Frog Hollow (Witches of Sanctuary Book 1) (8 page)

“Do you normally go around asking out random girls?”

His soft, pouty lips quirk into a wicked grin. “I can’t believe they haven’t told you yet.”

There is something about his accent that sends a chill down my spine. Or maybe it’s the mischievous twitch of his lips. Either way, I suddenly hate my family for not telling me about him.

“You’re not exactly making me want to say yes.”

Challenge sparks in his eyes. I wish I had kept my mouth shut. He steps closer to me. So close that if I release the breath I just sucked in, it will brush across his lips. “You should know teasing me isn’t the way to get rid of me.”

I take a step back. “Will flattery work?”

He laughs. “I like you, Wilhelmina. You’re different than the rest of them.”

“Them?”

“The Innocent,” he whispers, like it’s a secret.

I try not to react. I fail.

“Say yes,” he says quietly. “Meet me tonight.”

“Tell me your name, and I’ll consider it.”

He smiles. Cocky. Assured. “Say yes, Wilhelmina, and I will tell you everything. Everything Reid doesn’t want you to know.”

I want to shoot back I already know everything, that my family has no secrets. Yet, if that were true, I would know his name. I would know why I should say no. A trickle of fear runs down my spine.

I should say no.

Reid would want me to say no.

No matter how many times I think it, I still can’t make the word come out.

“Okay,” I say flatly, standing up straight. “Five o’clock next to the chapel.”

His eyes sparkle. Surprised. Shocked, even.

“And then you will tell me your name?” I clarify.

“Gladly.” He is still in disbelief.

This is bad. Very bad.

I don’t let it show. Instead, I give him a quick nod before walking toward the door. I need to get back to my post. It’s almost lunch hour, which means I might get a real customer. That, and I need to get away from him.

He follows me out, waiting while I lock the door. “I’ll see you tonight, then,” he says, grinning. He spins the book around in his hand.

He starts to walk off, but I catch his arm. “What book did you choose?” I’m unable to stifle my curiosity. “Inventory reasons.”

He flips the book over, showing the cover.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
.

He smiles.

I give him an odd look, and his smile widens. “Tonight,” he says, that confident edge returning to his voice. “And wear that dress. I really like that dress.”

I stand in awe, watching him leave.

What the hell just happened? My brain feels fuzzy, but I blame it on the heat. I’m not sure what to blame for everything else I’m feeling, but I’ll think of something eventually.

I pull my stool up, making sure it’s firmly planted before climbing on it.

I have a date tonight.

Even the thought sounds weird in my head.

I have a date, and I don’t even know his name.

In fact, I don’t know anything about him. He’s make-you-stupid handsome. Witty. One hell of a nurse, but that’s it. Something has to be wrong with him. What other reason would he have for not wanting to tell me his name?

Anxiety washes over me.

I wish I hadn’t toppled off my stool. If he hadn’t been so sweet and charming while he helped me, I might have been able to tell him no. I really wish now that I had told him no. I don’t want to tell Reid the whole town knows about me, let alone admit I agreed to a date with the first guy who happened to pass by my tent. I slump over, placing my head in my hands. I knew this book sale was a bad idea.

“Sweetheart?” A voice speaks softly off to my right.

I raise my head to see Sera standing at the edge of the table. Her faint green eyes are worried. The guilt starts to multiply.

“Hi.” I slump further over the table. “I didn’t know you were stopping by today.”

She glides over to me, running her fingers across the books. “I would never miss your first festival sale, and I figured you might need a helping hand during lunch.”

I take one long look down the empty street and then back at her and smile. “I honestly don’t know how I’m going to manage without you.”

She playfully smacks the back of my head before joining me behind the table. “You’ll be surprised how many people like to book shop during their lunch hour,” she says, re-stacking a pile of books that toppled over during my graceful exit off my stool.

My injuries catch her eye. I quickly pull my hand behind my back, cupping it in hope I can heal it before answering questions, but she jerks my scraped elbow up instead. “What happened to you?” Her brow knots with concern. “How did this happen?”

My face contorts into a scowl, because I’m embarrassed to admit the truth. “I fell off the stool.”

Her eyes widen, and I swear I almost see her smile. “You fell off the stool?” she repeats, leaning over to look at the stool behind me.

“I was startled.” I blurt it out, my natural instinct to defend myself kicking in, but I suck in a breath to keep myself from continuing. However, it’s too late. Sera is too perceptive and my expression too easy to read.

“Who startled you?” The tone of her voice tells me avoidance will not be accepted.

“I don’t know his name,” I say softly, looking away from her.

Her concern turns to amusement almost instantly. “His?” She grins. “He must have been cute to sneak up on an Innocent.”

“He was.” My face flushes like it’s on fire.

“Why don’t you know his name?”

I let out an annoyed huff. “He wouldn’t tell me. At first he assumed Abby and Sadie had already told me about him. When he found out they hadn’t, well, he kept avoiding the question.”

She studies me for a moment, her fingers playing along the edge of the books. “That is interesting.”

I bite my lip nervously. “There’s more.” I pause but know I have to tell somebody. “He asked me out on a date, to the festival tonight. He said if I come, he will gladly tell me his name.”

Sera takes in a deep, even breath, and I suddenly become worried I have indeed made the wrong decision. “Did you agree?” I’m surprised to find no judgment in her voice.

I nod once. “He was very charming.”

“And cute,” she adds, sighing to herself.

I move forward, placing my hand on her arm. “I won’t go. I know I should have said no.”

She quickly shushes me, turning to place her fingers over my lips. “Don’t apologize. He obviously knows the girls, so I will send them with you. If they suspect he isn’t safe, they can let you know.”

“And if not?”

Her frown turns into a smile. “Then they can report back to me about exactly how cute a boy must be to send such a pretty girl toppling off her stool.” She pulls my hand up to examine it, and within seconds I feel relief from the lingering sting. “I’m quite curious to find out.”

I try to hide the blush, but there is no use. Instead, I hold my elbow up for her to heal as well, because she is so much better at it than I am. “So you don’t mind watching the tent for me tonight?”

“Of course not.” She places her hand over my elbow and squeezes. “What is family for, if not to cover for a date?”

“A date?” A voice sings loudly in my ear, and before I can turn, Abby wheels around the corner of the table with Sadie close behind her. “Who has a date?”

Sera motions toward me with her chin, grinning. “Not just any date. A mystery date.”

I have only a moment before the questions begin, and I watch Sera sneak away down the table to help a customer who just arrived. I spend the remainder of the afternoon reliving my moment with my mystery date, from his perfect blue eyes, to his quirky choice of book, for Abby and Sadie’s complete delight. They are thrilled to find out they are now involved and are expected to spy on him to figure out his identity.

However, I am still trying to decide how I feel about it. I keep recalling how my heart sped up every time he smiled at me, and I feel the excitement slowly building inside me. However, just like earlier today, my thoughts divert to things I tell myself shouldn’t matter. I know, without knowing his name, that Reid won’t approve of him.

Chapter 8

A MYSTERY REVEALED

My toes tip over the corner of the curb as my hand plays nervously with the macramé bracelet on my left wrist. The chapel casts a shadow over me, blocking the setting sun from my vision. My nerves begin playing evil tricks on my stomach, and I close my eyes, trying to focus on the scent of the festival, most especially the cotton candy stand to my right. The air surrounding me smells delicious, and, with enough time, I feel the butterflies in my stomach slowly turn to hunger.

I casually glance over my shoulder, watching two little boys eagerly wait their turn in line. Their eyes are honed in on the worker wrapping the cotton candy around a giant cone. I wonder if I have enough time to eat one before my date shows up.

I turn back, stepping to my left to make sure I can still see Abby and Sadie sitting on the park bench beside one of the craft booths down the street. Sadie sends me a reassuring wave as I check my watch for the twentieth time. It is exactly fifteen seconds until five o’clock. I sigh. I don’t have time for a snack.

A prickle of fear runs down my spine as someone clears their throat behind me. I dart around to find the two small boys gone, with nothing but hints of their laughter lingering in the air. In their place, standing a little too close for comfort, is none other than my mystery date in all his gorgeous glory.

“Good evening.” He holds up two cones of cotton candy. “I come in peace.”

My stomach growls at the sight of the cotton candy while the rest of my body yearns for something else entirely. “You’re sneaky,” I say, backing away from him until my heart stops skipping.

Except the further I step away, the easier it is to admire the subtle changes in him. His mussed hair from this morning is now perfectly in place. His t-shirt exposes half a tattoo on his bicep. A black bird? A crow?

I’m distracted when he holds the pink cone out to me, twirling it around under my nose. “You are just unusually unobservant.” He turns the arm with the tattoo away from me. “Nice jeans, by the way.”

I scowl at him and grab the blue cone from his hand. He doesn’t look as surprised as I’d hoped, as if I did exactly what he expected. Then, as if to prove he doesn’t care about the color change or the change in my attire, he plucks off a piece of pink candy, swirls it around his finger, and sticks it in his mouth. My own mouth begins to water as he licks it from his finger.

“Thanks for showing up.” This time he actually sounds sincere. “I had my doubts whether or not Reid would let you out of the house.”

“So did I,” I say under my breath, but I manage to keep the light smile on my face. I haven’t seen Reid at all today, and I’ve been too busy to track him down. Sera approved of my plan, and her opinion is the only one that really matters.

“So do I get a name now?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

He returns my jeering smile and glances briefly over his shoulder at Abby and Sadie. He waves, smiling at them like he is their long lost friend. He seems to find their presence amusing. When he finally turns back to me, his hand is held out in greeting. “Julien Cote.” He takes my hand in his, squeezing it gently. “Nice to meet you, Miss Daniels.”

I reflexively turn around, anxious for Abby and Sadie’s approval.

I find them standing in the exact same spot, their eyes wide with shock. Sadie’s mouth is slightly unhinged as she holds onto Abby’s arm for support. Before I can make some kind of gesture to catch their attention, Julien spins me back around. He’s behind me now, whispering softly against my ear in a way that makes the butterflies return. “If I didn’t pass inspection, they would have been over here by now.”

I pull myself together long enough to give him a doubting look, and he frowns.

“I am not a bad guy,” he says, defensive, but then he forces a smile. “Bad guys don’t eat cotton candy, especially if it’s pink.” He pulls off another piece, sticking it his mouth. “Pink isn’t good for the bad guy persona.”

He begins to walk, motioning for me to join him. I follow slowly, looking back one last time at Abby and Sadie. Again, they only manage to stare back at me. Stunned.

They are so useless.

I huff and hurry to catch up with Julien. I still have no idea whether or not I should turn back. Their faces don’t exactly make me feel confident in my decision. “Why do they look so surprised?”

His lips curve over his teeth with an increased air of smugness. “They look completely normal to me.” He laughs when he glances over at my scowl. “Okay, maybe they are a little surprised to see me. I just returned home for the summer.” He glances at me again, this time in hope of catching my reaction. “That, and I usually don’t hang with the Innocent.”

I stop walking, and for a moment I have no reaction at all. My hand pauses with my cotton candy halfway to my mouth. He stops too, realizing what happened. His face holds a look like he is about to laugh but is waiting for the punch line. I swallow hard, my heart pounding in my chest. “Why not?”

He walks back toward me, looking around to make sure no one in the crowd is paying attention. Luckily, I am still just another girl walking down the street. He wraps his free hand around mine, coaxing me to follow him again. “Let’s just say our families have a jaded past,” he says, dropping his voice. “They’ve known each other for a long time.”

“Jaded how?”

He slips his arm around my waist, pulling me against his side. “Not here,” he says lightly, turning to smile at the people walking past us.

That’s when I see. The eyes on us. The stares that linger too long.

It’s like one of those scenes in movies when the background freezes and the actor floats through it on display.

“Okay,” I whisper back, my muscles tensing. “Then tell me something safe to talk about for now.”

He makes a humming sound as he pretends to think of something to tell me. “I recently graduated from Tulane University.” He returns his voice to normal volume. “I was born in Charleston. My entire family is from Sanctuary, though. I moved back here when I was just a kid.”

He pauses, waiting to see if I will comment. I give him a quick nod to let him know that was nice and acceptable. “I live on Raven Ridge, the opposite direction of Frog Hollow,” he says.

A raven. His tattoo is a raven.

“It’s the big brick house with a million red tulips in the yard. You can’t miss it.” He smiles to himself, because he knows I’m hanging on his every word now.

“Go on.”

“Now that I’ve graduated, I’m taking over my grandfather’s job at the bank, which is two streets that way.” He points his finger around my back to our left. The fact that he uses that as an excuse to run his fingers across my shoulders doesn’t go unnoticed.

He’s smooth, I’ll give him that.

“The bank,” I say, nodding. That explains why he was out on the balcony that night. “Sounds exciting.”

He purses his lips, pleased with my reaction. “Almost as fun as books.”

Despite the playful tone, I’m not oblivious to his motives. I know exactly what he’s doing. He’s attempting to gain my trust. Unfortunately for him, it takes a lot more than a few local connections to stop my suspicions.

The crowd thins at the end of the street, and I take the opportunity to lean in close and repeat my previous question. “So why does it matter about our families’ past? Why don’t you hang out with the Innocent?”

He turns around, walking backward down the street. He waves at someone over my shoulder, and I turn to see Abby and Sadie are very casually following us. Sadie smiles, too sweetly to be genuine. “I’m not really their type,” he says, grinning. “I’m not a high and mighty Prescott.”

The name stings in my mind, and I know it’s familiar. It only takes one more look over my shoulder at Sadie’s face to recall my conversation with Cari at the diner that night.

“You mean, like Ezekiel Prescott?” I ask, dropping my voice. “Sadie’s boyfriend?”

Cari said Sadie’s boyfriend doesn’t eat at the restaurant. It was obvious Cari wasn’t fond of Ezekiel.

“That would be the one.” Julien tries very hard to keep his features normal, but the contempt in his voice gives him away. “She’s been tragically in love with him for a while now.”

“What about Reid?”

“He isn’t an Innocent, and honestly, he’s not really
my
type.” He laughs at his own joke as he leans over to elbow me in the side. “C’mon, lighten up, Daniels. It’s a festival. We’re supposed to have fun.”

I make a face to imply I am having a grand time, but I continue my questioning. “I was meaning to point out the fact that you make it sound as if you don’t particularly care for Reid or Ezekiel.”

“No.” He looks forward, and for the first time, he isn’t smiling. “I do not.”

“Why?”

He comes to a sudden stop at the corner of the street. He steps forward and leans around the corner, and his original smile is back on his face. “How do you feel about heights?”

Annoyance swells inside me, but I decide to let him off the hook. As he pointed out, Abby and Sadie haven’t run to my rescue yet, so he can’t be that bad. But it’s becoming obvious he is hiding something from me. “I’m not really a fan,” I say, answering his question. “I have a weak stomach for that sort of thing.”

His grin widens. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

He takes my hand, pulling me forward, and as I round the corner of the building, I see a sleek, jet-black motorcycle sitting on the sidewalk. I immediately halt. We haven’t been strolling around. He’s been leading me here the whole time. I throw an accusing glare at him.

“You have questions,” he says evenly, taking the slightest of looks over my shoulder. “I have answers. Just not here. We don’t need an audience.”

“I can’t.” I take second to gather my thoughts. “I mean, I won’t—I promised I wouldn’t leave their sight.”

Julien’s eyes narrow at something behind me, and he curses under his breath.

I look over my shoulder.

Reid.

Abby is obviously explaining everything to him, because you can see the anger building in his eyes. “Decide,” Julien says hastily, and I turn around to see him sitting on the bike, a shiny red helmet held out to me.

“I can’t.”

“Why? Because of him?”

It strikes a nerve. “Why do you keep assuming that?”

“Come with me, and I’ll tell you. Come with me, and I’ll explain anything you want to know about yourself, your mother’s death, and this godforsaken town.”

I turn back to Reid. His face turns a ghostly white. I only have seconds to make my decision. It’s an easy one.

I grab the helmet out of Julien’s hand and get on the bike behind him. The engine roars to life as I quickly push the helmet over my head. Reid crosses the street, shouting my name. I can read it on his lips, but I can’t hear him over the roar of the engine.

“Hang on!” Julien yells, and my hands clamp around his waist as the bike lurches to life off the sidewalk, down the gray-clouded street, and into the oncoming darkness. I leave my family—and Reid—behind.

The mountains engulf us as soon as we leave the city limits, the road narrowing, the curves becoming deeper and more defined. I cling tighter to him, ignoring the tiny hint of laughter I hear. We keep going higher, up into the mountains, the air thickening with the trees. That’s when I see it, the giant house built into the rocky mountainside. The sea of red tulips surrounds it.

This is Julien’s home.

We bypass his house, following the road all the way to the highest peak of the mountain. We finally stop, the road coming to a dead end. Julien cuts the bike’s engine and smiles over his shoulder at me. “Welcome to Raven Ridge.”

I look around. My breath feels tight in my chest.

He maneuvers off the bike in front of me. “You’re probably the first Innocent to set foot here in over two hundred years.”

I slip off the bike, still eyeing him suspiciously. “Does that mean I’m stupid for trusting you?”

“No. It means you’re not inherently judgmental.”

I give him a confused look as I set the helmet on his bike.

“Your little family back there is all hypocrites. The Haunted are all the same. Yet they’ll trust the Prescotts and shun me.”

“The Haunted?”

Julien rolls his eyes, running his hands through his hair in obvious frustration. “They didn’t tell you anything, did they? Of course they wouldn’t want to ruin the precious Prescotts’ reputation.”

“Why don’t you just answer my question?” I say, frustrated. “That’s why I came here.”

He holds my intense stare and then finally nods. “Follow me.”

He heads into the woods, up a worn path through the tree line, until finally we come out onto a gigantic boulder overlooking the valley. My breath jumps at the sight. I didn’t realize how high up we were until now. This isn’t just a rock. It’s a cliff. Julien casually walks out to the edge, looking over the steep decline.