Something Witchy This Way Comes (20 page)

As I got comfortable, a phone went off at the other end of the couch. I leaned over and reached into Tessa’s purse to see who it was. Chait.
OK if Rena & I stop by in a few min to talk
?

Hell, no. Still, I took the phone and lurked in the doorway until Tessa realized I was there. “Chait wants to come over with Rena right now.”

“Just Chait. I don’t like her.” She carefully gathered the pile of photos, put them in the box and replaced the lid.

I texted Chait with,
Fine, but only you
.

“And Hayden? From now on, don’t go into my purse without asking. Any other girl would slap you.”

I tried to suppress a smile, but couldn’t. “I usually keep them too busy to notice things like that. Apparently, you’re not challenged enough.”

We heard the tap at the same time. Chait worked fast. I darted over to the window and opened it so Tessa wouldn’t have to get up.

“Still hiding from Frank and Lila’s people?” Tessa leaned against the headboard, knees up. “Because you could’ve come in through the front door.”

“We’d rather be discreet.” Chait gave me a nod and I returned it. I didn’t like him.

Tessa smiled and pointed to the foot of the bed. “Sit? I was looking at pictures of my sister. My memory could’ve been jogged a better way but I’m glad to remember everything now.”

Chait sat on the edge of the bed, glancing at me briefly. “I’m sorry about Rena. That’s the second time she’s been out of line. I’ll have to watch her more carefully.”

“So why are you here?” I rounded the bed to be closer to Tessa. The way she looked at him bothered me. I wanted him gone.

“To give you an update. Our informant in Frank and Lila’s camp told us that your replacement arrived today,” he told me. “Tomorrow, you’ll no longer be guarding her.”

“That’s what
you
think.” I snorted. No one was going to tell me I couldn’t continue to do my best to keep her safe.

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Chait grinned then grew serious, switching to Tessa. “There’s something you should know. If you choose our side, Frank and Lila will come after you swiftly and probably violently. That’s not the way
we
work. You choose them and we’ll still try to win as best we can. We kill only when necessary. So in that respect, you’re safer choosing them.”

“You—” She blinked. “You’re advising me
not
to choose your side?”

“Normally, I wouldn’t. But I got to thinking. If your sister had chosen differently, she’d probably still be ali
ve.”

“So let’s assume your people are the good guys,” I said. “We’d be siding with people that don’t deserve help, who shouldn’t be in power.”

 “When you say
we
, you mean
her
, right?” Chait stood, looking smug. “Just because you know about sorcerers doesn’t make you one of us.”

In a flash, I’d moved to the foot of the bed. “You can have a superiority complex all you want. But if it came down to it, I’d still be able to kick your ass.”

“You sure about that?” His chest pushed against mine.

“Man, you guys are stupid. I’m choking on testosterone fumes here. Can we not fight, please?” Tessa leaped off the bed to squeeze between us, shoving until we were no longer within reach of each other. She scowled at me until I retreated to the corner. It was probably best that I let her handle things anyway. “Frank and Lila told me sorcerers were very rare. They also said it wasn’t hereditary. Are they big-time liars or am I missing something?”

“They didn’t lie, as much as I wish they had. We are very rare. To find two in the same area is a big deal.”

“But it’s happened before?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, it’s not impossible. Why?”

“Because in one family, we have Zoe and me.”

“It’s not usually passed down. Maybe you have a lot of wizard ancestry on
both
sides of your family or something. I have no idea. Maybe it’s some weird coincidence and nothing more.”

“So what are the chances of my little sister being a witch too?”

His mouth parted as though he’d had an unpleasant revelation. “I really don’t know. It’s possible, I suppose. You and Zoe defy the norm. Maybe she will too.”

Hell. Bree may have to be protected, too.

Tessa swallowed. “Okay. Would it be common knowledge? Should I fear for her life?”

“It’s next to impossible, Tessa. You should assume Bree is normal. I had no idea Zoe even existed until Rena mentioned her. I think it was dumb luck that Rena knew. Zoe died ten years ago, so no one’s going to connect anything. However, if Frank and Lila are already aware of the situation, they might keep an eye on Bree. Don’t have this conversation with anyone else, okay?”

Tessa nodded. “Does it matter that she’s so young? I mean, the energy won’t be detectable until she gets older, right?”

“True, but…” Chait hesitated, his gaze briefly drifting to me. “All the more reason to join up with Frank and Lila — to keep your sister safe.”

It seemed he wanted her to choose the other side. Something didn’t smell right. “She goes to them, what’s in it for you? Are you their spy?” I eyed him.

“How about next time, you skip the meeting?” Chait said.

My shoulders tensed. “Not gonna happen.”

“Guys, knock it off. Chait, why are you pushing it?”

Chait rose from the foot of the bed and faced the dresser, his gaze touching a photo of Bree. “I’ve been doing this a while now and we’ve lost a few, you know. I…” He shook his head. “You’re a nice girl. I’d rather see you alive for the wrong reasons than dead for the right.”

“Lucky for me, I’m going to be alive for the
right
reasons.” She stood and stretched her legs. “So why did Frank and Lila allow me to get kidnapped and meet with you yesterday? There has to be a reason.”

“Same reason we allow you to meet with them. What are we going to do, make a scene? It’s not like getting ugly about it would make you think we’re pretty cool. In the beginning, before the recruit comes of age, they’re fairly tolerant.”

“Then why are you sneaking in and out of my bedroom?”

He grinned. “Maybe your bedroom is the only part of the house I’m interested in.”

I took a step forward. “Chait—”

“Hayden, no.” She blocked me, her arm shooting out in a move I’d taught her yesterday. She wasn’t supposed to use it against
me
.

I grudgingly retreated to my corner, hoping he’d say just one more thing to piss me off. One more thing.

“Focus, Chait,” she said. “Why do you sneak in?”

“If they see us, they see us,” Chait answered. “But if they don’t, all the better.”

I semi-recovered from Chait’s jackass comment and felt less violent toward him, so I ventured closer to Tessa. “Why haven’t they made contact all weekend? Do you know?”

“Maybe because they have people watching, they don’t feel it’s necessary to talk.” Chait leaned against the dresser and folded his arms over his chest. “They know you’ll be back under their control at school tomorrow.”

 “So they
think
,” Tessa said. “And what if I don’t choose sides for ano
ther month? Or three months. How long before they decide to eliminate me?”

“You could string them along for a while,” Chait said. “But why wait longer than necessary?”

Tessa lifted her chin and inhaled deeply. “I want to know who killed my sister.”

Oh, great,
now
she listens to me. Poking around would be too dangerous. I’d rather she choose the dark side and stay alive. But knowing Tessa, living a life that meant doing things she couldn’t be proud of wouldn’t work for her at all.

“I wanted to give you the heads up that Hayden’s being replaced tomorrow. If you don’t have any more questions, I’ll take off.” Chait walked the several feet to the window.

“Here, let me help you out.” I closed in, not to push him but to make sure he left.

“Hayden.” Tessa looked at me like I was an ass. Whatever. I wanted Chait gone.

He paused, one foot through the frame. “What scares you more? That I’m older and wiser? Or that as a sorcerer she could have a real future with me? Or is it that I have less… flaws than you?” He brushed his index finger along his own cheek, mirroring my scar.

“Chait, go. Now.” But Tessa looked at me when she ordered him. As if I’d been the jerk.

“It’s not fear, Chait. It’s boredom. You’re a mama’s boy. No personality. Bland.”

He flipped me off. I grinned, knowing my barb hit its mark, then closed the window and locked it.

Her hands went to her hips, cheeks blazing. “Why do you antagonize him? It’s not helping my situation. Would you please try to be nicer?”

Tessa’s words barely reached my ears. Waiting was getting old. I wanted her. Not to use and discard but for as long as I could keep her. No way would some pretty boy get in my way. If she was open and I made progress tonight, could I stop once we got going? Maybe. If I didn’t put the brakes on, she probably would.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” She canted her head and took a step back.

“Like what?” I asked.

“Like you’re about to kiss me.” She folded her arms over her chest. “I thought we had an understanding.”

Which would be worse — that she wouldn’t like me back or that she
would
and risk ruining her future by being with me? Tonight, I didn’t want to worry about doing the right thing. I just wanted Tessa. “You mean like the way you looked at me earlier at my house?”

“Before you remembered that I’m beneath you?” She cocked a brow.

“C’mon. You should know by now that if I felt that way, I wouldn’t be here.” I took a step forward. It was a terrible idea to put myself out there for rejection, especially when I knew I’d been a total jerk. But she was worth the risk. “I’d like you beneath me though.”

“This is a familiar conversation,” she said in a low growl. “God, Hayden. Like I’d really be in the mood to make out after you were so rude to Chait.”

Now she was pissing me off. I’d proved myself by being there for her earlier. Several times over the weekend, in fact. He hadn’t.

“Do you ever stop? I mean, right when I think you might be a decent human being, you remind me why I could never give in to you.”

She was right. Out of everyone that Tessa and I had dealt with so far, Chait was the only one who’d been straight with us. Just because he irritated me with his perfect face and perfect ideals didn’t mean he deserved to be treated like crap.

Damn. I’d totally blown my chance with Tessa for the night. Knowing there was no chance of anything happening between us anytime soon… Well, the upside to that was being able to fall asleep despite her being close by. Maybe.

Staying a safe distance from Tessa was probably for the best anyway. That’s what she kept insisting she wanted. The evening turned out exactly as it should have. Except that disappointment stuck in my throat, threatening a night of misery. “Chait’s a jackass.”

“In this instance, I’m going to have to disagree.” Her glare told me I was getting in deeper and deeper. Which meant Chait looked even better in her eyes. That pissed me off.

“Whatever. You’re defending him and you don’t even know him. He probably had this rosy childhood,” I said bitterly, “with parents praising him for every little stupid thing. It’s not that easy for the rest of us, you know. Some of us are too haunted. Things follow you. They’re always there.”