Autumn Secrets (Numinous Book 1)

by Ivy Rose

  The dream I had about my grandmother telling me to be aware of the signs came back to me. Surely it couldn’t be a coincidence that we were sitting here talking about signs?

  “Aurora,” Mrs Peters said softly, interrupting my chaotic mind. “What happened this weekend? Somehow you have broken through the protection spell. You must have an enormous amount of power to do so. It should be impossible.”

  “I-I don’t know. It must have happened yesterday morning in the forest. I was out there walking by myself, when this overwhelming feeling of, I don’t know, connection settled over me. It was like I felt everything around me, and it looked like my fingertips were glowing. The next thing I knew I was on the forest floor picking up a plant I’d never seen before. It was like I was being guided from within. I knew I had to touch it, and suddenly I had brought it to life. Like, it was literally flowering in my hand, and somehow, I knew it was a Calypso orchid. Sorry, I can’t explain it better than that. It was like I was dreaming.”

  “Well…” Mum started.

  Then I remembered something else. “Wait, there is one more thing. When I came back to the house, I found the same orchid on the front porch.”

  “Someone must have seen you,” Mr Peters said and looked at the other two.

  “I did look around, but there was no one there.”

  “Your protection spell has probably been fading since you moved here. It was only ever going to last until you turned eighteen anyway. That would make sense about how you awakened the orchid. It was your intuition calling to you and your power within emerged subconsciously. You are, after all, a guardian of light.”

  “And if someone did see me with the orchid?”

  “We will have some people search the area, but I’m not that worried. Lovika Creek is home to many light bearers like us. It was most likely one of our own paying their respects. I don’t believe you were in danger. Is there anything else we need to know? Anything else you can think of?”

  My thoughts immediately went to the old woman, then Lucinda and her daughter Phoebe. They definitely belonged in this hidden world, but for some reason, I hesitated to bring them up right now. I had felt a connection with them, and I wanted to talk to them alone, before I involved everyone else. I shook my head. “No, that’s all.”

  “Is there anything you would like to ask?” Mrs Peters asked kindly.

  “What other abilities do I have that can protect me?”

  “Everyone has their own unique gifts, but as a guardian you have even greater powers. Once we remove your protection spell and complete the harvest ritual, your special gifts will start appearing.”

  “I’m not sure I would call it a gift, especially if I have a price on my head. Curse would probably be a better word,” I mumbled and looked out the window. It was so dark outside. What was out there waiting for me? I shivered in my seat. I hugged my arms around myself, trying to gain some warmth.

  “You will learn how to be at peace with all of this, you just need time, but most of all, you need to trust the process, trust us. When it comes to protection, we need to remove the remainder of the protection spell so that you can connect with your true power. That is, if you two will let me.” Mr Peters looked at Mum and me.

  “What other choice do I have?” I asked and looked at the three of them.

  Mr Peters spoke first. “I can’t see any other choice. By delaying this, darkness will find more ground. It’s quite urgent, now that you know who you are.”

  “And where’s the amulet right now?”

  “It will be given to you at the harvest ritual. When you are bonded completely with the amulet, you will be safe. But first we need to remove the rest of the spell.”

  “Honey, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you any of this earlier. I wanted you to grow up normally,” Mum said and tried to reach for my hand. Without thinking, I pulled away from her, and saw her flinch. I knew I’d hurt her, but she had hurt me too. All the lies. There was a whole lifetime of them.

  “I need to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me.”

  Mum looked up and met my eyes. “Anything.”

  “Was I ever meant to find out all of this?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I find it strange that you didn’t tell me earlier about who I am and what you are. I mean, there’s, like, two weeks left until my birthday and this autumn equinox. Don’t you think that was reckless of you? How am I supposed to embrace all of this? You haven’t given me any time at all.”

  Mum looked at me and then out the window. “You weren’t meant to find out, not yet anyway,” she murmured.

  “What does that mean?”

  “I didn’t want this for you, Aurora. I still don’t. The reason we came back here was to let them cast another protection spell on you, to make it stronger. Everything was planned…” Her voice broke.

  “So, what happened?”

  Mrs Peters jumped in. “You broke the spell yourself, and now there’s nothing we can do to reverse it. Your powers are awakening, and the amulet is linked to you. That bond can’t be broken once the connection exists.”

  “How were you planning to cast another spell on me, without me finding out?”

  Mum looked at Mr and Mrs Peters then back to me with regret in her eyes. “A sleeping pill…”

  “A sleeping pill? Have you lost your mind? You were planning to drug me?!” I yelled.

  “I know how horrible it must sound, but you are my only daughter, Aurora. I will do whatever it takes to protect you. That’s what mothers do. It was just until we had you under another protection spell.”

  “So, what? I’m doomed now? Does every guardian of light have, like, a death sentence looming over their heads? Is that why you’re trying to delay this?”

  Mrs Peters cleared her throat. “No. No, they don’t, no more than regular humans these days. Back in the day was another story, but not in modern times. Your grandmother was a guardian of light for over forty years. There are so many good light bearers around. It’s safe here.”

  “Aurora, I just wanted you to have a normal life.” Mum continued, “I’ve seen the responsibility that comes with being a guardian, and I didn’t want you to be forced into that at such a young age. My plan was to get you under another protection spell then move back to Paris for a few more years, and maybe tell you then. It never occurred to me that you could break the spell yourself. I guess I was too naive. I didn’t realise I was running out of options.”

  I thought back to the morning on the forest floor, and how happy I’d felt. I had been so connected to nature, like I’d found a missing link to myself. It was such an amazing feeling, like I’d been enlightened. This was my birthright, and these people who I’d trusted my whole life had deliberately kept me away from my destiny.

  I turned to Mum. “Mum, you had no right to do this.”

  “Aurora…”

  “Please let me finish. I do understand that you did this out of love and that you had my best interests at heart. But I will need some time to wrap my head around this. You have lied to me my entire life. All of you. I trusted you, and right now I’m just so angry with you for hiding this from me. My destiny. You had no right.”

  Mum nodded. “There’s so much that you don’t know or understand.”

  “Well, that’s not my fault, is it?”

  “Aurora,” Mrs Peters interrupted. “We are sorry. But please remember we did what we did because we love you and thought it was the best thing to do.”

  “Well, it doesn’t feel that way right now. I feel betrayed.”

  “I’m sorry you feel like that,” Mum whispered.

  “So am I. Now, if I have any more questions, can I count on you to be honest with me?”

  Mum nodded and wiped a tear from her face. “Of course you can, sweetheart. I will always be here for you.”

  I looked at Mr and Mrs Peters. “What about the two of you?”

  “We will always be here for you, love.”

&nb
sp; I nodded and got up from my seat for the second time this evening. “Just one more thing. Is it safe here? I mean in this house?” I let my eyes wander over their faces again, before landing on my mother’s.

  “Yes. Aurora, this house is our safe haven. Darkness can’t come in here unless it is invited. The whole manor has a ward around it.”

  I nodded. “Good.”

  Then I turned around and walked away…

  Chapter 18

  Mum had already left for work when I woke up on Monday morning, and I think it was intentional on her behalf. I had asked for some time to process all of this on my own, and this was her way of showing me that she respected my wish. There was a note on the kitchen table with the keys to her car. I knew she was feeling really awful about all of this, and part of me actually wanted her to. I felt so betrayed. I was hurt, but most of all, I was angry.

  There were only a couple of weeks left until the autumn equinox. How on earth was I supposed to defend myself if someone, or something, decided to attack me? I mean, I didn’t really know what was out there lurking in the dark. Were there people or other creatures who wanted to hurt me? How could I possibly know, when I’d been living a lie my whole life? My only comfort was that they had told me that everything had been quiet for a very long time. I sighed loudly.

  But my mind couldn’t comprehend that there were vampires and fallen angels and other beings residing among us, and above all, I couldn’t understand my own part in all of this. It was too surreal. I had been lying in bed unable to sleep for hours last night, trying to take it all in, with little success. I had tried to come to terms and accept their decision to not tell me sooner about all of this, but it was impossible to do that right now. I had trusted Mum more than anyone in this world. I always had, and Mr and Mrs Peters were like family to me. They had known all this time. How was I supposed to go on acting like my normal self, when my whole world had been completely turned upside down?

  I’d decided somewhere between midnight and three a.m. that the only way to feel normal was to go to school, be around ‘normal people’ and try to pretend for a day that none of this had ever happened. I really needed it.

  I arrived at school way before the bell rang, and as always, the parking lot was deserted. I was probably the only student who ever showed up early to this place. I switched the car engine off and just sat there staring out the window. The lack of sleep was starting to take its toll. I welcomed it in a way; it slowed down my chaotic mind to the point where I was basically too tired to think. I took a deep breath and pushed the car door open. I just needed to get through the day. Act normal; everything is normal.

  It was like I was holding my breath the whole day. I tried to engage in conversations at lunch with the girls, and it did work to some extent. There were a few moments when I actually could let go of what I’d been told the night before, where I could pretend that I was just living a normal, happy life.

  When the bell finally rang for the end of the day, I quickly left the school grounds. I hadn’t seen Adrian at all, which was good. I didn’t need anything more to think about right now. As I drove out, I decided to go to the library for a while. I still craved some ‘normal’ in my day, before I went back home where everything was…not normal. I parked my car behind the old church, and just as I’d closed the door behind me, someone called my name.

  I whipped around and just like that, any thoughts of supernatural destinies vanished, replaced by the gorgeous boy in front of me who could so easily make me forget. I watched him with heated cheeks as he closed the distance between us. I had just remembered my drunk call to him.

  “Adrian, what are you doing here?” I asked and searched the parking lot for his car. I must have been so preoccupied that I hadn’t noticed his arrival, which was completely out of character for me. I had a bad habit of looking for his car wherever I went.

  He stopped in front of me. “Sorry, did I scare you?”

  “N-no, I was just… I didn’t expect to see you. I didn’t see you at school, that’s all…”

  “You didn’t look hard enough then.” He grinned. “You seem a bit stressed. Are you sure you’re all right?”

  He let his gaze lazily run up and down my body, and my heart picked up to a frantic tempo. There was a hint of a smile on his well-sculpted lips. I moved my gaze upwards and when our eyes met, I swear I stopped breathing altogether. He was so good at this game, and if I wanted to escape, I needed to make a move right now.

  “I’m all right.” I took a step back. “I need to, uh, go to the library. Anyway, I might see you at school tomorrow.” I was just about to turn my back and walk away, when he grabbed my elbow and turned me around. The electricity of his touch couldn’t be ignored.

  “Why in such a rush? The library doesn’t close until eight.”

  “I know, but I need to do this thing…” Was I for real? Couldn’t I come up with a better excuse? My brain operated on a slower level whenever Adrian was near me.

  “Are you trying to hide from me?”

  I shook my head.

  “No? Because…” He stepped closer. I swallowed and tried to divert my gaze away from him. It was impossible. Something had changed, I realised. He seemed more determined. Bolder. He cupped my face in his hands, lowering his face closer while his eyes burned into mine. “I will always find you; you know that. Don’t you, angel?” he whispered, and his eyes flickered down to my mouth.

  This was it. He was going to kiss me. This was the moment I’d been secretly fantasising about since the first night I’d met him in the library. Despite everything that had happened, I was so sick of resisting this overwhelming desire that was consuming me every time he was near me. I closed my eyes, and I felt his arm slip around my waist to pull me close.

  My breath hitched. This was as close as we’d ever been. He moved his hands upwards, and I felt his fingers in my hair, urging me to look up and meet his gaze.

  “Come home with me,” he tempted and brushed his lips over mine, testing my response. I gasped at the brief contact, wanting more than just a slight touch. I couldn’t think straight, as fireworks exploded inside me. He was seducing me, right here in the parking lot behind the library, and I couldn’t do anything to stop him. I didn’t want to stop him. I wanted this. I wanted him. I was so tired of pretending that I didn’t care about him, when I knew I did. “I promise I’ll behave…”

  I nodded, unable to speak. I let him take my hand and lead me towards his car.

  I hardly registered the drive out of the town, I was too captivated by him. I didn’t even think about asking where he lived. I didn’t care. He used his free hand to stroke along the inside of my wrist and that was all it took to keep me in his trance. He didn’t say anything, but I felt him everywhere. I never could have imagined that a simple touch could make me feel so much.

  I had no idea how long we drove for, and if someone asked me, I wouldn’t be able to give any directions at all. I had no idea where we were when we pulled up in front of a big two-storey house, in the middle of a forest. Adrian switched off the engine and looked at me. I could tell no one was home; the house was in complete darkness. Here I was, alone with Adrian Hunter, finally.

  “Nervous?”

  I shook my head and swallowed. “No.”

  He chuckled softly, jumped out and walked around to open the passenger door for me. “You need to work on that poker face, angel.” He held his hand out.

  I put my hand in his and stepped out of the car. “Where’s…uh…your family?”

  “My parents are still at work, and Elijah is at soccer training. He’ll be home later. Come on.” He tugged my hand and I let him lead the way, my heart now ready to jump out of my mouth, as he pulled out the keys from his back pocket.

  After letting us in, Adrian closed the door and let go of my hand to flick the lights on. I’d frozen on the spot as soon as we’d entered the house. Leaning against the door, breathing heavily, I watched him move around. As if he was sensing my sta
re, he turned around with a lazy grin and walked back towards me. His scent and warmth surrounded me, closing me into him. A shiver ran through me, as I leaned back against the cool door. He was intoxicating. He placed both palms on the door, either side of my shoulders, inviting me into his secluded space, a space I felt surprisingly at home in. I closed my eyes and inhaled his scent, trying hard to ignore my rapid heartbeat.

  “Open your eyes, Aurora.” His soft tone pleasured my senses.

  I opened them, only to find myself drowning in the depth of his gorgeous eyes. I desperately wanted him to touch me. I was tired of watching him from a distance. As if he read my thoughts, he leaned over me and let his lips slowly move along my neck, while his hand slipped around my waist. I couldn’t stop the sigh that parted from my lips, and I tilted my head towards the door, giving him more room to explore. I closed my eyes, utterly consumed by all these new sensations that rolled over me like tidal waves. No one had ever touched me like this.

  The next thing I knew, his mouth was on mine, and I fell helplessly into a whirlpool of all-consuming desire. His mouth was possessive, yet his lips were so soft. This was the kiss I’d been longing for since the day we met. Another gasp of pleasure escaped as I wrapped my arms around his neck, moving up to fist my hands in his hair. I arched into him, and a low growl escaped from his throat in response.

  He lifted me up like I weighed nothing, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I didn’t register when we started moving, but the next thing I knew I was lying down on a couch. Adrian hovered over me, deepening our kiss, and I was free falling. His hand moved tantalisingly up my leg, leaving trails of fire wherever his fingertips brushed. When he shifted, I reached for him and pulled his shirt off over his head. His mouth found mine again, more urgent this time, and I knew that we had now crossed the arbitrary line between us. There was no way we would be able to stop. This was the outcome after weeks of longing and seduction. Everything was aching deliciously inside me, ready to finally release.