Entranced Page 19

  Stephen texted me twice. I shut my phone without responding.

  I went straight to Mr. Edwards’ office at work, desperate to get in on the action before he put me on some menial task.

  “Come in,” he called when I knocked.

  “Hi,” I said, a bit breathless with expectation. “Have we heard anything else about the cow massacre last night? And the five suicides? Is anyone linking the two together?”

  He looked up from his tablet and pleated his fingers, leaning back in the chair. “I believe I’ve heard every possible conspiracy theory out there today. But no one has proof of anything. Do you have something solid for me?”

  “Maybe.” I plopped down in the chair across from him, uninvited. “But I need to see that symbol first.”

  He hesitated. “We’ve been asked by the police to keep it under wraps. They think it might encourage a following, perpetuate this behavior.”

  “Really?” That explained why I hadn’t seen it on the news. It didn’t seem possible that no one would have leaked it, though. “Then I need to leave early.”

  Now he frowned at me. “Why?”

  The truth, I reminded myself, a bit ashamed out how much easier it was to think of a lie. “Because if you won’t show me, I have to drive out to that farm and take a look for myself.”

  The frown smoothed out, replaced by a smile as he rocked back in his chair. “That’s the spirit that made me want you on my team. I’m not supposed to authorize this. You’re not even a real journalist.”

  “That’s why I’m not asking,” I replied, chafing a bit at his words. “I’m just telling you I have to go.”

  “Take this.” He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a tag on a lanyard. I grasped it, seeing his photo and name under the word “PRESS.” “If anyone has any questions, tell them to call me. I’ll back you up. Even if I technically shouldn’t.” Curiosity lit up his light blue eyes, just as thirsty for the truth as any other gung-ho journalist.

  “Of course.” I smiled and took the lanyard, then scooted out of his office.

  It took me forty-five minutes to get out to the farm in Manchester County. The police barricade was down, but yellow tape had been placed around the perimeter of the pasture and farmhouse. A few cop cars were parked on the front lawn, and I parked behind them. I saw three officers by the barn. Hoping they hadn’t seen me yet, I scooped my hair up into a bun and put on a light coat of lipstick. I needed to pass for at least college-age to get them to take me seriously.

  They noticed me just as I ducked under the police tape. Quickly they jogged up to me.

  “You can’t be here, miss,” the tallest one said, shaking his head and pointing back to my car. “This is a crime scene. You need to leave.”

  “Yeah, I know,” I said, biting back any nervous filler words. “I’m with the Times.” I flashed the badge on my lanyard, hoping they wouldn’t take a closer look.

  I needn’t have worried.

  “No press,” the short, chubby guy said. The woman next to him crossed her arms and glared at me.

  I floundered, not ready to give up yet. Discretely I flipped on my recorder. “Can I just get a quick look at the cows? We’re working an important angle here.”

  “No press,” the first officer repeated. The others flanked him, as if they expected me to bolt past them and make a run for it.

  Mind readers.

  I changed tactics. “Were the suicide victims the ones who committed the massacres? How many people were involved here?”

  “We don’t know,” the tall guy said, one hand running over the trimmed black beard on his face. “We’re still accounting for their whereabouts during the day.”

  “But were they found together?” I urged, pleased he’d said something at least.

  “No comment,” the woman interrupted, her dark eyes shooting daggers at me. “We’re not at liberty to discuss anything. It’s an ongoing investigation.”

  “Sure, of course.” I tried to flash an innocent-looking smile. “Thank you for your time. If you discover anything you want to share with me, I’d be happy to chat.” I pulled a pen out of my purse and scrambled for a piece of paper, feeling so unprofessional without business cards. My faced burned, and I was certain I looked like a fraud.

  “Anyway. Here.” I jotted my number down and held out the paper. At first no one reached for it, but finally the short guy relented.

  “Thanks.” I waved and walked away, imagining my phone number ending up in the trashcan in the next five minutes. Oh well.

  But back to that symbol. How was I going to see it?

  I kept the smile pasted to my face as I backed my car away from the farm. The moment the cops were out of sight, though, I let it fall with a heavy sigh. No closer to anything.

  Trey’s message from the day before wiggled through my mind. Go to the source. What the heck did that mean?

  My phone rang. I retrieved it from the cup holder and nearly dropped it when I saw Aaron's name. Immediately my heart started a nervous jitterbug. I flipped the phone open and tried to sound cool. “Aaron.”

  “Hey, Jayne,” he said. “How are you?”

  He sounded cautious but not angry. Not angry was a good sign, right? “Fine,” I said. Liar. “Well, all things considered, I’m doing okay,” I amended.

  “Good.” He let out a breath. “Are you at home? I had an exam today so my last class was canceled. I’m on my way to my parents’ house and thought I’d swing by.”

  I didn’t think my heart could beat any faster, but it did. It entered my throat and tried to pound its way out. Was this the part when he’d officially break up with me? My house was not on the way to his. “I’m not home. I’m driving.”

  “Be home soon? I’ll wait for you.”

  My stomach turned over, suddenly queasy. “It could be awhile. I’m not that close.”

  “Where are you?” A familiar edge entered his voice. “Are you by yourself?”

  “Yes,” I said, more defensively than I should have. “I’m in Manchester County.”

  “Doing what?” The edge seemed to get sharper.

  “It’s work-related. Is that allowed?” I regretted my snippy retort as soon as it was out, but it was too late. I ground my teeth together. Why was he pushing me this way? “I need to concentrate on driving. I’ll call you when I get home.”

  “Yeah. Okay.”

  He hung up. I tossed the phone aside, unsure whether I wanted to scream or burst into tears.

  I was just going through the green light in Forked River when a woman in a white flowing dress stepped in front of my car.

  “Criminy!” I exclaimed, swerving to the shoulder and coming to a sudden stop. I spun around in my seat, my eyes scanning the road.

  She was gone. But I’d seen her.

  Laima.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Laima used to appear every time I had a vision. She also appeared when I died and told me I had become a goddess. She brought me back to life, and I hadn’t seen her since.

  My phone rattled. I glanced down to see a new text. Then another. And another. A total of six flashed at me before the phone stopped buzzing. I picked it up, breathing quickly, my heart thumping away like a rabbit on caffeine.

  Dekla, there is a problem. Karta has rebelled against her role in the triad.

  She refuses to let go of her position and is gathering a following. She has joined forces with other powers and is intent on overthrowing the triad.

  We must find a way to stop her. I must confer with the higher powers.

  Protect yourself and attempt to protect those around you.

  Align yourself with others. You need allies.

  I will be in touch as often as I can.

  I pressed my fingers to my throat, feeling the bumpy skin of my scar as I reread the text messages again and again, committing them to memory. Then I put my car into Drive and hightailed it out of there. My tires squealed as I slid into my driveway, and I shoved the car into Park before it had e
ven stopped rolling. I rushed up the walkway to the front door.

  A shadowy figure stepped away from the side of the house. I jumped backwards, a scream building in my throat.

  “Jayne, it’s me.” Aaron’s hands were on my shoulders before I could release the sound. I went limp, resting my head against his collar bone and waiting for my breath to catch me.

  “You scared the tar out of me,” I whispered, my pulse still fluttering.

  “Sorry.” He hesitated, then pulled me against him. I listened to the steady pounding of his heart beneath my ear and closed my eyes, wishing I could stay here in the security of his arms, assured of the strength of his feelings for me.

  I gave myself a full minute to calm down, and then I backed away from him. “Why are you here?” I didn’t dare remind him that we were giving each other “space.”

  He put his hands in his pockets and gave a small smile. I drank in the sight of the dimple in his chin, the depth of his dark blue eyes. “Waiting for you, of course.” He reached a hand out and traced my jaw, timidly at first, and then he drew me close and kissed me.

  I melted into him, any tension between us draining away. My mouth met his hungrily, and I clutched his shoulders.

  He stepped away first, resting his forehead against mine. “I’m sorry.”

  I shook my head, guilt over my recent associations with Stephen overwhelming me. “No, don’t. You’re right, I’ve gotten really comfortable deceiving people. Sometimes I have to, but—I think it became a habit.”

  He scanned my face. “I don’t like feeling that you’re hiding something from me.”

  I swallowed back unexpected tears. “I didn’t mean to shut you out. But sometimes I felt like an afterthought. Like you’d give me some attention when you could spare it. Trying to include you started to feel like too much trouble.”

  “This is my first semester of college, Jayne. I have to do well. It sets the stage for the rest of my career. You understand that, right?”

  “Of course I do,” I whispered. “I just miss you.”

  He squeezed my forearm. “Have faith in me. We’ll have more time together soon.”

  I nodded, wanting to believe it was that simple. Just a little faith.

  “Tell me what’s going on with Karta.”

  “Oh.” I suddenly remembered why I’d been so eager to get inside. I waved my phone at him. “You won’t believe this. Or maybe you will. I just got a text from Laima. She said Karta’s rebelled. She’s gone rogue, Aaron! I don’t know how, but she’s trying to usurp power to herself—” I paused for a breath, realizing I sounded like Meredith.

  Aaron narrowed his eyes, his face tightening. “She can do that?”

  “Yeah, apparently! Not sure how. I need to do some research.”

  “What about you? How does this affect you?”

  Laima’s two warnings popped into my head: To protect myself and to not get my boyfriend involved.

  And I’d just told him I wouldn’t lie anymore.

  “She told me to be careful,” I said. “She said she’d contact me as soon as she knows more.”

  His hand tightened on my forearm. “Are you in danger?”

  “I don’t know. I really don’t. I have to find out more.”

  My phone beeped, and I glanced down to see a text from my mom.

  ETA?

  Home, I texted back. On porch with Aaron. I flashed the phone at him. “I told her the truth, see?”

  “I saw,” he said with a brief smirk. “Jayne, I know you can’t tell everyone what’s going on. But that thing with Stephen—” he paused, uncertainty in his eyes. “Did I overreact?”

  I slowly exhaled and put my phone away, forcing myself to meet Aaron’s eyes. “Stephen’s been reaching out to me a lot lately. He’s lonely, and he seems to see me as a link to happier times. And I do remember Stephen quite fondly, and sometimes the attention was nice.” Hurt flashed across his features, and I hurried on. “But Aaron, there’s nothing between us.” It might have been close, but I’d stood my ground.

  He bent his head and placed another quick kiss on my lips. “I’m sorry for doubting you.”

  “I’m sorry for giving you reason to,” I whispered, clutching him to me. My heart swelled with relief that he wasn’t breaking up with me. “I better get inside. I still have a lot to do tonight.”

  “All right.”

  Something in his voice made me look at him, like there was something else, something more bothering him.

  “Aaron? Are we good?” I asked.

  He exhaled and examined a corner of the sky. “I think so.”

  “Thanks for coming over.” I knocked my knuckle against his.

  His fingers twisted around and grabbed mine for a moment before he released them. “Night, Jayne.”

  I turned and went inside, knowing he wouldn’t leave until he saw me safely into my house.

  I stepped down into the den and researched Karta and the other gods. But my sleepy eyes kept blurring the words on the screen, and nothing even remotely relevant popped up. I gave up and went to bed.

  I thought I would lay awake thinking about Laima’s text, but instead it was Aaron's visit that I couldn’t get out of my head. My heart gave a giddy skip when I recalled his words, the way we’d finally knocked down some of the walls between us. He’d never said he loved me, but tonight I could almost feel it.

  And to think how close I’d come to kissing Stephen. My neck burned with shame.

  Only when the morning came did I remember I’d have to report on my visit to Manchester County at work.

  What would I say? I pondered the question as I brushed my teeth and stared at my puffy eyes in the mirror. I didn’t have anything to add to an article, really. The cops had given me nothing.

  I found Beth leaning against the counter downstairs, her long brown hair perfectly curled, makeup in place, and her skirt a little too short against her thighs.

  “Hey,” she greeted, waving a spoonful of yogurt at me. “I got a ride with a friend today. Did your Michael Thorne profile Friend your frenemy?”

  With everything else on my mind, the Facebook request had somehow slipped away. “Oh. Yeah.”

  Her eyes widened. “And? Did she accept?”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted, grabbing my own yogurt and pulling down the bag of granola. “I haven’t checked since yesterday.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know how you can go so long without checking Facebook.” A car pulled up in the drive and honked. “Oh, that’s my ride.” She dumped her yogurt and shouldered her backpack.

  “Who is it?” I said, peeking out the window.

  “Natalie.”

  “Oh.” The name wasn’t familiar. “Is she on the squad?”

  “No way.” Beth wrinkled her nose and stuck out the tip of her tongue. “Those girls won’t talk to me. She’s in my science class. She’s been giving me a ride home whenever you can’t, and yesterday she said she can pick me up too. I guess we’re hanging out now.”

  “Well, that’s great!” I perked up.

  She rolled her eyes. “For the love of homework, it’s not as if I was suddenly a loner loser or something. Anyway, when I get home I want to hear everything.”

  She slipped out the door, and I shouted after her, “Who loves homework?”

  Beth laughed before shutting the front door.

  *~*

  I didn’t see Meredith at her locker before school, which I thought odd. I felt a brief flash of worry that something had happened to her. The other option was that she was avoiding me again. I hoped not. We’d gotten past that, hadn’t we?

  I crossed the street by myself, half expecting her not to be in class. But she was, sitting at her desk and doodling.

  “Hey,” I said, crouching beside her. “I’ve got news.”

  She put her pencil down and looked at me. “The cops came to my house last night.”

  “What?” That caught me off guard.

  “They found a copy of m
y poem in the houses of two of the people who committed suicide.” She said this so calmly, so stoically, we could’ve been talking about last year’s snowfall. “They traced it back to me.”

  “Meredith.” I sucked in a breath. “Are you okay? What did they do?”

  She shrugged and went back to her drawing. “What could they do?”

  The bell rang and Coach came in. We weren't done talking and I desperately wanted to console her, but I couldn’t now.

  I barely heard a word all through class. As soon as it ended, Meredith tucked her things away and headed for the door. I bolted after her, nearly knocking over another student.

  “Sorry,” I murmured, then caught up to her, grabbing her arm to slow her down. “So what happened? Are you in trouble?”

  She shook her head but didn’t stop walking. “No. I told them I posted it on my blog years ago, that those people must have found it. They grilled me. They probably think I’m involved in this cult movement.” She gave a short laugh. “Which I guess I am. I’m pretty much the leader of it.”

  “Hey, stop.” I moved in front of her, forcing her to hold still and look at me. “This wasn’t because of you. This is Karta’s doing.” When she didn’t react, I pulled my phone out and shook it at her.

  “I heard from Laima. Things are bad. Really bad.”

  Her eyes brightened a little behind her wire-framed glasses. “What does that mean?”

  “Laima said that Karta’s gone rogue,” I said, repeating what I’d told Aaron the night before. “She’s like, usurping power or something. Laima is still searching for information.”

  “What? I thought Laima was in charge.”

  “Right? But apparently not. Some of the other gods are in charge of her, too.”

  I headed for the door, Meredith keeping pace with me. “Here’s what we need to do,” I said, stopping at the hallway intersection. “We need to know more about the Latvian gods, the major players, the minor players, and who potentially could be causing a problem for us.”