Chapter 7
Laylen and I return to the castle. Stars hum a colorful melody and the full moon beams against the slate sky. An eerie fog has crept in, blanketing the trees, the lake, and the front yard. The scent of rain lingers in the air and the driveway is marked by puddles.
“So do we go find Emmelus first, or go hunting for some rogue Foreseers?” Laylen attempts to lighten my sullen mood.
I sketch a sad looking face in the dew on the window. “We should fix the crystal first, before we do anything.” I smudge the face away with my sleeve. “Because if we can’t fix it, then there’s no point in finding other Foreseers to help.”
“Yeah, I get your point.” He shuts off the engine. The cab air instantly frosts, crickets chirp just outside, and the waves of the lake splash against the bank. “Gemma, I’m not trying to get rid of you or anything, but you’ve been sitting there for a few minutes. Are you planning on going inside?”
“What?” I blink at him and unbuckle my seatbelt. “Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was just spacing.” I push the door open and my shoes sink into the fresh mud. We tromp up the path and wipe our shoes on the front door mat.
“Don’t be too hard on him.” Laylen locks the door. “Remember he was doing it because he wants to protect you.” Then he climbs up the stairway, walking in the direction of Aislin’s room.
I slip off my muddy shoes and leave them by the front door. I wasn’t planning on going to Alex’s room. I was going to wait until morning. But my feet have other ideas, and take me straight there. I sneak in and gently shut the door. The curtains block the window and a corner lamp illuminates a trail of soft light to the bed. Alex lies face down, his hand flopped over the side, his breathing quiet and relaxed. He’s dressed in jeans and a green tee, which are covered in dirt. His shoes are layered with mud, and I wonder if he’s been somewhere tonight.
I sit on the bed, wanting to wake him, but he looks to peaceful at the moment. His eyes are shut, his lips parted, his dark hair sticking up all over the place. I trace the line of his jaw, part of me wishing I didn’t love him so much—wishing I could be angry with him. I lie down on the bed and stare at the ceiling.
His arm snakes over my stomach and his fingers tickle the spot of skin just beneath my ribs.
“You’re awake.” I turn to my side. His eyes are open, glossed with fatigue. “I thought you were asleep.”
“I was, but I heard you come in.” He switches to his side and faces me. “How’d your little visit with Nalina go?”
“Did you know she was my Aunt?” I ask.
His emerald eyes pop wide. “She isn’t Dyvinius’ sister?”
“Nope, she’s his step-sister,” I explain. “Which means my dad is Dyvinius step-brother.”
“Which means Dyvinius is your step-uncle.” His forehead creases. “He’s had to know all this time. Why has he never said anything?”
“Maybe because he doesn’t care.” I shrug, pretending not to care. “Every time I’ve met him, he’s seemed detached from… well, life. He’s really weird and he lets that God awful crystal ball feed off those people.” I shudder at the mental picture of the enormous crystal ball in the center of the City of Crystal with humans strapped to it, their blood being drained to energize the ball and all the Foreseers’ power.
Alex caresses his hand up and down my arm, silencing the goosebumps on my skin. “I’m sorry,” he says, his hand stopping at my wrist. Hesitantly, he interlinks our fingers. “You’ve had such crappy experiences with anyone related to you and now this.”
“Nalina didn’t seem that bad, I guess. She seemed nice enough.”
“Don’t do that.” He sweeps my hair back and his hand settles on my cheek. “Don’t pretend you’re not bothered by the fact that she didn’t come looking for you.”
I swallow hard, forcing down the sob working up my throat. “Did you get yourself stitched up?” I examine his chest. “It looks like it healed quickly. I can barely even see it.”
“One benefit of being a Keeper.” He lays a hand over mine and confines it against his chest. I feel his heart thudding, loud and rhythmic. “Are you going to tell me what happened with Nalina?” The corner of his mouth quirks. “Or are you going to leave me in the dark?”
“Depends, I guess, on whether you’re going to help me.” My skin heats against his, my heart complimenting the tune of his heart, making it difficult to stay mad at him.
“Help you with what exactly?” His gaze skims to the bathroom, where the Crystal of Limitation sits on the counter, broken. “Not with that thing.”
“Yes, with that thing. Alex, I really want—need your help. If you’ll actually do it without trying to sabotage my plans.”
“I wasn’t trying to sabotage. I was trying to protect you.”
“You can protect me when we’re in danger, but not with this. This is something I’m going to do.”
He mutters incoherently under his breath. “Fine, give me the details.”
So I do, crossing my fingers he’ll help.
“That’s all Nalina said?” he asks after I’m done. “It seems like a very loose plan with a lot of holes.”
“Well, the crystal ball wouldn’t have to be fixed if someone would have warned me it was hiding out next to the first aid kit.” My voice falters between annoyance and desire. “If it weren’t for that, we’d just have to get a Foreseer who doesn’t mind breaking the laws.”
“I know what you’re thinking,” Alex says firmly. “And it’s not going to happen. We already made a pact that we’d stop going to him for help.”
“But Nicholas doesn’t mind doing things that are wrong.” I roll over on my elbows so my head’s above his, my brown hair a curtain around our faces. “And this time it will actually come in handy.”
He coils a strand of my hair around his finger. “Let’s sleep on it. In the morning, if no one’s thought of anyone else, we use him.” He cocks an eyebrow. “Deal?”
I stick out my hand to shake on it, but he kisses me instead.
“No more lying,” I utter between the movements of our lips.
He sucks on my bottom lip, nearly driving every nerve in my body mad. “It’s a deal.”
“Alex,” I murmur against his lips. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re cut. It’s weird. You don’t even know where it came from. And…” I pause, looking down at his muddy shoes. “Did you go somewhere?”
Denying it, he shakes his head. “Nope. I’ve just been waiting around here for you.” He flips us over and positions himself on top of me, our bodies synching. “And my cuts fine. We’ve got bigger things to worry about than a little cut.”
As my hand comes into contact with his chest, where a faint scratch lingers, panic swells inside me. Not just because I’m worried about him. But because he doesn’t seem to be concerned, like he knows something I don’t. And with him, that’s a big possibility.
***
“You know you’re only kidding yourself,” Nicholas says from the foot of my bed. “You’re not as in love with him as you think.”
I crawl from the covers. “You can say whatever you want, Nicholas. I love Alex. I always will.”
His blonde hair glows against the moonlight. “Your soul connection renders your true feelings from showing though.”
“I know what I feel.” But my heart whispers different thoughts; lies, I tell myself. “We belong together.”
“That kind of love makes you weak,” Nicholas replies sadly. “It will be the end of you if you don’t get control of it.”
I reach him, my face only inches away from his. “And who should I love, Nicholas. You?”
He licks his lips, waiting for me to kiss him. So I do, crushing my lips against his and betraying my other half, and my heart, eternally.
***
My eyes open to a room full of sunshine. The curtains are opened. Alex is snuggled against me, his head buried in my neck. He’s dressed in a pair of black cargo shorts and red t-shirt, both dried with mud. He’s been up already. I sit up and stretch, shaking off the creepy feeling of last night’s dream. Nicholas and I kissing—what’s wrong with me? I’m letting the faerie get into my head too much. I need to be stronger.
“Go back to sleep,” Alex mumbles. “It’s still early.”
I carefully lift his arm off me and go over to the window. His car’s parked in the driveway. The windows are shattered and there’s a dent in the driver side door. Laylen’s head’s stuck under the hood. An array of tools is piled by his feet and jumper cables connect the GTO’s battery to the Camaro’s.
“Did you know Laylen’s out there working on your car?” I ask, cracking the window open to let some fresh air in.
Alex props up on his elbow. “Of course I do. We went and towed it home this morning.”
I cringe. “You went back to the field without me. I don’t think we should go there anymore.”
He pats the bed and I climb back in. “Stop worrying.” He sits up and rubs his weary eyes. “I’m fine. Laylen’s fine. The car’s fine. Everything is absolutely, one-hundred percent great.”
I flop down on the pillow, noting his overly cheerful behavior. I’m still wearing my clothes from last night and I feel dirty. I need to take a shower. “Well, thank God the car’s okay. For a minute, I was beginning to really worry.”
“Always worrying over nothing.” A grin plays at his lips and he smoothes his hair into place. “So what’s first on today’s agenda?”
“First, fixing the Crystal of Limitation and then persuading a Foreseer,” I answer. “Did you happen to think of one other than Nicholas?”
“Nope, so I guess he’s our best bet.” He stretches his arms over his head and his shirt rides up, showing a sliver of his rock-hard stomach. Without even thinking, I trail my fingers along the space of his skin, feeling the grooves of his muscles. “You should probably go get him. He seems to like you.”
My hand freezes. “You think I should be the one to go get Nicholas?”
He nods agreeably. “It’s probably the best way to get him to agree.”
My head buzzes with confusion and I pull my hand away. “I’m sorry, but is something wrong? You’re acting a little weird.”
He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “I’m not acting weird.” He lures me on his lap and kisses the tender spot on my neck just below my ear. “I’m acting like myself.”
I tilt my head back and stare him in the eyes. “No, you’re not. You’re acting happy and… Did Aislin accidentally hit you with a mellow spell again?”
He feigns to remember. “Not that I know of.” He kisses my neck again, sliding his tongue along my skin, and my shoulders shudder in desire.
It takes a lot, but I jerk from his arms. “How’s your cut doing?” My fingers seek the hem of his shirt, but he swats my hand away.
“If you’re not into this,” he gestures back and forth between us, “then I can go.” He shoves me off his lap and strides for the door. “I have better things to do than sit around, talking.” He slams the door, leaving me with my jaw hanging to my knees.
“What the heck is going on with him?” I jump off the bed and dash to Aislin’s room. “Aislin, are you in there? I need to talk to you. It’s important.”
A shuffle and then something clanks against the door. Seconds later, it opens. Aislin eyes are ample, her white shirt unevenly buttoned, her golden hair static charged. I’d worry I was walking in on her and Laylen, but Laylen’s outside.
“Everything okay?” I ask, scanning her room. It’s a mess; clothes everywhere, the bed a heaping pile of sheets and blankets, and bottles litter the vanity.
“Huh? What?” She peers over her shoulder. “Oh, yeah, everything’s fine. I just had a spell backfire.”
“Speaking of spells; you didn’t happen to accidentally hit Alex with one, did you?”
“No, why?”
I push my way in. “Because he’s acting weird.” I draw the lacy curtains back and the sunlight pours in. Outside, Laylen and Alex are chatting in front of his car and smoke is huffing out of the exhaust. “Good. They got his car running.”
“Huh… oh, yeah, the car.” She lets out a nervous laugh. “Guys and their cars. But what are you going to do?”
She’s acting strange. I check around, my eyebrows furrowed together. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Aislin casually steps in front of the closet door. “I’m fine. But I’m really busy so if you could,” she waves her hand at the door, “you know, go. That would be great.”
I point my finger at her, raising my eyebrows. “Wait a minute. I know what this is about. And let me just say that I’m really sorry. Laylen didn’t want to go, but I made him.”
She stares blankly at me. “What are you talking about?”
“You know, the other night, when I had Laylen get that address for me—the one to Nalina’s.”
Her body judders forward with the door and her eyes pop wide. “Apology accepted. Now can you go? Like I said, I’m really busy.”
I lean to the side, watching the door crack open and shut. “Are you hiding someone in the closet?”
She shakes her head swiftly. “Why would I be hiding anyone in my closet? That would be weird.”
“About as weird as you’re acting.” I march up, scoot my hand behind her back, and grab the doorknob.
“Gemma, don’t,” she stammers. The door rocks forward and backward. Aislin uses her weight to force it shut. “If you open it, we’re in trouble.”
“We’re in trouble,” I say, deciding whether to push or pull on the door. “I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Just help me lock it and I’ll explain,” she pleads. “Find something to shove up against it.”
I remove my hand and hunt the room for a heavy object. “It would help if I knew what was in there.” I grab the handle of a small metal trunk. “Is it strong? Big? Magical? What is it?”
“Umm…” She stumbles from another thrust of the door and scurries backward. “Get something heavier than that.” She points a finger at the bed. “Drag that over here.”
It’s a thin metal-framed bed, but it takes a minute to haul it over. Once it’s secure, Aislin relaxes, collapsing on the bed with her hand draped over her forehead melodramatically.
“So do you want to tell me who’s in there?” I eye the door, which is still jiggling. A choir of giggles flow through the opposite side. “Or what’s in there?”
She pulls a guilty face. “I think I messed up.” The door smacks the bed and then flings shut. “Like really, really bad.” She hops up and adjusts the bed as near to the door as it will go. “You know how I was really upset about the whole Luna thing.”
“I told you not to worry about that,” I tell her. “We’ll figure out how to get Aleesa out without freeing the greedy Empress.”
She fluffs a pillow on the bed. “I know you did and I know you meant it, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And the more I did, the more pissed I got. I mean, how dare she threaten me. Me. Me! Doesn’t she realize how powerful I am?”
“I think that’s what the problem is,” I say. “She must know you’re powerful and that’s why she’s trying to get you to do a spell.”
“Too bad for her, because I have my own plans.” She smoothes the static from her electrically charged hair. “Well, I had my own plans—a brilliant plan.” She looks at the door warily. “Or at least I thought I did.” She starts picking up the clothes on the floor. “I used a spell to open the Faerie Realm inside the closet. Those little giggles belong to sprites.”
Slowly, my gaze travels to the closet door. “There are sprites in your closet?”
A flutter of giggles answers for her, followed by hammering on the door.
“Yeah, and there’s an entrance to the Faerie Realm.” She folds a shirt and tucks in the dresser.
“How did you… what did you…” I clear my high-pitched voice. “Aislin, we have to fix this.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” she says, picking up a pair of khakis. “Luna still can’t get through. She was banished by witches centuries ago, and she can’t leave the Faerie Realm without an unbinding spell.”
I gape at her. “Aislin, are you hearing yourself?” I signal my hand at the door, speechless. “There’s a realm to Faerie Land inside your bedroom closet, which is now inhabited by sprites. And if I remember right, sprites are mean little buggers.”
She shrugs, putting the jeans in the drawer. “Gemma, quit worrying. They just bite. That’s all.”
“Gemma.” One giggles.
“Great. Now they know my name.” I flop my hands against my legs dramatically.
“So what? They know your name.” She urges the drawer shut. “It’s not like they’re going to look up your phone number and start calling you or something.”
“They’re not going to do anything,” I say. “Because you’re going to get that realm shut down.”
“No.” She stares at her crookedly buttoned shirt. “I’m going to go through it. I just need to figure out a way to get past the sprites and perfect the Tracker Spell so I’ll know where Luna and Aleesa are. I need to be able to get my bearings.”
“I thought you had that spell perfected?” I ask. “I’ve seen you use it like a thousand times.”
“This is different,” she replies. “This is using a spell on a magical world. It’s complicated.”
The bed legs creak against the stone floor and the door launches open. Aislin rushes to the trunk and stacks it next to the bed.
“Start piling things against it,” she orders.
We work quickly, pushing every piece of furniture in the room up against the door. When we’re done, the room’s a mess, but the door’s secured.
“It works.” I back from the pile with my hands on my hips. “At least for now it does. But, I don’t think you should go through the realm. It’s too sketchy.”
“Gemma, how many things have you done that are sketchy?”
She has me there. “Well, don’t go alone, okay? Take me or Laylen or even Alex with you.”
She laughs doubtingly. “Like I’m even going to tell them—they’d freak. Especially Alex. He’d say I misused my power and then he’d force me to close it. You know he would.” Her green eyes bore into me. “And you can’t tell them either. Promise me you won’t.”
“I just made a promise with Alex about being honest,” I explain with a dreary sigh. “I can’t start keeping things from him again.”
“But you said he was acting weird, right?” She asks and I nod. “Okay, so if you keep this a secret, I’ll help you figure out what’s up with Mr. Mood Swings out there.”
I dither, but only briefly. “Okay, you got yourself a deal. But I’m going into the realm with you.”
“Deal. First let’s get to the bottom of Alex.” She heads to leave. “Although, I doubt there’s anything wrong with him. He just gets weird sometimes. It’s in his genes or something.”
“This is different.” I tell her about the windstorm, the cut in his chest, and my dream.
“And it’s on his chest?” She loops a ringlet of her golden brown hair around her finger, lost in thought. “I think I’ve heard of this before.”
“You think it’s a witch thing?” I ask, surprised. “Like maybe a witch put a spell on him?”
She shakes her head slowly. “No, I think it might be darker than that.”
“Like maybe black magic?” I ask.
She scratches her head. “Okay, let’s go talk to him and I’ll see if anything pops into my head.”
We put on our game faces and go outside into the warm sunlight. I’m skeptical, though, since Aislin isn’t good at putting on a Poker Face. Laylen and Alex are still messing with the car. The hood’s down on the GTO and the Camaro’s no longer running. Tools are thrown all over the ground and grease stains their shirts, pants, and faces.
“Hi guys.” Her smile is overly cheery. “What’s up? Is the car not working?”
Alex cleans the grease off his hands with an old rag as he eyes Aislin distrustfully. “What’s up with you?”
I want to smack her on the head and then smack myself in the head for agreeing to the plan. I brush by them and walk around the car, glancing in at the leather passenger seat, littered with glass.
“Looking for clues to your supposed Afterlife theory?” Alex asks contemptuously.
I turn and narrow my eyes. “No, I was seeing if you by chance lost your mind in there.”
His demeanor is indifferent. “There’s nothing wrong with me. It’s you that has the problem. I mean what is it with you and your feelings. If you can’t get over your insecurities then this relationship isn’t going to go anywhere. In fact, I’m kind of sick of being with someone who’s emotionally challenged.”
It’s like we’re high school all over again. He was a complete douche bag the first time I met him in class and for quite a while after that. Red burns my vision and I slap him across the cheek.
“Gemma!” Aislin races over. “What are you doing?”
Giving me a dirty look, Alex pops his jaw into place.
“In case you were wondering,” I seethe. “That was the emotionally challenged girl getting pissed off.” I storm off, coddling my hand, because it hurts like hell.
Aislin chases after me, her flip flops scuffing the dirt. “What happened to our play-it-cool plan?”
“That’s not Alex.” I burst into the house, stomp to the stairs, but then backtrack to the front door. “That’s the old Alex out there. The one I first met that was brainwashed by your father.”
“Oh my God…” Aislin exhales, her eyes bulging. “I think I might know what’s wrong with him. Come on.” She grabs my arm and yanks me down the hallway and into the basement. She locks the door and turns on the light. The stairs protest under our weight as we haste to the bottom floor. “What you said made sense. Alex is brainwashed again.” She removes an old painting of the castle from one of the lower shelves and reaches to the back.
“He’s brainwashed again?” I slide the painting out of the way. “By your father? Because Aislin, he’s dead. And there was nothing left of his body but ash, so I don’t think there’s a possibility of pulling a zombie move.”
“I know that. And zombies don’t exist.” She rolls her eyes as she heaves out a shabby leather book. “Not by my father. By a Lost Soul.”