Chapter 30
30
ROMAN
“ C all Ambrose and Odie.” Bram and I barely have my parents’ house in our rear-view mirror. I have Josephine’s little sister on mute so she doesn’t hear the growled command to my brother. Fear drags a cold finger down my spine. How many more times can Josephine go through this?
“Pen, I’m going to stay on the phone with you until we get there. I may not be talking, but I’m here. If you need anything, just say it. Or if you want to talk, we can do that too. Josephine said you’re pretty good at art in school. Do you wanna tell me about that?”
“Not really.” Penelope sounds annoyed at the question.
I chuckle. “How about Jeremiah Fairfax? I heard he’s being a little asshole.”
“Jo,” Penelope whispers on the other end of the phone. “You told him about that?”
Next to me, Bram softly speaks with Ambrose. He’s heard the entire conversation and knows exactly where we’re headed. He hangs up his phone and nods at me, quietly whispering that Ambrose is going to get Odie. They’ll meet us there.
Bram parks a few homes down from the Delvaux house. There’s a screech of tires, and Ambrose whips around the corner. He parks like he’s in a fucking heist movie. I suppose we’re about to perform a breakout of some sort, so it fits. Bram and I get out of the car, and the wind immediately lashes my exposed skin. I turn up the collar of my coat and shove my hands in my pockets. When it’s this cold out, I have to be careful. My fingers could be purple, and I won’t know until I look at them.
Odie, Bram, Ambrose, and I stand on the corner in a huddled group.
“Bram didn't say much on the phone.” Ambrose rubs his hands together, blowing on them like that’s going to keep them warm in this frigid temperature. He must’ve already left his parents earlier because he’s in a hooded sweatshirt and jeans. I know that would not be acceptable attire at a Roth event.
He flips his hood up to cover his head and bounces in place. Odie has it the worst, though. She’s wearing a dress and heels. She stands with her arms crossed, glaring down the street at the Delvaux house, as if she already knows what’s happened.
“Ambrose, we need a diversion.” Ambrose has illusion magic. Some of the strongest I’ve ever seen. “We need to get Josephine and her little sister out of the house.”
Ambrose frowns down the street. “Isn’t her younger sister kind of a dick?”
Odie's hands fly as she signs. “She has two sisters. The youngest isn't even in high school yet, right?”
“Right, the one from the parade. She’s sassy.”
“That’s who called me. Her name is Penelope. She’s only twelve. Josephine’s out of it. Like the night of the full moon.”
“How did that happen?” Ambrose snaps.
“I don’t know. We don’t have time for this. We need to get them out, and unless we want to start a war between the covens, we need to do it without letting them know it was us.”
Ambrose grins. “It's been a while since I’ve gone full-blown. This is going to be fun.”
I still have Penelope on the phone, even though neither of us has been talking to each other. “Penelope? Are you still there?”
“Yes. Are you here?” she whispers, sounding so damn scared. It breaks my fucking heart.
“We’re outside. Where are you and Josephine?”
“The library.”
“Good.” At least I know where to find that room. “Listen, my friend has illusion magic. You might see or hear something strange, but don’t move from the library. We’ll be there to get you out. Just hold tight. I’m going to hang up now, but we’ll see you in a few minutes.” Penelope whispers a scared goodbye, and I take a steady breath.
Ambrose is strong, but he can’t weave an illusion from half a block away. Between me and Bram, we can pull the shadows in close, cloaking the four of us until we might as well be invisible. Odie brings a fog rolling in. Besides her siren powers, she’s the best at wielding the elements.
Ambrose rubs his hands together, a skip in his step as he heads toward the house. “Let’s go.”
As soon as we reach the front door, Bram steps forward. He lifts his hand to do an unlocking spell, but hesitates. Then he reaches out and turns the knob. The door opens without any impediment. “Why would it be locked when there’s a houseful of people inside?” Bram shrugs.
Now that we’re in the house, Ambrose is close enough to weave his spell. He steps off to the side of the room and closes his eyes, a smile on his face. “Keep those shadows close, boys. I have a feeling we’re going to have some runners.”
Sure enough, within seconds, screams pour out from a room down the hall. The thunder of running feet hitting the wood floors reaches us moments before a collection of men and women in finery come sprinting our way. At their feet are scurrying rats, cockroaches, and enough spiders to give me a lifetime of nightmares.
I leave Ambrose to continue his work, knowing that between his illusions and the Blackthorn shadows, we’re disguised. I sprint up the steps, this time using the staircase at the front of the house. No more sneaking around after this.
Bram is right at my heels, but Odie stays with Ambrose to watch his back. The fear I feel for Josephine is staggering. I need to get her out of this house, away from these people.
I reach the library in record time, pushing inside slowly. Josephine is curled up on her side in a cocktail dress that a depressed housewife would wear. A miniature version of her is sitting on the floor, close but not touching. Penelope. Her arms are wrapped around her knees as she looks at Jo like she’s afraid she’ll stop breathing if she takes her eyes off her.
“Penelope.” I keep my voice low, not wanting to startle her. Her head still jerks up. Her green eyes look so much like her sisters as they grow wide and then narrow.
“Mr. Blackthorn.”
“Come on now. It’s Roman.”
She blows out a relieved breath, and her entire body deflates. Tears unleash and stream down her face. “Thank God. Please help her.”
I drop down to my knees, brushing back a lock of hair that’s escaped from the very matronly bun at the back of Josephine’s neck. I look over at Penelope, whose eyes are wide again. “She said you could touch her.”
I nod. “Has she woken up yet?”
“Yes. I think she’s just sleeping now.” Penelope gnaws on her bottom lip. Bram is watching from the door, keeping an eye on the happenings both inside and out in the hallway.
“Can we go?” Penelope asks.
I slip my arms under Josephine’s body. She turns toward me even in her sleep, her nose nuzzling into my chest. I stand, keeping her tight to me. My magic presses against my skin. Not my shadows but the glow of all my power that exists deep inside me. It flows out of me and soaks into Josephine’s skin with a faint glow that I’m not sure anyone else can see. What the hell is this?
I swallow thickly, my heart in my throat. “Yeah. Let’s get out of here.”