Darker Days (The Darker Agency #1)(55)

Vida. Right. I took a deep breath and turned to Mom. “Vida is one of the Sins.” I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “Lust.”

And I could see it in her eyes. She knew me better than anyone else on earth and was starting to connect the dots. “And you’ve met her before, I take it?” She didn’t have the details—and hopefully she’d never ask—but I knew in the very pit of my soul that she’d just figured out what happened with Garrett.

“At school yesterday.”

“And what happened?” Her voice was even, but she was upset. I could tell by the way her fingers drummed across the top of her desk. Mom was a picture of stillness and self-control. She didn’t have nervous ticks.

“At first I thought it was just another case of threats. You know, we’ll get you, and your little dog, too—she doesn’t like me very much. Thinks I’m a troublemaker.”

Mom’s expression didn’t change. “You have that effect on people.”

“But then she introduced me to a few of her friends.”

“The other Sins?” Lukas asked. “You’ve seen them?”

I nodded. “Them—and someone else.”

Mom was genuinely surprised. Her fingers stopped tapping and she stood. “Someone else?”

This was the part I’d been dreading. Meredith was, understandably, a sore spot for Lukas. How bad was he going to blow when he found out she’d been alive and living free all this time while he was stuck in the box? “They found a witch…a powerful one.”

Lukas looked angry. “Already?”

“There aren’t many in the area. The Belfairs and the rest of their coven, plus a few solitaries. I don’t see anyone offering their aid.” Mom paled as the reality of what she’d just said hit her. “Oh, no…Are they being forced by the Sins?”

“It’s not someone from the coven, and no, they’re not forcing the witch to help them, either. She’s doing it on her own. I think she actually found them. If I’m right, this is the girl Dad took the box from. The one that tripped him.”

“What person in her right mind…” Mom breathed.

“That’s just it. This chick? She hasn’t had her right mind for a really, really long time. Probably not ever.”

I turned to Lukas. Showtime. “The witch they found—it’s Meredith Wells.”

Mom pinched the bridge of her nose and sank into her chair. “Wells? As in a descendant of the witch that trapped Lukas in the box? I looked everywhere, and Cassidy said—”

“Technically, Cassidy lied to you, Ma.” I shook my head, attention still on Lukas. He didn’t look good. Jaw clenched. Fingers knotted. Eyes stormy. “She found a Wells witch. Not a descendant of Meredith Wells, but Meredith herself. Kendra confirmed it.”

“That’s impossible.” Lukas’ voice was icy. “You must have misunderstood. She’s related to Meredith Wells.”

“She’s not,” I said softly. “She is Meredith Wells.”

“She wasn’t in the box.” His fingers curled around the edge of Mom’s desk, muscles in his arms taut like rubber bands ready to snap. “There’s no way she could still be alive.”

“If she had the power to trap you in the box, there’s no doubt she’d have the power to prolong her own life.” Dad snorted. “See? A pain in the ass, those witches.”

“You said you think she’s pulling their strings? Controlling them?” Mom was in all work mode. “What makes you think that? What did she say?”

I wanted to yell at them. We were wasting time chatting about this. We needed to get out there and find this bitch before she did any more damage. Instead, we were standing there playing twenty questions.

“I didn’t realize it at first,” I said with a bit of a bite. “She told me who she was, pretty much told me to stay away from her guy—then said she liked my jacket.”

“Liked your jacket?” Mom asked. “A little strange, but okay.”

“No,” I said, shaking my finger at them. Why were they not getting it? “That’s what did it. On the way home I was attacked by those girls and they wanted my jacket. Would have killed for it. Then Envy showed up to take in the show.”

“You think this Meredith girl sent them after you?”

“More like had Envy send them after me,” I snapped. In the corner, on top of my desk, Smokey let out a low growl. They were starting to annoy me with all the questions. Hadn’t I made it clear? If Mom kept this up, I was likely to start swinging.

Wait…

Swinging?

Horrified, I whirled around. Lukas was pale and shaking and looked ready to collapse.

“Out! Everyone out.”

Dad cursed and stepped forward to grab my arm, but I jerked away.

“You guys out. I’m staying.”

“Absolutely not!” he roared and made another swipe for me.

I dodged him again and turned to Mom, eyes pleading. “I can calm him down.”

She looked torn. Unsure and maybe a little sad, she nodded and grabbed Dad by the arm. Despite his protests, she was able to haul him out the door.

Once they were gone, I turned back to Lukas. My earlier vow to distance myself from him and the feelings festering between us was forgotten. There was a little voice in my head still nagging me to keep away, but I pushed it aside. All I could think about was stopping his pain.