Bitter Demons

42. A Matter Of Life And Death

I needed to talk to Jackson.

He hadn't been around the house all day. I knew he wasn't a big fan of the Order of Shadows, so it was not a big surprise that he was scarce when there were at least thirty people at the house. Did he know about Caroline?

I was sure he'd heard. He seemed to know everything that happened in this town.

Only, he didn't know what Caroline had told me. We were dealing with multiple witches, and I suddenly felt like the situation was spiraling out of control. I didn't know whether to tell the Order the truth about why Caroline was kidnapped or if I should just continue to figure this out on my own.

God knows I didn't trust the Order. That's why I hadn't told them about the crow feather or the glamour that night. I didn't want to let those walls down, because once they were down and I started to trust them out of necessity, they would be that much closer to owning me forever.

On the other hand, without their help, I might not survive an attack from the crow witch. Maybe seclusion really was the best thing for me.

Several times, I was on the verge of telling Zara the truth, but I always pulled back. Jackson was the one I wanted to tell. He would know what to do. Of course, he wasn't talking to me right now, which made things a bit more complicated.

After hours of debate, I finally decided that he'd have to put our personal issues aside. If nothing else, he'd at least want to keep his brother alive. While the crowd still loitered downstairs, I crept through the front door and worked my way back toward Jackson's house. I peered inside his bedroom window, hoping to see him sitting at his desk drawing or possibly lying on his bed thinking of ways to apologize to me.

Instead, the room was empty and dark.

Maybe he'd gone into town? Or just for a ride to get away for a while?

I stifled the growing disappointment in my belly and took a piece of paper and a pen from my pocket. I'd brought them just in case, and now I was glad I did. I jotted a quick note for him to please meet me in the barn again at midnight tonight. I added that it was a matter of life and death, figuring that would really drive it home how important this meeting was.

I slipped the note in the crack of the window and propped it up in a way that I was sure he would notice when he walked through the door. Behind me, I thought I heard the beating of wings. My heart skipped a beat and I turned, terrified of seeing blood-red eyes staring back at me.

Instead, I saw a bluejay flutter from one tree to another. I sighed in relief, then hurried back to the house to wait until midnight.