ideas about who Prudence could be talking about?”
“Judging by the way everyone stared at us, I think the implication was pretty clear. They were thinking of either you or me, I’m sure.”
“I know, right? Everyone always has to know our business!” Jade started walking around the room with her hands on both hips. Clearly, she thought her privacy had been invaded.
“I don’t think anyone is trying to be nosy, Jade. I think Eden and the others just have our best interests at heart. They just want to make sure we are making…” I chose my words carefully, not wanting to add fuel to Jade’s smoldering fire, “….smart choices.”
I looked over at Jade to see how my words were registering. She seemed to consider them for a minute, savor them, then swallow them whole, finding them not altogether distasteful. Then abruptly, she changed the subject.
“Serena, do you think he’s come back?”
I knew who she meant, but just couldn’t bring herself to say his name out loud. Maybe she felt too scared to utter it, for fear that simply hearing it would bring him back. She was that afraid of him, the dark demon who had once kidnapped her from a romantic picnic with the boy she loved, ripping her from the innocence of her life in the time it takes to blink. The one she dared not name.
Christophe.
“I think he has, Jade. Him, or someone like him. I’m sure of it.”
“So he really might be back?”
Jade came around and sat next to me on the bed. I put my arm around her and it seemed as though my touch opened the floodgates. For the second time tonight, tears were the order of the day. Jade, her tough exterior vanished, buried her face in my neck and sobbed, perhaps for the first time since she had been snatched up by Christophe’s evil trolls. I held her and allowed her to let it all out of her system. After a few minutes, Jade composed herself. She sniffled a little and sat up straighter, wiping her tears with the end of her sleeve. “Wow. Where did that come from, huh?”
I handed her a proper tissue. “From someplace you’ve been stuffing it is my guess. Do you feel better?”
“You know what? I actually do!” Jade smiled and took a tissue. She blew her nose noisily. “No wonder my brother is nuts about you. You really are the best.” She stood up and headed for the door. “Thanks, Serena. I didn’t know I needed someone tonight, but I did. And I’m really glad it was you.” And with that, Jade left my room.
I sat on the bed for a few more minutes, not sure if anyone else might come to the door. My room acted like Grand Central tonight! When I felt sure I wasn’t going to have any more visitors, I finally climbed into my covers, left to my own thoughts. I was also afraid of Christophe. I remembered all too well how it felt when he swept across that barn floor dragging me by the hair, intent on taking me away forever from everything and everyone I loved, including Logan. I never wanted to feel that paralyzing fear again. The idea that he could be back terrified me. I knew Eden had been gathering the coven sisters again for another confrontation. I also knew that Logan and I were stronger than ever as well, having completed our sorcery training with the coven sisters in their individual disciplines of invisibility, astral projection, clairvoyance, mindjumping, shape-shifting, and many other witch/warlock skills. We had trained very hard. But, I couldn’t help but wonder….had Christophe been training too?
Chapter Seventeen
LOGAN
“What was the address again?” I asked Sully. He sat next to me in the passenger seat. Serena and Jade were in back, gabbing about who-knows-what. I drove. Today being Wednesday, we were finally going to the much-talked-about first dinner at Dave and Tamera’s. The four of us were stuffed into Serena’s tiny little go-cart of a car. Sully co-piloted and, as usual, did a lousy job with the directions.
“Sully, can you at least give me the street name to
“Judging by the way everyone stared at us, I think the implication was pretty clear. They were thinking of either you or me, I’m sure.”
“I know, right? Everyone always has to know our business!” Jade started walking around the room with her hands on both hips. Clearly, she thought her privacy had been invaded.
“I don’t think anyone is trying to be nosy, Jade. I think Eden and the others just have our best interests at heart. They just want to make sure we are making…” I chose my words carefully, not wanting to add fuel to Jade’s smoldering fire, “….smart choices.”
I looked over at Jade to see how my words were registering. She seemed to consider them for a minute, savor them, then swallow them whole, finding them not altogether distasteful. Then abruptly, she changed the subject.
“Serena, do you think he’s come back?”
I knew who she meant, but just couldn’t bring herself to say his name out loud. Maybe she felt too scared to utter it, for fear that simply hearing it would bring him back. She was that afraid of him, the dark demon who had once kidnapped her from a romantic picnic with the boy she loved, ripping her from the innocence of her life in the time it takes to blink. The one she dared not name.
Christophe.
“I think he has, Jade. Him, or someone like him. I’m sure of it.”
“So he really might be back?”
Jade came around and sat next to me on the bed. I put my arm around her and it seemed as though my touch opened the floodgates. For the second time tonight, tears were the order of the day. Jade, her tough exterior vanished, buried her face in my neck and sobbed, perhaps for the first time since she had been snatched up by Christophe’s evil trolls. I held her and allowed her to let it all out of her system. After a few minutes, Jade composed herself. She sniffled a little and sat up straighter, wiping her tears with the end of her sleeve. “Wow. Where did that come from, huh?”
I handed her a proper tissue. “From someplace you’ve been stuffing it is my guess. Do you feel better?”
“You know what? I actually do!” Jade smiled and took a tissue. She blew her nose noisily. “No wonder my brother is nuts about you. You really are the best.” She stood up and headed for the door. “Thanks, Serena. I didn’t know I needed someone tonight, but I did. And I’m really glad it was you.” And with that, Jade left my room.
I sat on the bed for a few more minutes, not sure if anyone else might come to the door. My room acted like Grand Central tonight! When I felt sure I wasn’t going to have any more visitors, I finally climbed into my covers, left to my own thoughts. I was also afraid of Christophe. I remembered all too well how it felt when he swept across that barn floor dragging me by the hair, intent on taking me away forever from everything and everyone I loved, including Logan. I never wanted to feel that paralyzing fear again. The idea that he could be back terrified me. I knew Eden had been gathering the coven sisters again for another confrontation. I also knew that Logan and I were stronger than ever as well, having completed our sorcery training with the coven sisters in their individual disciplines of invisibility, astral projection, clairvoyance, mindjumping, shape-shifting, and many other witch/warlock skills. We had trained very hard. But, I couldn’t help but wonder….had Christophe been training too?
Chapter Seventeen
LOGAN
“What was the address again?” I asked Sully. He sat next to me in the passenger seat. Serena and Jade were in back, gabbing about who-knows-what. I drove. Today being Wednesday, we were finally going to the much-talked-about first dinner at Dave and Tamera’s. The four of us were stuffed into Serena’s tiny little go-cart of a car. Sully co-piloted and, as usual, did a lousy job with the directions.
“Sully, can you at least give me the street name to
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