“Good, now get out.” He grinned.
I chuckled and climbed out of his pretty silver Lexus. There was a good chance that although I hadn’t told my parents I was leaving, they’d figured it out. However, if they hadn’t, I didn’t want to tattle on myself. So, I climbed back in the way I came out. My window.
It wasn’t until I was standing inside my room that I realized I hadn’t left my window open…and I definitely hadn’t left the shower running. TEGAN. I sprinted through the open bathroom door—and gasped. Tegan and Tennessee were fully clothed and wrapped around each other under the stream of water. I skidded to a stop but crashed into the cabinet with both knees.
“Ouch. Crap. Dang it. Ow. Sorry, sorry,” I muttered.
Tennessee jumped back from my sister. The pink crystal of his soulmate glyph was on full display, popping out the top of his V-neck shirt. I knew it was there—Tegan had told me. Then everyone told me after the incident at school that I’d missed. Bu still, seeing it in person on his tanned skin took my breath away. It was actually really beautiful on him.
He glanced back and forth between the two of us. Tegan must’ve said something to him telepathically because he narrowed his eyes and stared at her for a long moment before sighing and storming out of sight. A second later, our bedroom window slammed shut.
I looked up at her. “Tegan.”
She sighed. “I came here looking for you.”
I frowned and climbed to my feet. “You’re supposed to live here.”
She shrugged and all of her clothes and hair dried. “Give me your wrists. Please.”
There was a little voice in my head telling me not to trust her, and I hated it. I held my wrists out in front of me and stared at her. “Why?”
She pulled two golden bracelets out of her jacket pocket and slid them onto my wrists. They were about as wide as my finger and fit snug but comfortably. The golden metal had a slight antiqued finish, and the tops were adorned with red stones. I knew these bracelets well. They were mine. I bought them with my mom on one of our road trips. But why was my twin giving me my own bracelets?
“These stones are red amethyst,” Tegan said and brushed her fingers over the surface. “An excellent choice for you.”
I frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“You’ll see.” She grinned and pulled my hands farther from my body. “Now, summon fire.”
I scoffed. “I can’t. You know that. You’ve witnessed it.”
She rolled her eyes, and for a moment, nothing was strange between us. This was same old Tegan. “Humor me.”
“Okay.” I licked my lips and took a deep breath. I pictured fire in my head and called for my magic. A tingle of energy raced through my arms. Heat filled my palms. Ten little flames erupted from my fingertips. I gasped and waved my hands to extinguish them. My pulse quickened. I made a fist then flicked my fingers out. Flames answered my call immediately. “H-how?”
Tegan beamed with pride. Her green eyes sparkled and reflected my little flames. “I hated you being out there without a way to create fire. So, I found a spell in the Book of Shadows to fix that. Had to steal your bracelets, but I figured you wouldn’t mind.”
I grinned. “I don’t. This is awesome.”
“Good. Now you can defend yourself, as long as you’re wearing those. I recommend keeping them on at all times.”
“Thank you, Tegan.”
“You’re welcome, Emersyn.” She winked at me then turned and walked out of the bathroom.
“Wait,” I said, following after her. She’d headed straight for the window. “Wait, Tegan. Please. Why are you leaving? What’s going on?”
Her face fell. “If you knew just how much they lied to us, you wouldn’t be looking at me like that.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Emersyn
I’d never had a rebellious bone in my body. Not that I was a stickler for rules, but I simply never felt the need to break them. I always figured the consequences weren’t worth it. My first act of breaking and entering was with Tegan the night we moved to Tampa. We’d broken into Hidden Kingdom…and almost died. So, really, I was right. Dying was not worth it. I should’ve learned my lesson. But I didn’t. Or maybe Tegan really had been a bad influence on me, and I just no longer cared?
An hour ago, I’d scaled the chain-link fence around my high school in search of answers. Tegan hadn’t started acting weird until that day at school when she ran into Henley. She hadn’t told me much about their interaction, which in hindsight was a major red flag. Tegan always told me. Then there was the night of the dance. According to Tennessee, she left with Henley from school. And that was why I broke into school. If there was a clue on campus, I planned to find it.
However, I had scoured almost every inch of the campus and hadn’t found a single breadcrumb. I wasn’t sure what I was even looking for, or what I thought I might possibly find, but I’d assumed I’d know when I saw it. Turned out I assumed incorrectly. There was nothing.
Truth was, I did care. About my sister. I needed to know what happened because I’d come to the conclusion that Tegan wasn’t going to stop pulling her disappearing act.
Up until the moment she left me alone in our room, I’d assumed she’d go back to normal. She’d come home and tell me about this weird adventure she went on.
If you knew how much they lied to us... Her words from the night before echoed in my mind. Something was up. Tegan had learned something in the Book of Shadows, and it had altered her behavior. I had no idea what that could be, and it appeared she wasn’t going to volunteer the information. After she left, I had laid there in bed for hours and hours before drifting off to sleep. When I woke, I cursed my stupidity for not following her. Well, it wouldn’t happen again.
Nothing had changed in the twenty-four hours since she’d given me my bracelets...and that changed everything for me.
Tegan wasn’t going to hand over explanations, so we had to find them ourselves. I couldn’t afford to be timid and hesitant. I had to be strong. I was the Empress—it was about damn time I acted like it. For starters, I researched that red amethyst is used for courage, tenacity, inner strength, and passion. Tegan picked these bracelets for a reason. I had too.
I rounded the corner of the building on the far side of campus. The moon above was only a sliver of a crescent, enough to remind me it was still there but not enough to provide any light. Under the cover of the oak trees, the pathway was pitch black. There was no glow of city lights on this side of the building, so I was on my own.
The old Emersyn would’ve froze in fear then turned around. But I wasn’t her anymore. I couldn’t be her anymore. I had to be stronger than that. So I pushed my shoulders back and stomped into the darkness. My magic flared inside me like a rush of adrenaline. It was ready if I needed it.
Bright spotlights flashed over me, lighting up the area.
I gasped. Tegan?
“I see someone!” a man yelled in the distance, but not too far away. Red and blue lights lit up and reflected off the surrounding buildings. Police sirens wailed.
“Uh-oh.” The sirens moved closer. I didn’t wait another second. I sprinted down the path to the first opening between the trees to where the chain-link fence was accessible. Except then I remembered that side of campus still had the old barbed wire attached at the top. I hesitated, not sure if I should use my magic or not. But the cops couldn’t catch me there. My pulse quickened. I didn’t have a choice, not really. I wiggled my fingers and summoned fire into my palms. Flames shot out of my hands instantly and slammed into the fence. The metal smoked and shrieked as it melted apart. I burned a clean, straight line then pushed my way through.
“There’s fire!” a man yelled. “Police, STOP!”
I raced down the sidewalk as police sirens wailed all around me. They were so close it stung my ears, but echoed too much to tell exactly where they were. When I got to the end of the street at the far corner of the school, I turned left then slid to a stop. My b
alance faltered, and I dropped down to one knee. My heart stopped, and a cold chill filled my body.
My car was parked a few blocks over…from the other side of campus. But between me and it were about five police cars. They had K9 officers and spotlights. I’d never make it. I couldn’t pull Tegan’s disappearing act. Crap. Crap. Crap.
One of the police dogs turned toward me and started barking. It tugged its owner in my direction. A bright white light flashed in my eyes. I hissed like a vampire in sunlight. I scrambled back to my feet then hightailed it back the way I’d just come. But it was too late. They saw me.
Their engines roared to life as they chased me around the corner. I sprinted across the street, aiming for the small cluster of trees in the park next door—but these cops were sneaky. Three more cars were driving straight toward me without any lights on. The second I was in the road, they spotted me. Red and blue lights soared to life. I froze. Lights flashed from behind me. I peeked over my shoulder, and my eyes widened. Those other cop cars flew around the corner. They were all gunning right for me.
What do I do now?
A weird sense of déjà vu washed over me. I’d been in this position before…at Hidden Kingdom with Tegan. Saffie and I had been outnumbered by those fairies, and I’d had no idea what to do. Tegan’s cackling face replayed in my mind. I’d killed them with pennies from the fountain’s pool. My sister had loved it.
Pennies are metal. I controlled metal. Cop cars are made of metal…
I threw my hands up and pushed with my magic. Silvery mist shot out of my palms like a rocket. I narrowed my eyes and focused on the three police cars in front of me. I flicked my wrist, and they swerved off the road. Two of them sped into the empty grass lot and fishtailed. The third crashed into one of the trees in the park.
“FREEZE!” a male voice said over the loudspeaker.
Unlikely. I ducked and threw both hands in the air. The first car flew over my head. I held my palms out and summoned more of my power, my arms glowing like neon signs. The last three cars crashed into my magic and skidded forward on their front bumpers. I clenched my teeth and pushed them back.
“What the hell?”
I spun around and found the officer who’d crashed into the tree stumbling out of his car with wide eyes. Thank Goddess, he’s okay— Wait. Uh-oh. I was happy he wasn’t hurt, but that meant he’d be able to catch me.
I didn’t have Tegan’s ability to create whatever I wanted, but for reasons I didn’t know, I could create smoke all on my own. With a deep breath, I summoned my power from deep inside. Thick black smoke billowed out of my palms and under my feet. I pushed it out and sent it rushing in every direction like a tsunami.
RUN, that little voice inside my head said.
I jumped to my feet and sprinted up the street. Behind me, dogs barked and men shouted, but with every step I took, they got farther and farther away. I grinned. I did it, I did it!
Something large slammed right into me. I had no idea where it came from or what it was, but it hit me like a freight train. The force of the impact was so strong it knocked the wind out of me and sent me flying in the air. I crashed to the pavement and gasped for air, but none was coming. My lungs burned. My stomach tightened into knots. I smashed back into the ground and rolled a few times before finally landing facedown on the street.
My eyes watered as I choked on air. I tried to get up, but I couldn’t breathe.
Two large hands grabbed my elbows and yanked my arms behind me. I gasped as oxygen finally seeped into my lungs. Something cold and hard wrapped around my wrists.
“You are under arrest for trespassing on private property and assault on an officer,” a firm female voice said. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law…”
Ah, crap. I groaned and pressed my forehead to the pavement.
The officer continued to read me my Miranda rights, but I stopped listening. I did in fact have the right to remain silent, and I planned on using it. At least until I figured out how I was going to get myself out of this mess. I had to give this lady serious kudos. I hadn’t seen her or felt her presence before she tackled me. A few seconds later, I was hauled to my feet and shoved into the back of yet another police car.
I couldn’t have said how long the drive was or where the precinct was even located. I’d rested my face against the cool glass window and tried to think. Sure, there was a chance I could’ve busted myself out. I was surrounded by an element I could control. But I wasn’t sure I could do it without hurting anyone or myself…or without making more of a mess. After what dragged on like hours, my door was opened, and the same female officer dragged me out onto my feet. I pretended like the handcuffs were actually holding me locked.
I looked at her and frowned. She wasn’t even as tall as my five-foot-eight frame. I was easily three inches taller. She wasn’t bulked up with muscles either. She looked like an average woman.
“You tackle like the Hulk. Nicely done.” I couldn’t blame her for doing her job. I had done the things she’d said, and she had gotten the best of me. Girl power for the win.
“Thanks,” she said with a chuckle as we entered the precinct. She led me straight to a metal phone attached to the wall. “All right, troublemaker, you get one phone call. Make it quick.”
A dozen names flashed through my mind, but in the end, there was only one person I could call. I took the phone from her and dialed the number…then prayed they were still awake.
“Hello?”
“Hi. It’s Emersyn. I…uh…I’ve been arrested.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Emersyn
“Wake up, Ms. Bishop.”
I wasn’t asleep. That would’ve been impossible. My stomach was in knots and my heart pounded in my chest. I looked up to find the same female officer standing outside my cell. Part of me was still unsure of why I hadn’t just busted out, since the bars were made of metal. But I just didn’t have it in me. Uncle Kessler would know how to clean up my mess. He’d take care of it.
I cleared my throat. “I’m awake.”
“Good, you’re free to go.”
Heavy footsteps stomped down the hall. My pulse quickened. Oh God. Here we go. I chewed on my thumbnail and tapped my fingers along the cold wooden bench beside me. My legs bounced. My chest burned like someone poured lava on me. Why is this the worst part?
A second later, Deacon strolled into view. His sandy blond hair was combed back away from his face like always but missing its usual styling gel. It was half wild, half clean cut, cropped shorter on the sides and left longer on the top. I had the sudden urge to run my fingers through it. Warmth spread through my body. My cheeks were on fire. Where did that come from? Stop that.
He wore a simple white T-shirt with faded blue jeans that sat low on his hips and fit slim to his legs. His shoes were slip-on brown leather, and possibly even lined with something fuzzy, but I couldn’t be sure from so far away. He leaned against the metal bars and grinned like a villain from a comic book. His smile was wide enough to dimple his cheeks and put a little sparkle in his purple eyes. The black roman numeral XV was Marked into his left forearm in black. It may have been two in the morning, but he looked beautifully dangerous—and every bit the Devil.
The cell door slid open. The officer waved me forward. “All right, you can go.”
Really? That was fast. I jumped off the bench and all but ran out of the holding cell. Fortunately, no one had been in there with me. However, I had no intention of sticking around any longer. I paused just outside the bars and looked up to meet my soulmate’s purple eyes.
“Hey there, Buttercup.” His voice was warm and rougher than I’d ever heard it. He smiled even wider. “Let’s get outta here.”
“As you wish.” I returned his smile.
His eyebrows rose. “Was that a Princess Bride joke?”
I frowned. “Isn’t Buttercup?”
“Yes, yes, it is indeed.” He chuc
kled and nodded his head toward the door leading to the main precinct area. “I knew I liked you for a reason.”
I rolled my eyes and let him lead the way out. I expected the cops to stop us and try to talk. After all, I was a teenager being bailed out by another teenager. But no one paid us any attention. The female officer who tackled me hadn’t even followed us from the holding cell. In less than a minute, we were crossing the parking lot to where Deacon’s pretty Porsche sat glistening under the city lights.
“I’m surprised they let me leave with you. Like, didn’t they need a legal adult?”
Deacon frowned. He hit a button on his keys and the lights flickered on his car. “Em, I am an adult. I’m eighteen.”
“Oh…” My cheeks flushed, though I couldn’t have said why.
He opened my door and gestured inside. “Did you want to stay?”
“What? Oh. Oh, right. Sorry.” My blush grew hotter. Why am I so flustered right now? Get a grip. Yes, he’s cute, but I don’t care. I don’t. I don’t. At all. I licked my lips and slid into the passenger seat. The beige leather seats were refreshingly cool and soft. I sighed and sank into my seat.
Deacon climbed into the driver’s side and made quick work of getting us on the road. He didn’t speak or laugh or make any kind of noise. Even his face was a blank slate. I had no idea what was going on in his head.
“Thanks for bailing me out, Deacon.” I cleared my throat and tucked my hair behind my ears. “How much did it cost you? I want to pay you back.”
“Ah.” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “So, that’s why you called me? Because I’m rich and could afford it on a moment’s notice?”
“What? No. No, of course not. Wait, you’re rich?”
He arched one eyebrow at me.
“Right. Porsche. Manhattan. I knew that. I did. I swear.” I sighed and tore my gaze away from him. I did actually know he was wealthy, but I just somehow forgot about that. Money didn’t matter to me.
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