Something Witchy This Way Comes

  Chait sat on the edge of the bed, glancing at me briefly. “I’m sorry about Rena. That’s the second time she’s been out of line. I’ll have to watch her more carefully.”

  “So why are you here?” I rounded the bed to be closer to Tessa. The way she looked at him bothered me. I wanted him gone.

  “To give you an update. Our informant in Frank and Lila’s camp told us that your replacement arrived today,” he told me. “Tomorrow, you’ll no longer be guarding her.”

  “That’s what you think.” I snorted. No one was going to tell me I couldn’t continue to do my best to keep her safe.

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” Chait grinned then grew serious, switching to Tessa. “There’s something you should know. If you choose our side, Frank and Lila will come after you swiftly and probably violently. That’s not the way we work. You choose them and we’ll still try to win as best we can. We kill only when necessary. So in that respect, you’re safer choosing them.”

  “You—” She blinked. “You’re advising me not to choose your side?”

  “Normally, I wouldn’t. But I got to thinking. If your sister had chosen differently, she’d probably still be alive.”

  “So let’s assume your people are the good guys,” I said. “We’d be siding with people that don’t deserve help, who shouldn’t be in power.”

  “When you say we, you mean her, right?” Chait stood, looking smug. “Just because you know about sorcerers doesn’t make you one of us.”

  In a flash, I’d moved to the foot of the bed. “You can have a superiority complex all you want. But if it came down to it, I’d still be able to kick your ass.”

  “You sure about that?” His chest pushed against mine.

  “Man, you guys are stupid. I’m choking on testosterone fumes here. Can we not fight, please?” Tessa leaped off the bed to squeeze between us, shoving until we were no longer within reach of each other. She scowled at me until I retreated to the corner. It was probably best that I let her handle things anyway. “Frank and Lila told me sorcerers were very rare. They also said it wasn’t hereditary. Are they big-time liars or am I missing something?”

  “They didn’t lie, as much as I wish they had. We are very rare. To find two in the same area is a big deal.”

  “But it’s happened before?”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, it’s not impossible. Why?”

  “Because in one family, we have Zoe and me.”

  “It’s not usually passed down. Maybe you have a lot of wizard ancestry on both sides of your family or something. I have no idea. Maybe it’s some weird coincidence and nothing more.”

  “So what are the chances of my little sister being a witch too?”

  His mouth parted as though he’d had an unpleasant revelation. “I really don’t know. It’s possible, I suppose. You and Zoe defy the norm. Maybe she will too.”

  Hell. Bree may have to be protected, too.

  Tessa swallowed. “Okay. Would it be common knowledge? Should I fear for her life?”

  “It’s next to impossible, Tessa. You should assume Bree is normal. I had no idea Zoe even existed until Rena mentioned her. I think it was dumb luck that Rena knew. Zoe died ten years ago, so no one’s going to connect anything. However, if Frank and Lila are already aware of the situation, they might keep an eye on Bree. Don’t have this conversation with anyone else, okay?”

  Tessa nodded. “Does it matter that she’s so young? I mean, the energy won’t be detectable until she gets older, right?”

  “True, but…” Chait hesitated, his gaze briefly drifting to me. “All the more reason to join up with Frank and Lila — to keep your sister safe.”

  It seemed he wanted her to choose the other side. Something didn’t smell right. “She goes to them, what’s in it for you? Are you their spy?” I eyed him.

  “How about next time, you skip the meeting?” Chait said.

  My shoulders tensed. “Not gonna happen.”

  “Guys, knock it off. Chait, why are you pushing it?”

  Chait rose from the foot of the bed and faced the dresser, his gaze touching a photo of Bree. “I’ve been doing this a while now and we’ve lost a few, you know. I…” He shook his head. “You’re a nice girl. I’d rather see you alive for the wrong reasons than dead for the right.”

  “Lucky for me, I’m going to be alive for the right reasons.” She stood and stretched her legs. “So why did Frank and Lila allow me to get kidnapped and meet with you yesterday? There has to be a reason.”

  “Same reason we allow you to meet with them. What are we going to do, make a scene? It’s not like getting ugly about it would make you think we’re pretty cool. In the beginning, before the recruit comes of age, they’re fairly tolerant.”

  “Then why are you sneaking in and out of my bedroom?”

  He grinned. “Maybe your bedroom is the only part of the house I’m interested in.”

  I took a step forward. “Chait—”

  “Hayden, no.” She blocked me, her arm shooting out in a move I’d taught her yesterday. She wasn’t supposed to use it against me.

  I grudgingly retreated to my corner, hoping he’d say just one more thing to piss me off. One more thing.

  “Focus, Chait,” she said. “Why do you sneak in?”

  “If they see us, they see us,” Chait answered. “But if they don’t, all the better.”

  I semi-recovered from Chait’s jackass comment and felt less violent toward him, so I ventured closer to Tessa. “Why haven’t they made contact all weekend? Do you know?”

  “Maybe because they have people watching, they don’t feel it’s necessary to talk.” Chait leaned against the dresser and folded his arms over his chest. “They know you’ll be back under their control at school tomorrow.”

  “So they think,” Tessa said. “And what if I don’t choose sides for another month? Or three months. How long before they decide to eliminate me?”

  “You could string them along for a while,” Chait said. “But why wait longer than necessary?”

  Tessa lifted her chin and inhaled deeply. “I want to know who killed my sister.”

  Oh, great, now she listens to me. Poking around would be too dangerous. I’d rather she choose the dark side and stay alive. But knowing Tessa, living a life that meant doing things she couldn’t be proud of wouldn’t work for her at all.

  “I wanted to give you the heads up that Hayden’s being replaced tomorrow. If you don’t have any more questions, I’ll take off.” Chait walked the several feet to the window.

  “Here, let me help you out.” I closed in, not to push him but to make sure he left.

  “Hayden.” Tessa looked at me like I was an ass. Whatever. I wanted Chait gone.

  He paused, one foot through the frame. “What scares you more? That I’m older and wiser? Or that as a sorcerer she could have a real future with me? Or is it that I have less… flaws than you?” He brushed his index finger along his own cheek, mirroring my scar.

  “Chait, go. Now.” But Tessa looked at me when she ordered him. As if I’d been the jerk.

  “It’s not fear, Chait. It’s boredom. You’re a mama’s boy. No personality. Bland.”

  He flipped me off. I grinned, knowing my barb hit its mark, then closed the window and locked it.

  Her hands went to her hips, cheeks blazing. “Why do you antagonize him? It’s not helping my situation. Would you please try to be nicer?”

  Tessa’s words barely reached my ears. Waiting was getting old. I wanted her. Not to use and discard but for as long as I could keep her. No way would some pretty boy get in my way. If she was open and I made progress tonight, could I stop once we got going? Maybe. If I didn’t put the brakes on, she probably would.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” She canted her head and took a step back.

  “Like what?” I asked.

  “Like you’re about to kiss me.” She folded her arms over her chest. “I thought we had an understanding.”

&
nbsp; Which would be worse — that she wouldn’t like me back or that she would and risk ruining her future by being with me? Tonight, I didn’t want to worry about doing the right thing. I just wanted Tessa. “You mean like the way you looked at me earlier at my house?”

  “Before you remembered that I’m beneath you?” She cocked a brow.

  “C’mon. You should know by now that if I felt that way, I wouldn’t be here.” I took a step forward. It was a terrible idea to put myself out there for rejection, especially when I knew I’d been a total jerk. But she was worth the risk. “I’d like you beneath me though.”

  “This is a familiar conversation,” she said in a low growl. “God, Hayden. Like I’d really be in the mood to make out after you were so rude to Chait.”

  Now she was pissing me off. I’d proved myself by being there for her earlier. Several times over the weekend, in fact. He hadn’t.

  “Do you ever stop? I mean, right when I think you might be a decent human being, you remind me why I could never give in to you.”

  She was right. Out of everyone that Tessa and I had dealt with so far, Chait was the only one who’d been straight with us. Just because he irritated me with his perfect face and perfect ideals didn’t mean he deserved to be treated like crap.

  Damn. I’d totally blown my chance with Tessa for the night. Knowing there was no chance of anything happening between us anytime soon… Well, the upside to that was being able to fall asleep despite her being close by. Maybe.

  Staying a safe distance from Tessa was probably for the best anyway. That’s what she kept insisting she wanted. The evening turned out exactly as it should have. Except that disappointment stuck in my throat, threatening a night of misery. “Chait’s a jackass.”

  “In this instance, I’m going to have to disagree.” Her glare told me I was getting in deeper and deeper. Which meant Chait looked even better in her eyes. That pissed me off.

  “Whatever. You’re defending him and you don’t even know him. He probably had this rosy childhood,” I said bitterly, “with parents praising him for every little stupid thing. It’s not that easy for the rest of us, you know. Some of us are too haunted. Things follow you. They’re always there.”

  “What the hell are you going off about? Does this have to do with your parents?” She rounded on me, her eyes shooting daggers. “Poor Hayden. At least your parents know you’re alive. And all those trophies must have taken a while to win. Years?”

  I shifted my weight to the other leg and looked away a moment, wondering what she was getting at. It felt like a trap. “Yeah, why?”

  “You’ve been able to defend your mom and yourself for a while. Several years later and everything that goes wrong is still your dad’s fault? When is your life your responsibility?”

  “Step-dad,” I corrected. That was a mistake. Her face flushed an even deeper shade of scarlet and she looked like she was about to pummel me.

  “Get out of my room. Now.” She pointed to the door. “You can sleep on the couch or go home. Whatever.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Tessa

  No boy had ever spent the night at my house. Thankfully, my parents hadn’t come home.

  I needed to get Bree to school but my car still sat in the driveway at Hayden’s house. Once again, I was at his mercy.

  He darkened my doorway. “Hey.”

  I spared him a glance, long enough to notice his bare chest and his well-defined arm muscles bracing the doorway to my bedroom. “What’s up?” I continued putting away the mountain of clothes I’d taken out of the closet during my quest for anything to wear that I wasn’t completely sick of.

  “What time do we have to leave so Bree’s not late for school?”

  So he remembered. A thin layer of last night’s annoyance peeled off. “Twenty minutes.”

  “Okay.”

  Unfortunately, his behavior and our argument the night before hadn’t dampened my lust for him at all. I stayed focused on my clothes, hoping he’d leave before I begged him to put a shirt on — or jumped him. I was grossly disappointed in myself and my compromised standards.

  Why was he still standing there?

  “Hey, I’m sorry about last night, with Chait. I, uhm…” His eyes strayed across the room. “I got a little jealous. It was a stressful day. It was late. Sorry.”

  Did he have to go and admit he was jealous, apologize and be shirtless — all in one breath? And, Holy Mother of God, his sculpted six-pack threatened to override any good judgment I had left. The slow smile creeping over his face told me I’d been caught ogling. “Yeah, nice abs.” I took pains to make sure I sounded bored. “Now, would you please put a shirt on?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He grinned. “I’ll be ready in about five minutes. Need any help with anything?”

  The last bit of anger melted away and all I wanted to do was kiss him for his offer of help. “Would you mind finding Bree and make sure she’s ready and not playing? I’ll start on her lunch in a minute, then make breakfast.”

  As we headed out the door twenty minutes later, I grabbed Bree’s lunch and my purse. “Bree, let’s go.” I’d seen her a minute ago. Where was she? What happened to Hayden?

  “Yeah, but if you marry Tessa, you can read to me every night.” Bree entered the living room clinging to Hayden’s hand.

  “I don’t think your sister likes me that much.” Hayden wrinkled his nose at her and she giggled. “C’mon, let’s get you to school, midget.”

  I opened the door, feeling invisible as Hayden passed through the doorway with Bree, chuckling and poking her in the ribs.

  “Are you picking me up from school today?” she asked, face hopeful.

  “We’ll see. It depends on your sister though. Sometimes, when I’ve been bad, she throws me in the dungeon.” He gave her a look of terror. It was hard not to smile.

  “The dungeon?” She squealed. “No way.”

  Hayden chuckled, plopped her in the back seat of the borrowed SUV and buckled her up.

  I could totally see myself doing this with Hayden every single morning forever. But who was I kidding? He’d last two mornings, tops.

  I couldn’t fall in love with him. Nope. Not an option.

  * * * *

  We stopped by the principal’s office before first period. I went inside to talk to Mr. Linton while Hayden waited in the corridor. Eager to be amenable, Mr. Linton agreed to have the recommendation letter ready after my last class. Then he asked me to relay to Hayden that his services were no longer needed.

  If Linton didn’t tell Hayden personally, Hayden had less chance of being detected. I think I did okay at hiding my relief — not to mention my surprise that he hadn’t brought up the whole kidnapping fiasco. He was probably saving it for our meeting after school.

  Now that Hayden was off the hook, he’d have little, if any, interaction with Fawn or the principal. I could tell Hayden what he was. I smiled, imagining his reaction at learning he had powers, like me. Once Hayden became comfortable with his abilities, Chait would never again wonder who’d win in a fighting match. Hayden would, for sure. Wait. Maybe that wasn’t good for Hayden to know.

  I didn’t have a choice though. Hayden had to be told.

  At lunch, I masochistically sat where I could watch several girls sit with Hayden, Brad and Skyler. A scan of the cafeteria told me the location of my new guard. A blond guy. Kind of cute. He was the only new student and he’d shared all my classes so far. He was very good at his job because I could never quite tell that he was watching me.

  I didn’t need a guard. Not that I wasn’t in any danger, but both sides had told me that the real threat wouldn’t arise until I chose sides. More likely, the guard was a spy to keep them informed of my activities.

  By the time Nadia and Corinne arrived, I’d already started eating.

  “Where have you been all weekend?” Nadia took the spot next to me.

  “I called four times. I was getting worried about you.” Corinne sat across from me,
scowling.

  I couldn’t tell them that two rival sorcerer groups were vying for my affection or that I’d been kidnapped. Although I had to admit, describing to them how Hayden rescued me would’ve been fun. But the only truth I could give them was that I’d spent the entire weekend with Hayden. Knowing my friends, they’d get their hopes up that I might snag the hottest catch in school. I had to present it in such a way that Hayden didn’t look like a hero or I’d never hear the end of it.

  “Hayden monopolized me all weekend. I think he’s trying to pull a Blane.” I gave a little snort for emphasis, hoping they’d buy it.

  “All weekend?” Corinne bumped her shoulder against mine.

  Nadia’s leaned in. “Tell us everything.”

  “We weren’t making out or anything.” I set my burger down and gave them my somber face. “We trained at that karate studio on Fifth, then hung out after. I can’t imagine him actually being serious about me, can you?” I held up hands out in an empty gesture.

  “I guess not.” Corinne’s shoulders drooped.

  Nadia dejectedly unwrapped her sandwich. “Are you sure he’s not maybe a little bit sincere?”

  “How long have we been exposed to Hayden and his friends?” I asked.

  “When you put it that way…” Nadia sighed. “What a waste of a royally hot guy.”

  Good. They were buying it. Though I hated lying to my friends.

  “Speaking of hot guys, what was the deal with the dude at Delia’s Saturday night? I almost fainted when I saw him.” Corinne looked to Nadia for affirmation. “Wasn’t he the most gorgeous guy you’ve ever seen? Nice too, from what I could tell. What did he want?”

  “Oh, yeah, super cute.” How could I explain Chait? “I met him at the liquor store when I stopped for a soda and mentioned I was working that night. He showed up. Who knew?”

  Hayden sat his tray down next to Corinne. “Mind if I join you?”

  “Not at all.” Corinne waggled her eyebrows at me. “Here, take my spot so you can sit across from Tessa.” Judas slid over and Hayden moved in.

  I wondered what his friends thought about Hayden traveling in the wrong social circles. But those thoughts deserted me when I saw Brad zero in on, then move toward the same boy he’d pushed around last week.