Bittersweet (13 page)

“Adrius told me some of the story. I want the rest from you.”

“I guess it's to be expected that you think his version of events is the truth,” he said stonily.

“Are you saying there are two versions of the truth?”

“Isn't there always?”

“Isn't there this time?”

He laughed. “Be careful, Lorelei. These are the type of I-said-he-said games Venus used to play. The ones that ultimately led to her death.”

“And reincarnation,” I pressed, refusing to back down.

His laughter stopped. And he fixed me with a cold metallic stare. “So he told you more than I believed he would. The elf is braver than I thought. But I'm sure his version did not include how Isobel died.”

“He said she was killed during the war.”

Amusement crept back into his eyes. “That is when she died. Not how.”

“How about this for a change: you just drop the games and be straight with me. How did she die?”

Zanthiel pushed off the wall and moved next to my bed. He braced one hand on either side of my legs, caging me in as he leaned over to peer deep in my eyes.

“There was truth in the elf's words. I was responsible for bringing Venus back to the living. A mistake I admit. But there is a part of the story he left out.”

His gaze skimmed over the thin white tank top I was wearing, before returning to my eyes. Then he straightened and moved away from by bed.

I sat up, drawing my knees under my chin.

“It was not the
battle
that took her life,” he said, his voice dropping a degree. “It was your boyfriend.”

I frowned. “Adrius killed her?”

“Is that all you are going to say? Would you have the same reaction had I told you I killed her?”

I chewed the pad of my thumb, then blew out a sigh. “We'll never know. Right now all I know is she's alive and you were responsible for that. With help. Who was it? A powerful necromancer?”

“A powerful faerie.”

“I see. She wants me to meet with her. Did you know that?”

“Her agenda hasn't changed. She wants vengeance. She wants you dead,” Zanthiel replied. He perched on the armchair across from me and I swung around to face him.

“That's not all she wants,” I said. “She also wants Adrius back.”

His mouth set in a grim line as he leaned back and crossed his long legs at the ankles. “Does it matter what else she wants? If she gets the first thing, you will be dead.”

“Yeah, well at least everyone else would be safe, and—”

“And, you will still be dead.”

Digesting what I saw in his eyes, I clutched a pillow to my chest. My mind summersaulted from question to question. The whole thing was exhausting. “That's why we have to stop her.”

“She has to be stopped,” he agreed, “but your plan won't work. The elf will not be able to stop her while he remains bound to her. Her power over him will only strengthen in our realm. If I help you, we do this my way. Agreed?”

I looked at him, and a ripple of dread spread in my chest. Doing things his way meant three things for sure. Danger, deceit and death. Lots of it. But he was right. The magical bond tying Adrius to Venus was strong. And though he'd fought it before, there was no telling if he'd be able to do it again. I'd promised Adrius time before I turned to Zanthiel for help, but time was running out. I had to trust him. Among the lives lost, I could see how determined he was that mine was not one of them.

So closing my eyes I nodded slowly, and resigned to place my fate in the hands of a Shadow faerie.

“Agreed.”

 

 

Confronting Venus might not have been the smartest plan, but I was on a quest for truth. Once you get a taste of it, it becomes destructively addicting. After some convincing, Adrius promised to explain the circumstances surrounding Isobel/Venus' death at a later time. He wasn't thrilled that I'd discussed it with Zanthiel, but I was even less thrilled by the shroud of secrecy surrounding it. I mean, how bad could it have been?

Of course convincing him to meet with Venus at the park was another story. There was more to her visit than revenge and reclaiming lost love. Why else would she be toying with us? She had access to magic; she could use it to end me, and terminate any reason for Adrius to stay here. Not that she'd risk harming me directly. Adrius might have been able to get past what she'd done to everyone else, but even with forever on her side, he would never forgive her if she killed me.

When I'd badgered Adrius long enough to get him to agree to meet with her, I took full advantage of the situation. He was suffering more and more each day that he stayed in my world. He needed to return to Mythlandria to get a new potion from Hawthrin. They kept him alive, protecting him from our toxic human air. But with Venus watching, it made escaping a lot harder. Plus, I know he wasn't thrilled at the idea of leaving me here, especially with Zanthiel.

My phone buzzed as we crossed the basketball court heading toward the playground. Another text from Abby, insisting I come over.

“Abby has something urgent to show me,” I whispered. Her place would be my next stop. But not until we'd finished with Venus.

We treaded across the soggy playground, Adrius close on my heels. Disembodied swings swayed in the cool night breeze and the teeter-totter groaned and creaked, moving without passengers.

Nothing creepier than a vacant playground at night. The merry-go-round came to life as we walked by and I jumped. Adrius put his hand protectively on the small of my back.

We stopped in the center of the playground and looked around. Nothing but darkness in the horror-flick setting. I rubbed my arms vigorously. “Do you think she's here?” I asked him. My breath left a trail of white mist in the air.

“Oh, she's here,” he said darkly.

A gust of wind whipped by us as Venus hopped down from the monkey bars, landing in front of us as we stopped.

“How cute, Adrius. You still sense my presence.”

“The way a hunter senses its prey.”

Her smile dimmed. “I'm cold, so let's get to it, shall we? There is something else that I want.”

She wasn't wasting any time.

“The grimoire.”

“My family's grimoire? What could you possibly want with it? It has no power here. Plus it can only be used by members of my family.”

She scowled in my direction. “You may not be able to use it, but that doesn't mean someone with actual skill can't.”

I folded my arms. “Tell me what you want with it.”

“No. I don't think I will.” Her gazed roamed over Adrius appreciatively. “You're looking all teenage dream hot. Funny how things change,” she said, sucking in her lower lip.

“Truth is Venus, some things never change. You're the same evil, lying, manipulative witch you always were. You had people fooled into believing you weren't like this before. But I know the truth. Darkness has always been a part of you. That's what drew more of it into your life.”

Venus threw her head back and laughed. “It drew you into my life too, darling. Guess we both lust after the dark side.”

“Biggest mistake of my existence,” he said, then he leaned toward her, his expression hardening. “One I will never make again.”

“Ouch. I'm hurt, Adrius.” She pouted. “What kind of a thing is that to say to the first girl to love you? Who still loves you.”

“Problem is, Venus, I still hate you. What you're doing is wrong. Torturing innocent people. The girl I knew would have seen things differently.”

“She might have done things differently, but there is no other way of seeing things. You and I, we belong together, Adrius. And I'm going to do whatever it takes for you to remember that.”

“Let it go, Venus. It will never happen.”

“Hmmm. We'll see. I still have a few surprises up my sleeve.” Her attention shifted to me as if she suddenly remembered I was still standing next to them.

My hands clenched at my sides. “Enslaving someone you love isn't love at all. It's fear. Because you know that love isn't mutual, and never will be.

Venus smiled. “A love like ours doesn't cease to exist because a little time has passed. It's a force of nature, it reaches beyond what you think you feel.”

“He doesn't love you, Venus. There aren't enough enchanted chains in all of Faery to change that.”

Her smile twisted into a snarl. “I don't need all the enchanted chains of Faery. I only need the one I already possess. It holds him to me, the way your sun holds your world in place. Without that bond, you hurtle toward swift and certain death.”

I stepped toward her, but Adrius pulled me back.

“If you think you're strong enough to defy my magic, I invite you to try.” She shrugged. “The blood staining your hands won't remain skin-deep. It will blacken your soul and you will never be free of it. Think carefully before you declare war against someone you can't possibly defeat.”

I wanted to lash out. To hit her. Hurt her in some small way, the way she'd hurt so many others. It wasn't going to happen with Adrius' grip on my arm.

“You will give me what I want, Lorelei. You'll bring me the book. Or this entire town will rain with the blood from victims you won't be able to heal. We clear?”

Fury balled up inside of me. “I won't let you hurt anyone else, Venus.”

She pushed off from the pole and repainted a plastic smile on her face.

Then she turned and walked away.

Adrius put his arm around me. “It'll be all right.”

The aftermath of Venus was always an energy drain. My shoulders sagged as we walked back to the car. “I don't know. It doesn't feel like things are ever going to go back to normal.”

“Is that what you want, Lorelei? Normal?”

I choked on a laugh. “I'm the daughter of a Shadow fey and a witch. My boyfriend is an Elven prince. And the daughter of the evil witch I killed wants revenge by removing everyone I love from my life. I think the normal ship left port a while ago.” I leaned my weight against him, letting him support me in the best way he could.

“I'm sorry,” he said.

“No. Don't apologize. You're not to blame in all of this. It's just the way things are. It is what it is.” I jammed my hands in my pockets. “But for once since all of this started, I want to wake up in the morning and know the people I love are safe. And if that looks like normal, then I'll take it. I know I used to complain loudly about how dull normal life was, but it took nearly losing everything to see what I really had.”

I leaned away from his chest to look up into his eyes, which were full of sadness and pain.

“I would never trade you for normal, Adrius. I want both. Is that so wrong?”

He gave a soft chuckle. “Not from where I stand. You deserve to have everything you want. I only wish I could give you both.”

I exhaled a long breath. “Things are never going to be the same again, are they?”

“Anything I used to feel for Venus has long since turned to hate.”

He meant it. I knew that he did. Problem was, the line dividing love and hate was as thin as the one separating his world from mine. So fine one can barely separate the two.

 

 

The moon was already full and yellow against an indigo sky when I arrived at Abby's house. The nights were warmer now, and signs of summer chased away some of the damp cold.

Abby led me to her room and shut the door, then perched next to me on her bed.

She stared at me wordlessly for a while.

“Well?” I shrugged. “You called and insisted I come over. So what's up?” This was a lot of drama, even for her.

She wrung her hands together and then took a huge breath as though about to dive into a lake in winter.

“Okay. You know how I've always had a feeling I could make things happen? And make psychic predictions?” she asked.

I stared blankly. “Not really.”

“Well I can. Like when I made Todd Smith fall and bang his knee after he insulted us that time.”

I frowned. ”Wasn't his shoelace untied?”

“Who do you think united it?”

“You?” I asked with a shrug.

“Of course it was me. It had to be. There have been hundreds of incidents just like that one. Anyway, the other day, I found this.”

I glanced at the book in her hands. “What's that?” Somehow I knew exactly what her answer would be. A similar book was hidden in the back of my closet.

“It's a grimoire. A Book of Shadows.”

I nodded. My stomach tightened. What was Abby, my
normal
human
friend, doing with one of these?

She continued to explain what a Book of Shadows was, unaware I already knew all too well. I also knew what finding one in your family's name meant.

“I don't get half the stuff written in here, but I've got this incredible urge to try.”

My mouth fell open a little as she handed me the tome. It weighed as much as my family's Book of Shadows, and was just as ancient. Magical energy pulsated through my fingertips.

“Wow,” I opened it hesitantly. “This is....wow...” I skimmed a few pages. “Summoning and Banishing Spells. Wormswort, Cauldrens, Full Moon Rituals, Dragon's Blood.... Wow.” It was all I could come up with to say. I shut the book and handed it back to her, searching her eyes for how much of it she believed. Part of me wanted to bolt and get as far away from that book as possible. But a much larger part wanted her to know the truth. To believe in the possibility of magic, because that would make sharing who and what I was with her a lot easier. My whole life I've hated that I couldn't talk about my secrets. My closest friendships were all filled with half-truths. Having someone close to discuss all of the craziness with would be such a relief. Of course I could always talk to Adrius, but there were times when I just needed to talk
about
Adrius… and Venus and Zanthiel… about all of it.

“So what are you saying, Abby?”

“That I'm a witch.” She said it with her straight, super-serious, I'm-not-kidding-around face.

Again I nodded.

She paused, clearly waiting for some response from me.

Say something. Anything.
My brain scrambled to come up with the right words.

Finally her shoulders collapsed a little. “You think it's crazy. That I'm crazy. Never mind.” She shoved the massive book into her backpack. “Forget I said anything.”

“No, wait. Just give me a second here, I'm processing.” I put my hand on her arm. “You know, if you'd shown me this a few months ago, I might have thought that,” I said slowly. “But now..... Let's just say I've seen enough to realize there is more to the world than meets the eye.” I smiled.

“I'm so glad you said that.” Her eagerness returned. “Because I have something else to show you. You'll love this.”

I almost held my breath while she fished in what was becoming a little surprise-bag of horrors for her next shocking revelation.

When she handed it to me, I almost choked on my own air. The surprise-bag of horrors didn't disappoint.

Dangling from her fingers was a thick bangle, just large enough to clamp around a wrist, lined with iron spikes.

“I'm not sure what it is exactly,” she said, “but it looks like some kind of ancient torture device. Something they might have used on witches back in the day.”

I took a step away from her. My hands wilted, my wrists too weak to support them. I remembered the contraption well. And it wasn't just any torture device. It was one devised to control a witch's magic. For someone of mixed faerie and witch blood, worn long enough it was lethal.

“Where did you find that?” I managed to ask though my throat had gone sanding-block dry.

“It found me actually. It's like I was meant to have it.” She turned it over in her hands, examining the rusty spikes that I remembered penetrating my flesh with such vividness I could feel it.

Rubbing my arm, I asked. “Found you how?”

“Well, technically, it was a gift. From the new girl. Venus.”

The blood drained from my face, and my legs wobbled. I don't know which was worse. The fact that Venus had spent time alone with Abby, or the fact that she was offering her torture devices that could seriously wound her.

Abby must not have noticed because she continued in her enthusiastic tone. “She found me in the paranormal/witchcraft section of the library one day. Then a few days later she just came up and gave it to me, mentioned something about us being kindred spirits. Maybe she's a witch too? Wouldn't that be funny?” She laughed.

I swallowed back bile. “Yeah. Hilarious.”

“I think of it as a peace offering for stealing Davin out from under me. Okay, so he wasn't technically mine, but I was supposed to be the one after he came to his senses and dumped Brianne.”

I leaned back against the wall, letting the cool ease the queasiness creeping into my stomach. If Abby didn't get the whole story she was going to stroll right into Venus' hands and end up dead. I needed to tell her everything. Starting with the truth about her boyfriend.

“My turn to tell you something you're not going to believe,” I said, folding my legs under me. “You know how you said I act weird around Zanthiel? Well, the thing is he's a Shadow faerie.” Like pulling off a bandage, or getting into a cold pool. You just had to do it.

She stared, speechless. Her words came out slowly. “When you say fairy…”

I could see the wheels turning inside her brain, attempting to make sense of it all.

Her brows furrowed in a puzzled frown. “You mean he's—”

“No, he's straight…I mean he's an
actual
faerie.”

Abby blinked twice. Then she broke into a wide grin. “Ok, seriously, if you're going to be drinking before noon you should invite me.” She laughed, waiting for me to join her.

I didn't. This wasn't a joke as much as I wished it was, and I had to make her understand that. It was a real fairytale complete with monsters and dragons and a wicked witch. She needed to be warned. I just hoped she'd be able to handle it.

I waited for her laughter to subside.

Her smile faded, replaced by another frown. “Lorelei, what does that even mean? Fairy, like Tinkerbell or something?”

This time I laughed. That had been my first thought as well. “Not exactly, more like Puck.”

She nodded her head. “Uh-huh. Right. Puck. Like in Shakespeare.” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you into him or something? Is that what this is about? You want me out of the way?”

I seized her shoulders. “Abby, please, you have to listen to me. Lives depend on it.”

I must have looked serious enough because she stopped shaking her head long enough to say, “Ok, I'm listening. Tell me what you're talking about.”

And I did the one thing I never thought I'd do. I told her the entire story; about Adrius, the Nevermore, the Ice Witch, Zanthiel—all of it. Finishing off with Venus.

By the time I was done, there was no trace of laughter on her face. An hour later, she was still looking at me in shock.

“Part witch and part faerie. That's wild. So what can you do with these superpowers?”

“Not much actually.” I reflected. “I can pretty much do what I've always been able to do. Heal people.” Although I wasn't doing such a good job at it lately. “And sense things.”

Her dark eyes sparked. “Can you fly?”

“Only in a plane.”

“Maybe there's a spell in here that can make you fly?” she said, handing me the Shaqua band with one hand and diving for the Book of Shadows with the other.

I glowered at it, as if giving an inanimate object the evil eye would change anything. The last thing I wanted was to hold the device that once held me captive while awaiting certain death at the hands of prince I loved. Fun times.

“Never mind, Abby. I'm afraid of heights anyway” I said, jamming my hands into my sleeves, feigning cold. The shiver that followed was real enough.

“Or what if there's something that can protect us from Venus? Or even stop the veil from closing?”

“I've searched my grandmother's Book of Shadows and didn't come up with anything. Other than the fact that my father's magic might be able to help, it hasn't been of much use.”

“There has to be something.” She flipped furiously through page after dusty page. “Let's try some spells. Tomorrow night? You game?”

“This isn't a game, Abby. It's real and it's scary stuff. Are you sure you want to mess around with it?”

“It's in me, Lorelei. Part of my roots. Yours too. You have to embrace who you are, right?”

I swallowed, then nodded.

“Okay then. We'll practice together. And who knows, maybe together we'll be strong enough to take her down.”

I sighed. Nothing in that book that could stop Venus. Her magic was from another world. It surpassed anything my ancestors or Abby's could conjure with potions and herbs.

I pointed at the Shaqua band. “You should probably keep that thing somewhere safe. And out of sight,” I said, knowing the whole danger element was part of the charm of her findings. “Someone may come looking for it. And if it's a device for torturing witches...and you're a witch...”

She gasped. “Right. Someone might try to use it on me.”

“You never know.”