Cursed (The Brookehaven Vampires #4) (76 page)

With tears in my eyes, I laughed.

“No joke, Laney. Oscar used to chase me with them
when we were kids. He would pull off their legs, too.” Looking at him, I raised an eyebrow. “So they couldn’t hop away, I guess.” He gave a little shrug. Our hands dropped to rest on his thigh, his fingers gently intertwining with mine.

“Creepy,” I said.

“Yeah.”

I laughed again, then it trickled off.
Oscar…
“He was kind of amazing tonight,” I confessed.

As crazy as Oscar was, I was pretty sure he had saved us several times. But, considering he’d had a hand in this whole crazy mess…and so many other horrible moments, his actions
didn’t necessarily redeem him.

Oliver nodded. “Yeah, he does have that ability.” He sighed. “I think I made a mistake.” I gave him a questioning look. “I don’t think I should have taken her from him.”

I was surprised and saddened by his confession. However, I did not get a chance to respond because Kiera flung the door open and rushed in at that very moment, taking away my chance to reassure my boyfriend and tell him that he had done what was right. Even if I wasn’t sure that it had been the right thing to do, I also couldn’t imagine Oscar would ever be or have been stable. Julz or not.

“Oh my god! I have been so worried about you!” Kiera threw her arms around “Carter.” He quickly let go of my hand.

Zoey and Rudy walked into the room a moment later. I stood, and without a word I headed for the hall.

“Hey,” Zoey called after me as I walked out of the room. She and Rudy followed me. She took my arm, pulling me away from the open doorway of “Carter’s” hospital room. “What is going on with you two?” Zoey questioned in a low voice.

Carter, in Oliver’s body, spotted us as he rounded the corner at the far end of the hallway. He was quick to make his way to us.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.

“You and Carter. You guys aren’t even hiding whatever this is anymore.”

“‘This,’” I said with some sarcastic air quotes, “is nothing. And if it were something, it would be none of your business. Now, if you don’t mind.” I pulled my arm free of her grasp.

Carter was at my side. “Everything okay?” he asked.

Zoey gave him a really weird look and wrapped her arms around Rudy’s arm as if to protect herself from “Oliver.” “Everything is fine,” she said. She shifted her attention to me. “I’m sorry, Laney. Kiera has been freaking out over everything. I’m tired. I guess her worries are wearing on me.”

I nodded even though I was slightly ticked at Zoey. Thankfully, she and Rudy walked away.

We watched them go back into the room with Kiera and “Carter,” then I turned to “Oliver.” “Why did she look at you like that?”

He looked at me rather sheepishly. “I kinda kissed her.”

I cocked an eyebrow at him. “You what?”

“When you left with Oscar, I wasn’t thinking. I kissed Kiera like I normally would, like when one of us is leaving. To cover my ass, I kissed Zoey, too.” He shifted his weight and ran his hand though Oliver’s hair.

I stared at him for a moment, and then I laughed. Really hard. I could just imagine the looks on their faces. I was sorry I missed it.

Felix, Cyrus—without his angel pet—and Phoenix rounded the corner at the end of the hall, and my laughter died out.

I knew it!

Phoenix headed right for me, determination in his mixed-matched eyes. When he reached me, he surprised me by gathering me in his arms, hugging me tight, and telling me that he was relieved I was okay. He released me and gazed down at me, a sweet, innocent smile in place.

“I thought that was you,” I said. I smiled back at him.

He was bigger than I remembered. Like he’d bulked up some, maybe even gotten taller.

He smiled a little brighter, then he shook “Oliver’s” hand. Actually, it wasn’t an actual handshake, they clasped each other’s forearms rather than hands, like shaking each other’s arms, I guess.

Carter, in Oliver’s body, had no clue who Phoenix was. He was just going along with what he thought any Brookehaven Vampire might do. Like he had been doing for nearly a week.

Phen returned his attention to me. “He
’s gone, Delaney. You need not worry about Helos any longer. You are safe.”

I looked to Felix. He nodded, confirming Phen’s words. Relief washed over me. Felix was beaming with pride. It was clear that he was proud of Phoenix.

From just outside one of the rooms not far down the hall, Amber called to Phoenix. She was heading for us.

Giving me a final nod, Phen hurried to her, gathering her in his arms, too. He lifted her off the floor as he hugged her. “I did it,” I heard him say.

“I knew you could,” she told him as he placed her back onto her feet. She smiled at him, proudly.

I wondered what Phoenix had done that everyone was so proud of, but I was also struggling with a pang of jealousy.

Having felt my emotion, Carter took my hand in his and squeezed it. The gesture didn’t make me feel any better. If Phoenix truly was who I thought he was, I found it unfair that he’d gotten this family unit that I was only just now discovering. And why? Why did he get it and not me?

“Is Melody alright?” Phen asked Amber.

“She is just fine. I will take you to her,” Amber said. Taking Phen’s hand, Ambrose led him to Melody’s room. “She will be delighted to see you. She is so proud of you,” I heard her say as they walked away. She beamed at him.

I watched them go
, then I turned to Felix. “May I talk to you?” I asked.

He exchanged a glance, and probably some silent words, with Cyrus, then he nodded and followed me into an empty room. Carter waited in the hall and Cyrus walked away.

It was the wee hours of the night. I was tired, hungry, yet slightly nauseous, overwhelmed, and seriously emotional. Not good combinations.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep myself calm. I wanted answers, but I needed Oliver back.

"The Weslins?” I questioned as Felix closed the door. The room was poorly lit. This added to my frustration.

He shook his head. “We have no clues, and no leads as to where they have gone.”

“That seems unlikely,” I said. He gave me a warning look. Like I said, grumpy girl here. I huffed and folded my arms over my chest. “Zane?” I asked, because I sure as hell didn’t want that crazed bastard on the loose.

“He is in our custody.”

I stared at Felix for a moment, or maybe it was more like glaring. Either way, his answer annoyed me even more. Mostly because it was vague, and because Zane terrified me. I huffed and let it go, for now, and moved on to more pressing matters. “If Helos is dead, why hasn’t the curse been broken?” I swallowed, then said, with much less energy, “Is it too late?”

He took a step closer, his head dipping so his eyes were at a closer level to mine, so he could emphasize his point. “If he was not alone in creating the spell, the other, or others would need to die, or reverse it. However, without Helos, the only option for any who were involved is death.”

Ugh… “Any clue who helped? My guess would be Habitha.”

“I believe you are correct.”

Although I wasn’t a fan of people dying, no matter who they might be, my first thought would prove otherwise.
Then let’s kill the bitch!

I’d
meant to keep that thought to myself, but he’d heard. Felix smirked at me, and I could just make out his dimple appearing in his left cheek. I was too tired to care.

“She has been a thorn in our sides for many years. Perhaps it is time to eradicate her.”

Honestly, I was so worn out; I probably would’ve done it for him, just as long as when I got home, I could crawl into bed with the right man.

“What are you going to do?” I asked, a yawn taking over the last of my words.

Felix took a seat on the empty hospital bed, and the metal frame groaning under his weight. He patted the mattress beside him. I sat, or more like collapsed, and he wrapped a huge arm around me. I leaned on him and closed my eyes while he told me what would happen next. Felix explained that he needed to see to it Phoenix got home, back to Brookehaven, safely.

Phoenix had his own task ahead of him
, and I was actually surprised to discover Phoenix had taken Helos’ life. This information gave me a different view of that innocent boy I’d met not so long ago under the tree near Lilly’s grave…

Something else occurred to me
… If Phoenix really was my brother, had Helos known? If so, wouldn’t he have wanted Phen, too?

I pushed every thought aside and finished listening to Felix tell me what Phen had lying ahead of him. Apparently he would be returning Helos’ body to the Otherside. Interesting
…

This also
meant a lot of the more important, higher up, Brookehaven Vampires would be going with him, leaving us with only Felix and few others. Not that this was a problem, just less safe if something super bad were to happen.

When I voiced my concern, sleepily, about us being left with less protection, Felix let me know that the “current” threat had been eradicated. He seemed to like that word. He
also let me know that if anything else posed a threat, it would be nothing compared to the havoc Helos had caused over the last couple of months.

I found it unlikely that we were totally safe. There were too many loose ends
, the Weslins being the first to spring to mind. What was their deal? Did they still want Oliver? And why, exactly? And where the hell had they gone? Also, the slayers were sure to still be a threat…weren’t they always?

Felix reassured me that the forces of those who did not care for the vampire race had taken heavy damage during the fight. He also let me know he was still looking into the Weslins and their motives.
Turned out, he had been for some time.

“What about Habitha?” I questioned. Another yawn escaped me.

His phone rang before he could respond. It was Carter’s mom. Apparently Kiera had called her. I could hear Julie over the line. She was concerned, and somewhat frantic. Most likely because Kiera had blown whatever she’d told her out of proportion. A gift my friend had received from her parents.

Felix instructed Julie on where to go. He then excused himself so he could meet her outside of the old theater entrance.

I found Carter, still in Oliver’s body, waiting outside the room Felix and I had been occupying. “Everything okay?” he asked, for the second time that night.

I informed Carter that his mom was on her way. “Go tell yourself,” I said, and he hurried off to tell “Carter” that his mom was coming.

I slowly followed after him as he rushed to the room where we’d last seen Oliver. Kiera, Zoey, and Rudy were leaving as “Oliver” entered the room. They headed for me.

“We need to go dress shopping for you and Zoey,” Kiera said as she got closer. “My dress is already taken care of.
It’s
so
perfect. Thanks again, Laney,” Kiera rambled as they stopped before me in the hall outside “Carter’s” room. “I’m thinking next weekend. Sound good?”

“Uhhh…” My brain was fried. I was so freakin’ done. She had no clue what
we’d all just been through, nor did she care. And no part of me wanted to go dress shopping! Especially for a wedding that would likely not be taking place.

If this curse didn’t break soon, we would all be making some very tough decisions.

“You know what, Kiera?” Zoey began, gently taking Kiera’s upper arm and guiding her away from me. “I think Laney’s had a pretty long night. How about you call her later. Tomorrow, maybe?” Zoey flashed me a quick, apologetic smile as they walked away.

Phew! My patience was running very, very thin. Another mention of this damn wedding, and I was sure to blow.

Turning back to where Carter and Oliver were, I found “Oliver” already heading out of the room. “I let him know she’s coming,” he quietly told me as he reached me.

“You don’t want to stay in there with him?” I asked, somewhat surprised. “She is your mom.”

He shook his head. “I’ll just screw something up.”

I shook my head a little even though I knew he was probably right.

“You ready to go home?” he asked.

I shook my head again
, more vigorously this time. “Not without him.”

He nodded in understanding. “How about a walk while we wait. Mom won’t be long. She’ll just want to see that…well, I’m okay.”

“Could we maybe just sit somewhere? Get a snack, or something? My nerves are fried, and I’m hungry but don’t feel well.” I kind of felt like I might vomit, but I think that was because I was so tired and very hungry.

“Sure.” He flashed me a quick, almost too Oliver-like smile. I looked away. “You’ve got to be exhausted, Lane.”

I nodded as another yawn escaped. I really, really was.

Only minutes after Kiera left the hospital room, and right after I watched Laney walk away with my body, Carter’s mom arrived. Felix walked her into the room, and before leaving, he telepathically told me to make it quick. The reason most likely, was if anyone were to catch on to things not being right, it would be someone’s mom.