Bittersweet (7 page)

Adrius held the door open as we exited the building. Frown lines worked across his forehead. “She's insane if she thinks hurting you will bring her anything but the end of her life,” he said through clenched teeth. His hand skimmed my cheek and I pulled back.

“Ouch. Still hurts.” A
lot
.

He exhaled a short breath. “It's not healing.”

“I know,” I murmured. “Apparently that's not something I can do anymore.”

“And, of course, you want to know why.”

“I
have
to know why,” I said.

I leaned against Adrius as we walked, while gently holding ice to my bruised cheek. We both knew her stunt with the chandelier wasn't meant to hurt me. She could have accomplished that easily and without missing. Venus wanted to frighten me.

She was using scare tactics to send her message.

Game on.

And no rules.

 

 

I stared out the window from the back of the café. Deep violet clouds penetrated the sky, cutting short the remaining daylight. Thunder cracked overhead, but no rain fell. I couldn't think of a more fitting backdrop. This week was turning out to be one of the worst yet. It was another half hour until my evening shift started, which gave me plenty of time to feel sorry for myself. As if the veil sealing wasn't enough, Venus was here, in my world. Ready to destroy it. And it seemed all I could do was sit around waiting for the next disaster to strike.

True to the small town Drearyton Cove was, my mother had heard the news about my lead in Phantom already. She'd left me a text, saying how excited she was and reminding me not to blow it. Her impersonation of supportive pageant-mom.

When my phone vibrated, I was half expecting it to be her again. It wasn't.

Abby didn't give me a chance to say hello before she launched into her gossip. “Can you believe what happened with Brianne and Davin?”

“What happened?” I frowned.

“O-M-G you don't know? Where have you been? They broke up.”

“What do you mean? When? Why?” Davin was one of my closest friends. Why didn't I know any of this?

“One question at a time,” she laughed. “I don't have all the details but apparently another girl was involved. Can't believe I missed my chance with him.
Again
.”

Davin and I told each other everything. Sure, things had been a little strained since Adrius and I got back together, but it wasn't like him to keep this kind of news from me. “So who is she?”

“Don't know yet. I'll keep you posted.”

The doors swung open and Davin walked into the café.

“Abby,” I said slowly, “I'll have to call you back.”

He had made his way to a large booth on the far side. I watched until he'd taken off his coat and ordered a drink from the new waitress, before I made my way over.

I slid into the booth across from them.

He looked up, surprised and a little uncomfortable.

“Hey. Didn't know you were working tonight.”

“You and Brianne broke up? When did this happen and how come you didn't tell me? We tell each other everything.” No one could be happier that Brianne was out of the picture, but it hurt that I found out secondhand.

“Sorry, Lor. Just haven't seen you much lately.”

The waitress returned with his coke. He waited for her to leave before continuing. “And it's not like when we were four. We don't tell each other everything anymore.”

If that was supposed to be a dig about my relationship with Adrius, I ignored it, still irritated at being the last to know. “And you're seeing someone else? Two days ago Brianne wanted us to double date.”

He shrugged and took a sip of his coke.

“So who is this mystery girl?”

Davin scanned my face. “You hated Brianne, are you already hating my new girlfriend too?”

“Not fair. I'm nothing if not open-minded. Or equally prejudiced.” I gave him a small smile. “I admit I didn't think Brianne was good enough for you.”

Davin rolled his eyes.

“I'm serious. Way too much drama. She totally had you whipped.” Reaching across the table, I stole a sip of his coke.

“Well, no one is controlling me this time, so you better be nice. I really like her.” He pointed a finger at me and I held up my hands.

“Nothing but nice here, I promise.”

“Good, cause here she comes.” His face brightened. “Hey, beautiful.”

Davin climbed out of the booth.

“Hey yourself,” came a familiar reply from behind me.

I was about to turn around to check out the girl who'd mysteriously stolen him from Brianne's frosted pink claws, but something stopped me. About a half second later I knew why. I'd just stolen another sip of his drink, when Davin started the introductions. “Lor, you know Venus, right?”

Chocking, I coughed, spewing my mouthful of coke across the table. Inhaling while still hacking only made things worse. Davin leaned over to thump me on the back.

“Lorelei and I go way back.” Venus smirked.

When I finally regained control I frowned up at Davin. “I'm fine now. Thanks.” I eased myself out of the booth, which proved difficult since my legs had turned to spaghetti.

Davin shoved his hands in his pocket and rocked back and forth on his heels. Clearly excited and nervous all at once. I knew him well enough to read his body language, and it had
hooked
written all over it.

Venus greeted me with all the warmth of a venomous boa constrictor and outstretched her hand. “Hello, Lorelei.”

I stared at it, for longer than would be considered polite or normal. It's not that I was afraid to touch her, but when a boa constrictor threatens to squeeze the life out of you, you don't offer it your hand in return.

I cleared my throat. “Hi.” My voice sounded strained, not the least bit nice.

Grabbing some napkins, I focused on wiping the coke spray instead of shaking her outstretched hand.

Her fake smile faded and she glanced at Davin, who in turn gave me a look that warned
you promised to be nice
.

They both climbed into the same side of the booth. Venus leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, keeping her eyes on me. It was a running joke between me and Abby that a messed-up love spell had made him fall for Brianne, but this hex was real. It was obvious in the way Davin looked at Venus with nearly pupilless eyes brimming with adoration and worship.

Swishing the soggy napkin across the table only made the mess worse. “I... uh... should get this cleaned up,” I muttered. Escaping their table I headed for the back room.

Safely behind the closed doors, I leaned against the prep counter, paralyzed and trying not to freak out. The day cook eyed me strangely as he walked by and then pushed open the door, giving me a glimpse of the happy couple. Davin's back was toward me in the booth, but Venus had her toxic gaze fixed on me.

As the door swung shut, I ran into the tiny staff washroom and locked the door. I dug for my cell phone, spilling half the contents of my purse. My wallet, lip balm and keys skidded across the tile while I called Adrius, more grateful for speed dial than ever before.

He answered immediately.

“She's here. And she has Davin. What do I do?”

“Lorelei, what's going on?”

“Are you listening to me?” I half-whispered, half-shouted.

“Okay, calm down. Who is Davin with?”

“Venus. She's here.
Dating
my best friend. What if she hurts him? Or…”

Even before I finished my sentence I heard the jangle of keys and a door slam. “Where are you?” his voice was deadly calm. Both reassuring and frightening.

“At the café in the washroom.”

Doubled over the sink in the staff restroom wasn't ideal, but it was the only place I could make a call in private. Neil's office was too risky.

Someone rapped on the door and my heart jumped.

“I can't hide here much longer,” I whispered. “They're expecting me to come back. And I can't leave her alone with him. She has him under some kind of spell. Why is she doing this?”

“Calm down, Lorelei. She's toying with you. If she'd wanted him dead he would be already.”

“So not helping,” I panted.

“I'm on my way.”

An engine revved and I clicked the phone, silencing the dial tone.

The phone was my only lifeline at the moment.
Adrius will be here soon. Just go back out there and keep them from leaving.

The look Venus greeted me with as I returned obliterated any measure of relief I'd felt knowing Adrius was on his way. She ran a hand through Davin's hair, leaned against him, smiled smugly at me. My skin crawled.

“Hey, Lorelei.” A new waitress stopped at our table and gave us a welcoming grin. A junior from school I'd passed in the hall once or twice. Kendal or Kendra? She looked relaxed, at ease... like everyone else, blissfully unaware of the dangerous predator in their midst.

“Can I get you anything?”

“You girls order whatever you want. I'm hitting the little boy's room.” Davin got up.

I stiffened, watching him walk away, wishing he'd been heading for the exit instead of the restrooms.
Run… run far away and don't come back
. If only I could text him that message.

The waitress looked from me to Venus.

I shook my head, giving her a thin smile.

“I have everything I want, thanks,” Venus said in a sickly sweet voice.

When Kendra was gone, Venus' green eyes slid to me. “So, it's just us girls.”

“Why are you doing this to Davin? He hasn't done anything to you. Just leave him out of it.”

She arched an eyebrow. “You like him too. Two boys fighting over you isn't enough? You need a third?” She leaned across the table and wagged her finger. “You mustn't be so selfish, Lorelei.”

I glared back. “I'm warning you, I won't let you hurt him.”

She threw herself back in a fit of laughter that sounded disturbingly like her mother's. “Well, I'm trying to, but it's oh so hard.”

I gritted my teeth.

“He's all doe-eyed and innocent, plus there's the whole body of an Olympian thing. More temptation than I can handle.” A soft growl rippled from her throat.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds. I might throw up.

“I'm trying to be good. But it's hard to control myself when it's so much more fun to be bad.”

“Do you really think any of this will help you get Adrius back?”

Her eyes flashed and then she smiled… chilling and dark. “Mmmm. Adrius. He would be able to handle my… needs. He's so much stronger than your flimsy human boy toys.” Then her smile faded into a sneer. “Of course, you already know that.”

“Just tell me what you want. Why are you here?”

Venus looked at me like I was a simpleton. “Even you must know by now that the veil is sealing.”

“I might've heard something like that.”

“You didn't actually think I'd let him stay here with you when he's bound to me?”

“I'm pretty sure he wants nothing to do with you. Binding curse or not.”

“Nothing has changed, except that I now know I'll have to kill you myself, since he's clearly too weak to do it.”

“Unless I kill you first.”

She smiled. “There's no need for murder. Just give me what's mine.”

“He's not an object, Venus. He doesn't belong to you.”

She examined her nails, painted shocking pink. “Actually he does. And if you try to stop me, everyone you care about will die.”

My body went stone cold. She would do it too.

“You won't be able to save them all, but it will be fun to watch you destroy yourself trying.”

“You want to know your biggest flaw, Venus. Arrogance. You think that you can use your powers to take whatever you want without consequence. You can't. There's always a price.”

Her hand clamped around my wrist suddenly, and the cold of her loathing pierced my skin. “You made a big mistake, Lorelei. One that you will pay for slowly and painfully. Reflect on that as you watch your world fall apart.”

“Bring it,” I croaked, rashly calling her bluff.

She smiled. “Shall we begin now?”

Venus pointed a finger toward the counter where Kendra was picking up her order.

I blinked.

Kendra collapsed, writhing on the ground in agony. Her face turned blue, veins bulging from beneath her translucent skin.

I bolted from the booth and raced to the counter, dropping to my knees beside her. A small crowd gathered around.

“Neil, help,” I shouted.

He ran out from the kitchen to see what the commotion was about. Neil took one look and automatically ushered everyone away.

“Back up, back up now. Give them some room. You there, go call 911.”

It was a precaution, because Neil and I both knew I could help her. It was just preferable not to have any witnesses. “Please stand back, everyone. Lorelei's trained in CPR.”

I knew I could count on him to give me room to work. Only a handful of people were in the know. Adrius, Davin, Neil, my mother.

And of course Zanthiel, the Shadow faerie who gave me the gift of healing.

I placed my hand on her heart, and poured my energy into her. But, instead of my touch reviving her, her body quivered and then stilled. It was supposed to take a few seconds for the energy transfer to happen. This was too long. Something was wrong. I pressed my ear to her chest. She wasn't breathing.

This time I resorted to real first aid. I pumped on her chest repeatedly. From the corner of my eye I spotted a flash of Venus' red hair, and then Davin was next to me.

“The paramedics are on their way. What can I do to help, Lorelei?”

“Something's wrong. It's not working,” I whispered breathlessly. My arms were sore from pumping and I was getting light-headed. One and two and three and four and five. Another two breaths. “Please. Please. Don't die.”

Davin took over, when I couldn't go on any longer. I forced myself to continue CPR until finally I felt the trace of a pulse. Moments later, paramedics burst into the café and took over. There were questions and equipment, dispatch calls and oxygen masks. After the flurry of activity they loaded Kendra's limp body onto a stretcher. It was a blur of blue shirts and flashing lights, and then they were gone, blaring sirens fading in the night.

Another crash of thunder shook the café and the lights flickered. Davin and Neil led me to a bar stool and Davin wiped my forehead with a napkin while Neil brought me lavender tea. With shaking hands, I picked up the cup and took two long sips. My gaze wandered above the cup and met with Venus, who looked pleased with her orchestrated chaos.

“I hope the girl will be okay. Such a good thing you were here. This time.” She smiled. “You have such a healing touch,” she added. Then she snaked her arms around Davin's neck.