Deadlands (The Healer Series, #2) (2 page)

They came up to the gray stone walls of the castle. There was a small wooden door that Finley opened for the girls and then went through himself. He didn’t bother to hold the door open for Willow, and she wanted to slap him upside his face for being such a jerk. But she resisted. She was here, and that was all that mattered. Her mind was on one thing: get Declan. The doorway immediately turned into winding stairs leading upwards. Torches of flame lit up the stone walls every few feet. This was the first time Willow had entered the Warlock Academy, and it was every bit what she expected from an older castle located in Scotland.

The top of the stairs opened into a large gathering room. Willow assumed they were in one of the spires of the cas
tle, as the whole room was a giant circle. It was dark and the room was filled with smoke and an intoxicating aroma. The couches and chairs were all black leather, and a lion pelt rug was beneath the coffee table in the center of the room. There were at least a dozen Warlocks here and only a few girls around. Willow saw a couple in a dark corner kissing obnoxiously. There was strange music floating through the air, and some girls were splayed out on the floor or dancing, doing all sorts of weird and disturbing things with the other Warlocks around.

Willow nearly puked at the
repugnant smell of the smoke that filled the room. The two girls who came with Finley giggled and squealed in delight when two good-looking Warlocks approached them and handed them something to drink. Without question, they took it and downed it in one gulp and walked further into the room escorted by the boys. Willow watched the girls closely and narrowed her eyes sharply. Something was off about them. When she continued to observe them, it hit her. They were
human
girls! The knot in her stomach tightened as she watched them gallivanting across the room. They were high on whatever the Warlocks were feeding them, acting disoriented and getting abused by the Warlocks, probably not knowing any different. The drinks were sure to have a spell worked into it. This wasn’t good. It was shameful and disgusting and she wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

“Get Declan.
Now!” Willow turned to Finley, who was watching the events with a stupid grin plastered on his face. She wished a teacher would barge in and bust all the Warlocks here who were treating the local girls this way. It was offensive to her race. Did Declan know this was going on? Was he participating in these heinous acts? Willow didn’t see him among the Warlocks, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t behind one of the many closed doors around the room. She saw a few Warlocks taking the girls into the rooms, and a sick feeling swirled in her stomach. What were they doing to them in there?

Finley turned
to her as if just realizing she had been standing next to him the entire time and the smirk that was on his face turned down into a frown. “Hey, boys,” Finley called over to the Warlocks surrounding the table in the middle of the room. “Want another player?”

The W
arlocks looked up from their game towards Willow. It was obvious they were completely drunk off of some concoction, because their eyes were hazy as they nodded stupidly towards Finley. They were half coherent at best. Willow knew of some serious potions that could make magic casters act this way. It wasn’t the typical wine and alcohol that humans use. No. What Warlocks used to feel euphoric and wasted was something much, much stronger, and all with varying effects. Warlocks and Witches could make themselves feel whatever they wanted to feel with the dozens of potions available to them.

Willow followed Finley up to the table near the couches.
She grew more and more frustrated with Finley and was about to go search for Declan herself when she recognized a few of the Warlocks gathered around the table. Camden and Tucker, who were also friends with Declan and had been at her talisman ceremony, were kneeling around the table with silly smiles on their faces. In the center was a rotating wooden plate with five plastic cups. The cups were all filled halfway with a blue liquid.

“Guy
s, you know Willow Rose, right?” Finley asked them.

“Heyyyy,” Camden addressed her
lazily, “Stand and seat, I mean, have…a…seat…or somethin’, right?” he asked looking at his friends confused when he slurred his words.

The W
arlocks around him cracked up laughing. “Dude! He’s got the roofie!” A Warlock pointed and they all watched avidly as Camden attempted to stand to his feet. He swaggered and swayed as if drunk, but stood to his full height off the floor. Turning to Willow, he brought a hand to his forehead saluting her, and then blacked out cold on the leather couch, plopping heavily into a deep sleep. The Warlocks around him hooted in laughter.

Willow crossed her arms and turned to Finley.
Her mood had darkened watching the Warlocks having their little fun, if fun was what you called it. “If you don’t go get Declan now, I’ll find him myself, and then I’ll go get Headmaster Dorian and bust you guys. So go. Now!” 

Finley was
n’t fazed by her threat. “How about we make a deal, Willow? I’ll go get Declan while you play one harmless game of roofie roulette with the boys.” Finley gestured to the swiveling board on the coffee table. A strange look passed between Finley and Tucker that Willow didn’t miss.

“No,” Willow said adamantly.
They were planning something. She was sure of it.

Tucker
spoke up. “I knew she was too good to play with us! Stuck up, prissy little Willow Rose can’t even let loose and have a little fun with us Warlocks!”

“Yeah,” another one
spoke up beside him. “Now that she has her talisman and special powers, she thinks she’s better than us!”

Tucker
nodded and sneered at Willow. “She probably doesn’t even know how to have fun!”

Willow stood there
taking the insults, and was getting more and more upset. She hated when people degraded her or thought little of her. Ever since she discovered her healing powers, the people around her judged her and acted like she was insignificant and incapable of being a great Witch. Yet time and time again, she had proven her value and was worthy of healing those in need. It was only
after
she displayed her powers that the respect came. If they only knew just how insecure she was about it, they wouldn’t be in a position to taunt her. “I just need to see Declan,” she gritted though her teeth.

“Come on, Willow,” Finley urged. “Don’t be such a wuss
y. I’ll go get Declan as soon as you play one round. We promise nothing bad is going to happen.”

“You may even like it,”
Tucker chimed in.

“Ugh! Fine! Just go get him now, Finn,” Willow relented and sat on her knees at the edge of the coffee table.
She was a sucker under peer pressure.

“See? Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Finley as
ked and smiled brightly. “See you soon!” She watched Finley walk away and followed him with her eyes until he reached the end of a set of stairs she hadn’t noticed before.

“Yo! Declan!” Finley called up the stairs. “Come down here! We’ve got a surprise for you! Oh! And bring those chips!”

Finley turned to her and gave her a thumb’s up. “Be down in a sec, Finn!” Declan called down. The activity in the room stopped when she heard his voice. Even with the vibrating music pulsing through her ears, the sound of Declan’s voice made Willow’s heart jolt out of rhythm. There could have been one hundred different sounds going on at once, but she could pick out Declan’s voice from anywhere. Nervous jitters coursed through her body as she looked at the set of stairs, waiting for him to come down. Anticipation and longing pooled in her gut. Even though it had been less than twenty four hours since she last saw him, it seemed like forever. Her heart was attuned to Declan.

She couldn’t describe the strange connection she felt with hi
m, but nobody had the ability to make her feel like she did when he was around. She was hooked on Declan, and like an addict seriously addicted to a drug, she was high for him. She couldn’t wait to see him, to tell him how she still loved him with every breath she took. She needed a fix, a fix of Declan too-hot-for-his-own-good Aldridge.

“The rules are simple,”
Tucker’s voice brought her attention back to the game. “There are five cups and five of us. One cup will have the roofie in it,” Tucker held up a small dissolvable pill tablet. “We close our eyes, someone spins the plate and whatever cup lands in front of you, you drink. See? Simple.”

“What’s the roofie?” Willow eyed the small pill suspiciously. “A sleeping spell?”

Tucker shook his head. “Camden got that one. Each roofie is different. You never know what you’ll get until you get it. Get it?”

“How is that fun,
Tucker?” Willow scolded him, feeling like a mother hen. These Warlock boys were so thoughtless if their idea of fun was a game of roofie roulette! Someone could get seriously hurt!

“The pi
lls are harmless. No long term effects. Cam’s already starting to come out of it, see?” Tucker pointed to Camden still passed out cold on the couch. Willow rolled her eyes. “So stop being so doom and gloom. Just let loose and drink up, baby.” He dropped the roofie in one of the cups. Tucker turned to the other Warlocks around the table. “Ready boys?” They nodded enthusiastically. “Then close your eyes…” Everyone closed their eyes, even Willow (against her better judgment). She prayed that she wouldn’t be the one to get the roofie. She wished Chase was here to put these boys in their place. With a Werewolf around to protect her, she wouldn’t have gotten into this mess in the first place. But she doubted Finn would’ve let Chase through the castle gate since this was strictly Warlock domain.

“Open your eyes,”
Tucker’s smooth voice announced seconds later. Willow glanced down at the drink in front of her. Her heart rate picked up. This was it. The blue liquid looked normal enough, but then again, each cup looked exactly the same. The roofie had dissolved in one of these drinks. The Warlocks picked up their drinks and Willow followed suit.

“Ready? One. Two. Three. CHUGG!”

Willow took her cup and poured the liquid into her mouth in one shot. It was cool and refreshing as it slid down her throat. She sat there and waited. And waited and waited. Nothing happened. Willow let out a breath of relief. Everyone around the table looked completely fine. So who drank the roofie? How long did it take for the pill to take effect?

The sound of Declan’s laughter pulled her out of the game and she turned to the stairs smiling. She stood to her feet
quickly, as did each of the Warlocks who played the game. She still felt absolutely normal and a little excited. Then she saw him…the love of her life.

Declan was the hottest guy she had ever
laid eyes on. He was tall, lean and muscular, and had the most perfect face and dreamy hazel eyes in the entire universe. His wide smile revealed straight teeth that were stunningly perfect and white. His dark Chesnutt hair fell almost in his eyes but he had it swept across his forehead effortlessly. He was a pretty boy, attractive, cute, and sexy without even trying. He was every girl’s fantasy. A guy that could melt any girl’s heart with one look, Declan was the full package and had been hers at one time.

And then her h
eart dropped in her chest, for hanging on his arm was a girl, who was laughing with him and carrying a bowl of chips. He was looking down at her smiling as they both descended the stairs together. The floor caved under her feet and her heart burst with jealousy and despair. Declan had moved on! Already? Willow’s eyes instantly swam with tears, her heart breaking as she stood there watching them. She was standing there unable to breath and breaking inside and nobody noticed. Nobody cared.

Declan reac
hed the bottom of the stairs, took the chips from the girl, and set them down on a long table with other snacks and drinks. Finley rushed up to him, put his arm around his shoulders and said something to him. Declan’s head shot up and his eyes locked on her. Even from where she stood across the room, Declan’s powerful eyes burned into hers. His mouth fell open in shock as Willow stood there feeling the weight of the room collapsing around her, her chest was slowly heaving with sobs and her stomach was sickened with nausea.

And that was
when she felt it. Her brain went fuzzy as a pressure descended upon her head. The walls of the room started moving, waving back and forth. Willow’s vision grew cloudy, but it wasn’t with tears anymore. Something was happening to her! Oh wow! Brilliant colors suddenly burst into her vision. The room dissolved away right in front of her. Blues, reds, yellows, greens, flashes of colors passed before her eyes. Dozens of twinkling lights sparkled all around her like tiny stars and she felt desperately, urgently, painstakingly happy. She stood marveling, unable to help herself. She couldn’t remember a time where she felt this good! She wanted to run and play, laugh and catch the pretty stars that danced around her.

But wait. Shouldn’t she be sad about something?
Not. At. All! Willow shook her head and smiled as the stars were coming closer and closer to her. They were vibrating and pulsing light. In one word they were gorgeous.

Willow
reached out to grab them, laughing when they moved just out of reach. They were playing with her. She laughed and started running, trying to catch the stars. She was all by herself in a galaxy of beautiful lights and colors and she felt so freaking good! She wanted this feeling to last forever! She felt weightlessness and worry-free. She hadn’t a care in the world. She twirled in a circle and then chased after a particularly large star. It was right there in front of her! Yet every time she reached for it, it moved.