Bleeding Misery (Threatening Souls Book 2) Read online

  Rebekah loved her cousin like a sister, and she even got along fine with Aunt Trina and Uncle Bernard. However, if there ever was a such thing as Las Vegas rednecks, she was sure Paige’s family would fit the description exactly.

  The barest hint of a smile broke across Paige’s face, and she dashed into the room, nearly knocking Rebekah to the floor. “Oh my god!” she squealed as her arms locked around Rebekah’s torso in a death-grip.

  “Hi, Paige,” Rebekah said tensely. Where she tended to be more reserved, Paige did everything with an exaggerated flourish.

  “Hi!” Paige nearly yelled in her ear. At last, she broke the suffocating embrace. “Oh my god! It’s been forever!”

  “It’s only been a year,” Rebekah pointed out. Technically, it had been a little longer than that, but she was never one to get technical.

  Paige rolled her eyes in the most exaggerated way possible. “That’s practically forever,” she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “What have you been up to?”

  “Nothing,” Rebekah said. Just casually hanging out while a deranged immortal warlock hunts me down for evading him in Roseway.

  Paige studied Rebekah for a bit before saying, “Why did you move back?”

  Rebekah froze. “Move back?” she questioned, playing dumb. Paige couldn’t remember about her family moving to Roseway; Andre and Holly made sure everyone who knew had their memories replaced by false ones.

  Paige rolled her eyes again. “To Roseway? Ring a bell?”

  Rebekah nearly choked. “We never moved, Paige,” she said adamantly. “We got evicted from our house though.”

  Paige stared at Rebekah, dumbfounded. “I texted you while you were there.”

  And Rebekah remembered that brief conversation. And she also remembered that conversation having been erased as a consequence of the false memories.

  “I have the conversation right here!” Paige took out her phone and started scrolling. “See, I—” And then, she stopped as mortification overtook her features.

  “Paige,” Rebekah said calmly, trying to sound rational. “We never—”

  “It was right here, and now, it’s gone!” Paige shrieked. “The messages! I never delete anything!”

  Rebekah was about to say something else when the laughter from her and Paige’s parents overtook the whole apartment. They were talking about the eviction, she quickly realized, and in usual fashion, Uncle Bernard took the serious situation and crafted a joke out of it. Rebekah thought Uncle Bernard was the least funny person she’s ever met, but apparently, her parents thought differently.

  Still, they were talking about the eviction, not Roseway. Paige’s parents didn’t know about Roseway.

  Then, why does Paige know?

  “Hello, earth to Rebekah!” Paige snapped her fingers in front of Rebekah’s face, jolting her back to their conversation.

  Rebekah blinked. “What?”

  Paige sighed dramatically. “Why did you move back?”

  “We didn’t move!”

  “Yes, you—”

  Rebekah’s mother suddenly called for dinner, cutting off anything Paige was about to say. Soon, they were all seated around the table

  For a moment, the only sound in the apartment was the clacking of silverware and food being passed around as everyone served themselves. Rebekah took a huge slab of roast beef and deposited it onto her plate before following it up with some mashed potatoes and an ear of corn.

  While she was in mid-bite of roast beef, her father carefully slid something under the table into her lap. She quickly realized it was her phone, and she glanced at her father, a silent question burning in her gaze.

  “For tonight,” Paul explained, “but you are only allowed to use it for emergencies.”

  Rebekah gave a quick nod before returning to her food.

  The conversation soon broke off into multiple directions, though Rebekah paid no attention to it. When she was more than halfway done with her plate, Paige tugged on her arm.

  “Where are you taking me?” Paige questioned teasingly.

  “Wherever you want?” Rebekah replied, raising an eyebrow.

  “Pssh, and here I thought you had a surprise,” Paige fake-pouted, turning back towards her plate.

  For the rest of dinner, the two cousins were silent. After plates were cleared, Rebekah’s brothers—who were going to be her and Paige’s ride, since they were also going out—fetched their car keys from the counter.

  Rebekah and Paige followed them to the parking lot, and soon, they were in the backseat of Nick’s car. The engine roared to life, and they peeled out of the parking lot.

  Paige squealed, though from shock or excitement, Rebekah couldn’t tell.

  Paige and Rebekah were dropped off in front of the candle shop in downtown and given explicit instructions to meet back there when the time was up. Paige rocked on the soles of her feet as she took a look around, admiring the scene.

  “You’ve been here plenty of times,” Rebekah pointed out, sensing her cousin’s excitement.

  “And this place amazes me every single time,” Paige replied before her eyes narrowed on the candle shop. She quickly grabbed Rebekah’s arm and started pulling her towards the door. “Let’s go there!”

  Rebekah tensed. She hated candles, ever since Roseway tainted them for her.

  Yet, Paige was persistent, and soon, the two of them were through the door.

  And nearly smacked into someone.

  “Excuse me,” Paige said as she tried to maneuver herself and Rebekah around the person.

  The person soon spun around, and all Rebekah could think about were how yellow his eyes were. A scream lodged in her throat, and the door slammed shut violently behind them. Yellow eyes, the same shade as Henri’s and Melissa’s. The mark of an immortal magic user.

  With a flick of his gaze, the immortal warlock sent Paige flying across the room. Rebekah saw the sickening thud as candles tumbled from their shelves before she heard it. In the background, someone was screaming, though it wasn’t until Rebekah felt the stabbing pain in her throat, like thousands of tiny needles, that she realized the scream was coming from her.

  The warlock gave a sickening smile. “She looks just like you,” he said as he stepped towards her. “I would ask if you are sisters, but considering she wasn’t with your family in Roseway, I don’t think you are. Perhaps cousins?”

  Rebekah put herself between her cousin and the nameless warlock, her heart leaping at the mention of Roseway. She didn’t know how this warlock knew about her family, or even knew who had lived in Roseway with her and who didn’t, but she didn’t want to give the warlock the satisfaction of her curiosity.

  The warlock studied her protective stance and laughed. “Oh, Rebekah,” he said mockingly, and something in his eyes flickered. At once, Rebekah was hoisted into the air by a suffocating force and pulled towards the warlock. “Yes, I think Henri will be pleased.”

  Rebekah stilled at the mention of Henri, but before she could say anything, the warlock killed the spell at the same time his hands reached out and clasped around her throat.

  The warlock slammed her against the wall, and he was so unbelievably close that his breath fanned across her face. She shivered.

  “Perhaps I’ll enjoy you first,” he said with a sickening smile. And then, he threw her onto the ground like nothing more than a sack of meat.

  Rebekah wheezed, fighting for breath. Through hazy eyes, she could see him sizing her up, a predator about to pounce on prey. His eyes were on her, his magic encasing her in an invisible prison.

  And then, suddenly, he was swept off his feet, and the spell shattered.

  Rebekah scrambled away from him, keeping him in her sights, until strong arms wrapped around her torso, hoisting her off the ground. She screamed and thrashed.

  “Rebekah, stop, it’s me,” someone said from behind. Rebekah recognized the voice. Andre.

  Instantly, she went limp as she allowed the witch to prac
tically drag her to safety. Before Andre spun her around, she noticed someone else slam into the immortal warlock, who was in the process of rising to his feet, knocking him back onto the ground.

  She was met by Andre’s concerned gaze.

  “You’re okay,” the witch cooed. “You’ll be okay.”

  And then, Rebekah burst into tears.

  Andre’s arms encased her small form again, drawing her close. “You’re okay,” she repeated. “You’re safe.”

  Rebekah sobbed harder. If Andre hadn’t shown up when she did, Rebekah shuddered to think what the immortal warlock would have done to her.

  “Andre,” the other one said in a voice that was distinctly male.

  Rebekah tensed as Andre let go of her. Rebekah spun around, and when her eyes landed on the immortal warlock again, he was lying on the ground, chains clasped around his wrists and ankles. A trickle of blood dripped from his nostrils as if someone had punched him in the nose. Seeing him in such a state gave Rebekah a sick sense of satisfaction.

  Andre nodded towards the clearly mortal warlock before flicking her gaze to the immortal one. “Cameron Crum,” she said. A simple statement, devoid of any emotion. “Of course.”

  Cameron Crum. The name rang no bells to Rebekah, and she stole a glance at Paige, wondering why an unfamiliar immortal warlock would attack her. Unless…

  “Henri,” Rebekah choked, earning stares from the two mortal magic users. Cameron just grinned. Even when in chains, he still managed to look sickly amused.

  “Elaborate,” the mortal warlock said.

  But Andre met Rebekah’s eyes, and silent understanding passed between them. “She means Henri sent him.”

  “Not sent,” Cameron said with a smile. “I came of my own accord.”

  The mortal warlock kicked Cameron in the ribs, and he fell onto his side with a wheeze. “Explain!”

  Cameron shot the warlock a glare, but he explained nonetheless. “It’s simple. Henri wants her. I deliver her to him. I gain favor with him.”

  The mortal warlock was getting ready to kick him again when Andre quickly moved towards him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Let him go,” she said. “His incident and Melissa’s seem to be unrelated.”

  At the mention of Melissa’s name, Cameron’s grin widened. “What did the crazy bitch do?” he taunted, and then screamed in agony as Andre kneeled and bent his fingers the wrong way.

  “Let him go,” Andre repeated, her eyes never leaving Cameron’s. Her hand was still encased over his nearly-broken fingers. “I’ll make sure he behaves.”

  Instantly, the mortal warlock set to work, unlocking the chains from both Cameron’s hands and feet.

  And at once, the immortal warlock disappeared inside a puff of black smoke.

  “We should have taken him in for questioning,” the mortal warlock said.

  Andre glanced at him. “Jason said not to—”

  “I know,” the warlock said plainly. Then, he straightened his shoulders and looked Andre directly in the eye. “‘Remember, Reilly. Things are very tense right now, so under no circumstances are you to imprison anybody.’”

  Andre laughed. Rebekah just looked at the warlock in confusion.

  The smile died on the warlock’s lips, and it seemed the lighthearted moment had passed. He turned to Rebekah and started walking towards her. “Rebekah, right?” He outstretched his hand in a typical American greeting. “I’m Reilly.”

  Rebekah shuddered and took a step back.

  The warlock named Reilly returned his arm to his side, confused. He turned to Andre. “Am I doing the greeting right?” he questioned. “You said they shake hands when meeting someone new!”

  Andre shrugged. “Let me talk to her. She’s still fairly new to all this.”

  She stepped in front of Reilly, addressing Rebekah. “Did you get Holly’s text?”

  Rebekah nodded mutely, eyeing Reilly with suspicion.

  Andre followed Rebekah’s gaze. “Reilly’s here to help. He won’t hurt you.”

  Rebekah still didn’t budge. Her limbs were quivering.

  Andre sighed. “Reilly, please check on the other human.”

  Reilly gave a silent nod and then moved towards Paige. Rebekah wanted to leap towards Reilly and prevent him from touching Paige, but something in Andre’s gaze rooted her to her spot. Andre clearly trusted this unfamiliar warlock, so perhaps Rebekah should too.

  “So, you got the text,” Andre clarified. “You didn’t respond.”

  “Technically,” Rebekah said placidly, “my dad got the text.”

  “Holly texted your dad’s number?”

  “No, I…I’ve been…” Rebekah’s eyes traveled to the ground as she recalled her mother’s frantic voice and her father’s loud tone. “I’m grounded.”

  “Grounded?” Andre repeated in confusion.

  Rebekah met Andre’s gaze, but before she could clarify, she heard Reilly’s voice.

  “You know about Americans shaking hands in greeting, but you don’t know what being grounded means?” Reilly asked in disbelief, amusement coloring his tone.

  Andre shot a glare at Reilly.

  In response, Reilly smiled cockily. “It’s like house arrest for children.”

  Immediately, Andre’s eyes widened, and she shot Rebekah a questioning glance. Embarrassment colored Rebekah’s cheeks, and she stammered, “T-that’s not really…what it is…”

  “No?” Reilly said. “Aren’t you only allowed to leave the house for—”

  “Reilly, shut up,” Andre said, glaring at him once again.

  “Rebekah, does that mean your dad has your phone?”

  Rebekah nodded. “He thought you were a predator.”

  At this, Reilly burst out laughing. Andre just looked mortified.

  Rebekah glanced nervously between the two magic users. “What…number did Holly text from?” From what she knew, Holly didn’t have a phone of her own.

  Andre didn’t even hesitate. “Mine.”

  Rebekah paled. “She couldn’t have used someone else’s phone like Mandy’s or something?”

  “We didn’t know your father had your phone,” Andre said. “Why were you grounded?”

  Rebekah sighed as she recanted the entire story. “I snuck out of my mom’s class to meet with Mandy shortly before the lockdown, and my mom freaked out because she didn’t know where I was.”

  “An understandable reason to ground somebody,” Reilly said, glancing at Rebekah. “Don’t sneak out of your mother’s class.”

  Rebekah flinched. “Mandy needed to talk to me about the ICW. Which, by the way, I don’t even think I can go to now because of all this!”

  Andre’s lips were set into a thin line. “You’re going.”

  “How? My parents will never let me!”

  “You need to be there under mortal protection. This isn’t up for debate.” Andre paused. “Jason is having chaperones there, and I and a select few have been chosen for the role.”

  “But my parents—”

  “I’ll deal with them.”

  “How?”

  Andre didn’t answer, and Rebekah suddenly realized what the witch meant.

  “No!” Rebekah said firmly.

  “They won’t feel anything. I promise not to hurt them.”

  “You won’t bewitch my family!” Rebekah nearly shouted.

  “There isn’t another choice, Rebekah!” Andre said. “You won’t be safe here by yourself!”

  “Andre,” Reilly suddenly said, but both Andre and Rebekah ignored him.

  “I don’t care!” Rebekah hissed. “I won’t let you bewitch my family!”

  “Andre,” Reilly said, louder this time.

  Andre sighed, exasperated. “Your safety right now is more important. I can guarantee you whatever spell I put on them will pale in comparison to whatever Henri will do if he finds you with them!”

  “Andre!” Reilly shouted, and this time, both Andre and Rebekah whipped their heads towards the warlock. Only, he
wasn’t the only one staring at them with a horrified expression.

  Sitting upright with wide, frightened eyes was Paige, and something in her expression told Rebekah that she heard everything.

  CHAPTER

  FOUR

  Rebekah: Marywood, Florida

  “P

  aige,” Rebekah gasped as she made eye contact with her cousin. The girl had a very prominent gash on the side of her head from when she collided with the wall, but Rebekah suspected her unusually pale complexion was not due to blood loss.

  Immediately, Andre sprang into action, her eyes flaring with unshed magic. Rebekah was horror-struck, and before she knew what she was doing, she leaped at the witch, and Andre, caught unaware, was sent crashing to the ground.

  “No!” Rebekah said. She had fallen as well, her body sprawled on top of Andre.

  “Rebekah, her memory needs to be wiped!” Andre protested. “We don’t know how much she heard!”

  “I said no!” Rebekah repeated adamantly. “Don’t mess with her head!”

  “Rebekah, she won’t—”

  “I’ll do it,” Reilly volunteered as he spun to face Paige.

  And then, something in Rebekah broke. Pushing herself off Andre, she spun around to face Reilly and launched herself at the warlock. His magic flared to life but was soon cut short by the shocking revelation of Rebekah’s fist connecting to his jaw. Reilly staggered backwards, seeming to be more surprised than hurt. And an exploding pain engulfed Rebekah’s hand. She cried out, clutching her hand tightly against her, as tears streaked her cheeks.