Broken (Keeper of the Flame Book 4) Read online

  “It looks like…” I peer closer, trying to see through the blood. “Oh my God.”

  Cheyenne crouches next to me. “What?”

  I look up, my eyes meeting Logan’s. “Teeth marks. A bite.”

  “What kind?” James asks.

  “Vampire.”

  I stand, the smell of blood overwhelming me. Logan walks over, gripping my hand and pulling me to him. He mouths something to Ryan over my shoulder.

  “What?” Myra asks. I glance back at her. She’s shaking her head. “No. No. Willow can do something.”

  “He’s dying,” Ryan tells her.

  “It’s not his fault this is happening,” she argues. “He probably had no idea what he was agreeing to when he decided to work with Kane. Ask James. He knows.”

  “Wait, what did you say?” I ask Logan.

  He starts to shake his head.

  “Tell me,” I demand.

  “He’s hurt,” Ryan answers for him, pointing to the form on the ground. “We need to…”

  “Put him out of his misery?” Myra asks. She flashes her teeth at Ryan. “Is that what you’d want someone to do to you?”

  “If I was bitten by a vampire?” Ryan scratches his jaw. “This conversation isn’t going to end well.”

  “Well, you’d better figure it out quick,” James says, backing up a step, “because his wounds are healing.”

  We all look to the man. He’s writhing on the ground, whipping back and forth, and bucking like he’s in pain. Another sound rips from his throat, and then it stops. He’s still like he’s finally passed on.

  Our circle is tight around him. Around us, it’s deathly quiet. Either no one else is coming for the border or they’re waiting until we’re gone. Either way, we need to do something soon.

  Suddenly, the man sits up. Logan tenses next to me. Ryan has his hand on Myra’s arm. The man shakes his head slowly, like he’s trying to clear it.

  “Hey,” Cheyenne says, taking a step closer. “You okay?’

  He looks up at her, opening his eyes. They’re wide and dark in the night. Then he flashes his teeth and springs at Cheyenne. She’s fast, but he still gets a hold of her leg. She topples to the ground. In an instant, Ryan and Logan are on him.

  He snaps his teeth together, snarling and jerking back and forth. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all!”

  “What do we do?” Ryan grunts, trying to hold the man down.

  “He’s a vampire,” James says over the scuffle. “He’ll kill people if we let him go.”

  The man breaks free from Ryan’s hold and jumps on Logan. Logan shoves at his neck, and I panic. Will he get hurt if the other vampire bites him? Rips his throat?

  Summoning the fire to my fingertips, I hold them out, gathering a ball of blue light. With a push of my hands, the light zooms to the vampire, hitting him in the chest.

  He freezes and jerks, like he’s been shocked. Then he catches on fire. Logan scrambles to his feet, getting out of the way, and I slap a hand to my mouth.

  The vampire screams in agony, spinning around to try to put out the fire.

  “Oh God, oh no…” I look at Cheyenne. “I’m–he’s–”

  Logan pulls me to him. “There’s nothing else you could have done.”

  “He’s dying! Put the fire out!”

  When I start for the flames, Logan holds me back. “Willow–”

  “Let go! I can’t–”

  Myra touches my shoulder. “Willow, he’s right. There’s nothing else to do.”

  In a puff of smoke, the vampire explodes. Ash billows out, then floats lazily to the ground, where some dry grass is still on fire.

  I killed a man. I stare at my hands. I’d only meant to stop him. But now he’s dead. I shake my head slowly. “No, this isn’t…”

  “We should go,” Cheyenne says.

  James walks over and stomps on the grass, putting out the stray fire.

  “But…” I look up at Logan, mind reeling with what just happened. My voice catches when I ask, “What about the border?” I ask.

  Logan’s eyes meet mine. “I don’t think there’s anything we can do about that right now.”

  “He’s right,” Myra says again. “Come on, Willow. Let’s go.”

  “I didn’t mean to,” I murmur.

  “I know.” Logan kisses my temple, and urges me to come with him.

  “I just wanted to stop him from hurting you.”

  Logan grips my chin softly, forcing me to look in his eyes. “Willow, we understand. You did what you had to do.”

  “We can go to my place,” Cheyenne says. “It’s probably smart if we stick together tonight.”

  We all separate and walk back to our cars. As we near Logan’s, I see my mother’s shadow in the back seat. She saw the whole thing. The vampire, the fire.

  And me killing someone.

  Chapter 2

  It’s tight in Cheyenne’s house, especially with my mom here and James in our group now. But we make it work. I help my mom get settled in one of Cheyenne’s spare rooms, pulling up her covers like I remember her doing with me when I was a kid.

  “Willow,” she says, reaching for me. “You don’t have to do this. Get some rest.”

  I grab another blanket and drape it at her feet. “Just in case you get cold.”

  “Willow.”

  I smile at her. “You just escaped the hospital. You should probably still be there. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

  “I’m okay. And I didn’t want to be there.”

  “You’ve been through a lot.”

  She frowns. “So have you. And I wasn’t here to help you with it. Just like before.”

  I swallow the hurt those words bring. No, she wasn’t there for me. For most of my childhood, and when Dad died. I understand why she couldn’t leave Shadow Hill, but she still could have told me what was going on.

  I press a hand over my eyes. “It’s not your fault. Just get some rest.”

  “It is,” she insists. “But I want to help now. And be here for you–if you’ll let me.”

  The part of me that’s never had a mother wants to lie in the bed next to her and tell her everything so she can make it better. The part of me that’s been alone this whole time wants to brush it off. But I’m going to need all the help I can get. And my mom’s a witch, too. She can help.

  I have to stop and remind myself I need a mother’s help, too. Not just a witch’s.

  I grasp her hand, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I want you to be here.”

  Faye’s face breaks into a smile. Even though she’s tired, and she’s been asleep for weeks, so looks so alive right now. Like I remember from a long time ago. “You need to get some sleep, Willow.”

  “I’m not tired.”

  “You used a lot of energy tonight. It’s going to catch up with you.”

  All I can picture are the flames flying from my fingertips, and the vampire catching on fire. The screams still echo in my head.

  “It’s not your fault,” Faye says, as if reading my mind.

  “We might have been able to help him.”

  “Or he might have killed us all. New vampires are very unpredictable.”

  For some reason that makes me think of Logan. I haven’t asked him how he’s dealing with everything yet. Or Myra. Or the others, for that matter. They’ve lived in Shadow Hill a while, so they’re used to the urges. But now everything is heightened.

  “Willow,” Faye says, squeezing my hand, “listen to me. I want to tell you that you did the right thing because you’re my daughter, and I want to make you feel better. But I’m going to tell you that you did the right thing as a witch. As someone who knows how out of hand all this can get, I’m telling you: You did the right thing.”

  I try to smile at her, but it comes off as more like a grimace. “I don’t know.”

  “Believe it. We’re deep into this now, and before it’s all over, someone might get hurt. You need to understand that it’s your job to keep
people safe. And that’s what you did tonight.”

  And I remember that’s what my mom’s been doing the whole time. Sending me away with my dad, staying in Shadow Hill alone…she was keeping people safe. She was trying to keep me safe, and trying to keep the town safe. Ryan and Cheyenne and every other innocent person out there.

  I never understood that as a kid, didn’t even know her reasoning until recently. But now, after all these years, I can see her place here. See why she had to leave me and Dad behind. I can even respect it.

  I lean down and hug her. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome,” she whispers. “Go to bed.”

  Standing, I give her another smile, and then turn off the light on my way out. I pass the other spare room, where Ryan and Myra are, and hear low voices. I catch a few words, and then keep walking, not wanting to eavesdrop.

  Downstairs, it’s quiet. I don’t see James in the living room, where Cheyenne offered him the couch, so I walk to the den. Logan’s opened up the pullout couch and made up the bed. When he turns and sees me, his entire face changes.

  “Willow,” he says, walking straight to me and wrapping his arms around me.

  He holds me tight enough to constrict my breath.

  “Are you okay?” I ask.

  “Fine,” he murmurs, lips close to my ear.

  I pull back, studying his face. “I mean…with the vampire thing?”

  My eyes dip to his mouth, where I’ve seen the fangs.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Is it…hard?” I ask. “I mean, back at the border there was so much blood.”

  The image rolls through my mind again and my stomach twists. I wish I hadn’t thought of it. But my mom’s right, before this is over, people might get hurt.

  “I’m more worried about you,” he says, studying my face the same way I’d studied his.

  “What about Myra? You think she’s okay?”

  “Willow. Can you please focus on yourself for a minute?” he asks. He steps to the side. “Sit down.”

  I frown at the demand in his tone.

  “You’ve been through a lot today,” he says, voice softening.

  The same thing my mom said. Irritated, I mumble, “We’ve all been through a lot today.”

  “Yeah, and we all had each other. You were doing it alone. Against Kane–”

  “I wasn’t alone. James helped me.”

  Logan winces at his name, and drops his chin so he’s staring at his shoes. He props his hands on his hips.

  “Why do you hate him so much?” I ask.

  His eyes whip to mine, a flash of silver going through them. “Why do I hate him? He was there, Willow! He helped Kane take you away that night and–”

  He breaks off and takes a deep breath. He glances to the door, and then lowers his voice. “I don’t trust him.”

  “Your eyes are…different,” I say.

  He blinks, surprised by the change in topic. “Your hands glow blue, too. We’re all different now, Willow.”

  I sink to the edge of the bed, staring at my hands. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  He sits next to me, taking my hand. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I don’t trust James, but I know he helped you. And he was there for you when we couldn’t be.”

  I stare at our linked hands. The weight of it all settles in. I’ve reversed the spell. Completely. I did exactly what my mom and Cheyenne and Ryan were trying to prevent. Not only that, I did it when there were a dozen paranormals in town.

  “Willow?”

  “Hmm?”

  Logan touches my cheek. “I’m worried about you.”

  I swallow, almost afraid to meet his eyes. I’ve made him into a vampire. I’ve made Cheyenne a werewolf, and Ryan a shapeshifter. And I’ve done even worse. “I killed a man tonight. With my bare hands. I–it’s not an easy thing to get over.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about,” he says, voice low. “But Willow…”

  I press my hands over my face. “I don’t care that we didn’t have a choice. I’ve never killed someone before.”

  His arms come around me. “Willow. God, I don’t know what to say.”

  I lean into his embrace. “Just understand.”

  “I do understand. I do.”

  Lifting my chin, I kiss him on the lips. Then I turn to wrap my arms around his neck. He leans back against the couch cushions, dragging me with him.

  “This is all just…”

  “Fucked up,” I answer for him, crawling into his lap. “I don’t want to deal with it. I don’t…”

  I shake my head. It’s too much right now.

  “I missed you,” I say.

  He tips my chin again, tongue sliding along my lips until my mouth opens. “I missed you, too. I don’t ever want to be away from you like that again.”

  “Me either.”

  He buries his face in my hair, breathing in deep as I slide my hands under his shirt. His muscles flex beneath my fingers, and this time he exhales.

  “Willow,” he murmurs.

  I shift on his lap, grabbing the hem of his shirt to pull it off. Then I hear a noise. It’s low, far away, and sounds a lot like a twig snapping underfoot.

  Logan tenses beneath me and I meet his eyes. “You heard that?”

  He frowns. “You heard that?”

  My heartbeat picks up. What if it’s Kane? Or Wes?

  “Where’s James?” I ask, getting off Logan’s lap and standing.

  “He said he was going to do a protection spell outside. Willow, wait–”

  But I’m already at the door. Logan is right behind me, and I walk down the hall and to the kitchen. It’s dark inside, but I can see well enough to make it to the back door. It’s unlocked.

  “Willow,” Logan whispers.

  I grab his arm and pull him out with me.

  “Dammit, Willow!”

  James is outside on the deck, arms folded and shoulders weary. When he hears us, he turns and frowns. “I thought you were asleep.”

  “We heard something,” I say, walking to the edge of the deck.

  Logan’s tense next to me, and I can’t tell if it’s because of James, because of the noise, or because of our conversation.

  “I spelled a border around the house,” James says. “Further out, actually, so hopefully we’d notice if someone was trying to come through. It’d probably be stronger if you did something, though.”

  “She needs rest,” Logan snaps. “She already did a spell today. You should be strong enough to do a simple protection spell, right?”

  James drops his chin. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Willow, you should get rest.”

  “Why does everyone keep saying that?” I run a hand through my hair, stepping to the edge of the deck. “I’m fine. And James is right, I might be able to add to his spell and make it stronger.”

  My fingertips start tingling again, radiating blue from the tips like they’re lit from within.

  “Willow,” Logan whispers.

  “Someone is nearby.”

  He snaps to attention, eyes scanning the yard. I take a deep breath, visualizing a barrier around the house and the yard. An electric bubble that won’t let any paranormal in. Not only that, it’ll shock them if they try to breach it.

  With a rush of wind, the energy leaves me, blooming into a dome all around us. Caught off guard by the force of it, I stumble backward.

  James catches my arm, alarmed. “Willow.”

  Logan turns, surprise in his eyes. He brushes past James to take hold of me.

  “Sorry,” I whisper, feeling dizzy. “Just a minute.”

  “What was that? What did you do?”

  James gazes to the sky, and then the back of the yard, where a blue haze is buzzing all around. “A protection field…how did you…?”

  Logan glances up, frowning. “What? You can see it?”

  “It’s big,” James says, eyes wide. “And strong.”

  My legs give out and I lean heav
ily against Logan. Enough to make his attention come back to me. “Willow, the spells are taking their toll. We should get inside.”

  “You think it’ll hold?” James asks.

  I can feel its strength. Its power. I nod.

  Logan gazes to the sky again. “You can see it, too?”

  “Yes,” I say, my voice breaking. I cough and try again. “It’s blue. And it should hold for now.”

  “Why can’t I see it?” Logan asks.

  James flashes a small smile. “It must be a witch thing.”

  With a low growl, Logan lifts me in his arms, turning for the door.

  “Logan,” I hiss. “I can walk.”

  “You can barely stand. That’s enough for tonight.”

  I open my mouth, but the flash of silver in his eyes makes me close it again. He’s right, that’s enough for now. We should be safe.

  Logan carries me to the den, setting me on the bed carefully before he straightens.

  “Logan–”

  “I don’t want to argue about this,” he says, taking off his shirt and tossing it on a nearby chair.

  “I don’t want to argue either.”

  “Then let’s get to bed. There are only a few hours until sunrise. The full moon will be gone but there are still paranormals out there.”

  “And we need to figure out what to do.”

  He crouches in front of me to pull off my shoes. “Not now. How do you feel? Dizzy? Sick?”

  “No, I…” I shake my head. “I’m fine.”

  In fact, the energy is coming back. Not the blue in my hands, but my whole body. The same kind of energy I felt after the spell in the circle. Like I’m filled with the power of a dozen people.

  Logan takes off my socks next. “You sure?”

  “Yes. But I’m worried about you. And Myra. And–”

  “Enough,” he snaps. His hand comes up to rub his forehead before he looks at me with pleading eyes. “I’m sorry, but Willow, I need…I need to take care of you right now. I know there’s a whole town full of paranormals out there. I get it. But Myra’s not sick, and you’re safe, and you’ve been gone for weeks. This–this right here”–he squeezes his hands on my knees–“is what’s important right now.”