Unraveled

stay here and protect him. Or have you lost your loyalty to him?”

His lashes fused together, but she could still see the way his pupils expanded and retracted. “No, I haven’t lost my loyalty to Aden. No one else will, either. Believe me, he has more than proven himself, taming the beasts, and our people would now rather deal with Vlad’s wrath than Aden’s. He’ll be fine. Now, let’s go.”

Gulping, she stood and faced him. Telling her dad goodbye wasn’t the only tough thing she had to do. “No,” she whispered, then added more firmly, “No. I told you. I’m going alone.”

“Not just no, but hell, no.” He slung the bag over his shoulder. “Let’s go. Together.”

“I’m going alone or I’m staying here.” She wasn’t going to allow Riley to give up everything for her, not when such an act would get him killed. If not by her, then by the people he left behind. Protecting her after the battle with the fairies was explainable. She’d saved the day, defeated their adversary. He’d felt obligated. And yet still the others had growled and hissed at him as if he were the enemy. They would have killed him right then if Aden hadn’t stepped out and ordered them to back down.

They’d forgive him, though, welcome him back into the fold. Surely. Unless Riley chose her over his brethren a second time. Then they’d hunt him down—as they were going to hunt her.

“I’m not kidding, Riley. If I stay and he’s hurt, I’ll blame you. You have to let me go alone.”

“And just where will you go?” he snapped.

She didn’t know, but she wouldn’t have told him if she had. “It’s best if I keep that to myself.”

He popped his jaw.

“For both of us,” she added, and had to fight a fresh spring of tears. This is for the best. Don’t forget.

“Fine,” he said, his knuckles white as they clutched the bag’s handles. “Do it. Go.”

“I will.” The words choked from her as she pried his fingers loose and anchored the heavy nylon in place. “I guess this is goodbye, then.” She turned away before the tears started falling and strode out of her bedroom. Then stopped in the hall. She couldn’t leave like this. Couldn’t end things like this.

Quickly she backtracked, pausing in front of a scowling Riley, grabbing him by the back of the neck and jerking his mouth to hers. The kiss was swift, hard and teased her with the wildness of his taste, the unwavering strength of his body. Seconds passed, and she wished for eternity. This was it. The end. Their last kiss. She committed the moment, the boy, to her memory.

She’d need it.

With a groan, she released him and spun. She ran out of her house and into the bright sunlight.

She threw her bag in the car Riley had stolen last night, recalling how he’d sped along the roads, whisking her from somewhere in Texas to Oklahoma in record time. Then she drove, just drove. She never stopped crying.

ADEN SAID NOTHING about his plans to Dan or the boys while they ate breakfast and discussed Ms. Brendal and how she’d seemed to disappear exactly as Mr. Thomas had. And how Dan wanted to give up on tutors entirely and try and enroll the other boys at Crossroads High with Aden and Shannon.

They were, of course, excited.

He said nothing as he gathered his books and backpack, the souls chattering inside his head—Caleb making plans to find the witches again, Julian amusing himself by pointing out the flaws in each of Caleb’s ideas, and Elijah trying to figure out why he saw more turmoil in the future than ever. Aden ignored them, still flying high. Even Shannon and the other boys remarked on how happy he seemed, how light his mood was.

He didn’t know what he’d tell them yet, or even how he’d tell them. But he wasn’t going to worry about that now. After everything that had happened, he was simply going to enjoy the day. And the evening, of course, when he took Victoria on their first official date. He grinned. He frowned. Would evening never arrive?

The school day passed with agonizing slowness, the classes sheer torture. Despite the fact that he was free. Free of the witches’ curse and its consequences. Victoria was absent, but then, so were Mary Ann and Riley. Aden wasn’t worried. They needed a break. Hell, he needed a break, but he kinda owed Dan.

After school, he rushed through his chores. Or tried to. Finally, though, he finished shucking and bailing and showered. He changed into his best clothes, jeans and a black T-shirt, just as the moon made its appearance in the sky. He wanted to buy Victoria flowers, but didn’t have any money and didn’t want to destroy Meg’s roses.

He would just have to give her his heart. Again.

Because he didn’t have a car, and wasn’t allowed to date while living at the ranch—girls equaled trouble, Dan said, because they kept boys from working hard and studying—Victoria had to pick him up and convince everyone to think he was right there with them.

And God, did she look beautiful. Some of her wounds were still in the process of healing, and there were scabs on her arm, but she wore a tight blue sweater and a barely there miniskirt in a lighter shade. The colors transformed her from Vampire Chick to Little Slice of Heaven. Her hair hung down her back in silky black waves, and all he wanted to do was find a dark corner and run his fingers through them.

They climbed through his window and strolled away from the ranch hand in hand.

“Do you like?” she asked. She even pulled from his hold to twirl in front of him. “I borrowed it from Stephanie, naturally. And speaking of my family, the girls have decided you’re, and I quote, not so bad. You tamed their beasts, outwitted the witches and sent the fairies to their knees.”

“I love,” he corrected. In the distance, an owl hooted. “And tell your sisters I think they’re not so bad themselves.”

They shared a smile. They were doing that a lot lately, he thought, proud. Bit by bit, she was losing her serious, somber edge.

“So…what should we do?” she asked. “I can’t believe we don’t have a death curse hanging over us or goblins to fight.”

“I know what you mean.” Tonight, they were just two people, hanging out and having fun. “Want to go into town? I mean, a town other than this one, where no one knows who we are. We can see a movie, maybe.” What did girls like to do? He’d never been on a date before.

“I would love to!” She reclaimed his hand, and a moment later, the world tilted, wind kicked up and his surroundings faded. He blinked, that was it, and his feet settled, buildings suddenly stretching at his sides.

He laughed. “You’re getting good at that.”

“I know, right.”

How human she sounded. How sweet. He looked around. They were in a darkened alley, a busy street sidewalk a few feet away and an even busier road a few feet from there. “Where are we?”

“Tulsa. Not too far from home, but not too close either.”

“Perfect.”

Aden, Elijah said. Go home. You have to go home.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Of course you will, but instead of going to the movies, what do you think of going to a dance club?” Victoria asked, unaware he’d been talking to the souls. He didn’t correct her.

“I think that’s…doable.” He didn’t know how good a dancer he was, never having danced before, but for her, he would try. And he would get to hold her close, so that was even better.

Aden, please.

One night, Aden thought. That’s all he wanted. “Tomorrow,” he said.

“The souls?” Victoria asked, getting it this time.

“Yes.”

“They’ll be our next project.” Victoria’s skin was hot against his as they strolled down the street, joining the crowd. “I can’t believe we’re doing this. I mean, I love you, you know that, but this feels so…frivolous.”

“Frivolous is what we desperately need right now.” Do you hear that, Elijah? I need this.

“So true. So guess what?” Too excited to wait, she answered before he could reply, releasing his hand to jump in front of him. “I know a human joke.”

“Oh, yeah?” He hooked several strands of hair behind her ear. “What is it?” From the corner of his eye, he saw a strange movement and frowned. Had that trash can just moved several inches on its own? Surely not. Surely he was simply paranoid now, looking for danger in every shadow.