~~~
Atohi and I stood in front of his home. My palms were sweaty. I looked at him and smiled. “Are you ready?”
He howled and paced until he was behind me to nudge against the backs of my knees. I laughed and opened the door, Atohi following quickly behind me. As soon as I turned around, he grabbed me up and spun me.
“Alice, you’re amazing.” His smile was infectious.
I wiggled from his grasp to pull the stone from my pocket, holding it out to him. “Are you ready?”
Atohi practically ripped his shirt over his head, exposing his chest and scar to me. He took a deep breath and steadied himself.
“Are you nervous?” I gently razzed him.
“Of course I am. I haven’t been outside these walls in this body for longer than you’ve been alive.”
I kissed him, relishing in the feeling of his lips on mine. “Everything will be okay.”
He pressed his forehead to mine, cupping my cheeks before kissing me again. “I know.”
I handed him the stone, which glowed as soon as he touched it. A blinding light filled the room when it met his chest. I closed my eyes to block it out.
A thunk made me open them back up. My eyes first went to the stone, now on the floor and colorless. Then to Atohi. “Well?”
He opened the door and stepped outside. Immediately, he pulled off his shoes and socks and laughed as he felt the blades of grass between his toes. It was a small, infectious sort of noise that had tears gathering in the corners of my eyes.
Atohi walked forward to a large oak tree that stood before his home and dragged one of his large hands down its rugged bark, reaching for one of the lower-hanging branches, plucking one of the autumn leaves.
“I’m free…” He muttered it so quietly, I almost didn’t hear him over the wind that rustled through the woods.
Atohi whipped back around to stare at me. “I’m free.”
Chapter Thirteen
Atohi and I stared at each other for a beat before he wrapped me tightly in his arms. He picked me up and spun. I squealed in excitement.
“You did it, Alice.” He was breathless in his excitement.
“I can't believe this is real. We did it. You’re really free…”
He pulled away to cup my cheek. The look in his eyes sent a shiver straight through my body to rest deep in my core.
“When we get to town, you must allow me to express gratitude for my rescue.”
His face was positively sinful. I bit my lower lip to suppress a moan of agreement.
“Well, it would be awfully rude of me to turn down an expression of gratitude.”He pressed his forehead to mine as we giggled. “Now show me everything I've missed in the last half century.”
“I think I need to catch you up on the last few hours first.” I sighed, the happy bubble we had created starting to deflate.
Atohi sat me back down on my own feet but kept his hands on my hips.
“Tell me what happened.” He frowned.
My heart squeezed painfully in my chest as I tried to think of what to tell him first.
“So, I found out some interesting information today.” Just spit it out. Tell him about Benjamin. He deserves to know.
“Oh?”
Ugh, but looking at his face, it was physically painful to know I was about to give him information that would likely devastate him when he was so happy right now. When he saw my hesitation, he pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“It's something that's really hard to say.” I swallowed heavily.
“You can tell me anything, Alice.” He squeezed my hand.
I took a deep breath. “Zella had a baby with Johannes. That’s who the little boy is.”
His smile slowly melted away as his grip on my hand waned.
“That's not true. They would’ve told me. Why would you say that?”
The look of utter hurt and betrayal in his eyes was gutting me. I was causing this pain in him.
“I met him. His name is Benjamin. He can turn into a Ghoul just like Johannes. According to Johannes, Zella had put him in some kind of stasis since he was born.”
“They were the two people closest to me in this world; they wouldn’t have kept that from me.”
I swallowed heavily. He was heartbroken. “Atohi, I know a really great place to sit that we can talk… We’ll get you some fresh air and a change of scenery.”
He took the hand I offered, and I pulled him along. Atohi marveled at the shops, cars, and people as we walked, and I couldn’t help but to watch his face, so full of wonder at the world he’d missed.
“C’mon, let’s stop at the inn so I can see what I have that’ll fit you. As sexy as those slacks and suspenders look on you, you’re already going to stick out by being near me.”
~~~
Sue met Atohi and me at the park near the lake. She hugged me tightly to her chest as soon as she saw me. “Girly, I was so worried about you after we parted. Everything is going good, though, it seems.” Sue peered around me at Atohi who stood in the only thing I could find to fit him in the stuff I'd brought to Granny’s, which consisted of grey sweatpants and a university sweater I had initially bought for my father, but ended up keeping for myself. His hair was tied in a knot at the back of his head.
“Ooh, let me hug you too, sweetie.” She opened her arms and wrapped them around his trim waist. Atohi laughed and hugged her back.
She mouthed Oh my God to me as she squeezed him tighter.
I rolled my eyes. Sue pulled back and patted his chest before finally stepping away.
“Are you happy now?” I asked, quirking my eyebrow.
“Extremely,” she said with a giggle. “Now, let me go grab us some drinks and we can talk.”
“And some nachos from the park vendor?” I gave her puppy dog eyes.
“And some nachos from the park vendor,” she said as she started towards the food stand. “Like you’d even have to ask.”
Atohi sat in the grass, surrounded by ducks that watched his every move as he ate some of the nachos Sue had brought back. She and I sat at a table nearby with our own food. “I’m not sure I’ve ever been so jealous of a duck… I’d love for him to feed me.” Sue put her chin in her hand as she leaned on the table and sighed wistfully.
“Sue, oh my God!” I laughed and shoved at her arm.
“I’m just kidding, girly. Are you going to tell me what’s up? I thought you and lover boy would be all over each other as soon as he was free, not sitting here at the park surrounded by cheap nachos and my great company.”
“I dropped a knowledge bomb on him and I panicked and just wanted to get out of the situation…” I quietly admitted. I looked over at an elderly couple throwing out seed to the birds from a bench only twenty feet from where Atohi sat. “Why can't we have a nice, normal, non-wizardy relationship like those two? Why can't we just feed ducks at a park and not worry about people going missing or you know… drama from the 1920s popping up?”
“You would really want to take walks and feed ducks all day?”
I pouted. “No... Cheesy goodness, make me feel better,” I whispered to my food.
“How about we just spend a few minutes talking about normal, not magic stuff, huh?”
I agreed and stuffed a few chips in my face before I even thought about talking further, though it was Suzanne that broke the silence between us after only a minute of silence.
“So, who else do you think is a Magi? Do you get like... a spidey-sense?”
“I thought we weren't going to talk about that right now.”
“Oh yeah...”
We ate in silence for another minute before she spoke again. “Okay, but do you think a lot of people are? Do you think my husband is?”
I sighed and put my food down. “I doubt your husband could keep a secret from you for that long.”
She hummed in agreement. “That's true. He once tried to hide the fact that he ate the last of my cookies. One glare and he spilled the beans.”<
br />
“To be honest, I keep wanting to just leave.” I sighed. “Go somewhere that I'm not surrounded by magic or creatures. Where people don't think I'm some witch that kidnaps people.”
It was then that I realized I was acting like my father. I wanted to run instead of dealing with all of this. Atohi didn’t choose this life. Johannes didn’t either. I needed to face this. I wouldn’t run.
“You know, next person who calls you that is getting punched in the face.”
“Too late for that.”
“What do you mean?”
I blushed as I swirled a broken tortilla chip around in the slowly congealing cheese. “You can't get mad at me.”
“I promise not to get angry with you.” She made an uncharacteristically serious expression.
“I hit Cole. He grabbed me and told me not to be such a witch, so... I slapped him in the face. I don't trust him anymore, Sue. I don't. I'm sorry. I know he's your friend.”
“Sweetie, he's so not my friend.”
“But you two have lunch together every day.”
“Yeah, 'cause he invited himself to my table. I used to eat with like three other teachers and they all abandoned ship.” She pouted as her last nacho chip broke in the cheese. “That’s part of why I so desperately wanted you to eat with me. I needed someone to keep me sane.”
After a moment of silence, I asked, “When did Cole move to town?”
“Um, maybe half a year ago… Just before the Spring semester, I think.”
“When did the disappearances start?” I leaned forward on the table, my arms crossed under my chest.
Sue put a finger to her lips as she thought. “Over the summer. My dahlias were just coming in and I was outside watering them when Mark came home and told me the owner of the grocery store, Mr. Shelton, had gone missing.”
“Then why does everyone think I'm the one doing it?” I asked, incredulous.
“It's probably because everyone knows about you. Yeah, Cole was new and he's weird, but he blended in and eventually people just forgot he wasn't from here.” She dusted her hands off as she finished her food and stacked it with my container. “But you're with the mayor. Everyone was curious about who you are.”
“I'm not... with-with the mayor...” I grumbled. “I just don't know what to do. I feel like Johannes betrayed me. I care about him, I really do, but he's been hiding way too much from me ever since the beginning. And I'm really attracted to Atohi.” I looked over at him where he still sat, though now that his food was gone, the ducks had jumped ship.
“He makes me feel so safe and secure, but I can't help but to keep thinking about Johannes... What should I do?”
“Screw him.” Sue shrugged.
“What? Sue, I just told you—”
“No, no, no. I meant screw him like hop on that. I think you need a really good lay, and I’m sure Atohi could use a release after being pent up for so long. I know y'all messed around the other day, but I'm talking hair-pulling, sweat dripping, screaming sex.” Sue gripped the edge of the table and rolled her eyes back in a mock of ecstasy, and I could have died right there.
She grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Ooh, or maybe you could be smothered between him and Johannes. Mm, that would be one nice—”
“Sue! Oh, my God.” My face burned bright red.
“What? It's the twenty-first century. A girl can diddle as many guys as she wants.” She blew me a kiss and winked. “Maybe they’ll come to terms, and the three of you can be one big family with Ben. You’ll be a throuple.”
“You’re so impossible,” I deadpanned... Even if that didn’t sound so bad.
“And yet, you love me.”
I sighed. “It’s true.”
My eyes drifted over to watch Atohi again, but he’d disappeared. I panicked and sat up, my back rigid. Where—
My panic was quickly squashed when I felt his heavy weight against my back as he dramatically flopped onto me. I whined as the air was squished out of me.
“Why do you love to squish me?” I wheezed.
Atohi nuzzled his face against mine and sighed happily. “You’re just so soft.”
Sue looked at her phone as it pinged. “Shoot, all right, love birds, I’ve gotta get going. The hubby has to go to work, and heaven forbid his parents are left alone with the kids.”
“Love you, sweetie.” She waved goodbye as she walked away, taking the garbage from the table as she left.
Atohi plopped next to me on the cool metal of the bench, and ours knees touched under the table.
“So, how does fresh air as a human feel?” I smiled and traced a finger along the back of his hand.
“To be truthful? Absolutely amazing,” he said with a laugh that made his eyes squint. It seemed to fade just as quickly as it appeared, though. “But, I can’t get what you said out of my mind… about the little boy.”
I swallowed around the dry lump in my throat. I knew I had to tell him about Benjamin, but why did it have to hurt so much?
“I just can’t help but wonder if he was taken just like we were. There’s no way they would hide something like that from me.”
“What do you mean taken?”
He paused, realizing he’d let something slip he obviously hadn't intended. I didn't want him keeping secrets from me about this. Not after everything. Not like Johannes did.
“What my dear brother means to say is Hecate took us in and made sure to beat us until our magic was to their ever-high standards.” Speak of the devil and he shall appear. We both started at the sound of a new voice. I hadn’t heard anyone approach, and judging by the look on Atohi’s face, he hadn’t either. Johannes smirked, his blue eyes raking over us. “Don't be so surprised to see me.” He placed his hands on his hips.
“Why are you here?” I half-whispered as I stood up. “Wait, Atohi... did he call you brother?”
He was silent, glaring daggers into Johannes.
“Oh, were you not going to tell her? Lycan Magus and Ghoul Magus are descendant from the same Ancients. We were also den brothers after we were taken. We escaped at, what, sixteen or seventeen? You, me, and Zella. And now our little sweetheart has brought us back together like one big happy family.”
“Is it true, Atohi?” I turned to him, unsure of what to think.
“Would I lie?” Even with Johannes’s posture and a smirk on his lips, it wasn’t hard to tell the strength behind it was a façade. The events of the recent days seemed to be weighing heavily on him like us.
“Shut up, Johannes. I'm not talking to you,” I barked.
He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing further.
“Yes, it is,” Atohi finally said after another moment of silence.
I took a deep breath. “And you're a Lycan?”
“Lycan class, but similar to what people think of as a werewolf.” He narrowed his eyes at Johannes. “I guess trapped as a wolf was his idea of a joke.”
“Hm, more like a cruel irony,” Johannes said. “But you should be thanking me. You'd be dead if I hadn't kept you alive all these years.”
“You think you were doing me a favor? I hadn't been able to talk to another human in nearly half a century. What kind of life is that to live?” Atohi stood and moved closer to Johannes, his posture rigid.
“You were going to leave me just like she did!” Johannes shouted.
All three of us went silent. Not even the birds were chirping in the trees. The air was stifling.
“Johannes…” I started, but Atohi gripped my hand, making me stop. “We shouldn’t do this here.”
People were at the park, and I’m sure we were already drawing enough attention. I could clearly see a woman holding her dog in her arms as she peered at us from her table.
“Why don't you show Alice your Lycan form?” Johannes baited in what I’m sure was an attempt to distract from his reveal. “I'm sure she would love it.”
They broke eye contact as Atohi finally looked back to me.
“Is that what you want?�
��
“What I want is to put an end to this pissing match,” I ground out. “Johannes, what are you even here for?”
“I had scheduled an appointment for a dear old friend of mine to craft you some clothing to extend an olive branch. I want you to have something lovely to wear for the party I’m throwing for the people that have helped you and your grandfather.”
“You've got to be joking,” I deadpanned.
“You've obviously never had a garment made by an Arachnid Magus. Softest material you'll ever feel. Actually, you have, now that I think about it. The night you laid in my sheets.” He was speaking to me, but was maintaining eye contact with Atohi.
“She's not going anywhere with you.” Atohi’s voice was flat.
“Aw, is that how you feel, Alice?” Johannes reached out to touch my hair, but I slapped his hand away.
“Knock it off, Johannes.”
“Come now, we don't have all day. You may bring the wolf. I'm sure he can catch up with the seamstress while I have my wicked way with you.”
Atohi nearly growled at him, the lines of his face turning from handsome to harsh.
“Calm down, brother. It was merely a jest,” Johannes said with a laugh. “Now, let's be off. If we keep my seamstress waiting any longer, she'll start charging me by the hour.”
I desperately wanted to bite back at him and act like a child, but what was the point? He'd hover and take jabs at Atohi until we finally gave in anyway.
“Fine, but Atohi comes with, and after this we all need to talk.”
“We certainly do.” His gaze flicked back up to his brother.
Atohi pulled me to the side as Johannes started walking. “Alice, you shouldn't put your trust in him.”
“I know, Atohi. But, let's just get this over with. Plus, people have been going missing. We need to do something to help them.”
He nodded at my resolve and gave me a reluctant smile of acceptance.
“If the two of you are all finished, let's move along. My car is this way.”
~~~
The car was silent as we drove. It was only broken by the sharp slap I gave Johannes’s hand after he had gripped my thigh. “Sorry, force of habit.”
He didn’t seem too sorry.
Eyes Like Autumn (Seasons of the Magi Book 1) Page 16