Witching Tree (Alice Gray Book 1)

32

                 
Given the information that had come to light, it was best that I isolated myself, especially from the group around me right now.

It was impossible to know if they could be trusted. Whatever they professed to feel for me was not genuine. It was caused either by this 'gift' that the manuscript described, or some other agenda that had yet to come to light.

Hell, anyone in this room could be the one who sent the manuscript or stole the pendant. I only had their word for it, and every single one of them was suspect.

At least Anne seemed to have some resistance to my magic, sharing in the hereditary gift herself. We would return to the cottage where we would consult the grimoire. There had to be something that would help us uncover the obscure truth of the threat that hung over me.

When I had more to go on, I'd decide if I needed to dump her too. The ball of hollow disappointment in my belly told me that I really didn't want to do that, but right now I had to be on my guard. No-one was in the clear yet, not as far as I was concerned.

"I'll come with you," Emily said, "I understand you won't want me, but I can protect you from whatever's messing with your life."

The question was, could I believe her story?

Despite the emotional damage caused by the crudeness of their methods, I had to admit that no physical harm had come to me in the five years that they'd been in my life. In fact, for four of those years, I'd been happy.

Deluded, but happy.

I understood that the 'assignment' was on-going, and I believed that its principal function was to protect me, even if I didn't fully understand the reasoning driving it or the threat that instituted it.

But there was something to be gained in bringing her along, other than her gun and her fists. I might get more answers from her without Stephen's looming presence.

"Ok, you're in. The rest of you, stay away. I don't need all this macho bullshit."

I expected some argument from Thomas, but he just stood, with his back to the room, unresponsive. I was ashamed to admit that it hurt, a little, that his recent devotion turned out to be so fickle.

The other two agreed with little resistance. The magnitude of the conspiracy at play was finally sinking in for all of us. The manuscript left little room for scepticism. It was all real.

Emily and Anne took my bags down to the car. I returned to my apartment for one last look before I said goodbye to the life that I'd hoped to build there. There was no going back now, no denying the reality of what was happening to me.

I'd seen what Anne could do. Thomas had shown me the monster that lurked within him. But it was more than that. I could see the magic that surrounded these people with my own eyes. Hell, I could feel it in the marrow of my bones and the depths of my soul. It was part of me too, of that there was absolutely no doubt.

What remained uncertain was whom I could trust and how my role in the game would play out.

Not really sure what I was doing here, I sat on the bed, the manuscript on my knee. The silver pulsed through the cracked black leather giving it vitality that was at odds with its age. The feeling of gloom that always accompanied the silver tree ornament crept over me, mocking me with the impenetrable connection between the two items.

Could the person that stole the manuscript from the British Library be the same one who sent the silver tree five years ago? There was a unity to the tree symbolism that couldn't be ignored.

What about the pendant? Somebody had gone to a lot of trouble to get it. The idea that they were looking for something else agitated my mind, chipping away, forcing me to take notice. The apartment had been totally trashed. If the pendant was the only target, it was predictably located in my jewellery box. Why ransack everything else?

The bedroom was dark by this time. Angry looking clouds swirled in the cold grey sky, their looming presence in harmony with the deep foreboding that permeated every cell of my body. There would be a storm soon.

Hugging the manuscript to me, I turned to make my way down to the others at the car.

Thomas blocked the doorway of the bedroom.

I had felt his presence just a moment before I saw him. It wasn't enough time to prepare myself for the confrontation that I knew was coming. His expression was determined, and his tall, broad frame, immovable. The impressive muscles on his folded arms stood out against his chest. Legs apart, he filled the entire doorframe.

This was not good.

"What do you want?"

"You can't deny your feelings for me, your body speaks to me even if your mouth doesn't say the words."

"I'm not ready for this. That's what my mouth is saying, and you need to respect that."

"I've been waiting for you for a long time, Alice. You won't deny me."

Thomas prowled forwards. I backed up until my legs hit the bed.

Shit, this was really not good.