Love Sucks! (8 page)

I
stood outside Ryan's door for what seemed like forever. I dreaded this conversation more than I dreaded second period with Crabby Crandall every day.

Lex said Ryan didn't trust him, but he didn't say why. If it was just jealousy, then we could work through that. At least I hoped we could.

With my heart pounding, I knocked on Ryan's door. He opened it almost immediately.

“I was wondering how long you were going to stand out here,” he said. “C'mon in.”

His room smelled like him, and a rush of memories flooded over me and had me longing for last summer.

“What's up?” he asked. “I'm getting ready to head out, so can you make this quick?”

“Um, well, a couple of things,” I said, pulling at my hair nervously. Why was I so anxious? “First, we need to make a plan to search for the runes. I have some ideas, and I thought maybe we could go out tonight after supper?”

“Sure,” he said with a shrug. “Sounds good to me. We need to get going on that if we're going to find them and keep them hidden. I definitely think we need to get them into the house where they'll be safe. Since evil has to be invited in, the runes should be well protected.”

“Which is also why we have to make sure Mom doesn't leave the house—she's safe here. So you're still planning to work with me on this?”

His eyes widened. “Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?” he asked. “Look, I'm having a hard time dealing with your sidekick, I'll admit that, but AJ, I can't imagine you would ever do anything to hurt your family.” He paused, then amended, “
Our
family.”

I knew in my heart Ryan wasn't going to cut me out. We meant too much to each other, and ultimately we shared the same goal—the safety of our family.

“I'm so relieved. I was worried that maybe you were letting some old feelings for me cloud your judgment of Lex.”

“I'll admit it's not easy seeing you with another guy. But then I realized I had no right to be jealous—now I know how you felt seeing Lindsey and me together, and I'm really sorry about that. I don't like seeing you with Lex, but I'm sure that will eventually get easier. You deserve to be happy. I hope he makes you happy.”

Conflicting emotions warred inside me. This had been what I'd wanted, right? For Ryan to trust me, for us to keep working together, and for our relationship to truly shift into that of siblings as opposed to star-crossed teenage lovers. So why did it hurt so much to hear him tell me he hoped Lex made me happy?

“Is that all?” Ryan asked.

“Oh, um, no.” I mentally shook the cobwebs loose and swept them under a rug. “There's one more thing.”

“What's that?”

“The Serpentines got into my head today and managed to pull me into their world, like they did when I touched the scrolls.”

He couldn't mask the worry that glittered his eyes. “What happened? Where were you?”

“Actually, I was at school the first time, and at home the second.”

“Twice! And here? How did they get through the bubble?”

“I don't know. Lex and Robbie were going to talk to Aunt D about it.”

“So what exactly happened? Did they just talk to you?” Ryan asked.

“They tried to keep me with them. The only thing that saved me from staying there permanently was Lex. He went after me and pulled me back.”

“Huh,” Ryan said absently. “And you didn't touch anything? You were just doing your own thing and suddenly you were yanked there?”

“Pretty much. The first time, Lex and I were walking in the halls at school, and the second time, we were resting after our training session.”

“Oh. Okay. Well, thank God you're okay. I think I'm going to run down and talk to Aunt D and see what we can do to strengthen the protection spell. I wouldn't forgive myself if they could get to you because I did something wrong when casting the spell.”

I went into my room, picked up my cell phone, and called Bridget.

“Hey,” she answered on the second ring. “What's up?”

“I dunno. I feel weird. Ryan just gave me permission to be with Lex, and I'm totally confused.”

“Mmm. You and Sexy Lexy? Gotta love that.”

“I guess,” I answered. “But something isn't right, and I don't know what it is.”

“Just go with it, AJ. You're overthinking. If you're still pining for Ryan, even a little bit, well, that's honestly kinda ridiculous. He and Lindsey have been together all year, and even if they weren't, you know you can't be with Ryan. He's your brother now. You've said that so much, I swear it's tattooed on the back of your eyelids. So stop worrying about Ryan and enjoy your time with Sexy Lexy. He seems to be the perfect rebound guy.”

“So this is you giving me some tough love, then?” I asked with a laugh.

“Somebody needs to.” I could hear her smiling through the phone. “Hey, I hate to cut this short, but I gotta go. You okay now?”

“Yeah. I'm better. Thanks. See ya tomorrow.”

I clicked my phone shut as my bedroom door opened. “We've got to go,” Lex said.

“Excuse me, but did you forget how to knock?”

“C'mon, we don't have much time. Ryan lied. He's going to look for the runes now, and we have to beat him to it. Now, let's go.”

He grabbed my wrist and damn near dragged me
down the stairs. “Let go!” I said. “You're hurting me.”

He chuckled and released my wrist. “Sailor, you just kicked my ass a few minutes ago—so that little tug on your wrist didn't hurt you. But nice try.”

“Whatever. I can walk without assistance. But you need to tell me what you're talking about.”

Robbie was waiting for us in the kitchen. “You haven't told her?” he asked Lex.

“I told her Ryan was lying.”

Robbie rolled his eyes. “She might need a bit more of an explanation. Especially now that she thinks you're the one lying to her.”

I shot Robbie a look, then glanced over at Lex.

“You're doin' good keeping me out of your head, sailor. But you have to work harder to keep Robbie out. He's the brain ninja, you know.”

“Shhh. Let's talk about this outside. I don't want Momma to overhear anything,” I said. I knew we were keeping her in the loop, but I wasn't sure she needed to know every detail.

“You don't have to worry about that. She went to the hospital for a checkup.”

“What do you mean she
went
to the hospital? Her checkups were supposed to be at home from now on.”

I grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed Auntie Tave.

“Hello there,” she answered. “It's been so strange not being able to feel you these past couple of days. I guess training is going well?”

“Tave, are you with Mom? She left the house to go to the hospital for a checkup,” I said, ignoring her question.

“Oh no. What was she thinking? Don't worry, I'll find her and get her home safely.”

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

“We've got to go, sailor.”

“I can't go anywhere until I know my mom is safe,” I said.

My phone rang again.

“She's fine,” Auntie Tave said when I answered. “I've called Rick and he's coming to get her. She said she just had to come to the hospital.”

“We need to up the protection, Tave. The Serpentines were able to get into my head twice today, and once was here at the house.”

“Oh, that's not good. I'm calling Doreen. We'll fix this.”

“Make sure Rick casts a protection spell on the car
before he brings Mom home.”

Worry sat like a rock in my belly. Momma's condition was already precarious—and this added mind-control thing was a worry we didn't need. What good was living with a family of witches if they couldn't cast a proper protective spell?

I ended the call, looked up, and started when I saw Lex and Robbie watching me intently. I had forgotten they were even there.

“She's safe, then?” Lex asked.

I nodded.

“Good. Then we've got to go.”

L
ex drove while Robbie explained.

“Ryan lied to you. He and his brothers are on their way to look for the runes.”

I started laughing. “Why would he take the kids with him? Don't get me wrong; he loves his brothers, but no way would he take them to look for the runes.”

“He's traveling in a group, just like you were told to do. They're headed to the library. Mrs. Christopher gave him some information today that he's going to research.”

“This just doesn't make any sense,” I said.

“For what it's worth, Ryan had every intention of hunting for the runes with you tonight, until . . .” Robbie paused.

“Until what?”

“Until you told him about your visits from the Serpentines, love,” Lex said.

The lightbulb finally burned bright above my head. “You've been with me both times. He thinks you're their connection to me. Wow.”

Lex nodded.

“Why didn't you tell me he thought that?” I asked.

“Would you have believed me if I had?” Lex asked.

No. I wouldn't have.

“Ryan's floundering right now. You were his best friend, and now with all the family stress, plus the added pressure of you and Lex, he just doesn't have anyone to trust. He and Bridget have been talking about that a lot lately. They both miss you.”

“Why would Bridget miss me? I'm with her all the time.”

“Yeah, but she feels a little on the outs because of Malia,” Robbie said. “And that Malia—wow, she's something. I can't read her, not even one emotion. Do you know how nice that is?”

I shot Robbie a look as he wandered off topic. “I don't know what's up with Bridget and Malia—they just can't get into a groove. But Ryan has Lindsey. And he has his
best friend, Sean,” I muttered.

“Love, when was the last time you saw his mate around the house? Or his girl, for that matter?” Lex asked.

I had to think about it. Sean actually hadn't been around since the beginning of the school year. I'd been so wrapped up in my own problems that I hadn't even noticed. And Lindsey? Well, I really couldn't say. “It's been a while for both, I guess.”

“Sean and Lindsey are an item now. Ryan's been on his own for weeks.”

“But . . .?” I wanted to argue, but I couldn't. I had been so caught up in trying to get over Ryan, I hadn't even noticed he was all alone.

Robbie leaned forward from the backseat and touched my shoulders. “It's hard, getting information about your friends this way. I know. And it's not fair that we can hear almost everyone's thoughts. Trust me when I say sometimes I wish I couldn't. But we have to tell you this so you'll understand. Ryan is in a bad way right now. And since he feels that Lex is betraying you and therefore betraying your family, he's looking for answers and friendship elsewhere. He's not going to trust you to help him.”

I stared out the window as we drove past Bumpers, then town hall, and then the park. I swallowed the lump
that had formed in my throat. I was a selfish cow. How could I have been so wrapped up in myself that I didn't even notice what was going on in Ryan's life? The boy I had supposedly loved. And then there was Bridget, my best friend, who wasn't confiding in me at all. Which was ironic, since I had tried to confide in her about my fangtacular split personality last fall and she had laughed so hard my pride still hurt thinking about it.

“Hey, where are we going?” I asked, realizing we'd bypassed the library for Bridget's neighborhood.

Sure enough, right in front of Bridget's house sat Ryan's Jeep.

“I don't know if I understand why we need to get the runes before he does. Where's the logic in that?” I asked. “Won't that just push him further away?”

Lex shot Robbie a look in the rearview mirror that sent my Spidey sense into orbit.

“What aren't you telling me?” I demanded. “If you expect me to help with this, you have to tell me everything.”

Lex parked behind Ryan's Jeep, reached over, and took my hand in his. “He's planning to destroy the runes when he finds them. His thoughts are well intended, but there's a slight problem with his plan. He can destroy the runes,
but he cannot destroy the magic—not at his skill level. And once the magic is released, we can't control where it will land or what it will do.”

I guess this could be a case of the road to a paranormal apocalypse being paved with good intentions?

 

We sat outside Bridget's house for a few minutes while Robbie and Lex did their brain voodoo.

I really hated the idea that they had no reservations about just getting inside someone's head and listening to their private thoughts. I felt violated every time my dreams were invaded by the Serpentines, every time they whisked me off to some faraway world, but at least I was aware of their infiltration. How awful would it be to have all your private thoughts unknowingly accessed and used against you?

“It's no fun being on the other end, either,” Lex said. “Do you know how hard it is, knowing everyone's secrets? Everyone's thoughts about you? About your family? Do you know how difficult it is to even date someone? It's impossible. You're the first girl who has at least been able to push me out of your head. Very few people have a natural ability to block. Your friend Malia is one of them, which is why Robbie can't seem to get her out of his mind.”

Robbie's ears turned bright red. “Yeah,” he said, nodding. “It's rare to find a girl you know nothing about. Challenging. Intriguing. And wonderfully silent.”

I hadn't really thought about that. How noisy their heads must be, and what an awful burden it was to carry all those secrets around. “I'm sorry. I know it must be hard.”

“You get used to it, and you learn to live with it,” Lex said. He turned to Robbie in the backseat. “We don't have much time.”

The hair on my arm suddenly stood straight up.

Something wasn't right. It was like the barometric pressure had dropped. I glanced out the window to see if a storm was brewing.

But instead of gray clouds, I saw a dark gray fog, and my nose was assaulted by the sticky-sweet smell of the Bborim.

“Um, guys? Do you see that?” I asked as my heart kicked into overdrive. “Do you smell that?”

“Smell what? We best get going now. Ryan is going to start at the historical marker his teacher told him about. He's waiting for dark to go out there, so if we go now, maybe we can find it before he gets there.”

“You guys seriously don't see that gray fog? Or smell
the sugar explosion?” I asked, watching the fog trail behind us.

“Work on your exercises,” Robbie said. “The Serpentines are just trying to mess with you.”

“No. It's really there. I can feel it,” I said, taking in a deep breath. I began my mental yoga like Robbie had instructed, but I knew the demon was out there.

“If the demon were there, Lex and I would know.”

I tried to relax as Lex pulled away from the curb and headed out of the subdivision. “This marker—how far is it from town?” he asked.

“Fifteen minutes. Take highway seven south. It's on the right a little ways off the road. The shoulder is really wide for parking.”

I glanced toward the haunting gray smoke one more time, then closed my eyes and tried to keep the brain brothers out of my head. I couldn't tell if it was working. Usually I felt Lex all up in my mind, and right now he was nowhere to be found. Which could mean that I was getting better. Or it could mean that he was being purposefully quiet.

And I never knew if Robbie was there. That boy must have patented his stealth-warrior mind reading. Hope he made a mint off it.

Robbie chuckled from the backseat. I pulled down the visor and eyed him through the mirror. “Guess that means you're not out of my head, huh?”

“That's what that means. Good news is, you
are
keeping Lex out, so you're getting better.”

“Maybe I'm just not trying,” Lex said. “Maybe I'm just giving her a break.”

Robbie barked with laughter. “Em, yeah. Keep tellin' yerself that, mate.”

Lex mumbled something that I couldn't make out, but obviously Robbie heard and nearly doubled over laughing.

“What's so funny?”

Robbie and Lex made eye contact through the rearview mirror. Lex's eyes were broody, but Robbie's were twinkling. It was a little strange seeing their mirror-imaged eyes with such different expressions.

Finally Lex broke the silence. “I'm not used to this, and Robbie is taking great pleasure in my difficulty.”

“Used to what?” I asked.

“Truth be told, I've never had anyone successfully block me from their head. Not this quickly. Not like you have. I've been trying since we left Bridget's to get in there, and I've not been successful. It's frustrating.”

“Is that it?” I asked.

Lex glanced my way, and a flash of heat mushroomed in my belly. “That's it for now,” he said. “We're here.”

He pulled the car to the shoulder of the road and parked. As we all got out, I carefully glanced around for any signs of the gray smoke. When I didn't see any, I inhaled deeply. Nothing. Relieved, I joined the brothers at the historical marker. Lex read the engraved words out loud.

“Valley Springs, Mississippi's first settlers built the church in 1792. During an archaeological dig in 1989, other artifacts dating back to the same time period were discovered, as well as evidence that this area was once the location of the original settlement.”

Behind the marker was a dirt path that led into a wide clearing in the woods. The sky was turning pink as the sun was beginning to set, and even though there was still quite a bit of light, the farther we followed the path into the woods, the darker it became.

I shuddered and rubbed my arms as a chill cascaded over me.

“You all right, sailor?” Lex wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him.

“Fine. Just a chill,” I said as I tried to rub the unease
away. “So what's our game plan tonight? Look around until we find a rock that looks special? I don't even know what a rune looks like.”

“These won't be like the runes that are used for magic today. Usually runes are smaller, with only one symbol or letter etched into them, but the runes we're searching for will be slightly different. They'll be smooth stones, probably palm-size. And when
you
touch them, they should be warm,” Robbie said.

“How do you know this?” I asked. “Do they teach you this stuff in Vampire Trainer School?”

They both laughed. “We did learn about the history between Serpentines and Frieceadans—including the falling-out between the two clans and the hiding of the documents. The runes and the scrolls were never to be in the same place,” Robbie said.

“What happens if they're brought together again?”

“Nobody's certain. The manipulation of time is what most people believe. It's what the evils want to believe. But the only way to really know what will happen is to get the scrolls and runes together, and nobody wants to do that.”

Well, almost nobody. After the Mr. Charles debacle in the fall, we'd searched for the scrolls. We had last seen
them in his classroom, but they were nowhere to be found after he disappeared. We could only assume he managed to get them back to the Serpentines. If the Serpentines had both the runes and the scrolls together, who knows what kind of paranormal gate they could open?

I had done a pretty good job of ignoring that everyone believed my father was the one behind this. Which was part of the reason why Ryan no longer trusted me. The burden of knowing that a member of my family could be the one who started all this was almost too much to bear. I hadn't seen or heard from my dad since I was ten years old, but I remembered him as kind, loving, and fun. I didn't want to believe that he had changed, because that meant that if the evil could get to him, then possibly Ryan was right and it could get to me, too.

Maybe I
shouldn't
be trusted.

Well, now we know what we need to work on.
Lex's voice in my head startled me.
They'll look for your weaknesses and enter that way. They play on your insecurities. When you feel insecure, you let your guard down. And if I can get back in, so can they.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and mentally slammed the door to my brain. As soon as I felt alone inside my head, I glanced at Lex. The look on his face was
somewhere between shock and awe.

“You're getting good at that. Too bad you can't seem to get rid of Robbie. Better work harder.”

I rolled my eyes and flipped Lex off as we rounded a curve on the dirt path. A huge grassy clearing opened up in front of us.

The stone ruins of the old church stood about fifty feet away. The roof was completely gone, as was the majority of the wall on the right side of the building. It was both creepy and beautiful.

“Wow,” I said a little breathlessly. “Now what?”

“We start with the trees,” Robbie said. “If the runes were hidden here, there will be clues etched in the trees.”

“Um, I hate to be an idiot, but what will I be looking for?”

“Trees that are warm to the touch—you're a key holder, so you should feel their energy. The messages will be etched in a crevice or on the roots,” Lex said.

“So we're just assuming that after all these years, the etchings will still be there? That the trees are still standing?”

“Sweetheart, you're thinking like a human. These trees are blessed with magic. If the runes are here, the trees are still standing and the clues will be readable,” Lex
reminded me. “And if you're truly a key holder, you'll find them because you're supposed to.”

“Oh yeah. Magic. I spend so much time trying
not
to be magical that I still sometimes forget.”