A Wicked Night (Creatures of Darkness 2): A Coraline Conwell Novel (36 page)

At length, Saraphine brought her arm up to gaze down at an opened mirrored compact that Cora hadn’t even noticed she’d been holding. She snapped it shut, then gripped it tight in her palm while a fierce debate marched over her face. Cora wasn’t sure what to make of her actions.

Finally, stuffing the compact into her pocket, she firmly met Cora’s gaze. “Can you control Knox and that Trent person?”

No.
“I can,” she lied.

Saraphine eyed Bray as though wondering if she should include him in the mix, but seemed to determine it unnecessary. “Alright then.”

With Meeka balanced on her shoulder, Cora stepped inside the cottage for the first time in what felt like forever. She compulsively checked the talisman around her neck and the other one around her finger, a small stone set into a silver ring—a backup and matching set to Saraphine’s, meant to keep Sadira from possessing either of them.

“So,” Saraphine said, stepping in behind her with a busting satchel of supplies slung over her shoulder. “Devon can’t get to us in here?”

On the way, Cora had filled her in on Devon’s treachery, along with her stint under the doctor’s care. Hearing it had softened Saraphine further.

“Not as long as we stay inside the perimeter,” she explained. “I don’t even know how he found me in the first place.”

Saraphine flushed. “It’s possible he followed Mace back here after he came to the restaurant to, you know, warn me.”

Cora nodded. “Makes sense. That’s probably the only way an outsider could find this place.”

“Make way for the invalid,” Knox barked, pushing past them with a supportive arm around Mace.

“Fuck off,” Mace snapped at Knox, though he continued to lean on him as he guided him up the stairs to Cora’s old room.

She worried that Mace wasn’t stronger after having gorged on her blood.

Bray and Trent entered next along with Oz and the children, who had made fast friends. Cora was sure that Oz had compelled them, just as Bray had. They were behaving too politely and were unusually quiet for children their age. But she didn’t have the energy to let that concern her as it should.

“How soon can you reinforce your grandmother’s spell?” she asked Saraphine.

“I have some prep work to do, but it shouldn’t take long. You know this will only be a temporary fix, right? Whatever I do, it won’t match Gran’s original spell. She was a top-notch caster, and if Sadira’s curse is burning through
her
spell this fast, then I can only do so much.”

“More time is better than none at all,” Cora reasoned, hiding her disappointment. She had hoped Saraphine would be able to remove the curse altogether, but while she’d gathered the necessary supplies, she informed Cora the only way to remove such a powerful curse was for the one who cast it to “call off the dogs.”

Sensing her dismay, Bray went to Cora’s side and placed his strong hand on her shoulder. He didn’t need to say anything. That small act of comfort was enough for now.

My rock.

She reached up and covered his hand with hers, regretting that all she could offer him in return was pain.

“I need to be with Mace now.” The words were laborious, the guilt suffocating. It was as if her heart had split in two, each hemisphere belonging to a different man. She glanced up at Bray with an apology in her eyes.

He was smiling at her?

“I understand,” he replied. No resentment filtered through the bond. He was…sincere.

Cora couldn’t contain her gratitude for that small gift. She wrapped her arms around his torso and held him in a tight hug. “Thank you.”

Bray surprised her by crooking his finger under her chin and dipping his head to claim a soft kiss. “I will wait for you.”

She flushed and braved a peek at the others. Saraphine was the only one who appeared shocked. Trent seemed more annoyed while Oz gave off the air of indifference.

“Let’s get started, Saraphine.” She mentally caged her embarrassment and lingering confusion.

What am I going to do?

She had to make sure Mace survived before she could contemplate her current relationships.

In the upstairs hallway, they passed Knox on his way out of Mace’s room. Saraphine’s fists clenched and her body tensed, but she brushed past him without acknowledgment. Cora tried to do the same, but Knox snagged her by the arm.

He made his voice low and threatening. “I want you downstairs in ten minutes.”

Cora ripped herself from his grasp, something she probably wouldn’t have been able to do if he wasn’t so weakened by hunger. “I’ll attend to Mace for as long as I need. I’ll find you when I’m ready.”

With that, she left him alone, glowering in the hallway. As she closed the door, she heard him mutter something about their deal, but she ignored him, turning to find Mace grinning at her from where he lay on the bed.

“I owe Bray everything,” he said weakly. “He brought you back to me.”

Cora chewed her lip. “I…” She crossed to throw herself into his arms, sniffling. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Same here,” he replied, squeezing her tight.

“I’m so sorry.” The words began to spill from her before she could stop them. “I’ve ruined everything.”

“Shh,” he cooed. “We’ll figure out how to stop this curse. I won’t leave you. Ever.”

He’d misunderstood her meaning, and had just made a promise he might not want to keep, but she didn’t correct him. That was a conversation for later. For when he was better. Stronger. At least enough to show her the proper contempt.

Wiping her tears, she stood. “Let’s get started.”

As it turned out, Saraphine didn’t require Cora’s help. All she could do was stand by and watch as Saraphine worked her magic. The whole task only took about thirty minutes. When it was over, Mace’s glyphs were almost back to that brilliant blue hue with only a bit of green and orange in places. Then Saraphine informed them she’d have to repeat the spell every few days to keep the curse at bay, and even that wouldn’t work for long. Eventually the curse would grow too strong.

Although that news was somber, Cora embraced Saraphine in a crushing hug. “Thank you for doing this.”

Saraphine pushed her away with a gentle touch, growing uneasy. “I’ve done it this once…because of Gran. But for that same reason, I…I can’t, no, I won’t do it again unless you give me what I want.”

“Knox,” Cora muttered. “Sara, I want to help you find your grandmother’s killer. Please believe that. But I need to be certain that it was, in fact, Knox. You know I’m bonded to him. I’m not sure if you understand what that means, what it feels like, but it’s…well, it’s hard to explain. I can only tell you that it doesn’t
feel
like Knox is being untruthful when he says he didn’t do it.”

Mace added, “It isn’t his style to leave such blatant evidence behind. I’m afraid I agree with Cora.”

Saraphine frowned. “So you won’t help me.”

“I didn’t say that.” Cora paused. “Teach me.”

Saraphine cocked her head.

“You used a truth spell on me before, right? Teach me to do that and I’ll be able to get the truth from him, whatever it may be.”

“Do you think you could get him to drink the same elixir?”

After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head. “At this point, he wouldn’t trust anything I offer unless it’s from a vein. There must be another way. Something a little more subtle.”

Saraphine turned thoughtful. “There is something you could try. A spell that’s utilized when it’s best the subject be unaware, which usually means deeply asleep or in a trance, and it will take a few weeks for you to master the technique.”

“I’ll do it.” That would mean a few more weeks that Saraphine would be obligated to help Mace.

After they agreed on a schedule for her secret training, Cora kissed Mace goodbye so that he could get some much needed rest and then reluctantly dragged her feet down the stairs. Saraphine opted to remain upstairs, claiming one of the adjoining rooms for the night.

Bray, Oz, and Trent were gathered in the living room. She could tell by the conversation they’d been discussing the doctor and his clandestine motives, and probably would be for some time to come.

When Bray spotted her, he stopped mid-sentence to grace her with a warm smile. She returned it with one that was a little brittle.

He stood and crossed to her, pulling her into a warm embrace. “How is he?”

“We’ve bought him some time.” She tried to sound optimistic, but her tone was a bit hollow. “He’s resting now.”

“Good.” He raised his hand to gently cup her cheek while his thumb wiped away a rouge tear. “It may take a little while for him to regain his strength now that he’s drunk from you.” His smile was still in place, but as he studied her further, his lips thinned. “You should rest too. You must be exhausted.”

She was, but there was still something she had to do, and it would be better to just get it over with now. “Knox is expecting me.” She glanced around. “Have you seen him?”

“He went below,” Trent exclaimed, seemingly irked by her interruption.

Bray’s frown was complete. “Do you want me to come with you?”

His offer filled her with unimaginable gratitude, but there was no way in hell she’d willingly allow Bray to witness her with Knox. She sprang up on her tiptoes to gift him with a tender kiss. “That’s okay. I’ll be quick.”

She hoped.

He turned dubious, probably curious why she was blocking her emotions, but he said nothing as she slipped away.

Down the hidden staircase, Cora found the cavern pitch black. Weren’t the torches usually lit? At the thought, two of the torches closest to her on either side of the cavern flamed to life, followed shortly by the next two, then the next, till finally her path was fully illuminated. She recalled this happening on another occasion—when she had been running from Knox, in fact. Oddly enough, now she was headed headlong toward him.

She wondered what was controlling the torches. Was it Knox himself? Or perhaps they were hooked up to some kind of motion sensor. But if Knox had come down here, why then had they been snuffed out?

Being down here reminded her strongly of the doctor’s dungeon. So much so that she staggered, nearly ready to rush back up the stairs to the safety of Bray’s arms.

Except the walls here were dry, the air light, and there wasn’t that heavy, cloying scent of sterilizing agents. That alone made it possible for her to move forward. Well, that and the certainty that if she didn’t find Knox soon, with each passing minute, he would make the experience marginally worse for her. She had already agitated him enough by denying his earlier demand.

As she walked, she wondered how this first private meeting with Knox was going to go. What would he say about her bonding with Bray? No doubt he had a slew of pent-up accusations to throw at her.

She paused midstep.

Trent. Isn’t it time to put an end to this madness?

Knox’s words echoed through her mind, sounding more sinister this time. She suddenly regretted coming alone.

“What is with you and these ill-fitting clothes?”

She whirled around, alarmed that his voice came from behind. The dead woman’s dress, to which he referred, flared out at the bottom before falling straight again, almost covering her shoes.

Knox stepped out from a hidden alcove in the wall—probably one of many, she realized. Knox knew this place better than anyone. His expression said he was amused by her reaction.

She mustered her courage, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing the fear that was now cloistering in her spine. Even if it was the last things she did.

“I didn’t have a lot of time for shopping while I was rushing to save your life.”

“Save my life,” he mocked. “From a silly little witch and her pathetic cage? I would have escaped eventually.”

“I misspoke. I came to save Mace. You were just an unfortunate byproduct.”

He frowned at that and then advanced.

Cora took a wary step back.

“Why so skittish? Afraid you’re going to like it? Again?”

“Afraid you’re going to kill me.”

He laughed, a low menacing sound, then glanced around as if realizing they were completely alone. “I could, couldn’t I? No one here to stop me. And yet you came without backup.”

Hindsight...

“Must have strong faith in your magic now. How lucky for you that it seems so readily available.” He sounded as though he doubted luck had anything to do with it.

He was wrong though. She’d been calling on her magic throughout this whole conversation, but it was as if the witch in her had gone dormant.

Perfect.

Still, if he
believed
she could control it…