“I gave my word, Zach.” He looked at her, and for a moment something familiar flashed behind his eyes. It disappeared before she could be certain. She prayed she had been mistaken. “I’d like to see to my friends.”
“No tricks. I know what you are.” Claire stilled, her breath frozen in her throat. “I can see the power of the witch radiating from you and your companion. Do anything, and I will harm—”
He clutched his throat as his voice choked off.
“It’s good to know the rules still work. Protection, Zach. I asked for it. You can’t threaten them.”
She left him standing in the living room, still speechless. And hoped he didn’t try to test the protection with her. She asked for the people trapped in the house. And she wasn’t one of them—not completely. Even with a soul.
*
Annie waited just inside the doorway, inches from smacking Claire with a shotgun when she stepped inside the bedroom.
“Holy hell—” Lowering the weapon, she stepped forward, eyes narrowed as she studied Claire. “You look terrible. What happened down there?”
“Simon and Eric were outside—they’re gone, Annie. And we can’t depend on their help.” She raised her left hand, let Annie see the scribbled message. Nodding, Annie swallowed, stuck the backup shotgun in the duffle and picked it up. “Regina, I want you and Hillary to stay here, inside the circle. No matter what you hear, I don’t want you to leave its protection.”
Regina nodded, Hillary pressed into her side. Stepping to the edge of the circle, Claire smiled down at her. “He won’t hurt you, sweetheart. He gave his word, and he is bound by it now.”
Hillary pushed away from her mother. “Then why do we have to stay here? I want to help.”
“Because I will feel better, knowing you’re here. And there are things we have to do, to keep ourselves safe. Things I don’t want you to be part of. Do you understand?”
“Yeah. You’re doing magic.”
Claire glanced over at her mother. Arms crossed, Regina frowned at Hillary. “You are one smart girl,” Claire said. “I bet your mom didn’t expect you to know. Yes, we are going to do a spell that will help us get out of here. And it is a scary one.”
“Even for you?”
Claire smiled. “Especially for me. Because I don’t like to do this kind of magic. The kind that forces someone else to do what they don’t want to do. It makes me feel—icky, right here.” She pressed one hand to her stomach. “You know that feeling?”
“Yeah. You don’t want me to feel it, do you?”
“I would never wish icky on anyone. We’ll get out of here before you know it. I promise, Hillary, nothing will happen to you or your mom.”
“Okay.” The trust Claire saw in those big brown eyes humbled her. With a nod, she headed for the door. “Claire?” She paused, glanced back at Hillary. “Be careful.”
Tears stung her eyes. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
Before she could make a fool of herself she strode out of the bedroom, and into the bathroom across the hall. She scrubbed at the ink on her palm, careful not to get water on the leather band hiding her scarred tattoo. The weight of Hillary’s belief in her squeezed her heart. If anything happened to that girl because she screwed up—
“Claire!” Annie poked her head in the bathroom. “What are you doing? That bastard could just—”
“Annie. He can hear you.”
Letting out an impatient breath, she opened her mouth to make what Claire knew would be a smartass comment. When Claire shook her head, Annie huffed, stomping out of the bathroom. With a sigh, Claire followed her, into the small corner bedroom she planned to use for the spell.
Closing the door, she leaned against it. “You can’t throw out your usual sarcasm, not here. He won’t understand it.” She pointed to the pad and pen Annie dropped on the side table, started writing when Annie handed it over, still talking. “I want out of here as much as you do, but we have to play by his rules.”
Turning the pad, she let Annie read it.
Can you do the binding spell if I write it down for you?
Annie nodded, her sudden fear smacking Claire. “What does he want from us?”
Taking the pad, Annie scribbled, passed it back to her.
Afraid I’ll screw up.
“I wish I knew, Annie, beyond what he told us, about wanting his life back. And we can’t help him with that, whatever he may threaten.” She mouthed three words. You’ll be fine.
Annie swallowed, nodded, fear in the warm brown eyes. And she started putting out the tools they would need to bind Zach, to try and keep him from doing them or himself any harm. Claire wasn’t certain it would even work. But she had to try.