“Enhancing others’ energies.”
I nodded. “Right. Well, I do that for Luciana. And—as far as I know—the only thing Luciana wants is more power. By losing me, she loses power. So, why would she ever follow through with whatever bargain you two concocted?”
He leaned back in his chair, not saying a word.
“Why do you want me? Really?”
He looked at the ceiling, before apparently coming to some decision. “The same reason Luciana wants you.”
My jaw clenched as I took in his words. This was infuriating. Did everyone just want me for what I could do for them? “Well, I’m not marrying you. Even if you decide to help me today, I can’t promise that. Luciana has been controlling me for long enough. I really don’t think I can go back to coven life. Anywhere.” While I had him opening it up, I figured now was a great time to find out what Luciana was getting out of pretending to marry me off. Knowing that could mean the difference between defeating her or dying.
I leaned in, trying to make it seem like I was conspiring with him. “So, what did she get out of the deal? Did she just want your coven as allies?” That was my best guess so far, but my instincts said there was more to it than that.
He scoffed. “No. She could care less about being allies. We had an item she wanted. I didn’t think too much about it. My coven… Things aren’t easy over there. I needed your help, so I traded. You for it. And, one way or another, I need you there.”
One way or another? My nails dug into my palms as I fisted my hands. I wasn’t an object to be traded. I was a human being. “At least tell me what you traded me for.”
“Doesn’t matter. She can’t use it.”
He was so unbelievably wrong. When she wanted something that badly, she’d find a way to make it work. “If you really believe that, then you’re more naive than I thought.”
“You’re really not going back with me?”
Should I lie? Maybe. But I couldn’t. “No. I’m not.”
Matt stood and started for the door.
Where was he going? Panic tightened my chest.
No. I needed his help.
Damn it. Why had I pushed him so much?
I sat there watching him leave, wondering what I could say to get him back. What was I willing to agree to?
He paused in the exit. “You coming?”
That had been so much easier than I’d expected. And I hadn’t actually agreed to do anything for him. Why would he take me there?
I knew he’d ask for something later. He wasn’t the type to let me forget a favor, but I’d deal with that when the time came. I scrambled to put a tip on the table, and caught up with him. “We’re going now?”
“The sooner we get this taken care of, the sooner I can get home. I have to get back to New York. My coven is falling apart.”
I almost felt bad for him. Then I remembered that he’d tried to trade me for some magical object. He was going to push me to marry him just so I could fix whatever messed-up situation his coven was in.
Not your problem, Claudia. You can’t fix everything that’s wrong in this world. You can barely protect your own family.
I followed him out of the hotel, trailing behind as he walked down the narrow street to a parked car. He opened the driver’s side door for himself. “Get in.”
I didn’t wait for him to ask twice. I opened the door to his little blue Honda rental, and slid into the passenger seat. “You know where you’re going? We don’t need directions?”
“No.” He started the engine and drove down the street. I buckled my seatbelt as he nearly sideswiped a car.
Lucas had made driving down the tiny roads look easy. I’d never felt anything but safe with him, except for being terrified when we went up that mountain road. Even then, he’d reassured me. But a few seconds into the drive with Matt I knew I was really putting my life in his hands.
“My cousin joined up with this sect a while back,” Matt said as he cut off a truck. “We all thought he was nuts, but he was always a little on the odd side. I’ve visited a few times over the years. Luciana has been known to stop in, too.”
I didn’t like that Luciana had been there. It definitely supported what Lucas said about those brujos being evil. I cracked my knuckles as I contemplated asking Matt to turn around, but kept my mouth shut. If there were another way, I’d take it. But there wasn’t.
As I sat there, I wondered if there was any way I could get Matt on our side. I knew I couldn’t trust him, but while we were stuck in the car together, I figured I might as well try to convince him to support us against Luciana. He’d definitely pass along anything I said to his mother—the leader of his coven. And she might pass that information along to Luciana. But she might not.