Reckless Revenge: Book Four (Spellbound 4) (20 page)

At Craven Manor, Trent parked and I got out before he could open my door. I stomped inside the mansion and marched straight into the library, startling Evans sitting behind the desk and reading a book.

“Shiloh? What’s happened?” Evans stood up so fast he nearly knocked over the chair.

I sagged against the doorframe, shaking and exhausted. “Ariana’s been kidnapped by the lycans—
that’s
what.”

His lips pressed into a thin line. “When did this happen? How?”

Sniveling, I told him the whole story in a rush of breath and tears. When I finished, Evans stared at me in shocked silence.

“I-I’m sorry, but I can’t do this anymore.” My voice rang hollow. “I quit!”

Evans’s jaw dropped. “What are you saying?”

I gripped the wall. My knees could barely hold me up. “You heard me.
I quit
. Obviously, I’m not responsible enough to save people. My dad is dead. My cousin. Two of my friends. Even Kayla, who I don’t even really like, and now Ariana—”

“How can you quit?” An iron note crept into Evans’s voice. “After everything we’ve worked so hard for?”

“Because I’m a risk to everyone. I’m a friggin’ disease!” I cried. “Why did you even bother encouraging me if there’s no way to stop the damn lycans?”

“I was optimistic that we’d discover a way to thwart their evil plans,” Evans said quietly. “Right now, we need to focus on merging our resources to initiate a rescue mission.”

“If the lycans haven’t killed Ariana yet, there’s still time to save her,” Trent said, entering the room.

“Why bother?” My voice was jagged with emotion. “Isn’t it obvious by now that I suck at this? And I’m making it way too easy for the paranormals to go after me and everyone I care about. It-it’s game over! Lycans win and Shiloh loses. Again.”

Ignoring my emotional outburst, Trent stood by the desk and faced his uncle. “Call your reinforcements. This is a code red.”

On unsteady legs, I pushed past Trent and collapsed onto the sofa. I dropped my head in my hands.

“Shiloh, be reasonable,” Evans said. “Think about what you’re saying. Think of the lives you’ve already saved—”

“No. I’m done.” My head snapped up. Tears burned my vision. “You think my dad would’ve wanted this for me? Supernatural studies and martial arts training? To be raised as a demon hunter?”

“Yes.” Evans said it matter-of-factly. “He’d be as proud of you as I am. You have such fire and spirit. Such a capacity for compassion, yet I know you carry a heavy burden of responsibility.”

That was putting it mildly.

But his sincerity had no effect. I’d given up. My mind was emotionally drained. My body hurting and fatigued. Too much had happened in the last few months. And it just kept happening—it never let up, like being trapped in an unending nightmare.

“I understand this is difficult for you, Shiloh. That this job isn’t easy,” Evans spoke softly, with simple conviction. “You’re only sixteen and I know you think this burden’s unfair, but your life serves a higher purpose. And whether you believe it or not, you
are
helping people. You must stay strong. Have hope.”

Hope? I couldn’t imagine it. I couldn’t even daydream about it now. My pulse pounded in my ears.

“Hope doesn’t save people.” I angrily wiped away the tears. “Don’t you get it? I’m the worst demon hunter—
ever!
”

“No, you’re not. You’re still learning. White witches like
you
help keep the balance between good and evil. You’ve been blessed with a gift. You can save lives…” Evans scratched his unshaven cheek. “And sooner or later you’re going to have to face this threat. Other families are going to need you.”

I blinked up at Evans. “Says who? Why do
I
have to?”

Evans’s features took on a deeper scowl. “Shiloh.”

“Don’t you
Shiloh
me. Do you really expect me to keep doing this stuff after everything that’s happened? To keep risking my life?”

“Yes! Because that’s what good people do. They get up when they’ve been knocked down and they fight for those they love,” Evans said sternly.

Trent sat beside me, placing an arm around my shoulders. “We’re gonna get through this. We just have to stick together.”

“I cannot handle anything right now.” I shook my head and fresh tears trickled down my cheeks. “And I certainly cannot handle losing another person I care about.”

“Then don’t give up. This is your path, Shiloh. Your destiny,” Evans said. “Get angry over it, cry about it, but don’t fight your true nature, which is to help innocents. Quitting now isn’t an option.”

“Why not?” I sniffled. “How are we supposed to fight a bunch of lycans?”

Trent tightened his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side. “I don’t know. But I do know that we can’t let those bastards hurt Ariana. No matter what we think or feel right now, she’s our friend.
Your
best friend. And friends protect each other.”

I scooted away from Trent, clutching my chest where a hollow place in my heart throbbed. “If you haven’t been paying attention, my protection skills suck. Big time.”

“Being a force of good in this evil world takes time and preparation,” Evans said.

“And the faster we get rid of these creatures, the faster we can get back to our normal lives…or at least what’s left of them,” Trent added.

“Normal!
Ha!
” I blurted, the high pitch of my voice echoing off the walls. “My life hasn’t been normal since the day Easel tricked me into cutting my wrist and mixing his blood with mine!”

“Just listen to me. Please.” Evans came around the desk, gently lifted my chin with his hand, and forced me to look into his eyes. “Hope and love are the most powerful forces in the universe. Hope is faith in spirit, nature, science, humanity. You must cling to that now.”

“I don’t know if I can. I’m so tired…” I whispered.

Trent shifted closer to me and took my hand. “We can handle it together.”

“You’ve seen the supernatural realm, glimpsed the Underworld,” Evans said. “There’s no going back. You can’t just stop fighting on the side of good while others die. What about your best friend? She’ll die too, if you quit now.”

I sniffled. “But I’m scared.”

“So am I.” Evans squeezed my shoulder. “But we have each other and I’ll always be here for you, Shiloh.”

After a lengthy pause, during which I fought for self-control, I processed Evans’s heartfelt speech. I couldn’t stomach the thought of losing Ariana, too. It would be too much. I couldn’t endure another death on my conscience. There have been so many that I’d failed to save.

I had to do whatever it took to salvage the situation and rescue my friend. So I had a choice to make. I could be a victim, letting fear and hopelessness rule my decisions, or I could keep fighting.

I would choose hope. I would wage war on the lycans, even if it meant my own death. No use questioning the injustice over what happened to my dad or Kayla or Ariana. Because the trouble was, there weren’t any tidy answers to my problems. And only one question remained—what would I do about it? Just sit and cry? Pull my hair and let fate choose?

No. I got what Evans and Trent were saying. I had to continue protecting people for my dad. At least then, he wouldn’t have died in vain.

Straightening, I fired off questions at him like bullets. “Should we involve the police? Tell them Ari’s missing? What should I say to her aunt?”

“Hmm…” Evans stood and tapped his chin with a finger, his eyes downcast. “Call her aunt and say that Ariana is spending the weekend at your house. I will have Maxwell contact the sheriff. He can use his influence to persuade Boyd to let us handle this problem ourselves. In the past, Sheriff Boyd has made sure that other paranormal activity was kept off the books. Also, we should assemble your coven immediately, so we can devise a strategy to get Ariana back safely as soon as possible.”

“It’s
not
a real coven,” I muttered. “Not without Ariana.”

For months, I’d been hunted, wanted dead for one stupid reason or another, and I was sick of it. I was done running away and hiding in a corner. Done being scared of the dark. Done letting the people I loved die. And done worrying about the lycans hurting more people.

This time they’d be the ones who ran. This time they’d be the ones who died.

I gazed steadily at Trent and Evans. “Not sure where we go from here, but I do know that I can’t let Ariana die...especially not by the same lycan that killed my dad.”

“But how are we going to stop them?” Trent asked.

I stiffened my posture. “I’m hoping that together we might be enough to defeat the lycans. Interested?”

“Why not?” Trent replied. “It beats waiting around for them to attack us.”

“We’ll need silver bullets before we confront them,” Evans said. “Just as a precaution.”

“Then get them,” Trent replied, squeezing my hand.

“We can do this.” I nodded and swiped at my tears. “Those suckers are going down. I’m gonna go after Coach Ramírez and keep my best friend from becoming a werewolf.”

“You mean lycan,” Trent corrected, and I weakly smiled at him.

“At least wait until I can call the DarkSide Detectives for backup,” Evans said.

“We don’t have time for that.” I touched his arm. “There’s nothing you can say that will change my mind. Your pep talk worked. I’m going to save Ariana, whatever the circumstances. And I’m sorry for snapping at you.” I sniffled and tried to ignore the strange feelings that had abruptly crashed down on me. “It’s just, I never wished for any of this. I guess you never did either, huh?”

“No…” Evans tugged at his collar. “Since it’s too late to go tonight, I’ll pick up the silver bullets from the DD’s headquarters first thing tomorrow. Then we can hunt down the lycans.”

“That sounds like a solid plan, Uncle Tony,” Trent said.

“We’ll start hunting their furry butts as soon as Evans returns with the amino,” I said firmly.

“We still need to formulate a strategy.” Evans patted my shoulder, and fatherly concern flared in his eyes. “I understand your tenacity, Shiloh, but if you face the lycans on their terms, someone might die.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Maybe,” I said, but the gritty voice was not mine. This time determination flooded my tone. “But maybe I’ll take a few with me.”

Hunting lycans wasn’t as exciting as it sounded. First, you need a gun. Silver bullets. Good aim. And courage. I had none of these things. But my new group of friends had all four. Me? I had the magickal mojo that would hold them off. Together, we made a good team.

The lycans had kidnapped Ariana, killed Kayla, and savagely murdered my dad. Now they would die.

Although, a tiny part of me felt sorry for the lycans. Maybe it wasn’t their fault. Maybe they didn’t know how to control their primal urges. I could relate. I had trouble controlling the
Darkness
living inside me. But the only solution was to exterminate the lycans. Not sympathize with them.

Besides, I was pretty sure we were supposed to be mortal enemies.

I drove to Craven Manor in my parent’s rusty sedan to my first official fight-against-evil group meeting. The Paranormal Prodigies—my
coven?
—were gathering at Craven Manor to decide how best to rescue Ariana. Nobody had heard from Daniel since our little chat at the lake. And I wasn’t sure that we could trust him since we’d found James chained in his family’s basement and he was probably mutating into a lycan like the other football players.

When I arrived at the mansion after school, Mrs. Baylock answered the door and I bounced inside. I hurried across the foyer, and then down the hallway toward the library, but skidded to a stop when I overheard hushed voices.

Peeking through the doorway, I caught sight of Evans and Trent’s dad, Maxwell, talking near the desk. Maxwell was dressed in an expensive dark gray suit. The constant fog had withdrawn and allowed pale sunlight to leak past the curtains and run over every surface. Soft rain dribbled on the windows.

“Thank you for bringing this to me so quickly, Maxwell,” Evans said.

“Of course. The minute Darrah and I found it, I came straight home.” Maxwell handed a piece of paper to Evans. “What can I do to help?”

Evans read the note and looked up. “This may get ugly. We might need to grease a few palms.”

“Ah, I see.” Maxwell nodded. “I’ll make some phone calls.” He strode toward the door.

Ah, crap!

Before he caught me spying on their conversation, I scuttled inside a nearby closet. The click-clack of his wingtips ricocheted off the hardwood floor.

Opening the creaky door, I peered into the empty hallway. An eyeball suddenly appeared in the slit of the doorway, and I jumped backward into the hanging garments. Metal hangers rattled and a fur coat smacked me in the face.

Mrs. Baylock pushed aside the coats and stared at me with an amused grin. “What are you doing in the closet, Shiloh?”

“I, uh, was looking for my army jacket. Thought I’d left it here. Yeah.” I shrugged and pushed the door open wider. “Can’t find it. So, I guess I’ll go see Evans now.”

“He’s waiting for you in the library,” she said.

Shouldering past the smirking housekeeper, I stamped into the room. “What’s going on?” I demanded.

Evans’s face was ashen. “A note was delivered an hour ago to your house. When Maxwell took Darrah home after their lunch date, they found it attached to the screen door.”

I snatched the note from his hands. The paper trembled in my fingers. A piece of heavy stationary. Big, loopy handwriting. The words blurred, then came into focus. Like something out of a bad horror movie. I read it. Twice.

Shiloh, we have your friend. If you don’t want her to die, meet at Phoenix Lake. Sundown. And come alone.

I tried not to have a major meltdown, but tears spilled over my cheeks. Ariana was still alive! I blinked several times. My heart felt lighter. Hope sparked.

“Did you get the Jeep towed?” Evans asked.

I nodded. “One of the mechanics from my dad’s old job is gonna work on it. My insurance should cover the damage, but it’ll be in the shop for a week.”

Kayla shambled into the room. Evans took his seat behind the desk. Then Trent and Brittany walked in. When I’d called her earlier, she’d been all-in, wanting to avenge Kayla’s zombification. Couldn’t ask for a better reason than that.

Really the best thing for them to do was to go back to their regular-non-supernatural lives. Back to pretending that nothing hinky was going down. Safer, really. Smarter, too. Unfortunately for them, they were already too involved.

And I didn’t want to slay monsters alone. I needed backup. Yeah, I
was
that selfish. Revenge was a monster born inside me. One I couldn’t execute without them. I didn’t know if this was the right decision, but there was no turning back now. Except Ariana might already be...

Don’t go there, Shiloh.

Once everyone found seats, I explained my plan. Not a great strategy, but one that might work. Then I glanced at Kayla. “You should sit this one out until the potion heals you further.”

She made a guttural noise and nodded.

“I’ve got the silver bullets—” Evans began.

“Good. Coach Ramírez and Carter die tonight,” I said firmly.

“Um, you can’t just go around killing people. Can she?” Brittany glanced from me to Evans.

“No. We are not murders,” my mentor replied. “We still need to discover who’s actually behind this first.”

“And you guys don’t have any evidence that proves Coach Ramírez or Carter are the ones who killed your dad, right? Or Kayla? Or if they’re even the people holding Ariana hostage,” Brittany said.

“I’m
sure
it’s them. They’re working together. I don’t need more proof,” I said, but her words had planted a seed of doubt. “I was in the Ramírez’s basement, saw the chains and shackles. They had James chained like an animal.”

Trent paced behind me as he listened to us discuss the rescue plan.

“I’m thinking it’s better to lure Coach Ramírez into the clearing away from the other lycans rather than go in for an ambush. We need to make sure that Ariana is safe first,” I said.

“How do you propose to get him into the open?” Trent asked.

I craned my neck, peering over the sofa. Trent had his arms folded, with one finger absently tapping his elbow. Across the room, Evans was doing that thing with his glasses. The room thickened with unease, and a big shout-fest was the last thing I was in the mood for.

“Easy-peasy.” I cupped my hands around my mouth and said, “Here, boy! Come on! That’s a good doggie,” I snarked. “Then once he’s in the clearing, Coach Ramírez won’t realize that he’s surrounded.”

Brittany quirked an eyebrow. “Great plan. Except they’re wolves, so they have an incredible sense of smell. They’ll sniff us out a mile away.”

Damn. Her logic shot big holes in my plan.

“Yeah, well, I’ll do a spell that masks everyone’s scent.” I almost stuck my tongue out at Brittany, but thought better of it. “My plan will work. It has to.”

“Not sure I share your enthusiasm, Shiloh,” Evans replied.

Great. Now Evans, too? Didn’t anyone have faith in me?

“Now that everyone’s clear on their tasks,” I said, “we can conclude the meeting by joining hands.”

We clasped hands and I chanted a quick spell, asking Mother Nature to disguise our scent from the lycans, and then I added a prayer of protection to keep us safe as we went into battle. A shimmering light wrapped around the circumference of the circle, joining Brittany, Trent, Evans, Kayla, and me. Vivid and radiant, like the incandescent silver of a full moon, the elements swooshed above and below us, then whisked away. I thanked them for lending us strength and mental armor. We ended the meeting with promises of putting our plan into action that evening.

Brittany hugged Kayla, then waved goodbye to the rest of us. “See you bitches tonight.”

After Evans excused himself to call the DarkSide Detectives, and Kayla shambled into the kitchen for a snack—I didn’t want to ask what zombies munched on besides the obvious—I confronted Trent.

“Before we battle any evil creatures, we need to talk.”

Trent stepped back, his shoes crushing the rug. He was biting his lip and shuffling his feet.

My eyes narrowed on his face. “Why do I get the sudden feeling that there’s something you aren’t telling me.” I tried not to sound accusatory, but failed.

“Don’t you think you think you have that backwards?’” he asked.

“Meaning?”

“You’re the one keeping secrets. Like breaking into Daniel’s house and almost getting yourself killed.”

I stared at him. Was he purposely trying to pick a fight? Maybe he wanted to avoid having this conversation for as long as I had been dreading it. But this was finally the perfect time to tackle the subject.

“It doesn’t matter now. And why are you bringing that up again, anyway?” I set my jaw, looking him directly in the eye. “Have you spoken to Evans about whatever’s going on with you?”

Trent swallowed and his eyes darted around the room. “It’s nothing.”

“So have you or haven’t you?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Just answer the question.”

“Why don’t you ask me what you really want to know, Shiloh. I won’t lie to you.”

“What are you?”

He gave me a quick glance before he pushed his hair back with stiff fingers. “My uncle gave me a blood test. Turns out…I’m not entirely human.”

I immediately backed up and my muscles tensed.

He moved toward me, then stopped. “Wait, wait, I won’t hurt you.”

“No? Then why do your eyes go all demon-black? And why are you inhumanly strong?”

I wanted to trust him, but a cold niggle of doubt eased along my spine. It would be stupid not to be cautious around Trent now that I knew the truth. No matter how much I cared about him.

“We didn’t get into all
that
. And I wasn’t bitten by a lycan either, if that’s what you’re worried about.” His chin tipped downward and he stared steadily at me. “We haven’t told my father yet, so please don’t mention it to anyone. I’m not sure what I’m going to say to him yet.”

“I’m pretty sure he already knows.”

He frowned. “How? Was
he
the one that did this to me?”

“Yeah. Sort of.” My breath hitched in my throat. “You asked me once what I thought was happening to you. Now I know. I’m surprised Evans hasn’t figured it out yet. And you’re right…you are not entirely human. I searched through the grimoires and discovered an entry on
cambions
. They have one demon parent and one human.”

Trent sucked in a breath like he’d been punched. “What are you saying? That my mother was a demon? That’s impossible.”

“No, but I had this vision before we met, where Esael and your mother were striking some weird bargain. Plus, when I spied on the coven, they were discussing a boy with great powers that might be, well, evil and I think they were talking about
you.
Then I reread some of your mother’s old letters, and it makes total sense now.”

“Just get to the point, Shiloh.”

“You know how your dad has always rejected you? Well, it’s because you’re
not
his son. Maxwell allowed Esael to have, um, sex with your mom, so he could gain more wealth and power. She hinted at it in her letters. He’s your real…”

I didn’t have to say it out loud because the truth suddenly flared in Trent’s eyes, black as oil, slick and fierce. Unnatural. “A-are you sure?” he asked.

“It adds up. The mysterious powers, black eyes, inhuman strength. And the constant rejection from your father…because, well, you’re a
cambion
, half-human and half-demon, and you’re not actually his son.”

Trent sank onto the sofa and dropped his head in his hands. “Seriously? So I’m a hyphenate?”

“You can joke at a time like this?”

He lifted his head. The flare of blackness was gone from his gaze and his green eyes shone with tears. “Or start punching walls. Which would you prefer?”

“Joking. Definitely joking,” I said. “So, I’m, like, ninety-nine percent sure that Esael is your dad…”

“A demon father. Terrific,” he said sarcastically, combing his fingers through his hair again. Then he spoke softly, “Will you have to hunt me now, too?”

The prick of fear I’d experienced earlier vanished. This was Trent.
My
Trent. The hotheaded boy I loved.

“Never. I-I was a little freaked out at first, but I’m better now.” I crouched in front of him and put my hands on his knees, staring up into his face. “It’s you and me against the Underworld, remember?”

He mutely nodded. I pulled him to his feet and hugged him hard. He sighed, resting his hand on my naked hip, between my shirt and low-rise jeans. Our gazes locked, and there was an immediate understanding between us.

His eyes shone like sparkling emeralds in the glow of the soft lamp light. I felt myself drawn to him, pulled by the invisible current always between us, forever linking us.

“Guess we’ll have to deal with my demonic side later,” he whispered. “We have lycans to hunt. So don’t choke tonight. Call on the elements for protection. Stay strong. Use your magick. You can do this,
mon coeur
.”

“We can do this together,” I corrected.

I grabbed him and pulled him into a hot, deep, passionate kiss. Trent covered my mouth with his and tugged at my shirt. His cool hands caressed my warm skin. In response, my hands slid under his shirt and over his perfectly taut stomach as he released a little moan. His hand found the back of my neck, and he pulled me into the deepest kiss yet. My hands could not stop searching his body. His arms, his waist, his face, his shoulders. I just wanted to touch every part of him. But when he reached lower, I pulled away from him with some effort.

“Slow down, Trent,” I whispered.

He took several deep breaths, and then said, “We might die tonight.”

“True, but I’m not having sex with you.”

That uneven smile touched his lips. “It didn’t hurt to try.”

“Yeah, well, give yourself a cold shower because we need to stay focused.”

“I know.” He rested his forehead against mine. “We’ll save Ariana, and our lives will go back to being somewhat normal. Everything will be okay.”

And though it was stupid and naive, I let myself believe him. Because everything had led to this final moment. The big lycan showdown. All the studying, scheming, and training would be the deciding factor on who would live and who would die tonight.