by J. L. Weil
I loved the farmers market in Wilmington, and the idea was too much to resist. They had more than the average fresh produce. There were vendors with everything from jewelry, arts and crafts and musical entertainment, to every kind of fruit, vegetable and herb you could imagine. Not to mention, the fresh air would do me good.
I twirled the moonstone and amethyst necklace at my neck, rolling the idea in my head while patting Lunar with the other hand. He was curled up next to me, taking a nap and feeling pretty snug. The decision was easy. I had to get out of this house. How dangerous could the market be?
Picking up a protesting Lunar, I placed him in my bedroom, near his food and litter in my bathroom. With him being so tiny, I was afraid to let him wander the house by himself.
After shutting him in my room, I grabbed my keys and headed for Wilmington.
The drive was easy and one I’d done a million times before. During the trip, Tori and Austin had each sent me a text on their way home asking how I was doing. I missed them and was ready to get back to my normal routine. When I got to Wilmington, the sun was shining, the sky was crystal blue, and I soaked up the rays after being cooped up in the house. I took my time, strolling leisurely from vendor to vendor, looking at all the merchandise. I had a deep, reflective mood going. I wanted to just enjoy the drama-free day and lose myself in the crowds.
My world might never be the same. Who I was had changed. Magic was a part of my life, and I needed to find a way to conquer the power inside before it destroyed me or hurt someone I loved. Unearthing answers to questions of the past and the future seemed my only hope at figuring out what was happening to me.
I didn’t know where Gavin and I stood, or why he was reluctant to take what we had further. But I knew my heart and what I felt for him wouldn’t diminish, something twined us together like vines to a trellis.
I hadn’t decided what to tell my friends about my newfound magical powers. I don’t even know if I should. This would be a helluva secret to keep from them, and I didn’t know how long I’d be able to keep up the charade. They were smart. They knew me. And they were bound to notice I was different. Worst case, I could cast a memory spell, make them forget. Well, not really.
It was impossible to believe all that had happened, and my senior year had barely begun. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing after high school, let alone next week. Winter was coming, and the last few days of fall were started to fade.
I was admiring an intricate design on a handwoven bracelet, when I looked up and caught a flash of sandy hair that reminded me of Lukas. Squinting, I tried to get a glimpse of his face, because the similarities were frighteningly familiar, and I’d too many weird things happen to me. The boy angled his face toward me, grinning at the girl behind the table, and the knot in my stomach released. He lacked Lukas’s lustrous smile.
If I was seeing things, I was tired. I sped through the remaining vendors, grabbing what I needed. My last stop was the pepper stand. I riffled through, testing their ripeness, and I was suddenly saturated with a familiar energy.
I lifted my eyes over the stack of vegetables, searching for the source–another witch maybe? It was difficult with the number of people about.
Then across the booth from where I stood, emerald eyes smiled at me over the fresh produce stand. This time I knew I wasn’t dreaming, and my eyes weren’t deceiving me.
“Lukas?”
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Part II
Amethyst Tears
Chapter 1
THE DAY BEFORE MY LIFE changed forever felt like any other day.
In a blink, my life went from unbelievable to completely messed up. How did this kind of stuff even happen to me? Wasn’t it enough that I accepted there was such a thing as witches? Or that I accepted my fate as a witch? Now the universe had to go and throw me a curve ball.
Un-freaking-believable.
I was a magnet for disaster, which appeared to not have changed. My life was exhausting. Not to mention, I was still recovering from a psychotic dream with a very old and very dead witch.
Lucky me.
I was glue for trouble.
And to think, I thought Gavin was the bad boy. He didn’t have shit on me. And that brought me to my current predicament.
My eyes still couldn’t acknowledge what was right in front of me, smiling with those heart-sinking dimples.
This had to be some kind of aftereffect or symptom from dreamscaping. I wasn’t certain what the heck that was, but I had no other logical explanation.
“Lukas?” I heard the incredibility in my own voice. Who wouldn’t be more than a little freaked out at seeing a figment of their imagination come to life? I mean, this wasn’t fiction, this was my real life.
Leaving my house for some fresh air at the Farmer’s Market no longer seemed like it had been the smartest decision I’d made. I was known to have my ideas backfire on me. Hell, maybe I was still sick. I could always black out again.
His breathtaking smile captured me from across the tomatoes, and he was not in the least bit shocked to see me. Whereas my jaw had literally dropped to the ground, and I had yet to pick it up. Sandy hair lazily flopped on one side of his forehead.
Seriously. This couldn’t possibly be. I pinched myself, squeezed my eyes shut, and demanded that I wake up. How had I fallen asleep? It was the only rationalization I could deduce, even though I swore it felt so real. The only time I ever saw Lukas was when I was dreaming… In conclusion, I must be dreaming.
He walked in front of me, and my eyes ate up his easy strides, time moving in a slow-motion film. His carefree smile bloomed on his tan face when he reached me, deep dimples and all. He stroked a hand alongside my cheek, while I stood there frozen in place—dumbfounded.
The feeling was exactly how I dreamed, soft and tender.
“You’re real,” he said, his honey silk voice caressing my ears as easily as his hand on my face.
I leaned into his palm, the spicy warmth of his scent rocking my senses. I’m real, I thought. He was the one in my dreams. “Lukas…?”
I couldn’t seem to get past his name, or past the fact that he stood in front of me for my eyes to feast upon. He was my best friend of another dimension, another realm—the realm of dreams. I had poured my heart out to him on numerous occasions. He was the closest I’d ever been to anyone, because he wasn’t real.
Lukas laughed, nodding, emerald eyes shining in the sunlight. “In the flesh. I always wondered if we’d meet somewhere other than your dreams—not that I mind being in them. It’s the highlight of my night.”
My head was spinning so fast, I was afraid it was going to twist right off. I could imagine it rolling down the market next to a runaway apple.
Okay, I was game. If we were going to pretend this was in fact real, and not a product of my dreams, then game on. “How is this possible?” I asked, unable to tear my eyes away. Who knew? He might vanish. Poof. Gone. I was back to wondering if I was losing my sanity.
His hand took mine in his, idly playing with our fingers. “Well, I am a freshman at University of North Carolin
a in Wilmington. I guess fate decided we should meet,” he said, completely dodging what I really wanted to know.
I wanted to know how he was even here, flesh and blood. How he was alive?
Fate wouldn’t be so cruel as to have him practically under my nose all these years, right? I had even toured the campus my junior year. That was the university I had chosen to attend next year.
Should I be angry? Should I be overjoyed? Or just awestruck?
If we were still playing the is he real game, then I felt all of the above and a gazillion other emotions I couldn’t identify, until my brain started functioning again. “Umm, that’s not exactly what I meant. How are you alive?”
He looked at me liked I’d grown a third eye. “Don’t you know?”
Duh. If I knew would I be asking? “Know what?”
“I just assumed you knew. You’re a witch,” he whispered, moving in closer to me, avoiding anyone overhearing our conversation. His breath tickled my ear.
I rolled my eyes. “I know I’m a witch. What does that have to do with this?” I asked, gesturing to the two of us standing in the middle of the Farmer’s Market.
He shot me a funny look, as if I was crazy. Maybe he wasn’t that far off, because nothing in my world made sense. “You dreamscape, Brianna,” he said calmly.
“Dreamscape,” I repeated. “Yeah, I know. Am I dreamscaping now?”
His darker brows furrowed together. “No. This is real.”
I shook my head. “It can’t be.” I was thinking he was feeding me a line of crap—teasing me—but I knew Lukas and the expression on his face was stonily serious. This wasn’t a game.
He glanced around the Farmer’s Market. “I think it’s best we have this discussion elsewhere. We should meet tomorrow and talk. It sounds like we have a lot of catching up.”
I was so aggravated by my ignorance that I wanted to scream. Why did everyone around me know what was going on but me? “I can’t tomorrow. I have school.”
He ran a hand through his highlighted hair. “Right, I forgot. How about this weekend? Saturday?” He smiled warmly.
I nodded my head. “Sure, I can meet you Saturday.”
“How about on campus? I could show you around, and we could get something to eat.”
“All right,” I agreed. “That sounds fine.” At this point, I would have met him on the moon, if he’d asked; my mind was so jumbled from seeing him.
Lukas put a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, are you going to be okay?” he asked, scanning my face, which was stripped of color.
I straightened my shoulders and met his concerned gaze. “I’ll be fine. It’s just been an overwhelming week. I-I can’t believe you’re real,” I stuttered.
He grinned at me, with the sun shining at his back. “I’ve waited a long time to see you.” His hand lifted my chin until I looked into his dark green eyes.
I gulped. A memory of us sharing a kiss in one my dreams had my cheeks staining red. I guess best friends don’t kiss, so maybe he was more. Maybe I had feelings for him. In my dreams, it has seemed so harmless, but now… I didn’t know.
“Here, take my number.” He grabbed an old receipt from his pocket, scribbling on the back of it before handing it to me. “Text me Saturday when you’re on your way.”
I took the wrinkly slip from his hand and felt the tiniest surge. Perhaps it was all my own doing, but something told me Lukas wasn’t just a guy. He wasn’t just a college student who I happened to drag into my dreams.
“Okay,” I replied, on autopilot. My voice sounded drained and tired.
“See you soon,” he said. “You could always dream of me.” The grin on his face was playful as he turned and left.
He walked away, weaving around the booths of the market. “I don’t even know how,” I mumbled to myself.
I stared into thin air long after he was gone. A small, elderly lady with a bag of veggies and fruits bumped into me, startling me from my trance. Like a rush, the sounds of the noisy market came back at full speed.
“Pardon me,” said the bird-like woman. “These bags are bigger than me.”
“It’s okay,” I assured. “Do you need help to your car? I was just leaving,” I said.
“Aren’t you the sweetheart? But I’ll manage.” She waddled ahead of me.
I followed behind her, just in case, as we headed to the parking lot. When I got to my car, I put my purchase in the backseat and drove home. As I walked through the front door, I heard the faintest meow from upstairs.
“Lunar!” I exclaimed, my thoughts immediately turning to Gavin. How was I going to explain Lukas? Where did that leave us? I wasn’t sure I wanted anything to change, yet I knew this was the kind of thing that changed everything—another thing that scared me shitless.
I set the bags down in the hall and jogged upstairs to my room. Lunar nudged out his moist pink nose at my entrance. I scooped him up and snuggled against his downy fur, scratching his head. Lunar, who was just as happy to see me, starting purring.
“C’mon on, stinker, let’s go make dinner,” I murmured against his fur, his ears perked up at my voice.
In the kitchen, I started washing and cutting the fresh vegetables I’d bought. Lunar wove in between my legs, making a nuisance of himself and attacked my shoelaces. I couldn’t stop thinking about Lukas: about the kiss we’d shared and all of the intimate details I shared with him. At least I didn’t have to explain Gavin to Lukas. He already knew, thanks to one of my blabbering moments.
How had I gone from having not a single guy look my way to two possible boyfriends? There was no way was I doing a juggling act. But I didn’t know what else to do, for the moment.
Distracted by Lunar’s antics and my mixed-up thoughts, I was being careless. In my absentmindedness, my finger slipped right as I brought the blade down. “Crap!” I stuck my bleeding finger in my mouth, trying to alleviate the sting. It wasn’t the most sanitary action, but that was the least of concerns on my building mountain of problems.
I was lucky; it was just a nick. I ran the wound under the faucet, threw a Band-Aid on, and finished dinner just as Aunt Clara walked in.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” she asked, pushing the hair from my face. She needed to make sure I hadn’t broken out in a fever.
“I’m fine,” I insisted, shaking off her hand.
Lunar meowed at her feet. She bent down and picked up the little black furball, saving me from any more scrutiny. “And who is this little guy?” she asked in a baby voice. Lunar just looked at her with his big, blue eyes.
“That…is trouble. I named him Lunar.”
“Well, Lunar, you are too cute.” She rubbed his belly, and he closed his eyes in appreciation.
“Are you really okay with this?” I asked. I didn’t want to burden her with any more stress or responsibility.
She nodded. “Of course, I thought it was a great idea.” Her expression turned serious as she eyed me. “He cares for you. And I like him.”
I swallowed. Guilt, there it was, swarming into my belly. “I know,” I nodded, quietly keeping my eyes on the floor.
“Hmm, something smells good.” She set Lunar on his feet, and he padded under the table, batting at a loose tie from one of the chair cushions.
Aunt Clara grabbed the plates, and I dished up dinner as we sat down at the table. It wasn’t long before she picked up on my distractedness. I was unusually quiet and kept pushing my rice around my plate in aimless patterns. So much for trying to fake it until I could make it.
Halfway through, she set her food aside. “Brianna, are you going to tell me what’s going on? You’ve been pretending to eat for the last ten minutes.”
I stopped spinning circles with my rice and intentionally shoveled a forkful in my mouth. She lifted a brow, unimpressed by my grand gesture.
Sighing, I tried to find a reasonable explanation for my spacey-ness. “I’m tired. I think I might have overdone it today.” What a lame excuse, but it was all I had. I forced myself to
swallow. “I’ve got so much catching up to do at school tomorrow. I probably should get to bed early.”
That she agreed on, and it got me out of the spotlight. “You go on up to bed; I’ll take care of the dishes.”
I nodded and scooped up a yawning Lunar. We’d both had an exhausting day.
Safely behind closed doors, I dropped the façade, no longer having to pretend I wasn’t having a teenage crisis. It was more than teenage problems—witch problems, maybe. My anxiety was through the roof. Tomorrow was my first day back since the dream incident with Morgana. The loony witch had tried to flatten Gavin with a spell that I had stepped in, taking the full force of her wrath. It had knocked me unconscious, leaving my body battered and bruised. Lily, Gavin’s mom, had given me a potion that had healed most of the aches.
I was going to have to face Gavin tomorrow, and I didn’t know what to say to him. He would undoubtedly pick up on my scattered emotions, but since I wasn’t ready to tell him about Lukas yet, I would have to be an exceptional actress. To make matters worse, his sister, who was also my friend, could read auras. I didn’t even think there was a way to fake those.
I was up shit creek.
There was no way this situation had a positive ending, no matter how I looked at it. Either way, I was going to lose someone.
Chapter 2
GAVIN WAS WAITING FOR ME in the school parking lot. My eyes ran over the length of him, devouring his dark, yummy form. My dark witch. Dressed in his usual black jeans and gray shirt, one of his unlaced boots was crossed over the other as he leaned on his car—eyeing me from top-to-bottom. It sent a parade of fireflies in my belly. I couldn’t help them. Just the sight of him made my heart flip-flop and sigh.
We weren’t technically dating, but neither of us was seeing anyone else…well, sort of. The whole Lukas thing was confusing.