by J. L. Weil
Without a second of hesitation, he closed his fist over the stone, whispered words that sounded foreign on the tongue. My expression grew incredulous. The blue in his eyes illuminated as bright as the stars. I was transfixed by his power, by his words, by him. Drawn by the shimmering of magic pouring from his hands, the milky-blue stone started to glow in his clench. When the spell was completed and he opened his palm, his eyes meet mine.
This was it.
Sink or swim.
I blinked. The once solid crystal was a bluish-white power in his hand. I watched in amazement. The dust was still glowing. It was spellbinding.
Holy smokes.
“Now what?” I asked in a voice just over a whisper.
His lashes lowered and he brought his handful of moondust up to his mouth. Then before I knew what his intentions were, he blew the magical dust over me. I gasped. The ever-present dark ribbons inside me, roared as the sparkles floating down upon me.
Time moved in slow motion. I could see the diamond-like dust in the air, swirling. It landed on my skin, in my hair, and I breathed it in. Tiling my head back, I drank in the salty air mixed with magic, letting the wind and the sun wash over my skin. I closed my eyes. My heart felt lighter. My magic purer. My soul repaired. I felt like myself.
And I owned it all to Gavin.
He waited patiently, expectantly for me to say something. No words came. So I grinned and threw my arms around his neck.
His arms tightened and he buried his face in the hollow of my neck. “Does this mean it worked?” he murmured.
I swallowed. “I never should have doubted.”
“Damn right,” he responded.
I laughed, pulling back to look into his face, unable to comprehend that he had found a way to counteract the use of such dark magic. “What did you say, the words to the spell?” I asked, still hardly able to believe I was free of the darkness. My entire body felt cleansed.
“To sea. To sky. To night,” he whispered.
It was beautiful.
And he was breathtaking.
Gavin slipped his arm around me as I leaned into him. He kissed my temple. And I sat with him while the storm shifted out to sea, the thunder quieted, and the whips of rain and wind turned to soft patters.
“So you think we are meant to be?” I asked with a grin in my voice.
A wealth of emotion shone in his dazzling blue eyes. “I know it.”
“How?”
He angled his head. “You know why? That charge of energy you get whenever we touch, it’s not coincidental.”
That was twice this year that two different guys claimed that I was destined to be theirs, except this time…I believed him.
I grinned in embarrassing so. “I’m glad it’s you.”
He smirked, eyes twinkling. “There was never another choice for me, Bri. It was always you.” Unceremoniously he swept me off my feet.
Chapter 28
On the afternoon of graduation, Tori stood in my bedroom, twirling a medium sized curling-wand through my hair. I fidgeted in front of the mirror. “Are you almost done?” I complained.
She grinned. “Shut up and sit there. You think I was killing you.”
“It feels like it,” I grumbled.
Austin spun in the desk chair, facing us. His brown hair slicked back and his bottle green eyes twinkling. “Babygirl, what are you going to do without us?”
“Use a spell.”
The two of them looked at each other and then started laughing. “Why didn’t you just say so?” Tori asked, waving the curling wand behind my head.
I met her reflection in the mirror. “Because this might be the last you do my hair.”
She put her hand over her heart, her eyes watering. “That is so sweet.”
Austin coughed. “B, sweet? What has the world come to?”
I socked him in the arm. “I have my moments,” I defended, tears stinging my eyes. I had a feeling it was going to be a day full of them.
Tori put down the wand and wiped at her eyes. “Thank God we haven’t started our makeup yet.”
I groaned. “I think I’ll take the easy way out.”
“Me too?” Tori asked.
“You better not leave me out,” Austin chimed in.
Surprised, I nodded. My friends wanted me to use magic on them. I adored them to death. “As if I could forget about you.”
Calling forth my magic, no longer tainted, it flowed through my veins like warm silk. A violet mist swirled around us as I thought the words to a spell Sophie had taught me. It was a simple one to enhance ones natural beauty. Smooth wrinkles, vanish blemishes, enhance the eyes, refresh the skin, it was like spending hours in a fancy spa bottled in a spell.
“There,” I said grinning. “Voilà.”
They both rushed to my full-length mirror. “You are kickass to have around,” Austin smiled, catching my eye in his reflection.
Tori puckered her rosy lips. “Screw all those expensive bottles in my bathroom. You are so much cheaper.”
I stretched out my legs. “Thanks, I think.”
Tori spun around giggling, her short black dress flaring with her movements. “I can’t believe we are graduating today.”
Austin went to the side of my bed, rumbling through a bag he had brought with him. “And now that you aren’t witch-a-saurus anymore, I think a toast is in order.” He pulled out a green bottle of what looked like champagne.
I should have been totally offended, but I wasn’t. I had been a complete and utter bitch the last few weeks. “Where did you get that?” I asked.
Tori grinned like she got caught eating the last Krispy Kreme a cop convention. “It was a gift from my dad.”
I shook my head. “He does realize you are only graduation high school, not college?”
She shrugged. “It’s free booze. Who cares? We deserve it.”
“Here, here,” Austin chanted.
The three of us held our glass flutes in the air. “I love you guys. You are the best friends a girl could have.”
Austin clucked his tongue. “After the shit you put us through this year, your skinny ass better love us.”
We clanged our glasses together. “Cheers,” we said in unison, grinning.
I took a sip and immediately made a not so pretty face.
Austin had drained his glass. “Let’s graduate bitches.”
***
“Stop fidgeting,” Gavin whispered.
“I can’t. This gown is itchy.” I tugged at the collar of my God awful purple and gold robe. Whoever designed these things should be shot. Haven’t they ever heard of comfort?
He chuckled.
My entire graduation classed was sitting in the football field with our parents and loved was in the stands, crying, smiling, and cheering our accomplishment. We had survived high school. For me, that was almost a bigger triumph than passing my classes. With Gavin at my side, we waited for the principal to call our names.
I twirled my hair around my fingers nervously. I glanced over at him and shielded my eyes from the sun.
Gavin elbowed me playful. “What now, Bri?” he asked about the future.
Did he really expect me to answer that big of a question right now? I didn’t know what I was doing after this, let alone at the end of summer. I gave a small shrugged. “I don’t know, college?” He was always altering my plans, but this time it had been in a good way.
He smirked. “You just name the school…I’ll take care of the rest.”
I snorted. By take care of, he meant magic. Spelling my way into college hadn’t exactly crossed my mind.
Principal Les called my name over the microphone and I froze. Gavin gave my butt a little pat, spurring me into motion. I glanced over my shoulder at him scowling. He flashed me a quick saucy grin. The whole way to the front I prayed I wouldn’t trip.
When it was all over and the entire class had their diplomas and we threw those weird square caps in the air, my aunt was waiting for me in the crowd. S
he looked lovely in her simple summer dress, with a bouquet of flowers in her arms, of course.
She handed me the colorful arrangement. “I wish your mom and dad could see you,” she sniffed, blotting a tissue under her eyes.
Oh lord. Here come the waterworks. “Me too,” I said, hugging her.
She clung, and I let her. Tears burned the back of my throat. Man, I sort of wanted to start balling. “Thank you for always being there for me,” I said.
“Always and forever,” she whispered. “You were born from magic. Don’t forget your roots.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
As we separated another pair of arms immediately bombarded me. “Congratulations,” Sophie said, hugging me. “I can’t believe I have another year,” she groaned.
As always, Sophie came in like a whirlwind. “Don’t worry. It will fly by,” I encouraged.
Austin and Tori joined us. “We did it,” Austin sang, and I was smooched between my two best friends.
If I did any more hugging, I might be sick. “High school was a lot harder than I anticipated,” I mumbled.
The three of them laughed. “Maybe more so for some of you,” Sophie said winking at me.
That was when Aunt Clara pulled out the camera. She snapped pictures of Tori, Austin and I, some with Sophie and lastly Gavin and I. She got all teary-eyed again. Just when I thought she was finished, she would take another and another. It was more than I could stand, but I let her fuss.
I was surrounded my people I loved.
Although the sun was shining in my eyes, I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of sandy hair and emerald eyes. It brought on the memory of the first time I saw Lukas in the farmer’s market. Acute sadness and sharp regret soared inside me. I stood on my tiptoes trying to get a better view.
He wouldn’t possibly show his face at my graduation, right? He wouldn’t take the risk. Why would he? He wouldn’t be so stupid, unless he had a death wish.
But it didn’t stop that seed of possibility from spreading…and spreading, until it was all I could think about. Stretching on my toes, I looked through the crowds, trying to see if my eyes had tricked me.
I found not a trace of Lukas in the sea of people, and I couldn’t decide if it was relief or disappointment I was feeling. Regardless it didn’t last long, because a flutter of fireflies replaced all other feelings.
Gavin had come up behind me and rested his chin on my shoulder. “You okay. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
A small giggled bubbled out, but before he could question my sanity, I turned in his arms, facing him. Sometimes like now, when I was staring up at his face, I regretted that it had taken me as long as it did to realize that he was the only one. I wish that I had been as confident in us as he had been. I felt like for him, it had been instantaneous. “I love you,” tumbled from my mouth, coming straight from the bottom of my heart.
His arms squeezed around me, tingling with magic. “I love you.” The words sounded devastatingly perfect coming from him
My heart tripped. A burst of light encompassed every cell in my body. Delight fluttered through my belly. Our love did that. There was hope in our future. There was our acceptance of each other—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
We kissed and everything about him feels familiar. I know exactly how we fit together—perfectly, his arms around my waist, my hands tied at his neck, the pressure of his lips over mine. No doubts. Not about him. Not about me. And certainly not about us.
The future?
Well, that is another story. One that I can honestly say I am looking forward to.
THE END