The shifter’s mother behind me gasped.
I turned back and found all three of them gawking at Emersyn.
Silence.
What is going on here?
No one spoke. Which was only weirder.
Why is she looking at them like that? Em doesn’t know any shifters. Actually, if I hadn’t known that she already had a soulmate, I might’ve thought I was witnessing that. But obviously I wasn’t since I was her soulmate. But still. It was…strange. And not like her.
What the hell? What is happening?
I cleared my throat pointedly and gestured toward my girlfriend. “This is our Empress.”
Chapter Eleven
Emersyn
Oh God.
This is not happening.
This CAN’T be happening.
I must be dreaming, right?
That is NOT my ex-boyfriend and his parents standing there.
In New York.
At our School of MAGICAL arts.
Because Chris was human. So unbelievably HUMAN.
My stomach rolled and my mouth went dry. I was going to be sick. Panic had reached out and grabbed ahold of me and was not letting go. Because whether I wanted to believe it or not, that was definitely Chris Carlette. My ex-boyfriend. Right there, talking to my current boyfriend.
Deacon cleared his throat. “This is our Empress.”
“WHAT?” All three of them shouted at the same time.
Oh, God. Here we go.
Come on, feet. Start walking. Don’t make this weirder.
I licked my lips and tucked my hair behind my ears, then I took a step forward…and then Joyce was rushing toward me with her arms thrown out wide. My pulse skyrocketed. I stopped moving and braced for impact.
She threw her arms around me and squeezed me tight. Her fruity perfume assaulted my senses. Then she stepped back and yelled, “Oh. My. God.”
And for the millionth time, she sounded just like that character Janice from Friends with her thick, nasal-y Long Island accent – Oh my God. Long Island accent. She’s from Long Island. I knew that! Oh no, this is really happening right now.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Paul smacked his hands together then pulled me in for a big bear hug. He lifted me off my feet and giggled like Santa Claus before sitting me back down. “Emersyn. Howe. What in Sam hell are you doing here?”
I shook my head, but words were escaping me. My life before The Coven seemed like a million years ago. I’d accidentally forgotten about what I was like back then and the people I knew. Yet here they were, colliding against my will.
And then Chris stepped up with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Holy hell. Emersyn. What…how…what are you doing here?!”
Deacon frowned so hard his eyebrows sunk over his eyes.
“Oh, you know each other?” Headmaster Muller asked from behind me.
I shook my head, then nodded. “I can’t…what…I don’t…” GREAAAAAAAT.
Deacon’s eyebrows shot to the ceiling and my heart fluttered.
“What are YOU doing here?” I said in a rush and pushed my hair back from my face. “You were…you had…football…and…how the hell are you here? And why? And with your parents? Joyce? Paul?”
“Oh, that’s on me,” Joyce said with a wide grin. “I was born here but there was an incident and we had to move far away. But when I heard about this School for Magical Arts – and for us shifters? Oh, I had to send Christian here.”
“What? You’re a shifter?” I shook my head and frowned. “Wait – Christian?”
“Yeah.” Christian chuckled. “That’s my real name.”
“Christian Carlette?”
He grimaced. “Well no, it’s actually Christian Harbor—”
“Well, darlin’, you know how it is, gotta keep the supernatural world a secret so we go by fake names with the humans in case we gotta pack up and leave.” Paul put his hand on Christian’s shoulder and jostled him. “It’s a real relief to be able to go by our real names, I can’t even begin to tell ya – oh, what am I saying? Obviously you understand, Miss Empress!”
Joyce flipped her brown hair over her shoulder. “Can you believe it? All that time and you two could’ve been your true selves. Oh, honey, you should’ve told us!”
“I…I didn’t know—”
“Well you look fantastic,” Joyce said as she ran her fingers over my hair like she always used to. “Doesn’t she? Coven life has been good to you!”
“Yeah it has.” Christian grinned and let his gaze travel up and down my body. “You look great, Emma.”
Oh shit.
I looked to Deacon and found him eyeing Chris suspiciously – my stomach dropped. I knew that look on Chris’s face…and I definitely knew that Deacon was using his magic on him. Then my soulmate turned to me and arched one eyebrow.
I am doing a shit job at this. I knew enough about dating to know I was supposed to introduce my boyfriend as such to other guys – especially guys who used to be my boyfriend and were eyeing me like they hadn’t forgotten that. I needed to fix this. To set the record straight. I was so very, very taken.
“I’m sorry, but how do you know each other?” Headmaster Muller asked.
“Um…well, actually…Chris is my ex-boyfriend from back home in North Carolina.”
Deacon’s eyes widened as he turned to look at me.
“OH,” Headmaster Muller said from behind me.
Chris chuckled. “Yeah, she dumped me right after her birthday and moved unexpectedly.”
Deacon flinched, then narrowed his eyes at Chris. My stomach sank.
Paul whistled. “Guess we shoulda known she wasn’t human!”
Joyce’s eyes lit up and I knew she was already planning Chris and I getting back together. “Well—”
“Oh, Goddess, where are my manners? Y’all surprised me so much I forgot to introduce you.” I jumped forward and took Deacon’s hand in mine. Then I looked up into his beautiful – yet suspicious – face and smiled. I pressed my palm to his chest. “This is my boyfriend, Deacon.”
“Oh.” Chris blinked. “Y-your…boyfriend.”
I nodded and smiled. Wait. Damn it. He’s my soulmate, not just my boyfriend. Is it too late to say that? It is. Yeah, it’d just be weird now. Shouldn’t matter, though. Taken is taken, right? Right.
An alarm blared from Headmaster Muller’s watch and we all jumped. She cursed and swatted at the thing. “Sorry. That means lunch is halfway over. Actually, Christian, why don’t you take your parents into the lunch hall so you three can grab a bite before classes start again?”
Paul looked to me and winked playfully. “She’s lettin’ us sit in while we’re here. See what this shifter school is all about.”
“That’s fantastic.” I laced my fingers with Deacon’s and Chris’s eyes tracked the movement. “I still can’t believe you’re here…and…a shifter?”
“You know what? Why don’t we all go out for dinner tonight? Paul and I leave in the morning, but I would really, really, love to catch up.” Joyce wrapped her arm around Chris’s shoulders, smiling like this wasn’t awkward as hell. “Because we clearly have a lot to talk about.”
I opened my mouth to say no, that we were busy with Coven business—
“We’d love to,” Deacon said in a cheery voice.
What.
NO.
Why?
What’s happening?
I don’t want to.
“GREAT!” Joyce squealed. “Emersyn, love, do you still have my number? Oh, what am I saying, you know Christian’s number by heart.”
I wanted to say I didn’t…but I did.
“Just text us where and when and we’ll be there.” Chris looked to me, then to Deacon and smiled. He stuck his hand out. “It was nice to meet you, Deacon.”
Deacon shook his hand and nodded. “Likewise. See you tonight.”
Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Noooo. I don’t want to. Why is he doing this to me? Panic surged inside me like a tsunami about
to wreak destruction.
“Wow, what a small world.” Headmaster Muller chuckled and shook her head as she watched the three of them slip inside the lunch hall. Then she turned to us. “Now, you two, come with me. Heather mentioned this morning you wanted to do a team building exercise with the shifters and arcana, and I’d love to put our heads together on that.”
Deacon sighed. “My mother is always on top of things, isn’t she. But yes, let’s brainstorm.”
“Perfect!” She gestured for us to follow her. “So, I was thinking…”
But I didn’t hear it. My brain was mush. I was still reeling over Chris’s arrival. Did I royally screw that up? Is Deacon mad? What is he gonna want to know? Is it gonna be weird?
Why am I panicking? This isn’t a big deal. People have exes. Shit, Deacon had a ton – but worse, because he never actually dated the girls he hooked up with. Besides, I love Deacon. He has nothing to be worried about. We’re soulmates for Goddess’ sake.
But I was panicked. My pulse was racing through my veins faster than hummingbird wings. Deacon held my hand and led us down the hallway next to Headmaster Muller. The two of them were chatting away but I was trapped in the turmoil of my own mind.
My phone buzzed in my hand, when I looked down I found about forty unread text messages from Tegan and Bettina. I opened up the group chat thread as my footsteps echoed in the hall and thundered through my veins. Tegan and Bettina were still going on about naughty videos and torturing Cooper, but I couldn’t play with that anymore.
GUYS. EXPLAIN TO ME WHY MY EX-BOYFRIEND IS HERE? I typed quickly. Tell me now. EXPLAIN THIS TO ME.
You had a boyfriend??? Bettina shot back.
Wait…as in Mr. Captain of the football team who gave you your first kiss under the bleachers?! THAT GUY? My twin asked and it made my stomach roll.
YES T. THAT GUY.
Deacon glanced down at me. I knew he had to be sensing my panic, but I didn’t know what to do about that.
I turned back to my phone. WHAT DO I DO?!
Send pics. Obviously.
Yeah, what Tegan said. PICS!
I glanced up again and my stomach tightened into knots. He was watching me like I was about to detonate. Then again, with the speed of my pulse I just might.
NOT HELPFUL. IM FREAKING THE EFFF OUT RIGHT NOW. THEY INVITED US TO DINNER TONIGHT!!!!
So….say no? Bettina suggested.
I CAN’T! DEACON SAID YES BEFORE I COULD!
Ohhhhhhh LOLOLOL Deacon is up to something.
TEGAN NOT HELPING.
Hey, twin, can you live stream this dinner?
Or at least get us audio? Bettina sent the winking emoji. Just set your phone to record then put it upside down on the table.
See THIS is why you’re my best friend.
TEGAN.
Don’t worry, twin. I’ll hit D up, see what he’s planning and help.
I swallowed the urge to scream and shoved my phone in my back pocket. Just breathe, Em. You can handle this. You’ve summoned demons. You’ve KILLED demons. You can set this whole city on fire in the snap of a finger. You can handle one ex-boyfriend.
Chapter Twelve
Emersyn
I stood in the middle of Deacon’s closet wearing only his silk robe and on the downward slope of a full-on panic attack…because we were going to dinner with my ex-boyfriend.
And my current boyfriend.
No big deal.
My plate was full enough without this added to it. But Deacon agreed – even if he hadn’t asked my approval first. There was nothing I could do now. If I let Deacon know I didn’t want to go he might think I had feelings for Chris still. I didn’t. I hadn’t in a long time, long before I broke up with him. Actually, I wasn’t sure I ever really had feelings for him. I thought I did, but then Deacon came into my life. In fact, I hadn’t even thought about Chris – I mean Christian.
I just didn’t understand why Deacon had agreed to this dinner.
Unless…wait…he has to know how I feel about him. He has to. Right?
“Shit.” I groaned and scrubbed my face with my hands. “Shit. Shit. Shit.”
“Are you okay?”
I gasped and spun around at the sound of Amelia’s voice. “Umm…”
She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her violet eyes. “Ah, so that’s a no. Why are you in D’s closet panicking?”
“Because…” I threw my head back and sighed. I was being dramatic, and I knew it. “I am panicking.”
“Oh, well. That’s nice.” Amelia strolled inside then stopped next to me and looked around. “Ah, I see. Your clothes are in here now, too. That clears that up. So why are we panicking?”
“Because Deacon agreed for us to go out to dinner with Chris’s family tonight.”
Amelia frowned and looked up at me. “Who is Chris?”
“My ex-boyfriend.”
Her eyes widened. “Stop it. Really?”
I nodded.
She gasped. “This is juicy. Dinner with your ex and your soulmate.”
“No, this is awkward as hell.” I plopped down on the ottoman in the center of the massive-sized closet. “Chris’s parents will be there. Chris will be there. Deacon will be there. What am I even supposed to wear?”
“Something white with ripped jeans?”
I snorted, because apparently that was a new trait of mine.
Amelia pursed her lips and eyed my selection of clothing in the closet. “Okay, so why are you having trouble picking an outfit? You seem to pick clothes out well.”
“Because Deacon wants to go to some place called Marriciana’s or something? I don’t know, it’s super fancy sounding—”
“OH, it is. The food is delicious, but it’s fancy even by Aunt Heather’s standards.” Amelia giggled and shook her head. “It can’t be a coincidence. Deacon is sneaky and definitely making a point.”
My stomach sank. “You’re saying my boyfriend intentionally picked the fanciest restaurant he could to make my ex-boyfriend feel like crap?”
She grinned. “Sounds like it.”
“That doesn’t make me feel good about myself.” I hung my head. “He can’t possibly feel threatened, can he? I mean we’re soulmates. He has nothing to be worried about.”
“I don’t know about dating, I’m only eleven.” Amelia shrugged. “But I do know about clothes and that restaurant. So, let’s get you dressed.”
“Yeah, that’s where I was when you came in.” I pushed up onto my feet and gestured around me. “But like…what do I wear?”
“Well, who are you dressing for?”
“That’s my problem!”
“Okay, we can do this.” She strolled along my clothes, pulling things out then shoving them back in. “What are you thinking about your options?”
I groaned and pulled a little red sequin dress off the rack. “This is sexy. I bought it because red is Deacon’s color and I know he’d die to see me in this, but if I wear it tonight he might think I wore it for Chris. AND Chris might think that, too. But if I go the other way…” Then I pulled out a little black lace number that covered neck to toes.
“You’d look gorgeous in it.” Amelia frowned. “You look like you’re going to a funeral. Or a séance in a graveyard. But yeah, not the goal.”
“See? I’m hopeless.”
I made a weird little hiss and started yanking clothes off the rack and tossing them into two piles: too sexy or too conservative.
“You’re Goldilocks and the three dresses.” Amelia giggled. She flipped through some of the things hanging before finally pulling out a sleek black dress. Her eyes widened with excitement. “THIS. It’s perfect.”
I frowned and grabbed the hanger. “I have no memory of this dress.”
“We did a ton of shopping that day, I don’t blame you. But I remember this one.” She winked and skipped over to the door. “Put it on and come out so I can see.”
Then the door closed, and I was alone in the closet with my nerves.
/>
Okay. Time to put on my big girl boots and get this over with. I threw the robe on to the bench in the middle of the closet then slid the dress on. This is no big deal. Just somebody that I used to know. Once I had it on and buttoned the collar behind my neck, I spun around to the mirror — and gasped.
Ok, maybe this is a big deal. Despite that it went from my collarbones all the way down to my calves, this dress was somehow the skimpiest dress I’d ever owned. Most of my body was covered, yet I felt like I couldn’t let my father or brother catch me in this. It was black, which was okay, but the material was a silky, slinky type fabric that clung to the body like spandex. The halter top buttoned once behind my neck and left my back entirely bare. But Amelia had excellent fashion sense and I needed to stop overthinking this.
I turned and walked to the door then threw it open. Amelia’s jaw dropped.
“Are you sure about this dress?”
“OH MY GOD YES.” Amelia squeaked and clapped her hands. She skipped into the closet and pulled a pair of red-soled, glitter and spike encrusted high-heeled shoes off the shelf. “That dress calls for Louboutins. Put these on.”
These shoes were incredible, so I didn’t argue about them. After I had them on, she gestured for me to spin in a circle, so I did.
“Emersyn.” She chuckled and shook her head. “You can’t wear a bra with a backless dress.”
I gasped. “What?”
She pointed to me, then to her chest. “Bra. Take it off.”
My cheeks warmed. But I took it off, I couldn’t help it. She was so commanding — like her aunt.
I looked down at myself and bit my lip. “Amelia....this dress is—"
“Classy enough to get Aunt Heather’s approval yet sexy enough to drive Deacon crazy.” Amelia winked at me then turned and began looking through the winter coats hanging there. “But it’s also going to make your ex wish he could time travel without you looking like you want him to.”
I narrowed my eyes at the back of her blonde head. “Aren’t you eleven? Why do you know this?”
The Uptown Witch Page 7