Chapter 14 #2
I peeked over the rim of my teacup, catching a glimpse of Mr. Hale, Eli’s father, standing rigidly, his posture eerily similar to the one Eli often mimicked.
I would never tell Eli that because his biggest fear was becoming just like his father.
The Hale family had plenty of secrets of their own.
Eli’s mother had left when he was only six, tearing apart his family.
Their split had tainted the Hale name, and in a world like ours, where reputation was everything, that was a stain that could never be washed away.
“You look more like your mother every day,” Mrs. Abbot said, stirring her tea.
Kenna’s body shuddered, rocking back and forth on the couch as she tried to suppress a cough.
“Thank you.” I couldn’t help but smile. My mom and Mrs. Abbot were extremely close before she passed away, and I loved that she was one of the few people who still talked about her.
I took a cautious sip of my tea, testing the temperature so I wouldn’t burn my tongue.
My gaze stayed fixed straight ahead, too afraid to look in Mr. Whitethorn’s direction.
A picture of Kenna and her mom hung lopsided on the wall.
It was an old photo, taken before Mrs. Whitethorn passed away from heart failure when we were in high school.
“It’s about damn time,” Mr. Hale said icily when Eli and Cal finally arrived, checking the time on his diamond-encrusted Rolex.
Eli stiffened at his father’s harsh words, but Mr. Abbot ignored the tension seeping through the room and pulled Cal in for a giant hug.
He stepped back, inspecting his son, and a genuine smile broke across his handsome face.
He patted Eli on the shoulder, respecting his personal space.
“Good, everyone’s here.” Mr. Whitethorn’s tone gave nothing away. I forced myself to meet his stare so he wouldn’t think I had anything to hide. Relief flooded my system because he wasn’t staring at me but at Kenna.
We were all ushered into the dining room and took our usual seats around a large table that looked like it should be surrounded by knights, not dinner guests. Emory sat to my left and Eli to my right, while Cal sat across the table with his family.
Plates piled high with salad were already set before us.
My fork shook in my hand as I tried to stab a few rogue pieces of lettuce drenched in a champagne vinaigrette.
Beneath the table, Eli’s knee bounced hard enough to shake my chair.
The room buzzed with nervous energy, and I was glad I wasn’t the only one who felt it.
Plates of braised beef, vegetables, and mashed potatoes replaced the salads. I stared at the food, unable to stomach eating. I pretended to busy myself by pushing the peas and caramelized carrots around my plate.
After a torturously long meal, Mr. Whitethorn finished his last bite of beef and stood to address the table. His dark charcoal suit fit him to perfection.
Silence fell over the table. Everyone eagerly waited for the reason we’d been summoned tonight.
“Thank you all for coming, especially on such short notice.” His voice oozed with authority. “Over the past few days—” Here it was. He was about to announce that a demon had been released. But maybe he didn’t know who freed him.
“I’ve decided to run for mayor.”
My mouth fell open. I stopped white knuckling my napkin and leaned back in my chair.
“Mayor Thomas approached me a few weeks ago, letting me know he had no intention of running for re-election, and offered me his full support.”
Mr. Abbot tensed at the announcement. Something unreadable flared in his eyes. But Mr. Hale’s sinister smile was much more concerning.
Mr. Whitethorn continued, “I plan to announce my candidacy tomorrow, but I wanted to give you all the courtesy of letting you know before it went public. Tomorrow night, I’ll be throwing a gala to announce it, and I would appreciate it if you all attended.”
“Of course.” Mr. Hale interjected, breaking the silence with a bit too much eagerness.
“I’ve already called John, and he’s made a generous donation to my campaign fund.
” Of course, our dad believed that writing a big, fat check was all it took, as if his duty ended there.
He shifted his attention to us. “Now, what I need from you five is to please keep a low profile, and don’t become a news headline—at least until after the election.
” He hardened his tone at the last part.
We nodded our heads in unison.
In a small town, anything could become a news headline. Literally anything.
The men excused themselves, following one another into the study to discuss business further.
The rest of us sat at the table, picking at the desserts.
The best part about family dinners was the food, and I’d been so riddled with anxiety that I barely tasted any of it.
But that meant I had more room for dessert, and I made sure to try one of each.
Eli sipped on a glass of expensive scotch. He always made sure to have a drink in hand whenever he was forced to spend time with his father.
My phone vibrated on the table. A smile tugged at my lips as I read the message.
Grey: Just making sure you’re not dead in the basement.
Me: Yep, this is my ghost texting you. Prepare to be haunted for the rest of your life.
Grey: I don’t think you’d be able to haunt someone if you tried. You’re more like Casper the friendly ghost.
Me: Rude.
Grey: The book you’re looking for is bound in black leather, with gold initials, V.D., embossed in the bottom right corner.
“Lyra.” Cal called my name.
“What?” I jumped, slipping my phone into my purse.
“Are you going to finish that?” Cal reached across the table. I stuck my fork into the remaining slice of pie and shoved the entire piece into my mouth. Pie filling spilled from the corners of my lips as I smiled at him.
“Gross,” Emory said beside me.
Cal rolled his eyes and grabbed the last piece of carrot cake, dumping it onto his plate. “Mayor Whitethorn does have a certain ring to it.” Cal said around a mouthful of cake.
“Just another form of control,” Eli mumbled into his glass.
I knew he saw the excitement on his father’s face, and for the first time, I wondered what more power would mean for our families.
Mr. Whitethorn had always been frightening, but after finding Grey trapped in the basement, I wondered if he might be a monster dressed in a finely tailored suit.
“They treat us like dogs. Giving us commands and expecting us to follow them blindly.” Eli said. The whites of his knuckles were visible as he finished off his drink.
“Dude, they just want what’s best for us,” Cal said defensively.
Eli stood and walked to the bar cart to pour himself another drink. He let the comment go because we all knew Cal was only talking about his own father.
My purse buzzed, and I didn’t have to see the text to know Grey was asking about the book again. I broke out into a cold sweat as I scanned the room. The men had moved outside to smoke cigars, giving me a small window to look for the spellbook.
It was now or never.
I ventured from the table, pretending to take a phone call. The book would most likely be in Mr. Whitethorn’s study, but if I was caught, it would be difficult to explain what I was doing in there.
Tap, tap, tap. Each step sounded louder than the last. My heels echoed down the never-ending hallway. Heart pounding, I forced myself to keep going, rushing towards Mr. Whitethorn’s study in the back of the house.
Beautiful French doors opened to display an impressive hand-carved wooden desk in the middle of the room. The curtains were drawn wide, allowing moonlight to spill into the study. I didn’t have much time. I skimmed the built-in bookshelves lining the walls of the room.
Black leather. Gold lettering. Old.
Half the books on the shelf met that description, and I didn’t have time to examine each one closely.
Ahhh, I rubbed at my temples. So many books and so little time.
I spun around to check the bookshelves on the other wall when I noticed a stack of books on the desk. On top of the pile was a black leather-bound book with gold lettering.
The desk was meticulously organized. The entire room was spotless. I couldn’t take the book now. Mr. Whitethorn would know it was missing and that one of us had taken it. No, I needed to wait for a better opportunity, but the book was here.
A floorboard creaked. Someone was coming.
My heart raced as I looked for anywhere to hide.
My stomach sank as I realized there was nowhere.
The footsteps echoed closer, and I seized the opportunity, tip-toeing across the hallway, praying the old wooden floor wouldn’t give me away.
All the doors were shut, and I desperately prayed my memory served me right —that this was, indeed, the bathroom.
I flipped the light switch, the harsh glow flooding the room and casting my wide-eyed reflection in the medicine cabinet. My hands trembled as I reached for the cabinet, fingers fumbling with the box of Band-Aids, my heart pounding in my ears.
“Hello?” A knock sounded on the ajar door, followed by Mr. Whitethorn’s voice booming through the room.
I took a deep breath, hoping my voice wouldn’t betray me. “Yes?” I answered, sticking my head out of the bathroom and plastering on a big smile. My leg trembled where I had it hitched up on the counter, the strap of my heel loose around my ankle as I fidgeted with it.
“I thought I heard someone back here. Sometimes, it’s just the house though.”
“It’s just me. I was looking for a Band-Aid. These shoes have been digging into the back of my ankles all night.” Mr. Whitethorn’s gaze fell to my exposed thigh on full display.
I fumbled with the strap. Shaky hands made it difficult to secure the buckle.
“Here. Let me.” Mr. Whitethorn said, stepping into the bathroom with me. He easily clasped the buckle, but his grip tightened around my ankle. His eyes took in my exposed flesh, and I shuddered at the unwanted attention.
“Thanks.” My skin crawled under his touch. I dropped my leg from the counter, careful to keep my distance as I maneuvered around his large frame standing in the doorway.
No one questioned my absence, and someone had placed a slice of chocolate cake at my place setting. I slid back into my seat, picked up my fork, and forced a bite down.
Eli was right to question whether our families should possess more power.