“Unfortunately, yes. But short of knocking her unconscious… I need your help, clearly,” I admit with a shrug. I don’t mind asking for help, sometimes. Although, judging by the shocked faces in front of me, I apparently don’t do it very often.
“CK, my love,” I say sweetly. His eyebrows skyrocket at my tone. “May we please use your room to house her until we leave again tomorrow night?”
Happy to be asked, but not so happy as to the question, he scowls at me. “Really? You are asking me to take this responsibility on?”
“No, not on, just under.” I smile my most charming smile at him and twirl my hair in a very teen-girl move, but then again, I am still just a teenager, albeit a thousand and seventeen-year-old one.
He isn’t stupid though and he knows my game. He will do as I ask but there will be a price to pay and I bet it won’t be cheap.
“Fine. You may use my room. How will you get her there? The wards won’t let you into my house with her spelled. You will have to unspell her and tackle her, or can you take both Lincoln and Cade with you two?”
Three passengers? I have never tried. I suppose now isn’t the time to find out, but it doesn’t matter anyway as there is another way. One that the boys will go ga-ga over.
“What room are you talking about?” Lincoln asks.
“Wait and see,” I say mysteriously and turn back to CK. “Not interested in learning by doing today but I do know a thing or two about living in castles, remember?”
He chuckles in delight. “You connected your house to mine.”
“Of course.”
“Connected?” Cole asks. “How so?”
“Follow me.” I take his hand and CK’s and say to Cade, “Just make sure you stick to the shadows, otherwise…”
“Yes, I am aware. Although…” he says slyly, “are you sure I am the best person to escort her into a potentially fatal situation?”
“Kill her and I kill you. Simple,” I state and it’s his turn to pull his face at me.
“Understood,” he says reluctantly.
“Don’t worry. I am sure that on our travels you will have the opportunity to ease your bloodlust,” I say sarcastically, and his face brightens until he realizes that I am not being altogether serious.
“Come now. We need to get her moved.” I lead us down the corridor, down the stairs and across the foyer to the kitchens, all the while sticking to the shadows myself as a reminder to Cade.
The kitchens in my house are quite dark anyway but I pull the blinds shut just in case. I lead the inquisitive bunch through the main kitchen to the smaller one at the back and head to the pantry. Opening the door, I step in and bend down. I pull open the trap door built there disguised as part of the floor boards. “Devon is going to be so pissed he missed this,” I mutter to myself.
“Missed what?” he asks, peering around everybody to see why we are all looking in the pantry.
“Dev? Thought you had shit to do.”
“Funniest thing. I got halfway down the road and felt the need to come back. Because of…” he points to Jess. “What happened?”
“She attacked Liv,” Lincoln says. “Unbridled fury and all that.”
“You keep her calm. Or at least calmer,” CK says to him. “You may not feel it, but she does.”
“Oh,” he says, a bit abashed. “Sorry, Lizzie. I guess trying to ignore this isn’t going to work, is it?”
I shake my head sadly. “No, sweetie. I will still take the burden for you, but you need to stick around.”
He nods grimly. “So, where are we going? Narnia?”
I snort. “Hardly. We are going to CK’s house via secret passageway.” I step back and hold my hands out in showroom style.
“Any particular reason for the cloak and dagger?”
“Oh. I suppose not now that you are here. Cade can probably let the spell go.”