Frog Hollow (Witches of Sanctuary Book 1) (9 page)

He turns around, his heels hanging over the ledge. “Ask me anything you want,” he says, motioning toward me.

“What is the Haunted? And why didn’t Reid want me to leave with you?”

“They are one in the same,” he explains, motioning me forward. “Come see.”

I take few cautious steps but stop well short of his outstretched hand. He chuckles, pointing out at the vast lands beneath us. “Over there is Frog Hollow, the home of the Innocent. All the low-lying land to the left, that’s Shadow Bend. It’s where the Prescotts live.”

“And you live here, in Raven Ridge.”

“Yes. All of us divided. Just like it’s always been. You see, Wilhelmina, there is a legend in Sanctuary that locals know really isn’t a legend at all. Our families are connected, our lives all governed by this unwritten rule that we can’t be friends.” His features harden. “Except your family makes an exception for Ezekiel, like his damnation is somehow less than mine. I brought you here to tell you the truth before they can turn you against me.”

I hear someone yell. Actually it’s a scream. Someone is screaming my name. Julien bites his lip. “It’s Reid,” he says, practically spitting out the words. “Come to rescue you from me. Do you see him trying to save Sadie from Ezekiel?”

“I don’t understand, Julien. You’re only confusing me more. What makes you and Ezekiel so bad?”

“No, not Ezekiel,” he says, laughing. “Just me. The question is—what makes
me
so bad?”

When I don’t say anything, he shakes his head. “Don’t believe everything Reid tells you about me. I’m no worse than Zeke.”

Reid bursts through the tree line, furious and cursing at the sight of me. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

I turn back to Julien, but he’s gone, the cliff’s edge empty. “Where did he go?” I say out loud, turning back to Reid.

Reid grabs my wrist, his hand shaking. “Get in the damn truck.”

***

The ride back to town is quiet. Reid is still visibly distraught. His hands grip so tightly around the steering wheel that his knuckles are white. I don’t dare speak again, but I can’t help but think about Julien. Where did he go? Surely not over the cliff’s edge? There must be another path, some secret way down the mountainside.

When Reid screeches to a stop in front of the bookstore, Abby and Sadie are already there, standing outside with Sera. Reid jumps out of the truck, slamming the door.

“Are you trying to get her killed?” he screams at Abby. “Because I could think of a less cruel way.”

I exit the vehicle, following him. “We were with her the entire time,” Abby says, breathless when she sees me. “He wasn’t going to hurt her.”

He gives Abby an incredulous look.

“Let’s go inside,” Sera says. “Too many people are still out.”

Reid swings the door open and stalks through it. We all follow him inside, and when the bell rings behind us, he turns around, his eyes on me. “Of all the people in this town you decide to hang out with, you choose him.”

I open my mouth to protest, but he doesn’t give me a chance.

“I thought it would be understood that if you stayed here, you wouldn’t put yourself at unnecessary risk.”

“I don’t understand. What is so wrong with him? He seems nice enough to me.”

The green light in Reid’s eyes fades to black. “Well, if that’s all it takes to—”

I gasp as I watch my hand clench in front me. The air in Reid’s throat catches, rendering him unable to finish his sentence. I immediately let go, but he falls to his knees. I step forward, looking down at him as he tries to catch his breath.

“I may have made a mistake,” I say through gritted teeth. “And if I did, I will admit to it. But let me make one thing clear to you, Reid Thomas. You will not throw it in my face or degrade me because of it.”

His hand touches his neck, his breathing evening back out. The anger is still there, but the fire is gone. “You made one hell of a mistake,” he says slowly, opening his jaw to stretch out the muscles in his cheek. “Excuse me for losing my temper at the thought of him killing you while I watched.”

“What happened?” Sera steps up, placing herself between us and then looking back to Abby and Sadie.

“That’s right,” Reid says with a growl. “Ask your precious daughter that question. She is the one who let Wilhelmina run off on a date with one of the Haunted.”

Sera raises her eyes in shock as she looks to the girls. “Mom,” Abby whines. “It’s just Julien Cote.”

“He’s harmless,” Sadie adds. “We all know that.”

“Wait,” I scream in the background. “Who are the Haunted? What does that mean?” But no one seems to hear me. My cracking voice fades into the far corners of the store without notice.

“He’s one of them,” Reid interjects, yelling at Sadie now. “He could be responsible for Fiona’s death. Or have your forgotten about that? Maybe you just don’t care anymore.”

Sadie leaps forward, but Abby holds her back. She steps around her, slowly stalking toward her brother, and I watch as the light also fades out of her eyes. “Don’t you dare accuse us of not caring about Fiona. I can’t help that you’re a hypocrite.”

Reid’s gaze drops to the floor.

“Your best friend is one of the Haunted. But I don’t see you flipping out because he’s at Sadie’s house every night.”

My mouth is open now, speechless. Julien was right. They treat him differently than Ezekiel.

“Zeke is different, and you know that,” Reid says. “But if I suspected his family had anything to do with Fiona’s death, I would have a problem with it.”

“You have no proof Julien’s family did,” Sadie says. “You barely know him.”

“I know enough.”

I finally reach the limit of my mental capacity, and it is all I can take. My head spins, a thousand thoughts trying to force their way through for my comprehension. I begin screaming at them, begging for someone to please help me understand, but my voice is silent to their own argument.

I need answers, and if they won’t give them to me, I know someone who will. I know where Julien lives. I’ll find him, and he’ll tell me what I want to know. I dart past them, but Reid catches my arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To find Julien.” I jerk my arm away and stare at him. “Maybe he’ll actually take the time to explain it to me.”

“The hell you will.”

“He won’t hurt me,” I say, but it only causes Reid to laugh.

“No. He’ll just make you fall in love with him, then let you go so he can have the pleasure of stalking you until you fail to amuse him anymore.” He pulls me against his chest, holding me in his arms. “Then he’ll kill you.” His lips drop between us, whispering low enough that only I can hear. “I will not lose you that way. Choke me to death or not, I will stop you.”

“All right,” Sera says loudly behind us. “That is quite enough.”

I stay quiet, waiting for her to walk over and pry Reid’s hands from me, but she doesn’t come right away. “Wilhelmina will be staying with me for the remainder of the evening,” she announces to everyone, but Reid flinches as she places her hand on his shoulder. “You’ve done your job. She’s safe now. You’re free to leave.”

“No. I’m not leaving.” He faces his mother. Stern. “No offense, Mom, but you never seem to see the danger in anything.”

Sera sighs and drops her hand from him. “Then I guess you won’t mind helping her watch the tent?”

“Not at all.”

“Mom,” Abby says, groaning. “He’ll only torture her all evening.”

Reid presses his lips into a hard line, straining to keep to his voice calm. “If torture means keeping her alive, then yeah, her evening is going to suck.”

“I said that is enough.” The room falls silent again, and for the first time I sense the Sera’s raw power as the energy in the room changes. We all shrink away from it. “Now, Abby,” she says evenly, “why don’t you and Sadie go find Zeke? I’m sure he will be interested to know Julien is apparently home for the summer.”

Abby is about to protest again, but Sadie tugs her arm. “Let’s go,” she whispers. “They need some time alone.”

Abby glares at Reid. “Be nice. I know that’s difficult for you most of the time.”

Reid makes a face in response, and we stand there and watch them all leave one by one. Once the door closes, I begin trying to straighten my shirt, but his arms are still on my shoulders. “Do you mind?” I try to shrug him off.

“I do.” He spins me around until I look up at him. “I still have something to say to you.”

He moves forward, and I retreat until my back hits the counter. My breath shakes at his intense posture in front of me. He is so close now his breath hits my skin. “You will not do that to me again,” he says in the same cool, controlled voice as before. “Do you hear me?”

“I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong.”

“Don’t lie to me,” he says, losing control only for a brief moment, but he quickly recovers. “You knew.”

I open my mouth, but he cuts me off.

“I don’t want to hear an excuse.” His voice is still harsh, but he leans in closer, and I finally realize he is hugging me. “You will not do that to me again.”

I release my breath as I lean into him. He holds me like that, the bare minimum of contact between us, until finally he jerks away. “We need to go back to the tent.”

Again he doesn’t look at me.

I remember my wish from earlier today, when I pretended the locks on my windows meant Reid actually cared about me. Now, I know he cares. It isn’t as comforting and satisfying as I thought it would be. I step beside him but not close enough to touch him. “I’m sorry that you care.”

He looks down at me, the green shine finally back in his eyes. “Me too.”

He walks out of the store without looking back.

Chapter 9

A HISTORY LESSON

The rain beats loudly against the metal roof of the bookstore, followed by faint flashes of lightning through the window. Normally, thunderstorms make me feel gloomy. I’d want nothing more than to cuddle up in my bed and have a Jonathan Rhys Meyer marathon kind of day. However, there is something about today—this place makes everything around it ignite with energy, including myself.

I hum softly to the music on the radio, focusing my attention and obsessive energy on reorganizing one of the long rows of bookshelves. I use my powers, of course, because it seems to make the time go by. I can always use the practice too. I feel comfortable here, by myself, with nothing but the books to muddle my thoughts. I laugh when I hear Romeo ding the bell on the counter, because he’s been playing with the thing for the past hour. I decide, in that moment, that it was a good idea to let him tag along for the day, especially since business is slow due to the weather.

After lunch, when the worst of the storm has passed, I curl up with Romeo in one of the comfy chairs next to the window and watch it rain. Today he is gray. Abby says he does that when he leaves Frog Hollow as if he understands that he needs to play the part of a normal cat. He purrs against my hand as I cuddle into the soft cushions. I sit there gazing into space for what feels like forever. I start counting the raindrops as they leak down the glass just for something to do.

Honestly, I simply want an excuse to think about anything other than Julien. The time we spent together yesterday was unforgettable, but it was the warning Reid gave me afterward that still makes my pulse race. Once we left the bookstore and attended to all our customers at the festival, he finally broke down and explained the rationality behind his fear.

According to Reid, the Haunted are vicious people. They’re all cursed. Julien and his family is no exception. Consumed by lust, their charm and charisma come as naturally as breathing. Eternally blinded by ambition, they’ll do anything to get what they want, even killing the one they’ve conned into loving them. Dating the devil is safer than trusting a Cote with your heart.

Reid is quite the storyteller. However, just as Julien predicted, Reid barely acknowledged the Prescotts, mentioning something about greed and atoning for their family’s past mistakes. Essentially, whatever crimes the Prescotts committed, the town has given them a moral pass.

I try to remind myself that if Julien wanted me dead, I’d already given him the prime opportunity. We were alone, and I was unarmed. At least, I was as defenseless as someone with my capabilities can be. It was the perfect scenario. Except Julien’s intention was merely to change my perspective of him, the one he was convinced Reid would insist upon.

Chills still run down my spine as I recall Reid’s deep voice, echoing between us in the quiet space underneath the tent. Everyone knows about me now. It’s only a matter of time before they come looking for me. The Haunted are not to be trusted, not now, not ever. My life depends on it.

I sink into the deep cushions of the chair, thinking about it. I want to learn more about the Haunted and who could be behind my mother’s death, but more importantly, I want to live long enough to figure it out. I close my eyes, Romeo stuffing his entire body between my back and the chair. The doorbell rings insistently behind us. “A customer.” Romeo pops his head up, and I smile at him. “Finally!”

I straighten myself up to look presentable. However, when I turn around, no one is there. I stare at the empty doorway, watching as the bell continues to tremble.

“Hello?” I step into the aisle, but it’s empty too.

It isn’t until Romeo lets out an evil hiss that I whip around to find Julien sitting in the seat I vacated. I scurry back away from him, grabbing onto the counter to put some kind of barrier between us. Julien doesn’t notice my reaction, though. Instead, he watches Romeo scratch his paw into the air with another hiss.

“I don’t think your cat likes me.”

“He doesn’t like men,” I reply, but my voice is strained.

Julien turns to look at me. His shiny black hair is damp from the rain, along with his crisp white dress shirt. His beauty is sharp and fatal.

He assesses me for a long moment, noticing how my hand continues to tremble despite my best effort. He loosens the silk tie around his neck with increased frustration. “You believed him, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” I stare at my hands on the counter, unable to look him in the eye. I don’t want to believe Reid. He’s the last person on Earth I want to admit is right about something. However, at some point, survival instincts have to count for something.

Julien’s face falls. It’s quite possibly the most tragic thing I’ve ever experienced. “I thought I made it clear that you shouldn’t believe everything he tells you about me.”

I swallow hard, trying to regain my composure. I remind myself I’m not some helpless young girl. I am an Innocent. I have powers. I can stop him if needed.

“So you’re not a lust-driven, murderous monster?” I ask casually. Romeo crosses the room in a flash and hops gingerly up on the counter.

“No,” he says flatly. He stands, stepping toward me only an inch. “Not unless I want to be.”

Hearing the words from his mouth changes everything. I believed Reid when he told me, but the truth didn’t hit home until now. There really is a curse. There are more people like me. I’m not the only freak in the world.

“That doesn’t mean anything to me. If it should, well then, you should have told me sooner.”

“I tried.” He steps closer again, and I grip the counter. “I ran out of time, remember? But that’s why I am here now. I want to explain the truth to you.”

“So I’ll trust you?” I ask. “So you can charm your way into my life and use me for whatever ill-contrived purpose you have planned?”

Julien’s eyes close, a pained expression encompassing his face. “He really does hate me,” he says to himself. Then, without opening his eyes, he continues. “You’ve been thoroughly misinformed, Miss Daniels. Like I said, I am not a monster unless I want to be.”

“You’re one of the Haunted. You’re evil.”

“I have a choice,” he says, opening his eyes to stare at me. “Trust me. It makes a world of difference.”

Romeo paces on the counter in front of me, keeping a watchful eye on Julien. I glance up at the clock on the wall.

It’s only five minutes before time to close and only six minutes before Abby will swing by to pick me up for dinner. He looks at the clock too, his words rushing out of his mouth. “I’ll talk fast,” he says, pleading. “If you will listen.”

I don’t answer, but I lean down on the counter, placing my chin in the palm of my hand. Julien takes it as a sign and begins blurting information out at me. “My father, François Cote, is a monster. He’s one of the Haunted,” he says. “And everything Reid probably told you about me totally applies to him. He killed my mother while I slept in the next room. I live with my grandparents on Raven Ridge, safely away from my father’s influence.”

“Why?” I throw my hands in the air. “Explain to me how you’re not like him.”

He moves to the edge of the counter, his eyes like steel. “Like I said—I have a choice. The book I bought,
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
, that’s me and Ezekiel. Except we have a choice. We can choose to always be the good guy.”

“And your father can’t?”

“Our fathers bear the full force of the curse. My father is consumed by lust and violence, and Ezekiel’s father is plagued by greed and power. They’d kill for it. They’d kill us all for it.”

I try not to show the shot of fear I feel. “Have you ever killed someone?”

He looks me dead in the eye without blinking. “No. Never.”

I glance up at the clock again. Our time is up. I hurry around the counter, passing by him to turn the sign in the window and then hit the lights. The room falls dark, only the hint of lights from outside distinguishing the small separation between our bodies.

“Do you know who killed my mother?”

He steps toward me but stops short. “No. But I may know a way to help you figure it out.”

“How?”

He shakes his head. “We don’t have time. May I come to Frog Hollow tonight?”

I shake my head this time. “That is not a good idea.”

“I won’t hurt you,” he says desperately. “I want to help. I know what it’s like to lose someone, to feel helpless against it. Please, Wilhelmina, trust me enough for this.”

I bite my lip as I cross my arms over my chest. Here I am again, choosing between my own curiosity and the people I choose to love. I grit my teeth. It’s a no-win situation. “Be there at dusk,” I whisper, and then I look up at him so he can note the seriousness of my next statement. “And if this is some kind of trick, I will kill you.”

He only nods. “I would expect you to.”

***

Later that evening, I sit on my front porch, swinging with Romeo in my lap. The sun is setting behind me, and the last of the clouds move to reveal a faint crescent moon. My fingers absently play with my own moon, dangling from my necklace. I think about my opposing half, the person who will be my sun, and remind myself to ask Sera when the next revelation ceremony will be.

“Always so lost in thought.” Julien’s amused voice echoes in the distance, and I look up to see him sitting on the railing at the end of the porch.

This time I don’t jump. I’m becoming accustomed to his sudden appearances. “Is that a Haunted thing?” I ask, standing. “Appearing out of thin air.”

He shrugs. “I’m stealthy when I want to be.”

He meets me halfway, in front of my front door. He sticks his hands in his pockets and bites his bottom lip suggestively. “You going to invite me in?”

I chuckle under my breath. “Hell no.” I lean in, my lips close enough to brush against his cheek. “I may be gullible, but I’m not naive.”

He returns my smile. “I didn’t think so.” Then he sticks his foot out, showing a pair of muddy brown boots. “That’s why I wore these. I suggest if you’re planning on following me, you might want to change into something similar.”

I look down at my bright and shiny sandals, frowning. “Where am I following you to, exactly?”

“Just put on some real shoes,” he says, laughing. “I’ll wait out here.”

I run inside, kicking off my sandals as I climb the stairs. I dive into my closet, throwing out random pairs of shoes, because honestly, I have at least thirty pairs scattered in a tub that waits to be sorted out. Finally, at the very bottom, I find a pair of rubber boots. I bought them, not because they are pretty, an array of yellow, purple, and pink swirls, but out of necessity back in college. I used to stomp through the water in them, on my way to class, to keep the bottom of my jeans dry. I pull them on, catching my reflection in the mirror. They look kind of silly with my denim shorts, but I don’t really have a better option.

I run back downstairs, locking the door behind me as I step out onto the porch. Julien appraises me, a smile biting at the corner of his lips when he spots the boots. “Festive,” he says, trying not to laugh.

I roll my eyes as I stick my key in my pocket. “Lead the way,” I say, motioning toward him. He holds his hand out to me.

When I don’t move, he reaches forward and takes it. “I don’t bite. Geez.” He pulls me off the porch.

I follow him down the long driveway, bypassing his muddy black Jeep, and turn left at the edge of the road. “So now can you tell me where we are going and why?”

His hand tightens around mine. “No, and you’ll see when we get there.”

I stop, jerking us to a sudden halt in the middle of the road. “That isn’t the answer I’m looking for.”

He sighs, coaxing me forward. “I know, but how about I tell you something else until we get there? It really isn’t that far.”

I frown at him, but I can’t say no to the pleading look he gives me. “Okay,” I say. “I do have some other questions, if you don’t mind me asking those.”

He grins over at me, pleased. “Go for it,
chérie
.”

“Today, you said your father is one of the Haunted. How did it happen?” I ask, remembering his explanation. “How did we all become this way?”

He looks at me, confused. “Reid tells you I’m a sex-crazed murderer, but he didn’t tell you about the legend?” I shake my head, and he frowns. “Figures.”

“This is your chance,” I remind him. “I’m listening.”

He pulls me into his side, the toes of his worn boots kicking the rocks along the dirt road. “There was a time in Sanctuary’s history when land meant power. Land was your currency. It was your reputation. It was everything.” He takes in a deep breath, his long lashes batting as he slows his breathing, as if this story is difficult. “Three families divided everything outside of the city limits. All of them were wealthy, and all were equally determined to destroy the others for one purpose. More power.”