Chapter 21 Gia
TWENTY-ONE
GIA
Gia shoved her newly uncovered memories into the depths of her mind, determined to concentrate on helping Aurora. Even if it would never undo the horrific things she’d witnessed—no, things she’d done—she could accomplish something good. Something she wanted to do, not was forced to.
“Are we in the right spot?” Viv asked Aurora, disconcertingly cheerful to be on her way to break into the Thornfield’s property.
“This is the closest the road comes out here,” Aurora confirmed.
Viv had driven Gia and Aurora out of the city in a beat-up old car that smelled like herbs, kind of like Sam’s car had. When Gia had asked, Viv explained it was basic anti-tracking. Not foolproof, but better than nothing.
Why Viv had her car equipped with anti-tracking magic, Gia couldn’t say. Surely she wasn’t on the run, too.
They pulled over on the side of a narrow, unpaved road deep in the forest north of Shearwater Landing. It was surprising how quickly the trees sprang up once they’d passed through the suburbs.
Viv twisted around in the driver’s seat. “You two wait here.” She bounded out of the car and circled around to the trunk.
“Maybe it’s knowing she’s a vampire, but Viv’s not what I expected,” Gia whispered.
Aurora hummed in agreement. “Vampires are a different breed. She’ll be good backup.”
Gia’s heart skipped. “Why do you sound worried?”
“Waiting in the hopes we can figure out if my family actually believes I died isn’t worth it anymore. Not when we have Franco to face. But it occurred to me…the Nightingales could be here.”
Gia clenched a fist. “You mean the guy you were supposed to marry?”
“Him, or his father. Other members of their coven. I wonder what happened to the alliance.”
“Surely it’s been called off, and the Nightingales aren’t around.”
Aurora shook her head. “My uncle was set on his plans to gain power. He’ll find another in with the Nightingales. I’m sure of it. In case they already worked it out, a vampire’s superhuman speed and near-indestructibility will come in handy.”
“It sure will.” Viv appeared at Gia’s window, making her jump. “But let’s not get caught. Mmkay?” She checked her phone. “Edward says the diversion is in place. Ready to go?”
The lawyer had sent several Lockwood Coven members to the section of forest nearest the main entrance, where there was a hiking trail and a park. The plan was for the witches to perform some innocuous rituals while foraging for herbs in order to snag the coven’s attention.
Aurora was certain her family would detect and investigate any magic close to the property, even if it posed no threat.
Everyone agreed it wasn’t a good idea for too many people to break in, since they were going for stealth, not a fight, and with a handful of Lockwoods in the woods on the other side of the compound, it would be the perfect misdirection.
Gia climbed out of the car, followed by Aurora, who floated ahead, leading the way toward the compound’s northernmost boundary.
As they quietly picked their way through the trees, Gia’s skin prickled. She tried to stay in the moment. Concentrate on the plan. On Aurora. On the strange vampire. But her thoughts kept wandering down another path.
Horrific memories slithered through her mind, like she’d stepped into a waking dream.
A nightmare. She did her best not to let the feelings register, reminding herself to look at it all later.
She could fall apart once this was done.
But even if she ignored all the gory details—the guilt—she couldn’t pretend she was the same person who’d woken in bed next to Aurora that morning.
God, had it been only this morning?
The Gia from earlier today had never hurt anyone, didn’t know how to cast a single spell, and had spent much of her life believing she was helpless. The woman she was now—had always been—was capable of making hardened criminals tremble without a care.
Detachment had been another of Franco’s commands. Not simply to be quiet and not cry, but to not feel. Even if she’d had no choice, the memory of standing impassive—being a person without emotion—had become a part of Gia. It was like two people had merged. The old Gia and this hidden thing.
What would she do with this new monster inside her? She could say it wasn’t her. Casting those spells had not been her choice. But the memories were hers. The capability was hers.
Yesterday, Gia would have said she’d never kill Franco. Now, she wasn’t sure. She’d still never kill for power. For her own gain. Not for any of the reasons Franco killed. But to protect herself? To protect Aurora? It’d be much easier to take that step now than it would have been before.
Gia wasn’t sure what to make of that change.
She called on her magic for the first time of her own free will and explored the depths of power within her. It was easier than she’d thought, but then, she’d done it countless times, hadn’t she?
Familiar magic awakened within, and her stomach twisted in anticipation of something terrible. No. Nothing bad was happening. She was safe in the woods with Aurora and Viv. She had control.
All the things she’d done with her magic had been horrid, but it had been terrible to have no choice. One of the most terrible things, perhaps, and nothing like that would happen now. No deadly spells would twist her magic unless she decided.
What would she decide?
As Gia stepped through the trees, she was confident she’d be able to make peace with all her own decisions, but the things she’d done while under Franco’s control were for him to make peace with, and enacting bloody vengeance on him would be deserved.
Aurora’s ghostly form flickered ahead, and Gia let her tense muscles relax.
Aurora understood her. Had stood by her.
And now, Gia could use everything she’d learned to help her.
Letting the Thornfields have a hold over her for even a moment longer wasn’t an option.
Gia wasn’t afraid to take risks like she had been.
She was ready to do what needed to be done.
She searched their surroundings for spells. Up ahead lay a hugely complex tangle of magic, and she stopped in her tracks, stunned she’d detected it so easily.
Aurora halted beside her, pointing toward the mess of magic. “The boundary starts right about there. I can’t feel it, but I’d recognize the edge of the property anywhere along the border.”
How many times had she walked to the edge, unable to go further? Gia shivered.
“Perfect.” Viv knelt and set a small wooden box she’d been carrying on the ground.
Aurora glanced sidelong at Gia. “That’s how we’re breaking in?”
“It is.” Viv flicked the box open and stepped away.
There was a flash of light as what looked like dust erupted from the box. Particles billowed through the air, gradually coming to rest and forming a small translucent wall before them. No, not a wall. It was more like the shape of a door.
With another flash, the dust disappeared, leaving nothing behind. How anticlimactic.
Gia squinted, and a glimmer caught in the late afternoon light. An outline of a door remained, hardly visible. Gia brushed it with her magic but couldn’t sense any power within the outline, even though the rest of the boundary remained unchanged.
She took a step closer. “There’s a hole in the ward.”
“Really?” Aurora swung to face Viv. “Where the hell did you get a trinket like that?”
Viv shrugged and sauntered through the magic door. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
Uncertainty washed over Gia. “Are you serious?”
“It’s a good thing you don’t have to find out,” Viv called over her shoulder from the other side of the broken ward. “Hurry up. We have four hours before the spell wears off and the door closes.”
Aurora floated after the vampire, quickly taking the lead, and Gia hurried to keep up. According to Aurora, they’d entered as far from the main buildings as possible, and weren’t likely to encounter anyone unless they were particularly unlucky.
At a gap in the trees, Aurora paused, and Gia stopped beside her.
“The cemetery is this way.” Aurora pointed ahead. “And the main house and outbuildings are that way.” She pointed to where the forest grew thinner.
They’d agreed for Gia and Aurora to go straight to the crypt while Viv investigated the rest of the compound. In the event Aurora wasn’t in the crypt, they’d reassess from there.
Viv came up behind them, disconcertingly silent on her feet. “I’ll go see what I can find. Anyone headed your way won’t make it.”
Gia didn’t ask exactly what Viv meant, and neither did Aurora. “Should we come find you when we’re done?”
“No. You’re too loud, crashing around.” Viv rolled her eyes. “I’ll meet you at the cemetery in twenty minutes. You shouldn’t need longer to open a crypt.”
Aurora flickered in and out of focus. “Fingers crossed.”
Viv strode off without another word, like this was all perfectly normal. Even to Gia, it wasn’t as strange as it should have been, as it would have been if her life hadn’t turned upside down.
“How are you doing?” Aurora asked, voice painfully soft, almost as if she’d read Gia’s mind.
“How am I doing? How are you doing? This is what you’ve been waiting for.”
Aurora waved a hand. “I’m fine. Retrieving my body was always the plan.” She floated in the direction of the cemetery.
Gia followed. “Being here isn’t hard?”
Aurora’s expression darkened. “No harder than it was any other day in my life. I’m ready to leave this place, these people, and never come back. I’d much rather help you figure out what you want to do next.” She paused. “If you want me to, that is.”
A smile tugged on Gia’s lips. “Of course I want you. I think I’ve wanted that since I met you.”
Aurora glowed brighter, her expression filling with determination. “We’ll—” She disappeared.
Gia froze, her heart pounding, and every one of her senses on alert. “Aurora? Are you invisible?”
There was no answer.
“Aurora!” Gia spun around, searching the surrounding trees.
Not a flicker caught her eye. The cemetery was visible up ahead, a low stone wall at the edge of the trees and several looming crypts beyond. Were they close enough for Aurora to be called to her body? She’d been called to the theater when she hadn’t wanted to go. Was the reverse happening now?
They should have done a better job of figuring out what tied the two of them together and what caused Aurora’s soul to move from one place to another. Fuck! Gia had assumed nothing would separate them until they found Aurora’s body.
“Aurora!” Gia screamed, her pulse pounding. She immediately clamped her mouth shut. What if one of the Thornfields heard her?
Gia ran toward the cemetery. Her feet tangled beneath her, and she fell with a crash, only just catching herself from face-planting.
“Goddammit.” She’d tripped on uneven ground.
Gia pushed up on scraped palms. The dirt beneath her seemed loose compared to the rest of the compact ground around it, and was slightly raised. Like a mound.
Like someone had been digging and then filled in the hole.
A violent shiver vibrated through Gia’s body. Her fists clenched in the loose dirt. This looked like a fresh grave. It was long enough, and about the right shape. But she was outside the cemetery, and there was no marker. Not even a stone or a single flower.
A muffled shout cut through the quiet woods.
Gia sat up like lightning. Was Viv yelling? No, she was too calm and collected. It almost sounded…
Gia looked at the disturbed earth, and everything went icy-cold.
“Oh, god. Aurora?” Was she down there?
Gia scraped frantically at the earth. What if the Thornfields believed Aurora had died but hadn’t put her to rest in the crypt? Being buried outside a cemetery brought to mind old traditions, how churches excluded some people from hallowed ground.
Did witches have similar customs?
“Aurora!” Gia screamed, and her throat threatened to close around the pained sound. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Her hands were a blur as she dug in the dirt. “I’m coming! Please!”
A faint sound replied, almost too muffled to hear. Was that Aurora? Was Gia imagining things? There was no time to think. No way to be sure. How long could a person live buried underground before they suffocated?
If Aurora was in her body, she could die.
Gia’s nails broke as she forced her hands deeper into the earth, clawing faster and faster, heaving sobs tearing from her throat. It wasn’t enough. How deep was the grave? Gia swallowed a scream of agony.
Out of all the things she’d seen, this would be what broke her. She could take anything Franco had done, but not this. Not losing Aurora.
Magic! Gia had magic. Her motions slowed a fraction, but she couldn’t stop digging. Did she know any spells that would help? Could she use magic to find out if Aurora was buried?
She sent her magic forth, probing the earth and hoping to find nothing but proof she was losing her mind.
A flicker responded.
There was someone with magic under there. And detectable power meant they were alive.
A scream tore out of Gia, her throat burning. She could hardly hear her own voice over the blood rushing in her ears. Her bleeding fingers turned numb as she clawed at the dirt, feeling nothing but a hollow, sinking dread.
She directed her power into the earth, letting it burst from her. The ground vibrated, loosening the soil, she released her magic again and again, throwing gobs of dirt to the side, but it wasn’t enough.
Gia gathered her power and slashed her hand violently through the air as she’d done countless times before, sending men flying at Franco’s command, and the earth opened, rocks and dirt exploding into the air. A nearby tree cracked.
It still wasn’t enough. The hole she’d gouged from the earth wasn’t deep enough. Gia did it again, cutting farther into the ground, scooping loose dirt out of the way as fast as she could.
She readied a third hit, and the ground vibrated. Gia hadn’t done that. She froze, and Aurora’s muffled scream shook her to her core.