Mace entered the room, his face expressionless. Sage carried Sorrel. Cinnamon motioned for him to lay Sorrel on the sofa. She hovered over him, studying him.
“What’s wrong with him?” Sage asked.
Cinnamon placed her hand above Sorrel’s body. She left her hand there for a few minutes before dropping it. “It’s some sort of spell—obviously—but I’m not getting any readings off him.”
“We should try together,” Mace suggested. “There must be something there.”
“Agreed,” Cinnamon said, placing her hand above Sorrel again.
Sage and Mace joined her, each holding their hands above his body. Tendrils of power swirled around them as purple streams merged and coalesced.
“Wait,” Cinnamon said, glancing around the room. “Something else is here—listening. Do either of you feel...”
I opened my eyes and returned to the basement just as Cinnamon focused on me. Had she seen me like the aunt had? I assumed the aunt, being older and stronger than Mace, was the only one who could sense me. I had somehow influenced the boys with suggestion, but Cinnamon actually pinpointed my presence. Maybe it was the melded power of all three that let her sense me. I would have to be careful when she was near.
Charles was out of the bag. There was more than one bruise already forming on his swollen face. He’d have raccoon eyes by tomorrow. His lip was split open on one side, but that didn’t stop him from snarling at Lily.
She cowered in the corner as if she were scared of him, but relaxed her posture as soon as he looked away, which gave me the impression she wasn’t actually scared of him at all. He studied the circle, as if he could penetrate it. His cold stare shifted to me. I was careful to stay inside the salt ring.
“Hi, miss me?” I said to Charles.
“Get up!” he snapped at Lily.
“Yes,
master
.”
Charles didn’t seem to hear Lily’s obviously condescending tone. She wasn’t working with him, but, from what I could tell, he had no clue. He glowered at her until she was in place on the opposite side of the circle.
They started walking the circle in unison, chanting in Ancient, something the translator couldn’t decipher. After a few minutes, they both walked forward, but were immediately thrown back, landing hard on the floor.
“It’s salt,” I said. “Even I know that’s unbreakable.”
“Shut up,” he snarled at me, quickly getting back to his feet.
“I told you, master,” Lily said in Demon. “I’ve tried everything. The youngest one wants her protected.”
“We must summon our lord. He will know what to do.”
That got my full attention. Charles was going to summon his master—the Mystery Player—would it be Junior as I suspected?
“Yes,” Lily said. “But it won’t work. I’ve tried.”
I snorted. She glared at me. I covered by mumbling a woe-is-me remark and acting as if I had no clue what they were talking about. Lily was lying. She hadn’t summoned anyone.
“We’ll try together,” he said. “Join me.”
Charles sneered at me. I stared at him and mouthed ‘salt,’ as if he were trying to break the circle again. Not everyone knew about the translator. Now that I could tell when they weren’t speaking English, I could fake my ignorance more convincingly.
Charles raised his head, tilting his nose up. His wicked grin exuded confidence as he and Lily started chanting. Their chants were in Ancient, although I doubted they actually knew the language. Like their chant to break the circle, they had probably memorized the spell to summon their master.
My head snapped up when I heard Maliki. It was one of Junior’s given names.
He never told anyone his real name. For some, the superstition about names ran deep. Midge had let his given name slip once when we were talking. It was the last time I saw her. She went on a break and never came back. I’d forgotten about that until now. Hearing that name reminded me.
Although I suspected since the aunt’s visit, the chant using Junior’s name was proof. Charles was working for Junior. He
was
the Mystery Player. But did Charles actually know that? Or did he just know his master was Maliki?
If Junior never revealed his true identity, Charles might not actually know it was him. That was a big if. Either way, Mace would get the name Maliki out of him for sure. I hoped Junior was secretive enough about his name that the quads didn’t know it. If they couldn’t pin the traps on Junior, they might not go after him. They needed to know about the double, but just thinking about saying that out loud made my throat tighten.
As I expected, nothing happened when the chanting stopped. Charles hit the circle with both hands. Lily cowered back into the corner. I rolled my eyes at her. She stuck her tongue out at me when Charles wasn’t looking.
My attention went to the stairs when the door above creaked. Charles backed away from the circle, flattening himself against the wall. I got to my feet, looping my fingers in my jeans, trying to appear more relaxed and confident than I felt.
The three siblings entered the basement. Mace was now dressed in his usual style, an expensive charcoal suit tailored to fit him perfectly. His arms were crossed over his chest. He winked at me, before schooling his expression into his usual wicked sneer. They all stood outside the enclosure observing me as if I were a lab rat in a cage.
Cinnamon was front and center with Mace and Sage on either side flanking her. Sage paled slightly when compared to Cinnamon and Mace, but even the twins were supermodels compared to normal humans.
I looked at Charles. He was visibly trembling. Cinnamon blew him a kiss. He shuddered.
Her gaze landed on me next. Her face was impassive. “Why are you here?”
“Your father sent me.”
“She’s lying,” Mace interjected.
He was right.
“Why did father send you?” Cinnamon asked, ignoring Mace.
“He wants to see you. All of you.”
Mace cocked his eyebrow. He knew I was lying.
“I can call him if you like,” I offered.
“She fixes Sorrel before she calls anyone,” Sage interrupted, taking a step forward.
Cinnamon held up her hand, stopping him. He growled, running his hand through his hair, before reluctantly stepping back.
“Do you think you’re safe from us?” Cinnamon asked.
She had no reason to doubt me. “Is anyone?”
Her upper lip curved into a dangerous grin. “Do you think we won’t hurt you to get what we want,” Cinnamon asked. “Maybe even kill you, if it comes to that?”
My eyes widened. “Seriously? I helped you.”
She tilted her head to the side, inspecting me. Could she see the same truth that Mace saw? “What happened to us, Claire?” Cinnamon asked.
I opened my mouth to tell them about the double, but my throat closed, sending ripples of pain shooting over my jaw. I glanced between Lily and Charles. “You should ask your demon friends why they did it. They know more than I do.”
Charles extended his hand as if he could reach me, but skittered back when Cinnamon glared at him. I didn’t move. I couldn’t risk leaning outside the salt’s protection.
“Lily has been with all of you,” I continued. “You should talk to her alone.”
Lily’s eyes widened in shock, but I needed the siblings focused on the real danger. Charles could only give up Maliki or Junior. Lily could give up the double.
Cinnamon turned to Mace who nodded. She eyed Sage. His hands curled into fists, then relaxed. His grim expression was clearly pained as if pleading.
“She’s not telling us everything, brother,” Mace said, as if answering his unspoken question. “It will be easier to make her talk.”
“No,” I said, but they ignored me.
Sage looked down, hands shoved in his pockets, and shoulders slumped. “Fine.”
“I don’t know anything,” I argued. “All I did was try to help you. All of you.”
“She’s lying,” Mace said.
Bullshit
. “Cinnamon, why—”
“Yes, Claire, why are you lying?” she interrupted.
Oh, shit
. My mouth went dry. She could tell I was lying about something. “Cinnamon, please. They’re the ones who know what’s going on. Not me.”
Her eyes never left me. She wasn’t convinced. Frustrated, Sage paced.
I opened my mouth, racking my brain to think of anything I could tell them. “Lily—” I got out before my throat constricted, cutting off my words.
“Let’s make things more interesting, shall we?” Mace smirked. He took a deep breath and using his will directed a stream of air toward the salt. Granules skidded off in every direction, eating away at the edge of my protection.
“Are you mad?” I asked, stealing a quick look at the demons. Charles, whose eyes were on the salt, licked his lips, waiting. “They’ll kill me.”
“And that would be
so
tragic,” Cinnamon said. “Maybe you should start telling us the truth.”
The aunt’s spell wouldn’t let me tell them the whole truth. Giving up Junior would only seal my fate. My eyes locked on Sage. “I can’t fix Sorrel if I’m dead.”
Sage rushed forward. Cinnamon knocked him away. Jumping back to his feet, he tackled Mace from behind. Caught off guard Mace’s will derailed, cutting a hard line through the salt.
“Oh, hell,” I cursed.
Twelve
Charles reached into the broken circle and yanked me out.
I wanted to shout, but his fingers were wrapped around my throat. I could barely breathe. I kicked him, but he ignored it.
“You bitch, do you know what she did to me?” Charles yelled, slamming me against the wall, hitting my shoulder hard.
I howled in pain as he wrenched me forward. I scanned for Sage, but he was being held against the wall by Mace. I found Cinnamon. She was examining at her nails, ignoring the melee happening all around her.
As if she knew I was looking, she said, “I need a name.”
What? She wasn’t going to help me? Charles’s hand tightened around my throat. He was going to kill me. Die now, or tell them about Junior and die later? Later worked better for me.
I reached up and raked my fingernails down Charles’s face. My wrists burned as Mace’s bracelets shocked me. Charles faltered enough to drop me, releasing my voice.
“Maliki,” I wheezed out in a gasp of breath, before he was on me again.
Cinnamon’s brow arched, but she didn’t move. Crap, she didn’t know who Maliki was.
I caught sight of Lily from the corner of my eye. This was probably a stupid plan, but she and Charles didn’t have the same goals, and she needed them to know who Maliki was. As far as I could tell, she was the only one who knew except me, and I doubt she wanted Mace beating it out of her.
“Lily,” I whispered, because that was all I could manage. “Help me.”
She looked at me dismissively.
“They don’t know who Mali—” Maliki is, I mouthed.
I clawed at the fingers wrapped around my throat. My hands fell, as my eyes started to close. Charles was killing me.
Just before I lost consciousness, the most wonderfully calming force washed over me. The peaceful warmth was beautiful. I wasn’t scared or cold. I was free from the pain, and the quads, and my crazy life.
The peacefulness only lasted a few seconds. The bliss of what I imagined Heaven felt like was over, replaced by the bitter cold of the basement as Lily ripped me from Charles’s grip.
I leaned against the concrete wall of the painted half of the basement, gasping for breath. Charles and Lily were fighting, yelling at each other in Demon.
My gaze found Sage. “Get me out of here.”
He pushed away from Mace, causing his brother to stumble back into the painted enclosure, breaking the barrier as he did. The symbols on the walls flashed, blinding me for a second.
As my vision returned I felt hands on me, jerking me to my feet. At the same time, Charles threw Lily at the barrier. She flew through it, crashing into Mace as he got back to his feet.
My shoulder ached as Sage rushed me up the stairs.
Lily and Charles’s wails followed us through the bungalow.
I glanced behind me when the noise stopped. Mace bolted up the stairs to the second floor. Cinnamon wasn’t far behind. I winced from the pain when he yanked me out of Sage’s hold.
He tossed me into the bedroom at the end of the hall. The lock clicked before I could get to my feet.
“She will fix him now,” Sage demanded. “One touch to make him right. That’s all.”
There was a grunt, then a loud thump, before an all-out brawl started. Clearly, Mace wasn’t finished teaching his brother a lesson.
“Enough,” Cinnamon said, before sending them away.
I winced as I struggled to my feet, holding onto the twin bed for support. My shoulder throbbed. Exhausted, I fell on to the bed. Everything was finally catching up to me. I had no idea how long it had been since I woke up this morning. This morning, I scoffed. I was still three days away from
this morning
.
~ * ~
My eyes popped open when I heard them coming. The room was dark now. I’d only meant to rest for a minute, but I must have fallen asleep.
Sage’s voice roared louder than the others. “She fixes him now, or I’ll go to Father myself and tell him.”
“You’re such a softy,” Cinnamon purred. “Don’t worry
,
we’ll let her fix him first.”
“She may be too weak,” Mace warned.
“She has rested long enough. She will try,” Cinnamon said, ending the discussion.
She was the first to enter. I squinted when she flipped on the light. Mace bustled past her and marched over to me.
He put his hand above me. “Stay,” he said, trapping me under his will.
“That’s enough.” Cinnamon pushed his will away. “You can play with her later. She fixes Sorrel first.”
Cinnamon came around to stand across from Mace. Sage’s eyes narrowed on me as if everything was somehow my fault.
The air was heavier with them in the room. The power that swirled around them was palpable. I could sense the purple energy I’d seen swirling around them before.
The butler and Cinnamon’s manservant carried Sorrel in. She yanked my arm and unceremoniously placed my hand on Sorrel’s head. I pulled away when the bracelet zapped me, wrenching my sore shoulder.