Page 101 of Twisted

The plane starts to taxi down the runway and I keep my fingers laced with Xavier’s until we take off.Time moves fast and slow at the same time.I’m anxious to get there but still so nervous.An hour and a half later, we land in New Haven.There’s a car waiting for us after we deplane.There’s no driver, so it’ll just be Xavier and me.

I put in a random address for a landmark in a populated area of Hamden and have to remind myself to take in a slow, steady breath as the GPS calculates.

Twenty minutes.

That’s all that’s separating me from my parents.

Twenty.Minutes.

Xavier starts to drive and my heart leaps out of my chest.Finally, after all this time, I’m going home.

CHAPTER39

Closing my eyes, I hold my hands over the crystal.“Ostende mihi viam,” I chant.Through my closed eyelids, I can see the light emanating from the stone.I imagine my parents’ faces and repeat their names in my head.

Felicity Blackwood.

David Blackwood.

Mom.Dad.

I open my eyes and look at the clear quartz crystal in the map in front of me.I used a spell in the book to make this an enchanted compass.The closer I get to what I’m searching for, the brighter it gets.And I repeated the locator spell and have narrowed the area down to just a few blocks.We parked in an empty lot on the first block, and we’re about to head out on foot.

“How do you know you’re close?”Xavier asks as I start walking down the sidewalk.It’s late, but not the middle of the night, so there are a few people out.If anyone sees what I’m holding, they’ll assume it’s some sort of battery operated toy.

“It glows brighter the closer we get, and dims as we get farther.”

“Great, we’ll be playing a game of magical hot-and-cold,” he huffs and I ignore him.

“Then it will glow red when we’re there.”

My heart is in my throat, and each beat gets me closer and closer to seeing my mother.Do I look like her?Sound like her?Maybe she’s a vegetarian too.What kind of magic does she like to practice?And what about my dad?Is he into sports?

I just have so many questions.

I was in Italy when I was found—rescued or kidnapped, I haven’t determined yet.I have dark hair and green eyes, which could make me be a bunch of different nationalities, but I wonder if we’re Italian.If so, is that why they named me Florence?

And what about my aunt?I bet she was one of those cool, rich aunts who didn’t want kids but spoiled me.I just have a feeling we’ll get along and hang out once the shock wears off that I’m still alive.

Oh my god, I’m going to have to tell them that I’m married to this vampire who’s following me like an overprotective puppy is my husband.What the heck will they think of that?

“Not this way,” I mutter when the crystal starts to dim.We go down a block only to turn around, and then the light starts to glow bright.We go another block.It’s even brighter.“We’re almost there!”I look up, blinking to adjust my eyes after staring at the crystal.

“Wren,” Xavier starts, hand landing on my shoulder.“Wait a second.”

“No, why would I?”I ask and pick up the pace, looking back down at the glowing quartz in my hand.

“Wren,” he repeats after I’ve gone a few yards ahead.He stops in front of me, forcing me to stop as well.

“What are you doing?”

He cups his hands around mine, blocking out the light, and steps in, brows furrowing.“There is a cemetery on the next block.”

His words bring the slightest shock to my system but I recover fast.“And houses all along this side.”

“Wren,” he says again, tone begging.I pull my hands from his and he shakes his head but lets me keep walking.The light grows brighter and brighter.We’re on the side of the street with the houses, and a low stone fence lines the sidewalk across the street from us.I can make out the dark shapes of different tombstones.I start walking faster and faster as the light gets brighter and brighter.

But then suddenly, it starts to dim.I come to a halt and spin around.Did I go past the house?I go down the block again, and the light gets brighter…and then dims.