Vex (33 page)

I take a breath and push the math book away. The sheer presence of the text offends me as though it were Marshall himself. How dare he send Gage to East.

“I think we’ll go pick up Mia and Melissa now,” I offer.

“Good idea,” Mom leans her head towards the kitchen window. “Take it slow on those roads. It’s raining sledgehammers out there.”

“We’ll be all right,” I say, leading Gage towards the door.

I can’t say the same for Marshall.

***

  I have Gage pull over just around the corner, so we can be alone, and I eject myself from the seat and jump into his lap.

“Speak,” I whisper as I close my eyes. I need to know why the hell he’s enrolled himself at East.

“I had to confess to owning the knife in hopes of getting it back, but Dudley confiscated it and expelled me as fast as he did Chloe.”

“Crap.” I lean my head into his chest, defeated.

The windows cloud over with a thin film of perspiration, concealing us from the rest of the world. I wish we could live in this bubble forever, have some magical shield protecting us from life whenever we want it to.

Gage twirls his fingers through my hair, peppering me with barely there kisses.

“There’s a binding spirit around your house, Skyla. I can’t teleport myself over there anymore,” he says it slow as though it were the most morbid fact in the world.

I want nothing more than to evict all of the sorrow from this moment. It’s in the sorrow, the never-ending bloom of pain that allows the enemy to win. Their prize lies in our defeat.

I turn my head up, close my eyes, and find his lips. A strum of soothing kisses galvanizes our resolve. Chloe’s attempts to, divide and conquer, only brings us closer. The bones of our relationship are healing stronger than before the blow she delivered to break them. We could return from sand if we had to—form into a beautiful mosaic of glass that told our story in colors.

***

Marshall’s home gleams from the inside. Gage refuses to get out of his truck, says he might kill him if he gets the chance, so I go in alone.

“Marshall?” I shout, shaking off the excess rain from my jacket.

“In here, Love.” The piano undergoes a series of dark rich notes that reverberate throughout the house, set my bones on fire with the anger I’m already reeling from.

I come upon him with all my fury.

“How could you?”

“Your sisters are in the barn,” he doesn’t look up. “The lesson today is proper horse maintenance and the like—such as properly disposing of unwanted refuse.”

It never occurred to me I might try to strangle Marshall physically. I’ve always liked the theory, although acting on it was never in the forefront of my mind.

It feels so good to have my fingers cinched around his neck, molding into his flesh. So completely lethal, even though I realize my efforts will be fruitless. It reminds me of the time I strangled Chloe at my birthday party—the gift to myself. I wish the entire scene was far more reminiscent of when I strangled Holden, massaged his vocal cords with my fingertips. I’d be thrilled with a similar outcome.

His eyes bulge a moment, satisfying me with the fact I’ve caught him by surprise. The bracelet Gage gave me for Christmas gleams in this dull light. It flickers as bright as my love for him, solidifies why I’m doing this to begin with.

Marshall cinches my fingers together so tight the bones bend from the effort. He tosses my hands away so violently my arms threaten to dislocate at the shoulders. I let out a cry from the pain.

“I see you’ve been informed regarding the turn of events,” he rasps.

“You took Gage!” I cry the words out as though he ended his life.

“How am I supposed to woo you with his mighty eminence strutting around like he owns the place?”

“I don’t want you to woo me! I never have.” Tears sprout up unexpectedly. “Just give back Gage,” I croak the words in a whisper.

Outside the night illuminates, the thunder snaps so loud it rattles the windows.

“Perhaps I was aware that you were not interested in holding up your end of the bargain, Ms. Messenger? You do realize you’ve entered into a vow with a celestial being. To not keep your word would provoke any level of punishment I deem worthy. According to the rules and regulations, penned by the Master himself—you’ve bound yourself by your word.”

“You can’t bind someone with words.”

“The Master’s bound by words, turnabout’s fair play.”

“You led me to the Counts that day on the hillside, didn’t you?” It comes out unwarranted. I want to know if all of those arrows he speared in my direction were really guiding me to the enemy.

“I left you to find your way home.”

“Did you put a binding spirit around my house so Gage can’t come over?”

“Nonsense, he can walk right through the escape hatch in your bedroom if he so desires. If I wanted to keep him from you, I could just as easily remove his limbs. I don’t dabble in nonsense.”

So it wasn’t Marshall. It was probably Chloe and her newfound Count witchcraft.

“You never intended me to drink the poison from your arrow,” I touch the side of his face causing my arm to ignite like the rattle of a cymbal.

“This is a psychotic conversation, Skyla. But for your information,” he snatches my wrist, “I’ve let your tongue taste it.” His eyes flare. “Poison comes in many forms. Beware of trampling afoot in terrain you’re ill equipped to handle. I’d rethink anymore binding vows before entering into them.”

“There is no justice here, there never will be,” I say, pulling my wrist loose. Marshall can spear me with daggers if he wants—decapitate me. “Who can win with you? Your so-called Master lets you get away with anything.”

“The Master would never pervert justice. You can hang a life on that fact—and he did.”

“I’m your puppet. Admit it.”

“You have free will.”

“I have less than that. Does it account for anything that I’m the purest form of spiritual being on this planet? How does a girl catch a break around here?”

“You are spirit and breath, nothing more.” His words are as hostile as a slap. “Surrender your nothingness, and weep at how the mighty have overtaken you. Perhaps then you’ll acquire some mercy.”

“It’s all impossible. I’ll never have peace with Gage.”

“Don’t be so melodramatic. You’re at a juncture in your life where everything is possible.” He pulls me in by the waist and tries to capture my gaze. “Don’t you see, something is happening? The world is on the cusp of something unimaginable. It’s trembling in anticipation to see just what that might be.”

“I’m in pain.” My body goes numb from the ache of Gage slipping further from my grasp. The ladder of our world has just lost another rung, and Marshall is the one dismantling it.

“I see you’re bound by the cords of affliction, Skyla” he depresses out my name. “A very wise king once said, I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory. What do you think he meant?”

“He was dissolving under misery and oppression?”

“Yes, my love. But he was ultimately a victor. You can choose to be a victor, too, if you just believe.”

“It’s hard to believe in victory when someone, who I thought was my friend, evicts my boyfriend from school.”

“I can bring him back to you.”

I bow my head and close my eyes. Already I know the price is too high.

“Winter formal, I’ll have an enchanted gown for you to wear.”

“Of course, you will.” I don’t care to ask what this enchanted gown will do or what spiritual entity comes with it. Already I can smell trouble.

“I’d rather be sent to Ezrina’s lair,” and then a thought occurs to me, as a whole bucket of Levatio fingers wave at me like a distant memory. I do believe I’d rather take Marshall for all he’s worth. “On second thought, I’ll take the dress.”  

***

I beg Gage to drive me to Dr. Booth’s house—yes, house. Gage was reluctant at first but saw the bigger picture once the waterworks started nonstop.

I ring the doorbell five or six times straight and give a walloping bang on the door while Gage voluntarily waits outside in his truck.

Dr. Booth lives behind the gates not too far from Logan and Gage. I wonder if there’s some sort of law that stipulates you’re not to beat down your psychiatrist’s door at ungodly hours.

The door swings open. Dr. Booth cinches a camel colored robe around his waist. “Skyla? Everything OK?”

“No,” I barely get the word out, “it’s a mess.”

He waves me in.

I follow him through the entry and down a long hall. He leaves the lights off until we hit his office, and he shuts the door behind me.

“What in God’s name is going on?”

“I killed Kate.” The words stumble thick from my tongue. “It was an accident.”

“I heard.” He gives a hard nod.

“I don’t know what I was thinking, but I promised that Sector I was going to have sex with him in exchange for extracting Chloe out of my love life—and now both Chloe and Gage have been expelled from school.”

He gives a long blink. 

“I can’t do anything right.”

“You can start by keeping away from that Sector.”

“He’s my math teacher,” it comes out a whimper.

“Then we need to focus on the things in your life that you can control.”

“I can’t control anything.”

“You can control who you love—who you give your body to.”

I can control love. I let his words swill around, swim inside me until I almost believe them. I love Gage with an aching affection. Logan blinks through my mind, and I bat him away like a gnat.

A vision comes to me. I’m standing in Marshall’s living room in my underwear and angel wings. He wraps his arms around me, indulging in a smoldering kiss.

I blink back tears. I’d like to think it was just an errant thought, some passing horror that drifted through my brain, but I know better. There’s not a damn thing Dr. Booth or anyone else could do to stop it.  

It’s going to happen.

I’m going to risk everything.

And most likely, I’ll lose it all.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Dinner Guests   

On the night of Drake’s birthday, Mom and Tad decide to have dinner catered in, since the heavens have depressed their wrath upon us for three days straight, turning every road on the island into a potential deathtrap.

Mia catches me in the hall and pulls me aside.

“You get that darn license, yet?”

“Monday.” I’m so happy I can purr. “Although I don’t know if Logan is still going to sell me his dad’s car. I think he’s mad at me.” He hasn’t even looked at me since that day I had his powers revoked, not to mention the fact he took me off the schedule at work.

“Great! I’ll make sure to have somewhere to go. Don’t go all blonde on me and flunk it.”

“Hey,” I step in front of her, “you’re a blonde, too, the insults yours as well. And if this somewhere to go involves that Armistead kid, forget it.”

“He’s my boyfriend.”

“You can’t have a boyfriend.”

“Says who?” Her entire person is teeming with attitude.

“Says me. Besides, you wouldn’t know what to do with one anyway.”

Mia bites down on her lower lip concealing a viscous grin. She pulls down her scarf just enough to reveal a dark purple bruise.

“Is that a hickey?” I gasp.

“I guess I do know what to do. After all, I’ve got you as a sister, don’t I?” She saunters over to the family room as though she were proud of the fact she’s defiled herself.

Holden barrels down the hall, bumps my shoulder—hard like hitting a brick building.

“Sorry, Sis, didn’t see you standing there with that stupid look on your face.”

I pull him back by the elbow.

“I want to go on a light drive with you soon,” I say, trying to control my temper.

“For?” he looks me up and down.

 “Are you going to fight in the faction war?”

Holden nods, unsure of where this is going.

“I want you to infuse yourself real good with Chloe’s blood. You get enough of it, you can overthrow her when the time is right. I went to justice alliance, and they said it was true.”

I hope he buys it by the load. If I want to overthrow Chloe, I’ll need all her enemies working against her.

“OK, deal.” He gives a stern look that says I’ll twist your neck off if you’re wrong.

The one detail I left out was the fact the blood he needed was from the Chloe of today, not the one he has a treble over—either that or my blood would do, but let’s hope he never figures that one out.

***

Gage arrives in tandem with Brielle and her mom, Darla.

Darla puts her fingers to her lips as though she were already drunk and partially on her way to letting out Brielle and Drake’s secret before it’s time. I escort them to the kitchen where Mom has the food all laid out on creamy white platters.

Gage steals a quick kiss, and my insides dip soft and sweet like the descent on a never-ending rollercoaster.

Drake takes his place nervously by Brielle’s side. They sit down and stare at the food in front of them as if Mom had laced it with arsenic. He looks decidedly ill like he’s about to wolf down his last meal.

“So when’s
my
birthday, Pops?” Holden starts in on the psycho son from Hell act. He’s got the, from Hell, part right.

“Sixteenth of October, Son.” Tad rolls up his sleeves in annoyance. Little did he know that Holden was asking a genuine question.

“So, Drake, what plans do you have set for later this evening?” Tad asks, dishing himself up first with the entree.

“We’re going out with Skyla and Gage, just hanging out.”

Gage and I exchange glances. This is the first we’re hearing of it. Maybe Drake figures if he attaches himself to the good child, Tad will go easy on him. That’s what I am now—the good child. I give a satisfied smile over to Gage and clasp his hand.

Emily is having a get together. Logan wants to talk to you.

“I’m sure he does,” I whisper. I bet he’d like to rattle me around for a good long while for taking him out of the time travel business.
   
 
          Emily’s get together will work out great. I’ll do a light drive with Ellis, steal his stash, then visit Emerson and finally figure out exactly how she’s got Chloe by the balls—and I do believe she has them.