Chapter 10: : Chapter 10

“You look like hell,” Casey observed, as we drove through the Indies that evening.

“Thanks. Between the nightmares and demon attacks and hunting down the asshole trying to kill me, I haven’t had a chance to do cucumber therapy on my eyes.”

He turned right, into an old parking lot. “Hey, I get it. Seeing that thing last night messed me up. Your brain’s got to be scrambled eggs by now. What you need is a stiff drink, and then two or three more.”

“What I need is a bed, some sleeping pills, and a night of dreams without evil creeps breaking into them.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” Casey said almost convincingly. “First, we do my plan, and then you do yours. And since your bed has a circle of protection, you’ll be able to sleep off the hangover peacefully. The only dudes popping up in your dreams will be the ones you put there.”

“I’m hoping for a total of none.”

He glanced over at me with a cocky expression on his face. “None or just one?”

Fucker.

I ignored him and looked out the window. As gorgeous as Jaxson was, I did want him in my dreams. I had enough on my plate as it was, and I didn’t need to be fantasizing over the domineering alpha-hole whom I couldn’t have even if I’d wanted him.

The fading light reflected off the buildings across the lake as we pulled into the poorly maintained parking lot. It was packed with cars, and I could feel the bass of the music pumping through the trees in the park to our right.

“What is this place, anyway?” I asked.

“Founder’s Park. One of the most important places in the Indies.”

I rolled up my window and stashed my bag under my seat. “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”

“There’s a bonfire every Saturday at sundown. Best place to unwind.” He winked and climbed out of the car. “And there’ll be enough sorcerers here to nuke Kahanov to kingdom come if he shows up, so you’ll be safe.” He grabbed a bag of ice and a bottle of Jose Cuervo black from the backseat and handed me two insulated Yeti Ramblers. “Hold these.”

“You know these people?”

“Some. There’s always a good crowd, all ages—just not teenagers, thank fates,” he added, grinning. “No one wants to deal with sloppy kids.”

A black Beamer pulled into the lot, and a couple of girls who looked to be in their late twenties climbed out, holding a six pack of hard seltzer and a bottle of vodka. One of the girls shouted Casey’s name and waved.

He glanced over his shoulder and gave her a thumbs-up but didn’t stop. “But yeah, pretty much anyone is welcome. Just not the .”

“Right.” A sinking pit of dread settled in my stomach. Kahanov had that damn grimoire and was trying to hijack my dreams. He might still be after my blood. Shit was dire, and despite my anger at Jaxson, my feelings for him muddled everything. Could I trust him?

“You were with him today, weren’t you?” Casey asked, as if reading my mind.

“I was.” I narrowed my eyes at my cousin, trying to detect any hint of judgement. But there was none.

“A piece of advice, Cuz,” he continued. “Stay away from Jaxson. I know you’ve heard it before, and I’m not one to lecture you, but you can’t ever trust him or the pack. You’re not one of them, and they’ll never have your back.”

“Believe me, I trust them. I just don’t have many other options right now.”

Casey veered off to the left. “Let me show you something.”

We strolled down to a reed-lined pond and stopped by a cluster of large stones surrounded by little flowers. The central stone was longer than the rest and stood on end. Someone had carved hundreds of strange symbols and diagrams into its surface long ago. Casey ran his palm over the lines. “This is the founder’s stone—the seed that created this part of Magic Side.”

“What do you mean?”

“To make this part of the island, the LaSalles enchanted this stone with a powerful spell and floated it out into the lake on a raft. The magic spread through Lake Michigan and drew sediment and rubble up from the bottom to form an island. A small one, granted, but there weren’t Magica living here at the time.”

I ran my fingers over the weathered rock, tracing the symbols, which had grown shallow and worn from the rain.

“Those inscriptions on the stone were part of the spell. The ancient magic is spent, so technically, this is just an old rock. But our forebearers were sorcerers, and we work magic with our souls. That means the souls of our ancestors are in this rock. Remember that fact if you ever question whether you really belong in Magic Side. I know this city must seem crazy, but it’s part of you.”

My heart ached at that thought. Of truly belonging somewhere.

Casey slung his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his chest. “You have us, your family. We’ll always have your back. Tomorrow, we’ll sit down with Mom and bang our heads together until we figure out what to do about that prick, but now, it’s time to forget all that shit and drink, got it?”

I nodded, pursing my lips to hold in the emotions that wanted to crawl out. I’d only known my cousin for a couple of weeks, and even though he was insane like the rest of the family, he seemed to genuinely care about me in his own twisted way.

Up ahead, the noise from the party filled the air. Dozens of people crowded around several cars that had driven into the park. A Jeep with lifted wheels sat beside a pair of coolers and lawn chairs, its speakers thrumming ’90s R&B jams.

But it was the flames curling from the huge bonfire in the center of the gathering that drew my eyes. They weren’t the normal orange, but instead cycled among a variety of colors—purple, blue, and green.

“A magic bonfire?” Just as I muttered the words, a woman across the way pitched a glowing blue orb into the fire like it was a baseball. The flames arced at least ten feet into the air, and shouts erupted from the crowd.

Casey shook his head as he put the ice in a cooler and pulled out a Coke. “Some of the sorcerers like to show off.”

I raised a brow at him. “You don’t say?”

Though I’d been suspicious that this gathering might be like the keggers I’d attended in high school, there were no keg stands, and the atmosphere was mellow. Most of the people here looked to be in their twenties or thirties.

Casey took the Ramblers and mixed us some tequila cokes. “I keep forgetting that this is all new to you. I’ll introduce you to some friends.”

An hour later, I’d met a handful of people whose names I couldn’t recall. The bottle of Jose Cuervo was nearly empty, and the pop in my cup was flat. Casey was chatting up some woman with pointy ears who genuinely seemed interested in his humor. Shaking my head, I gulped down the last of my drink and set the Rambler beside one of the coolers. Two women exited a stone building that looked like a bathroom and stumbled toward the coolers, laughing.

“

” Behind me, a voice carried above the din of the music.

I spun, meeting the gazes of two guys. “Excuse me?”

Their eyes were glassy, and a cold darkness snaked around them. My skin crawled.

, a voice deep in my mind said.

The tallest of them stepped forward, staring at me like a piece of candy free for the taking. He was built like Casey but stockier, and his blond crew cut and cocky expression dredged up memories of the bullies from my high school days. “My friend here was telling me that you’re the alpha’s little whore.”

His words cut through the air and drew bile in my throat. My nails tingled, and I balled my fists to keep calm. It took everything I had to fight the urge to kick the guy in the balls, and if this hadn’t been Casey’s crowd, I would have.

The asshole stalked around me, poking and prodding with his eyes. “I told him , that can’t be right. She’s a LaSalle.” He stopped in front of me, and his eyes narrowed, revealing the hate simmering inside them. “And LaSalles don’t with wolves.”

My heartbeat drummed against my ribs, and my senses heightened. The rustle of the leaves in the trees, the bead of sweat rolling down my spine, and the sour-rank stench of these bastards—a pungent mix of BO and cologne and whiskey that turned my stomach. My head spun. How much tequila had I drunk?

The other guy scoffed and waved his hand through the air, his movement unbalanced, his gaze distant. “She’s no LaSalle, Jared. Let her chase Laurent’s tail. Maybe she likes it doggie style.” With a disgusting expression on his face, he pumped his hips in a thrusting motion.

I ground my teeth so hard that my jaw felt like it might crack, and my sweaty palms stung.

“What the hell is going on?” Casey shot forward and shoved the jerk in front of me. “Jared, get the fuck away from my cousin.”

Jared stepped back and raised his arms in a non-combative gesture. “Easy, Case. Just getting to know the traitor in our midst.”

Pure, unadulterated rage coursed through me, and my vision shifted. The sound of the music and the clamor of people talking were suddenly overwhelming, and my skin flushed. What was happening to me?

Chest heaving, I glanced down at my hands, which were burning. I blinked twice and jerked back. Blood dripped from punctures in my palms, and where my nails should have been, there were “

,” I squeaked as fear snaked into my heart.

Casey’s gaze snapped to me and then to the other guy. My cousin had Jared’s shirt in his fists, but he shoved him away. “What’s wrong? Did that other fucker touch you?”

I hid my hands behind my back and shook my head, swallowing the panic in my throat. “Nope. I just need a minute. Alone.”

Turning, I clutched my bloodied hands and jogged toward the bathroom, Casey’s voice carrying behind me.

I slipped into the bathroom and locked the door.

A beetle thwacked the lightbulb overhead, and I squinted, my eyes burning from the brightness. I took a breath and ambled toward the sink, bracing myself on the cool tile. My vision blurred before clearing. Trails of crimson blood streaked down the white porcelain sink, and my breath quickened as the pain in my jaw throbbed.

, I thought, though deep down, I knew better.

I inhaled and looked up, meeting the eyes of my reflection in the mirror.

A monster stared back at me.