Wicked (The Drake Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  Logan arose from his chair and hurried around the table to Emma. She felt tears sting her eyes and wanted so badly to scream. Logan took her into his arms, his warmth seizing the fury boiling inside of her.

  She leaned against him, her chin resting on his shoulder. She thought about the scroll and her grandfather. He predicted destruction, destruction brought on by Ethan and her.

  She wanted desperately to forget everything, but she felt Logan’s arms tightening around her like a security blanket and it somehow brought her peace.

  I need to be strong, she thought. She was supposed to be strong for her and her brother. She’d always told herself this.

  “Everything is going to be okay, Emma. We will help you,” Logan assured her.

  “I think I need some sleep,” Emma said, pulling herself out of Logan’s arms and leaning on the table.

  “I’ll tell my father that you were tired and went to rest, he’ll understand. Come on, I’ll show you to a guest room, I don’t think an uncomfortable loveseat is what you need right now.” He took her by her hand and walked her out of the room.

  She looked down at their hands, entwined. He was helping her, and she would feel awful if she kept his death to herself. She decided that she was going to tell him, not tonight, but soon.

  4

  Adam pulled Katherine’s grimoire out from the backpack and sat it on the coffee table along with the other books they had brought with them. He took in a quick breath when he saw the name on the first page.

  He turned to Ethan who was reading through Mason’s grimoire for the third time. He couldn’t find anything that would help them. Even a cloaking spell wasn’t present in Mason’s wretched handwriting.

  Adam snapped his fingers to get Ethan’s attention and then pointed to the grimoire, the side latch glistening from the light from the fireplace.

  “What is it?” Ethan asked.

  “That is a Drake’s grimoire,” Adam said. Ethan got up from the chair, sat Mason’s grimoire down and headed over to Adam.

  He sat down next to him, their bodies so close that their shoulders touched.

  “Be quiet, I don’t want Bennett finding out that I have it. It’s my aunt Katherine’s. But what is the big deal about it anyway?” Ethan turned to him. Shadows played on Adam’s face from the firelight and Ethan stared into his eyes.

  They were utterly enticing.

  “The grimoire doesn’t really belong to Katherine Drake. The binding is too old and the handwriting looks familiar to Grayson Drake. He wrote a bunch of magic handbooks long ago. Do you know who he is?” Adam stared at Ethan. He thought hard but he had never heard of him before.

  “He was your grandfather,” Logan’s voice startled both Adam and Ethan.

  Ethan stood up from the loveseat and focused on Logan. Emma was beside him, her eyes on her brother, but he couldn’t look at her. Not now, at least.

  “What?” Ethan asked. Shock stung him.

  “He was planning on you and Emma to bring on a reckoning; it was on a scroll in the library. Why were you guys talking about him anyway?” Logan crossed his arms, glaring at Adam.

  Ethan gave a slight kick at Adam’s ankle, signaling for him to keep quiet. He hadn’t even got to look at the grimoire and there was no way Bennett was going to get a hold of it.

  “I was telling Ethan about him; he’s famous, you know.” Adam stood up and glowered at Logan. You could tell that they couldn’t stand each other.

  Logan sucked in his cheeks and his face flushed red.

  “I know who he is, dickhead,” Logan snapped.

  “Oh please, your ignorance is hilarious. You haven’t been to Elsmere in years; you’re stuck here just like your father. So don’t pretend that you know anything when you barely even knew how to kill a damn hellhound,” Adam retorted.

  Logan’s hand flew out and sent Adam across the room, crashing into a large grandfather clock. Ethan ran over to where Adam lay and turned back to Logan.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Ethan snapped. But before Logan could reply, Adam rose from the ground, covered in glass with a large gash in the middle of his chest. Ethan could see through the shirt and saw that it was deep.

  Chills ran down his spine. Adam held his right hand up, his fist closing in as if he were crushing up a piece of paper. Logan snatched his throat with both hands and fell to his knees, the whites of his eyes turning blood red.

  The look on Adam’s face was chilling and dark. His brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he tightened his fist.

  Enraged and fed up, Emma stared down at the broken glass behind Adam and compelled the glass to rise from the ground.

  Everything went quiet and all she could hear was the steady beat of her heart. A cool sensation rushed through her veins and it felt disturbingly enjoyable. This wasn’t right. None of this felt right.

  Ethan saw what she was doing. Swiftly he averted the glass away from Adam. Emma’s mouth fell open in disbelief as the sensation vanished and she realized exactly what she was doing.

  The glass shot into the air and landed like daggers in the loveseat that sat in front of the fireplace. Emma stopped her spell and looked to Ethan.

  “Don’t ever screw with me again,” Adam released Logan from his power. Logan grabbed onto a chair, using it as a crutch as he slowly lifted himself from the ground.

  “Get out of my house,” Logan growled, holding his throat.

  “Gladly, after I clean myself up, of course,” Adam sneered and Logan turned away, Emma holding him by his back.

  She turned her head and looked at her brother. He was staring at her as if she had tried to kill him. Guilt washed over her as she opened her mouth to say something.

  “Don’t,” Ethan snapped. Emma’s eyes welled up with tears and she shook her head. She hadn’t meant to hurt Adam, but her power had seemed to take on a mind of its own.

  Could that have been a fraction of her dark blood? If it had been, she never wanted to experience that feeling again. It was enthralling but felt wrong in so many ways.

  “I didn’t mean to-”

  “I said don’t. You could have killed him, Emma. What the hell is wrong with you?” Ethan yelled across the room.

  Logan spun around.

  “Don’t talk to your sister like that.”

  “Shut the hell up, this is none of your damn business.”

  “Stop this foolishness!”

  They all turned to find Bennett standing in the archway of the living room. The firelight on his face gave him a devilish glow.

  “I’m ready to go,” Ethan said, tearing his eyes from his sister.

  “I will see you off in a bit. Adam, if you ever disrespect my house again I will report you to the council and have your powers stripped, do you understand?”

  “Yes. I understand,” Adam said, his jaw fixed and his eyes directed to the ground.

  “Good. Now go clean yourself up and I will see you both in my office. Logan, please take Emma up to a room, she looks tired,” Bennett commanded as he set his eyes on Ethan.

  Bennett gave him a look that seemed to say watch yourself and left the living room.

  Ethan rushed to the coffee table, packed his grandfather’s grimoire and fit his arms through the straps of the backpack.

  He turned to find Adam leaning on the wall for support, blood on both of his hands. Why had Bennett left him like that? Ethan hurried over to him and saw how severe his injuries were.

  There were little gashes on his arms but they were easy to fix. But a wound like on his chest was more difficult, and Ethan figured with both of their powers together they could fix it.

  Ethan steadied him, and helped him down the hallway and into the downstairs bathroom.

  Adam sat down on the large sink and looked as pale as snow in the bathroom light. Sweat garnished his face and he looked as if he were in loads of pain but was trying not to show it. Ethan knew a healing spell, but he would need Adam’s help too.

  Adam suddenly looked as
if he were about to pass out and Ethan grew concerned.

  He tapped Adam on his face a few times, trying to keep him conscious. When that didn’t work, he turned the water on, filled a deep soap dish with cold water and threw it on Adam’s face.

  Adam’s eyes flew open and he breathed in heavily as if he had been swimming under water.

  “That-was-cold,” Adam said through gritted teeth.

  “I need your help to heal the wound, it looks really bad.” Ethan touched the sliver in his shirt. Adam hissed at the touch.

  “Well thanks for soaking me,” Adam laughed.

  “Shut up and take off your shirt, I need to see the wound,” Ethan commanded.

  “Hey, don’t I have to take you out to dinner before I take my clothes off for you?” Adam smirked. Ethan chuckled, leaning back against the blue tiled wall for support. Adam had a confused look on his face.

  “You are hilarious,” Ethan said.

  “What, so you wouldn’t go out with a guy like me?” Adam asked. An eyebrow rose in curiosity.

  Ethan began softly breathing hard. Why was he asking him this? Now was not the time for it. But Ethan fixed his composure and stared directly into Adam’s eyes.

  “Yes, I would go out with a guy like you. But I’d like to you to be alive, so let me see that wound, please.” Adam blinked twice as if he hadn’t expected that answer and slowly peeled off his soaking wet shirt, revealing a chiseled torso.

  Ethan suddenly felt lightheaded, not caring if Adam saw his cheeks flush. He took Adam’s shirt from him and threw it in the bathtub.

  “Then, I propose a deal.”Adam said.

  “A deal?” Ethan smirked.

  “Yes. I’m only supposed to take you to Elsmere and leave you with someone else to find Oleandra. But if I help you with everything, will you go out with me after this is all over with?” Ethan just stared at Adam.

  He thought about it and he needed Adam’s help, he needed it badly. And to be honest, he did want to go out with Adam anyway. There was something about him that intrigued Ethan and made him feel way different than he had with other guys.

  “Fine, I’ll go out with you.” The words escaped Ethan’s mouth.

  “Awesome,” Adam said as he leaned back into the mirror and helped Ethan mend the gash on the middle of his chest.

  Bennett was rolling up the scroll Emma had discovered when Adam and Ethan entered his office. The room was dim and had been decorated with two large bookshelves, at least a hundred different colored hourglasses, and two stuffed ravens on either side of Bennett’s enormous black desk.

  Ethan felt unsettled, and tried not to let Bennett know it. Adam’s wound was easy for both of them to repair, and he was wearing the same t-shirt, still a little damp.

  Adam explained to Ethan that they were more than likely going to stop at his house in Elsmere so that he could change and grab a few things.

  The dim light from the chandelier above grew increasingly brighter and Ethan could see the room better. No matter what, it still, for some reason made him feel uncomfortable.

  Two wide leather chairs sat before Bennett’s desk and he gestured for them to take a seat. The boys fit themselves in the comfortable chairs and stared across the desk at Bennett, the light above making his eyes look hooded and hollow.

  “It seems we have a little problem. Craven is here in the mortal world now, searching for you and your sister. And he’s recruited most of the ex members of the dark society to help him find you. This means you will have to be extra careful in Elsmere. There is no telling who is helping him.”

  “It looks as if he’s planned for this a long time because this is all happening at a rapid pace. You will need find Oleandra as soon as possible. She owes your mother a favor anyway seeing that they were friends.” Bennett stared at Ethan and his palms began to sweat. But he didn’t want to look overpowered, it wasn’t his style.

  So he stood up from the chair and crossed his arms.

  “Then we should leave right now,” Ethan said.

  “Brilliant, I’m glad you aren’t backing down. Your mother would have been proud,” Bennett said as he walked out from behind the desk and turned the head of a stuffed raven.

  The room began to shake; rumbling as if a tremor had suddenly had broken out. The bookshelf to the right of them slid sideways, a soft white mist slithering across the ground.

  Behind the bookshelf was a gray bricked circular room that looked menacing in many ways. In the middle of the bare room, a white crystal ball was hovering as if it were suspended by invisible string.

  Bennett advanced over to the ball and waved his hand over the entity. Just then, a soft green light beamed from within the object, brightening up the room.

  Ethan had never seen anything like it before and he couldn’t help but gaze. He had read many books but in the last three days, he had seen things that he never came across while consuming those tomes.

  “All you have to do is walk over, place your right hand on the sphere, and recite this spell: Loci Acenta. Adam will show you how to return to this exact spot when it is time. Would you like me to fetch your sister so that you may say goodbye?” Bennett now stood in the secret doorway.

  “Just tell her that I’ll be back… and to be careful,” Ethan said as he made his way over to the shimmering ball. Adam placed his hand on it without hesitance and stared at Ethan.

  “Go ahead. It doesn’t hurt,” Adam said, smiling at him. Ethan brought his hand out from his pocket and slowly placed it next to Adam’s. He felt a surge of warmth and it seemed to calm his nerves.

  He was tense, scared, and curious all at once. But he smiled back at Adam. He wouldn’t let him see how frightened he really was. He hadn’t been to Elsmere since he was a child and he didn’t even remember it.

  Now, he was returning, but not to visit. He was returning because his life, as well as his sister’s, was in grave danger.

  Adam nodded at Ethan and they both gripped the ball tightly.

  “Loci Acenta!” they both recited in unison as the light broke free from the sphere and whirled about them like a gust of powerful wind.

  Ethan felt as if his skin was being peeled right off of his bones. The pain was incredible and it hurt beyond belief. He swore that when they arrived in Elsmere, he would smack the hell out of Adam for lying to him.

  5

  Emma stared down at Mason’s grimoire. Ethan had left it behind when he and Adam left to Elsmere before she awoke. He left without saying goodbye and that hurt Emma the most.

  What if something happened to him or her? No matter how ugly things became, she loved her brother and would never treat him differently. She needed him to know that.

  She hoped that Ethan would find Oleandra and return as soon as possible. She didn’t know how long she would last without him. Nothing about the situation felt right.

  “How did this all go to crap so quickly? I’m losing my brother and my sanity all at the same time,” Emma said as she put down Mason’s grimoire and leaned back into the pillows of the bed.

  “Sometimes things just happen. You can’t stop it, but you can face it. You can hold your ground and fight. I’m going to be here for you, because I’m a part of this now and I’m not about to let anything happen to you,” Logan explained as he sat down next to Emma. She turned to him. Without him right now, she’d be worse off than she already was.

  “Take my mind off of all this for a moment. Tell me about you. Why did you move to this particular street?” Emma asked. She figured that maybe talking about something else would ease her mind off of everything that was ruining it.

  “My dad wanted to move near the woods and we had already been living in Herman, which is only about an hour out of Westbrook. So we packed up and moved here, and to be honest, I’m glad that we did.” Logan smiled.

  “Tell me more.”

  “You first,” Logan said.

  “Fine,” Emma smirked and got comfortable. She gazed into Logan’s eyes. She wanted to tell him abo
ut his death, but decided against it once more. “I don’t know what to say about myself, to be honest. I like fencing, I don’t like reading, I’m deathly afraid of heights, my favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz, and my favorite flavor of ice cream is rocky road.”

  “You sound like you are applying for an online dating service,” Logan laughed.

  “Then how about you?” Emma nudged him playfully. She hadn’t flirted with a guy in so long that she felt like a middle school girl again. And Logan didn’t seem to mind.