Isolation

ISOLATION

(The Witches of Santa Anna, Book Ten)
by Lauren Barnholdt & Aaron Gorvine
Copyright 2011, Lauren Barnholdt and Aaron
Gorvine, all rights reserved

This book is a work of fiction, and any
resemblance to any persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental

Chapter One

Campbell

After I hang up with Natalia, I sit on the edge of my bed for a second, thinking.

My mind‘s racing with all kinds of different thoughts, and none of them are good.

Why the hell did she lie to me about going to lunch with Adrianna after the game?

I‘m sure when I ask her, she‘ll probably have all kinds of excuses. But they won‘t real y be excuses. They‘ll be lies. Natalia is a liar.

But even as I‘m thinking it, I‘m having a hard time believing it. She wouldn‘t lie to me without a good reason. She risked her life for me at Homecoming.

I realize I‘ve been sitting here gripping my phone so tight it‘s about to snap in half. So I get up and head down the hall toward my mom‘s room, where I‘m pretty sure she‘s taking a nap (i.e., sleeping it off).

My first few knocks go unanswered.

―Mom.‖

Nothing.

―MOM!‖ I yell .

Final y there‘s a low groan from the bedroom.

―What?‖

―I need to talk to you.‖

More groaning, followed by more muttering. ―I‘m sleeping. Can it wait?‖

―No.‖

―Fine.‖ Loud sigh. Footsteps. She opens the door wearing a white bathrobe, her eyes so swollen and droopy that it looks like she‘s been in a ten round fight. Which she has. With a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

―You missed my game again,‖ I tell her, and then instantly regret it. That‘s not what I came to talk about. But I can‘t help it. She hasn‘t been to one al year.

―I‘m sorry, Cam, but it‘s been a tough week.‖ She pushes her hair off her face.

―Did you win?‖

―Yeah.‖ I fold my arms. ―Look, I have a favor to ask.‖

She blinks at me, confused. Her face looks old and drawn. ―Okay.‖

―Natalia and her mom invited us to have dinner with them tonight.‖

She cocks her head and blinks some more. ―I‘m sorry, honey. Who—‖

―The girl I‘m seeing. Natalia.‖

She gives me a puzzled smile. ―That‘s funny, I could have sworn you and Raine were still seeing one another. What happened there?‖

I shake my head. You‘ve got to be kidding me.

―Forget it. I must have been crazy even asking.‖

―Wait. Campbell .‖ She starts to follow me down the hall . ―Campbell , calm down. Why are you so angry?‖

―Because we had this conversation already, Mom. I told you that I‘m not seeing Raine anymore. We argued about it. Don‘t you remember?‖

She nods, then shakes her head, like she‘s trying to clear her thoughts. ―I just woke up.

Give me a break, I‘m a little foggy.‖

I take a deep breath and try to calm down. She‘s always been this way, so I don‘t know why it still gets to me. But it does. ―Fine. Let me break it down for you. A girl that I real y, real y like has invited us to dinner. So do you want to go or not?‖

―Of course I want to go,‖ she says, like she can‘t believe it‘s even a question. She reaches out and brushes my bangs out of my eyes, a gesture that‘s meant to be affectionate. I take a step back.

―And you won‘t act crazy. Right?‖

She laughs, like it‘s some big joke. ―I can‘t promise that.‖

―Seriously, Mom, I want to make a good impression.

So no getting loaded at dinner.‖

―Loaded? Honey, I think I‘m old enough to know how to behave at the dinner table.‖ She smiles. ―Don‘t worry about me. I‘ll be a model citizen.‖

―Thanks.‖

I start to walk back toward my room, but she cal s after me. ―Someone‘s puling into our driveway. Is that her?‖

I look out the front window and see a beige Ford Focus puling in behind my car.

―That‘s not her,‖ I say.

And it‘s not Derek, unless he switched to a new vehicle. And it‘s not Aiden, or Brody, because --

Hadley gets out of the car and starts walking up toward the front porch.

―That‘s not your girlfriend?‖ my mom asks, apparently thrown by the idea of an

unexpected visitor. She has enough trouble keeping Natalia and Raine straight, I can‘t even imagine what Hadley‘s doing to her.

―No,‖ I say, trying to keep my tone even. ―No, it‘s someone else.‖

―Well , aren‘t you just Mr. Popular! My son, al -star athlete and girl magnet.‖

―Please,‖ I say, rolling my eyes. ―Just get ready and let me see what this is about.‖ I run downstairs and out the front door.

Hadley smiles and waves at me, like she‘s just stopping by for a friendly visit.

She‘s got on dark jeans and a black leather coat, and a pair of sunglasses are perched on her head.

―Hey,‖ she says, ―Sorry to drop by unannounced.‖

―What‘s going on?‖ I ask, feeling a pit of dread in my stomach. My first instinct is to just get rid of her, and lately I‘ve learned it‘s important to pay attention to my gut.

―Because I‘m kind of busy.‖

She stops in the driveway, keys still in her hand, and shifts her feet. ―Oh. Sorry.‖

―No worries. I just— I have something I‘ve got to do.‖

―I need to talk to you about what you saw at my house.‖

I wave it off. ―Already forgotten.‖ Lie.

―Cam—‖

―Seriously, it‘s fine. My lips are sealed.‖ I mime taking a key to my lips and locking them, hoping she buys it enough to get back in her car and go away.

―I‘m not worried about you telling people.‖

―Listen, can we talk more in school on Monday? Or even tomorrow? I have to be

somewhere and – ―

―Please,‖ she says, cutting me off and taking a step toward me. ―This is real y important.‖

Her voice is pleading.

Don"t do it,
I think.
She"s trying to trick you.

But if I‘m being honest, I don‘t real y think Hadley‘s evil. I just don‘t want to hear whatever she‘s about to tell me. It‘s only going to make things more complicated, and that‘s the last thing I need right now.

―Fine,‖ I say, final y. ―I‘ll give you like…three minutes.

But then I real y have to go.‖ I walk down the steps and meet her near my car. ―Shoot.‖

―You need to come with me, Cam,‖ she says. She leans back against the car, and pulls her sunglasses down over her eyes. ―Back to my house.‖

―Why?‖

―Because,‖ she says simply. ―It‘s important. I wouldn‘t be here if it wasn‘t.‖

―I told you, I don‘t have time.‖ I think about my mom stumbling around inside and hope she‘s at least getting in the shower. ―And even if I did, why would I want to?

What‘s back at your house?‖

―Something I need to show you. Something about you and Natalia.‖

―Bull shit.‖ I knew I shouldn‘t have come out here. I turn away from her, and start

walking back up the driveway. Derek was right about this chick. She‘s bad news.

―Cam,‖ she cal s, ―You have to come with me. I‘m warning you.‖ I turn around, and she pulls her sunglasses off, which makes me nervous. If she wants to be able to look at me, she‘s probably getting ready to do some kind of spell . Or at least considering it.

―Warning me?‖ I laugh, and take a step back toward my house, hoping she won‘t sense

how desperate I am to get out of there. ―Is that a threat?‖

―Cal it what you want, Cam.‖ She shrugs. ―But I‘m playing nice right now and I real y don‘t have to.‖

The pit of dread in my stomach expands, and then, suddenly, I‘m pissed off.

―Don‘t fucking threaten me, Hadley.‖

―Don‘t get mad. I‘m trying to help you. Something‘s happening and you need to see it.‖

She sighs, and looks like she‘s about to say something else.

There‘s a beat of silence, and then she says, ―It‘s about Raine.‖

I shake my head. ―Oh, no fucking way,‖ I say. ―I‘m not going there.‖

―Cam, I can make you. Don‘t force me to do that.‖

―If you can force me, why haven‘t you done it already?‖ I‘m hoping to cal her bluff. But then I remember the flash of light and the body lying on her front lawn. The way she controlled those cops. She‘s not bluffing.

Hadley sees that I know she‘s telling the truth.

―Please, Cam. I know this sucks for you. It sucks for me, too. But like I said, I‘m trying to help you.‖

―Sure. Sure you are.‖ I walk back toward the house.

―Cam—‖

―Can I at least tell my mom I‘m going out for a minute? Or do you want to put a spell on her so she doesn‘t give a shit?‖

She doesn‘t answer, which I decide means yes to my first question. I check the time on my phone as I head inside. I‘ve got a little time – about an hour--

before I need to be at Natalia‘s.

―Mom!‖ I cal , but then I hear the shower running.

I‘ll probably be home before she‘s even out of the bathroom. It occurs to me that I could simply lock the front door and refuse to go back outside. What‘s Hadley going to do, break into my house and kidnap me?

Maybe,
I think. In fact, I‘m fairly certain she would if I forced her to.

Whatever. Time to bite the bullet and see what she‘s got in store for me. But something tells me if it involves Raine, then it‘s bad news all the way.

***

I insist on taking my own car over to her house and Hadley relents, even though she doesn‘t like it. But I want to at least have the possibility of getting out of there, even if she can stop me.

While I drive, I try to stay focused and not let my imagination run wild. Part of me wants to cal Natalia and tell her what‘s going on, but I know I can‘t. I have no idea what I‘m going to find at Hadley‘s house, and I don‘t want to put Natalia in any more danger.

Besides, I‘m not even sure I can trust Natalia, not after she lied to me. In fact, I‘m not sure I can trust anyone. Not Natalia, not Aiden, definitely not Brody.

Hel , at the moment Hadley might be my best bet.

We pull up front of her house and I notice that somehow the window‘s already been

replaced and there‘s no sign of any broken glass or damage from earlier. Which is fucking weird.

But why should anything surprise me anymore?

Hadley waits for me halfway up the front walk, looking serious and a little nervous. Her face grows pale as I walk toward her.

―We need to hurry,‖ she says, looking around, then grabbing my arm and pulling me

toward the door.

―Come on.‖

She unlocks the front door and we step inside. I‘m immediately taken aback.

The place still looks total y unlived in. There‘s boxes everywhere, mostly unopened. No TV, no real furniture, and the walls are still freshly painted.

―What the hell ?‖ I look at Hadley.

―Obviously I‘m not a regular student who just moved here from overseas.‖ She shuts the door behind her and turns the deadbolt.

―Um, fine, but shouldn‘t you at least try to unpack a little? I mean, you don‘t even have--

‖ Just then, a series of thumps beneath my feet makes me jump. I look down at the floor. ―What was that?‖

Hadley looks at me. ―You need to stay calm.‖

―I am calm. Why wouldn‘t I be calm? I‘m only hanging out with a stranger in some

creepy empty witch house with weird noises coming from the basement.‖

It‘s so surreal it‘s almost comical. I bite back the urge to give a maniacal laugh.

―We need to go down there,‖ she says. ―There‘s something you need to see.‖

―Hel no,‖ I say, shaking my head. ―I don‘t take another step until you tell me what the hell is going on.‖ It‘s an empty threat, and we both know it.

―Cam,‖ she says, ―Your safety depends on it.‖

―Wouldn‘t I be safer away from whatever it is?‖

She grabs my arm again. ―Come on. Enough staling.‖

I rip myself away from her. ―No. Tell me who you are first. Who you are
really?”

She rolls her eyes, like she can‘t believe I‘m questioning her. ―I‘m a person, Cam. My name is Hadley. REALLY.‖

―And you‘re a witch?‖

She tilts her head, like she‘s thinking about it. ―That‘s not how I define myself.

And honestly, we‘ve got bigger things to worry about at the moment.‖ Another series of thumps comes from the basement.