Frog Hollow (Witches of Sanctuary Book 1) (19 page)

“Don’t worry, I’ll find you first.”

His eyes bulge out, his blue cheeks turning sallow, and I watch as the blackness takes him under. I kick him, not so gently, to make sure he is completely out before I drop my hold on him and take off into the darkness. I don’t know how much time I have before they notice our absence. I have to make it to Abby and Sadie before that happens.

I’m gasping for air when I break through the final trees into the giant parking lot surrounding the courthouse. Reid’s truck sits in the spot closest to the door next to Zeke’s Jeep, and I sigh with relief. I run across the lot, darting glances over my shoulder every few seconds, and I almost trip when I hit the first step because I catch a glimpse of a face in the shadows. I scramble further up the steps, grabbing the door. As I let it slam shut behind me, I see the man, this Roux Bessette, standing there watching me with the same hint of pure hatred on his straight features.

I tear through the building, yelling Reid’s name at the top of my lungs. If I sound shrill, desperate, and scared out of my mind, I don’t care. My voice echoes off the tall stone walls of the atrium, and I fear maybe I really am alone until I hear the whisper of voices in the distance. I scramble down a long hallway leading into a giant domed ballroom. As I enter the door, I run straight into Reid, who is obviously rushing out in response to my screaming. He catches me, and I immediately collapse in his arms. I am so out of breath I can’t breathe, and suddenly, I feel the full extent of my injuries as the pain crashes through my system.

“Wilhelmina.” Reid pulls me to his chest.

Abby gasps in shock somewhere in the distance, and within seconds I am surrounded. Eyes peer down at me from all directions, but I am so lightheaded I can’t make out anyone’s face. “Julien,” I say as Reid slowly lets me down to the floor. “They took Julien.”

Reid cradles my head in his lap as I finally manage to make out Abby’s features. She pulls my face up to look at her. “Who took Julien? What happened?”

My breathing is still too heavy to speak coherently. “Stalker,” I croak. “Outside.”

“They’re still here?” Grady urgently comes to attention.

I only nod, and in a flash, he is gone.

Abby hovers over me. “What happened?”

“Can’t you see she’s in shock?” Reid says, pushing her away from me. “They’ve almost managed to kill her.”

I grab Abby’s hand and pull it to my ribcage. I look at her pleadingly, and she immediately understands. A few moments later, my body mends itself, and I finally manage to breathe again. “Five men attacked us,” I say as Abby begins to focus her powers on my mangled elbow. “We fell through the window of the chapel. They followed us to the park and caught us on our way here. Three of them dragged Julien away, but I escaped.”

The pain finally starts to ease as Reid curses under his breath. “I guess I don’t have to bother pointing out that I told you so. I knew they’d be back with reinforcements to get you.”

I shake my head frantically. “They wanted Julien too,” I try to explain. “The man with them wanted me.”

“What man?” Abby asks, rubbing my cheek.

“Tall, brown hair, glasses,” I stammer, remembering his cool glare. “They called him Roux. Roux Bessette.”

“Roux Bessette?” Abby repeats, looking up at Reid with a confused expression. “Do you know him?”

“No.” He sighs, gritting his teeth. “But I will. Soon.”

I manage to sit up just as Grady returns, with Zeke and Sadie following at his heels.

“No sign of them. They’re gone.”

“What’s going on?” Zeke asks with his arm wrapped around Sadie’s waist. Though he is dressed up for his date, he looks worse, much weaker than yesterday.

I ignore his question, not only because I don’t have time to answer it, but also because I can’t bear to look at him. So instead, I focus my energy on Reid. “We have to go after them,” I tell him. “We have to find Julien.”

His face contorts into a grimace, and his entire attitude changes instantly. “I will go after them, but it won’t be to find him.”

Abby interrupts me as I try to gain my balance and get to my feet. “Have you ever heard of Roux Bessette?” she asks Grady and Zeke.

“Never heard of him.” Zeke’s brows draw together in concentration. “But if he’s dealing with Julien’s family, I know exactly who to ask. My cousin Anders lives in Charlotte. They’re constantly having to keep François’s goons in check.”

“Great.” Reid nods. “We’ll leave tonight.”

Stepping in front of him, I stumble but manage to keep my balance long enough to get my point across. “I’m going with you.”

He laughs humorlessly. “The hell you are. Do you realize they almost killed you tonight?”

“And they didn’t because of Julien. I can’t let them take him.”

Reid rolls his eyes. He is close enough to touch me now, but he doesn’t. When he speaks, his voice is low and rough. “We both know this isn’t about your guilt. I’m not letting you die for him. He knew the risk, and if he cares about you half as much as I do, he wouldn’t want you to save him.”

“And do you think I’m going to stand here and let you run off and get yourself killed for me? This isn’t just about me or Julien. These are probably the same people who killed my mother. I deserve a chance to go after them, to make them pay for what they’ve done. You can’t do this alone.”

He growls at me, seconds away from turning this into an outright shouting match. Luckily, Abby and Grady intervene, pushing us into opposite corners. “She’s right,” Grady sighs, shrugging at the exasperated look on Reid’s face. “Charlotte is crawling with danger. Julien’s family practically runs that town. Even if Zeke can convince his cousin Anders to help, we can’t do this alone.”

“We’re going,” Abby says gently. “All of us.”

Reid bites back his words, pushing away from Grady’s comforting hand. He glares at each of us, but no one is willing to back down. “Fine,” he says, “but you better have your shit ready in thirty minutes.” He stands back and crosses his arms over his chest, sulking.

Abby runs over to hug her brother, but I’m not willing to forgive him so easily. I turn to stomp out of the room, because I doubt Reid will really follow through on his threat and leave without me. I feel Zeke behind me and turn to find his cheery face beaming at me.

“What is that look for?” I ask sourly, though my voice falls as I notice his sunken eyes. I suddenly understand why Sadie is forcing him to go out—because soon that won’t be an option anymore. It doesn’t seem to bother him, though, because he only grins wider at me.

“I love road trips.”

Chapter 18

PRISCILLA DE MARCI

A half hour later, I sling a fully packed bag over my shoulder as Sadie and I wait for Zeke to swing by and pick us up. My stomach is a ball of nerves, and I’m practically vibrating from head to toe with anxiety. They can’t seem to get here quick enough.

It’s well after midnight now, so I don’t notice the car bounding down the driveway belongs to Reid until he pulls in sideways and jumps out of the driver’s seat. I stumble back, looking curiously at him. He still isn’t thrilled we are imposing on his plan. He reaches for my bag and throws it in the back of his truck with the others. When I don’t move, he huffs impatiently at me. “Going or not?”

He jerks the door of the truck open.

I dart inside, crawling in the back with Sadie. Zeke peeks over the front seat at me. “We lost the draw,” he says, grinning. “Everyone else is riding with Grady.”

“Great,” I say, glancing out the window away from a brooding Reid. “This is going to be a long three hours.”

I’m right.

Reid isn’t in the mood to talk or even listen to music. After an hour of dead silence, Zeke finally dozes off, and Sadie resorts to headphones. Normally, I would jump at the chance to catch some sleep, but I’m antsy. My adrenaline is in overdrive as I contemplate the horrible things that could be happening to Julien. What if they punish him for my escape? Whoever this Roux Bessette guy is, he isn’t pleased I escaped his grasp. That look spoke volumes about his intentions. He is dangerous, and he means me harm.

The hours drag, but we finally catch up with Grady and follow them into the sleeping city. It’s nearly three a.m., but the lights are still bright and flashing, the music still pouring from windows and open doors. I’ve never been to Charlotte; the city seems to pulsate with magic and mystery. Reid’s large truck weaves in and out of narrow streets lined with tall historic buildings. Locals and tourists alike lean over the rails, waving and cheering as the endless party continues to fill the night. It is then, when we make the last turn, that I spot something that brings back a flash of memories. It’s a graveyard, a city of mausoleums, surrounded by a large wrought iron gate.

“Priscilla!” I scream, clawing at the window. “The graveyard in downtown Charlotte. That’s the graveyard Priscilla haunts.”

Zeke jerks up from his sleep, and Sadie pulls out her earphones. I look frantically around the truck, leaning forward to slap Reid on the shoulder. “Stop! Stop! We need to stop here.”

“No way, Wilhelmina. Forget about it.”

“Who’s Priscilla?” Zeke asks, turning sleepily around in his seat.

“She’s a ghost. She knows Julien. He used to visit her as a child, and she can help us find him!”

Sadie looks sadly at me. “Willa, ghosts can only manifest with magic, and even then it only lasts for so long.”

“No.” I watch as we slowly pass it. “Priscilla is the great-great-grandmother of an Innocent. Julien said someone was murdered, sacrificed so her ghost could haunt here for eternity.”

Zeke’s eyes widen. “You can do that?”

I look at Sadie, waiting for an answer myself. “I’ve never heard of it,” she says. “But that doesn’t mean much.”

“See. It could be true. We need to find her. She could lead us to him.”

Zeke looks at Reid, who managed to stay relatively quiet. “So what do you think?”

“I think I don’t give a shit about finding Julien,” he shoots back.

Sadie catches my hand, signaling for me to hold my temper. When Zeke speaks, his voice is calm and rational. “If we find Julien, we find them,” he says.

“There are other ways.”

“An easier way? If we start asking around town, someone will eventually alert them of our presence. Secrecy is our biggest advantage right now.”

Reid breathes slowly through his nose, and if it wasn’t for the fact that we slow down, I might have thought he still refused. “Sadie, call my mom and let her know we’ll be at the hotel in a few minutes, and mind that is all I’m giving you. We’re not spending the whole night searching for some lost spirit.”

I bounce excitedly in my seat as we pull over to the curb. When Zeke starts to get out, Reid catches his arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Ghost hunting.”

“I’m not leaving my truck here alone. I’ll accompany Wilhelmina, and you two baby-sit.”

Zeke’s mouth drops open, disappointed. “Ahh, come on.”

“Stay, or we end this adventure early,” he says with a shrug.

Zeke glares at him. “Fine,” he huffs. “Go have all the fun.”

Once out of the truck, I give Reid a pointed stare. “Was that really necessary?”

“I promised his mother I’d keep him out of trouble, and tromping through a graveyard in the middle of the night is just asking for it.”

It’s hard to fight him, so instead, I focus my energy on the gate. Surely it’s locked, which means climbing it is our only means of entry, unless Reid will let me send him flying over the top, which I doubt. He stands next to the black iron bars, pulling on them to test their strength. I can see him coming to the same conclusion. “Want a leg up?”

With one steady heave, I catch the top of the gate and pull myself over. I’m surprised to find Reid right behind me, our feet hitting the ground at the exact same time. I stand up and catch my bearings, unsure of where to begin. We walk down the lonely aisles, Reid staying close enough to touch me the entire time. “Priscilla DeMarci,” I whisper.

“That isn’t how you call a ghost,” he says, rolling his eyes.

I turn to him, my brow raised. “It’s not?”

“You’re an Innocent. You pull energy from the earth. What is a ghost but another form of it?”

That definitely makes sense, so much so that I can’t believe I didn’t think of it first. “Okay.” I concede. “Help me focus my power?”

I hold my hands out to my sides as he studies me. “You want me to upset you?”

“Shouldn’t be that hard.”

He eyes me, gauging if I’m serious or not. I huff impatiently at him.

“All right, I can give it a shot.”

He stretches his shoulders and arms as if he is about to perform some great physical feat. He takes in a deep breath and then looks me straight in the eye. “You chose that bastard over me,” he says casually. “I can’t decide if I’m pissed or heartbroken about it.”

Shit.

I definitely didn’t expect that.

“Reid.” I struggle to find the right words. “It’s not like that.”

“So what were you two doing in an abandoned chapel? Taking a tour?”

Heat flushes my face.

Damn, he is good at getting me worked up. My energy begins to buzz around the edges of my body like kindling waiting to ignite. “That isn’t fair.”

“You’re right about that. Nothing about this is fair. He wasn’t supposed to be a part of this. Fiona was going to find you and bring you back to us before they ever found you and threatened her. She’d already decided it before they killed her, but it wasn’t for her. She truly thought you’d managed to live a fairly normal and safe life out there with your father, and she probably died happy still believing that. She was going to bring you back for me.”

I’m speechless, my mind whirling in circles around me. “Why? Why would she do that?”

“I was lonely, Wilhelmina. I’ve never fit in this family. I’ve always been the odd one out. Fiona believed in the power of balance and equilibrium, and she was convinced it meant I needed you.” His lips quirk to the side as if there is more he wants to add but stops himself short.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before now?”

“For the same reason I tried to get you to leave that first night. Happiness, a place in the world, isn’t worth risking your life to achieve. My own, I’d sacrifice, but not yours.”

I pour the emotion back inside myself, a gut-wrenching sensation that threatens to double me over before it bursts out like a glowing orb circling around me. My eyes clamp shut, a small whimper escaping my lips.

I want to flinch when Reid’s hand touches my elbow, but any movement could break me. I think it might never end, the endless amount of energy running so freely out of me that I feel myself draining like an empty tub. It isn’t until I hear her voice, her gentle, delicate gasp, that I finally come back to myself.

“Well, I’ll be,” the voice echoes behind me. “It sure has been a while since I felt a stirring that strong.”

My eyes shoot open to find Reid almost stuttering in disbelief. I spin around just in time to see the faint outline of the old woman, her gaudy dress and seamless hose that lead down to perfect black-buttoned boots. She adjusts the extravagant purple hat on her head, tilting it to the side so the three giant feathers sway in the breeze. She smiles simply at me, the worn edges of her mouth curving into a twist. “You called me, did you not?”

“P-Priscilla?”

“The one and only, my child.”

I shoot a glance at Reid, his eyes still wide with shock. I want to hit him, to knock him out of his stupor, but I know it is only leftover animosity rather than my need for his help. “I’m looking for someone,” I tell her quickly, “a boy you used to know. Julien Cote.”

She looks pleasantly at me. “Na,
chérie
. I do not know who you mean.”

“It wasn’t in your lifetime,” I try to explain, “but rather your afterlife. He would have been young, much younger than myself.”

She continues to look puzzled until Reid speaks up behind me. “He would have been cursed,” he added. “Haunted—if you know what I mean.”

The ghost’s eyes light up with understanding. “The sweet talker. Ah, yes, I remember him.”

“Good. Good,” I say, relieved. “He’s missing. He was kidnapped tonight, and we believe he is somewhere here in Charlotte.”

“And you plan to do what when you find him? Kill these men?”

“Yes,” Reid answers for me. “We plan to hunt down every last one of them.”

Priscilla nods thoughtfully. “That family is ruining my city, turning its heart black and cold as their own. They killed my Ameria, they did, but not before she saved me so her memory and purpose would live on.”

My eyes knot together. “What do you mean?”

“Ameria, my great-great-granddaughter was a child of the moon, like yourself.” I notice Priscilla eyes my necklace, and I quickly hide it beneath my shirt. “She knew his secret, and that bastard killed her to keep it.”

“What kind of secret?” Reid asks, moving closer. “Who killed her?”

“The Bessette family has been trying to keep their name out of the curse since I was a child. They’re still trying. The truth will always live on.”

“Our curse? How is the Bessette family tied to our curse?” I look to Reid, hoping he’s heard about this, but when his face flashes white, I don’t bother to ask.

“There have always been rumors,” he says, barely breathing. “Rumors that a third family was cursed that night along with Julien’s and Zeke’s.”

“It is more than just rumors,” Priscilla says.

“So Ameria died because she knew their secret?” Reid asks. “But not before she brought you back so you could pass the truth on to someone else.”

“Yes.” Priscilla smiles weakly. “And it worked. Every generation, there has been a girl show up here. A keeper of the truth. Their secret will never die, because I can’t.”

Reid bites his lip. “Fiona showed up here, didn’t she? And Carolina—her mother?”

“Yes.” Priscilla nods empathetically. “Each keeper is chosen by the spirit, each led blindly into their duty. Fiona hadn’t a clue what puzzle she’d solved until I told it to her.”

“Did someone else show up after her? Who else knows their secret?” I ask.

Her smile fades, the edges turning down. “A child so young shouldn’t be burdened with a task so difficult.”

“No!” Reid screams, suddenly full of panic as he stares at the determined look on Priscilla’s glowing face. “You’re wrong. Fiona didn’t bring her back for this. This is not her destiny.”

“What?” I turn, confused.

“You can’t tell her,” Reid pleads. “You sentence her to death if you do. They’re already chasing her. They already believe she knows.”

Priscilla closes her eyes, a regretful sigh escaping her lips. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” she whispers.

My vision blacks out, and I collapse to the ground as scenes flood my conscious thoughts.

Two young girls, Contessa and Elizabeth. Sisters in heart, but not by birth, play alongside the lake in Frog Hollow, laughing as they chase a ball across the grassy plain at the water’s edge. Three sets of eyes watch them from afar. Luther Prescott, Estelle Cote, and George Bessette. Their hearts are all black. It can’t be seen, but I feel it. The evil is rooted deep inside them, down to their very core.

The girls are scared when they see them, and a familiar voice rings out. “Tessie, what do we do?”