The Council, A Witch's Memory (26 page)

Our conversation abruptly ended when Henry shouted, “Don’t look.”

Pepper and I stared at each other, afraid to glance in any other direction.

“You think they found him, that Craven guy?” she whispered.

“Yeah, we got him.” Henry made a disgusted sound. “Try the phone again, Dmitri, see if we can get through to the compound.”

I felt ill from the relief. My father was dead. We were safe.

Dmitri made a few calls and Henry did the same. They said something about a containment crew.

Seconds later, a group of men dressed in blue, green, and red appeared. Pepper was astonished and asked me how they managed to just appear. I told her what Henry told me.

“How are you girls doing?” Dmitri flashed a dashing smile as he came over and pulled Pepper and I to our feet.

“Great, thanks.” Pepper eyed him with curiosity, it wasn’t every day you met a vampire.

“I can’t thank you enough Dmitri,” I hugged him.

“My pleasure.” He kissed my cheek and stepped aside as I looked up at Quinn.

“No need for thanks, this is what we do.” He smiled, trying to keep his distance. I decided to hug him anyway. It was like hugging a lamppost. He stepped back and looked at Pepper, “I’m guessing you’re doing well, too?”

She laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to hug you.”

He nodded and seemed to relax.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Henry. “Ready to go home?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” he grinned and wrapped his arms around me. But I was already home when we were together.

“Pepper, hang on.” Dmitri held out his hand and she took it, more intrigued than scared.

The green light flashed in front of my eyes. When it faded I was standing on the back patio in front of the conservatory. Beside me Pepper, Quinn, and Dmitri appeared.

“Wow.” Pepper looked around. “That was awesome.”

We entered the conservatory and I was nearly flattened by Zane and Flora. They sandwiched me between them, squeezing the air out of my lungs.

“I’m fine,” I gasped, trying to hug them at the same time. “Really.”

“Oh, I was so worried,” Flora sobbed.

“I wanted to kick his ass,” Zane said. “If I ever see him, Craven will wish he was dead.”

“He is dead.” Dmitri said from behind me.

“Oh, good.” Zane planted a kiss on my cheek before letting me go.

“Hang on, you two.” Henry caught him by the back of his shirt before he could fly from the room. “What happened to calling grandmother and grandfather to come get you?”

Zane put his hands up, “I was all for it, but Flora wouldn’t leave.”

“Really?” Henry crossed his arms and studied his cousin. “You were unprotected here. What if something had happened?”

Flora went pink and smiled at Zane, “I know you’re mad, but Zane is super fast. We could have gotten out in time.”

“With the dog,” Zane added.

Henry let out a breath, “If you do anything reckless like this again, you’ll be grounded for the next hundred years.”

Henry’s mother called as we were getting settled and she delivered good news, the fighting was over, and the Resistance was retreating. Apparently, more than one battle had taken place tonight, but the compound was never compromised and the Council remained intact. Everything was under control, and a portal leading to the demon world never opened. They said that as soon as they could get away, they would phase to Capeside.

I looked to Henry when I learned about the demons, and he shrugged sheepishly.

I’d let him explain later.

After such a big scare I figured the house would calm down and everyone would go to bed early. Not so. We were wired. Even Quinn was boisterous, and joined Dmitri in retelling a few gory stories of how they, quote, ‘neutralized’ the bad guys.

Henry excused us from the group, dragging me into the hallway outside of the living room. Before I could ask what he wanted, he backed me against the wall and kissed me.

“What is this about?” I whispered against his lips.

“I just couldn’t help myself.” He tugged at my bottom lip with his teeth. “Want to get out of here?”

“It’s very tempting…but first I have to tell you that I learned a new trick.”

“Really?”

I pulled him down the hall and into the kitchen. He leaned against the counter and I grabbed a spatula out of a drawer.

“A culinary trick?”

“No,” I smiled and set the spatula on the countertop.

If I made Craven fly across the room, I could make this piece of plastic fly around the kitchen, right?

Bracing my hands on my hips, I glared at the black utensil, willing it to move.

Nothing happened.

“I don’t get it.” He chuckled.

I hushed him and focused on the spatula. I had to really want it to happen. And I really wanted it to float up from the counter.

I stamped my foot and pointed. “Up!”

It shot up into the air and hit the ceiling. Then fell to the floor. I squealed with excitement and jumped around. “I did it!”

Henry grinned and crossed the kitchen. “Hold still.”

I did, waiting to see what he was doing. He held his fingers against my forehead.

I felt a cool tingly feeling, then nothing.

“It’s gone.” He said triumphantly.

“What is?’ I felt my head with my fingertips.

“You had a cut on your head. I healed it.”

Henry and I were going to steal away for some privacy, but we met Quinn in the hallway first. He’d talked to his mother, and they were worried Garret might not make it through the night. I prepared myself to go heal the boy, but Henry stopped me. He asked me to let him do it.

The day was catching up to me, and I needed to spend some time with Pepper. So I kissed him goodbye and let him go, and went to find my friend.

Chapter 32

I sat on a blanket spread out in front of the fireplace in Henry’s bedroom, with Pepper. We left Dmitri to play Monopoly with Zane and Flora. Bruno lay between Pepper and I, snoring and drooling.

It had been a while since Pepper and I had quality best friend time. Having Henry away for a little while turned out to be just what we needed. Pepper came to the house earlier because she was upset. She and her mother had gotten into a huge fight.

“Do you want to finish telling me what happened at your mother’s house?” I wondered if her mother would ever loosen up.

“There isn’t much. I left.” She stared into the fire, shaking her head. “She thinks I’m too American and too loose. I told her she was wrong.”

“She doesn’t believe you, trust you?”

“Nope.” She let out a shaky breath. “Just before I left she told me I lacked moral perfection. I’m nothing but a disappointment.”

“What?” how could a mother be so cruel to her child? I didn’t remember my mom much, but I knew she would have never said anything like that to me.

Pepper never cried, but she looked like she wanted to. She had this tough girl persona going, or she thought she did. I knew it was just an act. She was just trying to protect herself.

“I’m going to talk to my father about it.”

“Good, because your mom is a horrible judge of character.”

She rubbed Bruno’s tummy, “I hope you liked the dress.”

I raised my eyebrows at the change of subject, but decided to let it go.

Pepper used the excuse of having a dress she made to come see me. It was really pretty, lacey and white. Perfect for a summer day. I told her she hadn’t needed an excuse, And that’s when the truth about what happened at her mother’s came out.

“I loved it. If it’s not ruined, maybe I’ll get a chance to wear it.”

She looked at my necklace and sighed. “You will. First I need to make a couple changes to show off that rock.”

The sapphire sent a glimmer of light dancing on the stone fireplace.

“You know, I think this is good.”

I glanced up. “What do you mean?”

“The stuff happening to us, you and Henry are finally together, and I’m going to tell my mother where to stick her freakish beliefs. We’re getting what we want.” She hugged me tight. “And I finally get to be inside the Langley house. How cool is that!”

“Very cool,” I returned the embrace, knowing that she was coming to terms with the fact that her mother’s expectations were outlandish and impossible.

“You’re sure Henry won’t have a problem with me staying over?”

“I’m sure he expects it. We’ve got Zane, Flora, Dmitri, and who knows who else will show up?”

She grinned. “Okay, then I guess I’ll hit the sack.”

“Hey, Pepper?” I called as she was leaving.

“Yeah?”

“I’ve got magical powers now, and if you ever want me to hex your mother, I’m so down with that.”

Pepper left the room laughing, taking Bruno with her. He slept with Zane, so boy would find dog eventually, or the other way around.

Feeling more tired than I’d ever been in my life I curled up on the blanket in front of the fire and closed my eyes.

It was over, the fighting, my fear. I could leave Henry’s house. I wasn’t in danger anymore and I knew about my past. Henry would let me go. He’d give me time to go to college and experience life, as I should, before taking my place with him in the Council.

But all my experiences, every important piece of my life had Henry in it. For me to walk away, to live without him until I did all the things Pepper or someone else my age would do, would be extremely difficult.

No, more like impossible.

Whatever experiences I had, good or bad, I wanted them to be with Henry. If I lived a thousand years, I wanted to be by his side, because nothing, no one else, would ever make me feel so cherished.

“Venna?”

I rolled onto my back and opened my eyes to see Henry standing above me, too handsome for words to describe.

He sat beside me and brushed his fingers over my cheek. “How are you?”

“Better.” I pushed up on my elbows.

“Good.” He pulled me into his lap and wrapped me in his arms. “It’s midnight.”

“Really?”

“Yes, a few minutes past actually. The memory charm is gone.” He smiled. “Happy birthday.”

I studied his face. The things I was supposed to recall did not come crashing in at the stroke of twelve, and I was really relieved. I couldn’t remember much else. However something flickered in the back of my mind. It was real, a memory that had nothing to do with my family—my old family.

I saw myself playing in a sand box with another child, a boy.

“I remember the first time I met you.” I said, running my fingers across his brow. The endless depths of his fiery green eyes pulled me in. “Your mother came to visit just before Zane was born. We were very young.”

“That was you?” Realization dawned in his eyes and he shook his head. “I remember…I remember the beach and the jellyfish. And I remember liking your pigtails.”

I laughed. “You pulled my hair.”

“I guess I had a thing for you before I knew it.” He wrapped a few of my curls around his fingers and kissed me. His expression was warm and free of any worry or anger. But there was a little anxiousness I felt in him, and he was trying to hide it. “You know you have a home with me, always.”

“Yes.”

He stared at the sapphire, the corners of his mouth turning downward. “I’m sure the Hall’s would take you back, if that’s what you wanted.”

I took my fingers and pressed the sides of his mouth up into a smile. “You’re my family, Henry. You always have been.”

He hesitated, glancing past me and taking a deep breath before meeting my eyes again. “Can I keep you?”

“Only if I can keep you.”

“Well, I guess you’re stuck with me then.”

“Poor me.” I teased, hugging him with every ounce of energy I had left. “I love you.”

“Hmm.” He trailed kisses along my jaw to my ear, “I love you, too.”

I’m not sure how much time we spent wrapped up in each other, just enjoying the silence and each other’s company. The house was quiet, and everyone else occupied downstairs or gone home.

I slid off his lap and he looked down at me. His eyes filled with warmth that threatened to stop my heart. I could see his love for me clearly and feel is so acutely it took my breath. He kissed me, eyes dancing in the dim light. “Happy birthday, again.”

“Thank you.” I glanced at the door, smiling like a fool. “Did you lock it?”

He said. “Yes.”

Standing, I kept my eyes on him, backing up slowly.

He raised an eyebrow in question.

“Lets pretend that we just finished our favorite game of chase.”

He pushed to his feet and followed me. “Okay.”

“Now, let’s pretend you caught me.”

“No problem.” His eyes glowed bright green, my favorite color in the whole world.