by J. L. Weil
So much for trying to be sensible. He made my life sound so despondent. This time, when he attacked me, I was ready. I dodged to the right, and I watched his attack whirl past me. “Asshole,” I muttered under my breath.
Well, he might think there was no stopping my demise, but I was going to do my damnedest to stop him. I wasn’t some weak girl too scared to put up a fight. I was a God-forsaken witch. While I was letting my magic build up inside of me, the wind around me picked up, blowing my hair out around my face. Energy crackled over my knuckles, mimicking the lightning in the sky, a daring show of heat and light.
“You don’t know what my future will hold. What makes you any better, playing God with my life?” I contradicted. He must not have liked my tone, which I thought sounded very authoritative.
“I like to think of this as protecting my family’s future.”
Family. I had a family too—my aunt. Already, she had to deal with the loss and pain of losing my mom, her twin sister. I shuddered to think about what losing me would do to her. I was all the family she had left and the last connection she had to her sister.
Something inside me snapped.
What about the family I would never have if he succeeded?
A rage I’d never felt before came blistering to the surface, setting every molecule in my body on fire. In the center of my chest, a heady surge of power arose. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that I shouldn’t release the energy that was bursting to break free, but that voice of caution was overruled.
My bluish-white strand of magic hit the mysterious man right in the heart. He stumbled, his hood falling away from his face. For the first time, I got a clear view of the man trying to killing me.
He had skin paler than I’d imagined, like he didn’t see much sun light and lived among the shadows. A mixture of green and brown blended together inside his wide eyes. Short brownish hair teased his temples. There was nothing special about this man, nothing that jumped out and screamed murderer.
I stood above him, as he lay pinned to the ground by my spell, one that I had cast but had no clue what it was. Regardless, it was effective in paralyzing my attacker. Looking down into his eyes, I felt like a different person—detached, emotionally and physically, from my body. My other hand reached out, and this indisputable need inside me fought to be set free. It whispered in my head, begging me to release the power that was gathered at my fingertips. The voice lulled me in a sweet, tempting caress.
There might have been a split second in which I knew what I was about to do— unleash that dark part of me that I had locked away and sworn never to use—but with my life being threatened, I was willing to pay the price that came with using it. Just as my hand trembled to release the power, I hesitated.
Somewhere, through the haze of darkness, I heard a voice that was both familiar and warm. My fingers twitched, the magic trying to lure me, but the sound of Gavin’s voice broke its hold.
He grounded me. I grasped that thought and, dropping my hand, the energy fizzled.
“Gavin?” I murmured.
Chapter 12
He looked like he was fighting the urge to commit first-degree murder. In five ground-eating steps, he was at my side. I knew his next move was going to be epic.
The attacker at my feet moved, crawling slowly away, assessing the unexpected newcomer. I, on the other hand, was relieved to see my boyfriend. The jerk didn’t get very far in his escape; Gavin’s foot connected with his gut, sending the guy back to the ground, groaning. “I might have stopped the lady from killing you, but you can bet your ass we’re not done here. Not by a long shot,” Gavin growled.
The anonymous man winced. “You are a fool. She is wicked. You will be abetting the extinction of power.”
Obviously, he didn’t get the message. There was a satisfactory thud when Gavin followed his first kick with a second. This guy was glutton for punishment. Curled up on the blacktop, he began to laugh—a sick and twisted laugh that made my skin crawl.
Gavin’s eyes darkened.
When I first saw him, I had assumed he was planning on blasting this guy to the next planet, but I realized that he wanted the satisfaction of hurting him with his bare hands. It must be a guy thing. He had come in guns blazing.
Gavin paused for a moment from thrashing the other man to catch a glimpse of me and make sure I was still standing, not passed out. At least that’s what I figured he was doing when his eyes connected with mine. In that moment of distraction, a flash of light exploded in the night, and when the blinding glow faded, my mysterious assailant was gone.
And the kicker was… that meant he would probably try again.
Great. Something to look forward to.
Gavin’s gaze scanned the tree line. “Looks like our friend didn’t want to stick around. How disappointing. The fun was just beginning.”
I didn’t have the quite same reaction. Springing to my feet, I threw myself into his arms.
“Hey, I’ve got you,” he murmured as I buried my face into his neck.
I was encompassed by his warmth, and then I started to babble incoherently like an idiot. Random words describing what had happened just started spewing from my mouth: incomplete thoughts, run-on sentences, made-up words, the whole nine yards. It was bad.
He listened to me, getting the gist of what I was trying to articulate. Putting me at arm’s length, he helped calm me down. I don’t know how it happened, but over the last few months, Gavin had become my anchor. He was able to pull me back from the darkness, but I had to wonder if there would be a point at which I was too far gone for even him to reach me.
I prayed that never happened.
In the afterglow of the events, guilt gnawed at me, bit by bit. “Did I—?” The possibility that I had done the unthinkable plagued me.
Gavin shook his head, staring off into the darkness. “Not a drop.” Facing me, his eyes surveyed my face. “Are you okay? If he hurt you—”
I swallowed. “I’m fine. Just a few scratches.” I thought it would be better if I left out the details about what happened before he gallantly arrived. The last thing I wanted was for him to off go on some kind of revenge mission.
“That is one hell of a scratch,” he said, stepping forward, the pad of his thumb lightly tracing the side of my cheek. I flinched. Tomorrow that would be the mother of all bruises.
Wrapping my arms around myself, I started to shake. “No. I’ll be okay. I need to get the car home.”
The heat from his eyes was gone now. “Don’t worry about that now. I’ll arrange for Jared to get it. You are no condition to drive.”
Maybe he was right. Fatigue hit me like a seven-pound wrecking ball. With an arm around my waist, I let him lead me to his car; the conjuration of magic had depleted me of energy. I slid into the leather seat thinking about how close I had come to ripping the power right from that guy’s soul. It was my last thought before I crashed, darkness devouring me. Magic overload.
***
My eyelids fluttered open.
A heartbeat of time passed as I lay there putting together the pieces of how I got here. Where exactly was here? The last thing I remembered was some douchebag ranting on about how I was evil and had to be stopped. Then Gavin showed up out of nowhere. Everything after that was fuzzy.
I twisted on my side. My bedroom, with its soft lavender walls, came into focus. I was stretched out on the white sheets, the sweet scent of a wildberry candle and fresh flowers filling the room. Someone had lit the candle at my dresser, its flame casting a small glow in the dark room.
Gavin.
I thought his name before I saw his face. He moved silently through my room, prowling toward me. Tingles skirted across my skin, and the tattoo at the small of my back came alive. The mattress shifted under his weight as he settled down beside me. He propped himself up on his side, using his arm to hold up his head. “Hey,” he murmured, brushing a chunk of hair off my face.
“How long have I been out?” I asked, starin
g into his bright blue eyes.
“Not long.” He played with the hoop at his lip, searching my eyes. “How are you feeling?”
Like I got tossed around in a dump truck. My clothes were torn, and there were streaks of dirt on my arms. “I’ll live.”
“Good, because it would really piss me off if you didn’t.” He placed a hand on my hip. Fireflies fluttered in response.
“What were you doing there?” I asked. Don’t get me wrong; I was eternally grateful that he had been at right place at the right time.
One side of his mouth tipped up. “I wanted to surprise you. Valentine’s and all…”
“Valentine’s Day sucks,” I murmured.
He shoulders moved in a silent laugh. “I believe you now.”
Now that I was fully awake, the griminess was getting to me. I wanted to scrub away the memories, erase them from my brain. “I need to clean up. Don’t leave, okay?”
He grinned. “I wouldn’t think about it.”
Making haste toward the bathroom, I glanced at him over my shoulder right before I closed the door. It was a tempting sight, seeing Gavin sprawled out on my bed with all that bad boy, yummy goodness. I took the fastest shower ever known to mankind, then quickly threw on a pair of shorts and a baggie t-shirt. I didn’t want to give him the chance to sneak away.
A steam of fog followed me out of the bathroom when I remerged. He was right where I had left him, and those warm fireflies returned, darting around in my belly. “I’m happy you’re here,” I said, climbing back into bed with a huge grin on my lips.
“And?” He had a hand behind his head.
I lifted my hand, running my fingers through his silky hair that tumbled over his brow. “Stay,” I whispered. “I can’t bear to be alone.” I needed him. His presence was the only thing that was going to calm me. Inside, I felt icy, and Gavin was the one person who could melt that cold.
His eyes drifted shut as he leaned his forehead against mine and my breath caught.
“You’re killing me,” he sighed.
A smile swept across my face.
His eyes popped open suddenly. “I didn’t mean that literally.”
I wrapped both my arms around his neck. “I know.”
His eyes darkened and his lips brushed across mine in the most tantalizing way. “If anything had happened to you…”
“It didn’t. You were there.” He was always there.
In soft caresses, his fingers slowly trailed down the underside of my arm. Tiny blue sparks skimmed over the surface. It was unearthly. Then he was kissing me and his lips were cosmic, out of this world. I was transported to another galaxy—just where I needed to be: no worries, no one threatening my life, no Lukas.
His mouth was warm over mine with a hint of coolness coming from the silver hoop in his lip. My lips tingled, but it wasn’t long before my entire body was sparking. What started off as tentative and sweet soon spiraled, creating a yearning inside of me. Our hearts beat heavily, quickening.
The sensations he enticed ignited something deep within me: the knowledge of what I wanted—him. I wanted Gavin. Holy moonbeams. I was love-struck, spellbound, hypnotized by his touch, and I wasn’t alone in my feelings….
He made a guttural sound in the back of his throat as his fingers made quick work of the thin straps of my tank top. Hooking a finger under the light material, he brushed them off my shoulder, pressing a kiss where the straps had been. “If you don’t stop me soon, I won’t be able to.”
I’m counting on it. Instead of telling him with words, I showed him. Crushing my body to his, I deepened our kiss, sweeping my tongue against his in a seductive game of tag. I was blown away, not only by the intensity of my feelings, but also by realizing that I had this strong, violent emotion inside me—love. It took me by surprise.
If someone had told me last summer that the edgiest, not to mention the hottest, boy at school would be in my bed, I would have laughed in his or her face—heck, I probably would have snorted. But a lot had changed; I had a changed. Four months ago I didn’t believe in witches, and here I was, not only believing in them, but also knowing that I am one. That was one heck of a pill to swallow.
Now I was approaching a different milestone, a much more intimate one, and I knew to the very depth of my core that I had made the right choice, fate and premonitions be damned.
I got hung up on the feel of his mouth. My body was molded to his, and I parted my lips, intoxicated by the taste of his breath. There was fire in his eyes as he pulled back. “Bri?”
I knew what he was asking, and my answer was still the same. I nibbled on his ear. “I want this,” I murmured. I want you, I added silently—at least, I was pretty sure it had been in my head.
I trailed my tongue over his bottom lip, and Gavin growled, claiming my mouth in a branding kiss. Magic picked up inside me, flowing through my heated veins, stirring a delicious storm of need. Clothing vanished in a wink, leaving us skin to skin. A neat trick. Having a witch for a boyfriend definitely had its perks.
He leaned over me, my auburn hair spilling over the white sheets. Marveling at his sun-kissed skin, I ran my hands over his chest, feeling the muscles jump under my touch. I never wanted to stop. I didn’t need tender words or sappy romance. All I wanted was to feel loved, safe. Gavin gave me those feelings in abundance. He would never let anyone or anything harm me, and that was damn sexy in my book.
When we came together, I felt as if my body were a part of his, like I were burning, reaching for something. My head twisted to the side and… starbursts in all the colors of the rainbow shot through me, glorious and dreamy. I bit my lip to keep from crying, out and I lost control.
Magic tumbled from my fingertips, haloing the room in a bluish-white light. It swirled, spun up, and spun out. At the same time, dry lightning flashed across the sky outside, striking in a jagged and terrible display.
Oops.
God, I hope that doesn’t happen every time we…
“Should I take that as a compliment?” Gavin asked huskily, his brow rose.
I let out a breathy giggle.
Poised above me, he brushed away some strands of hair that were stuck to my face. “Your eyes are glowing.”
Imprisoned by the darkest blue eyes, I murmured, “So are yours.”
Moonlight, like a blanket, spilled through the window as I snuggled into his arms. Only moments later, my eyes drifted shut.
Chapter 13
Sprawled on his belly with one arm slung around my waist, Gavin appeared almost angelic in sleep. White sheets were twisted and tangled around his hips. His soft lips were relaxed and thick black lashes fanned the tops of his cheeks. There was youthfulness to his face in sleep that made him less intimidating and dangerous.
I wanted to stay just like this for as long as possible.
I lay on the bed beside him, and like a total creeper I watched the rise and fall of his even breathing. A need to touch him punched inside me, and as my fingers inched toward him, he rolled, tugging me closer. Suddenly the angel looked like a disgruntle lion—adorable and lethal.
I grinned. “Morning.”
He groaned.
Utterly delectable.
Placing a hand on his bare chest, his skin was hot. “If we don’t get up, we are going to be late for school.”
He snaked an arm around my waist, pulling me toward him. “Hmm. I think we deserve a day off.”
I smacked him on the chest. “That is your answer to everything.”
I received a dazzling grin. “Well, I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”
My cheeks turned an embarrassing shade of pink. “Whose fault is that?”
“Yours,” he said, nuzzling my neck.
I knew that if I didn’t get out of this bed very soon, I would give into to his every request, including ditching school. But with his tongue flirting with my neck, I stopped thinking altogether.
If it wasn’t for my alarm, we might have very well skipped school, but the an
noying buzzing didn’t stop until Gavin sent it flying across the room. It hit the wall with a clatter, smashing to smithereens.
I burst out laughing.
Gavin plopped back onto the bed, his hands stuffed into his messy hair. “I’ll be back to get you in twenty. Be ready or I drag you back here for the rest of the day.”
Jumping from the bed and out of his reach, I padded to the bathroom grinning from ear to ear. As soon as the door clicked shut, I turned on the shower knowing that he would make good on his warning. Not that the idea didn’t sound appeasing. It was because it was so darn tempting that I was ready for school in fifteen minutes flat.
His car was idling in my driveway as I rushed out of the house, a beaming grin still on my lips. I didn’t think there was anything that could damper my fantastic mood. Overheard the sun was sunny and cheerful. Not a cloud in the sky.
I sunk into my chair of my first class with a dopey hearts in my eyes. I could still taste Gavin on my lips.
Tori leaned over the side of her desk. “Well, aren’t you bursting with good news?”
“What?” I asked, cutting off my own personal swoon-fest. I only had one thing on the brain. Gavin. Gavin’s lips. Gavin’s abs. Gavin. He was chili pepper hot today.
Maybe it had something do with what happened between us last night, because I was even more attracted to him. My head was overfilled with all things Gavin. I’d always wanted my first time to be with someone special, someone who respected me and cared deeply for me. Gavin hadn’t disappointed. He made the memory unforgettable. The little display of fireworks might have added to its hot factor.
“Holy shit! You did it,” Tori said.
She suddenly had my full attention along with the half-filled classroom. There was still a minute before the bell rang to signify the start of school. I narrowed my eyes, prepared to hush her by any means and unleash holy hell if necessary.
But Austin stole my chance. He turned around from the seat in front of me. “Oh. My. Gawd. B. Dish now. Don’t even think about leaving even the teensiest, juicy detail. I want it all.”