Casters Series Box Set by Norah Wilson

Author:Norah Wilson [Wilson, Norah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Norah Wilson
Published: 2014-07-09T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Bright Eyes

Alex

From under the bedcovers, Alex listened as the door latch clicked in the frame. She sat up and crossed her arms over her chest. Her left foot jiggled impatiently.

The door opened slowly without a creak, then closed just as quietly. Shoes in hand, Brooke tiptoed into the room. Alex was reaching for the switch on her bedside lamp when Maryanne’s lamp snapped on. Brooke froze, looking like some kind of cartoon burglar, hunched down, tiptoeing across the room in her sock-covered feet, carrying her boots in her left hand and her purse in her right. As Maryanne sat up, Alex pulled back her hand.

“So how was the bar?” Maryanne asked.

Brooke’s tone was casual. “Oh, you know, same old crowd. No one you guys would know, though. Guys hitting on me all night, some old enough to be my father. And one—omigod, he actually had a skullet. You know, bald as a cue ball on top but that fringe—”

“Try me,” Alex said.

Brooke turned to her. “Huh?”

“I know quite a few people in town. Party people. Let’s have some names.”

“Ummm, I don’t think you’d know this crowd.”

“Brooke, you’re lying,” Maryanne swung her legs off the bed. “It’s as plain as the nose on your face!”

Alex snorted. “No, it’s as plain as the eyes in your head.” And it was. Brooke’s dark eyes weren’t the slightest bit glassy, which they always got after even a couple of drinks. More telling than that, her pupils were huge and round—and absolutely black and caster-wide.

Caught, Brooke threw her hands up in the air. “Fine!” She plunked herself down on her bed. “I cast out.”

Alex threw the covers back, swung her legs out of bed, and turned her light on after all. “What the hell, Brooke! We all agreed it’s too dangerous. None of us are supposed to cast out alone.”

“Oh come on, Alex! You’re being overprotective! Again!”

“This isn’t den mother crap! We all have the same rules, for our safety!”

“Well, you cast out alone before! Remember?”

“Yeah,” she said, her voice flat. “I remember that night very well.” She found her right hand clutching the blankets tightly. The last—the only time—she’d cast out alone, she’d found herself—her defenseless original—in the clutches of C.W. Stanley. He would have raped her again had she not cast back in just in the nick of time, surprising him with her sudden strength. No, he hadn’t raped her that time, but he’d damned near beaten her to death.

Maryanne gasped. “Brooke! What the heck?”

“Oh shit, Alex.” Brooke bit her lip. “I really didn’t mean to—”

Alex shook her head, shook the horrific memories back into that dark corner where she kept them. “I know.” She smoothed her hands over the covers. “It does illustrate the point very nicely though, doesn’t it? None of us should be casting out alone.”

“Yeah,” Maryanne said. “That’s the rule. Smarten up, Brooke.”

Alex and Brooke both cast a look over at Maryanne.

She looked from one to the other of them. “What?”

Brooke snorted. “Don’t try to play Miss Innocent. You’ve cast out by yourself too.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.