He doesn’t have to. I know.
If the wrong person finds out, I’ll probably end up dead in a field just like the fey.
Chapter 9
After Jax leaves the car to go tell Hadlee we’re leaving, I crack the window, slump back in the seat, and try to sort through what just happened. While I don’t know everything about the magical world, I’ve never heard of anyone being able to live other people’s memories. Reading minds, sure. There’s a spell that can do that. But actually living the memory, feeling what the person felt …
I shudder, reliving the awfulness. God, I hope that doesn’t happen often.
This is only the start, Alana … my grandpa’s voice appears again. The start of your gifts … the start of your curse …
“Curse?” I ask aloud. “What curse?”
Silence is my only answer.
I audibly sigh. “Where are you? And where do you go when you grow quiet like that?”
Nothing.
I sigh again and rest my forehead against the cool glass. So I’m cursed with a gift, but what gift? And if this is only the start, does it mean I’m not only just a Guardian? What lies ahead for me?
Maybe I can ask my parents.
No!
The word screams in my head, but I’m unsure if the thought was mine or my grandpa’s.
I get the message loud and clear, though, feel the severity all the way to my bones. Whatever is happening to me, it isn’t a burden I need to put on my parents, at least until I find out more.
By the time Jax climbs into the car, I’m sweaty, exhausted, and confused. Jax looks stressed out, too, his hair sticking up as if he raked his fingers through the strands at least a hundred times.
“Ready?” he asks, slamming the door and turning the key in the ignition.
The engine rumbles to life, and he shoves the shifter into reverse and backs out onto the road.
I straighten in the seat and draw my seatbelt over my shoulder. “I think I’d be more ready if you told me where we are going.”
“To see a friend of mine.” Once the car is on the road, he pushes the shifter into drive and moves forward in the opposite direction of the academy.
I refuse to look at the field as we pass by it, afraid of what I might feel.
“A friend who doesn’t live at the academy, I’m guessing.”
“Nope. He lives a few towns over.” He steers the car around a Jeep partially blocking the road then presses on the gas and peels out, leaving the bloody massacre in our tracks. “I don’t want to take you back to the academy just yet, not until we find out more about what’s going on with you.”
“And how do you plan on doing that? Because I have no clue what happened to me.”
“Me, either, but this friend of mine knows way more than I do.”
“Why? What is he?”
His knuckles turn white as his grip on the wheel tightens. “I’d rather not tell you until I get there.”
“Well, now you have to tell me or else I won’t go.”
“And how do you plan on doing that? By jumping out of the moving car?”
I shrug. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
He heaves a frustrated sigh. “Fine, I’ll tell you, but you can’t freak out.” He pauses, deliberating, and his frustration morphs into curiosity. “Have you really jumped out of a moving car before?”
I hold up three fingers. “Three times, and I have a wicked scar on my thigh to prove it.” I lower my hand to my lap. “But don’t change the subject. Tell me what this guy we’re going to see is.”
He taps his fingers against the top of the steering wheel, restless and uneasy. “He’s an Enchanter.”
My fingers instantly seek the door handle as I seriously consider bailing, just jumping out of the car while it’s moving seventy miles an hour and letting the asphalt tear me apart.
“Alana,” he warns. “Stop thinking like a Keeper. Just because Oliver is an Enchanter, it doesn’t make him a bad person.”
“Yeah, but it does make him a person who can possess people’s minds.” I withdraw my hand from the door, but the idea of jumping out still sounds more appealing than lounging around with some dude who can turn me into his own personal puppet. Sure, their sorcerer blood makes them a walking magical dictionary, but I don’t know if I’m that desperate yet. “I’ve heard stories about Enchanters, terrible stories where they make people do horrible things.”
“And there are some Enchanters who will use their power for that kind of purpose, but I’ve known Oliver since we were kids, and he’s a good guy.” He removes a hand from the wheel and places it on my leg, right above my kneecap. “I need you to trust me on this, okay?”
I stare down at his hand. “Is the touching thing some sort of wolf persuasion tactic?”
“Maybe.” His lips quirk. “Is it working?”
I start to shake my head and lie, but then sigh. “Fine. I won’t judge Oliver until I meet him.”
“Good. I’m glad you see it my way.” He gently squeezes my knee.
I bite down on my tongue. “Fine. I’ll let you win this one.”
Instead of grinning, he frowns. “Are you sure you didn’t hit your head?”
“Ha, ha, you’re such a riot.” I slump back in the seat. “I’m just tired, okay? It’s been a long morning.”
“Just promise me you’ll tell me if you start feeling strange.” Worry laces his tone. “We have no idea what happened to you, so we don’t know if there are going to be any side effects.”
I nod, agreeing that I will. Then we settle into small chitchat as we drive down miles of desolate highway and pass through quaint, little towns.
I want to talk about what happened, try to figure out more before we get to this Enchanter dude, but I have the impression Jax is purposefully avoiding the subject. I don’t know why other than perhaps he thinks we’re still at risk of someone eavesdropping on our conversation.
We’re just veering toward the outskirts of another town when my phone rings. I fish it out of my pocket, and my mood goes up a notch when I see the call is from Jayse, my cousin and best friend.
“Hey,” I answer. “I’m glad you called. I could really use Jayse-cheer-me-up time.”
“I must have read your mind.” Nervousness rings in his tone. “Look, Alana, I really wish I could say I called just to say hello, but this isn’t a friendly phone call.”
“Okay.” I stiffen, recalling the incident with the Transition Re-programmer. “What’s going on? You’re not in any trouble, are you? Because you’re only allowed to get into trouble when you’re with me.”
“No … well, not really, I guess.” He doesn’t sound too convincing. “It’s actually you I’m worried about.”
“Me? I’m fine,” I lie. “It’s you I’m more worried about. I mean, we still haven’t talked about that thing …” I leave the silent statement out there.
I never told Jayse that I know he’s been using a Transition Re-programmer and that I know he’s transitioning into something. He knows I think he’s keeping something from me, and he told me he’d tell me when he’s ready. Part of me hopes he’s ready to talk now, because I really want to understand what he’s going through, why he has been acting so distant lately. Another part of me hopes maybe he’ll wait until I’m a little more stable.
“I promise this has nothing to do with me,” he says. “It has to do with the territory clan of vampires.”
My thoughts float back to the fey’s memory …
A tattoo of a blood droplet with a silvery T is carved into the center. She’s part of the territory clan …
I flinch, coming out of the memory, hyperaware Jax is observing me instead of the road.
“Okay, what’s going on with them? And why are you telling me?”
“Because …” His nerves show through his uneven tone. “There’s a rumor going around that they killed a bunch of fey near the academy.”
“That may or may not be true,” I say, uncertain i
f I’m allowed to talk to him about the case.
“I’m guessing you can’t tell me, but that’s okay. I didn’t call for clarification. I called to warn you that there’s a rumor going around that, a while ago, the entire clan was captured by some group that runs tests on paranormal creatures.” He pauses, as if waiting for me to say something, but I’m not about to utter a damn word about the Electi and put him at risk. “I’m not sure what happened to the vampires during these test, but I guess they were released and sent to eliminate as much of the North Kingdom Fey as they could. From what I understand, they somehow set them up to meet them in some field near the academy then killed a bunch of them.”
I swallow hard. “You might be right, but I’m not sure why you’re telling me this.”
He remains silent for a beat or two. “Because there’s also another rumor going around that part of the reason the fey were slaughtered was because they were testing something out. I’m not sure what, but I know you’re living close to the area, and you could be working the case … and I’m just …” He releases a loud breath. “I’m just worried about you. I know how much you love to be in the middle of battle, but I really think you should keep a safe distance from this one.”
“Battle?” I sit up straight as he catches my undivided attention. “What battle?”
“The battle the North Kingdom Fey just declared on the Territory Vampire Clan,” he says in an ominous tone. “I guess the fey who survived are pissed off and want their revenge.”
My fingers fold inward, stabbing into my palms as images of the murders plague my thoughts. “I don’t really blame them. What happened … It was sickening …”
“Alana, promise me you won’t get involved with this.” Concern floods his tone. “Some serious shit is about to go down between fey and vampire, and you know how powerful they both are. Plus, I’ve heard that the princess of the North Kingdom is trying to persuade the water fey to join her side. I guess she was spotted last night somewhere, having some secret chat with the empress of the water fey.”
A wave of suspicion builds inside me. “Where did this happen exactly?”
“I’m not sure, and it doesn’t really matter.” The unexpected harshness in his voice startles me. “I just wanted to give you a heads up that a lot of bad stuff might start happening, and while I know you want to help, I want you to stay out of this.”
I want to confess everything to him, explain to him that I can’t stay out of it. I’m neck deep in it. But then I’d have to explain why, and I don’t want to bring him into my mess.
“I’ll try my best,” I lie, my chest squeezing with guilt.
When we were kids, Jayse and I used to tell each other almost everything. Lately, though, it feels like a sea of lies is between us.
“You’re okay, though, right? Not just with this whole battle going on, but just with … life, I guess?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine. Everything’s great,” he lies through his teeth. “Look, I have to go. Just be careful, okay?”
“You, too,” I say softly. “And call me if you ever want to talk.”
“I will soon. I promise.” He sounds like he’s being truthful this time, yet it pains him to do it. I have to wonder why. What’s so bad that he doesn’t want to tell me?
What has he turned into?
Chapter 10
After I hang up, I aim a finger at Jax. “All right, I’m going to ask you a question, and you have to promise you’ll be completely honest.”
“I can’t make that promise without knowing what the question is.” He puts on his sunglasses and concentrates on the road. “But you can ask, and we’ll see where it goes.”
Frowning, I lower my finger. “Is Vivianne fey?”
He turns, appearing taken aback. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because Jayse just told me that the princess of the North Kingdom and the empress of the water fey had a secret rendezvous last night.”
“What?”
“Yeah, he didn’t say where, but I guess the meeting was about seeking revenge on …” Wait. I haven’t told him about the vampire clan yet, and he doesn’t want me to until we get to the Enchanter’s place. “Seeking revenge for the fey who died last night.”
“So the fey know who killed their own?”
“According to Jayse, they do. I’m sure he got the information from the Keepers, so he’s probably right.”
“Not necessarily.” He drums his fingers against the top of the shifter. “I’ve never noticed the fey mark on Vivianne before, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. She could be both fey and Guardian, keeping her fey blood hidden for whatever reason. I know a few people who keep their bloodline hidden pretty well, but it’d be highly unlikely for her to keep royal fey blood a secret.”
“But not impossible,” I say. “And if she’s just a princess, as of now, that means she’s not reigning yet. And I’ve heard of fey royalty keeping their identities a secret to protect themselves.”
“But who would Vivianne be protecting herself from?”
“I don’t know, but honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she had enemies lining up to take her down. The woman’s a bitch.”
He keeps restlessly thrumming his fingers against the shifter over and over again until the sound starts to drive me mad.
“God, what if she is?” he mumbles after a minute of tapping goes by. “What if she’s been the princess this entire time and has been hiding it from everyone?”
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Then she’s pretty good at hiding stuff, which makes me wonder what else she’s hiding.”
“Yeah, me, too.” He ceases the tapping and brings his hand to the wheel. “I think, when we get to Oliver’s place, I’m going to call Dash and have him check out the forest to make sure Vivianne and the empress weren’t just having a friendly meeting out there.”
“I think that’s a good idea.” I sink back in the seat and stare out the window, reflecting over everything we just discussed.
If it turns out Vivianne is fey and is the princess of the North Kingdom, then it makes me wonder if maybe there’s a bigger reason for her wanting to find the Dagger of Conspectu than just finding it and returning it to the vault.
I make a mental note that, when we get to a safe-to-speak-freely zone, I’ll ask Jax if he knows what the dagger does and cross my fingers that my hiding place for the mysterious weapon remains a secret.
Chapter 11
“So, this is what an Enchanter’s house looks like,” I say as I stand in front of a quaint-looking wooden cottage located at the end of a dirt road about two miles out of the center of town.
“What were you expecting?” Jax moves up beside me and lifts his fist to knock on the door.
“I don’t know.” I shrug, glancing at the bright red tulips growing all along the cottage. “A dungeon in a castle.”
He shoots me a warning look. “Remember what you promised.”
“I know. I won’t judge him until I meet him.” I stuff my hands into my back pockets. “I’m sorry I said that. I guess old habits die hard.”
“Well, they should completely die right now.” He knocks on the wooden door again. “Don’t bring your judgment inside here, okay? Ollie’s had a rough life as it is.”
I want to ask him what’s been rough about his life, but the door swings open before I get a chance.
I measure up the guy standing in the doorway with extreme curiosity. He is definitely younger than I was expecting, around the same age as Jax, which I guess is logical since he said they were friends when they were kids. He has an edgy, gothic look going on, dressed head to toe in black with an array of studded leather bracelets matching the belt looping through his jeans. His skin is as pale as a vampire, his chin-length black hair hangs in his eyes, metal studs run all along one brow, and gauges ornament his ears. His sullen expression fits in well with his grungy attire. That is, until he grins.
“Jax?” He sticks out his hand for a fist bump.
“It’s been a long time. Too long if you ask me.”
“Yes, it has.” Jax taps his fist against Oliver’s with an easy smile on his face, something I’m pretty certain I haven’t witnessed before. “What has it been, like a year?”
“I think the last time we hung out was last Christmas.” He’s all smiles until he glances at me. Then his happiness changes to intrigue as he sizes me up. “So, who’s the girl?”
“Oh, this is Alana.” Jax gestures at me. “Alana’s from the academy. She’s a first year, and I’m stuck training her.”
“Stuck, huh?” He bites his lip, finding this funny for some reason.
“Ollie, don’t start,” Jax warns, drawing his sunglasses to the top of his head.
Oliver raises his hands in surrender, but a hint of amusement glimmers in his eyes. “All right, I won’t. But I just want to point out that only you would look at spending time with a beautiful girl as a negative thing.”
“Don’t let her beauty fool you.” Jax casts me a sidelong glance. “She’s a pain in the ass when she opens her mouth.”
“Hey.” I lightly shove him, and he stumbles to the side, almost falling off the front porch. “Like you’re any better.”
He effortlessly regains his balance, and a grin spans across his face as he looks at Ollie. “See what I mean?”
I shoot him a dirty look. “You’re just as much a pain in the ass as I am.” I put my hands on my hips. “You’re always so hot and cold all the time. Ever since I met you, I’ve been dealing with emotional whiplash.”
Jax continues to grin. “Like you’re any better.”
“Hey, I’m not moody,” I insist. “If anything, I’m happy all the time.”
He gives an exaggerated eye roll. “Yeah, you sure seemed happy when I met you. If I remember right, I think you called me a brooding, cocky asshole.”