Chapter Fourteen

Helena was in a fantastic mood that night. Oozing with confidence, and understanding that her long days of solitude had at last come to an end, she didn’t use magic to get to the Bradford’s estate. In spite of the cold, she opted for a nighttime stroll down the mountainside. Still, her choice had a disadvantage. She couldn’t just walk down the slope. It was much too steep and slippery for her; and, even if she could make it to Lockhart forest without any incident, the muddy soil would ruin her boots and her cloak alike. Therefore, Helena preferred to use the road. It was much safer and drier, because there hadn’t been any rain in Paxton for two days.

The half-moon was high in the sky, casting its pale light on her birthplace. Thousands upon thousands of flickering stars were joining it, showing Helena the way to the town border. There was moisture in the air, but also, the wonderful scents of cedar, elm and balsam fir. As Helena strolled down the road, however, two identical sounds filled her ears and froze the blood in her veins. She heard massive, diesel engines, like the one she had heard in the sibling’s yard, on the night she and Cliff had exchanged their first kiss. Only seconds afterwards, the first SUV turned left and onto the uphill road. Its high beams were still a little too far, but it was only a matter of time before she was noticed. The driver seemed to be in quite a rush, as the vehicle roared towards her. Helena had to disappear – fast. Nevertheless, the fear that stormed into her senses didn’t allow her to concentrate. She couldn’t find the fortitude to focus on an image of anything. Glancing right, she saw the jagged edging of the side of the road. There was a sizeable bush at the bottom of the hill that began where the road ended. The hill’s surface was so wet that it glistened under the moonlight. Unfortunately, she didn’t have much choice in the matter. With a swift jump, Helena abandoned the road. A short cry of agony left her lips, as her body landed hard and in a supine position on the surface. She began rolling down the hill, feeling a considerable amount of pain in her right shoulder, as her cloak picked up more and more mud by the second. Just before the bush broke her fall, the two SUV’s sped past her spot.

“Oh, my God,” she thought to herself, breathing in gasps, as she spotted a few leaves on her chest. “Cliff, what were you doing here? Who were you talking to? Why did you leave in such a hurry?”

Rising from the ground, she gazed out into the town. She could barely make out the lights in the siblings’ cabins. The trees in the way were blocking her view. Her initial thought was to teleport there. However, she still had the same problem: anxiety; fear. Not wasting any time at all, she started down the hillside, locking her gaze on the trees up ahead. She gripped her staff tightly in her left hand, as she curled her fingers in her right one into a fist. Spurred on by the love for her family, she exploded towards their residence, unable to shake the feeling that something had gone horribly wrong. Had one of the brothers made the mistake of glaring at Cliff or one of his coworkers? Had the truth about her slipped anybody’s tongue? She couldn’t know. All she did know was she had to get there, as quickly as possible. It was no easy task. In a matter of seconds, she found herself trying hard to pull her boots out of the mud. Still, the struggle wouldn’t deter her. Hurtling past trees, she averted her gaze from the Bradford estate, to look down at the ground. She was dying to get to them, but she wouldn’t be able to do so, if she tripped over one of the dozens of rocks that littered the forest. Luckily for her, the moonlight was a great ally in that endeavor. It was showing through a few dim patches between the trees, as she closed in on her destination. Helena’s heart fluttered with joy, as she climbed the short hill, outside the siblings’ yard. Pressing on with all her might, she sprinted across it, as her ears picked up Kate and Dean’s – loud – voices. Instinctively, she headed towards their cabin. Grabbing the handle, she yanked it open, only to find them in their living room, in the middle of an argument. Her fellow witch snapped her head to the right to face her, as she stormed into the kitchen.

“Helena?” Kate exclaimed, her jaw dropping in disbelief. “Eww…” she cringed. “What happened to you? You look like you just took a mud bath.”

“I did, sort of,” Helena gasped, panting for breath. “I…” she exhaled hard. “I just saw…”

“Yeah, the feds,” Kate finished her sentence, as she trotted towards her. “Dean and I were just talking about it. Your guy was asking me questions, when his phone rang. I don’t know what they told him, but, whatever it was, it messed him up pretty badly. He just jumped from his seat, ordered his men out, and then took off. I asked him what was wrong, but, he ignored me. Dean was at the workshop. He says I should have insisted.”

“Damn it!” Helena cried, jerking her head in a spasm of frustration, as she tore her gaze away from Kate’s. A disaster had been avoided, but all of them were still in the dark; and they would continue to be, unless she found out more about that phone call. “Dean…” she croaked, before sucking in a deep breath. “Kate could have insisted all she wanted. They still wouldn’t have told her. They can’t discuss an ongoing investigation. Cliff disclosed my niece’s cause of death to me, because of my relationship with her.”

“Thank you,” Kate gave a satisfied nod, and then cast a fierce glare up at her mate, over her shoulder. “Anyway…” she muttered, bringing her attention back to Helena. “What happened to you?”

“I decided to use the road to get here. Stupid idea…” Sarcasm was dripping off her tongue. “I heard them coming. I panicked; I couldn’t focus; I jumped off the edge of the road.”

At that moment, she heard quick, heavy footsteps on the concrete. It was none other than Raul. The Alpha strode through the open door, his face as hard as stone.

“I just received word from Ray.” He spoke in a deep voice, as he pursed his lips. “He and Julia were going out for a drink in Shandaken, when they saw the FBI cars, just outside of town. He followed them; they drove all the way to I-87 South.”

“They’re going back to New York,” Helena concluded, concern and fear creeping into her voice, stealing its nerve. “The question is ‘why.’”

“Let me get my car keys,” Kate suggested, shuffling off towards the kitchen counter.

“Your car keys?” snorted Helena, her brows popping up. “No, no, no; this is wrong, Kate. This is wrong, and you know it!”

“Yes, it is!” Kate affirmed, her face twisting into an expression of panic, as she grabbed her keys from the counter. “I’m sorry, Helena, but, you’re the one closest to him. You need to find out what they know. It’s got to be done tonight. Tomorrow may be too late.”

“Ok, first of all, we don’t have his address,” Helena’s anger strengthened her voice, as she took a big step closer to her friend. “Second, he’s not going to tell me why he took off like that, for the same reason he didn’t tell you. Third, do you remember how badly I felt, when you drove me up to his hotel? Fourth, what’s he going to think, if he finds me at his apartment? I’ll come off needy; desperate. Last, but not least, what am I supposed to say to him? ‘Hey, I got lonely.’?”

“You’re not going to ask him,” Kate responded in a firm tone, as she intensified her stare. “You can’t do that; he’ll get suspicious. You’ll have to use…” she faltered, “…unconventional methods. You had a date with him last night. How did it go? I don’t need to hear any details. Just give me the basics.”

“It was wonderful,” Helena replied, the memory of her night with him making her voice sweet. “We danced, we drank wine… he was fantastic to me. We spent the night in his hotel room. I told him to call me today.”

“And has he?” Kate squinted down at her.

“No,” Helena retorted with a sigh. “Not yet at least.”

“There’s your reason, then,” Kate continued, as a wily smile spread across her face. “You guys slept together, and he didn’t call you back.”

“I drove all the way from Paxton to New York to complain to him for not calling me back?” Disapproval and surprise sent her voice one octave up, as Helena furrowed her brow. “That’s got ‘desperate’ written all over it. Besides, we still don’t know his address.”

“We already have his address,” Kate replied emphatically, as she clenched her jaw. “I had Julia do a little research on him, when you said you liked him. Don’t yell at me. You’ve done the same when it came to us, over and over again. And since when do you care what he thinks?”

“Since last night,” Helena’s rebuttal was sharp, as her voice returned to normal.

“Look, I don’t like to repeat myself,” Kate said in a more mellow tone of voice. “I’m pretty sure you remember our little talk the other night. Now, I’m asking you…” she paused. “Please, find out what they know. You’re our only hope.”

At that, Helena let out a huff of exasperation, wishing she was not in this dilemma. Once again, she had to choose between lying to Cliff and the safety of her family. Seeing him again made it as difficult, as it made it appealing. They had not seen one another in almost twenty-four hours; she was starting to miss him, and she would love to pick up where they had left off. Still, her choice was easier than she initially believed. She had lied to Cliff before. Although it would hurt her deep inside, she could do it again.

“Let’s go,” her voice came out flat, in a monotone, as she unfurled her arms.

“Thank you,” Kate breathed a sigh of relief, as she reached her own arms towards her friend, to pull her in a tight embrace. “Thank you, Helena. You’re amazing.”

“I’m a fake,” she thought to herself. “I’m everything Roman accused humans of being: treacherous; false; manipulative. If only I could be honest with you, Cliff. If only you didn’t wear that badge.”