I walk inside to find Evan waiting for me by the stairs. “Where’s Dad?” I ask, as I walk into his waiting arms. “He said he was really tired after everything. I could tell it really drained him,” he said, as he led me up the stairs. “Ready for bed?” I nod as he scoops me up, cradle style. I'm more than ready for sleep just so I can wake up and get more information. We have the Caster Matches to prepare for now.
Chapter 28
Aura Discovery
Waking up to the smell of bacon was pure bliss. It reminded me of all the times Dimitri woke me up at home with his breakfast. The thought of Ava having had his breakfast before crosses my mind so I look over at Evan, who is also just waking up next to me. He stretches and puts his arm around me, pulling me into his warm chest and we stay in bed for another ten minutes. I could've stayed there all day, but duty calls. And the smell of food was making my stomach feel like it was turning inside out. I didn't realize how hungry I was until my stomach growled its empty warning. Evan laughed as I got up to hit him with my pillow but I should know better by now how quick witted he is. He really is always one step ahead of me. I looked over my shoulder at him and smirked but there was a pillow waiting to smack me in the face. When it did, I was so surprised that I fell back onto the bed.
Shocked, I spin around and there was another pillow floating in the air to strike again. And it did, now it was war. My intention was to get on top of him and hold him down while I hit him repeatedly with pillows. But I must have forgotten what every guy wakes up with. And the fact that Evan only wore boxers to bed made it more intense. The second I straddled him, I froze. Neither of us expected it. Evan’s pupils dilated and I couldn't let go of the breath I was holding. His eyes were full of hunger and I could see the inner turmoil going on in there. He let out a deep jagged breath and stood up with me still in his arms as he walked me to the bathroom, kissing me the entire way. He snapped his fingers and the shower turned on.
“Shower with me?” He asked quietly. I was even more surprised now than I had been before. I’ve never showered with anyone before. Feeling suddenly insecure, I drop my eyes to the floor. “What’s wrong?” He asks in mind speak. Concern clear on his face. “Nervous, I guess…” I replied honestly and shyly. “I promise not to do anything that would make you uncomfortable, love.” He promises as he casts bathing suits onto our bodies. I should have known I could always trust him. Stepping into the steaming shower, my body melted the second the hot water hit me. It felt invigorating. Evan comes in from behind me and he trails his hands down my arms.
I didn't realize I was holding my breath until Evan whispered in my mind. “Breathe, love.” He slowly turned me around and I could see him take me all in with his eyes. They traveled from the tip of my toes to my soaking wet hair. I kept my eyes closed while the water was pouring over me so I couldn't see anything. I couldn't see if he was staring at me or what he would do next. It was so quiet with only the sound of the water hitting the shower floor. “Evan?” I called out to him mentally, “I'm here, Scarlet.” he says out loud, in his deep raspy voice. “You're just so…beautiful.” He softly lifts my chin, passionately bringing his lips down to meet mine hungrily, and we stay connected that way until the water begins getting cooler. He respectfully doesn't try anything more as we intimately wash our bodies together.
After an hour, we finally made our way to the kitchen and I was hungrier than I was before. We walk in, frazzled and starving. Four of the five Sisters are here, with the addition of dad and Dimitri. Dimitri is extra peppy and has a smile on his face that I haven't seen in a long while. Sneaking a look at Ava, and seeing her cheeks are stained a rosy shade. “There’s my little caster angel,” he says, as he flips a pancake in the air. “Please do not call me that.” I groan, taking the seat next to dad.
Dad pulls me into a hug. And when he lets go, he proudly says. “But that is exactly what you are, honey.” With a dramatic roll of my eyes, I glumly reply, “I know. But I was just Scarlet to you guys before.” I try to explain. “Yeah. But you're a bad ass Elder now. Embrace it, kiddo,” Dimitri advises. I shrug my shoulders as Evan comes over with a steaming mug of coffee. “Thank you.” I say appreciatively, looking up into his hazel eyes as he kisses me on the forehead. After our shower, I feel ten times closer to him. And a lot more eager to make love to him. Thankfully, Hunter came into view and I was snapped out of my shower daydream. She had the Tupperware of the cookies I made yesterday in her hands. I almost spit out my coffee when I saw her pop one in her mouth.
“That looks like a healthy breakfast, Hunter,” I sarcastically say as she squints her eyes at me. “Well, after I woke up and went to the kitchen, these were the only ones left. And I want them. No one will fess up about who ate the others. So I'm eating these before anyone else does. I’ll eat breakfast after!” She says, as she eyes everyone in the room. Nova walks up next to her. “They're not only yours, Hunter! They were for all of us!” She says through an amused smile. Hunter’s eyes grow big. “It was you, wasn't it? You know, I could've sworn it was Belle. But now I can clearly see it was you!” She comically shouts, causing Nova to laugh in her face. Belle squeezed her lips together, trying to hold hers in.
“It wasn't me. I swear it. But Scarlet did make those for everyone!” Nova taunts her. At that, Hunter lifts another cookie and shoves it in her mouth. We all laugh so hard that we almost didn't hear Belle’s confession. “Okay, Hunter. You were right, it was me. I couldn't sleep, so I was on my way to watch a movie. But when I passed the kitchen, I smelled them. I couldn't help myself. But on the bright side, they put me right to sleep.”
Belle shrugs her shoulders shyly as Hunter huffs and eats the last cookie. “Well, I knew it.” We can’t contain our laughter again as Hunter gives us the stink eye. She drinks her whole cup of coffee in one sip then stands and makes her way to the buffet of breakfast food Dimitri set out for us. We follow suit and line up behind her when I swear I heard Jade whisper. “If she only knew about the ones I hid in my room.” There was a giggle and a gasp, and I couldn't stop my smile from spreading.
Dimitri is right. I should embrace this journey. This is my chosen path and I'm going to look at things like Belle just did. There is always a silver lining. As I sit down with a full plate of food, I curiously ask Ava. “So what exactly happens at these Caster Matches?” As soon as I said it Evan sat up straighter and looked excited. He’s competing in them and he looks thrilled. Peeling her eyes off of Dimitri, Ava turns towards me and clears her throat.
“Right, the Matches. The Sisters and I came up with them after Hazel died. We needed a way to test the women casters for the prophecy, and figured this is a fun and effective way to do so. And after centuries of having them, they became more of a tradition than anything. We have them every other year. From six random locations across the globe, the Sisters and I round up the casters that have just acquired their power. Eight newly transformed casters from each location train for a week. Then for a two-day event the Matches begin.
Day one is about casting, about using your power. Day two, you can’t use any magic at all. That day is about your defense and strategy. There are tons of prizes for the competing casters. They get ranked by the points that they receive and after the Matches, they are able to find what their place in Eden is. Evan here, was placed in demon hunting. And look at him now.” She says, nodding towards Evan. “Usually each location competes together. But this time the Matches will be different. We’re trying to find the strongest and smartest casters in the five locations the prophecy foretold. So they're going to have to battle each other instead,” she explains, as she lifts her mug to her mouth. “I'm competing against my cousins?” Evan asks in a low voice and Ava nods. But I'm slightly confused. “How are we supposed to find eight casters eligible to compete in these Matches?” I ask Ava.
“We are sending two of our Marked casters to each location. They will stay a few days to have a miniature contest for the casters of age to find the eight most successful caste
rs. Those eight will come to compete.” Dimitri suddenly stands up and with his mouth full of food, he protests, “Oh, come on! Send me with my brother. So what if I'm not Marked. When we work together, things get done faster,” he says to Ava. I don't know what he’s talking about, so I look at Evan for an explanation. Evan’s soothing voice sounds in my mind. “Your dad asked Ava if he could be sent to the tropical location on the prophecy. He said he could use a quick change of scenery to unwind and come back more focused. And now, your uncle wants to join him, but Ava only sends the Marked on missions like these. Although, there have been a few times that she has allowed Dimitri to help,” he informs me.
“Fine, Dimitri. Go with Rick. But remember what you're there for. This mission is important. It must be done by Friday,” she declares, as she takes in his enthusiasm. Dimitri perks up at the confidence Ava has in him and he high fives my dad. Amused and still out of the loop, I return to the information they were giving me. “So what kind of games are in these Matches?” Hunter is the one to answer me. “Each day we randomly pick what games the casters will be competing in. We do it the same day so it’s fair. And no one gets to specifically prepare beforehand or has an advantage over the others. Mostly we like catching them by surprise. It makes things more interesting,” she says with a sinister smile. “Day one is my favorite. The possibilities are endless. The creativity of the casters really come out that day,” Belle says excitingly.
“I agree. Day one is the best. Day two is more intense, but really cool to watch. You get to see the casters think on their feet and use their strength to beat the others,” Nova chimes in. Although these games sound fun, it also sounds intimidating. Even so, I wonder if I could join in competing. It would ease my mind. And I could compete alongside Evan. I wouldn't be competing to win, I’d do it to enhance my casting. And this training experience will offer the perfect opportunity. Dad is probably going to shut that idea down. But how am I going to face the Dark Coven if I still have to go around asking for permission? I'm curious to know what Evan thinks, so I focus and mentally send him a message. “Would it bother you if I asked Ava if I could compete in the games with you? I wouldn't play for points, just for extra training. And I have to train this week anyway.” I realized I was rambling inside of his head, so I shut up and waited.
“First of all, love. You're the chosen one. I have no doubt in my mind that you would crush us all. Second, thank you for telling me first. It really means a lot. I love you, Scarlet. But just so you know, you're a powerful Elder. You don't need to ask your boyfriend for permission about anything,” he says with a wink. “Well, when you put it that way…” I reply, sarcastically. He chuckles beside me and I look up into his eyes as he nods his head in encouragement. So I square my shoulders and I take a deep breath. “I kind of want to, um…” I begin to stutter, failing in my attempt to sound strong. Dad cut me off. “What is it, honey?” Evan’s right, I'm the chosen one. I shouldn't have to ask for permission.
Clearing my throat, I speak up a bit louder. “I’d like to compete in the Caster Matches with the New York location. I wouldn't be competing to win, just for the experience and extra training. I have to train this week anyway, just like all of the other casters. I could train alongside Evan.” I look at dad before I look at Ava, and they both surprisingly look somewhat proud. In her silky voice she answers, “I think that is a brilliant idea, Scarlet.” Even dad had a shocking reply, “I agree. It would be great to see what you've got hiding in there.” He points at my heart. So happy and relieved, I smile and sit back in my chair, sipping on my third cup of coffee, damn proud of myself.
***
As the day went on, I convinced Ava to begin training today, and I was happy when she suggested we start with the basics. Evan really couldn't miss his baseball game today, so I'm in Eden alone, for the first time. Deep down, I'm jealous. I would love to be at the field with my roommates, watching our boyfriends play baseball. But I know I can’t. I am pleased, though, that Ava volunteered to train me today. According to Evan, Ava never does that. Learning from her would definitely give us an advantage. As I look at the enchanted map of the estate, I can see that all Sisters are gathered in what says Training Room 1.
It’s not far from my wing, but it’s also not around the corner. I walk the maze, finally getting to the training room, entering as the Sisters go silent. Hunter scurries up to me and pulls me into a hug. “Finally! We are SO excited to see that power of yours!” Chuckling nervously, I reply. “So aside from the first day that Evan found out about my power and he asked me to cast, this is my first time training,” I admit. Ava nods and extends her hand to me. “I know, Scarlet. This isn't a test. We’re here to help your power evolve and to show you what you can do.” She smiles down at me. “Now, the first thing I would like to teach you is how to show and hide your power. Right now, you have it masked. Like we do.” She gestures to herself and the other Sisters. But I guess I look as confused as I feel because she lightly laughs and explains, “You know what an aura is, right?” I nod my head in answer, and she continues.
“Good. Casters have regular auras with the addition of another band, a power band. If you look hard enough, you can see anyone’s aura, mortal or caster. Those can never be hidden. But a caster can hide their power aura from other casters. And, as we learned from your father, angels can hide their divinity aura, as well. There’s no reason for it though, unless you have casted with dark magic before. Those dark casters, they're not turned away or even looked down on. But some of them are disappointed with their choices, so they hide it. We have a law here in Eden that no caster can hide their power aura from an Elder.” Still embarrassingly confused, I continue my questions. “How are you supposed to know they're a caster if they're hiding their power from you?” It didn't make much sense to me.
“Remember when I said no one could hide their regular aura? Casters have an extra band in theirs. Mortals have seven layers in their aura. Casters have eight. Come here.” She waves me over to stand by her and puts her hands on my arms, as she calls Belle over to stand across from us. “Concentrate on Belle. Try to see the inner core right to her soul. Try to feel the energy inside of her. Then inside of your own heart, tap into that power and use it to see her aura. Look around her body. There will be eight streams around her, moving like ribbons in a circular motion.”
I do as she says, and at first, I don't think it’s working or that I'm doing it correctly. But then I see the first ribbon closest to her body appear. It’s light purple and is about an inch away from touching her skin, flowing around her very slowly. Another ribbon appears, then another. Finally, all eight are there and it’s a beautiful sight. Her aura is nothing but light, pale colors. The last wave is white. It looks like it’s illuminating the other colors. “Wow. That’s magnificent,” I whisper. Belle blushes and strides over to the other girls.
“Hunter, now you.” Ava says sweetly. Hunter very dramatically comes to stand in front of me. She starts making silly faces at me, trying to bust my concentration. And it works, until Ava clears her throat behind me. I focus on Hunter, but she’s a tough one to crack, a hard shell with a soft center. Just then her first wave showed itself. A dark shade of pink appears. And hers is flowing fast, unlike Belle's, whose was flowing slowly. The other seven waves appear at the same time, and it’s moving so fast that I start to get dizzy. Hunter’s last wave is white, like Belle’s, making the darker shades of reds and pinks really pop.
I squeeze my eyes shut. “How do I turn it off?” I ask Ava as Hunter grunts, causing the other Sisters to giggle. “It’s not that fast,” she says sounding a little hurt. “Don't get me wrong. It’s beautiful. But I'm getting dizzy,” I say, trying to lift her sad tone. I peek one eye open and will the aura to return back to its hidden place. Hunter has her arms crossed in front of her, and her lips are pursed. But I can’t help but laugh. “You're owing me more and more desserts, Scar,” she says, as she makes her way back over to the others. Ava chuckles and turns me aro
und. “Now try to see my aura,” she says. This I have to see.
Chapter 29
Snowdrops
I concentrate on Ava's flawless face. She is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. And according to what I'm told, the oldest. I try to dig deep to cast out my power. The first wave in her aura makes me gasp as I bring my hand up to my mouth, embarrassed. Ava surprisingly blushes and urges me to continue. The first wave is a pearly pink color. It’s shiny and metallic-like. The other waves appear instantly and all at once. I take a step back because I really can’t believe my eyes. Ava's aura looks like a metallic rainbow. The two other Sisters had shades of colors when Ava has a color of each. And they all shined with a silver tint. It was like looking into a kaleidoscope. I was entranced, and I couldn't stop looking at it. Hunter snaps her fingers beside me, trying to wake me out of my stupor. “Hello! Scarlet! Focus!” I blink my eyes a few times and cast the aura to disappear, and I'm thankful when it does. Ava is smiling like this is a normal occurrence.
“Okay. Now do the exact same thing, but instead of trying to see the aura, this time try to feel it. That’s how you feel a caster’s power. If you try it on a mortal, nothing will happen.” Hunter says beside me. “You'll know just how powerful a caster is when you feel their aura. And it’s marvelous. When a caster is really powerful, it might make you a little lightheaded at first. But after the initial shock waves off, it feels great. But be careful, feeling a dark caster’s power aura is not as pleasant. You can feel the strength of the power the same way, but it'll make you feel very murky, like thick, black tar.” She visibly shivers and shakes her head to look into my eyes. “First we’ll let you try ours again. Then it’s your turn to show us yours. Does that sound okay?” She asks with a sweet smile. “Good. Brace yourself. Ava's got the most powerful one,” Hunter says, as I look at her.
Winter's Awakening (Light Coven Chronicles Book 1) Page 26