Burned (Keeper of the Flame) (24 page)

The quick trip to the library makes my
stomach swirl. Even though my projected body isn’t as substantial,
I can still feel everything my physical body feels—and right now it
feels shaky and unsteady.

I slump against Cheyenne’s desk the moment I
appear. Cheyenne jumps again, and she calls for Ryan.

He walks in from the other room, immediately
curling his fingers around my arm. “Willow. What happened?”

“I contacted Selena.” My vision swims for a
moment. “There’s a tunnel to a cave inside the panel at the Shadow
Hill Hotel. I have to bring Logan to the cave. I can try to trap
him there.”

“Wait,” Cheyenne says, standing.

“I can’t. I’ll try to undo the spell around
Logan’s house‒you have to get there and get my mom out. But you
have to be careful, Logan’s sister is here and‒”

“Willow!”

I look at Ryan, but it’s not him who called
my name. “Logan,” I whisper.

I zoom back to Logan’s house in an instant.
This time I really do feel sick, and I lean against the toilet.

“Willow?”

I can see the shadow of Logan’s boots on the
other side of the door. “I’m okay.” When my voice comes out faint,
I clear my throat and try again. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Willow…”

Getting to my feet, I shove the necklace in
my pocket. I open the door before turning back to the sink. I brace
my hand on the counter, leaning over to splash water on my
face.

I feel warm hands at my neck, fingers pulling
my hair back so it doesn’t get water on it.

“Just take a minute,” Logan says.

The tenderness in his voice almost undoes me.
I got what I needed from Selena, but it took its toll. All I want
right now is for someone to hold onto me and tell me it’s going to
be okay.

But not Logan. I have dangerous feelings for
Logan and it’s much easier to hate him than to be stuck in
between.

“I hope I don’t have to do that again for a
long time,” I say, straightening.

He releases my hair but doesn’t move. “I
don’t want you to either.”

I face him fully, pressing as far back
against the counter as I can. “It’s fine. It worked.”

“Did it?”

“Yes. I saw Selena‒or heard her voice. I knew
she was attached to Shadow Hill Hotel, but I didn’t know how
much.”

“Her family‒
your
family‒lived there.
Of course she’s connected.”

I give a shaky smile. “I guess I need to
brush up on my history.”

“Why don’t you sit down?”

Before I can answer, he takes my arm and
leads me to the kitchen. I figured he’d be asking me question after
question, but instead he’s trying to take care of me.

“Logan, I’m fine.”

“You look like you’re about to vomit.” He
frowns. “Unless you already did.”

Close. I was exaggerating a bit, but I needed
to get a minute alone. Now I have to convince Logan to take us to
the Shadow Hill Hotel.

I stare at my hands, clenching them together
and missing the feel of the necklace between them. I hope Logan
forgets about it, that I’ll somehow be able to use it to my
advantage to get to the cave.

He steps closer, and I straighten when he
brushes his thumb on my cheekbone. “You need a drink?” he asks.

“No.”

His lips curve. “You need something else to
distract you?”

I glare at him. “Not if you’re the one
offering.”

“You know you can feel it,” he says.

I push his hand away. “Feel what?”

“That thing. That spark between us.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re delusional.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re in denial.”

He holds my stare. And there it is. That
spark. It has nothing to do with influence and everything to do
with attraction on a very basic level. That would be easy to
ignore, but then I keep seeing these glimpses of humanity behind
his bad-boy façade.

“Logan,” I say, voice low. Warning him.
“We’re supposed to be figuring out this spell. I want to get out of
here, I want my mom safe. So let’s just get to it.”

He flashes a smile. “That brought your color
back. Fine, so what did Selena say?”

I think fast and answer without hesitation.
“Her Book of Shadows is in a cave connected to the hotel.”

“What?”

“Remember that panel we found there? There’s
a tunnel inside and it leads to a cave at the back of the
hotel.”

He lifts his eyebrows. “For real?”

I sigh. “I’m
not
making this up. You
can follow me the whole way there if you don’t believe me.”

“That’s a given. I’m not just letting you
waltz off to some hotel and trust that you’ll come back.”

“I came here, didn’t I?” I challenge.

He doesn’t argue. I don’t care either way. I
need
him to come with me or I can’t get him in that cave. I
just don’t want him to think I’m up to anything. Better to keep
challenging him and make him think I’m defensive.

“I think what we’re looking for is at the
hotel,” I tell him. “It wouldn’t hurt to take a look because her
book might have something about the original spell. Otherwise,
we’re going to have to do more research and…” I shrug. “I don’t
know. Figure it out somehow.”

“Okay,” he says simply.

I’m happy dancing inside but all I do is
nod.

“You sure you don’t want to wait?” he asks.
“We could have lunch. Or wait until tomorrow.”

“I thought you were in a hurry.”

“I just want to make sure you’re up for
this.”

I stand from the chair, not meeting his eyes.
“I don’t have much of a choice. But I am most definitely up for
this.”

Logan vanishes to talk to his sister before
we leave. I’m curious but keep my questions to myself as we walk
out of the house. I spot a rock near Logan’s car and duck down
quickly, yanking my shoelace to make it come loose.

He glances over when I crouch down.

“My shoe’s untied,” I explain.

He doesn’t say anything, just waits and scans
the property as if he’s expecting an attack. Before I stand, I
scoop the rock into my palm and shove it in my pocket. Now I have
something from the property to do my spell.

The sky is clouding over as we drive to the
hotel. Logan is quiet, thought etched on his face. Inspired, I
reach out and turn on the radio.

He lifts his eyebrows at me.

“Filling the silence,” I say. Among other
things. I switch the channel to something louder, faster. For a
moment, I sing along, trying to distract Logan.

He turns the volume down some, but lets me
listen. Good. Once we get closer to the hotel, I wiggle the rock
out of my pocket. I glance at Logan, but he doesn’t seem suspicious
at all.

I try to keep the words under my breath as I
picture Logan’s house and say, “Take the boundaries from this
house, the ones we can not see.” I glance at Logan. “As I will so
let it be.”

Logan looks at me. “What?”

“Nothing,” I say. I stare at the window,
repeating the spell under my breath.

He parks the car, giving me a look of
warning.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I say.

“You’re up to something.”

“What?” I swallow. He doesn’t know anything,
I just have to play it cool. “What am I up to?”

He reaches out slowly, gripping my wrist.
“Willow, we’re past the games now.”

“I know. Logan, let go.”

He doesn’t. He leans in. “This is important.
You want answers, I want results. We’re both going to get what we
want if you’ll just cooperate.”

I yank my wrist, but he’s too strong. “I
am
cooperating. Logan‒”

He releases me. I lean against the door,
rubbing my wrist and glaring at him. “What’s your problem?”

“I don’t want to fuck this up, that’s my
problem.”

My chest rises and falls with a few deep
breaths. I’m normally a terrible liar, but I’m playing this one off
pretty well. He has his motivations, whatever they are, but mine
are so much bigger. My mother, for one. My independence. Not to
mention the fate of this entire town.

Everyone could be in danger if I break this
spell.

“Lighten up, Logan,” I say, reaching for the
door handle. “You’re getting what you want. You should be
happy.”

He gets out without a word, and he’s on my
side of the car before I’m all the way out. His hand closes on my
elbow.

“How about we stay close,” he says
quietly.

“My dream come true.”

He smirks at me. I can still see and feel the
undercurrent of anxiety. He’s almost as worried about this as I am.
We walk across the parking lot, and we’re almost to the stairs when
I feel him tense up.

He stops. “Wait.” His grip is like a vice on
my arm.

“What?” I ask, looking around.

His jaw clenches. “The shifter is here.”

I yank in a breath. Ryan? No, he’s not
supposed to be here, he’s supposed to be helping out my mom. I have
to get Logan to the cave, I don’t have time to deal with this right
now.

“Why are you surprised?” Logan asks, keeping
his eyes on the parking lot. Searching for Ryan.

“I didn’t ask him to come here. I want to get
to the cave, just like you.”

His shoulders tense, gaze focused on the
other side of the lot. “We’re going back to my house.”

I shake my head. “No.”

His grip tightens on my arm. “Now.”

With one smooth motion, I whip the necklace
from my pocket and shove it against the exposed skin on his neck.
He shouts, releasing me at the same time.

I turn and run. Around the building and to
the trees. I glance behind me and don’t see Logan, boosting my
resolve to get away. The graveyard is nearby. Selena has to be
around, doesn’t she? Maybe she can help me somehow.

Stopping at a tree, I hide behind the trunk.
When I peer around, I spot Logan standing from his crouch. He
glances back to the parking lot again and I dart farther into the
trees. I glance back once more and see him looking my way.

“No,” I gasp. I bypass the cemetery, spotting
the hedge maze.

I’m afraid to turn around, but when I do,
Logan is crashing through the trees. Stifling a scream, I dash into
the maze. I don’t know if he saw me go in or not. I don’t even know
where to go from here.

My chest is heaving. I don’t stop. I keep
running, taking turn after turn. When I come around a corner and
nearly run into a tourist, I yelp and apologize repeatedly while
I’m sprinting away.

Two more steps and I hear him.

“Will-ow.” His voice has an almost singsong
quality. He’s inside the maze with me.

“No,” I whimper. I keep going forward, afraid
to turn back. But the maze has me trapped now. “Selena.”

I say her name again under my breath. “I need
help!”

I spot her translucent figure at the end of
the aisle I’m in. She beckons and I run toward her without
hesitation. I follow her around curve after curve until I see the
exit.

Logan calls my name again as I race to the
end of the maze. When I exit the hedges, someone catches me around
the waist and presses a hand over my mouth.

I struggle to take a breath, thrashing around
until I hear a voice at my ear.

“It’s me. Ryan.”

I turn in his embrace. “Ryan! God, he’s in
there. Go, let’s go.”

I grab his hand and run to the back of the
hotel.

“Willow, wait!” he says.

“No, we have to get to the cave. Hurry, Ryan,
please.”

He hears the urgency in my voice and tightens
his grip on my hand. Soon he’s pulling me as my breath hitches in
sharp gasps.

“We have to find the opening,” I say, slowing
down.

“Where?”

“Hidden in the rocks or back in the trees. I
don’t think it’s too far from the hotel. But‒”

We both hear the snap of a twig. Ryan jerks
me behind him and faces the noise. “Stay close,” he says.

I glance around, looking for Logan as much as
I look for the opening. “Selena,” I hiss. “Where?”

When we hear the snap of another twig and
Logan appears several feet away, I gasp and back up. He’s fast as
he launches himself in our direction. Ryan intercepts him, slamming
him back against a tree.

Logan grunts and then punches Ryan.

The sun shines through the clouds, light
spearing down to a rock only ten feet away.
The cave
.

I dart to the rock, wiping at the leaves and
twigs and all the overgrowth around it. There’s another large rock
in front and I shove at it, trying to roll it away. Closing my
eyes, I use the strength of my mind, willing the rock to move. When
I hear it shift, I push harder. The rock starts to roll and I dart
out of the way.

Behind me, Logan is on the ground and Ryan
kicks him in the stomach. He goes for another kick and Logan grabs
his leg, sending him crashing to the forest floor.

I sway on my feet, feeling drained of power.
Tired. But I put force into my voice when I yell, “Stop!”

Ryan glances my way just as Logan gets him
hard across the jaw.

“Logan!” I scream. He looks to Ryan, who’s
lying on the ground, and back to me. “The cave,” I say, stepping
inside the opening. “This way.”

He looks confused for a minute, like he’s not
sure if I’m helping him or tricking him. Then he jogs my way.

Ryan climbs to his feet and starts to say
something, but Logan is in front of me now. I retreat farther into
the cave. He follows.

“Just a little more,” I whisper.

He strolls inside, looking almost triumphant.
Then he freezes. The light is dim, but I can see sparkling
everywhere.

“What?” he croaks.

He stumbles and then falls. He’s writhing on
the floor like he’s being tortured and I turn away.

“What are you doing to me?” he asks.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I need to help my
mom. I won’t do the spell for you.”

He looks to the opening of the cave. Ryan is
standing there, but he still tries to drag himself in that
direction.