Renegade (18 page)

The gas burner on the stove lit’ flames shot from beneath the cook top. Riley looked between me and the flames. “We’re inside the house, Heven.” Sam reminded me, placing a hand over mine.

I took a deep breath and looked away from Riley toward the flames. I tried to get them to go out, concentrating on them until fire was all I saw. Nothing.

Gemma appeared in the doorway between the kitchen and family room, walking into the room and seeing the flames. She grabbed a nearby dishtowel and slapped the fire a few times until it went out.

“Are you having trouble controlling the fire?” she asked, turning toward me.

I nodded.

Gemma saw Riley sitting at the table. “I can see why.”

“Great to see you as always, Gemma,” he muttered.

She smiled.

I looked at Riley. “Stay away from my dragon.”

“Gladly.”

“You said you had an idea?” Sam asked him, trying to get the conversation back on track.

Riley nodded as a truck pulled up next to the house.

“Might as well wait until Cole comes in, tell us all at once,” I said, and a few seconds later Cole walked through the back door, eyes going straight to Gemma.

“Hey, guys,” Cole said, still looking at only her. “Gems.”

“Hey, Cole,” she replied, returning his look.

If these two weren’t careful, they would start a fire of their own.

Kimber bounced into the kitchen, breaking the silent tension. “Cole!” She went right up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist for a hug. Cole hugged her back, but the expression on his face was pinched. Gemma turned away to search the fridge for a bottle of water.

“So what’s going on?” Cole asked, dislodging himself from Kimber and going to sit at the table next to Riley.

“My magic came back!” Kimber burst out like it was great news.

“He got out?” Cole said, going right to the heart of the matter.

“We think so. Riley hasn’t checked yet.” I explained.

“It would explain what happened earlier,” Sam told me.

“What happened earlier?” Gemma asked, walking toward the table. Her hair was down and falling around her face in large waves. Kimber watched her as she moved.

I explained about the locker room and the body. Then Sam explained what he and Riley did with it.

“It has to be him,” Cole said when we were done.

I nodded. “It’s the only explanation.”

“Maybe he’s the one who’s responsible for the other bodies too,” added Kimber, who was silent up until now.

“What other bodies?” Sam asked, fully alert.

She explained what she told me earlier. Everything about Sam changed… tightened. I didn’t think anyone else noticed, but I sure did. His anxiety practically attacked me through the Mindbond.

“It couldn’t have been Beelzebub,” Riley put in.

“Why not?” Kimber demanded, mad that he was shooting down her theory.

“Because he was trapped last time I checked, which was only two days ago. You said those bodies were found over the course of a couple weeks.”

“And you just got your magic back tonight,” I said, then looked at her. “Right?”

She nodded.

“If they got out weeks ago, you’d have had your magic back then.”

“Unless it took a while for Hecate to get it back,” Gemma suggested.

Riley was shaking his head adamantly. “It’s been in the last two days.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Cole said. “The point is they’re out. We all need to be more careful now. Who knows what he’s going to do?” He looked at Gemma when he spoke, as if her safety was the most important thing to him. And judging from his aura, I would say it was.

Kimber watched Cole carefully. Thank goodness she couldn’t read auras.

“I’ve got to release those souls,” I said, almost to myself. It was going to be a lot harder now that he was out and we didn’t know where he was.

“About that,” Riley began. “Like I said, hell is huge. I’ve been looking around. There’s no sign of them. I think the only way we’re going to find them is if we follow one.”

“Follow one?” Gemma asked.

He nodded. The Princes steal them. Then they have to take them to the graveyard. Why don’t we just follow a Prince around until he steals a soul and then watch and see where he takes it?”

Sam nodded. “It could work.”

“Of course it could.” Riley scoffed. “I thought of it.”

“Egotistical,” Kimber muttered.

Riley flashed her a smile and she rolled her eyes.

“How are we going to find another Prince?” I ask.

“Riley says they have their own land, like kingdoms down there. He can show us where to go and then we can follow him.”

“I think we should stay away from Leviathan. He’s a little ticked at me for the moment.”

“Riley.” I sighed.

“He had it coming.” He got up from his chair and started rummaging through the cabinets again. When he found a box of Ho Hos he got this weird look on his face and then went outside. I looked at Sam, who just shrugged, and then Riley reappeared with a backpack in hand, which he proceeded to stuff the entire box into.

“Like those much?” Kimber asked.

“Something like that,” he said and continued to explore. I offered to make him a sandwich and he offered to eat two.

“So when should we go down there?” I asked while spreading mayo on slices of bread.

“We have school tomorrow. And a football game Friday night.” Kimber pointed out. “Plus, I’m planning a party.”

“A party?” I asked.

“My annual Halloween party,” she said like it was obvious. “You didn’t think I was going to let all this crazy get in the way of that, did you?”

“I guess I thought stopping Beelzebub from killing people might be more important.” I found it extremely ironic we were planning our trips to hell around our school and party schedule.

“Well, excuse me for wanting to have a life.” She sniffed.

“It’s almost your birthday, Hev,” Cole said, and I glared at him. Was he taking her side?

I would like nothing more than to forget about my birthday this year. Finding out it wasn’t on the day I thought it was and the reason it was changed was because a Prince of hell tried to kidnap me on the real date twice… well… that put a damper on things.

“This weekend?” I ventured.

“I have to work Saturday,” Sam said.

“Why don’t we let Riley make sure he really has gotten out and where he is?” Gemma suggested. “Running off to hell without knowing any of these things is asking for trouble.”

“I don’t think Riley should go back down there,” I said. Gemma was right. We needed to know more about what Beelzebub was up to.

Riley looked at me like I had three heads as he grabbed a sandwich off the counter. “I’m going back to hell. To my castle.”

It was my turn to look at him funny. “He’s going to want his castle back.”

“Too bad,” Riley said, shoving a humungous bite into his mouth.

“That’s suicide,” Sam told him.

“Please,” Riley said. “He won’t kill me. I’m supposed to be his errand boy, remember?”

“What’s he talking about?” Kimber asked me.

“Riley’s cursed.”

Kimber laughed.

Riley scowled.

Gemma slid into the chair next to Cole at the table. He shifted slightly so he was closer to her. She looked at him but said nothing.

Kimber stopped laughing and went dead silent.

Her aura bloomed black.

“Kimber…” I began, but she ignored me.

“It’s you,” she said low, looking at Gemma.

Gemma gave her a puzzled look. “What?”

Kimber stood, her chair clattering to the floor as she pinned Cole with an accusing look. “You’re in love with
her
?”

Cole got to his feet. “Kimber…”

Everything in the kitchen began to float for the second time that day and outside a clap of thunder broke through the sky.

“Cool trick,” Riley said and kept eating.

Gemma seemed to realize things were about to turn ugly so she stood as well and said, “We’re not together.”

Kimber glared at Gemma, and Sam’s empty dinner plate flung off the table, heading straight for Gemma. Cole stepped protectively in front of her and knocked the plate out of the way. “That’s enough,” he said.

But protecting Gemma was the worst thing he could have done. The red and black in Kimber’s aura began to battle. The windows and doors began to shake. Sam, who was closest to Kimber, reached out and grabbed her arm. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go outside.”

Kimber shook him off, but she did storm outside.

“I think I should go,” Gemma said.

“Stay. Let’s see how mad she’ll get,” Riley said.

We all ignored him.

Gemma walked into the family room and Cole followed. I went after them both, wanting to explain. When I walked in they were standing beside the couch, only a few feet between them.

“You promised, Cole,” Gemma was telling him.

“I haven’t come to see you at all,” he said and held up his hands. “I’m not touching you.”

“You should go talk to her. Tell her there’s nothing between us.”

“No.” He growled. “I won’t lie.”