In the end, only a quarter of the village decided to try life outside of Yardis, where there were more towns and people. A few others worked with Poe and his family to bring goods that would make daily life easier to the village at reasonable costs. I headed home with my parents and Leo to finish out the school year.
Chapter 16
It was strange being back in my room in Michigan. The face in the mirror was my own, but something had changed. I felt different—taller, stronger, or maybe wiser. Whatever it was, I was not the same Ray Cross that had walked the halls of Midland High a few weeks ago.
Kids that had barely paid me any attention prior to my trip seemed to notice and greet me as they passed. “What’s up, Cross.” Mike Jensen, one of the smart, cool guys fist bumped me.
“’Sup, Mike.”
Leo saw the exchange and approached with a confused look on his face. “Did that just happen or am I dreaming?” He pointed to Mike who was already half way down the hall. “I didn’t even know he knew your name.”
“Me either.” I laughed.
“It’s good having you back. This place was a snore without you.” Leo patted me on the back while we walked to our last class. “Hey, I heard you and Lauren kissed before you left.” I stopped walking. How did he hear about that? I hadn’t told anyone. “Is it true? Derek’s probably heard. You’d better make sure I’m with you when school gets out.”
“Who told you?”
“Damn man, it is true. You’re playing with fire. Leslie asked me if it was true.” Leslie was Lauren’s closest girlfriend, but giving her that title was a stretch since most of Lauren’s time was spent with Derek.
“And you said…?”
“I asked her what drug she was on because you wouldn’t be stupid enough to do something like that when Lauren and Derek were together.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Listen, I’ll have to get my other books from my locker after class. You should come with me. At least for a day or two.”
“Leo, look, I know you’re worried, but he’s never tried to hurt me, at least physically. Plus, I may not be as fragile as I was a few weeks ago. Jonas has to run some tests when he returns, but I feel less fragile.” I probably could have tested my own fragility by inflicting a small injury upon myself and monitoring how I healed.
“Okay, listen. At least don’t leave the school without me. Wait for me by the front doors.” He must have seen the reluctance on my face because he resorted to pleading. “Cross, do it for me man. If—if something were to happen, I’d live with guilt the rest of my life. For me.”
“Okay, front doors.” Lauren wasn’t at school today and Derek hadn’t treated me any different earlier in the day during class. He didn’t know. He wouldn’t have been able to keep his cool during the whole period without showing his anger in some way.
I didn’t like Derek, and I never pretended to. It wasn’t a jealousy thing. He wasn’t a nice guy, at least to me, and before the kiss, I had never done anything to earn his hatred and bullying.
Maybe things would have been different if he hadn’t been such a control freak and worked to keep me out of Lauren’s life. Or maybe Lauren and I would have kissed anyway. Lauren and I were good together. Our friendship had been strong and the love we had for each other was not the fast, intense and all-engulfing love of a crush, but the slow burning kind that could stand the test of time.
But Lauren had kissed me. She made the move and crossed the relationship line. Of course, I didn’t try to stop her. But now we had to deal with the aftermath. Sooner or later, Derek would find out and there would be a confrontation.
As our bio teacher droned on, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Lauren: Ray, Derek found out about the kiss. I’m out sick, but Leslie blabbed and said he’s pissed. I’m so sorry. It’s my fault let me handle him. Wanted to give you a heads up.
I showed it to Leo, who’s eyebrows raised with worry. Seemed we’d be having a chat about that kiss sooner rather than later.
“You’re coming with me to my locker.” Leo pointed at me as he commanded.
When the bell rang, I followed my friend to his locker. The halls slowly emptied as the students left to head home. There had been no sign of Derek, and I hoped we wouldn’t see him. Lauren was the one in the relationship with him, and I didn’t know where she wanted to take this relationship.
Leo and I lingered longer inside the school on purpose in hopes Derek would give up if he had wanted to confront us outside. We didn’t wait long, maybe five or ten minutes longer, just enough to thin the crowds.
“Good plan. Looks like there’s just a few kids waiting for rides. My car’s in the shop, so I’ll walk you home.” Leo unlocked his bike from the bike rack and walked with me as we set off for my house. It was an unseasonably warm day for late spring in Midland. The sun shone bright without a cloud to hide behind and the temperature must have been in the mid-eighties. “Feels like summer.”
“It does. It’s a lot warmer here than in Yardis.”
“No kidding.” Leo chuckled. “Shit. Look.” He nodded ahead at the corner where Derek and two of his friends stood watching us intently. “Keep walking and don’t engage them.”
“Took you long enough. What were you two doing? Making out?” Derek and his buddies crossed the road and stood a few feet before us, blocking our path home. His friends laughed at Derek’s condescending wit.
Leo and I stopped. This was happening now, and there was no avoiding it. We could run, but they’d probably catch us, and if they didn’t, we’d still have to face them the next day or the next. “What do you want Derek?” I needed to face this head on.
“I want to know if the rumor is true. Did you kiss my girlfriend?” No one laughed now.
“It’s true.” I didn’t elaborate or apologize.
He looked away a moment. When he turned back he narrowed his eyes. “See, this was why I didn’t want you anywhere near her. You had feelings for her all this time, and you couldn’t respect our relationship.” His words were ironic as he wanted me to respect their relationship, and yet he didn’t respect my friendship with Lauren.
“You know, I’m glad you mentioned that.”
“Cross!” Leo warned quietly. “Don’t engage.”
Unfortunately, Derek heard him. “Yes, Cross, don’t engage.” He mocked. “Let your big buffoon fight your battles for you like always.”
Leo pushed his bike into the grass and stood ready to throw a punch beside me. “Come on Derek. You tryin’ to pick a fight? I’ll fight ya.”
I grabbed Leo’s tense forearm. His fists clenched tight at his side. He shot me a side glance, and I released his arm.
“Grab him.” Derek motioned for his two buddies to act. They attempted to grab Leo, but my friend put up a fight. Leo took Jimmy McDaniels out but Reggie Fox had Leo pinned with his knee in Leo’s chest. I ran over and dove at Reggie, knocking both of us to the ground. Reggie rolled over and punched me in the jaw before I could get on my feet. Leo stood and looked ready to pounce on Reggie. Reggie faced him, ready for the attack, but Derek came up behind Leo and kicked the back of his knees dropping him to the ground. Reggie started toward Leo, but never made it as I tackled him. I pinned him, holding down his wrists.
Reggie began howling in pain. “Stop, stop, let go!” His words became whimpers. “Please. Stop.” My left hand turned white and small crystals covered the back of it while and my right hand glowed red. What was happening? I let go of his wrists and found clear blisters emerging out of his reddened skin in the area I had held him. What the hell?
I sat back on my heels looking at him with shock, trying to understand what had just happened while Reggie curled in on himself holding his wrists close. “Are you okay?” I asked
When I reached out to touch him he pulled away and screamed, “Don’t touch me!”
I raised my arms to let him know I wouldn’t touch him. My hands had returned to normal.
“Cross!” Derek yelled my name. I turned to find
him holding a knife to Leo’s neck.
“He’s bluffing.” Leo knelt on the ground, one armed pulled behind his back, the blade resting against his skin.
“Let him go Derek. This has gone too far. Put the knife away and let him go.” Inside, I warred with the dragon wanting to surface and end this situation. It wanted out, but the image of Larkin’s decapitated body came to mind. I did not want to kill Derek; I wanted him to let Leo go.
“You went too far with Lauren.” He pointed the knife at me as he yelled the words. Leo took a chance to get free. He rolled forward, pulling Derek, who had hold of his arm still, with him. They tussled on the ground, both trying to gain the upper hand. The silver blade flashed above, below, and it was hard to keep track of it. My hands began changing temperatures again. I held them together before me in hopes the opposing temperatures would cancel each other out. The left hand turned white while the right had a reddish glow. I could feel the two temperatures pushing against each other, violently warring to not be affected. It was too much, like taking two very strong magnets and trying to force the two positives together. I squeezed the hands together for a moment before they blasted open with something that looked like a horizontal tornado shooting out of them. The spiral blasted Derek over forty feet away from the scene. The tornado disappeared, but my hands still had polar opposite temperatures. Derek stood and shook himself off, then stormed toward us angrily. I put my hands together again and felt the strong repulsion. Then I pointed my clasped hands at a nearby garbage can and released the tornado once again. The metal cylinder flew at Derek, throwing dirty diapers and half eaten food upon him. “Get out of here, and let Lauren choose who she wants. Jerk!”
“Holy crap Cross, I think you found your power.” Leo laughed with a shocked look on his face.
Derek took off in the opposite direction leaving Jimmy and Reggie. Leo and I helped them both up and drove them to a hospital. They agreed to keep what they saw quiet. Of course, we told them if they blabbed about it, there was a good chance they’d be committed to the mental health ward. After all, who would believe a teen could shoot tornados and burn and freeze someone with his bare hands?
We headed to my house where my mom bandaged up Leo. She cautioned me to learn control over my powers and to not share them with commoners if I could help it.
We fed Leo supper and then I walked him out. “Leo, you’re crazy as hell, but the most loyal friend a guy could have. Thank you for always having my back.” We hugged briefly.
“You’re welcome. You’re like my brother. I’ll always look out for you, even if you’re Mr. Tornado and don’t need me.”
“Ha! Get outta here. Love ya, man.” I gave him a shove. He waved as he got on his bike and rode home. I peeked my head in and told my mom I needed to talk to Lauren. She reminded me not to be home late and told me to watch in case Derek surfaced.
Lauren lived several blocks over. I walked up her front concrete steps and rang the bell. Lauren answered. “Ray, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Are you okay? You weren’t at school.”
“Oh, my aunt died and the funeral was today. Are you sure you’re okay?” She asked again, this time studying me closer.
“Can we talk?”
She nodded and came out to sit on the steps with me. “What’s going on?”
“I need to know about your feelings for Derek. Do you still want to be with him? And please tell me what you truly feel and not what you think I want to hear.” I looked away and fiddled with my nail beds.
“I care about him, but I don’t love him anymore. After we went out the other day, I realized how much I missed having you in my life. He would never allow us to know each other, and that’s not okay with me. Not any longer.”
“I didn’t mean to break you up.” I shoved my fingers through my hair. “I just want you to be happy.”
“Ray, stop. Look at me.” She waited until I looked into her eyes. “I don’t want him to control me. If I want to be friends with you, then I will.”
“But what if I want something more?” I grabbed her chin and pulled her into a kiss. Her breath tasted sweet like vanilla, and her lips were soft and velvety. “Derek and I had a…chat.” She pulled back far enough for me to see the worried expression on her face. “He’s promised to let you make your own choice of who you want to be with.” I stood and walked down the stairs. “If you even want to be with either of us.” I turned toward her. “Goodnight Lauren.” I left her sitting on the front steps looking breathless and beautiful. I walked away, grasping the guardian’s pendant and chanting the magical words to immortalize this memory as one I could recall in great detail when I wanted.
I made it home, but ten minutes after I arrived, Lauren came over and told me she chose me. Leo and I befriended Jimmy and Reggie as they lost interest in being Derek’s little soldiers. Derek left Lauren and I alone. We were careful to not be over affectionate in the presence of others, especially Derek.
Jonas returned the next week with reports that King Vintras was declining but comfortable and happy with Meina by his side. Torin was due to come back the following week as Kaden had a good grasp on how King Vintras ruled. Jonas retested me for vEDS and happily reported that I no longer had VEDS. He theorized that my dragon DNA had lay dormant for many years as my body worked hard to repair the damage it faced on a daily basis. Once Poe healed me, the dragon DNA had an opportunity to take over like a virus and clip out the faulty DNA.
Each day I grew stronger, both physically and mentally. I worked to quiet the worries that vEDS had planted in my head over the years, valid concerns that meant life or death to me at one point in my life. I spent time with my father sharing stories of our lives with each other before he eventually passed. I was glad I got to know the kind man that did not judge people for their difference. In that time, I grew close with all my brothers and mother, extending my circle of loved ones and getting to know them all better. And in the end, the small group in Midland helped some of our villagers with open minds and adventurous hearts, start new lives for themselves in Michigan.
The End
For more tales by D.A. Roach, check out:
Rarity - YA Drama
Between the Bleeding Willows (Book 1 Demon Hunters series) – YA PNR
Within the Darkest Hollows (Book 2 Demon Hunters series) – YA PNR
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Website
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About the Author
D.A. Roach grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago where her family had settled after immigrating from Lithuania. Music, movies, tennis, and art were her past times as reading was not a hobby explored or encouraged in her house. It wasn’t until after graduating from college that she began reading for pleasure and found herself buried in a book and off on some fictitious adventure.
Her first attempt at writing came after chatting with her dental hygienist about an upcoming vacation, where she planned to visit the people who had once helped her family during a crisis. The hygienist, in awe of the story, urged D.A. to write a book about the tale to pay homage to the kind souls that helped her family. With the help of a print book retailer, she documented the events and emotions she experienced and sent it out into the world. It was not a bestseller by any means, but readers began reaching out and thanking her for the heartfelt story. Moved by the effect her words had on readers, D.A. penned another novel and discovered that as much as she enjoyed reading stories, she loved creating them even more.
Thank you to my street team, who always has my back, my AMAZING editor Trisha Wooldridge, my PA Madi Wilde for keeping my head on straight and working tirelessly to keep the promo going, Kimberly Vanderbloom for letting me lean on you when I felt unsure of myself.
For more information or to donate to VEDS research, go to http://www.ehlersdanlosnetwork.org/
Read More from D.A. Roach:
http://daroachbooks.blogspot.com/
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Alchemy With Benefits
Katalina Leon
ALCHEMY WITH BENEFITS © copyright 2017 Katalina Leon
* * *
Copyright July 2017
Author: Katalina Leon
Cover design: Andy Atkins
Supervising editor: Becky Johnson, Hot Tree Editing
Content editor: Liv Ventura, Hot Tree Editing
Proofreader: Kristin Scearce, Hot Tree Editing
Red Jaguar Press
Copyright notice: All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Alchemy With Benefits
What happens when a wacky witch collides with a sexy brujo from a taco truck?
Estele “I meant to do well” Esposito is the worst witch in the San Buena enchantment community. When she casts a spell it goes batshit wacky with disastrous results.
Myths & Magic: A Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection Page 259