Enchanting Wilder

by Cassie Graham

  I sigh heavily, looking to both sisters. Each one so very different from the other, yet very similar, too. “I think we need to fight this—whatever this is.”

  “I don’t think there’s any other choice,” McKenna concedes. “We can’t just sit here on our asses and wait for something to happen.”

  I turn to Kai. “We need to get to the bottom of what Maker really wants McKenna for.”

  Kai nods, looking at me straight in the eyes. “I can do that, but it’s going to take time, and I need you to go on with your lives. Declan, you keep doing your thing, and McKenna and Candy, you both need to keep up with your Strix duties. If anything out of the ordinary gets back to Maker, they’ll know I’ve deceived them. All has to seem normal for this to work.”

  I stand, letting go of McKenna’s hand, walking to Kai, my stare hard. “If your loyalty is anything less than true, I’ll personally shove a holy blade in your heart, got it?”

  “You have my word.”

  My eyes narrow. “That doesn’t mean much.”

  Sometimes, when the night makes its debut and the sun finds its way to another part of the world, there’s a certain lull that comes with it. A sadness, maybe. It’s not a bad thing, nor is it good. The things you push aside during the day creep in and taunt you. Force you to look at your problems head-on.

  Like, why the hell are these Thayan things after me? Kai made it seem like I have more powers than other witches? That’s news to me. Why am I so special? I’m just a normal Strix. There’s nothing powerful about me or my magic. What on Earth would they want from me? My uncertainties are a plague and right now, I’m sick with a mind disease.

  It’s been weeks since I’ve seen Declan and about—no, no about, it’s been four days since I’ve heard from him. I’m not worried. He’s a big boy and a Pursuer, he can more than take care of himself, but I do miss him. And I haven’t slept. At all. The constant worry as to why this new kind of monster is after me is starting to eat at my psyche.

  Kai left to meet up with Declan and Sherwood about a week ago. He claimed the house was safe and gave us medallions we were to wear to protect us outside of the confines of my home. I don’t take it off. I’m afraid to. Seeing he’s a demon-witch, I’m scared of what I might come into contact with if I do. Considering there are hybrid monsters running amuck in Summerson, I thought it best to listen to the one inside guy we have in our pocket.

  That’s how I’m allowing myself to accept Kai. An ace in our hole. Otherwise, the logistics of what he truly is will eat away at me. My instincts will kick in and I’ll go to the Leaders to have them vanquish him. Not that doing something that rash would do any good. There are who-knows-how-many Thayans and hybrid monsters out there. Killing Kai would only put us in the dark as to what they’re doing, and it’s critical to stay one step ahead.

  Pulling my hair into a bun, I change into my comfortable clothes, yoga pants, a tank top and warm socks and sit down on my bed. Closing my eyes, I call to my Spirit Guide, Sally.

  She appears in front of me a few seconds later and I stand up, smiling.

  “Good evening, McKenna,” she greets, placing her hand on my arm and squeezing. “How are you?”

  I tuck a loose piece of hair that’s escaped from the hair tie. “I’m good.” But even I can hear the lie in my tone.

  “What’s troubling you?” Her eyebrows creased in worry. “Is it the situation with the Thayans?”

  I nod. “As the days pass, I grow more anxious.”

  “That’s understandable. Try to have some faith.” Her eyes soften and she takes her hand from my arm, crossing it over her stomach.

  I nod, but my hands begin to sweat. She wasn’t very happy when she found out about Kai, but we had no choice but to agree to work with him.

  She takes a deep breath and pulls at her white, flowy shirt. “So, we have a few jumps tonight.” She hands me a piece of parchment paper and I unroll it, reading three names.

  “Okay, thank you, Sally.”

  She bows her head with a questioning look and dissipates.

  My room becomes crystal clear again and I move from the spot on the ground to my bed. Being a Strix isn’t as glamorous as you’d think. More times than not, Candy and I do our job while in tattered clothes and our hair a mess.

  Centering myself, I cross my legs and concentrate on the first name on the paper.

  I follow behind her on a busy street in what looks like downtown Chicago. Her short skirt rides up her legs and she tugs it down in annoyance. The leaves rustle around us, the chilled air pinching my face. I burrow under my jacket. The woman’s heels clank on the concrete sidewalk as she side steps a man in a tailored suit. He looks back at her, his eyes hungry, an air of arrogance surrounding him. He continues on, but makes a note of her. “Follow up.” He writes. “Blonde hair. Beautiful face. Walks down Main Street every day at five in the morning.” My eyes squint over his shoulder as I take in what he writes.

  Now is my time. I transform myself into a yellow canary and fly my way across from her, within eyesight. I sing my song, the one I sing to people to get their attention, and I catch her eye. With subtle hints, I give her flashes of her life—lives. One if she chooses the right and one if she chooses wrong.

  The man who just passed her is going to offer her a deal. I have no idea what it is, but it’ll lead to an entire life change of bad. If she chooses his proposition, it’ll force her on a path of destruction and eventual corruption.

  The woman wakes and I snap back into my world.

  I continue my work through the night and am finally able to get some sleep around midnight.

  A few mornings later, my phone chimes early. The sky is still dark and I crack my eyes open with a moan. The harsh light of my cell phone assaults my tired, sleepy eyes and I quickly turn it off. Taking a deep breath, I slide my finger across the phone to find a text from Declan.

  Declan: Morning. I know it’s early, but we just got in from a hunt. I’m heading to bed. I’ll try to call later.

  I smile and begin to reply when another text comes in.

  Declan: Kai says hi. I rolled my eyes and he punched me. I think I’m rubbing off on him.

  I giggle, thoroughly awake now.

  McKenna: Morning, Declan. Glad you got in okay. Tell Kai I said hi.

  He responds immediately.

  Declan: What are you doing awake?

  McKenna: Some guy text me…

  My phone begins ringing and I quickly shush it, answering when I see it’s Declan. “Hello?”

  “Mighty,” he says, sighing, sounding tired. “You need to be asleep.”

  I laugh and shift to my side. “It’s okay. I’m glad you called.”

  “Yeah?” I can hear the smile in his voice. “Hold on.” Rustling noises fill my ear, like someone rubbing their hand over a microphone. A door slams and he huffs. “Okay. I left the room. How are you?”

  “I’m good. Trying to keep busy. I had tonight off, so I decided to stay home and veg.”

  “That sounds a lot better than what I had to deal with tonight.”

  My heart thumps. “What happened?”

  “We ran into a couple of body transfers. They were posing as a coven of witches.”

  “Where are you right now?”

  “Just outside of Cheyenne. I don’t remember the name. Kai had us going to Nebraska on a lead, but we stumbled upon this.”

  “Sheesh. What were they doing?”

  “Looking for information, killing innocents in the process.”

  I rub my forehead. “So it’s taken care of?”

  “It is. Wood will be up in a few hours and we’ll head out. Kai has gotten pretty good at driving. We haven’t been pulled over yet, so there’s that.”

  I laugh. “Wait. You’re letting Kai drive?”

  “Yeah, if you can believe it. He’d rather blip everywhere, but I refuse to let him go without us.” Declan chuckles. “He has us going all the time. Wood has even started to complain, and the guy never c
omplains about too much work. I think Kai sometimes forgets we aren’t immortal like he is.”

  “Wow. Well, I’ll let you go get some sleep. Thank you for checking in.”

  “Listen,” Declan sighs. “I’m sorry I haven’t been calling as much as I should. We get so caught up in what we’re doing, I forget.”

  I sigh. “You don’t have to apologize. I do worry about you, though.”

  He’s silent for a minute. “You worry about me, huh?”

  “Yep. Deal with it.”

  He snickers. “Fine.”

  I smile. “Good.”

  He breathes evenly, in and out, not saying much, yet a lot at the same time.

  After a minute, I say, “Declan, I’m going to let you go. It’s so late and I don’t want you to be even more tired. Good night—err, good morning.”

  “Wait!” he stops me. He sniffles, the cold in Wyoming probably hitting him hard. “I miss you,” he finally says. I swear my heart catapults against my ribcage, slamming against it so hard it might break out of my body.

  “I miss you, too.” My smile takes over my entire face.

  “I’ll talk to you soon.” The line goes dead.

  “Jared wants to go out tonight. You should come with us,” Candy calls out as she empties the truck full of flowers behind the store with a grunt. The flower delivery guy is new and refuses to help us unload. I’d be mad, but the guy is eighteen and maybe not the sharpest tool in the shed.

  I don’t answer right away, busying myself with gathering a bouquet of flowers and tying a ribbon around it. I’ve talked to Declan a few times in the past couple weeks, and he mentioned he’d be back here soon. Besides, going out with a band doesn’t seem like my kind of fun. Candy is more about the rowdy—I’m more about staying home and binge watching my favorite movies.

  “I don’t know, Candy,” I finally say as she heavily sets a box of roses on top of the table I’m working on.

  “Why?” she questions, looking me square in the eye. She knows I can’t lie when she does that.

  “I just don’t feel like going out. I’m tired.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Please. Sally told me you only had four jumps last night. You got plenty of sleep.”

  My eyes narrow and I turn my attention back to the calla lily bunch I have in my hand.

  “Don’t ignore me, woman. The cobwebs in your vagina are going to fossilize and build a wall if you don’t get back in the game.”

  I sputter. “Oh God, shut up. My vagina hasn’t fossilized. It’s still a shiny new penny.” I give her a hard stare. “I just don’t feel like going out.”

  “Because you hope Declan stops by.”

  I swallow and don’t look up. I always hope. “You know how I am, Candy.” As if that answer is going to make everything better. I shake my head.

  She stands in front of me, across the table, and gives me her stupid puppy dog eyes. “Yes, I do.” She leans her weight against the table. “Please. Come on. It’ll be fun. It’s just a rooftop party in Boston. Low key. It’ll be the band and a few other people. It’s supposed to be catered and have servers, that sort of thing.”

  At least she isn’t dragging me to some crazy place. A rooftop get together could be enjoyable. I sigh in defeat. “Dammit. Okay. But if I’m bored or want to go home, I’m out. Yes?” I give her a pointed look and cut the ribbon around the green stems.

  “Yes. Fine. It’ll be a good time. Don’t worry.”

  I lift my eyebrows and grab some colored tissue paper.

  “Oh!” she hoots. “Let me dress you.”

  I lift my eyes to her and laugh. “No. I’m not your personal Barbie, Candy. I can dress myself.”

  She gives me a pouty look and stands, folding her arms across her chest. “You’re impossible.”

  My fake smile slides across my face. “Right back at you, sister. Now go to lunch. I’ll hold down the fort.”

  Giving me air kisses, she hops out of the front door and I’m left to finish today’s orders and try my damndest to not think about Declan.

  “You know,” Alden, the drummer from The Ackalades, says into my ear, “it’s really not that bad. We travel around, but we get to come home a lot. It could be worse.”

  I take another pull from my beer and nod, looking up at the star riddled sky. They twinkle across the black backdrop. “True. I just can’t imagine not always being in Summerson.”

  Alden’s red hair moves lightly in the breeze and I find myself dazed a bit. He’s dreamy in his own right. His blue eyes sparkle and I can tell instantly he’s a good guy—a player—but a good guy. Not that I can blame him, he is the drummer in one of the biggest bands on the east coast. His I-love-everybody demeanor helps break through the rock star façade. He’s talented, but not cocky.

  Unlike Jared, who’d kiss his own ass if he could.

  “Being away makes coming home that much better. Summerson, in a way, is magical.”

  I snicker. He has no idea. “I can understand that. Distance makes the heart grow fonder.”

  “Exactly.” He clinks our amber beer glasses together.

  We both sit back on our chairs and take in everything around us. For a guy who parties hard—or at least seems to—Alden’s very laid back. I’ve only ever talked to him in passing. Said a quick, ‘hello’ while walking past him at the bar, but tonight is the first time I’ve truly been able to have a real conversation with him. I have to say, it’s kind of nice to have a connection with someone and not feel threatened or hit on.

  “So what’s your story, McKenna?” Alden asks after a few minutes of people watching.

  I cross my legs. “Oh, you know. Simple girl. Big world. Parents died a little over a year ago and Candy and I took over the business.”

  Alden’s face crunches. “I heard about that. Sorry.”

  I wave him off, not wanting to pile my feelings onto someone I hardly know. Though, I do find his interest endearing. “It’s okay. That’s life, you know? We lose our parents and are left to pick up the pieces.”

  “Sounds tragic.”

  I lift my eyebrows. “Mhmm.”

  “Well if it’s any consolation, I’d be a wreck if I lost my parents.”

  I smile. It’s sweet he loves his parents so much. “Thanks, Alden.”

  He winks, and puts the bottle to his lips. After he swallows, he looks back at me. “So, what do you do when you’re not working? I’ve only lived here for a few years. I’d love to get some insider Summerson night life details from a native.”

  I laugh and point to Candy. “Then you’re talking to the wrong sister.”

  “Ah, Candy. She’s a wild one, eh?”

  “Very much so, but she works hard, too.”

  Alden nods. “She’s a good girl. Jared seems to be pretty fond of her.”

  I look up to where Jared and Candy are sitting, her in his lap. He snuggles close to her, and she sighs into his neck, completely content. “As long as he’s good to her, that’s all I care about.”

  Alden stays silent, like he’s bursting with information but won’t give it up.

  I give him a pointed look, ready to fire questions, but I decide against it. “I won’t even ask.”

  “That’s probably best,” he answers reassuringly. Does he feel bad for Candy?

  “So that’s it? You don’t do anything on your down time?”

  I scrunch my nose. “Not really. I read. Work. Do more work. I’m pretty simple.”

  Alden thinks for a few moments, bobbing his head. “I think that’s kind of cool. No one ever said you had to go out and get drunk every day to have fun. Sometimes the simple things are the most important in life.”

  “Totally,” I agree, looking down at my empty bottle. “Hey, I’m going to go get another drink. Want one?”

  Alden finishes off the last of his beer and hands me the bottle. “Sure. Thanks.”

  I get up and pull my leather jacket closer to my body. Little swirls of snow wrap around my body and I relish in the freezing air.
I love this time of year so much. The brisk promise of heavy snow makes my heart giddy for what’s to come. Hot chocolate and long days snuggled in bed binge watching television—it sounds like heaven. I’m usually so busy with work and my Strix duties, a few days off could do me some good.

  With my head down, concentrated on my steps, I make my way to the makeshift bar and order two more autumn flavored beers. Candy slaps my ass as I make my way back to Alden, handing him his drink as I sit down.

  Alden twists the caps off of our beers and wiggles his eyebrows.

  “So where were we? Oh, yes.” He snickers, pulling his jacket up higher to cover the bottom part of his face. “You’re a hermit and you need to get out more.”

  My mouth falls open and I slap his chest with the back of my hand. “Shut it.”

  His head falls back in laughter. “I’m kidding.”

  I narrow my eyes and pinch my lips together, but it’s no use. Laughter bubbles from my throat.

  “Seriously, we should hang out. I could use more friends in this town. All I have is the band, and don’t get me wrong, they’re great, but it’s hard to…”

  I unintentionally tune him out. My eyes slide up to find Declan sitting on the edge of the roof, drink in hand, watching me closely. His brow is bent in a way that makes me think he’s unhappy that I’m talking to Alden, and I can see he’s gripping the cup in his hand a little tighter than normal. The corner of his mouth turn down and I can feel the intensity of his eyes on me. Angry and hot. They scold me from across the roof, the overwhelming need to shed my jacket to cool off.

  I swallow, eyes wide, hands shaking. Damn.

  I quickly shift my body to Alden. “Alden,” I stop him, putting my hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry. Here.” I hand him my phone. “Give me your number and we’ll hang out.”

  Confusion muddles his face but he takes my phone, tapping the screen.

  My eyes move back to Declan and my heart thrashes in my chest. “My uh—my friend’s here and I haven’t seen him in a while. Is it totally inappropriate to leave you here?” I turn to him with the biggest eyes I can muster and silently plead with him. I feel bad for leaving him hanging, but Declan’s here and he seems a bit pissed.