by Gina LaManna
“You’re the Mixologist, Lily. You are worth it. As a Ranger, if someone threatens you, it’s my duty to protect you above all else.”
“Is that all this is?” My eyes smarted with tears as a pit gathered in my stomach. “It’s all about me being the Mixologist. That’s why you care so much?”
“If you think that’s what this is all about,” Ranger X growled. “Then you don’t know me as well as I thought.”
“Then tell me what you want me to say! You bring me here and tell me you’re confused, that you’re dangerous, all because of me. Well—the only solution I can think of to solve that problem is to keep me away from you.”
His hands came to rest on my shoulders, his grasp so hard and so firm it might’ve bruised. A tangle of furious heat followed, his lips meeting mine in a vicious war, a kiss that spilled over frustration, hurt, and underneath it all, the ache that simmered between us.
My body vibrated under his touch. He pushed and pulled, teased the heat from me as his grip grew softer. My stomach tightened as we connected on a visceral level that had my veins turning to molten lava.
And then suddenly, my feet no longer touched the ground. We were circling, rising above the clearing as the sweetness of jasmine wrapped around us.
His arms held my waist, tight and sure. My mind was far too hazy to process the fact that we were floating, drifting toward the treetops. My hands fell to my sides, my body melding against X’s as he gripped me against his chest.
He feasted, his tongue pressing into my mouth as we ascended still higher—five, then ten feet from The Forest floor. Spiraling in a wash of heated sparks and chilled air, his scorching touch against my bare skin.
This must be magic. His magic.
Some sort of latent power taking over in the rush of emotion. The desire, the anger, the frustration—he’d lost control, and the dam had opened and spilled out.
Light glowed from X, radiated from every line of his body. An aura of power surrounded us second to none I’d ever seen before. He must have held this much inside, this strength, for years and years, until he overflowed with it.
“Cannon,” I whispered, still not digesting the fact that we hovered in a golden cloud of dust just under the treetop canopy. A tear finally slid down my cheek, and I tasted salt. “What does this mean for us?”
He caught sight of my face, the sparkle of wet against my cheek. Took the moment to kiss each glimmer away before gently easing us back down to the ground.
We stood in an embrace, my gaze focused on the grass beneath our feet.
The longer he went without speaking, the tighter my fingers wound into his shirt. “What was that?”
When he didn’t respond, I looked up to catch a faraway expression in his eyes.
“What was that?!” I yanked his shirt closer to me. “Cannon, talk to me!”
X leaned his head back in response. It lolled back, his chin tilting upward as his hands rose of their own accord. He stood broad, like a perfect image of the Vitruvian man, strong and sturdy and distant.
His hands rotated until his palms faced the skies above, and then, as if from nowhere, two columns of golden light radiated from his palms and burst upward, parting the treetops with a ripple of bright light.
A metallic cloud of dust drifted around us, the silence new and all-consuming. I backed away from him slowly, watching as my heart raced. He didn’t seem to hear me, see me, or even notice my presence.
I called his name, but he didn’t respond. I called again, and still nothing.
The beams of light grew stronger, more intense. They pulsed with a brightness made from lightning bolts and stardust, and grew wider, taller, brighter until everything came to an end with resounding quiet.
Slowly, his head sank back into a normal position as his gaze met mine, finally, as the columns from his palms evaporated to nothing. I stepped toward him, but he shook his head and murmured only two words. “I’m sorry.”
Then he collapsed, lifeless to the ground.
Chapter 14
“GUS!” I YELLED, HAIR flying behind me as I raced across the beach. The waters whipped in angry currents behind me as I burst through the door of the bungalow. “Gus, I need you to come with me, now.”
He took one look at me, rose to his feet, and moved. He didn’t bother to ask any questions, and for that, I was grateful. Together we raced back toward The Forest, the place where X had fallen seared into my mind.
“What happened?” Gus bent on a knee and ran his hand over X’s face. “He’s out cold.”
“I know. We were…walking together, and—”
“Tell me the truth,” he demanded. “Don’t censor a word. We have the head Ranger knocked unconscious, and there’s no time for privacy.”
“We argued,” I said, fear clutching at my chest. “About the meeting this morning. I stopped us here to talk, and things got heated. We were almost yelling at one another when all of a sudden, he kissed me.”
Gus maintained eye contact, no judgment in his gaze. “And?”
A new wave of respect for my assistant washed over me. “We kissed, and then…um, we sort of floated.”
“You floated?”
“Floated up. There.” I pointed toward the canopy. “It wasn’t like we tried to do that, but there must be some magic at work or…or something. Maybe his power?”
“He’s breathing. Vitals seem to be fine. What makes you say it was his power?”
“Well, we’ve kissed before, you know, and we’ve never floated up anywhere. I’ve never flown anywhere without a broomstick.”
“How’d you get back down?”
“We just sort of…descended. I asked him a question and maybe that broke the spell.”
“And when you landed?”
“His expression got distant, as if he couldn’t see me or hear me. Like he didn’t even know I was around. Then a light shot out of his palms toward the sky.”
“What color was the light?”
“A golden, sunlight sort of shade, I suppose.”
“We need Trinket.”
“What does Trinket have to do with this?”
“I’ll explain when you return. Get to her house and back as soon as possible. I’ll wait with him.”
I took off without question. Rushing toward Trinket, I hurtled through her neat front yard and pounded on the front door, unable to keep from wondering what Zin’s mother had to do with any of it.
“Lily?” Trinket opened the door, not bothering to hide her look of dismay at my disheveled appearance. “What is it?”
“We need your help. Gus requested you.”
“Where?”
“Just inside The Forest—not far from here.”
Trinket narrowed her eyes. “Why did Gus ask for me?”
“I don’t know. He came to help me revive X—”
“Revive Ranger X?!” Her look of concern turned to alarm as she briskly began to slip into her shoes. “What happened?”
“Golden rays of light sort of…um, shot out of his hands, and then he fell unconscious.”
“Oh, dear.” Trinket exhaled a breath, looking decidedly less worried all of a sudden. “This certainly won’t be pleasant for him.”
“What is it? What’s happening?”
“He’ll be fine. Let me grab my things, and we’ll get this cleaned up quickly.”
No less than a minute later, we were both striding quickly across the lawn.
“He’ll be fine,” Trinket said, a pace behind me. “No need to run.”
“You haven’t even seen him, yet! How can you possibly know that?”
“Because I know exactly why Gus called me.” Trinket fished for a tool that looked like a compact mirror and extended it in her palm. “This will fix him right up.”
“Then what is wrong with him?”
“Lumiette, of course.”
“Lumiette?”
“You’ve never heard of it?” Trinket raised an eyebrow. “I’m surprised you didn’t suffer
from it yourself when we first brought you to The Isle. Ranger X, however, should have known better.”
“Better than to do what? Was it the kiss?”
Trinket’s other eyebrow joined her first, a little too high on her forehead. “This has nothing to do with kissing, I assure you.”
“Then what is it?”
“Lumiette is a sort of affliction that mostly affects children.”
“Then why would X or I have it?”
“Because the reason Lumiette forms in the first place is from an excess of power in the body with no outlet. If the power has no place to go, it will build and build until it breaks free.”
“Is that what it was? The light?”
“I imagine,” Trinket said. “Although I’ve never seen anything so drastic. Usually it manifests in a small halo around a child’s head. In this case, the reaction was intensely more profound. You see, Ranger X has more power than most paranormal beings, and I’d guess he’s been repressing it for too long. Like anything, the longer—the more intense—the compression, the more dangerous when the energy is released.”
We reached the edge of The Forest, and Trinket waited for me to enter first.
“Gus called me,” she explained as the leaves swished around us, “because I have seven children. Since children are so raw, so pure in their power, and they have no real way to control it, magic leaks from them when they’re emotionally distraught, incredibly tired, or otherwise fragile. I’ve been dealing with Lumiette for the last thirty years of my life.”
We wound through the tree roots bubbling under the ground and Trinket paused to find her footing. “It’s likely Ranger X showed some fissures of it earlier today, or this week—a few small bursts, possibly, and that weakened his armor. Think of it like a window—a few tiny cracks, and the pane becomes incredibly vulnerable. Now, if he’s had an emotionally difficult situation, and that glass shatters, you have a classic case of—”
“Lumiette?” Gus looked up from his post over Ranger X. “Was I correct?”
Trinket kneeled, sweeping her ankle-length skirt to the side. She brought her hand up, felt over the top of X’s head, and then brushed a thumb over his lips.
“Yes,” she said finally. “Ice cold lips, the rest of him boiling up.”
“Will he be okay?!”
“I already told you he’ll be fine,” Trinket snapped. “And I meant it.”
“I’m allowed to be worried,” I said. “Not only do I care about him, but he’s the head Ranger on this island. One of the most powerful men here. If he’s unconscious, it’s a bit alarming.”
“I’d give you that argument,” Trinket said coolly. “If someone else had made him unconscious.”
“What she’s saying,” Gus added, “is that Ranger X knocked himself out. If ever there was a person who could take down X, it’s himself.”
Trinket pulled out the compact she’d put into her pocket earlier and flipped it open to reveal a honey-colored gel inside. Sticking one finger into it, she dabbed some over X’s lips until they were covered in a glossy sheen.
Then she snapped the compact closed, handed it to Gus, and wiped her hand on her dress. Carefully, she brought her fingers to his chin and pressed it upward, forcing his mouth fully closed.
“There he goes,” she said, after a long minute of holding there. “He needs to ingest enough of it for the process to work.”
“What’s in it?”
Gus simply handed me the salve. “You tell me.”
“Do not use this as a teaching moment. My boyfriend is unconscious.”
“Every moment is a teaching moment,” Gus said, undeterred. “What’s in it?”
I hesitated, then surveyed the compact and began my normal assessment of a foreign substance. Eventually, I reached the taste test, and I dipped my finger in and dabbed a bit on my tongue. The taste was sweet, a lemony honey mixture pleasant to the senses.
“Calming—there’s chamomile and lavender…” I watched as X, even in his unconsciousness, ran his tongue along his bottom lip. “Honey for taste.”
He stirred shortly after, rustling against the ground, fighting back weakly as Trinket held his mouth shut.
“Guarana,” I said, tasting the buzz of caffeine. “For energy.”
“Very good,” Gus said. “And?”
I tasted again, considering. “Well, we have chamomile and lavender for the calm, guarana to revive him…I’m assuming we have one more ingredient that will soak up any extraneous energy running through his body.”
Gus nodded, looking somewhat impressed.
“It’s not…” I scrunched up my face and tasted again. “No. Please tell me I’m wrong.”
Gus grinned. “Why do you think we need to add so much honey?”
I quickly closed the compact and handed it over to Gus. “You are so rude.”
Trinket looked mystified as she glanced between us.
With glee, Gus clarified. “Liver. Absorbs the energy, just like it’s made to do when it’s inside our bodies. Works the same with excess power.”
“Your grandfather created Obscurita,” Trinket said as she took the compact and slid it back into her pocket. “As a matter of fact, he made it for your mother.”
“My mother?”
“She had power coming out of her ears from the day she was born,” Trinket said, a faint smile playing at her lips. “I think she’s the only person—well, besides X, now—that’s ever gone unconscious from Lumiette.”
Gus nodded in agreement. “The Isle thought she might be the next Mixologist for a moment. She wasn’t, but she had the strength for it. Must’ve passed it along to you.”
“Your grandfather developed Obscurita when your mother knocked herself out,” Trinket said. “Before that, we gave children an ice pack, a lollipop, and set them in bed until they calmed.”
I inched closer and kneeled, too, my hands landing on X’s shoulders. “He really will be okay?”
“I told you that,” Trinket snapped. “He should regain consciousness in another minute or two. We’ll have to walk him home, as his legs will still be wobbly. I imagine he’ll feel somewhat like he’s been electrocuted.”
“Is that all?”
“I’ll leave this with you.” Trinket slipped the compact out once more and handed it over. “Apply Obscurita every four hours or so—it should be easier once he wakes. Don’t let him convince you he doesn’t need it. He does, otherwise the extra energy will spark in his blood until he has another episode. He can resume work tomorrow.”
“He won’t want to wait until tomorrow.”
“Well, he should if he’s smart, or he’s risking his own health and the safety of those around him,” Trinket said, rising to her feet as X stirred again, his eyes flickering open and snapping shut in rapid succession. “Tell him that, and maybe he’ll rest.”
I ran my hand through his dark locks, my fingers toying with the strands. “Is there a way to prevent this from happening again? What if we hadn’t been around to revive him?”
Trinket brushed her skirt against her legs. “I imagine if you weren’t around when this happened, he wouldn’t have let his emotions get the best of him.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I moved X’s head so it rested in my lap. “Are you telling me to stay away from him?”
“You asked how to prevent another episode, and I’m giving you my advice. There are two main options, one is better than the other.”
“And they are?”
Trinket watched X’s face as she spoke. “The first is the best, but it will be the most difficult. He’ll need to step back and begin training his energy, his power. If, and this is a big if, he can learn to corral his raw powers after all this time, it could keep these episodes at bay.”
“You make that sound difficult.”
“It is. He’s stubborn, and he’s a man. He’ll argue that he can control his emotions, but as history has already shown—he can’t. Nobody can, not completely.”
; “I can,” Gus growled. “I have no emotions.”
“And Mimsey is fat,” Trinket said.
Gus stood, his hands clenched into fists as his eyes blazed. “What did you say?”
“No need to get your feathers ruffled,” Trinket said in a lofty voice. “I know very well that my sister isn’t fat, but I needed to prove that you, yes, even you, Gus, can have what’s called an emotional reaction.”
Gus eased his fingers open and sullenly stepped back.
“What’s the second option?” My fingers gripped X’s hair tightly, winding their way through as if that could keep him safe.
“The one he’s chosen for the last number of years. Maintaining little to no serious emotional ties,” Trinket said. “He obviously managed to keep himself contained for longer than most, and I imagine he succeeded because he prevented all connections from beginning in the first place.”
Everything in me shrank away as Trinket’s implication hit me, biting and painful to realize what she meant.
“It might be best for the short term to keep your distance,” Trinket said gently. “I’m sure he’ll make the right decision, Lily.”
“But—”
“He’ll have to make that decision one way or another. If he chooses a life with you, he won’t have the option. Should he have children…” She paused, her voice easing into a softer tone, one she rarely used. “Children are pieces of your heart that you can’t control from the day they’re born. I have seven pieces of me, my heart, running around, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t keep them from harm.”
I was still reeling as she wheeled around and began a fast trek toward the clearing out of The Forest. I called after her, but she didn’t stop, and I couldn’t leave Ranger X’s side. Even as I watched Trinket leave, one of Ranger X’s hands reached up and grasped at my arm.
“Let her go,” Gus murmured. “I don’t think that last bit was about you.”
“No, really?” I turned to him. “It doesn’t mean she couldn’t use someone to talk to. Seriously. Men, sometimes.”
“Zin has been training her whole life to be a Ranger. Shouldn’t Trinket be used to that by now?”