“That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve seen enough in my ninety-seven years to know where you’ve been and where you’re headed. You broke my rules to get your hands on a spell book. And what did you do with that power? Cheated people out of money to buy yourself a bag and truck. That there is selfishness, through and through. And not anything I want in my kitchen.”
Taneea’s eyes turn dark and cold. “Well, then I’ll save you the trouble. I don’t need you to teach me anyway. As you said, I learned on my own. And with a little extra help from a friend of mine, I won what I needed for that truck and then some.”
“Trust me. Anyone who’d teach you that kind of magic is no friend of yours. You’re messing with fire you can’t put out.” Miss Delia’s voice softens.
Taneea rolls her eyes. “Ooh, I’m so scared. You just want to control me just like my mother and her loser husband. Well guess what? It won’t work because you’re not the only magic expert around here. So you and Emma can have all the fun you want. I don’t need you anyway.” She shoots me a sideways glare.
Miss Delia leans her forearms against her chair rests. “Did Claude tell you that?”
Her lips part in a sly grin. “Wouldn’t you love to know? Too bad you won’t find out.” She races down the porch steps, through the garden and gate, then jumps up on the running board, throws open the truck door, and jumps into the cab.
Looks like she’s pretty agile on those shoes, after all.
The engine revs. A second later, the wheels squeal as they spin in reverse, chewing up grass and clumps of dirt as the truck backs up. The gears crunch as she shifts into first, then slams on the accelerator, causing puffs of smoke to rise from the wheel wells. When the transmission shrieks, begging for more power, she shifts into second, then third as she speeds down the road.
Jack steps back onto the porch from the relative safety of the living room. “What is her problem?”
Miss Delia sucks her teeth. “She’s lost. Lord knows, I’ve tried to reach her, but sometimes the damage is too great and some folk don’t want to be found. Excuse me, I’ve got to rest before I figure out how to explain this mess to her maamy.”
Cooper whips around. “Don’t do that. Give her another chance. She’s just upset because no one understands her and she hasn’t felt very welcomed around here.”
Miss Delia shakes her head. “I’ll have to think on it. I’m a tired, old woman. I’m not sure I can handle any more of her funny business. Please get the door for me.”
I want to ask her how she did that nature-element-control thing but realize it can wait. She needs a nap and it’s not like I need to mess with the weather any time soon.
Cooper pulls open the screen door and she drives her wheelchair through.
When she’s safety inside and out of earshot, Jack steps to Cooper, “What’s your deal, bro?”
Cooper squares his chest. “What do you mean?”
“No one understands her? She hasn’t felt welcomed?” Jack mocks Cooper’s words. “Are you kidding? I just spent the whole day with her. Believe me, I get her. She’s one of the most obnoxious people I’ve ever met.”
“And she’s been horrible to Miss Delia. She deserves to get sent back to Chicago for breaking the rules,” I add, but Cooper doesn’t seem to hear me.
Instead he takes a step toward Jack. “You’re just like everyone else. She’s awesome. I’m sorry you can’t see that.”
“Dude, you need some serious help if you can’t see through her whining, fake flirting, and snotty attitude. Today was the worst day of the summer and that includes every time a chunk of my arm fell off. I only went to the dealerships because you wouldn’t let me out of the car. Now that it’s over, I’m done. I’m never hanging out with her again.”
Cooper’s eyes flicker with white-hot light and his chest expands to twice the width of Jack’s. “She’ll come with us whenever I want. It’s not up to you.”
My heart skips. And not in a good way. The niggling fear from yesterday rears its ugly head again. Is there a bigger reason he wants her around? Like, maybe he’s interested in her as more than a friend? Or, given his father’s wandering and soulless eye, is this another reason to think the Beaumont Curse might be making an early move?
Jack’s jaw opens and then shuts. “Congratulations, jerkwad, you just sounded exactly like Beau. But guess what? I’m not my father so you don’t get to order me around like your servant.”
Cooper’s fist clenches and his breath comes in short, quick puffs like a bull about to charge. “How dare you?”
Jack takes a long stride forward. “Easy, bro. I just open my mouth and say it.”
“Whoa!” Without thinking, I race to wedge my body between them. Planting my palms on their chests, I push hard in both directions, forcing them apart. Caught in the crossfire of their laser-like glares, I suddenly realize how stupid I am to have put myself in this dangerous position. If they come to blows, I’m liable to get a black eye or worse. A low growl rumbles in Cooper’s throat. “Knock it off, you idiots!” I grunt and lean hard against Cooper’s tight abs. But like elk with locked horns, they don’t budge. “Stop it. Please!” My voice breaks.
Jack backs down first, crossing the porch and clomping down the steps and through the garden on his way to cool off under the bottle tree.
I search Cooper’s faint gray gaze. “What is wrong with you? Since when do you talk to Jack like that? Or let Taneea come between us?” I’m almost afraid to hear his answer.
He trains his frozen stare on me. His lips are mashed in a hard, unforgiving line, as if he’s holding back a string of insults so withering they’d slay me on contact. But then his eyes flicker a bright blue and his brow softens, relaxing the rest of the muscles on his face. My Cooper is back. Then, just as quickly, an expression of sheer desperation grips him. Grabbing my arms, he pulls me close. “Help me, Emmaline. I’m not myself. Something’s wrong…don’t let me slip away.” His breath comes in quick pants.
My fears and anger ease. Whatever’s going on, a sliver of my Cooper is still there, somewhere deep inside. “I won’t.” I pat his shirt to make sure his mojo is still slung around his neck. It’s there, and hopefully, so is his love for me.
A split second later, the color in Cooper’s eyes fades again. His hands drop and his expression hardens. Taking a huge step back, he bounds down the porch steps.
“Where are you going?” I call, but he keeps running down the garden path and out to his car.
Jack rises off the bench under the bottle tree. “What’s up?”
Cooper jumps into the driver’s seat and starts the engine. “I need to look for Taneea. I’m worried she’s driving angry. She could crash or something.”
My heart cracks. I rub my throbbing temples and try to make sense of his weird flip-flopping. Cooper is sympathetic and caring, but his support of Taneea is too much, even for him. How could he defend her antics and disrespect of Miss Delia? Maybe I’m wrong and he does care for her more for her that I thought. Taneea is more experienced and exciting than I and obviously attractive to guys. But he swore she wasn’t his type—unless she’s dabbled in more than just green magic spells and found some way to brainwash him—but that kind of spell requires so much advanced hoodoo knowledge, it’s practically impossible for her to have pulled off in such a short amount of time. More likely it’s the encroaching Beaumont Curse, eager to steal his soul.
Whatever the reason, I promised to help him fight this and I’m not going to back down now.