Anathema (Causal Enchantment #1)(68)
“I wish I could say yes or no,” she murmured. “There’s a chance, though … There. One done.” Her hands moved to the next strap. “You’ve really taken to them, haven’t you?”
“No,” I lied. Viggo didn’t need another way to hurt me. I caught Sofie’s knowing smile. “It just seems cruel to bring one back and leave the rest there.”
“Yes. It would be,” she agreed. “Let’s hope you don’t have to make that choice. Either way, I wouldn’t mention that part to them. For your sake.”
I listened to the clock ticking as Sofie finished buckling me in.
Sofie opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated. “I know they’re your friends,” she began, “but please be careful. You’re such a trusting girl, Evangeline.”
Desperately gullible. That’s what I was.
Fiona had a torch burning within seconds of my arrival. “Let me help you with that!” She started on the straps of my backpack.
“It’s so good to see you,” I exclaimed, smiling with genuine happiness. It vanished the second I saw jet black hair in my peripheral vision. My body went rigid, a prickly sensation filling my lungs. Rachel was back. And wearing an outfit Sofie had purchased for her. “Hi Rachel.” I held my breath and forced a smile, hoping it looked authentic.
She looked at me like a snake studying a mouse it was seriously considering for dinner. Did Caden mention to her that I threw myself at him? No, I’d already be dead.
I heard myself exhale, all fear of Rachel vanishing as Caden walked in. My heart practically leapt out of my chest and a big, dumb grin that I couldn’t control stretched my face. I was filled with a volatile mixture of anxiety and excitement. All I needed was that returning smile, a glint in his intense jade eyes that would tell me all was okay. That we were okay.
His eyes skimmed over my face—no smile, no wink, no sign that he even recognized me—before he strolled over to Rachel. He wrapped his arms adoringly around her, nuzzling into her thick mane of black hair, whatever aversion to public affection he had before clearly gone.
My smile slid off my face.
“What did you bring us?” Rachel asked, her cool lemon eyes passing over me, giving me chills.
“I … Stuff,” I mumbled.
“You’re back!” Amelie exclaimed, suddenly appearing to skip over and give me a big hug.
I nodded, unable to form words.
“Did you bring blood?” Rachel’s eyebrow arched severely.
“Are you nuts? No! She’s not bringing us human blood,” Fiona snapped, her normally placid face showing rare annoyance. She untied the strings and knots and began pulling items out of the bag.
“Boots!” Amelie cried in delight, hoisting a pair of brown leather riding boots. Fiona had a matching pair. There was a third set for Rachel. I wanted to burn those.
“Mine!” Bishop shouted, startling me, as an acoustic guitar appeared. I had barely noticed him stroll in, even when he stopped to ruffle my hair. Seeing his genuine pleasure, I felt a tiny ball of warmth swell in the pit of my twisting stomach. Sofie had listened to every word I’d ever said about them.
“Check it out!” Bishop tossed the instrument to Caden, who caught it with one hand. Letting go of Rachel, he strummed the first few notes of some song.
“You play too?” I asked, giving him a chance to acknowledge me.
“Of course I do.” His voice was detached and cool, his expression remote, his eyes not leaving the guitar strings as he spoke. He may as well have smashed me over the head with the instrument.
“Stupid girl,” Rachel mocked, laughing at my wounded expression.
“Show us how to turn this on.” Fiona shoved a portable DVD player in my face, forcing my attention to her. It gave me a chance to hide the pain on my face. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. Sympathy. Caden must have told them.
“Oh, this … for movies,” I stammered. “There’s a bunch of battery packs as well, to keep it running.”
“Are any of them good?” Amelie interjected, holding up a collection of DVDs.
They were trying to distract me, to keep my mind preoccupied. A very considerate, if useless, act. “Um, yeah. I mean, no. I mean—” I couldn’t think straight. “I don’t know.”
“Has she always been so stupid, or is this new?” Rachel said to Caden, loud enough for me to hear.
“I know. The witch could have looked a little harder,” Caden responded, reaching out to grab her hand and pull her into an affectionate embrace.
It was a razor–sharp verbal stab. I dropped my gaze to my hands, salty tears welling in my eyes. I couldn’t take much more of this.
Fiona’s hand grasped mine again and squeezed as Rachel giggled wickedly, likely pitying me. I dared one more glance at Caden, one more gaze at that beautiful face before I accepted the instant and horrible demise of my fantasy and moved my focus to the dark reality of my situation: my death if I didn’t find the secret of this spell.
My eyes crawled up along Rachel’s back, over Caden’s arms, still wrapped lovingly around her, to his perfect face. To see his eyes glued to me, a strange look in them. What is that look … pity? No, pleading. But for what, exactly?
Rachel’s hand massaged Caden’s chest and abdomen seductively, her fingers curling into claws that raked over him hard enough to leave impressions in his shirt. I shut my eyes, a mixture of revulsion and anger flaring, though I knew I had no right. He wasn’t mine. He was Rachel’s, as ghastly a proposition as that was. She could do whatever she wanted with him—to him. But telling myself that did nothing to ease the pain of the knife being twisted in my heart.