by A Y Venona
I rolled my eyes. “I will if you promise to leave me alone.” I made the mistake of glancing at his neck, seeing again the telltale signs of a long night of torrid kissing. But despite my inner turmoil, I was mesmerized by it. It drew me to it like a knife to a desperate man.
“You know, I used to steal my uncle’s tobacco,” he said as he eyed the cigar in my hand. “I’m not really a smoker, but Melo’s stuff has some medicinal effect. It clears the head. If you want, I can get one for you to try.”
“No, thanks. I’m not a smoker either. I’m just—”
“Trying to be rebellious. I get that. I’ve had my moments.”
I remained quiet. I wasn’t really kidding about wanting to be left alone. But this Alexander seemed to be so blind to my need.
“You know I’m not going to take him away from you. Nothing will change between you and Adrian. But instead, you’ll gain another brother out of me.”
Yeah, right. I grimaced. He sounded genuine, but I could not bring myself to like him. I avoided looking into his eyes lest I fell victim to his charm.
“He proposed to me last night.”
Oh.
Wow.
I instinctively touched my chest to check if I hadn’t been stabbed. I was though. Metaphorically. “You don’t have to tell me that. Just leave me alone! Please?” My voice croaked as I struggled to keep my emotion at bay.
“You are special to Adrian,” he continued like he did not just hear the desperate plea in my voice. “So I want to get to know you.”
“You don’t have to, really. You can—” I stopped as I couldn’t bring myself to say it. You can marry him if you want to. Even if it breaks my heart into pieces.
“What do you want me to do for you to stop hating me?”
Break up with him? But I couldn’t say that. I had no right. So I answered: “I’m sorry. I don’t really hate you. Next time, I’ll try to be friendly.” Then I looked up and met his eyes. After that, I had no idea how it happened. It could have been the sincerity in his eyes and the willingness to understand the animosity I was throwing at him. What I knew then was this urgency to simply give in to my emotion. And so I did. I burst into tears and sobbed like a baby.
He immediately jumped to my side and let me cry on his shoulder.
“What is it?” he asked softly.
I swore I heard a certain kind of fear in his voice.
“He’s my mate,” I said, sobbing. “Adrian’s my mate.”
I felt his whole body stiffen before I realized what I’d just revealed.
* * *
“Please, don’t tell him. Please.” My hands were clasped together like I was praying, which was fitting because I was practically pleading. He stared at me, his eyes big, utterly befuddled. I was leaning against the bark of the oak tree while he sat, legs crossed, opposite me with nothing to support his back. A gust of wind blew his long straight hair across his face, a few strands swaying along with the breeze. But with the now-messy hairdo, he was even more devastatingly handsome. So this was what Adrian woke up to. I had no chance!
“How do you know he’s your mate?” he said, which I perceived as his way of asking the certainty of my claim on Adrian.
Using the back of my hand, I wiped the tears from my cheeks. “I performed the Mating Spell. And it’s him who came in my dreams.”
He frowned. “Mating Spell? You mean Soul Spell? But it is high leveled.”
“Soul Spell? Isn’t it a level-four spell?”
“Yes. What is your magical level?”
“Level two, I believe.”
His frown deepened. “Who told you about the Soul Spell, and what do you know of level four?”
“Tela, my friend,” I said. I straightened my back as I recalled what information I had about it. “Level four has an ability to move objects faster, deflect incoming objects, perform level-four potions—basically at that level you are qualified to enroll in Art of Defensive Enchantment, the course that leads to knighthood.”
“You noticed that all you mentioned have something to do with physical objects and using spells and enchantments for weapons.” He took a deep sigh, which increased my anxiety. “Eli, the Soul Spell is not a weapon spell, and the only one who can perform it is a level-four sorcerer. There is a level-four fae, and there is a level-four sorcerer. These two are different.”
Oh.
“So don’t tell anyone about it,” he continued. “I’ll have to research the spell you used first. We have to be sure. You hear me? And…” His eyes were now piercing into my soul. “If he really is your mate, then I’ll set him free. But we have to be certain.”
I honestly did not know what to say to that.
Level-four sorcerer? Since I was no sorcerer, then it meant whatever I did was not a Soul Spell and that Adrian may not be my true mate. My heart was breaking already. It was I who took a deep sigh this time. And a little whimper might have escaped my lips along with a fresh load of tears stinging my eyes.
CHAPTER 9
After my little heart-to-heart talk with Alexander, I hid inside my workroom. Angus came at lunchtime to inform me that he’d made my favorite meal, coco-buttered chicken. It was chicken with butter and coconut milk with a mix of Creshian herbs.
“I’m busy. I need to finish a project for this week.”
“All right,” he said, which was strange. Angus would normally grill me to his satisfaction. This time, he seemed to have accepted my reason without any further prodding.
A few minutes later, he came back with a lunch tray, hugged me tightly, and then left me to my own devices.
I looked around, contemplating the sad state of my workroom. Jars were scattered on the floor and on the table, and only Zeus knew where the others had ended up. They were either abandoned, forgotten, or were just simply lost. I had, however, my own pantry organizers where I kept all of the herbs and tools together. So tiny room? Not an excuse. My workroom was what an artist’s studio would look like after a long day of painting—a mess.
“You’re working hard. Is that for a school project?”
“Zeus-fucking-Hades!” I said and accidentally knocked over a few jars. I heard the crashing sounds of glasses making sweet contact with the floor. “You scared the living hell out of me.” I bent down to assess the damage and found quite a few of them were beyond salvageable.
“Oops, sorry,” Adrian said, crouching on the floor beside me.
“Well, at least none exploded,” I replied. If it indeed exploded, it wouldn’t have been a large-scale explosion though there would be a sizable smoke. Adrian did not need to know that. Then I paused as I realized something. The absence of smoke meant that several of my potions had the wrong ingredients. Ugh. Adrian did not need to know that either.
With a broom and dustpan, Adrian removed all the shards off the floor.
“Why are you eating here?” he asked while picking up some jars sitting too close to the tray that Angus had brought earlier. “It’s not wise to eat in your workroom.”
“I’m busy. I have a project due this week,” I said, hoping the explanation would work on him as it had worked on Angus. Well, obviously it did not if the sharpness and narrowing of his gray eyes was any indication.
“Busy enough that you can’t spare a few minutes for lunch?”
“Yes,” I answered, walking back to the table in an attempt to resume my pending activity just so I could avoid his gaze.
“Oh, well, then I shall join you. Let me get my lunch.”
“No!”
He stopped, confused. His silence was egging me on to explain my refusal further.
“Aren’t you going to eat with Blondie?” I asked.
“By Blondie you mean Xander?” There was amusement in Adrian’s voice.
“He’s like a prototype blond and the rest are just copies.”
He chuckled a little, and then it died into an uncomfortable silence. It was as though Adrian was contemplating the next words to say. The sudden change in his m
ood, from joy to instant sadness, made me nervous. Had I said something wrong? “Prototype blond and the rest are just copies”—Alexander was the most beautiful blond ever. And Adrian must have thought that too. But why was he looking all sad and angsty?
“Something came up and then he left, but he’ll be back by dinnertime.”
Oh, well, that made sense. Then my breath hitched in my chest when the rest of what Adrian said belatedly sank in. Did something come up? Like the blunder I’d made this morning?
“Is everything fine?” My pitch may have been a little too high for my liking. I even shivered for how fake it sounded.
Adrian grimaced. “I’m just a little…nervous.”
“Why?”
“I proposed last night, and he said yes.”
Oh, that. It had hurt the first time I’d heard it from Alexander, and it hurt more hearing it from him.
“Then, you’re supposed to be jumping for joy. You’re engaged.”
Why did I do this to myself? Was I some self-flagellating idiot? I had to be.
He grinned. “It’s just that my werelion is restless.”
“I’ll be nice to him next time I see him,” I said, walking toward the cabinet organizer. I lifted one potion vial and sniffed it and then put it down while listening to Adrian.
“Yeah, I noticed,” he said, smiling. “Knowing Xander, he would probably just work harder to make you like him. Listen.” I felt his arms wrap around me before he made me turn to him. “You’ll never be replaced in my heart. Both you and Xander will be my number one. None of you will be second to each other.”
See? This was exactly what I meant. Adrian had this tendency to treat me like I was his sun and moon, which was why I’d fallen in love with him long before I’d even performed the Soul Spell. Wait. Wait. Just wait. What if the spell did not work the way it should have and instead worked as…okay, a little explanation was needed. There was this spell called the Mirror Spell. It showed in your dream one whom you most desired. Alexander had made an insinuation earlier about it being a wrong spell. Double hexes!
“I need to talk to him,” I said. My heart was now thudding so loud I thought Adrian could hear it.
“Talk to whom?”
“Alexander.”
“Why?”
“I just need to.”
“I don’t think Xander is mad at you. No one will ever be mad at you.”
You haven’t met my classmates. But he did not need to know that.
“Look, I’ll bring my lunch down to the dining room if that’ll make you happy.”
He smiled, and my heart swooned in an instant.
He walked up to me, cupped my face in his hands, and kissed my lips. Brotherly, I guess, but I couldn’t help feeling light-headed. Adrian then sauntered across the room to get the tray and proceeded to walk out the door. Of course, I was expected to follow.
It was ridiculous to think that the kiss was more than brotherly. People, particularly Anthony, warned me about my constant misreading of Adrian’s actions. He’d said that it was all brotherly as I was the only brother Adrian had ever had. I liked to believe it, but the emotional part and rational part of my brain were at odds with each other.
I was midway to the door when I realized something. Son of Hades! Did Adrian just manage to talk me into dining with him downstairs?
* * *
As Xander promised, he came back at dinnertime. Angus rolled his eyes when Adrian, upon hearing or probably smelling the scent of his love, immediately ran to open the door. I kept my eyes on my food while trying to tune out the smooching sounds drifting into the house.
Both Adrian and Xander entered the dining room, looking like newlyweds. It may have been difficult for me to accept that, but I could see how Adrian lit up just by having Xander in his arms. This sight strengthened my resolve. I wouldn’t let myself be the villain in their happy love tale just because of my stupid spell.
Unlike last night, I heard no sound coming from Adrian’s room, which was next to mine. I heard no moaning, no dirty talk, or any orgasmic-related noise. But I didn’t need any sound to know that inside Adrian’s room, the two were busy sucking each other’s faces to their hearts’ content.
A time would come when my heart would cease to hurt. It would grow a callus thicker than a dragon skin.
But tonight, I still bled.
CHAPTER 10
The Gathering Counter: Sunday, eight days before the Gatherings
Morning came. I woke up and decided to dawdle on the back porch, drinking beer and smoking another one of Angus’s cigar. I only had a few minutes of quietude when Blondie sauntered out through the back door carrying a heavy-looking book while sporting hickeys scattered all over his neck. I suspected there were more underneath the loose shirt that I believed belonged to Adrian.
“Is it possible to be left alone undisturbed out here? Can you find any place to read?” I did not feign my annoyance. The subject of my derision, however, simply ignored it and instead deposited the book on my lap. A smirk answered my confused look.
“Good morning to you too,” Xander said as he perched his ass on the porch railing. His eyes found an instant fascination in the thick forest before us.
“What’s this?” I said, holding the book up.
“Others may want to be in your shoes.”
“They’re lucky it’s not the case,” I replied softly. “And you haven’t answered my question.”
“What you’re holding is the book of the ancient language.”
I gaped. “There’s just no way it’s the real deal.”
“It’s the real deal. I took it from Melo’s library.”
“And you borrowed it for me.”
“I did, only he did not know. So don’t tell him. It’s the sorcerer’s book. I doubt anyone alive other than Melo and two others can actually perform those spells. However, I lent it to you because we will be doing a little research.”
“We?”
“Yup. You and I will have to figure out the spell that you used.”
I grabbed a beer from the table and took a gulp. “All right. But listen,” I started. “We don’t really need to find out whether or not the spell I made was right—I already know.” I stopped and ran a hand through my hair. “You and Adrian, you’re the perfect couple. You deserve each other, and I will not stand in the way of true love.” Dragon’s teeth! I felt like I’d swallowed a whole cheese.
Xander stared at me with his mouth pressed tight. I took another gulp of my drink.
“You’re in love with him,” he said.
My drinks went down the wrong pipe, and I coughed as I struggled to breathe.
“Easy,” he said, chuckling a little. I did not appreciate it at all.
“Listen. It doesn’t matter what I feel toward him. It’s you he loves. No one else. So back off about my feelings. It’s my business alone.” You got that right. I was hot and angry.
“I apologize.” The softness in Xander’s voice strangely calmed me. From his end, I must have looked pathetic, pining over someone who was so out of my league. Adrian Larsa, prince of the werelion? Why would he choose a mate out of a half fae when there was one like Alexander?
My gaze traveled down, trying to hide the heartbreak in my eyes. I bit my lip to keep the unwanted thought from spilling out.
“Look at me. It’s all right, Eli. It’s all right. You’re young. Adrian must be your ideal man—that’s why he appears in your dream. But I bet whoever your mate is, he has those qualities that Adrian has.”
I blinked, and the tears fell treacherously.
“Eli,” Xander said. I felt his hand on my shoulder, comforting me. “Remember what I said about the two other people other than Melo who can perform the level-four spell? I know one of them. I’ll ask him to perform the Soul Spell for you if you want. Only if you want.”
I should have felt comforted, for Xander’s offer was a rare opportunity to meet my true mate. But instead, I cried even more and harder. Stupid me.<
br />
Adrian came out on the porch with me still hunched over. I immediately wiped the tears from my face.
“Eli, what’s wrong?” came Adrian’s concerned voice. When he wrapped his arms around me, I shook him off and instead ran back into the house. I heard the last tidbits of their conversation as I stalked my way to my room.
“He’s going through some personal struggle.”
Then the kissing sound that followed pierced through the wall and then my heart.
“I’m never not going to worry about him.”
Adrian’s voice blended in with the cracking sound of my heart.
CHAPTER 11
The Gathering Counter: Monday, seven days before the Gatherings
“Here.” Tela handed me several napkins.
I stared at it as though it was offensive. “What is this for?”
“For your tears. Whatever it is you’re thinking, cry it out of your system, and then move on.”
I contemplated an appropriate retort. Should I pull her hair or stick my tongue out? I settled for a glare. Tela merely rolled her eyes.
“Adrian’s engaged to Alexander,” I blurted out.
“Oh,” Tela said, looking surprisingly sympathetic. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking it to be so fitting.”
I sighed and shifted my attention to the front of the classroom where Professor Melo should be. But given the professor’s propensity for coming late, this was no indication that he was not coming at all.
“But isn’t he your mate?” Tela whispered. It caused me to choke on my own spit. While I was hunched over, trying to cough out a regular breath, I heard Tela utter a short spell and then touch my back. My breathing evened out.
“Thanks,” I said without taking my eyes off the back of the chair in front of me. “I don’t think he is.”
“But I thought the spell worked.”
A certain kind of anger rushed to the surface, and I turned to look into her eyes. “You knew, didn’t you?”
“What do you mean?” Her confusion looked genuine.