Silverthorn (16 page)

“Your grandmother said those things to convince you that you’re weak. The way you threw me up against the wall and made Kendall and Brandon fly through the air proves otherwise.”

Some of the indecision cleared from Celestina’s face.

I handed her
The Book of Souls
.

She stared at it for a long moment, took in a slow breath, and let it out as though it might be her last. She reached for the cover and closed her eyes. Then she turned it over.

I expected a gust of wind to pass through the garage or to hear a chain of thunderclouds clap outside. But nothing stirred. No sound erupted overhead. Black ink in unintelligible letters scrawled down the first page. I turned to Kendall, who had minored in foreign languages. “What do you make of it?”

“It’s gibberish, meaningless.”

“Nuh-uh,” said Celestina. She smiled, no doubt feeling special that only she could read
The Book of Souls
.

“Okay, smarty-pants,” I said. “What’s it say?”

“It lists each of the witches who have owned it. Just below Great Granny’s name…is my name.” Her lips twisted into a smile. “Whoa!”

Kendall and Brandon crowded in close so that the three of us huddled around Celestina. Brandon said, “Well, go ahead. Take it for a spin around the block!”

“Oh yeah,” said my niece. She flipped the first page. Once again, foreign letters appeared down the page.

“It’s a Table of Contents. It has a family history and sets of spells.” She lifted her head, looked at us, and slammed the book shut. “No offense, guys, but I probably shouldn’t be letting you see what’s in here.”

“We can’t read it anyway,” I said, “but that’s your right.”

Hearing noise in the kitchen, we all swung our attention that way.

Alexis stood in the doorway holding a bottle of vodka. “Well, well” she said, eyeing her daughter with keen insight. “I can’t wait to find out what’s inside!”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Alexis left the kitchen and approached me with a dubious expression. “But before we get to the book, I have a score to settle with my little sister. “Knocking me out in front of my daughter? Not cool, little sis. Not. Cool. At. All.”

Only Celestina had been in the other room, but for Alexis to know that Celestina had seen the knockout blow, my sister had to have known that Celestina had peered through her eyes. Interesting…and also pretty damn sinister!

Keeping her eyes on mine, Alexis took a gulp from the bottle and licked her lips, as though reluctant to allow even the slightest bead of liquor from escaping her mouth.

“You deserved it,” I said. “But you’re right. I wish Celestina hadn’t seen that. If it’s any consolation, she punished me, so we’re even.”

“Is that right?” Alexis asked with a sly expression as she turned to her daughter. “She
punished
you?”

Ashamed, Celestina glanced down at her shoes.

“She hung me on the wall like a painting,” I said. “No nails needed. With a flick of the wrist, she sent Kendall and Brandon flying six feet through the hall.”

Alexis nodded, pride eliciting a smile that should have graced a women’s magazine cover. Since we were identical twins, it hurt that my best smile couldn’t even match her worst one.

“Score!” Alexis said, raising a hand for a high-five.

Reluctantly, Celestina tapped it.

“At least be proud of your accomplishments.”

In what world did parents encourage their children to attack their family members? “Should I be looking over my shoulder?” I asked my sister.

“The question is…should I?” She swigged from the bottle. “After all, you sucker-punched me.”

“I knocked you out hoping it would work like a computer reboot. Maybe when you came back online, you’d be smart enough to realize that Zephora is inside our mother’s body, and she plans on killing us. But since you won’t believe that—”

“I don’t know how I forgot about that!” Celestina said.

“It’s called a mental break,” Brandon said, stepping forward, no longer content to stand on the fringes of our conversation. “It’s a common occurrence among kids who abuse their elders. If you want some evidence, watch a slasher flick. The killers are so famous, everyone knows their first names: Freddy, Jason, Michael. And you know what? I think you’re pretty cool. It would be a real shame to add the name, Celestina, to the list.”

Dejected, my niece lowered her gaze.

For all of Brandon’s wackiness, when someone stepped out of line or when times got tough, he always said the right thing at the right moment. And at that moment, I couldn’t have loved him more.

But I didn’t want Celestina to dwell on the possibility of making future mistakes. Likewise, I was uneasy that my sister didn’t acknowledge whether she sought retribution for my attack, but I presumed that by not answering, she wanted me to keep me unsettled. Mission accomplished. I got my sister’s attention. “Think back to when we first met at DePaul. Do you remember how Grams was talking? Like she was in the early part of the 1900s, which makes sense because that was the last time she lived in this dimension. Have you talked to Delphine much since last night? Hear any resemblance?”

Alexis rolled her eyes. “She’s going through withdrawal. Who knows what craziness is dancing in her head?”

How could I reach Alexis? No matter what argument I made, she was either too stubborn or too oblivious to consult reason and reach a logical conclusion.

Alexis grinned, apparently glad to have gotten under my skin.

“Why does she want to kill us?” asked Celestina.

“She doesn’t want to kill you yet, but remember when I said that Zephora wanted to rule the world? Well, if both of you die, all of the vampires, werewolves, shifters, and other creatures will be able to leave Chicago.”

Alexis let out an exaggerated sigh. “Oh, my God!” She sucked down some more vodka and circled us. “Do you hear yourself? Where are all these werewolves? And shifters? What other monsters are walking the streets? Should we call pest control?” She laughed. “So you’re saying, if there were tons of creatures on the streets like it was Halloween, they’re stuck in Chicago…until me and Celestina die?” She shook her head. “What about you? I guess it’s safe for you to live?”

I didn’t want to answer this question because I knew it would build up her ego. Then again, taking that route might persuade her to believe me. “No.” I paused for effect. “I’m not as important as either of you two.”

My sister stopped and faced me, narrowing her eyes with skepticism.

“I’m not the first daughter in my line, but they’ll want to kill me anyway because I could help you fight Zephora.”

“Bullshit.” Her eyes redirected to Celestina. “I shouldn’t have said that.” She gnashed her teeth in shame, but her eyes looked sincerely apologetic. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Mom.” Celestina revealed a small smile. “No biggie.”

“What will it take to convince you that Zephora is evil?” I asked. “For her to put up a canvas painting of Voldemort in the family room? She won’t kill you yet because she needs your power and abilities.”

“For what? If she’s the most powerful witch that ever existed, why would she need us?”

“Darius told me that Celestina is the most powerful witch since Zephora. And she’d be idiotic not to want to manipulate your daughter to achieve her goals.”

“In what way?”

“How should I know? Darius didn’t explain what he meant. Whatever Zephora is planning, she’s thinking only of herself. Not you. Not Celestina. I can only imagine that she wants your help in securing support from all supernatural creatures. She wants complete control.”

“I knew it,” said Celestina.

“Since Darius was the only vampire until recently,” I said, “he must have turned them to kill Brandon, Nolan, and me because we had supernatural abilities. We dusted them, but who’s to stop Darius from creating more nightwalkers? I mean, he turned Kendall into a vampire to piss me off.”

“Did it work?” Alexis asked.

“That doesn’t matter. Kendall does not like being a vampire. Who knows what’ll happen when she craves blood…and there’s only a harmless toddler sitting in a stroller.” I gave Alexis a moment to mull over that idea. “That’s when she’ll face a real test.”

“I’m right here,” said Kendall, annoyed.

Alexis neglected her. “So now what?”

At that moment, the front door opened. “Hello!” said Darius from the doorstep. “Serena, are you here? I’ve got a guitarist-friend of yours you might want to see!”

Fright made my nerves clinch. I turned toward my friends and Celestina. “Don’t move. Stay here.” I hurried out of the garage and towards the front door.

The front door cracked open inch-by-inch until Darius was visible just outside the threshold.

I stopped short upon seeing Nolan behind him.

“Well, hello, there,” Darius said with a smarmy grin. He turned back to Nolan. “What are you waiting for? You may enter of your own volition!”

Nolan didn’t look convinced. “That wouldn’t be neighborly. No, I’ll stand here until invited inside.” He set his eyes upon me. “Serena?” His eyes lit up.

My breath left me at the sight of the man whose appearance always extinguished the breath from my lungs. First, we fought against the vampires Darius had sent after us, and now Nolan had joined Darius to…what? End my life? Besides, this wasn’t my house. Only Alexis or Celestina had the right to invite anyone inside. “What are you doing with him?” I asked.

Nolan glanced at Darius with a dubious expression. “Helping him.”

“How did that come about?”

“He asked.” Nolan shrugged. “I said yes.”

“Why?”

“He said…” He almost glanced at Darius before turning his eyes on mine again. “He said he knew where to find you. And I was worried about you so—”

I recalled my conversation with Darius the other day, when he planned to murder Nolan, but upon further thought decided against it. Now I knew why he chose to compel him to do whatever he asked. It made me wonder if being part-demon, Nolan had a proclivity toward evil, meaning whenever confronted with darkness, he felt pulled toward that inclination. Having spent time with him, I hadn’t suspected he’d ordinarily lean in that direction. However, now that a powerful vampire had perhaps triggered a latent propensity to commit evil acts, I feared that he’d perpetuate any request that issued from Darius’s mouth.

“Oh,” Darius said, feigning a sweet-natured smile. “How sweet!” He set his gaze on mine. “Come on out, Serena. Let’s have a little chat.”

“About what? How you plan on killing us?” I glanced at Nolan. “What the matter with you? Don’t you remember killing that vamp last night? Well, you’re buddy sent them after you. How could you join him?”

“It’s not what it seems,” Nolan said with a noncommittal stare.

How could he respond so casually when he knew Darius’s intentions? How could he think I would be okay with him joining the man who wanted to kill me? Was he delusional? Then again, if Darius had compelled Nolan to follow whatever instructions he set out, I could understand why Nolan didn’t feel one way or the other about becoming Darius’s lackey.

“Darius is not your ally,” I said. “He’s evil.”

“Why start with the name-calling?” Darius asked, placing his hands at his sides as though in surrender. “I mean no harm. Yet, you seem intent on condemning me for—”

“Don’t treat me like an idiot, you goddamn jag-off.”

“So hostile. And yet…have I resorted to name-calling?”

I tried to overlook my concern for Nolan. “What do you want?” I asked Darius.

“The Book of Souls.”

“It’s not for sale.”

“I wasn’t planning to pay for it…I was just going to take it!”

“Not if you can’t get inside,” I said.

“What’s it worth to you?” asked Alexis, walking past me and moving into the front room toward him without a trace of fear or frustration.

“Invite me in your home so I can retrieve the book, and I’ll allow each of you to live. That’s quite a fair trade.” Darius’s grin hovered on his lips.

“More than fair,” Alexis said, stopping five feet from Darius. She looked at Nolan. “Hey!”

He nodded, but a second later, his gaze fell upon mine with more than a little concern for my well-being.

It told me that Nolan hadn’t completely given himself over to the dark side. Not only that, but I was surprised that he’d remained in the background as long as he had. Despite the influence that Darius held over others, I couldn’t imagine Nolan yielding to anyone, no matter the circumstance. He seemed too self-reliant, too full of pride to let anyone else speak for him, let alone control him.

“You’ll leave without killing me?” I asked Darius.

“I gave you my word, and I’ll stand by it.” A gentle smile touched his lips. “Did you expect anything less?”

“No,” I said, doing my best not to let him notice my throttling nerves, but with his heightened senses, he could probably hear my heart beating double-time. “It figures you’d want to bring Nolan along.” I shrugged, non-complacent. “You’ve always seemed like a coward. Why should
I
expect anything less?”

“This from someone who ran away from me?”

“A smart person lives to fight another day.”

“Perhaps that day is today! Face it, Serena. You don’t have the nerve to confront your opponents. You lack the bravery your grandmother called upon at will.” He cracked a smile. “If you value your life, you’ll invite me inside.”

“It belongs to Celestina.”

“Oh, come on,” Alexis said, irritated. “Just come in.”

Darius’s eyes met mine as his smile went wide. “Why, thank you, Alexis. How very kind of you!”