by Holly Hook
I know what the alternative is, and that's the creepy guy.
And I must meet him on his terms.
Chapter Eight
I lead Cayden to my bed and let him rest while Everly goes back to their house to fetch another change of clothes.
Part of me wants to deck her for insisting we patrol while she played Scrabble. As Everly comes through the front door, she won't meet my gaze.
Then again, none of us expected Cayden to have this curse. So I say nothing to her, even though I'm higher in the pack order. I take the pile of clothes from her and go back to Cayden, who still lies on my bed with nothing but the towel around his lower half. Even in the semi-dark, his skin glows in the light of the waning moon. He waits. I sit on the bed beside him and trace my finger down the line between his chest muscle and his collarbone.
"I think I'm recovered," Cayden says with a grin.
Everything seems okay. Cayden doesn't have to protect me right now. No danger lurks outside the house, but I sniff again to make sure. Only Aunt May's cooking lingers.
"We'll find a fix," I say, sliding my finger down his sternum. I eye the perfect hills and valleys of his abs, and the towel knot that rests just below his toned belly button. I've seen Cayden before, and he's seen me, but we haven't yet gone all the way. Everly's presence always thickens the air, and even in the woods, the threat of Savages always hangs. We haven't been able to let our guard down.
"I hope so," Cayden says. "There has to be one."
Aunt May opens the back door. "Are you sure you two will be fine?" Her voice echoes up the stairs.
"Cayden's jacket wasn't cheap," Everly says. "We'll go out and grab it."
Everly and Remo are going out to the woods to get his things. Neither have to worry about curses. And Remo's a big guy. He's the only one who stands a chance against Matthew.
"Stop being such a babysitter," Remo tells her.
"I need fresh air myself," Aunt May says.
She's giving us much needed alone time.
I trace my finger to Cayden's belly button and circle.
"Hey," he says, holding in a laugh.
Flopping down, I lie beside him and tickle his side. "How's that?" I know what I want. We could get away with it. The back door closes, leaving the house empty.
Cayden lets out a small growl. A fire ignites inside, begging for fuel. I kiss the space between his neck and shoulder, tasting the salty flesh. I don't want him to go. No curse can take him away from me.
"Brie," he manages. "We...we can't do this right now."
The agony in his words is a bucket of ice, dumped on the flames. My heart sinks into the melted puddle. "We can't?"
Cayden eyes the wall. "The curse. If I'm tempted too much, I'll die for you."
"You don't have to die for me." The words hit that same wall and fall to the floor, dead.
Cayden will, and we both know.
"This is what the Savages want," I say as the fire dies. "If we break apart, it'll cause strain in the pack again. Remember what happened in October?"
He turns over, making his chest face the wall. My hand falls on air and then my bed sheets, which now smell of Cayden. But the scent isn't him. It's that stale kind, like he's been there and gone again.
"I know," he says. "But if I die, there might not be any recovery. Everly isn't alpha material. She doesn't connect well with the rest of us. Your aunt is a follower, not a leader. And Remo. I know he won't want it."
"Everly wants to be alpha," I say, pushing out the words.
"She's older than me by five minutes. It goes to her head," Cayden says. "She can't relax. And an alpha needs a mate. She's too stuck up to find one."
He lets one possibility hang. I sit up on the bed because the thought of lying beside someone I can't have is unbearable. It hurts. Fighting back tears, I ask, "Would I need to do it?"
"You don't deserve to have the others' lives on your shoulders all the time."
I could do it. But the thought kills Cayden. He's terrified it would break me, just how Aunt May fears the same. And I'd have take on alpha duties without Cayden. The thought of taking the reins in the light of his death terrifies me—a death I might cause.
"I'll talk to Leonora at dawn," I say. "You're coming with me."
"That might be dangerous. The Savages or their warlocks will attack if they see us together. They'll attack you. And I'll act." Cayden keeps his back to me.
"No," I choke out.
Cayden sits up. We now sit on opposite sides of the bed. He adjusts the towel, pulling it higher on his torso. It's a clear signal that there will be no love tonight.
"I'll send Remo or Everly with you," he says. "Remo. Just him."
So Cayden knows Remo and Leonora are dating in secret. "Okay," I say. He's making the best choice he can.
Cayden rises. "I'd better go home, just in case," he says. "I heard Everly bring my clothes earlier. At least I can still protect myself." His words drip with sadness.
"Can I at least kiss you goodnight?" I ask.
Cayden hesitates before he says, "Yes. But if we love each other, we have to keep it quick."
* * * * *
Sleep is impossible that night. I watch the date change on my phone and my digital clock. Leonora and her parents must rise early to chop wood or something.
At five A.M, after almost-dozing off a few times, I rise.
Since Aunt May knows the deal, she's already up making breakfast. I scarf down bacon and eggs like crazy.
"Don't tell me you have to work at the store today," I say.
"We need to be open in the days leading up to the New Year," she says. "Many of our customers buy ingredients for parties."
"I'm sorry."
"But you take the day off," Aunt May says.
"We'll be looking at herbs and candles all day," I say. "So, veggies or magic? I guess I'll take magic." If it can clear the way for me and Cayden to be together, I'll do it.
It's stopped snowing, and as the first light peeks over the horizon, the snow gives off a million sparkles, each one full of hope. It's all fresh powder and undisturbed by any prints, human or wolf. The air smells clean and crisp when I open the door. Though it's work to trudge through the foot-deep layer, I still move faster than a regular person.
Remo meets me outside the Lowe cabin. He stands with his hands in his pockets, expressionless. I nod to him. "How's Cayden?" I should have texted him.
"Sleeping," Remo says. "The curse took a lot from him last night. He's still recovering. I'll talk to Leonora, but just so you know, she's limited in what she can do."
The time I spied on Remo and Leonora, he was asking her if she could remove his werewolf status. And she couldn't.
And this is also the first time Remo's almost admitted he has a relationship with her.
We trudge through the winter landscape in silence. Somewhere, kids laugh. I wish I could join them. I think of Cayden still in the cabin, passed out from exhaustion, and I want to go back and see him before I talk to Leonora. His life's in danger. The next time he tries to protect me from the Savages could be his last.
Walking uphill to Leonora's house through the snow isn't as hard as I fear. Halfway up the driveway, I smell Leonora approaching. She smells of incense and fresh air. Remo bounds forward, having detected her, and I watch the two meet. So the two knew I'd see them it didn't matter.
I follow the two as they finish the walk to the cabin. Leonora keeps her voice low as she talks to Remo, but there's no point to keeping quiet. I can hear them.
"My parents are down at the Grocery," she says. "We have time to poke around alone, if that's what you want to do."
"It's Cayden," I say, running to catch up. "I know you tried to remove a curse, but he had another attack of pain last night." I tell her about the creepy guy in the woods and the fact that he said Cayden would die if he tried to protect us.
Leonora's eyes get big and she turns her freckles down. "Hurry up and get inside. You'll have to listen for my
parents, though. Leave right away if you hear them coming."
We reach the cabin. The fire pit under the cauldron is cold, damp, and icy. No one's been brewing potions today. We pass it and walk over the yard which is free of snow and hides our footprints to normal people. Leonora pulls open the door and lets Remo inside.
"I've never been inside your house before," he says.
"I guess my parents think no one will come over on the day after a holiday," Leonora says. "We need to take the chance to poke around if you want real help with getting rid of Cayden's curse."
"Aunt May will slow Leonora's parents down," I say. "She knows we're here."
"Good. I've got to help Cayden," Remo says. "He saved my life two years ago, as you know. Now it's my turn to save his."
Cayden turned Remo to save his life from a bad car accident he got into fleeing the Savage Wolves. Cayden still feels bad about turning him. But Remo wouldn't be here if he hadn't. I'll tell Cayden about Remo's gratitude later.
"What about me?" I ask. "I need to save him, too."
Remo grins at me. "I know your motives, Brie."
I blush. "Well, we need to help each other and stick together. It was our deal."
"True," Remo says. He looks at the Russells' living room, which looks as if it belongs in a rustic cabin in the eighteen hundreds. No television. A rug lies on the floor, worn and flecked with bits of leaf. The entire house smells like the woods, but not in a bad way. Other than the leaf flecks, it's clean except for ash near the iron stove. It gives off inviting warmth.
Leonora closes the front door. "Listen for my parents," she orders. "You're not supposed to be here, either of you. Don't tell anyone this. The spell I did on Cayden is something I learned from a book I picked up at the library a couple months ago. A book any of us could have picked up at the bookstore."
"You mean those books on witchcraft you see in the new age section?" I ask.
Leonora blushes. It's clear she's embarrassed to admit this. "Yes. My parents wouldn't tell me the spells they know."
"But you're from a family of witches," Remo says.
"My parents want nothing to do with it anymore," she tells us both. "I'm cut off. Do you know what it's like to be cut off from your heritage?"
I swallow. "I do. Yes."
"Then you get it," she tells me. "I always knew I was from a magical family because my parents used to talk about it a little when they thought I wasn't listening, but you know how kids are. They hear things anyway."
"At least you're reconnecting," Remo tells her. He eyes me and then puts his arm around Leonora. "I'll help you find the rest of your parents' stash."
"Stash?" I ask.
"Not drugs," Leonora says. "Their magical books. So far I've snooped around and found candles and incense, but not their Book of Shadows."
"Which is?" I ask.
"A witch's personal spell book," Leonora tells me. "That's the term. My father's hiding his real stuff somewhere."
"I didn't realize your parents were keeping you out of everything." I sniff, smelling for anything that might betray an old, musty book. This is why Remo wanted to come along with me. He was hoping I'd find answers for Leonora with my heightened senses. "I'll find what you need. It's not like your parents will notice it missing. And how come you give out herbs at school to other witches if your parents booted you out of it all your life?"
"I was trying to get in," Leonora says. "Most of the people in school aren't serious about it, you know? So I dried herbs for people and gave them out, hoping I could learn about where I came from. But they turned out to be the wrong crowd and knew no more than I did."
I keep pacing, taking in all the scents. That's another thing I understand. "Let's find this stuff," I say. "You already found that dagger thing and the candles, so we can't be far off. Remo, smell around. And listen. So far, no one's coming."
Leonora grins. "This is exciting."
I agree. I want to know more about this magic, too. We split through the cabin which only holds a few rooms. At least Leonora is lucky enough to have a working toilet in the shared bathroom. I was fearing an outhouse, though I haven't seen one, or worse, just a bush. Leonora's bedroom is plain, with white walls, a bed, and a dresser. She doesn't even have books to help her pass the time. Leonora's had a life on the sidelines even more than I have.
I sniff through her room while she stands in the doorway. Remo shuffles through the parents' room and moves the dresser out from the wall. "This is heavy even for a werewolf," he says.
Leonora turns away from me, but not before I see a sad look in her eyes. "Well, at least I have a good, strong man to move it. I've tried. If there's anything else my parents are hiding, it's back there."
"Good point," I say, following her into the parents' bedroom, which is just as plain as the rest of the house. "I smell something leathery. That dresser's worth moving."
I help and we finish pulling out the dresser which scrapes and screeches across the floor. Dust bunnies and other gross bits of trash fly everywhere, finally free after years of entrapment. A few spiders dart away, and Leonora doesn't bat an eyebrow at them.
And in the wall is a hole, cut into the plain white paint and revealing the logs that make up the outside of the house. The hole's a square, big enough for a high school textbook, and inside that hole is a small wooden chest.
"That's it," I say.
"One thing I remember," Leonora says with a grin, "is my parents talking about the chest. I overheard them when I was outside playing years ago. I always wondered what the chest was, and now I know. I never could have moved that dresser."
"Then it's important," I say. I should be asking about another cure for Cayden, and I will, but answers beckon. Maybe more about my family sits in that chest. The Russells had connections to my family and helped fight the Savages a long time ago. There might be information in that chest, or at least clues.
Leonora reaches into the hole and draws out the chest which tries to drag a bunch of cobwebs with it. Another spider darts off it and down the wall, making me cringe, but Leonora ignores that one, too.
"We need to put the cabinet back," she says.
I can't stop staring at the chest. It's wooden, like the one I found in my attic, and almost identical. The sides have the same curved cut as mine. Even the lid has the same wood grains, like someone cut it from pine wood, and the same musty scent as the one in the attic.
Remo and I push the dresser back into place. I check the floor for any scuff marks, but there are none. "Your parents," I say, "won't move this back out any time soon. This dresser is solid. If you're careful, they'll never know you have the chest."
"I think werewolves must have moved this dresser here in the first place," Leonora says. Her words drip with meaning.
"You mean my dad's family might have," I say.
"Well, you'd never know. Everyone likes to hide secrets from us."
"How old are your parents?" Already, my mind tries to piece things together.
"Forties. They had me young."
"This is a lot of speculation," Remo says. "We shouldn't jump that far yet."
"I agree," I say, as exciting as the prospect is. "This chest will give us more information. I still don't hear your parents coming back."
"This would be really terrifying otherwise," Leonora says. She manages a grin.
"Glad to see you coming out of your shell," I say. What am I distracting myself for? I'm nervous. That's why. Even calm Remo shifts leg to leg.
We take the small chest into the living room. At least now I know why Leonora's spell didn't work well on Cayden. She's going on a watered-down knowledge of her own craft. It's sad. And Leonora's shoulders slump as she sits on the family's worn couch. Even without asking, I can tell she's suffering from a sense of failure.
"Let's see what's inside this thing." I put it on the coffee table and open it as we gather around.
And my heart sinks when I see what's inside.
Ashes.
Mini dunes of ashes.
"Huh?" I ask. "Why would this box—?"
"I don't understand," Leonora says, running her hand through the ashes. "This...this used to be a book. Here's a leather piece." She draws out a tattered chunk and then another, putting them together.
"Journal," Remo reads. "Well, we know what they burned."
The smell hits through the shock. I ball my fists as I eye the ashes that might have once held answers for all of us.
"Why are they doing this?" I ask, holding back emotion. "Something in here could have helped Cayden."
Leonora looks up at me. She's lost. "I don't know. The books I've picked up only have the basics. I know my parents had more. The warlocks with the Savages must have kept their craft."
I rise from the couch, shaking. Frustration builds in my clenched fists and tight muscles. I want to find Leonora's parents and demand they let us in on whatever they know. Cayden's life depends on it.
"Your parents need to knock this off. I'll find them."
"Please don't," Leonora says.
"I won't tell them about the box. I'll say I'm acting on my own."
My heart races as I leave Leonora and Remo in the cabin to figure out what to do with the burned book and the box.
Pulling my coat around me, I run so fast I kick up snow the second I leave the tree-sheltered yard. I sniff, but Leonora's parents are faint. They must come up the drive now.
Curving through the woods so they don't see me coming from the house, I meet them about halfway down the hidden drive. Leonora's mother carries a bag of groceries while her father carries two split logs in his arms. They walked from Sterling Grocery and back.
"Excuse me," I say.
"Brie?" the mother asks.
"Stop holding things back," I demand. "Cayden's cursed and we need your help."
The mother screws up her face. She looks to her husband and back.
"We can't, Brie," she says. "We took a vow decades ago."
"A vow?" My anger rises. "For what?"