Out Of The Ashes

Into the Fire Trilogy, Book 2

Kelly Hashway

Out Of The Ashes

Copyright © 2016 by Kelly Hashway.

All rights reserved.

First Print Edition: March 2016

Limitless Publishing, LLC

Kailua, HI 96734

www.limitlesspublishing.com

Formatting: Limitless Publishing

ISBN-13: 978-1-68058-542-1

ISBN-10: 1-68058-542-8

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

Dedication

To Ayla with love

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter One

Logan

“Who are you?”

Her words hit me like knives to my heart.

“Cara, it’s me, Logan.”

This can’t happen. She can’t forget me. Not after all we’ve been through.

“You have to remember me. I love you. Please…try to remember.”

Her eyes narrow, and she shakes her head, like she’s fishing for memories that aren’t there. She backs away from me, taking what’s left of my pulverized heart with her.

Flashing lights flood the chem lab windows. Wonderful. The police and the fire department will be in here any minute. As if I’m not already in Hell, let’s make this situation worse.

“How am I going to explain this? You don’t remember anything.”

“Garret.”

What? Who the hell is Garret? “No. My name is Logan.” My entire body shakes, unable to process how any of this is real. Cara’s a Phoenix, a mythical bird-human hybrid. No one is going to believe this.

“Garret Monroe.” Cara’s voice is scratchy and dry, but considering she just burned to ashes and rose out of them, that’s about right.

“The police officer?”

She nods. “He knows me. He knows what I am.”

Him she remembers? How the hell is that fair? Maybe that’s a good thing though. If he knows what she is, then he’ll believe me about Nick trying to hurt Cara with that knife and Cara bursting into flames. God, Cara died. This is all so insane.

Cara tries to stand and stumbles a little. I reach for her, taking her hands in mine. How can she not remember me? How can she not feel what I feel? Right from the start, we were attracted to each other. Things moved so fast. And now…

“I need to see Garret. He’ll know what to do.” She takes her hands from mine and walks toward the door, stepping over my burned leather jacket, the only thing I had left of Mom.

I bend to pick up what’s left of it, but stop. Do I want reminders of what I’ve lost? First Mom and now Cara. How am I supposed to deal with this? No, I can’t think about that now. I have to get out of this situation, get Cara to someone who can help her, and convince everyone I didn’t try to burn down the school.

“We don’t know if Garret is here. We should wait for the police and fire department to come into the school.”

“And tell them what?” She whips around and stares at me. I can’t help thinking of the look she had the first time we met, when she thought I was some perv gawking at her in her bikini. Yeah, I was gawking, but I’m not a perv. I’m the guy she’s in love with. Or at least she was in love with me.

“I don’t know. Maybe you should call Garret.”

She rubs her forehead. “I don’t remember his number.”

Officer Monroe bursts into the chem lab, his eyes immediately going to Cara. He looks her over from head to toe and nods. “I’ll handle it from here.” His gaze quickly falls to the floor where Nick’s knife is. Officer Monroe bends down, studying it like it’s radioactive. He doesn’t say a word for a minute, and then he snatches the phone on his belt and starts dialing. “This is Officer Monroe. I’m at the high school. There was an explosion in the chemistry lab, but I have everything under control. Nothing toxic, so there’s no need to send backup. I’ll get this cleaned up and write a full report.” He hangs up without even waiting for a reply.

He pockets the knife and points to me, his eyes burning into me with hatred. “Don’t move. Cara, come with me. We have to get the fire department out of here. Fast.”

Cara rushes to him, and I reach for her arm. “Cara, wait!”

Officer Monroe lunges at me, grabbing me by my shirt and slamming me against the cabinet on the wall. “Don’t touch her.” His hot breath smacks me in the face. “I’ll deal with you in a second, Hunter.”

“Hunter?” What is he talking about? I’ve never gone hunting in my life. I’m a frickin’ city boy.

He pushes Cara out the door. Instead of following her, he pauses and grips the edge of the door. He must be squeezing the hell out of it because his entire hand turns bright red. He meets my gaze long enough to say, “Just shut up and stay put.” He walks out of the room and closes the door behind him.

Like hell I’ll shut up and stay put. I reach for the hole where the doorknob used to be, but it’s scorching hot. “Damn!” I jerk my hand away and examine the blisters already forming on my palm.

What the hell?

I stare through the window in the door. Officer Monroe must be like Cara. It’s the only explanation for what he did to this door. I’m about to yell a slew of curses at him when I see the firemen.

“No need for hoses or anything like that,” Officer Monroe says. “I’ve already put out the fire. Cara here was working on a project she needed to make up for summer school. She waited until the last minute and got a little hasty with the Bunsen burner. It’s all taken care of.”

The firemen nod to Officer Monroe and leave. I stay quiet, listening while he talks to Cara.

“What really happened here? Did Logan corner you? Attack you with the Phoenix dagger?”

Phoenix dagger? Does he mean Nick’s knife?

Cara rubs her head again. “I don’t remember anything. I—”

“You went through your rebirth. Of course, you don’t remember.” He puts his arm around her shoulder and she shies away. He clears his throat and steps back. “We should get you home. We’ll sort this out later.”

She looks back at me. Her eyes meet mine, but there’s no recognition in them. “What about him?”

“My guess is he’s our Hunter. It makes sense. Everything started when he and his father moved into town. We’ll have to bring his dad in too. I’m willing to bet he’s the one who taught Logan everything he knows about Phoenixes.”

“I don’t know squat!” I slam the door with the open palm of my good hand, but all it gets me is another burn. “If you’d listen to me, I’d tell you exactly what happened.”

Officer Monroe walks over, his eyes mere slits. He pushes the door open and gets close enough that I can smell his aftershave. “I’m sure you have a story all worked out already, Hunter.”

“Stop calling me that! I don’t even know what the hell that is. Cara called me because she was trapped here with Nick. He was trying to burn her.”

“Do you take me for an idiot? A Hunter wouldn’t try to burn a Phoenix, and Nick was no Hunter. I knew him well.”

“Not well enough, apparently. He was trying to kill Cara with that knife—what did you call it? A Phoenix dagger?”

“Playing dumb isn’t going to save your ass, so you might as well shut up.” Officer Monroe removes the handcuffs from his belt and comes at me.

I dodge him. “Like hell you’re cuffing me. I didn’t do anything!”

“Only because I got here in time to stop you.”

“Stop me from what? I’d never hurt Cara. I love her.” It’s painful to say the words, because I know she doesn’t love me anymore. How can she if she has no idea who I am?

“You had everyone here fooled. But not me.” He steps closer, getting in my face. “I suspected you from the start. The way you followed Cara around. The way all the killings coincided with you coming to Ashlan Falls. You made Cara fall for you. You even made her use her powers to heal you.”

The cuffs click around my wrists. Damn it! He distracted me long enough to cuff me. “I never made Cara do anything! Cara, tell him. Please!” My eyes plead with her, but she stares blankly back.

“Let’s go,” Officer Monroe says. “We need to figure out what to do with you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You don’t have anything to charge me with.”

“How about attempted murder? That should stick.” Officer Monroe grabs my shoulder and shoves me down the hall.

Normally, I would put up a fight, but Cara is staring at me like I’m a criminal. I don’t want to give her any reason to believe what this asshole is saying about me is true.

We get into the patrol car, but Officer Monroe puts Cara up front with him. Still, I don’t complain. I’ll wait until we get to the station and call my dad. For once, having a lawyer for a father will come in handy.

When we pull onto the road, I notice we aren’t heading in the direction of the police station. We’re going to Cara’s house. Officer Monroe probably wants to get Cara home and far away from me. He pulls into the driveway and cuts the engine.

“What’s going on?” I lean forward toward the metal cage confining me to the back seat like a hardened criminal.

Instead of answering, Officer Monroe gets out and walks around to Cara’s door, opens it for her, and escorts her inside. I guess he’s planning to leave me locked in the car while he talks to Cara’s mom. I lean back in the seat and try to reach my cell in my back pocket. Doing anything with handcuffs on is damn near impossible, and having burns on both hands makes it even worse. I finally get the phone out of my pocket, dropping it onto the seat in the process. I snatch it up, but then I change my mind about who to call. Dad doesn’t give me the time of day. He might not even answer my call, and if he did, there’s a good chance he won’t believe a word I say. Anton knows Cara was in trouble and that I tried to help her. He’s the one I need to talk to. He can explain things to Dad. I press two on speed dial.

“Hey, man. Did the cops get there in time? Is Cara okay?” Anton’s words come rushing out.

“She’s okay, I think, but I’m handcuffed in the back of a squad car.”

“You live in New York City all your life and never end up getting arrested, but a month in the country and you’re already handcuffed?”

“I don’t have time to explain. The cop took Cara inside her house. I don’t know when he’ll be back.”

“How did you manage to get you and Cara in trouble?” Anton laughs. “Don’t even tell me you two got out of that school and got caught going at it in public.”

“Damn it, Anton! Would you shut up and listen to me? I need you to call my dad. Tell him Officer Monroe is taking me in. He thinks I tried to hurt Cara, but I didn’t. It was her friend Nick. Except Cara doesn’t remember anything, and I have no way to prove it because Nick is dead.”

Anton is silent on the other end, and I’m really hoping he’s jotting this down.

“Did you get that?”

The door jerks open, and Officer Monroe yanks the phone away from me.

“Hey!”

He pockets my cell. “No calls.”

“Why not? You haven’t read me my rights, so I can’t be under arrest. And besides, even if I were, I’m entitled to a phone call.”

“As far as I’m concerned, all you’re entitled to is a dagger to your heart.” He reaches in and grabs my cuffed wrists. The metal digs into me, and I slide out of the car to avoid having my hands cut up.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, and when my father finds out about this, you’ll be lucky if you can find work as a mall cop.”

He grabs my shirt and yanks me to my feet. “Not what I would expect from a Hunter, but I’m guessing you’re new at this. You couldn’t even handle a newborn Phoenix. I’m thinking your father is a different story, though. Is he the one who killed those other people? Did he murder Henry Baker?”

“My dad’s an ass, but he’s not a killer. You have no idea what you’re talking about.” It’s taking all my self-control not to spit in this guy’s face.

“We’ll see about that.” He pulls his gun from its holster and motions toward the house. “Get inside.”

I stare at him, not sure how any of this happened. Somehow, I’d been safer in New York City than the backwoods town of Ashlan Falls.

I step into the house, and Officer Monroe leads me to the living room. Cara’s mom meets me with a look that could burn me to the ground. Jeremy puts his hand on her shoulder, like he’s trying to keep her from lunging at me. Behind them, two people are sitting on the couch. I’m surprised when Monique gets up and walks toward me. She gives me a look that’s a combination of pity and disgust. I can barely stomach all their glares, but I nearly gasp when Linette stands up and faces me. What’s my housekeeper doing here?

Cara walks out of the kitchen on my left and pauses with a cup of hot tea in her hands. She looks at me briefly before walking to her mother. I want to say something to her, tell her not to believe what they all think of me, that I’d never hurt her. I can’t form the words, because things are becoming frighteningly clear.

Everyone in this room knows about Cara and what she is. And there’s only one explanation for it. Cara, Mrs. Tillman, Jeremy, Officer Monroe, Monique, and even Linette are all Phoenixes.

Where the hell did I move to?

Chapter Two

Cara

Within minutes, everyone is yelling. It feels like it’s all my fault. If only I could remember what happened at the school. Before I woke up in Logan’s arms, all that’s there is a vague memory of Mom, Jeremy, and the other Phoenixes. No actual memories. Only names and faces.

“We all need to calm down,” Linette says, taking a seat on the couch. “Yelling isn’t going to solve anything. We can’t even hear each other.”

“She’s right.” Mom pats my head like I’m a toddler. I guess I am in this life, but I’m still physically seventeen.

I step away, not wanting to touch anyone right now. I know she’s my mom, but she’s just as much a stranger to me as this Logan guy is. He said he loves me. Is that true? Or is he another Hunter, preying on me because I’m a newborn Phoenix? So many questions. That’s all I have, and it’s making my head hurt.

Logan scans the room. “Is anybody going to let me tell you what happened?”

Garret is standing at his side, apparently not willing to let Logan get more than two feet away from him. “I’m sure that would be very entertaining,” Garret says.

“Let him talk.” The words come tumbling out of my mouth. Everyone turns to me, and one corner of Logan’s mouth curves up. I look away, not sure how to act around him. Hell, I don’t know how to act at all. Thank God we only forget everything after our first rebirth because I couldn’t take going through this three more times before I die. If a Hunter doesn’t kill me before I live all five of my lives, that is.

Mom reaches for me, but I take a deep breath and shake my head. “I’m fine. I want to hear what Logan has to say. He was there with me. He didn’t hurt me when I woke up in his arms, so I think I owe it to him to hear him out.”

“You don’t owe anything to a Hunter, Cara,” Garret spits out.

Mom shoots him a look. “Garret, that isn’t helping.”

Logan starts toward me, and Garret grabs him.

“What do you think I’m going to do?” Logan asks, sounding equally frustrated and heartbroken. “I’m handcuffed, my palms are burned to crisps, and the last time I checked, I’m the only human in a room full of Phoenixes.”

Part of me wants to laugh because it sounds crazy, but so does burning to ashes and rising up out of them. Yet, here I am.

“He’s fine, Garret. Back off,” Monique says.

Logan gives Monique a small nod, and I can tell there’s some history there. I can’t help thinking I’m probably part of it.

I take a step toward Logan. “Do you know why I was at the school?”

“We were supposed to have a date, but you got a call from Nick. You said he needed a favor and you’d meet me soon.”

“Nick?” Monique’s eyes widen. “Was he at the school?”

“Yes.” Logan stares at me as if he’s trying to will the memories into my brain. “He lured Cara there. I’m not sure how, but while I was waiting for Cara to meet me, I got this weird call. It was Cara, and she was talking to Nick. He admitted he’d been watching her and that he killed Henry Baker.”

Gasps echo around the room. Henry Baker. I recognize the name. He’s a Phoenix. Or was. Ugh, I hate that I remember so little.

“Nick has been in this house so many times,” Mom says, furrowing her brow. “He hung out with Cara and taught Jeremy to play the guitar. How could we not have known?”

“Wait a minute.” Garret holds up his hand. “Why are you so quick to believe what Logan’s saying? I found him, not Nick, with Cara and the Phoenix dagger right after Cara had been reborn. I’d say the evidence is overwhelming. Logan is the Hunter, and he’s desperate to pin this on someone else.”

“Then where’s Nick?” Logan yells.

“I’ll go to his house and find out.” Garret heads for the door, but Mom stops him.

“It’s late. You’re not storming over there now. His parents will be furious. You have no reason to go searching for him tonight.”

“His parents,” Linette says, her eyebrows pulling together. “I’ve never even met them.”

Confused looks circulate the room, and then they all nod. What am I missing here? What did they figure out?

“Someone please explain this to me,” I say.

“Not a single person in this room has ever seen Nick’s parents,” Mom says. “That might mean Logan is telling the truth.”

“What do his parents have to do with anything?” I ask.

“Sweetie, Hunters—”

“Elisa, need I remind you that Logan is in the room?” Garret’s tone is reprimanding. “Until we prove what his part is in all of this, I don’t think we should be openly discussing anything in front of him.”

“If someone doesn’t tell me what’s going on, I’m going to burst.” My body feels like it’s on fire, but I control it. I don’t want to use any of my Phoenix abilities in front of Logan. Garret’s right about that. We can’t talk like this in front of someone who isn’t a Phoenix. Someone who might be a Hunter.

“Cara, please.” Logan stares at me, and I can see the hurt in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, but this is the only way.” I walk toward the kitchen, and Mom and Jeremy follow. They’ve been trying to keep their distance, give me space to process everything, but I can tell Mom is dying to hug me and assure me that everything will be okay. I can’t remember her doing it before, yet somehow I know she’s protective of me.

“You okay?” Jeremy asks me.

“I’m fine, but what’s the problem with Nick’s parents? And who is Nick anyway?”

Mom opens the bottom drawer next to the stove and pulls out a book. It looks like a photo album of some sort. “This is your memory book. We made it together. There are pictures of all your friends in here.” She flips forward and points to a guy with brown hair and brown eyes. “That’s Nick. He was one of your good friends. Jeremy’s too.”

I put my tea down on the center island and take the book from her. “I don’t remember.”

“I know, sweetie. That’s what this book is for.”

“You’ll have to relearn everyone’s names and faces, like I did,” Jeremy says. “You helped me through my rebirth, and I’ll help you through yours. You told me we were really close growing up.”

“I don’t remember,” I say again, sounding like a broken record.

Jeremy gives me a half smile. “I don’t either, so don’t feel bad. After I was reborn, I could tell it was true. You loved me.”

I’m not even sure what love is. None of this is making me feel better, just more freaked out. “What about Nick’s parents?”

“Hunters steal the essence of every Phoenix they kill,” Mom says. “It makes them appear younger than they are. If Nick really is a Hunter, then he very well could be a lot older than seventeen. His parents might not even be alive anymore. And if they are, they’re probably quite old by now.”

“I need to talk to Logan. I have to know what happened to Nick.” I put the photo album down and walk back into the living room. Everyone is arguing again, but Logan meets my eyes as soon as I enter the room. The fighting stops when Mom and Jeremy walk in behind me.

Mom sits down on the couch. “Logan, please go on. Tell us what happened after Cara called you.”

Logan’s gaze stays focused on me. “Nick said he was going to kill Cara and…” He shakes his head.

“And what?” Garret snaps.

“I didn’t understand it. He said he was going to strip her essence. What does that mean?”

“You don’t need to know,” Garret says. “Just go on.”

Logan flashes Garret a look that’s nothing short of pure hatred before continuing. “I took my dad’s car and went to the school. Nick had Cara locked in the chem lab, and I used a fire extinguisher to break the window in the door and force my way in. I blinded Nick with the fire extinguisher foam, but when I got inside, Cara was on fire. I tried to find a way to put the fire out, but Cara told me she was different and that the flames weren’t hurting her. She said she’s a Phoenix and would be reborn from her ashes. I thought she was talking crazy.”

“She was.” Garret gives me a look that says “go along with it.” He doesn’t want Logan to know what I am. That must mean he believes what Logan is saying. He doesn’t really think Logan is a Hunter. The problem is, Logan already knows we’re all Phoenixes. It’s too late to pretend we’re not.

“Don’t lie to me,” Logan says. “She said she wouldn’t remember me, and she doesn’t. Nick attacked me, and Cara burned him in the fire with her. Then she burned to a pile of ashes. I was there when she rose from those ashes, so don’t try to tell me I’m crazy or that Cara didn’t know what she was saying in that chem lab. She knew. She told me the truth.”

Garret sighs. “Well, then that’s not good news for you, Logan, because we can’t have people knowing about us.”

“So what, you’re going to kill me?” Logan glares at Garret for a moment before turning to me. His expression softens. “Do you really not remember me at all, Cara? None of it?”

I want to remember. Really I do. I know I’m breaking his heart, and I can’t stand it. I shake my head and look away.

“No one is killing anyone,” Mom said. “We all need to calm down and think about this rationally.”

Garret crosses his arms. “We can’t let him go. He could tell any number of people. And until I confirm that Nick is gone and his parents don’t exist, Logan isn’t leaving my sight.”

“You’re holding me hostage?” Logan’s eyes widen. “I would never hurt Cara.” He turns to Monique. “Monique, please, you have to know that. You know how I feel about her.”

Tears fill Monique’s eyes. “I do, Logan, but things are complicated.”

Garret’s face turns fiery red. “They aren’t complicated!” If he doesn’t control himself, he’ll start a fire right here in my house.

“She imprinted on him, Garret!” Mom blurts out. “It wasn’t a petty little crush. They’ve imprinted.” She emphasizes the word like it’s a curse or something. “Even if Cara doesn’t remember that, Logan does.”

“Imprinted?” Logan and I both say. We share a glance, neither of us having a clue what Mom is talking about. I remember the concept. It’s one of the Phoenix things that are ingrained in my memory, but I have no memory of imprinting on Logan.

Mom sighs and takes both my hands. “Sweetie, very soon after you met Logan, you imprinted on him. It’s the strongest bond a Phoenix can have, and it’s very rare. You were determined to get through your rebirth without forgetting him. You thought the imprint was strong enough to survive it. It’s the reason why you and Logan fell in love so quickly. Your feelings were real, and they were doubled by the imprint.”

If that’s true, then why don’t I remember it?

“I need some air. This is all too much.” I walk toward the door, but Logan rushes for it. Garret runs after him, tackling him to the floor. I jump back, not sure what to do. All I’m doing is watching the world around me with no clue how to react or how to make sense of anything. I’ve never felt so lost.

“Don’t lay a hand on her!” Garret presses Logan’s face into the floor, but Logan’s eyes are focused on me.

“Cara, please talk to me. Let me help you remember.”

I wrack my brain for any familiarity in his face, his voice, his eyes. Nothing. I can’t bear to be around him. The pressure to remember him is too overwhelming. “I’m sorry.” I rush to the basement door, fly down the steps, and flop face first onto the bed.

Jeremy closes the door and walks over to the bed, sitting down next to me. “You’ll get through this, Cara.”

I lift my head and face him. “How? I can’t remember anything. Logan says this Nick person tried to kill me but I killed him instead. Is that who I am? A murderer?”

“Look, if you really did kill Nick, then good. He deserved it for trying to hurt you. Plus, that’s one less Hunter in the world. That’s always a good thing.”

“How can you be so nonchalant about all this? I took a life. I don’t care if the guy was a murderer. That doesn’t make it right.”

“It sounds like it was self-defense. He had you and Logan cornered. You saved yourself, and Logan too, for that matter. You can’t blame yourself for that.”

“You don’t get it.” I sit up and look around at the pile of dirty laundry in the corner and the posters of bands littering the walls, realizing I must be in Jeremy’s room. God, I can’t even run off correctly. I have no clue where my own room is. I don’t know anything. My mind is a fuzzy blur, which isn’t helping anyone.

“Where’s my room?”

“Upstairs, first door on your right.”

I rush past him and up the stairs. I pause at the door because I overhear Mom and Monique talking about me.

“None of us knows much about imprinting. It’s too rare, but the imprint is clearly still on that boy,” Monique says. “That means it might still be on Cara too.”

“No.” Mom’s voice shakes. “Do you understand what that would mean for her? If she taps into that imprint, remembers she loves him, it will only mean heartbreak for her. She’ll outlive him. Spend her lives loving him, long after he’s gone.” Her words come out as sobs.

“Elisa, I know.”

“No, you don’t! I lost Phil, yet I’m still under this imprint. It didn’t end with his death. I’m hoping against hope that it ends after my next rebirth. It’s the only thing that can take this emptiness away. But if Cara remembers…”

“It will mean you’ll remember too.” I hear footsteps and assume Monique is hugging Mom. “Oh, Elisa, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s torture.” Mom’s sobs are more intense now. “I don’t know how much longer I can live with this pain. Part of me died with him. I feel like I’m not whole anymore. This isn’t a life. I don’t want this for Cara.”

“I know you don’t,” Monique says.

“We have to keep her away from Logan and hope for the best. Hope the imprint fades enough that she won’t remember him.”

“It’s your call, Elisa. If that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Their footsteps sound on the kitchen floor as they leave the room. So that’s it. They’re deciding for me. I can’t be around Logan, or I might end up heartbroken like Mom.

Chapter Three

Logan

“Would you get these handcuffs off me?” The burns on my hands are killing me, and Officer Monroe is about to get his ass beat if he doesn’t let me go.

“Not happening,” Officer Monroe says curtly, “so you might as well forget about it.” He puts his hands on his hips, staring at me like…well, I guess like I’m a Hunter.

“You can’t keep me here. This is kidnapping. If you’re going to charge me with something, then take me to the station. After that, my dad will have you in handcuffs.”

“Garret, he’s right,” Linette says. “You can’t hold him here. It’s against the law.”

“I don’t give a damn about the law right now!” Garret’s face reddens, and he stares at me like he wants to rip my head off. The feeling is mutual. “You know about us, know what we are. That gives me the right to do whatever I see fit with you.”

Mrs. Tillman walks into the living room. “No, it doesn’t, Garret. You can’t keep the boy here. His father will be looking for him. The last thing we need is you drawing attention to yourself or to the rest of us.”

“Do you want to take responsibility for him?” Officer Monroe says, stabbing a finger at Mrs. Tillman. “Do you want to have our secret on your head? Because that’s what I’m dealing with right now.”

“She hates me,” I said. “She always has.” Everyone turns to me in surprise. “What? You expect me to sit here and be quiet while you all decide my future? I don’t think so. If you won’t let me talk to Cara, then I’m not cooperating.”

“She doesn’t want to talk to you,” Mrs. Tillman says. “And I don’t hate you. I don’t know you.” She places her hands over my burns and a tingling sensation seeps through my palms. When she removes her hands, the blisters and redness are gone. Healed. After all I’ve been through with these people, I’m only surprised for a moment.

“Then why were you so…?” I want to say bitchy, but she’s Cara’s mom. I may not like her, but I won’t disrespect Cara like that. “You were cold to me.”

“I took you into the hospital and fixed you up. I hardly call that being cold.”

“You said my injury wasn’t anywhere near as bad as Cara thought. Was that a lie?” Her eyes widen, and I know I’ve stumbled onto something. “It was a lie. Cara really did see my head crack open, didn’t she?” My mind swarms. “And the car accident, the windshield, it did break on its own. I didn’t touch it.”

“Not exactly,” Monique says.

“Shut up!” Garret yells. “No one is telling him anything. He already knows too much. You say anything else, and you might as well put a gun to his head right now.”

“So you are planning to kill me.” It’s not a question. I’m so pissed off I’m pretty much challenging him to do it. “If Cara doesn’t remember me, won’t talk to me or see me, then what the hell? You may as well put a bullet in my head.”

Mrs. Tillman and Monique exchange a glance.

“What? Surprised I’m willing to die for her?”

“No,” Mrs. Tillman says, sitting down on the couch next to me. “Not at all, actually. But, Logan, you need to understand something about this imprint.”

“What the hell is that anyway? I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.” Why is it easier for me to understand that they’re different—Phoenixes—than it is for them to understand I’m human?

“It’s something that happens when…” She looks at the others. No one stops her, so she continues. “It happens when a Phoenix meets their mate.”

Mate? “What does the imprint do?”

“It makes you fall in love sooner, almost instantly.” She inhales a shaky breath before continuing. “And you’ll stay this way forever.”

“You mean until I die?”

She nods.

“So that’s why Cara doesn’t remember? Because she died?” That hardly seems fair. I can’t believe this means I’m just shit out of luck now.

“We aren’t sure,” Monique says. “We don’t know if the imprint outlasts the rebirth. Most Phoenixes don’t imprint at all, and if they do, it’s not until after their first rebirth. This is a whole new territory for us.”

“That’s enough.” Garret raises his hand. “He doesn’t need to hear all of this.”

“He’s part of it,” Monique says, giving Garret a harsh look.

Garret’s cell phone rings. He pulls it from his belt. “Officer Monroe.” He pauses and all the muscles in his face tighten. “It hasn’t been that long. Tell him to keep looking.” He pauses again before grumbling, “Fine.” He hangs up without saying good-bye.

“That was about my dad reporting me missing, right?” I’m a little surprised Dad even noticed. I figured it would be a few days before he realized I was gone. We don’t exactly interact much, not since Mom died. Then again, I took his car, and that he’d miss.

Garret ignores me and turns to Mrs. Tillman. “We don’t have much time to figure this out.” I recognize my ring tone, and Garret pulls my cell from his pocket. He looks at the screen and walks toward me. “Tell him you’re fine. You heard Cara was involved in an accident and you came to check on her. Nothing more. Do you understand me?”

I’m not promising him anything. I hold my cuffed hands out. “Let me out of these so I can talk to him.” Garret doesn’t budge. “The call’s going to get kicked to voice mail if you don’t hand it over soon.” He glares at me and puts the phone on speaker. I glare back. He may think he’s controlling the conversation by holding the phone and making sure he can end the call whenever he wants, but I’m not stupid. I’ll make sure this conversation doesn’t go well for him.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Where the hell have you been? I’ve left you three messages.”

“Sorry. Cara was in an accident tonight. I came to check on her. I should be home soon though.” By the way Garret is clenching his fists, I know he wasn’t anticipating that last part.

“I’m going to bed. Next time you’re going to be this late, call. I don’t like missing sleep. You know how much I work.”

“Sorry, Dad. Good—” He hangs up before I can finish.

Garret pulls the phone away.

“I guess I’ll be going home now.” I smirk, knowing I’ve beaten him at his own game.

“Like hell you are.” Garret pockets my phone and walks over to the fireplace, resting his head on the mantel.

“You can’t keep me here. My dad will go ballistic.” Maybe not. He’s probably already in bed, having dismissed me the second the call ended, but Garret doesn’t know that.

Garret stands up straight, and his brows pull together. “I’m not about to—”

“Enough.” Linette’s voice is harsh, not at all like usual. “We are not kidnapping him, Garret. If we stoop that low, we’re just as bad as the Hunters. And what will keeping him here do anyway? We can’t erase his memory. We can’t make him forget Cara.”

“No one could make me forget Cara,” I say. “I love her. I’m not going to do anything to hurt her. All I want is a chance to talk to her and make her remember me. Why can’t you see that?” My eyes are locked on Garret, the one I need to convince.

“I hate to break it to you, Logan, but what you feel for her is the effect of the imprint. It isn’t real. And when it wears off, all she’ll be to you is a human-bird hybrid that you’ll never be able to love. You’ll be so angry for how the imprint made you feel that you’ll want revenge—on her, and on all of us.” His arms swing out, motioning to everyone in the room.

He’s baiting me. Trying to get me to admit that I’ll turn on them, but he’s wrong. “Nice try, but I don’t buy a word of that.” I stand up, tugging at the handcuffs still pinning my arms together. “This isn’t fake. It’s not just the imprint, or whatever you all do when you fall in love. I felt something the first time I saw Cara. Something I still feel now. I’m the biggest cynic when it comes to love, but here I am, living proof that it exists. I’d rather die than lose Cara. I don’t care if she’s part bird or part demon. I’d love her just the same.”

Linette wipes a tear from her eye and steps toward me. “That was beautiful.” She wraps me in a hug, and a small wave of relief washes over me. One down, now I have to convince the rest of them.

“Yeah, very heartwarming,” Garret says, crossing his arms.

Linette pulls away and looks at him. “Always the voice of negativity, Garret.”

“And you’re always too eager to see the good in people. Our lives are at stake. People are dying. Phoenixes are dying. And you’re willing to believe the very person who was there when Cara was attacked just because he gave a speech about how much he supposedly cares for her?” Garret’s gaze is locked on me. “I’ll be damned if I lose another one of our kind because I fell for some sappy love story.”

“Then I’ll vouch for him,” Monique says, walking into the room. I didn’t think she’d heard what I said from the kitchen, but she must have because her expression has softened.

“You?” Garret raises a brow in challenge. “And what will you be able to do to stop him from telling the world about us? The most contact you have with him is feeding him at the café. That’s hardly good enough.”

“I’ll watch him,” Linette says. “I’m at his house every day cleaning anyway.”

“And what about at night?” Garret isn’t going to let this go. He wants me under constant supervision, house arrest, and I’m willing to bet he plans to keep these handcuffs on me permanently too.

Linette is my only way out of this house, not that I want to leave Cara, but if I say here like this, she’ll never trust me. She’ll only see me the way Garret does, and then any chance I have with her will be gone.

“I’ll get my dad to let Linette move in,” I say. “Our housekeeper back in New York stayed with us. He won’t think twice about it.” I look to Linette, hoping she’ll agree. If I’m going to have a Phoenix shadowing me, I want it to be her.

“What do you say, Garret?” Linette asks. “Does that plan meet your approval?” Sarcasm drips from her words.

“What’s going on?” Cara steps into the room, and I immediately turn toward her. She looks around at everyone, her eyes dropping when they meet mine. If I didn’t have these handcuffs on, I’d wrap my arms around her and kiss her, make her remember she loves me.

“Linette’s going to move in with me and my dad,” I say before Garret can object.

Cara’s eyes go back and forth between Linette and me. “Oh. So I guess you’re going home now?” She’s looking at me, but I don’t think she really sees me at all.

“I can stick around a little longer if you want to talk.” I’m grasping at smoke here, watching Cara slip away from me.

“I’m tired. I want this day to end.” She moves toward me but hesitates. Strange. Was she going to kiss me good-bye? Was there some part of her that instinctively remembered that’s what she would’ve done before all this happened?

I step toward her, but Garret closes in on me. The last thing I want is Garret to tackle me again in front of Cara, so I stop. “Sweet dreams, Cara,” I say.

She nods and walks up the stairs to her room. I swallow the tears burning the back of my throat and hold up my cuffed hands to Garret. “Would you get these off me now? Linette can babysit me. I need to get out of here.”             

Mrs. Tillman nods to Garret. “Let him go.”

Garret throws his hands in the air. “So now you trust him too?”

“I’m doing what I think is best for Cara. Now let the boy go, Garret.”

Garret might think he’s in charge where the Phoenixes are concerned, but Mrs. Tillman is making it known that you don’t mess with mama bird. I owe her one for that.

Garret removes the handcuffs, mumbling under his breath. He couldn’t be more forceful about it either. “One wrong move, one toe where I don’t want it, and I’ll burn you to the ground before you can make a fist. Got that, Hunter?”

“You’re an idiot,” I say, rubbing my wrists. “No wonder there’s a Hunter on the loose killing people like you. You’re wasting your time on me.” I lean forward, getting right in his face. “I’d never hurt you guys.” I smirk. “Well, not Cara and the others anyway.”

He grabs me by my shirt, but Mrs. Tillman and Monique pull him off me. “Go.” Mrs. Tillman motions to Linette and me. She’s glaring at me and I know I’ve screwed up by challenging Garret, but the guy had it coming and I’m not about to apologize.

Linette takes my arm and walks me to the door. Once we’re outside, she leads me to her car and says, “You’re lucky your father will be willing to let me stay until this all blows over.”

I open the passenger door and get in. “Yeah, about that…” I wait until she’s in the car and backing out of the driveway before I continue. “I lied. We never had a live-in housekeeper in New York. And I need to get my dad’s car from the school or he will get suspicious.”

She turns toward the school, but keeps the conversation on how I lied to everyone. “Do you have any idea what Garret is going to do if your father doesn’t let me move in?”

“Maybe my dad will go for it.” I shrug, but I already know he won’t. Dad doesn’t trust anyone. We have too much money, and he knows Linette doesn’t. No one in Ashlan Falls does. It’s a miracle he lets her into the house when we aren’t home. He’d be way too paranoid to let her live with us. “Anyway, he’ll be asleep when we get there, so we won’t have to worry about it until morning.”

Her hands tighten on the steering wheel. “I don’t like this one bit, Logan.”

“What was I supposed to do? Garret was treating me like a criminal, and I didn’t do anything. How am I supposed to get Cara to trust me, remember me again, if he’s working against me?”

“You were desperate, I get that. However, it doesn’t make this situation any better. We’re going to have to figure this out fast, or Garret will come up with his own solution, and believe me, you aren’t going to like it.”

No, I’m sure I wouldn’t like it one bit.

Chapter Four

Cara

Although day two of my new life doesn’t start off much better than day one, I’m at home in my own bed. Of course, it could be a stranger’s room for all I can remember. Mom must have brought my memory book up and placed it on my nightstand sometime last night.

I pick it up, take a deep breath, and open to the first page. Jeremy and Mom. At least I know their names. In the picture, they’re standing on top of a waterfall. Did I take this photo? I shake my head, trying to jostle the memories. Nothing. I turn the page. A pretty brunette with wide, brown eyes is staring up at me. She’s wearing a bikini and is lying by the water. Maybe the same waterfalls as in the previous picture. I look at the name on the bottom of the photo. Rachel Pinchot. Doesn’t ring a bell, but the paragraph below her name says she’s my best friend. Some best friend I am. I probably couldn’t pick her out of a police lineup.

I keep flipping through the pages until I find Nick Fitzpatrick. He’s cute with his sandy brown hair and dark eyes. Was he really the one who tried to kill me? I killed him. My last act in my first life had been taking a human life. Even if Nick was a Hunter, how am I supposed to deal with the fact that I killed someone? I flip through the pages, unable to look at Nick any longer.

I expect to see Logan’s picture at the end of the book, but the pages are empty. I need something to remind me of him. Something to make me feel…connected to him. My cell phone vibrates on the nightstand, and I reach for it, seeing Rachel’s name on the screen. I’m not ready to talk to her. Not yet. I have too much I need to relearn about her and what she meant to me. I press ignore, sending her to my voice mail. Without even thinking, I scroll through my call log. Logan’s name appears as the last call I made. He was telling the truth about that. I had called him while I was at the school. I search my speed dial and find Logan at number three, right after Mom and Jeremy and before Rachel. That alone tells me we were as close as he says we were, but his picture ID confirms it even more. It’s the two of us kissing.

My heart beats faster as I look at the picture. Though only our faces are in the photo, Logan’s hand is cupping my cheek and I can see he’s wearing a leather jacket. How long have I known him? With the way everyone was talking, I thought it was only recently that we’d met, but he’s wearing a jacket. Who wears a leather jacket in the summer?

“Knock knock,” Mom calls from the doorway. “May I come in?”

I put my phone back on the nightstand.

“Were you talking to someone?” She motions to the phone, panic on her face. “That’s probably not a good idea yet. Not until we figure out what we’re going to tell people.”

“I didn’t talk to anyone. I got a call, but I sent it to my voice mail. Believe it or not, I remembered how to do that.” I look down at my bed, fidgeting with the sheets.

Mom sits down and pats my hand. “Sweetie, I know it’s tough, but you’ll get through it. I did. Monique did. Jeremy did not long ago at all, and you were a big help to him.”

“Is it true? About Logan?” I meet her eyes, needing to see her reaction. “Did I love him like he says I did?”

Mom sighs. “Honey, I wish I could tell you that Logan’s nothing more than a guy with a crush, but he’s not. You two were very much inseparable, no matter how hard I tried to keep you apart.”

I sit up, leaning against the headboard. “You tried to keep us apart? Why?”

“Because of this. I wanted to protect you, make sure you didn’t end up like—”

“You?”

Her eyes rise to meet mine.

“I overheard you and Monique last night in the kitchen. I wasn’t trying to spy. I was coming upstairs, and…well, I guess I was curious when I heard what you two were saying.”

She bites her lower lip and gathers her thoughts. “I loved your father very much. He was the only person I’ve ever imprinted on.”

“Wait, do you mean we can imprint more than once?”

“I’ve heard a few stories, but I suspect that’s all they are. Nothing but rumors or the wishes of those Phoenixes who’ve lost their mates.”

“Do you wish you could imprint on someone else?”

Her shoulders shake as she takes a deep breath. “This ache I feel inside me is unbearable at times. I was afraid if you imprinted on Logan, you’d wind up the same way.”

“But I’m not. He’s the one who’s suffering because I can’t remember him. I’m causing him all this pain and I don’t even mean to. I—”

“Sweetie, stop. None of this is your fault. We can’t control who we imprint on, and we can’t control what happens after we’re reborn, either.”

I swallow the tears that are threatening to choke me. Even if I can’t remember loving Logan, I can’t bear to see him hurting. “What if the imprint doesn’t fade? What will happen to Logan?”

“He’s young. He has plenty of time to fall in love again.” Mom smiles, but I can see it’s forced.

“You mean with someone else, right?”

She squeezes my hands and closes her eyes for a moment before answering. “Cara, there’s no easy way for me to say this, so I’m just going to get it out. Phoenixes need to be with other Phoenixes. It’s the only way. Logan is going to live a normal, human life. He’ll grow old and die. You, on the other hand, will age slowly, and you’ll be reborn several more times.”

“If a Hunter doesn’t get me first.”

Her face turns white at the thought. “Don’t say that.”

“So what you’re saying is, I have to let Logan go? Even if I can somehow remember him, there’s no future for us?”

She nods. “I’m sorry, but it’s better this way. You can’t remember how you felt about him. It will make it easier to say good-bye to him for good.”

“For good? I thought we have to keep a close eye on him, make sure he doesn’t tell anyone about us.”

“We do. The rest of us. Not you.”

“Meaning you want me to stay away from him.” It comes out as more of a statement than a question because I already know the answer.

“I think that would be best. Once we figure out what we’re going to tell people about your accident in the chemistry lab, it’s best that you keep to your close friends.”

I narrow my eyes at the absurdity of that statement. “I don’t have any close friends. I can’t remember anyone. That Rachel girl in my memory book, she’s no more my friend than a model in a magazine advertisement. I don’t know her.”

“You will. You and Rachel were so close you were like sisters. It will be that way again. You’ll see. You have to give it time.”

“And until then what am I supposed to do? Smile, nod, pretend I know who she is and how things used to be?”

“I know it won’t be easy, but you will get through it. I promise.” She stands up. “Why don’t we go to the falls? You love it there.”

“What if someone sees us? Should I be going out yet?”

Mom’s shoulders drop. “You’re right. Garret would throw a fit.” She looks up and wrinkles her brow, deep in thought. “Oh, to hell with Garret. Let’s go.”

“Isn’t there a Hunter on the loose out there?”

She places her hand on my shoulder. “If what Logan said is true, and I think it is, then the Hunter we’ve been searching for is gone, thanks to you. I still can’t believe it was Nick. We all thought we knew him so well.” She drops her hand. “Let that be a lesson to all of us. We can’t trust anyone.”

“What about Rachel?”

Mom laughs. “I’m positive Rachel isn’t a Hunter. The only thing she hunts is boys.”

The look on Mom’s face makes me smile. Rachel must be special if Mom likes her so much, but the thought also makes me sad. If she’s that special, how could I forget her so easily?

“What will I tell her? She called earlier, and if we’re as close as you say, then I’ll have to tell her something about what happened at the school.”

“We’re holding a meeting this morning to discuss what we’re going to tell everyone.”

“Another meeting?” I can’t keep the disappointment from my voice, but I’m not up for another gathering of the Phoenixes. Not so soon after last night.

“Well, this time Linette and Logan won’t be here. We don’t want Logan sitting in on the decisions we make. We’ll tell him what he needs to know, when he needs to know it.”

“You sound like Garret.”

Mom makes a noise, like a grunt. “Garret needs to work on his people skills, but for the most part, he’s good at leading. He knows what he’s doing.”

“Has he always been in charge of us?”

“Mostly, we make decisions together. It’s not like we all follow Garret. You saw what happened last night. He was outvoted. He didn’t want Logan to go free, but that’s what happened because the rest of us decided it was best.”

“Logan isn’t free. Linette’s watching him.”

“It was the best we could do for him.” She narrows her eyes at me, like she’s trying to see inside my head. “Are you worried about Logan?”

I don’t know what I feel about Logan, but something tells me I’ll never figure it out if I can’t see him. Somehow I know that’s not what Mom wants to hear.

“I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me.” It’s the safest answer to give her right now.

“I know you don’t.” Mom brushes the hair from my face and walks toward the door. “Since you aren’t crazy about the idea of going to the falls, I’ll make us some breakfast. How do pancakes sound?”

I have no idea. I can’t remember what they taste like. “Sure.”

“They’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.”

That’s enough time to take a hot shower and put on a brave face. Standing under the showerhead, staring up at it, I contemplate what Mom said about the falls. If I loved them so much, how could I forget them? It doesn’t seem plausible, yet I’ve forgotten everything. I must have known this was going to happen, but knowing and experiencing are two very different things. If I really did love Logan, knowing I was going to lose him must have been killer. I can’t even imagine it, which is totally crazy considering I lived it.

My head pounds with unanswered questions and memories long gone. Not even the scalding water can make me feel better. I get out and dress quickly. I know Mom’s downstairs with Jeremy and probably the other Phoenixes. I’m supposed to go eat and listen to their big plans for me. Only I’m not going to because I’m not about to sit around and let them tell me how I feel and what I should do. I’m going to figure it out for myself.

I open my bedroom window and eye the tree a few feet away. Too bad Phoenixes can’t really fly. Escaping would be so much easier. I step out onto the ledge and reach for the branch. I easily grab it, but the thought of swinging into the tree doesn’t make me eager to move any farther. Screw being part bird. I’m going to pretend I’m a cat and crawl across the branch. I pull myself onto the tree limb, laying my stomach against it. It bends with my weight, and I silently pray I don’t end up in a broken heap on the front lawn.

Though I move much slower than necessary, I make it to the ground in one piece. Now if only I had a clue where the falls are. My iPhone is practically falling out of my pocket after climbing down the tree. I start to push it back down when I get an idea. I pull it out and press the button on the front. There must be a navigation system in here somewhere. My memory of how to use everyday objects is still there, thankfully. I can’t imagine how awful this would all be if I forgot simple things like how to brush my teeth or use a microwave.

A chime goes off and the phone prompts me to give a command. “I need directions to Ashlan Falls.” The search fails, and I realize I’m in Ashlan Falls already. I need the actual waterfalls, not the town. “Search nearby tourist attractions.”

“There is one tourist attraction fairly close to you.”

Only one? How small is this place? I check the search result and see it’s the falls I’m looking for. I click on it, and the directions pop up on the screen. Thankfully, it’s close enough to walk there. However, walking means there’s a good chance someone will see me. I look back at the cars in the driveway. Why didn’t I think to grab my keys? I can only think of one solution that doesn’t involve climbing that tree again. I’m going to run to the falls. I take a deep breath, wondering if maybe I was a runner in my first life. No such luck. As soon as I start out, I’m breathing heavily and I get a stitch in my side. Nope. I’m definitely not a runner.

I follow the directions on my phone and finally make it to the parking lot in front of the falls. The roar of the water cascading down three tiers is like music. I wish I could say it was familiar music, but it’s not. I’m hot and tired, so I kick off my shoes, place my phone next to them, and walk right into the water. Instantly, a calm washes over me. This must be why I liked coming here so much. The water cools my natural Phoenix warmth. I lie back and float on top of the water. For the first time since being reborn, I feel peaceful. I’ll definitely be coming back here often.

I float for well over an hour, enjoying the sound of the waterfalls and the solidarity of being alone. I know the other Phoenixes are worried, both about me and Hunters, but I can’t listen to any more of it right now. I need this time to myself. My cheeks start to feel warm from being in the sun so long, so I turn over and swim a few laps. I go through the lowest waterfall, letting it pound down on top of me and drown out any thoughts in my head. When I finally need air, I swim back out.

“You came.”

I turn toward the edge of the water, where Logan is standing, gawking at me in disbelief.

“I told myself part of you would remember this place, and that we met here.” He shakes his head. “I thought I was kidding myself. Still, I had to sneak past Linette and see if it was true.”

Oh God, he has this all wrong. I’m not sure what’s worse—that he thinks I remember meeting him here or that he got away from Linette. That’s bound to make him look guilty to the others, especially Garret. This isn’t what Logan needs right now.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” I say. “You have no idea what trouble this is going to cause for you.”

“Cara, I don’t give a damn what Garret or the others think. They can lock me up for all I care.” He steps into the water and swims over to me. I’m not sure if I should stay where I am or try to get away. He stops in front of me and reaches for my face.

I pull away, my heart breaking for him. “Logan, don’t.”             

He lowers his hand, his eyes staying locked on mine. “I won’t push you. I’m just relieved you remember this place and that it means something to us.”             

I swallow hard. I can’t let him think that’s true. Giving him false hope is worse than telling him the truth. I have to get this over with, and fast.

“I don’t…” God, the words are so hard to say.

“You don’t what?” He reaches for me again, and this time I can’t pull away because it’s taking all my strength to say the words I need to say.

“I don’t remember meeting you. I don’t remember any of it. I’m sorry.”

His face falls. “Will you do one thing for me? Please?”

I owe him that much for the way I’m ripping his heart out. I nod.

He raises his hand to my cheek. I tense up, but I don’t pull away. “God, Cara, after all we’ve been through…I don’t care that you’re a Phoenix. Really, I don’t. I just hate that it took you away from me, took your memories. I think I know how to get them back though.”

He’s desperate, and it only makes my heart ache more. If there were a way to retrieve memories, the Phoenixes would’ve figured it out by now.

He leans his lips toward mine. “Let me make you feel the connection between us. Kiss me, Cara.”

Chapter Five

Logan

I can see the panic in her eyes, but I’m not willing to back away. I slide my hand from her cheek to the back of her head, locking her in place. I need to feel her lips on mine again. There’s no way she won’t remember me then, remember what we shared. I mean, we’re in almost the exact same spot where we had sex. She never said it, but I know I was her first. I inch my lips toward hers.

Before they make contact, she says, “Don’t.”

Shit! I don’t want to be that guy. The one who doesn’t listen when a girl says no. I don’t back away, but I don’t kiss her either. “Cara, I know this will work. Please trust me. Please say I can kiss you.”

“Not like this. It doesn’t feel right, and I don’t want to associate any negative feelings with you kissing me.”

I let go of her, feeling like a major douchebag. “I’m sorry. I said I wouldn’t push you. I shouldn’t have asked you to kiss me so soon.”

“I’m sorry,” she says in a voice so quiet it’s a whisper.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for. You didn’t ask for this.”

“But I’m hurting you.”

She has no idea how much. Maybe Anton is right to be with a different girl every night. Falling in love sucks. Cara’s staring at me, waiting for me to reassure her.

When I don’t respond, she says, “I should go. Everyone’s probably wondering where I am, and if they find out I’m with you…”

“They’re going to lock me up and throw away the key anyway. I slipped past Linette, and I’m sure she went right to Garret to rat me out.” I blew the trust of the only Phoenix who’s really on my side right now. I’m such an idiot.

“I don’t remember much about her, but I don’t think she’d do that.”

“I know, but you can’t deny the others are going to be pissed about this.”

She doesn’t answer, which only confirms what I said. “Will you stay for a little longer? Talk to me at least?”

“How did you manage to get past Linette anyway?”

I can’t help smiling because her question means she’s willing to stay here with me, despite the consequences.

“She had to use the bathroom, so I propped a chair up against the doorknob and bolted.”

Her eyes widen. “You locked her in the bathroom?”

“Without her phone so she couldn’t call for help. She can get out the window, though.”

“Why would you do that?”

“If you had let me kiss you, you’d already know.”

She backs up, looking pissed. “I’m finding it hard to believe this is the guy I fell in love with.”

“You didn’t exactly like me at first, but that changed quickly.”

“Why?”

I’ve never had to explain my appeal to a girl before. Then again, I’ve never met anyone like Cara. She didn’t give a damn that I was a track star back in New York. Sure, I’d caught her checking out my abs and seen her blush when I went swimming in my boxers, but my appearance alone wasn’t enough to make her fall for me. I’m not sure what it was. Maybe the imprint her mother told me about, though I hope it was more than that.

“Logan?” Cara cocks her head at me.

“Sorry. I was lost in my memories for a second.”

“Must be nice.” She fans her hand in front of her, making the water bubble and steam.

“Did you heat up the water?”

“Yeah. Sorry. I was just trying something. You won’t get burned. Don’t worry.”

“No, it’s not that. I’m pretty sure you did that back before I knew you were a Phoenix. We were here together, and you made the water bubble. I thought I’d imagined it, but your Phoenix traits came out a lot around me now that I think about it. You were always so hot to the touch.”

She stops playing with the water and meets my eyes. “Is that how you figured out what I am?”

“No.” I stare deep into her eyes so she can see I’m telling the truth. “You told me.”

“That’s like Phoenix rule number one. Don’t tell anyone what we are.” She sighs. “I sort of suck at being a Phoenix.”

“Yeah, well you’re awesome at being my girlfriend.”

“I really should get going.” She starts to swim away, and I grab her arm.

“Don’t. Please stop running away from me.” Her eyes are locked on my hand on her forearm. “Can’t you feel anything with my touch? Please, Cara, let yourself feel for a minute. Forget everything else and be here with me.”

She looks up at me with tears in her eyes. “I can’t.”

“All I’m asking for is a chance to show you what we mean to each other. You don’t have to remember what we were. Let me show you what we can be from here on out.”

“You’re like two different guys. One minute you’re full of yourself and the next you’re, like, the most romantic guy ever.”

I swallow hard at the feeling of déjà vu. “You’ve told me that before. Don’t you see? Being around me is making you relive things, say things you’ve said before. It will all come back if you let it. Let me in.”

She gently pulls out of my grip. “You don’t know that. I might never remember.” She shakes her head. “No. I won’t remember. And then where does that leave you? I can’t be the girl who breaks your heart.”

“Too late.” The words come out before I have time to think about how much they’ll hurt her. “My heart shattered the moment you opened your eyes and didn’t remember me. The only way to put it back together is to give me the chance to be your boyfriend again. We never broke up, Cara. You’re still my girlfriend. And I’m asking you, as my girlfriend, to please let me kiss you. Let me show you why you chose me to be your first.”

Yeah, I went there.

Her mouth drops open. “We…?”

“Here, actually.” Even though my emotions are raging inside me, I keep my voice as soft as possible because she looks like she’s about to break. “You said you had to tell me something, but then you didn’t. We had sex, Cara. It was what we both wanted.”

“God, I can’t—”

“I’m not asking you to sleep with me. I’m asking you to kiss me. That’s all. I swear I won’t take it any further.” I brush my thumb across her cheek. “I love you, Cara.”

Her eyes close, and a single tear trails down her cheek. “Please don’t say that.”

“Not saying it won’t change it.”

“It’s too hard to hear right now.” She still won’t look at me. I could easily lean forward and kiss her, but I don’t want her to hate me for it. Although I’m confident she’ll enjoy the kiss once she gets over the shock of it.

“Open your eyes,” I say.

She does, and she pulls back slightly when she realizes how close we are. She’s so obviously conflicted. I don’t doubt there’s a big part of her that wants me to kiss her, but she’s also trying to be a good little Phoenix. Kissing me would be defying her kind and what they told her to do.

“Did they tell you not to talk to me?”

She nods. “My mom thinks the imprint will fade if I stay away from you.”

“And what if I can’t stay away from you?” I close the little distance between us. “Look, you’re not backing away. You must feel, somewhere deep inside, that this is right. That we’re meant to be together.”

“You’re not a Phoenix. That means we can’t be together.”

“Says who? Garret?” I wish I could have one good swing at that guy.

“Says my mother’s imprint.”

Her mother imprinted on someone? “What do you mean?”

“She was heartbroken when my dad died, and now she’s stuck with this imprint that won’t let her move on. If I fall for you, I’ll be just like her.”

“You’ll feel the way I feel now.” I didn’t think about that. Can I really put her through this, knowing how much it hurts?

“We’re not sure if she’ll be able to imprint on someone else in her next life, but at least we’re hopeful that this imprint will break once she’s reborn again.”

“Because that’s what happened to you. You forgot you love me.” This time I back away from her.

“You won’t always feel this way. You’ll forget me as soon as this imprint fades.” Her voice is full of hope, like she thinks this is what’s best for me. She couldn’t be more wrong.

“No. I’ll never forget you, Cara, because you changed me. You made me open up about my mom and why I wore that leather jacket.” Her eyes narrow because she doesn’t remember. “The jacket was the last thing my mom gave me before she died in a car accident, and now it’s gone too. It burned up in that chemistry lab, along with you. Don’t you see? I have nothing left. My dad doesn’t give two shits about me. He works all the time so he doesn’t have to be around me because I remind him too much of Mom. That’s fine with me because he’s the reason she’s dead. I can’t stand to look at his face. And I had you. You made everything better—being in this backwoods town, losing her. Now I don’t have you. If this imprint fades, I’ll truly have nothing left.”

I turn away because I can feel the tears filling my eyes, and I’ll be damned if I’m crying in front of Cara. I already feel like a complete wuss for blurting out all my feelings like that.

Her hand presses against my back. “Logan…”

“Don’t tell me you’re sorry. I don’t want your pity. Forget I said all that.”

I lower myself into the water to regain my composure. I open my eyes and see Cara under the water with me. We stare at each other for a moment before we surface. Our faces are so close when we come up for air. I can see the mental battle going on inside her, and even if she doesn’t understand what she’s feeling, I do.

“Don’t even think about kissing me right now. That’s not why I told you that. It wasn’t a move to get you to give in to me.”

“I didn’t think it was.” She reaches for my face. I know if she leans into me, even the slightest bit, I’ll cave. I’ll take her in my arms and kiss her until neither of us can breathe.

“I wish my mom could see you like this. Open and vulnerable. Maybe then she’d understand…”

“Understand what? Are you saying you feel something for me right now? Other than pity?”

“I don’t pity you. I can see you’re hurting, and I want to make it stop.”

“You can.” She’s the only one who can. “You did it again, you know.”

Her brow furrows. “Did what?”

“You said something you said to me over the summer. Your mom was trying to keep us apart and you said you wanted her to see the way I am with you because then she’d have to like me.” This has to mean something. It can’t be a coincidence that she’s repeating herself.

“You really think kissing you will make me remember?”

It takes all my might not to pull her to me, but this has to be her decision. “I do.”

She reaches for my arms, like she’s steadying herself. “What if it doesn’t work? I don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have.”

“If you don’t kiss me now, it might kill me.”

“I feel like you’re putting everything into this one kiss.”

“That’s because you don’t remember how amazing it is when we kiss.”

She blushes slightly and leans toward me, giving me permission. I tilt my head toward her, breathing in her cinnamon scent. God, how I’ve missed that. It’s intoxicating. I want to crush my lips to hers, but I hold back. I want her to enjoy every second, feel every sensation. I inch closer, hoping I’m teasing her and making her want this as much as I do. My bottom lip grazes hers when someone yells, “Logan!”

Cara pulls back and I stifle a slew of curses. I’ve never hated Linette, but right now I do. Cara looks at me briefly before swimming to the shore. Linette meets her, ranting and arms flailing. Cara takes off running home.

I squeeze my hands into fists, afraid if I get out of the water and go anywhere near Linette, I’ll break my rule of never hitting a woman.

“Logan Schmidt, you get your sorry behind out of that water this instant!”

“Believe me, Linette, you don’t want me on the shore with you right now. Go away.”

“Mister, you locked me in the bathroom and ran off. I have every right to be angry with you. I stuck up for you.” She waves me over. “Get out of the water. I’m not screaming all this to you.”

I make her wait, knowing she can’t talk about the Phoenixes out in the open like this. We might be the only people at the falls right now, but someone could easily walk up and overhear us. I calm myself down, trying not to focus on how close Cara’s lips were to mine. God, one more second and I would have had her back in my arms. I know it. At least she’d been willing to kiss me. That means I still have a chance. I have to get her alone again. Away from her house and the other Phoenixes.

When I reach the shore I glare at Linette. My drenched running shorts and t-shirt are plastered to my skin. “I’m not apologizing, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you may as well leave.”

The anger drains from her face. “You don’t get it, do you? I’m not only protecting you. I’m protecting Cara. I saw what almost happened between you two.”

“Yeah, almost, thanks to you.”

“You can’t be with her, Logan. You’re only going to hurt her. I get that you’re torn up inside about losing Cara, but how do you think you’ll feel having to lose her all over again? Let her go. Do both of you a favor and walk away.”

“I can’t. Cara is the only thing I have left.”

She places her hands on her hips. “So you’re choosing to be selfish? You’d willingly hurt her so you don’t have to feel this way anymore?”

“I’m not trying to hurt her. I’m trying to remind her that she loves me. That’s not a bad thing.”

“For her it is.”

“Is this about her mother? Because I don’t care about the imprint. That’s not what’s making me feel this way.”

“Yes, it is. If you were—” she pauses and looks around to make sure we’re still alone, “—a Phoenix you’d know that.”

“So that’s it. It’s all about me not being a Phoenix. Not being good enough for Cara.”

Un. Freakin’. Believable.

Chapter Six

Cara

Mom’s waiting at the door when I get home. Her fiery red hair is no match for the anger coloring her face. “Where were you?” She pulls me into the house where the others, minus Linette, who is probably reaming Logan out right now, are standing in a line looking like they’re about to burn the house down.

“I needed some air.”

Mom throws her hands up. “That’s why I offered to take you to the falls.”

Garret steps toward Mom. “You did what?”

She waves him off. “Oh get over it, Garret. She’s my daughter. I’ll decide what’s best for her.”

To my surprise, he lets it go.

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Don’t give me that, Cara. I still want an answer.”

“She was with me,” Linette says, walking in the door behind us with her car keys in hand.

Logan is with her. No way is this going to end well. She saw Logan and me about to kiss and she’s probably here to tell everyone else about it. I should be glad Linette is about to put an end to this imprint, but my eyes plead with her not to say anything.

“Cara needed to get out and I offered to take her to the falls since I couldn’t be here for the meeting.”

Logan’s eyes widen. He’s obviously as shocked as I am that Linette is covering for us.

“You couldn’t be here because of him.” Garret motions to Logan. “Yet here you both are.”

“Wait a minute,” Monique says. “Does this mean you, Cara, and Logan were all together? Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

“I don’t,” Mom says. “You know how I feel about this, Linette. I never would’ve agreed to let you watch over Logan if I knew you’d allow him to see Cara behind my back.”

“I know I should’ve talked to you first, but when Cara called me she sounded frantic. You remember how caged up Jeremy felt after his rebirth.”

“Don’t remind me.” Jeremy leaves the interrogation line and flops down on the couch.

“What about Logan?” Monique asks.

Logan waves his hands in the air. “Did you all forget I’m standing right here? I can hear every word you’re saying.”

“Jer, take Logan into the kitchen please,” Mom requests.

Jeremy grumbles, but he gets up.

“No. I’ll take him,” I volunteer.

“Awesome.” Jeremy slumps back down.

Mom glares at me. “Cara, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you and Logan to be alone together.”

“What do you people think I’m going to do to her?” Logan looks back and forth between the group.

I can tell Garret wants to pummel Logan, so I reach for Mom’s hand. “Can I talk to you for a moment?” I pull her toward the kitchen. The breakfast dishes are still in the sink, which means the meeting must have gotten intense. Mom doesn’t strike me as the type to let a mess pile up.

“What is it, Cara? We need to figure this all out, and—”

“Something happened,” I blurt out. “When I was talking to Logan at the falls, he said I kept saying things that I said to him in my first life. That has to mean something, doesn’t it? Like maybe on some level I’m remembering things?”

She sighs and turns on the faucet. She scrubs a plate, rinses it, and hands it to me to dry. I guess we’re doing the dishes. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up. Being around Logan is going to make everything harder for you both.”

Even though I don’t remember things, being near Logan does make me feel somehow connected to my past life. And after he told me about his mom, I did want to kiss him. Of course I can’t tell Mom about that. She’d freak out.

“Maybe not. I feel different around him. He said he’s not trying to make me remember as much as he wants me to see that we belong together.”

Mom drops the dish, letting it clatter against the bottom of the sink. “We’ve discussed this already. He’s not a Phoenix. You can’t be with him.”

“I’m not saying I want to be with him. I don’t know what I want. I think that getting back to my old life might be the best thing for me. And Logan’s part of that life.”

A big part if he really had been my first. God, I can’t believe I had sex and I don’t remember it.

“You’re going to hurt him. You know that.”

“I’m going to tell him that I can’t be his girlfriend.”

Mom sighs with relief.

“But I do want to be his friend. He was important to me, and I think he should be in my life. I mean, if I stop seeing him all together, what will I tell people? It will look suspicious.”

Garret steps into the kitchen.

“No, it won’t.”

“Were you eavesdropping?” Mom flings the sponge into the sink, clearly annoyed.

“This concerns all of us, so I have a right to know what’s being said. Cara, the best course of action is to tell everyone that the accident in the chemistry lab gave you amnesia. That way, you won’t have to worry about not remembering your friends.” He pauses, his gaze never leaving mine. “Or not being Logan’s girlfriend anymore.”

Amnesia is the closest to the truth, so I can see how he got the idea. Maybe it would work. “Does Logan know?”

“Of course not.” Garret crosses his arms. “I’m not allowing him to be in on all of our decisions. He’s not one of us.”

“Yes, you’ve made that clear.” Mom glares at Garret and then places a hand on my shoulder. “What do you think? It sounds like a good plan to me.”

I nod. “It does, but I have one problem.”

“You can’t date him, Cara.” Garret’s voice is firm, fatherly. But he’s not my dad. My dad is dead, thanks to a Hunter.

I stand up straight. “I have to be the one to tell Logan what’s going to happen. I owe him that much.” I look at Mom, knowing she’s not going to like this next part. “And I want to tell him alone, without a bunch of Phoenix eyes staring at us.”

“Cara—”

I raise my hand. “No. I’m agreeing to go along with this plan, to stop being Logan’s girlfriend, but I insist that you let me tell him.”

Mom nods. “Okay.”

“What?” Garret lowers his arms. “You can’t—”

“Last time I checked, my husband’s name is Phil. You don’t get a say in this, Garret.” Mom pushes past him and marches out of the room.

Garret stares at me for a moment without saying a word. Then he steps toward me, pointing in my face. “Understand that what you do affects us all. You may have taken down a Hunter during your rebirth, but there are more out there. And since we have the dagger now, they’re going to come for us to get it back.”

I understand that all too well. Thanks to me, the one weapon the Hunters seek out is in our possession for the first time ever. “I’m only asking to talk to him, Garret. I don’t see how that will bring a Hunter to our doorstep.”

“That’s because you don’t have a lot of experience with Hunters.” He turns on his heel and walks out of the kitchen.

My hands are shaking and my throat feels like it’s going to close. My body temperature rises, and even though I can control it now, I don’t want to. I need to burn off some steam. I get up and walk to the fireplace in the living room. Placing both hands on top of the log, I allow flames to erupt from my fingers. It’s too hot for a fire, but at least this way I won’t burn down the house. I let go for a moment and a burst of fire shoots into the ashes. Feeling better, I exhale and smother the fire before anyone notices smoke coming from our chimney.

Monique pats my shoulder as I walk by her. “It will get easier.”

I walk over to Logan, who smiles as I approach. “I need to talk to you. Alone.” I address Mom, fully aware that she’s not going to like what I’m about to suggest. “We’ll be in my room.”

“With the door wide open,” Garret says.

I glare at him and motion for Logan to lead the way. I can feel the eyes on us as we head upstairs, and I’m relieved when we turn the corner and enter my room. Logan steps aside and closes the door behind us.

“Are you trying to get Garret to break down the door?”

He steps toward me, and my walls immediately go up. He thinks we’re going to pick up where we left off at the falls. “Logan, no.”

“What?”

“We can’t.”

He exhales hard and runs a hand through his hair. “She always gets to you. It was no different before either. Why does she have to try to drive a wedge between us?”

“It’s not her.”

“Oh really? Because at the falls, you were about to kiss me. If I hadn’t been taking it so slow, you would have.”

“You’re right. I would have, but it would’ve been a mistake.”

“How can you say that? What makes you so sure that this is wrong?” He takes my hands in his. “Nothing about this feels wrong to me.”

“They’re going to tell everyone that I have amnesia from the accident.”

“Let me guess. That was Garret’s idea, right? It’s his plan to keep you away from me.” Logan forces a laugh. “Rather ironic story, since it’s mostly true.”

“I don’t know whose idea it was. I wasn’t here for the meeting.”

“Because you were with me, where you’re supposed to be.” He steps into me and breathes deeply. “God, I love the way you smell.”

I turn my head to the side, not wanting to focus on any of my Phoenix traits right now. If I were human, none of this would be happening. “We have to go along with this. It’s the only good explanation for why I can’t remember my friends.”

Logan gently turns my head back toward his. “So I’m supposed to be the boyfriend who patiently waits for his girlfriend to recover from amnesia?”

“No.”

“Then what?” He wrinkles his brow. “Are they planning to send me away or something? I don’t want that. Home is with you, Cara.”

No. Stop saying such sweet things. My heart can’t take this.

“Logan, please.” I close my eyes to keep from seeing his face and the way he’s looking at me. He loves me, yet all I feel for him is…I don’t even know what it is. Guilt? Heartache? “We have to break up.”

“How do you expect to remember anything, remember us, if we break up?”

I open my eyes, and with the way he’s looking at me, I’m afraid he’s going to grab me and never let go.

“God, I sound like such a pussy. Don’t do this to me, Cara. I promise I’ll take it slow. I won’t even kiss you until you kiss me first. I’ll do whatever you want, but don’t leave me.”

I can’t stand the way he’s hurting. I’m afraid of what he might do if I push him away completely.

“I want us to be friends.”

Logan looks down at the ground. “If you were anyone else, I would…Why did Linette have to show up when she did?”

I can’t help thinking Linette’s timing had something to do with fate. Logan and I can’t be together, and the universe was letting me know that.

“Are you saying you don’t want to be my friend? Because I’ll understand if it’s too hard. If you want to walk away.”

He steps toward the door and for a moment I think he’s going to leave, but he stops. “I won’t give up on us. You want a friend? Fine, but understand that it won’t end there. I can’t hide my feelings for you. I won’t act on them, but I won’t hide them either. And sooner or later, you’ll realize you feel the same way about me.” His eyes linger on mine before he walks out of my room.

I go to the window and watch him and Linette get in her car and drive away. My heart sinks in my chest, and I have no idea what it means.

Chapter Seven

Cara

“So you don’t remember anything? Nothing at all?” Rachel curls her legs up under her on my bed.

“Sorry.” I fidget with my pillow, waiting for her to give me an earful about how I forgot my own best friend.

“Whatever. How can you apologize for something that’s not even your fault?” She reaches for my hand. “Besides, I’m too damn lovable for you not to see why I’m your best friend.”

She smiles, and I smile back. It’s obvious why Mom likes her so much, and why Jeremy is totally crushing on her. He’s already found excuses for barging into my room three times. Rachel’s not complaining either.

“So, if you’ve forgotten everything, then I guess that means I can get a green light to date your brother, right?”

Did I stop them from dating before? “Um, sure. He’s obviously into you, and you’re my best friend, so why not?” She’s not a Phoenix so things wouldn’t work out long-term for her and Jeremy, but I don’t think either one of them is interested in anything serious right now anyway.

She pulls me into a hug, which is almost as odd as being hugged by a stranger. “This amnesia thing does have its perks.” She lets go and claps her hands together. “Oh my God! I just realized that you can fall for Logan all over again.”

I look away. “Yeah, about Logan. We sort of broke up.”

“What? Tell me he didn’t dump you because of this. I’ll kick his ass right back to New York!”

“I ended it. It’s too hard to be with him when I can’t remember…”

“That you love him?”

I nod.

She nudges me with her foot. “I bet sleeping with him would jog your memory.”

“Sleep with a guy I don’t remember?”

She shrugs. “He’s friggin’ hot, Cara. You’re lucky you saw him before I did.”

“I thought you were into Jeremy.” Is this why I didn’t want her dating Jer? “You’re not going to corrupt my brother, are you? Because he’s younger than us, you know.”

“Oh, don’t start that again.” She rolls her eyes. “Figures you’d remember that of all things.”

Jeremy knocks on my open door.

“Well, hello again.” Rachel flashes him a smile.

Jeremy completely ignores me and walks over to Rachel. “I was about to put in a movie if you want to come watch with me.”

Stealing my best friend? Nice, Jer. Rachel looks at me for approval.

“Whatever,” I say. “Don’t let me stop you.”

She squeezes my hand in what I’m assuming is a thank-you. “Lead the way, Jer.”

Jeremy gives Rachel a hand, helping her off my bed.

“Hey, didn’t you need something?” I ask him.

“You know, I can’t remember what it was.” He winks at me and leads Rachel out of the room. She gives me a quick wave.

Maybe giving her the green light wasn’t such a great idea. I grab my phone from the nightstand, though I’m not sure why. I don’t have anyone I want to call. According to my memory book, I’m friends with someone named Rob, but I forgot to ask Rachel about him and I have enough guy drama in my life already. Calling Logan is probably not a good idea. He left in a hurry yesterday, and I haven’t heard from him since. The thought of hanging out with Mom and talking about more Phoenix stuff isn’t appealing at all, and no way am I watching Jeremy and Rachel grope each other all through a movie. I sigh and press three on my speed dial.

“You shouldn’t be calling him, Cara.”

I pull the phone away at the sound of Garret’s voice. Sure enough, the display shows a picture of Logan and me kissing.

“You still have Logan’s phone?”

“Yes.”

“Why? I thought he was new to Ashlan Falls. Who is he going to call?”

“He has friends back home. Someone named Anton sure calls him a lot.”

“And you think Logan is going to spill all our secrets to that guy?”

“You’re too trusting.” Garret clears his throat. “Listen, I need you to tell your mom and Jeremy that we have to call an emergency meeting tonight.”

Another meeting? Seriously? I stifle a monster-sized groan and say, “What for?”

“I heard over the police scanner that there was another stabbing not too far from here. We’ve been operating under the assumption that there was only one Phoenix dagger, but it looks like we were wrong. There are definitely at least two.”

Crap. I have enough going on right now. I don’t want to have to worry about Hunters on top of it.

“That’s not even the worst part.”

“You’ve created enough suspense. Tell me already.”

“The Hunters are on to us.”

“How do you know?”

“Because according to what I heard on the scanner, they left a note on the victim. A note with your name on it, Cara.”

A personalized note from the Hunters? I can’t even form words right now.

“I shouldn’t have told you that over the phone. I’m sorry.”

Garret hasn’t been the type to apologize lately, not with all this Hunter business. That means things are worse than I thought. Somehow the Hunters got my name. They’re coming for me.

“I should go,” I manage to say.

“Cara, tell your mom I’ll be there soon with the others. We’ll figure this out, but you should stay put for now. No going to the falls, and no trying to contact Logan. Stay home. Got it?” For once his voice isn’t all authoritative. It’s laced with concern, and that freaks me the hell out.

I hang up because I can’t promise to sit here after what he told me. If the Hunters know about me, they could very well know where I live. I’ll be damned if they’re going to get me in my own house. What if they come here looking for me and find Jeremy instead? Mom’s at work, so she should be safe, at least for now.

I scramble out of bed, phone still in my hand, and race downstairs. I knock on Jeremy’s door. He’s playing the guitar, really poorly too. I knock again, louder this time. The music stops, and Jeremy’s footsteps sound on the stairs. I still don’t know what to tell him or how to get him out of the house.

He opens the door and looks me over. “Hey.”

“Want to get some fresh air?”

He motions behind him and lowers his voice. “I’m kind of busy. Rachel thinks it’s hot that I play guitar. Mom said I was pretty good in my first life, but I—”

“Suck in this one?”

He shoves his hands in his pockets. “You’re lucky you get to tell people you have amnesia. You don’t have to worry about playing catch-up with your first life.”

Yeah, I’m so lucky that I have Hunters on my trail. “I was going to go for a walk, but I thought maybe you could come with me. Show me where things are.”

He exhales long and hard, not masking his disappointment. “Sure. You did the same for me, so I guess I owe you. Just let me say good-bye to Rachel.”

It feels like forever before Jeremy and Rachel emerge from the basement, which means there was a good-bye groping or two. I give her a wave, and she returns it with a wink before she leaves, telling Jeremy she’ll take a rain check on the movie.

Jeremy motions for me to lead the way. “You hungry? We could go to Monique’s.”

I don’t want to be anywhere near the other Phoenixes right now. If I’m a target, everyone around me is at risk. The only reason I’m going out with Jeremy is to get him out of the house, because it’s probably the first place a Hunter would look, but he’s still in danger just being with me.

“I’m not that hungry.” Jeremy’s face drops, and he rubs his stomach. “Maybe after we walk for a while I’ll work up an appetite.”

He leads the way, pointing out everything we pass. I’m not really listening. I know I should so I can get around town on my own, though I can’t help thinking that if the Hunters know about me, they know about Logan. He was with me when I went through my rebirth, when I killed Nick. Nick has to be the one who told the other Hunters about me, and he knew Logan and I were together. I’ve become a liability to everyone, and I have no clue how to protect them.

Jeremy slows to a stop, making me look up for the first time since we left the house. “Oh great.”

Logan is walking toward us with Linette in tow. He must hate having a constant chaperone. His eyes light up when he sees me, and my chest tightens. I can see the hopeful look on his face, like one of these days I’m going to see him and remember everything. It pains me to even think about it.

“Where are you two off to?” Linette asks us.

“Out for a walk,” Jeremy says. “Then we’re hitting Monique’s for some food.”

“We were on our way there if you’d like to join us.” Linette looks at me, and I can tell she thinks she’s doing me a favor by allowing me time with Logan. After our conversation last night, I’m not sure my plan to be his friend is a good idea after all.

“What do you say, Cara?” Logan’s eyes plead with me.

Jeremy’s stomach growls, and he pats it with a smile. “You’re outvoted, sis. We’re all hungry.” He drapes his arm across my shoulders and turns me in the direction of the café.

“You know, I’m not feeling well,” I say. “I think I’m going to head home and lie down.”

“Come on, Cara,” Jeremy grumbles. “I’m starving.”

Linette sighs. “Jeremy, you go eat with Logan and I’ll take Cara home.”

Logan holds his hand up. “I’ll take Cara home. I mean, we’re friends, right? Friends walk each other home.”

Linette shakes her head. “I don’t know, Logan. Garret wouldn’t like this.”

“Garret said I needed to be under constant Phoenix supervision. He didn’t say by which Phoenix. Cara’s one of you, so it should be perfectly acceptable.”

“You know that isn’t true,” Jeremy says, leveling Logan with a glare.

“Logan’s right,” I say, surprising everyone, myself included. All eyes fall on me. I’m taking a big risk, but I can’t hide from Logan. I need to do something about our relationship, set him straight before this gets any worse. “We’re friends. There’s no reason why he can’t walk me home. Linette, you can pick him up after you and Jeremy finish eating.”

Linette steps toward me and takes my hand. “Honey, are you sure about this? Don’t put yourself in a situation you can’t handle.”

“I can handle Logan. He cares too much about me to hurt me.”

“I wasn’t talking about him hurting you.” She gives me a knowing look, and my mind goes back to the almost kiss at the falls.

“It’ll be fine. I promise.” I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince Linette or myself.

She purses her lips, clearly not liking this idea at all.

I motion for Logan to follow me, which he does without hesitation. I can feel Linette and Jeremy’s eyes on us until we turn the corner.

Logan bumps his shoulder into mine. “Thanks for fighting for us.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it like?” He reaches for my hand, and before I have time to stop him, his fingers are laced through mine.

“Don’t.”

“Don’t what, Cara? Care about you? You can’t ask me to do that.”

“Friends don’t hold hands walking down the street.” I don’t remove my hand from his. My body is defying my words.

“No, they don’t. You can tell yourself we’re just friends, but you know it isn’t true. You feel something when we’re together. I can tell.”

I do, but I have no clue what it is. My emotions are such a mess, and I can’t sort through them. “We have to keep things platonic, or this isn’t going to work.”

“Are you saying you’ll pawn me off on Linette or one of the others?” He stops and tugs my hand so I stop too.

“While I know this whole thing sucks, we can’t change it. I hate that I’m hurting you by not remembering what we had, but I can’t force those memories to return.”

“You don’t know that.” He steps into me, and the warmth of his body calls out to me. “You feel that too. I know you do. Why are you fighting it?”

Because everyone close to me is at risk of dying. Because falling for Logan means ending up like my mom, heartbroken and alone in the end. Because being this close to Logan makes my Phoenix abilities come screaming to the surface.

“The problem is you’re trying to remember here—” he touches the side of my head, “—when you should be remembering here.” He lowers his hand to my chest, right above my heart. My pulse quickens in response to his touch. “Part of you remembers me. If you focused on that, we could be together like we were before.”

“Copping a feel in public, Logan?” Rachel’s voice shatters the moment. Logan removes his hand, and I can breathe normally again.

“Your timing really sucks.” Logan clenches his jaw, his whole body going rigid with anger.

“Sorry. I didn’t want you corrupting our girl here in front of the whole town.” Rachel reaches for my arm. “How are you doing? Remember anything yet?”

Logan shoots her an annoyed look. “I was trying to help her do just that when you interrupted us.”

“Whoa, down boy,” Rachel said, raising her hands. “So she’s not willing to jump into bed with you again yet. Get over it. And don’t you dare push her, because I will come after you.”

“He wouldn’t do that,” I say, although I have no idea how I know that.

Logan brushes his hand against mine. “No, I wouldn’t. You remembered that.”

Did I? Or am I basing my judgment on what I know about Logan now? “I can see how much you care about me. Rachel’s right, though. Pushing me to remember isn’t the answer.”

Logan’s face falls. “You think I’m pushing you?”

“Dude, I swear I’ll rip your balls off if—”

“Stop.” I hold my hand up to Rachel. “Please, Rach. I need to talk to Logan alone.”

“Fine, but call me later and let me know if I need to hurt him. I’ll do some hand strengthening exercises in the meantime, just in case.” She winks at me and then glares at Logan before walking away.

“I used to like her,” Logan says. “I mean as one of your friends,” he quickly adds.

“She’s only looking out for me.”

“I know, but I’m so tired of everyone in this town thinking I’m the bad guy. I’ve never done anything to hurt you, Cara, and that’s not going to change.”

I know I should tell him the truth, tell him he has to stay away from me for both our sake, that I was wrong about us being friends. But the look in his eyes melts my heart.

Damn it. I might fall for him all over again.

Chapter Eight

Logan

I know I’m getting to her, but it’s happening too slowly for my liking. The urge to kiss her is overwhelming. Maybe Rachel should rip my balls off. It might help me keep my mind on something other than the taste of Cara’s lips.

“Walk me home?” Cara asks.

I nod, and as much as I want to take her hand in mine, I let my arms fall at my sides. Being the good guy is so damn hard. When we get to Cara’s house she leads me to the kitchen and motions for me to sit down at the center island. My eyes trail in the direction of the stairs. I want to take her to her room and lose myself in her. If Mom is looking down on me right now, she must be so proud that I’m keeping my hands to myself. Of course, suppressing my urges is damn near killing me inside.

“Hungry?” Cara asks.

Yes, but not for food. “I’m good.”

She takes two bottles of water from the fridge and places one in front of me, then sits on the stool opposite me.

“Water? What happened to steaming hot tea?”

“I’m feeling a little hotter than usual today.”

I lean toward her. “Remember how we cooled off in my pool?”

She shakes her head and starts picking at the label on her water bottle.

“We were at my house, sitting by the pool, and I brought you an iced tea. We kissed and the next thing I knew, you pulled me into the pool. Now that was hot.”

She blushes and takes a sip of water. “Was I always so…forward?”

“No, but I remember you were really hot to the touch. I think you tried to find ways to cool yourself down so I wouldn’t figure out what you are. Not that I would’ve ever guessed. Not even after you stuck your hands in the bonfire at Nick’s house.”

She shakes her head, clearly unhappy about not remembering any of this. I reach for her hand, which is unbearably hot, and she quickly pulls away.

“Don’t. I might hurt you. I can’t control this right now.”

“I don’t care. You’ve burned me before.”

“What?” Her eyes widen.

“Only once and it wasn’t bad. Relax.” I reach for her again, but she’s not having it. God, I can’t take this anymore. I stand up and walk around the island to her.

“What are you doing?” she asks, her voice full of alarm.

“What I should’ve done right from the start.” Before she can protest, I wrap one arm around her waist and pull her to her feet. Our faces are mere inches apart, and I can feel her heart pounding against my chest. “Tell me you don’t want me to kiss you. Say the words and I’ll stop.”

She looks into my eyes, but doesn’t speak. I lean forward, breathing in her scent. “Last chance, Cara.”

“The Hunters know about me,” she blurts out just before my lips touch hers. “You need to leave, Logan.”

I let go of her, and she’s out of my arms immediately. I turn around, not wanting her to see the hurt on my face. Why does this keep happening? I refuse to believe this is the way it’s supposed to be. “If you really want me to leave, I will.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

I face her again. “What?”

“If the Hunters know about me, then they must know about you, if we were really as close as you say we were.”

“I’m not leaving you to deal with this on your own. I don’t care if there are a hundred Hunters after me. I’m staying.”

She bites her lower lip, and a tear trickles down her cheek.

“Please don’t cry.” I reach up to brush the tear away, but it turns to smoke before I can.

“I don’t doubt your feelings for me. That’s why I’m telling you to go. Leave Ashlan Falls. It’s the only way to keep you safe.”

“So you’re worried for me?”

She nods. “I can’t be the reason you end up…” She chokes on more tears, but they’re coming out as nothing more than smoke.

“With a dagger in my chest?”

Her chest rises but doesn’t fall. She’s holding her breath. To hell with it. I pull her into my arms and hold her tight. She doesn’t resist me, just cries on my shoulder. She might not want to admit it, but she has strong feelings for me. She’s every bit as attracted to me now as she was before. And she’s afraid of losing me. I hug her tighter and stroke her strawberry blonde hair. I swear her red streaks get redder with my touch.

She pulls her head back and looks into my eyes. “I wish I could remember you. I really do.”

Her words hurt because I’ve been convinced she is remembering me, at least on some level, but she doesn’t think so.

“It’s okay,” I lie. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay with you until you do remember, and then you’re going to be stuck with me for good.”

My words only make her cry more.

***

When I finally have Cara calmed down and manage to get her to eat something, Jeremy comes home.

“Where’s Linette?” Cara asks him, dropping her spoon into her bowl of cereal.

“She ran home for a minute. She said she needed to get some things.”

“Is she really staying with you?” Cara asks me.

“She’s sleeping in the guest room. Dad doesn’t have a clue. He leaves early in the morning and gets in late at night.”

“And you don’t think he’ll ever figure out you have a live-in housekeeper?”

“He’d have to pay attention to me in order to figure that out. Dad tunes out the second he walks through the front door.”

Cara looks at me sadly. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.” I don’t want to talk about it anymore, so I ask Jeremy, “How was Monique’s? Any good specials today?”

Jeremy rubs his stomach and grins. “Tuna BLT wrap. It was so awesome I had two.”

“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Cara asks, taking her bowl to the sink.

“There’s a meeting this evening, so I’ll be trying to relearn the guitar until then.”

Cara tenses at the mention of the meeting. Apparently, I’m not the only one who’s sick of the damn things.

Jeremy walks by us. “Later.” Before he disappears down the stairs to his room, he glances at me briefly and then addresses Cara. “Let me know if you need me.”

Dick.

If I don’t end up hating everyone in this town besides Cara, it will be a miracle.

Cara returns to the center island. “I guess you’re stuck with me for a little longer.”

“Nowhere I’d rather be stuck.” I flash her a smile.

“Do you flirt with all your friends?”

There’s a definite flirty tone in her voice, which only makes me try harder.

“Only the ones I find irresistible.”

Her face falls, and she pushes back from the island. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that. I shouldn’t have.”

I get up and walk toward her. “You did it because that’s the way we are together. I know your family and friends think it’s the imprint doing this, but they’re wrong. We have chemistry, Cara.”

“I know.” She looks down at the floor, and I gently tilt her chin back up and look into her eyes.

“Why do you say it like it’s a bad thing?”

“That chemistry is what’s putting us both at risk. Let’s say things work out for us.”

I smile. “I like the sound of that.”

“We stay together.”

I step closer to her, one of my legs positioned between hers. “Liking this even more.”

“We can’t grow old together. I won’t age like you will.”

I didn’t think about that. What hot young Phoenix wants to jump in bed with a grandpa?

“Oh.”

“What’s worse is I’ll have three more lives, if this all ends well with the Hunters, that is.”

“I won’t let them hurt you.”

“You won’t be alive to protect me. Not in my next life or the one after that or the one after that. That’s the reality of our situation, Logan.”

But I’ll get her for my whole life, and I can live with that.

“Won’t you be, like, wickedly powerful by then? You’ll have total control over your abilities, and aren’t older Phoenixes less of a target? Isn’t that what Garret said?”

“Yes, but something else will weaken me and make me an easy target.”

“What?”

“This imprint. The way I feel about you. If I remember you now, it means I’ll remember you then. I’ll love you well after you’re gone, and I’ll be miserable because of it. Just like my mom.”

She mentioned that at the falls, but I forgot. No wonder she doesn’t want to chance remembering me or what we had. What’s a few moments of amazing make-out sessions, sex even, if it means hundreds of years of heartache, one that might lead a Hunter right to her? I step back, not wanting that for her. If one of us has to hurt, I don’t want it to be her.

“I should go,” I say, even though each word feels like a punch to my gut.

“You can’t.” For a moment I’m hopeful that she’s saying to hell with the future, that she wants to be with me, but she says, “Linette isn’t here yet.”

“Right.” I nod, feeling like someone kicked me in the balls.

“Want to watch a movie or something?”

What I want is for things to go back to the way they were, before I knew Phoenixes existed, before there were all these rules and it was only Cara and me. “Sure.”

Cara walks into the living room and turns on the TV. “I have one in from the other night. I wanted to watch it but was too tired and fell asleep.”

“As long as it’s not a romance, that’s fine.” I can’t handle watching other people in love when the girl I need more than air is out of my reach.

“It’s an action adventure. Jeremy said it was pretty good.”

I flop down on the couch, putting my feet up on the coffee table. Cara presses play and sits next to me. The space between us may as well be the Grand Canyon. While I try to focus on the movie and not my broken heart, I catch Cara staring at me.

“What?” I meet her eyes, and she blushes.

“Can I…I thought…I’m sorry. It’s just that my mind and body are at odds right now. I know I should stay away from you, but…” She looks at the space between us.

I slide closer to her. “Better?”

“Almost.” She leans her head on my shoulder. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

She tilts her head up to look at me, and my eyes immediately go to her lips.

“I’m pushing it, aren’t I?” she asks, starting to pull away.

I put my arm around her and hold her against me. “This is more comfortable. You okay with that?”

She leans her head against me again. I spend the movie breathing in her cinnamon scent. At one point, I twirl a red lock of hair around my finger. Cara either doesn’t notice or doesn’t mind, and I pretend, for now, that we’re us again. That I’m holding my girlfriend in my arms and that when the movie ends, we’ll make our own romance.

“Cara!” Jeremy races into the room, and Cara jerks out from under my arm.

I squeeze my hand into a fist and turn to face Jeremy. “What the hell, man?”

He looks back and forth between Cara and me for moment. “What were you—?” He shakes his head. “There’s no time. It’s Linette.”

Cara jumps up, worry all over her face. “What about her?”

“She’s at the hospital with Mom.”

“Jer, what happened?” Cara asks.

Then the panic on Jeremy’s face registers with me. Linette isn’t there visiting. She’s a patient.

“She was attacked. By Hunters.”

Chapter Nine

Cara

My heart stops. Is she alive? Is Mom healing her? Logan stands up and reaches for me, but I rush to Jeremy.

“What happened? Is she okay?”

“Garret found her in time. He must have scared the Hunters off.”

Hunters—plural. For the first time it registers that there are more than one. “How many?”

“Two. They ransacked Linette’s house. No clue what they were looking for, but she caught them in the act when she got home.”

“Who are they?” Logan asks.

“They were wearing ski masks, so she didn’t see their faces.”

“So we know nothing. Jer, Garret told me there was another stabbing not far from here.” I look at Logan, knowing he’s going to flip. “And the Hunters left a note. For me.”

Logan grabs my arm. “What do you mean for you?”

“I don’t know. That’s what Garret said. They know who I am, and I’m sure they came to Ashlan Falls looking for me. They must have found Linette instead.”

Logan tightens his grip on me. “That’s it. You’re coming to stay with me.”

Jeremy steps toward Logan, his hand raised like he’s ready to hurl a fireball at Logan’s head. “Like hell she is.”

“Stop it, both of you. I’m not going to sit here and listen to you two decide what’s best for me. We need to focus on Linette right now. We can deal with everything else later.”

Logan finally breaks eye contact with Jeremy and gently tugs on my arm. “Cara, I can’t sit back and wait for them to attack you. They missed you the first time. I’m not willing to chance it again.”

The love in his eyes overwhelms me. Why can’t I remember loving him? “Jer, could you give us a minute?”

“What? Why? Linette needs us.”

“She’s with Mom. That’s the best thing for her. Mom doesn’t need all of us crowding her at the hospital while she’s trying to heal Linette.”

Jeremy shakes his head, the look on his face conveying nothing short of “cut the crap.” “That might be true, but it’s not why you’re saying it. I don’t like this, Cara.”

“Duly noted. Now go call Mom and see if she wants us to meet her there or wait here.”

Jeremy narrows his eyes at me and grabs his keys off the counter. “Whatever. Do what you want. I’m going to the hospital.” He slams the door behind him before I can remind him that he only has a learner’s permit.

“Cara, he’s right,” Logan says. “You should go.”

“There’s nothing I can do for Linette. Mom’s her best chance at surviving, and from the sound of it, she’s going to be okay.”

“They’re going to hate me more if they think I’m the reason you’re not there.”

He is the reason. As much as I don’t want to admit it, I feel the pull toward him. I don’t know if it’s the imprint or if I’m only attracted to him in a human way.

“This is my decision. No one else’s.”

“You’re stubborn, you know that?”

“You weren’t wrong about us.”

“I know.” He’s not being cocky. He truly believes he’s right.

“I didn’t mean to push it before by cuddling up with you during the movie. I know I’m sending you mixed signals. I’m pushing you away one minute and trying to get in your arms the next.”

“Don’t ever apologize for trying to get into my arms. I’ll gladly hold you whenever you want me to.” He steps closer, tilting his head down and letting me know he’ll gladly kiss me too.

“I don’t think I’m ready for that.”

“You’re afraid the imprint is still there.”

“I know it is.”

His face falls. “What do I have to do to prove that I’m in love with you and that’s why I can’t stay away?”

Stay away. The answer smacks me in the face. It’s the only way to protect him, keep him away from the Hunters. “If you want to prove it, then keep your distance. For a little while. If you still feel the same way after that, I won’t push you away anymore.”

He narrows his eyes. “What are you saying? How long do you want me to stay away from you?”

“One week.”

Hopefully we can catch the Hunters by then.

“We tried this already, Cara. It didn’t work.”

“We didn’t try to keep away from each other.”

“Yes, we did. When your mother tried to break us up. You dumped me. We were apart for a week, and I didn’t love you any less. If anything, I wanted you more, and it was the same for you.” He rubs the back of his neck, and I can tell he’s debating whether or not to tell me more. He sighs and finally says, “We made out on top of Henry Baker’s grave in the middle of his memorial service when we got back together.”

I inhale sharply, unable to believe I’d do something like that, something so disrespectful to Henry’s memory.

“That’s awful.”

“No, it was incredible. You stood up to your mom and brother. You told them you loved me and nothing was going to keep us apart. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. The timing with the funeral wasn’t great, but…” He shrugs.

“One of the happiest moments?” As soon as I say it, I realize what his happiest moment with me must have been. That day at the falls when I lost my virginity to him. “Oh.”

He reaches for my hands. “The happiest moment in my life was when you were reborn from your ashes.”

Oh, crap. He is the most romantic guy ever. He cares more about me than sex. How many teenage guys could honestly say that?

“Cara, nearly all of my best and worst moments have been with you. Don’t you see? You changed me. When I came here, I was ready to jump on a bus and get my ass back to New York. Then I met you. You didn’t throw yourself at me. You made me earn the right to be with you, and I respected you for that. I always knew you were different, and when you told me you were a Phoenix, I swear I loved you more because it confirmed what I knew all along. You’re special. You’ll live multiple lives because you deserve to. You’re the most incredible person to walk the Earth. And that’s why I’ll never stop fighting for us. I’ll face the wrath of the other Phoenixes, Hunters, and even death, because you’re worth it. You’re everything to me.”

My eyes burn with tears, and I can’t take it anymore. I’m done with holding back. I’m done with caring about a stupid imprint. One second I’m staring into Logan’s blue-gray eyes and the next my lips are crushing his. He moans and wraps his arms around me. My head spins and I part my lips, deepening the kiss. His touch is so intense I expect all my memories to come flooding back. But they don’t. Not a single one. I wrap my arms around his neck, and he lifts me off the floor, carrying me over to the couch and laying me down. He pulls back enough to look into my eyes.

“My God, Cara, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” His lips are back on mine before I can respond, which is good because I can’t say the same in return. I can’t deny that I could kiss him all day or that I have feelings for him, but I can’t miss what I don’t remember having to begin with.

He lowers himself onto me, and as much as I love the feeling of his body pressed against mine, I pull away, turning my head. “Logan, I can’t do this.”

He lifts himself off me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get carried away. I just…” He’s breathing heavily and he looks terrified that I’ll bolt from the room.

“It’s okay. Really,” I assure him.

He offers me his hand and helps me to a sitting position. “It won’t happen again.”

I pull him down so he’s sitting next to me. “I’m not mad, so you don’t have to worry.”

“You should be mad. I let my stupid hormones take over.”

“I’m sure we’ve had much more heated make-out sessions.”

He exhales long and hard. “You have no idea.”

Judging by the way he’s looking at me now, I think I have a pretty good idea. I clear my throat and turn away, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Mom and Jeremy will probably be home soon, and I’m guessing things are going to get intense from there.”

He sits forward on the couch. “And you want me out of here before they get back.”

“No.”

He can’t leave. As much as I hate it, he’s still under our watch. Without Linette to go home to, Logan’s stuck here.

“Are you saying that because it’s what you want or because you don’t want to deal with the wrath of Garret if he finds out I’m no longer under Phoenix supervision?”

“What if I said both?”

“Then I’d appreciate your honesty.” He reaches for my hand. “What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to be to you?”

He thinks the kiss changed everything, and that I’ve given in to the idea of being with him again. I don’t think I can. Garret sure as hell wouldn’t allow it, and Mom would be heartbroken, even though my imprint hasn’t returned. She’ll think it’s a sign, and not just human emotion at play.

“Cara?” His fingertips brush my cheek, but I turn away.

“I don’t know, Logan. This is all so confusing. And with everything that’s going on with the Hunters…Being with you puts you at risk.” He starts to protest, and I raise my hand to stop him. “I know you said you don’t care about the Hunters, but I do. You’ve seen what happens to me when I’m around you. I lose control of my Phoenix abilities, and that’s not what I need right now.”

I’m supposed to be able to blend in better now that I’m a full-fledged Phoenix, but my feelings for Logan have changed the rules. Apparently, my hormones are stronger than my powers.

“So what are you saying?”

I shouldn’t have kissed him. All it did was give him false hope. Now the only thing left to do is rip the Band-Aid off as quickly as possible. I owe him that much.

“I did what you asked. I kissed you.” My eyes fill with tears. “But I still don’t remember you. I’m really sorry, Logan, but I can’t be with you when you love me and—”

“You don’t love me back.” He buries his face in his hands. “God, I really want to hit something right now.”

The front door opens and Mom and Jeremy walk in, guiding Linette between them. She looks awful, pale and barely able to support her own weight. I jump up from the couch.

“Is she okay?”

Mom looks back and forth between Logan and me. How she can tell something happened is a mystery to me, but she clearly knows and isn’t happy about it. “Cara, go get some cool washcloths for Linette.”

I nod and walk to the bathroom.

“I’ll help you,” Logan says, following me. “Linette doesn’t look good,” he says once we’re out of earshot.

“This is bad. If Mom couldn’t heal her…”

I can’t think about it. We already lost Henry Baker. I can’t lose Linette too. We have to find out who these Hunters are and get rid of them. While I wet the washcloths in the bathroom sink, I stare at my reflection. When I was reborn, I hated the idea that I’d killed another human being, even if he was a Hunter, even if he did try to kill me. Now that I think about it, I killed Henry Baker’s murderer, and I’m okay with that. I have to find the Hunters who did this to Linette.

And I have to kill them too.

Chapter Ten

Logan

All the Phoenixes gather in Cara’s living room, and no one seems to even notice me anymore. They’re all worried about Linette, who is lying on the couch looking like someone tried to skewer her, which I guess they did. According to Garret, they missed her heart, which is why she’s still alive.

“So there’s something in the dagger that we can’t fight? It did something to Linette that none of us can heal?” Cara’s hands shake, and she can’t take her eyes off Linette.

“Yes,” her mother says. “I tried everything. I was able to heal the damage to her head, but that was all.”

“What damage to her head?” I ask, and everyone turns to me like they’re just registering my presence.

Garret looks at Mrs. Tillman, who shrugs and says, “There’s not much he doesn’t know at this point, and it’s obvious he isn’t going anywhere. You might as well tell him.”

Garret clears his throat. “The Hunters hit Linette over the head and knocked her out so she couldn’t use her abilities on them. I walked in and saw her lying on the floor in front of the fireplace. When they saw me, the one with the dagger stabbed her and then both Hunters ran off.”

“So they’re afraid of you?”

“I caught them off guard and I can control fire, so yes, in the moment I scared them.” Garret leans against the fireplace mantel. “But Hunters are smart. They know how to incapacitate us. ” He motions to Linette. “We can’t fight back if we’re unconscious.”

For a cop with superhuman powers, he sure is acting like a pussy. “There are more of you than there are of them. Take the fight to them. Stop running like a bunch of cowards and end this.”

Cara reaches for my arm. “Logan, it’s not that simple. If we go looking for a fight, it will expose us all.”

Garret nods. “Glad to see you’re thinking clearly, Cara.” He looks at everyone in turn. “We can’t do anything that will draw attention to ourselves. They obviously know about Linette and me now, and…” His gaze falls on Cara.

“I want to see the note,” she says. “If they want me so badly they left me a message, I want to read it.”

Mrs. Tillman shakes her head and clenches her jaw. “Absolutely not. I don’t know how they found out about you, but you will not get involved. Neither will Jeremy. You’re both still only children.”

“Whoa.” Jeremy raises his hands. “Cara and I stopped being kids the moment we were reborn.”

“You’re teenagers. That hasn’t changed.” Mrs. Tillman looks like she’s about to burst into flames.

“She’s right,” I say, and everyone looks at me. “If they want Cara, we have to keep her hidden.”

Mrs. Tillman looks relieved to have someone agree with her, even if it’s me. “Then it’s settled,” she says.

“What’s settled?” Jeremy’s face reddens.

“We’re leaving Ashlan Falls,” Mrs. Tillman says, sounding more authoritative than Garret ever has. “If they think we’re here, then we’re gone.”

“No!” Cara’s outburst is followed by a puff of smoke. “I’m not going. This is our home. If we leave, I’ll never—”

Garret moves forward and grips Cara by her shoulders. “You’re not going to remember your past life. You need to stop thinking you will and grow up.”

Cara’s gaze shifts to me for a second before she glares at Garret. “I hate you.” She pulls out of his grasp and runs out of the room.

I try to rush after her, but Garret grabs my arm. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough? This is your fault. If you weren’t here, Cara would leave. She wouldn’t fight us.”

His words only give me hope. Maybe Cara does want to stay because of me. I shake Garret’s hand off my arm. “If you want her to go, I’ll go with her.”

“Like hell you will.” Garret’s hot breath hits me in the face, and the cinnamon smell is overwhelming.

“Better get control over your Phoenix traits before they get you in even more trouble,” I taunt him.

“Are you threatening me?” He steps closer, and I don’t back away. “I could end you in seconds.”

“Enough!” Monique snaps, pulling us apart. “For whatever reason, Logan is getting through to Cara. He’s having an effect on her.” Mrs. Tillman shakes her head, but Monique continues. “I’m not saying it’s the imprint at work, but Cara obviously cares about Logan. Our best chance of getting Cara to leave is taking Logan with us.”

“Should I go talk to her now before she loses it and burns her room to the ground?” I motion up the stairs and start backing toward them.

“Go.” Mrs. Tillman waves me out of the room, and I run up the stairs before anyone can protest.

Cara’s door is shut, so I knock. “Cara, it’s me.”

“I want to be alone right now.” By the quiver in her voice, I can tell she’s crying.

“I’m not leaving, so you can either let me in or we can talk through the door.” Seconds pass with no response, and when I’m about to plead with her again, the doorknob jiggles but doesn’t open. She must have unlocked it. I turn the knob and push the door open. Cara is standing just inside the room, and her gaze meets mine. I step forward and pull her into my arms.

“Logan, please. I can’t do this.”

“I’m only hugging you. Any friend would do the same.”

“You can let go now.” I lower my arms, and Cara turns toward her bed. “I’m really not in the mood to talk.”

“Okay, then I’ll talk.” I sit down on the edge of her bed and look up at her. “I know what I said down there, but I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want you to go.”

She wipes the tears from her cheek and cocks her head at me. “Why? I thought you wanted to keep me safe like everyone else.”

“I do, but I’m being selfish. I can’t go with you. My dad would never allow it, and I’m not willing to lose you.”

“We aren’t together anymore, Logan.”

“You kissed me.”

“I know.” Her eyes lower to her feet.

“You liked it too.”

“I know.” Her voice shakes. “But it doesn’t mean—”

I stand up and press my finger to her lips. “Don’t say it doesn’t mean anything, because that’s bullshit.” I lower my finger and stare at her lips. “I think you’d let me kiss you again right now.”

“Don’t.” The word is barely audible, like she’s not sure if she really means it.

“Why? Because I’m right? Because you wouldn’t stop me? Because you’d kiss me back?” I reach for her cheek, brushing my fingers down the side of it, and she leans into my touch. “You’re drawn to me every bit as much as I’m drawn to you. You don’t want to leave Ashlan Falls because you don’t want to leave me.”

“I don’t want to leave because my memories are here.”

“You told me your family moved around a lot. This hasn’t always been your home.” I step into her, burying my hand in her hair and cupping the back of her head. “Your memories are with me. That’s what you’re trying to hold on to. You feel things with me, and while you don’t remember, it’s familiar to you.”

Thank God Garret took away my cell phone because if Anton got wind of any of this, he’d kick my ass. I lean my face toward Cara’s, determined to make her admit her feelings for me, but she turns her head away from me.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers.

I lower my hand and step away from her, walking to the window and looking out. “Don’t apologize.”

“I won’t do this to you. I won’t lead you on.”

So she’ll break my heart. “I should go.”

“You can’t. Linette’s not well enough to—”

“Babysit me?” I whirl around and look at her. I’m not sure how I can love her so much and be so angry at the same time. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I can’t force her to remember me and I’m only going to cause us both more heartache. I can’t stand what I’ve become because of all of this. My body shakes with the decision I know I have to make. “I’m only causing more problems for you, so I’m going to grant your wish.”

She furrows her brow. “What wish?”

“I’m going to leave, let this imprint fade.” Because really what else can I do? Cara’s resisting every urge in her body, and I won’t be the guy who forces a girl to be with him. It’s pathetic. “I’m going to ask my dad if I can spend the rest of the summer in New York with Anton. You guys won’t have to worry about having to waste your time watching me anymore. I’ll be out of your hair.”

“Logan, that’s not what I want.”

I walk over to her and fight the urge to grab her waist and pull her into a kiss she’ll never forget. “What do you want?”

She takes a deep breath before meeting my eyes. “I want my life back.”

“Even if I’m a part of it?”

“I told you I want you in my life.”

I scoff. “But as your friend, right?”

“Why is that a bad thing?”

“Because I love you, Cara. Because looking at you and not having you look back at me the same way is killing me. It’s torture.” I reach for her hand. “Tell me you’re willing to let me in, open your heart to the idea of us being together again, and I’ll stay. I’ll stay and I’ll help you with all this Hunter crap. I’ll do everything I can to protect you.”

My eyes search hers, looking for the girl I fell in love with. The girl who couldn’t keep away from me no matter how hard she tried. She’s not there.

“Go to New York, Logan,” she says, her face void of emotion.

I let go of her hand and nod. “Good-bye, Cara.” I walk out of her room and down the stairs, marching right up to Garret and extending my hand. “Give me my phone.”

He looks down at my hand like it’s a steaming pile of dog crap. “Is this a joke?”

“I’m done with all of this. I’m going back to New York. You won’t have to worry about me anymore. I’ll keep your secret. As far as I’m concerned, Phoenixes don’t exist.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cara standing at the bottom of the stairs. I turn to look at her. “None of you do.”

She stiffens, and for a moment I think maybe she didn’t mean what she said in her room, but then she says, “Garret, let him go.”

Garret exchanges looks with the others who all nod in consent. They want me gone as much as I want to be gone. He takes my cell from his back pocket and hands it to me. “If you tell anyone about us, anyone at all, I will hunt you down.”

I glare at him and walk out of the house without looking at anyone else. The front door slams behind me, and I dial Anton. Thankfully, my battery still has a little charge.

“Logan? Man, where the hell have you been? I’ve left you about thirty messages.”

“Long story, but I’m better now. Me again.”

“Does that mean you ditched the chick with the crazy-ass hair?”

“Yeah, you could say that.” I lengthen my stride, putting distance between me and the girl who used to be my world.

“Welcome back to the land of hot chicks, my man.”

“Speaking of welcome back, think I can crash on your couch for a while?”

“You mean the city boy is coming home?”

“Yeah.”

And it’s about time.

Chapter Eleven

Cara

I’m not sure how I feel about Logan leaving. I understand why he went. None of this is fair to him. He shouldn’t have to sit around and hope I fall in love with him again, and maybe it will be easier with him gone. Maybe I’ll be able to let go of what I can’t remember and move on with my life as a Phoenix.

Jeremy nudges me with his elbow. “Are you even listening?”

This meeting has been going on for hours. I’m tired of listening to everyone bicker over the best way to track down these Hunters. We have no leads, so I’m not sure what there is to discuss. I stand up, done with all of this.

“Look, the only thing we know is that these guys are gunning for me. You want to find them? Use me as bait.”

Mom’s face pales, and she looks at me like I volunteered to be beheaded. “Cara! How can you even suggest that?”

“Because it’s a smart move.” Garret crosses his arms, probably to guard himself against Mom, who already has a fireball burning in the palm of her hand. “Hear me out, Elisa.”

“Hear you explain how you don’t give a damn about my daughter, my flesh and blood? I don’t think so.”

Monique puts a hand on Mom’s shoulder. “If you kill him, you’ll only be helping the Hunters. We have to stick together or we won’t get through this.” She nods slightly to the side, motioning to Linette, who is still looking groggy but at least is awake now.

“Maybe I’ll be able to remember something helpful once my chest stops trying to implode.” Linette presses her hand to her chest, and Mom extinguishes the fireball she’s holding.

“Logan wasn’t wrong,” I say and all eyes fall on me. “There are more of us than them. We can use me to lure them out, and then the rest of you could attack them.”

“And then what?” Mom’s gaze zeroes in on me. “Hope we kill them before they kill you?”

“We could set up a trap, Elisa. Think!” Garret yells.

“Stop!” Jeremy shouts, his voice booming through the house. “Can’t you see how idiotic this is? We’re all here in one place, our abilities are out of control, and we’re jumping down each other’s throats.”

Garret has smoke coming out of his ears, and not in the cartoon way. Monique’s face is as red as a stove burner, and Mom’s fireball is back. The only ones not losing it, oddly enough, are Jeremy and me.

Mom steps toward us. “You and Cara don’t understand the severity of the situation like the rest of us do. You’re still new to it.”

“Which makes us your best bet.” Jeremy looks at me, and I nod. “The Hunters will want us more than the others. We aren’t as experienced with our powers and we have more lives for the Hunters to take.”

“No.” Mom holds her hands up. “I’m not having this.”

“Elisa—”

“Shut up, Garret. They’re my children, and all I have left of Phil. I won’t risk their lives. We’ll find another way, and that’s that.” She storms out of the room and up the stairs.

“Well, I guess the meeting is over.” Jeremy shoves his hands in his pockets and heads for his room.

I look at the others. Monique smiles at me, but it’s forced. She knows I’m right. We all know it, even Mom. She just won’t admit it. She doesn’t have to; I know what I have to do, and I’m not waiting to get her approval.

“I’m going to call Rachel,” I say. “I need some normalcy.”

Garret steps toward me. “It’s too dangerous for you to be out on your own. You’d be unprotected.”

“Last time I checked, I can manipulate fire. I don’t think that’s unprotected. Besides, a Hunter would have to get close enough to me to try anything.”

Linette shifts on the couch and moans in the process. “Cara, I hate to say it, but right now we have to question everyone. That includes your friends.”

No way is Rachel a Hunter, though I can’t exactly be sure Nick was the one to tell the Hunters my name. There are still too many unanswered questions.

“Mom trusts Rachel, but if it makes you feel better, we’ll meet at Monique’s café.”

Monique puts her arm around my shoulders. “Come on. I’ll drive you. You can text Rachel on the way.”

Garret sighs and sits in the chair in front of the fireplace. “I’ll stay here with Linette. Elisa obviously isn’t going to be any help this evening, and I think Jeremy is done with all of this. I doubt he’ll come out of his room.”

Garret seems to know us all so well. It makes me feel bad for getting so pissed with him lately. Maybe if I had my memories I’d understand where he’s coming from.

“Thanks,” I say. I give Linette a smile and wave before letting Monique lead me to her car.

I text Rachel.

Cara: Need some girl talk. Meet me at Monique’s?

We’re nearly at the café before Rachel responds.

Rachel: Sorry, I’m with Rob. Rain check?

Rob. I picture his face from my memory book—blond hair, blue eyes. Is Rachel with him with him? What about Jeremy? I can only think of one way to get Rachel to cancel her plans with Rob and meet me.

Cara: Logan’s going back to NY.

Her response is immediate this time.

Rachel: OMG! I’m on my way!

She must be as good a friend and person as Mom thinks she is. No way is she a Hunter.

Monique motions to a table with a reserved sign. “Your table awaits.”

I raise my brows and sit. I have my own table? Monique disappears and returns with a cup of steaming hot tea.

“Thanks,” I say, drinking it in one big gulp.

Monique laughs. “It’s good to see some things haven’t changed.”

“I know Rachel thinks I have amnesia, but can you tell me anything that I should know about her?”

“She’s a good friend. I’m not sure there’s anything she wouldn’t do for you. She has terrible taste in boys, though.” Monique picks up my empty teacup and shakes her head. “I can’t understand why she bothers with that Rob. He’s cocky and for no good reason. And I see him with a different girl just about every other day.” She wags her finger at me. “Don’t you even think about falling for him now that Logan’s left. You hear me?”

“I don’t think I’ll be falling for anyone. With my luck, I’d fall for a Hunter.”

“Funny you should say that. Your mother and Garret were convinced Logan was a Hunter for a while before your rebirth. All of the attacks began after he and his dad moved here.”

“What about Nick? He was a friend of mine, right?”

“Yes, a good friend.” She puts her hand on my shoulder. “Don’t feel bad. He fooled us all. That’s why we have to be so careful now. We can’t let that happen again.” She looks up, and I see Rachel walking toward us. “I’ll be back with more tea.” Monique disappears inside the kitchen, and Rachel rushes over, wrapping me in a hug.

“What happened? I told him if he—”

“Rach, stop.” I pull out of the hug. “I’m the one who wanted to end it.”

“Oh.” She sits down and furrows her brow. “I don’t get it. You two couldn’t have been more perfect for each other. My God, the way he looked at you, and the heat between the two of you was intense.”

I look down at my hands in my lap. “It’s too hard to be around him when he clearly…”

“Loves you?” She places her hand on top of mine. “I’m so sorry, Cara. Did he say when he’s coming back? Because you won’t have amnesia forever, right? Once this passes, you two can pick up where you left off.”

Yeah, amnesia doesn’t have to be permanent, unless you’re a newborn Phoenix. “I don’t want to think about that right now. I have to get him out of my mind.”

“Does that mean I get my best friend back?”

I smile at her, already seeing why I liked her so much. “Yeah. Why don’t you start by telling me about you and Rob?”

She leans back in her chair. “Don’t start that again. We’re just friends. I was bored and so was he. He tried to feel me up once, but I smacked him and told him if he tried that again I’d kick his balls up into his ribcage.”

I laugh, which is exactly what I need.

“You know I’ll do it.” She pauses. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said it like that.”

“It’s okay. I have to get used to all these lost memories.”

“Good attitude. Out with the old and in with the new,” she says as if the solution to my problem is that easy.

Monique returns with my tea and a glass of lemonade for Rachel. “How would you girls like to try my new peach pie?”

“Yum.” Rachel smiles and sips her lemonade.

“Be right back.”

I lean forward to drink my tea. Rachel is eyeing me strangely. “What?” I ask.

“You look different. I thought so last time I saw you, but since I had just found out you had amnesia, I didn’t want to bring it up.”

Do I look different because I’m a full-fledged Phoenix now? I shouldn’t.

“Did you dye your hair? Your red streaks look even redder.”

“Oh.” I reach for my hair, smoothing it. “Yeah. I figured why fight it.” It’s a harmless lie.

“I like it.”

“Thanks.” I’m grateful when Monique returns with two slices of peach pie and Rachel drops the topic of my hair. “Looks good,” I tell Monique, taking one of the plates from her hands.

Rachel digs right in and moans. “Oh my God! That’s orgasmic.”

Monique reddens, and I laugh. I can’t help it. Rachel is no holds barred. Monique shakes her head and goes into the kitchen again. I’m laughing so hard my stomach hurts.

Rachel bobs one shoulder. “What? It seriously is, and now that you’ve lost your V-card, you can back me up on it.”

I stop laughing. “No, I can’t.”

“Oh, crap. I’m sorry. I keep forgetting.” She slaps her forehead. “And then I say stupid things about forgetting. Sheesh. I’m such an asshat sometimes.”

I’m glad she isn’t walking on eggshells around me. That would be so much worse.

“Just be yourself, Rach. I’m okay. I have to move on or I’ll never get past this.”

“Good.” She shoves another forkful into her mouth. Without swallowing she says, “But seriously, this is orgasmic.”

I take a bite, and while it’s delicious, I’m not moaning like Rachel. The girl is in a class all her own.

“So, Rob just got back from visiting his cousin in Bridgewater,” Rachel says. “He was—”

“Did you say Bridgewater?” Monique is holding the teapot and looking like she’s seen a ghost.

“Yeah, why?”

“There have been several murders in that town lately.”

My mind races. Monique must be talking about the victims of the Hunters. What was Rob doing in Bridgewater at the same time as the Hunters?

“He didn’t mention it,” Rachel said nonchalantly.

“You mean you haven’t heard about the murders?” I ask.

She shrugs. “I hate the news. It’s too depressing. Besides, after Mr. Baker died, and then Nick disappeared—”

“Nick disappeared?” How have I not yet wondered what people thought happened to Nick? I look to Monique, but Rachel is the one who answers.

“He took off. The police think finding Mr. Baker’s body was too much for him to handle. His parents packed up and left too.”

Garret must have cleaned out Nick’s place to make it look like Nick and his parents left town. Except Nick’s parents are dead, and so is Nick.

“I miss him.” Rachel looks down at her plate, stabbing at a peach slice. “We were just starting to get close, and the boy could kiss.”

Monique stiffens, and so do I.

“You dated Nick?” I ask.

“Yeah, but I swear he was only with me because you were taken. All he ever did was talk about you. If he wasn’t so good—” her eyes raise to Monique, “—at other things, I would’ve kicked his ass to the curb.”

“Kicked whose ass to the curb?” says a new voice, and I look up to see Rob standing behind us. I didn’t even see him come over. “Ooh, pie!” He sits down and tries to dig into Rachel’s, but she pulls the plate away.

“Get your own.”

“I’ll get you a slice.” Monique studies Rob for a moment before heading back into the kitchen.

“Hey, Tillman, you look good.” Rob’s eyes roam over my body, pausing at my chest.

“Do you not know how obvious that is?” I ask, unable to keep the disgust from my voice.

“What?” he asks innocently.

“This—” I lower my eyes to his chest, “—and this—” I raise them to his eyes, “—look a lot different.”

Rachel laughs and I’m about to join her, but something washes over me. If I didn’t know it’s impossible, I would swear it’s déjà vu. Logan’s face pops into my head. He said I’d thought he was checking me out when we first met. Did I have this same conversation with him? I dismiss the thought because Rob is talking about Bridgewater.

“It was crazy over there. You wouldn’t believe how people get over a dead body.”

“It’s weird because when Mr. Baker died, I felt more alive. Like I finally appreciated my own life,” Rachel says. She finishes her pie and sips her lemonade.

I stare at her. What she described could just be a teenager coping with death, or it could be a Hunter feeling the effects of taking a Phoenix’s essence.

Rob nods. “I totally get it. Death doesn’t have to be depressing. It should remind the rest of us how good life can be. Make us feel younger even.”

Monique steps up to the table holding Rob’s pie. I know she overheard what Rob and Rachel said, and she’s thinking the same thing I am. Another Hunter, maybe two, may have worked his or her way into my group of friends.

Chapter Twelve

Logan

“This is going to be just like old times, man.” Anton clasps my hand and gives me a one-armed hug.

I’m not sure how I feel about it. Anton and I definitely had some good times together, but it was mostly hooking up with random girls. I don’t want that right now. If I thought it would make me get over Cara, I’d do it in a heartbeat, but…

“Dude, where the hell are you? You’re spacing out on me.”

“Sorry. I think my head is still clogged from the country air.”

“Then breathe deeply, my man. I got us both dates for tonight.” He smacks my shoulder. “You’re going to love the girl I picked out for you.” He says it like he ordered me a steak or bought me a new pair of running shoes.

“Speaking of air, I think I need some. I’m hitting the pavement.” I get up and walk over to my bag in the corner. I rummage through for my running shorts, t-shirt, and sneakers. Nothing clears my head like a morning run.

“Suit yourself. I’ll be resting up for tonight.”

“You do that.” I take my stuff and head to the bathroom to change. I pull my cell out of my back pocket and check it for messages. None. I’m not surprised. The only person I kept in contact with when I moved to Ashlan Falls was Anton, and now that I’m back in New York, he has no reason to text me. Part of me thought Cara would check in, at least to see if I got here all right. Then I remember she’s not my Cara anymore. You have to care in order to check in with someone, and it’s clear she doesn’t care about me like she used to. Or she doesn’t want to.

Anton is already snoring in his room when I head out on my run. He was up late last night “entertaining” some girl. Par for the course for him since his dad is some big shot cosmetic surgeon who’s never around. Mr. Botas has two places in Manhattan, one for Anton and one for himself. I guess he thought keeping Anton away from all the women he screwed would allow Anton to grow up and appreciate the opposite sex. If only he knew his son was the spitting image of him. Even my first night back, I was tossed aside for some chick I’m willing to bet Anton met that day. I thought coming back here would mean I’d have my best friend back, but Anton isn’t my best friend anymore. Cara is. Or was. I guess it’s just me now, as pathetic as that is.

I’m not even paying attention to where I’m going, and I end up at Central Park anyway. It’s like my body is on autopilot, and I fall back into my old routine. That’s good. I need to be me again, not this whipped, love-struck pussy I’ve become. I pick up the pace until my leg muscles are screaming. The pain drowns out my thoughts. All I can think about is running, pushing my body to its limit.

By the time I get back to the apartment, I’m drenched. Who says you can’t train for cross country in Manhattan? Anton’s door is shut, so I grab a Gatorade from the fridge, down it in seconds, and head for the shower. I set the water as cold as I can handle, and my body numbs instantly. If only I could stay this way, numb to everything. That’s how I was after Mom died. I didn’t care about anything. Maybe it’s better that way.

After about a half hour of trying unsuccessfully to drown my sorrows, I turn off the water and wrap a towel around my waist. When I open the bathroom door, the heat of the apartment slams into me. It’s like walking into a sauna. “Shit, man, what’s up with the heat?”

“The air conditioning is acting up. Come say hello.” Anton motions to the couch from where he’s standing in the kitchen.

Two girls are sitting on the couch. Apparently, Anton couldn’t wait until tonight to get laid. The girls both smile and wave at me, their eyes lowering to my towel.

“Hey.” I nod, not caring that they’re openly drooling over my abs.

The brunette winks at me. “Hey, yourself.”

“Easy now, ladies.” Anton steps around me, carrying three Corona Lights. “Let the man get dressed.”

The brunette looks disappointed and continues to eye me as she sips her beer. It’s too easy. No challenge at all. I’m not sure what I ever saw in girls like her. “Hurry back.” Her voice is sultry, and I’m sure that isn’t how she normally talks.

I grab my bag and head back to the bathroom to change. I opt for a tight black t-shirt and cargo shorts. I wish I had my leather jacket. None of my outfits seem complete without it, not even with Anton screwing with the A.C. to try to get these girls to remove some clothing, as if the brunette needs any encouragement. I could flat out ask her to get naked and I have no doubt she would.

Once I’m dressed, I grab a beer from the fridge. I’m going to need it to get through tonight. I sit down on the chair in the corner and turn on the TV, which gets me a look from Anton.

“Dude, you’re being rude to our guests. You could at least sit next to…” He has no idea what the brunette’s name is. No surprise there.

“Heather,” she says.

“Right.” Anton shrugs.

“I’m good.” I drink half my Corona Light, which goes down a little too easily. “Got any limes?”

“What do you think this is, a food store?” Anton scoffs and takes a long slug of beer.

“It’s so much better with lime, isn’t it?” Heather asks, batting her eyelashes at me.

I nod, not interested in making conversation with her.

“We could go get some if you want.”

Yeah, she’s looking to get some all right, but not limes.

“No thanks, I’m good,” I reply.

“Yes, you are.” Her eyes burn into me.

I can’t help rolling my eyes. “Tell me, Heather, does this usually work?”

She cocks her head. “Does what work?” Her voice is laced with fake innocence, and it makes me angrier.

“I think you have a great future ahead of you as a prosti—”

“Logan.” Anton is off the couch and pulling me to my feet before I can get the word out. “Excuse us, ladies.” He drags me to his room and slams the door. “What the hell is wrong with you? That girl is a solid eight, and you’re treating her like she’s yesterday’s trash.”

“She’s acting like trash.”

“Why? Because she’s into you?”

“No, because she’s practically throwing herself at me.”

“You never had a problem with it before.”

I take a step back, not wanting this to escalate into a stupid fight. Those girls aren’t worth it. “Look, I’m not into this, okay? Take them both. Knock yourself out. Just leave me out of it.”

“You’re really going to pass up a sure thing?” His tone is more questioning than angry.

“Yeah, I guess I am.” Damn Cara for getting to me like this.

“You’ve changed, man.” Anton sits on the edge of his bed. “Is this girl really that special?”

He can’t remember any girl’s name. How he hooks up so much is beyond me. “Her name is Cara.”

“Right. Was she that good in the sack?”

Incredible, but I’m not telling Anton that. “I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”

“Listen, I’m not leaving you on your own your first full day back. I’ll tell the girls we have to reschedule because you’re not feeling well. Then we’ll put on some panty hose and you can cry to me about the one that got away.” He stands up and punches me in the arm to let me know he’s teasing.

“Thanks, man. I really just want to avoid girls for a while.”

“Can’t say I understand that, but whatever. Give me five minutes.” He walks out, closing the door behind him.

I sigh and lie back on Anton’s bed. It takes me a minute to realize I don’t know when he last washed his sheets, and considering how many girls he hooks up with that’s beyond disgusting. I bolt to my feet. Anton’s room is barely furnished but there are mirrors everywhere, partly because he’s obsessed with his own reflection and partly because this is where he sleeps with all those girls. Sick bastard.

As much as I don’t want to be the guy who chases around a girl who doesn’t want to remember him, I don’t want to go back to being like Anton either. So where does that leave me?

“Heads up.” I turn just as Anton tosses me another Corona Light. “I think this calls for getting shit-faced.”

Not exactly the reunion I was looking for, but with how freakin’ screwed up my head is, maybe getting drunk isn’t a bad idea.

We head back to the living room, and Anton puts on some movie I’ve never heard of. We don’t really watch it. Well, I don’t. Anton keeps glancing at the screen every time a girl wearing practically nothing pops up, but he’s following along with our conversation, so I can’t complain.

“So why’d you come back, man?” he asks. “Not that I’m not glad to have you.”

I don’t know how he can stand living on his own like this. Not that Dad is ever around much for me, but at least we live under the same roof.

“When’s the last time you saw your dad?” I ask, ignoring his question.

Anton takes a long drag of his beer. “I don’t know, sometime last week.” He shrugs. “He stopped by to give me money for food and whatever else I want.”

“He doesn’t have a clue what you do all day around here, does he?”

Anton smirks. “Nothing he’s not doing over at his place. It’s a good arrangement, so quit knocking it.”

“I’m still kind of surprised my dad let me come stay with you.” Not that he knows Mr. Botas doesn’t live with Anton. I conveniently never told either of my parents about that.

“Why? He must know I’ll take good care of you.” He motions to my empty bottle. “Speaking of, I’ll get you another.” He walks to the kitchen and pulls two more Coronas from the fridge, pops the caps off, and returns to the living room. “Tell me more about this girl.”

“She’s incredible, man. I’ve never met anyone like her.”

“Should I grab the Kleenex for you, or maybe a tampon?”

I smack the side of his head. “You asked.”

“All right, I’ll stop with the jokes. Go on, but if you could throw in a few comments about her rack or something to keep me awake, I’d appreciate it.” He smiles before chugging half his beer.

“Yeah, if I told you how hot Cara is, you’d probably head for Ashlan Falls the second I fall asleep tonight and try to hook up with her.”

“That hot, huh?”

Instead of answering, I drink my entire beer.

“Damn, Schmidt, you’re making me look like a lightweight over here.” As if. With all he drinks, Anton should be overweight, but he has the perfect runner’s build. Pair that with his dark complexion and all the girls love him.

“What can I say? I need to forget my life for a while.”

“Is freaky stuff still going on with her?” Anton takes another swig. “You said she was always so hot, and didn’t she burn your hand?”

What could I say about that now? I can’t tell him she’s a Phoenix. As pissed as I am about this whole situation, I’m not going to out Cara like that. “I think I was just bat-shit crazy from the country air.”

“And she had you totally whipped. I’ve never seen you like that.”

We both know it’s true, so I don’t see a need to respond. I go to the kitchen and grab another beer.

“So what really happened? You called me up all fucking hysterical because some guy had her trapped in the school and then what? Did you catch them going at it or something?”

It would be easy to let Anton think that. He’s giving me an out, but he’s my best friend, and I don’t want to lie to him. “No. The guy tried to hurt her, but she got away.”

Anton raises his hand in the air, motioning for another beer. I grab one from the fridge and toss it to him.

“So why’d she ditch you?” he asks, using the bottle opener on his key ring.

“She’s not into me anymore. End of story.”

“Was it because of her mom? You said she tried to break you guys up, right?”

“Yeah, I’m sure that was part of it. I felt like that whole damn town was against me.” I lean against the counter because the room is spinning and I’m not sure I can make my way back to the couch without falling over. How many beers have I had?

“Why does everyone protect her like that?” Anton asks. “What makes her so special?”

I force my feet to move, because standing is requiring too much effort. I make it to the couch and slump onto it, sloshing my beer onto my shorts. “Everything,” I say. “From the red streaks in her hair to the way she always smells like cinnamon to her scorching hot touch. Every fucking thing about her.”

My words slur together and my eyes roll back into my head.

Chapter Thirteen

Cara

Logan’s been gone for four days, and I can’t honestly say I don’t miss him. I’m not sure what that means, though. I’ve been going through the motions, doing what I think I’m supposed to be doing, which is hard to know when I can’t remember anything about my life other than what’s happened since I was reborn.

“Cara, are you even paying attention?” Garret asks.

I sit up straighter on the couch. “Sorry, what?”

He throws his hands up in disgust. “This is great. We’re trying to figure out how to keep you safe, and you can’t even bother to pay attention.”

“Don’t start, Garret.” Mom places a hand on my shoulder. “I can’t blame her for tuning us out. We’re shouting more than discussing.”

“Can I go to my room? I really want to lie down for a while.”

“No!” Garret yells. “You’re one of us now, Cara. You can’t just go running off when things get tough. You’re the one who—”

Mom jumps to her feet. “Don’t you dare say she brought the Hunters to us. That’s crap, Garret, and you know it.”

“Nick was her friend,” Garret says, not backing down.

“Yeah,” Jeremy says, stepping in front of Garret. “And she took him out so he couldn’t get to the rest of us.”

“No, she took him out because he was a threat to her and her boyfriend.” Garret shakes his head and walks to the fireplace where he rests his hand on the mantel.

Was that true? Did I kill Nick because I was afraid he’d hurt Logan? If only I could remember. I could figure out if Rachel or Rob is a danger to us. I could fix Logan’s broken heart and bring him back here where he belongs. I could put an end to the misery we’ve all been in because of the Hunters.

“Garret’s not wrong,” I say. “All this comes back to me. We’re questioning my friends. I’m the one who put us all in danger, though I don’t remember doing it. Garret has every right to be pissed at me.” I look around the group. “You all do.”

“That’s enough.” Monique sits down next to me on the couch. “You didn’t tell anyone our secret. When you found out Nick knew about us you…stopped him.”

“You mean I killed him. I’m a killer.” I say the words slowly, letting them sink in. “I can’t figure out why everyone keeps sticking up for me when everything I know about my first life is leading me to believe I’m a terrible person.”

“Cara,” Mom says, but I put my hand up to stop her.

“No. Logan said I broke up with him. I broke his heart before I went through my rebirth, before I forgot him.”

“You were trying to protect him,” Mom says.

“Only I didn’t. I hurt him and got him wrapped up in all this instead. And now the Hunters know about me, and Linette is…” My gaze falls on Linette, who doesn’t look any better than she did the day Mom brought her home from the hospital. “Because of me. They were looking for me.” Tears spill down my cheeks, sizzling against my skin.

“Stop it,” Mom says. “I won’t have you blaming yourself for any of this. Nick had us all fooled. Every one of us. Including you, Garret. How many times did you bring him into the station to question him about Henry’s body? And you didn’t pick up on any clue that he was a Hunter?”

Garret’s jaw clenches, but he doesn’t try to defend himself.

Mom stands and the red streaks in her hair flicker like flames. “I let that boy into my house. He taught Jeremy to play the guitar. Monique served him at the café. None of us knew who he was. None of us questioned why his parents were never around. We are all equally to blame for what’s happened.”

“So what do we do now?” Linette asks, her voice weak with worry and pain.

“Hunters are naturally drawn to the presence of the Phoenix dagger,” Garret says. “Once they have it, the only thing on their minds is using it to kill us so they can live longer. We’re not safe as long as it’s in our possession, and that means we have to destroy it.”

“Is that even possible?” I ask.

Destroying the one weapon that can kill us would definitely put an end to all of this. We’d be free from the Hunters for good. They’d have no way to hurt us anymore.

“Not that we know of,” Monique says with a shake of her head.

“That doesn’t make it impossible, though, right?” Jeremy asks.

Mom shakes her head. “Maybe not.”

“So we’re agreed,” Garret says. “We find a way to destroy the dagger.” He walks out of the room, ending our meeting for the night.

Monique and Mom help Linette up to Mom’s room where she’s been staying so we can keep an eye on her and Mom can keep trying to heal her. It’s hard for me to look at Linette, knowing I’m the reason she’s so near death.

“You okay?” Jeremy asks, taking a seat on the couch.

“I heard what Mom said, and I can’t help feeling responsible.”

“I know.” He pats my hand.

“You do? Do you remember anything from before your rebirth? Anything at all?”

He shakes his head. “Stop trying to defy the laws of the rebirth, Cara. You’re only going to drive yourself crazy. When I was reborn, it killed me to see you so upset that I couldn’t remember you or how close we once were. Then I decided to let go of the past and focus on this life. It didn’t take me long to realize that I do love you. I’d do anything to protect you because you’re my sister.”

So even though he didn’t remember loving me, he was able to love me again in this life. Oh my God! Logan was right. Allowing myself to be near him, to kiss him, would have made me love him again. Maybe that’s why I pushed him away. Because in my heart, I knew that, and I also knew I’d lose him when I didn’t age at the same rate that he did.

“I feel like my mind is going in circles.”

“About Logan?”

I nod. “I loved him, and I know I would again if he was still here.”

“He’s coming back, you know. Once school starts up again next month.”

The imprint would fade by then, and maybe Logan wouldn’t want me anymore. My chest tightens at the thought.

“I can’t decide if I want him to love me or not.”

“Because you know it can’t work out for the two of you in the end.” It’s not a question. Jeremy understands why I’m so conflicted.

“What would you do? I mean, you like Rachel, right?”

He smirks. “Yeah, but I know there’s no future there. Rachel’s not ready for a serious relationship, and I’m fine with that because I can’t have anything long-term with a human.”

His words cut me because I know what he’s saying. I can’t have a long-term relationship with a human either.

“So you think it’s best that I stay away from Logan even when he comes back.”

Jeremy sighs. “Yeah, but if I’m being totally honest, I don’t think you will. You’re too full of emotion, Cara. When I was reborn, you basically said I was unfeeling in addition to not remembering anything. You always complained about it. You’re different, though. You came through your rebirth with even more emotion than you had in your first life.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“I think we all know.” I turn around to see Mom walking into the living room. I’m not happy she was eavesdropping, but she looks so distraught I let the issue go. “I’m sorry, Cara. I’ve been so worried about protecting you—” she lowers her head, “—and me, that I kept telling everyone it wasn’t possible for an imprint to carry through a rebirth. Looking at you, I know it can.” She walks around the couch and sits on the other side of me. “I should’ve prepared you for this instead of trying to make you stop seeing Logan.”

“You were trying to protect me.”

And herself. I know what this means for her. She’ll continue to love Dad through all her lives. Just like I’ll love Logan for all of mine, even without my memories of the time we shared together.

“But I—”

I stand up, not letting Mom finish. “I need him to come back.”

“Cara,” Mom and Jeremy both say.

“I know. He’ll grow old, and I won’t. He could forget me and live a normal life with a normal girl if I let him walk away. I feel like a terrible person for saying this, but I don’t think I can let him walk away. Even though I don’t remember him, I still feel…” I can’t describe what I feel. All I know is it’s overpowering me. “Ever since he left, I’ve just existed. I need him in order to be me.”

Tears line Mom’s cheeks. “I know, honey. I know.”

I can’t believe she’s not fighting me on this. She must see how much this means to me. Logan is part of my past, a part I’m not willing to give up on. Mom’s not going to let me go to New York. Not with Hunters after me, which means I have to call Logan and convince him to come back. Convince him I’m worth coming back to. I take a deep breath and head for the stairs. I can’t call him in front of them. I need to be alone.

I walk to my room and lock the door behind me. I don’t want anyone interrupting me. I have no idea how much convincing this is going to take. How much groveling I’m going to have to do. My hand shakes as I pull my cell from my pocket and press three on my speed dial. It rings four times before someone picks up.

“Logan Schmidt’s phone. This is his assistant Anton speaking. Which lucky lady am I speaking to and what time should I tell Logan to expect you?”

Oh my God! I nearly drop the phone. Has he moved on already? And to how many girls? My stomach churns.

“Hello?”

I hear a scuffle on the other line and then Logan’s voice. “Hello?”

I can’t answer. I have no idea what Logan was like before he met me, but if he was a total player who slept with a different girl every night, then I’m not sure what I’m trying to fight for by bringing him back to Ashlan Falls.

“Cara?” He must have checked his caller ID. “Cara, are you still there? Look, Anton was just messing around. He didn’t mean anything by that.”

“Oh shit!” I hear Anton yell. “That’s Cara?”

“Um…” I can’t get anything else out.

“Are you okay?” Logan asks.

I know he’s pissed at me, but his first thought is to make sure I’m okay. That has to mean he still cares about me.

“Yes. No. I don’t know.”

“Hang on a second.” There’s silence for a minute, and then I hear a door click shut. “Sorry about that. What’s going on? Why did you call?”

“I…I figured something out.”

“Okay.” He drags the word out, obviously not understanding where I’m going with this.

“Jeremy told me he loves me. As his sister.” Dear God, I want to staple my own lips shut so I stop sounding like a complete and utter idiot.

“Yeah, I kind of figured that’s what you meant.” There’s a hint of laughter in his voice.

“Right. So, he said he doesn’t remember me but his feelings for me came back pretty quickly.”

“And?”

He’s going to make me say this. I can’t blame him after all I’ve put him through, but this is killing me. “And I thought that if he was able to love me again, then maybe…”

“I was right?” There’s no emotion behind the words so I have no idea if he’s excited, hopeful, or ready to tell me off.

“Yeah, maybe. I mean, I do feel something for you, Logan.”

“This isn’t a conversation we should be having over the phone, Cara.”

He’s right. I owe it to him to say this face-to-face, but how do I get him back here so I can do that?

“You still there?” he asks.

“Yeah.” My mind races with ways to tell him I want him in my life again, but I’m too much of a coward to say them out loud.

“I guess this is something we should talk about when I get back to Ashlan Falls.”

When he gets back? If I wait, his imprint will fade and all of this might be for nothing.

“When do you think you’re coming back? I mean, I know in time for school and all, but do you think you’re going to spend the rest of the summer in New York?”

He exhales. “I don’t know. It’s not like my dad is going to miss me, and I’m sure your family is happy I’m gone.”

“What if…?”

“What if what?”

“What if I miss you?”

“Do you? I mean, you don’t remember me, right? Or has something changed?”

I shake my head, not that he can see me. “I still can’t remember things, but I have had a few déjà vu kind of feelings. I think being around you helps me…be more me. You know?”

“I’m not sure.”

“You said I was saying things I said to you in the past. Maybe on some level I am remembering you.”

“Oh. So you think talking to me might help trigger your memory?”

“No. Well, maybe, but that’s not why I called.”

He lets out a long breath. “Then why did you call, Cara?”

“Because I miss you, and I want you to come back.” There, I said it.

There’s a long pause followed by banging.

“Logan?”

“Anton’s knocking on the door. He’s got to use the bathroom. I’ll talk to you soon.”

He hangs up without acknowledging what I said. Is it possible his imprint has faded already?

Chapter Fourteen

Logan

I don’t know what to make of Cara’s phone call. Does she really want me in her life? I’m not eager to go back there and get my heart stomped on again. Maybe Jeremy does love her in this life too, but he doesn’t remember her. I was convinced kissing her would bring back what she felt for me, and I was wrong. I tried to tell myself that being near her, showing her how much I care for her would somehow fix all this. Instead, here I am, trying to forget her like she forgot me. Only I can’t do that now that she admitted she misses me.

“Fuck!” I hold up the empty Corona bottle and debate throwing it at the TV. I pull myself together in time to remember I’m at Anton’s. Even though I’m sure his dad can afford to buy him a new TV, I don’t want to have his dad hate me or think I’m a raging alcoholic. I’m convinced he knows Anton drinks, but I’m sure he has no clue how much.

“Chill, man,” Anton says, opening another bottle. “We have plenty more.” He holds it out to me.

I get up and start pacing the room. “It’s not about beer, Anton.”

“Yeah. It’s about a certain girl who’s got you whipped.”

“She wants me to go back.” I stop pacing when I reach the window and look out at the view of Manhattan. There was a time I couldn’t even imagine leaving this place, but that was before Cara.

“Maybe you should.”

I whirl around and narrow my brow at Anton. “You’re not going to tell me to stop being such a pussy and get over this chick?”

He shrugs. “I suppose some girls really are worth the effort. Maybe Cara’s one of them.”

This doesn’t sound like Anton at all. “Am I so hard to live with that you’re trying to get rid of me?”

He takes a long sip of Corona before answering. “Well, you do mope around the apartment, and you totally ruined our double date, so I wouldn’t be heartbroken if you left.” He smirks, showing he’s only kidding.

“What if I go back and it’s more of the same shit?”

“Might be. I guess you won’t know if you don’t try.”

Am I willing to try?

“Look, man, if she’s forgotten you—”

“What?” I don’t remember ever telling him about Cara’s memory loss.

“She doesn’t remember you, right?”

“How did you—?”

“You get chatty when you’re drunk. Started blabbing about cinnamon and how hot Cara is. Literally, I mean.”

Shit. Maybe Garret was right. I am a liability to Cara and the rest of the Phoenixes.

“What else did I say?”

“That was pretty much it. Well, except for that guy Nick trying to hurt Cara. Whatever happened to him?” He takes another long drag of beer, his eyes never leaving mine.

I don’t know what to say about Nick. I can’t tell Anton that Cara killed Nick while she was burning. No way would Anton understand without me confessing about Phoenixes being real.

“It was all kind of crazy. There was a fire—”

“A fire? What kind of fire?”

“Um, I’m not really sure. It started before I got there. We were in a chem lab. Tons of flammable chemicals, so you know…” I shrug, trying to act casual. “I was too worried about getting Cara out of there to keep an eye on Nick. I guess he got out.”

“Or not,” Anton says. “Wouldn’t you know if he survived? I mean he lives in that backwoods town, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah, but after confessing to killing Henry Baker and then trying to kill Cara I’m sure he wouldn’t stick around.”

Anton heads for the kitchen. “What did Nick do to Cara? I mean, how did he try to kill her? Did he have a weapon?”

“He hit her over the head with something. Hence the memory loss. He cracked open her skull.”

“Was that before the fire?”

“What’s with all the questions?”

Anton opens the fridge. “Just curious, I guess. You never told me much about that night, and I’m the one who called 911 for you.”

That’s true. Of course if Anton hadn’t called 911, Garret might not have found Cara and me and I wouldn’t have been held hostage by the Phoenixes. Maybe I would’ve been able to reason with Cara before she went home and talked to her mom. Maybe she would’ve listened to me, and I’d be…No. I’m not going to play the “what if” game. Nothing good can come from it.

“I think I’m going to go for a run. Clear my head.”

Anton shuts the fridge even though he’s empty-handed. “You can’t run from your problems, Logan. I get that you’re a city boy at heart, and I like having my best friend back, but coming here was the wuss move. Things got tough and you bailed. That’s not the Logan Schmidt I know. I’ve seen you run toward things in the past, but never from things. This is crap, man, and you know it.”

“Tell me how you really feel.” I slump down on the couch again.

“What? You want me to hold your hand and tell you everything will be all right?” He marches over to the couch and yanks me to my feet. “It won’t. If you stay here, you will lose her. She’ll forget you for good. Or you can man up, grow a pair, and go after her. Decide which guy you want to be. The loser who never gets laid, or the guy who gets his girl back by showing her what she’s missing.”

“Did you just give me a pep talk?”

Anton bursts out laughing. “Call me Oprah.”

I clap him on the back. “You’ve got nothing on Oprah.”

Anton’s face turns serious again. “So what are you going to do?”

I let out a long breath. “Go for that run, right down to the train station to get a ticket back to Ashlan Falls.”

He clasps my hand and pulls me in for a one-armed hug. “Good to have the real Logan Schmidt back. Now go get her.”

***

The run to Penn Station takes longer than usual because I’m trying to soak up as much of New York City as possible. This has always been home to me, and I have to say good-bye for good. I have to make Cara see that we belong together. I jog past the hordes of people heading down to the train station, and go right to the ticket machines. I know what I’m doing, so I avoid the actual booths where countless tourists are asking billions of questions about how to take a train back home. As if it’s rocket science. I purchase my ticket and start back up the steps when I see Shannon, a girl I used to know.

“Logan?” She reaches for my arm and I stop. “I thought that was you. Damn, you look good. When did you get back?”

“I’m not really back. Just visiting, and I’m on my way home today.”

She pouts. “Bummer. I was hoping we’d have time to catch up.” She bats her eyelashes and leans into me.

I gently remove her hand from my arm. “Sorry.”

Shannon cocks her head. “Are you here visiting someone? Maybe a girl from our class?”

Of course she’d think I came back for a booty call. The old Logan would have.

“No. I was visiting Anton.”

“Oh, he’s back?”

“Did he go somewhere?”

“Yeah. He was gone for a few weeks. I kind of thought he went to see you.”

I shake my head. “No. I hadn’t seen him until a few days ago.”

“Doesn’t matter. Now that he’s back, tell him to give me a call.” She wiggles her fingers at me in a little wave and walks away.

I can’t say I’m surprised. I’ve met plenty of girls like her. Me, Anton—doesn’t matter much to her who she hooks up with. This definitely isn’t the life I want to go back to. Cara made me work to get her. Sure, I knew she was attracted to me from the start, but she never threw herself at me. Well, she did at the end, though I guess that was because she knew she was going to be reborn. Something inside me clicks. She knew she was going to forget me, yet she let herself love me anyway. I’m not sure how I feel about that. Did she know I’d end up like this? Not that she’s much better. I know she’s hurting too. Still, could I love her knowing it wouldn’t end well for either of us?

If I go back, that’s exactly what I’d be doing. I know there’s no future for us. At least not a long one as far as a Phoenix is concerned. I’ll die, and she’ll keep on living. She’ll be as jaded and bitter as her mother, and it would be because of me. Maybe going back isn’t the right thing to do. Maybe leaving her now is what’s best for the both of us. I hate to think Garret and Mrs. Tillman are right.

The run back to Anton’s doesn’t clear my head at all. I’m more confused than ever. My mind changes with each passing second. Stay. Go. Stay. Go. Ugh, it’s so damn hard to figure this out.

“What’s up with you, man?” Anton asks, clicking off the TV.

“I got my train ticket, but I’m not so sure about this anymore.” I tear off my running shirt and drape it over my shoulder then pull the train ticket from my shorts pocket and place it on the kitchen counter, staring at it like it holds the answer.

“Did she call you on your run or something?” Anton shifts on the couch so he’s facing me.

“No. I didn’t even bring my phone with me. It’s charging in your bedroom.”

“What happened then?”

I can’t tell him why I’m so confused. I’d be outing Cara. “She keeps changing her mind about me. How do I know it will be any different when I get back there?”

“You don’t.” He furrows his brow. “Didn’t we have this conversation already? I swear, you’re turning into a chick, man.”

“Thanks.” He’s right though. I’m so caught up in what this all means when really I should get my ass to Ashlan Falls and take my life back.

“Hey, I’m—”

I hold my hand up to stop him. “No, I mean it. Thanks. I’ve got to stop being a damn pussy and get back to Cara.”

I grab a Gatorade from the fridge and down half of it without stopping. “Oh, hey. I ran into Shannon.”

Anton scrunches his face like he’s trying to place the name.

“Leggy, brunette, nice rack.” I wait for him to connect the dots.

“Is she the one with the birthmark on her ass cheek?”

I shake my head. “Wouldn’t know. Anyway, she was asking for you. I guess she tried to hook up with you a little while ago. She said you were out of town. She thought you were visiting me, actually.”

“Huh?” Anton grabs the TV remote and turns on ESPN. Some beer ad with a half-naked woman fills the screen and captures his full attention.

I put my Gatorade on the counter next to my train ticket. “Did you go somewhere?”

“What?” He doesn’t even look away from the TV.

“I said, did you go somewhere? Visit a relative or something?”

Anton nods. “Yeah, I guess I forgot. You know what relatives are like. You repress the memory the second you get home.”

“Where’d you go? Upstate?”

“Nah, some rinky-dink town. I don’t even remember what it was called.” He waves it off and raises the volume on the TV.

He’s never been one to talk about his family. His dad is sort of the oddball because he’s rich. I didn’t even think Anton talked to his relatives.

“So when are you leaving, country boy?” he asks.

“As soon as I shower.”

“Keep me posted on how she’s doing, okay?”

“Sure.” I head to the bathroom and can’t help wondering why Anton gives a crap about a girl he never met and one he’ll never get in bed. It’s not like him at all, but maybe he’s just trying to be a good friend.

Chapter Fifteen

Cara

I dial Logan’s number but hang up before pressing send. If he wants to come back, he will. I can’t force him. I know it’s best for him to stay away from me, though I can’t help thinking he’s the key to remembering my past. He’s the key to fixing everything. Maybe I’ll end up like Mom and regret this decision one day, but what if I don’t? What if the Hunters catch up to me and I wasted the little time I have left pushing Logan and my former self away?

Jeremy knocks on my open door.

I pull my knees to my chest and pat the bed. “Come on in, Jer.” He’s up early, and I can’t help thinking that means something is wrong.

“Linette’s asking for you.”             

“Is she okay?”

She’s been getting around a little, but still needs so much help. I’m not sure she’ll ever fully recover from the attack, and being around her reminds me that the only reason she’s like this is because the Hunters screwed up when they came after me. They followed the wrong scent to the wrong house, and Linette paid for it.

Jeremy pats my knee. “She doesn’t blame you. No one does.”

“I do, and I know Garret does.”

“He’s panicking. He can’t find a way to destroy the dagger, and now it looks like there’s another one out there. There may be a dozen of them for all we know.”

“You’re not exactly making me feel better.” I squeeze my knees tighter.

“I’m just saying that Garret has a right to be freaked. We all do. But we’ll figure this out.”

“Were you always this level-headed?”

He laughs. “How should I know?”

Right. We’re both clueless about our pasts. “How are you being so calm about all this? I mean, the Hunters might know me by name, but you’re just as big a target. You have the same amount of lives left that I do.”

“We have something the Hunters don’t.”

I cock my head, waiting for him to continue and hoping he has some brilliant plan to get us all out of this in one piece.

“Firepower.” He holds up his hand. A tiny flame rises from his palm and then turns into a ball of fire. He closes his fingers around it, stifling the flame.

“Linette has firepower too,” I remind him, “and look what the Hunters did to her.”

“Yeah, but I’m going to be ready. I don’t trust anyone. I even interrogated Rachel.”

“Really?” My voice rises.

“Yeah. I wasn’t about to make out with a Hunter.”

Gross. I don’t want to think about my little brother making out with anyone. “Spare me the details, okay?”

He shrugs. “Whatever. I don’t think we have to worry about her, though.”

My mind replays my conversation with Rachel yesterday. “What do you know about Rob?”

“Not much. We haven’t interacted much since my rebirth. Why?”

“Rachel said Rob was in Bridgewater.”

Jeremy’s eyes widen. “At the time of the murders?”

“How many murders were there?”

“Before your rebirth, there were two murders in Bridgewater. One was a human and the other was a potential Phoenix. The Hunter screwed up and killed her before she went through her rebirth. We don’t think he got her essence or any years added on to his life because the girl wasn’t a full-fledged Phoenix yet.”

“Did I know about this? Before, I mean.” I thought Phoenix stuff was supposed to carry over. Why didn’t this?

“Yeah, you knew. We don’t know if it was Nick, and since you can’t remember what happened in the chem lab…”

My missing memories are screwing up so much for us. “So it could’ve been Nick, or it could be whoever’s still out there with another dagger.”

“Exactly.” Jeremy stands up. “You should go talk to Linette. Don’t keep her waiting. She sleeps a lot.”

That’s because her body is working so hard to heal itself, only it isn’t working.

“Okay, I’m just going to get dressed first.”

He walks out, closing my door behind him, and I head for my dresser. I pull on a pair of jean shorts and a black tank top. I’m still not ready to face Linette so I brush my hair and pull it up into a ponytail.

“You’re stalling,” Jeremy says from the other side of my door.

“I’m going.” I open the door and step into the hallway. Jeremy walks with me to Mom’s room where Linette is lying in bed. He gives me a gentle, much needed push through the doorway.

“Good morning, Linette,” I say in a voice barely above a whisper.

Linette turns her head toward me. “Cara, I’m glad you came. I wasn’t sure you would.”

“Of course.”

“Come sit.” Linette grimaces as she tries to scoot over on the bed.

“It’s okay. I can stand.” I take two steps into the room and look around. Mom has pictures all over the walls, all of Dad, whose face I only know from my memory book. I squeeze my eyes shut and try not to wonder what my bedroom walls will look like after Logan’s gone. Dead. Will I really become Mom?

“She loved him so much,” Linette says.

I open my eyes. “Were you always able to read my thoughts?”

She shakes her head so slightly I can’t be certain I didn’t imagine it. “I just know what I’d be thinking if I were you.”

I blink back the tears threatening to spill over. “So, Jeremy said you wanted to tell me something.”

“Yes. The day I was attacked, there were two Hunters.”

“Yes?”

“One seemed to know he had the wrong person.”

“Know how? I thought they were wearing ski masks.”

“He was facing me when the other hit me over the head. I saw him take a step back, like he was surprised. I could be wrong, but I think he might know what you look like.”

Wonderful. So Nick had sent my picture to his Hunter friends. That’s the only explanation. That or he’d told them enough about me to know that Linette was too old to be the right target.

“I wish I could remember the night Nick…died.” I can’t bring myself to say “the night I killed him.”

“I doubt he told you the names of any of the other Hunters. He wouldn’t have given up information like that, even if he did think he’d make it out of there alive and with your essence.”

Linette coughs, and I step toward her. “You shouldn’t be talking this much.” I reach for the glass of water on the nightstand and hold it to her lips. She takes it, and I let go. I don’t want her to think I’m babying her. If it were me in that bed—like it should be—I’d hate having people baby me.

“Don’t you go worrying about me. I’m going to be fine.”

“Let me know if you remember anything else, okay? And I guess I’ll do the same.”

She sets the glass back on the nightstand and looks at me for a moment before speaking. “Cara, don’t pressure yourself to recover memories you shouldn’t be able to recover.”

“Can I tell you something and it just stay between us?”

“Are you asking me to keep things from your mother?” She swallows hard, and I know all this talking is taking its toll on her.

“We’ve already talked about it, but I don’t think she wants me to dwell on the subject much. You know?”

Linette nods.

“It’s just that…” I clasp my hands in front of me to keep from fidgeting. “Being around Logan is sort of making me tap into the person I used to be.”

A quizzical look crosses her face. “How so?”

“He says I’m saying things I said to him in my first life. Don’t you think that could mean something? Like maybe the imprint is tapping into my memories somehow?”

She tries to sit up, then cringes. “Don’t put all your faith in that imprint. You’ll only end up hurting yourself if you do.”

“What if being around Logan does make me remember? I might be able to remember what happened that night with Nick. It could bring us closer to finding the Hunters that are coming for me. The ones that did this to you.” I force myself to look at her. “I have to try. I owe it to you to try.”

She reaches for me, and I step closer, giving her my hand. “You don’t owe me anything. We’re family, Cara, all of us. Maybe not by blood, but we’re still family. I’d die for any one of you.”

“So would I. Even though I might be the newest Phoenix in our group, that doesn’t mean I’m not every bit as committed to putting an end to this war as the rest of you are.”

“I know you are, honey. I don’t doubt it for a second. But the rest of us have a responsibility to you and Jeremy because you’re the youngest. We have to protect you above all others.” She swallows hard. “If I have to—”

“Don’t say it, Linette.”

She clenches her jaw for a second before saying, “If I die because of this injury, I’ll die happy, knowing I saved you from this fate.”

I crumple onto the bed next to her. I may not remember how close Linette and I used to be, but I can feel how much she loves me, and knowing she’s glad she’s the one in this bed and not me is too much for my heart to handle.

“Is everything okay in here?” Mom asks, stepping into the room.

I raise my head to her. “I can’t sit back and wait for the Hunters to find me, or worse, another one of you by mistake.” I stand up, gathering all the courage inside me. “You have to let me draw the Hunters out so the rest of you can kill them. It’s the only way.”

Mom moves toward me and grabs me by the shoulders. Her head lowers so we’re looking into each other’s eyes. “We don’t even know how many there are.”

“Linette was attacked by two. We outnumber them.”

Mom lowers her gaze, unable to look at me any longer. “Just because only two went after Linette doesn’t mean that’s all we’re up against. There could be any number of them.”

I can only think of one other solution, one other way to find out what Nick knew. “Someone else was there that night. Someone else might have heard Nick say something that could help us.”

Mom turns around again. “Logan is gone, Cara.”

“I called him yesterday. I told him I miss him. I think I might be able to convince him to come back.”

“You’d be putting him in danger. Nick knew about Logan. You two were very public with your relationship.” She glances briefly at Linette. “It’s possible the reason the Hunters went after Linette by mistake is because they knew she was connected to Logan. His scent mixed with hers could’ve fooled them.”

Logan’s scent? What, are Hunters like dogs or something? They can sniff people out? Phoenixes give off a strong cinnamon smell that we have to work so hard to cover up, but humans don’t have strong scents.

“Do Hunters have superhuman abilities or something?”

Mom spins her wedding band on her finger. “They are born having a bias toward Phoenixes, but they aren’t actually superhuman. They just grow up knowing what to look for and how to harm us. They’re trained for this. You can’t underestimate them. We’ve been doing that for too long, and because of it they’ve taken Henry Baker and they almost took Linette. We have to stop being so naïve and start being smart.”

I level her with a look. “You’re not though. You’re acting scared. For me. I get that you want to protect me. I’m your daughter. But I’m also our best weapon, Mom. They want me. And you’re overlooking that. You’re running scared when we need to be making a plan, one that centers on me. Until you realize that, you’re putting us all at risk.”

Chapter Sixteen

Cara

I push past Mom and head for the front door. I’m tired of talking. If no one wants to listen, then I’ll do what everyone else is too afraid to do. I’ll find the Hunters. Even if it means going out on my own. Even if it means I’m going to die and never be reborn again. It’s a chance I have to take. Because if I don’t, more Phoenixes are going to die and their blood will be on my hands.

“Where are you going?” Jeremy asks, rushing from the kitchen and following me to the front door.

“Out. I can’t think in this house.”

“Cara, you can’t go out by yourself. I’ll come with you.” He steps outside behind me, but he stops on the front porch, where I’m frozen and disbelieving my own eyes.

“Hey,” Logan says.

“When did you…? I mean, how…?”

Logan looks over my shoulder. “Jer, do you think I could talk to Cara alone for a minute?”

“Jeremy, what is—?” Mom steps into the doorway. “Logan. I didn’t realize you were back.” The surprise in her voice and on her face says she’s every bit as stunned as I am.

“I got in late last night. I would’ve stopped by but I didn’t want to wake anyone.”

Logan’s not looking at me, and I can’t figure out what that means. Is he here to tell me that he’s given up on us? Is he home to pack up the rest of his stuff and go back to New York for good?

“Well, thank you for being so thoughtful. Would you like to come in?” Mom asks.

Logan’s head jerks back in surprise. “Um, actually I came to talk to Cara. Is it okay if we talk out here?”

“Let’s go to the falls,” I say.

“Cara,” Mom’s says sternly. She might be okay with me deciding I need to have Logan in my life, but she’s not ready to let me go off on my own with him. Does she somehow know I slept with him in my previous life? I swallow the lump in my throat.

“I was on my way there anyway.”

Mom crosses her arms. “Not alone, you’re not.”

“Jeremy was going to come with me.”

“You expect me to allow two newborn—” She cuts herself off and looks around even though none of our neighbors are in sight. “No way.”

“There are three of us. Strength in numbers. We’ll be fine.”

Mom moves around Jeremy and whispers, “You are a target. Assume every Hunter is looking for you.”

“So am I supposed to stop living until this war ends? Because there’s no end in sight. I might as well be dead if you’re going to lock me up in this house.”

She takes a step back.

“I’ll take the car and we won’t get out of it if it makes you feel better.”

Jeremy shakes his head because I’m sure he doesn’t want to be cooped up in a car with Logan and me while we try to make sense of what this is between us. “Do I have to go? They’ll be okay in a car, right?”

“Take the car, and go to Monique’s. Got it? Not the falls. That’s my final offer.”

Knowing it’s the best I’m going to get, I motion to my Mazda 3 parked in the driveway. Logan steps aside and lets me go first.

“Logan,” Mom says, “watch out for her.”

I expected a threat of some nature. Maybe she does understand why I want to test this imprint. Maybe she’s hoping it works out for me because it didn’t work out for her.

I get into the driver’s seat and grab the spare key behind the visor. Logan hops in the passenger seat and clicks his seat belt without even glancing in my direction. My heart skips a beat and I wonder if I’m going for my last car ride ever with him.

“So, you came back.”

It takes all my might not to slam my head against the headrest at how stupid my comment is.

“Yeah.”

I back out of the driveway and pull onto the road. “How long are you staying?”

“I’m not really sure yet.”

I drive the rest of the way to Monique’s without saying another word. I pull into a spot out front and cut the engine. Knowing the second we get out of the car Monique will watch us like a hawk, I try one more time to get something out of Logan.

“Why did you stop by?”

“Why did you call me yesterday?” he counters and finally looks at me. “You pushed me away, and then you call me and tell me you miss me and want me to come back. What am I supposed to make of that?”

“I don’t know.” I lower my head at my cowardice. Why can’t I just tell him the truth?

He leans his head back against the seat. “So it was just more games?”

“Games? I’m not playing games with you, Logan. My life is a complete mess. I have no memories, but I wake up in the arms of this amazing guy who tells me he’s in love with me. I look at you and I want to remember. You don’t know how badly I want to. When you kissed me…” I swallow the fear that’s threatening to close my throat. “I hoped every single memory of you would come flooding back. I hoped I’d be able to tell you I remembered you and I loved you. That didn’t happen.”

“I know. You don’t have to remind me. It’s why I left.”

He still won’t look at me, so I take his hand in mine.

“Logan, I did feel something when I kissed you, and I feel it every time I’m around you. I think you were right. Some part of me remembers you, even if those memories are buried deep inside me right now. I feel more like me when I’m with you. I know I’m supposed to be with you.”

He opens his eyes and meets my gaze. “What are you saying, Cara?”

“I want you in my life.”

“We’ve been through this. It’s too hard to be around you and pretend we’re nothing more than friends.”

I nod and lower my head again. “I know. I have a feeling we were never just friends. Were we?”

“No.”

“And I don’t think we can be friends now.”

“Did you want me to come back so you could say that to my face? Because I’m pretty sure we’ve already had this conversation and it’s pretty shitty to make me go through it again.” His face is red with anger and hurt.

I have to make this right. I have to do something to show him how much I want him to stay here with me. He reaches for the door handle, but I grab his face and turn it toward me. I meet his eyes as I press my lips to his. He doesn’t move, doesn’t kiss me back. I don’t know if he’s stunned or if he truly doesn’t want to kiss me.

I pull away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why did you do it?”

“Because I don’t know how to tell you how I feel. I don’t know how to make you understand what you mean to me because I’m not even sure I understand it. I’m so confused. I know we can’t go back to being what we were before I was reborn, but—” I reach for my hair and tug at the ends, “—I want to give us a chance. I want to try to see what there still is between us. Does that make any sense?”

“Are you saying you want to date me?” The corner of his mouth curves up, and I’m not sure if he’s happy at the idea or making fun of me.

“I…”

“I’m going to need to hear you say it, Cara, because I’m not jumping into anything without knowing it’s what you want.”

“That’s just it. I can’t jump into anything. If we do this, it would be like starting over. It has to be. I’m not sure if my memory will come back and—”

“Not sure? I thought you were convinced it wouldn’t.”

I fidget with my hands in my lap. “I don’t know anymore, but I do know that being with you feels right, familiar. If there’s a chance I’ll remember, then I’m willing to take it. If you are.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, you understand or okay, you’re good with this?”

He reaches for my hand and laces his fingers through mine. “Are you okay with this? Is it slow enough for you?”

I close my eyes and breathe deeply to keep my emotions from sending my Phoenix powers out of control. “Yes.”

“Then, I guess we take it from here.” He smiles and motions to the café in front of us. “Now, are you ready to face a very confused Phoenix who’s been watching us since we pulled up?”

Monique is eyeing us instead of paying attention to the coffee she’s pouring and it spills over the top of the cup and onto the table. She says something to her customer and heads back into the kitchen.

“Let’s go.”

We get out of the car, and Logan walks around to meet me. His arm moves like he’s going to reach for my hand. Then he stops and motions for me to lead the way. I can tell he doesn’t want to push me, and I’m thankful for that. We have to let things happen in their own time, or I may jeopardize remembering anything.

We sit down at my usual table and I turn over my teacup while we wait for Monique. She comes back out, already holding the pot.

“I thought I was going to have to come get you two out of that car with the Jaws of Life.” She eyes me, and the look on her face is a perfect impression of Mom’s disapproval.

“Logan just got back in town. Mom suggested we talk here,” I say so she knows I have Mom’s permission and doesn’t call her the second she walks away from us.

“Nice to see you, Monique,” Logan says. He sounds so formal, and I can’t help thinking it doesn’t fit his personality.

“Logan.” She pours my tea, and Logan turns over his cup too. She pours his and then steps back to stare at us.

“We’ll take two of whatever your special of the day is,” Logan says.

“Well, breakfast is over and lunch hasn’t really begun, so I guess you’re getting a leftover creation.”

There are no set times for meals around here, so I know she’s just giving us a hard time.

She looks back and forth between us. “I’ll be right back.”

“Monique is suddenly as unhappy about me being around you as your mom always is.”

I shrug. “I think they’re just as confused about us as we are.”

“I’m not confused.”

“How can you say that?” I drop my voice to a whisper so the people at the other tables can’t overhear. “You know what the future looks like for us.”

“Do you want my honest answer?” he asks, sitting up straighter in his seat.

“Of course.”

“We’re seventeen.”

“Uh-huh.”

“What seventeen-year-old thinks about where they’ll be thirty years from now?”

Most seventeen-year-olds don’t get to be reborn and live multiple lives, so I’m not sure it’s a fair question. “So you don’t care about your future?”

“I do, but I don’t want to live in the future.” He leans across the table. “Look, I get that we have a lot going against us, but I don’t want to end up like my mom.”

“What do you mean?”

“She sacrificed everything for my dad. Did everything he wanted her to. If she’d had her way, she would’ve raised me in a town like this one.” He looks around at the other people in the café and smiles, but it’s a sad one. “She wouldn’t have worked insane hours either. I bet she would’ve even taken time off so she could be home with me more.”

“What you’re doing, isn’t it exactly like what she did with your dad? I mean, you’re altering your life to fit mine.”

He shakes his head. “No, I’m not. I’m doing what I want to do, and that’s be with you. I understand why you might want to push me away and I get why you might want me around. I know this isn’t an easy decision for you to make.”

“I already made it.”

“I know, but what I’m saying is that I’m not going to let anyone else tell me how to live my life. If you don’t want me around you, I’ll respect that, but you’re giving me a chance right now, and I don’t plan to blow it. Because this is what I want, Cara.” He reaches for my hand, which is holding my teacup. I freeze, knowing Monique will be back any second with our order. Still, I don’t pull away.

“Our tea is getting cold,” I say, wanting to change the subject before Monique returns.

Logan takes his hand away, and I use my body heat to warm up my tea. Then I reach for his and do the same. He laughs, and I cock my head at him.

“I tried to drink tea the way you do once and it didn’t end well,” he says.

“What do you mean?”

“I spit most of it back into the cup, and the rest dribbled down my chin.”

I laugh, imagining it. “What else did you do to try to impress me?” I lean forward, resting my elbows on the table.

“Let’s see, I stripped down to my boxers to swim with you, but I forgot I was wearing my underwear with the little yellow ducks on them. It wasn’t exactly my finest moment.”

I burst out laughing, which makes Logan smile.

“You have a great laugh, and it’s so good to hear it again.”

Before I can respond, Monique returns with our food. “Here you go. Omelets with just about everything in them.”

“They smell great,” Logan says.

“Thanks, Monique.” I pick up my fork, ready to dig in.

She sits down, a grave expression washing over her face. “Look, you two, I know what you’re trying to do, and while I have some concerns, we have bigger problems right now. Linette isn’t doing well, and if we don’t act soon, the rest of us will end up like her, or worse. I need you to try to piece together what happened that night at the school.” She levels me with a look. “I’m so sorry, Cara, but it looks like our future is resting in your hands.”

Chapter Seventeen

Logan

I can’t believe Monique put all that on Cara, and out of nowhere. It was a shitty thing to do. If Cara thinks I’m letting her find these Hunters and put a stop to this on her own, she’s got another thing coming.

“We shouldn’t talk about this here. Logan, I think you should come over to Cara’s this evening. We’re having a meeting, and you should be there.” Monique gets up to check on her other customers.

“What did I miss while I was gone?” I ask.

“Garret wants to destroy the dagger.” Cara is whispering and hiding her mouth behind her teacup.

“Is that possible?”

Cara finishes her tea. “He isn’t having any luck finding a way to do it.”

“So what’s next?”

“We lure them out. They’re looking for me specifically, so—”

I drop my fork. “No. Don’t even think about it. I’m not letting you put yourself in danger.”

“I’m in danger every day until this is over, and now I’m putting you in danger too.” She moves her chair closer to mine and lowers her voice. “I think Rob might be one of the Hunters. He was in Bridgewater when the last murder happened.”

“Rob was in Bridgewater back when the other murders happened too.”

“What?”

“He said he has a cousin out there who sells him beer.” I never liked that guy, and he’s always been obsessed with Cara. Plus, he was good friends with Nick. Rob could easily be a Hunter.

“This is bad. I mean first Nick and now Rob?” Cara shakes her head and hugs herself. “I can’t believe I was stupid enough to bring two Hunters into my life.”

I place my hand on her forearm. “We don’t know for sure if Rob is a threat.” I’ll gladly beat a confession out of him, though. It makes sense with how he was always trying to get close to Cara. Always looking for a reason to touch her.

“What’s your honest opinion?”

Shit. I can’t lie to her. Well, I can, but I’m not about to. “I’ll talk to him, see what I can find out.”

“So you think he’s a Hunter.” It’s not a question. She might not remember me, but she’s damn good at reading me right now.

“I’ll go find him, and then we might know something concrete in time for this meeting tonight.” I lean back in my chair, trying to think where Rob would be. The falls are a possibility, or maybe the fields. He likes to play football there.

“You just got back and already you’re knee-deep in all of this. If Rob is a Hunter and he thinks you suspect him, he’ll hurt you. You know that, right?”

“I’ll be ready,” I state.

“How?”

Nothing deflates an ego faster than your girlfriend thinking you’re not man enough to hold your own in a fight. “I’ll be fine.”

She lets out a deep breath. “I don’t like it, Logan.”

“I can’t say I do either.” Monique is standing behind me, holding our check. “But I think this might be our best shot.” She sits down and whispers, “Logan doesn’t know Rob that well, so it won’t be suspicious for him to ask questions. Just play it off like you want to hang out. You know, be friends.”

“Wait,” Cara says, “didn’t Rob have a crush on me?”

“Don’t even think it,” I say. “You’re not pretending to be interested in that douchebag just to get information out of him.”

“It could work.” Cara’s face turns red. She closes her eyes for a few seconds and when she opens them again her color is normal. She’s getting better at controlling her Phoenix powers.

“Rob’s going to find out we’re together again. Once he does, he’ll get really suspicious about why you were cozying up to him.”

“Logan has a point,” Monique says. “Cara, you need to go home, sit tight, and let Logan handle this. Whether any of us like it or not, he’s part of this now.”

Cara huffs. “Fine. Just call me the second you’re finished talking to him, okay?”

I stand up, wanting to get this over with. I look at Cara and debate kissing her good-bye. Would that be pushing things too far, too fast? Monique is watching me…again. I settle for squeezing Cara’s hand and waving to Monique.

Cara looks panicked, but she whispers, “Good luck.”

I head toward the falls first, taking off at a slow jog. I haven’t exactly lived in Ashlan Falls for long, but I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to small-town living. You can walk or run just about everywhere in this place, and while that’s good because I don’t have my own car—still a sore subject since Dad can easily afford to buy me one—I miss taking the subway. I miss having stores every few feet. Here it’s homes, a few buildings in the center of town, the falls, the fields, and the schools. That’s Ashlan Falls, nothing to write home about.

The falls are empty except for one car. Rachel’s. I wonder what she’s doing here. I run through the parking lot and see that she isn’t alone. Jeremy is with her, looking really cozy for someone who’s not supposed to be dating Cara’s friends. Jeremy lifts her in the air and Rachel squeals. At first I think he’s about to throw her into the water, then he lets her body slide down the front of his. I’ve got to give him credit. That’s a smooth move. He must have snuck out, considering how Mrs. Tillman was dead set against Cara and Jeremy going out on their own with Hunters on the loose.

I really don’t want to see any more of this show, so I turn around and head to the fields. The only problem is if Rob is in the fields, he’ll be there playing football with a bunch of guys. I won’t be able to question him with other people around. Since I don’t know where he lives, the fields are my best option. I can hear grunting and laughing as I approach. There’s definitely a game going on. I jog up and see Rob running down the field with the ball in his hand. He’s whooping and laughing being chased by what looks like a bunch of freshmen judging by their size. He spikes the ball at the end of the field and does a victory dance.

I wait for him to finish and jog back my way. He’s got these guys trained. One gets him a towel and another has a Gatorade for him. I feel bad for these kids if a douche like Rob is their idol.

“Hey,” I say, nodding at Rob. “Nice touchdown.”

“As always.”

Cara told me that Jeremy was the best player around before his rebirth. I wonder what would happen if he faced off against Rob now.

“Is the game over?”

He’s breathing heavily, and he takes a long drag on his Gatorade. When he’s finished, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “I guess I’ve pulverized these guys long enough. Why? You want something?”

I debate what angle to play. Lost new guy or whipped boyfriend who needs a dose of testosterone before his balls shrivel up. I decide Rob would probably love the opportunity to get on my case about Cara, so I go for the latter.

“I just got back from visiting my best friend in New York and already I’ve had too much estrogen for the day.”

Rob nods. “Say no more. I know just what you need.”

I’m guessing it involves a six-pack. “Great. Thanks, man.” I hold my hand up, and he clasps it.

“We’ll head to my house. I need to shower anyway.” He doesn’t even acknowledge the guys he was playing football with. He just points in the direction of his house. “So, why’d you go back to New York? Was Tillman too much to handle with her amnesia?”

“You heard about that, huh?”

“This is Ashlan Falls, man. News travels at the speed of light.” He polishes off the rest of his Gatorade and tosses the bottle onto the ground. I’m not surprised.

“Yeah, well you know what it’s like when a girl is hot one minute and cold the next.”

“Cock tease.” He scoffs. “I guess I dodged a bullet there,” he says as if not being with Cara was his idea.

“Speaking of, I just ran into Rachel and Jeremy at the falls. They were all over each other.”

“She’s such a…” He shakes his head. “There’s no word for that girl.”

“You two hooked up at Nick’s party, right?” I keep my eyes down and kick a rock on the sidewalk, trying to act casual.

“Yeah. It was nothing, though. I got bored with my date, and Rachel was there and willing.”

“Speaking of Nick, have you heard from him?”

“Nah. I don’t think anyone has. Why?”

I shove my hands in my shorts pockets. “No reason. It’s just weird how he disappeared like that.”

“Not really. He was in bad shape.” Rob turns up a driveway, and I follow. He opens the front door, which is unlocked. I wonder if that’s a clue. After Henry Baker’s death, people started locking their doors out of fear of a murderer on the loose. Rob doesn’t seem to be concerned about that. “Even drinking didn’t numb whatever Nick was going through. Poor bastard. I’m not surprised at all that his parents packed him up and took him wherever they went.”

“His parents travel a lot, right?” I follow Rob to the kitchen where he grabs two Yuenglings from the fridge and tosses one to me.

“Yeah. My guess is Nick’s traveling with them so he’s not on his own anymore.” Rob twists the cap off his beer and sips it. “Damn, that’s good. My parents always get the good stuff.”

“They don’t care that you drink their beer?”

My dad probably wouldn’t notice if I was drunk, but he’d notice if I took his beer from the fridge.

“Nah. They always say if I’m going to drink I might as well do it in the house.”

“Does your cousin in Bridgewater hook your parents up with beer too? Like he does for you?” I twist the cap off my Yuengling and take a sip.

“Nah. They buy it around here. I only go to Bridgewater because I know I won’t get carded.” He sets his beer down on the counter. “I’ve got to hit the shower. Feel free to watch TV or something.” He walks toward the stairs, already ripping his sweaty shirt off.

I wait for him to disappear before I get up and search the house. The living room is off the kitchen and it’s pretty neat. Rob’s parents are definitely in the picture, not like Nick’s. But there’s more than one Hunter on the loose, so it could be a family thing. I look around, checking the magazines on the coffee table and the knickknacks on the fireplace mantel. Nothing looks out of the ordinary.

There’s a den on the other side of the living room. The door is slightly ajar, so I make sure Rob is still upstairs before pushing it open. There’s a filing cabinet and a computer on a desk. That’s it. I run my finger across the touch pad on the laptop, and an email account pops up. Not Rob’s though. Nothing looks suspicious. Then again, I didn’t expect to see a message with the subject “Calling all Phoenix Hunters” either. I click through a few emails and see they’re mostly from relatives. One mentions Bridgewater. It’s from someone named Russell, and I’m guessing he’s Rob’s uncle because it mentions Rob’s recent stay. Nothing’s helpful or the least bit incriminating. I turn to the filing cabinet and open the drawer. Instead of papers, I find bottles of alcohol. Like father like son, I guess. I quickly shut the drawer and head back to the living room. Though I’m dying to check out Rob’s room, I’ve already wasted enough time. Rob’s bound to come back downstairs soon, and I won’t be able to explain what I was doing in his room. I sit down on the couch and wait for Rob.

“Hey,” Rob says, coming down the stairs. “You finish your beer?”

Crap. I left it in the kitchen and only took one sip. “No. I, um, had to use the bathroom and I guess I forgot to grab it when I was done.”

Rob cocks his head to the side and narrows his eyes at me. “You didn’t use the bathroom upstairs, did you?”

“No, you were using that one.”

He lets out a laugh. “Yeah, right.”

He’s hiding something. The question is, is what he’s hiding Hunter related or teenage boy related? He could have some sort of weapon in there, like another Phoenix dagger, or he’s got pictures of…Shit. He was probably jerking off looking at pictures of my girlfriend.

“Look, I forgot I already have plans, so let’s hang out some other time.” Rob motions to the door. His behavior’s gotten too weird. He wants me gone, and he’s afraid I’ve been snooping.

“Sure. Another time.” I get up and walk to the door, already planning my trip back when I’ll definitely be breaking into his bathroom.

Chapter Eighteen

Cara

“I can’t believe you invited him!” Garret’s face turns beet red, and his fist comes down hard on the edge of the coffee table.

“What did you want me to do?” Monique gestures frantically, most likely to keep from setting something on fire. “Cara wanted to interrogate Rob herself. I couldn’t allow that to happen.”

“I’m sitting right here,” I say. I hate when they talk about me like I’m not in the room. “Seriously, you’ve all got to accept that I’m in this every bit as much as you are.” I shake my head. “No, that’s not true. I’m in this deeper than all of you because the Hunters are coming for me, specifically.”

“Let’s not go through that again,” Mom says, taking a deep breath and pacing the living room.

“Did you find a way to destroy the dagger?” I ask Garret, trying to put the conversation on him instead of me, since no one wants to listen to me anyway.

“No. I’ve tried breaking it, but it’s too strong.”

“Too strong?” I grip the arms of my chair. “I thought it was made from the ashes of the first Phoenix egg. How is that too strong to break?”

“How are we Phoenixes in human form?” Jeremy asks, giving me his “duh” look.

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I turn back to Garret. “Fine. What else have you tried?”

“Submerging it in water.”

A laugh bursts through my lips. “What were you trying to do, drown it?”

Garret’s fists shake and tiny embers fall from them, scorching the coffee table. “Our powers are rooted in fire. Water counteracts those powers. It makes sense that water could destroy the power of the dagger.”

“Except I can boil water. I’m sure we all could.” If these are the best ideas Garret’s come up with, we’re in serious trouble.

Garret stands up, his eyes boring into mine. “You want to try destroying the thing? Be my guest.”

A knock on the front door makes the room go silent. I get up, knowing it’s Logan. Garret continues to glare at me as I walk by. I smile at him because I’ll be damned if I’ll let him know he’s getting on my nerves. I greet Logan at the door.

“I’m glad you’re here,” I say.

“I have some news, but I’m not sure what it means.” He steps into the house and looks around at the eyes focused on him. “I guess you were waiting for me.” He walks into the living room, but doesn’t sit.

I stand next to him, showing Garret that I’m not going to let him bully Logan at this meeting.

“What did you find out, Logan?”

“Rob claims to believe the story that Nick left town and is traveling with his parents because he couldn’t deal with Henry Baker’s death. I don’t know if I believe him, though. I can’t help thinking Officer Monroe gave him too good of a line to use as far as Nick is concerned.” Logan emphasizes “Officer Monroe,” mocking Garret’s police work.

Garret steps toward Logan and I raise my hand, allowing flames to erupt from my fingertips. Sure, Logan said that just to piss off Garret, but after the way Garret’s treated him I kind of think he deserved it.

“If that’s all you’ve found out, then you can leave,” Garret says. “Your services aren’t needed anymore.”

Logan lets out a noise somewhere between a scoff and a growl. “My services? That’s rich. I don’t remember you paying me.”

“Enough!” We all turn to see Linette standing at the bottom of the stairs. “I can hear you all bickering from upstairs. You’re lucky I’m not at full strength or I’d burn this house to the ground with all of you inside just to show you how stupid you’re acting.” She stumbles a little, and Logan and I rush to her side. “I get that you’re scared, but how is this fighting helping? Logan, did you find out anything else? Something a little more useful maybe?”

Even though Linette asked the question, Logan speaks directly to me. “Rob took a shower, so I was able to look around a little. I checked the laptop in the den and found an email confirming Rob was staying at this cousin’s house at the time of the last murder.”

“We pretty much knew that already,” Garret says.

Logan whirls around on Garret. “Did you know Rob’s hiding something in his bathroom upstairs?”

“Hiding what?” Monique asks.

Jeremy laughs. “Porn probably. That guy has a one-track mind.”

“Yeah, well at first I thought maybe he was hiding something like that, but if that were the case he wouldn’t have been so persistent about me leaving.”

“True,” Jeremy says. “He probably assumes you’re looking at porn in your own bathroom.”

Mom puts her hands up. “Okay, can we please stop talking about this?”

“I’m going to go back and see what I can find there, but I need to make sure Rob’s out of the house first.” Logan looks at Jeremy. “Think you could invite him somewhere?”

Garret crosses his arms and sits on the arm of the couch. “Jeremy is a new Phoenix. You’d be putting him at risk if Rob is a Hunter.”

“I agree,” Mom says, and Garret raises a brow in disbelief. They don’t agree often.

“I could ask Rachel to hang out with him,” I say, already hating the idea.

“No.” Jeremy sits up straight. “You’d be putting Rachel in danger.”

“She might very well be a Hunter too,” Monique says. “She and Rob have always had a connection, and with the way they banter and she dotes on him, I’m not convinced we can trust Rachel.”

I close my eyes, wanting to make this whole situation go away. “Are we questioning everyone now?”

“We have to be careful, Cara,” Mom says. “I don’t want to think Rachel has been lying to us, but…” Her face falls. “We can’t afford to let another person get close to us the way Nick did.”

I can tell she blames herself for not picking up on the signs that Nick was a Hunter. Maybe Jeremy and I had befriended Nick, but Mom had allowed it to happen. She was around him every time he came over, and from what I can tell, that was a lot, at least before Jeremy’s rebirth.

“What exactly are we looking for?” I ask. “What are the signs? I can get close to Rachel and find out for sure so we can rule her out.”

“No,” Garret says forcefully. “You don’t want to believe she’s a Hunter and that will sway your opinion, even if there’s evidence against her. It has to be someone else.”

“I’ll do it next time she comes to the café,” Monique says.

“Fine.” Garret lets out a deep breath. “Then we need to figure out who is going to get Rob out of his house long enough for us to search it.

Logan furrows his brow. “What do you mean us? I thought I was doing it?”

“When are you going to get it?” Garret stands and moves toward Logan. “You’re not one of us. We can’t have you going in there and messing this up.”

“I didn’t screw anything up when I questioned Rob today.”

“You got lucky.”

“I’ll go with Logan,” I say. “We’ll search Rob’s place together. I have no reason to try to defend Rob. I can’t even remember him. We’ll go tonight.”

Mom walks over and takes my hand. “And how do you plan to do that? I’m not having you sneak around while Rob is sleeping in that house. His parents will be home. It’s too risky.”

Monique pats the front of her jeans. “Tell you what. Tomorrow I’ll offer a half-price brunch. You two tell Rachel and Rob about it. Tell them I asked you to extend the invitation to them for being such great customers and friends to Cara. I’ll be able to keep an eye on them while Cara and Logan look around.”

“I should be the one to search the house,” Garret insists. “I’m trained for this.”

Sure, he’s the cop, but he doesn’t have a warrant. If he gets caught, he could lose his job. “No one is going to question Logan and me going to Rob’s house if they see us. What reason would you have for being there?”

“Cara’s right. It has to be us.” Logan looks at me as we both continue to hold up Linette.

“Good. Then can we end this meeting please?” Linette asks, her voice weaker than ever.

Logan and I help her back upstairs and into bed. I motion to my room because I want to talk to Logan before he leaves. He steps inside, goes right for my bed, and sits down. He smoothes the bedspread with his hand and smiles. “You nearly outed yourself right here.”

“What do you mean?” I close the door and walk over to him.

“We were making out and a puff of smoke came out of your mouth.”

I take a deep breath to keep myself from having a meltdown over my own carelessness. “How did I talk my way out of that one?”

“You tried to tell me your mom had the air conditioning set so high that I saw your breath.” He laughs. “You probably could’ve told me you swallowed a volcano and I would’ve been okay with it.” He reaches for my hand, and I let him. “You know I’m okay with all this, right? What you are? What it means for us? Have I made that clear?”

He’s made it clear that he’s a great guy, and it’s also becoming clear that I probably don’t deserve him.

“Listen, I just want to thank you for everything. I know Garret can be a major tool, but—”

“I can handle Garret.”

“I know.”

His fingertips brush my cheek and then he lowers his hand. “I should go. It’s getting late.”

I don’t want him to leave. I want to sit with him so I can feel like me again. It’s selfish of me to ask him to stay just so I can feel normal, but I can’t help myself.

“Will you stay for a little while longer?”

He smiles. “Until you fall asleep, you mean?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “How did you know?”

“Because you used to like to keep me on the phone until you fell asleep.” He stands up and motions for me to get into bed. I do, fully dressed.

“You can sit with me if you want.”

“You sure? Your mom might not like that. She once caught us in the middle of a pretty intense make-out session, and I doubt she wants to relive that. Not that I mean I’m planning to make out with you. I just meant I don’t want to do anything to remind her of that day.” He fidgets uncomfortably. “You know, maybe I should go.”

I laugh. “For a confident guy, you sure can talk yourself in circles.” I pat the bed. “I’ll stay under the covers and you can sit on top of them. How’s that?”

He slides onto the bed next to me, but he doesn’t touch me.

I snuggle down under the sheets, turning on my side to face him. “Logan?”

“Yeah?”

“Tell me more about us.”

“Are you sure?”

I bite my lower lip, wondering if I’m pushing myself too far. “I’m sure.”

“Yeah, you look it.” He laughs, but it’s cut short. “Are you more afraid of not getting your memories back or of remembering what we had?”

That’s a good question. There are consequences to both, and I’m not sure I’m ready to handle either. “I’m sort of counting on fate to intervene, I guess. You know, figure out what’s best and make it happen for me.”

“Don’t you think you’re a better judge of what’s best for you?”

“Not when I can’t even remember who I am.” I stare into his blue-gray eyes and get lost in him. “I do feel like I’m more in touch with whoever I’m supposed to be when I’m around you.”

He leans down and places a kiss on my forehead, and my heart clenches.

“What do you think we’re going to find tomorrow?” I ask him. “At Rob’s.”

“If it’s pictures of you, he’s a dead man.”

Judging by the look on Logan’s face, I can tell he thinks we’re only going to find out Rob’s a perv. I reach for Logan’s hand and wrap my fingers around it as I drift off to sleep.

***

Three hours later, I wake up sweating and Logan’s voice is yelling, “Don’t forget!” I sit up and look around the room. Logan is gone. He must have left after I fell asleep. My heart is pounding in my chest, and my pillow has scorch marks on it. I replay the dream in my mind and gasp when I realize what it was.

My rebirth, or the premonition of my rebirth that I had in my previous life. Am I starting to remember things?

Chapter Nineteen

Logan

I’m up by six, eager to get to Cara’s. She fell asleep beside me last night, and while nothing happened, I haven’t felt that close to her in a long time. Maybe we’re making progress. She seems to think I’m the key to finding herself, and I’m okay with that. She helped me when I came to Ashlan Falls and was angry at the world. I owe it to her to help her through this. I’m not sure why I ever left. Anton was right. Running is for pussies.

I head to the living room and find the place a mess. With Linette unable to cook and clean, the house has gone to hell. I should really call someone in, but I’m worried Dad will replace Linette, and then if she does recover, she’ll be out of a job. I quickly grab a few things lying around and toss them in the laundry or garbage. I don’t have a clue where any cleaning products are, so I wet a paper towel and wipe things off. When I’m done, I step back and check out the place. It’s guy clean. Which means it’s dirty but livable. Hopefully Dad’s too busy avoiding me to notice. I’ve seen him exactly twice since Officer Monroe took me captive after Cara’s rebirth.

I grab a Power Bar from the cabinet and a bottle of water from the fridge and sit down at the kitchen table. There’s a note stuck to a placemat.

Going out of town.

That’s it. No mention of how long he’ll be gone, but it’s more than I expected. Him going away doesn’t really change my life at all since I don’t see him now, and at least I don’t have to worry about the house being messy for a little while.

I finish my breakfast, get dressed, and walk to Cara’s. The café has a sign out front advertising the half-price brunch, and then it hits me that Cara and I never called Rachel and Rob to tell them about it. Ugh! I smack my thigh and pull out my phone. I dial Cara, staring at the photo ID on my screen, the one I made her send me. I wonder how long it will be before she kisses me like that again.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Logan.”

“I know your voice.”

“Right. Look, I’m on my way to your place, but I just realized we never called Rob and Rachel last night.”

“I know. I called Rach this morning. She’s going, and get this. Jeremy is taking her.”

“I thought your mom didn’t want you and Jeremy hanging out with Rachel or Rob until we find out if…you know.”

“I guess Mom okayed it because Monique will be there and so will about half the town. She said people flock there when Monique runs a special like this.”

“Did you talk to Rob?” I hate the idea of Cara talking to him, even if he’s not a Hunter.

“Jeremy called him. Said he had some of Nick’s stuff that he thought Rob might want since they were friends.”

“All right. I’ll be there in a few.”

“Okay.” She pauses, like she wants to say more but doesn’t.

I linger on the line in case she works up the courage, but she just breathes on the other end. We stay like that until I’m in her driveway. “I’m here.”

“Oh.” Her voice is high-pitched like I startled her, making me wonder what she’s been thinking this whole time. “I’ll be right down.”

I hang up and wait on the front porch. Cara opens the door a minute later wearing a white sundress with orange flowers. I suck in a sharp breath at her appearance. This must be a cruel joke. The universe expects me to go on a stealth mission with Cara looking like that? The dress makes her legs look like they go on for miles, and her hair is cascading down her back like fire. I want to wrap my arms around her and take her upstairs to her room.

“Um, hi,” she says, because I’m staring with my mouth wide open.

“Sorry. You look incredible. I was thinking you’d be wearing something black and stealthy considering we’re about to break into Rob’s house, but this…wow.”

She blushes. “I didn’t even think to dress like that. I guess I’m not very good at this kind of stuff.”

“No, it’s good. I mean, we don’t want people to look at us and assume we’re going to sneak around in the dark.” But God would I love to be in the dark with her right now.

“I’m guessing you’re only saying that to make me feel better, but thank you anyway,” she says, and I can’t help noticing the flirty tone in her voice. She steps onto the porch and pulls the door closed behind her. “Shall we?”

I motion for her to go first and check her out from behind. Damn, that sundress highlights all her curves.

She eyes me over her shoulder. “Are you checking me out?”

“What if I say yes?”

She smiles, falling back in step with me. “Jeremy said Rachel is meeting him in about fifteen minutes and Rob should be there right after that.”

“What do we do in the meantime?”

“We met at the falls, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I haven’t been there much, yet Mom and Jeremy say that I practically lived there before…” She lowers her gaze to the sidewalk. “I thought I should probably spend more time there if I really want to tap into my memories. Jeremy said he tried to do things the way he did before his rebirth at first but he gave up on it and told people his interests changed. I don’t want to do that. I want to remember why I loved the things I did back then. You know?” She looks up at me, and I can’t help wondering if she’s including me in that list of things.

“I think it’s a good plan, but honestly, I don’t want to take you there now. I don’t want to rush our time together. We used to stay there for hours at a time, getting lost in…” I still don’t know how much I should tell her. I want her to figure some of this out for herself.

“I think I understand what you mean. Maybe we could go later, once we’re finished checking Rob’s house.”

“Sounds good.” It takes all my might not to kiss her.

We take the long way to Rob’s house, both to kill time so we’re sure he’s not home and to avoid going by Monique’s. I can’t help thinking back to when Cara showed me around town. Everything about this place is tied to my memories of Cara. When we reach the place where I was hit by a car, Cara comes to a sudden stop and grabs my arm.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know.” She looks around, her eyes going from the sidewalk in front of us to the road. Then her head lowers, and she jerks her hand away from my arm. “Where’s your jacket?”

“What?” My voice rises an octave. “What did you just say?”

She presses her hand to her forehead. “I don’t know. I have no idea what I’m saying or why this place is bothering me. I’m sorry.”

I take her by her shoulders and look into her eyes. “Cara, I used to wear a leather jacket all the time. My mom gave it to me, and after she died it was all I had left of her. The only time I didn’t have it on was when I gave it to you.”

She searches my eyes as if she’s going to see the memories in them. Then she squints and tries to turn away, but I hold her tightly.

“And right here, in this spot, a dog tried to attack us and I got hit by a car.”

“Oh my God!” She places her hand on my chest.

“I wasn’t hurt because you scared the dog away and made the windshield of the car shatter.”

She looks up at me. “How many times did you get hurt being around me?”

“I’m fine. I was never really hurt around you because you saved me. You healed my head when I cracked it open at the falls. I probably would’ve died if not for you, so before you talk yourself into believing it’s dangerous for me to be around you, understand that I’m alive because of you.”

She’s breathing heavily. “What happened to your jacket?”

“It burned.”

“That’s the jacket you mentioned at the falls. It burned with me?”

“Not exactly. I tried to put out the fire with it.”

“Why would you do that if it meant so much to you?” She’s on the verge of tears now.

I stare into her eyes, trying to convey everything I’m feeling inside. “Because you mean more to me.”

She crumples into me, and I hold her against my chest. The memories are supposed to make things better, not worse. I hate that I’m hurting her by telling her all these things.

She tilts her head back and looks at me again. “I had a dream about you last night. I didn’t tell anyone because I wasn’t sure how they’d react.”

“What happened in the dream?”

“It wasn’t just a dream. It was a premonition, only it was from my past.”

“You saw something from your past?”

She nods and looks around. The streets are empty, most likely because everyone is at Monique’s. “We have premonitions of our rebirths. That’s what I saw.”

“What if you were remembering your rebirth instead of seeing the premonition?”

“Either way, it means I’m remembering.”

I wasn’t sure she ever would recover her memories. I’ve just been hoping she’d fall in love with me again. This is good. This means we might get back what we lost.

She wipes her eyes. “We need to get to Rob’s. We’re wasting time.”

“Are you okay?”

“This is what I wanted, right?” She backs away from me and forces a smile.

We start walking again and reach Rob’s house. There are no cars in the driveway, which means Rob’s parents must be at work. We go around back, and I hope that Rob’s left the house unlocked again.

“What are you doing?” Cara asks as I reach for the doorknob.

“When I came here with Rob yesterday, he just went inside. It wasn’t locked.”

“Really?” She narrows her eyes. “If he was a Hunter, I’d think he’d lock his house tight to keep anyone from finding out.”

“Or he’s confident no one will suspect him.” I turn the doorknob, and the door opens with ease. “We’re in.”

Cara stays close to me and shuts the door behind us. We head upstairs and start in the bathroom, the room Rob didn’t want me snooping around in. Cara checks the vanity while I search the closet. There’s a stack of magazines in a basket at the bottom of the closet, but it’s not porn or anything like that. They’re cooking magazines. Why anyone would read a cooking magazine while sitting on the toilet is beyond me.

“Nothing,” Cara says with a sigh.

“Let’s check his room. It’s possible he moved whatever it is he’s hiding.” I follow Cara to Rob’s room. The walls are a faded blue, and the carpet is stained so badly I can’t tell what color it once was. The bed is unmade, and there are empty beer bottles on the floor.

“Whoa,” Cara says.

“Yeah, he’s an interesting guy.”

“He’s a drunk guy.” Cara walks around the room, stepping over bottles and various stains. “What does Rachel see in him?”

“Beyond the fact that he’s a warm body, I couldn’t tell you.” I head for the bed first and lift up the sheets hanging onto the floor so I can see underneath. Magazines, and these definitely are porn. I push them aside, making sure Rob isn’t hiding anything behind them. “Nothing here.”

Cara is searching the desk, pulling out drawer after drawer to reveal they’re all empty except for a hacky sack in one. “Nothing here either.”

We both move toward the closet when we hear noises downstairs. Crap! Rob must have come home early. Footsteps sound on the stairs, so I grab Cara and pull her into the closet with me, closing the doors behind us.

Through the slats in the doors, I see Rob walk into the room with his phone in his hand. “Yeah, I know.” He sounds pissed. “You interrupted my breakfast, and now you’re really pissing me off. As soon as I get her away from him everything will be fine. I know what I’m doing.”

Rob hangs up the phone and tosses it on the bed. Then he pulls his shirt up over his head and walks toward the closet.

We are so fucked.

Chapter Twenty

Cara

A squeak slips through my lips, and Logan covers my mouth. Rob is going to find us, and after what he just said on the phone, I have no doubt he’s a Hunter. He wants to get me away from Logan, and then I’m sure he’s planning to kill me.

My mind searches for a way out of this situation. I have firepower, but that’s not going to save us from being caught. My only hope is to let Rob find us and then chuck a fireball at his head.

Logan opens my purse and takes out my phone. He scrolls through my contacts to find Rob and hits send. Just as Rob’s hand clamps down on the closet door, his cell rings.

“What now?” He turns in a huff and grabs his phone from the bed. When he sees the display he smiles. “Well, well, maybe Tillman came to her senses after all.” He answers the call. “Hey, good looking.”

Logan ends the call and starts texting. I read the screen as he types.

Cara: Sorry, bad reception. Can you meet me at the falls?

Rob reads his screen and laughs. “About time, Tillman.” He pulls his shirt back over his head and leaves.

I exhale the breath I’ve been holding. “Oh my God.”

“I know. That was way too close.” Logan puts my cell back in my purse.

“We need to get out of here.”

We wait until we hear the front door close, and then we come out of our hiding spot. Logan rifles through the clothes and shoeboxes, but doesn’t find anything to prove Rob is a Hunter. This trip hasn’t told us anything concrete. Yes, Rob wants to get me away from Logan, but the more I think about it, that might not mean anything, not in a Hunter sense.

“Let’s go. You need to get to the falls.” Logan pulls me from the room and down the stairs.

“Why did you ask him to meet me there?”

“I don’t know.” He lets go of me as we reach the bottom of the stairs. “I panicked, I guess. Now we’re going to have to come up with a reason for meeting him there.”

“I’m going to tell him to stay away from Rachel. Tell him that she’s with Jeremy now and I don’t want my brother getting hurt.”

“You know that’s only going to fuel his ego. He’ll assume you want him to stay away because you think Rachel would choose him over Jeremy.”

I shrug. “What else can I do? We don’t know any more than we did yesterday, and we have to get out of this mess.”

We sneak out the back door, making sure none of the neighbors sees us. My cell vibrates with a text from Monique.

Monique: This place is clearing out.

Cara: I know. Rob almost caught us a minute ago.

Her response is immediate, which means she’s panicking.

Monique: Are you okay?

Cara: Fine. No worries.

We run to the falls because Rob already has a head start. Before we go through the entrance, I stop and tug Logan’s arm. “I should do this alone.”

“No way.” Logan’s breathing normally even though I’m panting. “We don’t know if we can trust him, so I’m not going anywhere.”

He’s right. It’s too risky to be alone with Rob. I try to catch my breath so Rob doesn’t know I rushed here. He looks up when he hears us approaching, and his brows pull together.

“I didn’t know he was coming,” Rob says, eying Logan.

“Why wouldn’t he? He’s my boyfriend.”

“Right. I just thought—”

“You thought what?” Logan asks. “That Cara ditched me to meet you? Man, we hung out yesterday and already you’re willing to stab me in the back.” Logan emphasizes the word “stab,” but Rob doesn’t flinch.

Rob holds his arms out at his sides. “What can I say? I barely know you, and she’s hot.”

Is he using the word “hot” on purpose? Playing around with double-meanings the way Logan did?

“Rob, I asked you to meet me because I want you to stop getting in the way of Rachel and Jeremy. They like each other. I know you were with them at Monique’s.”

“Hey, Jeremy called me. Said he had some of Nick’s stuff for me. Turns out it was a stupid flash drive with songs on it. I couldn’t care less. As for Rachel, she’s going to do whatever and whoever she wants. Maybe you forgot that.”

“I forgot a lot of things, but I know she likes Jeremy and he likes her. I don’t want to see either one of them get hurt. Keep your distance, okay? I’m asking you as a friend.” I step toward him, trying to act like I’m doing nothing more than asking for a favor.

Rob’s mouth curves up on one side. “Right, and this has nothing to do with making sure I stay available for when you get tired of this guy.” He motions to Logan.

I reach for Logan, knowing he won’t let Rob talk like that about him. “Don’t hold your breath. Or on second thought, do hold your breath. Let’s see how that goes.”

I turn around and walk out of the falls, holding hands with Logan.

“Wow,” Logan says. “I’m impressed.”

“Why? The guy’s a major douche.”

He laughs. “I know, but you handled him well, and I saw a little of the old Cara fire.”

“That’s probably what he was hoping for. To get me worked up so I’d do something stupid.” I shake my head, unable to believe how bad I am at being a Phoenix. Screwing up before was one thing because I didn’t have control over my abilities. I should be better at this now.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Logan assures me. “You put him in his place. That’s all. No worries, okay?”

“We should get back to my house and fill Linette and Jeremy in on what we found out, not that it’s much of anything.”

“How’s Linette doing?”

My stomach churns with worry. “I don’t think the others believe she’s going to get better. She may stay like this until her next rebirth.”

“How long will that be?”

“I’m not sure.” We each have a predetermined age when we’re reborn—after the first time at seventeen for girls, sixteen for guys—but we don’t know what it is until it happens, and I’ve never asked Linette about hers.

“We should do something fun today,” Logan says. “I think we deserve it after the morning we’ve been having.” His face lights up. “You’re remembering things. Let’s go back to the falls for a swim and see if we can jog anything else inside that pretty head of yours.”

“I don’t think Mom’s going to let me hang out at the falls with everything that’s going on. We didn’t exactly find out anything about Rob, so we’re no better off than we were before.”

“Your mom is at work, right?” A devilish smile creeps across his lips.

“Let me guess, I snuck out to be with you before.”

“Too often, but that was because your mom was trying to keep you away from me. I definitely don’t want a repeat of that. I’m just thinking that we could go for a little while. I’ll have you home before she gets off work, and I’m sure Linette will be resting so she won’t even notice we’re gone.”

“That leaves Jeremy.” I turn up my driveway where Jeremy is shooting hoops.

He sinks a basket and turns toward us. “Find anything?” He’s breathing heavily, and I can’t help thinking this is his way of burning off energy while he waited for us.

“Not really. Rob came home early and almost caught us.” I take the ball from Jeremy because I’m feeling the need to blow off a little steam too. “He was talking on the phone to someone though and he mentioned getting her away from him. It’s possible he was talking about Logan and me, but there’s no way to know for sure.” I chuck the ball at the net, and it bounces off the backboard.

Jeremy catches my rebound. He holds the ball in front of him and scrunches his face in thought. “So, that could mean that he doesn’t want you around Logan for a reason.”

I didn’t think of it like that, but he might be right. “That could mean that Logan’s offering some sort of protection.” I look at Logan, trying to see if I missed a clue about him. Maybe he’s not a regular human after all. Maybe he’s different too.

***

Logan and I decide to skip the falls until we know more. I don’t want to mess things up by pissing off Mom. I spend the day helping Linette, who is determined to get her strength back. She leans on me as we walk the length of the living room over and over again. I pretend she’s making progress, but I think we both know I’m supporting most of her weight.

At six Mom comes home. She kicks off her shoes, flops onto the couch, and leans her head back.

“That was a long day. There’s nothing worse than healing someone and having them complain about it. I swear the guy stabbed himself with a screwdriver on purpose just so he could get some prescription drugs.”

“You aren’t healing people too well, are you, Elisa?” Linette says, sitting herself up more in the armchair.

Mom rubs her temples. “I’ve been so on edge lately. My emotions were running high, and I might have overdone it with healing him.”

“You need to be more careful,” Linette says, though her tone is nowhere near as reprimanding as Garret’s would be if he were here.

“I know. I’m thinking of calling in sick tomorrow so I can gather my thoughts and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

If she calls in sick, I’ll never get to go to the falls with Logan, not without a chaperone.

“I’m not sure any of us should do anything out of the ordinary right now,” I say. “Logan and I didn’t find anything out about Rob.”

“That’s not true.” Jeremy shakes his head at me before turning to Mom. “Rob doesn’t seem to want Cara with Logan. Don’t you think that might mean something? He was there during her rebirth, and instead of Nick killing Cara, she was able to kill Nick. Logan might have had something to do with that. He might not be just a human after all.”

Mom sits up and looks at me. “Are you implying Logan is something else? Superhuman?”

“Maybe he’s a Phoenix but doesn’t know it. Is that possible?” I ask.

Mom leans forward and squeezes her knees in her hands. “You’ve known what you are since you were four, because your father and I were upfront with you about being a Phoenix. I guess it’s possible that Logan’s family wasn’t honest with him. He could have been reborn and not even know it.”

Garret walks in and shakes his head, dismissing the idea with the wave of his hand. I didn’t even hear him come in, and I’m not sure I like the idea of him coming and going like he lives here.

“Then his parents would be Phoenixes,” Garret says.

“No one has ever seen Logan’s dad, right?” I look to Linette, who furrows her brow. “Have you met him?”

“We’ve only spoken on the phone.”

Garret’s eyes widen in disbelief. “How is that possible? You’re living in his house.” Garret gestures to Linette’s chest, which is still bandaged even though she’s trying to hide that fact from the rest of us by wearing baggy clothes. “Or you were before this happened.”

“Logan never told his father that I’d be staying with them.” She shrugs, which makes her wince. “I didn’t want to risk him saying I couldn’t live there, so I made sure he didn’t know.”

I’m not surprised Logan didn’t tell his father. From what he told me, his dad isn’t the most understanding person. None of us has ever met Mr. Schmidt. That could be because he doesn’t want anyone to figure out what he is.

“Maybe he keeps so busy because he’s not good at hiding his Phoenix abilities. Logan makes it seem like his dad is always angry, and anger makes it difficult to control our scent and body heat, not to mention setting things on fire.”

They all give me the “we know how it works” look, and I roll my eyes. If they know so well, why aren’t they seeing what I’m seeing?

“Are we really going from thinking Schmidt could be a Hunter to thinking he might be a Phoenix?” Garret rakes his fingers through his hair. “We must all be losing our minds.”

Jeremy stands up, looking much more authoritative than I’ve seen him appear before. “Someone has to meet this guy. Find out if it’s true.”

Linette reaches for his arm, wincing at the movement. “It should be me. I’d be the least suspicious choice. I have to get over there and clean anyway. I’m sure the place is a mess by now.”

Mom puts her teacup on the coffee table and goes to Linette. “You aren’t ready to be picking up after anyone.”

She doesn’t want to say it, but we all know that Linette may never be ready again. We have no idea if she’ll ever recover from the Phoenix dagger. It may have missed her heart, but it did a lot of damage to her body that Mom couldn’t heal.

“Monique and I can take turns going over there and cleaning for you.”

“No. I won’t lie around here useless, as nothing more than a liability to the rest of you.”

Linette’s not the liability in our group. I am.

Chapter

Twenty-One

Cara

I convince Linette not to go to Logan’s house because, based on what Logan’s told me about him, if Mr. Schmidt sees the condition she’s in, he’d probably fire her. He doesn’t sound like the caring or forgiving type. I bring some cleaning supplies with me so I can straighten up the place until we figure out what to do to save Linette’s job.

I see Mr. Schmidt’s car in the driveway when I pull up, and my heart skips a beat. Meeting my boyfriend’s dad isn’t something I thought I’d be doing tonight, and it’s going to be even harder since I don’t really remember being in love with Logan.

Before I can knock, the door opens and Logan is standing there. “This is a nice surprise.”

“How did you know I was here?” I didn’t want to call ahead because I didn’t want his father to have advance notice I was coming. It’s easier to catch someone doing something suspicious when they don’t know you’re coming.

“I saw you through my window. What’s going on? I didn’t think your mom would let you out on your own.” He steps aside, motioning for me to come in.

“I think the meeting was so intense no one noticed.” Mom’s slipping up lately. Her fear is clouding her judgment.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here. You can help me hide from my dad. I kind of thought I’d be rid of him for a few days, but no such luck.”

“I, um, was kind of hoping I could meet your dad.”

Logan cocks his head. “What are you up to?”

Do I tell him? If he’s a Phoenix and doesn’t know it, I might freak him out by telling him my theory. He might run into his dad’s office demanding answers, and that could screw up everything if we’re wrong about this. I don’t want to entertain the possibility that Mr. Schmidt is a Hunter, but I know Linette still suspects him.

“Can we go talk in your room?”

Logan eyes me suspiciously, but he places his hand on the small of my back and leads me to his room. It’s a mess. I can tell right away that Linette hasn’t been here. How Logan’s dad is missing that, I’m not sure.

Logan closes the door behind us. “Sorry about the mess. I’ve been focusing on the rooms Dad sees. He never comes in here, so it sort of turned into a dumping ground.”

“I brought some cleaning supplies if you want me to help. They’re in my car.”

He takes my hands and leads me to his bed. “I’d rather you tell me why you’re here. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see you, but I know there’s a purpose for this visit.”

I take a deep breath. “It’s about what Rob said. Jeremy and I think that maybe you’re not…fully human.”

Logan laughs so hard he doubles over. “Anton would shit himself if he heard you say that.”

“Why is it so strange? You know what I am. What makes you think you couldn’t be something else?” I look down at my lap. “Or even a Phoenix like me?”

Logan stops laughing and tilts my chin up. “You think I’m a Phoenix?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s possible.”

“How? I’ve never been reborn.”

“That you remember.” I take his hand in mine. “Male Phoenixes are reborn for the first time at sixteen. Think back. Can you remember anything strange from that age?”

“Cara, as much as I’d love to be a Phoenix, mostly to get your mom off my back and over this ‘humans aren’t good enough for her daughter’ kick, I have all my memories of my childhood. From every year. I was never reborn.”

“You didn’t ever have what you thought was amnesia? I mean, I’m remembering things, so maybe you—”

He presses a finger to my lips. “You’re remembering things because of the imprint between us. All your memories are the ones you shared with me, right?”

I nod. Even the dream I had about my rebirth had Logan in it.

“I’ve never imprinted before, and besides that, I still have my crappy memories of my father and all the shit he did to ruin my mom’s life. I’d love to forget that, but I can’t.”

He’s right. He can’t be a Phoenix. There have been very rare cases of Phoenixes who don’t have red hair or smell like cinnamon, and I was grasping at any hope Logan was one of those exceptions.

“It was stupid. I guess I just wanted it to be true.”

“Because it would make it easier for us to be together?” He looks hopeful.

“And because if you’re not a Phoenix, it means your dad isn’t either. And unfortunately…” I can’t bring myself to say it with Logan looking at me.

His eyes narrow as he pieces together where I’m going with this. “You think my dad might be a Hunter. You think the reason why you’re safe when you’re around me is because my dad wouldn’t do anything when I’m there. Like he’s trying to protect me. Am I right?”

As much as I don’t want to believe what Garret’s thought all along, hearing Logan say it makes complete sense. I nod.

“Only there’s a problem with that logic.” Logan stands up and turns toward the door. “My dad doesn’t give two shits about me. If he was a Hunter, he’d use me to get to you, and then he’d probably hope he’d get lucky enough to take us both out together. If I die, his life would be better.”

I stand up and tug his arm so he faces me. “Logan, you can’t believe that. I’m sure your dad doesn’t hate you.”

“Because you know him so well?”

I look away, and Logan grabs my arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

“I need to meet him. I need to get evidence that he’s just a guy grieving the loss of his wife.”

“Don’t forget a shitty father.”

“That too. Anything that will prove he isn’t a Hunter.”

“Okay. I guess we should get this over with then.” He opens the bedroom door for me. I get the feeling that he doesn’t talk to his dad if he can avoid it, so I know he’s only doing this for me and it won’t be easy on him.

He leads me back to the office and knocks on the door.

“What? I’m working.” Mr. Schmidt’s voice is terse, which breaks my heart considering he must know it’s Logan who’s knocking.

“I want to introduce you to someone,” Logan says.

“Another time.”

“Dad, please.”

The words bring a pained expression to Logan’s face, almost like he’s afraid his father will deny his plea. I gently brush my fingers against Logan’s hand, letting him know I’m here for him, even if his dad isn’t.

Footsteps sound across the hardwood floor and the door is yanked open. Mr. Schmidt’s eyes land on me, and they aren’t the least bit friendly.

“Hi,” I say. “I’m Cara.”

“My girlfriend,” Logan adds.

Mr. Schmidt looks at Logan like this is news to him. Then he turns back to me and nods before trying to close the door again.

Logan sticks his foot in the doorway. “Dad, wait.”

Mr. Schmidt stops pushing the door closed, but he doesn’t open it again. “What?”

“I thought maybe…”

Logan can barely get a sentence out, so I step in. “I was hoping to talk to you. I was thinking of becoming a lawyer one day.”

Mr. Schmidt looks me up and down. “You?”

I force a smile at his condescending tone.

Logan removes his foot from the door and clenches his fist.

“Yes, sir. I thought maybe you could point me in the direction of a few colleges I should look into.”

He smirks. “You want to be a lawyer, but you don’t know what the best law schools are? I’d reconsider if I were you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a case to get back to.” He shuts the door.

“I don’t think he likes me,” I say, elbowing Logan in the ribs and trying to break the tension that’s suffocating the room.

“He’s such a bastard.” Logan practically yells “bastard” at the door.

“Don’t. I didn’t come here to start an argument between you and your dad.” I pull him toward the living room and sit on the couch.

“Sorry that wasn’t helpful. The guy is—”

“He’s your dad.”

“Don’t remind me.” Logan runs his hands through his hair and leans back on the sofa. “What now?”

“I don’t know. Has your dad ever just disappeared for a few days?”

“He went out of town sometime last night and he got back right before you came over. He had the decency to leave me a note this time, but by the time I found it, his trip was pretty much over.”

“Where did he go?”

My mind races with ideas: a secret meeting of Hunters, a search for the Phoenix dagger, off to Bridgewater to find the Phoenix out there that keeps slipping by the Hunters. We really need to find out who that Phoenix is, because he or she might be the answer to a lot of questions. After the note on the last victim was addressed to me, I assumed I was the target the Hunters were looking for, but Nick knew I was here. He would have told the other Hunters, unless he had been working alone.

“Cara?” Logan places his hand on my shoulder. “You’re not even listening to me, are you?”

“Sorry, I just realized something.”

“What?”

“Nick must not have been working with anyone.”

Logan squints at me. “You mean he was a rogue Hunter?”

“Yeah, because the Hunters in Bridgewater thought I lived there. They’ve been searching for me there.”

“Okay. Does that help?”

“I’m not sure. If anything, it just means there are a lot more Hunters than we thought.”

“I thought you said they were drawn to the dagger, that they can sense it.” Logan starts pacing. “If that’s true, then they all should be coming here, shouldn’t they?”

“I’m sure I’ll be on lockdown the second we get wind of them.”

“So my dad leaving town should clear his name, don’t you think?”

“Maybe. Unless he went to talk to them.”

“About what? If he was a Hunter, he’d grill me with questions about you.”

“True. And he probably would’ve figured out Linette’s a Phoenix.”

“He hasn’t questioned the house being a mess or where Linette is. Maybe that’s because he already knows. Maybe he was one of the Hunters who attacked her.”

I narrow my eyes at his sudden change of heart. “Wait, a second ago, you were arguing that he couldn’t be a Hunter, and now you’re saying he’s a likely suspect for the one who attacked Linette?” God, Logan’s every bit as confused as the rest of us, and he lives with his dad. He should have inside information that can help us, but he’s only making me more uncertain of everything.

“Dad goes to Bridgewater sometimes. His firm has another office there.”

Well, crap. That’s going to make him look really guilty in Garret’s eyes. But something is still bothering me. “Linette told me that she saw one of her attackers right before she was knocked out. She didn’t remember at first, but she said that he looked surprised. That maybe he had been expecting someone other than Linette.”

“You think the Hunter was looking for you, that he knows what you look like?”

“It adds up, but there’s still something that doesn’t make any sense to me. If Rob’s a Hunter, what is it about you that worries him?”

Logan shakes his head. “The more I think about it, the more I don’t believe that idiot is a Hunter. I think he’s just obsessed with you because you’ve always turned him down.” By the look on his face, I can’t help thinking Logan would prefer Rob was a Hunter instead of being a creep with his eye on me.

“Okay, let’s assume that’s true. There’s still the possibility that the reason I survived that day in the chem lab had everything to do with you being there. And if that’s the case, what does it mean?” I stare into his eyes. “What are you?”

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Logan

I wake up feeling like I’m hungover. My half-bird, half-human girlfriend thinks I’m some sort of superhuman being that saved her from a Hunter when she was reborn and that’s protecting her now just by being near her. I wish I could be her superhero, but I know I’m not. I’m just me. Logan Schmidt. Nothing special.

My cell rings on my nightstand, and I snatch it up, hoping it’s Cara calling to say she’s come to her senses and knows I’m only human. It’s Anton’s picture on the display.

“What’s up, Anton?”

“You still in bed? You sound like shit.”

“Thanks. Long night.”             

“Oh, I see. So I take it Cara took you back with open arms.”

Of course he thinks I was up late because Cara and I were messing around. No such luck. It was all talk. Talk about what a dick my dad is, what a douche Rob is, and what might or might not be special enough about me to scare Hunters away.

“Did I lose you?” Anton asks.

“No. I’m here. Cara and I are back together, but she still has amnesia from her accident so we’re taking things slow.”

“Well, that blows.”

“Yeah, you have no idea.” I know he assumes I’m talking about sex, and I let him think that because it’s easier than telling him what’s really going on. “So, why’d you call?”

“Because I haven’t heard from you. It’s like you went back there and forgot about your best friend.”

“Sorry. Things have been intense.” Understatement of the year.

“Why’s that? Cara still pulling weird shit?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Cara thinks I’m like superhuman or something.”

Anton laughs. “You can’t be that good in bed.”

“I’m not talking about that. She thinks I’m like a protector or something. Crazy, right?”

“I’d say. More like a guy who’s totally whipped. Let me know if anything good happens.” He hangs up.

I shower, get dressed, and head for the living room. Someone’s in the kitchen, and I know it can’t be Dad because he leaves way before I get up.

“Hello?” I cringe, knowing that with Hunters on the loose calling “hello” instead of keeping the element of surprise is a stupid move.

“Good morning, Logan.”

“Mrs. Tillman?” I walk into the kitchen and find her doing the dishes.

“Monique and I are going to take turns cleaning so your dad doesn’t find out about Linette.”

“Cara mentioned that. Thanks.” I awkwardly scoot around her at the sink and grab a Gatorade from the fridge.

“Do you want me to make you something for breakfast?” she asks, drying the last of the dishes.

“No, that’s okay. Shouldn’t you be at work by now?”

“I took the later shift today.” She eyes me, knowingly. “Why? Were you planning to sneak off somewhere with Cara?”

“I’m not going to lie to you, so you should know we were going to head to the falls for a bit.” My honesty should earn me at least a point or two in the plus column.

“Cara told me about yesterday, how she remembered your jacket and the car accident.” She leans back against the counter. “As much as I hate what this could mean for her, recovering her memories is what she wants, so I’m not going to stop her from trying.”

“She thinks I can protect her, that I’m something special. But I’m not.”

“You won my daughter’s heart in her first life, and I have a feeling you’re on your way to doing it again in this one. You better believe that’s special.”

I give her a smile. “Thanks. I won’t ever hurt her, you know.”

“I wouldn’t let you be around her if I thought you would.” She tosses the dishtowel on the counter. “Oh, and Cara told us about your father and his trips to Bridgewater. You know we’re going to have to keep an eye on him.”

“I figured as much. I will too. If he is a Hunter, I don’t plan to follow in his footsteps.”

“We wouldn’t let you,” she says, her tone serious. She walks out of the kitchen and heads upstairs.

I grab a Pop Tart and head for Cara’s, calling her on the way.

“Hello?” The sound of her voice makes me smile.

“Hey. Just saw your mom.”

“Sorry. I wanted to warn you she was coming, but I wasn’t sure if you’d be up.”

“I told her we’re going to the falls. She was okay with it.” I wave to Monique as I pass the café.

“She thinks I’m right about you. That you’re keeping me safe somehow.”

I should be thankful for that because it means I get to be with Cara, but that’s a hell of a big responsibility. “I’m on my way to your house.”

“Great. I’ll pack a lunch for us.”

“Peanut butter and jelly?”

“How’d you know?”

“You made that for us the first time we picnicked at the falls.”

“I’ll see you in a few.” She hangs up, and I walk the rest of the way in silence.

Just before I turn onto Cara’s road, a rustling comes from the bushes lining the street. I hope I’m not going to run into another stray dog that thinks people are chew toys. I don’t see anything, so I keep going. A few seconds later, I hear the sound again.

“Is someone there?” Maybe one of the neighborhood kids is playing a spy game. Anton and I used to play them when we were growing up, not that there were bushes to hide behind in New York City.

I don’t hear giggling, so I rule out kids. I walk toward the bushes lining the sidewalk and peer over them. Nothing. Maybe my imagination is playing tricks on me. I start walking again and the sound picks up. This time I dive right into the bushes. Just as I hit the ground a figure jumps out of the bushes and takes off down the road. He or she is wearing a hoodie so I can’t tell who it is. All I know is someone was watching me. Or they’d been trying to watch Cara and I got in the way.

I stay alert the rest of the way. If it was a Hunter back there, he might not have been alone. Cara said Nick had gone rogue, but it appears Hunters work in packs to even the playing field. It can’t be easy to take down a Phoenix when they can burn you to the ground.

Cara is putting the picnic basket into the trunk of her car when I turn up her driveway. I smile, enjoying the view. Her shorts are seriously short today. She reaches up to close the trunk, and her tank top exposes some of her back. Before she lost her memory I would’ve rushed over and wrapped my arms around her.

I walk over and say, “Hey.”

“Hi.” She smiles at me. “Ready?”

I look around at the bushes near her house. “Yeah, let’s go.” I wait until Cara’s in the car before I get in.

“Sleep well?” Cara asks as we head to the falls.

“Yeah, I guess. I’m still kind of tired though.”

“We all feel like that lately. Stress really drains you.”

My eyes scan the roads, looking for anyone who might be lurking. “Have you seen anyone wearing a hoodie near your house?”

She glances over and narrows her eyes at me. “Someone wearing a hoodie in July? No. Why?”

“Someone was hiding in the bushes on my way here. I tried to tackle them, and they ran off.”

“Do you think they were spying on you or me?” Her hands tighten on the steering wheel.

“I don’t know. Just keep an eye out, okay? And tell the others.”

“I will.” She pulls into the parking lot and cuts the engine.

I get out and walk around to get her door for her. “Are you hungry or do you want to swim for a while before we eat?”

“Swim. I need to cool off. My temperature’s a little high today.” Cara strips down to her bikini, the black one with teal trim.

“Did you know that’s what you wore when we met?”

She looks down at her suit. “No. I guess my subconscious did.”

I slip out of my shorts, revealing my swim trunks. I reach for her hand and lead her to the water. We step in slowly because the water feels cool today. It hasn’t been as hot lately, and the nights have been on the chilly side. It’s been a crazy summer in so many ways.

“I wish the water was a little warmer,” I say, edging my way in.

Cara looks around and then smiles at me. She lowers her hands into the water and bubbles form around them. She holds them there for a few moments and then says, “How’s that?”

The water around us is warmer. “Wow. Is it like that all over or just here?”

“Just here, but I can make it reach across to the lagoon if you want me to.” She says it like she wants me to challenge her.

I nudge her with my arm. “Impress me.”

She steps farther into the water so more of her body is submerged. Then she fans her arms out around her, making the water ripple. Once the ripples reach the lagoon, she turns back to me and smiles. “Done.”

“I’m definitely impressed.” Without thinking, I reach for her waist and pull her to me.

She inhales sharply, and I immediately let go.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t even know I was doing it. It was like a reflex.”

She swallows so hard I hear it. “God, I feel like such a baby. I mean, I know we’ve kissed and done…other stuff, but it’s like everything is happening for the first time all over again and it’s making me a nervous wreck. I know it’s not fair to you.”

“No. You’re not being fair to yourself. I told you I’m fine with this. I’m just thankful you’re giving us a chance.”

She stares deep into my eyes. “Am I? I only let you get so close, and what if that’s why I can only remember bits and pieces of things?”

“I’m not letting you jump back into this, Cara. It’s not you.”

“We rushed into things before.”

I can’t help noticing how our positions on this topic have totally reversed. “You’ve changed, and I’m all right with that.”

“I want to…” She looks up at the waterfalls above us. Her eyes scan them like she’s searching for something. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“I saw something. Like a rock or something fall from the ledge up there.”

I glance up but don’t see anything. “I’m sure the water loosens pebbles all the time.”

She’s still looking around.

“There’s no one here but us,” I say.

“Are you sure?”

I shouldn’t be dismissing this so easily just because I want to finish our conversation and see what it is that Cara wants. Though I swear she was going to say she wanted to kiss me again. “I’ll go check. You stay here, okay?”

She reaches for my arm, holding me back. “I’m not sure splitting up is a good idea. If it’s a Hunter up there, that’s exactly what he’d want us to do.”

She’s right. Now I feel like an ass for asking her to use her Phoenix abilities to heat up the water. I exposed her, put her at risk. If there’s a Hunter nearby, it’s probably because he sensed Cara’s powers—thanks to me. “All right, but stay behind me.”

We swim toward the stone steps leading up the side of the falls. We walk slowly, trying not to make a sound. If someone is hiding on the other side of the waterfall, they won’t see us until we’re practically on top of them.

I step onto the ledge and spot Rob hiding behind the waterfall. Without another thought, I launch myself at him, sending us both through the fall and into the water below.

Chapter

Twenty-Three

Cara

“Logan!” I dive through the waterfall after him. All I can think as I splash into the water is that if Rob hurts Logan, I’ll burn him on the spot. I still can’t believe it’s him, but according to everyone else, Rob and Nick were good friends so it makes sense.

I surface and look all around for signs of them. I spot them near the lagoon. Logan is gripping Rob’s shoulder and pulling his free hand back to punch him. I swim to them, wondering if I should burn Rob and get this over with, but I don’t. I want him to tell me to my face that he’s a Hunter, before I put an end to him.

Rob’s head flies back when Logan’s fist connects with his jaw, and Rob doesn’t even try to fight back. What kind of Hunter doesn’t fight back? Unless…Logan has superhuman strength or something.

“Logan, stop!” I yell, closing the distance between us.

“Stay back, Cara.” Logan tightens his grip on Rob, who is looking dazed from the blow.

“Get him off me,” Rob slurs.

“Not going to happen, Hunt—”

“Logan, no!” I cut him off. Until Rob admits to being a Hunter, I don’t want the word brought up. If we’re wrong, we’d be outing my kind to Rob, of all people. From what I know about him, he’d use it against us.

I place my hand on Logan’s arm, hoping to calm him with my touch. “I want to talk to him, and I can’t do that if you knock him out.”

“See. Cara doesn’t want you to hurt me.” Rob rubs his jaw and cringes. “Now get your hands off me.”

“Do you promise not to try to run off?” I ask.

Rob smirks. “Aw, Tillman, you do care. Now if you’d kick this guy to the curb, you and I can—”

Before he can finish, Logan lands a jab on Rob’s nose. Rob screams and grabs his face. Blood pours out of his nose and drips through his fingers. I could heal him easily, but I don’t want to use my powers to help a Hunter, if that’s what he is.

“You broke my nose, you fuck!” Rob’s voice is muffled and nasal.

“Why were you spying on us?” I ask him.

Rob’s eyes turn to me. “What makes you think I was spying? I came to swim, just like you did.”

“Cut the crap. You were hiding up there. I saw you and you panicked. That doesn’t exactly spell innocent to me.” I have to focus on my body temperature since my pulse is racing. I can’t do anything to out myself in front of Rob.

“Fine. I was taking in the view.” Rob tilts his head back to try to slow the bleeding. “Now move so I can go get my nose fixed and then press charges against this—”

I make a fist and hold it in front of his face. “Think about it and I’ll give you a broken jaw to match.” The back of my hand turns as red as a stove burner, and Logan pulls my arm down under the water before Rob sees it. I concentrate on cooling down and not boiling the water. With a few deep breaths I’m back to normal, and I nod to Logan to let him know I’m okay.

“Seriously, Tillman, I’m starting to think you’re more trouble than you’re worth.” Rob cringes.

When I reach for him, Logan grabs my hand and shakes his head at me. I have to do something or we’re not going to get anything out of Rob. “There’s a trick to making the bleeding stop, Rob. Here. Let me.” Rob lowers his hand, eyeing me like he doesn’t know if he should trust me. “My mom’s a nurse, remember? Now stop being a baby and hold still.” I place my fingers on his nose and give a gentle squeeze that I know will send pain shooting into Rob’s head, and cover up the heat I’m applying to stop the bleeding. “There.” I pull my hand away.

“Damn! That friggin’ hurt!” Rob touches his nose. “Did the bleeding stop?”

I nod. “Told you. It’s definitely broken, though. You’re going to have to get that checked out.”

He glares at Logan and opens his mouth to say something—another threat, I’m sure.

“I meant what I said about your jaw,” I say before he can speak. “Besides, do you really want people to know you got beat up?”

Rob narrows his eyes at me. “What do you want?”

“I want to know why you were watching us.”

“I told you. I was enjoying the view.” He lowers his eyes to my chest, which is barely visible in the water. “You know I have a thing for you, so don’t play dumb. We’ve been flirting back and forth for months.”

“No. You’ve been flirting and Cara’s been shooting you down for months,” Logan says.

“That’s because you’re here. I thought with your trip back to New York things would end between you two.”

“Not happening,” Logan says, his voice practically a growl. He’s obviously struggling to restrain his urge to pummel Rob.

“Don’t be so sure. You don’t know Cara the way I do.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask. No way did I ever date this guy. I’m pretty sure I hated him.

“You and Nick were tight. He talked about you all the time, but he said you were always so hot and cold. You can’t make up your mind. So the way I see it, you might be with Logan now, but it won’t last. You’ll get bored and move on. All girls are the same that way.”

“What else did Nick say about me?”

Rob and Logan both look stunned that I don’t deny Rob’s statement, but there’s no point. Rob is going to tell himself whatever he needs to so he doesn’t feel like the loser in this scenario.

“He mostly asked me what I thought of you. I think he wanted to know if I was into you or not. That’s why he never went after you even though he had a thing for you. He was a good friend.” Rob furrows his brow, which makes him grab his nose and grimace. “You saw him before he left, right?”

Does he know Nick was at the school with me? I nod, deciding to play along.

“What did he say to you?” Rob stares at me while continuing to squeeze the bridge of his nose. “Did he tell you he was leaving?”

“No. He told me you’re a dick and I shouldn’t get involved with you.” I don’t know why I say it, but I can’t help wanting to piss Rob off, push him to his limit. Maybe then he’ll crack and say something he shouldn’t. Like that he’s a Hunter.

“He wouldn’t say that.”

“Why not?” Logan asks. “It’s true.”

“Because Nick told me that with a girl like Cara you go through two stages: wanting to get her in the sack and wanting to dismiss her from your life. He was over her. He told me so.”

“When did he say that?” I ask.

“Why do you care? If you’re so happy with City Boy over here, why do you give a damn what Nick thought?”

“Because I think you’re hiding something. I think you know more about why Nick left than you’re telling me.”

“Fine. You want me to say it? I will. Between Henry Baker’s death and watching you throw yourself at Logan all the time, Nick had had it with Ashlan Falls. I can’t say I blame him. I wish he’d taken me with him.”

“Believe me, so do I.” I take Logan’s arm and pull him toward the shore.

“What are you doing, Cara?” Logan tugs me back. “We’re just going to leave him?”

“It’s not him. If he wants to be where Nick is, it means he doesn’t have a clue Nick’s…” I widen my eyes, not wanting to say it even though Rob’s out of earshot.

“Hang on. I have one more question for him.” Logan swims back to Rob, who holds his hands up, obviously afraid of being hit again.

I swim toward them. “Relax, Rob. Logan just wants to ask you something.”

“What?” Rob looks back and forth between us.

“Why were you hiding in the bushes by Cara’s house earlier?”

Confusion washes over Rob’s face. “I wasn’t.”

“Don’t lie to me, you little—”

I reach for his arm before he can take another swing at Rob’s face. “Logan, he’s not lying.”

“Then who was it?” Logan’s eyes are burning into Rob.

Rob smirks and tries to sound casual, but his voice shakes. “Look, man, I wouldn’t follow you around. I have better things to do.”

“I didn’t say you were following me. I think you were there to watch Cara, just like you were watching her from the ledge up there.” Logan motions above us with his eyes.

“I don’t hide in bushes.”

“Do you own a navy blue hoodie?” Logan presses.

“Why would I hide this body behind a hoodie? And in July of all times?” Rob scoffs. “Idiot.”

I gently tug on Logan’s arm. “Let’s go. This is pointless.”

He glares at Rob. “If I ever catch you spying on Cara again, I’ll break the rest of your face. Got that? And to make sure there’s no confusion as to whether you’re spying or not, stay away from her altogether.”

Rob doesn’t say a word. He likes to act tough, but he knows Logan can take him.

Logan and I swim to shore and dry off. I don’t feel like having a picnic anymore, so I grab my clothes and head to the car.

“What are you doing?” Logan asks. “We haven’t even eaten yet.”

“I can’t. Not after all this.” I look out at the water. Rob is finally swimming to shore, probably because he sees us leaving.

“Yes, you can. You can’t stop living.” Logan stops talking as Rob walks by, still holding his nose. We wait until he’s out of sight before picking up our conversation again.

“Rob isn’t a Hunter,” I say, realizing how disappointed I am by that. “He can’t be. He’s just a horny, pathetic teenage guy.”

Logan steps closer to me. “Then what are you afraid of?”

“I guess I was hoping it was Rob because I could’ve…” I look out at the falls. “I just want this to be over. I can’t get my life back if I’m constantly in fear of being discovered. No, wait. I’ve already been discovered. I’m waiting to be found. Hunted.”

“Stop.” Logan pulls me into his chest and rests his head on mine.

I breathe him in and smell cinnamon. I tilt my head back so I can see his face. “You’re chewing cinnamon gum, aren’t you?”

“It reminds me of you.” His voice is barely a whisper.

I stare up at him and swallow hard. His whole world has become about me. It isn’t fair. I want to remember him more than I want to breathe right now.

“Logan?”

“Yeah?”

“Kiss me.”

“I thought you’d never ask.” He closes his eyes and lowers his mouth to mine. The kiss is soft, and I can tell he’s holding back.

I reach up and pull his face toward mine. He wraps his hands around my waist, holding me against him, and deepens the kiss. His cinnamon gum tastes like home. The kiss is incredible, and I don’t want to pull away. I keep expecting my memories to come flooding back, but all I can see is this moment. Logan’s lips against mine. His fingers are against my back, his bare chest against my body.

He pulls back just enough to speak. “Tell me to stop, Cara.”

Stopping is the furthest thing from my mind. Kissing him is drowning out all that’s wrong with my life. I want to feel. My memories are connected to those feelings. And I know Logan doesn’t want me to tell him to stop. He wants me to give him permission to love me.

I lean toward him, closing the distance between us, and press my lips to his again. His shoulders slump, like a weight’s been lifted off them. He reaches around me and opens the back door. Without pulling away from my lips, he moves us into the back seat. I’m lying down, and Logan is lowering himself onto me. Again he pulls back slightly and studies my face. “Tell me to stop.”

“Stop.”

Only it’s not me who says it. It’s a guy in a hoodie standing right outside my car.

Chapter

Twenty-Four

Logan

Before I can turn around, I’m yanked from the car and thrown onto the gravel parking lot. The guy kicks me in the stomach and ribs, knocking the wind out of me. He’s wearing a hoodie, and I know this is payback for almost pummeling him earlier in the bushes. I have to get Cara out of here before this guy gets his hands on her. Maybe Rob’s not a Hunter, but this guy definitely is. He has long, wavy blond hair and eyes so dark they look black.

I curl into a ball to avoid any more blows to my ribs. If he punctures my lungs, I’ll be useless to Cara. I wait until he’s between kicks to extend my legs and catch him right in the balls. It’s a dick move, but I’m desperate. I roll away from him and yell to Cara, “Get out of here!”

She scrambles out of the car, but instead of getting in the driver’s seat and getting far away from here, she holds her hand up. A ball of fire appears and she yells, “Hey, Hunter!” Still doubled over in pain, the guy turns in her direction. She launches the fireball right at his face. He goes down instantly, burying his face in the gravel and dirt to smother the flame.

I get to my feet and push Cara into the car before racing around to the passenger side. Cara peels out of the spot, kicking rocks up everywhere. For a second I think she’s going to run the guy over. I’m not sure I can handle seeing her kill again. This isn’t the person I want her to be, so I grab the wheel and push my hand down on her leg, making her hit the gas. Killing this guy will be on my head, not hers. The guy manages to get up and dodges the car. He hurries to the water and jumps in.

“I can go back and boil the water,” Cara says. “We can’t let him get away.”

“No. Drive home.”

“I can’t. He’s the one who hurt Linette. I can’t let him go. Besides, he might follow us and then I’d be leading him right to Jeremy and Linette. They could die because of me.” Tears are forming in her eyes.

“Then let’s go after him.”

She pulls up to the water, and I get out the second the car stops. I look around for the Hunter. He has to surface somewhere. “Where is he?”

Cara scans the area. “Maybe he came up behind the falls.” She dives into the water, and I can see she’s already working to make it boil, which means I can’t get in with her.

I race up the stone steps in case the Hunter tries to escape. I feel like I’m waiting on the sidelines while my girlfriend does all the work. I hate feeling useless. What happened to me protecting her?

“Do you see him?” Cara yells.

“No.” The water is bubbling like crazy. If he’s still under, he’s as good as gone. “Come out. There’s no way he survived that.”

A car pulls into the parking lot and I panic. People are here to swim and Cara just turned the place into a human pressure cooker. “Cara!”

She turns toward the car, and the water immediately stops boiling. Is that enough? I’m not willing to bet it won’t burn the family of four getting out and heading this way. Cara races for the shore, and I run to catch up with her.

“It’s really hot in there today,” she tells the family. “Be careful. I burned myself on the rocks.”

The mother pulls her children to her sides and looks at her husband. “Maybe we shouldn’t go in.”

“I wouldn’t,” I say. “Wait until tomorrow. Hopefully it will have cooled off by then.”

They nod and head back to their car. Cara and I stand there, still searching the water.

“Where did the Hunter go? I never saw him surface, and if you didn’t see him on the ledge, then…” She shudders. “I boiled the water all the way up to the koi lagoon. I must have killed him, right?”

If so, the body should have surfaced by now, unless the body got caught on the underwater ledge or something. I don’t want to freak her out more, so I keep that thought to myself.

“Let’s hope so. It’s not a bad thing, Cara. Believe me, if I could’ve killed him for you, I would have.”

“I was wrong, wasn’t I?” She presses her hand to my chest. “You’re human, aren’t you?”

I nod, and my insides clench because I’m letting her down. “I’m sorry.”

She leans into me. “I’m not. My life is crazy enough. I need some normalcy. I need you.”

“Would you have told me to stop? In the car?” I’m not sure I want to know the answer, but I can’t stop myself from asking.

She shrugs. “Maybe. I don’t think I’m ready yet, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be. Eventually.”

“That’s good enough for me.” I kiss her forehead and wrap my arm around her as we head back to her car.

“Well, Garret will be happy to hear I killed another Hunter,” Cara says once we’re on the road. “I guess that’s one good thing that came out of today.”

I reach for her leg, placing my palm against it. “I think we made some progress today too. I’d say that’s a good thing.” A really good thing. For a moment, I’d thought I’d gotten her back, but then that Hunter had to screw everything up. Although, if Cara really was going to tell me to stop, maybe the Hunter saved me from having to hear it.

***

As soon as we get back to Cara’s and tell Jeremy what happened, he gets all the Phoenixes together for yet another meeting. Garret isn’t the least bit happy to hear our story.

“What do you mean you lost him?” Garret yells, his skin turning bright red.

“There’s no way he survived. Cara boiled the water. He’s as good as cooked.” I’m trying to help, but Cara cringes at my words.

“You don’t know that. If you didn’t see him die, then you can’t say for sure that he did.” Garret walks to the fireplace mantel and pulls a package down from it. I lean closer to see what he has. He unwraps it and holds up the dagger.

“You had that in Cara’s house?” I yell. “No wonder that Hunter was so close. He probably sensed the dagger. You led him right to her!” I storm over and shove him in the chest, which prompts him to hold the dagger up as if he’s going to use it. “Be my guest,” I challenge him.

“Stop!” Cara yells. She moves toward Garret. “How long has that been here?”

“Since our last meeting. I have to keep moving it so the Hunters won’t be able to trace it.” Garret isn’t showing any remorse for putting Cara in danger. He thinks he’s right about this.

“They’ve been after Cara for a while now. You knew that and you still brought that thing here?” I turn toward Linette, silently communicating an apology for what I’m going to say next. “Linette can’t defend herself, and Jeremy is a prime target. Yet you risked their lives. Why? What the hell kind of cop are you? No, what kind of person are you?”

“I’m not answering to a human kid.” He pushes past me, and despite what he said, he launches into an explanation. “I’m doing my best to protect us all. I kept the dagger at my place, at the café, and here. Moving it was the only solution since I couldn’t destroy it.”

“Let’s all calm down,” Mrs. Tillman says. “I think we can call today a victory.” Garret starts to protest, but Mrs. Tillman stops him with a look. “Cara and Logan made it out of there alive, and as far as we know, the same can’t be said for the Hunter.”

“Did you recognize him?” Monique asks.

Cara and I both shake our heads. “He had long blond hair, and it was kind of curly,” Cara says.

“And his eyes were dark brown, almost black,” I add. “He was pretty tall too.”

Jeremy gets up and starts pacing. “Great. Cara and I don’t remember anyone from school who isn’t in our memory books, and Logan hasn’t even started going to school here, so he can’t help either.”

“I’m trying to place someone with that description,” Monique says. “I can’t remember anyone like that coming into the café.”

Garret wraps the dagger back up, but he doesn’t put it on the mantel again. “Not all Hunters are going to come right out in the open the way Nick did. While he hid in plain sight, that’s not typical. I’m sure these guys are going to stay well hidden until they see a clear path to one of us. Like today.”

“That reminds me,” Mrs. Tillman says. “How did the Hunter sneak up on you two?”

I’m not about to tell her what Cara and I were really doing so I say, “We were packing up to leave and he came up behind us.”

“That was gutsy, considering he was alone,” Jeremy said, sitting down on the arm of the couch.

“Yeah. I think he got a little too sure of himself. He turned his back on Cara to attack me.” I don’t know why I didn’t question that move sooner.

“That’s it,” Cara says. “The Hunters are afraid of Logan because they think he’s a Phoenix. They assume you’re one of us, and it’s probably because of your connection to me.”

“Not probably,” Garret says. “That’s definitely why.”

“I didn’t fight the guy with fire today, so I think he figured out I’m human.”

Especially since he was kicking my ass. Thankfully, Cara healed my ribs in the car on the ride over here.

Garret steps toward me. “Then you better hope he boiled in those falls, because believe me, you don’t want a Hunter coming after you when one of us isn’t around.”

“I’m not helpless just because I’m human.”

Garret snorts. “Keep telling yourself that.”

“Hunters are human, Garret,” Cara says.

“Humans who have been trained most of their lives to fight powerful Phoenixes.” Garret looks at me. “What have you trained for other than running?”

“At least he can run away from them,” Jeremy says, and while I know he doesn’t mean it as a diss, it stings.

“I think we’re done for today,” Mrs. Tillman says. “We need to hide that dagger someplace that isn’t my house.” She glares at Garret. “And then we all need to get some rest so we can be on high alert tomorrow. We know there were two Hunters that attacked Linette. So even if Cara did eliminate one today, there’s still another nearby.”

Everyone says their good-byes and I follow Garret to the door.

“Logan, wait.” Cara rushes over to me and then stands there debating what to do. Everyone is watching us, probably because they’re curious about Cara’s memory too, but damn is it awkward. She turns and glares at them until they look away. “Weren’t you going to say good-bye?”

“Of course,” I lie. I had something else on my mind, and while it has to do with Cara, saying good-bye slipped my mind.

“Call me later?” she asks, giving me a nervous smile.

“Absolutely.”

She hugs me, and all eyes are back on us. I decide kissing her isn’t a good idea.

“Bye,” I say.

Garret gets in his patrol car and drives off. I don’t know where he’s going, but I follow, running after him. I stick to the bushes so he doesn’t see me. The speed limit in town is crazy slow, but he’s obviously in a hurry to hide the dagger. He pulls into the police station and gets out. He looks around the lot before heading toward the dumpster. I watch him from behind a silver Focus parked a few spots away. He opens the dumpster and pulls out a metal box. After placing the dagger in the box, he returns it to the dumpster.

Why would he leave the dagger where anyone could get it? It’s like he’s trying to hand it over to the Hunters. Like he’s…A thought slams into me. What if Garret is a rogue Phoenix? What if he’s planning to betray Cara and the others to save himself? As soon as he gets in his car and drives away, I rush to the dumpster and pull the dagger out of the box. I unwrap it and hold it in my hands. It’s heavy and not like any weapon I’ve ever seen, but it fits in my hand perfectly. Something comes over me, and I wrap my fingers around the handle and swing the blade through the air. It feels…good. And then another idea hits me. A way to stop Garret from betraying the others. A way to save Cara.

If I use the dagger on Garret, I’d get his essence. I could live longer, maybe as long as Cara.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

Cara

Logan doesn’t call. I stay up until midnight wondering where he is and debate calling him several times. Maybe Garret freaked him out too much. I know he put enough doubt in my head about killing the Hunter. We really can’t be sure he didn’t make it out of the falls alive. I just hope Garret found a good hiding place for the dagger. These Hunters don’t seem to have one of their own, or at least they haven’t used it yet. Which brings me back to the question of whether or not there is a second dagger.

I barely sleep with all the questions running through my mind, so when I trudge down to breakfast, Jeremy takes one look at me and says, “You look like crap.” He slurps the milk and cereal off his spoon.

“Thanks, baby brother.”

“Jer-bear,” he says.

“What?” I grab the orange juice from the fridge.

“You used to call me Jer-bear, and I called you Cara-bird.” He shrugs. “Or so you told me.”

Jer-bear? Cara-bird?

“That’s kind of dumb.”

“Thank you. I thought so too, but when I mentioned it after my rebirth you got all offended.”

“Any word from Garret? I’m curious where he hid the dagger.” And totally pissed he kept it in my house where four of us are living.

“I kind of get why he thought it would be safe here. I mean, there are a bunch of us living under this roof now, and if you think about it, a Hunter has never approached us when we’re in a group. It’s too risky for them, with all our firepower to use against them.” He smiles as if he’s untouchable and finishes his cereal.

I see his point about strength in numbers. “That’s true, but Garret should’ve warned us.”

“You know Mom would’ve freaked out if he did.”

“Okay, you win.”

“Cool.” He carries his bowl to the sink. “You hanging with Logan today?”

I shrug, pretending it’s no big deal either way. “Don’t know. I haven’t talked to him since yesterday.”

“What, that steamy good-bye hug didn’t have him banging down your door?” His words drip with sarcasm, and he wraps his arms around himself, reenacting the hug.

I roll my eyes. Are all little brothers this annoying? “Shut up. You have no idea what it’s like not to remember what I feel for him.”

He drops his arms, and his tone gets serious. “I went through this first. I even warned you about just this.”

“But were you dating anyone before you lost your memories?” He doesn’t answer so I say, “I didn’t think so, Mr. Know-it-All.”

“Fine. I’m going to check on Linette.” He disappears upstairs, and I pull my cell out again. This time I force myself to dial Logan’s number.

“Hey, this is Logan. Leave a message.”

I wait for the beep. “Logan, it’s Cara. Just making sure everything’s okay. I didn’t hear from you last night and things got pretty heated here, as usual. You know us.” I laugh and realize I sound like a complete idiot. “Anyway, call me when you get a minute. I’m thinking of heading to Monique’s for breakfast if you want to join me. Bye.”

I grab my car keys and drive to Monique’s before I can psychoanalyze my relationship with Logan any more. My table is empty and waiting when I arrive.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Monique says, already pouring a cup of tea for me.

“Hi. Have you seen Logan?”

Monique laughs. “Someone’s falling for the new boy all over again.”

“It’s just that I haven’t heard from him since the meeting yesterday. He said he’d call, and he didn’t. Maybe I’m wrong, but that doesn’t seem like him.”

Monique places the teapot on the table and sits down. “No, it doesn’t sound like him. Did you try calling him?”

“Yeah. No answer. I left a message, though. I keep replaying yesterday over in my head to figure out if something happened that I missed. You know, like something that would have upset him.”

She places a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t you go thinking you did anything wrong. I’m sure you didn’t.”

“I think maybe I’ll take a walk. I’m not feeling very hungry.”

Monique frowns at me. “You wait right there. I’ll get you two croissants. That way when you find Logan and he tells you everything is fine, you can enjoy them together.”

I force a smile because I’m not so sure she’s right. An older couple walks by and the woman waves to me. At first I look around, thinking she must be waving to someone else, but there’s no one else sitting near me and Monique is still in the kitchen. I raise my hand and return the wave, assuming I knew them before my rebirth. The woman’s smile fades, and her husband whispers something in her ear. She nods, and he pats her arm. She must have forgotten about my “amnesia.” That story spread throughout town quickly, but I guess old habits, like waving to someone you’ve seen around here for years, are hard to break.

“Here you go.” Monique hands me a brown paper bag.

“Who are they?” I ask her, nodding in the direction the couple walked off.

“Mr. and Mrs. Greenwood. Why?”

“She waved to me. I assumed I knew them.”

Monique squeezes my shoulder. “I should bring you some photos from Henry’s memorial service. Just about everyone was there. I could write the names on the backs of the photos and you could study them.”

More studying, just how I want to spend my summer break. “Thanks,” I say, getting up from the table. “How much do I owe you?”

Monique holds her arms out. “One hug should do it.”

I hug her. She smells like spices, but I can still make out her natural cinnamon scent. “Thanks again,” I say, pulling away.

“Any time, sugar.” She wipes my table clean and heads back into the kitchen.

I walk to Logan’s, hoping he’s home and he just lost his phone or the battery died or something stupid and simple like that. Mom would kill me if she knew I was walking around on my own like this instead of driving, but I figure I’m in the middle of town with people all over the place and in broad daylight. Sure, a Hunter attacked Logan and me at the falls, but we were the only two people there. Besides, the guy didn’t have a dagger on him.

I see a light on in the living room at Logan’s, and I pick up my pace. His dad must be at work by now, so it has to be Logan. My heart races as I knock on the door. I need to know he’s okay and that he wasn’t attacked by another Hunter after he left my house yesterday.

Logan opens the door, still in his pajama bottoms. Only in his pajama bottoms. His chest is bare.

I launch myself at him and hug him tightly. “Thank God you’re okay.”

“What do you mean?” He turns his head so my hair is in his face, and he inhales deeply. “Not that I’m in any way complaining about this greeting.”

I pull back and look at him. “I haven’t heard from you. Didn’t you get my message?”

His brows pull together, and he scratches the back of his head. “I was supposed to call you, wasn’t I?”

I’m screaming on the inside. He made me worry. He made me think he’d been taken or even killed by a Hunter, and he’s fine. He just forgot to call me, the girl he’s supposedly in love with. “Yeah, but whatever. Here, have a croissant.” I shove the bag into his chest and storm off.

“Whoa! Wait a second.” He comes after me, catching me in mere seconds. “Why are you so pissed?”

I look around at all the people walking through town. I don’t want to go inside with Logan and talk about this, but I can’t exactly spill my thoughts out here with all these people in earshot. I storm past him and into the house. I don’t sit down because I’m not planning on staying long.

He comes inside and closes the door behind him. “What’s going on?”

“We were attacked yesterday, and we’re not even sure if I killed that Hunter. We know he wasn’t working alone, so there are others out there. They probably think you’re a Phoenix too since we’re always together. And then you don’t call when you say you’re going to and you don’t answer when I call you. See where I’m going with this?” My shoulders are rising and falling so fast, and I’m afraid I’m going to leave scorch marks on his floor if I don’t get it together.

Logan steps toward me and I back away. He takes another step, and this time I let him close the distance between us. “Cara, I’m sorry if I scared you. You know, now that I think about it, I’m not even sure I know where my phone is.”

“That’s a lame excuse and you know it. How can someone who supposedly loves me so much just forget to talk to me after we were attacked? It doesn’t add up.”

He lets out a deep breath. “I know. It’s complicated, and I’m not sure if I should—”

“Should what? Try to explain it to the girl with no memories?” I know I’m not being fair, but he’s obviously hiding something so I think I have a right to dish out a low blow or two.

Logan stares at me for a second before taking my hand and leading me to his room. “Promise me you’re not going to freak out.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Fine. Then at least promise me that you’ll let me explain before you freak out.” His eyes plead with mine. “Please, Cara.”

“Okay.” I only agree because I want to know what’s going on.

“After the meeting, I followed Garret.”

“Why would—?”

He presses his finger to my lips. “You promised.”

“I wasn’t going to freak out. I only wanted to ask why you’d follow Garret.”

“I’m going to explain everything, but I need you to give me a chance to get it out, okay?”

“Go ahead.” I cross my arms and will myself to be patient, but I have a feeling this is going to be huge. Like make-me-set-my-hair-on-fire huge.

“I couldn’t figure out why Garret would leave the dagger at your house without telling any of you. I mean, he should have at least told your mom or even Jeremy.”

“Mom would’ve freaked, but Jeremy probably would’ve been able to handle it.” I realize I’m interrupting again so I hold my hands up in the universal “I’m sorry” gesture.

“I needed to see where he was moving the dagger to next, and when he took off through town I figured he was trying to ditch the thing quickly.”

I can’t blame him. I wouldn’t want the dagger on me either, since it attracts Hunters. But this time, I keep my mouth shut and let Logan continue.

“I followed him to the police station.”

That makes sense. There must be plenty of places to lock it up in there.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Logan says. “I thought it was a good hiding place too. But Garret didn’t go inside. He went to a dumpster around back.”

“He threw it out?” The words tumble out of my mouth. So much for being patient.

“Not exactly. He hid it in a metal box and put the box inside the dumpster.”

I walk over to the window and look out. “I don’t get it. Why would Garret leave the dagger where anyone could take it? As far as we know, it can’t be destroyed, which means we have to keep it under lock and key. Not in a freakin’ dumpster.” I dig my nails into the windowsill. “We have to go get it.” I face Logan. “And then go to Garret and demand answers.”

“It’s not in the dumpster anymore.”

“Did he take it back out? Have you been spying on him all night?”

“No. He didn’t take it back out. I did.”

I step toward him, not liking where this conversation is going. Everything I’ve been through lately has proven that the universe can be cruel, but if Logan reveals that he’s a Hunter, I’m going to lose it. I’ll burn the whole town to the ground. I hold my palm face up and let a fireball form.

Logan stares at my hand before looking me in the eyes again. “You think I’m a Hunter? How could you after everything…?”

“You just confessed to stealing the dagger.”

“Yeah, so I could keep the real Hunters from getting it.” He walks over to his dresser and opens the top drawer. “And I think I know why Garret left it in the dumpster.”

“Why?”

“The only explanation is that he’s helping the Hunters.” He takes the dagger out of the drawer and studies it, turning it over in his hands. “He put the dagger there so they’d get it and use it on you, and possibly the others too. I think he made a bargain with the Hunters to spare his own life.”

“You mean lives.”

I don’t remember Garret enough to say this isn’t true. Given the choice between believing Logan’s a Hunter or believing Garret is working with the Hunters, I have to believe Garret’s throwing us all into the fire.

“We have to tell the others and find a place to put that thing.” I motion to the dagger, not wanting to get too close to it.

“I know where to put it,” Logan says, holding the dagger up in the air and admiring the blade. “Right through Garret’s heart.”

Chapter

Twenty-Six

Logan

Okay, so wielding the only weapon that can kill a Phoenix in front of Cara probably isn’t my best idea ever. The terror on her face tells me she’s about to scream one of her Phoenix eardrum-shattering cries and get the hell away from me.

“I’m not a Hunter, Cara.” I lower the dagger. “Think about this though. If Garret is trying to hand you all over in exchange for his own freedom, we have to stop him. This is the only way to do that. And if I’m the one to do it…” I reach for her face, brushing my fingers against her cheek. “We could be together for longer than just one human lifetime.”

She clenches her jaw, and her breathing becomes shaky. “For someone trying to convince me he’s not a Hunter, you sound an awful lot like one.”

“You want me to wait, to let you remember me and what we had in your own time. If I do this, I’d be protecting you and giving you the time you need. Don’t you see? It’s the answer to every one of our problems.”

She shakes her head and looks at me like I’m crazy. “You’re talking about killing Garret. He’s a Phoenix. The others would never go along with it.”

I know that. Even if this will protect them, they’ll fight me on it because they won’t want to believe Garret is sacrificing them. And I’m sure he’ll deny it if I confront him in front of the others.

“That’s why I have to do this now.”

She reaches for the dagger and I back away. Her eyes widen. I’ve never seen her look so scared.

“Give me the dagger, Logan.”

“No. If you have it, it will lead the Hunters right to you.”

“They’ve already found me!” She reaches for it again, and I hold it behind me.

“I don’t want to argue with you over this, Cara.”

“Is that why you didn’t call me?”

“No. I lost my phone. I haven’t seen it since yesterday.” I can tell she doesn’t believe me. All the progress I’ve made with her is going down the drain because she doesn’t trust me now that I have the dagger.

She tilts her head, and I can see her trying to think this through. “Let’s take the dagger to Monique or my mom. We can’t act without talking to them first.”

“We aren’t going to act. I am. I’m not dragging you into this, making you turn on one of your kind.”

She throws her arms out. “Drag me into this? This is my fight. Not yours. You have no right to have that dagger. It belongs to us.”

“It belongs to the Hunters.”

“And you’re suddenly one of them?” The red streaks in her hair glow. She’s losing control.

“Of course not.”

“Then give me the dagger,” she demands, holding out her hand.

I stare at it, gripping the dagger in my hand, which is behind my back. I don’t even remember putting it there. What’s coming over me? I try to remember last night. After I got the dagger, it’s kind of a blur. I remember swinging the dagger around and that it felt good in my hands. After that…I don’t remember.

“Logan.” Cara thrusts her hand at me, and then her cell rings. And rings. And rings.

“Are you going to get that?”

“No.”

“If you don’t answer, whoever it is will assume something bad happened to you.”

“It could just be Rachel. She wouldn’t think anything was up.”

“Are you really willing to take that chance?”

She grunts and pulls her phone from her back pocket. She checks the display and says, “It’s Garret.”

“Don’t tell him anything. Until we know if he’s gone rogue, you can’t let him know I have the dagger. Please, Cara. I’m trying to protect you. You have to know that.”

She studies my face as she brings the phone to her ear and answers the call. “Hello?”

I wish she’d put it on speaker so I could hear what Garret’s saying.

“I’m…” She pauses, debating a response. “I’m at Logan’s.”

I pound my fist against the side of my leg. She’s going to out me. She’s going to tell Garret I have the dagger. I’ve ruined everything with her. Made her question me instead of the person who might be setting her up for an early grave.

“Another murder?” Her face goes pale. “Where?” She doesn’t say anything for a while. “Yes, I’m still here. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She hangs up and pockets her phone. Her eyes are locked on mine, and there’s no sign of the girl I know. “Tell me everything you did last night.”

“What do you mean? I told you I followed Garret to get the dagger.”

“What happened after that? What did you do once you had the dagger?” Her chest is heaving, and smoke rises from her shoulders.

“Cara, calm down.” Shit. I can’t tell her the truth. It will send her over the edge. “There was another murder?”

“Did you already know that?”

“How would I?” And suddenly it’s clear. “You think I used the dagger on someone, don’t you?”

“You have the dagger on you now, and you won’t tell me what you did last night. How does that look to you?” Her hair ripples like flames. I’m guessing she’s only seconds away from losing control of her powers completely.

“It looks like you don’t trust me,” I say.

“How can I? There’s so much evidence against you right now.” She grabs her hair and tugs on it. “If you’re innocent, just tell me what you did last night.”

Am I innocent? I pull the dagger from behind my back and turn it over in my hands. “I can’t remember.”

“What? Are you mocking me now? I’m the one with missing memories, not you.”

I look up from the dagger to see the anger on her face. “I really don’t remember. From the moment I held this thing for the first time…I don’t know. This weird feeling came over me, and I started swinging it around.”

“Oh my God.” She brings her hand to her mouth. “You felt compelled to use it. Just holding the dagger made you want to use it.”

Holy crap, she’s right. I shake my head. “I couldn’t have. I wouldn’t kill anyone.”

“You tried to kill the Hunter yesterday and you tried to convince me that you should kill Garret.”

“That was different. It was to save you. I’d do anything for you, Cara.” I step toward her, and she lunges for the dagger. I snatch it away, gripping it in both hands.

“Look at you. You’re protecting it.”

“I…” I am.

“You have to get rid of it. It’s doing something to you.” She moves closer, and this time I don’t back away. I don’t loosen my grip on the dagger either, though. “You might have killed someone last night because of this thing. Don’t you get that? Please, Logan. If you really care about me as much as you say you do, then come with me. Everyone’s meeting at my house. We’ll take the dagger to the group.”

“Garret will just take it again, and then he can turn it over to the Hunters.”

“We’ll tell everyone why you took it, and we’ll call Garret out on leaving the dagger in the dumpster. He’ll have to answer our questions.” She reaches for my chest, and I know she can easily burn me in order to get the dagger. Part of me wants to know if she’s willing to do that. Would she turn on me?

“He’ll just deny it, and then he’ll accuse me of murder.”

“I won’t let him. Please. You have to trust me.” She looks down at her hand, and I wonder if she’s contemplating using her power on me.

“If you’re thinking about it, you might as well do it. It’s the only way you’re getting this dagger out of my hands.”

She lowers her hand. “Fine. Keep the dagger, but take it to the group. Come back with me, Logan.” Her voice is soft and full of feeling. If she’s playing me, she’s a good actress.

I wrap the dagger back up in the paper and put it in my back pocket, pulling my t-shirt down so it’s covered. “Let’s go.”

We don’t talk on the way back to Cara’s car, and she walks at my side the entire time. I’m not sure if she’s afraid to turn her back on me when I can so easily use the dagger on her. It kills me to think she’s questioning me. All I’ve done since she was reborn is prove myself to her over and over again.

There’s a closed sign on the café, which means Monique is already at Cara’s house. We get in the car and drive in silence. I run through what I’m going to say to Garret and how I’ll say it. I can’t let him know I have the dagger on me. At least not right away. I’m walking into a house full of Phoenixes who can easily overpower me and steal the dagger back. If I don’t convince the others and fast, I might not make it out of that house alive.

Cara pulls into the driveway and cuts the engine. She turns to me before getting out. “You know what’s going to happen if you go in there and start accusing Garret, right?”

“Would you let them hurt me?”

“Don’t make me choose sides, Logan. We’re all supposed to be on the same side, remember?”

“Tell that to Garret.” I open my door and step out.

Cara meets me, and we walk inside together. Everyone’s yelling already, but they stop when they see us. Garret storms right over to me, and Cara steps between us.

“Don’t.” She raises a flaming hand to him. “No one is attacking anyone. Got that?” She gives Garret a long stare.

“Let them in, Garret,” Mrs. Tillman says.

Cara and I walk by him and stand next to the couch, where Linette is lying down. She looks worse today. Dark rings circle her eyes, and her face is pale.

“Where was the murder?” I ask, needing to know if there’s any chance I’m responsible for it. “And was it a Phoenix or a Hunter?”

“You tell us, Logan,” Garret says through clenched teeth.

“I don’t know anything about it, hence my questions.”

“Really? You don’t know that the dagger was stolen from the place where I hid it yesterday?”

“Where’d you leave it? It obviously wasn’t somewhere safe if it was stolen.”

Come on, Garret. Tell them about the dumpster.

“I think you know where I hid it.” He steps toward me, and I notice Cara is keeping a close eye on him.

“Why is that?” I ask, continuing to play Garret’s game.

“Because I found this by the dumpster.” Garret holds up my phone for everyone to see.

Crap. Of all places to lose my phone. I bet the universe is having a good laugh at me right now. Except I know how to make this work in my favor.

“Are you saying you hid the dagger—the one weapon that can kill you guys—in a dumpster where a Hunter could easily grab it? You’re either the stupidest and most incompetent cop there is, or you’re so afraid of dying that you cut a deal with the Hunters: the dagger in exchange for your safety.” I step closer to him. “So which of those guys are you?”

“You didn’t tell us you left the dagger in a dumpster,” Jeremy says. His eyes jump from Garret to Mrs. Tillman.

Mrs. Tillman is ten shades of red. “First you hide that thing in my house, and then you leave it where a Hunter could get it? What the hell is wrong with you, Garret?”

“The station parking lot is well lit,” Garret shoots back. “I didn’t think anyone would look there, especially inside a dumpster.”

“So you’re choosing to go with the incompetent cop angle?”

Garret reaches for me, and Cara grabs his arm. “Don’t. When Logan told me you hid the dagger there, part of me didn’t believe him. Now I can’t help thinking he might be right about you. We all trusted you, and you put us at risk. We know the Hunters are here in Ashlan Falls, and you practically handed them the thing they’re after. That Phoenix who died, her death is on your hands, Garret.”

“No, it’s not.” Garret glares at me. “It’s on his, because he took the dagger and then he killed that girl. She was on her way here to find us. She had Hunters on her trail, and she wanted our protection. Only he got to her first.”

“How interesting that you knew the victim,” I say. “You knew she was coming. That doesn’t make you look good, does it?”

“It wouldn’t if I had the dagger, but I don’t. You do.” He shakes his head at me. “Do you know what happens when a Hunter holds the dagger? I bet you do now. You go into a sort of trance. All you can think about is using the dagger. Where were you last night, Logan? What did you do after you stole it?”

Cara gasps and steps away from me.

“I guess Cara’s connecting the dots,” Garret says, “but let me spell it out for you. Only a Hunter is affected by the essence of the dagger. I’m willing to bet you were. I’m willing to bet you have no memory of last night. Am I right?”

My entire plan is shot to hell because every word Garret said is true. I’m a Hunter. A Hunter in love with a Phoenix.

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

Cara

Logan’s not denying anything. I knew the way he was acting was more than being protective of me. He’s drawn to the dagger because he’s a Hunter. Only somehow he wasn’t raised as one. Maybe because his dad was never around to train him. Garret could still be guilty of exactly what Logan said, which means I can’t trust either one of them right now. I make a split-second decision.

In one swift movement I swipe the dagger from Logan’s back pocket and dash to the other side of the room. Jeremy and Mom run after me and form a wall in front of me. They must have figured out Logan had the dagger on him, and when I moved they knew I was taking it back.

Logan and Garret are both staring at me in disbelief. This is the ultimate betrayal. I know Logan didn’t have a clue what he was until now, though that doesn’t change the fact that he has the Hunter gene in him. And maybe Garret has always been the one to protect us, but I have a feeling we need to be protected from him right now.

“Is it true, Garret?” I ask. “What Logan said? Did you put the dagger in the dumpster because you were handing it over to the Hunters?”

He wouldn’t do it in person because it would be too risky. The Hunters could kill him on the spot. Handing it off via the dumpster would keep him safe. And if they did break their deal and come after him, he’d have more time to prepare.

“You just took the dagger from him, and yet you’re questioning me?” Garret is seething.

“Yes. I am.”

“Answer the question,” Jeremy says.

“Yes, I put the dagger in the dumpster, but I wasn’t handing it over to the Hunters. I was handing it over to the Phoenix who was coming here to meet us.”

“Why?” That doesn’t make sense. Why would he risk giving something so powerful to a girl who couldn’t even protect herself?

“It was a selfish thing to do. I know that. She was scared, and I told her having the dagger would give her the upper hand against the Hunters.”

Mom screams, “You knew the dagger would lead the Hunters right to that girl!”

“You selfish bastard,” Linette says, and we all turn to her. “You’ve seen firsthand what they’re capable of, and you doomed that girl anyway.”

“I didn’t know what else to do!” Garret’s outburst is more desperation than anger. “We’ve all been a family for years. I didn’t know this girl. If I had to sacrifice her to protect the rest of us, then so be it.”

I step out from behind Jeremy and Mom. “You knew the Hunters would get the dagger back if they killed her.”

Garret lowers his head. “I know, but I figured it would buy us some time to come up with a plan.”

“Or to run,” Monique says. “Am I right?”

Garret nods. He looks so weak. It’s scary what this war has reduced us to.

“Where does this leave me?” Logan asks, looking back and forth between us. “Why didn’t I know I was—” he inhales sharply, “—a Hunter?”

Monique steps toward him, but doesn’t get too close. “You practically raised yourself, right?”

Logan nods.

“Who was there to train you?” I ask.

Logan meets my eyes. “So this means my dad’s a Hunter too?”

Garret nods. “Yeah. It means I was right about you two from the start.”

Logan pulls his fist back to punch Garret, and I let out a scream. A full-out Phoenix cry. Logan covers his ears and crumples to the floor. Garret has handcuffs on him before Logan can recover. That wasn’t what I wanted.

“Did you kill that girl?” I ask Logan once he stops struggling against the handcuffs.

He stays on the floor. “I don’t know. I don’t think so, but I can’t say for sure.”

“You’d have her essence if you did,” Monique says. “Do you feel different? More alive?”

“Not really. More like I feel out of it, like I lost part of my memories.”

“That’s good,” Mom says. “You’d feel the effects if you stole a Phoenix’s essence.

“Unless he’s lying,” Garret says, glowering at Logan.

“Or you are,” Logan counters.

“Stop.” Mom raises her hands and takes a seat in the armchair. “This is crazy. We need to get everything out on the table right now.”

“How?” I ask. “How do we make sure neither one of them is lying?”

Logan looks at me and shakes his head. “I’m never going to get you back, am I, Cara? No matter what I do.”

“You’re a Hunter,” Garret practically growls. “You’re not going anywhere near Cara ever again.”

I don’t respond because I’m not sure Logan and I have a future anymore. A Hunter and a Phoenix? It’s just too crazy, not to mention dangerous.

“I know a way to find out if they’re telling the truth,” Mom says. “But it isn’t going to be pretty.” She lowers her head into her hands, and I know this is going to be bad. The room is silent as we wait for Mom’s instructions. “Logan’s handcuffed and not a threat right now, so we’ll start with Garret.” She gets up and motions for Garret to sit in the armchair.

He cocks his head at her, but he does as she wants. “What are you going to do, Elisa?”

Mom says, “Cara, give me the dagger.”

Garret whips his head around at me, his eyes widening in horror. “What? You can’t be serious!”

My God. She’s going to torture Garret with the dagger to get the truth out of him. “Mom…?” I can’t get any more words out.

She motions for me to go to her. I close my eyes, tears welling up inside me. Then I walk over and place the dagger in her hand.

“Cara, Jeremy, you shouldn’t watch this,” she says, shooing us from the room.

“No way,” Jeremy says. “I’m not leaving.”

While I don’t want to see this, I can’t bring myself to leave either. “I’m staying too.” I stand beside Jeremy and loop my arm through his for support. He squeezes both our arms to his side.

Mom holds the dagger up to Garret’s chest. “You can’t expect me to sit here and let you do this,” he says.

“If you don’t, you’ll be admitting you’re guilty,” Logan says.

I turn to him, still on the floor and not even trying to get away. Has he given up? And if so, is that proof of his guilt?

“Garret, this is the only way. After what you’ve done, you owe us this. We need peace of mind.” Mom presses the tip of the dagger to Garret’s chest. Blood trickles down the front of his shirt, and he cries out. Even though Mom is nowhere near his heart, the dagger is affecting him. He could end up like Linette after Mom’s finished. I wonder if that’s how Mom came up with this idea.

“Did you make a deal with the Hunters?” Mom asks.

“No!” Garret screeches as Mom presses the dagger deeper into his chest.

“Did you offer our lives in exchange for your own?”

“No!” Garret’s face is bright red and the backs of his hands spout flames. His body is trying to use his powers to save him.

“Did you leave the dagger in that dumpster so that poor girl could find it?”

“Yes!” Garret screams.

Mom removes the dagger and steps back. Garret clutches his chest and stares at her. I think we’re all convinced he’s in too much pain to lie. Mom presses her palm to the wound and heals it. Though Garret is still breathing heavily, the bleeding has stopped.

“You’ll be fine,” she says.

Seeing how far Mom had the dagger in Garret’s chest makes me wonder how badly the Hunter stabbed Linette.

“Logan, it’s your turn,” Mom says.

Logan shakes his head. “I’m not letting you stick that thing in my chest.”

Mom hands the dagger to Monique. “I’m not going to. I have another method for getting the truth out of you.” She turns to Garret. “Get up. You’re fine. You’re a spineless jackass, but you’re fine.”

None of us can argue with her. Maybe Garret didn’t try to sacrifice us, but he did sacrifice that girl. Jackass is too good a word to describe him.

Garret grabs Logan’s arm and yanks him to his feet, proving that Mom was successful in healing him. That, and he’s probably really eager to see Logan suffer.

“Get over there. Like you said, refusing will only prove you’re guilty. Not that I don’t already think you are.”

Logan yanks his arm free and walks over to the armchair. The whole time his eyes are on me. I want to turn away, but I can’t. I grip Jeremy’s arm tighter, not sure if I can bear to see my mom torture my boyfriend, even if he is a Hunter.

Mom exhales. “Okay, I’m going to start off with a small burn, and if you don’t tell the truth, I can guarantee you’ll have no skin left to burn. Understand?”

Logan’s gaze is locked on me. “I have nothing to lie about.”

Mom presses her hand to Logan’s chest. His beautifully sculpted chest that I’ve admired and pressed my head against. Hot tears fall down my cheeks. Logan curves one side of his mouth in the saddest half smile imaginable. “In case this doesn’t end well, just know I still love you, Cara. Hunter or not. And if I did kill that girl, I didn’t know what I was doing. I only wanted to go after Garret to protect you. Ever since I met you, all I’ve wanted was to be with you and make you happy. When I thought I was your protector or something…” He shakes his head. “Well, I thought I had the most important job in the world. Nothing could be more important than making sure you live the lives you’re meant to.”

I let go of Jeremy and rush to Logan. “Mom, don’t. I believe him. Maybe he did kill that girl, but if he did, it was only because the dagger took control of him. If he stays away from it, he should be okay.” I turn to the group, scanning their faces and hoping I can convince them. “Right? I mean, he was okay before he held the dagger. He never hurt me or any of you.”

“Cara, we don’t know if that’s the case anymore,” Mom says. “He’s already been affected by the dagger. There’s no going back now.”

Monique holds up the dagger. “Now that he’s held the dagger, he’ll keep seeking it out. If I hand this to him now, I hate to think what he’d do with it.”

“He had it at his house and I was there alone with him. He could have killed me. Easily. He didn’t. Mom, give him the dagger. Let me prove that he’s not like the other Hunters. Please.”

“You can’t expect me to do that. It’s suicide.”

“He’s in a room full of Phoenixes. He couldn’t stab us all.”

Mom grabs me by my shoulders and looks into my eyes. “He could kill you. I won’t take that risk.”

“I’d never hurt Cara,” Logan says. “Give me the dagger and I’ll prove it.”

Garret crosses his arms and glares at Logan. “Yeah, I’m sure you’d love that. Play us all for fools. It’s not happening.”

Once again, I make a split-second decision. I grab the dagger from Monique and shove it into Logan’s hand. He stares at me, stunned, and everyone else backs up. Fireballs are lighting up the room on the palms of everyone but Linette and me.

“Show them,” I tell Logan. I pull him to his feet, and he looks down at the dagger in his hand.

“Cara, back away from him,” Mom says.

“No.” I hold my hands out at my sides, giving Logan full access to my heart. “I’m right here. You can plunge the dagger through my heart right now and steal my essence.”

Mom flings her fireball at the chair and grabs me from behind, knocking me to the floor. The whole time, Logan stares at the dagger. His fingers wrap around the handle, and his eyes narrow in concentration.

Even though the arm of the chair is on fire, no one moves to put it out. We all watch Logan, waiting to see what he’s going to do. He’s in some sort of trance, just like Garret said. Does he even remember who he is right now? Or has the dagger taken over?

Finally, his eyes find mine, and he raises the dagger in the air, ready to strike.

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

Logan

The dagger is above my head and Cara is looking up at me. My mind races with thoughts. Swinging the dagger around. Getting used to the way it feels in my hand. A phone ringing. My cell. Anton’s voice. How am I hearing Anton?

“Hey, man. What are you up to tonight? Hot date with Cara?”

“No. Cara’s not here,” I answer.

“Why do you sound so out of breath then?”

“I’m running.”

“Where?”

“Police station. I have to get rid of this.”             

“Rid of what?”

“Dagger. It’s messing with me.”

“Logan, what are you talking about?”

“Got to go.”

Smoke. I smell smoke. And there’s a pile of ashes on the ground in front of me.

A fist connects with my jaw, knocking me back, and the dagger is ripped from my hand. I shake my head, and my vision returns. What the hell just happened? The arm of the chair is black and charred. Now I remember. Mrs. Tillman threw a fireball at the chair and tackled Cara. I search the room.

“Where’s Cara?”

“Where you can’t hurt her,” Garret says.

My eyes land on Monique. “I think I remembered something.”

“You were in a trance,” she says. “Did you see something? You were talking, but it sounded like one side of a conversation.

“I was talking on the phone last night. To Anton. And I was running back to the police station.”

“Is that when you found the girl? And then you killed her?” Garret clenches his fist like he’s going to hit me again.

“No, I smelled smoke, and then I saw ashes.”

“Yeah, you’d like us to believe you got there after she died, wouldn’t you?”

“I believe him,” Cara says, coming back from the kitchen with a cup of tea in her hands.

“How could you after he tried to attack you?” Garret yells.

“I didn’t.” I sit up straighter because I know if I try to stand, Garret will punch me again. “Something came over me and I raised the dagger because that’s what I did last night.”

“Yeah, when you killed that Phoenix girl.” Garret yanks me up by my handcuffs. “I’m locking you up and charging you with murder.”

“You don’t have a body,” Mrs. Tillman says. “You only know who the Phoenix was because you invited her here under false pretenses. If we’re locking anyone up, it will be the both of you together.”

“Why did you go back to the police station?” Linette asks. She’s sitting up now, but the pain on her face makes it clear that it’s taking all her strength to stay upright.

“I was going to get rid of the dagger. I didn’t like the way it made me feel.”

Garret kicks the chair. “He’s admitting it affects him. We know he’s a Hunter. Why are we still debating what’s going to happen to him?”

“We’re debating what’s going to happen to the both of you,” Mrs. Tillman says. “If Logan is telling the truth, then he tried to resist the dagger.”

“That means something, doesn’t it?” Cara asks. Her eyes fall on me briefly before going to her mother.

“I would hope so,” Monique says.

“What are we going to do?” Jeremy looks around the group. “Because I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m getting tired of all this arguing.”

“I think we all have to stick together,” Cara says. “We’re safer as a group.”

“Does that include me?” I ask, my eyes locking on her, trying to judge how she feels about me.

“We can’t send him home to his father,” Linette says.

Mrs. Tillman sits down next to Linette. “His father doesn’t appear to be an active Hunter. It’s possible his Hunter gene was never tapped into either, but there’s only one way to find out for sure.”

“What’s that?” Cara asks, taking a sip of tea.

“We send Logan home.” She pauses and lowers her eyes. “With the dagger.”

“Have you lost your mind?” Garret yells. “We are not giving him the dagger.”

“We’re safer with it out of our possession,” Mrs. Tillman says.

Doesn’t anyone care what I think about all this? It is my life and my dad we’re discussing. “I don’t want the dagger.” All eyes turn to me. “I don’t want to black out anymore and have to wonder what I did during that time.”

“You’re not getting the dagger,” Garret says. “This is crazy. I’m taking the dagger and hiding it somewhere safe.”

“No, you’re not,” Mrs. Tillman says. “After what you did to that girl, you’re not getting the dagger back.”

“Fine, but you’re not giving it to him either.” Garret glares at me. “You might have them fooled, but you’re not fooling me.”

“No one is being fooled, Garret,” Monique says. “We’re trying to find a solution. One that will tell us if Logan’s father is a threat or not.”

“Maybe the gene didn’t come from his father,” Cara says. “It could be from his mother.”

The fact that she’d even suggest it is insane. My mother was as close to perfect as a person could get. She’d never be a Hunter. “No way. If anyone is a Hunter, it’s my dad. My mom was too good for this.”

“Is there any other explanation? Are we sure this is a gene and not something else?” Cara’s voice shakes. I know she doesn’t want to believe this is what I am or that I’m anything like my dad. I don’t either.

“It’s all right, Cara. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, and that includes my dad and me. I’ve never been able to convince him of anything, but I’ll make him move us back to New York so we’re not near you if I have to.”

“You’re all idiots if you let him go,” Garret says.

“We’re idiots if we continue to let you lead us,” Monique counters.

Cara puts her teacup on the coffee table. “I met Logan’s dad. He could’ve killed me if he wanted to, but he couldn’t have cared less about me.”

Garret waves his hand, dismissing the idea. “That could’ve been an act. And besides, we had the dagger. What would he have killed you with?”

“There’s another dagger. We know that now.” Cara looks at me. “You had the dagger when the girl was killed but you didn’t kill her. Someone else did, with another dagger. There are two. At least.”

“I’ve been thinking about that lately,” Mrs. Tillman says, starting to pace. “The original Phoenix egg was large enough to produce two daggers. I mean, think about it. We thought it could only produce one, but somehow another one was created. My guess is that one of them is smaller, and maybe not as dangerous.”

I stare at the dagger in Monique’s hand. It’s not that big, but I’d hate to think of one being bigger. “You got that one from Nick. He was working alone, right?”

Everyone turns to me, and Mrs. Tillman nods. “Yes. He’s the only Hunter we know of who wasn’t working in a group.”

“Because he was too greedy to share the Phoenix’s essence when he made a kill. I’m willing to bet Nick came from a long line of rogue Hunters. I’ll even venture to say he killed his own parents just so he didn’t have any competition.”

Cara stands up. “Or maybe we’re wrong about the Hunter gene. Maybe some people are just born Hunters and it has nothing to do with who their parents are. Nick’s parents might have been normal human beings who had no idea their son was a Hunter.”

“Then who trained him?” Linette asks, coughing and grabbing her chest.

Mrs. Tillman rushes to her and places her hand on her chest.

“Have you guys ever thought to do that as a group?” I ask.

Mrs. Tillman turns toward me. “What do you mean?”

“Healing Linette. I know you’re the big healer of the group, but maybe you don’t have enough power on your own.”

“As a group we might,” she finishes my thought.

I nod.

“Everyone come here.” She motions for them to huddle around. “Place your hands as close to the wound as you can.” She waits while they all get into position. “Everyone ready?” Nods go around the group. Cara’s eyes meet mine for a moment and I can tell she’s grateful for my suggestion. “On three,” Mrs. Tillman says. “One. Two. Three.”

Linette’s chest glows red like hot embers and her eyes widen, though not in pain. “I think it’s working.”

I smile because I like Linette. She’s always been nice to me, and I hate to see her hurting. I’m confident this will heal her enough that she won’t be confined to this house anymore. And that means that I have to worry about something else, something bigger. I have to get the dagger out of here so the Hunters don’t come knocking down Cara’s door to get it, and I have to find out if my dad really is a Hunter.

I glance at the dagger, which Monique placed on the coffee table, and then at the group, still hard at work healing Linette. I know leaving now might mean I’ll never see Cara again. If the dagger takes over, I’ll have to go away for good. I look at the back of her head, searing her image into my mind. Then I slowly inch toward the coffee table, watching everyone’s backs to make sure no one senses what I’m doing. I grip the dagger in my hand and back out of the living room. I head for the dining room, which connects to the kitchen on the other side. No one sees me, so I awkwardly turn the knob on the back door, which isn’t easy in handcuffs and holding a dagger. I slip outside and get a crazy idea.

I place the handle of the dagger in my mouth and bring the tip down on the handcuffs. Nothing happens, so I duck behind the bushes and work on using the tip of the blade to pick the lock. I never realized how much of a point this thing comes to, but I’m grateful for it now. After a few moments of awkward maneuvering with my mouth, the handcuffs come undone. I toss them aside and watch Cara’s house, knowing they must be done healing Linette and enraged that I slipped past them.

Garret rushes out the back door and searches the yard. I back up down the line of bushes and run into the neighbor’s yard. Their garage is open so I duck inside. I know how to hotwire a car, but if I go speeding out of here, Garret will only follow me in his patrol car. I have to stay hidden until he’s gone.

A car starts and I assume Garret is checking the streets for me. I wait until I see taillights before I peek out. Linette is coming out the front door, looking as good as new. I can’t help smiling.

“I’ll go check his house. No one will question me being there,” she says, heading for Mrs. Tillman’s car.

Monique leaves next. My guess is she’ll check the falls. Dad’s still at the office, and I know I have to break my promise of never setting foot inside his place of work. I have to see him and find out if he knows what I am, and if he’s a Hunter too.

I take off at a jog with the dagger in my back pocket, once again covered by my t-shirt. It’s getting late, but I have no doubt Dad will still be working. The office is on the outskirts of town in the one and only office building. I go inside and head straight for the receptionist’s desk.

“I’m here to see Simon Schmidt,” I say, completely out of breath. I wouldn’t doubt I set a new personal best on that run.

“He’s in his office, but he has his phone set to ‘do not disturb.’ I’m sorry,” she says in a well-rehearsed voice.

“I’m his son.”

She looks me up and down. “I wasn’t aware that Mr. Schmidt had a son.”

Of course she wasn’t. Why would he mention me? “Well, he does. Now if you just tell me where his office is, I won’t ask you to break his ‘do not disturb’ phone policy.”

She lets out a loud huff, pointing down the hall. “Corner office on the right.”

“Thank you.” I’m not surprised Dad has a corner office. Those are the biggest ones, and he wouldn’t settle for anything but the best. Which is why no one he works with knows about me—his biggest failure.

Without knocking, I turn the doorknob and march right inside. Dad looks up from his desk and scowls. “What do you want?”

“Let me see. There’s so much. Mom back, a father who isn’t a pompous ass who ignores me all the time, and to have a nice normal relationship with the girl I’m crazy about. Since it doesn’t look like I’m going to get any of those things, I’ll settle for you telling me what you know about this.” I pull the dagger from my back pocket. “Tell me about how we’re Hunters, Dad.”

Chapter

Twenty-Nine

Logan

I expect his eyes to widen, for him to curse me out for talking about what we are in a public place, even though no one else is in his office with us. Instead, he shakes his head and starts flipping through his paperwork again. “I don’t hunt.”

“Really? Never? Not for birds or anything like that?”

“Do I look like the outdoors type to you?” He types something on his computer and then glares at me. “Why are you still here?”

“Because I want answers. Have you seen this dagger before?” I hold it up, giving him a better view.

“No. I figured you just bought it. I’m sure a town like this has plenty of hunting equipment and people who could show you how to use it.” He waves me away. “I’m busy.”

“How old are you?”

He huffs. “Logan, I don’t have time for this. Maybe your mother entertained your crazy notions, but I’m not going to. I’m busy. Leave.”

I turn and walk away because he’s not a Hunter, just a major ass. I head back through the hallway, thinking Cara must have been right. Hunters don’t have to come from a long line of Hunters. Some of us are just born like this, or more like we’re awakened if we hold a Phoenix dagger. Maybe I was drawn to Cara that day at the falls when we met because something inside me recognized what she is. That would make sense.

“Simon Schmidt,” Monique says.

I jerk my head in the direction of the receptionist’s desk. Monique came to see my dad. I duck into the bathroom and wait for her to pass. I hear the receptionist tell her that Dad isn’t taking visitors.

“I’m not here to visit,” Monique says.

The receptionist stands up with a panicked expression on her face. “Look, I already let his son go back there. If I let you go too, I could lose my job.”

That’s all she needed to say. Monique’s heavy footsteps sound down the hall. By the way they keep pausing, she must be reading the nameplates on the doors. I wait until she stops, knowing she’s found Dad. Do I follow her in there? Make sure Dad’s okay?

I know he wouldn’t care if it were me, but Mom would want me to check on him. I tiptoe out of the bathroom and back down the hall. Monique isn’t yelling. She sounds calm, actually.

“Have you seen your son?”

“Who are you?” Dad asks, sounding just as annoyed as he was with me.

“I know your son. Have you seen him recently?”

Dad sighs. “I swear I moved to Hell on Earth. What is with the people in this town? Why my wife ever wanted to live in a place like this is beyond me. You’re all crazy. Some of us have jobs and do important things with our lives. Unfortunately, my son isn’t one of them. He’s more like the rest of you. Coming in here and telling me he wants to take up hunting.” He scoffs. “I can’t imagine a worse waste of time. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to get back to something that means something to the real world.”

I’m pretty sure that’s enough to convince Monique that Dad’s not a threat to anyone but me, so I take off down the hall, running right past the receptionist and out the door. I don’t know where I’m going. With all the Phoenixes looking for me, I’m not safe anywhere. I take all back roads that I’m sure no one will check. And before I know it, I’m at Nick’s house. I haven’t been inside it since the day of the party. The ‘For Sale’ sign is still on the front lawn.

I creep around back, climb up onto the deck, and use the dagger to pick the lock on the back door. The house is musty smelling from being locked up. I cringe and raise the neck of my shirt to cover my nose. This should be a good place to hide the dagger and lay low until I figure out what I’m going to do. I want to call Anton and see if he can book me a room at a hotel in New York, but he’ll ask why I don’t just stay with him and I can’t give him the real reason. He doesn’t know Phoenixes and Hunters exist, and he’s better off not knowing.

I check out all the rooms, looking for somewhere to stash the dagger. I decide on Nick’s bedroom. It seems appropriate since this is where he probably kept it. I look through the dresser and the closet, which are empty now since Garret cleaned the place out so it would look like Nick skipped town. I decide it would be easy to lift the mattress and stick the dagger inside it. I flip the bed up and slice a line just big enough to force the dagger through. Then I lower the mattress and step back.

“Better let us have that.”

I whirl around and see two guys dressed in navy blue hoodies. One is the same guy who attacked Cara and me at the falls. He’s got the burn on his face to prove it.

“So you weren’t boiled in the water after all,” I say.

“I wasn’t even in the water when your girlfriend pulled that little stunt,” he said.

“How’d you manage that? Do we Hunters have supernatural powers I haven’t discovered yet?” I emphasize the word “we.”

They both look at each other and then me. “What are you talking about?” the second one asks.

“Turns out I’m one of you guys.” I hold my arms out at my sides. “Who would’ve thought, right?” As I keep them talking I plan my escape, but I can’t figure out how to get the dagger and get out of here.

“You aren’t a Phoenix?”

I laugh. “Not even close.”

“But you were with the girl,” the blond guy says.

“It’s easier to kill them when you get close to them first. Plus, she’s nice to look at, am I right?”

Maybe I can chuck the mattress at them, grab the dagger, and jump out the window. It’s not that far of a drop onto the back deck.

“Not buying it,” the redhead says.

“Take a good whiff. Do you smell cinnamon?” I hope my time inside Cara’s house hasn’t made me smell like them. Her mom goes heavy on the cinnamon potpourri.

The redhead sniffs the air like a dog.

“Satisfied? Because you should know a whole slew of Phoenixes are after me right now. Sticking around isn’t a great idea, unless you’re both really good at dodging fireballs.” I motion to the burn on the blond’s face. “I know you’re not.”

“Let’s get the dagger and go,” the redhead says.

“No way. His girl burned me, and I’m going to get my revenge.”

“Kyle, don’t be an idiot. We can’t take them all on.” The redhead looks petrified, like he might shit himself.

“Maybe you can’t, Will, but I can.”

“See, this is why you nearly got yourself killed at the falls.”

Really? These are the Hunters that have the Phoenixes running around scared? They’re morons.

“Don’t you guys already have a dagger?” I ask, interrupting their argument. “I mean, you bagged that Phoenix girl at the police station, right?”

“No, that was our buddy, but he left,” Will says. “Told us to find a dagger of our own.”

Kyle shoots him a look for telling me that. I have no doubt he’d use the dagger on Will right now if he had it.

“Well, I’d follow him if you want to make it out of this town alive.” I look at my watch. “I’m guessing they’ll be banging down the door any minute now.”

“Fine,” Kyle says. “Give us the dagger and we’ll go.”

“No way. I stole this dagger from the Phoenixes. I earned it.”

“Then maybe we’ll stick around and work with you,” Will says.

“I work alone. I’m not sharing the Phoenixes’ essences with anyone.” I repeat what I heard back at Cara’s, hoping it sounds believable.

Kyle waves his hand in front of him. “I’m not buying this. You were too chummy with that Phoenix chick. No way are you planning to bag her.”

I step closer, hoping to intimidate him. “I’m planning to drive the dagger straight into her heart and steal her essence, and then I’ll do the same to the rest of them.”

“You don’t need all that time added on to your life. There’s plenty to go around,” Will practically whines.

I cut him a look, which makes him cower behind Kyle. “I told you I work alone.”

Kyle shakes his head. “No. I don’t think you work at all. I think you’re full of shit.”

I grab the mattress and tip it over onto them. The dagger is on the side by the floor, and I scramble to get to it before they do. Kyle and I reach it at the same time, and we wrestle for it. He kicks at me and connects with one of my ribs. Damn, why does he like ribs so much? I double over, and Kyle’s foot connects with my temple. My world goes black.

***

When I come to, I’m tied to a chair at the kitchen table. My head is throbbing from Kyle’s foot playing kickball with it, and my neck is sore from being slumped over for who knows how long. I don’t know if the Hunters are still around or if they took the dagger and went after Cara.

“Hello?” I call and listen for any response or movement in the other rooms. Nothing.

I wobble around in the chair, pushing it back from the table. I’m good with locks, but getting myself untied is another story. No matter how much I wiggle around and tug on the ropes, I can’t loosen them. I don’t think I could move my hands enough to open a drawer and search for a knife even if I could manage to stand with the chair attached to me. I get angry and start bashing the chair against the kitchen counter when Kyle comes rushing through the back door.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He knocks me over and I fall to the ground, where I’m stuck like a helpless beetle on its back. It’s beyond humiliating. “Don’t make me knock you out again. That would be bad for the both of us.”

“Why is that?” I continue to squirm even though it’s completely ineffective.

“Because we need something from you.” Kyle holds up my cell phone.

“Where did you get that?”

“From a certain Phoenix’s house,” he says with a smirk.

Oh my God, did he kill Garret? Not that it would be a big loss or anything, but that would be one step closer to getting to Cara.

“What did you do to Garret?”

“Lucky for him, he wasn’t home when I took it.”

Will comes through the back door carrying a big brown bag. “We should’ve gotten more Cheese Doodles. Those things are seriously addictive. One bag isn’t going to be enough.”

Kyle whips his head in Will’s direction. “Would you drop it about the Cheese Doodles!” He turns back to me and mutters, “Moron.”

I have no doubt Kyle plans to get rid of Will at some point. My guess is he’s only keeping him around now because there are so many Phoenixes in Ashlan Falls. Kyle needs numbers on his side. Which gives me an idea.

“Look, you are way outnumbered here. Why don’t you let me help you? I know I said I work alone, but since there are so many freakin’ Phoenixes in this town, I’m willing to team up this once.”

“Like last time, I say you’re full of shit.” He motions to Will. “We know what we’re doing.”

“We do?” Will asks, placing the bag on the counter.

Kyle punches him in the arm.

“Are you two brothers or cousins or what?” I ask, not seeing how these two could have ended up working together.

“Believe me, we’re not related,” Kyle says. “Hunters rarely come from the same family because even though we hunt in packs, in the end, it’s a competition. Fighting family isn’t exactly cool.”

I’m surprised that would bother him. He doesn’t seem to care about anyone but himself.

“That’s enough with the chit chat,” Kyle says, bending down to me. “It’s time for you to make a little phone call to a certain bird you know.”

“I’m not calling Cara for you.”

“Oh, but you are. Because if you don’t, I’m going to make her suffer. I’ll pluck every feather from her body until she begs me to stick the dagger in her heart. And even then, I won’t kill her. I’ll make her watch me kill every one of her little bird friends”—he leans down and breathes in my face—“and you. I know you mean something to her. Seeing you die might be the greatest form of torture.”

“You’re wrong about that. Cara doesn’t remember that she loves me, and when she found out I’m a Hunter—”

“Would you lay off with the whole ‘I’m a Hunter’ bullshit? I’m not buying it.”

“Put the dagger in my hand and you’ll see what happens to me. You’ll see the effect it has. The way I can black out and not know what I’m doing because the dagger takes over.”

Kyle cocks his head. “How do you know about that?”

“Because it happened to me last night when I held the dagger. I’m a Hunter, you ass.”

Kyle grabs my chair and pulls me to a sitting position. “Maybe you are, but I don’t believe you want to hurt your girlfriend. So I’m going to do it for you.” He presses my cell phone into my hand. “Now call her and I promise to end her life quickly and painlessly.”

He presses Cara’s number on my speed dial, and I hear it ringing. “Logan?” Cara answers, her voice quivering.

Fine. Kyle wants me to talk. I’ll talk. “Cara, don’t come near Nick’s house. They have the dagger!”

Kyle yanks the phone away from me and puts it to his ear. “Oh you will come, Cara, and you’ll come alone or your boyfriend is dead. You have ten minutes.” He hangs up, and then my cell connects with the side of my head and I’m unconscious again.

Chapter Thirty

Cara

The Hunters have Logan and the dagger. I still don’t know what was going through his mind when he stole the dagger and ran out of here. I mean, he’s the reason Linette is better. I thought that meant he was different, that he was good. Then why would he take the dagger?

Everyone is searching for Logan again, this time in teams of two: Mom and Jeremy, Linette and Garret, and Monique and me. Monique is inside the café getting a sign to put on the door to say she’s closed until further notice. I use the opportunity to take off. I leave my car and run to Nick’s so Monique doesn’t hear or see me pull away. I head for the back roads that most people avoid. Nick’s house isn’t far from here, so I don’t have much time to think through what I’m going to do.

If the Hunters really have Logan trapped, then it means he isn’t working with them. He isn’t trying to hurt any of us, and he probably only took the dagger to get it away from me so the Hunters didn’t find me. I need to find him as soon as I get to Nick’s so I know what’s really going on.

I have no idea how many are in there with Logan, but he mentioned them in plural so I know it’s more than one. I’m sure they’re watching the front door, so I sneak around the side of the house. I peek at the deck, which is empty, but there are windows so going in that way isn’t an option either. My only hope is an open window on the other side of the house.

I get low to the ground and creep across the back of the house, staying pressed up against the siding so hopefully I can’t be seen from the windows above. Once I’m under the deck, it’s a little easier, but I freeze when the back door opens and someone steps onto the deck above me. If they look down, they’ll see me.

“No sign of her, Kyle.”

“Would you get back in here?” Another guy, the same one from the falls, comes out and yanks him back into the house.

I hold my hand over my mouth, afraid I’ll make a sound. How did he get away? I boiled that water. No human should’ve been able to survive that. Unless he managed to get away before I had a chance to boil the water. I’m supposed to know the falls so well, but without my memories I can’t figure it out. I shake the thought away because I have to focus on getting inside the house and saving Logan.

I reach the side of the house where there’s a window to what I’m hoping is a bedroom, and I stand on my tippy toes to peer in. The door is closed, and the room appears to be empty. I push up on the window, but it’s locked. Now what? I look around. There are plenty of things I could use to break the glass, but then I’d be alerting the Hunters that I’m here. I stare at my palm for a moment. Can I melt the glass? I’ve never tried it, that I know of. Maybe it would work.

I place both palms against the window because I need a hole big enough to pull my body through. I concentrate on heating up my hands. The glass gets slippery under my palms and then it feels like liquid. It drips down my arms and lands in the grass, singeing it. It’s working, but the hole isn’t big enough. I reposition my hands and do it again. There. That should work. Now I just need to find something to give me a boost.

I head back to the deck and duck underneath it. There’s an old garbage can lying on its side. It should be able to support my weight long enough for me to get inside the window. I carefully drag it out from under the deck and stand it upside down under the window. Using the siding for balance, I climb on top of the can and grab the window. The edges around the burned glass are smooth, thankfully, so I pull my head and torso through. There’s a dresser with a lamp on it in front of me. Crap.

I grab the lamp and look around for somewhere to put it. I hope the Hunters don’t go outside and catch me with my ass hanging out the window. The only place to put the lamp without it being in my way is on the bed, but I’d have to chuck it and hope my aim is good. I should’ve played more basketball with Jeremy. I take a deep breath and toss the lamp, aiming for the pillows. It hits the pillow closest to me and starts rolling toward the bottom of the bed. I hold my breath as I watch. It stops just before the edge.

I exhale and pull myself the rest of the way through the window. I hop down from the dresser and look around. I already have firepower, but another weapon might be good too. These guys have the dagger, but I have no clue what would work against it if they get close enough to use it on me. Unfortunately, the room is pretty bare thanks to Garret.

I creep to the door and slowly turn the knob, opening the door only enough to peek out. I can see a hallway leading to the living room, but both are empty. They must be in the kitchen. That’s why they came out the back door. They probably figured I’d try to sneak up on them instead of coming in the front. I take a deep breath and open the door a little wider. Still no sounds or anything. I walk to the end of the hallway. This is it. Once I turn the corner, I’ll be able to see into the kitchen. I let a fireball form on both of my hands, and I step out into view.

“I wouldn’t do that,” a voice says behind me.

I turn and hurl the fireball at the redheaded guy. He ducks, and before I can send another one his way, I hear, “Do it and Logan dies!”

The guy from the falls—Kyle, the other one called him—drags a kitchen chair into my view. Logan is slumped over, unconscious.

“What did you do to him?”

The guy behind me tries to grab my arms, but I increase my body temperature and he cries out in pain. “The bitch burned me!”

“Enough of that. You burn anyone else and I’ll gut this guy.” Kyle holds the dagger up to Logan’s chest.

Logan stirs and looks around, his eyes falling on me. “I told you not to come.”

“I had to see for myself.”

“Oh, you’ll see,” Kyle says. “You’ll see me drive this dagger through your heart all right.”

The other guy laughs. “Good one.”

“Would you shut up already, Will?” Kyle yells.

I look back at Will. He’s nowhere near the threat Kyle is. “Just you two, or are there more?” I ask.

“Oh, there are more, but it’s only us now and believe me, that’s enough to take you down.” Kyle’s cockiness makes me want to burn him more.

“Did you know Nick?” Everyone says Nick worked on his own, but maybe he ran into these two at some point.

“We’ve met,” Kyle says, not sounding happy about it.

“Want to meet him again?” I ask, trying to sound confident. “I’m the one who killed him, you know. I’d be happy to reunite two Hunters.” I turn to Will and smile. “Make that three.” I’m willing to bet this guy has never killed a Phoenix. He doesn’t look like he could hurt a fly.

He gulps and backs away from me. “Hey, Kyle, maybe I should get the dagger for a while.”

Yeah, even I know Kyle’s not giving up that thing.

“Just stay there and make sure she doesn’t try anything,” Kyle says.

“How am I supposed to do that?” Will looks at me and shrugs. It’s comical, and I’m tempted to tell him to just run far away and never come back because he’s that pathetic.

“What the hell do I train you for?” Kyle screams.

“Because you killed my brother. That’s why.”

I turn to Will. “He killed your brother?” Why would Kyle do that? Hunters are only supposed to care about killing Phoenixes.

“My brother is the Hunter, not me. Or he was until he stabbed him.” Will motions to Kyle.

“We were training. The knife slipped.” Kyle lets out a guttural yell. “I’m not going through this again. It was an accident. I didn’t ask you to follow me around after that.”

“I had no one left,” Will says in a small voice.

“You’re not a Hunter?” I ask.

“No. I hang with them though.”

I shake my head at him. “I’m giving you two options. Get the hell out of here and get new friends or…” I let a fireball form on my palm.

Will looks at it and then at Kyle. “Good luck, man.” He runs out the front door.

“One down, one to go,” I say, bouncing the fireball in my hand. “Want to surrender yet?”

“Sweetheart, you did me a favor. When I hook up with my boys back home, they’ll greet me like a king. I’ll have bagged you and gotten rid of that imbecile.” Kyle smiles and holds the dagger up. “And I have this.”

“Yeah, about that. I’m afraid I’m going to have to take it off your hands.”

“That’s cute.” Kyle clamps his hand down on Logan’s shoulder. “You don’t have the upper hand. I do.”

“I told you. She doesn’t care about me,” Logan says.

He looks into my eyes, and I can’t figure out if he’s serious or if he’s trying to somehow communicate with me through his words to Kyle. “It won’t matter to her if she takes us both out when she hurls that fireball this way. She’ll get two Hunters for the price of one.”

“Stop trying to convince me you’re a Hunter!” Kyle screams.

“He is,” I say. “I saw what happened when he held that dagger. He’s one of you. Only even he didn’t know it. That’s why you saw us together. I fell for him before I found out what he is.”

Kyle cocks his head. “And now?”

Logan’s plan finally makes sense to me. “Like I said, he’s one of you.”

“So you don’t care what happens to him?” Kyle waves the dagger in the air, keeping his body positioned behind Logan, using him as a shield.

“No,” I lie.

“I could drive this dagger through his heart and you wouldn’t bat an eyelash?” Kyle smirks at the thought.

I swallow hard. “No.”

Kyle drags the dagger down the side of Logan’s face and tiny drops of blood form. I cringe, trying to cover it up by crossing my arms like I’m bored.

“This doesn’t bother you? Seeing me shed his blood?”

“Why would it?” It’s getting harder to keep my voice from shaking.

“Because I saw what you two were doing in the back seat of that car. I saw the way you touched him and let him touch you.”

“So you’re a perv,” I say, but in my mind I remember Logan’s touch so well I can almost feel it. It sends shivers through me, and I have to force my eyes to focus on Kyle instead of going to Logan.

“I told you. The second she found out what I am, we were through.” Logan stares at me, and it doesn’t seem like he’s worried at all about what Kyle might do to him. All he’s concerned about is getting me out of here safely.

“Exactly,” I say. “Because there is no way I’m going to trust a Hunter.”

I hope Logan can tell I’m lying.

Kyle stares at me, debating if I’m telling the truth or not. “So I could kill him now, and you’d have no problem watching?”

I gather all my strength and force out the words I’m hoping he’ll buy. “I’ll kill him myself if you hand me that dagger.”

I keep my face devoid of emotion even though I’m bursting on the inside. I don’t really think Kyle will be stupid enough to hand over the very weapon he plans to kill me with, but it’s worth a shot.

He lets out a deep belly laugh. “That’s classic. Ask me to give you the thing you’re after and play it off as you wanting to kill this guy. Sure. Will might be a complete idiot, but I’m not.” He lowers the dagger to Logan’s neck. Logan tenses and tries to back away, but he’s tied to the chair and can’t escape.

I raise my hand to throw a fireball at Kyle, but Logan cries out as the dagger pierces his skin. Blood trickles and I scream. A full-out Phoenix cry, cut short by images flooding my brain, and I pass out.

The falls. Logan running up to them, wearing a leather jacket, and gawking at me in my bikini.

“I’m Logan Schmidt. You a junior?”

“Senior in a few days. How about you?”

“Same, except I finished out the school year back in New York.”

“You’re from New York?”

“Lived there all my life.”

The scene changes. Logan and I are sitting by his pool.

“You’re always so warm.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s nice.”

“It is?”

Logan leans forward and kisses me. It’s so intense I’m on his lap in seconds. And then I bring us both tumbling into the pool.

Now we’re at the falls again.

“Kiss me,” I tell Logan. “Kiss me, and please don’t stop.” I pull his hips toward mine in the water and press my lips to his.

The chem lab.

“I’m not fully human. I’m a Phoenix. I’m sorry, Logan. I don’t want to leave you, but I have to. I can’t change this. I thought I could, but I can’t. I can’t stop what’s meant to happen. Logan, listen to me. There’s something I have to tell you before I forget who you are.”

“Forget who I am?”

“You have to listen to me,” I beg. “I don’t have much time, and I need you to understand. I may not be myself soon.”

“I’m not going to let you die. I just have to find another fire extinguisher.”

“I know this is hard to accept, but it’s happening. You have to see that. I’m going to die and be reborn from the ashes.”

Nick interrupts us and tries to stab Logan.

“Logan!” I cry and Nick drops the knife. I reach for him and pull him into the fire with me until he’s nothing but ashes.

“Cara!” Logan shouts.

“I’m okay. I tried to tell you. I wanted to, but it was too dangerous. I wanted to protect you. I love you, Logan. Remember that. Even though I won’t remember you, remember that I love you.”

“Cara, don’t leave me. Don’t forget.”

“I love you, Logan.”

The images are coming so fast it’s like my life is flashing before my eyes. My memories of Logan and what he means to me, what he’s meant to me from the very first time I saw him, from when the imprint began to when I lost him during my rebirth.

I remember it all.

Chapter

Thirty-One

Logan

Cara is on the ground unconscious. Kyle steps away from me and moves toward her.

“If this is some kind of trick, it’s a really stupid one,” he says, advancing on her.

“No!” I yell and start bashing my chair against everything in sight. If she’s really unconscious, he’ll kill her. My God, I can’t lose her again.

“I’ll kill you if you touch her!”

Kyle looks back at me. “So I guess all that stuff about you two being enemies now was nothing but bullshit, just like I said.”

Good, advance on me, you prick!

“That’s right. We played you. How does it feel?” I bang the chair against the counter and hear the wood splinter. Kyle hears it too because he rushes at me.

“You’re a dead man, Hunter or not!” He lunges at me with the dagger, but I twist and he gets nothing but the chair. He comes at me again.

If I don’t get free, Cara and I are both as good as dead. “Cara!” I scream. I have no idea what happened to her, why she fainted. It doesn’t make sense. No one touched her.

“All right listen, Kyle.” Will’s voice comes through the front door. Kyle turns toward him, so I bash my chair against the cabinets again, and this time I get free. The ropes loosen as the back of the chair falls apart, and I slip out of them.

Kyle rushes to Cara and holds the dagger above her chest. “Don’t move or I’ll kill her.” He’s breathing heavily and keeping his eyes on me.

“What did I miss?” Will asks.

“Just shut up!” Kyle yells. “Go grab him and hold him for me.”

Will walks toward me. “Sorry, man, but I don’t have anywhere else to go. Kyle may be an idiot, but he looks out for me.”

“You really think you can hold me?” I glare down at him, reminding him of the size difference between us. Now that I’m seeing him up close I realize he can’t be more than fourteen. He’s lanky, and his face is so childlike.

“You’ll stay where you are,” Kyle says, “or your girlfriend is going to become a pile of ashes, and I can guarantee she won’t rise from them.”

My eyes fall on Cara. I can’t do anything that will risk her life. He has the upper hand.

“What are you waiting for?” I ask him.

He smiles. “I’m not a pansy like a certain other Hunter I know. I like to see the look in a Phoenix’s eyes when I drive the dagger through their heart. I want to watch the life drain out of them and then play in their ashes.”

“You sick bastard.” I step toward him, but he lowers the dagger to Cara’s chest.

“Another step and I’ll drive this baby home.”

Will is standing there, as useless as can be. Exactly how I feel.

“What do you plan to do? Wait until she wakes up and then kill her? She could burn you to ashes before you even pull your arm back to attack.”

“I told you I’m not an idiot.” Kyle motions to Will. “Help me get her up. We need to move her someplace else so I can make sure she doesn’t use her firepower when she comes to.”

“Like where?” I ask. Maybe if I can keep him talking, Cara will wake up. And if Kyle is focused on me, she can attack him before he even realizes what’s happening.

Kyle ignores me. “Grab her legs, Will.”

“What about me?” I step toward them, and Kyle presses the dagger against Cara’s chest again.

“Not another step.”

“If you leave me here, you know I’ll get help. I’ll get every Phoenix in this town to hunt you down. How’s that for irony?”

“He’s got a point,” Will says.

Kyle grunts. “Why are you so useless?” He pushes Cara into Will’s arms. “Take her.”

Will staggers under Cara’s weight. “She’s heavy.”

“I’ll carry her,” I volunteer.

Kyle laughs. “Yeah, right. I know how that would go. You carry her and then you try to run off. As much as I’d enjoy stabbing you in the back when I caught you, I think I’ll stick to my plan.”

“Funny, because from where I’m standing it doesn’t look like you have a plan.”

“It really doesn’t,” Will says.

By this point, Cara’s feet are back on the ground and Will is basically holding her up instead of carrying her.

“I’ll get the girl and you stay on him,” Kyle tells Will. “Use your knife.”

Will nods. “Right. My knife.” He passes Cara to Kyle and takes a big butcher’s knife from a holder he’s wearing under his t-shirt. Even though he’s young and not a Hunter, holding that thing makes him intimidating. He walks over to me. “Don’t make me have to use this, okay?”

Kyle drapes Cara over his shoulder and heads to the back door. “Let’s go.” He motions for Will and me to go first. Obviously he knows I’ll attack him if I get the chance and he’s not willing to turn his back on me.

I keep glancing back, making sure Cara’s okay. Why won’t she wake up? Will leads us to a beat-up brown Civic parked in the cornfield behind Nick’s house.

“You two in the front. I’ll stay in the back with the bird-girl,” Kyle says.

Will gets in the driver’s seat, and he looks giddy.

“Do you even know how to drive?” I ask him.

“No, but how hard can it be? I’ve been begging Kyle to let me have the keys.” He starts the engine and jerks the car backward. “Oops. Wrong way. I’ve got it now.” He pulls onto the road and laughs. “I’m doing it!” He’s steering with one hand since he still has the knife pointed at me in the passenger seat.

“Turn left up here,” Kyle says.

I glance back at Cara, who has her head in Kyle’s lap. My stomach churns seeing her like this, but since Kyle’s a sadistic prick who wants her to be awake when he kills her we at least have a fighting chance.

“Right there,” Kyle says, pointing to the sign for the falls up ahead.

The sun is down now so the falls are empty.

Will pulls into a parking spot and turns the car off. “That was awesome.” He smiles at me as if I’m going to congratulate him. I’d like to drive my fist into his eye socket and rip that knife out of his hands so I can fight Kyle.

“Stay there until Will comes around to get you,” Kyle tells me.

“This would be so much easier if Deacon was here,” Will says, getting out of the car.

“No way am I letting Deacon get his hands on this one,” Kyle says, getting out with Cara.

Will opens my door. “You know he’s going to be pissed you got the girl. He’s wanted her for over a month now.”

“That’s his problem,” Kyle says.

“Until he finds you,” Will says. Kyle glares at him, and Will shrugs. “Just saying.”

“Move.” Kyle pushes me. “I want the girl in the water.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Because water limits a Phoenix’s abilities. It cools them off too much for their powers to be full force.”

I’ve seen Cara boil the water. Kyle wouldn’t be alive if he didn’t somehow escape that day before Cara got in the water. He must know she can still use her powers. Unless he thinks that he’ll be able to kill her before she gets to.

Kyle motions to the stairs. “Up there. I want to make sure we’re hidden behind the falls on that ledge.”

Will takes me up there and shoves me across the ledge. Water is spraying all over, soaking me. This is supposed to be Cara’s and my spot. We met here. We had sex here. Now these two are ruining those memories.

Kyle tries to position Cara against the rocks behind us, but it’s slippery and she keeps sliding. Will tries to help him, and I realize no one is watching me. I grab Will and toss him through the falls and over the ledge. Kyle whips his head toward me and slashes at me with the dagger. Cara’s body slumps forward. I duck Kyle’s jabs and grab Cara’s arm. Then I send us both over the ledge and into the water below.

As we’re hurtling through the air, I tighten my grip on Cara’s arm. I’m not going to lose her when we hit the water. I just hope neither of us collides with the underwater ledge. We splash into the water below, and I kick my legs, trying to swim Cara away from the falls and over to the lagoon. I have no idea if Kyle jumped in after us or if he ran down the stairs to wait for us to surface, but getting to the lagoon seems like the best option for putting distance between us.

I’m afraid to keep Cara under the water too long since she’s unconscious, so I push her to the surface. Once I’m above the water I look around and see Will floating face down. It’s hard to see in the increasing darkness, but I’m willing to bet his head found the underwater ledge.

I can’t find Kyle, so I pull Cara toward the edge of the lagoon. I prop her up on top of it and then pull myself up and over. The koi are swimming around my legs, bumping into me playfully. I focus on getting Cara back into the water with me. I pull her into my arms and brush the wet strands of hair from her face.

“Come on, Cara. Wake up. Please.” I press my lips to hers, which are cold. Not a good sign for a Phoenix who is usually way above the normal body temperature for a human. “Please. I love you, Cara. Come back to me. I love you.” I press my lips to hers again. This time they feel warmer. I pull back and look at her face.

Her eyelids flutter open. “I love you too.”

“What?” I’m in shock and completely elated at the same time. “You’re okay.” I cup her cheek in my hand. “Oh thank God!”

“Logan…”

“We have to get out of here. I think Will is dead, and I don’t know where Kyle is. He brought you here to keep your powers suppressed so he could kill you, and—”

She presses her finger to my lips, and her warmth rushes through me. She feels like herself again. “I remember.”

“Right, so you know we need to get out of here.”

The koi are swarming around us now.

“No, I mean I remember you. Us. Everything. It all came back.” She smiles at me. “I love you, Logan.”

My heart feels like it stopped beating. Cara’s memories have returned. “How?”

“I think when Kyle tried to slit your throat the imprint just kicked in. The memories came rushing back, and it was so much at once that I passed out.”

Oh my God, she’s really back. My Cara is back. I pull her toward me, squeezing her tight. “I love you so much.” Before I can kiss her and show her how much I love her, something rams into me from behind. Something way too big to be a koi fish. I pull away from Cara and search the water.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, and then she’s pulled under the surface.

“Cara!” I scream. I dive down after her, but the koi are filling the water, making it impossible to see. I swat them aside, and then I see her. Kyle has his arm wrapped around her waist. She’s fighting him, and he can’t get a clear shot at her chest with the dagger. He swats at a few koi and then kicks for the surface, bringing Cara with him.

I grab his arm and try to pry the dagger from his fingers, but he shakes me off and lands a punch to the side of my head as I surface. I’m seeing stars.

“It’s over,” Kyle says. “You lose.”

Chapter

Thirty-Two

Cara

I pull away from Kyle and raise my hand, but I’m too wet to create a fireball. And since Logan’s in the water, I can’t boil the lagoon either. Unless I can get Logan out of here, we’re completely screwed. Kyle smiles at me, knowing he’s won. He’s armed and thanks to the water, I’m not.

“How did you get in here?” Logan asks. “I would’ve seen you climb over the edge of the lagoon.”

It’s a good question. Hunters are humans. They don’t have powers, so how did he pull it off?

“Actually, I owe her for that.” Kyle looks at me.

“What are you talking about?” I ask.

“Last time we were all here together I discovered something about the edge of the lagoon.” He pats it and smiles. “Apparently these koi like to play, and they wanted a bigger pool.”

“What are you babbling about?” Logan asks. “Get on with it.”

“So impatient.” Kyle laughs. “There’s a hole in this wall. One just big enough for a person, or a school of koi, to slip through.”

That’s how he got out that day before I boiled the water. He swam under the edge of the lagoon. My powers didn’t reach this far or else Kyle and all the koi would’ve been killed. I have to get Logan out of here and finish what I started that day. I meet Logan’s gaze.

Please let this imprint be strong enough to allow him to read my thoughts.

I nod slightly toward the ledge. If he swims through it, I can boil Kyle in this lagoon, and hopefully I won’t be able to heat up the rest of the falls before Logan gets to shore. It’s risky, but it’s the only plan I have.

Logan cocks his head at me, not understanding.

Damn it!

“Time to end this, Phoenix.” Kyle moves toward me, but Logan reaches for me at the same time, blocking me. He and Kyle wrestle for the dagger.

I grab Kyle and let my hands heat up. I can’t create fire, but I can still burn him with my touch. Kyle cries out and backs off.

“Go, Logan!” I motion toward the ledge again. “Play with the koi!” It’s the only way I can think of to hint at my plan without coming out and saying it.

Logan’s eyes widen, and then he shakes his head.

“Go!” I insist, and I hold my hands out in the water so he can see what I’m about to do.

I can tell he doesn’t want to leave me, but he ducks under the water and then he’s gone. I slowly raise my body temperature and the water around me ripples.

Kyle laughs. “You can’t create fire underwater, Cara. Didn’t your mother teach you anything?” He moves closer to me, and I pray that Logan is far enough away as I start to make the water simmer. I’m so close to a boil, but I hear splashing. Logan’s not out.

Kyle finally figures out what I’m doing, and he comes at me with the dagger.

“Cara!” Logan’s splashing so frantically and it sounds like he’s getting closer instead of going toward the shore.

I back off the heat and block Kyle’s attack. He’s strong, and even with both of my hands on his arms, he still manages to bring the dagger closer to my chest. I try to burn him again, and while I can see that I’m hurting him, he doesn’t pull away. He yells and pushes the dagger down harder. The tip pierces my skin, and I cry out.

Then Kyle’s head snaps to the side as Logan’s foot connects with it. Logan is standing on the edge of the lagoon, out of the water.

“Don’t move,” I tell Logan, and I immediately start to boil the water.

Kyle makes one last staggering attempt to stab me. I grab his wrist with one hand and burn it while boiling the water with my other. So much steam rises up out of the lagoon it’s hard to see. Even though Kyle’s screams are agonizing, I don’t stop. And then his hand goes limp and the dagger falls into the water.

I let go of Kyle and snatch up the dagger before it can sink. Kyle’s body is floating on top of the water. I’m sure he’s dead.

Logan starts to step into the water, but I hold my hand up. “Don’t! It’s still boiling.”

He looks around at the water. It’s not bubbling like crazy anymore, but all the koi are belly up. I killed every single one of them. “Take my hand,” Logan says. “Let’s get you out of there.”

I reach for the cut on my chest and heal it, feeling dizzy from the effects of the dagger.

“Are you okay?” Logan asks.

I nod. I’ll be fine. “We have to burn the bodies or Garret will have a hell of a time covering this up.” Two dead bodies and a lagoon full of fried koi will be too hard to explain.

“You can’t create fire in the water.”

“We’ll have to bring the bodies to shore. I’ll destroy them there.”

I push Kyle’s limp form to the edge of the lagoon. Logan pulls him up and over into the water on the other side.

“I think you can come in now, Logan. It’s hot, but it won’t burn you.” It takes a lot of constant heat to keep this amount of water at a boil. It cools quickly, especially with the cool breeze in the air tonight.

Logan lowers himself into the water and pulls Kyle to shore. I grab Will and drag his body to shore as well. Before I can dry off or set either on fire, Logan wraps his arms around me. I let myself cry into his chest. All those days of not remembering him or what we have are gone. The imprint gave it all back to me. He pulls back just far enough to look into my eyes. “Remember when I told you the happiest moment of my life was when you rose from your ashes in the chem lab after your rebirth?”

I nod and tears spill down my cheeks.

“Well this is a close second.” He presses his lips to mine. His kiss is like air, and I drink it into my starved lungs. Part of me was missing when I came out of the ashes that day, and now I have it back. I have Logan.

We have to dispose of the bodies before morning, so I let go of Logan and dry my hands on the grass. I create two fireballs and kneel next to Kyle and Will. Up close, I can see both bodies are severely burned. Kyle is missing chunks of skin, and Will’s skin is red and blistered. It’s awful to think I did that.

I start with Kyle’s body, igniting it. I want him gone, forgotten. But Will…he wasn’t even a Hunter. He was a lost kid who didn’t have anyone left in the world but the Hunter who killed his brother. I wish he didn’t have to die. I wish he could’ve changed and forgotten about Hunters and Phoenixes and grown up to be something one day.

“I’m sorry things had to end this way for you,” I say before letting the fire consume Will’s body.

Logan gently pulls me away. “He had a part in this, Cara. He helped Kyle hurt you. He helped that guy Deacon kill that girl at the police station. I know he was a kid, but he wasn’t innocent.”

“I know, but his death is on my head.”

Logan takes me by my shoulders. “No. He chose to follow Kyle, and I’m the one who pushed him off that ledge. He was dead long before you boiled the water.”

I shake my head because I don’t want to think about Logan and me both becoming killers. That’s exactly what this war has done to us.

“I hate this,” I say.

Logan pulls me back on the grass and we sit side by side, watching the fire consume the bodies.

“Remember the bonfire at Nick’s?” I ask him.

He smiles at me. “You have no idea how happy it makes me that you remember it.”

I know what he means. Having my memories back makes all of this worth it. “I caused the fire to explode and then I tried to stop it by putting my hands in the flames.”

“I know.”

“Why are you so okay with what I am?”

“When I went back to New York, all I could think about was you. You could be a six-foot hairy troll and I’d still think you were the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” He shrugs. “I know you think the imprint is what’s doing all this, but look at what happened to you. After you were reborn, the imprint wasn’t there.”

“I think it was. I think it was just buried in my subconscious.”

“Maybe, but the thing that brought you back to me, that brought your memories back, that was love, Cara.” He brushes the hair out of my face. “That’s what I was missing from my life after my mom died, and you’re the one who gave it back to me.”

“Which is why you never gave up on us, why you came back for me.” My eyes water again at the realization. Logan and I need each other. Not because of the imprint, but because we love each other in a way that can’t be explained. What we have is stronger than the stuff they write about in romance novels. It’s stronger than the dagger that can stop my heart for good.

I’m still holding it in my hand, and I know I have to give it away. I have to give it to Logan.

“Here,” I say, holding it out to him.

“No.” He shakes his head. “I don’t want to ever touch that thing again.”

“You have to.” I turn toward him and study his face in the dying embers of Kyle’s and Will’s cremations. “You accept me for who and what I am. I have to do the same for you.”

“Cara, you’ve seen what that thing does to me. I can’t control myself when I’m holding it.”

“Really? Then why didn’t you kill me at your house or at mine when you had the chance to? The dagger is strong, Logan, but we’re stronger.”

He swallows hard and throws his head back. “If I hurt you…”

“I know we go against everything in nature, but…I’m half bird, Logan. I go against nature all by myself.”

“You’re putting too much faith in me. I trust myself around you when I’m not under the influence of the dagger, and that’s how it has to stay. I won’t risk your life to try to prove I’m worthy of being with you. I can’t.” He stands up and walks away.

I look at what’s left of Kyle and Will. They’re nothing but ashes and a few embers that haven’t burned out yet. I kick some dirt on top of them and follow Logan, who is leaning against a Civic, which I’m guessing Kyle and Will used to drive us here.

I walk up to him and press my body against his. He closes his eyes, and I know being this close is affecting him.

“You once told me that you can’t lose the first person you ever loved,” I say. “Well, I can’t either. If you can’t do this, my mom will never allow us to be together. You know that.”

He sighs and looks me in the eyes. “I’ll promise never to touch the dagger again.”

“That won’t be good enough. You’ll have to prove yourself to her and the others. Words won’t cut it.”

“Then we need a new plan. We’ll find a way to destroy the dagger so it’s not even an issue.” He tries to push me away, but I hold the dagger between us. “What are you doing? Get that thing away from me.”

“No. Look at me, Logan.” I take my hand and bring his face to mine. “How can you have all those memories of us and have any doubt in your mind about this? You’d never hurt me. How many times have you told me that? I believe you, so please believe yourself.” I step back and take his hand in mine.

His eyes widen as I place the dagger in his palm. He stares at it, and his hand shakes. “It wants me to use it.”

“On me?”

His head slowly rises. “No.”

“On my family and friends?”

“No. I know what they mean to you. I couldn’t hurt them.”

“Then who?” Back at his house, Logan had said killing a Phoenix and stealing their essence would let us be together because he could live as long as I will. Does he still want that? “Garret, maybe? Do you want his essence so we can be together until I die?”

He wraps his fingers around the dagger, and for a moment I wonder if I’ve made a mistake bringing that up. He might love me enough to want that. Instead he hands the dagger back to me.

“I know who I’m supposed to use the dagger on.”

“Who?” My voice trembles.

“Other Hunters. I’m supposed to hunt Hunters.” He says it with such conviction.

“How do you know?”

“I think I knew when I sent Will over that ledge, and when I wanted nothing more than to drive the dagger through Kyle’s chest.” He nods. “I’m a Hunter, but I don’t hunt Phoenixes.”

I wrap my arms around him and press my lips to his. He is my protector after all. My fingers weave through his hair, and he grabs my waist, pulling me closer. My heart races because as happy as I am in this moment, I know I’m going to have to convince the others that Logan is something we’ve never come across before and that he’s on our side. It won’t be easy, but I know in my heart that it’s true.

I’m a Phoenix, and Logan is a Hunter—a very different kind of Hunter. And together, we just might be able to end this war for good.

Acknowledgements

As usual, I have many people I want to thank for their help with this book. First, many thanks to the incredible team at Limitless Publishing for all their hard work on this series. Felicia A. Sullivan, once again you made edits painless, mostly because you can always see what I can’t. Thank you for all your insight and help in making this book what it is today.

Thank you to my incredible family who repeatedly watched me flee the room to work on this book every chance I got and checked on me when I disappeared in my office for hours at a time. To my friends who constantly support me and ask me about my books, you have no idea how much your interest in my career means to me.

Special thanks to G. Donald Cribbs and Kelsey Ketch for beta reading and offering great feedback. As always, thank you to my street team, Kelly’s Coven, for continuing to be my friends on this journey that is publishing. To my agent, Sarah Negovetich, and my social media manager, Amber Noffke, I’d be lost without you two. Thank you for all you do.

Many thanks to my amazing Into the Fire Street Team: Stephanie Faris, G. Donald Cribbs, Beth Consugar, Jen Bibi Helms, Denise Cayetano, Rachel Andrews, Stephanie Belden, Veray Carter, Booknut 101, Elizabeth Thiele, Maghon Thomas, Kristen Chandler, Ashley Kemp, Shieka D, Michelle Willms, Brie Wood, Keren Hughes, Rachel Gunter, Kathryn Romeo, and FSMeurinne.

And of course, thank you to you—yes, you reading my book right now. An author is nothing without readers.

About the Author

Kelly Hashway grew up reading R.L. Stein’s Fear Street novels and writing stories of her own, so it was no surprise to her family when she majored in English and later obtained a masters degree in English Secondary Education from East Stroudsburg University. After teaching middle school language arts for seven years, Hashway went back to school and focused specifically on writing. She is now the author of three young adult series, one middle grade series, and several picture books. She also writes contemporary romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she isn’t writing, Hashway works as a freelance editor for small presses as well as for her own list of clients. In her spare time, she enjoys running, traveling, and volunteering with the PTO. Hashway currently resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter, and two pets.

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