Bittersweet (10 page)

 

 

Brianne stopped by our booth again, with the spiky-haired guy she'd been singing with. They really sounded amazing together. Like Adrius and I. Suddenly I was envisioning the two of us going off to Julliard together. Living in a tiny apartment, and going to classes together. My chest tightened, knowing how impossible it was, unless...

Bri waved her hand in front of my face. “Hey. Mr. Smythe has the room almost ready. He's set up video equipment and we're going to shoot music videos. How cool it that?” She was nearly exploding with excitement. I only wished I could recapture some of it.

“Very cool. Thanks for the message,” I mumbled.

She glanced at Peterson again dismissively. “He wants us all in there in five.”

“I'll be there.” I forced a smile, hoping that was the end of her public announcements.

She took off for the bar with her new boy toy in tow.

I narrowed my eyes at Peterson. “You haven't even explained to me what you want me to retrieve from my father. When and if I were to agree to this, and that's a big if... how do I know what I'm looking for?”

“It's a gemstone. It will be easy to recognize because he'll be wearing it. He's the only one who can with the exception of someone of his bloodline. It would kill any other wearer.”

I squinted at him through the blinking strobe lights. “Then how are you going to use it?”

“I don't intend to wear the charm, Lorelei. Our only interest is in destroying it.”

How was I supposed to get this? I doubt my father, the exiled winter Fey king, will just hand it over, no questions asked. Did he expect me to steal it? Use magic? Each possibility was more impossible than the last.

“I will bring you the information that you need to find your father. Once you have completed the task, I will find you to carry out the remaining terms of our agreement.”

Our agreement... the part where he grants us a happy ending. The
how
was still a little fuzzy to me. “Do you have access to magic?” I leaned in to ask, so the couple walking by didn't overhear. How else could he pull off what he was intending?

He shook his head with a grimace. “I do not need it, nor do I wish to. But I work for someone who does. They are skilled in transformations and removing the poisons of magic from the soul. I can assure you the process is completely safe. Your great aunt fared quite well after the session.”

I fell back against my seat, processing this revelation. Camilla was born a witch also? And she, like my mother, wanted nothing to do with magic. I wondered if my mother would have taken the opportunity to rid herself of the magic she so detested. Perhaps she still would.

“When will you tell me where Camilla is?”

“For obvious reasons, she does not wish to be found, but finding people is one of our strengths. You will find the address of her whereabouts in your mailbox. And you will have two days from then to give me your decision.” Peterson replied. He checked his watch and then looked back at me with raised brows. “Your music teacher will be expecting you.”

Brianne would be back to drag me to the room any minute now. But I couldn't get Camilla out of my head. The idea that she abhorred her magic to the extent to have it removed from her permanently gave me a chill. Despite the fact I was now considering the same thing. For very different reasons.

But thinking of the life I could live was becoming an obsession. An eternity together in Adrius' world or one lifetime in mine. Free from hatred, persecution and fear...

I needed to find out more. I needed to find him— my father. And when I did… then what? Would I retrieve the gemstone, hand it over to Peterson and take back my life? Make my father pay for abandoning me and my mom? I couldn't say, but the desire to know the truth gave a purpose to my life in a way that relieved the constant turbulence of my existence. If nothing else, Peterson was a slightly more palatable solution to finding my father than Zanthiel was. I was certain Adrius would agree.

I was about to ask what this gemstone looked like, when a blood curdling scream cut through the pulsating music.

People were running, and there were shouting and cries coming from the back of the club. I climbed out of the booth as did Peterson, who looked a little uneasy.

Oh no. What now? There'd been too much of this in my world lately. “What's going on?”

He didn't respond, but Cally from our music class, rushed over to me. “It's Mr. Smythe,” she gasped. “He's been hurt.”

“What?” I turned to tell Peterson I had to go, but he was already gone.

A quick glance around showed he was nowhere in sight. My attention snapped back to the girl. “Where is he? What happened?”

She shrugged and pointed with a shaky hand. “He's in the private karaoke room in back... they think he fell. Hit his head.” Tears welled in her eyes. “There was so much blood...”

I rubbed her arms and then made my way to the back of the club. Small crowds of people had gathered around him and he was being attended to by someone who looked like they knew what they were doing.

I wanted to run to him. To touch him and heal him. But then I remembered Kendra at the café. How my touch brought her closer to the brink of death instead of saving her from it. I shrank back into the growing crowd and backed out of the room.

The club was quieter now. The music had stopped and only a few people lingered near the dance floor. Overhead lights lit every dark corner, stripping away the air of magic and leaving behind the paltry cast of incandescent lighting. It seemed different, subdued, drained of its former energy and life. The walls were marred and floor stained with sticky liquids. I found it hard to recall what it looked like minutes ago as the dim sound of sirens filled the silence. But I sensed something. Something more than Mr. Smythe's horrible accident, and the eerie emptiness of the dingy club. I scanned the room for nothing in particular. The rational part of my mind tried to convince me the feeling was all in my head. Yet I was unable to ignore it. A cold dread snaked up my body, worming its way into my chest.

I shivered and turned around, as Venus sidled up to me, her green eyes flaming. I'd never seen such anger, such hatred. Her gaze was like liquid venom.

“Where is he, Lorelei? Where's Adrius?” she asked with a deathly calm tone.

My breathing stalled, my hands trembled. Ambulance attendants rushed by with Mr. Smythe. A gauze bandage wrapped around his head and his body lay motionless on white sheets stained with crimson. Two bodies in the same week.

“He... uh, he...” I couldn't pull thoughts together. Or words. Couldn't take my eyes away from the blood. So much of it. How could he survive that? My heart thudded in my ears. Drowning out the sobs and cries of the students who followed the paramedics outside. I wanted to cry. But not even tears could make their way out of the maze of my jangled emotions.

I glared at Venus. “You. You did this to him?” My voice was hoarse. I inhaled slowly. Mr. Smythe had a wife. Kids. How would they feel when they got the call? The one notifying them their father wouldn't be coming home. I knew what that was like. It was a long time ago... but I still remembered. When the news came about my father's disappearance. “
He won't be coming home
,” the officer said. I remembered the way my mother crumpled on the floor and sobbed. The endless string of days she refused to eat or sleep despite Gran's numerous tea remedies. Curled up in her bedroom, wasting away, while grief and sadness devoured her. When it ended, my mother left. I'd failed to make up for my father's absence. Constantly doing what I could to keep her from leaving me only drove her further away. It wasn't long after that my mother was never home for more than a few days a month. Some months, not at all. Would Mr. Smythe's children blame themselves as well?

No, he was coming home to them. He
had
to. I lost both parents that day, but their mother would explain he'd be coming home soon, and they'd be spared from what I lived through.

Venus curled her hand around my arm, digging her talon-like nails into my flesh. “I asked you a question,” she hissed.

I pulled away. “Let me go. I don't know where he is.” I kept my voice quiet.

“If you want to live long enough to see him again you'll tell me where he is.”

I stared back at her, mustering as much courage as I could. “You're not going to kill me. He'd never forgive you.”

She tugged me close and whispered in my ear. “Oh, I think eventually he would. Forever is an awfully long time to mourn.”

 

 

Scream
, a voice inside me insisted, though I didn't have the breath to do it. There was a part of me that knew I couldn't call for help. Venus had already hurt too many innocent people. I wasn't willing to risk more lives, just to save my own.

“Let's take a walk,” she snarled.

Pulling my arm, she dragged me toward the back exit.

The rear of the club was vacant and shadowed, lit by only the glowing red exit sign over the door a few feet away. No one around to witness whatever she had planned.

“Why?” I gasped. “Why would you hurt Mr. Smythe? He has nothing to do with any of this.”

“You're like a parrot, squawking the same inane questions over and over.” Her face twisted in a scowl. Black glittered nails tightened around my forearm. One pierced my skin and a trickle of blood spilled down my arm. I cried out, but she grabbed my throat with her other hand.

“The only sound I want to hear coming from your lips is the truth. He'd never leave without telling you and he'd never leave his little pet unprotected,” she lashed. “Or perhaps you're not all that important to him after all. Perhaps I'd be doing him a favor by ending you right here and now.”

I clawed at her hands, trying to rip them from my neck. “Let go of me.”

She tightened her grip.

The air was trapped in my lungs. I clawed at her hands, trying to rip them from my throat, but it only made her squeeze tighter. The pressure built in my chest, in my face, behind my eyes. It felt like blood vessels were going to burst. I kicked her, but she shifted and repositioned herself behind me, wrenching my arm behind my back with her one hand, and digging her fingers into my jugular with her other. The exit sign glowed brighter, then became fuzzy.
I can't breathe. Everything is a haze. No. Can't blackout. She'll kill me.

The door flew open. She startled and loosened her grip on my throat. I elbowed her in the stomach as hard as I could and broke free. I ran for the open door, past the stunned employee, and darted out into the night. It was pouring steadily, a cold and relentless rain. I had no coat, no purse, but I wasn't going back. I just kept running, my steps splashing in the pooling water. Like the pooling blood surrounding Mr. Smythe. Tears stung at my eyes. But I kept running, taking random turns down unfamiliar streets. When I heard the footsteps racing behind me, I pushed myself to run harder. My sides ached, and my legs burned in protest, but I couldn't stop. Not now. Faster. Faster. I was drenched and numb but I kept running. Up ahead there was a fence wrapped with thick rusted chains. Beyond it stood a figure. Just the outline of a shape. A dark silhouette against the darker night. It didn't look female... too tall and broad. I skidded to a halt, and turned in the opposite direction and slammed into something hard.

“Lorelei.”

Two firm hands clamped around my shoulder and I looked up, as tears and rain stung my eyes. “Adrius?”

I collapsed into his open arms, feeling his warmth revive me. But then his body went rigid. The chains shattered and the gate swung open. I dared not look.

Adrius exhaled a low angry breath, and I couldn't stand not knowing who was behind me. I pulled away from him and turned around. “Zanthiel?”

“What's going on?” Adrius demanded. His muscles coiled and he shot me a sideways glance. “You promised me a few more days,” he said under his breath. His eyes clouded with anger.

I grabbed Adrius' hand. “I didn't ask him to come. I knew nothing about this,” I said, still breathless. Zanthiel rarely showed himself publicly. He usually preferred to visit me alone in my room, or when I was by myself backstage. Yet here he was, looking as human as the rest of us. Almost. I peered into the darkness, half expecting Venus to emerge from the night as well. But she was nowhere in sight, and if she had followed me this far, she would never risk attacking me now.

“What are you doing here, Zanthiel?” Adrius asked, tightening his grip on my hand.

“I'm doing what you obviously can't.” Zanthiel's gaze slid to me. “Keeping her alive.”

“Nobody asked for your help,” Adrius said.

“It was only a matter of time before you had no other choice but to request it,” Zanthiel answered, with an icy tone. “Of course, she wouldn't be able to ask,” he gestured in my direction, “once Venus had her in a body bag.”

Adrius gritted his teeth and growled. “I have things under control.”

“Is that so? Since she's been with you she has been threatened, stalked, attacked and stripped of her healing powers. Any longer and there would be nothing left of her to save.”

Adrius dropped my hand and stepped toward Zanthiel, who didn't flinch.

“Ok, enough.” My throat felt raw. I repositioned myself between them before they could get any closer. Like within striking distance. This wasn't going to get us anywhere. I rubbed my neck and winced. My arm was throbbing. I still wasn't used to flesh wounds lasting more than a few minutes. There wasn't any blood making me queasy, but everything else that happened was.

Zanthiel motioned to my throat and arm. “Complements of Venus.”

“When were you going to tell me that?” Adrius surveyed my arm and throat. He ran his hand lightly across my neck, which was probably bruised.

“I was running from her when I found you,” I whispered. The blend of worry, guilt and concern brimming in his eyes overwhelmed me. “I'm fine, Adrius. I am. But... Mr. Smythe is in hospital.”

I didn't need to say any more. Immediately, he wrapped his arms around me. “I should never have left you alone.” I could hear the agony behind his words.

“No, you shouldn't have,” Zanthiel said. “What did you think would happen? Or was that part of your plan?”

Adrius shook his head and laughed, dark and humorless. Then he moved me to the side. “Stay back, Lorelei.”

It was unnerving to see Adrius so unglued. He usually kept his emotions in check. But something about Zanthiel brought out a fierceness in him.

I glanced around us, then lowered my voice. “Stop, both of you. This isn't the time or the place.”

“Fine,” Adrius said. “Another time and place. But before you accuse me of secret agendas, you might want to question your own. It's plain to see. You look at her as if she's your entire world. She senses it too. How could she not?”

“She is my charge.” He squared his jaw as though anticipating being hit.

“She may be that, but nothing more. She is not your universe.”

“I do not particularly enjoy your unending presence either. But her life is more important than your insecurity.”

“This is not one of your games, Zanthiel. She's not a prize you can win.”

“I have no desire to help you. But if she asks it of me, I will.”

“Like I said. She didn't.”

“She would have before long. And just so we are clear, I have no intention of letting any harm come to her.”

“Just so
you're
clear, I have no intention of allowing you to exploit your connection to her or manipulate her into feeling something that isn't real."

"I shall take that as a threat, elf."

“Then we understand each other.”

“And if she should choose to seek my help, will you threaten her life too?"

I had to interrupt what was quickly moving from a barely civil conversation to a hostile one. “I don't see how any of this is helping.”

“You know I could have you killed. I haven't because of her. But don't think that her fondness for you will stop me from slaying you for what you have done,” Adrius said.

Zanthiel's face was utterly emotionless. His eyes drank in the unspoken challenge.

“Just stop,” I snapped. “First of all, I am not anyone's responsibility. I can take care of myself.”

“Clearly, you cannot.”

I fixed Zanthiel with a sharp glare, then turned to Adrius. “And second, we
could
use as much help as we can get. Venus is relentless. We're wasting time, when the real enemy is still out there.”

Adrius narrowed his eyes.

“You promised,” I reminded him.

He frowned, but nodded. His gaze shifted to Zanthiel. “If that's what you want, Lorelei.” In his voice I heard the weight of their long standing hatred. Their feud wasn't close to being over.

“It's what we all want. So we're in agreement. We work together.” It sounded too good to be true, even to me. But there wasn't time to fight amongst ourselves. Not when every moment another flaming curveball hurled toward us.

Zanthiel's lips curved just short of a smile. “I'll take over the night watch,” he spoke directly to me, ignoring Adrius.

Adrius slammed the fence post with enough force to rattle the entire row. “You know, stalking her isn't going to get you what you want.”

“And you think that you know what I want?” asked Zanthiel with another smirk.

“I do. But why not end the mystery and tell us— tell her.” Adrius angled his head in my direction. “Demonstrate some of that heroism you lay claim to.”

I swallowed a gulp of air and held my breath. It wasn't much of a secret to me how Zanthiel felt. Especially after the kiss we'd shared in the Shadow Court, when he'd given me the memory of magic so I could defeat the ice witch. The kiss linked our minds together, making it difficult not to feel everything he was feeling. He'd been gone for so long I hadn't had to think about it, but with him here in my world again, and from the looks of it here to stay for a while, the connection strengthened with each passing second.

“Adrius, this isn't helping anything.” I exhaled.

Zanthiel stared at me, his mercury gaze unsettlingly intense. I wanted to hide just to escape it.

“I want her,” he said. Clearly and unmistakably.

My mouth dropped.

Adrius broke into a feral grin. “Then you will feel the agony of defeat. Again.”

“You're arrogant for one who does not yet have her,” Zanthiel countered. “Your soul is still bound to another.”

Adrius held Zanthiel's stare, exhaling a slow and deliberate breath. He glanced at me briefly, but I couldn't read the emotion that tightened his eyes.

“Time is on my side,” Adrius replied.

“It may be the only thing that is,” Zanthiel said.

“For now.”