Chapter 15 Ready for Screaming #2
My mind spun with possibilities. Now, how to lure her out? How to make her come to me? I needed something irresistible. Something she couldn’t ignore.
And then I saw them.
The husbands. All three of them, striding across the lawn like they owned the world.
Zane, with his fiery red hair, Koa, dark and brooding, and Casimir, blond and annoyingly perfect.
They were heading toward the garage, the dire wolf pup trotting at their heels.
My lip curled in disgust. That stupid wolf.
Serafina’s little pet. I still didn’t understand why Mother hadn’t simply destroyed it.
A rare moment of pity, no doubt, when Serafina begged to keep him.
I watched as they climbed into their SUV. Of course they’d leave her behind. I didn’t care where they were going. All that mattered was that they were gone and she was alone.
Vulnerable.
Mine.
I waited as long as I could stand it, which wasn’t long.
The moment the SUV disappeared down the drive, I was moving.
My magic surged, hot and eager, as I rose above the water surface and conjured the illusion with a flick of my fingers.
That stupid dire wolf. Or at least, a perfect copy of him.
He appeared on the shore, and I sent him bounding up toward the manor, barking in distress, his cries sharp and desperate.
It didn’t take long. A Latino boy, one of the servants probably, appeared at the back door, his eyes widening as he spotted the pup. He hesitated, then turned and bolted back inside. I grinned, my heart pounding with anticipation.
It was working!
And then she appeared.
Serafina. My stepsister. My victim. She stepped out onto the lawn, her honey-gold hair catching the light, her gray eyes wide with concern. She looked delicate, like a single touch would shatter her. It made me want to scream with excitement.
She followed the illusion pup without hesitation, her steps quick and purposeful. Of course she did. Of course she’d come running to save her precious wolf. She was so predictable. So pathetic.
I sank deeper into the water, letting it swallow me until only my eyes and nose were visible. I was so close, so close to ruining her. So close to making her pay. How dare she think she deserved happiness! How dare she think she could escape us!
The illusion wolf stopped at the edge of the lake, whining softly. Serafina knelt, her hand outstretched, her voice gentle.
“Brummy? What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
I almost laughed. Sweetheart. How sickening.
She was right there. Right at the water’s edge. Right where I wanted her.
Smirking, I slipped beneath the surface, the water closing over my head like a curtain. The world above was muffled, distorted, but I could still see my prey. She was wading into the shallows now, her dress dragging in the water, her voice trembling as she called out to the illusion wolf.
“Brummy! Are you hurt?” Her voice was frantic. I could hear the fear in it, the desperation. It was delicious.
I floated closer, my movements slow and deliberate. The water was my ally, my cloak. She didn’t see me. Not yet. But she would.
Oh, she would.
“Where are the others?” Her voice rose in panic as she called, “Zane? Koa? Casimir?” She glanced over her shoulder, toward the manor, as if expecting them to appear. “Did something happen? Are you here? I thought you took the car—”
I almost laughed. The sound bubbled up in my chest, but I swallowed it down. She was so scared. So confused. It was perfect.
And then she saw me.
Her eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. For a moment, she just stared, frozen in place. A bride. Floating in the lake. It must have looked like something out of a nightmare. And then, slowly, the realization dawned on her. Her face paled, her lips parting in a silent gasp.
“Eluned?” she whispered.
That was my cue.
I surged upward, the water cascading off me in a torrent.
My gown clung to me, heavy and sodden, the weight of it dragging me down.
I stumbled, my feet sinking into the mud, and for a moment, I was flailing, splashing, my grand entrance ruined by the sheer impracticality of a waterlogged wedding dress.
I cursed under my breath, shoving the skirts aside, but it was no use.
I was a mess. A dripping, muddy, furious mess.
But it didn’t matter. I was here. And so was she.
“Hello, dear stepsister,” I said, my voice dripping with mock sweetness. “Miss me?”
“What are you doing here?” Her eyes were wide, her hands trembling as she took a step back. “How did you—”
I didn’t let her finish. Fisting my head, I cracked open the bauble Ondine had given me. It glowed faintly in my hand, the magic pulsing like a heartbeat, before I threw it in the water.
Seconds later, a monster rose, breaking the surface with a roar that shook the air.
The enormous crawdad’s dull red scales glistened in the sunlight, its eyes glowing with malevolent light.
She screamed, stumbling backward, but the beast was already moving, its pincers snapping as it lunged for her.
I grinned, triumph burning through me. This was it! This was the moment!
Serafina’s perfect little world was about to come crashing down, all because of me!
#
Seri
I carried the breakfast tray down to the kitchen, my steps light, but my mood just a little disgruntled. The tray was empty now except for a few crumbs and a smudge of jam on the edge of the plate. Breakfast in bed had been a lovely surprise, but it hadn’t quite made up for being left behind.
Not that I didn’t understand why. Brumous was too devoted to me. If I’d gone with them on this quick hunt, he would have been too focused on keeping me safe to pay attention to the training. It made sense, but still, I hated being left out.
The kitchen was warm and fragrant, the scent of fresh bread and simmering soup filling the air. I was just setting the tray on the counter when I heard it.
Barking. Sharp, frantic barking.
My head snapped up, and I turned toward the back door just as Addison burst in.
“Abuela,” he called, his voice high with alarm. “It’s Senor Lobo, not a stray! But I thought he went with the princes!”
At the same time, Mrs. Wentzel and I said, “He did.”
“That’s impossible.” The chef wiped her hands on her apron, her brow furrowed. “They just left.”
My heart skipped a beat. Brumous? Here? Without my boys? I moved toward the door, but Mrs. Wentzel stepped in front of me, her expression stern.
“Lady Seri, stay inside. Let me handle this.”
I hesitated, my hand on the doorframe. Brumous’ barking grew louder, more insistent. He sounded distressed, and I couldn’t just stay here.
“I’ll be careful,” I said, slipping past her before she could stop me.
I stepped onto the patio, shielding my eyes against the sunlight. There he was. Brumous. Halfway up the slope that led down to the lake. He barked again, his eyes fixed on me, then turned and looked back toward the lake.
“Come, Brummy,” I called, my voice trembling.
For the first time ever, he didn’t come when I called him. Instead, he danced in place, his gaze darting between me and the lake. It was as if he wanted me to follow him. But why? My stomach churned with unease. Something wasn’t right.
I hurried to the little garage and pulled out the golf cart. Brumous loved riding in it, his ears flapping in the wind as we zipped around the grounds. But this time, he didn’t jump in. He just kept barking, his eyes fixed on the lake.
“Brummy, come on,” I pleaded, but he didn’t budge.
Addison and Mrs. Wentzel were calling after me now, their voices faint in the distance.
“Lady Seri, come back!”
But I couldn’t. Not when Brumous was so upset. Not when something might have happened to my mates.
Had they changed their plans? Decided to train him by the lake instead? But why wouldn’t they have told me? And why was Brumous alone?
Ignoring the gravel path, I drove the golf cart straight down the slope, my hands gripping the wheel tightly. Brumous ran ahead, his barks growing more frantic as we neared the water. When I reached the edge of the lake, I parked the cart and got out, my heart pounding.
“Brummy? What’s wrong sweetheart?” I called, but he was already wading into the shallows, his paws splashing in the water.
I hesitated, then kicked off my new sneakers and set them aside. The water was cold, biting at my ankles as I stepped in, but I barely noticed. All I could think about was Brumous. About the others. About what might have gone wrong.
“Brummy! Are you hurt?”
I waded deeper, the water soaking the hem of my lavender t-shirt dress, and I pulled up the bottom of Casimir’s sweater to keep it dry. It was butter-soft cashmere and soaked with his moonflower scent, the two reasons I’d stolen it from his closet this morning.
Suddenly, Brumous stopped and turned to look at me, his eyes wide and pleading. And then he barked again, a sharp, desperate sound that sent a chill down my spine.
Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.
“Where are the others? Zane? Koa? Casimir? Did something happen? Are you here? I thought you took the car!”
And then I saw her.
At first, I thought it was a trick of the light. A reflection, maybe, or a shadow beneath the surface. But no. My breath caught in my throat, my chest tightening with suffocating fear, as I realized she was really there.
Eluned. Floating in the water like a drowned bride from a twisted fairy tale. Her white gown billowed around her, pale and ghostly, her brown hair fanned out like a dark halo.
Her eyes were open, staring up at me, and for a moment, I couldn’t move.
Couldn’t breathe. It was like the last few weeks had never happened, and I was back in my old house, back under their cruel hands, their mocking laughter ringing in my ears.
They’d taken everything from me. My magic, my confidence, my sense of safety.
And now she was here. In Evermere. My sanctuary.
“Eluned?” I whispered, my voice trembling.
She rocketed to her feet, water cascading off her in sheets, her gown clinging to her like a second skin. Her lips curled into a smile, sharp and vicious, and she said the words that sent a chill down my spine.
“Hello, dear stepsister. Did you miss me?”
I stumbled back in a panic. This couldn’t be happening. Not now.
“What are you doing here? How did you—”
She hurled something into the water. Seconds later, the lake erupted.
The creature was monstrous. A crawfish, but unlike any I’d ever seen. It was the size of an elephant, its armored shell rusty red, its claws snapping as its fan-like tail thrashed. Propelling itself through the shallows, it lashed out with its whip-like antennae and dragged itself onto the shore.
I screamed, stumbling backward, my hands flailing for something, anything, to defend myself.
My magic. I needed my magic. But when I reached for it, all I found was a mere spark in the aching hollow that should have been slopping over with power.
Still, it was what I had, and I hurled it at the creature.
It hit, but the flash of silver fizzled against the crawfish’s hard shell.
“Brumous?” I shouted. Where had he gone?
Then it hit me, sending a fresh wave of panic through me. That wasn’t Brummy. Eluned always had been good at illusions. All the Harrows were.
The crawfish was not an illusion, however. It lunged, its claws snapping, and I scrambled back, my feet slipping in the mud. Screaming, I looked around frantically, my eyes darting for something to use as a weapon.
I heard shouting, faint voices growing louder.
Hoping it was my husbands, I spun and saw Addison running toward me, his face set in a fierce determination I’d never seen before.
He held a cleaver in each hand and moved with surprising speed.
Behind him, Mrs. Wentzel was running, too, something clutched to her chest. But they were too far away to help me, and I couldn’t outrun this thing.
My eyes landed on a branch lying nearby.
It was a sturdy-looking stick, like a walking staff, and I lunged for it, my fingers closing around the rough wood just as the crawfish’s antennae whipped toward me.
I swung the branch with all my strength, the impact jarring my arms as it connected.
The monster let out a guttural hiss, its claws flailing wildly as it reeled back, disoriented.
I tightened my grip on the branch, my mouth set in a grim line. I wasn’t about to let Eluned, never mind some overgrown lobster, steal my new life from me.