The crisp air kissed my skin as I checked my phone. I squinted as the bright light momentarily blinded me. The screen slowly came into focus, and the knot in my stomach grew tighter because there was nothing from Grey. Hopefully, he hadn’t run into any problems.
“This fucking blows,” Eli mumbled around his cigarette, not caring as ash fell onto his black suit.
“It’s not that bad.” I tried to sound convincing, but Eli’s frown told me he didn’t buy it.
“Kill me now and put me out of my fucking misery.”
I rolled my eyes at his over-dramatic response. Everything was the end of the world to him.
“What the hell are you doing out here?” Mr. Hale’s voice grated against my ears. “Of course, my son can’t be bothered to listen, much less do what he’s told.” His caramel eyes, the exact same color as Eli’s, blazed with anger. They were spitting images of one another, locked in a war of attrition.
Eli tensed beside me but ignored his father’s curt words, refusing to take the bait his father dangled in front of him. He simply stomped on his cigarette and stalked back inside. I kept close to his side, scurrying past Mr. Hale.
I checked my phone again as we approached Emory, Cal, and Kenna. Still, no new messages. I shot Grey a quick text, hoping for some sort of confirmation he’d found the book or at the very least that he was okay.
“Welcome.” Mr. Whitethorn’s voice boomed. The murmurs from the crowd died down, and everyone turned their attention toward the source of the greeting. I craned my neck, trying to get a glimpse of the hallway, but I was too short.
“Hello, fellow residents of Twisted Spires. I want to thank you all for coming. I’m Devin Whitethorn, and it’s an honor to be a part of this election. Your support means so much to me and my family.” He extended a hand toward Kenna, who stepped from our circle and made her way to her father. “I believe this town has so much potential, and we can unleash it together. If I’m elected mayor, I plan to focus on you, the people of this town, because when you prosper, the town prospers.”
Kenna’s lace gown perfectly matched her father’s navy suit. Her straight blonde hair pooled around her shoulders, accentuating her striking features. A dazzling smile lit up her entire face as lie after lie spilled from Mr. Whitethorn’s mouth, and by the looks of all the townsfolk, they believed every single word. I fed into the deception by forcing a smile of my own as Mr. Whitethorn’s speech continued.
I risked another glance at my phone, and the sinking feeling in my gut returned. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Everyone was so engrossed in the speech that they didn’t seem to notice as I slowly backed away, allowing myself to be swallowed by the masses. I lingered near the back as servers and waitstaff zoomed by, heading to the kitchen. I seized the smallwindow of opportunity and sprinted down the hallway, praying no one noticed.
The doors to Mr. Whitethorn’s study were wide open, and Grey’s tall frame came into view as I stepped inside.
“What happened?” I asked, looking over my shoulder to make sure no one had followed me.
Grey didn’t say a word. Only narrowed his darkening eyes, full of rage and hatred.
“The blonde girl is Devin’s daughter?” Grey asked flatly.
I stopped a few paces from the desk. “What?” I nodded my head. “It wasn’t a secret. I told you I was coming to the Whitethorn’s for family dinner. You didn’t have a problem with it when you could use me to steal the book. Is that seriously the holdup?”
“No.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. “The desk is spelled.” His raspy voice echoed throughout the room.
My head whipped around, hoping no one heard his outburst.
My eyes traveled to his large hands on the desk right next to the spellbook. “How do you know the desk is spelled?”
He groaned. A frustrated, deep sound that would have had my toes curling if I could feel them. “Because I can’t move my fucking hands.”
I leaned in to get a better look.
“Don’t touch it,” Grey scolded like he wasn’t the one who’d fallen into the trap in the first place.
“Thanks for the helpful tip. Asshole.” I muttered the last word under my breath. “So how do we get you…unstuck?”
“It’ll likely only respond to Devin’s magic if he’s the one who spelled it. Look for something to cut my hands off.”
The color drained from my face. “Absolutely. Fucking. Not.”
“Don’t tell me you faint at the sight of blood?”
“No, but I definitely will if I have to cut your hands off.” I gagged.
“I’m just kidding. That’s the last resort. You got a lighter?”
