by Teresa Roman
“Well, if she did, Mark never told me,” Katy said. She hesitated before continuing, “I wish I could tell you more, but so much time has passed, and truthfully, I think it’s probably better to leave the past where it is.”
“Don’t worry. I promise I’m not sitting around obsessing about it or anything. I was just curious, that’s all.”
“All right. Well, I better go now, or I’ll be late for work. Call me if you need anything.”
If I was going to get any more answers about my mother, they weren’t going to come from Katy, and I was certain Devin had told me as much as he knew. That left only one other person to ask—my mother. The only problem was that I had no idea how to get to her.
But Devin did, which meant I needed to convince him to take me to her.
Just before five, I got in my car and drove to his house. He wasn’t home yet, so I sat on his stoop and waited. Ten minutes later he drove up to the curb, parked and rushed over to me.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
“Are you worried that my mother’s psycho husband knocked on my door this morning?”
Devin frowned. “That’s not funny.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that this whole thing is so crazy . . .” I felt out of sorts, but composed myself because I had questions that needed answers. I stared into Devin’s eyes. “Do you swear to never lie to me again?”
He nodded and reached for my hands. “On my life.”
“How do I know you’re not lying now, that you’re not just telling me what you know I want to hear?”
Devin cringed. “I don’t know. Perhaps it’s too soon to ask for your trust, but I’ll find a way to earn it back, if you let me.”
I could tell he was full of remorse, but that wasn’t enough to reign in my anger. “You let me think I was losing my mind. Do you know how hard my dad’s funeral was for me? It was bad enough that he died, then to see my mother at the cemetery. I thought she was a ghost or that I’d imagined the whole thing. But you knew she was there. I point blank asked you if you saw a woman and you said no. Did you even care that I thought I was going crazy at my own father’s funeral?”
“Do you think I didn’t know how much pain you were in that day? I didn’t want to make things worse by telling you about your mother on the same day you buried your father.”
“That night when I told you about my dreams and those visions I get—you could’ve told me then.”
Devin shook his head. “You were so upset and scared.”
It was hard to be mad at someone who was already beating himself up. “I get it. Or at least I’m trying to.”
“Tell me what to do.” Devin rested his other hand on my cheek sending shivers through my body. It was only a hand, but the feeling of his skin against mine drove me wild. “Anything you ask for is yours. I’m dying inside, knowing how angry you are with me.”
“I need to ask you some questions.”
“Of course.” He drew back and looked around, his gaze taking on a wary edge. “But not out here. Come inside?”
He unlocked his door, and I followed him indoors. We sat beside each other on the couch.
“You know what those monsters I’ve been seeing are, don’t you?”
Devin nodded. “They’re demons.”
“Demons?’’ I gaped at him, and when he nodded, I said, “Why do I see them when no one else can?”
“The same reason you saw your mother at the funeral when no one else did. Demons exist everywhere, but here, in this world, they disguise themselves using glamour. Easier to prey on people when you don’t look evil.”
“Do all of them look so creepy?”
“No. Lesser demons look more . . . creepy. Greater demons take on a more human appearance, although most have more than one form. They all have those eyes, though.”
I knew exactly what he was talking about. Eyes black as coal, giant orbs of pitch so big that you could barely see the white surrounding it.
“What are they even doing here in Crescent City?”
“Demons exist everywhere, Lilli,” Devin said. “They are in search of souls to feed on and will go wherever they think they can find one, whether it be here in Crescent City or the Wilds; it doesn’t matter to them. And they’re as dangerous as they look. You’ve seen what they can do in your dreams.”
“They kill witches in my dreams.”
“Sometimes that’s what they do, and sometimes they harm us in a totally different way. It’s because they want to rule the worlds, and witches are the ones standing in their way. If the Wilds ever falls into the hands of demons, this world will be next. It’s ironic if you think about it. Witches hate humans, and yet we’re the ones keeping them from being overrun with demons.”
“That’s just great,” I muttered. As if seeing demons didn’t freak me out enough already.
“The strange thing is that, even though you can see through demon glamour, it doesn’t appear that any of them have ever recognized you as a witch. I’m certain if they did they would’ve approached you wanting to know what you were doing here. Witches don’t venture into the human world often.”
I frowned. “That’s never happened.”
“I’m grateful for that, not just because demons are vile, tricky creatures, but because if one of them recognized you as Naiara’s daughter the way I did, you’d be in danger.”
“You act like my mother is some sort of celebrity back in the Wilds,” I said sarcastically.
Devin smiled. “I suppose in some ways she is. Not only because she descends from a long line of powerful witches, but because of her beauty and the mystery that surrounds her. People still talk of her disappearance all those years ago.”
“You said we look alike.”
“You do, very much.”
“So does that mean you think I’m beautiful, too?”
“I can’t believe you don’t already know,” Devin replied, surprised. “It’s a shame you can’t read my thoughts.”
He’d told me I was beautiful more than once, but that was before all this madness. When it came to us, I was no longer sure what was real and what wasn’t. “Well, I can’t. That’s why I asked.” I bit on my lower lip to distract myself. It was almost painful being so close to Devin, but, at the same time, I wanted to reach out and pull him even closer.
He grasped my hands, closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again to look at me. “You’re all I think about, night and day. Being around you makes me feel alive in a way I never have before. Everywhere I go, I see your face, like it’s seared into my mind. I feel your touch on my skin, and your scent lingers on everything you’ve touched. I imagine ways to bring a smile to your face, and I dream that one day maybe you might feel a fraction of the way I do.”
“Devin, I . . .” I could hardly breathe, much less figure out how to respond.
He put a finger to my lips. “You don’t have to say anything.”
Looking into his eyes made me feel weak. “Yes, I do,” I began, and then I realized he was right. I didn’t need to say anything. Instead, I inched closer, hoping he’d kiss me again. He reached for me, threading his hands through my hair as he pulled me even closer and pressed his lips on mine.
Lost in his kiss, I realized again what I’d known from the first day I’d met Devin; he made everything better. In the few months that I’d known him, I’d lost my father, found out my dead mother was actually alive and married to a man who would kill me if he knew I existed. I’d learned that magic was real, and that I was a witch. Despite all of it, having Devin in my life made me feel like everything would be all right.
“Lilli, are you sure?” Devin whispered into my ear. “Are you sure this is how you feel?”
I looked into his eyes. “Yes. I’m sure.”
He kissed me again before resting his back against one of the couch’s arms. I swung my legs off the floor and curled up against him. He wrapped an arm around me. As I pressed my head to his chest I could feel it rise and fall with eac
h breath he took and hear the beating of his heart. The rhythm of it comforted me.
“Devin,” I said after a while, interrupting the perfect silence between us. “There’s one more thing I need to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Ever since you told me about my mother, I can’t stop thinking about her. I have so many questions.”
“I knew you would. That’s one of the reasons I hesitated telling you the truth.”
“I’m glad you did, though.” I took a deep breath and searched for the right words to make Devin understand. “Because at least I now know that I’m not crazy. You have no idea how hard it was thinking that all these years. And I’ve always felt like the story Katy told me about my mother just disappearing couldn’t be right. Everyone believed she died. I did, too, but I somehow knew there had to be more to it. But . . . even after everything you told me, I still have more questions—questions only my mother can answer.”
Devin looked at me quizzically. “What are you getting at?”
I gathered my thoughts, which was not easy to do when all I wanted was for him kiss me again. “Besides that teleporting thingy you and my mother did, is there another way to get to the Wilds?”
“There is.” Devin paused. “Why are you asking?”
“Because I want you to take me to her.”
He shook his head. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”
“So . . . when can we go?”
“Lilli, I would do anything for you.” He looked away. I clasped the sides of his face, forcing him to meet my gaze. “Anything except what you’re asking for right now.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s too dangerous. If something were to happen to you . . .”
I pressed on, in spite of the fear that crossed his face. “I don’t care.”
“Don’t do this.”
The look in his eyes shook me. It wasn’t the first time I felt like drowning in him, but now, knowing he wanted me, too, the walls I’d built to keep him out crumbled. I reached for him, wanting and needing at the same time, feeling like I couldn’t breathe if I didn’t taste him again. His lips parted making room for me to deepen the kiss as he snaked his hands through my hair. Heat poured from his body into mine.
“What have you done to me?” he whispered.
I gave him a shaky smile.
Devin rested his forehead against mine and smoothed my hair as he spoke. “You’ve made me so completely yours.”
“Really?” I leaned away from him, taking a deep breath and trying not to let the ecstasy I felt at that moment show. “Well, if that’s true, then you’ll do what I asked—you’ll take me to my mother?”
Devin eyes fluttered closed for a second. “And if I say no again?”
“You don’t understand. I have to talk to her, and one way or another I’ll figure out how to make it happen.”
“This isn’t a good idea. You don’t know what you’re asking.”
“You owe me.” It was a low blow, but I was desperate. Before Devin could turn me down again I pleaded, “It’s what I need to do.”
“I suppose that means I have no other choice then.” He sighed and shook his head. Despite the defeat in his voice I couldn’t help but feel a little excited. “I’ll take you to the Wilds on one condition.”
“What condition?”
“That you promise to listen to me and do as I ask,” he said. “And we leave only after you let me take you out on a proper date.”
“A proper date?” I smiled at his phrasing. “Yes. I think I can agree to that.”
Chapter 14
Apparently, I had a lot to learn before our journey to the Wilds, so Devin refused to tell me exactly when we’d be leaving. On our next day off from work together, we spent the afternoon at the beach, where the plan was for me to start learning more about the world I was about to step in to.
The overcast weather meant we had the beach practically to ourselves. I spread a blanket down on the sand and sat beside Devin.
“Come here,” he said, patting his lap. I lay on my back with my head on Devin’s thighs and stared up at the sky while he raked his fingers through my hair. “I wish you’d change your mind about having me take you to the Wilds.”
I turned onto my side and looked up at him. “Well, I haven’t.”
“Going to the Wilds isn’t a good idea. If the wrong person sees you, we’ll both be dead.”
“By the wrong person, you mean Zoran?”
“Or someone who decides to tell him about you.”
“I wonder what kind of bounty information on me would earn. Must be a lot if someone was willing to sacrifice me like that.”
“It’s not so much money, but Zoran’s favor that’s hard for some to pass up. He’s a powerful witch. Quite a few witches are eager for an opportunity to earn his approval. And, well, things are different in the Wilds. The rules we live by aren’t the same as the ones here.”
“But why would he want us both dead?”
“Me for knowing you existed and not telling him, you for being the child Naiara had with another man. And not just any man, but a human. I told you before witches regard humans as their enemy.”
“Why is that?”
“You’ve heard about the witch trials, haven’t you?”
“Yeah. What about them?”
“They really did happen. And it was our ancestors who were killed during that time.”
My dreams.
“I dreamt about them,” I said, recalling the fear those dreams had instilled in me as a child.
“The witch trials occurred after enough people became afraid of what magic could do, and it’s the reason we live in the Wilds now and not here among humans. It’s also the reason witches hate humans so much.”
Things started to make more sense. “Devin.” Anxious, I sat up and drew my knees to my chest. “I don’t want to put you in danger.”
“Don’t even think about suggesting you go on your own,” he said. “Besides, I have a plan.” He must have noticed the doubt in my eyes. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“What’s this plan of yours?”
“We’ll head to the Wilds after midnight . . .”
“How are we going to get there?”
“I was just about to get to that part,” Devin scolded.
I didn’t mean to interrupt him, but I was nervous and impatient at the same time. “We walk. At least part of the way. There are no cars in the Wilds. It’s the only way to get there.”
“You mean someone can walk into the Wilds, just like that? No magic needed?”
“You and I can walk into the Wilds, but no, a regular human cannot. Magic keeps them away, turning whoever gets close to our lands back around in another direction. The paths that bring people from this world into ours are hard to find. They’re always in the middle of nowhere, hidden deep in mountains and forests. Less chance of being seen slipping out of this part of the world and into the Wilds that way.”
“There isn’t an easier way to get there?” I wasn’t sure how I felt about trekking through the woods after midnight.
“You’ll just have to trust that I know what I’m doing.”
“Okay. Finish telling me your plan then.”
“Once we get to the Wilds I’ll take you to Rayden’s . . .”
“Who’s Rayden?”
“Haven’t I mentioned him before?”
The name sounded familiar. Devin had talked about him before. “He’s my closest friend, and he’s family. Your family. He and Naiara are first cousins.”
I’d been so focused on my mother still being alive that I hadn’t thought about whether or not she had any relatives. The thought of it excited me.
“It will be the dead of night when we reach Rayden’s home, but in the morning he can find your mother and make up a reason for her to visit. I don’t imagine it will take very long to get your questions answered, and after you do, we’ll return after dark the sa
me way we came.” His face clouded. “I worry that it will be difficult for the two of you to part ways again, but we won’t have a choice. Are you sure you want to go through that?”
I hesitated, then nodded. “What happens after we come back here?” I said.
Devin smiled and reached for one of my hands. “We live happily ever after.” He pulled me toward him and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, landing a soft kiss on the side of my head and inhaling my scent.
Somehow, I formed a coherent thought. “Wouldn’t it be easier if you just taught me how to teleport?”
When Devin had first told me about being a witch, the thought scared me, but over the past few days I’d begun to like the idea. It bugged me that I couldn’t do magic the way Devin could. I’d easily trade away my frightening dreams and ability to see through magical glamour for the ability to do something special. It was yet another question I wanted to ask my mother—why didn’t I have any powers?
“Yes. It would make things a lot easier, but too much could go wrong and we don’t have enough time to practice before we leave. Unless you want to postpone this trip.”
“No.”
Devin sighed. “I wonder who you got your stubbornness from.”
“Maybe my mother?” I looked up at him with a grin.
“She’s never struck me as stubborn. You’re like her in other ways, though. Quiet, reserved, thoughtful.”
My dad was like that, too. I’d always assumed I got those traits from him. “What else is she like?”
“What do you want to know?”
Ever since Devin had told me that the woman I saw at Dad’s funeral was really my mother and not a ghost I’d wondered something. “When I saw my mother at the funeral it was only for a few seconds, but she looked so young. I think that’s another reason I thought she was a ghost. She looked just like the picture I have of her, and that must have been taken over eighteen years ago. How come she hasn’t changed at all?”
“Lie down and I’ll tell you.” I settled my head and shoulders against his chest, staring into his mesmerizing sea green eyes as he spoke. “We witches are mortals, but we live long lives, so we age more slowly.”
“Exactly how long are we talking?”