Cassie (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #3) (20 page)

M
iranda set J’onn’s dagger on the handcrafted coffee table. The blade radiated a dark and foreboding energy, as if calling for a soul to brush against its hungering edge.

A shiver went down Cassie’s spine just looking at the thing. She remembered its desire, and knew she’d never forget it. Her grip tightened on Caleb’s hand.

He smiled at her, and gently squeezed back.

A wave of calm washed over her. His presence worked wonders on the jitters, and the tingling spark of his touch helped her relax. She was glad he was there.

They sat together on a couch that was much nicer than anything she’d ever had the pleasure of placing her backside on. The huge living room fit into a similar never-before-seen category with polished stone, and wood accents that gave the place a “vacation lodge” feel, but with ritzier furnishings. Everyone had come inside the manor, and settled in the great room. They had checked the bodies of the cultists before coming in, but all of them were dead. No great loss in Cassie’s book, though seeing any dead person wasn’t a highpoint on her bucket list.

“I’ve seen that knife before,” Alix stated, as she took a seat on the sofa near Cassie. Her purple hair gleamed in the firelight. “Or one like it.” Her expression darkened. “When Sam was killed.”

Her boyfriend, Troy, placed a hand on her shoulder.

Cassie wanted to ask who Sam was, but it didn’t seem the appropriate time. “J’onn said he could take my power with it. He said his ‘group’ hunted witches for that very purpose, and that they’d been doing it for centuries.”

Miranda nodded. “I’ve seen daggers like these before as well, though it was a long time ago.” She sat down across from Cassie. “What else did this J’onn say?”

“Nothing else worth repeating,” Cassie answered. That wasn’t entirely true, but all that came to mind were his lewd comments and sickening attempts to rape and murder her. “Who was he?”

“A witch hunter.” Miranda glanced at Alix. “We’ve had trouble with them recently.” Her gaze drifted to Hannah. “And in the past. A dangerous group of people to be sure, as everyone here knows.”

“They want our powers?” Alix asked, horrified. She looked at Troy. “They must have thought Sam was a witch. That’s why they killed her.”

“Who is Sam?” Caleb asked, saving Cassie from having to do it.

Alix frowned at the dagger as she spoke, “A good friend. Someone I knew before I came to Coven’s Grove.”

“Sorry,” Cassie said. She suddenly felt ill. The subject brought to mind her own tragic incident involving the past. She wondered if the matriarch would still want her in the coven if she knew the bright, new candidate, had killed a high school teacher. Not something she wanted to bring up just now, so she shoved the thought to the back of her mind.

Alix nodded in thanks, but said nothing more.

“Dominic,” Hannah said, filling the awkward silence. “We should take care of the mess outside, and let them talk.”

Dominic strolled over to her from the bar. “Of course.”

“I’ll help,” the Native American woman chimed in. She had clothes on now, which was good. “I need to address these wounds anyway.” Dark stains of blood had seeped through her sweats where the demon had clawed her.

The three of them made their leave. Dominic was holding Hannah’s hand, as they stepped out the door. The small show of affection helped put Cassie at ease. These strangers had more than proven they wanted to help, but it was nice to see the warmth exchange between them. It made their actions seem more genuine. Perhaps the dreams she’d been having held some truth in them. Maybe this truly was a place to find solace, and answers.

A thought suddenly came to Cassie. “J’onn did mention something about Caleb being a guardian. Do you know what he meant?”

“Yes,” Miranda replied. “It means you’ve bonded with him on a supernatural level. Caleb will feel inclined to protect you, while in turn, you’ve granted him the power to do so.”

“I didn’t give him anything...” she paused. “The dream. We were in a glade, the three of us. The grass was doing something to Caleb.”

Miranda nodded. “That was the granting of guardianship.”

“That makes sense,” Caleb chimed in. “I’ve been able to do some stuff that’s hard to explain.”

“Yeah, I know.” Cassie recalled him going toe to toe with J’onn after the cult leader had absorbed part of her power. Not something she thought he could have done as a normal man.

“If you recall anything else, please let me know,” Miranda said. “Any information we can get about them will be useful. As for the dagger,”—she looked down at the dark blade—“We’ll keep it for further study. Documentation of your contact with the artifact would be helpful as well.”

“Not a problem. I’ll tell you everything,” Cassie said.

“Thank you, that means a lot to us.”

A thousand questions ran through Cassie’s mind, but all she could muster was, “So, what’s next?”

“That is up to you,” Miranda answered. “We have a lot to teach here, and much to offer in the way of creature comforts—”

“Trust me when I say the hot tub is to die for,” Alix interrupted.

Troy chuckled, as he sat down next to Alix.

“Are you offering an education?” Cassie asked, confused.

“I’m offering you a home,” Miranda countered.

Caleb looked around at everyone, concern evident in his furrowed brow. “That’s great, but what’s the catch?”

A warm, fuzzy feeling filled Cassie. She realized that deep down she’d been expecting to face this place from her dreams, but she’d been expecting to be alone when she did it. The fact that Caleb was here looking out for her made this whole thing easier.

“I won’t say there isn’t a catch,” Miranda began. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I expect loyalty to the coven, and to Coven’s Grove.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” he pressed, still skeptical.

Alix placed a hand on Cassie’s. “It means you’d do what we all just did with that demon. We protect our own, and this place. With your life if need be.”

Cassie sat in silence. Caleb watched her, and waited. The tattooed woman’s words rang true in Cassie’s mind, and were in sync with what she desired most. To be part of a family was something she’d searched for ever since her father had died. Could this sisterhood provide that for her?

“Alix has decided to join our coven recently,” Miranda said. “We will perform the ritual this spring. You are more than welcome to come and watch.”

Alix’s hand trembled.

Cassie glanced at the purple-haired woman, worried that she might be afraid, but what she found in those pale green eyes was anything but fear. Excitement was what made Alix’s hand quiver.

“I know all of this is a lot to take in,” Miranda continued. “My hope is that you will stay here and observe for a while, and then—”

“I’ll do it,” Cassie blurted.

Miranda paused in surprise, but recovered quickly. “I’m so glad. Take your time to figure out—”

“I mean,
I’ll do it,
” Cassie said with more conviction. “I’ll join the coven.”

“Whoa,” Caleb turned to face her. “Just like that? Are you sure?”

She glanced down at the dagger, and then at Caleb. “More than ever.”

He stared into her eyes, searching for any hint of doubt.

She knew he would find none. There was no doubt in her mind that this was where she was meant to be. These people had saved her life, and more than that, she already felt as if this place could be home.

After a few moments he leaned back. “Well, okay then. I guess we’re doing this.”

Alix patted Cassie’s hand. “This is so awesome! We can join together!”

She smiled. “Yeah. Yeah we can.” Her feelings of hope almost spiraled out of control. She was going to get a chance to build something stable in her life, and she was going to put everything she had into it.

Miranda cleared her throat. She looked quite pleased despite her schooled demeanor. “There is still one more issue that must be dealt with before we proceed.” She picked the dagger up off of the table, and placed it into an unmarked pine box. “Brody.”

The name hit Cassie like a ton of bricks. She’d completely forgotten about Caleb’s childhood friend. Apparently, Caleb had forgotten about him too as his jaw hung open in surprise. “Where is he?”

“Here, in the house,” Miranda replied.

“Is he okay?” Caleb asked, coming to his senses.

“Yes, he’s fine, but there is the matter of what he now knows. About us.”

Cassie got that sinking feeling, like whenever she’d been forced to uproot and move. “That doesn’t sound good.”

Caleb closed his hands into fists.

“No harm will come to Brody, I assure you,” Miranda said, picking up on the tension. “The matter will have to be addressed however.”

“How?” Cassie asked.

“My power,” Miranda answered. “I can alter a person’s memory.”

“That doesn’t sound good either,” Caleb said. He didn’t appear any more at ease than when the topic had started, in fact, he seemed even more agitated.

“I cannot allow the coven to be exposed.”

“But surely there’s another way,” Cassie pleaded. “Maybe something that prevents him from talking about it.”

“That would do more harm than good. The potential conflict could shred his mind. It would be better if he didn’t remember at all.”

“Can we at least talk with him about it before a decision is made?” Caleb asked.

“Of course, I just wanted to speak with you first,” Miranda said. “Believe me, I don’t want any harm to come to Brody, or any other innocent bystander. But my coven comes first, and the knowledge Brody now possesses, makes him a danger to us.”

“There was a similar problem,” Alix interjected. “With some of Dominic’s friends. It all worked out okay though.”

“Were their memories...changed?” Cassie asked, somewhat appalled.

“No,” Miranda replied, as she moved an auburn lock of hair behind her ear. “There were special circumstances involved that don’t apply to Brody’s situation.”

“Why not?” Caleb asked.

“Because Brody didn’t kill anyone.”

“Wait. You let these other people keep their memories because they killed someone?” Caleb asked, perplexed.

Miranda folded her hands in her lap. “They did so in defense of the coven, and the whole affair created mutual leverage.”

Caleb rubbed the space between his eyes. “Great.”

Brody’s chances of stepping away from this unscathed, were looking slim. Tampering with someone’s mind seemed like a violation on so many levels, but looking at it from Miranda’s perspective, what choice did the woman really have.

“Maybe we should talk with Brody now,” Cassie suggested.

Miranda produced an old-looking skeleton key from her pocket. “He’s upstairs, first door on the right.”

Cassie stood and took the key. “You locked him in a room?”

“I didn’t want him to get hurt,” Miranda said. “You know better than any of us how dangerous that demon was.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” Cassie headed for the stairs, Caleb following close behind.

The banister was made from a dark wood that had been well polished. Steps of smooth stone led up to a hallway that could have come straight out of Forbes Magazine. Hardwood flooring, Persian rugs, and plush furnishings, trailed off in the distance. Portraits and paintings covered the cream colored walls all the way down.

Their destination was a door just to the right. Its surface was etched with runes and symbols Cassie had never seen before. She stepped to the door, and unlocked it. “Brody?” she called, as she stepped into the room.

“Thank God!” Brody hopped up off of a small couch. “Are you guys okay?”

Caleb came in right after her. “Yeah. What about you?”

“Other than feeling like a kid that’s been sent to his room, I’m fine.”

Cassie gave him a hug, as did Caleb. “We need to talk.”

“Sure. Right after we get outta here...” Brody started toward the door.

“We can’t leave yet, man,” Caleb said. “We need to talk first.”

Brody frowned, “Seriously?”

Caleb nodded.

Brody shrugged. He gestured to the many chairs and sofas that filled the room. “Take your pick.”

The decor of the sitting room was similar to what was in the hallway. The ceiling was vaulted, and tall windows stretched across the outer wall. A broken chair sat lopsided on the floor. One of the legs laid next to it on the floor.

“Bullet proof glass?” Cassie asked, as she took a seat on a red, velvet couch.

Brody glanced at the windows, and then the chair. “Something like that,” he grinned. “I got impatient.”

“I can imagine,” Caleb said.

“Is that demon thing still out there?” Brody asked.

“No, it was banished,” she answered.

“And the cult guys that were with it are no longer a problem either,” Caleb added.

“Well, that’s good news,” Brody said. “So, why do you guys look like you lost?”