Garden of Evil, page 12
Paige watched her feet as she walked. She knew what it was like to be alone—and not just for the past couple of days. Her adoptive parents had died in a car crash when she was in high school, and she had quickly learned what loneliness truly felt like. But she wasn’t about to open up about it. Not to Micah. Not yet.
“I know you think I’m . . . evil,” he said with a disbelieving laugh. “But it’s not that simple. You have to know, living the life that you do, that nothing is black and white.”
They came through the hedge into the flower garden, which, in the morning light, seemed to be exploding with color. Paige paused by the opening in the hedge as Micah walked over to one of the rosebushes. She watched him as he delicately touched one of the flowers, gazing at it with loving admiration.
Paige did know about all the shades of gray of the universe. Sometimes rules were made to be broken. Sometimes questionable things needed to be done to bring about the right results. And people weren’t always what they seemed. Take Cole, for example. He was able to fight against his demon side. He was a good person even though the demon Balthazar lurked somewhere beneath the surface, ready and more than willing to show his evil face.
If Cole could fight his demon nature, why couldn’t Micah? Maybe that was why he was holding her here. Because he needed the time to show her who he really was and he knew that she wouldn’t listen to him otherwise. Paige didn’t think that kidnapping her was the right thing to do, but suddenly she could see why he had resorted to it.
Micah returned to her, carrying the most beautiful flower she’d ever seen: a lily so purely white, it seemed unearthly.
“I just want someone to love me for who I really am, Paige,” Micah said as she took the flower gingerly from his fingers, her heart pounding. “The first moment I saw you, I knew you could be that person.”
Paige brought the flower to her nose and took in a deep breath of its heady scent. When she looked up at Micah through her thick lashes, she felt as if she were seeing him for the first time. He was so handsome, so open, so cultured, so caring. Maybe he was part demon, but he couldn’t be all bad. How could anyone so perfect be all bad? she thought.
A light breeze ruffled her hair, tossing a few strands against her cheek. Micah, looking unwaveringly into her eyes, reached up his hand and brushed it away from her face. His fingertips lightly grazed Paige’s cheek as he tucked her hair behind her ear.
Paige didn’t even flinch.
“I’m going back over there,” Piper said, grabbing her car keys off the table near the front door of the Manor. She pulled her jacket off the hook and started out the door as Leo and Phoebe barreled down the stairs behind her.
“Piper, what do you think you’re going to do when you get there?” Phoebe asked, out of breath. “You know you can’t get past his barrier.”
Piper’s frustration was becoming unbearable. “I know that!” she shouted as she whirled around at Phoebe. “But I can’t just leave her alone there anymore. I have to see if she’s okay.”
She clenched her hands into fists, trying to keep herself from using her powers to blow up one of the glass doors that lead to the parlor. Destruction was no way to vent her frustration, but it would feel so good.
“Okay, I know you’re upset,” Phoebe said, carefully approaching her sister. “But we need a plan here. If what Leo said is true, we’re running out of time.”
Piper looked from Phoebe to Leo, both of whom were gazing at her expectantly. It was clear that they were both waiting for her to come up with the plan. And why not? One of the burdens of being the oldest was being the one with all the answers. But this time, she was at a loss. This time she needed someone to take care of her—to tell her what to do. Because when it came to Paige, she couldn’t think straight. Paige was her baby sister, and she’d just come into their lives, and now she was in danger—and it was all because of Piper.
“I shouldn’t have let her go on Monday night, Phoebe,” she said tearfully. “Or I should have looked at her protection crystal. She shouldn’t be trapped like this.”
“It’s okay,” Phoebe said, reaching out and hugging Piper. Piper clutched her back, holding on for dear life. When Phoebe pulled away, her face was the picture of determination. “I’m going to come up with a spell to take that wall down. And if I can’t, we’ll figure out another way. In the meantime, you’re right: Someone should go check on Paige.”
Piper nodded as Phoebe turned to look at Leo. “Why don’t you take her there?” she suggested. “I’m going to get to work.”
“Okay,” Leo said. He walked over to Piper, wrapped his strong arms around her, and kissed the top of her head. “Just hurry,” he said to Phoebe. “We’ll be back soon.”
Piper pressed her cheek against his chest and let herself go as she was wrapped up in the warmth of his white light. A split second later they had materialized, in the exact same pose, just outside the brick wall at Micah’s mansion.
Looking around, Piper spotted the hole Phoebe had made in the wall and crouched down. Paige was nowhere in sight, and Piper was instantly seized with fear. “Paige?” she called out desperately. “Paige! Where are you!?”
There was no answer. No movement. Piper looked up at Leo. “She’s not there,” she said, starting to panic.
“Piper, she could be anywhere on the grounds,” Leo said, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Just keep trying.”
“Paige!” Piper shouted. “It’s Piper! Are you there?!”
Finally, Paige wandered into the garden, and Piper’s heart skipped a beat. She looked okay. She looked . . . serene, in fact. Paige glanced over at the hole in the wall and walked toward Piper ever so slowly. Piper pressed herself closer to the opening, realizing something was wrong. She’d expected Paige to run to her like she had the day before, but her sister didn’t even seem to be surprised—or all that happy—to see her.
“Hey, Piper,” Paige said, lowering herself to her knees.
“Are you all right?” Piper asked. From the detached tone in Paige’s voice, she could have been answering the phone.
“Sure,” Paige said with a shrug as she toyed absently with the hood strings on her blue sweatshirt. The calm, detached expression on Paige’s face was a far cry from the terrified vibe she’d given off the day before. Today, Piper couldn’t help but think that her sister looked almost . . . content.
Piper narrowed her eyes as she watched Paige’s hands. “Paige? Where did you get those clothes?” she demanded.
“These? Micah gave them to me,” Paige said, looking down at her sweatshirt. “They’re so comfy. He’s been really sweet, Piper, bringing me books, making my favorite foods, picking me flowers . . .”
He’s already gotten to her, Piper thought, her stomach lurching. She thinks he actually cares about her. And if he’s gotten that far, it won’t take much more for him to get her to fall in love.
“What do I do?” Piper mouthed to Leo.
“Try to snap her out of it,” Leo mouthed back.
“Paige, sweetie, listen to me—you can’t trust Micah,” Piper said desperately, pressing both hands against the wall. “He’s working some kind of . . . demon mojo on you. He’s making you think you love him, but you don’t.”
“Why didn’t you come back for me last night?” Paige asked simply, not looking the least bit interested in the answer.
“Paige—”
“Actually, you don’t have to explain, Piper,” she continued. “I know you have a lot on your plate. You’ve got Leo and the club and your real sister, Phoebe. I understand why breaking me out of here wouldn’t be your first priority.”
Piper’s throat went dry, and it took a moment for her to find her voice. Was this the way Paige really felt, or was this just Micah’s spell talking? “Paige, please listen to me,” she said. “Micah has this power—”
“I know, I know,” Paige said, rolling her eyes. “Micah is an evil demon, blah, blah, blah. But you don’t know him, Piper. Not like I do. I see the good in him. He’s compassionate, romantic, caring. He’s not evil, Piper. He can’t be.”
Piper’s head tipped forward, and she rested her forehead against the wall. This couldn’t be happening. Paige could not really be falling for that evil bastard. What is he doing to her?
“Say something,” Leo whispered, crouching next to Piper. “Anything.”
“Paige, this isn’t real,” Piper said, her voice cracking. “You have to fight it. Micah’s only using you so he can become Vandalus again. He’s evil, Paige.”
Paige scoffed. “Do you even hear yourself?” she said. “‘He’s evil, Paige.’ Right. All Micah wants is to be with me. And that’s more than I can say for you and Phoebe.”
Her words cut through Piper. “Paige, you don’t mean that. You can’t—”
But Paige was already standing. Suddenly, Piper was looking at her sister’s leg instead of her eyes. “I have to go now,” Paige said, her voice muffled and distant. “It’s almost time for dinner and I want to look nice for Micah. He’s taking such good care of me—”
“Paige!” Piper shouted, putting her mouth right next to the small hole. “Paige! Don’t go!”
Looking through the opening again, Piper saw her sister walking farther and farther away, across the garden. As much as she shouted, as pleading as her voice became, Paige never once looked back. When her sister finally disappeared through the hedge, Piper turned and sat down hard on the ground, her back up against the wall. “We’ve lost her, Leo,” she said, her voice disbelieving. “We’ve actually lost her.”
Chapter
13
Phoebe ripped the top page from her notebook, crumpled it into a tight ball, slammed it back and forth from palm to palm for good measure, and launched it across the room with a groan. She hadn’t felt so much like a frustrated student since the day before her last final in college, but writing spells wasn’t easy. Especially when her sister’s freedom—her very life—might depend on it. “Okay, concentrate. You’ve only done this a million times,” she said aloud, pushing herself against the back of the couch and uncrossing her legs. A lock of hair fell from her French braid, tickling her cheek, and she tucked it behind her ear. She pulled the notebook into her lap, poised her pen above the page, and bit her lip. It was work time.
“Let’s see . . . walls . . . locks . . . unlocking the walls . . .” Phoebe squinted up at the ceiling, flipping through the dictionary in her brain. “What rhymes with walls . . .?”
Suddenly a rain of white light sparkled down from the ether and Phoebe jumped, startled out of her concentration. Piper and Leo materialized in front of the couch, and Phoebe felt her scalp tingle the second she saw her sister. “What is it? What’s wrong?” Phoebe asked, holding her breath.
“He’s started to work his little spell o’ love,” Piper said sarcastically, kicking one of Phoebe’s discarded paper balls across the room. She lowered herself into the chair across from the couch where Phoebe was perched and rested her head in her hands, pushing her fingers into her hair at her temples. “Paige was not acting like herself, let’s just put it that way.”
Phoebe swallowed hard and looked down at the mess she’d made of the living room. The entirely unfruitful mess. There were so many little white paper balls littering the floor, the hard wood was barely visible beneath them.
“Have you come up with anything?” Leo asked Phoebe, his brow creased with concern.
“I hate to say it, but no,” Phoebe replied, fear mounting in her breast like bricks being laid in a new wall. “It’s like I’m blocked or something, and I think I know why. I mean, if Leo can’t get past that wall, is a spell really going to work? Especially when it’s just the two of us?”
“Well, we have to try it,” Piper said, sitting up straight. “What other choice do we have?”
“I may have an idea,” Leo said, holding one elbow with his hand and bringing the other hand to his chin.
“We’ll take it, whatever it is,” Phoebe said. She shifted in her seat to better see him, pulling one leg up on the cushion and turning sideways on the couch.
“What about Cole?” he asked, looking Phoebe in the eye.
“What about Cole?” Phoebe asked, her pulse racing at the mere sound of his name. She hadn’t seen him or heard from him in days, and she would have loved to have an excuse to get him in on Paige’s rescue. She could use all the moral support she could gather right about now.
“Well, his power to shift from one place to another comes from evil,” Leo said, causing Phoebe to squirm uncomfortably. Whenever her boyfriend was mentioned in the same sentence as the word “evil,” she tried her best to ignore it. “I’m sorry, Phoebe,” Leo said, his blue eyes sincere. “But that fact could really help us in this situation.”
Piper rose slowly and took a few steps away from the chair. “Because his power to shift comes from . . . you know,” she said, casting an apologetic look at Phoebe. “He may be able to pass through an evil barrier.”
Phobe’s heart took a few extra beats as she understood what they were saying. “Cole may be able to get inside,” she said. “He may be able to get us all inside.”
“It’s worth a shot,” Leo pointed out.
“Let’s get him.” Piper said.
Phoebe didn’t have to be asked twice. She launched herself off the couch and clasped hands with Piper. “Calling spell?” she said, raising her eyebrows. Piper nodded, and Phoebe tightened her grip on her sister’s hand. This had to work. She just hoped Cole was able to answer their call and return to the Manor safely.
“Powers That Be, return Cole to me,” Phoebe and Piper recited together.
Instantly, the air in the room seemed to grow hotter and a transparent ripple appeared just before the two sisters. In a flash, Cole was there—shirt ripped, eye blackened, and obviously disoriented. He tipped forward weakly and reached out a hand to brace himself before he hit the floor.
“Cole?” Phoebe cried, crouching to her knees next to him and wrapping one arm around his body to steady him. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah,” Cole whispered harshly. He was sweating and struggling to breathe normally. “You just pulled me out of a serious fight.”
“Who was winning?” Leo asked.
Cole looked up at him, and Phoebe was relieved to see the usual cocky playfulness in Cole’s eyes. “I was, of course,” he said, standing and brushing himself off. “I like to let them feel they’re doing their job before I finish them off.”
“I wish you wouldn’t joke like that,” Phoebe said morosely. “You’re out there fighting for your life against God knows what and then you come back looking like this—”
“I’m sorry, Phoebe. I’m fine,” Cole said, planting a kiss on her forehead. His simple touch was as soothing to her as a warm bath. Then he pulled back and searched her face, clearly worried. “Why did you call me back?”
“It’s Paige,” Piper said from across the room. “She’s been kidnapped by Vandalus, and we may need your help to get her out.”
“Vandalus?” Cole repeated, his face going slack. “Vandalus has Paige? For how long?”
“A couple of days,” Leo said flatly.
“Why didn’t you call me sooner?” Cole demanded, leveling each of them with an accusing gaze.
“You’ve heard of him?” Phoebe asked shakily, resting her hands flat on Cole’s chest as she gazed up at him. “What do you know?”
“Enough to know that we have to get her away from him right now.” Cole reached up and took one of Phoebe’s hands in his own. “Where are they?”
“It’s 135 Mercer Street,” Piper said, crossing the room to Leo. “We’ll meet you outside the wall.”
“Wait!” Phoebe said. She reached out to the couch and grabbed the piece of paper that held her one success of the afternoon. “Vanquishing spell,” she explained.
“Wouldn’t want to forget that,” Piper said through her teeth.
As Leo’s white light enveloped him and Piper, Phoebe leaned into Cole’s chest, saying a silent prayer that he would be able to get them through Micah’s invisible wall. She had one last thought before she and Cole winked out of the living room.
Just don’t let us be too late.
Paige couldn’t believe her eyes when she walked into her small bathroom to get ready for dinner with Micah. Hanging on the far wall was the most beautiful ball gown she had ever seen. It was made of soft black velvet. The dress was strapless and had a wraparound skirt, with a slit that came up to the knee.
She pulled the hanger from its hook, wondering how he’d had time to purchase the dress and hide it in here for her. Micah had taken the day off and had spent almost every minute with her. It had been an unbelievably romantic day, full of long talks and comfortable silences. Each time Paige looked into Micah’s swirling blue eyes, she felt as if she knew a little bit more of his soul and he knew a little bit more of hers.
She’d been crazy to ever doubt him.
“This is perfect,” Paige breathed as she held the gown up to her chest and caught her reflection in the mirror. She looked like a modern-day princess.
Giddy with anticipation, she quickly undressed and slipped into the gown. A thrill ran over her skin the moment the fabric touched her body. She twisted her hair up and pinned it back, then smiled at her reflection.
There was something magical about this night. She could feel it.
When she bent to step into her shoes, she noticed that the lining of the dress was a deep, lustrous blue silk. Paige executed a little turn, watching herself in the mirror. Whenever she moved, there was a little flash of blue that brought the attention straight to her legs. “Guess we know which part of the body Micah’s into,” Paige said with a little laugh.
She lifted the lid from Micah’s latest care package and spritzed on a bit of the perfume she found inside. Then she opened a small velvet box and her breath caught in her throat. Inside were the most beautiful, sparkling pair of diamond earrings she’d ever seen. Hands trembling, Paige managed somehow to put them on. Then she took a step back and allowed herself one more long look in the mirror. “Perfect,” she said. “Everything is going to be perfect.”
