by Luna Pierce
One? As in, there are more than one?
“Will?” Sydney pops his head into the library.
I nearly jump from my seat. “You scared me.”
“Sorry.” He rubs his neck. “Didn’t want to interrupt you again.”
“Oh, right. Listen, about earlier.” My cheeks flush. How do I even explain myself out of this one?
He cuts me off and steps in. “You don’t have to explain yourself, that’s the point. I shouldn’t have barged in like that. It’s my fault.”
“Are you… mad?” Dating multiple guys at once is completely new territory, and I’m not sure how this type of thing goes.
“No, not at all. Embarrassed. But I’m not mad. Maybe if it was some random guy. But it was just Silas.” He wiggles his foot along the edge of the tassels on the rug.
“Do you hear yourself? You said Silas wasn’t a big deal.” I smile and shake my head. “You two are growing on each other.”
“Now, I wouldn’t go that far.” He lets out a laugh. “I want you to be happy. And if that means Silas is in your life, then so be it.”
“That’s quite honorable.”
“Speaking of… Cam could use our help. Can you spare some time?”
How could I be so stupid? I was so worked up that I had forgotten about the thing that I planned. “Yeah, duh. Of course.” I grab my backpack and head out of the library with Sydney.
We arrive at the kitchen to find the place packed with people. All of my guys and the girls are here, preparing to help Cameron with his bake sale.
A grumpy Silas leans against the wall in the far corner.
Deghan waves at me from his post beside Cam.
“Where were you?” Lillian leans over and whispers.
“The library,” I respond.
Saying the word while looking at Cam brings up old memories of a time not too long ago where we totally got caught making out, hot and heavy.
I’m not saying that I’m not satisfied, especially considering my double duty with Silas today, but considering Cam is the only guy I haven’t hooked up with yet, my body is drawn to him.
I’m lost in the thought of Cameron taking me on that desk he picked me up and put me on when the door opens behind me.
Professor Tremont breaks my concentration. “Willow.”
He motions for me to come over.
“What’s up?” I glance back at the crowd.
“I have to go out and run a few errands. I won’t be back until late tonight.” He stops speaking.
Cool, why are you telling me this?
“So, I’ll have to do your treatment now, rather than this evening during the time we normally do.”
Ohhh. I really need to get my head out of my ass.
“Sure, yeah. Give me a second,” I whisper to him.
I focus on the crowd. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
I scan the far wall, making eye contact with Silas on my way out the door.
Naturally, he would be watching me.
“That’s pretty great what you and your friends are doing,” Tremont adds.
“Cameron is incredibly talented. He gets all the credit.”
We walk the rest of the way to the infirmary, which isn’t far at all.
Without turning around, I can sense Silas followed us out. It puts me at ease to know he’s a bit of a stalker. His overprotective tendencies have saved my life on multiple occasions.
Not to mention, Tremont weirds me out from time to time.
It’s not that he’s a bad guy—it’s only that I’m super skeptical of most people outside of my circle.
“How are you feeling?” Tremont holds the door open for me.
“Um.” Oh, he means my hand. “Not terrible.” Still not recovered, though, despite having a magical healer treating me twice a day.
“Would have hoped for a better reaction by now.” He shuts us inside. “Perhaps my skills are weakening in my old age.”
I laugh. “Old age, what are you, forty?”
“Ninety-three, actually.”
My eyes go wide. How is that possible? He doesn’t look a day over fifty at the most.
A grin spreads across his face. “Magic, my dear.” He pats the seat next to his. “There are some rather wonderful anti-aging spells out there.”
“Wow. I had no idea. Are you… immortal?”
He shakes his head and takes my hand into his. “No, although I can greatly extend my lifespan. I will, in fact, not live indefinitely.”
“That’s amazing.” I don’t bother studying what he’s doing, rather I examine the features of his still-so-young face.
“It’s possible to double, even triple your life expectancy if done correctly. But I don’t necessarily encourage it.”
The memorable cooling of his healing tickles my injured palm.
“May I ask why?”
“It’s not favorable to watch everyone you love die of old age.”
But what if those you love are mortal and immortal? How could I ever choose between living a longer life with Silas and Sydney, and living without Deghan, Cameron, the girls, and my mom?
I guess that’s a path I’ll have to cross when I get to it.
I exit the infirmary in hopes of finding Silas, to apologize for shutting down on him earlier. It’s something that I’m used to him doing, but not something I want to get in the habit of, especially considering it’s caused so much trouble in the past.
I walk out into the middle of the school, and he’s nowhere to be found.
I close my eyes, trying to absorb his nearby energy.
“Where are you?” I whisper to the universe.
A beacon in my heart calls me toward the forest behind the school. Maybe he needed to get a breath of fresh air?
I stroll through the dining hall, making a mental note to hurry the heck up and get back to help everyone out. I’m not going to be the friend who’s a huge flake during their time of need. I just have to find Silas, tell him I’m sorry, and drag him back to help with the bake sale.
Easy peasy.
Once outside, the chill of the autumn air greets me. I look to the left and right, no Silas in sight. I recall that first day I arrived at Harper Academy. I hung out the window of my dorm and dropped my phone like an idiot. I had bumped into Cameron and Deghan and been baffled at how hot the guys at this school were.
Little did I know, I’d fall for both of them.
Plus, the whole, weird instance of locating my dropped phone on the first-floor windowsill, perfectly unharmed. A stalker Silas already saving the day and we hadn’t even met.
I hop off the patio steps, leading myself in the direction my random intuition has told me to go.
I walk for a few minutes, the only sound being the light wind cascading through the trees and the fallen leaves that crumble beneath me. The breeze is cool and layered with the scent of pine and earth. The setting sun weaves ribbons through the trees.
I pause, taking in a deep breath and closing my eyes again to focus. “Are you near?”
Like a GPS, I’m drawn farther into the wooded area to the one who has the other portion of my soul.
My eyes take a second to adjust, but the second they do, my gaze settles on him.
Silas kneels next to a lifeless deer, his face buried in the neck of the animal he holds in his hands. He shakes his head back and forth, sucking the blood from its veins.
It’s the first time I’ve seen Silas feed, and I find myself glued into place, frozen and unable to look away.
Moments pass, and finally I find my courage to take a step. The brown and gold leaves crinkle beneath my feet, and I stop again.
He whips his head toward me, barring his teeth and emitting a sort of hiss, almost resembling a warning. The red liquid seeps from his mouth and rolls down his chin.
His eyes narrow, and as though he registers who I am, his expression softens into something else. He shoves the being to the ground, and it thuds limply upon impact. He wipes at hi
s face in a desperate attempt to erase what he’s done. “Willow,” he whispers.
I go to move, but my foot gets stuck. I try to wiggle it free, but the next thing I can comprehend, is the world falling from out from under me. I tumble into a heap on the ground, only barely breaking the fall with my hands. Pain tears through my already injured palm, the other stinging from the newly scraped skin.
I don’t bother getting up. I just lie there, leaning my head onto the foliage and dirt-covered earth pillow. What’s the point anymore when literally everything I do is a complete fucking disaster?
What’s something stronger than defeated, because whatever word that is, that’s exactly how I feel.
It’s like my life is a gigantic joke and the universe is trolling me.
Silas rushes over without a drop of his feeding left on his face. “Are you okay?”
How did he clean himself up that quickly?
I close my eyes. “I give up.”
“You’re bleeding,” he says tensely.
A strange wind rushes by, accompanied by a potently evil energy.
I sit up, but Silas puts out his arm to keep me down. “We’re not alone.”
“Shit,” is all that leaves my mouth.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Isn’t this vampire territory?” the unknown person speaks.
They whip by so fast I can’t seem to make them out.
“Stay down.” Silas grits his teeth and stands, hovering over the top of me.
“Do you have a little pet?” the person taunts from somewhere hidden away. “Can I have a taste, too?”
Silas goes to speak, but the guy cuts him off.
“Sweet, like honeysuckle. I can smell you all the way over here. What a delectable treat you’ll be.” The being rushes toward us, but Silas extends an arm and slams it into the guy’s chest.
The unidentified body hits the ground, their face only a few feet from where I lay.
Blood soaks through my bandage and onto the ground.
I move my arm, and Silas breaks his concentration for only a second, giving the guy exactly the opening he was looking for.
The tall figure rushes toward me with his jet-black locks billowing behind him. Time slows down, and his gaze meets mine, the undiluted rage, and hatred lining every bit of him. The cloak of his long dark jacket flows with him, like it’s an extension of his body.
Life comes back in full force when his hand grips my throat and lifts me off the ground.
In all the times I’ve fought demons and feared for my life, I’ve never quite been this close to death before.
Silas claws at his arm, but the person holds him back.
“Hi, little girl. My name is Kole… with a K. I’ll be dining on you this evening. The pleasure is all mine.” His nearly black eyes stare into me, and he licks his bottom lip, exposing his fangs.
I clutch at his tight hand around my throat, but all it does is get more of my blood everywhere, making things that much worse.
Kole lowers me and brings his head forward, licking some of the red substance off his skin. “Mmm.” He closes his eyes in satisfaction. “I’ve never tasted such purity. No wonder you keep this one around.”
“I’m going to murder you,” Silas snarls. He attempts to break the hold the man has on him to no success.
I take a breath, clear my mind, and focus. Magic, don’t fail me now.
A bubble ripples through my body, the power stirring within me.
I drop my hands and summon it forward. I barely glance down and the pink glow is forming already. I shift my eyes to Silas, and he nods, giving me the go-ahead.
I draw back my arm, creating an orb. Without giving the vicious vampire insight on what’s going on, I waste no time and throw it directly into his chest, sending him spiraling back a few feet.
His frown widens into a grin, and his eyes go wild. “Oh, this will be fun indeed.”
The broken contact gives Silas a clear shot to attack.
Somehow, Kole anticipates this and lobs a black ball of magic toward him, pinning Silas against a nearby tree.
I thought that summoning my power would be enough, now I’m not so sure.
Kole stalks toward me. “You’re afraid. I’m into that.”
Repeating the motion from moments ago, I conjure another ball and slam it into him.
He digs his shoes into the ground as he skids backward a few feet. He winces from the pink explosion on his chest and then straightens. “Is that all you’ve got?”
“Willow,” Silas calls out from his restrained spot.
“Hush,” Kole screams. “You will be silent and watch the show I’m about to put on for you. And then maybe, once I rip apart your pathetic witch of a girlfriend, you’ll come back to where you belong. Vampires don’t mix with their kind.” He spits on the ground between us and looks back to Silas. “What’s wrong with you? You’re an embarrassment.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing.” Silas struggles to break free.
Kole takes an unhurried step forward, like he’s savoring this fucked-up game he’s playing. His gaze wanders my body up and down, and he shakes his stupid head. “Although, I could always… turn you.”
A newfound fear shatters my being. Turn me? Into a vampire?
I haven’t even read that far into my research to comprehend what the fuck that entails.
I blast off two rapid bursts of energy toward him. “Good luck trying.”
He staggers back again, but this time, when he rebounds, he uses his vamp speed to close the distance. Kole grasps my neck again and opens wide to extend his teeth.
This is it, I’m about to either die or become a vampire.
I’m not sure which is worse.
Not that I have anything against vampires, but I kind of enjoyed the little bit of being a witch I’ve gotten the chance to experience. And if this is in any way the same as the movies, I can’t imagine I’d want Kole to be my sire.
If anyone gets to turn me into a vampire, it’s Silas.
I scratch and claw and shove every ounce of magic I have into him to get him to stop.
But nothing seems to work.
A second flash of black appears in my peripheral. He must have a friend with him.
I’m for sure a fucking goner.
In my last moments, I lock my gaze with Silas.
His purple eyes melt into me like the very first time I saw them. Although, currently there is much more fear and less of the longing he once had.
“Silas… I…” I mutter.
I guess if they’re my last words, I have to make them count.
I don’t get a chance to finish my sentence because the rogue figure whips by and tackles Kole to the ground.
The two of them tumble into a rolling chaos, and I can’t seem to make either of them out.
I stand there for a split second, completely dumbfounded and in shock.
“Willow, help me,” Silas pleads.
I rush to his side and put my hands on him and use the same tactic I had done on Sydney to siphon out the wicked magic.
A fierce hotness lashes at my skin, and somehow, it works.
Silas frees his arms, and a stressful moment later, his body is released from the tree.
He jumps down and places himself between me and the still-ongoing battle between the two creatures. “I’d tell you to run, but if he breaks free, he’ll catch you. You’re safest right here with me.”
“I wouldn’t have left you anyway.” I close my eyes and bring forth the protective shield I had thrown on Cameron back in the shadow realm the time the first demon attacked. I inch closer to Silas and spread it around us.
He rests his back alongside my chest in response.
We become one.
Two souls, two beings, coming together to fight and protect each other at all costs.
I shift my body to look around him at the mess up ahead.
The dust settles, and a figure appears, a black-and-gray wolf standing ato
p the vampire who attacked us. The dog is massive, towering over Kole like he’s nothing.
Another wolf appears, this one a familiar shade of brown with those to-die-for golden eyes. Deghan rushes past me and Silas, tilting his head back to glance at us on the way.
Deghan reaches the other wolf, and they do a strange standoff, what I assume to be communicating in their heads to each other. I think that’s a wolf thing.
Deghan nods and trots off into the woods. A moment later, he comes running back in his human form, barefoot and shirtless, in only a pair of black gym shorts. He makes his way over to us. “Think you can help me restrain him?”
“Why not just rip his head off and burn the asshole?” Silas demands.
Deghan rolls his eyes. “You know we can’t do that.”
“Given the circumstance, an exception seems reasonable.” Silas sighs. “Give me sixty seconds.” He turns to me. “Keep your shield up, okay? I’ll be right back.”
Silas rushes away, and sure enough, fifty-eight dreadfully long moments later, he whooshes back in with a rope in his hand.
“That’ll work,” Deghan confirms.
“You’re going to tie me up like some animal?” Kole spits. “Just get it over with and kill me already. At this rate, you’ll bore me to death.”
Silas roughly seizes one of Kole’s arms and wraps the cord around it, securing it with a type of knot I’ve never seen done.
Deghan and Silas drag his body to a nearby tree while the unknown wolf snarls his teeth at the vampire.
Once secure, the wolf takes off into the woods and appears the same way Deghan had moments prior.
The person comes closer, and at first, I almost don’t recognize his face.
Upon further inspection, though, I recall the dark-brown hair and chocolatey eyes. He’s the guy from Harper Café, it’s Jackson.
He shyly smiles my way and then double-checks the restraints on Kole.
“It’s secure,” Silas confirms.
“Doesn’t hurt to verify.” Jackson pulls the rope.
“Oh, you two hate each other,” Kole adds. “The drama unfolds.”
“We’ve never met, actually.” Jackson grips it tighter and yanks Kole against the tree. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He stands, shirtless and barefoot, identical to Deghan, and walks over to Silas. He extends his hand and says, “I’m Jackson.”