Cassie (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #3) (16 page)

“It’s okay,” she lied, and patted his leg. “I’m glad you told me.”

A soft knock came at the door. “Breakfast,” Brody called.

Her stomach actually rumbled. Despite the shocking news of Caleb’s speculations, hunger had found its way into the forefront of her thoughts. In fact, now that the prospect of eating had been offered, she found herself to be famished. “We can talk about this later.”

Caleb nodded, “Of course.”

They rolled out of bed, got dressed, and went to the kitchen. Brody looked dressed for work in his long-sleeve plaid shirt and blue jeans. He was standing at the sink, finishing off a piece of toast with his coffee. “Hey, my favorite doomsayers have awakened.”

Cassie and Caleb grunted, as they shuffled into the kitchen. She searched for the origin of all the lovely smells that permeated the room.

“Help yourselves.” Brody gestured to the stove where eggs, bacon, toast and hash browns awaited. “I’ve got to head to work. You guys should swing by if you get a chance. I left directions on the table.”

“You’re my hero,” Cassie said, as she looked at the breakfast spread.

“No kidding,” Caleb added. He grabbed a couple of plates, and handed one to Cassie. “Again, you’re awesome, my friend!”

“I do try,” Brody grinned, big and cheesy like.

“And thanks for the invite to your job site, but I don’t think we’ll make it,” Caleb said.

Brody’s face hardened. “Don’t leave without telling me, okay?”

“We won’t, if we can help it,” Caleb said.

“All right, but you should come out so I can show off my skills.”

Caleb smiled, “Like you need to.”

An urge to take Brody up on his offer struck Cassie out of the blue. “We’ll try to come by,” she said, as she piled on the bacon.

“It’s a date,” Brody stated. “See you two later.” He gave some hugs, and then was out the door.

“Man, what a spread,” Caleb remarked, while making his plate.

“So long as there’s coffee, I’m good.” Cassie sat down at the table. “Well, coffee
and
sugar, and I’m good. But yeah, this was really cool of him.”

“He’s a good guy.”

“How did you two meet?”

“In elementary school,” Caleb mumbled, around a mouthful of eggs. “Third grade, Mrs. Gardner’s class. Been friends ever since.”

“Wow, I don’t think I’ve known anyone for that long.”

“We used to go camping with a group of friends. We’d go all over the state.”

“Here, in Oklahoma?”

“Yeah, I’m originally from here.” He took a sip of his coffee. “But people grow up and move on. So I don’t really see any of them anymore. I was surprised to find that Brody still lived here. I guess he figured out where he wanted to end up long before I did.”

“Sounds really nice,” she said. “Growing up, I thought I would stay in Canada for the rest of my life. Now, after all the bad shit, and seeing all the places I’ve seen, I can’t imagine going back.”

“I wouldn’t either.”

She ran a finger around the lip of her cup. “So, you really don’t think my mom is my mom?”

He set his fork down, shaking his head, “No, I don’t.”

“You think this, Kianna woman is?”

“Yeah, I do.”

Cassie sighed. She picked up Brody’s directions, but didn’t really look at them.
Why didn’t Dad tell me?
Kept running through her mind. Her whole perception of him was changing, and she didn’t like it. The once celebrated hero was falling like a fiery comet that had just entered the atmosphere. She wasn’t sure if finding this other woman was a good idea, but Caleb was right about looking for answers. They needed some badly, and from anywhere they could get them. Regardless if they ended up killing her childhood hero. She was just about to tell Caleb to get the car keys when she noticed something.

“Holy shit!” she exclaimed, staring at the piece of paper in her hand.

Caleb looked back and forth, from her to the paper. “What?”

“Coven’s Grove.” More than just the name of the place where Brody was working, however, he’d also written a little side note at the bottom:
Ask for me at the gate, or Miranda
. That name came barreling at Cassie like a camera close-up in a dramatic movie scene. “Holy shit!”

“What holy shit?!” Caleb snatched the paper from her.

“The dreams I’ve been having. The place. The woman!”

Caleb gawked at her like she’d lost her ever-lovin’ mind. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’ve been having these strange dreams about this place that looks like the Garden of Eden. And this woman named, Miranda. You were there too.”

“
Really?
” Caleb cocked an eyebrow. “Were we all naked?”

She smacked his arm. “Not like that!”

“Oh,” he said with a smile. “Sorry.”

“Look, we have to go here.” She pointed to the piece of paper. “Like now.”

Caleb sobered, and studied her for a moment.

“Trust me.” She got to her feet. “Those answers we’ve been looking for...they’re at this Coven’s Grove place.”

“Okay,” he said with a sigh. “Let’s do this.”

After throwing their clothes on, Cassie practically shoved Caleb the entire way to the car.

“Would you chill?!” he snapped. “We’re going already!”

“Faster,” she commanded, poking his ribs.

Caleb fanned her away, as they approached a beat up truck that must have been a hundred years old.

Cassie laughed, “Whoa, what a junker.”

“Beggars can’t be choosers, right?”

“As long as it gets us there.” She hopped in the passenger side.

Caleb got in, and cranked up the engine. It roared and shook from the cold, as a funnel of black smoke curled up into the sky from the exhaust pipe. He turned up the heat, and rubbed his hands together. “What makes you think your dreams and this Coven’s Grove are related?”

“There’s too much coincidence for one thing.” Cassie crossed her arms, putting her hands in her armpits for warmth. “I mean, c’mon. Brody just happens to write down the name of the woman I’ve been talking with in my dreams? No way.”

Caleb raised his brows and nodded. “Ya got a point there.”

“I’ve been in the same bizarre, forest paradise every time in my dreams. It turns out the place Brody’s working at is called ‘Coven’s Grove’ for Godsake.” She bounced in the seat in hopes of generating more heat. “Either I’m a fool, or I’m being slapped in the face with signs.”

“Okay, you got two good points there.”

“Is that enough?”

He chuckled, “More than enough.”

The old pickup finally started to warm up. “Let’s go get some answers.” Caleb put the truck into gear, and headed down the driveway. Before they got to the street however, a big-ass U-Haul pulled into the drive, blocking their path.

“What the hell?” She squinted at the moving truck, trying to get a look at the driver.

Shots fired, punching holes in the windshield.

“Shit!” Caleb yelled. He slammed on the gas. The pickup slid to the side, but moved forward. “Duck!”

Cassie hunched down.

More shots rang out, as they picked up speed. Caleb turned into the yard and popped the curb, sliding onto the main road. Cassie looked back and saw the back of the U-Haul open. “It’s them,” she said, watching the insectoid-like demon climb out of the trailer. “They’ve found us.”

“We gotta get out of town—”

“No!” She yelled. “We have to go to Coven’s Grove. I know it’s where I’m supposed to go.”

Caleb dug into his coat pocket with a grimace. “Here,”—he tossed her his cell—“Call Brody. He needs to know we’re bringing trouble.”

Cassie fumbled with the phone, until she found Brody’s number. She tapped it, and handed Caleb the directions, as she glanced back. The demon was running after them, and the U-Haul was backing out of the driveway. “Shit.”

“Don’t tell me you guys are leaving already,” Brody said loudly through the speaker.

Cassie almost dropped the phone his voice startled her so. “Jesus...no, we aren’t leaving. We’re headed your way with an ass-ton of trouble.”

“Ho shit. Don’t bring them here!” Brody sounded panicked. “I don’t want to get my clients killed!”

“I think they’re tougher than you think,” she replied. “Just tell them there’s trouble coming—” She screamed, as the sprinting demon suddenly leaped into the air. “Caleb, look out!”

Caleb tried to swerve, but it was too late. The demon landed on the edge of the tailgate, rocking the truck up and down. Caleb struggled to keep the pickup on the road. The demon scrambled into the bed, and then surged forward toward the cab. A clawed fist smashed through the back window, sending shards of glass everywhere. The creature’s black talons dug into Caleb’s shoulder. Caleb bellowed in agony and grabbed at the demon’s hand, as it tried to dislodge him from the driver’s seat.

Cassie could hear Brody yelling on the other end of the line, as the phone slipped from her grasp. True terror ran through her, as she watched Caleb’s shoulder tear open. Before she could act, Caleb managed to get hold of the gnarled fingers of the beast. With strength she didn’t know he had, Caleb wrenched the claws out of his shoulder, and bent the monster’s fingers back, until they broke with loud snaps.

The demon roared in pain, as it yanked its hand away.

Cassie squeezed through the back window to grapple with the monster, only to be jerked out when she was halfway through.

Carreau’s powerful grip crushed down on her throat like a vice. “You should be mine, little whore,” the demon hissed, pulling her close.

She had some choice words for a response, but was having trouble breathing at the moment.

The monster’s too-long, sinewy legs bent and flexed, ready to jump.

Cassie lashed out with a punch before the demon could leap away with her in its clutches. She caught it in the chin with a vicious uppercut. Her power was already in full swing from all of the adrenaline coursing through her veins, so the blow had enough strength to shatter concrete.

The Demon’s head whipped back, forcing its grip to loosen.

She twisted away from the clawed hand, stumbling to the side of the bed as the pickup bounced and swerved. The U-Haul behind them was gaining, and there was nothing to be done about it.

“Give up now, witch,” the demon purred, “and I won’t skin your plaything alive.”

The fear that had gripped her melted away, as the creature’s threat boiled her blood. Caleb meant way more to her than just some casual fling. The feelings she had for him were solid. Real. Something this piece of shit would never understand, and would never take away from her. “You won’t be skinning anything after I rip your fuckin’ arms off!” She lunged at the beast.

Bad move.

The demon countered her sloppy attack with the swing of a massive, club-like arm. The savage blow to her head and shoulders brought stars to her vision, and knocked her to her knees.

“Ah, just where you should be, my Sweetling,” the demon taunted, as it raised its arms to deliver another crushing blow.

The pickup jolted and slid, as Caleb slammed on the breaks. There was too much ice for the truck to come to a squealing halt. But the change in momentum was enough to throw the demon off balance, and send Cassie sliding against the back of the cab. Caleb then hit the gas, causing the beast to topple over, and crash into the tailgate.

Cassie clung to the seat through the rear window, bracing for the inevitable collision.

Sure enough, the U-Haul slammed into the back of the pickup. The demon lurched forward, as the truck bed crumpled like an accordion. Cassie kicked the beast square in the face when it tumbled forward. The attack didn’t stop it from plowing into her, but rang its bell pretty good. She grabbed the demon by the neck, her fingers dug into the exposed muscle tissue. With a roar laced with desperation and rage, she threw the monster from the pickup bed.

Carreau hit the ground and rolled.

Caleb turned the truck sharply. The sound of metal tearing signaled the bumper pulling free of the U-Haul. The massive orange and white truck made the turn as well, but almost went off the road in the attempt. The tumbling demon was caught by the sliding vehicle, and sucked under the wheels.

A laugh, tainted with a bit of hysteria, escaped Cassie. “Take that, Asshole!”

Caleb glanced back. “Are you okay?!”

“Yeah, keep driving!”

They sped from one wooded area to the next. Every so often Cassie caught a glimpse of the U-Haul still following them. The demon, as if out of a bad action movie, had managed to survive, and currently climbed up toward the roof of the U-Haul.

Cassie shook her head. “Damn, just can’t catch a break.”

“Hang on!” Caleb yelled. “We’re here!” The pickup turned sharply again, this time sliding off the road into the ditch just outside of a gated entrance. “Shit!”

Cassie didn’t hesitate. She jumped out of the pickup, and grabbed hold of the twisted back end of the old truck. “Hit the gas!” She shoved with all her might.