by Lana Melyan
THE FIRST FIGHT
THE WEIGHT OF MAGIC BOOK 5
Lana Melyan
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Also by Lana Melyan
Copyright © 2019 by Lana Melyan
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual locales, organizations, events, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
Lana Melyan
Cover Design by Cover Reveal Designs
1
For the next few days, I had trouble sleeping. Most of the time, I just lay in my bed with my eyes open. Like now. I couldn’t fall asleep, and it was too early to get up. Nate had known this would happen, and he wanted me to stay with him at the mansion, but when I refused, he didn’t insist. When I told him I needed some time alone, he thought I was avoiding him after what happened, that I didn’t want to be near him.
He was wrong. I loved him just as much as I always had. I didn’t blame him for anything. Maybe he was the one who put the sword through Murphy’s heart, but we killed him together. All of us. And I stayed away from Nate because I didn’t want him to cuddle me, to make me feel better by taking the blame. I had to deal with it on my own and accept that this was part of the job.
This was only the beginning. There was a bumpy road ahead of us, and I didn’t want to slow him down by tripping the whole way. I had to be strong so I could walk next to him, shoulder to shoulder.
There were people worse than Murphy out there looking for us, and we’d have to do everything it took to stop them. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be the only dead ones.
“How are you doing?” I asked Connie as we sat in the cafeteria during lunch break.
“How long are you going to keep asking me that?” She looked at me with annoyance. “I told you I’m fine a hundred times already. Stop worrying.”
“Connie, I’m so sorry I dragged you into this.”
“Nicky, I need you to stop saying that, too.” She put her fork down. “It doesn’t matter how I became a part of this mission. I’m a witch too, and to fight them is as much my duty as it is yours. I want to help. Besides, you and Logan are all I’ve got, and Logan is in this with you and Nate. Where else am I supposed to be?”
“So you don’t hate me?”
“You’re just like Logan. Seriously, people, grow up.”
“He asked you that?” I stared at her. “But then it means that you—”
“It means he’s just as paranoid as you are.” She picked up her fork again and grabbed some pasta from the plate. “What about you and Nate? How long are you going to torture him?”
“Is that what you think I’m doing?” I frowned. “Connie, I told you, I just needed some time alone.”
“Did you explain it to him properly? Because he told Logan you don’t want to see him.”
“You know it’s not true. We see each other every day after school.”
“For ten minutes. And then you go home.”
“Yes, because that’s what being alone means.”
“For how long, Nicky? Don’t you miss him?”
“Of course I do. Every second.” That was another reason I couldn’t sleep. I missed him so much.
“Then maybe you should tell him that. And get a grip. There’s a man out there looking for Murphy, and we need to catch him.”
“Are you saying Nate hasn’t been doing anything about that?”
“Nope.”
Connie was right; we couldn’t waste more time.
“Okay, I’ll talk to him today when I see him after school.”
But after class Nate wasn’t in the parking lot, and neither was Logan.
Connie and I both checked our phones. I didn’t have any messages.
“They’re together,” said Connie, then read the rest of a message from Logan aloud. “Sorry, got held up. I’ll be home soon.”
“See, they are doing something,” I said, glancing at her reproachfully. “Nate wouldn’t just drop everything because his girlfriend needs some time alone.”
When I arrived home, I saw Mr. Lancaster’s car parked in the driveway.
“Hi,” I said walking into the kitchen, where he and Gran sat talking.
“Hi, Nicky,” said Mr. Lancaster.
I went to the sink to get a glass of water. For a moment there was this awkward silence, and I thought I’d interrupted some private conversation.
“I’ll let you two talk.” I smiled and headed toward the stairs.
“Actually,” said Mr. Lancaster, “Nicky, I’m here to see you.”
“Me?” My eyes narrowed as I look at him.
“Yes,” he sighed. “I wanted to ask you to stop by the mansion. You see . . . I think you need to talk to Nate.”
My insides turned. I put my glass of water down.
“Did something happen?” I stared at him. “This man, he didn’t—”
“Honey,” Gran interrupted me. “It isn’t about the man. It’s about Nathan. You really need to talk to him before he loses his mind completely.” She rolled her eyes.
“Why? What did he––”
“Just go,” said Gran. “And, please, fix it. We don’t have time for this. We have things to do.”
Fix what? What the hell are you talking about?
I turned around, not really knowing what to think, and went to my car.
Logan’s car was parked in the mansion’s front yard. I stopped mine next to his, marched to the door, and opened it. Loud music hit my ears.
The moment I walked into the living room, I stopped and stared at Nate. Unshaved, wearing yesterday’s rumpled shirt, he stood behind the couch in front of a narrow table with drinks, holding a bottle of whiskey in his hand.
“Hi.” He swayed a little when he turned to look at me.
Logan, who sat in the armchair, grabbed the controller from the coffee table and turned off the music.
“What’s going on here?” I asked, feeling like if I said another word it would come out as a roar followed by fire.
“You know what, guys?” said Logan, his flat look becoming excited, “I gotta go.” Passing by me, he said in a low voice, “I’m so glad you came. Could you, please, put his fallen pieces back together, cause I can’t drink anymore.” He bent to my ear. “Or pretend that I am.” He glanced at Nate on his way out. “See you, buddy.”
“So. What brings you to the devil?” Nate looked at me with a bitter grin.
“Nate, what the hell are you doing?” I crossed the room, stepping closer. “I thought you were working on the problem.”
“I’ve been working on those damn problems for a hundred years,” he said, filling a clean glass with whiskey. “I have a right to a few days off.”
“To do what? Knock yourself unconscious?”
“To come to terms with the fact that I have nothing, and find a way to live with it. Have a drink with me,” he said, handing me the glass.
I took it and put down.
“No? Okay.” He shrugged. “Don’t drink with me.” He grabbed the glass and took a large gulp.
“Nate, stop it.”
“I can’t. I’m not done yet.” He picked up the bottle to add more whisky to the glass. “You see, a few days ago, I lost my everything. Which is you, by the way.” He threw a sideways look at me. “And I feel so empty.” He slammed his fist into his chest.
“What the heck are you talking about?” I shouted. “Who said you lost me? I said I needed a few days to be alone, to think things through.”
“And I’m what? An allergen to your thoughts?”
“Nate, you said you understood,” I said, getting even more frustrated.
“And I do. You saw me kill someone. You said you needed to be alone, and I left you alone, didn’t I? But then you wouldn’t even talk to me. You meet me for a few minutes after school to ask me how Mr. Lancaster’s doing?” He spread his hands with an astonished look on his face.
“You think this was easy for me?”
“I did what had to be done. And now I’m the bad guy?”
“Nate, I handed you the sword—”
“Yes. But then you dumped me.”
“I didn—”
“My whole life has been one endless fight. I’ve lost a lot during the years, but I kept going because I knew I hadn’t really lived yet. I still wished for things,” he said with mirthless smile. “Looked for that one thing I never had. And now, when I finally found what I . . .” He shook his head. “And I lost it. Like an idiot. And all because of that damn, endless fight. So, I don’t know. I don’t see any . . .” He spread his hands, splashing the whiskey on the floor. “I kinda hit a wall.”
I took the glass out of his hand, put it down, and hugged him.
“Nate, you haven’t lost me. I’m right here. And you can’t even imagine how much I’ve missed you.”
“You have?” he said next to my ear. I nodded. “And I didn’t lose—”
“No, of course not.”
“Nicky.” He pulled back and took my face in his hands. “I thought you came to say . . . You scared the hell out of me.”
“Sorry?” I said guiltily.
“God, Nicky.” He buried his face in my neck. “Why would you torture me like that?”
“I didn’t mean to.” I brushed his messed up hair with my fingers.
He kissed me and pressed me to his chest. “I’ve never been this lost in my entire life,” he murmured. His hand moved down my back and slid under my sweater.
“A-a-a,” I stopped him, gently pushing his hand away.
“What?” He pulled back, looking startled.
“You’ll need to shower first.” I smiled.
2
We sat in bed, Nate leaning against the tall, wooden headboard, and me with my head on his chest.
“So, how was your time alone?” he asked.
“Horrible. And I really need to catch up on my sleep.”
“Me too. I hope we’ll do it together,” he said quietly, kissing my forehead.
I took his hand that lay across my belly and pressed it to my lips.
“Nicky, I wish you hadn’t seen that side of me. But I never tried to hide who I am from you. I told you I’ve done things in my life you won't like, and to finish what we’ve started, I’ll have to do it again. Death is a part of this job.”
“I know. Nate, those few days . . . I didn’t do it because I wanted to stay away from you. At the meeting we had before Brian and Sam left River Stones, I said I supported your theory, and I stand by my decision. But of course it was hard for me because I thought that if we had to kill someone, it would at least be in a fight. We would do it protecting ourselves.”
“We were still protecting ourselves. Murphy tried to kill you. He knew who you were, and about Bree, and he was going to sell us out. But I know what you mean. This was different because this was an execution.”
“Yeah. And the fact that he was Callahan . . . you know?” I sighed.
“I know. That was one of the reasons I didn’t want you to see it.”
“But that’s the thing. You can’t protect me from this. I knew if I stayed with you it would be much easier for me. But I wanted to go through this by myself. Because I can’t hide behind you every time. I don’t want to be the one you carry through this war. I want to be your partner.” I straightened, facing him. “You know what I mean, right?”
“Nicky, you’re much stronger than you think.”
“Am I? Because I don’t want to be the one to hold you back.”
“I thought I made it pretty clear today that you are the one who moves me forward. I’m afraid without you I’ll stop dead.”
Laughing, I kissed his lips as they stretched into a happy smile.
“I’m sorry for falling apart like that,” he said, now serious. “It’s because I love you so much.” His fingers touched my temple and slid into my hair. “I thought I scared you away. And the second I thought I lost you, the whole world went dark and dead.”
“I’m here.” My eyes fixed on his, I run my hands up his chest. “You know why? Because I love you more than you think. Nate, if I was the one to run that sword threw Murphy’s chest, would that scare you away? Would you hate me for it?”
“I wouldn’t hate you even if you ran that sword through me. All I would wish for would be one goodbye kiss.”
My eyes locked on him.
“That sword can kill you. I never thought about it,” I said, panic in my voice. “I always thought you were safe.”
“You’re worried about me?” Chuckling, Nate shook his head. “Now you know how I feel, knowing that your body is so fragile.” He sighed. “Nicky, you never asked me how I did it. How I became immortal. I know you want to know.”
“Let’s not talk about it right now.”
“You’re right. We should catch up with our sleep first,” he said, grinning. “And I don’t think I could stand it if you decided you need another few days alone.” He pulled me into his arms. “Who knows how that could turn out? Maybe it’s not fair,” he said, planting kisses all over me, “but I don’t care. I will buy myself as much time as you’ll let me.”
“And if we shut up about it for another decade, we won’t need to talk about it at all,” I said quietly, pulling back.
“Why is that?”
I pushed my pillow to the headboard and leaned against it.
“Nicky?” He looked anxious now.
“Because that’s when our ways will have to part.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nate, I’m not going to look eighteen forever. What do you think is going to happen? A miracle?”
“Nothing. You hear me? Nothing is going to happen.” He frowned. “We’ll keep living our lives. Together.”
“So that everytime you look at me I will wonder if you noticed my new wrinkle?”
“It doesn’t matter how many wrinkles—”
“It would matter to me. You might stay with me until the very end, and when I’m old and sick it would be much easier for you to let go of me. To you it might even be a relief.”
“How can you say––”
“But I wouldn’t want you to remember me like that for the rest of your forever. I would want you to remember me as the girl you fell in love with.”
He grabbed me by my arms and turned me to him.
“I would remove that spell for you in a heartbeat if I could. What the hell are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the inevitable outcome of our relationship.”
“Nicky, you’re doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“Pushing me away.” He stared at me in dismay. “You’re telling me that you’re going to leave me.”
“Nate, don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”
“I have, and all I see is me and you. Together.”
“You know what? You’re right. We don’t have to talk about it right now.” I looked into his eyes with a weak smile. “Who knows where this war will take us? First we have to make it through the next few years.” I lay
my hands around his neck and drew my face close to his. “Right now I want you to kiss me. I’ve missed you so much.”
His lips sank into mine. Swiftly, he lay me on my back and covered me with his body.
“The only way for you to leave me is if you stop loving me,” he said in his low voice that made my heart rise like it was the first time I’d heard it. “Otherwise, I’ll never let you go.”
3
To spend a few days without each other seemed to be too long for the two of us, and I stayed that night at the mansion, even that it was a school night.
In the morning, Nate said we’d go to Gran’s bookstore after classes to discuss our next move. And when I came out to the parking lot and saw Nate leaning against the car at his usual spot, my heart hammered as if it were our first date.
“I missed you,” I said as his love-filled black eyes looked into mine.
He kissed me, and the moment we got into the car, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me again.
He drove, holding my hand, and when we arrived at the store we lingered in the car.
“We’ve lost a few days,” I said, when we finally let go of each other. “And it’s all my fault. Who knows what that man, Murphy’s accomplice, could’ve done during that time?”
“Nothing,” said Nate. “I sent him a message from Murphy’s phone, telling him that I needed a couple more days because I might be able to get my hands on the map.”
“You did? I thought you said—”
“You think I would leave the ends loose like that, and put you in even more danger?”
I turned my head to the sound of a car and saw Connie and Logan parked behind us. We got out and headed toward the store with the Closed sign behind the glass of the heavy door. Nate pushed the door open. I followed him inside, glancing at the logo from which the owl stared back at me from behind its round glasses.