by Freya Black
Celeste bounced around from each group, the beer clearly going to her head. She threw her arm around my neck, begging me to introduce her to Mike Hightower. Although we lived in a small town and everyone knew each other, Celeste never had the courage to talk to him. A few times, he’d attempted to have a conversation with her, but she’d turned into a mute—the same way she had done with Sloane but much worse.
Like a good wingwoman, I made the introductions. He was the star of the track team, had sandy-blond hair, a cute smile, and long legs that would propel him into first place every time. Celeste drooled over him. And with her newfound liquid courage, she draped herself over his arm like a curtain. He didn’t seem to mind, so I ducked out.
By some miracle, I talked to Marco without wanting to gouge his eyes out. The charming, charismatic version I had fallen for in high school had returned, devoid of his old tricks. Without adults around to kill the mood, I remembered what it was like to act like a kid for once, not a future Coven Leader. Declan wandered off with Jenny Morrison, which struck me as odd. She had big doe eyes and a squeaky voice that irritated me, but she was nice enough.
Celeste was preoccupied with Mike’s tongue down her throat, and I realized I’d need a crowbar to get her to leave. And Declan was nowhere in sight. Using the light from the fire, I started walking home.
The canopy was still thick, a clump of trees blocking the moonlight from peeking through. I could navigate the trails with my eyes closed, but that didn’t make it less creepy. Left with the sound of my heart thumping in my chest, I focused on the random hoots and howls. My skin crawled at the sound of the cicadas clicking and humming.
I tromped up the steep hill to the edge of the woods, using a thick branch for support. Dirt squished beneath my feet, my sneakers sliding, but I steadied myself. I skidded past a thicket of undergrowth and peeled back a thick leafy encasement. Soft white light shone on my face, its power washing over me. Then, I heard a crunch, and a shadow blocked the moon’s warmth.
I lowered my head a few inches, a shriek exploding from my lungs. Wavy dark hair, steel-blue eyes, and a dimple that creased tan skin produced an ache inside me.
Sloane towered over me, dressed in fitted black jeans and a gray dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. I flashed a coy smile, anxiety bubbling in my chest. Magic floated around us, an invisible shimmer that twinkled like the stars above.
“What’s your deal?” I asked, crossing my arms. “Why do you keep following me?”
“I’m not,” he said matter-of-factly. He hooked his thumbs through the belt loops of his jeans and stared at me, as if seeing me for the first time. “If you must know, I was looking for something.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, my voice trembling with anger. “You show up at Enchanted Books and Beans and force me to see that sick dream, and then you bait me into meeting you down at the river. Now—” I pushed my arms out, accidentally setting a patch of grass ablaze. “Look what you made me do!” I yelled as I shoved past Sloane, dirt swirling behind me like a tornado.
He grabbed my shoulder, the charge of electricity we shared racing down my arm. “Wait! Just give me a minute to explain.”
I turned around, and our faces were less than an inch apart. He smelled of laundry detergent and honey, my new favorite scent. His mouth opened, as if he was about to say something, drawing my attention to his lips. I bit the inside of my cheek and held back my sudden urge to kiss him. Everything about him lured me in, inviting me into his arms.
“You say we know each other,” I said, allowing Sloane to lace his fingers between mine. “Then, prove it.”
“Okay.” Sloane sounded somewhat hopeful. “I tried to show you, but you wouldn’t open your mind to me.”
My eyebrows rose in suspicion as I disregarded his bizarre comment.
Hexenjagers could telepathically influence a mortal’s dreams, and there was no way I would give him access. Although I had powers they would kill for, even my mind was penetrable. And his touch made it impossible to focus on defending myself.
“Forget that. Tell me something no one knows about me. If you’re who you say you are, then you should know at least one thing about me.”
Sloane peered into my eyes and stroked my jaw with his thumb. Electric shock waves between us sent my body close to the point of convulsing. My knees weakened from his powers, sucking me into his sorcerous trap. I clutched his arm to steady myself, all the while trying to keep him from digging through my brain.
“You like purple orchids. Your favorite song is ‘Over the Rainbow’ because your mom sang it to you to help you sleep. You like stargazing at Dakota Pointe. You pretend to like oatmeal cookies because they’re Kate’s favorite, but you secretly hate them.”
“True, but half of the people in Arcadia know at least one of those things about me. You could’ve talked to anyone to get that information. That doesn’t prove you’re Sloane Blackwell, risen from the dead.”
He brushed my hair behind my ears and cupped my face in his hands. “What’s it going to take to prove it to you?” Sloane pleaded, his chest rising and falling with each breath.
“Kiss me,” I said, moving close enough to feel his heart beating.
I slid my hands up his shirt, and his super-charged energy exploded through my body.
Sloane pressed his lips to mine. They were soft and warm, and the sparks between us grew with each kiss. At first, his kisses were passionate and slow, but as our magical auras intertwined, my desire for him made the kiss more urgent. I kissed him as if I were saying good-bye, the way you would before a breakup. The pinkie promise I’d made to Declan went out the window the moment I’d opened my mouth. But there I was, kissing a complete stranger—and a possible Hexenjager, at that—betraying the trust of my best friend.
For a second, I lowered my guard, and I felt something gnawing at the base of my skull. Pixelated images blurred my vision, forcing me to dig my fingers into Sloane’s back to keep from crashing to the ground.
Sloane cradled me against his chest. “I’m here, Nona. It’s going to be okay.”
Then, my feet slipped out from under me.
At first, I saw Druden, supernatural warriors with crimson tattoos burned into their gray skin, pounding the pavement. The streets of Arcadia were in complete chaos. Slabs of concrete crumbled as men, women, and children ran for their lives. Houses plunged into a giant sinkhole. I was about to plummet to my death when a young boy reached out and pulled me from the space.
We darted through the streets, dodging bolts of lightning that were making the ground collapse, shaking the town like an earthquake. On Maple Drive, we ducked under an oak tree, its low-hanging branches shielding us from the madness. The boy curled his arms around me, stroking my hair. His electrified touch instantly calmed me down, stripping away my fear.
A few minutes passed before I heard Kate screaming my name. Then, she yelled for Sloane. We crept out from the tree, pushing the leaves from our faces.
“Over here.” My voice was raspy and as rough as sandpaper.
Kate shuffled through the crowd, almost trampled over by the Druden and their black horses that galloped through the streets like ravenous beasts. She reached for my hand and glanced over her shoulder.
“Emma, Quinn, hurry,” she said, a sense of urgency in her tone.
A curly-haired woman with skin as smooth as alabaster came running, followed by a man with broad shoulders and wavy dark hair, the spitting image of Sloane.
“What were you thinking, running off like that?” the woman scolded Sloane as she tugged on his shoulder, causing him to tighten his grip on me.
“I had to save her,” he cried out. “The monsters came for Nona.”
“Not today, son,” Quinn said, bending over to meet his gaze. “It’s not time. We need to leave. Let’s go.”
“No!” Sloane yelled over the crash of thunder off in the distance. “I can’t leave Nona.”
Quinn looked up at Kate. “We’ll come
back when it’s time.”
Kate touched his arm and held out her palm to Sloane. “Go with your parents, Sloane. I’ll keep Fiona safe until you come back.”
“No,” he said, folding his arms around my stomach. “I won’t let them have her.”
Kate hunched over. She was barely an adult, but she spoke with the same authority as the Coven Leader she had grown into over the past ten years, “You must.” It wasn’t a request. “Fiona is the key to everything, and without you, the prophecy will not come true.”
Sloane stared at Kate and then at me. He kissed my cheek, and then he spoke so that only I could hear, “I don’t know when I’ll be back. This is how it’s supposed to be. I hope, one day, you’ll forgive me.” He started pulling away from me, but then he kissed me one more time—this time, on the lips. “I love you, Nona.” But it was not said in the same way a child would express their love for a parent.
“I love you, too, Sloane,” I said, my heart breaking with each step he took away from me. “Forever.”
His mother gripped his hand, and he glanced at me one last time.
He held up his finger, and a gold ring braided with Celtic knots shone in the moonlight. He smiled. “Forever.”
When I opened my eyes, I couldn’t catch my breath. The panic I’d felt as Sloane walked away with his parents seemed more real than anything I’d ever experienced.
Sloane steadied me when I tried to move. I leaned back, staring up at the stars, as I waited to regain all of my senses. I focused on the yellow light coming from a streetlamp at the end of the block.
In small chunks, my sight recovered although I wasn’t so sure about my sanity. If my vision was real, then Kate was hiding more than I had dreamed.
“What do you know about a prophecy?”
Sloane looked past me, focusing on the leaves rustling behind me. “Someone’s coming.”
“Fee,” Declan called out, his voice traveling from a distance. “Fiona, are you out there?”
“You need to go,” I said to Sloane. “If Declan sees you, I don’t even want to think about what will happen.”
Sloane pressed his lips to my forehead. I stood on my tippy-toes to kiss his cheek, but he was so tall that it landed on his neck.
He tightened his grip around my waist, looking down at me with a fiery passion in his eyes. “Do you believe me now?”
“Yes…I don’t know…I think so.” I pushed him in the opposite direction of the lights shining from the cell phones of kids at the bonfire. “I don’t know what to think, but the next time I see you, I want answers. Now, go!”
Just like that, Sloane was gone, along with a tiny piece of my heart.
Chapter 9
The first day of freshman year sucked before it started. I woke up late, skipped washing my hair, and forgot my class schedule on the kitchen counter. With ten minutes to spare, Declan and I pulled into the parking lot of Arcadia College. Positioned among municipal buildings in the town square, it lacked the feel of a school. The old brownstones—constructed back when my family had founded the town—were enchanted, brick by brick.
We made our way through the busy halls and walked toward Declan’s class, running into his ex-girlfriend on the way. Scarlett had her arms folded across her chest, mirroring my look of disgust. I had the misfortune of seeing her almost every day in town since their breakup last year. She didn’t take it well, blamed me for the reason he dumped her.
I rolled my eyes, unable to hide my irritation. “Keep walking. I’m not in the mood to deal with her. I need more sleep for that.”
Declan hooked his arm around mine, his laughter shaking through me. “You definitely woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”
“You have no idea. These visions are killing me.”
We stopped in front of his classroom.
My heart was pumping out of my chest, ready to explode from the nervous energy. “It’s the one of my Divine Succession Ceremony. My mother was there again along with that guy from the bookstore.”
“Ah, that explains it.” Declan lifted my chin until our eyes met. “Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.”
I frowned even though I knew he was right. Our Coven could handle Sloane, but that was beside the point.
A few days after my latest encounter with Sloane, I’d held out hope that he would materialize. But as the days had dragged and Sloane had disappeared, I was sure he was a Hexenjager. I wanted to tell Declan, but to do so would mean admitting that I’d broken my promise.
“There was another person I didn’t recognize,” I said, knowing the mystery man was Sloane’s father.
“I’m sure it’s nothing.” He brushed everything off, which irritated me. “They’re just dreams. It’s not like they can hurt you.”
“Yeah,” I said, staring down the corridor.
With one minute until the bell, the remaining students shuffled into their classrooms, but I wasn’t worried about being late. It wasn’t like I had to impress potential employers with my stellar attendance record. School was more of a formality to keep up appearances. Underneath Arcadia College, deep within the Catacombs of our town, was where we learned how to use our magic.
“Something’s changed since I met that Hexenjager. Instead of succeeding Kate as Coven Leader, my mom was there. It keeps happening. Even since he showed up. For months, it was always Kate, and now—”
“We have, what?” he said, counting on his fingers. “Like, three weeks until Initiation. Pretty soon, we’ll bind our powers, and everything will work out.” His eyes traveled with a pair of blondes who were batting their lashes at him before they strolled into class. “I got something I need to take care of,” he said, winking.
I snickered and nudged him with my elbow. “Right.”
“Later,” he said. Then, he followed the girls.
I stopped by the restroom on my way to class. The line was long, and by the time I reached Classic Literature, I was five minutes late. When I walked into the classroom, it was dark. The final act of Romeo and Juliet played on the screen. Professor Winters acknowledged my attendance with a nod, and I inched my way toward the back of the room.
Wisps of caramel hair fanned out on Celeste’s desk. Her head didn’t budge when I took my seat.
Since I’d met Sloane, sleep had been nonexistent, interrupted by constant nightmares. His electric touch had stayed with me, a familiar power somehow trapped inside me all along. I called it my aura because there was no way to describe the out-of-body experience it’d provided. I rested my head on my forearm and closed my eyes, thinking of Sloane as I drifted off to sleep.
A swirl of pink and blue hues breaks over the mountaintops as songbirds chirp a beautiful melody that echo through the forest. The little boy with black hair and piercing blue eyes is sitting under a tree, his back perched against the bark. I sit next to him and lean my head on his shoulder. I’m wearing a white orchid headpiece that sits on my head like a crown.
The boy tugs at the yellow sash fixed at the center of my white sundress. I lift my head with a smile and pluck a dandelion from the grass, blowing the tufts in his direction. He swats them from his face, and he helps me to my feet. We skip harmoniously along the cliff at Dakota Pointe, my favorite place on earth, until we drift into the sunset.
Shook from my slumber, I woke up to a voice that sounded familiar. It was deep and modulated, and I swore, I caught the scent of honey.
“Nona! Nona, wake up!”
I peeled my head from the desk and rubbed my eyes. A halo surrounded his face, and when it came into focus, I realized it was Sloane.
“Am I dead?” My voice cracked, as I was disoriented and groggy.
The dimple in his right cheek crinkled as he laughed. “No, you’re in Lit class.”
It had to be the fluorescent lights playing tricks on me. I pinched my forearm, and I pressed my hand to his face, confirming he was real. His energy rushed through my fingertips, igniting a spark between us.
“It’s
you,” I mumbled, which sounded insane.
“Are you okay, Fiona?” Professor Winters called out from the front of the classroom. She suspiciously eyed me under dark glasses that slid off the edge of her hooked nose.
I nodded, peeking at Sloane through my hair. “I’m good.”
Professor Winters rolled the TV cart into the corner of the room, the wheels squealing as they rotated. “We were introducing ourselves to our newest student, Sloane Blackwell.”
Despite my fear that he could be a Hexenjager, my eyes never faltered because some sick part of me was thrilled to see him. I had a hard time believing the boy of my dreams, a boy who had saved my life, was dark Fey. It was possible that he’d affected my dreams, but there was something so real about our connection.
When the bell rang, I jumped out of my chair and bolted out of the classroom. Celeste followed behind, screaming my name. I stopped and waited for her to reach me.
“What’s going on? You ran out of there like your desk was on fire.”
I leaned over to catch my breath. “I felt that electric shock again when I touched him. At first, it hurt, but when I got used to the feeling, it was like sitting in a warm bath. My whole body relaxed, and I just gave in to whatever magic he was using. It freaked me out. I’m not used to anyone being strong enough to control me. I mean, our Coven has their own strengths, but his powers are different.”
“Oh,” she said, surprised. “What do you think it is?”
I swapped out my books and slammed the locker shut. “I don’t know.”
“He’s so hot,” Celeste said, practically drooling on our way to the cafeteria. “If he’s a you-know-what, I think I would take my chances.”
“Me, too,” I said, lost in a fog.
“The look on your face…” Celeste pointed her finger at me and laughed. “You know what that is.”
I raised my eyebrow. “No, but I have a feeling you’re about to tell me.”