Something Witchy This Way Comes

  She laughed and wagged a finger. “You better get dressed while I’m gone. If we get caught, we won’t be able to do this again.”

  * * * *

  The park came into view on our right as I guided the Viper through the intersection. In the distance, children scampered on the playground and a handful of people walked their dogs. Just like any other day in the park. Except for a small section near the benches where families would normally barbeque or picnic. It was almost as if all humans instinctively avoided the men in suits loitering there.

  “We want to act like we’re interested in joining them.” I looked for a place on the street to park.

  “But not too interested.” Tessa wiggled her fingers on both hands as if preparing herself for a piano recital.

  “Don’t be nervous. They won’t do anything. If anyone should be nervous, it’s them. They have to persuade us, not the other way around.” I glanced at her in the passenger seat.

  “Hayden, which side will you choose? Do you know?”

  “I’ll go where you go.” I pulled over and killed the engine.

  “When we break up, you might regret that. Choosing wrong could mean your life.”

  “When we break up? Not even if, Tessa? Are we doomed already?” I don’t know why her words wounded me. It’s not as if we were in love. And I didn’t want us to go there.

  She squirmed in her seat, playing with the sleeve of her shirt, her eyes downcast. “C’mon, Hayden. We live in the real world, right?” Tessa zeroed in on the group of well-dressed people, so out of place for a park. “So who would you choose?”

  “As much as I dislike Chait—”

  She snorted. “You only hate him because he’s hot.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “You think he’s hot?”

  Tessa blew out a breath. “We both know that word is an insult to his level of hotness. If I denied it, you’d know it was a lie.”

  Neither of us made a move to get out of the car. Our lack of action only prolonged the inevitable.

  “But I chose you.” Her eyes found mine.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Because you’re the one I think about,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  I grinned. “And that’s why you’re my girlfriend. You’re too smart to make bad decisions.”

  She held out a hand for a high five. Our palms connected, then she exited the car.

  There had to be twenty sorcerers present. Why did they bring so many people? I scanned the surrounding area and spotted a couple suits leaning against a car. Two more stood on the street corner near the entrance to the park. “It’s a lot of people for one girl.”

  “Yeah, I noticed.” She took my hand and squeezed.

  A man about my height with a lean build and wearing dark, greased-back hair approached us. Two guards flanked him. I wondered how high he was in the organization. Distracted by him and his powerful presence, I didn’t notice Phillips and Linton until they were only yards away. They whipped their heads toward the man I’d taken note of a moment before. He nodded. I didn’t have to guess why — they had recognized what I was.

  “Hayden, what a surprise.” Phillips cast an eye briefly at Linton. “We had no idea.”

  “I think he’s a Mover,” Tessa said.

  “Did you detect him?” Linton asked.

  I hoped Tessa would hear the alarm going off in her head and say no. I remembered her telling me what happened to David’s last Detector.

  She blew a quick raspberry. “Are you kidding? No, I saw him do something.” Her voice deepened. “The force is strong with this one.” She giggled, her cheeks flushing.

  Under other circumstances, I may have laughed at her Star Wars reference, but I knew Tessa was nervous or she wouldn’t have been joking with these people. Mr. Linton’s lips drew downward. Clearly, he was not amused.

  “Well, here we are.” I scanned the faces of the others and directed my next words at the man I guessed was the boss. “I’m Hayden. This is Tessa.”

  “Boris.”

  Tessa squeezed my hand and I snuck a quick peek at her. To her credit, a casual smile remained. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “Do you meet all your new recruits so quickly?”

  “No.”

  I waited for an explanation, a little unnerved by his silence and intense stare. But I wasn’t the subject of his scrutiny. I wondered what it was about Tessa that brought on that look, the same look David had that night at Delia’s. What do they know? “What’s the occasion?”

  “It’s not often we have two sorcerers in one family. Come.” He turned, motioned for us to follow, then sat at a picnic table. I sat across from Boris, next to Tessa. The others formed a circle around us, fanning out to give us privacy.

  “I wanted to make sure you knew what was at stake here,” Boris began. “Right now, everything’s under control. We’d like to keep it that way. But there are those who see things differently, those who believe that our powers shouldn’t be wasted. Militant elitists.”

  “Powers wasted? In what way?” I asked, noting Tessa’s silence. Her tension radiated to her fingertips and into my skin.

  “They believe we should control anyone without supernatural powers. We believe in equal rights among all men, non-supernatural or sorcerer.” Boris smiled, fine lines forming around his mouth — which meant he’d probably been around for a while. I did some quick math in my head. If we lived ten times longer and he looked to be in his early thirties, he could be anywhere from two to four hundred years old. But what did I know?

  “We understand your need to meet in a public place. I’d probably do the same thing. But we’d like you to consider visiting our home, see how we live, meet others. It might make a difference in your decision.”

  “I think we’ve seen enough.” Tessa shook her head. “After Rena kidnapped me—”

  “It’s difficult to trust them now,” I finished for her.

  “I almost bought Rena’s line that it was a misunderstanding.” Tessa wrinkled her nose. “But my gut tells me not to believe anything any of them say.”

  “There’s something about David I don’t trust. It’s as if he’s trying too hard to please us,” I threw in.

  “Perhaps you’d like to go with us now. Hayden, do you play poker? We have a game tonight. Thought you might like to buy in.”

  “Sounds dangerous. I haven’t practiced my blocking much. I’d lose my ass.”

  Boris laughed. “Then I’ll bankroll. Anything you win is yours to keep.”

  “Actually,” Tessa said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. If Jane’s people think we’ve made our choice, we may not live long enough to join you permanently.”

  “Very well. Is there anything we can do for you, anything you need help with?”

  Apparently, Tessa had gotten over her initial jitters. She smiled and my heart beat a little harder. It was that same smile I’d seen when she’d walked into Mr. Linton’s office, the day I’d first begun to know her. Perfection.

  “I thought we’d train with both sides, see what we can learn from everyone. When we eventually join you, we’ll be more valuable,” she said, her voice smooth like new brushed suede. “Frank and Lila have been wonderful. We’ve also worked with Chait who’s been a fountain of information.”

  “We practice on our own, too. I have a spacious gym at my house. My parents keep to themselves,” I said.

  “Sounds like you two have it all worked out. Allow me to introduce you to my associates.” Knowing exactly where each of his people stood, he motioned without his gaze leaving us. “This is Diane. She helps the new ones with their mind reading skills. This is Kyle.” Diane stepped back and a tall black man moved forward to take her place, muscles straining against his snug t-shirt. “He’s our resident warrior. Hasn’t been beaten yet.”

  “I was thinking.” Tessa glanced at me. “Chait invited us into their compound. Perhaps I should go and look around. If I find anything useful, I could pass it on when I announ
ce my allegiance.”

  Our original plan was to arrange any meetings in public and avoid both lairs, but Tessa’s bold move would put us right in the heart of it — and at their mercy. Distracted with the change in tactic, I almost missed the scowl flash over Boris’s face.

  “Brilliant, Tessa,” I said in an attempt to back her up, even though it was the stupidest idea I’d ever heard. What dangerous game was she playing?

  “That’s what I thought,” she said. “This way, we can take you up on your invitation. We certainly couldn’t spend time with you and not balance it with them. I’d really like to live to see my eighteenth birthday.”

  “Me too.” Now her dangerous scheme intrigued me. A brilliant way to gain access to resources and information we wouldn’t have had otherwise. “And I’d love to spar with Kyle.”

  Orange laced the sky as the sun descended. It would be dark soon. The longer we stayed, the less safe we were. The need to leave gripped me. I sent Tessa a visual of us in the dark, so she’d take the hint.

  “I heard about you, Hayden. We could use someone of your talents.” Boris studied my face then nodded. “I give you my word that no harm will come to either of you. Until you join us officially though, be careful. We don’t want to lose you.”

  “Wait.” Tessa’s brows furrowed. “We haven’t decided a hundred percent. Really, we haven’t had enough time with either side. I mean, we’re pretty sure we’re picking you, but we’ve only just begun, right? We still want to keep our options open.”

  I couldn’t tell by Boris’s face whether he was angry or in awe of her. Did he realize he’d been out-maneuvered? “Of course.” He waved a hand. “One can’t be expected to make a decision so soon.”

  “Exactly. Well, we should go. I need to get home.” Tessa smiled. “It was great to meet you.”

  “Here’s my cell phone number.” Boris rose from his side of the bench and handed her a card. “Don’t hesitate to call me personally if you need anything.”

  His personal card with a cell number? For a recruit? Why the special attention? Boris obviously saw something unusual in Tessa.

  “Thank you. I will,” she said.

  Once Tessa and I were driving away, my muscles eased their assault on my shoulders. I flexed and unflexed my fingers on the steering wheel, willing the rest of the tension to leave. “Jesus, Tessa, what were you thinking? It would’ve been nice if you’d clued me in.”

  She shrugged. “Sorry. The idea came to me and it’s not like I could pull you aside for a chat.”

  “It was quick thinking.”

  “Yeah.” She grinned.

  “But stressful.”

  “We should spend more time with them. It would be more convincing.”

  “No problem. I’d get in that sparring with Kyle.” I stopped at a red light and glanced at her. “Hey. What do you say I drop you off at your house, then I go home and do some stuff? Boris’s people won’t be hunting us any time soon.”

  “What about Rena? She’s still a whacko. But…” She watched for my reaction. “I could call Chait and hang out with him until you and I meet up again.”

  Not an option. But I needed a few minutes alone, so I could surprise her with an evening out. “Why don’t you ask him to watch Rena instead of you?”

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Tessa

  I was still laughing to myself as Hayden pulled up to the curb in front of my house. Hayden revealed his jealousy too easily. I wouldn’t complain that he wanted me for himself.

  “Did you text Chait?” he asked.

  I dug out my phone from my purse and typed. Hayden needs to go home 4 a bit. Can u keep an eye on Rena til he comes back? I grinned. “Yes.”

  “I should wait until he answers.”

  “I’m fine. Let me know when you’re on your way back.” I leaned over and kissed him then got out and made a dash for the front door.

  Hayden hesitated as if deciding whether or not to leave. Seconds later, he drove off and I went inside. The place was deserted. No Bree. No babysitter. Right away, I looked for the note my mom usually left, telling me Bree’s whereabouts — which usually required me getting her from somewhere.

  Scanning the scrawled words on the white sheet my mom had left on the kitchen counter, I mentally debated the evening. Bree had to be picked up soon and I’d be babysitting all night. Despite the driving need to be with Hayden, Bree was number one. But she didn’t stay up late, so I could still have alone time with Hayden later.

  My phone beeped and I dug it from my purse that still hung on my shoulder. The text from Chait read, Can’t find her. No one knows where she is. Be right over. Stay there.

  Dropping the phone in my purse, I set everything on the counter. Crap. Where was Rena? An uneasy feeling spread through me, sending a rush of adrenalin and pumping blood faster through my veins.

  “Hello, Tessa.”

  I spun around. Rena emerged from a shadow in the far corner of the living room.

  Not good.

  I forced a smile and pretended to be happy to see her. If she knew I suspected her intentions, she might speed up her plans. Whatever they were. I willed my shoulders not to bunch up. “Hey, what’s up? Chait here too?”

  “No.” Rena skulked toward me, setting off alarms in my head.

  “Oh. Did you want to do something, hang out maybe?” I motioned to the couch, left the dining room and walked past her toward the living room. “Come sit.”

  She twitched. Good, I’d thrown her.

  “Something happen? Did you want to talk about it?” I sat then pointed at the other end of the couch.

  Rena followed, but instead of sitting, she loomed over me, arms held stiffly at her sides. “You’re too much like your sister. She did nothing but cause trouble everywhere she went.”

  “Did I do something to upset you?” I rose from the couch, stood toe to toe with Rena and, as discreetly as possible, scanned the room for a weapon.

  “You think I don’t notice the way David looks at you?” Her fists balled at her sides.

  I tensed, then made an effort to appear relaxed. “Can you be more specific?” If I could keep her distracted…

  “He watches you like he used to watch Zoe.” An unnerving flame kindled behind her eyes. “The two of you with your blond hair and pretty smiles. You can’t leave the boys alone.”

  “I don’t want David. Even if I wasn’t with Hayden, I’d go for Chait.” I waved a casual hand in an effort to lighten the mood then smiled and returned to the sofa. Her words sunk in. My sister? What did she mean about Zoe? “Seriously, Rena, if I had any interest in David, I would’ve made an effort.”

  “Didn’t you? I can’t believe you think I’d fall for that. Even if I bought your flimsy reasoning, I still saw you with Boris.” She pulled a large blade from the waistband of her jeans. “Recruits don’t meet with Boris so soon. Unless they’ve already chosen sides. Everything you’ve told us is a lie. And when I tell David and Chait, they won’t care if you’re dead.”

  I needed to stall Rena while I found a weapon. Arguing with her wouldn’t make her more pleasant. I held up my palms as if trying to hold her back with sheer will, then leaped onto the sofa and over the other side. “Hold on. What was that about Zoe?”

  Rena slinked around the couch toward me, the long blade gleaming in her hand. “She had to die. And so do you. If I allow you to live, you’ll mess everything up.”

  Nodding, I ignored the surge of terror permeating my bones and urging me to run. She’d catch me before I got to the front door. There had to be something I could hit her with. A lamp wouldn’t stop her. The couch was too awkward. In my peripheral vision, I noted the heavy bronze statue on the fireplace mantle. I needed Rena mollified the next few seconds, until I could get to the statue. “Of course. I mean, you can’t let someone come between you and the man you love. You have to do what you have to do.”

  Rena smiled a sad smile but that faded and I knew my time was running out. “I’m so glad you
understand. It’s too bad though. If David weren’t in the picture, I think we could’ve been friends.”

  “I think so too.” My stomach churned. Another few feet and my trembling hands would be wrapped around the statue. I inched sideways toward the mantle.

  Her face twisted into an ugly scowl and her knuckles stretched white over the handle of the knife. I inhaled sharply and lunged for the statue. Before I could swing it, I heard a loud pop then a red spot spread over Rena’s chest. Her eyes rolled, her head tilted and she crumpled to the floor.

  “You okay?” Chait shoved his gun in his pocket, grasped my shoulders and studied my face.

  “I guess so,” I choked out. “I may not be so good though when she wakes up. She wants to kill me.”

  “She’s not going to wake up.” He gently rubbed the tops of my arms.

  “You only shot her once.” My shaky voice rose in pitch. “That doesn’t kill us. Right?”

  He grinned. “Ye of little faith. I trained with an eight-hundred-year-old weapons master who’d had centuries to invent weird weapons.” Chait reached into another pocket and pulled out what looked like a regular bullet. “The lead part here? It’s actually pretty thin. See this hollow tip?” Chait touched the end with his finger. “It spreads on impact, like shrapnel, and releases a nasty poison.” Chait’s words took on a reverent tone. “You get a nice, even distribution.”

  “It kills them instantly?” I asked, a bit unnerved by his bluntness.

  “No.” He slipped the bullet back into his pocket. “It paralyzes them right away though. The poison keeps working and within a few minutes, death.”

  I crept closer to Rena and stood where I could see her staring eyes, then I turned to Chait. “Just like that? But you killed your own partner.”

  He grunted. “Yeah, I picked up on that.”

  “Why?” I had to keep talking. Anything to distract myself from Rena and her dead eyes at my feet.

  “She was about to kill you.” He gave me a look that told me he couldn’t believe I’d ask such a stupid question.

  “Rena was on your side and I haven’t announced my choice yet.” Spent and wobbly from the strain of the last few minutes, I dropped to the cushy arm of the sofa.