Casted (Casted series) (17 page)

Edge thought I used magic at the Nomad compound. I wanted to test the theory, but not on my own. The last thing we needed was for misguided magic to bring Edge’s cave down on our heads.

I curled up with my mother’s journal and started at the beginning. My heart felt full, learning of my parents love for one another and how they met so long ago. My father had been sent out to kidnap my mother. The plan backfired on the Triad when he ended up turning his back on everyone and everything for love. I devoured the journal as each page led me further and further into my parent’s life.

The book slipped out of my hands and tumbled to the floor as I read the entry about the spell book currently residing inside of me. My mother wrote of the way the pages fluttered in her mind when my father kissed her. It spoke of the pain it brought when he went away. Her hurried script talked of a blood payment to the book and what was expected of the book Keeper. I gasped as I read about how the spell translated after her and my father had given themselves to each other. She talked of trying millions of times to write what the message on her arms said. Each time her pen wouldn’t connect with the paper. They tried taking pictures and had them developed, but the words wouldn’t be there. My father had even tried writing it and every time he’d get a few lines written, the page would catch fire.

She’d written of research and spells to counteract what the book expected from her and each met with failed attempts. On and on the journal talked of places and people they would secretly meet up with until I came to the spot where I’d marked the page with my parent’s picture. Only then did I realize the seriousness of accepting the book.

The pictures Dagger took would show my bare arms. However, Matheson had the means to translate the words. And if I had to stand in front of him hours on end holding out my arms for him to decipher the ancient text, I would do it. The book fluttered and shuffled in my head as if disagreeing with my thoughts. How would it try to stop me if this is what I chose to do? I tucked the thought away and went in search of Matheson.

I found them in the kitchen. Dagger was scowling at the computer and Matheson was flipping through the old book like he was looking for something.

“I don’t understand it, there’s nothing there.” Dagger jabbed his finger at the screen of the laptop.

And so it begins
, I told myself.

“I want to talk to you both, but I need to speak to Edge first,” I began.

“Yeah, okay, but before you go, I’m going to need to take more pictures. The ones I took are…well, see for yourself.” He pointed at the screen.

I didn’t need to look. I already knew what I’d see.

“The words are missing, right?” I said without looking at the screen.

“Yes, but how did you know that?” Matheson asked.

“I promise I will explain it to you, but first I really have to talk to Edge,” I said, backing up. My body connected with Edge’s. His hand slid to my hip to steady me.

“You need to speak with me?” he asked.

“Um, yes…in private please,” I asked as I turned to head back to my room. Edge followed closely behind me but didn’t say anything. I gestured for him to sit as I closed the door.

“I think we have a problem,” I said, picking the book up and opening it to the page about the cryptic words on my arm.

He took the book from my hands and pulled me down next to him as he silently read the journal entry. His brows furrowed as he snapped the book closed.

“Have you ever heard the term preordained?” he asked, setting the book on the nightstand.

I shook my head no and waited for him to explain.

“Back in the beginning, the Original Covens used the preordainment spell to keep their bloodline pure.” He blew out a breath and continued explaining, “They were scared that the bloodline would be diluted, if their children reproduced with someone outside the Coven. The spell they cast would pair up different families. Once casted, it would never have to be done again and it could never be reversed.”

I shot up from the bed and began pacing. “So what’s happening between us is because of a spell casted hundreds of years ago?”

Edge grabbed me as I paced by and pulled me down to his lap. His arms wrapped tightly around me. “I kind of like having you here with me. I like waking up with your lips close enough to whisper good morning in my ear. I like feeling you reach for me. So whatever this is between us, I’ll thank the bastard that set it in motion all those years ago.”

“Edge, it wants us to have more than feelings,” I said, pulling back to look at his face. “How are we going to explain this to everyone? It’s embarrassing enough just talking about it with you.” I groaned.

The book had remained quiet in my head until I started imagining what Edge and I would have to do in order to translate the words on my arm.

“We don’t have to say anything right now. Maybe Matheson can continue to try word by word and we’ll see what he comes up with,” he said, placing a soft kiss to my heated cheek.

“You know he’s not going to be able to. You read what my mother said happened when my dad tried to write it out.”

“Yes, but it will give us a little time to decide what we should do. The book isn’t the only one that wants us to make love,” he said, pulling me into his lips. I let him devour me as the pages in my mind fluttered and sighed. How was I supposed to even enjoy his kiss when the book wouldn’t leave me alone long enough to pay attention to him? How could I think about us joining our bodies while it felt like there was some sort of perverted voyeur in my head watching our every move.

The book fluttered shut and my mind was finally quiet. Edge trailed his lips along the curve of my jaw and continued down my neck. His hands bunched in my shirt, pulling me closer as he lowered me to the bed.

I wanted him to stop. I wanted him to continue. My indecision was tearing me apart. I pulled away slightly and Edge leaned on his elbow to look down at me.

“I want you so much,” he said, tracing my lips.

I went to speak, but he cut me off. “I want you, but I will not rush you.” He sat up and helped me up from the bed. “Let’s go see if they can start on a visual translation,” Edge said, as I straightened my hair and my clothes.

“Gotta start somewhere I suppose.” I yelped when Edge’s hand connected with my backside. “What was that for?”

Edge just grinned and wiggled his eyebrows, as he grabbed my hand to walk with me back to the kitchen. “I’m working out my frustration, woman.”

Edge had said that we didn’t have to say anything right now about what the book was pretty much demanding of us. I felt guilty knowing Matheson and Dagger would be searching for answers in vain.

We walked into the kitchen as Dagger was pulling the memory card out of the camera and putting it in the computer. “Maybe there was a problem when the photos transferred,” he said as the images began to upload. Each picture came up the same, bare arms.

Dagger blew out a defeated breath. “Are you going to tell me why the words are missing now?” he asked.

“I came across a journal entry where my mother said that her and my father tried doing the same thing. Every time they attempted pictures, they always came back like that,” I said, pointing to the screen.

“Okay, so we’ll write them down and do it that way,” Matheson told Dagger as he grabbed a pen and paper.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I warned him. But before Matheson could stop and ask me why, the sheet of paper caught fire.

Dagger tossed a glass of water on the flames. Smoke hung in the air; I waved it out of my face.

“What are we supposed to do now?” Dagger sounded shocked.

“Let me get this straight.” Matheson rubbed at his temple. “The book knows that we’re trying to translate the words on your arm?”

“Creepy,” Jude said as he walked into the kitchen and stuck his head in the fridge. I could hear bottles clinking and plastic rustling as he rummaged around.

“What’s creepy?” Julie said as she knocked Jude out of the way to grab a bottle of water.

“They think the book is keeping them from decoding Jade,” he snorted.

I rolled my eyes at him. “Very funny.” Jude pulled out stuff to make sandwiches, stuffing a hunk of meat in his mouth. His thank you was garbled.

“What’s funny?” Jessa said as her and Rainy came in and took a seat at the table.

“Oh goody, the gang’s all here,” Edge muttered.

Julie motioned to Jude. “He said that they think the book is keeping them from figuring Jades new ink out.”

“Spell blocked by the ancients.” Jude made it sound like he was cheering on his favorite team for scoring a goal.

“Could you do something to distract her?” Julie asked Edge.

My thoughts tumbled to what the book really wanted and I sucked in a sharp breath and choked. All eyes turned on me. Edge pounded on my back until I waved him off. “I’m okay. You don’t have to beat on me.” My cheeks burned.

“If the spell book is of the Original Coven, and it’s playing by their ancient rules, then we just have to think back to what they used as counters to those spells,” Rainy chimed in.

Jude barked out a laugh as he continued making his sandwich. Julie elbowed him. “What’s so funny?” she asked.

“Blood, sex and magic,” he said, slapping the bread together and taking a huge bite.

“Excuse me?” she said, crossing her arms. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Just like I said…blood, maybe a little bowchicawahwah, or maybe even some hocus pocus.” Jude grabbed his plate and sauntered over to the table.

“I think my blood is what unbound the book and magic is what helped to put it inside of me.” My thoughts spilled out before I could stop them.

“Maybe we should go for some sort of distraction?” Rainy suggested.

“It might work,” Matheson said, tapping his chin in thought. “Anyone with an idea, come talk with me in the main room, except for you, Jade. This way you won’t know what we’re doing or when we plan on doing it.”

I felt relieved that they would at least continue to try, even if it meant failing. It gave me time to come to terms with what the book really wanted from me before I was forced along this path I didn’t choose.

There was so much more to read in my mother’s journal and I could only hope that somewhere in all of the entries she’d left me sort of clue. I left everyone in the kitchen and headed back to my room.

I tossed the book aside as my eyes began to blur. Dates and names, secret meetings and cryptic spells were all that I’d come across. She talked of binding my powers and of my birth. She spoke of the Original Coven of which we were born unto and cursed the Elders for their barbaric decisions. But there was nothing solid to refer back to in regards to the book or the binding of it.

Edge tapped on my door before he stuck his head in to check on me. “Everyone’s getting ready to turn in.” He sat down and grabbed the discarded book. “Did you come across anything else?”

“No, but she did refer to the Coven as barbaric, so maybe I am of that cursed bloodline. I still have more to read so maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“It would be nice to have something to go off of, but I’m not holding my breath. If the book had as much control over your mother as it seems to have over you, we’re lucky she was able to give you what she could,” he said, sliding the book on the nightstand.

“I’m really beginning to hate books,” I whined.

“Such bold words coming from a librarian!” He gasped in feigned shock.

I grabbed my pillow and whacked him with it. “Whatever…you know what I mean.”

“The Dewey Decimal system is crying, what ever shall we do?” he said, lunging for the pillow. I pulled away and he tossed himself onto my bed.

“Edge?” I poked him in the ribs as he put his hands behind his head and got comfortable.

“Yes, Jade?”

“Go to bed.”

“Thank you. I think I will.”

“In your own bed.” I pulled the door open and gestured to his room.

Edge cracked his eyes open to peer at me. With a groan, he sat up and dragged his feet past me, and then turned around to pull me against him before I could close the door.

“Dream of me,” he said before kissing my forehead. The pages fluttered in response as I pulled away and shut the door. I took a step away and then turned back and locked it. Maybe that would keep me in my own room tonight.

Sleep eluded me for most of the night. Twice I’d caught myself unlocking my bedroom door while trying to pull off a piece of clothing. The book clearly did not like the fact that Edge was just across the hall and I wasn’t curled up next to him.

Sometime in the early hours of the morning, I fell into a hard sleep, one that the book had no chance at touching. I heard the lock release on my door before Edge came in to check on me. I rolled away and pulled the covers up over my head.

“Go away,” I growled.

“It’s almost noon,” he chided.

“What!” I said, tossing the covers off to grab the clock beside my bed. The red numbers flashed 11:46. I’d practically slept the day away.

I threw the covers off and marched towards the bathroom. The chill in the air caressed my legs and I looked down. No pants. I turned back and there they were, pushed up against the backside of the open door. I snatched them up and returned to the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind me.

I jerked the pants on and squeezed a huge dollop of toothpaste onto my toothbrush. I scowled at my reflection and scrubbed my teeth, cursing the book the whole time. When I opened the bathroom door, Edge was waiting for me.

“Rough night last night?” he asked. Concern etched along his brow as he took in my scowl.

“You could say that.” I grunted in annoyance.

“I have an idea,” he said, pulling me along behind him.

Edge guided me down a hallway, one that I’d never been down before. I had stuck to his rules about not venturing off, so there was no telling what was down this way.

He stopped in front of a door and pulled it open.

“You have a gym?” It would have been nice to know this before now. I could have spent time in here working off all the excess energy I’d been harboring.