by Lizzy Ford
Summer climbed out ahead of him, waiting. The midmorning was warm and bright. More than a few of the teens from the school were lying in bikinis on the beach, tanning. Decker took her hand and led her in the direction opposite of the resort, around the south side of the lake. They ambled down a dirt road lined with trees.
Summer closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of pine and sunshine. The air tickled the back of her neck, and even the trees seemed to crowd her.
“They want to talk to you,” Decker said.
Opening her eyes, she gasped at the sight of branches reaching for her. They couldn’t quite stretch across the road and retreated, hovering protectively over her.
“Can you hear them yet?” he asked.
“No. I can’t hear the air, either, but it likes to mess with me.”
“The elements love those who can talk to them. The earth senses you’re close to accessing your magick.”
She looked up at him, grinning. He kissed her forehead.
“You think tonight … will work?” she asked. “You really think it’s the key?”
“It might be. It’s different for everyone. I crashed my motorcycle last year and nearly died. Ran straight into a cliff. When I woke up a few days later, I could access my magick.”
“What an awful way to unlock it.”
“I hope I’m the key. It’d be the first time I was special for a reason other than to become the Dark Master.”
“Can I ask how you became Dark?” When he hesitated, she rushed on. “You don’t have to, if it bothers you.”
“I broke one of the most sacred rules of the Light. I went beyond harming someone and killed her.”
“Why?” Stunned, Summer stared up at him. Stormy emotions crossed his features. She wanted his pain to leave, so they could be happy once again, but she couldn’t walk away when he’d admitted to murder.
“She asked me to.”
“Will you tell me what happened?” she asked. “Please?”
Decker sighed. “She was a cancer patient who was expected to die any day. I met her when I got in my motorcycle wreck last year. She said she was in pain and wanted to die. I used my magick to help her overdose on pain meds. That’s it.”
“The Light condemned you for it,” she mused.
“I was destined to become the Dark Master, anyway. Something would’ve happened to pull me off the path of the Light.”
“You really think so? You don’t think Beck could’ve been the Dark Master?”
“Beck doesn’t think badly of anyone. He has no spine, which is why he puts up with Dawn. She’s pulled so much crap, she should be wearing black. He’ll never be able to k … he’ll never be able to hurt anyone.”
“I can see that,” Summer murmured. “I think she tried to kill Tarzan.”
He stopped and turned to her. “Are you serious?”
“I don’t know for sure. Someone put poison in his bottle. He was too smart to drink it, though.”
“When I turn eighteen in a week, she’ll be the first one I claim.”
“She didn’t kill him, though,” Summer said. “I left Biji with him to make sure nothing happens.”
“Smart. It’d make it easier for me to claim her if she did it, but not your Tarzan. I know how much you love him.”
“I do,” she said. “He’s such a precious little guy. Biji will take care of him.”
The tension eased from Decker’s frame, and they started walking again.
“I’ve never really had friends, and now I have three,” she continued. “I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at life. Ever feel that way?”
“Eh, not so much. My one mistake made me the Master of Darkness,” he joked. “I’d do it again, if give the chance. I think the only thing that can save me is you.”
“Really?”
“I’ve been headed down a dark path for a while. When we’re together, I don’t feel the demons inside me.”
Summer glanced up at him, hearing the pain in his voice again. She was afraid to ask if these demons were real or just an expression.
“I think we were made for each other,” she said. “Sometimes, that scares me.”
“Me, too, usually when you’re not around. I wonder how we can have something so perfect when there’s nothing perfect about the world around us.”
“I love it, whatever it is.”
“Good. I’ve got another two years here and you have three. It gives us tons of us-time.”
“I like the sound of that.”
They walked in happy silence. Summer watched the trees they passed continue to try to reach her. Finally, she stepped away from Decker and reached out to one. It lowered its branches to her, touching her hand lightly. The long, loose pine needles felt almost like fur. She laughed at the magick tingle that went through her. Content, the tree returned to its upright position, and she retreated to Decker’s side.
“Sam says you’ll be very strong,” Decker said. “He said you’d alter the balance.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good thing, is it?”
“I have no idea. But I agree that you’ve got a lot of potential. I felt you the day we met in the driveway.”
“Amber says I’ll be officially a member of the Light in a week. I hope I can help others like me out there. I think that would make everything I’ve been through a little less awful. Maybe I can find orphans with magick like me and rescue them. Though I really don’t want to leave here. This place makes me feel at peace.” Her gaze went to the trees again.
“We have to travel the world, too,” he said. “We can go anywhere you want.”
Summer said nothing, dazzled by the idea of spending not just a few years with him, but the rest of her life. She’d never thought beyond the next week or two. A future wasn’t something she’d ever thought she’d have.
“Ireland,” she said at last. “And maybe … Greece? No, southern France.”
“We can go to all three,” he said, chuckling. “I want to go to Machu Picchu. I saw a show on TV that said the aliens built the city in the mountains. I want to hunt for them.”
“For aliens?” she asked.
“Yeah. I’ve been watching space shows, since you like stars.”
Summer laughed.
“You never know. We exist; they might, too.” He grinned.
“True!”
They talked and laughed the rest of the way to the cabin, the darkness of his past lost. When they turned down a driveway and walked around a curve, Summer almost stopped. What he called a cabin was a log mansion almost the size of the resort. The garage door was open, as if expecting them, and the chimney puffed smoke despite the warm day.
“This is your parents’ place?” she managed as they reached the garage.
“Yep. They’re in London. Beck and I come here on weekends sometimes, so they keep the staff working part time.”
Staff. London. Adam had said the Turner twins’ parents were well off, but she never imagined they could afford a household staff or a cabin this size.
Decker typed a code into a panel on the wall, and the door closed. He led her through a door into a stainless steel kitchen with ceilings twenty feet tall and counters stretching twenty feet. It smelled clean beneath undertones of fresh bread. To her right was a wall of windows overlooking the lake.
“Wow,” she said, gazing at the lake.
“My … our room has the same view. We’re directly above the kitchen. It smells so good in the morning, when the chef makes bread.”
Our room. Each moment with him grew better than the last. Decker gave her a tour of the downstairs: the two-story formal dining and living rooms, the cozier family room, game room, media room and two restrooms. They ascended to the second floor, and he showed her the upstairs living area and pool room and motioned to the doors of the master suite, Beck’s room, and several guest bedrooms before opening the door to his room.
Summer stepped into his room, attention caught first at the wall of windows oppo
site her. His room was spacious, with a king-sized sleigh bed and heavy furniture in dark woods. Like the rest of the house, the walls were thick, caramel-colored logs. The rug underfoot dark blue. It smelled of him, a comforting scent that made her smile.
“Bathroom here,” he said and opened a door opposite the windows. “The other door is a closet and behind here”— he pushed open a bi-fold screen on the wall on the other side of the bed —“a fireplace.”
“This is amazing, Decker,” she said, gazing around. “This is nicer than an apartment.”
“It’s quiet. The bed is so much better than those at the dorms.” He flung himself across the bed and rolled onto his back.
Summer sat on the plush bed.
“Stars in our hemisphere. I put it up after the night we lay on the picnic table.”
She looked where he pointed at the ceiling directly overhead. She lay down beside him, gazing at the round posters depicting constellations. He took her hand as they lay quietly.
“Wanna watch a movie?” he asked.
“Sure.”
Hand-in-hand, they walked to the media room. Summer sank into one of the plush leather chairs and watched Decker fiddle with a remote that turned on the huge, flat-screen television. She looked around, wondering what it was like to live in such a huge house. She could see herself with Decker, ten years down the road, watching movies and talking. The vision made her smile. After twelve years in the state system, the idea of a home and a life left her awed and yearning.
They watched movies until it was dark. Decker excused himself, and she finished the last movie on her own. As the credits rolled, Summer stirred and looked around. She left the media room to find a thin trail of rose petals leading her towards the stairs and up. They continued down the hall and stopped at the door to his room.
“Decker?” she called.
Light glowed from his room. She approached, not wanting to disturb him, and paused in the doorway. The fire in the fireplace was lit, and the room smelled of earthy incense. A clear bottle sat in a wine bucket beside the fire with two delicate crystal glasses beside it. Summer’s heart beat harder and harder with each step she took. Her hands shook in anticipation and excitement.
“I ran out of roses,” Decker said, emerging from the bathroom. He flicked off the light, leaving them with the glow of fire that reflected in the dark windows. “I, uh, wanted it to be perfect but didn’t think I needed so many. It’s not wine, either. I forgot to ask the housekeeper to leave some out. It’s just imported seltzer water.”
“It is perfect!” she replied.
He looked relieved and rubbed the back of his head. Summer closed the door.
They stared at each other. The space between them felt like a million miles. Decker took in her face intently. She held out her hand finally, and he took it. They stood toe-to-toe.
“I just want you to know, I feel honored to be here with you,” he whispered.
“I think we saved each other, Decker,” she said honestly.
He kissed her. She took his face in her hands, kissing him back. Her magick stirred when his hands found her hips. Decker stepped towards the bed. Summer backed away, breaking contact.
“Wait,” she said.
“What’s wrong?” he asked immediately.
She shook her head and took another step back. She’d undressed herself in her thoughts over and over, so she’d get it right when it was time. Her hands shaking, she tugged off the tank top and then her skirt and underwear. When she straightened, she realized she hadn’t decided what to do with her hands. She crossed her arms then dropped them, fidgeting.
Decker was silent. She looked up at long last. He was staring at her, his mouth open.
“Should I not have done that?” she asked, exposed and all too aware most of the kids at school thought she needed to lose weight.
His voice was hoarse. “My god, Summer, you’re beautiful.”
The flush that spread through her originated from her toes and made it all the way to the top of her head.
“You can come closer,” she said when he hesitated.
Decker’s gaze took in her naked body, lingering on her breasts then traveling down to the apex of her thighs. He did as she beckoned, rubbed the back of his head, and touched her gently. His hand shook as bad as hers as it traveled down her shoulder and arm before tentatively findings its place on her hip.
“You’re so soft,” he whispered, awed. “Like the rose petals.”
Summer’s breathing was uneven. His touch burned her bare skin, his agitated magick flying through her with the same urgency she felt. Carefully, Decker touched her with his other hand. His large hands were gentle enough to tickle, as if he feared her skin would tear as easily as a rose petal.
Chapter Twelve
“It’s okay, Decker,” she said. “You won’t hurt me.” She took his hands and pressed them against her hips.
He felt silly as soon as she said the words. He’d had sex before, but this was different. This was Summer. Firelight and shadows flickered over Summer’s naked body. He didn’t know what possessed her to take off her clothes all at once, but he liked it.
No, he loved it. He loved the silkiness of her skin, the feminine shape of her body, her heady scent. Dark hair was draped over one shoulder, hiding half of one plump breast. He took in her body again, from her bright eyes to the soft curls at the apex of her thighs. He hadn’t even let himself dream of this moment, in case it never happened. Standing before her, he began to think this was as close to heaven as a condemned soul would ever get.
He lifted her hair to reveal both breasts and trailed a finger down her chest and stomach.
“Are you disappointed?” she ventured at his silence.
“No. Never with you.” He met her gaze again.
“I know I’m overweight.” Her nervous words were accompanied by a small laugh.
“You’re perfect.”
“You still want me, right?”
He almost laughed at the concerned look that crossed her face. As if he could walk away from her! As if she wasn’t the sole reason his heart beat!
“Yes, Summer. More than anything,” he said. He took one of her hands and placed it along the ridge in his pants. “See?”
She flushed then grinned. Her hand stayed when he released her, and he cupped her face in his hands.
“I’m yours, Summer. Forever and ever, if you want,” he said.
“Really?”
He nodded. Her soul sang louder, happier than any he’d ever heard. The sound made him want to wrap himself in her arms forever.
“I’m yours, too, Decker. Forever and ever, if you want me.”
“I do.”
“Promise?”
“Yeah. With all my soul,” he whispered. “I could never be with anyone else.”
“I promise, too.”
He leaned back and peeled off his T-shirt. Summer touched him tentatively, her fingers tickling the thin layer of hairs on his chest. She flattened her palms against his pecs, and he reveled in the sensations of her magick trickling from deep within her into his body. Her cool hands branded him everywhere they touched.
He kissed her, long and deep. His restraint began to slip, and he gathered her into his arms. She was so soft and warm, so sweet and eager. He wanted to take his time and handle her carefully, like the delicate treasure she was, but his desire was rising fast and hot. Summer was matching his hunger kiss for kiss, touch for touch.
“I need you,” he said against her mouth.
“What’re you waiting for?” she replied.
Decker didn’t need a second invitation. He bent and lifted her, carrying her to his bed. He set her down gently and stood back, admiring once again. She reached for him, and he peeled off his jeans and boxers before lying beside her. They kissed, her hands exploring his body so lightly, they tickled him.
Their first time didn’t go as he planned. He lasted less than sixty seconds, too excited after the condom went on. It was
probably for the best; Summer had been uncomfortable with her first time. She went to the bathroom, and he lay still. When Summer returned to the bed, he wasn’t sure what she’d say, if she wanted to leave. She crawled in beside him and lay facing him. Naked, they gazed at each other.
“Did it hurt?” he asked.
“A little,” she replied. “Did it hurt you?”
“God no! It made me want to do it again and again and again.” He kissed her with each again then fluttered kisses over her face until she laughed.
Decker pressed her to the bed again and kissed her deeply. He let his hands roam her soft skin. He was ready again. Drunk off her scent, enthralled by the shadows of her body, he didn’t think he’d ever get enough of his Summer.
“Wanna try again?” he whispered.
“Yeah.”
He complied, this time slower, more controlled. As he made love to her, he felt the shift within her. The trickle of her magick turned into a flood. His own power tempered the release, absorbing the newly freed magick, while he lost himself in the sensations of her body.
They made love once more. Each time grew sweeter, longer. When they’d finished, Summer curled up against him and fell asleep. Decker held her naked body close. Sated and calm, he focused on her magick.
She’d been right. He was the key to unlocking it. He brushed the hair from her face, smiling. She’d surrendered to him in a way he didn’t think was possible, and he’d done for her what no one else could.
Sam said she was strong, and Decker roused himself, assessing. His shadows explored the depths of her magick. She was the exact opposite of him. Rather than repelling each other, their magickks complemented one another. When he pushed, hers gave. When hers pushed, his gave.
They were perfect partners in every way. His hand traveled down her side and rested on her hip. Was this the connection his parents felt? Was this what kept his mother from madness?