Witch (Cursed book 4) Page 20

  "What was that?"

  Lydia stormed in, "That was Ari at her best."

  A tall, handsome man walked into the kitchen, "Lydia, where is she? I've had it."

  Lydia and Ari both jumped up and ran at the huge man.

  "Oh my God, Aleks! Oh my God."

  Aimee flashed into the kitchen and jumped at him. Ophelia felt lost. She knew a guy named Aleks had died. Old memories that still sat in her mind, but felt distant, had his death in them. Slowly, memories of him at her window instead of Sam started to creep in her mind.

  She watched them cry. Aimee gripped him and kissed his cheek repeatedly.

  His face was flushed and confused.

  "I'm tired of the head games, Aimee. Just tell me what the hell is going on with you guys?"

  She shook her head, "I love you. I love you."

  A slow grin crept over his face, "So you want to be with me?"

  "Aleks, what do you remember?"

  He frowned at Lydia, "From when?"

  Lydia looked at Ari, her mouth agape, "Oh no."

  Ari took a second and then she looked the same. Aimee dropped to her knees.

  Lucas ran inside, his face was soaked. Tears poured from his eyes. The memories sank in slowly. The memories matched in their minds but nothing was the same. Sam was not in a single new memory.

  She started to panic. She looked at a new face, who her brain instantly recognized as Ben. He looked confused. He looked at Aleks. Lydia, Ari, Aimee, and Lucas sobbed. Ophelia looked at them all. Her stomach twisted into a knot. Her heartstrings tugged as she looked at Ben. He smiled and took a step toward her. She took a step back. Her body knew him, as did her mind, but her reality was different. It was as if two people's lives lived inside of her. She bolted to the kitchen sink and retched over it. A meal she didn’t recognize for a moment shot into the sink. She hadn’t recalled eating corn and peas.

  "He's not dead. He's not." Aimee rocked back and forth.

  Lydia held her hand over her heart, "They all are. Little Sarah. Dawn. Danny."

  Ophelia threw up again.

  She sank against the counter.

  "I take it Ben and I missed out on the party?" Aleks stood like a massive statue in the middle of the kitchen with the sobbing people draping off of him. Ari let go of him and grabbed Ben. She and Lucas held him tight against her.

  Ophelia looked at them all, "What happened? How did it happen?"

  Aleks looked confused, "You never even met him?"

  She started to sob as well, "I loved him." Her heart broke. Sweet Sam.

  Hanna came bursting through the door. Her eyes flashed on Ari, "You bring him back. You bring him back. You bring him back." She grabbed her by the throat and held her in the air. Hanna's skin shivered. Ophelia watched the redhead lose total control. She threw Ari through the wall of the house and out on the back lawn. She dove through at her. Lucas changed and lunged at Hanna. Hanna swiped with her hand and tossed the wolf across the grass.

  She screamed a sickening sound.

  Lydia ran out through the huge hole and stepped between them, "This solves nothing."

  Ari shook, she cried so hard. Hanna dropped to her knees and screamed into the sky.

  Ophelia gripped the cupboard to stop herself from passing out. The pain in her chest was unbearable.

  Hanna looked at her and started to sob again.

  Ophelia rushed her and wrapped her arms around her.

  "He loved you. He loved you, Hanna."

  "I can't bear this." She glared at Ari, "How? How?"

  Ari shook her head, sobbing, "I don’t know. I don’t know what changed."

  Aimee staggered through the hole, "Blake. He helped them perfect the hellfire bomb." She wrapped her arms around herself.

  She looked frighteningly fragile.

  Aleks put his arm around her, "What happened?"

  Ari sat on her knees, "I pushed Blake. Instead of betraying Aims to Shane and chasing her out of the house, he found other supernaturals online."

  Aimee cringed, "His guild on the World of Warcraft. He helped me change. He came with me here. He convinced Dorian to help me."

  Aleks shook his head, "So the way it was before, you all remember?"

  Ophelia looked at him, "We got Giselle to use her compulsion to make sure we remembered."

  He nodded, "Like Andy did."

  "She's still in the hospital?" Aimee spoke, looking confused.

  Lydia nodded, "Blake never took them to the blood bar. They never recruited him from MIT."

  Aimee looked at Lydia, "Alise is safe. She's at home with dad. They're safe. Shane." Her face flushed as she glanced up at Aleks. His handsome face turned red with hers.

  "You and Shane are together, Aims." He broke into a grin, "Were we together in that other place?"

  Ophelia watched as Aimee slowly shook her head.

  He stopped, "My dad?"

  She shook her head.

  He frowned, "I died?" He sounded completely mystified.

  Aimee swallowed hard, "You and Ben."

  Ben looked at her, "Me?" He looked at Lucas who wiped his eyes.

  Ari shook her head, "I can't seem to make it so we all are okay."

  Aimee wiped her face and walked to Aleks. She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled into his chest.

  Ophelia couldn’t help but notice how amazingly attractive he was. She looked at Ben. He raised an eyebrow, "If I was dead, then you and I…?"

  She shook her head.

  He nodded slowly, "That’s explaining a few things."

  Lorri burst through the hole in the kitchen wall and stormed over to Ari. She lifted her off the ground.

  "I had him in my fucking hands. In my fucking hands, Ari. For fuck’s sake. I said not to use it. I said no." She dropped her and paced the yard like a wild cat.

  Ari slumped on the grass again.

  Ophelia noticed the way Lucas walked to where Ari sat and put himself between Ari and Lorri.

  Lorri turned and pointed, "They had Jon too. For fucking fuck." She raged around the yard.

  Aleks stepped forward, "What? My dad? Who had him?"

  Lorri looked savagely at him, "The wolves."

  Ben frowned, "Us?"

  Lucas looked back, "The guys back home were tracing him for us."

  Aleks' eyes flamed, "How? How did they do it? Where was he?"

  Ophelia spoke quietly, "Me."

  Aleks started to laugh bitterly, "Oh, I should have known. Of course. When Lorri and I got to your house that first night to get you, his scent was everywhere. If we'd thought to call the pack, they would have been able to trace him." His eyes hardened as he looked at Lorri, "If the Roses’ business hadn’t been more important, as usual, I could have had him."

  Lorri pointed at him, "Don’t you start with me right now, Aleks. I swear to God, I will rip your fucking head off. In the other version of this fiasco, the wolves were there because of Sam. He thought of the wolves. He brought them."

  Ophelia remembered being in the cell and looked at Lorri, "He still has my sister."

  Lorri covered her eyes with her hands, "Oh sweet Jesus, save me from this moment." She looked at Ophelia with rage on her face, "I am not going to talk to you about saving a human right now. Sam was everything. He was the thing that made us win. It wasn’t you. Look in the scrying dish you haven’t stolen from Annabelle yet." She was gone as the lightning struck the ground where she stood.

  Aimee sighed. Lydia rubbed her back, "I know honey. It's been so long since they died that the pain is old and it won’t let me hurt as much as I want to."

  Dorian flashed into the yard; he grabbed Ari and pulled her in. She started to cry all over again.

  "Dad."

  He rubbed her back, "I know."

  He looked up at Aleks and smiled, "Good to see you brother."

  Aleks frowned at him, "You look weird."

  Dorian pulled Ari back and looked at her, "Is this what it's like every time?"

  She sobbed and n
odded.

  Lucas joined the hug, "I can't imagine living through this more than once." He kissed Ari's head.

  Ophelia felt totally out of the loop. She glanced at Hanna who was silently crying.

  "What can we do?"

  Hanna shrugged, "Move on. Once they're gone, that’s it. There is no bringing them back." Her eyes hardened.

  Ophelia went inside. She noticed she felt more at home in the house than she ever had. She had never stayed at the castle. She had always been there. Through thick and thin, she had spent her time learning. There was no vampire war in the yard or drama with Sam.

  She felt Ben wrap his arms around her; it felt less strange to be around him.

  She turned and looked up into his handsome face.

  He brushed his lips against hers softly. His shaggy-brown hair and emerald-green eyes reminded her of Lucas. He was more handsome. He wrapped himself around her.

  "I'll keep you safe, O."

  She felt her body relax into his. His touch wasn't just familiar, it was wanted.

  She felt something cold and opened her eyes.

  Annabelle floated to her, "I was just lookin’ in on your momma. Your sisters have been taken. He's gonna give the gift to your brother tonight."

  Ophelia shook her head, "No, it's a trap. He must know about the snow globe."

  Ben looked down on her, "You psychic now?"

  She smiled, "No." The smile felt wrong. "We went there in the other way things were. Oliver betrayed us and my dad was my brother."

  He raised an eyebrow.

  She laughed, "It's complicated."

  Lydia came in through the hole and looked at Annabelle. Annabelle put her hands on her hips, "What in sam hell is that?"

  Lydia's face crumpled.

  Ophelia started to feel sick again. She hugged her stomach, "I'm going to bed." She walked to the stairs. Ben scooped her up and carried her to her room.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Ophelia

  A knock at the door woke her up. She went to roll out of the bed but Ben's huge arm was across her. She felt funny about him sleeping in her bed. She picked through her old memories. He hadn’t done it before. She walked to the door and opened it a crack. Aimee smiled at her, "Want to help me?"

  She rubbed her eyes, "Dude, it's still dark."

  Aimee nodded, "I have a problem. I need a favor from Hanna and she won't help me. She doesn’t like me."

  Ophelia laughed, "You and Ari are kind of bitchy to her. Yeah, just let me get some pants on."

  She pulled on jeans from the floor and stalked out of the room. They walked to Hanna's room. Ophelia opened the door. Hanna was asleep in a ball with tissues everywhere.

  Ophelia looked at Aimee and scowled, "Why are we in here?"

  Aimee shrugged, "I need her to convince Marcus to turn Giselle."

  Ophelia looked at her and sighed, "She won't do it. They broke up. Remember? Marcus is an overbearing wanker."

  Aimee pointed, "My friend is dying. Do it."

  Ophelia groaned and turned to Hanna. She shoved her lightly, "Hanna, wake up."

  Hanna moaned and murmured, "No, Sam."

  Ophelia looked back at Aimee and glared. Aimee snapped a finger and pointed.

  Ophelia gave her the finger. She turned back and shook Hanna again, "Hanna, wake up."

  Hanna rolled over and opened one puffy eye, "Wh-wh-what?"

  Ophelia bent over her, "I need you to wake up."

  Hanna groaned, "Dude, this better be important."

  Aimee spoke from the dark doorway, "I need you to save Giselle. She's dying."

  Hanna watched her for a minute. Ophelia thought for sure she was about to say no, but she climbed out of the bed. She stood looking Aimee square in the eyes. "You hate me for something that never even happened, just so you're aware."

  Aimee laughed. She put a hand out and they all touched. Ophelia squinted, seeing the bright lights of the hospital. They followed Aimee into a room. Blake sat there reading on an iPad.

  "Hey, loser."

  He looked up at Hanna and smiled, "Hanna. My favorite monster."

  She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I've never heard that one before."

  Ophelia gave him a slight wave. He smiled at her.

  Ophelia looked at Giselle. It was weird seeing her sick. She was used to her being volatile and snobby.

  Giselle opened an eye and smiled at them. Aimee leaned forward, "Hey, girl. How are you feeling?"

  She frowned, "You need to turn my ass back into a vampire. This shit is not fun. I want to be drinking blood and stomping around Marcus' castle in my big boots. This sucks."

  Aimee frowned. Hanna leaned in, "How do you remember that?"

  Giselle shrugged, "When you guys said you wanted me to do the mind thingy on you, I decided I didn’t want to be the only bitch who was lost." She pointed to Blake who was frowning, "Look at his dumb face. He has no clue what's what. Anyway, I went to Annabelle and she gave me a mirror so I could do the juju thingy on myself."

  Aimee laughed, "That was pretty smart."

  Blake pushed his glasses up his nose, "That was brilliant, Giselle."

  Ophelia looked at Blake, confused. He pointed to Aimee, "She texted me everything earlier."

  "Oh."

  Blake looked at Hanna, "Sorry for your loss. Again."

  She gave a slight nod, "Yeah. Guess the wound is healed and I'm over it."

  Ophelia felt exactly what she was saying, "I know. I hate that my body doesn’t seem to care. It didn’t know Sam, so it doesn’t matter."

  A girl with dark, silky hair came strolling into the room. Her eyes were on her cell phone as she texted and walked.

  Aimee jumped up and grabbed her. She held her to her.

  The girl struggled, "Aims, wtf? What are you doing? You're smudging my makeup."

  Aimee pulled the girl back and Ophelia could see the resemblance. Aimee was a twin too.

  "Never do that to me again, Alise—ever."

  The girl frowned, "Dude, I went for coffee." She rolled her eyes and sat on Blake's lap. She looked tiny compared to him.

  Blake shook his head, "This is outright bizarre. I don’t think I will actually be able to process this one."

  Giselle cocked her head, "Uh hello—are you here for me or what?"

  Hanna laughed, "Good to see you're still you. I'll send Marcus a text."

  Aimee looked back at her, "You want me to go get him?"

  She shook her head, "He won’t be long."

  Aimee rolled her eyes, "You and boys, Hanna, I swear."

  Alise frowned, "Who are you all? Giselle, what is up?"

  Giselle laughed, "Other girls from the liver ward. Me and Aims met them a while back."

  Alise smiled and nodded like a puppet, "Cool. So you all got better after a drugging?"

  Hanna frowned, "Uhm yeah."

  Ophelia laughed, "This is weird. Do you guys need me here?" Hanna flashed her a look. She put her hands up defensively, "Okay. Just sleepy."

  Giselle gave her a look.

  Blake stood and slipped his hand into Alise's, "Want to go for a walk, Aims?"

  Aimee nodded and put a hand on Giselle's hand, "Want anything?"

  She nodded, "The desire to suck the blood from young men."

  Aimee shook her head, "Okay, well ewww, and I'll see what they have at the cafeteria."

  Ophelia sat in the chair in the corner. She was exhausted. It had been a brutal day.

  Hanna sat on the bed and looked at her cell, "He'll be here in like five."

  Giselle squirmed in the bed, "Good. Everything hurts."

  Hanna sighed, "Aimee's sister is a space cadet. Wow."

  Ophelia laughed, "That was weird. She knows nothing about nothing?"

  Hanna swung her legs up onto the bed, "She knows nothing about the things she knows. Damn." She looked down and frowned at Ophelia, "Whose pants are you wearing?"

  She looked down and felt the heat rushing up her cheeks, "Mine."

  Hanna
laughed, "Those are Ben's."

  Giselle gave a weak laugh, "Oh busted."

  She shook her head, "He was just being nice."

  "I'd let him be nice to me any day of the week." Ophelia shot a look at Hanna.

  "What? I would. He smells like delicious Fae."

  Ophelia made a face, "You make him sound like a snack. You know who smelled good…" She stopped.

  Hanna's face crumpled.

  Ophelia closed her mouth, "Sorry. It's like I expect him to walk into the room any second."

  Giselle turned her face up to stare at the ceiling, "I wish he would walk in. He made everything better."

  "Yup."

  Ophelia felt eyes on her. She glanced to the door. She saw his face and felt her heart stop. Her eyes narrowed. She got up from the chair and mumbled, "I'll be back in a minute."

  She rounded the corner of the corridor, to see him leaning against the wall with a smug look on his face.

  "What are you doing here? You have some nerve. I should call Aimee to come kill you."

  He raised an eyebrow, "Have we met?"

  She stumbled on her words, "The castle, when you were in the—oh, never mind. Oliver I know who you are."

  He leaned in and smelled her hair, "I forgot how you smell. Your memory should be gone, Ophelia."

  She pulled away from him, "So should yours."

  He laughed, "I made sure my memories would be intact. I never knew Ari was his daughter until you told me, but I always knew what she did."

  She recalled something and cocked her head, "You never told him. My father—you never told him what Ari did?"

  He shook his head.

  "Why?"

  He ran a hand down her arm, making chills wash over her. He tilted her chin with his other hand, "I told you. I love you."

  She laughed, "So you let him take me prisoner and try to kill Aimee?"

  His eyes hardened as his fingers bit into her skin, "If Aimee dies, then it's one less thing to worry about. You think Lorri and Dorian wouldn’t sacrifice themselves to kill me and Jonathan off?"

  She pushed him, "What do you want? You think I don’t know that I somehow play into your lame-ass plans? You're playing my dad and me."

  He laughed and stumbled back, "Ophelia, I've never been anything but sincere with you. I did lead you into the trap, obviously, but I made sure you had the upper hand."