Catalyst (A Tethered Novel)

by Jennifer Snyder

  I tipped my glass back and chugged its contents in a matter of seconds while she continued to tug on my arm. The alcohol burned my throat, and I swore if I hiccupped I’d probably puke it all back up, but I needed to get some alcohol in my system if I was going to dance.

  “Damn, that was hot!” Kace grinned from beside me.

  “You haven’t seen anything yet,” I said as I handed off my empty cup to him, thankful he’d poured me a strong drink to start with.

  The warmth of the alcohol warmed me from the inside as I let Callie lead the way to the stone dance floor. Some rap song thumped through the speakers, and Callie began to shake her hips in time with the beat as we made our way to the center. For being as shy and timid as she appeared, the girl sure had some moves. Callie’s brunette hair was everywhere once we’d made it to a spot that seemed suitable to her. I laughed at the weird face she made while she moved her body to the beat, giving herself over to the pulse of the music—mind, body, and soul.

  I swayed my hips and threw my arms in the air, letting the energy of the night mix with the liveliness from those around me and sweep through me, infused by the alcohol swimming through my veins. I let the music, the moment, take me over, pulling me in as it stripped everything except right now away and blocked it all from my mind. I gave in and let myself be free.

  When the song changed, hands gripped my hips from behind, and I leaned into the person behind me, knowing already who it was without having to turn and see.

  “I love watching you, but all it does is make me want to touch you,” Kace whispered against my ear, his breath hot and smelling strongly of alcohol.

  I smiled and closed my eyes as I slid my body against his. Delicious heat rushed across my skin as Kace slipped his thumbs beneath my shirt and caressed the skin of my stomach. The more we touched, the more the hot tingles beneath my skin unfurled and spread throughout my body, flooding my mind with an overwhelming need to melt into him further. I was glad when the song ended, because I didn’t know how long I could keep from dry humping him like some of the others around us seemed to be doing. That was just plain embarrassing, didn’t they realize that?

  “I need another drink,” I said, standing on my tippy-toes to reach his ear.

  “Me too.” He nodded, his eyes hooded by lust. He licked his plump lips and shook his head. “And a bit of a break, if we’re planning on staying here any longer.” He cast a sideways glance at me and grinned like a fool with one brow raised.

  He was asking if I wanted to leave now without actually saying the words.

  “Oh, yes, we are planning on staying a little bit longer,” I said.

  As much as I wanted to head back to my house and get in bed with him, I was having a blast here and wasn’t ready to call it a night just yet.

  We danced for hours before we decided to leave the raging party and head back through the narrow pathway that cut through the woods back to my house.

  “Keys, please.” I held out my hand to Kace, remembering I’d given them to him before we’d left.

  He crossed his arms over his wide chest and leaned against the house with a cocky grin twisting his lips. “You know where I put them. Why don’t you fish them out?”

  I glared at him for a moment before I reached my hand into his front pocket for them.

  “Woo, yeah baby. That’s the spot,” he whispered in that low, sexy voice of his that made my heart flutter.

  I laughed and smacked him playfully once I’d found my keys. “Oh my God.”

  “What, was it not as good for you?” He smirked. “Let’s head inside and fix that then.”

  He was smooth. I had to give him credit there. We stumbled inside, and I closed the door and locked it behind us. I started flipping lights on and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water, but Kace had other ideas. He whirled me around, forcing me backward. He pinned me between his body and the banister of the stairs. My breath rushed from my lungs in surprise as his sudden movements startled me. His head dipped to the curve of my neck where his lips trailed along the sensitive skin there.

  “I’ve been waiting for this all night,” he whispered, his hot breath making my skin erupt in goose bumps.

  I ran my hands up his biceps and over his shoulders, before splaying one hand against the back of his head and intertwining my fingers within his hair. Kace’s lips slowly moved up my neck, making their way to my lips, and I closed my eyes, lost in the feeling of him. He slid one hand down my hip and around to cup my rear. I opened my eyes in surprise as he hoisted me up like I weighed nothing and began to ascend the stairs. Wrapping my legs tightly around him, I laughed.

  “You have got to be kidding me!” I chuckled. “Oh my God, please don’t fall down the stairs!”

  “Relax. I’ve got this, trust me,” he said in a surprisingly even tone as he tightened his grip on my ass.

  He carried me into my room and dropped me on the bed with one swift motion. I bounced up and giggled hysterically, but not for long. Kace forced his mouth down on mine, nipping my bottom lip in an effort to get my attention once more. I opened my mouth and knotted my arms around his neck, pulling him on top of me as I lay back against the bed. His tongue darted into my mouth to brush against mine, and I heard myself sigh loudly.

  Kace’s lips began exploring my jawline, down my neck, until he paused at my collarbone to lick and kiss awhile there. I tipped my head back, enjoying the feel of his warm kisses as the magick swam through me at the same time. This must be what people felt when they had sex on ecstasy, I thought to myself while I closed my eyes.

  Kace’s hand pulled at the edges of my shirt as he lifted it up, exposing my bare stomach beneath. My eyes shot open at the feel of his tongue slipping around my belly button slowly, but instead of seeing the white popcorn ceiling above my bed, my eyes focused on something else entirely.

  A red creature had attached itself to the ceiling above my bed. It gazed down at the two of us with wide, black eyes and a gruesome smile.

  I screamed, and Kace jumped off me, startled.

  “What? What’s the matter?” he asked as his eyes darted around the room.

  I slid off the bed and cowered on the floor. With my back pressed against the bed, I pointed to the ceiling, too afraid to look at the thing again.

  “Up there,” I whispered.

  “What, where? I don’t see anything,” Kace said. “Was it a spider or something?”

  How could he not see it? It had been huge and red! I took in a deep breath and held it as I opened my eyes to see if the thing was still there. It wasn’t. There was nothing there. It was the same old white popcorn ceiling that had always been there. There wasn’t even a smudge left against it from where the red creature—which looked as though it had been made of muscles with no skin—had been perched.

  “I…I don’t know where it went,” I stuttered as I stood up and glanced around the room, frantically looking for the thing. “It was right there. I don’t get it,” I said, pointing to the spot above the bed.

  My mind whirled. Had I had that much to drink? So much I was seeing stuff? I didn’t think so.

  “What was?” Kace asked, his brows drawn together in concern.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know what it was, but it was not a spider, I can tell you that.”

  “I don’t know,” he said in a defeated tone.

  “Me either,” I said as I wrapped my arms tightly around myself.

  Kace came to where I stood and placed his hands on my hips. “Well, there’s nothing there now.”

  “But there was.”

  “Maybe you imagined it…the alcohol and everything…” he suggested.

  Tiny tendrils of anger unfurled inside of me, even though this was something I had thought only moments before. “I’m not imagining it and I’m not that drunk. I saw something. Something made of red…some kind of a creature.”

  He smirked at me. “A creature made of red? Seriously?”

  He thought I was joking, I could tell. Go
d, how I wished I was.

  “I can’t explain it, okay? I don’t know what it was, but it freaked me the fuck out.”

  The smile fell from his face. “All right. How about we head downstairs then and watch a little TV?”

  “Okay.” I stood and let him lead me out of my room and toward the stairs.

  I woke the next morning on the couch, entangled with Kace and his long limbs. One of his hands draped over my hip while the other was pressed against my backside like he’d been trying to cop a feel in his sleep. Our legs were tangled together in a near pretzel-like state. The TV had been replaying the main menu screen for the movie In Time for who knew how long, and from the amount of sunlight seeping in from behind the sheer curtains, I knew it had to be way past the time I was supposed to be up so I could get ready for work without rushing.

  Focusing on adjusting myself, so I could get a good amount of leverage and slip out from beneath Kace without waking him, I missed Binks entering the room. He hopped up on the coffee table in front of me, knocking over a half-full glass of water from the night before and nearly making me jump right out of my skin. Kace jerked awake and bolted straight up into a sitting position behind me.

  “What, what happened? Are you okay?” he asked, concerned, his voice heavy with sleep.

  I laughed at the situation. “Yeah, I’m fine. Binks just scared the crap out of me. Sorry.”

  Kace flung himself back down on the couch, rubbing his face with his hands. “Guess you’re still a little jumpy from last night, huh?”

  I’d forgotten about last night. At Kace’s reminder, images of the creepy red thing attached to the ceiling above my bed flashed through my mind. “I guess so.”

  Binks jumped from the coffee table directly onto me, his nails digging into my hip. “Ouch! Jesus, you’ve got some nails.” I gently pushed him off and sat up.

  “Ah, my head is killing me. What time is it?” Kace grumbled.

  “I don’t know, but I have to work today.” I stood and started for the kitchen to see. “Eight fifty-two,” I said, glancing at the little clock that hung just beside the back door in the kitchen.

  Great, I had one hour to get ready for work on a morning when I felt like I needed four. Why had I thought partying was such a great idea last night?

  After taking a quick shower, I stood in the bathroom getting dressed. A noise outside the door caught my attention. It sounded like the clacking of nails against hardwood floor. I knew the noise well; it was the most annoying thing about spending the night at Vera’s—the sound of her black lab Boo’s extremely long nails tapping against the hardwood floor throughout her house. This noise sounded exactly the same.

  I cracked the bathroom door open enough for my head to hang out so I could see what it was. Kace had just walked up the last step, holding something in his hand while he chewed on something else.

  “Hey, thought you might want something to eat before you head out. There wasn’t much in your kitchen, but I did manage to find some bread for toast and a little jar of peanut butter.” He smiled as he handed me the peanut butter toast.

  “Did you hear something?” I whispered. Images of the nails the thing from last night must have had flooded my mind and made fear prickle across my skin.

  “Nope, why?”

  I opened the bathroom door all the way and took the toast from him. “Where’s Binks at?”

  “Downstairs eating the scoop of food I just gave him. What did you hear?”

  “I don’t know. It sounded like something with nails was walking in the hallway.”

  My stomach rolled and my heart jumped to my throat. What the hell was going on? Had that protection spell not worked and someone had sent something else after me?

  Kace looked around. “I don’t see anything.”

  I shook my head, shaking away the crazy thoughts that congested my mind, and took a bite of the toast Kace had made me. “Thanks for breakfast.”

  “Not a problem.” He grinned, but there was a look of worry swirling in the depths of his crazy blue eyes.

  I plastered on a smile and realized I should probably keep my next insane encounter with this imaginary creature to myself, or else he was going to think there was something seriously wrong with me.

  The bell above the door to Spellbinding Reads chimed as I entered. I stepped inside and walked all the way to the back of the store, ready to put my purse in the back room and begin my shift.

  “Good morning,” Admer called from somewhere to my left.

  I cringed, hoping he wouldn’t take notice that I was technically five minutes late getting here, at least that was what my cell phone clock said.

  “Morning. I’m going to set my stuff in the back. Do you need any help over there after?” I asked.

  “Absolutely. This novel came out today, and I didn’t get a chance to make room for it yesterday on the shelves beforehand.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek. It felt awkward to be here now that I knew it had been my grandmother’s shop. But that wasn’t what really bothered me, what bothered me most was that Admer knew who I was—what I was—and yet he’d said nothing. Why? I wanted to ask, but how do you even broach a subject like that? This was where Vera’s flat-out boldness and blunt way of speaking came in handy. Too bad I didn’t have even an ounce of either of those things inside of me.

  Setting my purse on the desk in the back room, I glanced at the photo hanging on the wall beside it. My grandmother seemed happy, as if she were the type who was always happy. Why had my mother left her? Left all of this? Including me? I reached out and touched the picture, caressing my grandmother’s cheek.

  “Would you grab that…?”Admer began and then stopped once he saw what I was doing. I jumped and stumbled backward slightly, busting the side of my hip against the desk. “I didn’t realize you were having a moment in here. A little jumpy today, are we? I was just going to ask you to grab the box over there on top of that stack before you come out.”

  “I wasn’t, I mean…I was, but now I’m finished. And yeah, I am feeling a little jumpy today.” I turned away from the picture and headed toward the stack of boxes he’d pointed to.

  “Why is that?” he asked, seeming a little too concerned.

  “Just being in that house alone, I guess.”

  “Noises from old houses can play tricks on the mind.”

  “If you knew my grandmother, then did you know my mother too?” The words flew from my lips in a rush before I could stop them. Of course he knew my mother.

  “I did,” Admer admitted without hesitation, even though my question was incredibly random. His voice was smooth, but seemed devoid of any real emotion.

  I turned to face him, shaken, and narrowed my eyes. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  His deep green eyes locked on mine. “Because I didn’t know how much you knew about your biological family, and I didn’t want to upset you. I wanted you to be the one to ask if there was anything of significance you sought to know. And now you have. Is there anything else in particular you’d like to know?”

  I thought for a moment. “What was she like, my mom?”

  A distant gleam entered his eyes as though he were remembering a vivid image of her. “Beautiful, powerful, determined…she was everything I ever dreamed of.” He swallowed hard, and I wondered if they’d been close before she left. “You look so much like her.”

  I smiled slightly at the knowledge. “I’ve never even seen a picture of her.”

  Admer closed his eyes. “That’s sad.”

  “Why did she give me up? Do you know?”

  “Something spooked her, something to do with—” He cut himself off then and raised his eyes to meet mine. Skepticism pooled in the depths of them as he stared at me, but so did something else, something that resembled a spark of interest. “Have you…do you know about who you are…what you are? I saw Kace pick you up the other day, so I assume you do. Am I assuming right?” He seemed to choose his words carefully while he continued to s
tare at me.

  I nodded. “I know about being an Elemental.” The words were thick as they came from my mouth. It seemed weird to say them out loud.

  Relief crossed his features for the briefest of moments. “Good.”

  “What spooked her? Was it something magickal?”

  “She never told me exactly. We all wondered, but each of us swore she never mentioned a word about why she wanted to leave.”

  “We?” I asked, wondering how many were in their group. Was it always four, or could there be more?

  “Yes, we. There was a group of us,” he answered, but didn’t tell me as much as I hoped for.

  “How many were there?”

  “Five.”

  I furrowed my brows. “How did that work? Some of you had to be the same element.”

  “Myself and another wielded the same element. Once we were all initiated, the size of our group didn’t matter. As long as there were always four elements present at the time of any magickal use, all of us could join in.”

  I thought about what he’d said. “But, wouldn’t that make your magick unbalanced or something?”

  “Smart girl.” A twisted smile formed on his face, and he stared at me as though I were the most intriguing thing he’d seen in a while. “Some had this fear. Others of us didn’t mind.”

  “Were you close with my mother, then? Did she care about that?” I asked.

  Maybe that had been her driving force to leave—that she was worried about a balance being upset. A lot of the books I’d read had that as a rule of sorts. Then again, that was fiction. This was real. Insanely real.

  “I tried to be close with her, quite a few times actually, but she was with someone else.” His lips drew together, forming a thin line as he dropped his gaze to the floor. “As for if she cared about the balance of our magick, I can’t say really, because I don’t know.”

  Awkwardness filled the tiny office, crushing me from all sides. He’d obviously liked my mother, and she’d either given him the run around or flat-out turned him down. From the sounds of it, it seemed like more than once too.