by K.N. Lee
Still unable to move, Wes watched from his spot on the floor.
“Evie. I want Evie,” Avalon said.
Wes felt his cheeks heat.
“What about her? Evie has nothing to do with any of this. She is innocent.”
Avalon grinned. “I don’t care. I’ll take her in exchange for your life. You have one week to make your decision or I burn your entire life to the ground. You have no idea what I am capable of.”
“No. I won’t allow it. What could you possibly want with my sister? She doesn’t know what we’ve done.”
“I already told you that I don’t care. But what I do know is that you love her more than anything. And so I want her. I want to take her away from you.”
Shaking his head, Wes fought to free himself. He had to stop Avalon.
“No!”
“That curse won’t be lifted until I get what I want. So…you can enjoy watching your body deteriorate for the time being.”
Wes froze.
Curse?
Eyes wide, he watched Avalon leave. His mind raced with worry, fear, anger, and a slew of emotions he couldn’t control.
He had to protect Evie. He had to warn her to stay away from the man that in one evening proved to be their greatest enemy.
It felt like an eternity before he regained use of his body, and when he did, he knew he was cursed.
Avalon Prince was definitely going to be a problem.
“IT’S SATURDAY,” QUINN said as Evie checked out at the cash register.
Evie nodded with a smile as she rung her up. “I know. But I promised Parker I’d go to New Town with him today.”
Quinn twisted her mouth into a scowl. “But we never miss movie night. Not in the last two years!”
“Come on, Quinn. Is it so wrong that I want to hang out with my boyfriend for once?”
“It is if you abandon your best friend on movie night.”
Quinn folded her arms across her chest and pouted.
“You’re ridiculous,” Evie laughed. She handed Quinn her bag of books. “I promise I won’t miss movie night next weekend.”
Snatching her bag, Quinn rolled her eyes. “Have fun, Evie. Maybe I’ll call Wendy and see if she wants to go with me instead.”
“You do that.”
Evie shook her head as she watched Quinn walk to the exit.
Quinn glanced back and looked her up and down, her face still disappointed. “You look cute, by the way,” she said. “I want to borrow those leggings sometime.”
Evie smirked. “Of course. Thanks, Quinn. Love you.”
“Love you,” she said and left the bookstore.
The scene outside Carter’s Books and Gifts looked dry.
Thank goodness.
High Street was bustling already, and it wasn’t even noon. A slew of students looking for entertainment walked the sidewalk in dense packs. Everyone already started wearing their costumes even though there was still another week until Halloween. Evie couldn’t wait for Parker to arrive so they could go out to Nightmoon Creek.
The store was quiet, with only one older woman browsing the recipe book aisle. Evie pulled her phone out of her skirt’s pocket and checked the time. She smoothed the purple skirt’s layers over her black and purple leggings. She wore a white collared blouse with a black tie and a purple headband in her hair with a large bow.
She looked cute and knew it. She just hoped Parker thought so as well. She couldn’t help feeling an incessant fear that he’d realize she was too much trouble and leave her one day.
The door opened.
Evie’s body straightened when she saw Avalon step inside.
Avalon was silent as he walked in wearing a buttoned up shirt under an evergreen sweater, slim black jeans, and loafers.
She adjusted her glasses as she watched him. “Avalon,” she said. “Can I help you with something?”
He nodded, his eyes scanning the shop. “You can. When are you off?”
Why did he care?
“A few minutes.”
“Great. I’ll just chat you up until you’re a free woman. If that’s okay”
Evie pursed her lips. She looked past him, knowing that Parker would soon arrive. She didn’t need him questioning her about the new guy in town.
“Of course. My boyfriend will be here to pick me up soon, though.”
“Boyfriend?”
Evie nodded.
Avalon clasped his hands before him as he stepped closer to the front register where Evie stood.
He leaned against the front counter, staring her down with those enchanting green eyes of his. “I was hoping to take you up on your offer for a tour of New Town.”
She couldn’t move when he looked at her like that. The intensity was thinly veiled behind a look of admiration as he held her gaze.
“We can go another time. I have plans for today.”
“That’s too bad,” he said, fingering through the stack of clearance books on the counter.
She swallowed, still unable to move. “Why is that?”
He shrugged and stood directly in front of her. The only thing that separated her from him was the counter.
Evie gripped the counter. Her heart rate seemed to rise, and her entire body felt warm.
She tried to keep her face clear of emotion, but she knew what he was doing. He was trying to work magic on her.
The idea frightened her beyond anything she’d feared. He was good. It would have worked if she hadn’t sensed it in time and countered the act by shielding her thoughts.
Evie tried to replace her true thoughts with those that were boring, plain, and wouldn’t reveal anything of importance.
“Because I have something for you. A gift.”
“What kind of gift?”
“It’s a surprise. You’ll have to come with me to find out.”
“I see.” She looked around the store. She wasn’t sure if she liked surprises, especially those that came from a strange man from her dreams.
Nina, the owner of the store came in from the back and dusted a few crumbs off the front of her floral dress. She glanced from Evie to Avalon, her eyes brightening.
“Can I help you with something, sir?”
He put his hands in his pockets. “I’m just waiting for the young lady to get off so I can take her out.”
Evie felt her cheeks flush. Now Nina would think she was cheating on Parker.
“He’s a friend of my brother’s,” Evie quickly added. She looked to Avalon. “He just needed directions. Parker will be here to get me in a minute.”
“Oh,” Nina said, nodding. “Are you new in town?”
“Not quite,” Avalon said. He reached a hand out. “Avalon Prince.”
Nina’s eyes widened. “Hugh’s son?”
He nodded. “Aye.”
Both he and Nina looked at Evie.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Nina said.
“Thank you. What’s done is done, right? He lived a long life.”
“Right,” Nina said. She cleared her throat and looked to Evie before glanced around the store to see that it was practically empty. “You can leave, Evie. There’re only about five minutes left in your shift.”
“Thanks,” Evie said, wishing Parker would hurry and get her out of that awkward encounter.
“Have fun.”
She didn’t have to tell Evie twice. She clocked out on the cash register, grabbed her purse and headed out the front door while Avalon stood there watching her.
“Good to see you, Avalon. Enjoy your day.” She quickly held the door open, hoping to escape before he could offer to take her out again.
“You haven’t spoken to your brother yet, have you?”
Evie paused. Something about that statement made her uneasy. She looked over her shoulder.
“About what?”
Avalon walked from the register and out the door she held open. Standing before her, he cracked a grin.
He reached out and brushed her cheek with his
thumb. “God, you’re beautiful.”
She cleared her throat, trying to keep her cheeks from flushing.
“I’ll let him tell you,” he said, his minty breath warm on her ear as he leaned over to whisper. “It’ll be much more fun that way.”
Evie didn’t know what to say. Having him near made her feel lightheaded. The attraction she felt was dangerous. It could ruin everything.
As if he had read her mind, his grin widened. That’s when she realized that he did read her mind.
So much for hiding my thoughts.
He chuckled, rubbing his chin as his green eyes took her in once more.
She watched him turn to walk away, her cheeks turning pink with embarrassment for having her thoughts read.
“I’ll be waiting,” he said without turning to look back at her.
She watched as he crossed paths with Parker.
“How odd,” she whispered to herself as Avalon strolled down the street, his hands in his pocket as he seemed to window-shop.
He glanced back at her, giving her a wink.
Parker broke her gaze as he stopped in front of her. He smiled and waved his hands before her eyes.
“Ready, babe?”
Evie nodded, but inside she shook with fear.
What she saw in Avalon’s eyes made her blood turn cold with dread. There was a pain, lust, and cruelty in his eyes. Only someone with her power would even notice.
She quickly sent a text to Wes, questioning what Avalon had told her.
His return text came back almost as if he’d been waiting for her to ask him.
As she read the words on her phone’s screen, her face paled.
Stay away from Avalon. He is dangerous. I’ll tell you more when you come home.
Evie put her phone in her purse as she looked up at Parker. Normally he could calm her in any situation, but Wes’ text left her rattled. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held onto him tightly.
She was afraid.
What Wes had said confirmed her fears. She was sure of it now.
Avalon was going to seriously complicate things.
“HONEY,” OLIVIA CALLED.
Wes opened his eyes to her beautiful face. Sunlight spilled into his bedroom from the balcony doors behind Olivia.
Her brows were furrowed in a look of concern, and that’s when he realized that what had happened the night before wasn’t a dream.
Avalon had beat him before he could even defend himself. The toll on his pride was bruised almost as much as his body.
“What happened to you?” She ran her fingers along his back and he rolled over so that she couldn’t see them. It stung like hell to put pressure on the bruises, but he’d rather hide them than have her see him so defeated.
“We have a problem,” he said, covering his eyes with his hands. Even his arms hurt. Just lifting them made him wince with pain.
“Tell me,” she said.
He removed his hands from his eyes to see arms crossed over her chest.
“Don’t keep this from me, Wes. What happened when I went to sleep last night? Did you get into a fight?”
Wes frowned. “I wish.”
He tried to sit up but the pain kept him down. His head hit his plush down pillow and he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. The look on his wife’s face prevented him from drifting back to sleep. She deserved answers.
“Tell me what happened!”
Wes avoided her eyes. He stared at the ceiling. “I wouldn’t even call what happened last night fair.”
“Wes, stop stalling.”
Wes took a deep breath and propped himself up so that his back rested against his headboard. He put a hand over Olivia’s.
“Hugh’s youngest son has returned.”
“What?” Olivia sat next to him on the bed.
“Yes. Avalon Prince is back, he knows I killed his father.”
Olivia stared off for a moment, her mouth open with shock. “I can’t believe it.” She shook her head before glancing at him. “What does he want?”
“My sister.” It hurt Wes’ heart to think of bringing Evie into this, but the fact was that she was a part of this the moment Avalon laid eyes on her. Maybe he should have encouraged her to go to school abroad. Anything would have been better than having her in this mess.
“What does he want with Evie?”
“He wants her, Olivia. What do you think?”
“No,” she said.
“Either I kill myself or let him have her.”
“What a disaster,” Olivia said. “We should have left Hugh alone.”
Wes hung his head. She sat on his lap, straddling his legs, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
The worry in her eyes hurt him. Then there was the pain in his back. Not only did it burn like hell, but it itched. He scratched it, wincing as he did so. With a sigh he leaned back against the head board.
“I hate having you see me like this.” His entire body was sore from what Avalon’s mysterious power had done to him. He knew the Princes were wizards. It was one of the reasons their fathers were always in constant competition. Still, he never imagined Avalon could fly.
But how?
It was not a typical wizard power.
“It's okay,” Olivia whispered in between soft kisses on his lips. “We can get through this.”
“I can’t imagine how. He will hurt Evie to get to me.”
“We won't let that happen,” Adelaide said from his bedroom’s doorway.
Wes and Olivia turned to her voice. She stood there leaned against the doorframe in the purple robe she wore around the house. Her hair fell long over her shoulders in perfect waves.
“How are we going to stop him?”
Adelaide looked as if she hadn’t slept in days. It broke Wes’ heart to see her in such disarray.
Her eyes fixed on Olivia, and then Wes. “We give him what he wants,” she said and Wes felt a sickening feeling in the pit of is stomach.
“It’s about time Evie did her part for the family. At least he doesn’t want to hurt her.”
Olivia shook her head.
“No. He just wants to keep her, like a pet or something,” she said, her brows furrowed. “Let me try to handle it first.”
Adelaide stared at Olivia for a moment.
Wes had hoped that he wouldn’t have to use his wife’s skills again, but this was to protect Evie, and he knew Olivia was serious. She wouldn’t be talked out of it. Perhaps she could be successful.
She’d done it before...many times.
It was worth a shot.
Olivia did have her own talents. It was time to exploit them one more time. But this would be the last one.
“Fine,” Adelaide said, turning to walk back down the corridor. “We will tell Evie what’s been going on at Sunday dinner. We can’t keep it from her forever. She’s an adult now.”
Olivia nodded.
“Then,” Adelaide said. “You can go after him that night. But you’ll need to be discreet.”
“I always am,” Olivia said, flickering a glance at Wes that made the hairs on his arm stand on end.
Evil could be so beautiful.
DRAKE’S DINER WAS packed that night. Evie and Parker stepped inside the retro style diner with classic checkered floor tiles, red chairs, and white table and counter tops. The jukebox played popular hits from the fifties as cute high school girls and young women in matching pink dresses and checkered caps served customers.
The vibe was one of fun and friendliness until Evie showed up.
Evie breathed a sigh when all eyes seemed to turn to them despite the boisterous chatter that filled the air. It was as if the life had been sucked from the room when they recognized her. That was the bad part about knowing everyone. They knew all of your business. College kids, older adults, and even children stared at her as if she’d walked in there with horns on her head.
The whispers filled her ears, making her wish she would have stayed in the car.
/> There she is.
Look.
Why is she here?
Evie rolled her eyes.
Elliot, Parker’s dad, stood behind the counter with a checkered apron over his black slacks and white collared shirt. She loved that place. Everything fit with the theme of a cool diner from the movies her father used to love.
Elliot motioned for them to come forward to two seats he’d saved for them at the bar area.
Evie avoided the looks from everyone and sat down on her barstool. She put her elbows up and shielded her face by resting her chin in between the palms of her hands.
“Evie,” Elliot said with a bright smile. He came from behind the counter and gave her a warm hug.
For a man in his fifties, he was unbelievably handsome. He had such a friendly face that Evie couldn’t help but smile back. With salt and pepper hair and blue eyes, he looked like Pierce Brosnan to her. She used to always call him James Bond when she was younger. Evie figured Parker had good genes and would be as attractive as he was now as they grew old together.
“Good to see you, sweetheart,” he said with a charming Southern accent. He nodded to Parker as he went back behind the counter. “Glad you could bring your girl in to see your old pa.”
“What are you talking about, dad? You saw Evie almost every day when you were the groundskeeper at Scarlett Hall,” Parker said rubbing Evie’s back.
Pulling two glasses from the shelf, Elliot set them under the soda tap.
“That was a long time ago. I started to forget what her beautiful face looked like.” Elliot gave Evie a wink.
Evie grinned. “Thanks, Mr. Drake. I’ve missed you too. Is Sue around?”
“Naw. She went home early. She can’t seem to get rid of this awful cough she’s been having. And her poor nose keeps running.”
“She okay?” Parker looked concerned. He sat beside Evie and reached for two menus from the menu holder. He handed Evie one. “I spoke to her yesterday, and she didn’t mention not feeling well.”
“She’s all right. Just those damn allergies.”
“Oh good,” Evie said. “We will visit her tomorrow. I’ll make her some soup.”
“She’d love that.” Elliot handed her a root beer float, her favorite.
“Thank you,” she said. “You remembered.”