Paige arrived a few hours later. She was happy to help, but it wouldn’t be a walk in the park.
“Locator spells are tricky,” she explained. “I have to have something of the person’s, like an article of clothing or a toy or something. Then, I have to have a map of the town the person is in. And last, I need the blood of a direct relation.”
“Uh…not to sound bitchy,” Kenzie said, “but why didn’t you tell us you needed this stuff before you came here? We could have gotten it for you before now.”
“For one, it’s too late to ask any city hall for a map of their town. Two, it’s going to take some time to prepare for the incantation, considering it’s been a while since I’ve had to do a locator spell. And three, it’s also too late to ask the parents of this missing kid for something that belongs to him, plus for their blood. It’s almost midnight.”
Kenzie looked heavenward. Surely Bryce and Mariah wouldn’t mind being woken up at this hour if it meant a stronger chance to find their son. So while Paige prepared herself, Kenzie set out for the Cooper house on her own. Sage stayed behind, as she was worn out from the earlier encounter with Bryce. Kenzie didn’t blame her. The man was beyond exhausting.
Still, though the parents were ecstatic to hear that Kenzie was sure she knew of a way to find Tristan, when she mentioned Paige, Mariah nearly blew a gasket.
“No,” she insisted. “I can’t have a supernatural creature involved.”
“Uh…excuse me?” Kenzie replied incredulously.
Mariah looked down as she held her husband’s hand. “I hate supernatural creatures,” she confessed. “A fortune teller told me once that I’d have a successful career, one just as good as Bryce’s, and it never happened.”
“Sweetie,” Bryce said softly as Kenzie tried not to blurt out a plethora of insults at this girl’s idiocy, “I told you, that fortune teller was a human masquerading as a witch. She didn’t know anything. And besides, you know that if you want to be successful, the success doesn’t come to you; you have to go get it.”
“Oh right, so we’re right back to where we started, aren’t we, Bryce? You’re saying I’m not good enough for you because I never went to college. Because I can’t get a decent job. All I’ll ever be is a waitress.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth. That’s not what I’m saying at all.”
Geez, with the way these two were going on, Kenzie wouldn’t have blamed Tristan for just running away. No wonder these two needed marriage counseling.
“Look,” she cut in, “whatever’s going on in your personal lives is none of my business. But I’m here to help find your son. And a real witch, not a fake one, is our only chance. So I need blood from one of you so she can do it.”
“Absolutely not,” Mariah retorted stubbornly. “We hired you to find our son, not a witch. If you let her anywhere near our son, we won’t pay you.”
“What the hell, Mariah?” Bryce snapped. “This is our son we’re talking about! I don’t give a shit if the Reaper helps us find him, so long as we get him back! What’s wrong with you?!”
Mariah’s face turned red in agitation. Kenzie was getting irritated herself. These two were acting like kindergartners…which was probably the grade Tristan was in, and the grade he should be returning to the next day considering today was Sunday.
“Stop it!” she bellowed, startling them both. “Bryce is right, Mariah. If you really care about your son, you’ll do whatever it takes to find him. And no one said Paige was going to go near him, anyway; she’s just going to help find him. Yes, you hired me, but I’m essentially hiring Paige on my own. Everyone is still doing their job here.”
Mariah sighed but acceded on the condition that she be present when Paige conducted the spell. Kenzie agreed. Bryce produced a map for Kenzie to take back to the witch, and Mariah handed over one of Tristan’s adored toys in case the shirt Sage had sniffed previously didn’t work. For good measure, she also handed over Tristan’s toothbrush in case something with DNA was needed.
Despite it being nearly two in the morning now, the three all went back to the cabin. Hayden was awake, watching as Paige prepared her spell. Sage was sitting on the nearby sofa in full guard mode.
“Mr. and Mrs. Cooper,” Paige said professionally when she saw them come inside, “I’m so sorry we have to meet under these circumstances. And I’m so sorry to hear about your son.”
“Just find him,” Mariah said coldly. Just because she’d agreed to let Paige help didn’t mean she was going to be civil to her.
She wasn’t too thrilled to see that a werewolf was also present, considering Hayden was still in his transformed state. Bryce’s eyebrows went up when he saw him as well, probably because it clicked in his mind that his ex-fiance’s new squeeze was a supernatural creature.
Paige said nothing in response to Mariah’s insolence. She just took the toy and the toothbrush and pricked Bryce’s finger, since Mariah looked like she was about to pass out at the idea (though Kenzie didn’t blame her for that, being terrified of needles herself). Then, Paige let the blood drip onto the map of Aurora Skies that Bryce had supplied. They would try that first; if there was no response, they’d have to wait until tomorrow to obtain an Isla Paradiso map.
Paige spread her arms out and began to recite a chant. Everyone watched closely as the crimson puddle began to shift. As Paige got further into the chant, it moved more. It was drawing a line that weaved through the streets of Aurora Skies, much like someone draws on a map when planning a route. Eventually, it stopped on the outskirts of town and remained there until Paige stopped her chant.
“He’s here,” she said confidently as she pointed to the spot on the map. “Whoever has him is holding him there.”
Kenzie was on the phone instantly with the police department. They assured her a unit was on the way.
Mariah didn’t even thank Paige, though Bryce did. But both were heading toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Hayden asked.
“To find our son,” Bryce replied, as though nothing else were even a possibility.
“It’s too dangerous,” Kenzie said. “The police are on their way.”
“I’m not waiting for them!” Mariah shrieked. “Who knows what that bitch is doing to him?! Bryce, I told you not to bring her into our lives!”
Bryce held up his hands. “What are you talking about?”
“We could have had marriage counseling without the woo! Face it – it didn’t work! It backfired.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Oh, don’t I? Then explain why the PI we hired found her in the same place Tristan was kidnapped at, and why she hasn’t asked for ransom! She doesn’t want money – she wants you!”
Wow. Mariah could be a total imbecile when it came to supernatural creatures and other things, but her theory seemed to be dead-on. Of course Lauren didn’t want Bryce’s money; she’d met him in marriage counseling, but that hadn’t saved her marriage. Then she’d engaged in some frivolous activity with Bryce and his wife, and when he didn’t leave his wife for her…
“You’re right,” she concluded. “She took your son to get to Bryce. Which means she won’t hurt him. She doesn’t want to. If she does, she’ll have nothing left to bargain with.”
Mariah turned her head to the side and crossed her arms. She seemed to be pondering this, but then she surprised everyone by whirling on her heel and tearing off into the night.
“What the shit?” Hayden asked.
“She’s going after her,” Bryce replied. “We have to go get her.”
“I knew we should have carpooled,” Kenzie muttered under her breath. Bryce and Mariah had insisted on returning to the cabin with her, and they’d also insisted on bringing their own car.
“Let’s go,” Hayden declared. “If she shows up and Lauren’s there with the kid, it could get ugly.”
So everyone, including Sage, piled into Hayden’s car and sped toward the location that was revealed on Paige’s map. Kenzie was going because it was somewhat her job, Hayden was going to protect her, and Paige was going in case some witchcraft was needed.
When they arrived at last, they saw Mariah’s car already parked out front of the seemingly normal cottage. But Hayden’s and Sage’s ears both perked up in alarm.
“That’s not good,” the former declared.
“What?” Kenzie asked.
Bryce didn’t even give Hayden a chance to reply. He barreled out of the car and shot toward the house surprisingly fast for a human.
“What is going on?” Kenzie hissed.
“Lauren’s in there all right, and there’s a hell of a fight.”
“Let’s move,” Paige said as she grabbed her wand and ran to the door. Kenzie called 911 on her cell phone and then left it on the seat so the police could track it, since they wouldn’t need to go to the house to look at the map now. She had no time to look at the address of this deserted house.
Bryce was already at the door – or rather, inside it, as he’d shoved it open, revealing a long streak of light that spread across the lawn from the kitchen area.
“Bryce!” a familiar voice exclaimed. But it wasn’t Mariah’s voice – it was a much more chipper version of the rude voice of Lauren that Kenzie had heard at the park.
“Let them go,” Bryce demanded.
“Hey, she came here and tried to attack me.” Lauren gestured to Mariah, who was sitting on the ground, holding her head and moaning. From the looks of it, Lauren had shoved her into the front of the stove, causing her to bang her head on the handle. How she was even still conscious was unfathomable. “She was trespassing and breaking and entering. I’m a law student, remember? I know my rights, and the law.”
“Kidnapping is illegal.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb. You took our son!”
Lauren held her hand up to halt Bryce’s accusations. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Then how do you explain me finding you at the kidnapping scene,” Kenzie interrupted, “and the fact that no ransom has been asked for Tristan? You don’t want money, do you? You want Bryce.”
“Who are all you people?” Lauren demanded, as though she were seeing Kenzie, Hayden, and Paige for the first time. “All of you are trespassing and breaking and entering.”
“That means I am too,” Bryce said, “because I threw your door open.”
“But I’d never press charges on you.”
“Because you’re crazy. Lauren, this is insane. I told you, it’s over.”
“Wait, what?” Kenzie asked stupidly.
Bryce turned to her and stated, “Mariah wasn’t into our counseling anymore, and I love her more than anything, other than Tristan. So I told Lauren that it was over.”
“And you didn’t tell the police, or think to tell me this earlier?”
“I never thought she’d do this. I didn’t think she was capable.”
Kenzie wanted to slam her palm to her face in a duh manner. Bryce and Mariah were suited for each other – both were immature and naïve. Not to mention into threesomes.
“Bryce, I’d do anything for you,” Lauren blubbered, “and I’d do anything to have you. So, your answer is really no?”
“Damn right. Your ass is going to jail.”
“I didn’t want to do this, because I love Tristan like my own son. I was hoping we could stay here in this romantic place and raise Tristan with a worthy mother, meaning me. Your wife’s too young to know what’s right for herself, let alone a husband and son. But if you don’t want that, well, I guess I’ll have to find some other way to convince you.”
With that, Lauren reached into a nearby drawer and extracted a gun. Then she backed into an adjacent room before returning with a timid-looking child. She sat down on the floor next to him and held the gun close to his back.
“I’ll give you one last chance, Bryce,” Lauren stated with malice. “If you don’t leave your wife for me, your son will die.”
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