by J. L. Weil
Zipping into the school parking lot, he parked the car and then, with one last roar, the engine quieted. He dangled his keys on a finger, turning to face me. “We need to talk after school. I found out some stuff.”
He sure knew how to drop a bomb. “Stuff? What kind of stuff?” I was both interested and panicky.
Twirling the hoop at his lip, he said, “We don’t have time for me to divulge all the details. We have classes remember? You insisted.”
I scowled. “Funny.” Damn him for reminding me of what we could be doing right about now. I gazed at his lips, and then I damned myself for being such a stick in the mud.
His eyes flickered. “If you have plans with—”
“I don’t,” I quickly cut in.
“Still avoiding him?”
Lukas was still a touchy subject. “Maybe.”
The muscle in his jaw locked up. “Well, you won’t hear me complaining. He’s trouble.”
I socked him on the arm. It felt like connecting with steel. “Whatever.” But I knew that he was serious. The two guys in my life couldn’t stand each other.
It was kind of a big deal.
Getting out of the car, we walked through the front doors hand in hand, and it was like I lived a double life. There was Brianna, the average student, and then there was Brianna, the secret witch assassin. Rounding the corner to my locker, I was bombarded by a ball of energy that could rival the energizer bunny.
Tori.
A piece of her hair got caught in my mouth as she hugged me. “Miss me?” she asked, grinning.
Wow. Someone had more coffee than I did this morning.
Gavin shook his head behind her, wisps of hair partially obscuring his eyes. I don’t know how he did it, but he had gotten out of the way before the Tasmanian Devil attacked. See you later, he mouthed and disappeared in the crowd.
I felt a tinge of disappointment at his departure. “If I miss you any more, people will think I am dating you and not Gavin,” I grumbled.
She looped her arm through mine, ignoring my other-than-pleased attitude. “Where is that piece of hot ass? I swore you came in together.”
I grinned. “We did. You scared him off.”
Tori snorted. “Hardly. I doubt anything scares Gavin.” Today, her light brown hair today was woven into a knot at the nape of her neck. She had on at least three-inch heels, which made me feel shorter than usual. Despite her girly clothing choices, I had missed her.
“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite biotches,” Austin said, coming up between us and swinging his arms over our shoulders. He encompassed us in a sad excuse for a group hug. “What scandalous affairs did my two besties get mixed up in over break? You know you can tell me. Actually, I demand you tell me.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help myself. If there were any kind of scandals in Holly Ridge, I would bet my pink panties that Austin was at the heart of it. Just when I felt like I was drowning in magic with my arms flailing in the waters and my oxygen cut off, Tori and Austin would always pull me back to the surface, reminding me that I wasn’t just a clueless witch struggling in a world I barely understood.
I slipped out of our threesome and started down the hall. “Sorry to disappoint. I studied.” Magic that was. I snuck a glance over my shoulder, catching Austin making an L with his hand and holding it to his forehead. Jeesh. What a pair they were. Austin in his skinny jeans, styled hair, and wired frames and Tori in her plaid school skirt and laughing chocolate eyes. We were misfits, but I wouldn’t change them for the world.
Austin’s grin faded. “Are you telling me that Tori’s maid was getting more tail than the three of us? We are so pathetic.”
“So B, have you heard from Lukas?” Tori asked, trying to sound nonchalant and failing, the glint of hopefulness in her gaze giving her up.
I cringed at the mention of his name. “Not really. Not since your party.” I could have kicked myself for not being a little more delicate.
Her expression fell before she could mask it behind a forced smile of I-don’t-care. She was bummed that the d-bag hadn’t called her, which made me mad at Lukas all over again. He never should have flirted with her and given her false hope if he had no intention of following through.
What a tease.
And now that she brought up Lukas, I knew that I needed to talk to him—even if I wasn’t quite ready. He was undeniably part of what I was going through. Morgana had pretty much told me that in her last cryptic message. Two boys. One destined to be your true love, bound by more than just magic and love. The other… well, he isn’t so lucky. He will destroy all the good you possess, squash your pureness, which is also your strength. He will poison you with darkness—blacken your soul, make you turn from all you love. The choice is yours Great-Granddaughter. Choose wisely, for it can’t be undone.
Gram’s was a freaking a poet. And now her words loomed in my head, day in and day out.
Lukas of all people knew more about my… I couldn’t bring myself to call it a gift. Not after what I had done to Gavin, but it was a piece of me I still had to come to terms with, control, and maybe even embrace.
And that scared the ever-loving crap out of me, which in a roundabout way brought me back to what Gavin wanted to talk about after school. The unknown had me chewing away at my lip all day.
Chapter 3
I met Mister Mysterious at his car after the final bell. Nibbling on my already destroyed nails, my gaze flickered upward at the tingles dancing down my spine. Gavin was sauntering through the parking lot, dodging between cars as he made his way toward me. His black, half-laced boots clopped on the blacktop.
Our eyes clashed.
There was something about this guy that made my cells go banana-nuts. Fireflies rocked inside my belly, coating over my nerves. I bit my lip, blushing.
When he reached me, he leaned his hip on his car beside me and arched a brow as I continued to stare. “You ready to blow this dump or are you too busy enjoying the view?”
Yes, to both counts.
“Shut up,” I said, giving his shoulder a nudge.
His lips twitched. “I love it when you go all sassy-pants on me.”
“You’re beyond redemption.”
“I hope so,” he replied, reaching over me and opening my door. Our bodies brushed, separated by a hairsbreadth. I swear he did it on purpose.
I gasped. An electric current ran through my blood, and I felt my eyes darken. There was something going on between us that was more than just attraction. I did not get shocked with a bolt of lightning every time I came in contact with a witch—just Gavin.
And that was a puzzle for another day.
I had too many loose pieces and no real picture of the final product.
I went to slide into the car, but he was still in my way, so I looked up under my lashes, trying to remember how to breathe. I could see the same pull I felt in the deep blue of his eyes. He ran a thumb over my jaw. “We should leave,” he said in a raspy voice, staring at my lips.
I leaned in, placing a hand on his chest. If he expected me to oblige and get in the car, he was sorely mistaken. I did not have the kind of self-discipline that he did. And I very much wanted to kiss him.
His lips curled. “Hurry. Get in.”
I cleared my throat and slipped into the seat before we gave the whole school a lesson in tonsil hockey, which I decided right then wasn’t a bad thing—not if I were kissing those lips.
I heard him exhale as he shut the door. It gave me warm fireflies inside, knowing that I wasn’t the only one struggling here. “Buckle up; you’re in for a ride,” he said at the same time the engine jumped to life.
I really hoped that was a metaphor for something else—something more enticing.
We made it to his house in record time, and I managed to stay in my seat and keep my hands to myself, not that it hadn’t been without effort. My hands were still clenched together in my lap. Gravel crunched under the tires, sticking to the tread. I was always struck with
the wonder and lure of this house. Its beauty was mesmerizing, which might have more to do with its inhabitants than the house itself. The ground trembled in magic as I stepped out of the car, a feat that was a power all on its own. I recognized it for what it was now, unlike the first time when I had been confused and more than a little in awe.
Once inside, we went to the lounging area just to the right of the entrance instead of his bedroom. A smart idea. I couldn’t promise that behind closed doors I wouldn’t attack him with my mouth. Lordy Lord, my body was still vibrating from his touch.
Back to reality.
The octagonal room had floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the front porch. I sat on the other end of the couch just in case my fingers decided to wander. “Okay. Tell me what you found out. The suspense has been killing me all day,” I said as soon as his fantastic butt hit the cushions. Patience wasn’t on my list of virtues today.
All the mischief had vanished from his eyes. “I did some inquiring and there hasn’t been a record of a clàr silte in decades.”
I tensed up.
Clàr silte—a witch who strips other witches of their powers, sucking them dry and absorbing their powers into himself or herself. There was just one little itty bitty catch…the cost was the witch’s soul. No biggie.
We hadn’t seen each other in days and our first real conversation was going to be about the one thing I’d been dodging. “Great,” I replied sarcastically. “How does this help me?” Other than making me feel even more freakish and alone I might add.
“Well, that is not all. There have been whispers of your powers in the underground communities.” He looked unsettled by this development. “They haven’t put a name to the witch wielding enough power to strip all the downtown witches, but they do have a description.”
Unease crept down my spine. “Wait. What? There is an underground community of witches? Is that what you are telling me?”
Scratching his chin, he replied, “Yeah. But that is not the point.”
Umm. It was a big point to me. “How come you never told me about these witches? Are they part of some secret society?” I pictured a tunnel system underground filled with a bunch of homeless witches with scraggly hair and dirt on their cheeks.
I shivered.
He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and eyes gripping mine. “Bri, you are getting sidetracked. There are witches looking for you. Powerful and dangerous ones. And they know how to stay off the grid. They aren’t seen unless they want to be seen.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And how did you know where to go to get this information?” I was afraid to ask, but I had to. If these witches didn’t want to be found, how the heck had he known about them? What kind of trouble was he getting himself into because of me? I couldn’t allow it. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something happened to him.
He gave me a sly grin. “I have my sources.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh. I just bet you do…or Jared does.”
His smirk lost some of its luster.
“Who told you this? I want to talk to them,” I demanded, suddenly growing lady balls.
He scoffed. “Most certainly not. It is out of the question, and don’t even think about it,” he said before I even opened my mouth to object. “I am not taking you with me next time.”
It was slightly unnerving that he could read me so well. “There is going to be a next time?” I asked, but I already knew the answer. Of course he was going to go back, because he cared about me, and it was in his nature to protect. In his head, he was protecting me.
Silence.
I folded my arms. “I’ll just take that as a yes. Why the hell not? It’s me you are inquiring about.” Or more like what my magic can do, but really that was just a technicality. “I should have a say,” I argued.
His jaw set like stone. “Not going to happen.”
“You are being impossible.”
One shoulder shrugged. “You are being reckless.”
I sunk back into the couch. We weren’t going to get anywhere at this rate. There was no point in continuing to disagree. So I activated the silent treatment, except it only last a few heartbeats.
Gavin inched closer, pressing his thigh to mine. I stared straight ahead, pretending that I weren’t suddenly overheating, or that I hadn’t felt that zap on my thigh through my jeans. “How are you dealing with everything?” he asked in a gentler tone.
Who was I kidding? I couldn’t stay annoyed, not when I saw the glint in his eyes. “I’m working through it,” I said. Thanks to him. “But you don’t need to worry about me.”
He ran the back of his knuckles down the side of my cheek, looking doubtful. “Too late.”
Using all of my self-control, I focused on what he was saying, which got shot to the moon when his lips kissed the hollow of my throat. “Gavin?” I pressed my face into his neck and inhaled deeply. Sinful. Woodsy. Yumminess. He always had this outdoorsy scent that I loved.
“It’s okay,” he said, his mouth grazing the underside of my jaw. “No one is home. Jared’s at class. My parents are at work. And who knows where Sophie is.” His lips went to work again.
My eyes fluttered shut and I sighed. Good enough for me. I snuggled against him as he brought down his lips on mine. A shudder rolled through me. I couldn’t help myself, taking the kiss deeper. It had been too long, and the touch of his lip ring cooled my inflamed lips. There was nothing sexier than sucking, biting, and playing with that hoop.
It felt downright naughty.
His hand slid down my arm to my waist, tugging me almost on his lap. Hooking a hand behind my leg, his hand inched higher and—
We were interrupted. Outside, a door slammed, followed by a giggle that sounded very familiar. His darkened eyes drifted to the window. Apparently he didn’t like what he saw. Ridged, he shot up off the couch, and I almost face planted on the cushions at the sudden loss of stability I had from his arms. Blowing the hair out of my eyes, I glanced up. He was staring out the window, watching Sophie get out of a very sleek white car owned by none other than Declan Harris.
Dec was a rich kid who was in need of an extreme attitude adjustment—in short, he was a douche. I was more than a little surprised to see Sophie with him. I pegged her for having more class than that. By the dark frown on Gavin’s face, I could tell he felt the same.
“Who was that?” he barked, grilling a smiling Sophie as she brushed past him through the front door.
“No one. Just a friend.” There was a dreamy quality to her voice, her blue eyes wistful.
Just a friend, my scrawny butt. I wasn’t buying it, but most importantly, Gavin was definitely not buying it. His brows slammed together as he stared down Dec the D-bag while he backed down the driveway. “I don’t like him,” Gavin announced.
Sophie twirled on her heels. “Then it is a good thing you’re not dating him,” she shot back.
I snickered, earning a fierce scowl from the overprotective brother.
Gavin folded his arms. “And neither will you.”
Sophie tipped her chin, and her blue eyes flashed. Magic vibrated in the air.
Uh-oh.
“You don’t have a say in who I decide to hang out with, let alone date.” Sophie’s eyes started to illuminate.
Here comes trouble.
Gavin straightened up, shoulders broad. “The hell I don’t.”
Thank God I never had any siblings.
I figured this was a good time to seek cover and get out of the way before I got caught in the crossfire. Gavin looked ready to go ape crazy on someone, and that someone looked like it was going to be Sophie.
Magic flew-- And by flew, I meant it was literally soaring through the air. Tendrils of white light sprang from Sophie’s fingertips only to be intercepted by ribbons of red from Gavin’s.
“You can’t control my life,” Sophie yelled.
“Well someone has to stop you from making dumb decisions,” Gavin retorted, cracking his neck.
> More sparkling light.
Sophie clenched her fists in aggravation. “Argh. You are such a Neanderthal.” A wicked orangey-pink strand of energy flickered from Sophie’s closed hands, heading straight for Gavin. He sidestepped with a grin, and suddenly I was the target of that wicked spell.
I ducked. The material sizzled behind me and was burned off like a wart. Holy crap. The smell of burnt fabric wafted in the air.
Sophie squeaked. “Oops. Sorry, Brianna.” She had a hand to her lips in shock.
The look in Gavin’s eyes intimated even me, and I wasn’t on the receiving end. “See, you are careless. You almost incinerated my girlfriend.”
Sophie sent me an apologetic look before marching up the stairs.
I ran a hand through my hair to make sure the ends weren’t fried to a crisp. “Wow. Remind me never to piss you off.”
He slumped against the nearest wall with troubled eyes. “I let my emotions get the best of me. Not my finest moment.”
I stood up and went to him, unable to help myself. Wrapping my arms around his neck, his arms tightened around me. “At least you don’t cause a thunderstorm every time you get mad.”
He chuckled. “I just don’t want her to get hurt.”
And that was why I loved him.
***
That night, as I lay in bed, I thought about family and the lengths we would go to protect those we love. I thought about my aunt. And all the lies and secrets I’ve had to keep during the last four months. I just seem to keep digging myself in deeper.
Sleep hasn’t been my friend lately. I fought it while others craved it. I feared it as others embraced it. In my dreams, I lost control. And I should have known that Lukas wouldn’t be ignored forever. He was bound to make an appearance, and that night, he summoned me in his dreams. That night of all nights, when I was feeling conflicted, therefore leaving myself open to dream invasion.
No surprise.
I thought about rejecting the merger of dreams, but even as I thought about it, I wasn’t sure that I could. Lukas had more experienced in dreamscaping, and I figured that if he really wanted, he would find a way to force himself into the realm of sleep.