Burning in a Memory by Constance Sharper Page A

entire third floor sounded quiet other than the wind from her open window. Without the sounds of the other coven members, she knew they stood there alone. She suddenly noticed how close they were. Without thought, she licked her lips but stayed put.
                  “I’m glad you came, Adelaide,” he said simply.
                  He leaned down but only kissed her cheek. The touch was fleeting and he left the room. She wished him a quiet goodnight and backed away from the door. Collapsing back on the bed, the full weight of exhaustion hit her. Adelaide fixed the bed sheets, lost her shoes, and slid under the first layer. They had to believe her disguise enough for her to sleep and save up energy. To get this far meant they absolutely believed her in her humanity. But humanity didn’t mean Tony was okay with her and that set her on edge.
                  The wind softly beat the blinds against the wall when another twenty minutes passed, and then she could hear the hint of voices. Adelaide perked up and moved until she could hear clearly. She couldn’t tell the twins voices apart but identified them as a group. She heard Tony clearly.
                  “Who is she, Tony? Why is she here?” one of the girls asked.
                  “I don’t know. Just let me deal with it,” he snapped back.
                  Adelaide sunk into the bed.
                  “Great,” she whispered to the empty room.
     

    Ten
                  Overnight the open window was cool and refreshing, but now, with the sun high in the sky, her room grew hot. She woke up when the heavy blankets suffocated her and she immediately shoved them off. The central air kicked in above her and blew persistently until she shut the window. Adelaide could see both cars still parked outside and no one on the porch. Her fingers lingered on the sill as she shook off the last of the sleep.
                  It had to be late morning, but with her schedule being so sporadic, she struggled to pin the time. The room lacked an alarm so she dug out her phone from her bed sheets. It was a quarter after nine. She had no missed calls which meant Bradley had thought better about calling her again. She replaced the phone and felt next for her necklace. She barely noticed the weight any more as she felt the smooth texture of the oval pendant. Tucking it back into her shirt, she turned her mind to other things. She changed into jeans, brushed through her hair, and made her cheeks rosy. Once she was happy, she dared to walk outside.
                  Tony was not waiting for her on the other side of the door this time. The third floor was just as quiet as it had been last night, but it looked different in the light. She headed down the stairs and listened intently to create a mental map of the coven member’s locations. Only when she reached the bottom floor did she hear voices, but they came from the television.
                  She stilled on the last step. If the entire coven was awake this late in the day, they were very quiet. And there was no way five people were down in the living room—it was much too tame. Swallowing her nerves, she headed straight for the living room with a smile on her face.
                  She saw the flat screen first. The bright screen flickered sporadic images of the local news station, but the long three couches that circled it only held one person. This was the first time Adelaide felt so happy to see the redhead.
                  “Hi,” Adelaide announced her entrance. Angie stole a glance backward for only a second before turning her attention to the flickers on the television.
                  “There are fresh bagels on the counter,” Angie said after a moment.
                  “Thank you.” Adelaide sized up the nearby kitchen but found no one. She obediently