Read Online Secrets and Lies (Cassie Scot) by Christine Amsden - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christine Amsden
Ads: Link
wasn’t ready to write off yet.
“Is that all you know?” I asked.
“I’m afraid so. Anything else will have to wait until we get to camp.”
That was unfortunate, because it meant we had run out of safe topics to discuss, and we were still nowhere near our destination. It didn’t take long for the silence to fill the car again like a palpable presence. I could almost feel Evan thinking of something to say to break the silence.
“I want to pay you for this case,” Evan said, finally.
The word “no” was right on the tip of my tongue, but I had trouble forming it. I needed the money, and taking it from Evan wasn’t quite as bad as taking it from my parents, was it? Of course, there was still the life-debt.
“I think it would be better if we just let this chip away at the debt I owe you.”
He didn’t respond for a long time, and I thought I understood why. Helping him today wouldn’t make much of a difference to this particular debt. That was the real problem. If I’d set out with a plan to get myself as deeply indebted as I could, I couldn’t have dug myself much deeper. Nicolas and I had spent days going through all the complex variables together, looking through books he snuck out of his parents’ library, some of which specialized in nothing but magical debt. By the time we were done, it reminded me a lot of the tax code, except that in my case, I couldn’t find a loophole. No one else could have saved me that night. I would absolutely have died if not for Evan. He had nearly drained himself to save me. He wasn’t family, nor had he renounced debts entirely. (This option was for people like my cousin, Jason, who regularly saved people from vampires. He could accept favors without penalty, as long as he continued to pay it forward to the community.)
Evan didn’t mention any of that, though, and finally, I broke the silence. “Okay, fine, I’ll take the money, but we really do need to figure out a way for me to repay you. I... I can’t live like this.”
“I offered you a way. You weren’t interested.”
He meant marriage. Biting my lip, I turned to stare out the window at the rolling hills passing by. For some reason, his Prius didn’t have any trouble with the steep inclines. I suspected magic was involved.
“I shouldn’t have brought it up again,” Evan muttered.
I couldn’t argue with that, so I continued staring out the window.
“It’s just, I can’t help but wonder what happened.” Evan paused as he maneuvered through several hairpin turns. “That day you came to Master Wolf’s cabin–”
The day I’d kissed him. Twice. And learned the truth behind the rumors claiming that he put love spells on girls. “It was a mistake. I was upset.”
“You’re still upset,” he said.
“Yeah.”
“I’m still here.”
He was, but with so many strings attached I couldn’t count them.
“Will you at least look at me?” he asked.
I turned away from the window, looking at his face in profile. He looked composed, as usual, but there was something beneath it all – something in his eyes, perhaps, that hinted at a man out of control.
“What do you want from me?” We both knew it wasn’t for us to be friends.
“I want.... to take care of you.”
“To take care of me?” The words echoed hollowly around the car as I thought of a response that could even come close to my feelings on the matter. “I’m not a child.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Yes, you did.”
“So, now you’re a mind reader?” He was growing angry. I could tell from the gentle breeze that began playing with my hair and had nothing whatsoever to do with the air conditioner.
“Of course I’m not a mind reader.” I glared at him, giving him the full force of my ire. “You know I don’t have so much as a gift, let alone magical talent. But that’s why I’m out.”
“Out?”
“Out.” I slowed down, sounding out each word carefully, so he couldn’t misunderstand. “I don’t
“Is that all you know?” I asked.
“I’m afraid so. Anything else will have to wait until we get to camp.”
That was unfortunate, because it meant we had run out of safe topics to discuss, and we were still nowhere near our destination. It didn’t take long for the silence to fill the car again like a palpable presence. I could almost feel Evan thinking of something to say to break the silence.
“I want to pay you for this case,” Evan said, finally.
The word “no” was right on the tip of my tongue, but I had trouble forming it. I needed the money, and taking it from Evan wasn’t quite as bad as taking it from my parents, was it? Of course, there was still the life-debt.
“I think it would be better if we just let this chip away at the debt I owe you.”
He didn’t respond for a long time, and I thought I understood why. Helping him today wouldn’t make much of a difference to this particular debt. That was the real problem. If I’d set out with a plan to get myself as deeply indebted as I could, I couldn’t have dug myself much deeper. Nicolas and I had spent days going through all the complex variables together, looking through books he snuck out of his parents’ library, some of which specialized in nothing but magical debt. By the time we were done, it reminded me a lot of the tax code, except that in my case, I couldn’t find a loophole. No one else could have saved me that night. I would absolutely have died if not for Evan. He had nearly drained himself to save me. He wasn’t family, nor had he renounced debts entirely. (This option was for people like my cousin, Jason, who regularly saved people from vampires. He could accept favors without penalty, as long as he continued to pay it forward to the community.)
Evan didn’t mention any of that, though, and finally, I broke the silence. “Okay, fine, I’ll take the money, but we really do need to figure out a way for me to repay you. I... I can’t live like this.”
“I offered you a way. You weren’t interested.”
He meant marriage. Biting my lip, I turned to stare out the window at the rolling hills passing by. For some reason, his Prius didn’t have any trouble with the steep inclines. I suspected magic was involved.
“I shouldn’t have brought it up again,” Evan muttered.
I couldn’t argue with that, so I continued staring out the window.
“It’s just, I can’t help but wonder what happened.” Evan paused as he maneuvered through several hairpin turns. “That day you came to Master Wolf’s cabin–”
The day I’d kissed him. Twice. And learned the truth behind the rumors claiming that he put love spells on girls. “It was a mistake. I was upset.”
“You’re still upset,” he said.
“Yeah.”
“I’m still here.”
He was, but with so many strings attached I couldn’t count them.
“Will you at least look at me?” he asked.
I turned away from the window, looking at his face in profile. He looked composed, as usual, but there was something beneath it all – something in his eyes, perhaps, that hinted at a man out of control.
“What do you want from me?” We both knew it wasn’t for us to be friends.
“I want.... to take care of you.”
“To take care of me?” The words echoed hollowly around the car as I thought of a response that could even come close to my feelings on the matter. “I’m not a child.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Yes, you did.”
“So, now you’re a mind reader?” He was growing angry. I could tell from the gentle breeze that began playing with my hair and had nothing whatsoever to do with the air conditioner.
“Of course I’m not a mind reader.” I glared at him, giving him the full force of my ire. “You know I don’t have so much as a gift, let alone magical talent. But that’s why I’m out.”
“Out?”
“Out.” I slowed down, sounding out each word carefully, so he couldn’t misunderstand. “I don’t
Similar Books
