He broke away from our kiss and stared down at me, his expression wild and hungry as his chest heaved with ragged breaths. I could tell he was trying to make up his mind about what to do next. The question—the possibilities scrolled through his eyes like text on a news ticker: your bedroom or mine? Or maybe right here?
Every neuron in my brain was firing, screaming reminders of all my insecurities. Not pretty enough. Too short. Too skinny. No experience. Only the touch of his lips silenced those demons.
Zeph loved me—nothing else mattered.
I hooked a finger through one of his belt loops on the front of his jeans and tugged.
“That’s dangerous,” he warned. “I told you, my willpower isn’t that great.”
I smirked. “Good. I won’t have to work very hard, then.”
“Yeah?” He leaned in again. The stubble on his chin scratched lightly over my shoulder as he kissed the side of my neck.
I squeezed the back of his shirt tighter. It felt so good when he did that.
“Almost sounds like a challenge. I’m not sure you’re ready for that. I’ll work you harder than you can even imagine, princess.” He opened his mouth and let my delicate skin scrape lightly through his teeth. It sent warm shivers of pleasure down my spine. My toes curled. An involuntary, elated sound slipped past my lips.
He chuckled darkly.
I let my eyes roll closed, my head tilting back as his lips roamed lower. “Zeph, I want—”
A loud, obnoxious buzzing noise came from Zeph’s back pocket.
No … no!
I deflated, slumping and opening my eyes again. He was gritting his teeth, flushed and disheveled. Zeph cursed as he put me back on the ground. He snatched his phone out like he might just hurl it into the stairwell and forget about it. Part of me hoped he would.
One glance at the screen changed his whole demeanor. He let out a loud, frustrated groan as he rolled his eyes.
“What? I’m sorta busy.”
Hank’s voice crackled on the other end, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying.
“You can’t handle that by yourself? Geez. What good are you?” Zeph was fuming as he backed away a few steps. “It’s a dryad, genius. It’s a freaking tree. You don’t need me for that. Just use some Roundup. Or better yet, a blowtorch.”
Hank’s voice became louder. He sounded irritated.
“Fine, fine. I’ll be there in a minute. Don’t get your panties all in a twist.” He muttered a few more angry curses and crammed the cell phone back into his pocket.
“A case?” I guessed.
“Yeah. I’m sorry.” Zeph rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand like he was trying to calm himself.
I stood on my toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Don’t be. Go on, it’s okay. I’ll still be here when you get back.”
I started for my front door when a hand smacked me on the rear end. I spun around, ready to shoot the culprit a teasing scowl, but he was already disappearing down the stairs with a cigarette between his teeth and a proud spring in his step.
Zeph didn’t come back home until early the next morning. I was getting ready for school when he staggered in like a zombie. His clothes were caked with mud, and there were twigs and leaves matted in his hair. He looked as if a swamp creature had just gotten finished using him as a toothpick.
“I don’t want to talk about it. So don’t even start with me,” he grumbled before I could even get a question out. “I’m going to bathe, then I’m going to bed. That’s it.”
“What? In my bed?” I called after him. “You do have your own place, you know!”
He fanned a hand at me. “Yours smells better.”
Probably because I actually washed my sheets. “Well, don’t use my pink towels. I don’t want swamp stink all over them.”
He tracked dirt all the way into the bathroom, leaving a slime trail like a slug. When was I going to have time to clean all that up? I stooped down to pick up a leaf that was dripping with brown, muddy goo.
“I’ll take care of it.” Eldrick’s calm, deep voice came from behind me.
I startled and dropped the leaf. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. “You’ll be late if you don’t leave soon.”
I smiled and pulled him into a side-hug that he only barely reciprocated. “You’re the best!”
“I know,” he replied in all seriousness. Then he handed me a small slip of paper. “Here.”
“What’s this?” I asked as I went to unfold it, but Eldrick stopped me.
“Wait until you get to school. Send one message with your location and a time, nothing more.” He kept his voice hushed as he motioned to the bathroom where Zeph had just turned on the shower. “Do not mention where you live or anything specific about yourself. You must tread carefully. As far as I know, he is loyal to the Seelie Court now. However, someone in your position can never be too careful.”
I didn’t understand why he was acting so strangely until I sat down in my desk and took the paper out again. I unfolded it carefully, and then it all made sense. Written on the paper was a name—Frederic Everett—and a phone number. Eldrick knew we had to keep this a secret between us, but he also knew better than to trust a member of the Seelie Court with our location. Both he and Zeph were wanted men, technically.
I typed out a text exactly the way Eldrick had instructed. I gave the location of the bistro near my school where we had gone for dinner, and a time when I knew I could be there—right after school. My hands shook as I sent the message.
A few minutes later, my phone vibrated.
[UNKNOWN]: I’ll be there.
I took a shaky breath, my whole body shivering as I tried to assure myself this was fine. I could handle it. I had to—Zeph’s life depended on it.
I was a wreck all day, jumping at any sudden sound. My classmates asked about Joe, and I couldn’t even come up with a decent excuse for his absence. When the last bell rang to release us from class, I tried to think of what I might do if things went sour. I knew a few spells now. I might be able to defend myself in a pinch … maybe.
Hopefully.
It began to snow as I walked to the bistro alone. Even though I was bundled up in my coat and scarf, my teeth wouldn’t stop chattering. My legs were freezing thanks to my school uniform’s skirt only coming to my knees, and my tall socks didn’t do much to help. I desperately needed to invest in some stockings. Thankfully, it was a short walk.
I arrived a few minutes early. Knocking the slush off my shoes at the door, I asked the hostess for a table near the back. I sat down to wait. The longer I sat there, the more I wished Eldrick had come with me. I would have felt much more confident if he were sitting there, scowling, and sipping coffee like last time. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized just how comforting his presence had become.
I sat up straight when the bistro door opened, craning my neck to see who was coming in. A man and woman standing arm-in-arm looked straight at me. Panic swirled in my stomach. Oh god. I wasn’t expecting two of them. Moreover, I didn’t understand why they both were staring at me—like they recognized me or something.
The man approached first, leaving his pretty, female partner by the door to wait. I studied him carefully. As he got closer, I knew it was Frederic; it had to be. He and Zeph didn’t look a lot alike, but there were enough similarities to tell they were related. Their hair was the same dark brown color, although Frederic’s was much curlier. He was tall, like Zeph, but not nearly as muscular or athletic-looking. They had a similar shape to their faces, but where Zeph had a rebellious cut to his features, Frederic’s whole demeanor was much softer. Even his warm, amber brown eyes seemed gentle, although I wondered about them. Why weren’t they purple like Zeph’s?
He regarded me with a cautious smile. “Hello. I’m Freddy Everett. You’re the one who sent the message, aren’t you?”
I nodded. “Yes. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
; “You must be Josie Barton,” he guessed.
“How did you know that?” I tried to keep a confident front up. Internally, I was freaking out. He knew me? How? Had Eldrick tipped him off?
“Ah, well. It’s sort of a long story. Would it be all right if my wife joined us?” He gestured to the petite woman waiting by the door.
She smiled brightly and waved.
“Your wife? Oh, um, sure. That’s fine.”
Okay, so I wasn’t exactly comfortable with it. I didn’t like being outnumbered, but at least they seemed nice. They were both dressed in neat, conservative clothes, and they were wearing matching scarves—which was kind of cute. When the woman walked over to join us, they held hands again.
They seemed like a normal young couple, but I knew better. Freddy was supposed to be a changeling, just like Zeph. And this woman? Well, I didn’t know what she was yet, but I was willing to bet it wasn’t anything human.
“I’m Camilla,” she said cheerfully. Light, polished, and effortlessly beautiful, she was everything I’d imagined a faerie would look like. Her long, sleek black hair had been flat-ironed to silky perfection, and her skin was pale and utterly flawless. Her dark eyes glittered like obsidian, and the air around her seemed to resonate with magical energy.
While they settled into the chairs across the table from me, I tried to think of where to begin. Having two of them there, looking at me expectantly, was intimidating.
“You look so much like your mother.” Camilla gave a dreamy sigh. “She was an enchanting woman. She had the same red hair.”
I blushed. “I-I don’t remember much about her. I was a baby when she died. Wait—how did you know my mom?”
She giggled. “We knew both of your parents. The Bartons were very near and dear to us. Your father never told you?”
I gaped and slowly shook my head.
Freddy nodded in agreement. “I’m sure it’s been a difficult journey for you to make it this far. But please believe me when I say how glad we are to see that you’re alive and well.”
“Oh. Well, thank you.” I shifted uncomfortably. This was already not going as planned. “Well, that’s only because of Zeph. He’s been taking care of me since my dad died.”
Freddy’s expression suddenly became desperate. “You mean you’ve seen him? How is he?”
“Not great,” I answered honestly. “That’s actually why I’m here. I need your help.”
“It’s the curse, isn’t it?” Freddy’s voice broke and he leaned forward, putting his head in his hands. I wasn’t expecting him to look so … upset. “He refuses to see me. He won’t even take my calls anymore. It’s been years since I even heard his voice.”
Zeph was stubborn. I understood that better than most, but seeing Freddy look so worried broke my heart. I knew what it was like to lose a sibling, and I wouldn’t have wished that pain on anyone. It was easier just to try not to think about William at all, or at least it had been. But after losing Dad, too, it was as though that tidal wave of grief had swallowed me completely. I was crushed to nothing—too numb to even know what to feel about William anymore.
“He won’t let anyone talk about you when I’m around,” I said quietly. “Why is he doing this? You’re brothers, aren’t you?”
“Because I didn’t follow him when he turned his back on the Seelie Court to confront Fir Darrig.” Freddy sat up slowly, shaking his head. “But I couldn’t just leave. I had a responsibility to my wife. He was asking me to put her life in danger, too. How could I do that?”
I felt the weight of his guilt when he looked at me. Having to choose between loyalty to his brother and his wife’s safety must have been difficult, and I knew how Zeph could be. When he got angry, he lashed out, and anyone standing nearby got burned.
“I’m sorry if I seem emotional. I’m not trying to put on a show for you, I swear.” Freddy gave me a hollow smile that was all too familiar to me. I’d seen Zeph look at me like that before when he was hiding his true feelings. “I just know things must be getting hard for him. I haven’t seen him in a long time. I didn’t even realize he was living here again. The Singing Moon is almost here, and his time is running out.”
“So you must know that I’m the vessel, then?” I put all my cards on the table.
“Of course, dear. We knew your parents well. I even babysat you a few times, though I’m sure you don’t remember it. You were such a precious baby. I used to braid flowers into your hair,” Camilla said with a nostalgic smile. “From the moment you were born, we dedicated ourselves to finding some way to keep you safe from anyone who might want to abuse you for your power.”
She and Freddy exchanged a look. His brow creased and she gazed at me again, her smile fading. “We knew you were going to need the best protection the faerie world could manage without breaking any of the old laws. But none of our efforts satisfied Zeph. He didn’t think we were doing enough. It was odd. We had never seen him so … dedicated to a human before.”
“He became a man obsessed, and no one could reason with him,” Freddy agreed. “He was so furious he stormed off on his own, determined to confront Fir Darrig himself, no matter the risk. I tried to stop him. Tried to talk him down. But it was as though something happened that suddenly made him snap.”
All my confidence began to seep away. In its place, a cold sense of realization settled on my chest like a lead weight. “I-I think I know what happened.”
Freddy and Camilla both leaned forward with hopeful expressions. “You do?” they said in unison.
“Last night, he told me about something that happened when I was little. He said I captured his heart, and that I made him promise to make me happy.” I flushed, looking away as I repeated the story. “I don’t remember it. I must have been too young.”
Freddy sat back in his chair like he was trying to process the new information. His mouth was open and his eyes as round as saucers.
“That’s it,” Camilla whispered. “It has to be. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before. That’s why he became so reckless—he felt a heart-chord. What other explanation could there be?”
I glanced between them. “What’s that?”
“It’s quite rare,” Freddy replied. “I’m not sure how much you understand about magic, but every living thing in this world has a soul from the tiniest ant to the oldest tree. And with that soul comes a song—not in the literal sense, though. It’s more akin to what you humans would call an aura. The core essence of who you are. It resonates, and those who are more sensitive to the magic can pick up on it.”
“Have you ever met someone and you just knew, at first glance, that something wasn’t right with them?” Camilla asked.
I thought about Ms. Grear. “Um, yes. I think so.”
“Their aura, their soul, conflicts with yours. Humans refer to it as intuition, sometimes,” she said. “But when you meet someone whose soul creates perfect harmony with yours, the result is …”
“Magical,” I breathed the word as chills swept over me.
Freddy chuckled. “For lack of a better word. We call it a heart-chord. A love song.”
Camilla’s dark eyes were misty. “He truly was made a fool by love.”
“It doesn’t make sense, though,” I interrupted. “If I was just a little kid, how could he love me like that?”
“When it comes to a heart-chord, age, race, circumstance—none of that matters,” Freddy explained. “It’s a sense of rightness, of one being perfectly understanding another, not a sexual desire.”
“So I guess it can … evolve into that kind of thing later?”
Freddy shrugged. “Sure. But that doesn’t mean it always does. They could be a mentor, a friend, a sibling, even an animal like a pet.”
“Besides, a person’s soul doesn’t change with age.” Camilla gave me another affectionate smile. “That goes for every being of any species, not just faeries. We can live for thousands of years or just a hundred, but the
essence of who we are won’t be changed by time. It’s always the soul of a person that matters most.”
Freddy’s soft laughter distracted us both. He was smiling to himself, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “I can’t believe I never put two and two together.”
“I didn’t realize it either.” Camilla patted his arm. “But it’s not like that sort of thing happens every day. And he always complained whenever we asked him to look after the children.”
“Not to mention he’s the last sort of person you’d think would ever strike a heart-chord with anyone.” Freddy sighed. “He always insisted on taking on the role of the unruly rogue—never going to settle, never caring about anyone else.”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s not as suave as he wants everyone to think he is, for the record. He snores like a freight train. And sometimes he drools all over my pillows.”
Suddenly, they both turned and stared at me, their eyes wide. Freddy was blushing and fidgeting his tie. Camilla covered her mouth with her hand.
“Y-you and Zeph have—” Freddy sputtered and choked on his own surprise. “I mean, I didn’t realize you two were already … intimate.”
“That pig! Heart-chord or not, she’s much too young for that!” Camilla gasped. She slammed a hand down on the table, rattling all the silverware. “If I find out he used a glamour to—”
“Now, now, dear,” Freddy patted her shoulder soothingly. “She’s almost eighteen, right? That’s plenty old enough to make her own decisions about relationships. Besides, I seriously doubt Zeph would use a glamour spell to will her into bed with him.”
“U-uh, no, he didn’t,” I stammered. “And we haven’t, you know, done that yet. He just stays in my bed sometimes. Or on my couch. Basically, wherever he collapses.”
They both seemed relieved.
“Well, thank heaven for that.” Camilla fanned herself with the bistro menu, her lips still drawn into a frown. “It might seem silly, since we don’t age the same as humans do, but we like to maintain a respectful stance on human laws. Especially when it pertains to marriage and love and legal consent to—”
Mad Magic Page 21