Anathema (Causal Enchantment #1)(50)

I trailed quietly, alternating my attention between the perfect, agile body ahead and the daisies in my hand before saying, “So Fiona and Amelie obviously told you a few things about me.”

“Obviously.”

“What else did they tell you?” I asked, wracking my brain to remember the conversation.

He responded by casually tossing out his own question. “So you’ve never even had one boyfriend?”

Ugh. They told him that? I felt my face flush at the thought of them discussing my pathetic social life. So he must have figured out there’s something wrong with me.

“I never would have guessed it, based on the other night …” He glanced back, and I saw the corner of his mouth curving in a smirk.

The other night? What’s he— My eyes bulged as I realized he was talking about the night of the attack. I opened my mouth to respond several times, always faltering, lost for words. Even the pendant’s powerful magic couldn’t have masked my blazing cheeks. Mercifully, Caden kept his eyes ahead.

We wandered deep within the valley forest, where the trees blocked out most of the sunlight. In the few places where the thick canopy granted the sun access, shafts of light beamed down over the area like spotlights, the contrast between the deep shadows and the sunrays creating a mystical setting.

An enormous, knotty tree root jutted at least six feet from the ground, blocking our path. I hooked my foot into a nook and started climbing, but Caden’s hands grabbed my waist and yanked me back down. “Where are you going?” He laughed, and in the next instant, we were sailing over to the other side.

“I thought you couldn’t fly,” I said sarcastically, releasing the mouthful of air I had sucked in.

“That was a jump.” He chuckled and continued walking.

We found the others sitting on a pile of rocks beside a narrow, murky river that wove through the trees. Fluorescent green algae rested like a camouflage on its surface, bright against the inky water and the dark forest.

“So we’re going to … fish?” I asked, eyeing the metal rod Bishop held. Three more lay beside him, nestled among some ferns. This is what vampires do to kill time?

Caden smirked. “You sound surprised.”

“I thought your diet consisted of … liquid.”

“They’re for Bishop’s pet. Are you any good?”

“I don’t know; I’ve never tried. But I don’t see myself as much of the ‘angler and hunter’ type,” I answered.

Caden laughed, picking up a rod. “You could be a natural cave woman.”

“Maybe.” I doubt it. Seeing anything with more than two legs scurry past made my skin crawl so I didn’t expect a flapping, slimy fish impaled on a hook would bring about a different reaction. I crouched by the riverbank and laid my flowers beside it with their stems dipped in the murky water.

“Whoa! Not too close,” Caden exclaimed, leaning over to pull me back. “There are things in this water you don’t want to … disturb.”

A shiver ran down my back as I studied at the calm river. “Like snakes?”

Bishop answered. “Snakes, crocodiles, piranhas—I’m surprised you didn’t meet one of them the night you went in for Amelie.”

“But you didn’t,” Caden reminded me, seeing my eyes widen. He threw a look of exasperation Bishop’s way.

“Here you go, Eve,” Bishop said, smirking as he handed me a rod.

My mother used to call me that.

“I found these babies in a vault a few hundred years ago and I’ve been hoarding them ever since. I knew I’d have a reason to keep them!”

I stood awkwardly holding the rod. “Okay … what do I do now?” I inspected the metal contraption at the end of the long pole. A reel, Caden informed me.

“Well, first, you put one of these on.” Bishop picked something up off the ground beside him and grabbed my free hand. He placed a six–inch leech into my palm. It began wiggling and I shrieked, shaking the slimy thing off my hand. “Poor little fella.” Bishop stooped down to pick the disgusting thing up. Grabbing the end of my line, he jabbed the barbed hook through its body several times. It writhed furiously, trying to escape.

I screwed up my face in disgust.

Bishop snickered. “You’re such a girl.”

Fiona glanced over. “Bishop, seriously, you are so juvenile sometimes.” She rolled her eyes at me. “Sorry.”

Bishop squatted beside Caden, who already had a line in the water. Caden chuckled. “So those leeches are terrifying.”

“Not terrifying, repulsive. Two entirely different things,” I clarified, bending down to wipe the leech gunk off my hand on some leaves. I straightened and regarded my rod. “Okay, I’m in need of a lesson.”

Caden seemed happy to oblige, using his own rod to demonstrate how to cast and reel in.

“Looks simple enough,” I said and got ready to cast. My bandaged hand made things difficult.

Caden held up his hands. “Wait.”

I froze, assuming his vampire senses noticed something in the water.

“Wait … hold on … okay, now! And put your whole body into it,” he commanded.

I complied with his instructions, swinging the rod back over my right shoulder before casting forward with all my strength. But my hook lodged in something behind me, at the same time that a howl of protest made me whirl.