“She shouldn’t have taken my book.”
“No, she shouldn’t have,” he agreed, “but if I hadn’t shown up, what would you have done?”
I let my arms drop to my sides and blinked up at him. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not a stranger to rage, Quinn. I know what it looks like. You were seconds away from snapping.”
“Then why are you asking?” I crossed my arms.
“Because,” he said, “I’m worried about you being in control.” He tapped my chest, his index finger resting on the moonstone that was tucked beneath my shirt.
Saliva clung to the sides of my throat, making it hard to swallow. “You won’t let me lose control.” I looked up into his eyes as I said this, knowing that he’d understand what I didn’t have to explain. I saw the pain behind his eyes as his face shone in the moonlight. All of those bone-sharp edges of his features softening as he reached out, gently cradling my face in his palms.
“I promise,” he said solemnly.
Chapter Eighteen
Primordial Ghosts
The next day, I met Annabelle in the locker room after classes had ended and changed into my cross-country gear. Hailey slipped in while I was tying my shoe. I caught her eye for a brief second before she turned for her locker. I waited for a snarky comment, even prepped for it by squaring my shoulders. She dialed the combination and tugged her lock free before lifting her face to look at me again. “I want to come with you guys on your little hero mission,” she said.
My features rearranged themselves into a look that conveyed a range of emotions that started and ended with shock. What the expressions in the middle were–I couldn’t say. “That wasn’t part of the deal,” I managed.
“What I can’t figure out is how someone with so little brain power is even a part of a functioning council?” Annabelle said.
“Jesus, Quinn, is there anything you don’t share with your little sidekick?” Hailey sneered. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Maddox pulled some strings and they let me join early–not because of my lack of brain power, but because I proved my worth to the pack.”
“Yeah, as the Alpha Slut,” Annabelle retorted.
Hailey slammed her locker shut and took a step towards Annabelle, her irises glowing with rage and a touch of the Change. I stepped between them, holding out my arm. “Knock it off guys. Seriously.”
“Whatever. Just keep her away from me before I lose more than my temper.”
“But then I’d lose more than mine, and neither of us wants that, do we?” I reached down, stroking the pendant at my throat. Hailey followed my hand, jaw clenching as she nodded.
For a minute I just stared at her, wondering what it was about her that made Wren decide to ever give her the time of day–other than the obvious visual aesthetics. Maybe that was enough for a teen boy. There were just so many layers to Wren; it was hard for me to imagine him ever being that shallow.
“Give me one good reason why I should even consider your request,” I said.
“Because,” she said, “The Thornwood pack is my home. I don’t want me or anyone else I care about to have their will just stripped from them.”
And there it was, I thought–a vulnerable truth. “Hailey, since the moment I met you, you’ve made it clear that you intend to make my life a living hell. I don’t trust you,” I said. The little altercation we’d had in the ladies’ room just a few days ago flashed to the front of my mind. It ranked second next to the cruelty she’d shown Annabelle on the track.
“I know,” she said. “You don’t have to. But you can trust the fact that I have my pack’s best interests at heart.”
“The council agreed to send Ryker,” I told her, “the decision is out of my hands. You’ll have to take it up with him.”
“That’s funny.” She snickered. “He told me to take it up with you.”
I stared at her for a long moment before saying, “The car only fits five people.” It was lame as far as excuses go, but it was the truth.
“Ryker and I will drive separately.” She shrugged.
“Quinn, you can’t honestly be considering this,” Annabelle said, frowning.
“This better not be some pathetic attempt to go after Wren, Hailey, because I swear to the goddess–”
“–It’s not, okay?” she interrupted. “I know about the legend. I know you two are freakishly bound to one another. Whatever. I’m going because I care about my pack, and if you’re going up against evil forces, then you need all the Supernatural muscle you can get, right?”
I stared into her baby-blue eyes as I chewed on the inside of my lip. “Does Maddox know you want to do this?”
“I don’t answer to my brother.” She grabbed her bag from the bench and side-stepped around me. “Ryker and I will see you tonight.” She exited the locker room then, leaving Annabelle and I staring after her.
“Can she do that?” Annabelle asked.
“As much as I don’t want her there, I think it will help Ryker trust us. Like she said, we need all of the Supernatural muscle we can get.”
“You’ve been dealt a shitty hand my friend… now you’re stuck with Bryna and Hailey.” Annabelle made a face.
“I heard that,” Hailey called, her voice echoing down the hall as Annabelle and I started for the back doors.
“Damn werewolf super-hearing,” Annabelle muttered. “Have you talked to Coach about Saturday yet? He’s going to be pissed when he finds out his star runners won’t be at the race. I mean, there’s only three weeks left until State Championships.”
“I know, Anna, but, Championships don’t exactly rank high on the list of priority right now.” We’d started across the lawn, our feet shuffling through the fallen leaves. It wasn’t until I reached the back of the stadium that I even saw the red and blue streaks of light glinting on the pavement. I looked
up, spotting the police cruiser parked next to the gate at the side of the track. Coach was standing on one side, and Officer Stevenson was on the other. Coach had his hands anchored on his hips, a clipboard pressed to his side as he and Officer Stevenson exchanged words.
“What’s he doing here?” Annabelle asked.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I scanned the group of our friends who were huddled together on the track, stretching. Wren was looking in my direction, his expression unreadable. “Come on,” I said, tugging on her sleeve.
Jamie was the first to speak when we entered the circle. “I can’t believe you two are ditching us this weekend.” He shook his head. “Three weeks until Championship, we need you.”
“I know, Jamie, I’m sorry, but it’s the only time we could get an appointment with the coach in Wilmington,” I lied. We’d told our friends that the cross-country recruiters out of WU had seen our last race and requested an interview. (This, at least, wasn’t a lie, but we actually hadn’t set up a time to meet with them.) As far as our friends were concerned, our “appointment” was Saturday.
“I thought you’d already been accepted to SMU?” Huck added.
“I have,” I said, “but Wren and I want to go to the same college. We’re just exploring our options. I mean, who knows what could happen.”
“Yeah, but, we’re a team,” Jamie said. He was looking at me now–his features crumpling into disappointment. I wished I could tell him that what we were doing was in fact bigger than the team, but Jamie’s world was right here–in the right now. I could never make him understand something I couldn’t begin to explain–that I was fighting to save that world of his.
I pressed my lips together. “I’m sorry, Jamie. You and Huck have this in the bag though. You won’t even know we’re gone.”
Jamie snorted. “Whatever man.”
Wren hadn’t taken his eyes off Coach and Officer Stevenson. When they finished talking, it was impossible to decipher Coach’s expression as his eyes were shaded behind his favorite pair of mirrored sunglasses. He shook the clipboard and scanned our faces before calling on Huck and Annabelle. As he explained our running assignment for the day, I slid my gaze over to Wren. His shoulders were pulled back, hands rolled into fists. The veins in his arms were pronounced, but his tendons and muscles weren’t twitching which meant we weren’t in danger of the wolf emerging.
The Calling of the Trinity (Trinity Cycle Book 2) Page 21