Burned (Keeper of the Flame) Read online

He swallows hard and starts toward the house. I follow behind him, frustrated. “What the hell am I supposed to do then? Hide forever?”

  He spins around on the porch, teeth clenched. “I don’t know. But what I do know is that this whole thing is bigger than a little spell.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, once the spell is complete, it affects more than just us or Cheyenne and Logan. Any person out there with vampire blood or werewolf blood or even shapeshifting in their genes can come to Shadow Hill and get their powers back. Not only that, vampires won’t just be born anymore, they can be created. People can be transformed into werewolves. Everyone in Shadow Hill will be in danger.”

  My stomach churns. It’s hard to believe Logan would do that, hurt people for the sake of it. But then again he wasn’t exactly friendly this morning. And for all I know, he could be one of the nice ones.

  “Okay,” I say, bitterness in my mouth, “I’m seeing the bigger picture here. That still doesn’t help with what I’m supposed to do now. I’m stuck here. And I don’t think Logan’s just going to get bored and give up.”

  He stares out across the yard, arms folded.

  “Ryan?”

  He shakes his head. “I don’t know. We have to stop Logan somehow.”

  I study my shoes as words pop into my mind. Kill him. The thought makes me so uneasy, Ryan steps closer to me and asks, “What is it?”

  “What?”

  He tips my chin up, pulling off his sunglasses again to meet my eyes. “That sick feeling.”

  “You can feel that?”

  “I’m standing right in front of you. I felt it and saw it on your face. What were you thinking?”

  “Nothing I’d be willing to do.”

  I stare at the pulse on his neck, hoping he’ll drop it. “Kill him, you mean.”

  I nod. “But then that puts us in the same category as him‒or worse.”

  He sighs. “Yeah. Satisfying but pretty immoral.”

  I laugh when he smiles. As satisfying as it would be to stop Logan, I don’t know if I’d feel the same if I truly hurt him.

  Ryan brushes a hand down my arm. “So what’s the plan? Go over to his house and play some cards?”

  “Ryan.”

  “What? You keep hanging out with him anyway, might as well just go on over.”

  “You’re a jerk,” I say, turning away.

  He catches my arm. “If it keeps you safe, I can be the bad guy.”

  “You already were when I got here.” My voice is low. “And neither of us liked it.”

  I can tell the comment stings. He stares at me, long enough I’m uncomfortable again.

  “Let’s just take a break, okay?” I start down the stairs again. “I’m going to head over to the library and brainstorm with Cheyenne. I want to find my Book of Shadows and see what I can do in the meantime to stop Logan.”

  He follows a few steps but doesn’t come all the way to my car. “Be careful.”

  “I will.”

  I find my keys in my purse in the front seat of the car. Like Logan said, it’s all there. I check my phone quickly and find a few messages. I unroll my window and call after Ryan.

  He turns before he gets into his truck.

  “Have you tried calling my mom again?”

  He dips his head a moment before nodding. “I did.”

  “Still no answer?”

  “Sorry. No.”

  “Thanks.” I give him a wave before pulling away. I’ll have to get her number from him.

  And then I’ll call every hour if I have to because I need some answers. And the other part of me…it just wants to make sure she’s safe.

  Chapter 19

  “Men are stubborn,” I announce when I walk into the library.

  Cheyenne brightens when she sees me. “Yeah? Man troubles? Give me details.”

  I drop my purse onto her desk and set my phone beside it.

  “Wait.” She stands. “How did you get your stuff back? I thought Logan took it all.” Her eyes widen. “You didn’t go see him, did you?”

  “No. No,” I say again firmly. My ponytail swings when I tilt my head back and sigh. “Ryan brought me to one of his houses and said I could live there for now. Logan found me there.”

  “Like found you in the house when he knocked on the door or found you outside when you should have been inside?”

  “Don’t start with me,” I say. “You know I can’t just hide in the house all day. I have to do something.”

  She taps one finger against her lips thoughtfully. “Standing out in the open when there’s a vampire after you doesn’t seem like the most logical choice, though.”

  I scowl. “And what would you do? Sit in the house all day and hope Logan decides to give up?”

  She laughs. “No. I’d do something. I take it Ryan found out and went all big-strong-protector on you.”

  “Pretty much.”

  “And Logan?”

  I lower my voice, trying to mimic his. “‘You have two days or else.’”

  “Or else?”

  I wave my hand, dismissing it. “Whatever‒that was about the gist of it. Two days until he expects me to work with him on this spell. Why is he so determined to become a full vampire anyway? So he can live forever?”

  She sighs, walks over to the shelves by the window and straightens a few books. “Who knows what motivates someone like him. Immortality. Power. Boredom.”

  “I need your help with something,” I tell her.

  She turns and props her hip against the counter. “What?”

  “I guess…a spell? Or some way to find my Book of Shadows.”

  “Your Book of Shadows.”

  I nod.

  “It makes sense that you’d have one. I’m pretty sure every new witch gets one at a certain age. But then, you didn’t know you were a witch, and it probably would have been your mom who would’ve given it to you. She didn’t happen to call and point you in the right direction, did she?”

  “No.” I glance away. “Ryan still can’t reach her. But I had a dream. One of my ancestors told me about my Book of Shadows.”

  She smiles. “Messages from beyond. You know, Willow, my life has gotten so much more interesting since you came to Shadow Hill.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “That you came here?”

  “No, that I came here, got stuck here, and started this whole mess. The first part of reversing the curse.”

  She bites her lip in thought. “No. I mean, yeah, I don’t want to turn into a hairy beast every full moon or”‒she frowns‒“everything else that comes with it. But it’s not your fault. It was going to happen eventually. Now at least we’re forced to try to do something about it. Maybe something more permanent.”

  “Like what?”

  She smiles. “I have no idea. But stopping Logan is a good start. And so is finding your Book of Shadows. It will be more helpful than your mother’s because it’s for a Keeper of the Flame. The spells will be more specialized. Plus, it seems like you’re already in tune with your ancestors. You can draw information and power from them.”

  “Really?”

  “In theory. I’ve read about this as much as possible, read journals from the witches who used to live here, and studied the history. Your mom is the only practicing witch I’ve ever known, and when I say ‘practicing’ I say it loosely. She did a few earth spells here and there but not much. That was the whole reason she stayed away from you and your father. She wanted you to have a normal life.”

  I swallow and fold my arms. She still could have told me what was going on. She still could have visited or at least given me some kind of explanation.

  “Look,” Cheyenne says, “I know it’s a lot to take in. But I want to help. I think it’s good to start trying to get answers. We can do a location spell.”

  “A what?”

  She pulls a drawer open at her desk and hauls out a stack of books. “Here are the best spell books I could find. Yes,
you’ll want your Book of Shadows and we should try to get more information from your ancestors, but this is a good start. We can do a spell to find the Book of Shadows.”

  “Maybe it’s in my mom’s house. That sounds simpler.”

  She nods. “We can look. But if we don’t find it today, we might want to try the spell. Logan gave you two days. It will help to have a more concrete plan by then.”

  “It would help if my mom would answer her damn phone, too.”

  A smile skims her lips. “That’s true.”

  I start paging through her books, feeling overwhelmed. I’ve never done a spell before in my life. But I have talked with witches. I have seen them perform spells. At least I have a little knowledge.

  I pull in a breath. I can do this. I don’t have any other option.

  “You’re going to let me help decorate your place, right?” Cheyenne asks.

  I look at her. “It’s temporary.”

  “You still need to feel comfortable. And how temporary is temporary really? At the very least, you need furniture. I can help. I know a guy.”

  “What does that mean, you know a guy?”

  She laughs. “He runs a consignment store. He has furniture. He’ll probably give us a discount on pieces that aren’t selling.”

  “Oh.” I think about it, then nod. “Okay. Just a few things, though.”

  She stands again, grabbing a sheet of paper and sliding on a pair of glasses. “Good. Let’s make a list and I’ll see what he has.”

  “But the spell‒”

  “We’ll get supplies, too, and do the spell this afternoon or tonight. I can leave at three.”

  ~ ~ ~

  The bed frame was easy. But Cheyenne and I aren’t so adept at muscling a queen-sized mattress up the front steps and onto the porch. Her “guy” delivered the big furniture in his truck but had to get back to work. So now we have a truckload of pieces on the front lawn.

  “I really wish you could levitate this thing or something,” Cheyenne says, grunting.

  “Don’t you have super strength?”

  “Yeah, I can lift my end easily, it’s your end we’re having a problem with. I don’t want to just drag it across the floor.”

  Her voice is muffled on the other side of the mattress inside the door.

  “What the hell?” I hear from behind me.

  I glance over my shoulder and see Ryan. His hands are on his hips and he’s frowning.

  “I said I’d help you this afternoon.”

  I give him the sweetest smile I can manage. “It’s the afternoon. Will you help?”

  He makes a noise of frustration low in his throat and takes my end.

  “Is that Ryan I hear out there?” Cheyenne calls.

  “Let’s go,” Ryan says in return.

  Between the two of them, they haul the mattress in easily, and then the rest of the furniture. I’m not sure if it’s so effortless for Ryan because he’s a shifter or just because he’s built, but he makes moving furniture look easy. And good.

  It’d look better with his shirt off, but I can’t complain too much.

  He walks into the bedroom as I’m making the bed ten minutes later. He folds his arms and leans against the wall. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as frustrating as you.”

  “I guess I’m really making an impression, aren’t I?”

  He narrows his eyes. “That wasn’t a compliment.”

  “Where’s Cheyenne?” I ask.

  “She said she needed alcohol and supplies. I didn’t ask questions.”

  I finish putting on a pillowcase. “We’re doing a spell tonight.”

  He appraises me with a long look. “What kind of spell?”

  “A location spell. For the Book of Shadows. I figure if I dreamed about it, it must be important.”

  “Is it dangerous?”

  I smile. “Are you concerned about me?”

  A muscle flexes in his jaw. “You know I am.”

  My smile disappears. I walk over and take his hand. It’s warm and strong around mine. “I’m sorry. No, I don’t think it’s dangerous. But you can stay and watch if you want. Just in case.”

  He brushes his thumb on my jaw. “I think I will.”

  Before I can lean in, he turns and strolls out of the room. I deflate. Yeah, so he’s still mad at me. I get it. Once we do the spell and have a plan, we’ll all have a little more breathing room. Hopefully. And I can make it up to Ryan.

  Cheyenne returns with a load of bags. She dumps most of them on the coffee table and hands another to Ryan.

  “I bought some beer since you helped move,” she says.

  He pulls out a six pack with a grin. “Looks like I’ll be staying for a while.”

  I roll my eyes, but I’m glad he’s staying. I’m nervous about the spell. And even more nervous I’ll see something I’m not prepared for.

  “I bought wine, too,” Cheyenne says, “but it’s kind of early for that. Maybe we should try the spell first.”

  Ryan returns and pops the top on a beer before handing it to me. “Not too early for beer. Relax.”

  It’s good advice, but my stomach’s filled with nerves. I take a long swallow of the beer and crouch at the coffee table with Cheyenne. She pulls out candles and a handful of crystals.

  “I have no idea what to do with this,” I say. When I saw witches in the past do their spells each one had their own routine. Some used crystals and some used herbs and others just candles and the outdoors. “I hope it’s all up for interpretation.”

  “As far as I know, it is. Ryan, can you get the blinds? We need…ambiance.”

  She helps me set up the candles while Ryan darkens the room. We place them in between the points of the pentagon shape drawn on a mat in front of us. She slips open a book a skims her finger over the page. “You’ve seen someone do a spell before, right?”

  I nod. “Relax, stay open, call to the elements, focus on what you want or say some words to activate a spell, and then close…it.”

  “Close it?” Ryan asks, lifting his brows. He sits on the couch, his beer hanging from one hand while he scratches his chin with the other.

  “Yes,” Cheyenne says. “Give thanks to the elements, kind of a blessing or whatever, and then Willow’s done.”

  “But I’ve seen it done more simply without all the pomp and circumstance. For now, I’ll go by the book.” I take another swig of beer. “Okay, let’s do this before I change my mind.”

  Cheyenne fiddles in her bag for a lighter. Inspired, I channel the same energy I did today with Logan. Just the idea of him makes anger spark and I find the flames easily. I shoot them toward the candles.

  The candles light, flickering high once before settling to a normal size. Both Ryan and Cheyenne jerk back.

  “Shit,” Ryan says, scooting over on the couch some. “Give a guy some warning. Almost spilled my beer.”

  I send him a nervous smile, amazed it worked so well‒and so precisely. I didn’t set anyone on fire.

  “Ignore him,” Cheyenne says. “You did good. Now, relax and call the elements.”

  I take a deep breath and close my eyes, focusing my energy, trying to make sure I have complete control of it. I don’t move for so long, I finally feel a hand on my back. Ryan.

  “I call on the elements,” I say. “Earth, air, wind, and fire.”

  Cheyenne nods at me from across the coffee table. The flames flicker and it’s like I can feel energy all around me. In the air, in my body, underneath me. All the way down to my fingertips.

  I say a simple spell seeking the location of my Book of Shadows and add, “As I will, so let it be,” onto the end because it sounds more official.

  The flames flicker again. I don’t know what I expect. Maybe a whisper, a flash of a location‒something subtle.

  Instead, it hits me hard, knocking me back against the ground. I close my eyes as visions flood my brain.

  A sliding panel, dark, dank walls. And a book shoved in between a crack. It’
s cold. Cold enough, I‒

  “Willow.”

  My eyelids flutter, my chest heaving with sharp, heavy breaths. Two faces hover over me. Cheyenne and Ryan.

  “Willow,” Ryan says, “wake up.”

  His hands are brushing my cheeks, distracting me. I try to push them aside.

  “I was just starting to see something,” I mumble.

  He catches my hands in his, eyes serious. “You were out for five minutes.”

  “What?” I struggle to sit up. Ryan scoops an arm beneath me and pulls me into a sitting position. I slump against him, my head spinning.

  “You said this wasn’t dangerous,” he whispers, breath tickling my ear.

  I swallow. “It isn’t. I saw the book.”

  “You did?” Cheyenne perks up.

  “I think…” I remember the feel of the cold seeping into my bones, see the sliding panel again. “I think I know where it is.”

  “Where?” Ryan asks.

  “The Shadow Hill Hotel.”

  Chapter 20

  “No.” Ryan folds his arms with a quick shake of his head.

  “Ryan‒”

  “No,” he says again. He stands next to the couch where I’m sitting, mouth drawn in a frown. “You’re not going over there right now. You still look like you’re about to pass out.”

  When my hands tremble, I squeeze them together. “It’s just because I was surprised. I wasn’t expecting that to happen.”

  Cheyenne blows out the candles and gathers the rest of the items to put in a basket. She gives me a sympathetic smile. “That was kind of scary. I mean, I just thought you’d have a quick vision or something. Not pass out.”

  “I did have a vision‒I didn’t pass out.”

  “You stopped breathing,” Ryan says.

  My mouth drops open.

  Cheyenne flutters her hands at me in a soothing motion. “Just a few seconds. Stop being dramatic, Ryan‒”

  “Dramatic? Screw that. It was dangerous. She stopped breathing, Cheyenne. You think that’s worth it? She doesn’t need a vampire to kill her, she can just die in a vision.”

  The room goes quiet. I get to my feet, hands clenched at my sides, trying to stop the dizziness that keeps hitting me. But then Ryan turns to me, apology in his eyes. “I didn’t mean that. I’m‒I don’t want you to get hurt. This isn’t exactly familiar or comfortable territory for me.” He reaches out, smoothing his hands across my shoulders and down my arms. “Listen, I just want you to take a minute. Eat something. Get your color back. Maybe think about going tomorrow.”