by C. J. Abedi
“Do not speak such words to me,” I interrupted harshly. “I will not have them.”
Odin reached out and put his hand on my shoulder.
“But they are words that must be said.” He smiled at me. “If I go—”
“Father,” I began, overcome with emotion.
“If I go, there are things I must show you,” he said more forcefully.
The pain I felt from even the possibility of such an occurrence was unbearable.
“Please,” I begged him.
“Fear not, Devilyn,” Odin went on gently. “I will always be with you. Never truly gone. All you must do is look up at the great sky, and the wind will whisper tales of my past, and through it, you will feel me, with you always. You will know that the love I have for you is constant. It can never be taken away. Just as we feel it now from the great mother moon.”
Chapter Fifteen
“There is no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.”
—Abe Lincoln
Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse
A storm was coming.
He could feel the anger in the air, the tangible rage that was an omen of his impending arrival. It had been so long since they had faced one another. Two powerful beings, sworn enemies, each a part of two very different worlds, despising what the other stood for from the moment of their inception.
Odin stood on the edge of the decks that faced the great sea. It was the witching hour, the time when darkness was allowed to rear its ugly head. When the human world was allowed to finally greet magik.
3:33
He had known the day would come. The two worlds could not coexist simply as strangers passing at a distance in the night. It was inevitable that they would meet.
Face to face.
Warrior to warrior.
“And after all this time, we meet again,” Odin said as he turned to face Alderon.
He stood in the shadows of the lighthouse, hidden from plain view, cloaked as he had been since the moment Devilyn had cursed him. His eyes were a bright black, fueled by hatred, shining against the night.
“I have never heard a call quite like yours,” Alderon said with a calm reserve.
“I doubt that you are really here,” Odin hissed. “This is an illusion of magik, I see.”
“You were always cunning.”
“Those are the same words I’d use to describe you, my old friend.”
“Don’t assume that it is within your right to use such terms of endearment with me. I am not nor will I ever be your friend. You shall be an enemy for eternity,” Alderon raged. “I am sworn to destroy you.”
“I am quite aware of the supposed Wrath you intend to unleash. Your ways are tired. And rather predictable.”
“Yes,” Alderon said with a triumphant laugh. “Of course you have seen what comes for you. The All-Knowing, the All-Father senses everything.”
Odin was silent for a moment.
“So I am to assume that you have asked to see me to beg for my forgiveness?” Alderon asked. “If that is your desire, I will save you the trouble. I will never offer you any clemency. I rather look forward to the impending events.”
“I did not ask to see you for myself.”
“For my son, then?”
Odin laughed.
“Your inexcusable hatred is too deep for that. I know better.”
“Then who?” Alderon spat out.
Odin took his time before answering. He crossed his arms and stared at him.
“For Tara.”
Alderon’s shout of rage was immediate.
“You! You dare utter her name to me? You who hid her for all these years? You who were the very cause of our separation!”
Odin remained calm. “I ask that you temper this rage of yours and that you leave her be, lest you rue the day you returned into her life.”
Alderon, unwilling to contain himself, moved swiftly out of the shadows and faced the great Norse God, his hatred an overwhelming force to encounter.
“I will dance in joy when they erect a monument in your honor after your demise. And then I will set fire to it and watch it burn to the ground,” he uttered menacingly. “And after I see you, my son, and that human eyesore gone from the universe, I will enter the Great Dark Halls with Tara by my side. For eternity.”
“You fool yourself into believing she will ever be happy with you,” Odin said quietly.
“I am her chosen mate. As she is mine. She can find no other joy.”
“Your hatred clouds your judgment. Even you cannot be such a fool.”
Alderon seethed. “And you mistake me if you believe that I will ever, ever let her go.”
“As you have seen from the life you have led, that choice is simply not yours to make.”
Alderon vanished with an overwhelming roar, shaking the ground beneath them, leaving Odin alone in the night, staring at the fragments of dust that had gathered around him.
C
I heard the rainfall all night. Dropping against the roof above my room, trickling down the window, leaving a light cloudy mist in its wake. It had rained for hours.
I rolled out of bed, dreading the day ahead. Looking out my window at the wet streets was confirmation enough that today was the kind of day that was supposed to be spent at home, snuggled up in front of the fireplace reading a good book and drinking a nice big cup of hot chocolate. I had never been one to pretend illness, but something about today made me want to stay inside.
I walked out of my bedroom and went downstairs. My dad had already left for the restaurant, and my mom was in the kitchen making breakfast for me.
She gave me a worried frown when she saw that I was still dressed in my pajamas.
“Are you sick, sweetie?” she asked as she rushed over to put a hand on my forehead.
I thought about lying and pretending like I had a stomach flu but I didn’t want to make her upset.
“I’m fine,” I said with a smile.
“Then why aren’t you dressed? You’re going to be late.” She glanced anxiously at the clock on the oven.
“Mom, I’m just so tired. The camping trip was exhausting,” I rushed out. “Is it really horrible if I ask to stay home today? I know it’s completely wrong and you probably will say no but I just don’t know what it is but—”
My mom surprised me by actually laughing and pulling me in for a big hug.
“Good lord, Caroline!” she said. “I never thought I’d hear you say anything like that in a million years! You want to skip school today? Fine. But you’re not going anywhere. You can stay home and rest. Just know that this is not going to be the start of a bad habit.”
She looked out at the weather.
“I don’t blame you with all that rain,” she continued to my complete and utter shock. “And I completely believe that you’re still exhausted from the camping trip. But just do me a favor and don’t tell your father. He’ll say I’m a bad influence on you. He already had a talk with me last night about how I’m not supposed to encourage you to date boys.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“He did not!”
“Oh yes, he did.”
“Well honestly, what planet are you from?” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.
My mom ruffled my hair as she walked past me.
“Planet A Long Time Ago, where I was in high school, too. I understand what it’s like to be a girl in her teens.” She walked over to the stove. “I’ll be at the restaurant until five or so, in case you need anything.”
“I can make dinner,” I offered quickly, trying to think of a way to ease my guilty conscience.
“That would actually be nice,” my mom said with a smile. “I’ve got some ground turkey in the fridge if you want to use that.”
“Perfect.”
My mom left soon after, and I went upstairs to take a shower and change into sweats. I was going to light the fireplace, curl up ne
xt to it, and read a book.
Something normal, something relaxing—anything to take my mind off of Devilyn.
If that was even possible.
I was fast becoming addicted to him in every single way. I was so thankful he hadn’t shown me the old Devilyn in a while. I didn’t know if I’d be able to survive another one of his cold-shoulder brush-offs. Even though it was so painful, I now understood him and knew that there were so many facets to him. And unfortunately, one of those facets, one that took up a big part of who he was, was dark.
But he fought that side of him. He had showed me in the past few weeks that the light could prevail. All of his decisions, even the ones to protect me, weren’t guided by anything but his incredible being. His love. His thoughtful ways.
If only he could accept it.
Since I knew he and Rowan were anxious about my safety, I sent them both a text letting them know that I was skipping school and staying home. And that they shouldn’t worry. Surprisingly, Rowan was the only one to reply.
ROWAN: Are you feeling under the weather?
CAROLINE: No, just a little lazy.
ROWAN: So no chicken soup? I can stop by at lunch and bring you something.
CAROLINE: Thanks, but I’m good. Enjoy the day!
ROWAN: Cool. I’ll text you later to check in on you.
CAROLINE: I’ll be here. XO
I stared anxiously at my phone waiting for some type of response from Devilyn, but it didn’t come.
Once I was out of the shower and had the fireplace going, I changed my mind about reading a book and put in my DVD of Pride and Prejudice. It was my all-time favorite movie. I figured that Mr. Darcy might help me get my mind off Devilyn, even though he embodied Darcy in so many ways. Famous stretched out in front of the flames and I lay on the couch.
It didn’t take long before I was immersed in the courtship of Elizabeth and Darcy.
Things seemed so much easier back then.
Less complicated.
Does he like me?
Where will this lead?
Will he want me forever?
That was a question I could never answer with Devilyn. With Devilyn, I needed to take each day at a time, each hour, each second. And figure out a way to not lose myself in the process.
I finished watching Pride and Prejudice and noticed with some dejection that Devilyn still had not texted me back. Panic washed over me. What if he was backing out now? What if he was rejecting me again?
No way I was going to let it happen.
Even though I had promised my mom that I was going to stay home, I jumped up and grabbed my car keys and headed out. I had to find him. Something in my gut told me that he wasn’t at school, either. That he too had taken the day off.
In less than ten minutes I was heading down Odin’s long driveway, and this time I was staring at the landscape in a whole new way. The trees were mystical, and I wondered how I had failed to notice how incredibly alive they were before.
When I reached the circular driveway, I wasn’t surprised to see that the giant doors to the house were wide open, like they were awaiting my arrival. My heart rate accelerated, and I wished I had changed out of my sweats and UGGs before I left the house. I was in such a hurry to see him that I hadn’t even thought about what I was wearing.
But it was too late now.
My car door creaked open and I got out, slowly making my way inside the Westmoreland mansion. Everything was strangely silent.
Caroline. I’m upstairs.
Devilyn called out to me, and I walked up the staircase and headed down the long corridor, surprising myself at how boldly I was navigating his home. When I reached the doors to his bedroom, they opened on their own.
I was beginning to see the magik more regularly now, but it was still a shock to my system.
And unsettling.
Devilyn was leaning against the doorframe that led out to his balcony. He was dressed casually in jeans and a gray T-shirt. But somehow he made such a simple outfit look way more glamorous.
“You look beautiful,” he said, breaking the silence.
Did I? I didn’t think so. In fact, I thought I kind of looked the exact opposite of beautiful. I tried to smooth out my giant sweatshirt so I didn’t look so frumpy.
“You should start wearing one of my football sweatshirts. I’ll give you one before you leave,” he said as he walked toward me. My heart beat even faster at the thought of wearing something that belonged to him. I would probably end up cuddling with it every day.
“I’m sorry I just dropped in out of the blue.”
“Don’t be sorry,” he said. “I like it. It’s a nice surprise.” He stood in front of me now with that penetrating gaze of his.
I found myself looking for something to focus on. Anything that wasn’t him and his hotness, which always seemed to completely distract me. What was I doing here again? Why did I just get in the car and drive to see him?
Look at me.
Instantly my gaze met his.
“What’s going on in there?” he asked.
It’s now or never. The words that spewed out of my mouth were a jumbled mess.
“Well, I just suddenly had this need to see you and to see, you know, what’s going on with you. I mean, with us. And what we are, kind of, or what we’re going to be. What I’m trying to say is that I’m just confused about you. And about us. I don’t want to spoil anything by bringing other stuff up. But I can’t help but wonder about it because it’s only natural for me to wonder—”
I suddenly wished I knew how to disappear into thin air the way Devilyn did. That particular skill would be really helpful right about now. I promised myself I would learn that trick as soon as possible.
“You mean you want to know if we’re boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Oh. My. God.
I knew my face was bright red.
“You don’t have to answer that,” I managed to mumble. I needed to leave his house immediately and drive home before I made a bigger fool of myself.
But the doors closed. And just like that I was stuck in his room. I knew he had done it on purpose. He stepped toward me and cocked his head to the side. His eyes were inscrutable. I was pretty sure he could hear my heart racing.
“This is a doomed romance, you know,” he said.
He took another step.
“And I’m the worst thing for you.”
No, you’re not.
“All the odds are against us.”
I boldly moved closer. We were less than a foot apart.
“I know all of this and I still can’t stay away from you.” He sounded like he was in anguish. “So I’m going to beg you to be the one to tell me to go. You need to push me away.”
“I can’t do that,” I told him, shaking my head. “I won’t do that.”
“I had a feeling you’d say that.” He closed his eyes.
I stared up at him and was memorized by every beautiful thing about his face. From his full, sensual lips, to his patrician nose, his high cheekbones—there wasn’t a single part of him that wasn’t absolutely perfect. And I wanted to pinch myself because here he was, finally admitting defeat and just letting go. He was finally admitting that he was just as much mine as I was his.
“So now what?” I asked.
He took the final step toward me and reached out to hold my cheeks in his hands, pulling my face up to his.
“You know this is wrong.”
“It can’t be,” I told him, shaking my head. “It just can’t.”
He leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips, then pulled back, though he still remained a breath away.
“So, do you want to be my girlfriend?”
D
There was no use fighting.
Not against her.
I wouldn’t fight my feelings for her any longer. I didn’t want to. I didn’t know how or what we’d do, but there had to be a way to sway the Fates. There had to be an alternate destiny that Caroline and I co
uld have together.
I had to believe it.
Since Odin and I had spoken, my mind had been racing nonstop. The thought of Odin no longer existing or being in my life was something that had never occurred to me. I never thought it possible. And it was unbearable. And the idea of it actually happening, of Odin actually believing it could happen, frightened me more than I cared to admit.
I had wasted so much time away from him. Not learning from him. Not hearing his guidance and wisdom, and if he were no longer to be on earth or in a place where I could actually physically speak to him, I would curse myself until the end of my existence for turning away from him.
The only other person I loved so fiercely was Caroline. And I didn’t want to waste any more precious moments without her. I would try and fight the Fates. Even though it had never been done, maybe, just maybe there was a way. Something none of us were seeing.
When I woke in the morning, I had wished that Caroline and I could spend the day together. I didn’t want to share her with the rest of the school. I just wanted her to myself. I needed her comfort. Things had panned out perfectly.
“So you’re officially my girlfriend?” I asked her again.
I looked down at her smiling eyes and realized I was holding my breath, waiting for her reply.
“I guess so.” She smiled.
I kissed her softly on the lips, and when I pulled away the room began to spin around me.
“Devilyn?” Caroline asked me in concern. “Devilyn, what’s wrong?”
I knew what it was.
It was akin to the mortal experience déjà vu.
Feeling like you had been there, experienced every moment, lived it. Only you hadn’t.
The Fates have spoken.
This was an important sign for the Fae. It meant that the great destiny the Fates had given at the start of time would soon come to pass. And here it was. I was experiencing it for the first time. The very moment I finally gave in and bound myself to her.
“I’m okay,” I said with a weak smile. “I’m just so happy you’re here.”
She looked relieved. And even though I was the happiest I’d ever been, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had just been given an omen.