Coven - Book I

☆ 42

☆ fourty-two

       "Argh!"
Chloe chucked the grimoire across her bedroom and collapsed onto her bed face-first. Alec wasn't answering his phone, and Chloe had even gone as far as to check to see if his door was locked; it was. His car was in the driveway so she knew he was around, but it made no sense as to why he was ignoring her. It had been over a week since she'd told him about her mind-probing ability, and sure he had the right to be upset, but for this long? It was ridiculous. Chloe felt like her mind was going in circles between loops of Racquelle's last words, Alec ignoring her, wondering where Nick was, and why Meredith refused to meet up with her. Suddenly, a buzzing came from her bedside table. Chloe slowly turned her head to the side and grabbed her phone, sliding the unlock button across. Alec Blackwell flashed across the screen.
"Hello?" Chloe said breathlessly.
"Hey," he said awkwardly. Butterflies erupted in Chloe's stomach as his voice cascaded through her mind.
"I miss you," she murmured, "and I'm so sorry. I had no right to do that to you; please, please forgive me."
"You're right; you shouldn't have done it. You're just lucky that. . ."
"That what?"
The dark, wooden door of Chloe's room opened slowly, pushed by Alec. He shut his cell phone and smiled crookedly at her.
"Lucky that I love you."
     In a second Chloe was across the room and into his arms. His laugh made his chest vibrate against her cheek, the warm, gentle sound exactly what she had been missing. She'd been feeling so alone. . .
"Were you ignoring me?" She mumbled against his chest.
"Yes and no," he replied, sliding a hand through her wavy brown locks, "Partially yes because you were an idiot, and no because I was doing some research."
"Research? Like what?"
"On Amber and Elena Crowley," His shoulders shrugged against her. Chloe pulled back to look at his eyes.
"On the Crowley sisters? What for?"
"Aren't you just full of questions," Alec mused. He slithered from her embrace and led her towards the bed, kicking his Vans off and climbing up to lean against the headboard. Chloe followed suit, tucking her face into the crook of his neck. She peppered his skin with kisses, hoping that her apology was obvious through her actions. He smiled.
"I went to test Elena out; she's not a witch."
"Test her out? Like when Meredith lit my vehicle on fire?"
"No, Chloe. Do you really think I'd do something like that?"
"Well, no. . ."
"Exactly. I just played some tricks on her to see if she'd either stop them with power or get freaked out and leave; it was the latter, before you ask."
Chloe's head hurt. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her head into his armpit, thankful that his deodorant was a nice, woodsy scent. She had to tell him. She had to tell him that she was almost positive Meredith had summoned Raoul, and that it was him who killed Blake. It left Amber's murder still a mystery, since the summoning hadn't happened until later, and Chloe had no answers for that. Alec yawned beside her.
"Alec, I. . ."
"Stop," he hooked two fingers under her chin and forced her eyes up to meet his, "I know you're sorry, Chloe. I forgive you."
Sorry for what? Chloe thought, then shrugged. She felt bad about probing his mind, but it had been necessary. Hadn't it? She was doing it for the good of the coven so that had made it okay. A war was waging inside Chloe's mind. If she told him, she'd have to own up to helping Meredith, to summoning Racquelle on her own, to her brief crush on Nick that Meredith held over her head like a rain cloud, constantly drenching her in regret. But if she told him he would help her. He'd be mad, yes, and he had every right to be with his position as coven leader, but he'd help her.
"I know who killed Blake."
A minute passed. Two. Chloe stared at the window pane, counting shimmering orange and yellow crystals until she couldn't take it anymore. She turned her head slowly, scared of what his expression would be. But his eyes were shut and he was asleep.

      "Get up."
Something rustled beside the bed and yanked the blankets off Chloe's legs. She winced sleepily at the cold and groped for the sheets, opening her green eyes slowly when her hands came away empty. Fear was her first instinct. At the foot of the bed someone was standing, clutching Chloe's dark blue and white comforter. She looked over. Alec was sprawled out on his back, pale muscles gleaming in the moonlight.
"He's pretty hot," the voice snickered.
"Meredith?" Chloe blinked in the darkness, trying to get a grip on her hammering heart.
"Duh," came the reply. She tossed the blanket back overtop of Alec.
"Get up, Montgomery," she said again. There was a mean edge to her voice. Chloe slid her legs to the side of the bed and felt around for her discarded leggings. She had one leg in when Meredith chuckled again.
"Who said we were going anywhere?"
Chloe paused and rubbed her face, sighing out through her fingers.
"What do you want, Meredith?"
"Hush, or you'll wake the boyfriend. Put those on, we are going somewhere. And this," a mass of material came flying at Chloe's head. She caught it and held the hooded sweatshirt out. Moments later she was dressed and lacing up her brown boots.
"Where are we going?" Chloe sighed.
"Why do you have to ask so many questions? It's annoying. Quit it."
Aren't you just full of questions? Chloe couldn't help but remember Alec's words. Did he wake up by any chance? What if Meredith knew that Chloe had found out her secret? Their footsteps were quiet as the two girls left the house and moved through the snow almost silently. She glanced down at the ground as they walked towards Meredith's silver BMW. Then she noticed something odd.
"Meredith? Why are you wearing flip-flops in the middle of winter?"
The red head stopped in her tracks and turned around slowly. Something jingled and flashed gold in the pale light. A key around Meredith's throat. The key to a small lock. . . Like the one on the tiny treasure chest in her room. Meredith's response was lost on Chloe as she followed the little key into the car and off into the night.