by S. L. Watson
I admired the craftsmanship and how the string crisscrossed in a seamless and complicated design. “It’s amazing.”
“He made me a similar one with an M in the middle. I have it hanging above my pillow,” Molly declared. “I’ve had the best dreams.” Molly’s eyes darted sideways toward Darion, who was standing near the buffet table, and her mouth turned down as her eyes narrowed into slits. “Oh, hell no,” she blurted.
I followed Molly’s gaze and understood what had riled her. Who invited her?
Bree stood with a hand on one hip, wearing a tiny strapless dress that clung tightly to her skin, and unsurprisingly, a pair of matching stilettos. She reached out and took a bite of something off Darion’s plate.
Molly’s energy buzzed as a growl escaped her lips.
My jaw clenched, and it took all of my willpower not to send a blast of energy that would knock Bree on her perky ass.
To Darion’s credit, he immediately backed up, putting distance between himself and Bree.
“That’s it,” Molly hissed as she took a step forward. “The claws are coming out.”
I snatched Molly’s hand. “Hold on I’m coming with you.” But before we even took one step, Bree’s attention snapped in our direction. She flung her perfectly straight hair over one shoulder and offered us a satisfied smirk as she strutted our way.
She slid up next to Ty and wrapped a possessive arm around his waist. “There you are.” Her finger traced his earlobe. “I’ve been looking for you.” Her syrupy tone made me want to vomit. By the look on Molly’s face, I could tell she felt the same way.
What the double hell? I stared wide-eyed at Ty and Bree, then glanced at Molly, whose eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she whispered, “WTF?”
“Who are you?” Piper chirped from below.
I’d almost forgotten she was standing with us while her dad wandered off with my mom to chat with friends.
Bree’s eyes flicked down at Piper, and before I knew it, my magic was burning to be released. I instinctively moved closer to Piper.
“Oh, aren’t you a sweet little thing!” Bree cooed. “I just love the bow in your hair.”
Piper did a twirl. “Thank you.”
I bent down. “Hey, Pip, why don’t you go find my mom? I bet she made some of your favorite cookies for today.”
“Ooh, yay. Thanks, Everly.” She ran off on her new mission.
I reined in my emotions as I stood, dragging my eyes from Bree’s arm around Ty, and meeting her glare. I tried to think of a polite way to ask Ty what he was doing with Bree, but Molly beat me to it.
“Uh, Ty, you feel like explaining what you’re doing with her?”
Ty fidgeted, his dark brows knitted together as he sensed the hostility hovering between the women. When he scooted slightly from Bree’s grasp, she pulled him closer and whispered something in his ear, eliciting a laugh. Ty relaxed and replied, “Molls, Ev, this is Bree—my girlfriend.”
Well, that explains Ty’s drastic change in attire, but like Molly said, WTF?
Molly’s mouth fell open. “How’s that possible? Bree only just came to town. We had the displeasure of meeting her yesterday when she interrupted our yoga class before she flirted with Darion.” Molly glared at Bree, challenging her to deny the accusation.
Bree didn’t miss a beat. “She misunderstood. I was only inviting Everly’s brother to see my new studio as a potential new student.”
Ty nodded as if that all made complete sense to him.
Acid bubbled in the back of my throat. Bree had Ty wrapped around her finger.
“How did you meet?” I asked in a casual tone, hoping to defuse the heat while I scanned Bree’s aura.
Before Ty could answer, Bree jumped in. “Ty was the sweetest thing. I was unloading supplies into my studio a couple of weeks ago when he saw me struggling and offered to help. And fast-forward to now, and here we are.” She waved her free hand in the air, nearly swatting a passerby.
The tips of my ears burned. Bree’s explanation sounded perfectly reasonable, and nothing in her energy indicated she wasn’t being honest. Ty nodded along while he watched Bree speak with goo-goo eyes. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something didn’t seem right between these two. Maybe Jasper had rubbed off on me, and I was just being an overprotective friend. But overprotective or not, Bree was an obsessive flirt who craved attention, and Ty deserved better.
Green glitter reflected in Bree’s eyes as she stared behind me like a panther stalking her prey.
“Cool alien costume, Jasper.” Ty seemed more like himself as he gave Jasper and Lucas details of his own costume he planned to wear for tonight’s performance.
I noticed Bree’s arm drop from Ty’s waist as she ogled Jasper and Lucas.
I wanted to shake Ty and tell him he was too good for Bree, but we didn’t have that kind of friendship anymore, and crossing that line might end the small thread that remained.
Darion sidled up next to Molly. Her tight-lipped expression faded as she peeled her attention away from Ty and Bree, and accepted the plate of food Darion handed her, which he’d loaded with all of her favorites.
Darion scanned the scene, rolling his eyes when they landed on Jasper. “An alien. How … original.” He popped a bite of something into his mouth, then nodded sideways at Molly to follow him.
Molly edged toward Ty. “We’re going to talk later.” She spun on her heel and slipped her hand into Darion’s.
I didn’t like the way Bree stalked Molly as she walked away with Darion. This time prey took on a whole new meaning. I shook myself. I was probably reading too much into Bree’s behavior. She was new in town. Sure, she only seemed interested in getting to know the guys, and she had returned my gift basket, but maybe Ty saw something the rest of us didn’t.
“Bree …?” The question I’d planned to ask flitted from my mind as the floor spun away. A buzzing vibrated deep inside my ears as I locked onto the familiar thread of energy.
Every nerve in my body sizzled with electricity as I felt him move through the room. I recognized his aura on instinct. Heat torched my skin, and before I could stop myself, I turned in search of him, my feet moving with a will of their own.
Lucas’s and Jasper’s voices faded into the distance as they called my name, drowned out by the buzzing that now vibrated within my entire body.
When my eyes locked on his, my body shivered with tiny shocks, and my vision was flooded with images that haunted my dreams: dark woods, my back pressed against an ancient oak tree, lips searing my skin with every touch as strong hands held me tight. Since the night we’d said goodbye, and he’d vanished through the portal, taking him back to his home and duty as commander of the Vitarian army, Arden had possessed my dreams.
My breath caught in my throat as he strode toward me, closing the last few feet between us.
What do I say? It’s been over a year since I’ve seen him. And yet it still feels … electric.
I swallowed hard as I remembered our first meeting, here at the café. His energy had sought me out then too, and I’d been a tongue-tied mess when I’d walked up to take his order. The connection between us had been instant. I hadn’t known about his Empath abilities then. I hadn’t known many things when Arden had first appeared in my life. My cheeks burned anew as I thought of how he’d smiled at me while I’d stared at him like a silly love-struck teenager and dropped his menu to the floor. And here I was, having the same reaction, only a million times worse.
My heart thrummed against my chest as I lost myself in a sea of blue-green.
Arden took another step, while his gaze drifted to my lips. I nearly reached out to run my hand up the steel-gray sweater he wore to feel the muscles pressing against the fabric, but then Arden paused. He glanced up and over my shoulder as Lucas came up behind me.
Oh God, Lucas.
I tore my attention from Arden.
Guilt seared my skin as Lucas interlocked his fingers with mine. I knew I couldn’t look a
t him, or he’d know—what kept pulling us apart was now standing right in front of me, causing me to tremble with a simple glance.
Arden’s eyes flicked down to the hand that Lucas had claimed. A flash of understanding and a bolt of pain disintegrated the outer blue ring that circled his green iris. He stepped back as he threw up his emotional guard, slamming a wall of ice between us.
My throat went dry and leathery. I croaked out a “Hi” and immediately felt like a senseless idiot.
“Hi,” he responded, sending tingles shooting down to my toes.
I prayed Lucas didn’t notice the goose bumps that broke out down my arms.
“What are you doing here?”
“It looks like he’s brought you a birthday gift,” said Darion, coming into view while giving me a knowing smirk before positioning himself at my side and settling his glare on Arden. “Arden” was all he said.
The two had a history, and it wasn’t good.
Tension stirred as Arden shot Darion a matching glare. Then his expression softened as he returned his attention to me.
“Happy birthday, Everly.” He held out a small rectangular package.
Butterflies raced in my stomach as his hand brushed mine, and a charge of electricity rippled between us.
Arden guarded his emotions, but the crease of his brow and the slight quiver that shuddered through him told me he felt it too.
He dropped his hand, and an icy cold filled the air.
I stared down at the neatly wrapped box, feeling unsure of what to do. I untangled my clasped hand from Lucas’s.
“You can open it later,” Arden suggested.
An arm slid around my waist, and without thinking, I nearly shrugged Lucas away.
“Aren’t you going to introduce Arden to your boyfriend?” Darion questioned with a ridiculous smile. He enjoyed using the situation to torture Arden, even at my discomfort.
I hadn’t mentioned Arden to Lucas before, since I’d never expected the two to meet. But thankfully, both Lucas and Arden had more tact than Darion. They shook hands casually as I introduced them.
“How do you two know each other?” Lucas asked, his tone genuine curiosity and not jealous boyfriend. Another admirable character trait that made my guilt grow all the more. If Lucas knew how I really felt about Arden, he’d be crushed.
Darion opened his mouth, ready to add more fuel to the fire, but my silent plea shut him up. He pressed his lips together tight while I answered Lucas’s question.
My heart tore as the words coming off my tongue burned like acid. “Arden is a friend of the family.”
There was no way of getting out of this without someone feeling hurt, and I had to protect Lucas.
A slight nod from Arden expressed he understood.
“You should open your gift.” Lucas stepped back, giving me space.
“Yeah, Ev. It’s rude not to open a gift in front of the person who gave it to you.” Darion shrugged when I glared at him.
Irritation gnawed at me. If I hadn’t been afraid of losing control of my magic, I’d have sent Darion a jolt or two that would keep him quiet. Instead, I had no other choice but to open Arden’s gift now.
My fingers had a slight tremble as I peeled the wrapping paper off to reveal a long and narrow wooden box. Carvings of familiarly shaped flowers decorated the top. A recognizable energy vibrated within the wood, and I knew this wood was special—it had been cut from an ever tree. I carefully lifted the lid on its tiny hinges, not missing the additional engraving carved beneath it that I’d read later, when alone.
I stared speechlessly at a sparkling bracelet. It wasn’t gold and it wasn’t silver, but something different and, I knew, not of this world. Jeweled ever flowers adorned the bracelet. The colors shimmered and sparkled every which way.
“Arden, this is stunning. Thank you.”
“May I?” he asked, indicating the clasp.
I handed him the bracelet and held out my wrist.
The air warmed as his hands brushed across my skin. Sweat beaded on the back of my neck as I tried to calm the erratic flutter of my heart.
“It fits perfectly,” Arden admired.
“That’s quite the gift.” Lucas glanced from me to Arden with a slight furrow to his brow, and a different kind of flutter swam in my stomach.
“I’m glad you like it.” Arden glanced around him. “But I should be going and give others a chance to wish you a happy birthday.”
My throat clenched at the thought of Arden disappearing again. “I’ll walk you out.”
I kissed Lucas on the cheek. “I’ll be right back.”
His aura grew murky as he offered me a strained smile.
I rushed through the crowd, thanking people along the way who wished me a happy birthday, and followed Arden around the corner of the building.
His long legs strode quickly. “Arden! Wait!”
He stopped and I ran to him. His arms wrapped around me in an instant, and we clung to each other with the same fierceness as we had that night in the woods.
“I need to explain about Lucas.”
“It’s okay,” he whispered in my ear. “I understand. You are living your life, just as I wanted you to. You don’t have to explain anything.” He lifted his head, and a blaze of green stared down at me. The world slipped away, and our lips crashed together.
The kiss was brief but said everything we couldn’t.
I took a couple of steps back to recompose myself. The wind swirled through my hair and cooled the sting of my skin. “Are you leaving?” My chest tightened. I lifted the back of my hair and fanned my damp neck.
Arden leaned against the building. “Not yet.”
The pressure subsided, and air pumped through my lungs.
“I’m glad you’re here, but I know you didn’t come just to bring me a gift.”
Arden smoothed the honeyed five-o’clock shadow growing along his jawline. “Felix received a message from your mother.”
I nodded. I knew about the message she’d sent. My mom trusted Felix, and she often sought his advice. He’d been her guardian as a child, and he’d traveled to Earth with her when she’d been exiled by Siobhan. He’d only returned to Aenoas-Vita with Arden at our request. We needed someone we could trust unquestionably to preside over the council in my absence.
I put my hand up like a visor to block the blinding ray of sunlight reflecting off the side windows of the building we stood next to. “Will you be at the cabin?”
Arden nodded.
Felix’s cabin sat nestled in the woods near a mountain peak. He’d spelled it with powerful magic. The cabin and its surrounding forest were impenetrable to anyone the spell didn’t recognize.
The cabin was also where Arden had trained me, and where we’d shared our first kiss.
Arden’s intense gaze sent another chill rippling down my spine.
Was he thinking of our time together, of the moments that still kept me up at night?
He pushed off the building and came to stand in front of me.
The energy surrounding us lit back up, its hum now a crackle.
“I have to get back.” I told myself to turn and get back to the café—back to Lucas. But my feet wouldn’t budge; they stayed cemented in place.
I held my breath, hoping he’d kiss me but praying he wouldn’t. I looked up into a storm of blue-green. His large hands cupped either side of my face, sending a flush down my neck and farther. I reached for some resolve to pull away, but there was none.
His forehead rested gently against mine, and he trailed his nose down the side of my cheek and nose, breathing me in. “I’ve missed you. As soon as Felix told me about the letter, I had a portal made to come. Your safety means everything.” His lips brushed mine, only slightly parting.
The ache that grew deep inside me felt explosive. Just as I couldn’t take it anymore and dug my nails into Arden’s shoulders, voices boomed around the corner.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I didn’t recognize a
ny of the people strutting past us. They paid us no attention as they weaved around our bodies and continued down the block toward the river.
I peeled myself away from Arden. “Did you leave Rheya in charge?” Rheya was the obvious choice as Arden’s second-in-command, but I needed a distraction to cool down and get my thoughts off the feeling of Arden’s lips on mine.
His taut muscles vibrated with soft laughter. “And she’s loving every second. Rhal and Malakai will make sure she doesn’t torture the guards too much.”
I almost felt bad for the new guard members in training. But Arden trusted Rheya, and after everything we’d all been through together, so did I. She was hardheaded and strong-willed and sarcastic as hell, but she was also a fierce warrior and loyal to the core.
Arden gently combed his fingers through my long hair.
My scalp tingled, and goose bumps raced down the back of my neck. I cupped his hand with mine and drew it down. “I better go before someone comes looking for me. Are you sure you don’t want to stay and have some food or cake?”
The corner of Arden’s mouth turned up in a partial smile. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “We’ll talk more later?”
“We will.” Arden stepped back, and I felt the familiar chill that wrapped around me every time he left.
I turned and raced back to the café and bumped into the sheriff. He caught my arms as we steadied our balance. “Oh, sorry, Sheriff. I should’ve been paying better attention.”
His brisk nod and heightened energy immediately put me on edge. “Is everything okay, Sheriff?”
“I’m sorry, Everly. I’m needed at the station. Enjoy the rest of your party.” He sidestepped past me and sprinted to his vehicle.
A gloom cast a shadow over the bright blue sky.
I pushed into the café, thrown off by the upbeat acoustics rocking the speakers. Everyone chatted gaily, as they had before I’d followed Arden out, but something dark now lingered in the air that no one but me seemed to have noticed. I scanned the crowd, searching for my mom, and spotted Piper coloring happily at a table.
Darion and my mom stood off to the side in a huddled whisper. I searched for Lucas but found no sight of him. Molly, Ty, and Jasper hovered near the buffet table, grazing on snacks with no signs of concern. Bree wasn’t with them. I could only hope she’d gotten bored and left.