Page 28 of Secrets in Salem: Part One

"Now isn't the time, little one," a different voice whispers, though I can't see the body it belongs to. I know it's the same stranger as before, instantly recognizing the rasp in his voice, but why can't I see him? Where is he?Why is everything red?"Wait a little longer, Willow. Now isn’t the time. Just hold on that bit longer, little one."

It grows incredibly difficult to focus as my mind becomes even hazier. A feeling of drowning overcomes me, déjà vu tickling the back of my mind, telling me this has happened before. But when? How could this have happened once before and I have no memory of it? Why is my night turning into such a shit show?

Before I can panic even further, there’s a touch on my chest, right above my heart. Sharp pain pierces my skin, like a knife biting into the flesh with a sharpened tip. My breath catches as tears pool in my eyes, a choked cry slipping through my parted lips. A single touch of the pad of a finger and everything fades away but the pain. My vision clears, my hearing goes back to normal, and the aches in my body return tenfold, agony tightly lacing my bones.

Turning my head, I find the stranger's face hovering above me, his eyes blackened at the edges, dark veins creeping from his eye sockets.They look troubled, worry like I haven’t seen before flashing through those dark depths.

Gasping, I bolt upright and crawl backward until my back slams into a wall, screaming through clenched teeth when the pain builds higher and higher. I ignore the man's muttering, understanding nothing but the thundering of my heart and my agonized cries. I draw my legs up tight and wrap my arms around my knees, shoving my face into my arms and doing my best to block outeverything.

"This isn't real. Wake up, Willow. Wake up," I choke out quickly, repeating the words over and over again. I don't lift my head, don't hear if the stranger leaves, or anything else other than my crazy mumbling.

Halfway through my rambling, a sudden thought enters my mind.

The stranger...

How did he know my name?

Chapter 15

Micah

Bishop andAleric walk through the door, both with various degrees of concern plastered over their faces. The good mood I'd been haboring since meeting Willow evaporates immediately. I've been sporting a stupid smile since leaving her, happy that our first encounter went as well as it did, even with her spilling my coffee over my shirt. I enjoyed our time together, finding she was nothing like I would have imagined yet everything that intrigues me. How I found that after spending only a couple of hours with her? I couldn't explain it if I tried, but she immediately drew me toward her, and I didn't bother to resist. There was a comforting feeling around her. Like we’d done it a thousand times before even though we’d only officially met there and then. She’s the first being I’ve been immediately at ease with other than my brothers.

Keeping my silence, I wait for one of them to notice I'm in the room. When Bishop's eyes raise, he sees my questioning look and says, "She's fine. Her house was ransacked, but she's okay. A little shaken up but she seemed to have it together before we left. Her mother is currently AWOL, assumed missing, but we’re going to have to wait on that particular verdict. Willow is staying with that friend of hers, but I gave her my number in case she needed anything."

I nod, showing I'm following what he's saying even though my mind is reeling at the information grenade he’s just dropped on my head. Someone broke into her house, smashed it up, and her mother is missing? How does that happen all in one day? I only saw the woman this morning. And not only that, how is my brother delivering this information with such a cool attitude? As if he didn’t tell me the woman we’re supposed to be protecting had her houseransacked?These aren’t things to deliver lightly, for fuck’s sake.

I make a gesture for a pen, and he instantly understands, searching for a notepad. I should really remember to start carrying on with me. Aleric pops up with a pen in seconds, pulling it from the back of his jeans. He gives me a smirk when I look at him in surprise, but I smile and shake my head as I accept it from between his fingers.

Bishop finds a piece of paper for me to write on, dropping it to the table and sliding it over where I'm sitting on the couch before he sits on the one opposite. Leaning forward, I scribble a question.

Who ransacked her house?

I lift the paper and turn it to face my brothers.

"We're not sure. Everything was fucked in there, broken furniture, dishes, picture frames, everything. Someone spray painted the walls, too. Completely ruined the house. Looks like it’ll be a costly job to fix up and replace everything," Aleric answers, snatching the remote up before dropping to the couch beside me. He sounds bored to tears, but he forgets how observant I am since I don’t talk. I can see the way his eye twitches, his grip on the remote tightening. He’s worried, but he doesn’t want to be.

Then it dawns on me that Willow has been through something relatively traumatic and… the dummies left her there by herself.

And you left her alone?

I show them the paper after I scrawl the next question, confused.

"She said she was going to Adam's house, Micah. What did you want us to do, strong-arm her and tell her she was coming with us?" Aleric asks, rolling his eyes and slouching in his seat. Obviously, I don’t want the woman manhandled, but is it so much to ask to watch over her properly, for crying out loud?

Ignoring him, I set my eyes on my Bishop, waiting for a reply. He looks over at me before promptly looking down at his hands that are linked tightly in his lap. "We really couldn't do any more than we did. Aleric called the police, and we stayed the entire time they questioned her. We couldn't stay any longer without it looking out of sorts, so she told us she would call the best friend and stay there for the night. She'll be safe there for one evening."

I didn't believe that for a second. As soon as they told me her house had been broken into and ruined, a sick feeling had formed in my gut, and it’s only growing the more I pay it no attention. They left herbeforeshe went to her friend’s house?

She definitely left to stay with her friend?

I write the words quickly, holding up the piece of paper. They both look at the question, but not one of them answers. In fact, Aleric looks away with a clenched jaw and Bishop frowns, a line of worry pulling between his brows. I'll take that as a firmno.

Fucking idiots.

So, youdidleave her alone in the house? You didn't even make sure she got to Adam's safely?

Once again, the silence I receive is answer enough. Unbelievable. Those knuckleheads left the woman we were sent to protect alone after her house was attacked. Honestly, I half wonder if they have a brain cell to share between them. If I could talk, I'd tell them as much.

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