Second Skin (Skinned) (24 page)

“Well, she’s back to normal.” I grimaced. “What did you do to her?”

“If Paige is here with you, what did you two do to my mother?” Alec growled, giving Wade a shake.

“Nothing much,” Wade told me. “And
nothing
,” he said to Alec, his expression appalled. “I don’t go around injuring entry- level shamans, even if they do shoot wooden bullets at my chest.”

Alec smiled.

Wade gestured to the pristine white shirt visible under his coat. “What are you grinning about? She missed, didn’t she?”

Alec dropped Wade to his feet, only to crank his arm back, about to plow his fist in Wade’s face.

I put a hand on Alec’s chest, pushed him back a few paces, and stood between the guys to prevent further carnage. “We know you wouldn’t deliberately hurt any of us, Wade.” I ignored Alec’s snort of disbelief. “But why are you here? Why now?”

“I know what Logan wants,” Wade said, adjusting the mussed lines of his coat. “He’s desperate for power right now. Let’s just say his main supply has been cut off. He’s attempting to diversify and gain even more magic. Kate is the source of an infinite power. She’s the protector of a set of mirrors.” He searched my face. “They’re tall, gilded.”

I nodded. “We’ve seen them.” I didn’t tell him the mirrors had shown me things, had revealed more about his turning than I wanted to know, than I could ever reveal to him.

“Are they safe?”

“Yes. The café is fortified. Matt and Brit are watching over Kate there as well.”

“Good. Let’s keep it that way.”

Uncertainty gnawed at my gut. That and a whole lot of frustration and hurt. “Fine, Logan’s after a bit of
mirror, mirror
action, but what’s your angle? Where have you been? Why use Paige when you know I would have—” I sucked in a breath and crossed my arms. “Why hide? You could have let us know you were all right.”

Wade’s gaze softened. “But I wasn’t all right, Eryn. I needed to stay away until I was sure my father couldn’t use me against you. I had an old family friend watch over me until I no longer felt compelled to do his bidding.” His gray eyes glinted. “Logan grows weak without my blood. He’s probably rationing the last bit of reserves he saved. I hear he isn’t seen in daylight.” Wade stepped forward. “These are good signs. He’s vulnerable without the power my magic and my blood provide. At this point, I’m stronger than he is.”

If what Wade said was true, then I might have a chance to uncover whatever madness my parents were involved in and gain the upper hand with Logan and Sebastian. But his words renewed more than the hope I could outmaneuver the dastardly duo. It was selfish, and its own kind of madness, but my heart thumped wildly in my chest. If Wade could prevent Logan from accessing his mind, then there was nothing preventing Wade and me from sharing our thoughts, our worlds.

Nothing except my feelings for Alec.

I was keenly aware of his tension. His fists trembled with suppressed rage, his body braced for a mortal blow. He thought I’d fall into Wade’s arms.

I almost did, but Paige stepped between us.

“I’ll tell you what Wade did. He saved me from you and your deranged band of crazies.” Paige vibrated with rage, but she spoke in a husky voice, obviously still feeling the effects of her recent slumber. “You had that witch turn me into someone else. Someone who wears baggy clothes and thinks about how to better the world, and save the trees, and that it’s
okay
to be unpopular.” She shuddered. “How could you?”

I rolled my eyes. Yup, evil Paige was back.

From the gym a series of screams pierced the air, rising above the trippy house music. We walked to the edge of the stage to survey the throng below. Three Stormtroopers were pummeling one poor guy in a pirate costume. The Red Queen was trying to rip another girl’s head off with her white-gloved hands. The entire geek squad who’d come dressed as World War I soldiers engaged in what could only be described as trench warfare as they crouched low and stabbed people in the stomach with their rubber bayonets. And that was just the group of kids nearest the stage. Our jaws dropped at the absolute mayhem. Blood sprayed across the top of my high-top Mary Janes.

I’d mourn nice Paige later.

No Harm in Asking

A wicked blend flooded into my nostrils. Fear. Rage. Panic. The eternal decision—fight or flight. And dominating them all, rotten freaking eggs baking on a hot summer sidewalk. The night mare was riding the Harvest Moon Dance hard with no signs of stopping. With every second that passed, the frenzied movements and screams grew wilder. Gyrating bodies, elbows and fists flying, continued to struggle. Those clad as zombies spasmed and jerked their way through the crowd, making desperate lunges and snapping their jaws.

Amid the bizarre setting, a lone howl echoed overhead. Mournful. Creepy. I froze, aware the others on the stage had faced me, thinking I was the lonesome crooner. I shrugged.

Then the song kicked in, and a tale of monsters partying in a laboratory blasted over the speakers
.
The Harvest Moon Dance certainly looked the part, except the mayhem was purely supernatural and not a scientific experiment gone awry. I let out uncontrolled laughter as the madness below continued despite the campy soundtrack.

Alec didn’t seem to find any humor in the situation. His face stayed set in hard lines. I took a deep breath, tamping down the giddiness that popped in for a visit whenever my stress-o-meter threatened to combust.

“We have to stop this,” Alec said. “They’re going to kill each other.”

I stared out at the mob. “But where do we start?”

Redgrave High’s student body were alternately fighting, chasing, and screaming. Kids were hiding under the pizza and punchbowl table with its backdrop of black and orange streamers, grinning jack-o-lanterns, and rattling skeletons. Riggs appeared to be refereeing, or maybe coaching the fighters, hard to tell in the frenzy.

Alec’s cell phone thrummed. He took the call, plugging one ear with his finger to hear Matt above the carnage. But I could hear just fine.

“The wards at the café are holding, barely,” Matt said. “Any luck destroying the source?”

“Not yet, we’ve run into a snag,” Alec said.

“You’ve got to find it. Kate is freaking out. She wants us to let her handle the attacks on her own and get out there to help you.” “No, we’ve got this. Stay put,” Alec ordered. “We need to protect Kate and the mirrors. They’re what he wants.” He shot Wade a suspicious glance, liking the intel, but not the source. “Logan’s hoping you’ll leave them vulnerable. He’s waiting for just that moment to attack.”

“Should I drag Whip into this? She’d listen to him if he was here in her face.”

Alec hesitated. Even without the ability to read his mind, I knew what he was thinking. Kate had specifically told us not to involve her boyfriend, terrified she’d lose him if he knew the full extent of her powers, and her current limitations. But he was the only one who had a chance at keeping her safely inside.

She’d be pissed at us though. Enough to refuse to help? “Yeah, good call,” Alec said. “Whatever goes down, make sure the spell goes as planned.”

Across the gym Rodale hovered a foot off the ground, sweeping between gaggles of students, headed toward the stage. In our direction. She glided with an ominous grace that was fascinating and yet terrifying.

“Is she coming after us? ’Cause it looks like she is.” I clutched the rosewood hilt of my athame. Age-old instincts and rivalries seeped through my veins. Witches were not to be trusted.

Wade touched my arm. “You won’t need your knife. Grace is an old family friend. She’s been after the demon you’re hunting since it first arrived in town. It must be close enough to feed off the fears of everyone in the school.”

“Some friend. She had him sealed in this underground cage…” Paige’s voice trailed off when Wade sliced her a dark look. “Never mind the gory details.” She backed toward the storage closet, not quite steady on her feet. “Wouldn’t want to give away any spoilers.” She cast a longing look at the emergency blanket and pillow visible through the open door.

She’d managed to function through the sleeping potion, but the lure of sleep was obviously becoming overwhelming.

I forgot all about Paige when Rodale levitated five feet in the air to step onto the stage. No need for a broom, apparently, or wings. Brit would have been jealous. The witch’s magic radiated from her pores—of course, the Home Ec teacher’s power would smell like vanilla extract.

“I see you found your friends,” Rodale said to Wade. “And they are unaffected as you predicted.” Her gaze slid to the iron- clad protection bracelet tied around my wrist. “What else did Kate give you? A weapon perhaps? A small container about yea big?” She made the shape of a pillbox with her thumb and index finger. “What kind of weapon would fit in something that small?” I had opened my mouth to ask, but Alec beat me to it. “Besides, Kate doesn’t believe in weapons, she’s a peaceful witch. She practices her craft, not warfare,” he said, his jaw clenched.

Rodale’s pencil-lined brows lifted to the middle of her forehead. She laughed. “Kate…peaceful? Whatever gave you that idea?”

Wade stepped forward. “I told you the witch doesn’t have it.” “No harm in asking,” Rodale said. “I warned you my assistance came with a price.” Her head swiveled toward the storage closet. “But you do have something useful.” She glided to where Paige now slept, wrapped in the tinfoil blanket, her frizzy blonde curls resting on the blow up pillow.

“Don’t touch her.” I sprinted after Rodale, grabbing for her arm but only catching air. Damn witch was fast.

She reached into the closet, beyond Paige’s slumbering form and plucked the thermos from the darkened corner. She spun open the lid, took in a big whiff of the noxious sleeping potion, and smiled.

“Let’s get cooking, shall we?”

Rodale’s plan was simple, and it worked beautifully. Seconds after she discovered Marie’s sleeping tonic, she’d boiled the liquid while holding the thermos in her hands and chanting a few Latin- sounding phrases.

Vanilla coated the air, mixing with the toxic steam drifting from the thermos. Ugh. I wished I could shut down my wolven sense of smell as efficiently as I’d blockedWade’s mental wanderings.

Rodale waved her hand over the thermos, pulling the steam to her face as she blew, gently directing the thin threads of smoke out into the gym. The silver, glimmering smoke spread along the violent crowd below, wending its way around the gym like a serpent, intent, yet fluid.

One by one the frantic movements of the students slowed. Shoulders drooped, knees buckled. Everyone staggered on their feet, dropped to the floor, and fell into a deep sleep. A hush settled in the air.

“That was awesome.” I shot Wade a grin, dragging in air when he grasped my hand, taking advantage of my excitement. His cool flesh warmed under my touch. Immediately, he pressed against the wall in my mind that divided us. I yearned to lower the barrier, drop the pretenses, and let him in.

A shocked gasp escaped my lips, drawing Alec’s attention to my fingers linked with Wade’s.

I tugged free. Wade’s fingers slipped over the sensitive skin on my wrist.

Rodale regarded us with a kindly, if amused expression. Then her round face flattened and expanded like a football being squeezed by a nervous quarterback.

“We won’t be affected by the potion, will we?” I struggled to form the words around my sluggish tongue. I couldn’t quite breathe with my mouth open and had to clench my teeth and swallow hard, inhaling deeply through my nostrils.

“I’m sorry, Eryn, but you already are. You don’t have much time. Find each other. Then fight the night mare. I’ll watch over all of you.”

“But we have to destroy its corp…corporeal…” Alec thudded to his knees.

Wade gave a strangled laugh, resting his hand on Alec’s shoulder. “How the mighty have fallen. I, however, am immune to such magical manipulations.”

Rodale laughed. “Oh, really?” She snapped her fingers, and an instant later Alec buckled under Wade’s deadweight.