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“Well, Leo’s certainly pissed at me and while I seriously want to smack him down, I get it. Though . . . I have to admit, I’m not sure how much I trust him.” I glanced at Rhiannon and gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry, Rhia . . . but after he hit me . . .” I shrugged.
“I never expected him to explode like that. I’ve got a lot to think about,” she said quietly.
“Let’s get this place back to some semblance of order.” I returned to clearing up the debris, and with the help of the others and the kitchen staff, we were done in a little over an hour. It wasn’t spotless, and Anadey’d need to bleach the place down because of the blood and call in the health department to check the biohazard level, but at least she wouldn’t return to a mess in the morning. We waited with her while the emergency glass-repair guys came out and boarded up the windows, and then we headed home.
Peyton went with her mother—Anadey needed her.
As we gathered in the living room, I looked over at Chatter. “I suppose you’re against me trying to rescue Grieve, too?”
He surprised me. “Not anymore. If Myst keeps him there, not only will she destroy what control he has left, but she’ll be able to hurt you through hurting him. I think our only choice is to get him out of there. Either that or . . .”
“I know, I have to sever our connection—if I even can—and give up on him. And I can’t do that. I just can’t. And it’s not my hormones or his venom talking. Grieve and I . . .”
“Cicely’s right. She can’t sever the connection.” Chatter looked over at Rhiannon and Kaylin. “I was there when Grieve and Cicely were together, before. It was a terrible battle—I remember the aftermath when Lainule found out Shy—Grieve—was in love with Cherish. She flew into a rage and that just strengthened their resolve. They became so entwined together that nothing in the world could separate them—not Myst, not Lainule, not even heaven itself. I died trying. I was Grieve’s brother back then.”
“I’m sorry.” I stared at him. “There’s so much I still don’t remember, but if there’s anything I regret, it’s hurting . . . killing . . . you.”
Chatter bit his lip. “I wish I could tell you everything, but Lainule would have my head. She’s convinced you need to figure this out for yourself. But I witnessed the devastation the two of you caused in your wake. And though by then I was dead, I now know that the potion you took was created by one of the most powerful sorceresses of that time period. The effects brought you back together in this lifetime, across time and space.”
“I know that—” I started to say, but he shook his head, cutting me off.
“No, you still don’t understand. You’re bound together, and nothing but death can keep you apart. When Grieve is hungry enough for you, he’s going to tear through Myst’s guards until either he’s dead or they’re in shreds, and then he’ll come for you. If we can get him out, so much the better. Because I’ve done some research. Cicely, that potion you took? It did more than simply bind you.”
“I know—it brought us back together this time around.”
“It did more than that,” Chatter said.
A pit in my stomach opened up. How many times Grieve and I’d been together in past lives, I didn’t know and wasn’t sure if Grieve even knew. But our time together as Shy and Cherish had been strong enough to bond us forever. At the end, when we were cornered by our enemies, we’d taken a potion to bring us back together in the next life. But now something tugged at the back of my mind—something I felt I should remember.
“What did it do? Tell me.”
Chatter let out a long sigh. “When one of you dies this time, it will take the other with them. That potion bound you together forever. Not just for the next lifetime.”
“Holy crap,” Rhiannon said. “Then if we don’t rescue Grieve . . . if Myst kills him . . .”
“Myst will also kill Cicely. That’s why Cicely took on Grieve’s scars from the whip. And if she’s terribly hurt, he’ll be the one to bear her pain.” Chatter looked unhappy. “When Grieve first told me—as Shy—that he intended to have the potion made, I tried to stop him. I tried to persuade Grieve not to go through with it, but he wouldn’t listen. He was blinded by the venom of your bite.”
I stared at him, breathing hard. No . . . no . . . I couldn’t have enchanted him. “We loved each other,” I said, hoarsely.
“Yes, you did, just like you love him now. And I’m surprised you’re keeping it together so well this time. But Kaylin was right—you’re sucked in by the intoxication; you can’t help it, just like he couldn’t help it. Another few bites and your common sense may flee.”
That scared the hell out of me. I exhaled and slumped back into the chair. “How do I keep my head clear? What should I do?”
“We can try some sort of counterenchantment.” Kaylin shrugged. “There are some powerful spells that might counter the venom’s effect without breaking your connection to Grieve. Leo was talking about the idea earlier to me. He said that Anadey may know of a way. He asked me to bring it up, because he thought you wouldn’t listen to him if he did.”
That was an even scarier thought, but the more I mulled it over, the more sense it made. I loved Grieve, but my obsession could all too easily put friends in danger. “All right. I’ll ask her. But damn . . . I hate this.”
“I know. But don’t be afraid of breaking your connection—from what Chatter says, I don’t think there’s any real way to do that. You guys are linked, like it or not.”
I picked up the phone, not wanting to bother Anadey after the tragedy at the diner, but this was too important to ignore. As I punched in her number, I realized that I dreaded the thought of countering Grieve’s enchantment over me. Suppose Chatter was wrong? Suppose my love for him died away? Suppose I found out that the venom of his bite was the only true link we had left? What if I emerged from the spell not caring about whether he lived or died?
Anadey picked up the phone and I explained what I wanted. “Leo said you could help. Can you?” I held my breath, hoping she’d say no.
“I think so . . . at least, I can give it a try. Come over now and we’ll see what we can do.” She hung up, sounding tired.
I stared at the receiver. Kaylin was watching me closely, and I realized everybody was waiting to hear what I had to say.
“Yeah, she says she can help.” I reluctantly replaced the receiver on the cradle and let out a long sigh. “I don’t like this, but to make sure you guys are safe, I’ll do it.” I grabbed my keys and slid into my jacket.
