Secret Worlds (434 page)

Before I could answer, she told me her name was Lucy and that she was the one who had called the police the night before when she saw the fire on her way home. They had told her that because of all the recent fires in the cities, and because the fire was so far out in the country, no fire fighters would be coming. Instead they sent two police offers who, according to Lucy, simply watched the house burn down.

“They may as well have roasted marshmallows on that there fire,” she said with obvious disgust. Then she asked me the one question I was hoping for: “Did everyone else get out okay?”

“It was only me and Eve, the Segurs only child,” I said. I couldn’t tell her I
was
Eve. I didn’t look anything like myself anymore, and who knew if they’d ever seen me from the distance before my transformation. “I tried to get to her, but the fire spread so quickly! And then I was so overwhelmed by smoke that I passed out not far from the home.”

“You poor thing. This is just like all them other fires in the city,” Lucy said, biting at her lip. “It’s scary, it really is. All these terrorist attacks. I’m thinking of moving with my children, maybe out west. There don’t seem to be many fires there.”

The inside of my chest collapsed. This is my fault. People are frightened because of what I have done.

Her brow furrowed and she clucked her tongue. “I wonder why terrorists would go after the Segurs.”

I shrugged. “Do you mind if I use your phone? I need my friend to pick me up so I can go to the police. I’ll let them call Eve’s parents with the bad news.”

“Of course, whatever you need.” Lucy handed me her phone. “I’ll be in the kitchen when you’re finished. I’ll make you some breakfast.”

As soon as she was gone, I dialed Liane’s number. She answered on the fifth ring.

“Liane?” I asked, but a giant lump in my throat prevented the word from coming out right.

“Eve? Is it really you? Where in the hell have you been? I’ve been calling and calling. One more day and would’ve stormed Boaz’s castle. Why haven’t you called? I’ve been so bored—”

“Something’s happened, and I need your help,” I blurted.

There was a brief silence on the other end. “Of course, anything. What’s up?”

I was either too afraid or embarrassed to tell her everything so I didn’t. “I don’t think I mentioned this, but I moved home a couple of weeks ago.”

“Oh no! Are you and Boaz having problems?”

“Not really,” I lied. I didn’t want the conversation to come anywhere near Boaz and the fact that he was dead. That conversation would have to wait until I was safely out of the state. “I just felt it was time to return home.”

“Oh,” Liane said. I heard the confusion in her voice. “Then what’s wrong?”

“My parent’s home burnt down last night. There’s nothing left.”

“That’s horrible! How are your parents?”

“They weren’t home.”

“That’s good, right?”

I paused. “Liane, I need you to promise you won’t say a word to anyone of what I’m about to tell you.”

“Of course. That’s what sisters are for.”

“I’m glad you said that.” I tapped my fingers on the windowsill in front of me. “I need your help getting out of New York, and you can’t tell a soul, not even Boaz.”

“Why?”

“I need everyone to think I died in that fire.”

“But
why
, Eve?”

“Please, Liane, just trust me. This is my chance to get away. They all must think I’m dead, even Boaz. He’ll tell my parents otherwise.”

“But I thought you loved him.”

“Maybe. I just need to get away. Will you please help me?”

Liane sighed. “Sure. What do you need?”

“I need to borrow some money and clothes. And a ride to the nearest bus station or airport.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Absolutely.”

“All right. I’ll do it. Where are you now?”

“I’m at a neighbor’s house, two miles east of my parent’s home. Their address is 215 Birch Street just outside Chesterfield. It’s a large white stucco home.”

I could hear Liane scribbling in the background. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. It will probably be a few hours.”

“Thank you, Liane. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“It’s nothing. I’ll see you soon. Be safe.”

The receiver on the other end clicked. I waited a few minutes before returning to Lucy in the kitchen.

“I hope you’re hungry,” she said when I walked in. “And when you’re finished, you can shower. I’ll have clothes waiting for you when you get out.”

I ate, showered, and dressed quickly. With each passing second, I mapped out my next moves. I would head to Chicago, a place my parents didn’t like. I would get an apartment, a job, maybe as a waitress. It’d been my plan before Boaz came into my life.

Liane arrived early. After thanking Lucy for her hospitality and assuring her that I was going directly to the police, I hurried out to meet Liane before she could come into the house.

She jumped out of the car and threw her arms around me, embracing me tightly. After releasing me, she said, “I saw the home. It really was destroyed, wasn’t it? Looks more like a bomb went off than a simple fire.”

I averted my eyes. “Let’s just get out of here.”

“You got it,” she said and returned to her seat behind the steering wheel.

“Is this new?” I asked when I closed the passenger door. The black-leathered seat felt like it had never been sat in before, and the inside of the Lexus was immaculate.

“It is. You like it?”

“It’s amazing.”

“It was a gift. So what’s with your light hair?” Liane asked. “You look so different.”

I ran my fingers through the long strands. “Thought I’d go all-natural.”

“It’s…interesting,” she said and then laughed.

Liane and I checked into a hotel just outside New York City near a bus station. During the drive over, Liane had kept the conversation light. She spoke of William and their latest adventure to Louisiana. Not surprisingly, this adventure
had
included a monkey. It panged me to hear of their fun and what I’d be missing. The only thing I wouldn’t miss was the part where we were cruel to others.

“Do you ever have regrets?” I asked Liane once we had settled into the room.

Liane jumped on the bed and stretched out, a licorice rope between her lips. “Like what?”

I sat on the bed next to her. “We did some pretty horrible things to people.”

“It’s all in good fun. Besides, no one was really hurt. And since when did you care?”

I shook my head. “I just feel bad sometimes.”

Liane sat up and wrapped her arms around her bent knees. “I admit, some of our pranks went too far, but that’s never going to happen again, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re leaving. Who knows if we’ll ever see each other again?”

I hadn’t thought about that. “You’ll come visit me, won’t you?”

Liane tilted her head and smiled. “I’m sure I will.” She reached over and grabbed her purse off the nightstand. “Speaking of travel, here is your bus ticket to Chicago. It leaves at 5:30 a.m. Once you get there, take a cab to the Weston Hotel downtown. I’ve booked you a full month. I figure that should be enough time to get you on your feet, maybe find a sweet job pole dancing or something.”

I laughed and playfully shoved her. “I don’t know how I will ever repay you.”

“I’ll think of something. Now come on. Let’s go have our last night out on the town.”

I frowned.

“Not as witches,” Liane said. “As sisters.”

***

Before sunrise, I dressed quietly, careful not to disturb Liane who I knew was not a morning person. She’d also drunk quite a bit at dinner the night before and would probably have a massive headache if wakened too early. Instead, I wrote a short note, thanking her for everything and promising to call her as soon as I was settled.

I stepped outside into the crisp early morning air. I was about to begin a whole new life, and it would be entirely my own creation. This exhilarating thought made me walk faster toward the bus station. Other than an occasional dog barking, the streets were deserted and quiet. I stopped at an intersection and looked both ways before crossing. As I moved to take a step forward, someone grabbed me from behind. A cloth that smelled of chemicals and jasmine pressed against my nose and mouth. I struggled for a brief moment before the strong fumes overcame me.

Before I lost consciousness, a familiar voice said, “Where do you think you’re going?”

My eyes fluttered open to a thick and heavy darkness. It was unbearably warm; great beads of sweat rolled down the sides of my face. I lay flat on my back against an unknown, hard surface, and when I raised my arms, they thumped short against something solid. My fingers groped the flat surface above me, and I winced in pain when a sliver slipped through my forefinger. Coarse wood boards ran the length of my body six inches above my face.

Mouth open, I sucked in the warm, stifling air.
Where am I?
I turned my head to the side and felt something brush against my cheek. I reached for it and rubbed it between my fingers. It felt like a plant. A memory stirred, and I inhaled deeply. The smell of jasmine was like a slap to my face. My breathing quickened as realization of where I was and what had happened came back to me.

I pushed up against the rough wood. Surprisingly, it took great effort, and I wondered how long I’d been trapped in what I now recognized as a crudely made casket. For my body to be this exhausted, I must’ve been trapped for several days, if not weeks. My heart raced, and my stomach felt hollow.

Using all the strength I could muster, I pounded my fists against the boards above me. At the same time, I bent my knees as far as they’d go and pushed upwards, but the boards didn’t budge. “Erik! Sable! Please. Get me out of here!”

My cries punctured the darkness; the terror in my voice only made me cry harder. Over and over, I screamed until my throat burned.

Finally, I begged. “Mom.”

The word hovered above me, trapped.

I thought back to the night’s events before my parents took me. How did they even find me? The only person who knew where I was—I stopped breathing—was Liane. Was she capable of betraying me like that? We were best friends, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized she would turn me over. I’m sure some kind of reward was involved. And me admitting remorse for our past actions probably repulsed her. She truly believed supernaturals were far superior to humans and would never feel sorry for them.

Fear turned to anger, and my body tingled, starting in my feet. Magic was coming.
No!
I closed my eyes tight and traveled to the one place that offered protection: Eden.

It had been well over a year since I’d visited; the exact same time I’d met Boaz. The place was more beautiful than I remembered. Clear, sea green water surrounded an island lush with trees and grass, golden sand at its edges. A mountain swept up the west side. On its backside was a steep cliff that I’d jumped from many times in the past, but that wasn’t my goal today. I lowered myself onto the warm sand next to a purple flowering plant. Waves rolled to shore in a soothing patter, one after the other.

With my mind disconnected from my body, I could finally reason a way out of my current nightmare. My parents had taught me many things, but the only lesson worth remembering was that there was a solution to any problem. You just had to find one you could accept. I dug my toes farther into the wet sand, burying my feet.

What I thought unthinkable had finally happened. Erik had threatened to bury me alive my whole life as a form of punishment, but I always thought it was just that—a threat.

A wave to my left crashed to shore. In the distance, two dolphins danced upon the waters, jumping and diving. I had a vague recollection of speaking to them years ago. I smiled, the pain of my physical state completely gone. But I knew I had to return if I had any chance of surviving. And I did want to survive. I had to make things right and find Him, the one who finally set me free. Reluctantly, I left Eden but with a new, calm determination.

Back in the crudely made casket, I pulled the jasmine away from my head and shoved it toward my feet. My fingers traced the wood boards, carefully searching for any weaknesses. Eventually I found a slivered piece above my face that pulled off easily. I continued to pick at the wood, attempting to pull back its many layers. I flinched when my fingernail broke below the quick.

I told myself to breathe slowly, concentrate. I couldn’t succumb to the darkness. I’d come so far in life, overcoming more obstacles than anyone in ten lifetimes. I wasn’t about to give up now.

I tore off another piece of wood. Blood dripped from my fingertip and onto my cheek. I didn’t stop to give my fingers the time they needed to heal.

I thought back to my time as Alarica. It felt like years ago, but in actuality, it couldn’t have been more than a month ago, depending on how long I’d been lying unconscious in this grave. My parents and Boaz thought their dream was finally realized when I was transformed. All they had lived for, fought for, was realized the moment they put that damned necklace around me and gave life to Alarica. But not even they could imagine the horror she would bring, and in the end, they, too, ran in fear. Who knew how many more would’ve been destroyed if it had not been for Him, the vampire who showed me mercy when I deserved none. He even had the opportunity to kill me after I’d lost consciousness but didn’t for some reason. What did surprise me, though, was the fact that he’d left the necklace. Something I’d have to ask him about when I find him.

Another wood chip peeled back. I switched to picking at the wood with my left hand, as the fingers on my right hand were raw and bleeding. I needed to give them a few minutes to heal.

I would find Him. I would get out of here and find Him.

I pried at the wood with my left hand, but it was almost as raw as my right, making it difficult to pick at the wood. Tears stung my eyes. I clenched my jaw tight and continued to work feverishly at the boards despite the pain.

I used my pinky—the only finger with feeling left in it, to touch the hole I had created in the board. It wasn’t even half way through. I pushed on it as hard as I could and felt it flex under the pressure.