Enchanted Secrets by Kristen Middleton

trips?”
    “Sometimes, but she usually lets me and my sister know ahead of time, in case of an emergency.”
    “Then this is very bad. I think we should be prepared for the worst,” he said.
    I stared at him in horror as I realized what he was suggesting. “Do you think it’s too late?” I asked in a strangled voice. “That maybe... Vivian’s gotten to her?”
    “I don’t k now,” he said, avoiding my eyes.
    A sudden kno ck at the door startled us and we both jumped.
    “I ’d better get that,” I whispered.
    “ No, let me do it,” he said, already heading towards the front door.
    When we opened the door, a pretty blond woman stood beaming at us. “ Oh, hello. My name is Michelle Evans and I was wondering if your mother is home? I sell Beauty Life Cosmetics.”
    “Um, no,” I answered, eyeing the woman suspiciously. “She’s not home, sorry.”
    “Oh, that’s too bad,” she said, pouting. “I spoke to her on the phone earlier and she told me she’d be here all day. She sounded really interested in trying our new line of lipsticks.”
    “We’ll let her know you stopped by, ” said Tyler as he began to close the door.
    Mich elle stuck her foot in the doorway and her eyes narrowed. “Aren’t you kids supposed to be in school?”
    I cleared my throat. “Actually, we’re homeschooled.”
    “Well, how nice,” she said, studying my face. “Would you mind if I wait for your mother inside? It took me almost forty minutes to get here and she promised me she’d be around. Would it be okay if I just waited ten minutes?”
    “No, I’m sorry. My mother is very adamant ab out not letting strangers into the house when she’s not home.”
    Her lips curled into an ugly scowl. “Is that so?”
    My breath caught in my throat when our eyes met. Not only were they the same color as my mother’s, but they were now filled with such malice, that I instinctively took a step back.
    “We’ll let her know you stopped by,” repeated Tyl er firmly.
    Michelle, who looked like she was going to explode just a moment ago, regained her composure and smiled sweetly at us. “Yes, of course. Well, I’m sorry to have bothered you. Have a nice afternoon.”
    As she turned away, Tyler shut the door and locked it quickly.
    “ What’s happening?” I whispered. “Who was that?”
    He looked at me. “That, my dear, was death knocking at your front door.”

Chapter Eighteen
     
     
     
     
     
     
    “We have to get out of here,” stated Tyler, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the backdoor. “She’s going to be watching for your mother and we need to warn her before she gets back home. Do you have any idea where she might be?”
    I shook my head. “Honestly , Tyler, I don’t know. She’s normally home right now. This just doesn’t make any sense. Actually, nothing about today makes sense.”
    “ Does she have a cell phone?”
    I shook my head. “ No, she says they give you brain cancer. She refuses to even allow them into our house.”
    Tyler nodded. “They are also an easy tracking device, probably the real reason she doesn’t allow them.”
    Now that made much more sense.
    “Is it possible that the school called my mom and she’s there looking for me?”
    “I guess it’s possible. I did persuade the attendance clerk to forget about contacting your mother though.”
    I narrowed my eyes. “How did you do that when you were with me the entire time?”
    “If I told you how, I’d have to kill you.”
    My eyes widened in shock.
    He laughed. “No, I’m just messing with you.”
    I smacked him in the arm and then pushed him out the back door. “Let’s go back to school, just in case she’s waiting around there.”
    As we snuck away from the house towards the back alley, he looked up into the trees. “Vivian’s probably watching us right now,” he said in a low voice.
    “From the trees?” I whispered in horror. I thought about how dangerous this woman was and it chilled me to the bone. Now, as