Deadlands (The Healer Series, #2) (3 page)

“Wait, pretty star,” Willow cooed at it. The star stopped at her voice
, vibrating faster as it hovered in front of her. “Come here!” She reached out again but the star moved away. Willow laughed and took off after it.

But then
she ran into a solid wall. Smack! The star was gone. She turned around and tried running the opposite way and then whack! She bumped into something else. She tried focusing, concentrating on her surroundings. Where was she?

The lights were fading!
And fast! No! The stars rapidly lost their luster and became dull and dark right before her eyes. What was happening? The colors were turning to brown, gray, and then black. Her head spun as she called out to the stars to light her way, trying to grab them and keep them from going out. But it was no use! Her eyes couldn’t adjust. She felt herself falling and her chest trembled in guilt and despair. The happy feeling had vanished and in its place, hopelessness and misery wallowed inside her, setting up a void in her heart. Willow cried and watched helplessly as the lights went out and she felt herself falling into nothingness.

Willow felt large, soft hands cupping her face. The slightest touches of someone’s fingers were slowly caressing her cheeks. It was the only thing she could focus on, until she opened her eyes and gazed straight into Declan’s perfect face. Whoa. He was way hotter up close. His brow was furrowed and he was frowning, but his hands slowly worked their way into her long auburn tresses and massaged her head. What was he doing? Whatever it was, it felt really good.

“Hi,” was all he said when Willow continued to stare
dumbly at him. Declan was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at him. He had a chiseled jaw and the most kissable mouth imaginable. They were so plush, she remembered how they felt on her lips, and she wanted nothing more than to pull his face down to hers and kiss the hell out of him. She could get lost in his eyes for hours. But she didn’t have hours and “technically” they weren’t together anymore. She didn’t know how long she had been passed out, but she knew she was on one of the leather couches, laying down. She could feel the cool leather material beneath her. Music, chatting, and laughter still filled the room. Great. She was still at Darkmeer! Chase would be looking for her soon if she didn’t hurry.

Obnoxious laughter
blared out from behind the couch and Willow turned her eyes to see Tucker, Camden, and Finley all gathered around some electronic device. Willow distinctively heard her voice coming from that device and knew the boys had recorded her when she got lost in the stars. But wait. That wasn’t real, was it? It felt like it. And then, understanding dawned on her. She drank the cup with the roofie! Those bastards DRUGGED HER!

“Watch this part! Watch this part!” Finley said pointing
at the screen. Seconds later the Warlocks burst into roaring laughter. Willow felt so humiliated! She didn’t know what she did or how she looked in the time when the roofie completely overtook her body, but she knew it wasn’t good. She felt her cheeks burn red with embarrassment.

Declan looked over the couch at them. “Cut it out, guys!” he yelled, but they only laughed more.

Willow pushed Declan out of her way so she could sit up. She was pissed and hurt. The Warlocks purposely gave her the cup with the roofie in it! She had been played, and she couldn’t take it anymore! The effects of the drug had worn off. She wasn’t dizzy or disoriented anymore. “Is she okay, Declan?” the girl who was with him earlier asked. Willow looked over at the girl and frowned. She was standing close and watching her curiously. She was pretty, of course, and Willow’s jealousy came crashing down on her again. She stood there quickly contemplating putting a spell on the girl, but then she didn’t want to stoop to the level of the stupid Warlocks around her. She didn’t need this!

Willow thought Declan might still love
her, but she was just another Witch to him. He had several girlfriends in the past, and somehow in the time they were together, Willow felt special and cherished by him. He had even told her once that she wasn’t like the others. They had professed their love to each other in the Everwild, but it was just a fantasy, a dream that could never be true. Declan could pick up and move on easily, apparently. Willow, on the other hand, couldn’t.

Declan star
ted to say something when Willow stormed away. Screw this! She was getting out of here. She had to go to the freaking Deadlands on an important mission but instead, got wrapped up in the Warlocks’ game of trickery and lies. She felt like a lovesick idiot on a fool’s errand trying to get Declan to go with them. What was she thinking? This was a waste of time! Time she didn’t have.

Declan called after her, but she was nearly to the door to go back down the stairs and then out of Darkmeer.
There was a loud crunching noise and then Finley’s shrill yell. “HEY DECLAN! What did you do that for? That was expensive!”

Willow didn’t care what was going on behind her as she took the stairs two at a time, nearly running down them. She made it out of the door and started trudging back toward
s the gate with tears pooling in her eyes. Willow inhaled deep breaths of fresh air of the night breeze, not realizing how stuffy and suffocating it had been in the Warlock’s “game” room. She already felt like she could think better.

“Willow! Hey!” Declan’s voice called behind her, but she didn’t stop.
Crap! He was following her! Why was he following her? She sped up. She was almost to the gate to get out until, “Willow! Will you stop?” Declan caught up to her easily and ran in front of her, blocking her from moving forward.

“Out of my way, Dec!” Willow said
trying to be harsh, but her voice cracked and betrayed her by expressing the emotions she didn’t want him to see. She sidestepped around him and continued walking, nearly to the gate, until Declan came in front of her and stopped her again. The first thing she blurted out of her mouth was, “your friends are a bunch of jerks!”

“What are you doing here?” Declan exclaimed
and grabbed her shoulders.

Before Willow could respond, she saw Chase running up to the silver gate yelling her name.
Declan turned to see the Werewolf and visibly tensed, while Willow sidestepped around him again to hurry up to the gate.

“Do you realize how long you’ve been gone?
” Chase scolded her worriedly. “I was about to go all wolf on their Warlock asses and storm the keep! What happened to you?”

“You don’t want to know…” Willow trailed off. She knew when Declan stepped up next to her. Her skin pulsed w
ith electricity at his nearness. It was strange how connected she was to Declan. The more time she spent in his presence, the stronger it became. With him next to her, she felt complete, like the void she felt earlier was filling her heart and gradually mending. A void she never knew she had until Declan left for the Academy.

“I see you w
ere able to get Pretty Boy to come,” Chase said and looked at Declan. “Hey, Warlock. I see you are doing well.”

“Werewolf,” Declan crossed his arms. “What’s going on? I
thought I’d never see you again. In fact, I was counting on it.”

“You can’t always get
what you want,” Chase shrugged trying not to smile. Chase and Declan never got along, and Chase was about to say some other sarcastic comment as usual until he looked at Willow questioningly. “Wait. You didn’t tell him?”

“Tell me what?”

“About the—”

“Chase—” Willow cut him off with wide eyes.

“Tell me what?” Declan demanded again and faced Willow. “Willow, I swear if you don’t tell me what’s going on I’m going to—”

“
It’s the Deadlands.” Willow interjected and looked away from him.

“Huh?”

Willow closed her eyes. “The Deadlands, Declan. I…I was sent here to get you to come with us.”

“I don’t understand. Weren’t you going to see Carmela with Bane? To find
out where the key is?”

“God! Will you just spell it out for him
already, Healer?” Chase threw his hands in the air. “Look. The key is in the Deadlands. We’re going there tonight. You in Warlock?”

“How did you get here?”

“Carmela,” Willow said. “We went through a portal.”

“
I’m missing something. So you and Bane went to Carmela and what, the Werewolf just happened to show up?”

“My pack saved her from being kidnapped by Bane
, thank you very much,” Chase crossed his arms. “He took a trip down Insanity Lane and decided to declare himself king of the magic casters. But yeah, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t think that anymore, since his head is kind of no longer attached to his body.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Declan said and turned to Willow. “Bane tried to kidnap you?”

“It’s a long story…” Willow began. “I, uh, well,” she blew out a breath gathering her thoughts. “Remember when you were with your dad in his office? Bane paid me a visit and threatened to kill you if I didn’t break things off with you. He then decided to tell me that instead of going to Carmela’s, he was going to take me to Hekate instead during the meeting Emerson would have with the Alphas.”

“See? Bane was a total nut job,” Chase interjected. Both Willow and Declan shot him angry looks and he held his hands up and backed off.

“Are you serious?” Declan yelled. He was furious. “Willow! What were you thinking? You were just going to hand yourself over to the Queen to kill you?”

“I was thinking that I didn’t want you dead!” Willow shouted back, her voice shaking. “Because…because….” Willow couldn’t get herself to say
“I love you”. Not again. She didn’t know why, but she just couldn’t spit it out. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to be in a vulnerable state if Declan didn’t want her back. It was like Finley had said; she was the one that broke it off with him. Some part of her wanted him back, but she was still struggling with her dreams and visions she had seen of the future. How she was destined to be alone and Declan was supposed to move on. It was so messed up. Willow still wanted Declan, but she knew she shouldn’t want him and therefore, refused to admit her true feelings for him for the second time.

“So that whole thing in my dad’s office was an act?” Declan’s eyebrows shot up.

“Something like that…”

“Whoa
! Who is that?” Declan’s eyes grew wide looking beyond the gate and passed Chase. Willow also turned and saw that Elirana was approaching the trio. Her gown flowed listlessly as she walked, her hips swayed provocatively. She probably didn’t know she was walking in such a feminine way, but both guys were transfixed on the Elf like she was a goddess descended from Heaven. Willow’s mood grew darker standing there. Elves were beautiful creatures, but did they have to flaunt it so openly?

“
Another long story…” Willow mumbled, but Declan didn’t seem to hear her. He was still looking at Elirana as if under Devoted Drop, the most potent of love potions. It was starting to get on her nerves. She wasn’t exactly a beauty queen herself, but she never received that kind of reaction from the guys. “She knows the way to the Deadlands and has agreed to take us there.”

“
The Deadlands? What?” Declan asked lazily, only half listening to her.

“Will you stop staring at her and listen to me?” Willow yelled at him. It seemed t
o get his attention and he turned to look at her perplexed. “We, as in Chase, Elirana and I are going to the Deadlands to find the key. Are you coming or not, because I can’t stand here all day!”

“Of course I’m coming,” Declan said
without thought. “I never wanted to be here in the first place, until you sent me here. I wanted to be with you!”

“Excuse me?” Willow said. “I didn’t
send
you anywhere, Dec! I
suggested
you go to the Academy to save your life! If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t be here right now!”

“Oh really
?” Declan frowned. “Because it sure sounded like you wanted me to go!”

“Didn’t you hear me before? I
had
to act like it!”

“Will you two shut
up?” Chase yelled. “You know, at one time, you guys actually got along with each other instead of fighting! I mean, come on! You were practically drooling over each other, which is kind of crazy when you think about it because everyone knows I’m the most attractive guy here. Anyways, I know being separated for what, a few hours, made you insufferable lovers upset, so now, I guess the best solution would be to kiss and make up, and we can leave.” When Willow shot him a hateful glare he added, “Or don’t kiss. Whatever. All I’m saying is that we aren’t accomplishing anything by standing here arguing.”

“The W
erewolf’s right,” Declan agreed.

“Damn right!” Chase hollered. “Wait…what? Did I just hear that right?”

“Don’t look into it.”

“Man…
wow I mean…I think we need to take a moment to savor this…”

“I said, don’t look into it!” Declan said heatedly.

“Whatever,” Chase rolled his eyes and clapped his hands. “Okay, so let’s do this.” He frowned. “How
do
we do this? Elirana?”

W
illow turned to look at Elirana and was stunned to find Elirana intently staring at her. Even though she didn’t need the Elf’s approval, she suddenly felt embarrassed at starting a fight with Declan. Elirana had observed the entire conversation and didn’t say one word. She wondered what Elirana thought of her-probably nothing good. Elves, like the Fey, tended to think of themselves as a superior race and barely had respect for others.

“The Deadlands are
a sealed chasm within Mount Eyjafjallajökul of Iceland,” Elirana’s musical voice said. It was the first time she had spoken all night and the air around her seemed to calm. “It is located south of the continent. We cannot get there on foot. We must travel another way.”

Chase snorted. “Anyone have a portal?”

“Who needs a portal when we can fly?” Declan asked cockily beside her. Willow looked up at him and smiled just as arrogantly. She loved his confidence and wit, and flying was the perfect solution.

“Fly? Um…I don’t think so.”

“Awe! Is the Big Bad Wolf scared of heights?”