Time Mends (25 page)

“
Thaumaturgics being
witches?”

“
Yes.”

“
And Immortals being…
vampires?”

“
What is it with girls and
vampires?” Charlie asked, trying to smile.

“
They’re pretty and they
sparkle in the sun, just like unicorns.”

Charlie rolled his eyes. “No, Immortals
aren’t vampires. They can hang in the sun without becoming a disco
ball, there are no garlic allergies, and blood isn’t part of their
daily menu. They simply don’t die.”

“
Ever?”

He shrugged. “I don’t really know. Our
family doesn’t believe in that stuff. To us, they’re more like
legends and bedtime stories than an actual people walking
around.”

“
What about you, Mr.
Vasile? Do you believe in witches?”

Instead of turning around, Stefan peered at
me through the rearview mirror. “My belief is that you should take
advantage of what I believe is called the right to be silent in
your country. Feigning ignorance to gain information will not be
looked upon as favorable by our queen.”

I didn’t like Stefan. I had absolutely no
desire to impress or please him. I knew that my situation was
fairly dire, and I didn’t even understand what it was I had done
wrong. I wanted to press on, ask questions until I had a firm grasp
of what was happening, but eighteen years of being a good girl who
does what she’s told doesn’t get undone in a single moment, or even
a single summer. So, I shut my mouth and stayed silent for the
remainder of the trip.

I didn’t, however, put away my phone.

They think I’m a
witch,
I texted to Talley.

You’re not,
she hit back.

Of course I’m
not!

It will b hard 2
prove.

Y? That wand in my room
came from Harry Potter World in Orli. Is so not real. Also, I do
NOT weigh the same as a duck.

THIS IS
SERIOUS!

I know that.

Then stop being so
flippant.

I’m always flippant. This
is Scout, remember?

I’m scared.

Well, crap. There went any amount of calm I
had managed to achieve.

Me 2.
I followed up that oh-so-not-shocking announcement
with,
How is Jase?

Freaked.
Charlie?

I looked across the vast expanse of the back
seat and saw not the boy who I’d been working on getting to know
again over the last few weeks, but the one from the beginning of
the summer.

Not good.

Where do u think we’re
going?

Alcatraz?

Scout…

Sorry. Coping
mechanism.

Just as I was hitting send, the SUV lurched
to the left. I glanced out the window and realized we’d somehow
made it to the Serenity Shores Cottages. There are tons of rental
properties in Lake County to accommodate the summer tourists. Most
of them run the gambit of rustic to modern, the cabin equivalent of
roach motel to Holiday Inn, but Serenity Shores catered to a much
more affluent market. According to Meg Jamison, who worked in the
office over the summers, the cheapest cabin rented out for over
$2,500 a week.

The cabin we parked in front of was not of
the $2,500 a week variety.

The majority of Lake County is lower middle
class. My parents hardly bring in big bucks as a school
superintendent and nurse, but we are still better off financially
than most of our neighbors. Our house, a medium sized two story
neocolonial, is one of the biggest on our side of town. The cabin
was at least three times that size. Could you even call something a
cabin when it had three floors and a four car garage?

NBA stopped just in front of the Rocky-like
steps leading up to the front door. He quickly came around the
vehicle and opened the door for Stefan, who in turn opened the door
for me.

“
I have handcuffs,” he
informed me in the same bland tone you might tell someone you have
a stick of gum. “I would really rather not use them, they just seem
crass, but I will if you don’t feel as though you can control
yourself.”

The idea of having my hands bound behind me
in the present company was one of the most terrifying thoughts I
ever had.

“
I won’t give you any
trouble,” I said, knowing with morbid clarity there was no way I
was capable.

The inside of the cabin was just as opulent
as the outside. The shiny wooden floors were new enough the smell
of oak could be detected under the assault of Lemon Pine Sol. Over
them stretched the kind of old lady rugs one normally associated
with museums. The framed artwork on the wall, which was also made
of tree carcasses, looked like actual art instead of the typical
Ken Holland prints found tacked up on every available surface in
Lake County. The chandelier hanging above our heads was the only
thing assuring me we were still in my corner of the universe. Where
else besides Western Kentucky would a four foot wide chandelier
made entirely of deer antlers count as classy?

The Shifter who opened the door stayed bowed
over as we all entered, although I’m not certain if it was because
of some sort of lower station thing or because his decrepit old
back couldn’t fully straighten.

“
Sir,” he breathed as
Stefan entered, dipping even lower.

Stefan shrugged off his suit jacket and
draped it over the elderly gentleman’s arm, revealing the worst
case of sweaty pits I’d ever seen. “We have two additional guests,
Akay. Can you have a room prepared for them?”

“
Of course, sire. Would
you prefer them on the upper levels or with the
Thaumaturgic?”

“
One of the empty rooms on
the third floor.” He gave both Jase and Charlie a once over. “And
make certain it’s not a room adjacent to one of the
girls.”

Another man who looked like a younger
version of Akay came into the room and the servant spoke to him in
a multitude of vowels and hard consonants. Once Akay was done
issuing out orders in his native tongue, the younger man bounded up
the stairs.

During the whole exchange Jase, Charlie,
Talley, and I stood clumped together in front of the door. There
was a comfort in knowing I wasn’t alone, and having their bodies
near soothed me. If I hadn’t thought it would make me look like a
complete pansy, I would have grabbed the two hands closest to me
and clung on for dear life. I didn’t want to be here, and I was so
scared I probably would have a full on coronary if one of the
muscled men turned around and said, “Boo!”

“
Shall I inform the queen
of your arrival?” NBA asked.

“
Please, Mandla.” Stefan
turned to the servant as the African guard also headed up the
stairs. “Akay, show the Seer and coyotes around.” Akay moved his
torso impossibly closer to the floor. “Hashim and Travis, you many
lead the Thaumaturgic to her quarters.”

Something about the way they kept referring
to me as “the Thaumaturgic” made me doubt my chances at a fair
trial.

“
We’re on it, boss,” the
blond said with a Texas drawl. “You want us to stay and keep her
company?”

Stefan nodded. “For a moment. We will begin
rotations after I meet with the Taxiarhos.”

Both Travis and Hashim, the human serpent,
bowed, though if it was a sign of actual respect or just an attempt
to stay on the punishing side of the Shifter politics, I couldn’t
say.

I expected to be led away with the same
stoic severity the two had exhibited for the last hour or so of our
acquaintance, or perhaps even frog-marched away, but instead Travis
came up and offered me an arm. “Shall we, ma’am?”

Unable to say anything due to terror induced
muteness, I nodded and slipped a hand into the crook of his elbow.
The sensation of his warm and surprisingly soft skin against my
palm made my heart skip a beat, and not out of fear. I looked up
into his chiseled face and felt my face heat.

“
Where are you taking
her?” Charlie demanded, sounding much braver than I could have
mustered.

“
We have prepared special
accommodations for the Thaumaturgic,” Stefan said. “We must
guarantee everyone’s safety, including her own, until the
trial.”

Charlie stepped forward, looking ready to
take on Travis despite the fact he maybe came up to his nose. “I’m
going with her.”

“
Sorry, but I’m afraid the
Thaumaturgic must be kept separated until the new moon. Perhaps,
however, you can convince the queen to allow short visits during
your stay so you may ensure her health and safety as is your
duty.”

Charlie didn’t immediately stand down, which
made me happy on some deeply selfish level, but I couldn’t allow
anything to happen to him just because I was afraid to be alone. He
caught my eye, and I shook my head, forcing my face to remain calm
and authoritative. There was another beat before he inclined his
head in a move similar to the reverence the others showed
Stefan.

“
I’ll come check on you as
soon as I can,” he said.

“
Take care of each other,
okay?” I said to the three of them, unable to address Charlie
individually. I couldn’t cry in front of the others. It was like
when I walked into the middle of the Hagan Pack after my first
Change - I couldn’t let them see my fear. Or my heartache. This was
the Shifter world I was dealing with. Strength was
everything.

Fortunately, no one expected Seers to be
tough, because Talley was a virtual waterworks as Travis whisked me
away with Hashim following at a distance most people would have
found socially unacceptable. Every step away from my Pack felt like
something vital was being ripped away from me. The stress must have
shown, because Travis reached over and patted the hand gripping
onto his elbow.

“
Don’t worry.” His tone
was somewhere between gentle and condescending. “We’ll treat you
right.”

“
Said the Big Bad Wolf,” I
muttered before my brain could inform my mouth that might not be
the smartest move. Travis only laughed.

“
Does that make you one of
the Three Little Pigs?”

I frowned. “I was thinking more like Little
Red Riding Hood.”

Another laugh. “Except in this version
Grandma is Maleficent, and instead of the Woodsman coming to the
rescue, Red turns into a giant white wolf?”

“
I’m not a
witch.”

“
Sorry, Miss Donovan, but
this is the Alpha Pack, not CSI: Boondocks. Here you’re guilty
until proven innocent.” When he looked at me, I thought I detected
regret in his overly handsome face. “And no one is ever proven
innocent.”

***

I’m not exactly sure what I expected my jail
cell to look like, but an actual jail cell never crossed my mind. I
mean, who puts steel bars in the basement of a deluxe cabin on the
Kentucky Lake?

Yet, that is exactly what I found at the
bottom of the back staircase. The cell was located in the corner
opposite the washer and dryer. It was larger than the cells I’ve
seen on TV, something close to a fifteen by fifteen foot square.
The decor was very uninhabited dorm room. A twin bed with cheap
white sheets was pushed against one wall with a beaten up dresser
at the foot. And that was the entire extent of my furniture.

A crappy bed with crappy
sheets I could handle. However, what gave me a serious case
of
do not make me go in there
was the bathroom, or what was to be counted as a
bathroom. On the far wall was a toilet, which had been relieved of
its seat. A cheap shower head stuck out of the wall. The area was
surrounded by a track from which hung a thin white shower
curtain.

Then there were the shackles hanging off the
walls.

Someone needed to explain the definition of
“serenity” to the owners of Serenity Shores.

“
Cozy,” I said as Travis
keyed a code into the door.

“
Just in case you get any
strokes of genius, you need to know these here are some of the
strongest steel bars you can get, and they are hiding beneath the
concrete walls, too.” The Texan pointed to a box on the wall
nearest the door leading out of the basement. “Once I have you in
here, I’m going to flip that switch, which will run enough juice
through them to make that stick straight hair of yours look like
Justin Timberlake’s white boy fro.”

“
The window?” I asked,
nodding to the tiny opening a good six inches over my
head.

“
Double-plated
bullet-proof glass. Also, it’s armed with two different security
systems, just like all the doors. Both systems run off a generator
should we lose power.”

“
Not to mention a house
full of Dominants, right?”

Travis’s teeth gleamed under the fluorescent
lights. “Right, cupcake.” He leaned over to where his nose was
hovering scant centimeters away from where my neck and shoulder met
and then breathed in deeply. “Damn shame you’re Thaumaturgic,” he
said, his breath tickling my collar bone. “I would have really
enjoyed getting to know you.”

This time it wasn’t just my face that
flushed, it was my whole body.

“
I’m not a witch.” Was
that really my voice coming out all low and breathy? “I’m a
Shifter.”

He didn’t move, which was incredibly rude,
completely terrifying, and more than a little thrilling at the same
time. “You certainly smell like a Shifter.” He sniffed in again,
the hum of noise from the back of his throat causing goosebumps to
pop up all over my skin.