Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
CHARLI
The room is large and surprisingly homey with its wood floors and oak benches lining the room like pews in a church. White candles burn in ornate iron candelabras. I skip over the bookshelves stacked with books and land on the two ladies standing at the far side of the room.
One is older with dark red hair similar to Raine’s, and when she turns to face me, her crystal blue eyes confirms my guess.
I shift to the other woman and blink in surprise to see she’s only a few years older than me, with curly brown hair and wide eyes.
For some reason, I thought the coven leader would be older and look incredibly wise.
Macklin steps forward with me in tow. “Maureen. Clarissa. This is Charli.”
An odd sensation crawls over me as I stare into Clarissa’s violet eyes. “Hello.”
“Charli,” she says smoothly. “I hope you don’t mind, but Maureen asked me to be here.” When I lift a shoulder, her lips shift into something close to a smile but not nearly as friendly. “Why don’t you have a seat?” She motions to the table and chairs beside her.
I sit in the closest one, Macklin takes the one next to me, and I breathe a little sigh of relief when they both sit across from us.
Maureen has yet to say anything.
“Why don’t you tell us about your visit with Raine?” Clarissa prompts.
Before I can begin, Maureen leans forward. “You don’t mind if I see it for myself, do you?”
Confused, I glance at Macklin, who narrows his eyes on Maureen. “You mean like a vision?”
She scoots closer. “Sort of. If you bring up the memory, I’ll see it like I was there in the room with you.”
Alarmed, I stare at her. “But you won’t be able to see anything else, right? Only the one memory?”
She shakes her head, but Clarissa jumps in. “One memory, Maureen.” Her voice is stern, as if she’s cautioning her not to look at any others.
Maureen holds up three fingers to her chest. “As you will it, Clarissa.” She turns back to me, and I stare at her, blood roaring in my ears, as I try to hold back the panic.
“No,” Macklin states firmly, his eyes on me. “She agreed to tell you what transpired, not let you peek into her head.”
Relieved to hear him refuse, I let out a small sigh.
Frustrated, Maureen looks at Macklin. “Can’t you order her? It’s Raine we’re talking about here. My daughter but also Greystone’s designated seer.”
Macklin’s face hardens, and Clarissa jumps in. “Charli graciously offered to come and tell you in person. Let’s see what she says first.”
Maureen sniffs. “Fine.”
Relieved, I tell them about my visit with Raine. Both of them remain skeptical until I get near the end when Raine told me to get a lodestone, and Maureen gasps. “She said it will help balance me. Along with a coven.”
“She’s right,” Clarissa says softly. “It’s the way of witches.”
I ignore her comment and return to Maureen, explaining how she looked at someone who was invisible to me, and nodded. “She said she would contact me in a few days. That was a week ago. I haven’t heard from her yet.” Hopefully, she’s okay.
Maureen narrows her eyes. “I don’t understand why she would go to a stranger instead of me or another witch in the coven.”
Under her stare, I begin to fidget. “She’s the reason I’m in Greystone. She had a vision. Maybe she felt a connection between us.”
“What vision?” she asks, in a demanding tone.
Macklin shifts restlessly in his chair and, in a gruff voice, tells them, “Raine told Teague…Charli was his mate.”
Shocked, they glance from Macklin to me. “When was this?”
“Roughly, six weeks ago,” he replies.
Maureen thinks about it, then shakes her head. “No, there must be another reason.”
There’s only one other reason it could be. Straightening, I take a deep breath and hold my hand out. “Maybe she saw me get a vision.” It’s the only explanation that makes sense.
Maureen looks at my hand and quickly grasps it with hers as if she’s afraid I’m going to change my mind. The moment our hands meet, the vision pulls me under.
Raine in dark jeans and a black sweater, running down a sterile white hallway, stopping every few feet to peer into a room.
At the last one, she sucks in a breath and pushes open the door.
Inside, a dark-complected man is strapped to a bed by thick, silver chains.
Long, shaggy hair and an unkempt beard obscure most of his face.
His big body is emaciated, practically a skeleton.
Dead man walking. His eyes snap open. Amber with a gold hue, they burn with fury.
Raine hurries over, but instead of freeing him, she bends down to whisper in his ear.
“Mavros, blink if you understand,” she murmurs. When he does, her shoulders slump with relief. “I’m so sorry. Just a little longer.” His lips are firm as his raspy voice orders her to leave.
Raine in a small room with two cots. Instead of street clothes, she’s wearing a hospital gown. Sitting. Hand in hand with a young girl. Dark hair, even darker eyes full of fear. Native American features.
Seconds go by. The door to their room opens. I gasp and open my eyes. Tremors build into a full-body shake. Macklin’s phone buzzes, and he glances at the screen, then types a message.
Clarissa jumps up and runs into the other room, returning a second later. She slips a chain over my neck and drops a stone into my shirt. “Press it against your heart. The stone will balance the spikes of energy and power happening inside you.”
I grasp it, but I can’t keep my hand still. Macklin pulls me into his lap and covers mine with his, pressing the stone to the center of my chest. “Breathe.”
Maureen leans forward. “Tell me what you saw. Please. I need to know where my daughter is.” Her fingers reach out and grip my upper arm.
Macklin’s face hardens, and a blue glow appears in his eyes. “Release her.” When she refuses to listen, a low growl emerges from his chest. “Don’t make me kick you out.”
She rears back, an affronted expression on her face. “This is coven territory, you can’t…”
“And Greystone is my city,” he snarls, cutting her off.
Clarissa grabs Maureen and pulls her to her feet. “Let’s give them some time.”
After they leave, Macklin shifts his attention to me. “Better?”
“Yes,” I breathe, cocooned in his arms. I stare up at him and wish for the hundredth time I was a sculptor. Not only because the lines of his face are perfectly symmetrical and classic. But my drawings can’t convey the combination of raw beauty and power he exudes. “Beautiful.”
Lowering his head, he smiles. “I think you’re seeing things. How many fingers am I holding up?” He lifts our hands.
“Two,” I reply. My hand seems so tiny compared to his. “I’m good now. The lodestone helped tremendously.” I shift to get up, and his arms tighten. “I…”
“How is she?” Clarissa asks, entering the room.
I stiffen, and Macklin reluctantly loosens his arms. “I’m better. Can you find me a pencil and some paper?”
She hurries off.
“Thank you,” I murmur, pressing my hand to his chest. “You’ve got a good heart, Macklin.” For some reason, his smile falls away.
Clarissa returns, along with Maureen, breaking up our staring contest. I carefully ease out of Macklin’s arms and move to my chair. With fast, quick strokes, I draw every detail of my vision.
“Where is she?” Maureen screeches, shuffling through the papers. Tears pour down her face as she studies the image of her daughter.
I tap on the words she’d whispered in his ear. “She told Mavros we would save him. That’s the address. Maybe he’ll be able to lead us to her.”
Macklin picks up the drawing, and his brows draw together. “Mavros isn’t a resident of Greystone.” He tilts his head. “But I’ve seen him. Somewhere. Mind if I borrow this?”
“Go ahead.” Clarissa puts an arm around Maureen. “Raine’s smart. And she has faith in this young woman and her visions.” Her violet eyes flick to me with a skeptical look. “We have to trust she sees the bigger picture.” She lifts her chin toward me. “When you’re ready, the coven will be here.”
I nod, although I have no intention of joining.
Macklin helps me stand, then keeps an arm around me as we walk to the front where Joy is helping a customer. Her brown eyes are full of curiosity, but she simply points to the white paper bag on the counter.
“Put it on my bill,” Macklin says, making me grit my teeth. He leans down. “If it makes you feel better, I can have Andros pay for it?”
I cross my arms. “I can pay for myself.”
“Andros or me or Teague. Those are your choices,” he states firmly.
“Fine, Andros,” I concede, wondering what the vampire will think.
Macklin opens the door to the passenger seat, then leans down and grips my hips, lifting me up and into the truck. “Good choice.” He slams the door shut.
I huff. Stubborn man.
Once in the driver’s seat, he calls Victoria. “We’re on our way.”
Five minutes later, we pull down a street I don’t recognize. “Where are we?”
“On the north side of town. Victoria’s at her other store today.”
Thirty seconds later, we pull up to the curb in front of a fancy boutique.
“This is her other store?” I murmur as I freak out about what the clothes likely cost in a place like this. My face burns with heat, but I have to tell him before we go inside. “I can’t afford this place.”
Ignoring me, he gets out of the car and comes around to open my door. “Victoria’s taken time out of her very busy day to meet with us. The least we can do is go in and talk to her.”
I grit my teeth and slide out of his truck.
Mannequins in the store window catch my eye.
Draped in sophisticated little dresses and fancy heels that look like they should be in a magazine, they stand in polished perfection, their faces and gazes blank.
The door opens, and the most divine smell curls around me, luring me into the posh store.
“Charli!” Victoria exclaims, coming over to take my hand in hers. Gone is the bohemian woman with the paint-stained shirt. In her place is a sophisticated woman in a matching pantsuit. “I hear you’ve got a date tonight. The Fork, huh?”