“That is enough, Regan,” she said. “You’ve made your point.”
“No, Avery,” he purred. “I’m just starting to make my points. Just say the word, and I’ll eliminate the competition by keeping her here. I told you I’d give you anything you ask for, and I have the perfect little place to put her.”
Talia whimpered as her shoulders shook.
“Stop it!” Karen cried. “Just stop it!”
When Regan turned on her, a hungry gleam lit his eyes. Karen lifted her chin and stared at Regan with haughty indignation.
“And why should I do anything you say? You are nothing,” Regan continued. “Your own parents didn’t even want you.”
Karen recoiled as if he’d slapped her, and the color drained from her face. Avery grasped Karen’s hand and squeezed it. Few people knew Karen was adopted. She considered her adopted parents her mom and dad and loved them, but she’d once confided in Avery that she sometimes wondered about her biological parents and why they hadn’t wanted her.
“You’ve been unloved since you were born, so you cling to the few people who show you any attention. And the only reason they put up with you is because they feel sorry for you. Deep inside, you know it’s true. Admit it, Karen, you know.”
When tears blossomed in Karen’s eyes, Avery gave her hand a small shake.
“No,” Avery said. “That is not true. I love you, Karen. We all love you. He’s nothing but lies.”
“It’s definitely not true,” Mario growled and rested his hand protectively on Karen’s shoulder while he glared at Regan.
With her loathing for Regan growing by the second, Avery faced him. “We’re going back!”
Suppressed rage simmered beneath Regan’s serene demeanor when he smiled at her. “I am not done yet.”
“Yes, you are!” Karen declared.
Pride for her friend filled Avery as she gazed at Regan with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. He was doing everything he could to tear them apart and make them doubt themselves before letting them leave.
“You,” he said to Avery, “trying to be brave, yet inside you’re nothing but a weak, frightened child who has let the coven change you into what they want you to be.”
Maybe that had started to become true before—she had lost herself a little to the coven—but not anymore. Regan had set her on a new course of action, one in which distance was the best for all of them. However, Regan didn’t know that yet, and she wasn’t about to reveal it to him.
“Let us go.” She refused to rise to his baiting. “Now!”
“But I’ve only just begun to play,” he said.
“Was all of this just to show us what you’re capable of?” Sandra asked.
“All of this was to give you a small taste of what I can do,” Regan replied. “I always like my prey to have the knowledge that they’ll never be able to defeat me. And none of you are strong enough to beat me, as I know all your weaknesses.”
When Avery felt the despair engulfing her friends, she realized Regan was succeeding in what he wanted to accomplish. He hadn’t destroyed them in the maze, but with a few simple words, he was devastating the pride and confidence they possessed.
“I will not let you do this!” Avery declared.
“This is only the beginning of what I plan to do; there is much worse to come, Avery. Now, it’s time for you to go home. The clock is ticking, and I won’t have you turning into pumpkins at midnight.”
He stepped elegantly to the side and gestured at the swirling vortex behind him. She couldn’t believe he would let them go this easy. Everyone remained where they were, and she sensed their uncertainty as they glanced from Regan to the vortex, and finally to Avery.
“Come on,” she finally said. “It’s time to go home.”
When she strode toward the circle, the rest of the group fell in behind her, but as they shuffled forward, they looked more dejected now than while they were in the maze. She needed to see them safely out of this nightmare and get them home. She would straighten everything out tomorrow and try to rebuild their confidence then, but for now, they had to get free.
“Oh,” Regan said when they reached the mouth of the circle.
They froze in unison, and the amusement in Regan’s eyes caused Avery’s heart to sink.
“Two more things. One of you has my skull, which means one of you is already mine. Don’t ever forget that. Also, you’re not going to know when I’m coming again, but I promise you it will be soon.”
Avery gaped at him as everyone else instinctively recoiled from him. Distrust and hate boiled up from her friends in a suffocating wave that resonated in her soul.
She yearned to destroy Regan, but if she lashed out at him, he would put her down, and then he might not let them go. They were too close to freedom to risk it now. However, in that instant, she knew there would never be any freedom from him.
Unless they found a way to destroy him, he would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
That thought spurred her toward him as her power rose within her. Regan’s eyes narrowed, and cold fury replaced his smug smile.
“Don’t even think about it,” he cautioned. “Try to attack me, and I’ll kill Talia and Karen right now. I care nothing for them, and they can do nothing for me. Because I know it’s what you want, I’m giving you the gift of their lives by letting them leave with you. I will take my gift back if you don’t take your friends out of here, Avery.”
Avery realized that in his sick, twisted way, he was giving her a gift, and if she didn’t run with it, he would take it back. It was an incredible battle, but Avery somehow managed to reel in her power.
“I will end you,” she promised.
He laughed. “No, you won’t, but I do enjoy playing this game with you. You’re the first challenge I’ve ever had, and you’ve made life far more fun. I’ve waited millennia for you, and you haven’t disappointed me. I look forward to starting our lives together.”
Avery’s stomach churned at the idea of sharing a life with this monster, but before she could tell him how much he revolted her, he snapped his fingers and vanished. His taunting laughter grated on Avery’s frayed nerves as it lingered on the air. She turned away from where he’d stood and ushered her distraught friends toward their escape.
CHAPTER 36
Kneeling in the cold sand, the grainy specks slid through Avery’s fingers as she gazed at her surroundings. Joy swelled in her heart when she realized they were home and back on the beach.
Then Regan’s last words came back to her and doused her elation. She lifted her head to look at the dirty, exhausted group surrounding her. In one night, she felt like she’d aged ten years, and she knew they were all feeling the same way.
“I didn’t know you were adopted,” Sandra said accusingly to Karen.
Avery felt the tremor running through Karen’s slender frame when Karen leaned toward her.
“One more thing we didn’t know about you,” Isla muttered.
“Don’t you dare do that to her!” Avery snarled. “Karen didn’t bring Regan down on us. She couldn’t have set him free; she’s not a witch.”
Sandra looked guiltily away from Avery’s searing gaze.
“I’m sorry.” Sandra rested her hand on Karen’s arm. “I understand why you didn’t tell us. It’s none of our business, and we haven’t known each other for long.”
Karen nodded, and relief washed through Avery.
“We can trust Karen, Tina, Lila, Avery, and I hate to say this, but Talia too, but I don’t trust the rest of you,” Isla said. “I don’t know who has his skull, but I am going to find it. And when I find it, I’m going to kill whoever has it.”
“Don’t say that,” Mario said.
“I’ll say whatever I want to say!” Isla spat. “For all I know, you’re the one who has it. Regan is going to keep coming after us until we stop him, we’re all dead, or more of us join him. Until that skull is found, all of you stay away from me!”
&
nbsp; Before anyone could respond, Isla jumped to her feet and sprinted across the beach.
“Isla, wait!” Avery called after her, but Isla didn’t look back.
Avery jumped up to follow her, but Reid grasped her arm and halted her. “No, Avery. Let her be for now. She needs some time alone.”
“We can’t let Regan do this to us,” she whispered. “We trusted and counted on each other in there.”
“Because we had to,” Eric said.
“We still have to,” Reid said. “He’ll get to us if we fall apart now. Divide and conquer, remember?”
“We’re already divided,” Sandra said as she gazed around the beach. “And speaking of divided, where are the saints?”
Avery hadn’t realized Tina, Lila, Landon, Alex, Rosie, and Shawn weren’t there until Sandra pointed it out. They’d said they would be here, and she’d thought they would be waiting for them to return.
A tingle of doubt about the other group crept through Avery before she shoved it aside. Divide and conquer was exactly what Regan intended for them when they left the maze; she had to distance herself from Reid, but she couldn’t let Regan succeed in destroying them.
“I don’t know about you,” Eric said, “but I trust the saints the least. I suspect one of them isn’t as saintly as they’d like us to believe.”
Avery didn’t know what to say when the same awful doubts were creeping through her mind. She’d never believed she would doubt her trust in Rosie, Alex, or Landon, but she did. They had been her saving grace against Regan the first time; now they were nowhere to be seen.
“You know”—Sandra flicked a dirty strand of hair over her shoulder as her eyes narrowed—“Shawn is the only one who hasn’t faced Regan.”
“You think it’s him?” Karen asked in a strangled voice.
“It would make sense,” Mario said.
Avery knew the least about Shawn, and he was the one she trusted least, but it didn’t make sense to her.
“Shawn is too obvious,” Reid said. “Regan wouldn’t blatantly point his finger at the person with the skull by keeping them protected from all the fun.”
Regan would never leave them such an easy trail, but she couldn’t shake her doubts about Shawn.
“Look,” Eric said as he stood. “We’re all tired, hungry, thirsty, and no offense, but the stench of us is making me sick. We all need a break and a good night of sleep. Arguing over who has the skull is getting us nowhere. We’ll think a lot better after we’ve cleaned up, eaten, and slept.”
“I agree,” Karen said.
As exhausted as she was, Avery was also terrified to close her eyes. Sleep was Regan’s realm; would he be waiting for her in her dreams? She shuddered at the possibility. In the space of one day, everything she’d come to rely on had been upended and possibly destroyed.
Regan’s reappearance had shattered their peace, but oddly, he’d given her the gift of a strength of spirit she hadn’t known she possessed. She’d survived him twice, and she would survive him again. No matter what happened, no matter what he threw at them next, she would not give into him.
“You’re back!”
At the sound of Rosie’s joyous cry, Avery turned to discover six figures standing on the dunes. The moon at their back silhouetted them.
“You made it!” Leaning on her cane, Lila was the first to move off the top of the dune.
When Reid released her, Avery staggered toward her closest friend and embraced her. Tears brimmed in her eyes as Lila clutched her.
“Oh, you stink!” Lila pulled away. Her nose wrinkled, but a brilliant smile lit her pretty features.
“I stink, my feet are covered in blisters, I’m tired, hungry, and thirsty,” Avery said, “but I’m here; we’re all here!”
“It was nice of you to be here to greet us,” Sandra said to the rest of the coven as they walked down the dunes to join them on the beach.
Landon ignored Sandra as she focused on Avery and Reid. “Is everyone all right?” Before they could respond, the color drained from her face. “Where is Isla?”
“We’re all fine,” Avery quickly assured her. “And Isla left already.”
“What happened?” Alex demanded. “How did you get away?”
“Wow, you sound super happy to see us.” Sandra glowered at Alex. “Were you hoping some of us didn’t make it back, Alex?”
“Of course not!” he protested.
“Oh, I’m sure.” Sandra’s sarcastic tone increased as venom dripped from her words.
“Enough,” Avery murmured.
Sandra shot her a caustic glance, but her lips clamped firmly together as she continued to glare at Landon and the others.
“We’re here because Regan didn’t want to keep us,” Avery explained.
“Huh?” Tina’s brow furrowed as she stared at Avery.
“We’ll explain everything tomorrow,” Avery said. Getting into everything that happened would take more time than she was willing to spend right now. “What about the skull?”
Landon bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes before responding. “It’s just… just… gone. We can’t find any hint of it or who has it.”
Avery’s jaw dropped; she fisted her hands while she tried to rein in her tumult of emotions. Why hadn’t they found the skull and uncovered the one who’d betrayed them? How was the traitor keeping it hidden from them? The coven was a group of extremely powerful witches, yet someone was successfully keeping the skull hidden from them.
Or maybe they hadn’t really tried. Was that the real reason the skull was still missing?
She hated these doubts; she never would have had them about these members of the coven before going through the maze, but now they squirmed insidiously through her mind.
“I don’t understand it either, but we can’t find it,” Landon said.
An unnerving silence followed this statement.
“Maybe now that you’re all back together you’ll be able to find it,” Karen suggested.
“Maybe, but one of us shouldn’t be powerful enough to keep us blocked out.” Landon waved a hand at the group gathered around her. “We should have been able to locate it.”
“Yes, you should have,” Sandra said.
“We’ll discuss this tomorrow,” Reid interjected, “after we’re rested. Until then, the only things I can think about are a shower, food, and bed.”
“I agree,” Mario said.
“Yes, we will find it,” Sandra said, giving Landon a pointed look. “And when we do, whoever took it will pay.”
Avery rolled her eyes and started to say something when more people appeared at the top of the dunes. A small cry of joy escaped her when she saw her parents gathered with the parents of the others.
Forgetting all about the skull and the hostility in the coven, she limped forward to embrace her dad before giving her mother a quick hug. Things had been better between her and Julie since they first beat Regan, but Avery still wasn’t ready to fully trust the woman who hadn’t been around for most of her life.
“Are you okay?” Julie inquired as she released Avery.
“I’ve definitely been better.”
“Let’s get you home,” her dad said.
Avery nodded and leaned against his side when he draped his arm around her.
CHAPTER 37
Avery looked up as the knock on her back door broke her concentration. The crystal slipped from her hand when her eyes landed on Reid. Warmth spread through her body, and she started to grin before recalling that things had to be different between them. Gulping as she contemplated the best way to go forward, she waved him inside.
He opened the door and stepped inside. “Hey, beautiful. Any luck?”
She glanced at the map of Massachusetts spread out on the table before her. She’d been using her crystal to scry for the location of the skull. It was supposed to draw her hand to the spot where the skull was located and drop down, but all it did was spin in circles before going still. She’d tried a map of New
England, the U.S. and one of Canada too, but Landon was right; it was as if the skull had vanished.
“No,” she said. “Whoever has it hid it well.”
Despite her mounting frustration over the missing skull and her anxiety over their relationship, Avery couldn’t help but notice how handsome he looked in his black shirt, worn jeans, and faded leather jacket when he strolled over to her. The shadows still circling his eyes made them appear even brighter, and his freshly washed chestnut hair hung in damp disarray around his sculpted face.
She yearned to curl into the safety of his arms and forget about all of this for just a couple of hours, but she couldn’t do it. She had to maintain her resolve to put some distance between them, to make it so he put his safety ahead of hers, and there was only one way she could think of to do that.
“How are you feeling today?” he asked as he pulled out the chair next to her and sat.
“All right,” she replied. “I finally succeeded in scrubbing the stench of sewer and decay from me. It only took ten showers.”
He chuckled as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. Avery clenched her hands when her fingers twitched with the impulse to run her fingers through his hair. Stay the course! It’s best for him.
Avery recalled watching him trying to figure out a way to climb into the canyon, and her resolve hardened. He’d had no concern for his safety then, only for hers, and while she loved him more than she could ever say because of it, she also had to stop what was growing between them. He’d protect himself first if he was mad at her or if they were through.
When he leaned forward to rest his hand over hers, Avery pulled it away. Reid frowned as his hand settled on the table. “Avery?”
Taking a deep breath, Avery strengthened her resolve and met his gaze head-on. “I think we need to take a break from each other.”
He looked as if she’d punched him. She’d never felt more horrible in her life. She wanted to take the words back, to tell him she’d made a mistake, but she kept her lips clamped together.
“What?” he asked.
“I think it’s best if we’re not together anymore.”
The Maze (The Coven, Book 2) Page 19