Coveted - Book 3 in the Gwen Sparks Series Read online

  When Pernis began undoing the binds, Holly gave the order to her guards. At once they attacked. In a matter of seconds, the remaining elders were up and out of their seats, a blur of motion. Screams filled the room as they tore through Holly’s backup. All the while, Pernis removed Ian from the altar as if he didn’t recognize the chaos around him.

  “Nooo,” Ian screamed in a voice that didn’t belong to him. His English accent was gone and replaced with that of the body he possessed. When the last guard was disarmed, the elders stopped. They stood across the stage, their clothes splashed with blood. Body parts littered the ground, but that was not what nauseated me. Rebekah was still up there, and Aaron was walking right for her.

  “Please,” I screamed. “Don’t.”

  He ignored me, lifting my sister’s hand and bringing it to his lips. Even from this distance I could see her shoulders shaking. Her eyes were wide and focusing on nothing. The bloodbath she’d just seen was enough to send her into shock.

  I jumped into action, my body moving before my head could catch up. I dove for the dagger that had flown from my hand when Holly attacked me. Gripping the blade and angling my arm the way Dorian had shown me, I threw it with as much force as I could and watched as it sailed through the air and toward Aaron’s chest.

  The blade was inches from his body, the anticipation killing me. Just before it sunk into his chest, he batted it away as though it was nothing but an annoying fly. My shoulders slumped, my heart jackhammering in my chest.

  Aaron held my sister’s hand, coating her skin with blood, and guided her down the stairs. They stood in front of me. My last resort was connecting with the spirits, and the room was full of murderers. I clung to their energy, absorbing it quicker than ever before. My desperation to save Rebekah drove me over the edge. White bodies began popping up like daisies all around the room, their hunger for vengeance giving me power.

  Aaron glanced around the room. “Impressive, but there’s no need to call in the cavalry just yet. I only wish to return her to you.”

  My eyes widened, but I didn’t lose focus of the spirits should it be a trick.

  “Our only interest is in Ian,” Aaron said. “Once Pernis gets an idea in his head, it’s best to just go along with it.” At my suspicion, Aaron explained further. “Pernis does not take being betrayed by his child lightly, and he does so love to punish.” Aaron held my sister’s hand out to me. I wrapped my arms around her, holding on for dear life.

  Aaron walked over to Holly and her entire body froze with fear. It seemed her plan wasn’t going as she had thought it would.

  “You have been a thorn in my side,” Aaron said to her. “So hungry for power you overlooked one very important thing.”

  “What…thing?” Holly stammered.

  “Never allow your ego to get so big you forget who you’re dealing with.” Aaron clasped the necklace hanging from her neck and yanked it free. Holly’s hands went to her throat, surprise all over her face. Aaron dropped the necklace to the floor and stomped on it. The music filing the room instantly faded.

  “We had a deal,” she snarled.

  Aaron turned, leaving to join his sisters and brothers. As Holly lifted her arm to cast magic at him, he swung back around and hit her so hard she went flying into the nearby wall. Her body cracked against the stone, sliding down in a heap.

  “I never liked that woman,” Aaron said, glaring at her unmoving body. When his eyes landed on me, I squeezed Rebekah tighter.

  “My apologies for all the trouble.”

  “I don’t understand any of this…the bond…”

  Aaron held up a hand. “Ian has a long life of being Pernis’ blood slave as payment for his rise against us. It’s a fate worse than death, believe me. He had plans for you too, had you not retrieved Ian’s soul. Be grateful you’ll never know what those plans were. As for the bond with Aiden,” he shrugged. “It was a backup plan.” He turned to leave, but paused to say one last thing. “Consider your debt paid in full.”

  So Aiden had been wrong—the VC didn’t want to see if I could be turned into a hybrid. This entire thing was all in the name of punishing Ian. He’d been so anxious to escape the realm of the dead, and now he was stuck as a human and Pernis’ happy meal. Karma is a beautiful thing.

  The elders began to leave. Ian was slung over Pernis’ shoulder, screaming and beating against his back.

  “What about the bond with Aiden?” I called out.

  Aaron smiled. “Are you asking for a favor, Ms. Sparks?”

  I shook my head quickly, remembering what asking for their help had gotten me into last time. “No.”

  “You’re learning,” he winked.

  I watched the six council members disappear through the door, Ian’s screams in their wake. I hugged my sister tighter, laughing and crying. Leaning away from her, I checked to make sure she was okay.

  “Rebekah, can you hear me?” Her face was stark white, but she blinked a few times and focused on my face. “I know you probably don’t remember me, but I promise you’re safe now.”

  “Gwen,” she replied. “You’re my sister.”

  I nodded, fresh tears coating my cheeks. “Yes, yes, I am. And I love you so much.”

  “That went a lot better than I expected,” I said, looking up at Dorian. “You were kind of quiet through it all.”

  He nodded, his eyes still focused on the door the VC had disappeared through. “I knew Rebekah would be alright. As soon as we entered the room I used my spidey senses and checked her death.” Dorian looked over at me. “And no, I will not tell you.”

  “I don’t want to know,” I told him. “Unless, it’s in the near future and there is something I can do to stop it.”

  Dorian chuckled. “Even then, I will not tell you. The universe has a plan for all of us. Going against it will throw Fate’s design off balance.”

  I turned so that my sister couldn’t hear what I was going to say. Leaning in and cupping a hand to my mouth I said, “You saved me at Broomsticks. Where was your commitment to Fate’s grand design then?”

  “Everyone has an Achilles’ heel.” He kept his voice low. “You’re mine.”

  I smiled and my eyes filled with tears. After everything, it all worked out and Dorian stood beside me the entire time. I rejoiced in Holly’s death, Ian’s imprisonment, my sister’s safety and even the cocky, albeit sweet angel at my side. For once, the weight that had been pressing down on me lifted and I could breathe.

  “Thank you…not for the comment, but…everything. I honestly would have been lost had it not been for you. I had all these assumptions of who you were and you proved me wrong at every turn. It’s the first time I’ve been happy about being wrong.” I laughed shakily, still fighting the tears welling in my eyes.

  “Gwen!” Fiona shouted across the ballroom.

  I was still holding onto my sister and staring at Dorian when her arms embraced me in a hug. Dorian nodded while I stared at him over her shoulder.

  “I’ll give you girls time to catch up.” He turned and walked across the room. Trust is a tricky thing. In order to fully give it to someone, you must first listen to your instincts; trust that little voice in the back of your head. Only then will you know if the person in question was worth the investment. I learned that Dorian was.

  When Fiona released me, I smiled at my sister. “Fiona, this is my sister, Rebekah.”

  Fiona enveloped my sister in a hug and I laughed. Rebekah wrapped her arms around her after a while, a smile spreading across her face. Her dark hair fell in multiple layers against her pale face. She stood a little shorter than Fiona and I, maybe 5’5”. The hoodie she wore bore the name of her school.

  “It’s so nice to finally meet you,” Fiona told her. “Gwen has told me so much about you.”

  Rebekah’s eyes found my face. She looked so young—innocent—and because of me she’d been involved with a murderous witch and vampires. I had to keep all the “what-if” thoughts out of my mind. She was safe and
I had a moment to reconnect with my sister.

  “How would you like to stay in the castle tonight?” I asked.

  She swiveled her head, taking in the expansive ballroom, “That would be so cool.”

  “Oh, we’ll have a girl’s night,” Fiona squealed. “I can do your nails and hair and the kitchen is stocked with the best junk food.”

  “It’s best just to go along with whatever she wants,” I told Rebekah. “Are you okay?” I asked on a more serious note. “I’m so sorry all of this happened to you.”

  Her head bobbed up and down quickly. “I’m not hurt if that’s what you mean. I know the supernatural exist, but this is the first time I’ve encountered it. It’s a lot to take in.” She took a nervous breath, tucking her hands under her armpits. “Mom and dad…they don’t talk about it, ya know?”

  I did in fact, but I wasn’t going to allow my annoyance with my parents show. Rebekah needed me to remain calm. Just like there are towns strictly for otherworldly; there are also all human towns. My parents made sure to live in one of them. Now that I was older, I could see the benefits. But I also didn’t believe in acting like something didn’t exist simply because it made one uncomfortable. By shielding Rebekah from the monsters of the world, they were hurting her. Dorian once told me that knowledge was power, and he was right. If in the future my sister decided to move away, she would encounter a supernatural. It was almost impossible not to. Her lack of knowledge could get her killed.

  “You’ve never met one?” Fiona asked stunned.

  Rebekah shook her head, “They’re not allowed in our town. And my parents only allow me to go to ‘human-only’ towns,” she paused. “It’s probably best the vampire hypnotized them.”

  “What vampire?”

  “The boy,” Rebekah said, “the one who you spoke to a little bit ago.”

  “Aaron La’Rue? He’s the one who kidnapped you?”

  “Yes. He pulled up in a car on my walk home from school. He introduced himself and said that it was important I come with him to save you.” She looked down at the floor, uncomfortable. “I didn’t get into the car, not right away. Then an odd sensation came over me, like I was in a dream. I got into his car and directed him toward our house.” Rebekah made eye contact with me again, “He told me to wait in the car while he spoke with Mom and Dad. He was really nice considering…” A slight blush colored her cheeks.

  Fiona and I shared a worried glance. The last thing I needed was my little sister fantasizing about Aaron La’rue. Sure, he looked seventeen but behind the mask of innocence was a monster waiting to sink his fangs into a vein. If it was the last thing I did, I’d make sure it wasn’t my sister’s.

  “So he put the whammy on our parents and then what?”

  Rebekah took a deep breath, “We boarded his private jet and flew to Washington. The others were there too, but Aaron made sure none of them bothered me. When we landed, we headed here straightaway—”

  “Wait,” Fiona said. “He hypnotized you so you would go with him, but not to forget about all this?”

  My sister’s dark hair swayed around her head. “No.”

  Fiona and I shared another, more concerned look. What was Aaron’s game, or was I just overreacting? I hoped it was the latter.

  “Okay,” I said. “So, you guys head to the castle and then what?”

  “I was put in a bedroom until you arrived.”

  “No one hurt you? Holly didn’t speak to you?”

  Rebekah shook her head again. “I didn’t meet Holly until just before you arrived. Aaron talked to me a little bit, but it was about basic stuff.”

  I considered my sister for a moment, and then looked at Fiona. “You didn’t see any of this?”

  “Holly started playing that damn—excuse the language,” she said to my sister, “music and we all fell into a zombie stupor.”

  “Gwen,” someone said behind me. I turned to see Charles. Movement caught my peripheral and my eyes darted to the right. Holly’s body was being loaded onto a cart with wheels.

  “May I talk to you for a moment?”

  I looked at Charles and nodded, following him to the other side of the ballroom, after excusing myself from my sister and Fiona. Saggy bags lined the underneath of his gray eyes. We stopped in front of two other council members: Miranda and Patrick. I assumed the others were working on damage control. I nodded a greeting to the both of them.

  “We wanted to voice our sincerest apologies,” Charles began. “We all suspected Holly was capable of horrid things, but even this surpassed our expectations. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon in our positions. Some leaders will always crave more power. It’s the curse of politics I suppose.” He tucked his hands into his trouser pockets. Soft wrinkles around his eyes and cheeks deepened when he frowned.

  “To make amends for the trouble Holly caused and our disregard to the situation, we are granting you a severance—”

  “That’s not necessary,” I interrupted.

  “It is,” Charles said in all seriousness. “It is our jobs as your council to protect the witches. We not only failed in doing so, but also pushed the issue between you and Holly to the side. Because of her, multiple witches died at the hands of the vampires. When all of us were blind to her deceit, you saw the truth. We would also like you to consider filling the spot on the council.” Charles continued, “We could benefit from your merit.”

  I glanced at Miranda and Patrick. They both nodded in agreement. My face slackened in surprise. Being asked to become part of the NAWC was one of the highest honors for our kind. None of the members were younger than two hundred and held wisdom I had yet to possess. At twenty-six, could I really stand over my peers and expect them to put their faith in me when half the time I didn’t have faith in myself? I was still learning who I was and that was okay with me.

  “I think we shocked the girl speechless,” Patrick commented.

  I smiled, my mouth falling open but hesitating to form words. “I—I am flattered, truly, but…I cannot accept. My place is in Flora.”

  Charles considered me for a moment, his mouth curving into a frown. “I’m sorry to hear that, Ms. Sparks. But perhaps you’ll change your mind in the future. We won’t always be around and we’ll need capable witches to take our spots.”

  I nodded. “Perhaps, but I’m losing my witchy powers now that I am embracing my spirit walker side.”

  “We suspected that might happen,” Charles said. “But, you’re still a witch, just a different kind. And you’re always welcome here.”

  I smiled. “Thank you for the offer, but it’s not the right timing.”

  “Well then,” Charles gave a small smile, “just the severance for now.” He looked at Miranda. She held out her palm and whispered words my ears didn’t catch. A rectangular piece of paper appeared in her hand and she gave it to me. It was a check made out to me. My eyes fell on the amount and my jaw dropped open. I looked up at Charles, Patrick and Miranda in turn with wide eyes.

  “This amount cannot be correct.”

  “I assure you it is,” Miranda smiled. Since she handled the NAWC’s finances who was I to argue? I began to laugh, giddiness overwhelming me.

  “Thank you,” I told them.

  *

  Later that night Fiona, Rebekah and I were surrounded by a mountain of dessert platters and pizza boxes. I found out my sister was on her school’s volleyball team, a grade A student and in love with someone named Chase Crawford. When I asked her if they were dating she burst out laughing. Her eyes glittered when she was amused. “He’s an actor,” she told me. When I asked if she was dating anyone out of Hollywood, she said our parents would not allow her to date. No surprise there.

  “She has our song on here,” Fiona said, swiping through my sister’s iPod. Since Aaron had nabbed her on her walk home from school, she had her book bag with her. She informed me she never went anywhere without her MP3 player.

  “What song?”

  “Toxic,” Fiona replied with an
amused smile. “When your sister was eighteen she and I made up a dance routine to this song,” she told Rebekah.

  “I have no clue what she’s talking about,” I said.

  “Oh really?” Fiona countered, setting the iPod on the docking station and pressing play. The pop song filled the bedroom and she hopped up from the bed and walked to the middle of the room. She began to move her hips, arms and legs in a choreographed dance. Rebekah watched her with interest, laughing when Fiona forgot a step.

  “Are you seriously going to make me do this alone all to save face in front of your little sister?”

  I looked at Rebekah, shaking my head but getting up to join Fiona. She restarted the song and we took our places. When the lyrics began, we both belted out the words and moved in timed precision. The dance was a little on the sexy side. I just hoped I wasn’t scaring my sister.

  When we ended, she clapped and laughed. A second round of applause sounded from the doorway. We all looked over to see Dorian leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed and a grin on his face.

  “Enjoy the show?” I asked.

  “Very much.”

  I held my finger up to indicate I needed a minute to Fiona and Rebekah, and walked over to Dorian. We stepped out into the hall.

  “So this is what women do on ‘girl’s nights’?”

  I shrugged. “Sometimes,” I said. “Others we just drink and bitch about men. Both are equally fun.”

  “I wanted to let you know I bought our plane tickets. Our flight is in two hours.”

  I looked over at my sister chatting with Fiona. I knew she had to go home at some point, but tonight was too soon for my liking.

  “She has school, Gwen,” Dorian reminded me. “Maybe you could talk your parents into allow you to visit sometime. Illinois isn’t very far from Flora.”

  I nodded. “Okay, thanks. We’ll get ready.”

  *

  Four hours later I was standing outside my old family home. It was just after one in the morning. The street was peaceful and just as I remembered it. Cookie-cutter houses lined either side of the street. Their lawns were pristine—trimmed to perfection. My parent’s house was a split-foyer with gray siding and a concrete path leading to a wrap-around porch. Rebekah and I stood in the driveway while Dorian waited in our rented car.