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Giselle hunkered down in the bedroom, headphones on, trying to catch up on her homework so she’d have time to meet Damien for pizza. She hardly noticed Di and Taylor come in, or the fact they’d brought peace offerings.
“You’ve been awfully mysterious lately.” Di tapped Giselle on the shoulder.
She jumped from surprise, hitting her head on the top bunk. “Ouch. Damn. Warn a girl!”
“We thought” – Taylor pointed to herself and Di – “that we’d been a bit cold about the whole joining the pack thing, and wanted to make up.”
“We’re fine. Really,” Giselle said. “But I’ll take the donut anyway.”
“I don’t pretend to know what’s going on, but I know you’re hiding something, and we’ve said before we want to help.” Taylor offered a chocolate-covered crème filled donut, holding it like a treat but not handing it over just yet. “But you have to trust us.”
Giselle snatched the tasty pastry and took a bite before Taylor could try to retrieve it. “I’m not a dog. You can’t buy me with treats.” She laughed. “But if you keep the donuts coming, I might learn to fetch and play dead.”
Di snickered. “Keep going into the desert alone and you might...”
“Speaking of that.” Taylor fixed her with a stone-cold ‘I know what you did last night’ gaze.
“Yeah. I did. Early this morning.” Giselle looked defiantly at both girls. She wasn’t under their rule and had no reason to fear any retribution, especially since Gavin had already busted her and given her a reprieve.
“Thought so,” Taylor said. “Asher didn’t leave you hanging this time, did he?”
“He did what?” The shock in Di’s voice surprised Giselle.
“No. He didn’t leave this time, and I got more answers and more problems to solve at the same time.” Giselle sighed. She set her books aside and reached for the box of donuts again.
“I’m afraid that’s all you’ll ever find.” Taylor sounded so resigned. It wasn’t like her. She was always the perky, ‘I can make it work’ type.
Giselle wondered how much of her new information to divulge. Taylor would have her back, no question, but Di had always made it seem like she was one screw-up away from being sent back to the girl’s home. They were both to be her sisters if it all worked out, and that tipped the scales in their favor. Giselle only hoped that rehashing all the bullshit would give her answers rather than more problems, especially after what Damien had said about witchy law.
“Here’s the thing,” she said, snatching yet another pastry. “Both families are screwed up. And both families are to blame for this stupid war.”
“Yeah, but what are you going to do about it? You can’t change their minds. You’re just some loner pup.” Di’s attitude made Giselle instantly regretful she’d opened her mouth. Loner pup. Those words shouldn’t have bothered her as much as they did, but just hearing them had her wolf’s attention.
“I mean, I’m sure you mean well.” Had Di caught the flash of wolf in her eyes? Di’s tone changed with breakneck speed. “We all want peace, but what can any of us kids do?”
Giselle took a calming breath and a bite of her donut before responding. “What if I told you I could do something... or I might be able to. But I have to figure out how.”
“I don’t think you can, and you need to stop this. Either join up, or reject the offer – and when you’re eighteen you can walk away with no ties.” And Di was right back on Giselle’s shit list. Her attitude was like nails on a chalkboard. But rather than rise to the veiled taunting, Giselle controlled her urge to smack the blonde girl and opt for peace. Since that was, after all, what she was after. Peace.
“I like you guys. Even you, Di. I can’t let this go now that I’ve learned so much. I think I might have found Christina!”
That got the girls’ attention. Everyone had assumed she was dead, so the possibilities of that being false had all kinds of potential.
“So, what kind of help do you need?” Taylor asked, more than eager now to assist.
Popping the last of her donut into her mouth she debated whether or not to have another. Pizza was soon, and she really should ease up on the junk food, even if her wolf was begging for it. “I’m going to talk to Damien tonight. He asked me out to Sammy’s for pizza. I think I know where Christina is, but before I take things further, I need magical mumbo-jumbo. Maybe he can give me some answers.”
“I know I said Damien was preferable to Ash, but don’t get involved with a witch. They can be tricky people. And never get into a contract with them...” Di’s warning sounded too cautious.
“Why? What do you know about him that you’re not saying?” Giselle asked.
“Nothing.” Di looked away, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. Whatever those two had done in the past must have been really interesting, but neither of them was talking. Damn that doctor-patient confidentiality crap. Someone would have to speak up sooner or later.
“You had him do a spell for you, didn’t you?” Giselle asked, hoping she’d get it out of Di first.
“It was nothing, really.” All evidence to the contrary, Di was shielding her eyes now too. It must have been good.
“Doctor-patient confidentiality?” Giselle asked.
Di nodded. “Goes both ways. I can’t talk either.”
“Not fair. Sisters shouldn’t have secrets.” Giselle hoped playing up that angle would help, but Di wasn’t budging. She even made a zipper motion across her lips for effect. Damn it!
Taylor looked at Di, shocked. “What did you have him do for you?” Apparently, sisters did have secrets.
Di looked as if she were about to burst. “Nothing too bad, okay? Drop it. All I can say is... magical contract.”
Giselle’s stomach sank; she was just about to tell the girls the plan and remembered the handshake with Damien. The strange vibration. Had that really been a magical contract? What would be the consequences? She had to hold her tongue before saying anything more.
Di picked up a magazine and hid her face behind it. “I’m just saying, Elle, be careful with witches.”
Giselle hadn’t though about any dangers in being involved, even on a friendly level, with a witch, but seeing how closed off Di was about the subject gave her a little bit of worry. Damien seemed so nice, though. He couldn’t possibly be more of a problem than Asher had been, right? “I’m just going to ask him what he knows, that’s all. No magical funny business.”
“Want us to go with you?” Taylor asked.
“No. But I’ll tell you what I find out from him. As for Asher, we took that run and found the loner guarding a wolf statue... I think it might be Christina.”
Taylor’s eyes lit up. “If it is... Martina—”
Giselle cut her off. “—will need to find out after we figure out what can be done about it. No good in telling her beforehand.”
Excitement faded from Taylor’s eyes. “Okay,” she said with all the disappointment of a girl who’d just been told the Easter bunny wasn’t real.
Diana, on the other hand, regained her sharp tone. She lowered the magazine and fixed Giselle with a warning glare. “She might be best never knowing her sister may be a statue. She lives with the hope she’ll one day find her – to show her the finality of it would be crushing.”
Di and Giselle might go round and round on many things, but Di’s love for Martina was something Giselle never questioned. It had been the only thing that made Giselle trust in Diana. For all the attitude and posturing, the pretty princes had a true loyal heart where family was concerned. That was worth the petty infighting. “And that’s why we say nothing until we have all the facts,” Giselle agreed.
“And you think Damien is going to have some facts?” Taylor asked.
“Never said that. Just that I want to look at all pieces of the puzzle.”
“And he’s a fine piece to look at.” Taylor giggled.
Di slapped her shoulder. “Tay!”
“What? I’ve always thought he was hot, but he’s never looked my way.” She shrugged. “I think he likes redheads.”
“He likes blondes too,” Di said defensively.
“He seems like a flirt, no matter what the hair,” Giselle said. “But an honest one. If my wolfy senses are correct.”
Di shrugged. “He’s not evil. I’ll say that, but he’s no pure soul.”
“Just let me go out tonight, alone, and see what I can dig up. Maybe I come home with more than just leftovers...”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Di screwed up her face in confusion.
Giselle sighed impatiently. “I mean information. Something we can use to help clear the air.”
“Keep dreaming, sister,” Di said.
“I will.” Giselle stuck out her tongue.
“Well, whatever...” Taylor stood and walked to the closet. “You’re not leaving the house in that.”