by S. L. Watson
“Thank you all for coming at such short notice.” I cut straight to the point. “Aenoas-Vita is in danger. My ancestor Orien lives, and he has taken Oria’s ring. And that’s not all.” I told them of my premonition of what would happen if Orien succeeded in his plan, and how he was working with the Shimera. “But I don’t believe he has the power he needs to move forward without my and Darion’s magic.”
“I agree,” Darion added. “While Orien held me captive, he required several doses of blood to maintain his strength. Without our magic, he won’t be able to access the ancestral link to the ring.”
“He can’t access the power he needs elsewhere?” Jasper’s father’s baritone voice boomed from his seat, next to his wife.
“No,” Darion answered. “He needs the magic that bonds Ever twins.”
I nodded when eyes looked to me for confirmation of Darion’s words.
Rheya paced the room. She wasn’t good at managing her emotions. “How could you let this happen?” Her aura burned hot and then chilled to freezing, which I knew was an effect linked to her unique gifts.
“Don’t forget you address your queen.” Darion’s stony stare met Rheya’s prowling glare.
I touched Darion’s shoulder. “Rheya’s right to be angry. I’ve failed you all, but I won’t let Orien get away with this.”
“You already have,” Rheya accused.
I was glad she didn’t hide her anger toward me. I deserved every bit.
“I will do whatever is necessary to get the ring back and destroy Orien.”
“Does the queen have a plan?” This time Rheya meant her mockery.
Darion tensed, and I shook my head at him. He fought back the urge to respond to Rheya with a nasty retort, which wasn’t an easy feat for him, but I appreciated that he kept quiet, though there was no way Rheya missed the fury building in his posture.
“How can we help?” Jasper’s mother asked. Jocelyn was soft-spoken and shared the same amber eye color, dark hair, and golden skin as her son. Her husband, Ryker, Jasper’s father, sat with a protective hand on his wife’s knee. He’d been in the royal guard and had been my own father’s Shield before bringing his family to Earth to aid my father in a different way. They waited patiently for my answer.
“Orien can create portals at will. It was how he escaped with the ring.”
Ryker shook his head. “Orien is an Ever, and weakened or not, he will still be formidable and capable of more than the average Vitarian.”
“Indeed,” said Felix. “He’s not to be underestimated. He’s survived centuries under the radar to accomplish his tyranny.”
Arden followed my movements but observed quietly as everyone spoke their minds.
“Jocelyn.” Jasper’s mother met my eyes. “You’re a Portal Tracker. I need you to watch for any signs of portal travel on Earth and report them to me.”
She nodded her agreement. “I’ll start right away.”
“Felix,” I said. “Is there another Portal Tracker that you trust on Aenoas-Vita?”
He nodded.
“Good. We don’t want to create any unnecessary fear or panic. Please handle the details with care and only tell who you must.”
“Of course, my dear.”
“Neil had business that took him out of town tonight, but he will monitor his clubs for any sign or knowledge of Orien’s whereabouts. Calista, Selkie, and my mother will work on creating a spell to trap Orien in his portal once he’s located. I have contact with a local Vitarian who will help me work on a tracking spell using my blood.”
Felix’s eyes shot toward me, but he said nothing, though his thoughtful expression hinted that he guessed I spoke of Freya Moon, who had declined to be present at tonight’s meeting.
The fire crackled, and a wave of heat blew through the room.
“Arden.” His name rolled off my tongue with mounting tension.
When his watchful stare met mine, the hairs stood up on my arms as a shiver raced across my skin. I hardened myself against the power he had over me, and forced my body to ignore its traitorous response as I focused on my words. “I trust whatever decisions you make to protect Aenoas-Vita. When you speak to the council, you speak for the queen.”
He nodded, and I turned away from the lingering question in his eyes.
“Felix, you are head of the council and rule as my proxy. Please make sure the rest of the council members understand Arden’s place as commander. His decisions are not to be questioned unless a direct order comes from me.”
“You have my word.”
I nodded. “Rheya, may I speak with you?” I motioned for her to follow me.
Rheya gritted her teeth, her defiance heating her aura. But she stood from her place next to Arden and followed me outside and down the porch steps.
“You’ve changed,” she mused. “You’re no longer the uncertain girl finding her way, but it’s more than that.”
Flecks of yellow glowed in her emerald eyes as she stalked toward me. Her hand shot out and touched my skin. “You have fire magic.” She snatched her hand away. “It burns hot inside of you, just barely controlled,” she accused.
I matched her challenging stance. “That’s not what I asked you out here to talk about.”
She quirked a pointed auburn brow. “No, I thought not. Is the reason tall, buff, and handsome, and currently brooding from rejection?” Her taunting grin fell when my expression remained hard.
“It’s time for Arden to move on and find someone else. We can’t be together, and I want him to be happy.”
Rheya shrugged her muscular shoulders. “What do you want me to do? The man loves you, though you cause him nothing but grief. You don’t think I’ve tried to convince him to find someone on our own planet to take his mind off of you? He won’t listen to me, if you’re asking me to talk to him.” She folded her arms across her chest.
I exhaled a frustrated sigh. “I need you to guide him in another direction. There must be someone he’s cared for or can care for.”
She stared at me hard for a long moment, and then her eyes softened as they lit up, and she glanced up into the dark, star-filled sky. “I have someone in mind who may be interested in the challenge.”
A heaviness settled on my chest as my inner voice screamed at me not to let Arden go. “I need one more favor.”
“What am I? Your personal genie?” Rheya placed a hand on her hip. “Okay. What is it?”
I stepped up to stand face-to-face with her. “Promise me you’ll protect Arden with your life.”
Rheya narrowed her gaze. “That’s not a promise you need ask of me. I would give my life for the commander a million times over.”
I nodded. I knew that would be her answer, and I also knew she meant it with every part of her being. I’d once been jealous of Arden’s feelings toward Rheya. But she was his best friend and second-in-command. They loved each other deeply, but there was nothing romantic in their love.
“Arden will not give up on you. How do you expect this to work?”
“I plan to break his heart.” The words hung bitter on my tongue, and for a second, I thought Rheya might reach for her sword and cut me down. But after we stood frozen, eyeing each other, she finally nodded.
“It’s the only way.” The same regret that coursed through my veins laced her voice. She hated everything about my plan, but she knew, the same as I did, that I would only continue to cause Arden pain if I didn’t cut him loose for good.
The front door cracked open, and Arden walked out. Rheya avoided eye contact with him as she made her way back inside the cabin with a quick concerned glance back at me.
“Walk with me?” Arden asked. A vulnerability shone in his uncertainty of my answer.
As much as what I was going to do would hurt, it had to be done, and this was my opportunity. I nodded toward the woods.
Arden descended the porch steps, his muscles tense as he kept his eyes on me. I swallowed hard, making myself forget what it felt like to feel those st
rong arms holding me tight. I sensed his restraint as he stepped to my side, then moved past me, and I followed him through the line of trees where we had once had our first kiss. My skin flushed as the memory raced through my mind, and the emotion passed as I turned everything off, like flipping light switches, until all I felt was void and … numb.
Arden stopped. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am about Lucas.”
I spun away. “I don’t want to talk about it. We can’t change what happened.” I bent and picked up a pile of dried leaves, crushing them in my palm, and watched as their broken pieces blew away with the wind.
Arden’s feet crunched over fallen leaves as he strode back to face me. “I should have been there with you. Why didn’t you wait? You could have been killed.”
A defensive buzz rushed through me and aided in hardening my resolve. “I did what I had to do. You have no right to question my choices.” My words came out with harsh authority.
Arden’s brow creased. “That’s not …” He placed his hands on my shoulders. “Everly, if anything happened to you, I …” His fingers trailed down the bare skin of my arms until they interlaced with my own. His warm breath brushed my lips as he spoke. “Don’t you know how much you mean to me?”
He pressed our bodies together, and I could feel his heart race against his chest. “Let me be here for you, my love.”
I sucked in a breath. My resolve nearly melted in the security of his embrace. His aura wrapped around me, and my arms ached to lace around his neck and tell him how much I needed him.
“Everly, I—”
I froze. No, no, no.
My mind filled with the image of Lucas and the pain I’d caused him. I yanked my hands free from Arden’s and inhaled a sharp breath. “Stop. Don’t say it.” I looked into the blue-green sea of his eyes. “We can never be together, Arden. I am your queen and nothing more.”
He flinched. Waves of confusion washed away the blue, and only a deep green stared back at me. “You don’t mean that.” And for the first time since we’d met, Arden’s words held uncertainty.
He drew me back into his arms. “This isn’t you talking. You’ve just lost someone you cared for, and you’re hurting. Don’t push me away, Everly. Let me in.”
Flames consumed my heart as the lie passed my lips. “I don’t love you. Losing Lucas made me realize that. You are the commander of Aenoas-Vita’s guard, and I’m its queen. That’s all there is between us.”
Heat licked beneath the surface of my skin, and Arden released me. His brow furrowed, and when his eyes met mine, I knew I’d succeeded. He backed away from me, drawing in his emotions and locking me out.
A brisk wind stirred, and the weight of my lie formed a glacier between us. I turned and ran without a glance back.
When I reached the cabin, Rheya paced out front. “He needs you” was all I told her, and she bolted past me in the direction I’d come from.
I slumped onto the stairs, fighting back the emotions that banged and slammed behind their wall to be free. I choked on dry tears as I bent forward and grabbed the porch railing.
A blast of warm air came from behind, and footsteps creaked toward me.
Darion stepped down the stairs and reached out his hand. “Let’s go, sister.”
I slipped my hand into his, letting him lift me to my feet. “What about Mom?” I asked when I realized she wasn’t with us.
“She’s riding home with Cal and Selk. When I felt you shut off your emotions, I told her you need a night out with your big brother.” Darion maneuvered the 4Runner out of its parking spot and got us turned around.
“Big brother, huh? And here I thought we were twins.”
Darion shifted gears as he rounded a corner. “I’m pretty sure I was born first. Besides, I was stolen from the womb, so I’d say that gives me dibs on firstborn rights.”
“Okay, you have a point, big brother.” I went along with his theory and gripped the grab handle as we jostled over potholes hidden by the night.
“Thank you, Darion. This curse we’re stuck with sucks, but I suppose it has some perks after all.”
Darion’s cheek lifted as he grinned.
The bass coming from Neil’s club was a welcome distraction.
I recognized the host who greeted us. She sat in Neil’s usual place, pumping her blue Converse shoes to the beats. Streaks of a brighter, pastel blue decorated her hair. I felt a pang of guilt at being relieved that Neil wasn’t in the club tonight. He’d left me a message earlier that he’d be out of town for a few days, sorting out some things. He hadn’t said what those things were, but I guessed they had to do with the management of his Eugene bar now that Lucas was … gone.
“You two have fun.” The host blew a large, stretchy bubble from her mouth, then sucked it back in with a series of pops.
I didn’t miss the way her eyes lingered on Darion before we mumbled a thanks and passed through the red velvet curtains.
Neil changed the lighting theme frequently, and tonight it was all neon, glow-in-the-dark colors. He had even added special black lights to the glass fish tank that made up the entire length of the bar. The fish swam back and forth, creating a mirage of twirling colors.
“Hey, D,” the bartender greeted Darion.
I looked at Darion and mouthed, “D?”
He shrugged, then talked to the bartender in Vitarian, who then uncorked a fresh bottle of the evernescence.
Neil thought his new name for the drink was a clever play on words, since it was made from the extract of the ever flower on Aenoas-Vita and caused fleeting sensations of euphoria. The lavender liquid glowed under the dark light as the bartender filled two martini glasses, and the familiar vapor floated atop the liquid.
“To letting go,” I said, and touched my glass to Darion’s.
We drained our glasses in seconds. I had no tolerance for the potent effects of the ever extract, and my head immediately swam. The lights stretched across my vision, and I had the sensation that I was floating as I left Darion sitting at the bar and moved out onto the dance floor, drifting into the crowd of gyrating dancers.
The bass filtered through my chest as warm bodies closed in. My skin tingled when arms brushed my skin, and I didn’t resist when soft hands lifted my hair and equally soft lips touched the back of my neck. Long fingernails trailed down my back and slipped around my waist. When I entwined my own atop them, I realized the stranger’s hands were slender and feminine. I swirled around and met the scorching ebony eyes of the woman who had me wrapped in her embrace.
Makeup glittered over her dark caramel skin, and long curls cascaded past her shoulders. When she moved, I moved with her. Sparkling powder coated my fingertips as they trailed up her gold-dusted arms. When my hands combed through her thick waves, her head bent toward mine, and my lips crushed hers. The kiss was hungry and deep, and I surrendered to it.
The night went on and on, with more drinks and dancing. I didn’t remember leaving, but at some point, Darion was carrying me out of the car and into my apartment. He made me drink something tangy with herbs and said I’d thank him in the morning. The last thing I remembered was crashing face-first onto my bed and falling into a spinning, dark sleep.
I circled the room, drawing the dark clouds of energy toward me. They no longer resisted, eager to enter a willing host. I held my arms open wide, feeling the sweat drip down my body as each tangled wisp of darkness came to me, filled with the negative charge I needed. When the weeping echoed throughout the room, I ended class.
Ever since word had gotten out about Lucas dying in a car crash, students had filtered out of each class without their usual rush of questions, and today was no different. The room quietly cleared, giving me the time to do what I’d been itching to do all day, and what I’d stored up an excess of negative energy for.
I grabbed a piece of chalk and bent to the floor. My hand scribbled furiously until the large white eye encased in a circle looked up at me with its tormenting gaze. I sat in the center o
f the eye and picked up Freya’s blade, cleansed and respelled for a new purpose.
After my meeting with everyone at the cabin, Felix had sent me a warning to be careful of how much help I accepted from Freya Moon. His message didn’t elaborate beyond warning me not to fall into her debt, but I needed Freya’s spells, so once again I shut off all thoughts about the dangers of working too closely with her as I stabbed the blade into each of my palms and cut a long slice down their centers. I’d done this so many times over the last few weeks that I didn’t even notice the pain any longer as I held my palms open and watched the blood pool, then quickly flipped them over and placed my bleeding hands flat on top of the white chalk on either side of me.
The room spun as a dark tunnel swallowed me. Energy sizzled and zapped in the air. Wind ripped past, threatening to send me to oblivion as I searched for any sign of light, and then I saw it: a crack. It was more like a hairline fracture, but it got bigger each time I discovered it. I ran and ran toward it, but as usual, it drifted farther away as I advanced. His laugh filled the void, taunting me, as it did every time. Flames blazed from my hands, but I knew it was no use. The fire hadn’t made a difference before. I screamed into the nothingness and filled the empty portal with searing fire.
“I’m going to find you, Orien.”
“Everly!”
My eyes snapped open. Darion and Molly glowered over me. Darion crouched down and snatched my hands off the floor and hauled me to my feet.
“What are you thinking? You didn’t even lock the door. What if one of your students had forgotten something and come back?” He flung my hands away, shaking his head.
I ignored his berating and picked up a towel to dab the sweat trickling down my brow.
“You have to stop this, Ev. You’re taking in too much dark energy. You’re not sleeping or eating the way you should. Look at yourself.” He tugged my arm and forced me to face the mirrored wall.