Deceitful Circle (Silent Circle Book 2) Read online

  I drift through the rest of class, my imagination getting wilder and wilder. I rush to my car as soon as the bell rings, anxious to get home so Caiden can pick me up.

  Chapter 2

  I dash upstairs to brush out my hair and touch up my makeup, adding a few purple dabs of eye shadow to bring out my irises. I debate changing into a different outfit, but before I can decide what else to wear, I feel Caiden pull up. I don’t know how I can tell it’s him, but a heated energy fills me and I just know. I practically sprint down the stairs, hopping into his car in record time.

  “Hi,” I say breathlessly.

  My skin feels too tight; my whole body is on fire.

  Caiden stares at me warily, appearing uncomfortable. I can’t help myself, I lean forward. I need to get closer to him.

  “Emerson, stop.” Caiden puts a hand out to keep me in my seat.

  “What’s wrong?” My voice comes out soft, seductive. I shift myself forward again, leaning into his hand.

  “No, Emerson.” He drops his hand away from me. My chest feels cold now. I want him to put his hand back on me.

  “This isn’t going to happen. Me and you, I mean,” he says more forcibly. “Snap out of it.”

  “Snap out of what?”

  I’m having trouble focusing on what he’s saying. My eyes caress the hard planes of his chest, the way his jeans hug his thighs... I reach out and put my hand on his knee, sliding it upwards. He jumps like he’s been burned and grabs my wrist to halt it.

  “Goddamnit, Emerson! Listen to me — this isn’t you. You don’t want this.”

  “You have no idea what I want.” I give him my sexiest smile, squeezing his thigh to drive home my point. I lean in and bite him right where his shoulder meets his throat, flicking my tongue out to taste him.

  He gives a slight groan, but pushes me off him, removing my hand.

  “You remember earlier, at lunch today? You were upset and I told you I could calm you down? That’s what you’re feeling right now. You don’t want me. It’s just my energy still buzzing around in your system.”

  “I don’t understand... Are you saying you don’t want me?” I pout at him and bat my lashes. Deep inside my foggy brain, I know this isn’t like me. I try to fight through the cobwebs in my mind.

  Caiden gives a pained laugh. “I don’t know a man alive who wouldn’t want you. But it’s still not going to happen. We’re friends, Emerson. And we’re going to keep it that way.”

  “But...”

  “No. I was hoping it would have faded from you by now, but when you healed me so soon afterward, it must have intensified the effect...”

  I shake my head slowly, trying to snap out of it. “You think that what I’m feeling right now is just a part of a spell you put on me?”

  “Yes.” He breathes a sigh of relief. “Don’t worry, it’ll go away.” He lowers his head so I can’t see his expression. “I didn’t mean for it to have this strong of an effect on you. I just meant to distract you from him long enough to calm you down. I’m sorry.”

  I focus my energy on wiping the rest of the fuzziness from my brain. I close my eyes and picture a bright white light burning through me, burning away the thin filaments, clearing my head.

  I study Caiden’s bent head, admiring his strong profile. He’s still attractive, but I no longer feel that overwhelming urge to crawl on top of him.

  On the heels of that thought, humiliation creeps in, sure and strong. I just threw myself at a guy, at Caiden, and he rejected me. My cheeks burn and resentment surges up.

  But as I examine Caiden’s face, the shame and guilt written all over it, some of my pique drains away. All he’s done this past week is to try and help me. It’s not his fault I threw myself at him. Though I’m still embarrassed, I decide to play it off like it’s no big deal.

  “Damn,” I say playfully, trying to keep my voice steady despite my still pounding heart. “With that trick up your sleeve, you could have any girl you want.”

  “It’s not funny.”

  “It’s a little funny...” I answer, trying to lighten his mood.

  “I don’t like messing with other people’s minds.” I wince at the self-hatred lacing his voice.

  I touch his shoulder to get his attention but he flinches away.

  “Calm down Caiden, I’m not trying to jump your bones anymore; just look at me.” I force a small smile to my lips. “I asked for you to mess with my mind, remember? If you hadn’t, I would have humiliated myself in front of the whole school. Instead, I only humiliated myself in front of you. Fair trade, if you ask me.” I try to get him to smile, but his face remains carefully blank.

  Humor isn’t working, so I change tactics and go with bluntness.

  “You helped me because I asked you to, so stop beating yourself up about it. Sebastian did enough of that for the both of you.” I aim at his male pride, expecting to anger him, but his expression doesn’t change. He just turns away from me and starts the car.

  Caiden remains distant the entire way to Caroline’s. I don’t know what to say to break him out of his funk, so I give up and let the silence drag out.

  When we pull up to the house, the sun is just setting. I look out the window, biting my lip, suddenly nervous. I’m about to walk into a room full of witches. I don’t know what to expect, and Caiden’s aloofness right now isn’t helping.

  He leads the way up to the door and enters without knocking. All the lights are off, but a gentle glow envelopes us. The furniture in the living room has all been pushed off to the side, leaving the center clear. A low fire smolders and candles are set up around the room, casting soft shadows over the group.

  There are twenty or so people crammed into the small room — more than I expected. Among them are some familiar faces: Ethan, Arianna, and Lydia stand together off near the kitchen.

  Arianna’s light brown hair shimmers in the flickering candlelight, her round face lighting up with a smile when she spots us. Lydia looks over as well, but her expression is less enthusiastic. She’s taller than Arianna by almost a full head, her slender body in direct contrast to Arianna’s curvier one. Ethan, Lydia’s cousin, has his arm draped across Arianna’s shoulders, his hair the exact same honey blond as Lydia’s.

  Standing with them is the very last person I’d expect to see in a house full of witches. Landon looks up sharply, meeting my surprised gaze with a fierce one of his own, his golden hair sweeping across his brow, partially obscuring his eyes.

  Landon’s a witch? Sarah’s boyfriend, Mr. Football Star himself? I couldn’t have been more shocked if Davidson suddenly strolled in sporting a pointy black hat and green face paint. As it is, the awkwardness of seeing my chemistry teacher, Mr. Mirowski, standing across the room dressed casually in jeans and a flannel shirt, is enough to unsettle me. I feel like I’ve just entered the twilight zone.

  Caiden, oblivious to my discomfort, walks right up to Lydia’s group, leaving me standing by the door.

  I weigh Landon’s animosity towards me against the awkwardness of standing here by myself, and decide to follow Caiden.

  Lydia smiles at me, but there’s something in the set of her mouth that makes me believe she’s not terribly happy to see me. After one malevolent look, Landon turns his head away and pretends I don’t exist. I suppose I deserve this after almost killing his girlfriend Sarah, but it still chafes. Standing next to him, Arianna and Ethan at least try to put me at ease by including me in the conversation.

  At our small school, everyone knows everyone else, but I’ve never actually talked to either of them before, even though Arianna and I have a class together. We run in very different circles. But as I stand here making meaningless small talk with her and Ethan, I feel myself loosening up.

  “You probably expected us all to be wearing long dark robes and fancy masks or something, right?” Arianna grins at me, gently poking fun at my awed expression. “Don’t worry, that doesn’t happen until Halloween.”

  Trying to appear less like a
gawking imbecile, I give her an exaggerated pout. “You wear robes for Halloween? Does that mean I don’t get to dance around naked under the full moon?”

  Ethan looks down, fighting a smile, and Caiden glances at me for the first time since walking in.

  Arianna laughs. “Oh, some of us dance naked alright, but that’s only after a few cauldrons of Ethan’s special witch’s brew.” She playfully nudges him with her shoulder. “What do you put in that, anyway? Battery acid?”

  “Pickled toad,” he replies, deadpan.

  I smile at them, surprised to be enjoying myself. Then Caroline, the coven’s High Priestess, walks to the center of the room, ready to begin.

  “Welcome everyone; I’m glad most of us could make it. As you all know, we have a new addition joining our ranks tonight. Emerson, would you please step over here with me?”

  I walk up to her, my shoulders thrown back, acting more confidence than I feel.

  “Now, many of you may remember her mother from years ago.”

  I glance at Caroline sharply. Surely she isn’t going to discuss my mom’s death with everyone watching on. She wouldn’t be that cruel, would she? Noticing my scowl, she smiles gently at me, her voice ringing out around the room.

  “Elizabeth was a strong witch, and her daughter will be stronger yet. At long last, she has been awakened, and we will welcome her into our fold. She is meant for miraculous things.”

  At this, the coven members standing in a ring around us step forward one by one to welcome me. They each rest their hands on my shoulders and kiss my right cheek, before stepping back for the next person. Many of them have friendly smiles for me, but there are plenty of others who regard me with distrust and fear. Some even glare openly at me, Landon among them.

  When it’s his turn, he grabs my shoulders roughly, the gentle brush of his cheek against mine a sharp contrast to his biting grip on my arms. *You’d better watch yourself.*

  I’m startled by the rage in his voice. Apparently he knows about my telepathic abilities. He smiles at me, baring his teeth.

  I react without thinking, letting my temper slip its leash just a little. He jolts away from me like he’s been electrocuted. His shocked expression helps to smooth the worst of my ire, and he moves away from me quickly.

  Arianna hugs me next, whispering, “Welcome to the club.”

  Caiden walks up after her, his black eye and split lip just barely visible in the dim light. My palms begin to sweat and my heart rate picks up. His warm hands envelope my upper arms as I breathe in his sharp, spicy scent. His cheek brushes against mine, his soft lips just grazing my skin. Then he steps back, the heat from his hands fading rapidly.

  After everyone greets me, we all fall back into a loose circle. I almost begin to relax, the flickering candlelight and sandalwood incense soothing my nerves, until Caroline’s voice breaks the serene atmosphere.

  “What happened to Elizabeth three years ago was a tragedy. I will not allow such a thing to happen again. Our coven needs to stay strong, now more than ever. Samhain is almost upon us. A time for us to reflect on those who went before us, and to protect those within our circle now.”

  She takes the hands of Mirowski and an older, brunette woman to her left.

  “Let us join hands.”

  Caiden grasps my left hand, Arianna my right.

  Caroline begins walking us counterclockwise around the living room, her voice calling out:

  “Morrigan, Great Queen of the battlefield,

  Your warriors are here for you to wield.”

  Twenty voices merge, repeating this. I join in with the rest, confused, but moving around and around in the circle, following along with the others.

  “Protect us this night and in our darkest hour,

  Grant us your strength, your might, your power.

  Morrigan, Morrigan, Lady of Prophecy,

  Safeguard your children, guide us to victory.

  Slay our enemies where they sleep,

  Exterminate them all, leave none to weep.

  Protect us and keep us in the palm of your hand,

  Lady of the Dark, we are yours to command.”

  We repeat every line after Caroline, chanting the whole thing over and over again, our voices growing louder, our movements around the circle faster and faster. The words, at first disturbing, begin to lose their meaning as I focus on the sound of the invocation, the rise and fall of the voices around me. I get lost in the rhythmic chanting, the warm glow of candlelight, the scent of sandalwood surrounding us.

  A pressure begins building behind my eyes, the room before me wavering like a heat mirage. A faint white light appears, emanating from our circle, glowing brighter. The pressure intensifies, spreading down to my chest, getting stronger and stronger the faster we rotate, until finally, it becomes too much to bear.

  We all stop at the same time, throwing our arms up above our heads. The light around us flares bright for a moment, temporarily blinding me, before spiraling up into the center of the circle and disappearing, extinguishing the candles along with it.

  I stand there for a moment, catching my breath, my hair sticking to the back of my damp neck. The low fire glows dimly in the otherwise dark room.

  Caroline steps back into the center, looking just as winded as the rest of us, a wild excitement shining in her eyes.

  “The circle is open but never broken. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.”

  Everyone repeats this final line before breaking apart to bring cushions and pillows out for the group to sit on. As I follow Arianna and the others, I think about the words of the ritual. Slay our enemies where they sleep, Exterminate them all, leave none to weep...

  *Caroline wants to talk to us when everyone leaves.* Caiden’s worried voice sounds in my mind.

  My heart leaps into my throat. Has the pack found us already?

  Chapter 3

  The brunette with mousy brown hair, I think her name is Charlotte, comes out of the kitchen laden with plates of cookies and cakes. She passes the tray around, everyone taking a small amount to eat. I assume the formal portion of the circle is over as conversation starts up, people smiling and laughing quietly.

  I choose a chocolate chip cookie and a piece of pound cake to nibble on while I listen to those around me.

  I seem to be the only one who finds Caroline’s chant disturbing, but I assume the invocation had something to do with the werewolves in Ashwood Creek. Looking around, I wonder if she’s told the coven about the danger we’re in yet. If she has, no one’s mentioning it. They’re chattering on about normal, everyday things: their kids, their jobs, their plans for the weekend. Arianna, Ethan, and Lydia are talking about a camping trip tomorrow.

  “You are going, aren’t you Caiden?” Lydia asks quietly.

  “I’m not sure yet.” He looks distracted, his attention on Caroline across the room.

  “But, last week you said you were able to go...” Lydia’s face falls and she glances at me briefly before turning back to Caiden.

  “Yeah, but things have come up,” he answers, still not looking at her.

  Again, she flicks a glance at me, looking down quickly when she meets my eyes.

  Everyone hangs around and chats for a little while longer. Arianna tries to involve me in the conversation, but I stay mostly silent, too unnerved to join in. I fidget, anxiously waiting for the house to clear out so I can find out what Caroline has to tell us.

  Finally, people start to put the living room back to rights and head out. Once everyone else has left, Caroline gestures Caiden and I to sit on the tan sofa in the living room.

  “So Emerson, how did you enjoy your first circle?” She asks me, her cheeks still slightly flushed.

  “It was, um...”

  “Exhilarating, wasn’t it?”

  That’s not exactly the word I would have chosen, but I nod anyway.

  “With the Silver Lake Pack at our heels, I thought this protection spell would be more appropriate than the cleansing ri
tual we normally do around this time.”

  The whole ‘slaying’ and ‘exterminating’ part seemed to be about more than just protection, but I nod again.

  “Anyway, I asked you two to stay so we can discuss how to handle Emerson’s situation.” She turns her pale eyes on me. “I’ve heard that you and Sebastian have broken up. Is that true?”

  My chest pulls tight. Sebastian? She wants to discuss Sebastian right now?

  “It’s true,” Caiden answers when I don’t respond.

  “Good, that will make things easier.” She focuses her gaze Caiden. “Emerson is going to need a lot more training. A couple of times a week isn’t going to cut it anymore. I need you two practicing every day.”

  “What?” I protest. “We can’t train every day! I have friends and school and–”

  “Not only that,” she continues, ignoring my outburst. “But she needs around the clock protection until she’s able to defend herself. We can’t take any chances right now.”

  “Whoa, whoa, wait a minute.” I hold my hands up in protest. “What do you mean, ‘around the clock’? That’s insane! Do you know what people will say if he never leaves my side?”

  “They’ll assume you’re dating, which is what we want.”

  “What?” Caiden asks, his expression horrified.

  “You and Emerson will tell everyone you’re dating,” she states firmly.

  “Why?” He spits out, his eyes wide, lips twisted like he tastes something bitter.

  “Because it’s the perfect excuse for the time you two will be spending together.”

  Caiden and I look at each other in alarm. No. There is no way she can expect us to do that. When neither of us responds, she gives Caiden an implacable look.

  “You can’t leave her alone. She needs someone to stay close to her incase the pack makes a move.”

  Caiden’s expression turns grim. Sensing his weakening resolve, she pushes one last time.

  “After what happened with Sebastian,” she eyes his cut lip pointedly, “everyone already assumes you two are together. All you have to do is go along with the rumors. Emerson is in danger. Her life is more important than a little high school gossip,” she finishes derisively.