Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
We leave in a rush, grabbing just enough stuff to get us through the night.
We’re not going far, and Asheville has plenty of stores if we really need something.
Antonio packs up the few weapons I have here at this house, and Devon helps grab all the supplies I need to cast the locator spell.
I’m running low on a few herbs, but the kitchen is always well stocked at the Russo compound.
The pizza comes right as we’re getting ready to head out the door. I can tell by the look on Xavier’s face he’s struggling with not wanting anyone to have food in the car vs the fact that Antonio and I are human and need to eat.
The latter wins, and I'm even scared to bite into a slice of pizza while sitting shotgun in the G-Wagon. Devon and Antonio are in the back, and Devon is curiously staring at the pizza.
“I used to love that,” he says, tipping his head. “Now it’s like looking at dog food. It doesn’t necessarily gross me out but I have no desire to eat it.” He shrugs. “It’s just weird.”
I finish chewing the food that’s in my mouth and turn, looking at him and then Antonio. “I think this family could keep an entire therapy practice in business for a year or more.”
Antonio lets out a snort of laughter and picks up another slice of pizza from the box sitting on his lap.
It hits me right then why he and Devon have bonded so quickly.
They both had their human lives stripped from them before their time.
Devon came back as a vampire, and Antonio was brought back by a demon.
Not the same, but not so different in the end.
“You should probably call Leo,” Antonio says as a few miles are put between us and our house. “Make sure he’s not home. Or make sure he didn’t bring anyone home. I’ve walked in on that once. Never again.”
I laugh, but my amusement is surface level right now.
With shaky hands, I call Leo and get his voicemail.
Dammit. I call again. And again. If he’s not answering on the third ring, then his phone is not near him.
I text him, telling him to call back ASAP, and then put my phone in the cupholder.
I force myself to eat one more slice of pizza and then close the box, carefully holding it on my lap.
Xavier drives fast, passing cars both left and right on the interstate.
Maybe twenty minutes later, Leo calls back. “Hey,” I say. “You’re on speaker. Xavier, Toni, and Devon are in the car. Please tell me you’re home.”
“Uh, yeah. I just got out of the shower and saw your calls. What’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you when I get there.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” he says and I hear a male voice in the background.
My mouth drops and I whirl around, looking at Antonio, but he doesn’t instantly recognize the voice.
“Oh my god,” I say to Leo. “Is that fucking Patrick?”
“Maybe,” Leo grumbles.
“I told you what I would do if you hooked up with that no-good piece of shit user again, didn’t I?”
“It’s not that deep, Wren, and don’t you have bigger fish to fry right now?”
“You’re lucky a demon has a contract on my soul and is actively trying to kill me right now.
” I set my jaw. It’s easy for me to tell someone to walk away from a toxic relationship when I myself wasn’t able to leave Ryder for nearly a year when all the signs were there that he was never going to do what he had to do so we could be together.
“He better be gone by the time we get there and we’re like an hour-ish out. ”
“Be discreet,” he tells me and I can hear him walking through the house. A door closes behind him. “Sector Four just got back from a big hunt and everyone and their mother are out celebrating.”
“That’s why your soon-to-be leprechaun boyfriend is in town,” I chide.
“Huh? Oh, right. The curse,” he says and I’m surprised he remembered I threatened to curse Patrick to only speak with a terrible Irish accent.
“Get weapons ready.”
“Which ones?”
“All of them.” I end the call and hyper focus on the Patrick drama for the next several miles, telling Xavier about the jerk who breaks up with Leo anytime they start to get close.
Xavier listens intently, reaching over to take my hand.
He knows I’m not really telling him about my brother’s situationship drama but am trying to distract myself.
God, I love that man.
We go around back, entering the Russo compound from the side door. Right before I can punch in the code, Leo opens the door. Xavier steps right in, holding my hand as we enter.
“Um, I was going to say I invite you in,” Leo starts. “But I guess you don’t need to be invited?”
“He’s been here before,” I quickly explain, moving in so the others can follow. “I invited him and I think I had just been, uh, removed so the house maybe thought I was still a resident? I actually have no idea how that rule works.”
“Ditto,” he says and welcomes the rest of the party inside.
“This is where you grew up?” Devon asks, though it’s more of a statement as he looks around. The compound gives both bootcamp and boarding school vibes, with an interesting mix of personal items and a sterile, corporate setting.
“Brings back memories,” Mabel says softly, holding Zeke’s hand with an iron grip. “We had a place like this, too.” Right, she was raised in the Order as well…just like a hundred years ago. “Crazy, things haven’t changed too much.”
“The Order can be set in their ways,” Antonio says and sets a bag of weapons down. Leo leads us into the dining room, which looks very much like a cafeteria. I’ve sat at this long table many times, listening to the older Order members discussing complicated hunts, going over rules and a game plan.
“I’m guessing you already know there’s a rumor going around you’re into sisters,” Leo starts, looking at Antonio snuggly.
“Yes,” Antonio replies flatly. “We’re handling it.”
Leo raises his eyebrows, silently questioning Antonio saying “we”.
“Of course, those photos are being circulated in our circle, too. No one thinks you and Wren are bumping nasties, but the rumor you’re a vampire seems much more plausible because Antonio Russo, the Order’s golden boy, would never be seen parading around with the Malus vampires. ”
I put the bag of spell supplies on the table. “What did you say in response?”
“Nothing yet,” Leo says. “By some miracle, I've been able to avoid it. That’s partly why I chose to stay in tonight.”
Antonio gives him a look. “I’m sure Patrick being in town had nothing to do with it.”
“It was a good cover.”
“Is that all it is?” Now it’s my turn to stare at Leo dubiously.
He looks me straight in the eyes. “Yes.”
“Wren,” Xavier says softly and I nod, knowing I need to get to work. We set up for the spell and I hold a cross necklace that belongs to Vivian. It was a Mother’s Day gift from Larissa years ago, and she wore it any day she wasn’t on a hunt.
I clear my mind, take a breath, and focus on the spell. Everything is laid out and ready. Picking up the necklace, I close my eyes and chant.
“Ad te clamo. Te ipsum revela. Ostende mihi locum tuum. Ad te clamo. Te ipsum revela. Ostende mihi locum tuum.”
The herbs vibrate, moving fast this time. We put out a map of the whole USA, not sure where Vivian would be. From there, we’ll narrow it down. They gather in a spot in central North Carolina.
“She’s still here?” I ask and then wait as Devon and Zeke quickly transfer things to a map of North Carolina. I need to give Devon credit for being so thorough and prepared with all the maps.
I repeat the entire process again, and the herbs move into place.
“The Seely Castle?” Devon questions, looking at the map. “She’s at the Seely Castle right here in Asheville?”
“Fred Seely was a big supporter of the Order,” Antonio explains. “He supported the actual cause of hunters protecting humanity, and it was because of his donations that there are so many hunters in this area today.”
“Huh,” I say, learning something new. I’m sure it was taught to me at some point but didn’t seem important enough to remember. “Why would Vivian be there though?”
“She’s not at Overlook Castle,” Antonio goes on. “But she’s on the grounds. There’s a carriage house kept out of the public eye that has been offered as a safe house for hunters for the last hundred years or so.”
“If she’s there, she’s probably in hiding,” Leo says with a nod and then looks up.
I lower my hand, letting the little cross fall to the table. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”