“Charlie, what damage would you have done to my attacker with that?” I say, as I point to the book that she’s holding. Charlie rolls her eyes, clearly not in the mood at 3 a.m. She tucks her book under her arm, gives us both the finger, and turns to go back to sleep. Mack and I laugh but when she sees the chair in the corner, she stops and turns back to me. “Havin’ a battle with your chair, Scar?” All I could do was shrug. She continues, “I’ll just leave this here in case it comes back for revenge,” she chuckles as she goes back to bed.
It was a little tougher to fall back asleep than I thought. I can’t stop thinking about that dream, I could feel the pain in my heart, and I could feel how scared I was. I’ve never had a nightmare that felt so vivid. And as much as I thought about it, I can’t come up with any explanation for the bruises on my wrists and ankles. I can still smell the fresh soil as it engrossed me. My cheeks were wet when I woke up. Could I have been crying in my sleep? Finally, as the hour goes by, my eyes droop closed, and I fall back asleep. Thankfully, this time I don't dream. But I keep seeing the silhouette of the mad woman that killed me in the back of my mind. I hear her cackles and her piercing chanting. I wish I could've gotten a look at her face. Although, it wouldn't really matter. It was just a dream, after all.
Chapter 9
New Beginnings
Work at the cafe is mellow and laid back, and I already feel comfortable being here. It wasn't that busy, which made for a slow morning. I studied their menu and am almost confident with knowing it and conveying it to the customers. Making the items on the menu isn't difficult either. I think my love for baking helps me in learning these ingredients and mixtures. After getting the hang of it all, I began to watch the clock, already waiting for my shift to be over so I could be with Evan again. I had so much on my mind between Evan, that terrible nightmare, and a call I received from Demi and my dad this morning. Apparently, something serious happened in Eden. But since my dad doesn't tell me any specifics, all he told me was that there is a mandatory meeting in Eden tonight. Something has shaken the caster community and I can’t help but worry.
Dimitri doesn't have to go, but Dad does. They're both well known in their world for their fighting skills. I'm not sure why Dimitri never went with Dad on these meetings. But as soon as Dad came back from Eden, he and Dimitri would sit in the den for hours, while Dad briefed him on what took place there. They would work together on the assignments, always. But for some reason Dimitri was never invited to the actual meeting. It’s moments like these that I do appreciate not having my power.
That dream is stuck in the back of my mind, still so crisp. I can still feel the heartache, and I can still feel the panic. Although the pain and abrasions are gone from my wrists and ankles, I can still feel the pain in them. “Still daydreaming about Evan?” Charlie teases, as she comes up from behind me. I playfully roll my eyes, and fib, “You caught me,” And with a knowing smile, she says, “Looks like your ride is here.”
My head spins to the front doors, as I see Evan jump out of his SUV and smoothly walk towards us. My spine fills with an electric warmth so divine that the expected shiver comes instantly. My goosebumps rise, causing the hairs on my arms to stand up. He strides in and finds me instantly, never taking his eyes off of mine. He reaches me and puts his hands on the counter, just a few inches away from my now clammy ones.
He asks with smoothness, “Having a good morning, girls?” A smile to die for graces his gorgeous face, and I attempt to return the smile. “Well, if Scarlet didn't wake up screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night, I would have been less cranky this morning. But…” Charlie says, unknowingly embarrassing me. I give her a comical evil eye, and she stops mid-sentence. Giving us a fake smile, she puts her hands up to surrender. “See you guys later.” She waves and walks back to her side, to the bookstore, with an amused smirk on her face.
I ask him, trying to recover from Charlie's spill, “Can I get you a coffee before we leave?” He quickly responds, “That’s okay. I have to stop by my house for a minute, but then I'm taking you to lunch.” I spin back around. “Your house?” He nods his head and asks, “Ready?” I grab my purse and run to kiss Charlie on the cheek. I find Mack studying the menu in the back room and say my goodbyes. She smacks me on the butt and says, “Be bad. Be very bad,” and winks at me. My cheeks turn red, as I think of what “bad” to her would be. Nothing I'm ready for, I'm sure.
“Ready,” I reply, as I make my way around the counter. As we pull away from the cafe, I come to realize that being this close to Evan is slightly more difficult than I thought it would be. It feels like something is pulling me towards him, to get even closer. I think he can tell that I'm struggling, because he breaks the tension by handing me his cell phone. He asks me to make myself a playlist with the songs he has in his music folder. As I'm going down his list of songs, my heart begins to race, surprised at his selection of music. “I didn't think anyone our age listened to this music anymore,” I say to him, as I continue to add my favorite songs to my own personal folder.
At last I'm done, and I let it play at random. Sway, covered by Michael Bublé sounds throughout the jeep and we sing along as we make our way to his house. Pulling up to a beige two-story manor house, we park in his roundabout driveway and look out of the window to admire it some more. I ask, dumbfounded, “So when you say your house, do you mean your parents live here, too?” He slowly shakes his head. “My parents passed when I was a kid. I grew up with Luke and Derek and their parents, my aunt and uncle.”
“Oh. I'm so sorry.” I try to apologize. He shakes his head and takes my hand. “No need for apologies, love. It happened a long time ago. This is my house. And I have another one in New Orleans.” I can’t come up with anything to say because I'm still in shock. I stay silent as he walks me to his front door and opens it for me. We walk in together, and as I look at the decor, I grow more and more impressed. The furniture looks brand-new, and the house smells like fresh paint. Every wall is white, but all the furniture is black, giving it a clean and monochromatic look. The only things throwing off the black and white are the colorful abstract paintings on the walls. They are magnificent and on each wall, white canvas with colorful paint, really making the paintings stand out.
“We have only been able to stay here once. Our baseball coach is making us stay a few nights in the dorms. But I don’t mind. Especially now.” Then he takes my hand and twirls me into his chest. I lift my head, and he gently places his soft and luscious lips on mine, only kissing me once. I could definitely get used to that. He pulls away to look at me and searches my face. I feel my cheeks get red. But instead of hiding, like I usually do, I just avert my eyes, so I can stay in his arms. He whispers in my ear, “I like your blushing.” Twirling me back out of his embrace, I can’t help but smile. “Would you like a tour?” He winks at me, and my cheeks get even more red. “I knew that would get those cheeks hotter.” I push him gently away and he grabs my hand, walking me deeper into his house.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I'm actually here to pick up a few things to bring them over to the dorms. The guys and I decided it’s a much better idea to stay there full-time, and we’ll stay here sporadically.” I see him looking at me through his peripheral vision, as he keeps walking straight. “Oh? And what made you guys change your rooming plans?” I ask, innocently. “I think we all know the answer to that,” squinting his eyes at me. As we make it into the back of the house, there is a black iron spiral staircase in the far-left corner. In front of the stairs is the living room. The decor is similar to the front of the house, white walls with black furniture and captivating colorful art. Across from the living room is the kitchen, and it’s pretty impressive. All of the appliances are black, and there are pots and pans hanging from the ceiling rack around the prep island.
“Evan, this place is incredible. And those paintings,” I continue to look around in awe. “Every time I hear you say my name, my entire body goes numb, Scarlet,” he bluntly says, d
ragging his words. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, “I know exactly what you mean.” He runs his hands through my messy ponytail, and, surprisingly, he doesn't meet one knot, which is crazy. Because with my curls, there is almost always a knot in the way of a clean sweep-through, except when Demi would play with my hair. She would always use magic to soften the area she touched, and she never ran through a knot.
I take a surprising step away from him. Could it be possible that he’s just like us? I mean, them, my family? The only thing stopping me from confronting him about casting is the fact that he’s in college. No casters go to college. There’s no need for it. But maybe... No. He’s not a caster. He just got lucky. I run my fingers through my hair and immediately each finger gets caught in a knot of its own. Evan notices what I just tested, and he quickly hides his hands behind his back. He averts his eyes, “Make yourself at home. I'm just going to run up to my room to grab a few things.”
He turns and runs up the spiral staircase to the lone door at the top. I'm freaking myself out. I wonder how long he’s going to be. He doesn't seem like the type of guy to leave me stranded here for long, but he did look like he was freaking out, too. It only takes eight minutes to make Rice Krispy treats. If he has the ingredients, I can calm myself down by baking and the stress will fade away. I walk to the kitchen and locate the pantry and internally cheer, when I find all the ingredients that I need. This was always Layla's favorite dessert, so I have had the last two years to perfect it. For the next few minutes I convince myself that there’s no way Evan could be a caster. I don’t have any reason to believe that he is, or is it that I'm just being naive because the connection that we have is so intoxicating? What if he is a caster? Is the fact that I'm only mortal going to make him stop being interested in me?
The Krispy treats are done, and I'm stuffing my mouth with the leftover deliciousness on the spoon. This was always Layla's favorite part, so I'm secretly glad I get to do it this time. Evan walks down the stairs, looking like nothing had him out of sorts a few minutes ago. He smiles and says, “Hey, that’s my favorite part.” At my side in the next second, he takes my hand that’s holding the spoon into his big one and lifts it up to his mouth. He bites some off, and I blush at the intimacy of the moment. Evan flutters his thick eyelashes and softly runs his finger down my cheek. I close my eyes and subconsciously turn my cheek to fit into his palm. He steps closer and takes my other cheek with his other hand, bending down to leave another delicate kiss on my tingling lips.
Evan takes in a deep breath and whispers to me, “Coming to Syracuse was the best decision I’ve ever made in my entire life.” And I nod my head to agree. He kisses me on the forehead and takes one more bite off of the spoon. “So is this something to get used to? Because I'm more than happy to be the official taste tester of your scrumptious desserts.” Laughing, I reply, “My sister would fight you for that title,” as I bring a piece to my mouth. Pulling me close to his chest again, he asks, “Luke and Charlie are at our dorm. Derek is on his way here with Mack. So do you want to get some food and watch a movie at your place? We could stay here, but I’d rather not have to watch those two making out all night.” The apple aroma fills my nose from being so close to him and I numbly nod my head, agreeing with him.
He slowly backs away and lets go of me, to grab the duffel bag he brought down with him. I get my bag and sling it over my shoulder, walking towards the front door. I don’t hear him behind me, so when I reach the door I stop and wait. I see him walking towards me with the plate of Rice Krispy treats. Looking down at my feet, I can’t help but giggle. He says, “Hey, don’t laugh at me. These are delicious,” I open the front door and grab the dessert. As we get in the car, he shuffles my playlist, and we ride in comfortable silence, enjoying the classic tunes of our favorite music.
***
The Sandlot is the movie Evan picked. Demi and I used to love watching this. The soundtrack is my favorite part. It’s weird but wonderful at the same time how comfortable I feel around Evan, although, of course, he still makes me nervous. I know the blushing isn't going to stop anytime soon, and I crave the electric lava that still goes chaotic down my spine when he’s around. When he touches me, I still feel warm sparks under his hands. It’s magical. The movie sadly comes to an end and Evan whispers in my ear, “I wish I didn't have to go.” I reply, “Me, too,” as I lay my head down on his lap.
He leans down to kiss me, and I slowly sit up so our lips stay connected. I'm kneeling on the couch next to him, but he gently takes my leg and pulls it over to the other side of him, causing me to straddle him. My initial response would be to jump off, but it just feels so right and so good. Isn't this what happens when you meet a guy you like? Taking chances, like Demi wanted me to, letting my heart take control, for once? I attack his plush lips and it instantly turns into a heated connection. My hands are in his hair, and his hands are on my waist. He moans, and my body takes over, pushing towards him, getting as close as I can.
“Oh, my Ava, Scarlet.” Evan softly breathes out. Him saying my name really let out the animal in me. I took control and massaged his soft velvety tongue with mine. I’ve never ever felt this way before. I didn't know this felt so amazing and don’t want it to stop. My hands find his hard chest under his shirt, and I feel sparks leave each of my fingertips. Evan’s eyes shoot open as he slightly pulls back, disconnecting our lips. He looks confused, as he places his hands over mine and holds them there on his chest. Why is he looking at me like he’s trying to search for something? Wait a minute. I quickly jump off of his lap and slowly back away from him. “Evan?” I ask, in a soft voice. He calmly stands up and gently takes my hands in his. Not giving him a chance to answer, I continue with my questioning. “Did you just say ‘oh, my Ava?”
His eyes widen, as he looks down towards the floor. He slowly nods his head, answering me, and brings his eyes slowly up to look into mine. I whisper, “Are you…?” He has plans tonight. Could they be the same plans that my father has? “Does that mean anything to you, Scarlet?” He asks hesitantly. I nod my head, just as slowly as he did. We both fall back onto the couch, hands still linked. “Do your plans tonight have anything to do with the meeting in Eden?”
I ask, surprising him some more. His eyes grow even wider. “How do you know there’s a meeting? Only the Marked know about it. Scarlet, are you a caster, as well??” There it is, the highly dreaded question. He just validated the fact that he is a caster, just like my family. I left home, so I could distance myself from that realm. But, of course, I had to go and fall head over heels for one. What did he mean by Marked? I have never heard that word before.
“My family, they're casters. Somehow the power skipped me. I don't have any magic inside of me, just as normal as a mortal. Hence the reason I'm here at Syracuse. But why are you here, and what does “Marked” mean? My dad said he has to go to this really important meeting in Eden tonight because of something that happened there earlier. But he never tells me much.” I say meekly, looking away.
Please don’t run away. Please don’t run away. He lets go of my hands and leans forward, putting his hands on his head.
“I can’t believe this. I knew I smelled the calming elixir in your kitchen yesterday, and the Chamois have taken an interest to you. I know you felt my cast to run my fingers through your hair earlier, and all the signs of the Collegati have been there,” as he mumbles more to himself than to me. I humbly ask, “What is a Chamois? And Collegati? I wonder if that’s why I had that migraine and that nightmare?” At this point I’m feeling more confused now than I did before.
“Migraine? Nightmare? We’ll have to talk about that later. I must apologize. I'm usually so good at making sure to keep that part of me hidden. But with you, I can barely think straight.” Evan stands up and lifts me to my feet. “Look, I don’t care if you're a caster or a mortal. This, us, feels real. And it feels right. And I'm not going to stop seeing you. I have to go now to make it to the portal in time for the meeting. But I don�
�t think I can wait to see you again. Could I come by after the meeting if it doesn't run too long?” he asks, almost desperately.
I relax my shoulders, beyond thankful that he didn't want to turn away from me. “I’ll tell the girls to leave the door unlocked. Just come into my room when you get back.” I say, taking a deep breath. Evan kisses my forehead, then my cheeks, then my nose, and finishes on my lips. He pulls back and looks into my eyes one more time, shaking his head in awe. He gets to the door and says one more thing, before he leaves to go be in the same room as my father. Weird. I wonder if Demi knows who he is.
“No need to tell your roommates about the door. Caster, remember?” He wiggles his fingers and winks at me as he walks out. Lying on my bed, thinking of everything that’s happened, I decide it’s time to talk to my sister. I need some answers. Thankfully, she answers the phone on the first ring. And I start off easy, by telling her about my job at the cafe. Then I can’t hold back anymore.
I ask her, “So remember that guy that I promised you that I would speak to?” She responds quickly, “Of course. Did you do it?” Her voice is lifting, so she’s growing annoyingly excited. “Well, I did more than talk to him. He was here earlier, watching a movie with me and we made out.” I blurt out. “Damn, Scar. Classes haven't even started yet and you already got yourself a man! I must say, I am SO proud of you.” She gushes. I mysteriously say, “There’s something else. He’s… he’s a…” I stutter, purposely. She shouts, “Spit it out, Scarlet! You're killing me here.”
I quickly say, “He’s a caster, Demi.” Silence, and then a shriek. “What! How do you know? A caster? In college?” She begins hammering me with a hundred questions, so I tell her what I know. I tell her about last night. And I tell her about the electric warmth that I feel down my spine. I tell her about him playing with my hair. And I even tell her about the steamy moment of truth. “Wow. So where is this mystery caster?” She asks, taking all of the juicy information in. Throwing another curveball, I tell her, “He’s actually at the same meeting that Dad is in. Weird, right?”
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