The Awakening

by Elle Wolcott

  Within a fraction of a second, I found myself under his spell. His touch, his taste; it was knowingly the most pleasurable moment of the entire month. Actually, the entire year.

  “I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” he whispered as he pulled back. He leaned in and kissed me once more. Taking my hand, he said, “Come inside.”

  He led me into the living room, dark and cool, and clicked on a lamp. I sat on the sofa and waited for him as he closed the front door.

  “Where is everyone?”

  “They went to my grandparents’ house for the night.”

  “Why didn’t you go?”

  Cole twisted his hands together and then settled into a crossed-arm pose. “I wasn’t feeling too well this afternoon.”

  Of course, you weren’t.

  “Cole, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you,” I said just as quick as I could think it. “I mean, I did… but I didn’t really understand it.”

  “It’s okay,” he said as he neared me. Sliding his hand through his hair, he sat down beside me. “I’m guessing you understand things a little better or you wouldn’t have come.”

  “Yeah, I spent the whole night reading those books my aunt has been telling me to read for years.”

  “If only you had listened,” he grinned.

  “Not funny.” We both laughed, though, and it was the first moment since his return that things felt normal between us. I was suddenly at ease and comfortable with him and everything. Of course, he couldn’t let me enjoy it for long.

  “You know what I am?”

  I nodded.

  “Then you know we can’t be alone together anymore.”

  “Why not?”

  “Irene,” he sort of rolled his eyes.

  “Why, because of some guy I’ve never met?”

  “It’s more than that and you know it.”

  Cole had turned forward and crossed his arms again. He was cold and rigid, distant from me in a matter of seconds.

  “This is my choice, you know. I get to decide whether I stay here or go to Frostmoor with the others.”

  “The dragons,” he said plainly.

  “Yeah, the dragons.”

  “You know, my people—if you want to call them that—have an island too.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. It’s nice, has a beautiful cliffside—”

  I cut him off. “With big waves and an endless cerulean ocean?”

  “How do you know?”

  “And the sun…”

  “Have you been there?” his brow pressed deep.

  “Um,” I hesitated to say more. My big mouth was about to get me into trouble. If Dylan was worried about Tristan, then I was sure Cole would be too. “Not exactly.”

  “Did someone show you the island?”

  I didn’t like his cautious tone. It worried me, gave me butterflies. I decided to make sense of it another way.

  “Part of me being a dragon is that I’m a seer.” His eyes scanned me over. “I just recently started to have visions. Well, I’ve had one vision. But my dreams are kinda weird too. Always have been.”

  “I didn’t realize there were different types of dragons.”

  The honesty in his voice was adorable. I could tell how new he was to the whole magic thing like me.

  “I don’t really have any books on faeries though. The only important thing I know is how you survive.” I chewed on my lip for a second hoping he’d pick up and start talking. The silence started to eat at me though, so I kept on going. “How you feed on humans.”

  “On anything,” he corrected.

  “But, not your own kind.”

  “Yeah,” he faced me nodding. “Anything.”

  “The books didn’t say—”

  “Irene, I’ve been fed upon. I’ve been winded to the point of exhaustion. I’ve needed to be healed.”

  “As a faerie?”

  Cole shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say after that. I sat back and slouched into the big plush sofa and the weight of the day finally hit me. I just wanted to close my eyes and go to sleep.

  “I can’t let you stay,” he leaned forward and sighed. “I can manipulate you, hunt you, wind you… and you can’t resist me.”

  I sat up. “It’s not like that was my goal.”

  “Don’t be mad.”

  “I think I’m just tired.”

  I got to my feet and then remembered the night he came home. When I stood up and lost my balance and everything felt surreal. And I realized why.

  “You were entrancing me, weren’t you?”

  “Just now?”

  “No, the night you came home. Is that why I almost fainted?”

  He arched his brow softly and nodded. I could tell he didn’t want me to know.

  “I’m still new to this, but I will never knowingly hurt you,” he swore.

  And unknowingly?

  “I’m sorry for that night. I hadn’t fed in almost a whole week.”

  “How are you… feeding, anyway? Do you just pick whomever and then make them forget?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “But you could.”

  His eyes sharpened in thought, directly pinning me still. I blinked quick and turned away.

  “I’m not… Irene, please,” I could hear him get up. “I’m not going to entrance you. I’m good right now.” His hand gently gripped my arm as he turned me to face him. “I wouldn’t have let you in if I was hungry.”

  “Hungry?”

  “It’s like hunger, the feeling that I get when I need to find essence. It doesn’t come from my gut, though. It’s from all over, deep inside, almost like there’s an emptiness that I can never quite fill.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t have to be,” he smiled. “I chose this. I put myself in a position for this to happen, and now this is who I am.”

  I nodded, then yawned and stretched.

  “So, why did you come over tonight?”

  “I had to see it—to see you for myself. And get some answers the books didn’t have.”

  “I can’t say I know much more than the experts,” he grinned.

  “I wouldn’t call them experts.”

  “Well, what did you want to know about?”

  “I mean, I don’t know now,” I felt my face warm. “What’s your element?”

  Cole smiled. “Fire.”

  “Fire?” I could just imagine it. His intensity, the charm, the way he strutted around like he owned everything his eyes landed on. I wanted to applaud nature for a wise choice.

  “I feel it,” he opened his hands and stretched his fingers. The veins in his wrists plumped in the dimly lit space. “It’s in my blood. The warmth rushing through me, giving me life.”

  “I wish I could feel it,” I whispered. “I mean… my element is water.” He looked at me like me having water as my element made perfect sense. “It’s not in my veins, or in anything. I’ve barely started to do anything with it.”

  Cole stepped back and grinned at me with a devilish glare in his eyes.

  “What?”

  “Did you come here to see what I could do?”

  “No,” I laughed it off. But once he mentioned it, I almost wanted to ask.

  Cole licked his lips and then faced the fireplace. With a snap of his fingers, a flame, brilliantly orange and warm like a summer day, shot into existence. I gasped in delight. It was pure magic! And it was every bit as thrilling as I had dreamed.

  “There’s more, but that's good for now,” he teased.

  “It’s incredible!”

  “This is who I am now,” he spoke in a serious tone. “I'm a fire faerie. My magic is a symbol of creativity and survival. But it also poses a threat. Especially to you.”

  I cleared my throat and popped on my toes for a second. He was right. He could easily hurt me, feed upon me, use me in ways I couldn't even think about right then. My cheeks warmed further, an
d I briefly looked to the door for relief. I had to leave soon. Cole’s intensity made me really, really want to stay.

  Changing the subject, I asked, “When will Lydia get back?”

  “She drove herself because of class tomorrow. She’s going right to the school, I think. Our parents, though, are heading out for Italy tomorrow.”

  “Italy?”

  “Yeah, dad’s got another venture, you know.”

  “Right.”

  Cole licked his lips again and all I could think about was that kiss from earlier. I wanted to feel his lips on mine, to jump into his arms and have him hold me tight.

  And so I did.

  I launched into his arms so fast I barely let myself think it over. Besides, I would have talked myself out of it otherwise.

  Grabbing his lush hair by the handful, I kissed him like there was no tomorrow. The fire rose tall and crackled beside us. His hands trailed up my arms and I relaxed at his touch, letting his tongue taste my lips the way I’d dreamed.

  Well, until he pushed me away.

  “No,” he insisted, stepping back as little orbs of reddish light emerged from thin air.

  “What are these?” I couldn't stop smiling. I had seen Caleb’s magic firsthand, but at the time, I didn't know what he was. Seeing Cole's magic right there, close enough to touch, made me feel like I was on cloud nine.

  “Don't,” he practically scolded me, taking my hands tightly into his own before I could feel the spheres of energy for myself.

  Whispering, I apologized. It was so quiet there in his big empty house.

  Cole closed his eyes until the orbs diminished from sight. A coolness hit the air as the fire went to ash. My whole body shivered but my hands were incredibly warm inside his.

  “I think you should go.”

  “You told me you weren't… hungry.”

  “This is a different kind of hunger.”

  I understood him. He wasn’t after my essence, and there was no telling how strong his faerie nature was, or how far he’d go to get what he truly desired. Especially since it would be easy for him to entrance me with one look.

  “Okay,” I nodded.

  He gently let go of my hands and I stepped away from him. At the door, I turned around.

  “You want to go for coffee tomorrow? Or maybe just hang out?”

  He sighed. “I think it's best that I stay away from you for a little while.”

  “Why? Because of what just happened?”

  “I can't risk hurting you.”

  “But you won't.”

  He crossed his arms and looked away from me. I could see that I didn't have a choice; he'd already made up his mind.

  “Okay. If that’s what you want.”

  His eyes traced across the room, and then back to me and my nervous habit of chewing on my lips.

  “It is.”

  It was a lie. I could see it in his eyes. He didn't want to stay away from me, but he must have thought he wouldn’t be able to control his urges. The only way I could help him was to do as he wished.

  So, I gave a nod and then opened the door.

  “Let me know when you’re ready. I’ll be waiting,” I said, and then left.

  Chapter Twelve

  By the time I got home, it had begun to rain. I was so tired, but also strung out. I couldn’t think about going inside and sleeping or resting or letting anything leave my mind. It was all just too much.

  Of course, my wonderful brother was there to keep me going.

  “Were you with him?”

  “You have some nerve.”

  I passed by him on the porch and went inside.

  “Irene, you have no idea how serious this is,” he lectured as he followed me in.

  I turned around and yelled at him. Well, I didn’t raise my voice, but I should have. “Then tell me. Tell me how serious this all is, because I get the feeling you know a lot more about me than I do.”

  When he sighed—without even trying to say a word—I walked away.

  “You know, it wasn’t easy for me either,” he followed me to the kitchen. “No one told me about any of this until it started to happen.”

  “Sounds familiar,” I muttered.

  I got a glass of water from the faucet and turned around to face him.

  “No, it’s nothing like what you’re experiencing. My entire body transitions into something bigger and stronger than my mortal form. You’ll never know what that feels like.”

  That answered the question of whether my brother was a warrior or not.

  “You didn’t have to go through it alone.”

  “Yes, I did,” he achingly laughed at me. “No one can take away the pain. It’s something I have to endure until I don’t hurt anymore. That’s the wild beast, that’s what nature has cursed us with.”

  I wasn’t sure what to say. I just kept thinking about him turning into something larger than life. “Does it still hurt?”

  He slowly shook his head. “I’ve gotten used to it now.”

  I tapped the glass in thought and the water started to swirl like a hurricane. Dylan touched my hand and I sighed, and the water settled.

  “Don’t worry about me. Focus on what you have to do.”

  “And what’s that? It’d be nice if someone could just be clear about it all. I mean, you’re my brother. What happened to us? We’ve always been close.”

  Dylan stepped back and leaned on the counter and crossed his arms. He drew in a long breath of air and then looked at me. “I’ve been there. To Frostmoor.”

  “You have?”

  “When my magic started to take form, Aunt Cressa contacted the Lord’s Guards. They came and offered me a week in the Manor, and guidance on transitioning.”

  I wasn’t sure where to begin. He had just laid out so many things that needed clarification.

  “Wait, who are the Lord’s Guards?”

  “A bunch of highly-trained men and women who fight for the Lord during battle. I guess they also serve him, or support him… It’s a little hazy really. There’s this whole royal system that’s not entirely royal,” he shook his head.

  “Ok, and the Manor?”

  “It’s like a little version of an old-fashioned castle. Heavy gray stones, elaborate woodwork, lots of fireplaces. And not an ounce of electricity.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah, it felt like I had time traveled.”

  I scratched my brow. “When did you go?”

  “I first transitioned three years ago.”

  “The year mom died?”

  “A few months after.” He lowered his head for a second. “My magic was always there, sort of lurking around,” he smiled. “I could feel something, and I could do a few things, but it was never strong or truly mine. It was like nature was still testing me I guess.”

  “But how did you know?”

  “I started to feel it, like, all the time. In my veins, in my thoughts, when I woke up, when I worked. It became constant, and my magic grew with each day. That winter, when mom died, Aunt Cressa introduced me to one of the Guards who had traveled here to see me. My second day in Frostmoor and I was starting to transition.”

  “I wish I’d known. You shouldn’t have had to do that alone.”

  “I wasn’t alone. I had help. But you’re right, I should have been helping you all this time.”

  I got ready to tell him that it was okay, that I wasn’t going to hold a grudge, but he kept explaining.

  “Because, with your birthday coming up, some of the dragons believe you’ll transition any day.”

  “What?”

  “There’s never been a dragon to transition past their twentieth year. And with your magic awakening now, it’s likely to happen very soon.”

  That wasn’t entirely what I wanted to hear. I had hoped that, by my birthday, I’d be dating Cole and running the bookstore fulltime. My aunt had promised to sign the building over to me anyway, saying she had other ventures in Talon Grove. Instead, I was set to rule a kingdom
.

  I took a sip of the water and leaned on the counter.

  “So, what is it about me? Why can’t I see Cole? You know Charlotte’s with a faerie, right?”

  Dylan smiled. “Yeah, she doesn’t hide her relationship at all.”

  “But is it… wrong?”

  “No,” he shrugged. “Love is never wrong. It just has a place.”

  “And my love doesn’t have a place with our enemies,” I rolled my eyes.

  “Listen, you have to explore your position as Lady of the Wild before you turn your back on everything. You were born for something great, and if you stay here and commit to him, you’ll be letting all of that go.”

  “What do you mean Lady of the Wild? That’s a fairytale.”

  Dylan shook his head. The look in his eyes gave me butterflies.

  “It’s your unofficial title.”

  I didn’t know how I felt about that, especially given what Tristan had said about the story.

  “We have a copy at the bookstore.”

  “I sold it.”

  Dylan’s brow arched.

  “Besides, why would I care to go help some island of dragons when I’ve never been there?”

  “Actually, you and I were born there.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Mom and dad moved us here when she got pregnant with Charlotte. There were things mom didn’t like about the council, and she wanted to raise you in the world she knew.”

  “I could have grown up there? I would never have known my friends, or Cole… or anything mortal.”

  “You have a home there, and a whole wild, beasty life awaiting you,” he smirked. “And Elliot—”

  “Have you met him?” I interrupted.

  “Um…”

  “Dylan, tell me about him,” I begged, pushing at my brother’s arm. “He’s supposed to be… with me, right?”

  Dylan nodded as he pulled out a chair and sat at the table.

  “How do I just accept that?”

  “You don’t have to,” he said, folding his hands together. “But he’s already accepted you.”

  “Why?”

  “He was raised to be a lord. That means he’d lead his people in battles, during journeys, and he’d support them to grow and prosper.”

  “Sounds a bit medieval,” I mumbled.

  “It is.”

  “And he knows about me?”