Smoke and Wishes (Best Wishes Book 1)

by A. J. Macey

  “Did we just hear him correctly? A date?” Logan’s eyebrow raised as he crossed his arms over his chest. I felt Landon lean into me his breath caressing my left ear.

  “I’m sure we could show you a much better time than our fae friend. Daemons are well known for their...naughty behavior.” His husky voice resonated within me, causing an involuntary shiver to go down my spine and goosebumps to rise on my skin. Damn sexy fae and naughty daemons, these guys are nothing but trouble. If I don’t get laid soon, I’m going to die. I turned my head slightly, he was so close that our cheeks touched, my lips poised against his ear.

  “Let’s see how food goes later, then maybe I’ll let you two show me what you’ve got,” I murmured. I looked to Logan and winked before nipping Landon’s ear, pulling away to see both of their faces. I was rewarded with two matching expressions of slack jaws and wide eyes. The wind ruffled their matching wavy, dark-brown hair as they stood frozen in place. I chuckled and turned to head into the building, leaving them standing in stunned silence.

  6

  August 27th

  Monday Afternoon

  Dante

  Cam and I walked towards the South Wing dorm building after our Comparative Healing class got out. Thankfully, since it was the first day, all classes were the same; go over the syllabus and expectations of the class, yadda yadda yadda. The quad was buzzing with activity and conversation from the surge of students back for the fall semester. It was a sunny day meaning most of the grassy area was covered in blankets and clusters of people, students lounging around with friends soaking up the last of the summer sun. I punched in the access code when we reached the dorm building, but we were both accosted from behind right before we could walk through the door.

  “I totally won! I made it to them first!” Logan shouted at his brother who was latched onto my backpack.

  “No, I totally won! Lemon drop, who got to them first?” Landon shouted over his shoulder to the girl they hadn’t stopped talking about since they met on Saturday. She walked the rest of the way to us shaking her head and looking exasperated at their antics, though the small smile on her face revealed that she actually enjoyed their playfulness.

  “Nuh uh, nope, not getting in the middle of that one, you crazy kids, I’ve seen how siblings fight.” She stopped just outside the front door to the building “So, I guess I’ll catch you two later?” She tucked a stray lock of her light blonde hair behind her ear and tightened her ponytail. Her eyes glancing between the twins, but avoided looking at Cam or myself.

  “Oh no you don’t, you’ve met Hudson,” Logan started, hearing Landon mutter an “unfortunately” from behind me. “You, my love, now have to meet these two as well. This nerd here is Camden. That’s Dante, he’s the captain of the Kohl team.”

  “Hey, you work in the library, right?” Cam questioned. He struggled to turn in Logan’s arms before they both finally let go, Cam’s hand reaching out for her to shake. Pink bloomed on her cheeks, creeping down her neck, as she slipped her hand into Cam’s slowly. Her eyes darted to his, which held a mischievous gleam. He had a matching blush on his cheeks, but I didn’t think his was from embarrassment. Is there something going on there? I raised an eyebrow at him noticing that the twins were eying Cam with the same question blatant on their faces.

  “Uh, yup,” she squeaked, clearing her throat quickly before continuing. “Yeah, that’s me.” A strained smile followed her statement, and she pulled her hand back. The casual comfort she had when she came up with the twins was nowhere to be seen, nervousness rolling off her in waves.

  “Well, it’s nice to officially meet you.” Cam gave her a small smile before she turned to me, my hand hovering between us for her to shake. Her delicate fingers were dwarfed by my calloused ones. The contrast was stark between her smooth, pale skin and my caramel coloring.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Lucie. These two have literally not shut up about you since Saturday.” I chuckled at the promise of retaliation etched into the twins faces. Lucie’s blush darkened another few shades.

  “Right”—her eyes shifted sideways to Logan and Landon—“well, on that note, I’m going to go. It was nice to meet you both.” Landon moved from my side, running to wrap his arms around her waist before she could leave.

  “No,” Landon whined, “don’t go! Come hang out with us. I promise we aren’t as creepy as this asshole makes us seem.” Pouting his bottom lip out, he rested his chin on her shoulder. While she wasn’t very short, he still had over half a foot on her requiring him to hunch over to lean against her shoulder. Instead of responding, her eyes were squeezed shut, jaw clenched, and a small whimper sounded from the back of her throat. “Lemon drop? What’s wrong, did I hurt you?” Landon immediately let go of her waist and slid around to stand in front of her. Her breathing was slow and shallow, her right arm crossed over her stomach to cradle her rib cage. When she opened her eyes, they glistened with unshed tears.

  “I’m good, don’t worry.” She tried to play it off with a smile that ended up looking more like a grimace.

  “I think ‘I’m good’ is Lucie speak for ‘I’m not actually good, but I don’t want to talk about it’,” Logan whispered, raising an eyebrow at her. Returning to his normal volume, he addressed Lucie. “You’re clearly not alright. Come on, let’s get inside and stop blocking the door.” She slowly nodded her head and made her way past us into the building’s common room. Heading towards the stairs since our elevator was undergoing some maintenance, we made our way up to the third floor.

  “Why don’t we head to my room, I’ve got some first aid stuff in there,” Cam called out from the back of the group. His normal quiet timbre elevated to be heard. When we turned down the right side of the hallway, Cam walked around the group and unlocked the front door to his and Nik’s room. As he entered he hollered out, “I’m back, and I found some strays.” Grigori, Nik’s familiar, came fluttering into the common room from his bedroom.

  “Ah yes, these mangey creatures,” Nik gruffly teased from his room. When he finally stepped out of his room, he was pulling on a white shirt.

  Lucienne

  Holy… what do they put in the water around here? The guy who just stepped out of his room was tall, and his abdomen was sculpted, showing off a six pack and that eye-catching V guys have on their hips descending into his tight black jeans. He had a tattoo running up his right side, swirls of smoke and shading that seemed to start beneath his waistband and spanned up to his ribcage. There was a symbol in the midst of all the shadows, but it was kind of hard to make out, it looked almost like a spoked wheel. He stood barefoot, chiseled chest now covered in a white shirt. Chocolate brown hair was cut short on the sides, the top was longer and gelled back into a smooth style. His jaw and cheekbones looked sharp enough to cut glass, but what caught my attention the most, was the clouded covering on his eyes. He’s blind, the realization hit me like a freight train.

  Oh, this is just ridiculous. First, the twins and their wicked smirks mixed with playful banter, then Hudson’s flirting and tight, well-filled out shirt. Followed by Cam with his cute-as-hell glasses and subdued sensuality, Dante’s broad shoulders and gorgeous smile. Then finally this guy, all intriguing ink and mesmerizing eyes. I felt my heart sputter in my chest and I clenched my thighs, momentarily distracted from the low throbbing in my side.

  “Oh.” His voice was deep and gratingly rough as he stepped out of the doorway. Surprised and confused by my presence, his eyebrows drew down as his face angled towards me. Standing by his door frame, he didn’t make any attempts to move closer. The hawk that was perched on the loveseat fluttered up to his shoulder. “I am Nikolai, call me Nik. This is Grigori.” He motioned with his hand towards the intimidating bird. His voice had a slight Russian accent accompanying the low gravel cadence.

  “Lucie. It’s nice to meet you and your companion there.” I felt a slight tremble in my voice as I looked at the large bird. Its feathers held different shades of browns, greys, blacks, and white
s while its yellow beak curved into a black, sharp point matching the black claws glinting in the room’s fluorescent lights. The beady black eyes were locked on my face, a slight tilt to his head as he studied me.

  “Don’t worry, Grigori’s Nik’s familiar. Like a service animal, he allows Nik to see his surroundings. His interest in you will fade once he’s observed you a while longer,” Cam assured me, adjusting his black frames. I dipped my head in understanding as Nik patted Grigori on the head, but the hawk nipped his fingers and decided to jump from his shoulder to mine.

  Holy shit, there’s a giant bird on my shoulder. As it landed, I crouched slightly, my arms going out, startled at the majestically terrifying animal. My eyes widened, too nervous to do so much as blink. Thank fuck for my jacket, I noted. Those talons looked deadly. Grigori then surprised me, booping the side of my head with his before rubbing his forehead against my right temple. Assuming he wanted attention, I reached up with my left hand to stroke his head.

  The longer he rubbed his feathered head against my hand, the easier it was to relax. I straightened to my full height, finally adjusting to his weight. The conversation proceeded as if there was nothing strange about a giant bird cooing for attention from me like a domesticated house cat.

  “Okay, Lucie, it seems like you’re doing better but would you mind allowing me to take a look at your side?” Cam asked gently, his hand gesturing towards my ribs. I immediately locked up, knowing what would follow if they saw what the issue was. But wouldn’t it be even more suspicious if I continued to play like nothing was wrong? Hudson said they would be here for me...

  “Hey, assholes, way to start the party without me,” an irritated voice called out, right as the door opened. When I turned, I saw Hudson shutting the door. He paused, realizing I was standing among the group, his eyes widened when they spotted Grigori perched on my shoulder. “Well, princess, you’re just full of surprises aren’t you,” he murmured absentmindedly.

  “Take a seat, Hudson, I was in the middle of something,” Cam’s attention shifted from me to Hudson, his voice had taken on an authoritative tone that sent another shiver down my spine. Stupid hormones, stupid boys. Hudson shrugged his shoulders and moved around me. A smirk appearing as his gaze fixated on me, purposely moving languidly towards the seats. His arm brushed mine with how close he passed by.

  Nik settled against his bedroom door frame, leaning against the wood. Grigori launched off my shoulder and back to his, landing gracefully before tucking back his wings. His body language seemed relaxed, but underneath the composed stance there was a crackle of barely restrained energy and magic. A tingle crept across my skin, giving me goosebumps when his sharp features turned towards me.

  The twins sank into the loveseat, arms were thrown haphazardly over the back of the couch and their legs stretched out in front of them, relaxing into the seat as they had at orientation. Hudson and Dante took the two chairs across from the twins. The former leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees while Dante crossed his legs, his right ankle resting on his black basketball shorts. While the rest of the guys settled, Cam pulled a rolling office chair into the living area from his bedroom and sat down in front of me. His multi-toned eyes were on my stomach before drawing up my body, my cheeks burned as his slow perusal took in every detail. When he finally reached my face, I knew I was bright red.

  “Lucie?” His eyebrows raised as he gestured towards my waist once more. Well, here goes nothing, I guess. I lifted my shirt high enough for them to see the extent of the damage and held my breath, dead silence filled the room. I couldn’t focus on anything, especially not on any of the guys, merely staring at a single spot on the wall in front of me. Despite avoiding their gazes, I felt their tension raise several notches. In my peripherals, I could see the twins had sat up straight. Their muscles coiled tight clenching their hands into fists. Dante and Hudson froze, their eyes burning a hole in my side at the intensity of their stares. Nik’s power crackled dangerously, jaw ticking in anger.

  “Lemon drop,” Landon’s anguished voice murmured through the quiet room. “What happened to you?” I was thankful that the bruises on my arms and legs had healed and it was just my left rib cage that held any visual damage.

  “Two of my ribs were broken near the beginning of the summer. They’ve mostly healed up, it’s just bruising really, it looks worse than it is. Any sharp movements of my upper body or direct pressure can cause some...discomfort.” I struggled with how to explain the sharp throb whenever my torso was jostled. I didn’t want them to be concerned or ask too many questions. “I’m good though, it’ll be fully healed up in a few more weeks, so no worries.” I tried to deter any further questions with my tone, but it didn’t work.

  “How did it happen?” Cam glanced up at me from staring at my rib cage and the deep purple and green markings, his eyes turning cold at the sight. The warm sensuality they normally held was been replaced by a deep rage. When I hesitated, he continued his questioning. “Does the bruising have any correlation to these scars?”

  Damn it, I had hoped the bruising would be attention-grabbing enough that they wouldn’t notice. The large scar cutting up across my right rib cage curved under my shirt and the sizeable still-healing cut poking out of the top of my jeans on my left hip itched under his assessment. While the angle of my jacket had kept those hidden from everyone else in the room, Cam was close enough to see them clear as day. My lips pressed together into a thin line, my vision started to darken around the edges, my breathing became erratic.

  “Lucie baby, why don’t you bring that sexy ass over here?” I looked up from my position at the foot of the bed to see my reflection gazing back at me in the small mirror that was on top of the dresser. My blue eyes were wide, face paling quickly causing the muted ugly yellow bruise on my jaw to stand out more than usual. I felt my legs lock up and my arms start to shake uncontrollably as I turned to look at him sprawled out on the bed…

  “What’s going on?” A deep melodic voice cut through the flashback like a knife before I could relive that night. I jumped back when I saw six concerned gazes looking intently at me, my shirt dropping in the process.

  “Lucie, are you okay?” Cam questioned, moving a bit closer to me. He must have stood up when I got sucked in, the warmth of his hands cut into the cold that still lingered from the flashback as he began rubbing small circles on my shoulders. Letting out a shaky breath, I nodded.

  “Yeah, I’m okay.” I rubbed my hand down my face to shake the last of the memory from my mind making sure to fix my shirt. I cover the scars before facing them. “I promise I’m not usually so out of it, I think the stress of starting the semester is getting to me.”

  “I’m sure how you grew up isn’t much help either,” Hudson added, his voice was thick with an emotion I couldn’t identify. Expecting him to be teasing me like he had in our previous interactions, but all I saw in his usually flirtatious face was sincerity and empathy. The other guys were all staring at him with questioning gazes. I decided to fill them in on what he was referring to.

  “Um, I was raised by a human.” All eyes landed on me as I spoke. Clearing my throat, I forged on. “Hudson knew because he was the student who helped at my power testing. What you probably don’t know though Hudson, is that I wasn’t just raised by a human, I was raised as a human. I had no idea I was part of this world until the day before I graduated from high school.” I saw everyone’s eyes widen, but no one wanted to interrupt me. Shrugging a little, I answered the question I know they were all burning to ask. “As for my ribs, I got into a fight.” Not technically a lie.

  “What the hell did you two fight over? You look like you were stomped on by a fucking troll!” Logan sounded furious. “Please tell me you beat the shit out of her.” Landon shot up off the couch and started pacing angrily behind it, his fists curling and uncurling.

  “It was stupid. There really isn't any kind of story behind it. He won’t be a problem anymore.” Ugh, please let this conversation
be over. Shit, my eyes widened as I realized my mistake.

  “It was a guy?” Logan enunciated very slowly, Landon froze in his pacing to face me. The twins’ jaws clenched, jawlines pulsing under the rhythmic grinding. The black of Landon’s irises bled into the whites of his eyes until they formed two obsidian pools. His pupils dilated and morphed into a red haze. They reverted to normal as quickly as they’d changed, the black receded to his normal burned coals. The rest of the guys looked equally as pissed off with hard eyes, frowning faces, and tight fists.

  “Damn it,” I whispered, more to myself than anything, and nodded my head, averting my eyes.

  “Who was he?” Dante growled, actually growled, through clenched teeth. Caramel skin throbbed on his neck with the intensity of his pulse. The skin on his arms looked as though it was twitching as if he was fighting with his control.

  “It doesn’t matter. It’s over now, and it won’t happen again,” I sighed, not wanting to talk about this anymore. Please let that be the truth, I mentally pleaded. I felt my breathing quicken, an anxiety attack gradually building. Sounds around me faded out as though my ears were stuffed with cotton. My eyes tunneled, focusing on a spot on the floor as my breaths came in short puffs. I heard the guys moving around, a ringing sounded in the background. Voices were frantic in the room before something rectangular was shoved into my hand. When I didn’t move, someone took the object, and I heard Charlie’s voice filtering through the panic induced haze.

  “Lucie boo? Honey, can you hear me? I need you to listen to my voice. I need you to take deep breaths, in through your nose out through your mouth.” I forced myself to take a shuddering breath through my nose. The cotton buffer in my ears pulled back, the tunnel vision faded. “Tell me what your favorite color is.”