Crimson Echo (34 page)

“No, it has to be the spell.” He murmured. “Will you help me get her to the couch?”

“We’ll do it.” One of the clones smiled and they both picked Sabrina up and walked her to the living room.

“She’ll be fine, just give her a minute to come to.” One of them said as they laid her down on the sofa.

“Who are you?” Kane asked, still in shock.

“We’re Sabrina.” The
y echoed each other.

“I’m her heart.” One of them said.

“And I’m her head. We’re here to help her make a decision about Stefan.”

“Oh crap.” Kane sat down beside Sabrina and slumped over with his face in his hands.

            I stood in the doorway and stared at them all as one of the clones approached me. She smiled widely at me and I tried to stay calm for Kane’s sake. The other clone sat in a chair opposite of Kane. She crossed her legs underneath her and focused on Sabrina.

“Which one are you?” I asked the clone as she wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

“I’m the heart— the hopeless romantic side of Sabrina. She’s the logical one.” She pointed to the other clone. “You love him with every fiber of your being. I can see it in your eyes, in the way you look at him.”

“I do… love him.” I stuttered.

“And he loves you just the same. I’ve never seen two people love with their whole hearts more than you and Kane do.” She started to tear up. “It’s just beautiful.”

“Stop your crying!” The other Sabrina hushed her.

“I’m serious about this, you know?” The romantic Sabrina wiped her eyes. “You two hold onto each other, no matter what. Do you hear me?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “I hear you.”

“How do we reverse this?” Kane had gotten the spell book and was furiously flipping through its pages.

“You can’t reverse it. We go back when the spell has played out, when we get the answer that we need.”

Just then Sabrina took a deep breath and sat up. “What happened?”

“You passed out while we’ve been babysitting Curly and Mo.” Kane sounded annoyed.

“Have we come up with an answer yet?” She asked, looking around the room.

“No, Miss. Cleo over here has been giving Tristan relationship advice though. I think your romantic side is a hippie— free love and all that crap.”

“Kane, stop it.” My voice was barely forceful. “The only way to fix this is for the three of you to talk it out and come up with an answer. Kane and I will be in the next room, if you need us just call for us, okay?”

“Whoa,” Kane looked at Sabrina. “I like a woman that can take charge.”

“Come on, let’s go.” I pulled Kane by the arm. “For people that are so old, you sure act immature sometimes.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I was just having a little fun.” Kane acted offended.

“I’ve never had siblings or a big family, so forgive me if I don’t understand the dynamics very well. But what was with all of the name calling back there?”

“That was just a little brotherly love. She knows I don’t really mean any of it.”

“She’s terrified of making the wrong decision. Couldn’t you show a little support for her?”

“I’m sorry, you’re right.” Kane hung his head. “I guess I could be a little more supportive.”

            To be honest I didn’t think Sabrina’s romantic side was all that crazy. I knew that what she was saying was coming from a genuinely good intentioned place. I wasn’t sure what had come over me, but I felt the need to be the mediator— a pat on the back would have to wait until later though.

“I’m sure Sabrina would appreciate the support.”

“Do you want to go up to my room for a while? I’m suddenly feeling very romantic.” Kane ran his fingers along my lips and then kissed me.

            Kane pulled me close and ran his hands through my hair. I inhaled his scent
and explored his firm chest and then his back with my hands. I tried to control myself, but my hands trembled as they made their way up to his hair. And then I finally figured out what he smelled like and that helped bring me back to reality.

“I just figured it out.” I pulled away and tried to catch my breath.

“What did you figure out?” He said with a cocky smile.

“You smell like hickory or… burned wood. I think that’s what it is.”

“I smell like a barbeque to you?” He laughed.

“
That… and amber, I think that’s what it is.” I smelled his jacket and then realized how creepy that must have seemed, but he didn’t appear to be bothered by it. “I used to think it was ember, but now I know it has to be amber and hickory.”

“Those two are the ones I hear the most. I think you might be right about that.”

“Is it because of your gift?”

“Most likely,” he paused. “Are you trying to distract me?”

I nodded and then hung my head.

“I would never force you to do something you weren’t ready to do.” He held on to my shoulders. “I think you have the wrong impression.”

“We’re back.” Aurora called out from the front door. “Is anyone home?”

“Sabrina,” I gasped. “Go stall them!”

            Kane and I both split up— he went to meet Aurora and Stefan at the door and I ran to warn Sabrina. As I rounded the corner I could still see three of her and I felt my pulse quicken. I didn’t know Stefan very well, but I knew it would kill him to know that his fiancé was having second thoughts about marrying him.

“Sabrina, they have to go! Stefan is back.” I gasped for air.

“Thank you ladies, you’ve helped me immensely.” Sabrina said calmly and then they vanished into thin air.

“Oh, thank God.” I sighed and took a seat on the couch beside Sabrina. “That was
too close.”

“
Relax, just act casual. Oh and Tristan, thanks for sticking up for me in the kitchen. That was really sweet of you.”

“Did you get the answer you were looking for?” I asked as I tried to act casual.

“Yes, I know what I have to do now.”

“Does that mean th
e wedding is still on?”

“Stefan, you’re home.” Sabrina shot me a look
and then dragged him up the stairs.

“What happened here while I was gone?” I could hear Aurora ask Kane from the kitchen.

I kicked the spell book under the sofa and rushed to the kitchen.

“Well, we were…” Kane stared at the pot on the stove.

“It’s my fault,” I cut Kane off. “I begged them to teach me how to make a potion, but I messed up the ingredients somehow.”

“Magic is something to play around with. I hope you were careful.” Aurora eyed Kane.

“Of course.” Kane nodded. “I’ll get this cleaned up.”

            Kane picked up the pot and dumped the liquid down the sink as Aurora left the room. That was the first time I had actually been afraid of her. I gathered the bottles of ingredients that went into the potion and put them back up in the cupboard
in case she came back.

“You saved my butt just now.”

“It felt nice to be the super hero for once.” I laughed.

“My hero,” he threw his arm across his forehead and pretended to faint. “What would I do without you?”

“That’s right, laugh it up. Someday you might actually need me and I might not save you.”

“You save me every single day.” He hugged me
and kissed my forehead.

                                                         Chapter Fourteen

                                                              
Duty Calls 

           
I stood in the mirror and stared at my pale reflection— failing miserably to give myself an appropriate hairdo for a wedding.  I brushed an ample amount of concealer to the purple circles under my eyes and worried that my dull wardrobe wouldn’t be up to par for an Evans wedding.

           
I knew it would be an over the top extravaganza, maybe Sabrina would have a dress I could borrow. I poured my bag of sparse makeup on the sink and found a rusty brown eye shadow and lightly applied it to the crease of my eyes. I bronzed the apples of my cheeks, painted on a light coat of pink gloss to my lips and pulled the wand from a three year old bottle of mascara through my lashes.

           
My eyes darted to a thick piece of paper lying against the mirror and I shuddered as I traced the edges of the elegant invitation with my fingers. The invitation had a beautiful purple border and the lettering was embossed in gold. The knots in my stomach tightened as I read it aloud.

                                   The honor of your presence is requested

                                                     at the marriage of

                                                Sabrina Marie Evans

                                   daughter of Constantine and Aurora Evans

                                                    
to her betrothed

                                             Stefan Thomas LeBlanc

                                 
son
of Gustavo and Evangeline LeBlanc

                                               
at the Evans’ manor

                                       
on the second day of November,

                                            
in the year of our Lord.

“Tristan, you better get a move on.” My dad shouted from downstairs. “Your boyfriend will be here any minute.”

“Okay, I’m hurrying.” I yelled back.

“Yeah, she’ll hurry because of that Evans
boy.” I heard him scoff.

“I can hear you!”

            As I stepped into a pair of old flats I began to panic. It was starting to dawn on me that my parents would actually be meeting Kane in less than five minutes and then I would be standing in front of a crowd of strangers while Sabrina and Stefan got married— at least I would have Kane there to get me through it.

           
Kane wasn’t the only reason I was going, but he was the main reason. I was keeping the promise I had made to Sabrina and I couldn’t let her down. If it wasn’t for her meddling Kane and I wouldn’t have made amends after all— something I was sure I would never be able to completely thank her for.

           
The responsibility of being Sabrina’s bride’s maid actually had its benefits. I had an excuse to go hang out with Kane, while leaving my parents under the impression that I was tirelessly fulfilling my bride’s maid duties, of course I did what she would let me do—which wasn’t much. She was actually starting to feel like the sister I had never wanted, but ended up liking in the end.

I made it halfway down the staircase, before being pulled into a big
, bear hug. “You look beautiful!” Mom exclaimed holding my face between the palms of her hands, she stared at me for a long moment as tears welled up in her eyes. She acted like it was my wedding and she would never see me again.

“Mom, why are you crying?” I wiped a tear from her cheek.

“You just look so grown up. Doesn’t she look so grown up Kurt?”

Dad looked up and mumbled then returned his glare back to the television.

“Please don’t let him embarrass me in front of Kane.” I pleaded as I fussed with the strap on my dress.

“When have I ever embarrassed you?” Dad asked, not looking away from the T.V.

“Do you remember dressing up as Smokey the Bear when I was in Elementary? I was made fun of for weeks.” I said, remembering the whole incident.

“When will he have you home?” He changed the subject quickly. “I’m not waiting up all night.”

“I don’t know, I guess he’ll bring me home a little while after the wedding.”

“If he tries anything with you, I want you to kick him where it hurts and run as fast as you can, screaming the whole time. Do you understand me?”

“Dad come on, it’s not like that… Kane’s not like that.” I tried to reassure him.

“Kurt, I’m sure he’s a good boy. You need to give the poor boy a chance
.” Mom scolded him.

            Luckily for me the doorbell rang and my parents had to stop their bickering. Mom hurried down the stairs and then paused to look at me one last time as she wiped away another set of tears. I was anxious to see Kane and I started to make my way down when mom stopped me.

“Wait,” she said, holding her hands out. “I’ll answer the door so that you can make an entrance.”

“Mom, no, I don’t need to make an entrance.”

“Just do it. I see it in the movies all the time.”

“Fine.”
I scowled and then went back up and waited at the top of the stairs.

“Kane, please come in,” she
ushered him through the front door. “How’s your mom?” She had fallen prey to his charm quicker then I had. Not that I could blame her, but it was painfully obvious that she was under his spell. I wandered if I had the same dazed look on my face when I was around him.