[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
understand my guilt over Savannah? As I eased back into Clay's arms, I noticed Jeremy across the room,
propped on his elbow, watching me from the cot. He lifted his brows in an unspoken question. Did I want to
talk to him instead? I gave a small shake of my head and lowered myself onto the bed. I could sense them both
watching me, but closed my eyes and feigned sleep. Eventually the room went still. When it did, I slipped onto
my back and lay there in the dark, thinking. Had I jumped to conclusions earlier, when I decided it had been
Leah causing the trouble and framing Savannah? What if I persuaded Jeremy to strike early, then discovered
I'd been mistaken? What if people died because of that mistake? And what if I did nothing and Savannah died
because of that mistake? I had to find a middle ground. If we had enough information, acting swiftly would be
to our advantage. Did we know enough? Or, more accurately, what were our chances of learning more? Pretty
slim. We had the data I'd gathered from inside the compound, plus what Clay had learned from scouting the
site, plus what the others had uncovered in their research. Whatever we didn't know by now, we'd likely never
find out. We had to concentrate on formulating a plan Outside, a neighboring door clicked. I tensed and
listened. Our group occupied all the rooms at this end. Was someone going out? No, wait. It was probably
Cassandra returning. I checked the clock. Two thirty-five. Oh, that's great. We ask her to keep an eye on Paige
and she takes off for half the night. Paige might not want to tattle, but I would. Jeremy needed to know we
couldn't rely on Cassandra to back up Paige. As I reclined onto the pillow, I heard shoes scuff against
pavement outside. I glanced at Clay and Jeremy. Sound asleep. I eased out of bed and tiptoed to the window.
Lifting a drapery corner, I peered out to see Paige stealing across the parking lot, suitcase in one hand,
notebook in the other. Shit! Being careful not to wake the guys, I tugged on my jeans and shirt and crept out
the door. Paige rounded the bird pen and vanished into the darkness beyond. Barefooted, I scampered after
her, one eye on my target, the other on the pavement, watching for broken glass. When I reached the bird pen,
a pheasant roused itself, opened one sleepy eye, then squawked and jetted into the air. Damn it! Sometimes
there were serious disadvantages to being a werewolf. Even as I lunged away from the cage, several other
birds awoke and added their voices to the din. So much for a stealthy approach. I raced through the grove of
trees where I'd last seen Paige and found her in an auxiliary parking lot. She stood beside a car, frowning in
the direction of the panicking birds. When she saw me, she fumbled with the keys, barely getting the door
open before I arrived. "Uh, hi, " she said, faking a bright smile. "You're out late. " "Going somewhere?" I
asked. "Ummm, just out for something to eat. " She backed into the driver's seat. "The stuff you brought me
got cold so I thought I'd go see if I can find a 7-11 or something. " "You won't mind if I join you then, " I said
as I snapped the passenger door lock and slid inside. I gestured to her suitcase. "Hell of a purse you've got
there. " She laid her hands on the steering wheel spokes, paused, then glanced at me. "I'm leaving, Elena. I
know this is a bad way to do it, but I was afraid someone would try to stop me. It's too much for me. I'm
backing out. " "I'm sorry about your aunt. " "She" Paige looked out the windshield. "She wasn't my aunt. "
"Oh, well, your Coven sister or whatever you" "She was my mother. " "Your?" "That's how it works in the
Coven, " Paige said, keeping her eyes on the windshield. "Or how it used to work. The old way, from my
mother's time. Witches didn't marry, so they avoided the stigma of single-motherhood by raising their
daughters as nieces. No one outside the Coven knew the truth. In my case Adam knows, but that's about it.
When my mother was young, she was too busy preparing to be Coven leader to think about an heir. Once she
became leader, she realized the Coven was faltering and decided she needed a daughter, someone she could
train and prepare in her own way. So when she was fifty-two, she used magic to have a daughter. Me. " "So
that means you're . . . ?" "The official new Coven leader. " Her lips twisted in a sardonic smile. "It'd be funny
if it wasn't so ridiculous. A twenty-two-year-old leader. " She inhaled sharply and shook her head. "Doesn't
matter. The point is that I've been trained for this. For the responsibility. I can't expect Jeremy or Kenneth or
Cassandra to accept me as a fellow leader yet, but I know I can do it. Right now, though, I have to go home.
There are things to be done, arrangements to be made. " "I understand. " I leaned over her lap and lifted the
notebook she'd let slip between her seat and the door. "But if you're going home, you won't be needing this. "
She grabbed the book from me. "Oh, actually, I do. For the Coven records. " "You aren't going home, Paige.
You're going to the compound. " She forced a laugh. "By myself? That'd be crazy. " "My sentiments exactly. I
understand you must want revenge for your mother, and I promise you'll get it when we go back, but there's
no" As confusion flitted across her face, I realized revenge wasn't her motive. Then I recalled Ruth's warning,
telling me not to let Paige know about Savannah or she'd insist on rescuing the girl. "You're going after
Savannah, " I said. "I have to, " she said quietly. "Because your Coven expects it?" "No, because I expect it.
How can I be Coven leader if I let this girl die? How could I live with myself? Look, I'm not stupid and I'm
not suicidal. I'm not going in there, spells blazing, tearing the place apart. I couldn't do that anyway. All I want
is Savannah. I'll be careful. I'll take my time, scout the place out, and find a way to get her. You guys don't
need to worry about this. It's witch business. I" Paige's door flew open, nearly toppling her to the ground. Clay
shoved his head into the car. Paige jumped and edged toward me. "What's going on?" he asked. "Paige wants
to go after Savannah. " "Oh, fuck!" He slammed the door and strode around to my side. "Let me guess. She's
going after the kid and she needs your help. " "I don't" Paige began. "She's not asking for my help, " I said, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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understand my guilt over Savannah? As I eased back into Clay's arms, I noticed Jeremy across the room,
propped on his elbow, watching me from the cot. He lifted his brows in an unspoken question. Did I want to
talk to him instead? I gave a small shake of my head and lowered myself onto the bed. I could sense them both
watching me, but closed my eyes and feigned sleep. Eventually the room went still. When it did, I slipped onto
my back and lay there in the dark, thinking. Had I jumped to conclusions earlier, when I decided it had been
Leah causing the trouble and framing Savannah? What if I persuaded Jeremy to strike early, then discovered
I'd been mistaken? What if people died because of that mistake? And what if I did nothing and Savannah died
because of that mistake? I had to find a middle ground. If we had enough information, acting swiftly would be
to our advantage. Did we know enough? Or, more accurately, what were our chances of learning more? Pretty
slim. We had the data I'd gathered from inside the compound, plus what Clay had learned from scouting the
site, plus what the others had uncovered in their research. Whatever we didn't know by now, we'd likely never
find out. We had to concentrate on formulating a plan Outside, a neighboring door clicked. I tensed and
listened. Our group occupied all the rooms at this end. Was someone going out? No, wait. It was probably
Cassandra returning. I checked the clock. Two thirty-five. Oh, that's great. We ask her to keep an eye on Paige
and she takes off for half the night. Paige might not want to tattle, but I would. Jeremy needed to know we
couldn't rely on Cassandra to back up Paige. As I reclined onto the pillow, I heard shoes scuff against
pavement outside. I glanced at Clay and Jeremy. Sound asleep. I eased out of bed and tiptoed to the window.
Lifting a drapery corner, I peered out to see Paige stealing across the parking lot, suitcase in one hand,
notebook in the other. Shit! Being careful not to wake the guys, I tugged on my jeans and shirt and crept out
the door. Paige rounded the bird pen and vanished into the darkness beyond. Barefooted, I scampered after
her, one eye on my target, the other on the pavement, watching for broken glass. When I reached the bird pen,
a pheasant roused itself, opened one sleepy eye, then squawked and jetted into the air. Damn it! Sometimes
there were serious disadvantages to being a werewolf. Even as I lunged away from the cage, several other
birds awoke and added their voices to the din. So much for a stealthy approach. I raced through the grove of
trees where I'd last seen Paige and found her in an auxiliary parking lot. She stood beside a car, frowning in
the direction of the panicking birds. When she saw me, she fumbled with the keys, barely getting the door
open before I arrived. "Uh, hi, " she said, faking a bright smile. "You're out late. " "Going somewhere?" I
asked. "Ummm, just out for something to eat. " She backed into the driver's seat. "The stuff you brought me
got cold so I thought I'd go see if I can find a 7-11 or something. " "You won't mind if I join you then, " I said
as I snapped the passenger door lock and slid inside. I gestured to her suitcase. "Hell of a purse you've got
there. " She laid her hands on the steering wheel spokes, paused, then glanced at me. "I'm leaving, Elena. I
know this is a bad way to do it, but I was afraid someone would try to stop me. It's too much for me. I'm
backing out. " "I'm sorry about your aunt. " "She" Paige looked out the windshield. "She wasn't my aunt. "
"Oh, well, your Coven sister or whatever you" "She was my mother. " "Your?" "That's how it works in the
Coven, " Paige said, keeping her eyes on the windshield. "Or how it used to work. The old way, from my
mother's time. Witches didn't marry, so they avoided the stigma of single-motherhood by raising their
daughters as nieces. No one outside the Coven knew the truth. In my case Adam knows, but that's about it.
When my mother was young, she was too busy preparing to be Coven leader to think about an heir. Once she
became leader, she realized the Coven was faltering and decided she needed a daughter, someone she could
train and prepare in her own way. So when she was fifty-two, she used magic to have a daughter. Me. " "So
that means you're . . . ?" "The official new Coven leader. " Her lips twisted in a sardonic smile. "It'd be funny
if it wasn't so ridiculous. A twenty-two-year-old leader. " She inhaled sharply and shook her head. "Doesn't
matter. The point is that I've been trained for this. For the responsibility. I can't expect Jeremy or Kenneth or
Cassandra to accept me as a fellow leader yet, but I know I can do it. Right now, though, I have to go home.
There are things to be done, arrangements to be made. " "I understand. " I leaned over her lap and lifted the
notebook she'd let slip between her seat and the door. "But if you're going home, you won't be needing this. "
She grabbed the book from me. "Oh, actually, I do. For the Coven records. " "You aren't going home, Paige.
You're going to the compound. " She forced a laugh. "By myself? That'd be crazy. " "My sentiments exactly. I
understand you must want revenge for your mother, and I promise you'll get it when we go back, but there's
no" As confusion flitted across her face, I realized revenge wasn't her motive. Then I recalled Ruth's warning,
telling me not to let Paige know about Savannah or she'd insist on rescuing the girl. "You're going after
Savannah, " I said. "I have to, " she said quietly. "Because your Coven expects it?" "No, because I expect it.
How can I be Coven leader if I let this girl die? How could I live with myself? Look, I'm not stupid and I'm
not suicidal. I'm not going in there, spells blazing, tearing the place apart. I couldn't do that anyway. All I want
is Savannah. I'll be careful. I'll take my time, scout the place out, and find a way to get her. You guys don't
need to worry about this. It's witch business. I" Paige's door flew open, nearly toppling her to the ground. Clay
shoved his head into the car. Paige jumped and edged toward me. "What's going on?" he asked. "Paige wants
to go after Savannah. " "Oh, fuck!" He slammed the door and strode around to my side. "Let me guess. She's
going after the kid and she needs your help. " "I don't" Paige began. "She's not asking for my help, " I said, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]