Chapter Thirty-Six

Reagan

 

Marching down to Osko’s Point, my shoes in one hand and my anger spiking by the second, I had several satisfying daydreams where I threw my shoes at Will Doherty’s head. Or beat him with them. Or sicced Luke on him.

Speaking of Luke… I glanced uneasily over my shoulder at the empty road. I hoped he wouldn’t be too furious with me for taking off. I’d no idea how long the gate thing would take, and I had to find Cassidy before she eloped with this idiot. During my engagement party.

The sound of the ocean got loud as I slipped down a steep path to the beach and nearly toppled into the sand. Again, I wondered how Will had found Winfyre. And why.

Was he a shifter? Was he trying to get back with my sister?

Over my dead body. He broke her heart.

When I emerged out of the woods, I was on a small spit of sandy beach that curved into a calm bay. A peninsula of trees ran along the south, while the north curved towards Cobalt.

Up ahead, I saw Cassidy perched on a rock, hugging her knees and looking out at the ocean.

“Cassidy Grace!” I bellowed.

Her head snapped up, and she stared at me before sliding down off the rock. She was wearing jeans and a nice tank top, her arms more defined than the last time I’d seen her bare-armed. Nor did she have that disgruntled, distant look on her face. She looked horrified.

"Reagan, what are you—you're going to miss your party," Cassidy said and then clapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh no, I mean…”

“Cassidy, the party started over two hours ago!” I said. “No one could find you.”

“No,” Cassidy said and glanced up at the sky. “Shit, I lost track of time. I’m supposed to be meeting someone here, but they’re late. I should’ve…I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.”

I gaped at her. “What?”

Cassidy gave me a shy smile and rubbed her elbows as she hugged herself. “I was trying to be more like you, Reagan.” She fished out a crumpled piece of paper. “Will is here. Will Doherty.”

“I know that,” I snapped. “I went to the barracks and saw he wanted to meet you here.”

Cassidy frowned. “Did you read beyond that?”

“No,” I said. “I don’t care about his excuses and how he’ll be better this time. You can’t get back with him—he didn’t treat you right, Cass. He was a horrible boyfriend.”

“I’m not…” Cassidy suddenly laughed, and the sound was so warm, so surprising, that my heart softened. “I’m not getting back together with him. I’m with…” She looked up and flushed. “I mean, I don’t know what we are, besides good friends…” Cassidy’s words were tumbling out, and her cheeks were bright with color. “But he’s a shifter, like me, and—” She stopped abruptly. “Never mind. I’m not here to get back with Will. I’m here because he said he has information on Grandpa.”

“What?” I asked, thrown.

“Yeah,” Cassidy said. “I was going to talk to you and see about asking Luke, but then this came, and I thought it was a sign or something. Plus, he said he needed my help.” She straightened. “I wanted to take the initiative for once.”

My jaw might as well have been on the sand. “Cass, I’m sorry, I completely underestimated you. I thought, well, I thought all wrong. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” my sister said and took my hands. “Rea, I know with everything we’ve been through and how horrible I was, it won’t be fixed overnight—but I am sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I was scared and confused. I took it out on you.” Her head fell. “The person trying to save my life.”

I pulled Cassidy into a hug, tears hovering in my eyelids. Suddenly, I didn’t give a damn about leaving my own party. This was the best gift this day could have given me.

“Thank you. Cass, I forgive you. I was never mad at you—I didn’t know how to talk to you.”

“And yet you came down here, leaving your own party and man,” Cassidy exclaimed and pulled back. Her eyes were bright. “Who does that? Luke is going to be furious. He was planning this for days.” She gave me a sly grin. “You have to give me some tips on how to drive a man wild, Rea.”

“Cassidy,” I exclaimed and lightly slapped her. “Oh, it’s nice to see you smile,” I said and tugged on her hair. “So, that must mean things are good. Niles?”

“Yeah,” she said. “But it’s not just him. I like healing and working with Rogda.” She looked around. “Winfyre is nice. It feels like home.” Her eyes went huge. “Oh. Will!”

I turned and saw a tall, long-limbed figure slouching across the sand. Immediately, my blood began to hum in warning, and I grasped Cassidy’s hand.

“Rea, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

Cassidy inhaled and pulled me closer. “He’s not alone. I think there are people in the woods.”

“Let’s hear what he has to say and make a run for it,” I said. In my mind, I thought, Luke, where are you when I need you?

“Both Grace sisters,” Will said and stuck his hands in his pockets. He looked tired and more unkempt than the last time I’d seen him, his dark hair in his eyes, his clothing frayed. “Hello.”

“Yes, well, I wasn’t going to come alone,” Cassidy said. “What’s going on? Why here?”

“I wanted to talk alone. Apologize,” Will said and fidgeted. I noticed his nails were bitten, and his gaze kept flicking to the ocean. “After you left, everything got worse.”

“Isn’t that too bad,” Cassidy said in a cool voice. “Maybe you shouldn’t have tried to sell your girlfriend for parts.”

Will flinched, and my gaze flicked between them. Cassidy was glaring at Will, her eyes teary and bright. Then she met my gaze and nodded.

“He was going to collect a bounty on you?” I asked, and her eyes fell. “Oh, Cass. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because I was embarrassed and in denial,” Cassidy said. “I couldn’t handle it, so I convinced myself I was wrong, somehow. Until I woke up and realized how lucky I was to get here. To be free.”

"Cassidy," I said and grabbed her hand. All that bottled-up anger, the lost look in her eyes, and the unwillingness to shift. It had been because of this. "Why did you want to go back?"

The question popped out before I could stop it.

“To find Grandpa.”

“Oh, Cass,” I murmured. “He wanted to stay behind. He made that choice.”

“Give us your information on our grandpa,” Cassidy said, and I joined her in glaring at Will. “And then get lost. Winfyre is not a place for cowards like you, Doherty.”

“Hell yeah, Cass,” I said fervently. “You tell ’im.”

“Um, your grandfather, right. I, uh…” He glanced over his shoulder.

I moved in closer and grabbed his wrist. “Who are your friends, Will?”

“Wh-what?” he asked.

“Who are you buying time for?” I asked. “Are you still trying to capture my sister?” Will’s throat bobbed, his eyes flicking from me to Cassidy. I drew back. “Oh, no.”

“What’s going on?” Cassidy asked. “Rea, no, are they—what did you do?” Her last words were a snarl. “Will, dammit, what is going on?”

Suddenly, Will plunged his hand into his pocket, yanking out a syringe. We both drew back, watching him. His eyes were crazed, his motions erratic and wild.

“Cassidy, run,” I whispered, and we began to edge apart. “Back to the woods.”

“I’m-I’m sorry,” he mumbled and stared at me as though not seeing me. “They said all I had to do was knock you out.” Suddenly I tripped and fell, hard, on my ass. It was like all my training had left me. “They won’t hurt her.”

“Rea!” Cassidy cried. “Get away from her.”

The syringe jabbed down towards my thigh, and I winced, looking away. But a mass of warm fur slammed into me, and I rolled out of the way, no metal piercing my skin.

Raising my head, I looked around for Luke, but it wasn’t shaggy, dark gray fur. It was smooth and black, glinting with gold in the bright sunlight.

Something moved out of the corner of my eye, and I looked up. Will was scrambling away, horrified, and began to run. Men in dark uniforms were pouring out of the trees, and a boat edged around the peninsula. I blinked and turned back to the animal lying next to me.

It was a panther.

Raspy breaths exuded from its nose, and its large, gold-green eyes struggled to focus on me.

“Cassidy.”

The syringe was sticking out of her side. I seized and threw it.

“No, why did you do that? Shift back, please.” She went still. “Cass? Cassidy!”

Shouts came from down the beach. Skrors and the SB, getting closer and closer.

I couldn’t leave her.

I tried to call forth my stupid Rift abilities, to call for help, for anything, but it didn’t work. I was too panicked, too focused on trying to rouse my sister. Hoping Luke would come.

But I was all alone.

They can’t get Cassidy, I thought and placed my hands on her warm sides. Maybe I could purge the sedative like I did the poison, wake her up so she could make a run for it. I’d sacrifice my life for my sister’s. That’s what an elder sibling did.

I’m sorry, Luke.

Only, those abilities weren’t working, either.

In another second, the men had surrounded us, pointing weapons and barking orders not to move. I could only imagine how it looked, a dark-haired girl in a green dress, half-covered in sand, protecting an unconscious black panther.

“Isn’t this quaint?” purred a voice, and the men parted. A woman stalked forward, flipping her hair and smiling at me. She was a bottle blonde with bright red lips and fluttering eyes. “Hello, are you Ms. Reagan Grace? You’re a hard woman to find.”

I didn’t answer, and she laughed as Sarrow stalked up next to her, then a man who had to be Jim Terthal. He looked vaguely familiar as he frowned at me.

“Are we sure this is her? Shouldn’t she be able to wake her sister up?” he asked.

"From what the Excris said, her powers are sporadic. Otherwise, the vryke wouldn’t have half-formed like that,” Sarrow grunted. “But I’ve seen her in action.” His lips twitched. “Where’s your boyfriend? I’d like for him to see this.”

“Oh, are you seeing my ex, too?” Lind asked and clapped her hands. “This is truly like a Shakespearean play.” My teeth clenched. I had never wanted to punch anyone so badly. “Anyhow, like I said, it took us ages. First, my fault for not paying attention to dear Billy’s story.” Sarrow made an irritated sound. “And then, trying to find someone who knew the Graces. Dear, dear, do you know all your relatives are dead?”

My stomach lurched as she shook her head. For a moment, I was glad Cassidy was asleep.

“Leave my sister, and I’ll come with you,” I said.

“Oh, is that what this thing is?” Lind asked and wrinkled her nose. “Sure, why not?”

“Oh, no, a young female panther,” Terthal said and studied her. “Look at that coat. She’s magnificent. We should really take her."

“No, please,” I begged. “I’ll come with you. I’ll do anything. Leave her.”

“Oh, I don’t care either way,” Lind said. “All I want is the elder Grace.”

Mind boiling with panic, I shook my head, trying to think of something, anything, to save my sister. If only she would wake up so she could run, so another Grace wouldn’t have to die…

My hands gripped Cassidy’s fur, and warmth rushed through my veins.

“What is she doing?” Lind cried.

“Get back!” Sarrow shouted.

It was too late. Power rose up in me, a swirl of gold and crimson, burning against my eyelids. My blood hummed, warmth rolling between me and my sister, a bond that held true and fast. It rang between us, and energy surged into Cassidy, waking her up.

The excess crackled off, releasing into the air around us and knocking everyone down. I wobbled, a hand on Cassidy’s side as the black-furred creature got to her feet and looked at me. A satisfied growl tore from her throat.

“Run, Cass,” I said. “Escape. Get help.”

Instead, Cassidy let out an earth-shaking roar, and the Skrors who were picking themselves up went flying. Power sang through her, and she stalked forward, roaring again. My eyes went wide as Cassidy stood between me and these men, tail lashing, itching for a fight. I could almost—no, I could: I could sense the energy in her, the energy all around us.

“This is what they wanted,” I murmured.

But it wasn't quite awake yet. Like there was another click of the key to go. My ears pricked up, sensing a disturbance in the forest. The air rippled and churned.

“The vryke.”

A scream pierced the air, which then came alive with shouts. One rose above the rest. Terthal.

“What are those things?”

I turned and saw three huge figures stalking out of the forest.

“Barrowmen,” I murmured, the name jumping to my lips.

Terthal leaped to his feet and leveled a weapon at them. A gasp of horror escaped me as the Excris stalked by, flicking a finger and turning him into a pile of ash.

“Oh God,” I said as the vryke hissed at the Barrowmen, and they drew ugly staffs with spiked ends from the depths of their cloaks. The Skrors between us and the Excris were looking dazed, seeking orders, but Sarrow was unconscious.

Suddenly, Lind appeared, a small shotgun in her hand. “Get up,” she hissed, her eyes wild and her hair in her eyes. “You’re coming with me, or I’m taking your blood. Either way, I win.”

I slowly stood up, hands held up in a gesture of peace, and Cassidy snarled. “No, Cass.”

As I moved forward, Lind nodded. “Okay, now—”

A growl tore through the air from beyond the tree line and rumbled through the earth. The Skrors began to run, while even the Excris cowered.

Lind’s jaw was sagging as she looked around, the gun pointing at the ground. I took advantage of her distraction to deliver a quick jab to her wrist, sending the weapon flying.

As Lind looked around at me, my fist was already coming towards her face.