Jasmine laughed. “Oh, honey, I do know him. In fact, I know him a hell of a lot better than you ever will.” She stepped forward, whispering in Lexi’s ear. “I kissed him before you did. I argued with him. I teased him, and boy was the sex good too.”
“You bitch!”
Lexi swung around, lifting her head, and slapping Jasmine across the face.
“Jasmine!”
Jasmine’s head snapped back, and she held a hand to her cheek, wincing. “Okay. I deserved that. That was rude of me.”
“Jasmine? Julie?”
All three women turned, to look at the four girls standing behind them, their eyes wide with shock.
“Are you okay?” Jami asked.
“Who is this chick?” Josi added.
“We’re fine, girls,” Julie said, sending them a reassuring smile. “Go back and visit with your friends.” She glanced over at Jasmine and Lexi. “You two, upstairs, now.”
“Who—”
“Now!”
Lexi pursed her lips, glaring at Julie, but followed her up the stairs anyways. “You’re pregnant?” she asked, eyeing Julie’s womb, as they got to the top floor.
“Yup. Six months.” Julie narrowed her eyes on Lexi. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t kick your ass if you lay a hand on my sister again.”
“As if I’m scared of you. Of any of you.”
A click sounded, and Julie and Jasmine both turned.
“Ah, Julie…”
“I see it,” Julie said, gulping, as Lexi pointed the gun toward them. “She’s got a gun.”
“A gun, that I’m planning on using,” Lexi said. “Because no one is taking Sky away from me.”
***
I’m here… again?
Sky sighed, closing his eyes, and leaning his head back against the headrest. Images from his dream appeared before him, and he snapped his eyes open, staring at the Victorian styled house standing on the other side of the street. What is it with this place? Why am I so drawn to it?
He wrapped his and around the door handle, shoving it open, and stepped out into the night. Laughter filled the air, and he frowned when he saw dozens of teenagers pooling into the house. They’re having a party… now? He glanced at the watch on his wrist. It’s one in the morning!
He blew out another breath, and turned, walking across the street. He paused, his eyes zeroing in on the red Lexus standing next to him. Wait. Is that Lexi’s car? He stepped forward, peering into the car, his eyes widening when he spotted the familiar pink dice lying from the rearview mirror. What the hell is she doing here?
Jasmine!
He turned and hurried into the house
“Sky?”
A young girl, with dark, red hair spotted him. Her eyes widened, and she zigzagged through the crowd, a squeal escaping her lips as she threw her arms around him. “Oh my God! Sky! It’s really you!” She pulled back, staring up at you. “Do you have your memories back? Is that why you’re here? Do you remember us?”
“No on all accounts,” Sky said, stumbling back a step and eyeing the girl. “Who are you?”
“Me?” The girl laughed, pointing at herself. “I’m Jami, you silly goose! And this is Josi.” She pointed to the lighter, red-headed girl standing next to her. “And over there is Jessi.” She pointed to a strawberry blonde talking to a boy in the corner. “And this is Jordyn!” She turned, hurrying through the crowd, a moment later appearing with a dark-haired girl. “You haven’t had the chance to meet her yet, but you’ll like her. She’s really cool.”
“Agh. I think I’m getting a headache,” Sky said, rubbing his temples. “Hey, girls, I don’t mean to be rude by did you by any chance see an older, dark-haired woman come into the house?”
The girls all looked at one another.
“Yeah. We saw her,” Josi said. “She was yelling at Jasmine. She slapped her!”
“Ugh. This is getting way out of hand,” Sky whispered, sighing.
“Who is she?” Jami asked. “Why’s she so threatened by Jasmine?”
“Because she’s psychotic,” Sky muttered under his breath. “Do you know where they went?”
“They all went upstairs.”
Okay. Good. They were away from the kids at least. “Okay. I’ll go check on them.”
“Hey, Sky.” Jessi walked through the crowd, wrapping her hand around his wrist. “It really is good to see you. We’ve missed you around here.”
Sky smiled. “Somehow, I feel the same way. Why don’t you girls go have fun with your friends? I’ll see what I can do to manage the situation with the women.” He turned and hurried up the steps.
“Lexi, please, let’s just talk about this,” Julie said, raising her hands in the air, and Sky frowned, peering around the corner. His eyes suddenly widening, when he saw Lexi aiming the gun. What the hell? Where the hell did she get a gun?
“Talk? I don’t want to talk!” Lexi shouted, cocking the trigger. Pointing the gun at Julie, then at Jasmine. “You ruined everything for me you… you homewrecker! You deserve to suffer for what you’ve done!”
“I’m not a homewrecker!” Jasmine shouted, gulping, as the gun pointed toward her again. She raised her hands in the air, flicking her fingers ever so lightly, frowning. Why aren’t my powers working? She glanced at Julie, shaking her head.
Julie frowned, then she nodded, immediately realizing what she was saying.
“The hell you aren’t!” Lexi shouted, her eyes flashing with anger. “You’re taking the love of my life away from me. The man I plan to marry!”
“What?” Jasmine bit back a laugh, raising her head to look at Lexi. “Lexi, can I ask you something?”
“I guess.”
“How long have you known Sky?”
“Six months!”
Jasmine shook her head. “No, Lexi. You haven’t known Sky for six months, because six months ago, he was with me. He was in an accident, Lexi. A terrible accident that took away his memories, and because of it he doesn’t remember who he is, and he doesn’t remember the person he fell in love with.”
“But none of that matters anymore!” Lexi shouted. “Because he’s made a new life. New memories, with me!”
“But is that really fair to him?” Jasmine asked. “Look, Lexi, I know we’re not exactly on the same page here, and obviously I know a different Sky then you do, but there are things you don’t know about him. Things you could never understand about him.”
“Like what?”
“Like, the fact that he has a very big responsibility,” Jasmine whispered. “He’s a complicated man, Lexi, and he has people relying on him. Neither you nor I should ever get in the way of that. No matter how much we care about him.”
“But I love him.”
“And so do I,” Jasmine whispered. “Lexi, I have spent the better part of my life alone. I was so sure I didn’t need anyone, that I was okay being by myself, and then I met my sisters,” she glanced over at Julie, smiling. “And I realized, that being alone wasn’t all it was made out to be, and then I met Sky.” She smiled, laughing, as she thought back. “Man, were we at each other’s throats! I hated him!”
“You locked him in a closet if I recall correctly,” Julie murmured.
Jasmine chuckled. “Yeah. My temper of mine really got the better of me, didn’t it?” She sobered. “Lexi, Sky and I have been through a lot. We’ve been through battles. We’ve been through bloodshed. Through plenty of tears, and somehow we always make our way back to one another. When I realized how I felt for Sky, I was so scared. We both were, but we also knew what we had was worth fighting for. He is the most amazing man.” She sniffed, wiping the tear that streaked down her cheek. “He’s sweet. He’s kind, and he’s always there for me or my sisters no matter what. If one of us needs someone to talk to, he’s there. If one of his needs consoling, he’s there. If one of us needs a shoulder to cry on, he’s there. He even helped my sister build her bar, and that’s one of the reasons I love him,” Jasmine whispered. “He’s the fi
rst man I ever, truly let into my heart and into my life. He makes me feel special. He understands how special my family is to me, and today, when I saw him it broke my heart.” She shook her head. “I have spent the last month, doing everything in my power to find him, and when I ran into him today, the way he looked at me…” She trailed off, a sob rising up in her throat. “That wasn’t the Sky I knew. That wasn’t the Sky I fell in love with, and I know there’s no guarantee that he’ll get his memories back. That he’ll remember me. Remember the life we had, but what I do want is for him to be happy. Whether that’s with me, or with you. I just don’t want him to give up on his future. On his legacy. On his destiny.”
“Destiny?” Lexi scoffed. “There’s no such thing as destiny! You’re crazy!”
“And you’re not?” Jasmine asked, arching a brow. “I mean, you are the one pointing a gun at me.”
Sky muffled his laugh, staring at Jasmine in surprise. Wow. She’s amazing, he thought. Even with a gun pointed at her, she’s as cool as a cucumber. He took a step forward, and he stumbled, images suddenly flashing through his head.
Is that… Halloween?
He frowned, images of the masquerade coming to him and a man with a pale, white face appearing before him.
Wait. I know him… don’t I?
“Raphael.”
The name fell from his lips without him even thinking about it, and a moment later more memories came rushing back to him. Memories of Agrabah, when he and Jasmine had taken that magic carpet ride with Aladdin. The day, he and Jasmine had admitted how they’d really felt for one another. Man, had he been scared! The Gods…
Oh my God! The Gods!
More memories flashed in front of him. The moment he had seen her, lying motionless in that castle, and the fear he’d felt thinking she was going to die on him. It nearly tore me in two, seeing her like that, he thought, swallowing.
He remembered the day they first met. She had locked him in a closet, he through wryly, shaking his head. That temper of hers was a riot!
He remembered when the black angels had taken his heart, and how Jasmine had sacrificed everything to get it back. Even sacrificing her own life.
But that’s what you do for the people you love, right? You sacrifice everything for them.
“Jasmine.”
“Sky?” Jasmine turned, her eyes connecting with his as he walked toward her. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you,” Sky whispered, smiling at her, his heart feeling full for the first time in a long time. “Because I remember, Jasmine. I remember everything.”
“Everything?”
Sky nodded. “Everything.”
“Oh my God! Sky!” Jasmine let out long, relieved sigh. “You have no idea…”
Whap! Whap!
The sun of the gunshot echoed through the air, and Jasmine jerked around. “Julie, watch out!” She shouted, lunging forward and knocking Julie out of the way. She yelped, the bullet ripping through her abdomen, and she cried out in pain, her body falling to the floor with a loud thump.
“Jasmine!”
Sky rushed forward, fear snaking through him, as he dropped to his knees next to Jasmine. “Oh my God! Jasmine!” He pressed his hands to the wound in her abdomen, jerking his head toward Lexi. “What did you do!”
“She was taking you away from me!” Lexi shouted. “I can’t lose you, Sky! You’re mine!”
“I was never yours, Lexi,” Sky told her, his voice cold as he turned his attention back to Jasmine. “Not when there’s been this blonde woman who’s been occupying my mind for the last month. Jasmine.” He leaned down, pressing his cheek to her hair. “Please don’t leave me. Not know. Now when I’ve only just found you.”
“This can’t be happening!”
Lexi paced the hall, staring at him, then to Jasmine. “You were supposed to be mine! You were mine, until she showed up. You love me. I know you do. I guess I’ll just have to show you just how much I’m willing to sacrifice for you.” She raised the gun toward Jasmine.
“Oomph!”
“Julie!”
Sky jerked around, his eyes widening as Julie slung her fist forward, knocking Lexi out cold. “What the hell?”
“Jasmine took a bullet meant for me,” Julie said, rubbing her fist, and wincing. “There’s no way that bitch is getting another shot off. Jami!”
“I’m coming!”
Running feet sounded on the stairs, and Jami raced around the corner. She slid to a stop, her eyes wide as she stared at the scene before her. “Oh my God! What happened? Wait. Was that a gunshot we heard?”
Sky nodded. “Yes. Yes, it was.” He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Jami, we need your help. Jasmine… she’s lost a lot of blood. I need you to try healing her.”
“I can try,” Jami whispered. “But what was done to her wasn’t done because of something demonic. I don’t know what I can do.”
“Just try.”
Jami nodded, kneeling next to them, and placing her hands over Jasmine’s wound.
“Why isn’t anything happening?” Julie asked, inching forward. “Why isn’t it working?”
“Something’s blocking me,” Jami whispered, lifting her hands again, and shaking her head. “I can’t heal her.”
“What? Why?”
“It might be what Jami said. About it not being an act done by a demon,” Sky whispered. “Oh God. Jasmine.”
“No. That’s not it,” Jasmine gasped out, clutching Sky’s arm. “It’s the alcohol in my system. As soon as it entered my blood stream, my powers started acting funky. You won’t be able to do anything…”
“Jasmine!”
Sky leaned forward, his breath catching as her eyes drifted shut. “Don’t close your eyes!”
“I’m trying not to,” Jasmine whispered. “But I’m so tired…”
“Jasmine!”
“That’s it. I am calling 911. No more waiting,” Julie said, lifting her phone to her ear.
“No need. I can get here there faster,” Sky said, as he wrapped his arms around her
“Sky, you can’t!” Julie cried. “Look, I understand you want to help her, I do too, but we have to report this. Whatever is going on with Lexi, she needs help, and she won’t get it if we don’t call the police.”
“But Jasmine…”
“Will be just fine,” Julie told him. “What is it you guys always say?”
Sky smiled. “That we will always find each other.”
“Don’t doubt it now.” Julie turned away. “Yes, I’d like to report a shooting…”
Sky drowned out her voice, staring down at Jasmine, his heart breaking at seeing her like this. Blood seeped from the wound in her stomach, between his fingers, and he bowed his head. Please don’t die. I can’t lose you. Not again. I don’t think I would survive without you.
“Don’t look so sad, Sky,” Jasmine gasped out, clutching his hand. “After all it takes a lot more then a crazy chick to take me out.” She winked at him. “You’re not losing me yet, Buster. I am far from done with you.”
Chapter 22
“You know, when I said I’d be seeing you soon, I didn’t expect to see all of you this soon,” Micah said, chuckling, as he lifted his cup of coffee to his lips and took a sip. “So, what is it I can help you with?”
“We need your help,” Ashwin said, leaning forward. “Finding the Rogue wolves.”
“The Rogues?” Micah coughed, his eyes widening as he stared at everyone. “Ashwin, trust me when I say you don’t want anything to do with the Rogues. They are dangerous.”
“Do you think we’d be asking this if we had a choice in the matter?” Jade asked, her eyes flashing as she gripped Ashwin’s hand. “They killed his people!”
“Your people?” Micah turned to Ashwin. “You mean the circle?”
Ashwin nodded. “Every last one of them.”
“Not to mention that they want to reunite with the vampires!” Jorja added.
“Wait. The vamp
ires? What do…” Micah’s eyes suddenly widened. “Oh my God. The curse. They want to lift the curse.”
“Took you long enough,” Elijah muttered under his breath.
“Elijah.” Ashwin glared at his brother, before turning back to Micah. “So, will you help us find them?”
Micah sighed, leaning back and closing his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking, then a moment later opened his eyes to look at them. “Yes. I’ll help you, but I need to warn you that these Rogue wolves are not to be taken lightly. They’re vicious and…”
“They hate witches,” Matthew said, nodding. “We heard.”
“Not just that, but they’re more than likely already hunting for you,” Micah said, nodding to the ring on Ashwin’s hand. “You have the last ring they need.”
“Which is why we need to get to them first,” Elijah said. “If we can get our hands on the rings before they can get them to Talia, we might be able to stop this whole vendetta of hers.”
“And in turn, stop the most vicious breed to ever step foot into the magical world,” Micah said, nodding. “I get it.” He blew out a breath. “Okay. So you’ll need to go across the bridge and cut through the trees. This will lead you along a padded path, hiking upward. When you pass the old birch tree with their mark on it, you’ll need to take a right. About a quarter of a mile down, you’ll come to a fork. Make sure you take a left. Do not take a right.”
“What happens if we take a right?”
Micah didn’t answer. “You’ll go up the hill, walking around a large rock, and that’s when you’ll see them. They’ve set camp up in the meadow. You can’t miss them.”
“You’re not going with us?” Jorja asked, staring at Micah in surprise.
Micah shook his head. “No. I have other business to attend to.” He rose to his feet, dropping a few bills onto the table. “This should cover the coffees. It’s always a pleasure seeing all of you.” He glanced over at Jorja. “Jorja, can I speak to you for a moment?”
“What?” Jorja looked up in surprise. “Why?”
“Because I need to ask you for a favor.”
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