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Chapter 11 – Rough Seas Ahead
The interstate was incredibly busy, as it always was during the holidays. There were people were rushing to get home for Christmas, and others still needed to get last minute presents. Some unfortunate souls were on their way to clock in for a day at work. But at least they weren't in a race against time to undo an evil curse.
Cameron's car rolled along the snow-topped asphalt of the I-95, sandwiched between the Ranger pickup behind him and the silver Prius ahead. He took a deep swig of coffee from a Styrofoam cup, and placed it back in the holder. He hadn't had much sleep; mostly because he just couldn't bring himself to, but he'd had to refresh the sleep spell on Melissa every few hours in any case.
He took a glance at her in the passenger seat when the traffic motion had slowed. He couldn't shake the guilt he felt as he saw her, arms over her head with her wrists tightly secured onto the spokes of the headrest – he'd taken off her charm before putting her in the car – chest rising and falling gently. But he knew it was necessary. Hell, he would've made an awkwardly-shaped entrapment circle if the car's constant motion didn't guarantee it falling apart.
At least Anson was in one back at the house. Cameron did feel guilty for leaving Landon to keep an eye on their brother, while he was still trying to figure out what was wrong with Sam. But he knew that they could only solve one problem at a time, and it just so happened that the solution to this one came first. The silver locket with the mysterious blue siren liquid hung from his rear-view window, bobbing forward on the chain, assuring him that he was headed in the right direction.
The cars around them began to speed up again, and Cameron looked away from Melissa and joined suit. It had been just over an hour since they had left Edgewood and hopped onto the interstate, and they had passed by quite a few towns centered on it, the latest one being Gardiner. Here there was a fork in the road, at which Cameron kept to the right to continue on the I-295 southbound.
A few minutes after they'd passed the interchange, Melissa began to stir from her sleep. Cameron gripped his hands tighter around the steering wheel. He reminded himself of what Landon had told him before he'd left. While she was under the curse, she wouldn't be the same person. She wouldn't be receptive to any reason or truth that contradicted what she thought she felt for Anson.
Melissa's eyelids fluttered a few times, and she arched her back as she yawned. She looked disoriented for a bit, and then her eyes suddenly adopted an intense focus. She pulled at her arms, the thick rope tensing at her wrists. She lifted her face up in an attempt to see above her head, and saw that she was restrained.
She struggled further, her body writhing under her seatbelt. She finally whipped her head to the side, her hair frazzled and falling in front of her face, her eyes livid behind the curls. "Why am I tied up?"
Cameron didn't answer for a second; he was stunned. Everything from those three seconds – her expression, her manic state, her acidic tone – was foreign, and not Melissa. He set his jaw and looked forward. "So you don't try to vice-grip my brain again."
"In case you forgot, you were beating Anson to a pulp," she replied. "Speaking of which, where is he? Or did you stuff him in the boot?"
Cameron rolled his eyes. "He's back in Edgewood."
"What?" she exclaimed, and began to struggle again. "Turn the car around. Take me back now, Cameron! Take me back to him, or I swear-"
"Let's get a few things straight, before you start making ridiculous threats," Cameron interjected, glancing at her with stern eyes. "You and Anson? Not gonna happen. So start getting used to that idea. As you know, the windows are tinted, so no one can see you. If you try anything – screaming, breaking your restraints, or using a single bit of magic – I will sleep-spell you for the rest of the ride. Got it?"
ČTEŠ
Cursed (The Spellbound Series, #2)
Fantasy"Pain is a difficult feeling to escape." Melissa has finally come to terms with being a witch, and after the battle with those who had killed her parents, she is ready to get back to her normal life. Well, as normal as her life could be, now that sh...
