14: Purgatory: The Sequel

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FOURTEEN: PURGATORY: THE SEQUEL
FEBRUARY 22
NICOLE BRADLEY

THE OLD BOARDING HOUSE LOOKED exactly like Nicole remembered it—overgrown grass, sunken-in porch, and a large barn in the back surrounded by woods. She arrived late Monday afternoon with the Eight, Dr. K and Damon Donovan. The two men gave them a quick tour and then they were on their way back to the palace where they were working with Queen Clarion to assure the Eight would be safe from the Doctor's tests when they returned.

"We should seriously consider having our mail forwarded here," Wil quipped once Dr. K and Damon were gone, laying on the sofa with her head in Drew's lap. She rubbed her fingers together curiously, probably still adjusting to the house's magic connecting with her own. The tingling feeling had only just subsided in Nicole's fingers.

"At least we know how to break the seal on the liquor cabinet this time 'round," Drew joked, taking a long drink from a bottle of Jack Daniels.

The Eight were in the living room, a fire crackling as they digested their dinner and sipped their drinks—all but Phoebe who was out for a late-day run. On the couch beside Nicole, Kate and Liam were shuffling a deck of cards and across from them, Wil and Drew grew increasingly intoxicated as the night wore on.

"Didn't it snow last time?" Nicole asked, staring out the window at a clear winter's night. "I thought it snowed last time."

Kate's eyes followed hers and then she shrugged. "I try not to think about it. The last time we were here doesn't exactly top my list of favorite nights."

"Oh yeah," Wil slurred like she just remembered. "Didn't your boyfriend turn himself over to his evil Dark daddy?"

Kate rolled her eyes and then countered her sister's sass with some of her own. "Only after your evil Dark boyfriend turned us all over first."

That time, it was Wil doing the eye-rolling.

"You know," Nicole said when she thought about it—that night when Bartemius showed up and the Eight were forced to fight for their lives. She sipped her spiked Witch's Brew and then looked over at Cam. "I don't know if we ever thanked you for what you did. You saved us that night."

Cam shrugged casually—like sacrificing himself and becoming a blood-thirsty vampire was a small price to pay for their lives—and watched the ice bob around in his cup.

"You know what they say, living is not for the weak."

Wil snorted through a laugh. "Alright Dances With Vamps."

"I'm serious," Cam said, setting his Jack & Coke aside. "The things we've been through would've broken most people. Hell, they almost broke us. But we made it. Time and time again, we always make it."

"Big words from the guy who quit the team six months ago," said Drew, who then sat up and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Funny, isn't it? No matter how hard you try to get away, the universe just keeps slapping us all back together again."

"You know," Wil was net to say. "I used to think after graduation that I'd get as far away as magically possible from all of this. But at the rate we're going, who knows if we'll even make it to graduation?"

"Wil," Nicole hissed but the thought wasn't far from her mind. Purgatory was littered with bad memories and their track record as the Eight wasn't exactly a survivable one.

"What?" Wil asked. "Look around. Of the people sitting here, we have you, the new girl, who was almost killed by Darks. Briggs—werewolf, almost killed by Darks. Cam—Bart Jr. and reformed vampire, actually killed by Darks. Liam—dead. Me—dead. Kate—"

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