“How do you know this is going to work?”
“I don’t…but it’s the only possibility I know of.”
“How do you even know? Where is this information from?” Toby sat down on the arm of the sofa.
“I can’t give you all the details. All I can say is that Allie’s great-grandmother taught me everything I know.”
“What?” I sputtered out.
Mayanne smiled at me kindly. “That’s a story for another time.”
“Wait. How do you know her? Please.”
“We grew up together. Save your energy.” She put a hand on my forehead, and then nodded. “I think the drink is going to kick in soon.”
Levi squeezed my hand before running a finger over the ring.
“You can give the ring right back to her.” Georgina tried to comfort Levi.
“Like hell he will,” Cade snapped. “She made a sworn oath. She’s taking my ring.”
“She is making her own choice this time.” Toby was calmer, but I didn’t doubt his determination.
After only ten minutes, I felt different—more normal. Whatever it was that Mayanne gave me was working. “How much time do we have?”
“No more than a week.”
“Then we’re doing it now. No sense cutting it close.” Toby had finally stopped moving.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re right.” Levi brushed some hair off my face. “As soon as Allie is up to it, we should go.”
“I’m feeling better.” I wasn’t in a rush to separate myself from Levi, but I was tired of feeling sick. We needed to find a resolution to this whole mess.
Georgina placed a hand on my shoulder. “Why don’t you rest upstairs for an hour or so, Allie. The boys can wait down here.”
“That sounds good.” I knew I could probably walk, but I let Levi carry me upstairs to the room we were supposed to stay in the last time we were there.
“I’m staying with you.” Levi stretched out next to me on the bed.
“Levi, I promise I’m not trying to hurt you or us. I had a reason for everything, and it’s going to work out.”
“I’m not letting you go.” He didn’t say anything else before pulling me into his arms so we could sleep.
Chapter Twenty
We made sure to get every detail right. I even changed in my room at the hotel. Levi had Hailey find “the dress” and she brought it over. I could still remember how excited I’d been the last time I put on the black, lacy dress—and how eager I was when Levi took it off. I tried to fight back the tears I knew were threatening to spill, but I couldn’t.
“You’re going to be okay. He’ll give it back.” Hailey’s words helped, but she didn’t know everything. I hadn’t told her about the deal with Cade. It had been hard enough facing her.
“I wanted this ring off so bad, but now I never want to let it go.”
“Who would have thought?” She sat down on the edge of my bed as I finished my makeup in the bathroom. I wasn’t sure if the makeup had to be the same, but I’d put on more that night.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what I was doing.” The words had been on the tip of my tongue since she came over, but I hadn’t found the strength to say them yet.
“I’m sorry you didn’t feel like you could. I’m here for you, Allie. I would have helped you. You never have to feel alone.”
Her words felt real, and I wondered if I’d made a huge mistake. I should have at least talked to Hailey before approaching Cade. I’d just been so afraid of her going to Levi. I felt so overwhelmed, and I didn’t know who I could trust.
She thankfully changed the conversation. “So Georgina really trusts this Mayanne person?” Hailey was lying down by the time I finished.
I ran a hand through my hair. I had to wear it down.
“Yes, she’s a witch and somehow knows my great-grandmother.”
“Isn’t that weird?”
“Georgina did act weird when I told her where my grandmother was from. I think it’s where the other enchantresses originated. ”
Hailey laughed.
“What?”
“Isn’t it funny that the fate of The Society has been in the hands of random women from a tiny Russian town?”
I shrugged. “No weirder than anything else I’ve discovered over the last few months.”
Hailey stood up. “I should go. If I’m here when Levi shows up, I could somehow mess things up, right? Like change it too much.”
“You probably should even though I don’t want you to.”
She hugged me. “I’ll see you on the other side.”
I reluctantly broke the hug. “You make it sound like I’m dying.”
“No…that’s what would happen if you didn’t do this.”
I hugged her for a moment longer before letting go. “See you on the other side.”
She gave me a half smile before walking out the door.
I settled down on the couch to wait. I had to pull myself together. It was going to be just as hard on Levi, if not worse. He already held himself responsible for everything that had gone wrong since giving me the ring.
I jumped at the knock on the door. I was lost in the memory of the first time I’d met Levi. There had been nothing romantic about that meeting, yet it was an event I would never forget.
“Hello there, gorgeous.” Levi sent a wave of déjà vu over me.
“You don’t look so bad yourself.” I still remembered using that understatement. Once again, he looked incredible in his khakis and dress shirt. I wanted to jump him, not watch him break.
“Are you ready for this?” His expression fell, like he’d momentarily convinced himself this was just a date, but the reality had hit him again.
“I’ll never be ready, but we don’t have a choice.” I looked down.
His hand moved under my chin to make me look up at him. “I love you, Allie. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” That’s when the tears started for real. I ended up hysterical in his arms. I didn’t even want to know what my makeup looked like.
He rubbed my back. “We can do this.”
I nodded. “Okay. Do I need to clean up?”
He wiped away a little bit of mascara from my face. “Nope. You’re prefect.”
I laughed. “You’d say that no matter what I looked like right now, wouldn’t you?”