Authors: Kelly Hashway
Twenty-Six
Logan
Okay, so wielding the only weapon that can kill a Phoenix in front of Cara probably isn’t my best idea ever. The terror on her face tells me she’s about to scream one of her Phoenix eardrum-shattering cries and get the hell away from me.
“I’m not a Hunter, Cara.” I lower the dagger. “Think about this though. If Garret is trying to hand you all over in exchange for his own freedom, we have to stop him. This is the only way to do that. And if I’m the one to do it…” I reach for her face, brushing my fingers against her cheek. “We could be together for longer than just one human lifetime.”
She clenches her jaw, and her breathing becomes shaky. “For someone trying to convince me he’s not a Hunter, you sound an awful lot like one.”
“You want me to wait, to let you remember me and what we had in your own time. If I do this, I’d be protecting you and giving you the time you need. Don’t you see? It’s the answer to every one of our problems.”
She shakes her head and looks at me like I’m crazy. “You’re talking about killing Garret. He’s a Phoenix. The others would never go along with it.”
I know that. Even if this will protect them, they’ll fight me on it because they won’t want to believe Garret is sacrificing them. And I’m sure he’ll deny it if I confront him in front of the others.
“That’s why I have to do this now.”
She reaches for the dagger and I back away. Her eyes widen. I’ve never seen her look so scared.
“Give me the dagger, Logan.”
“No. If you have it, it will lead the Hunters right to you.”
“They’ve already found me!” She reaches for it again, and I hold it behind me.
“I don’t want to argue with you over this, Cara.”
“Is that why you didn’t call me?”
“No. I lost my phone. I haven’t seen it since yesterday.” I can tell she doesn’t believe me. All the progress I’ve made with her is going down the drain because she doesn’t trust me now that I have the dagger.
She tilts her head, and I can see her trying to think this through. “Let’s take the dagger to Monique or my mom. We can’t act without talking to them first.”
“
We
aren’t going to act.
I
am. I’m not dragging you into this, making you turn on one of your kind.”
She throws her arms out. “Drag
me
into this? This is my fight. Not yours. You have no right to have that dagger. It belongs to us.”
“It belongs to the Hunters.”
“And you’re suddenly one of them?” The red streaks in her hair glow. She’s losing control.
“Of course not.”
“Then give me the dagger,” she demands, holding out her hand.
I stare at it, gripping the dagger in my hand, which is behind my back. I don’t even remember putting it there. What’s coming over me? I try to remember last night. After I got the dagger, it’s kind of a blur. I remember swinging the dagger around and that it felt good in my hands. After that…I don’t remember.
“Logan.” Cara thrusts her hand at me, and then her cell rings. And rings. And rings.
“Are you going to get that?”
“No.”
“If you don’t answer, whoever it is will assume something bad happened to you.”
“It could just be Rachel. She wouldn’t think anything was up.”
“Are you really willing to take that chance?”
She grunts and pulls her phone from her back pocket. She checks the display and says, “It’s Garret.”
“Don’t tell him anything. Until we know if he’s gone rogue, you can’t let him know I have the dagger. Please, Cara. I’m trying to protect you. You have to know that.”
She studies my face as she brings the phone to her ear and answers the call. “Hello?”
I wish she’d put it on speaker so I could hear what Garret’s saying.
“I’m…” She pauses, debating a response. “I’m at Logan’s.”
I pound my fist against the side of my leg. She’s going to out me. She’s going to tell Garret I have the dagger. I’ve ruined everything with her. Made her question
me
instead of the person who might be setting her up for an early grave.
“Another murder?” Her face goes pale. “Where?” She doesn’t say anything for a while. “Yes, I’m still here. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She hangs up and pockets her phone. Her eyes are locked on mine, and there’s no sign of the girl I know. “Tell me everything you did last night.”
“What do you mean? I told you I followed Garret to get the dagger.”
“What happened after that? What did you do once you had the dagger?” Her chest is heaving, and smoke rises from her shoulders.
“Cara, calm down.” Shit. I can’t tell her the truth. It will send her over the edge. “There was another murder?”
“Did you already know that?”
“How would I?” And suddenly it’s clear. “You think I used the dagger on someone, don’t you?”
“You have the dagger on you now, and you won’t tell me what you did last night. How does that look to you?” Her hair ripples like flames. I’m guessing she’s only seconds away from losing control of her powers completely.
“It looks like you don’t trust me,” I say.
“How can I? There’s so much evidence against you right now.” She grabs her hair and tugs on it. “If you’re innocent, just tell me what you did last night.”
Am
I innocent? I pull the dagger from behind my back and turn it over in my hands. “I can’t remember.”
“What? Are you mocking me now? I’m the one with missing memories, not you.”
I look up from the dagger to see the anger on her face. “I really don’t remember. From the moment I held this thing for the first time…I don’t know. This weird feeling came over me, and I started swinging it around.”
“Oh my God.” She brings her hand to her mouth. “You felt compelled to use it. Just holding the dagger made you want to use it.”
Holy crap, she’s right. I shake my head. “I couldn’t have. I wouldn’t kill anyone.”
“You tried to kill the Hunter yesterday and you tried to convince me that you should kill Garret.”
“That was different. It was to save you. I’d do anything for you, Cara.” I step toward her, and she lunges for the dagger. I snatch it away, gripping it in both hands.
“Look at you. You’re protecting it.”
“I…” I am.
“You have to get rid of it. It’s doing something to you.” She moves closer, and this time I don’t back away. I don’t loosen my grip on the dagger either, though. “You might have killed someone last night because of this thing. Don’t you get that? Please, Logan. If you really care about me as much as you say you do, then come with me. Everyone’s meeting at my house. We’ll take the dagger to the group.”
“Garret will just take it again, and then he can turn it over to the Hunters.”
“We’ll tell everyone why you took it, and we’ll call Garret out on leaving the dagger in the dumpster. He’ll have to answer our questions.” She reaches for my chest, and I know she can easily burn me in order to get the dagger. Part of me wants to know if she’s willing to do that. Would she turn on me?
“He’ll just deny it, and then he’ll accuse me of murder.”
“I won’t let him. Please. You have to trust me.” She looks down at her hand, and I wonder if she’s contemplating using her power on me.
“If you’re thinking about it, you might as well do it. It’s the only way you’re getting this dagger out of my hands.”
She lowers her hand. “Fine. Keep the dagger, but take it to the group. Come back with me, Logan.” Her voice is soft and full of feeling. If she’s playing me, she’s a good actress.
I wrap the dagger back up in the paper and put it in my back pocket, pulling my t-shirt down so it’s covered. “Let’s go.”
We don’t talk on the way back to Cara’s car, and she walks at my side the entire time. I’m not sure if she’s afraid to turn her back on me when I can so easily use the dagger on her. It kills me to think she’s questioning me. All I’ve done since she was reborn is prove myself to her over and over again.
There’s a closed sign on the café, which means Monique is already at Cara’s house. We get in the car and drive in silence. I run through what I’m going to say to Garret and how I’ll say it. I can’t let him know I have the dagger on me. At least not right away. I’m walking into a house full of Phoenixes who can easily overpower me and steal the dagger back. If I don’t convince the others and fast, I might not make it out of that house alive.
Cara pulls into the driveway and cuts the engine. She turns to me before getting out. “You know what’s going to happen if you go in there and start accusing Garret, right?”
“Would you let them hurt me?”
“Don’t make me choose sides, Logan. We’re all supposed to be on the same side, remember?”
“Tell that to Garret.” I open my door and step out.
Cara meets me, and we walk inside together. Everyone’s yelling already, but they stop when they see us. Garret storms right over to me, and Cara steps between us.
“Don’t.” She raises a flaming hand to him. “No one is attacking anyone. Got that?” She gives Garret a long stare.
“Let them in, Garret,” Mrs. Tillman says.
Cara and I walk by him and stand next to the couch, where Linette is lying down. She looks worse today. Dark rings circle her eyes, and her face is pale.
“Where was the murder?” I ask, needing to know if there’s any chance I’m responsible for it. “And was it a Phoenix or a Hunter?”
“You tell us, Logan,” Garret says through clenched teeth.
“I don’t know anything about it, hence my questions.”
“Really? You don’t know that the dagger was stolen from the place where I hid it yesterday?”
“Where’d you leave it? It obviously wasn’t somewhere safe if it was stolen.”
Come on, Garret. Tell them about the dumpster.
“I think you know where I hid it.” He steps toward me, and I notice Cara is keeping a close eye on him.
“Why is that?” I ask, continuing to play Garret’s game.
“Because I found
this
by the dumpster.” Garret holds up my phone for everyone to see.
Crap. Of all places to lose my phone. I bet the universe is having a good laugh at me right now. Except I know how to make this work in my favor.
“Are you saying you hid the dagger—the one weapon that can kill you guys—in a dumpster where a Hunter could easily grab it? You’re either the stupidest and most incompetent cop there is, or you’re so afraid of dying that you cut a deal with the Hunters: the dagger in exchange for your safety.” I step closer to him. “So which of those guys are you?”
“You didn’t tell us you left the dagger in a
dumpster
,” Jeremy says. His eyes jump from Garret to Mrs. Tillman.
Mrs. Tillman is ten shades of red. “First you hide that thing in my house, and then you leave it where a Hunter could get it? What the hell is wrong with you, Garret?”
“The station parking lot is well lit,” Garret shoots back. “I didn’t think anyone would look there, especially inside a dumpster.”
“So you’re choosing to go with the incompetent cop angle?”
Garret reaches for me, and Cara grabs his arm. “Don’t. When Logan told me you hid the dagger there, part of me didn’t believe him. Now I can’t help thinking he might be right about you. We all trusted you, and you put us at risk. We know the Hunters are here in Ashlan Falls, and you practically handed them the thing they’re after. That Phoenix who died, her death is on your hands, Garret.”
“No, it’s not.” Garret glares at me. “It’s on his, because he took the dagger and then he killed that girl. She was on her way here to find us. She had Hunters on her trail, and she wanted our protection. Only he got to her first.”
“How interesting that you knew the victim,” I say. “You knew she was coming. That doesn’t make you look good, does it?”
“It wouldn’t if I had the dagger, but I don’t.
You
do.” He shakes his head at me. “Do you know what happens when a Hunter holds the dagger? I bet you do now. You go into a sort of trance. All you can think about is using the dagger. Where were you last night, Logan? What did you do after you stole it?”
Cara gasps and steps away from me.
“I guess Cara’s connecting the dots,” Garret says, “but let me spell it out for you. Only a Hunter is affected by the essence of the dagger. I’m willing to bet you were. I’m willing to bet you have no memory of last night. Am I right?”
My entire plan is shot to hell because every word Garret said is true. I’m a Hunter. A Hunter in love with a Phoenix.
Twenty-Seven
Cara
Logan’s not denying anything. I knew the way he was acting was more than being protective of me. He’s drawn to the dagger because he’s a Hunter. Only somehow he wasn’t raised as one. Maybe because his dad was never around to train him. Garret could still be guilty of exactly what Logan said, which means I can’t trust either one of them right now. I make a split-second decision.
In one swift movement I swipe the dagger from Logan’s back pocket and dash to the other side of the room. Jeremy and Mom run after me and form a wall in front of me. They must have figured out Logan had the dagger on him, and when I moved they knew I was taking it back.
Logan and Garret are both staring at me in disbelief. This is the ultimate betrayal. I know Logan didn’t have a clue what he was until now, though that doesn’t change the fact that he has the Hunter gene in him. And maybe Garret has always been the one to protect us, but I have a feeling we need to be protected from
him
right now.
“Is it true, Garret?” I ask. “What Logan said? Did you put the dagger in the dumpster because you were handing it over to the Hunters?”
He wouldn’t do it in person because it would be too risky. The Hunters could kill him on the spot. Handing it off via the dumpster would keep him safe. And if they did break their deal and come after him, he’d have more time to prepare.
“You just took the dagger from him, and yet you’re questioning
me
?” Garret is seething.
“Yes. I am.”
“Answer the question,” Jeremy says.
“Yes, I put the dagger in the dumpster, but I wasn’t handing it over to the Hunters. I was handing it over to the Phoenix who was coming here to meet us.”
“Why?” That doesn’t make sense. Why would he risk giving something so powerful to a girl who couldn’t even protect herself?
“It was a selfish thing to do. I know that. She was scared, and I told her having the dagger would give her the upper hand against the Hunters.”
Mom screams, “You knew the dagger would lead the Hunters right to that girl!”
“You selfish bastard,” Linette says, and we all turn to her. “You’ve seen firsthand what they’re capable of, and you doomed that girl anyway.”
“I didn’t know what else to do!” Garret’s outburst is more desperation than anger. “We’ve all been a family for years. I didn’t know this girl. If I had to sacrifice her to protect the rest of us, then so be it.”
I step out from behind Jeremy and Mom. “You knew the Hunters would get the dagger back if they killed her.”
Garret lowers his head. “I know, but I figured it would buy us some time to come up with a plan.”
“Or to run,” Monique says. “Am I right?”
Garret nods. He looks so weak. It’s scary what this war has reduced us to.
“Where does this leave me?” Logan asks, looking back and forth between us. “Why didn’t I know I was—” he inhales sharply, “—a Hunter?”
Monique steps toward him, but doesn’t get too close. “You practically raised yourself, right?”
Logan nods.
“Who was there to train you?” I ask.
Logan meets my eyes. “So this means my dad’s a Hunter too?”
Garret nods. “Yeah. It means I was right about you two from the start.”
Logan pulls his fist back to punch Garret, and I let out a scream. A full-out Phoenix cry. Logan covers his ears and crumples to the floor. Garret has handcuffs on him before Logan can recover. That wasn’t what I wanted.
“Did you kill that girl?” I ask Logan once he stops struggling against the handcuffs.
He stays on the floor. “I don’t know. I don’t think so, but I can’t say for sure.”
“You’d have her essence if you did,” Monique says. “Do you feel different? More alive?”
“Not really. More like I feel out of it, like I lost part of my memories.”
“That’s good,” Mom says. “You’d feel the effects if you stole a Phoenix’s essence.
“Unless he’s lying,” Garret says, glowering at Logan.
“Or
you
are,” Logan counters.
“Stop.” Mom raises her hands and takes a seat in the armchair. “This is crazy. We need to get everything out on the table right now.”
“How?” I ask. “How do we make sure neither one of them is lying?”
Logan looks at me and shakes his head. “I’m never going to get you back, am I, Cara? No matter what I do.”
“You’re a Hunter,” Garret practically growls. “You’re not going anywhere near Cara ever again.”
I don’t respond because I’m not sure Logan and I have a future anymore. A Hunter and a Phoenix? It’s just too crazy, not to mention dangerous.
“I know a way to find out if they’re telling the truth,” Mom says. “But it isn’t going to be pretty.” She lowers her head into her hands, and I know this is going to be bad. The room is silent as we wait for Mom’s instructions. “Logan’s handcuffed and not a threat right now, so we’ll start with Garret.” She gets up and motions for Garret to sit in the armchair.
He cocks his head at her, but he does as she wants. “What are you going to do, Elisa?”
Mom says, “Cara, give me the dagger.”
Garret whips his head around at me, his eyes widening in horror. “What? You can’t be serious!”
My God. She’s going to torture Garret with the dagger to get the truth out of him. “Mom…?” I can’t get any more words out.
She motions for me to go to her. I close my eyes, tears welling up inside me. Then I walk over and place the dagger in her hand.
“Cara, Jeremy, you shouldn’t watch this,” she says, shooing us from the room.
“No way,” Jeremy says. “I’m not leaving.”
While I don’t want to see this, I can’t bring myself to leave either. “I’m staying too.” I stand beside Jeremy and loop my arm through his for support. He squeezes both our arms to his side.
Mom holds the dagger up to Garret’s chest. “You can’t expect me to sit here and let you do this,” he says.
“If you don’t, you’ll be admitting you’re guilty,” Logan says.
I turn to him, still on the floor and not even trying to get away. Has he given up? And if so, is that proof of his guilt?
“Garret, this is the only way. After what you’ve done, you owe us this. We need peace of mind.” Mom presses the tip of the dagger to Garret’s chest. Blood trickles down the front of his shirt, and he cries out. Even though Mom is nowhere near his heart, the dagger is affecting him. He could end up like Linette after Mom’s finished. I wonder if that’s how Mom came up with this idea.
“Did you make a deal with the Hunters?” Mom asks.
“No!” Garret screeches as Mom presses the dagger deeper into his chest.
“Did you offer our lives in exchange for your own?”
“No!” Garret’s face is bright red and the backs of his hands spout flames. His body is trying to use his powers to save him.
“Did you leave the dagger in that dumpster so that poor girl could find it?”
“Yes!” Garret screams.
Mom removes the dagger and steps back. Garret clutches his chest and stares at her. I think we’re all convinced he’s in too much pain to lie. Mom presses her palm to the wound and heals it. Though Garret is still breathing heavily, the bleeding has stopped.
“You’ll be fine,” she says.
Seeing how far Mom had the dagger in Garret’s chest makes me wonder how badly the Hunter stabbed Linette.
“Logan, it’s your turn,” Mom says.
Logan shakes his head. “I’m not letting you stick that thing in my chest.”
Mom hands the dagger to Monique. “I’m not going to. I have another method for getting the truth out of you.” She turns to Garret. “Get up. You’re fine. You’re a spineless jackass, but you’re fine.”
None of us can argue with her. Maybe Garret didn’t try to sacrifice us, but he did sacrifice that girl.
Jackass
is too good a word to describe him.
Garret grabs Logan’s arm and yanks him to his feet, proving that Mom was successful in healing him. That, and he’s probably really eager to see Logan suffer.
“Get over there. Like you said, refusing will only prove you’re guilty. Not that I don’t already think you are.”
Logan yanks his arm free and walks over to the armchair. The whole time his eyes are on me. I want to turn away, but I can’t. I grip Jeremy’s arm tighter, not sure if I can bear to see my mom torture my boyfriend, even if he is a Hunter.
Mom exhales. “Okay, I’m going to start off with a small burn, and if you don’t tell the truth, I can guarantee you’ll have no skin left to burn. Understand?”
Logan’s gaze is locked on me. “I have nothing to lie about.”
Mom presses her hand to Logan’s chest. His beautifully sculpted chest that I’ve admired and pressed my head against. Hot tears fall down my cheeks. Logan curves one side of his mouth in the saddest half smile imaginable. “In case this doesn’t end well, just know I still love you, Cara. Hunter or not. And if I did kill that girl, I didn’t know what I was doing. I only wanted to go after Garret to protect you. Ever since I met you, all I’ve wanted was to be with you and make you happy. When I thought I was your protector or something…” He shakes his head. “Well, I thought I had the most important job in the world. Nothing could be more important than making sure you live the lives you’re meant to.”
I let go of Jeremy and rush to Logan. “Mom, don’t. I believe him. Maybe he did kill that girl, but if he did, it was only because the dagger took control of him. If he stays away from it, he should be okay.” I turn to the group, scanning their faces and hoping I can convince them. “Right? I mean, he was okay before he held the dagger. He never hurt me or any of you.”
“Cara, we don’t know if that’s the case anymore,” Mom says. “He’s already been affected by the dagger. There’s no going back now.”
Monique holds up the dagger. “Now that he’s held the dagger, he’ll keep seeking it out. If I hand this to him now, I hate to think what he’d do with it.”
“He had it at his house and I was there alone with him. He could have killed me. Easily. He didn’t. Mom, give him the dagger. Let me prove that he’s not like the other Hunters. Please.”
“You can’t expect me to do that. It’s suicide.”
“He’s in a room full of Phoenixes. He couldn’t stab us all.”
Mom grabs me by my shoulders and looks into my eyes. “He could kill
you
. I won’t take that risk.”
“I’d never hurt Cara,” Logan says. “Give me the dagger and I’ll prove it.”
Garret crosses his arms and glares at Logan. “Yeah, I’m sure you’d love that. Play us all for fools. It’s not happening.”
Once again, I make a split-second decision. I grab the dagger from Monique and shove it into Logan’s hand. He stares at me, stunned, and everyone else backs up. Fireballs are lighting up the room on the palms of everyone but Linette and me.
“Show them,” I tell Logan. I pull him to his feet, and he looks down at the dagger in his hand.
“Cara, back away from him,” Mom says.
“No.” I hold my hands out at my sides, giving Logan full access to my heart. “I’m right here. You can plunge the dagger through my heart right now and steal my essence.”
Mom flings her fireball at the chair and grabs me from behind, knocking me to the floor. The whole time, Logan stares at the dagger. His fingers wrap around the handle, and his eyes narrow in concentration.
Even though the arm of the chair is on fire, no one moves to put it out. We all watch Logan, waiting to see what he’s going to do. He’s in some sort of trance, just like Garret said. Does he even remember who he is right now? Or has the dagger taken over?
Finally, his eyes find mine, and he raises the dagger in the air, ready to strike.