Easy Bake Coven (8 page)

I sat on the floor of my room in lotus position trying to find my center, but I was a jumble of nerves, thoughts, and worries. Nothing was settling within me. Gram’s voice rang in my head. “Get the book,” it said. What book? Was that why she was in the attic? My mind was a million miles away from yoga. I was never going to find inner peace.

The light was still on in the attic as I climbed the ladder. I hadn’t been up here in years. It was filled with boxes and odd and ends. How on earth I was supposed to find one book in the mess was beyond me. I pulled a box toward me, knelt beside it, and dove in.

This particular box was stuff from before Mom and Dad died—toys I vaguely remembered, books they used to read to me, and all the things that a seven-year-old treasures. I held my stuffed bunny, Peter, to my face and inhaled deeply. It still smelled like them.

“What are you doing?”

I didn’t bother to look at Cheney. Instead, I hugged Peter a moment longer, then sat him to the side.

“You felt a sudden need to cry over some stuffed animal?”

I huffed in annoyance. “I remembered that when Gram woke up today, she said someone was after me and I should ‘get the book.’ This was the only light on in the house, so I figure she must’ve been up here for a reason.”

“What book?” he asked, fully climbing into the attic.

“I have no idea.”

He looked around with a calculating expression. “Are you going to cry over every box you open? If so, we’re in for a long night.”

A small smile tugged at my mouth. “I just might.”

He picked up Peter. “And who, may I ask, is this?” He held him out in front of him by the arms.

“Peter. My very best friend for the first seven years of my life.”

“Then you abandoned him to a cardboard box? Poor fellow.”

“Most of these boxes are mine. My parents died when I was seven, and I never unpacked anything when I moved here. Gram bought me all new everything so I wouldn’t be reminded of home.”

“So Peter wasn’t abandoned, just forgotten?” Cheney spoke of Peter as if the doll were a real person, making my stomach knot nervously.

I shrugged, feeling awkward. “Anyway, I’m trying to find the mysterious book.”

“Would you like help?”

“Well, that’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

He smiled and pulled down his own box. I flipped through the books in my box, then grabbed Peter and put him back inside.

“Poor Peter,” Cheney said under his breath, and I pretended not to hear.

Several hours and a few sentimental moments later, Cheney and I had been through every box in the room.

“I thought for sure it would be up here.” Frustration settled in. What book could possibly be so important for me to find? Cheney walked around the attic tapping each floor board and inspecting the walls and ceiling with a narrowed gaze. “What are you doing?”

He shushed me and kept right on inspecting until a cocky smile brightened his face.

 “You know where it is, don’t you?”

 “Yes.” He rubbed the dust from his hands.

 “Care to enlighten me?”

 “I’m not sure you deserve it, but what the hell. If we push on this wall here. . .” He looked back at me, and the wall opened. He waggled his eyebrows, making me laugh.

 “You’re awfully proud of yourself,” I said as I brushed past him into the small hidden room. I flipped the light switch and was met with what appeared to be my grandmother’s secret room of all things witchy. “What a hypocrite!”

Cheney picked up a plain black leather-bound book with curled edges. “Could this be it?” He cracked it open, and I peaked over his shoulder. It was definitely spells.

 “It has to be. Her Book of Shadows.”

“Do you want to go visit your grandma and find out?”

“It isn’t visiting hours.”

“Come on, Selene,” Cheney said in a slow, easy manner. “You’ve never been afraid to break a few rules.” His eyes flashed playfully, making me wonder how well I’d known him. He was daring me and something in me stirred at the challenge.

“Okay, hot shot, get me in.”

“Well, you’re going to have to step a little closer.”

I took a step towards him.

He beckoned me. “Closer. Don’t be afraid.”

“Exactly how close do you want me?”

He arched his brow with a wicked grin. My face got hot and he laughed. “You blush a lot more than you used to. You’re going to have to touch me. I know how much that displeases you.”

“This better not be another trick.” I stepped up against him.

“Put your arms around me.”

My arms wrapped around his waist. He slid his hands around me and pulled me in tighter. I thought of snotty things to say, but I couldn’t speak being this close to him. The way he smelled like sandalwood and 4 a.m. made my heart skip beats. I rested my head against his chest in a spot that felt like it was built just for me. His breath hitched, and he squeezed me a little tighter. Everything went black and the next instant we were in Grandma’s hospital room. Once I no longer felt dizzy, I pushed away from him and went over to Gram.

“Gram,” I said softly, taking her hand.

Her eyes fluttered, but they didn’t open. I was torn. I didn’t want to wake her because she needed rest, but I needed to speak with her. I tried again and received similar results. Cheney moved next to me.

“May I?”

I narrowed my eyes, not wanting to relinquish my grandmother’s hand. “Maybe we should just let her rest,” I said stubbornly.

He gave me an impatient glance. “Step aside, Selene.”

“What are you going to do?” I asked, not budging.

“Wake her up.”

“Leave her alone.”

He rolled his eyes. “We don’t have time for this.” He flipped the covers off her leg, clamped his hand over her ankle, and shut his eyes.

“What are you doing, you perv? Take your hands off my grandma.” I let go of Gram’s hand and pushed Cheney. He didn’t budge. He stood like a wall, ignoring my protests. “I said stop. Let her go.” Anger flooded my mind in gushing waves.

His other hand seized my wrist so tightly, my hand immediately started turning red from lack of circulation. “You need to calm down. This is not the place to throw a tantrum. It will be a lot worse than a few cracked walls here.” He didn’t open his eyes or raise his voice while he spoke. His other hand remained on Grandma’s ankle, and I could feel energy crackling beneath his skin. I looked at Gram. She had a bit more color in her face. I stopped struggling against him and his grip loosened enough that my blood started to flow again. I watched as Gram started to look more and more like her old self.

Cheney released us at the same time and stepped back, rolling his neck. “Try again.”

I took grandma’s hand, which was decidedly warmer. “Gram?”

Her eyes fluttered open. “Selene.” She smiled at me briefly, but then the happy expression melted from her face. “Selene, you’re in danger. What did you do to draw them here? I thought you would never have to know, but they found you—”

“It’s okay, Gram. I know.”

“No, you don’t. Get my Book of Shadows from the secret room in the attic. Take it and run. Defend yourself. Don’t let them take you back. I can no longer protect you. Your magic is your only hope of survival. The book explains everything. Don’t trust any of them. They just want to use you. Find—”

Cheney appeared on the other side of Gram’s bed. “Hello, Edith.”

Her eyes darted over to him and her hand clutched his chest. “You nearly gave me a heart attack. You were supposed to keep her from coming here.”

Gram said not to trust
any of them
—and Cheney was most definitely one of them. My stomach sank, and I struggled not to look at him.

“She doesn’t remember me.”

“Oh.” Grandma’s eyes widened slightly, then she nodded. “I was certain she would still remember
you
—”

“Apparently not,” he cut her off.

“You explained?”

“I gave her the highlights.”

Gram’s mouth fell open and she looked at me quickly, then back at him.

“Not about that,” Cheney said coolly. “I told her who was after her and why they want her.”

“Does she have the support of the King?”

He shook his head, jaw clenched. “Not yet.”

Grandma sighed. “I thought—”

“So did I. He’ll come around.”

It was like they were speaking another language. Obviously I was “her” and Cheney hadn’t told me everything which irritated me. “You didn’t tell me everything? What else did I miss?”

“Lene, mind your manners,” Grandma barked at me.

Out of habit, my mouth snapped shut and I looked down.

Cheney smiled, obviously amused, but answered me. “I told you all you could deal with at that moment, princess. I couldn’t possibly catch you up on 500 years of my family’s personal and political drama in 15 minutes.”

Condescension made me furious. I gave him a hateful look but didn’t comment.

“Without the support of the King what chance does she have?”

“He’ll come around. She has my support. I’ll protect her.”

“But without the King, what will keep your people from killing her? If she’s dead, she cannot be used as a weapon—no more problem.”

He sighed and tightened his jaw. “I will.”

“You’ll turn your back—”

“I’ll do what must be done.”

Deep worry lines etched Grandma’s face. “She needs to awaken her power. You cannot protect her alone.”

“If she does that, she’ll be easier to find.”

“If she doesn’t, there’s little hope.” Gram sighed again. “How did they find her in the first place?”

“I don’t know.”

“Lene, did you use your magic?” She looked at me with those clear eyes I could never hide anything from.

“I didn’t use any of my abilities per se . . .” I bit my lip, “but I did start a coven.” I was unable to keep a grimace from my face. I’d messed up royally. I knew it.

“Lene! What did I tell you about magic?” Gram’s fury made me want to apologize, but I stood my ground.

Blaming this entirely on me hardly seemed fair. “Absolutely nothing, which is why we’re in this mess,” I snapped at her for the first time in my life.

Her mouth fell open. “You will not speak to me with such impertinence, child.”

Immediately I felt guilty. Here she’d been protecting me and was half killed for her effort, and I blamed her for my mess. “I’m sorry, Gram. But we’re well past finger pointing. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

“Actually this is a good thing, Edith,” Cheney said. “We need a coven to awaken her powers anyway, and it will be better with people she knows and trusts rather than strangers. Everything happens for a reason. You know that.”

Our eyes met and something other than fear and loathing swirled in me.

“I guess this is between the two of you now. You’re out of my depths, child,” Grandma huffed. “Get her out of here, Cheney. Protect her, but don’t be too easy on her.”

“I will—and I won’t.” he promised, smiling at Gram. “I take it this is the book you wanted her to find?” The black book from the hidden room appeared in his hand. Grandma nodded solemnly.

“We’re not leaving you,” I told her.

“Go with him, Selene. Cheney can teach you, help you protect yourself.”

“Who’s going to protect you?”

“I may be older, but I am not feeble. I can take care of myself. They caught me off guard. Next time I’ll be ready.”

I started arguing, but Cheney cut me off. “She’s in more danger with you here than if you leave. They want you. They don’t give a damn about her. No offense, Edith.”

“None taken.”

“If you honestly believe I’m going to leave my grandmother here completely unprotected, think again. I don’t know what I was like when you knew me, but that’s not who I am now.”

“Lene—”

“It’s okay, Edith. She’s right. We cannot leave you here without protection.” He handed her a small necklace with a green stone that bore strange markings. “Wear this and use it to reach me if you’re threatened. Any time. Do not hesitate.” He cast a meaningful look at me. “Can we go now,
princess
.”

He called me princess with such bitter mocking that my hackles rose, but I fought against the urge to be difficult. “Fine.”

I gave Grandma a kiss and hug, telling her I’d see her soon, though I wasn’t sure that was true. Then I went over to Cheney and put my arms around him like before. “Don’t call me princess.”

He chuckled and everything went black.