by K.N. Lee
She gasped.
He was a wizard.
A quite powerful one.
She could tell the instant they touched.
Wes called it a gift. He couldn’t do it. He could do other things, but always said that she was lucky to know what kind of beings existed around her. As a child, Evie looked up to Wes. They’d play games that strengthened Evie’s powers. Mental games mostly.
She missed those days.
Evie examined Avalon from the shiny red hair on his head, to his expensive black shoes.
Being a wizard explained why she couldn’t read Avalon earlier. His form of power must have prevented it.
And by the shoes on his feet he wasn’t just a guitar player.
She swallowed when he caught her checking him out.
“I’m Evie…short for Evelyse.”
“Lovely name for a beautiful lass,” he said, and settled back in his chair once again. “Do you mind if I sit with you ladies for a bit? I find myself all alone on a Friday night, and you two seem like nice normal girls.”
Normal? I wish.
Evie faked a smile.
“You’re new to town,” Quinn said. “Where are you from?”
“Woodland Creek,” Avalon replied.
They both stared at him, neither believing his story.
“Oh,” Quinn said. “I’ve never seen you before. What’s with the accent?”
Avalon tilted his head and nodded, a lock of his hair falling into his eyes. He racked his hair back. “Aye. I was shipped off to boarding school in Scotland when I was a lad.”
Quinn peered at him, clearly still suspicious of his story. “What brings you back?”
He rubbed his chin. “Good question. A little business. A little pleasure.”
Quinn grinned. “Come to charm innocent Midwestern girls with your Scottish accent and guitar?”
He chuckled at that. “Not really.” He gave Evie a sidelong glance, making her subconscious of her white lock of hair. “I’ve come to bury my father, and see an old mate.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Evie said.
“Who?”
Evie folded her hands in her lap, eager to hear his answer to Quinn’s question.
One of the girls from Evie’s Asian history class stepped over. “Hi,” she said.
Avalon looked up at her from his seat.
“What can I do for you, gorgeous?”
The girl blushed. “We were hoping you’d play some more. You’re really good.”
Evie raised her brows. The nerve on that girl.
Avalon nodded, glancing at the cat-shaped clock on the wall above Evie’s head. His eyes lingered on hers, making her hold her breath before he turned away.
“Aye. I can play a few more songs.” He looked to Quinn and Evie. “You’ll excuse me, ladies?”
“Of course,” Evie said, nodding. She let out a long breath as she picked up her coffee and looked away.
She couldn’t stand it when he looked at her. It was as if he could see into her soul.
“Sure,” Quinn said. “You didn’t tell us who your friend was, though, and who you’re here to bury. We might know them.”
“I’m burying my father, Hugh Prince.” He stood. “And my old friend is Wesley Scarlett.”
Evie’s head snapped in his direction. She could barely breathe when their eyes locked.
There was no denying who he was. Her suspicions were correct.
Avalon was the man from her dream.
It’s not possible, she thought.
“How do you know Wes?” Quinn looked surprised. “That’s Evie’s older brother.”
He grinned, giving Evie a knowing look. “I know.”
Evie swallowed.
Quinn sipped from her coffee, her eyes going from Evie to Avalon. “Well, what a coincidence that we ran into you then.”
Grinning, Avalon pulled his guitar strap over his head. “Indeed. Especially since I’ll be heading to Scarlett Hall tonight.”
EVIE AND QUINN stood outside Geek Beans, waiting for Avalon to finish chatting with the girl from her class and her two friends.
“You sure this guy is who he says he is?” Quinn looked worried. “It’s getting late and you don’t know him. Why don’t you wait and call Wes to see if his story checks out?”
She believed him. She couldn’t tell Quinn how she knew, but Avalon was destined to be an important part of her life.
To think that the Prince family had one more male heir worried her. She had hoped that the tension between the two families would finally be at an end.
“Well, Wes did go to boarding school in Scotland as well.”
“But you’re going to offer to drive him all the way to your house? I think it’s dangerous. He’s hot and all, but so was Ted Bundy.”
“When you say it that way you make me worry,” Evie said, biting her thumbnail.
She glanced into the storefront to see him packing up his guitar in its leather case and speaking to the owner of the shop. He waved and headed for the door.
“Just be careful.”
Evie gave Quinn a look, adjusting her glasses. “I will.”
She’d make sure Avalon wasn’t a threat.
Avalon stepped outside. “Ladies. You didn’t have to wait on me. I was going to call a cab.”
He rubbed his hands together. “It gets bloody cold here at night.”
“It does,” Quinn said. “At least the rain stopped. You’d better call a cab quickly. We don’t have many, and the winos at the bar will be using them all.”
“Aye,” he checked his watch. “I flew in from San Diego. This is quite a change.”
Evie cleared her throat. “I was thinking I could drive you. We are going to the same place after all. Unless you had other plans.”
The corners of his lips lifted as their eyes locked. Whenever his eyes met hers she heard her heart thumping in her ears.
“I don’t want to be any trouble,” he said. “I’m not usually such a burden. Back home I have a motorcycle and a truck. Can’t exactly fly those over to the states though.”
“Well that’s a relief,” Quinn said, her eyes brightening. “You’re not a bum.” She laughed.
Evie nudged her. “Bye, Quinn. I’ll see you in the student union building in the morning.”
Quinn continued to laugh. She waved as she headed toward her apartment down the road. “Be careful you two. Take care of my best friend.”
Evie watched Quinn walk away, and then looked back at Avalon.
“Ready?”
He nodded for her to lead the way. “After you.”
Evie avoided puddles as she started down the sidewalk to her car. She went through her dream in her head. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as her mind led her to be. Not all dreams could be interpreted the same way.
She sighed. Who was she kidding?
Her blood was on his hands in that dream. There wasn’t much room for misinterpretation.
“Where are you parked?”
“By the Pond and Duck restaurant. How long have you been in town?”
Keep your enemies close, she thought. She needed to make sense of it all.
“I arrived a couple of days ago.”
He checked his watch.
Evie lifted a brow at seeing such unexpected bling. The diamonds on his watch were enough to light their way through the woods in the dead of night. There really was more to him that she wanted to explore.
He put his hands in his pockets. “I came for my father’s trial and ended up arriving just in time for his funeral. I’m sure you heard that both of my brothers died a few weeks ago. Looks like I’m all alone now.”
Sadness filled her eyes. She didn’t know what she would do if she lost her family. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?” He stopped walking. “You didn’t kill him. Did you?”
Evie didn’t expect such a question. She tried to free her face of any suspicion. Wes always said that she was a bad liar, so she shouldn’t even try.
“Of course not.”
At least it was the truth.
“Good,” he said, starting down the sidewalk again. “Then you don’t have to apologize.”
Evie cleared her throat. “I just wanted to offer my condolences.”
“You don’t have to do that either. We both know our fathers hated each other after Scarlett Research gave my mother that experimental drug that ended up killing her.”
Evie spoke softly, her face paling at the mention of his mother’s death. She was surprised that he was still keeping it together so well.
“They did hate each other, but what happened to Mrs. Prince was not my family’s fault. Besides all of that, does that mean we have to hate each other too? What did we have to do with any of it?”
Always a peacemaker.
“Not at all,” he said, giving her a sidelong glance. His face was serious as he looked at her. “You’re innocent. I can see that. Besides, I already like you, Evelyse Scarlett.”
She blushed and looked away from his intense green eyes. She pointed ahead. “Not much farther.”
“Good,” he said with a knowing grin. He rubbed the red stubble on his chin. “You really don’t remember me at all, do you?”
Evie shook her head. “Should I?”
“Aye,” he said. “But I suppose you were quite young when I left. We went to primary school together.”
Well, that’s interesting. She tried to search her memories for him.
“We did?”
He nodded. “Aye.”
“Wow. I wish could remember that. I wasn’t exactly outgoing as a child. I’ve always kept to myself.”
“Yes. So did I.”
She licked her lips. “So, what do you do?” She’d learned a lot already from him. Why not dig a little more?
“I own a chain of shops.”
“Really? What kind?”
“Nothing too major. I have a few clothing stops in the UK and along the west coast of the states. I’m looking to branch out a bit to the east. Maybe I’ll open up one in New Town. It would be nice to re-discover Woodland Creek again.”
“Good choice. We could use some more choices out here. What kind of clothes do you make?”
He walked backwards in front of her. “See this ensemble here? A mix of alternative and geek chic.”
Evie could stare at him all day. She smiled, nodding. “I like it.”
It was a perfect night, with a cool breeze, the smell of fresh rain, and a half moon.
She tried to be discreet as she looked Avalon up and down as he returned to walking beside her.
He was the son to her father’s killer, and he had appeared in her dreams…two warning signs that she should worry about him.
Evie clenched her jaw. She actually liked him despite their family’s history.
Please let him be good, she thought.
He was too attractive to die.
SOFT SINATRA SONGS played in the background as Olivia drank from her wine glass.
She glanced at Wes, trying to gauge what kind of mood he was in. He’d been quiet during most of dinner.
Adelaide joined them on their celebratory dinner, and Olivia welcomed the conversation.
“How is your pasta?”
“It’s fine. Not as good as the time Wesley’s father and I went to Rome,” Adelaide said. She smiled curtly at Olivia. “We can’t exactly expect them to be as good as the real thing, can we?”
Olivia faked a smile. Did the woman have to always complain? Nothing was good enough for her.
“You’re right,” Olivia said. She’d finished her pasta in fifteen minutes. Now she was left with her wine, an empty space in front of her, and a feeling that everyone in the restaurant knew what she’d done.
“Wesley,” Adelaide called.
He looked up from his smartphone, raising a brow. “Yes?”
Adelaide used her cloth napkin to pat the corners of her mouth. “Why isn’t Evie here for dinner? Didn’t you tell her we were going out?”
“I did,” Wes said. “She had plans with her boyfriend.”
The look of distaste on Adelaide’s face was apparent. “So, she’s still seeing that Drake boy?”
“Why are you surprised? They’ve only been best friends since they were seven. You have to admit that he turned out to be a responsible young man. He runs Drake’s Diner with his father and is studying a double major at the university.”
Olivia looked to Wes. “He does all of that on top of boxing?”
“He does,” Wes said. “But I think it’s more of a workout. He’s not trying to go pro or anything. Parker is smart. He has a good head on his shoulder.”
Adelaide tapped her long nails on the white tablecloth. “Still, he comes from a family of farmers and mechanics. I always saw Evie with someone from a more reputable family. Aren’t they Polish?”
“Does it matter?” Wes went back to checking his phone.
Olivia sighed and set her empty wine glass down.
“I suppose not,” Adelaide said. She looked at Olivia. “How is your family, dear?”
Olivia smiled. She didn’t really like making eye contact with her, so she glanced at her and looked down at the table.
“They are fine. My mother and sister are on holiday.”
Adelaide nodded. “Well isn’t that lovely. We should go on holiday, Wesley. Don’t you agree?”
“Not now, Mother. Evie won’t be free until winter break.”
Her husband had just been murdered and she was ready to go on a vacation. Some might find that odd, but Olivia understood. She’d need to get away if that had happened to Wes. She wouldn’t be able to stay in the same house they’d shared. It was rare for her to understand Adelaide, but she did in that moment.
“Winter break isn’t that far off. We should plan something. What do you think, Olivia?”
“It’s a good idea. My project list is dying down.”
“I say we all go to Italy. It’s lovely in the winter.”
Wes nodded, clearly not paying attention.
Olivia put a hand on his. “Can’t it wait, sweetheart?”
He looked her in her eyes. She offered a smile, stroking his hand.
“How rude of me. I apologize,” he said, surprising her with his softened tone. He put his phone in his pocket and resumed eating his dinner. “We are supposed to be celebrating and I’m letting things at the lab distract me. I was just speaking with Malka about the ley-lines. They seem to be what draws shifters to Woodland Creek.”
“It’s fine,” Adelaide said. “What you and Olivia are working on is important work. Your father would have wanted you to not lose sight of what you’re trying to accomplish.”
Olivia lowered her eyes. They were getting closer to discovering the hidden links between shifters and wizards, and why they were so drawn to Woodland Creek.
“We are making great progress,” Wes said.
“And then there is another matter you two should be making progress on,” Adelaide said with a mischievous grin.
Olivia glanced at her, seeing her dimples deepening as Adelaide grinned expectantly at her.
“Don’t be coy. When will you two give me a grandchild?”
Olivia’s cheeks reddened. She cleared her throat and risked a quick look at Wes, who put a hand on her thigh. He gave it a squeeze and smiled at her.
“Soon,” he said.
Her heart soared at hearing that one word. She couldn’t keep her smile at bay.
“I don’t believe this day could get any better,” Adelaide said.
Olivia tensed when Adelaide slid her fork to her hand with a subtle flick of her index finger. Her gaze flickered around the crowded restaurant to see if anyone noticed what had just happened.
Of course they hadn’t. None of the other patrons dared to even look their way. Olivia was surprised. Even with Edward dead, the townspeople were still afraid of them.
They didn’t even know how dangerous each person at that table was.
“Mother,” Wes called in a low voice. He clenched his teeth. “This is not the time to let down our guard.”
Adelaide shrugged her shoulder. “Perhaps,” she said and ate a long string of pasta.
Olivia looked to Wes. Her eyes said it all, and as he smoothed her thigh under the table she beamed. He smiled back and her and nodded.
“Ready?”
Nodding, Olivia held his hand up and kissed his knuckles. “Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
Finally, it was time to expand their family.
All she had to do was kill a crime boss. If she’d have known that she would have done it sooner.
TRAPPED IN HIS thoughts, Wes was silent the entire ride after dinner.
So much blood. He couldn’t get it out of his head. He rubbed his temple and closed his eyes. What he had done to the remaining Prince family members went above and beyond cleaning up the filth.
It was an extermination.
But they weren’t done yet.
The dark forest stretched on both sides as they drove down the empty road. He just wanted the final piece to the puzzle to be eliminated.
Wes was grateful for the rain, it kept him calm. Something about storms strengthened him. The amount of death and carnage he had seen kept replaying in his mind. He’d never been more afraid of what he could do.
But wizards were supposed to use their power wisely.
That’s what his father always said.
Too bad his death left Wes with no choice but to use his power to protect the family.
Wes squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t blame his father. For years the Scarlett’s and the Princes fought over territory and arms clients, but it wasn’t until Scarlett Research failed in saving Emma Prince from cancer.
That was the last straw for Hugh Prince. He blamed Wes’ father, and all restraint was forgotten.
When the car pulled into the circle driveway in front of their home, he made sure to get out and open the door for Adelaide.
Fat droplets of rain poured down in gushes. He opened his black umbrella and helped Adelaide from her seat in the back of his black Escalade.
“Thank you,” she said. She glanced at the sky, her gaze lingering on the moon partially hidden by black clouds. “It is such a lovely night. I almost wish I had the energy to go dancing. You know your father loved to dance.”