“James.” I was nervous that he’d decline my invitation. I couldn’t risk him getting hurt. The only solution was for James to stay with me. The Il Gaurdenarium spell would protect him.
“Peter will flip out,” James said. “He knows I’ve been in love with you since the moment I met you. He knows that. And you think he’ll sit back and let me move in with you? I don’t think so. It will ruin your relationship and you’ll be miserable again.”
There it was.
James admitted what I’d suspected all along. What Peter always knew. But this was so much bigger than our screwed up love triangle. This was life or death. This was about keeping James alive.
“All I care about is keeping you safe,” I said. “Will you?”
“Peter will never allow it.”
“It’s not Peter’s say. It’s mine.”
He ran his hand over his face.
“James? Will you please move in with me?”
He shook his head at the ground. A deep dimple formed in his left cheek. “Of course I will.”
CHAPTER 14
Diary of Alexandria Longfellow
Sunday, April 3rd
I no longer have to worry about Liam sacrificing me on Halloween, because Peter is going to kill me tomorrow.
I made the right decision by asking James to move in with me, but I don’t know how to tell Peter without crushing him. It was the only alternative I could come up with. The only way I’d know for sure that James would be safe.
I’m doing the right thing. I know I am.
James doesn’t have a family. His aunt doesn’t count. She moved into his house for obligatory reasons - there was no one else to take care of him. He has no one to turn to. He is completely alone and that kills me. At least I have Emma and Peter. And now, James is in trouble - because of me. But I can protect him. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
When I do the right thing with James, it’s automatically the wrong thing with Peter. I can’t win. It’s a never ending battle that I always lose.
Things are even stickier now that James admitted he was in love with me. Is it wrong to be friends knowing that we’ll never be romantically involved? Was asking him to move in with me giving him hope that we’d eventually be together? Was I leading him on? I hope not. But how can I not have him in my life? And, more importantly, how can I not protect him?
Peter will have to understand.
And that brings me to my stepfather. It amazed me how Victor said those things about me. His words stung. He truly believed I was evil. That I wasn’t a creature of God. Then what did he think I was? An alien?
I don’t know why I let him get to me. His hateful words have me questioning myself. Why do I have magic? Was it something in my DNA? Or was it just that - magic. Something that couldn’t be understood. Something outside the realm of nature.
Freakish.
I guess what I’m really wondering is, when I die - which I’ll likely do on Halloween (regardless of what Peter and James say) - will I go to heaven? Or am I damned based on something so completely out of my control. I was born this way. I didn’t ask for it.
I have to believe that I’ll go to heaven. Grandma Claudia is there, I know it. And I can only hope that I can still get in after what happened today. I didn’t mean to kill Donovan Vega. It was an accident. Gabriel should be after me, not James. It was my fault. I take full responsibility.
I’m sure I’ll have to answer for that one, too.
CHAPTER 15
“Come again?” Peter looked at me like I’d spoken Greek.
“This coffee is delicious,” I said. “And I really appreciate you driving me to school.”
“No, what did you say before that?”
“Oh.”
“Lex?”
I ran my hand over the truck’s taillight. “Aren’t you going to be late for school? I should go inside.”
“Lex?”
I sighed. Do it like a Band-Aid. The quicker, the better. “James is moving into my house for awhile.”
Peter cupped his hand behind his ear. “What? I don’t think I heard you right or maybe I need to clean my ears. Did you say James - James Van Curen - is moving into your house?”
“It’s for his protection,” I said. “Yesterday -”
“Did he feed you that one?”
“No, of course not.”
Peter rolled his eyes. “I can’t wait to hear this explanation. It should be good. James has to move into your house for his own protection?”
I explained what happened at Nora’s shop in Manhattan. About the Vega twins. The Franklin Street Subway stop. How I killed Donovan. Our visit to Victor at the Gamma farmhouse. And the bounty on James’ head. Once I was done, I was in full-fledge little girl sob mode.
“Hey, hey, Lex. Don’t cry. It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not okay. I’m sorry. I know how difficult this must be for you and we’re trying to make things better between us. It’s the worst possible timing.” I sucked in a breath. “But I don’t have a choice. I don’t want anything to happen to him. I’m sorry.”
Peter pulled me to him. “Shhh. Don’t cry. I understand.”
“You do?” I sobbed into his chest.
“Actually, I do. We talked about this yesterday. You have supernatural drama. There’s nothing you can do about it. House in the suburbs, right?”
I nodded. “Blonde haired green-eyed kids.”
“Exactly. I get it. James needs your help.”
“He does. And it’s my fault he’s in danger.” I wiped my eyes. “You’re okay with it? Really? ”
One side of Peter’s mouth curved into a smile. “Where’s he going to sleep? I think the basement is nice. Cheery in a dungeon like way. He can be roomies with the spirit trapped in the mirror.” Peter kissed me quickly on the lips. “Do you know what this means?”
“What?”
“I’ll practically live with you, too. Because there’s no way in Hell I’m letting James get comfortable in your house.”
* * *
“He’s what?”
“Shhhh, Sadie.”
James glanced over his shoulder. Logan and Lucas turned around, along with a few other classmates. We were in third period American Literature class, but apparently Sadie didn’t care where we were.
Sadie’s eyes were the size of beach balls. “Are you crazy? James is moving in with you? Into your house? What did Peter say?”
I put my head down.
We were supposed to be reading the Tell-Tale Heart before our class discussion. We were still studying Edgar Allan Poe, believe it or not. I had a deep suspicion Mr. Eubanks had an inkling for dark literature.
It was all very ironic. On Sunday, I found out I needed my aunt’s heart for the spell reversal. So what were we reading on Monday morning? The Poe story about a murderer who hides an old man’s body in his house. And what does the killer hear that drives him insane? Oh, just the heart beating under the floorboards.
Irony was my middle name.
“Alex?” Sadie flipped her pen at me. “Why is he moving in with you?”
“His aunt’s leaving town and he doesn’t have anywhere to stay. He’s going to crash at my place for awhile.”
That was our lie. It wasn’t entirely untrue. James talked to his Aunt Liz and made arrangements to move into my house. Emma and Liz were on the phone for over an hour last night. Liz wasn’t planning on staying in Hazel Cove long anyway. We think she was secretly happy to move back to Boston early.
“Can’t James stay with someone else? Why does it have to be you?” Sadie asked.
“No, he can’t.”
“What did Peter say about it?” Sadie asked.
“He understands.”
“Didn’t you two just get back together?”
“Yes. But it’s complicated.”
Sadie rolled her eyes. “And having James move into your house isn’t making it more complicated?”
I sighed.
?
??All right class, time to discuss the short story.” Mr. Eubanks closed his laptop.
Saved by the teacher. Sadie frowned. She was going to bombard me as soon as the bell rang, but at least for now I had peace and quiet.
“Guilt.” Mr. Eubanks stood up from his desk. “Guilt over the committal of the heinous crime drives the narrator insane. Edgar Allan Poe is teaching us a lesson in the Tell-Tale Heart. Why does the narrator kill the old man? Logan?”
“Because of the evil eye,” Logan said. “He likes the old man, but the man’s evil eye drives him insane. So the narrator kills him.”
“For his own gain,” Mr. Eubanks said. “In the narrator’s delusional mind, the only solution to his problem is murder. He kills the old man in cold blood. Then he meticulously dismembers the body and hides the pieces around the house. The police arrive and soon the narrator hears the heartbeat thumping under the floorboards. His guilt has taken over subconsciously.”
I pressed my temples into my head. Vanessa killed an innocent human being and used their heart to perform the spell. Did she feel guilty? Did it bother her when she held someone’s heart in her hands? Whose heart was it? Who did she kill for her own gain?
I could never do such a thing. Never. There had to be a way to convince Vanessa to do the reversal herself.
Lucas’ long legs stretched out into the aisle. “I’m not so sure he was crazy.”
Logan threw Lucas a smirk. “Of course he was crazy.”
“Interesting,” Mr. Eubanks said. “The twins don’t agree. Why don’t you think he was crazy, Lucas?”
“He planned it,” Lucas said. “The narrator watched the old man for days just to get his routine down. Then it took hours to open the bedroom door. If you’re crazy, you don’t plan so thoroughly. That’s premeditation. First degree murder.”
I bit my pen. Vanessa planned to spell Ethan. She went to Nora’s shop days before she spelled him. How could someone been so cruel and calculating at the age of eighteen? What was she like now?
The bell rang.
“We’ll finish this discussion tomorrow,” Mr. Eubanks said. “Enjoy the rest of the day.”
I scooped up my bag and headed out of the room before Sadie bombarded me. She was going to corner me sooner or later, but not now. I rushed down the hallway leading to the parking lot. Today seemed like a perfect day to skip the rest of my classes.
I turned the corner and froze.
Olivia.
A sneer spread across her pretty face. “Alex, are you hiding again? It’s a shame you’re too embarrassed to eat at the lunch table.”
Bite your tongue. Don’t get angry. No mishaps. Not in school.
Olivia continued toward me. “How’s Peter doing? I haven’t heard from him in awhile. Did you two kiss and make up? Maybe I should pay him a visit. I’m sure he’s missed me.”
My hands trembled. Agitation seeped into my bloodstream. I was about to blow. I darted into the girl’s bathroom.
Two freshmen were slathering on lip gloss in front of the mirror. They smiled at me and continued their conversation. I went to the far sink and splashed cold water on my face.
The bathroom door slammed open. Olivia walked in. Dark blue eyes fell on the two unsuspecting girls. “Out! Now!”
The freshmen scrambled out of the bathroom.
“I feel like you’re avoiding me.” Olivia locked the door.
So, we were going to hash this out in the girl’s bathroom. I splashed another handful of water on my face. I had to get control. I couldn’t let Olivia get to me.
“It’s pretty cool, huh? Being a witch?” Olivia pushed her curly blonde hair behind her shoulders.
I gripped the side of the porcelain sink and stared into the drain. Keep cool. It’s only words. Don’t take the bait.
“Of course, you’re a pure blood. It’s amazing how things always work out for you. But to be honest, I’m getting a little tired of it.”
I closed my eyes.
“And, to top things off, I heard the craziest rumor,” Olivia said. “Maybe you can tell me if it’s true or not. You know how gossip spreads at Hawthorne.” Her heels clicked across the floor. “I heard James was moving into your house. Now, that seems unlikely, because I also heard you and Peter were back together. Why don’t you explain what’s going on?”
My eyes were still closed. The sparks of energy I felt before subsided. No big deal, I could handle this. The right way. Face to face like adults. I breathed in through my nose. My shoulders relaxed. I was regaining control -
Something heavy hit me.
The force of the blow knocked me off balance. I stumbled backward. My head smashed against the tiled wall and I slid to the floor.
I opened my eyes, but everything was blurry. My head flopped to the side. Shapes and colors were visible, but nothing was defined. My hand hit metal. It was a large green blob. Was that the…wastebasket?
Olivia threw a wastebasket at me?
Crumbled paper towels covered the floor. I gingerly touched behind my head, expecting to feel blood. There wasn’t any, but the whole area was sore.
Olivia held up her hand. The wastebasket levitated off the ground and rammed against my arm and stomach. My breath caught in my throat.
“That looked painful. Now, answer the question!”
I shoved the basket off of me and slid into a sitting position against the wall. My ears were ringing.
The garbage can floated two feet off the ground. Right at my eyelevel. The metal cylinder spiraled through the air. The wastebasket was a foot away from my face when I deflected it. It rebounded off my deflection and crashed into the mirror. Shards of glass clattered to the floor.
I pushed myself to my feet. The back of my head and the whole left side of my body throbbed in pain.
Olivia’s nostrils flared. “Is James moving in with you?”
I raised both hands. I wasn’t sure if it was to calm her down or to ready myself for her next attack. “It’s not what you think. I promise.”
“Then what is it?”
“I can’t explain it. But, yes, he’s moving in. Just for awhile.”
Olivia violently swiped her manicured hand across her body. Three shards of glass lifted from the bathroom floor and propelled in my direction. Two aimed at my stomach. The third launched at my head.
I was so shocked that I didn’t react in time. The shards of glass were inches away from me. I flicked my wrist to deflect them. Two pieces swept to the right and shattered against the tiled wall.
The third piece veered off course, but not far enough. The glass dagger swiped the side of my cheek before it fragmented against the wall.
Olivia froze.
I touched my cheekbone in the spot where Sadie always applied blush. It was warm and sticky. I look down at my hand. The tips of my fingers were covered in bright red blood.
Olivia tried to kill me.
The words sounded funny in my head. If my skull wasn’t throbbing or my cheek bleeding or the left side of my body aching, I might’ve laughed at the absurdity of it all. But I was in too much pain to find any humor in it.
Olivia tried to kill me.
She’d levitated a wastebasket at me. Twice. The third time she aimed the metal trash can at my head. She launched shards of glass at me. She performed a spell or something on Peter and kissed him. Kissed him!
The term zero to sixty was often used to describe how fast a car could go. It’s a bragging expression about the quality of an engine. If my anger was an engine, it would be a Formula One Racecar.
Adrenaline pumped through my veins. I lunged forward and shoved the air in front of me. “Vieomorphis!”
Olivia flew backward, just like Donovan had, and collided against the bathroom stall.
“What did you do to Peter at your birthday party?” I sauntered forward.
“Screw you.” Olivia peeked out from under her arm and pointed at the ceiling. The fluorescent light unhinged and crashed to the floor at my feet. Electrical wires d
angled dangerously above my head.
I swiped both hands and Olivia slid across the bathroom floor. She slammed against the wall. “What did you do to Peter?”
She pushed herself onto her hands and knees. “Did you enjoy the show?” She shoved the hair out of her face. “Did you really think I wanted Peter? That loser? He’s a stupid jock. He can’t afford me!”
I blasted her against the wall again, but she jumped to her feet. Olivia turned to the bathroom stalls. Her arms bounced like a concert conductor. Moments later, hundreds of gallons of water spewed out of the four toilets.
I levitated the doors shut to block the flow of water, but it was useless. Water poured from underneath the stalls. The drain on the floor couldn’t keep up with toilet water filling the girls’ bathroom.
Olivia launched herself at me.
She was bigger and the momentum knocked me over. We fell to the wet floor. She yanked a handful of my hair. I brought my knee to her stomach and she released her grip. I twisted my shoulders and shoved her off of me.
“What did you do to Peter?”
“I gave him a love potion. But you know what? I don’t even know if he drank it all. Who knows if it really worked? Can you be sure? Maybe a part of him wanted to kiss me!” The remaining fluorescent lights crashed to the ground. “He doesn’t love you.”
“Which one, Olivia? Which one of them doesn’t love me? Because I’m pretty sure they both do.”
Olivia cracked the last two mirrors. Before she could fling the broken glass at me, I levitated her off her feet. She managed to flick her wrist in my direction. A four-inch shard of mirror spiraled through the air. I deflected it again.
“STOP THROWING GLASS AT ME!!”
Olivia’s face contorted in rage. “He’s going to kill you, you know that? Liam’s going to sacrifice you. I know all about it. Every witch knows. You’re going to burn and I can’t wait to see it.”
That was it. I lost control. My eyelids fluttered. My body convulsed and I directed every single drop of it at my former friend.
Olivia fell to the floor in an angry spasm. Blood spewed from her nose.
I stood over her withering body. “This is over. Stay away from me. Stay away from Peter. And stay away from James. Do you hear me?”