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Griffin looked like trash, and I could smell the acid in the poison from his chest. I couldn’t look him in the eye. I’d been walking in the woods for a long time and when Griffin popped up from the ruins I nearly fainted from fright. Emily looked drained but her cheeks were flushed.
“Morgan?”
“Hey, I got your message this morning. I’m sorry, I only switched it on after I set up the bar. I would’ve been here earlier if I’d checked. Are you two okay?” I looked at Griffin and my hands shook. “Sit, let me fix that for you.”
He sat and I knelt before him, he leaned back on his arms and I held my palm over the wound. I noticed his eyes focused on Emily, but she busied herself with the backpack. After a moment a faint purple light coated his skin as I drew the last of the poison out. It was nasty, and if Emily hadn’t used the healing potions, Griffin would have been dead. I knew because it was my poison…
If either of them found out that I’d been there, in the camp the whole time, they’d be beyond pissed. But Samara told me to meet with Victor to organize her arrival. I heard Kellan and the pack bring Griffin in, and I wanted to run out but they would kill me. I wanted to untie him after everyone changed, but by the time I’d walked out, I saw Emily and quickly ducked into the cabin again. It took her hours to figure out how to save Griffin. It was excruciatingly frustrating to watch the silly girl struggle. By the time she got him loose, it was too late. I was almost certain they were going to kill her.
Her fire magic was shocking, though. Her anger fueled her magic and she had a lot of it. She’d expended so much power and stopping the fire from burning Kellan and Victor took a lot from me. I’d been at the camp since yesterday morning, making plans and preparations. The pack was terrible, and I hated myself for working with Griffin’s old family. He would hate me for it but I did it for him, for us. I’d spent the past few days at the bar, speaking to Samara whenever I could. I didn’t have to be asleep anymore, I could speak to her anytime through meditation. She started teaching me how to do bigger spells, how to gain more power. When she asked me to see Victor, I said no at first. But she was intimidating, and Samara made one threat against Griffin and I caved.
Listening to them torture him tore my heart open, and it was all that I could do not to charge out into the night and zapping Kellan on his ass. I told Samara about it, and she promised that she wouldn’t let them kill him so I kept my distance. After Griffin and Emily left this morning, I stuck around until I could make an arbitrary excuse to leave. Victor waved me off like I was some servant. I then wandered around searching for him. I knew they wouldn’t have made it to the highway, not with their injuries, so they had to have been somewhere in the woods.
“That’s okay. I’m glad you’re here now,” Emily said softly, avoiding Griffin’s stare.
I lifted my hand from Griffin’s chest and helped him up. He flexed his shoulder a few times, testing the pain. He winced a little, but it seemed much better. His other wounds had healed too. “Thanks, Morgan. How did you find the camp?”
“Well, I remember you explaining the woods a little while ago, and Emily sent the coordinates last night. It took me a while, but here I am.” I shrugged and smiled sheepishly.
“And they didn’t find you? Did you see any of them? Coming here alone was really dangerous, Morgan. If they caught you…” Griffin stated quietly.
I shrugged. “I’m tougher than I seem. I’m just relieved Emily managed to get you out okay. You did a good job on the poison.” Emily smiled and nodded.
“We need to get out of here. Before it gets dark,” Griffin said, now he was avoiding Emily, too. I must’ve stumbled on something more than just healing. Jealousy pulsed through me and I struggled to keep my expression neutral.
Emily shoved the candles and wrappers into the backpack and slung it over her back. She led the way back upstairs. I followed and Griffin took up the rear. The air was heavy and tense and I couldn’t help but feel some sort of relief that I’d interrupted. I had to get Griffin away from Emily. She was clouding his mind. Samara had a plan, she didn’t share it with me fully, but she was supposed to meet up with Victor in a few days. She wanted me to be there so that she could show me a few things in person. I hadn’t felt so alive in a long time, I had a purpose and I wanted to stay on Samara’s good side.
The woods were silent when we emerged from the ruin. The leaves rustled in the wind, but there was no other sound. Please stay in the camp… I kept repeating in my mind. If Kellan or Victor came out here and saw me with them, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to answer their questions. Griffin would never trust me again, and it wouldn’t matter that I was doing all of this for him.
Emily’s fire magic must’ve taken a lot of energy because she stumbled every few feet. Griffin grabbed her elbow, and I wanted to scream at the longing, protective looks he kept giving her. Eventually she would grow dull. Samara promised to show me a few darker spells—spells that would allow me to summon shadow beings. I always thought they were a myth—beings that came from a different realm that resembled Hell. They stalked at night, and when they killed, there was no evidence on how the victim died. The more I thought about it, the more ideal it sounded. If I could summon one, then it could kill Emily and no one would suspect me.
“Morgan, how did you get here?” Griffin’s voice made me jump. He stopped in front of a bundle of leaves and branches. He threw a few to the side and I could see his motorcycle glisten underneath. He handed the helmet to Emily.
“I took a cab. I’ll give them a call from the road,” I muttered.
Emily looked at the helmet and held it out to me. “You can go with Griffin. I’ll get a cab.”
“No! The pack isn’t looking for Morgan. If they spot you trying to catch a cab, you’ll end up right back at the camp.” Griffin frowned at Emily and my heart stung. He was comfortable with me standing out in danger, but not Emily. Not that I was in any danger, but he didn’t know that.
“It’s okay. You go. I’ve got the cab’s number on speed dial.” I forced a smile at Emily and started toward the road.
“We can wait with her, just until they pick her up.” I heard Emily say to Griffin. There was a moment of silence and then Griffin pushed the motorcycle next to me.
“Thank you for coming. I know it’s risky,” Griffin said quietly.
I smiled. “I’m just sorry that I was late. It was stupid of you to come here. You’re lucky that your brother prefers to draw things out. I wish you’d told me before you left.”
Griffin snorted. “I didn’t because I knew you would try to stop me, or follow me.”
“Damn right! Your old pack hates you. They could have done a lot worse.” I stumbled over the words, Griffin frowned. “Well, from how you looked just now, I’m guessing Kellan did quite a job.”
“Yeah, well, thanks to Emily and your healing potion, I made it out. Now I’m as strong as ever!” He winked at me, and I nudged his shoulder which made him wince.
“Sure, whatever you say,” I laughed.
“I’m sorry about making you take a cab… I hope you know that I don’t mean it in a bad way, it’s just… if they get her again, I know Kellan won’t let go this time,” he said while looking at the ground. We’d stopped on the edge of the forest, Emily wandered a short distance away.
I blew out a breath. “You like her, don’t you?” He looked like he wanted to argue, but I held up my hand and shook my head. “Whatever. When she chooses Cassian, just remember that I warned you. But I’ll be here for you when it happens.”
“I hope you’re wrong.” Griffin glanced over his shoulder at Emily and sighed. “Are you coming back to the apartment?”
I shook my head. I had other potions to practice. Samara had me on a tight schedule and most of the potions were deadly, but she also showed me a stronger healing potion and a few others: mind altering, pain inducing, and one that mimics paralysis to name a few. Samara hadn’t asked for updates in a while, but I would fill her in on this experience before Kellan did. “Nope, I need to get back to the bar. It’s been insanely busy. You can come by whenever though. I feel like we haven’t hung out in a long time.”
Griffin nudged my shoulder. “That’s because we haven’t. I’ll pop in soon.” Just then a cab pulled up. I wondered what the driver thought, picking a young woman up in the middle of nowhere at the edge of the woods. The old guy didn’t say anything as I climbed in. Maybe this sort of thing happened on a regular basis.
I looked out of the back window to see Emily climbing onto the back of the motorcycle. I groaned as she wrapped her arms around Griffin’s waist and leaned her chin on his shoulder. That was my spot, and as much as it hurt now, soon it would be again and Emily would be a hazy memory.
