My first kiss, and it had been horrible.
Trembles ran through me, and I felt gross, then shame for feeling that way.
Ferdinand stood up, touching his lip. A crazed look glinted in his eyes, and he stepped toward me. He was between me and the door. “You want to forget that ever happened, don’t you?”
I didn’t want to admit that I did. I didn’t want him to feel bad for himself.
Closing the gap, he tilted my chin up, then kissed me again.
A shudder ran through me. For the second that his lips pressed against mine, I felt a course of energy from him zap through my brain, fogging my thoughts. He leaned back, and fear clamped on my chest. I slapped him, then pushed past and ran from the room, downstairs, and outside of his home. No sound of pursuit.
Daniel’s SUV turned up our driveway. For the first time in my life, I wanted the safety that he offered.
With a final, look behind me, I raced onto the sidewalk.
“Watch out!” a kid shouted out.
A bike hit me, and I flew backward, with a scream. I hit my head on the cement with a crack.
Feeling broken, stars racing through me, unable to breathe, I stared up at the clear spring sky.
Footsteps pounded. “Tara!” Daniel stood over me.
“Mr. Schuster, I’m sorry,” a boy said. “She ran straight into my way, and I couldn’t stop.”
Darkness stole my vision.
With a sudden intake of breath, I opened my eyes, waking out of the memory.
Ferdinand scrambled away from me, back and out of sight.
Why was he here? Feeling stunned, I didn’t move. I’m in the music room on the couch. My head rested on someone’s lap, and as he ran his fingers through my hair, I looked up.
Asher.
The memory of Ferdinand dragging me into his truck flashed through my mind, sending fear coursing through me. Quickly, I sat up. Seeing Ferdinand nearby, I backed up onto Asher’s lap, then, wanting an added measure of safety from Ferdinand, I wrapped Asher’s arm around my waist and clung to his arm.
The sadness and absence of ill-will on Ferdinand’s face brought clarity to my mind.
I took a deep breath and stared at him.
A series of memories with Ferdinand over the last few months spun through my mind. The first was of being in the hospital after getting a concussion. Ferdinand visited to apologize and left on a positive tone. I’d promised to call him when I got out of the hospital.
I hadn’t remembered to. Other similar interactions followed, but every time, he slipped quickly from my mind. Our conversations turned sour, as when I was with him, the memory of his kiss haunted me.
But I never thought of his kiss, and the way it made me feel, unless I was with him.
Jack and Asher’s conversation at lunch the other day played itself through my mind. How they’d asked me over and over again about Ferdinand being in my classes, and my repeat answer, never remembering that seconds before they’d asked the same one, followed up with their looks like I was crazy.
Now as the memories stirred, I saw Ferdinand in almost all of my classes, sitting in the same location at the back corner, a dark cloud of energy hovering around him.
“What’s going on?” I asked. The memory download was dizzying.
Daniel stood from where he sat on the piano bench, watching me.
“I didn’t know what I was doing,” Ferdinand said. “With the second kiss, I thought I was making you forget...the first...instead, apparently, I made myself forgettable to you.”
A raw energy thrummed beneath my skin, and I stared dumbfounded at him.
Near the entrance into the family room, slightly behind Ferdinand, a man stood, with silver highlights in his dark hair. He resembled Holden’s father, only this man was a little shorter and carried a more positive demeanor. “It is an incredibly rare alv ability, mental manipulation,” he said, stepping forward. “Our lore suggests that only the alv kings and queens of old possessed it.”
I glanced at Daniel, wondering who this man was. Asher pulled on me to ease me back against him, then wrapped an arm around my waist, proceeding to entwine my fingers with his.
“This is Reuben Bastian,” Daniel said. “My foster father when I was a teenager.”
“Oh.” That’s right. Daniel had mentioned his foster parents were Holden’s aunt and uncle. I hadn’t given it much thought since my date with Asher interrupted that conversation.
“It’s a shame we haven’t ever met,” Reuben said. “However, my younger brother didn’t want me anywhere near his son.”
“Can’t imagine why.” Holden appeared in the entry near Reuben, leaning with his elbow against the wall. He gave me a crooked grin. “So am I taking Ferdinand in or are you?”
“Do you really think I’d let my brother sink his claws into him?” Reuben looked at Ferdinand, who quickly took a few steps away.
“What do you mean?” Ferdinand asked. “Are you handing me over to the police?”
“Undoubtedly,” Reuben said. “Your list of offenses is too long to ignore. But—” he reached into his pocket and pulled out some sort of I.D. badge, which he displayed for Ferdinand “—I’m the director of the Facility.”
“Do you have room for two young women?” William stood in the hall, close to the front door.
Mom hovered there as well, watching everything silently, with a look of distress etched on her face.
“You’re referring to Alexander’s daughters?” Daniel asked, rubbing his hands together.
Would my cousins Britta and Livie go to live there?
“Yes,” William said. “Their mother is incredibly unstable, and the father recently lost his job and has his own issues to work through with the law.”
Daniel nodded grimly and folded his arms.
“Are you referring to the sibling group I briefly met earlier?” Reuben asked. “What about the boy?”
“He’s eighteen.” William tensed up. “Plus, he needs to be present for Emma’s trial happening in four weeks.”
“Emma’s?” Asher asked, looking at me.
I massaged his hand.
“You should talk to Ozzy,” I said.
Asher’s brow furrowed.
“Yes. The girls are welcome,” Reuben said. “One is a changeling and the younger a pure, right?”
“Yes.”
My stomach growled, drawing everyone’s attention back to me. It was empty enough that it was eating itself.
“Jer, did you order that pizza?” Daniel raised his voice.
From the kitchen, Jerrick called back, “Yes, sir, I did. Should arrive in five minutes.”
Something about that exchange made me smile. Maybe it was because their tones suggested that Jerrick was under Daniel’s rule.
“Where’s Jack?” I asked, realizing for the first time that he wasn’t present.
“He took Nathaniel and Oops over to his house,” Asher said. “To save them from all of this.”
I really wanted to see him to tell him thank you. “Let me see your phone.”
“Wait right there, missy.” Daniel stood up and headed toward his office. He was back within thirty seconds, holding a brand-new smartphone, which he handed to me. “It’s not a choice, anymore, it’s a requirement.”
Smiling appreciatively, I received it.
Anxiety turned in my gut, and I took a deep breath.
“It’s a new number,” Daniel said. “Don’t hand it out to anyone you don’t trust or know well. I’ve already saved mine, Mom’s, Nathaniel’s, Holden’s, Asher’s, and Jack’s. You can delete either of those two if—”
“If I’m not trustworthy by now, I don’t know when I’ll ever be,” Asher said.
I leaned against him, resting my head on his shoulder, and swiped open the lock screen. Finding Asher’s number, I texted him, I know this is a cheap way of admitting it, but I love you, too.
Asher’s phone binged, and Holden chuckled, then turned to leave the room. “Before I have t
o leave, we’re playing one-on-one,” Holden said over his shoulder.
“I’ve got stitches in my leg,” Asher said, typing something on his phone.
“It’ll make up for your poor sportsmanship last time.” Holden disappeared from view.
My phone pinged, and I read Asher’s message. Can we find a room alone yet?
I bit my lip, smiling, then switched over to send Jack a text.
You’re a champ. Love Tara.
Instantly, I saw three dots indicating he was typing back a message. You finally have a phone. Think I might start crying with relief.
I’ll get you a tissue.
As I was texting, Reuben asked to talk with Daniel and Ferdinand separately, and they retreated into Daniel’s office.
LOL.
Jack sent me a picture of Oops holding a brown and white kitten.
I ran my finger over her sweet, smiling face. It had been too long since I’d sat down and read a book with her.
The doorbell rang.
“Got it!” Jerrick called, rushing from the back of the house, excusing Mom out of his way.
“I can pay for it,” Mom said.
“Daniel said I had to,” Jerrick answered the door and took the pizza. After closing the door behind him, he added, “And what he says, I do. No questions asked.” He continued down the hall past Mom.
My phone buzzed with a message from Asher. Seriously. When can we have that room alone?
I laughed and straightened up to look him in the eyes. Leaning close, I teased his lips with mine, enjoying the tickle sensation that rippled through me.
“We aren’t alone,” he whispered, smiling a little.
I rubbed his nose with mine, running my thumb over a scratch on his cheek. “It’s just my mom.” I glimpsed her smile before disappearing up the stairs. “You were amazing fighting that dragon.”
“It almost killed—”
I tilted to kiss him.
Moving forward, he cupped my chin and gently pressed his lips against mine, then ran his fingers straight through my hair.
This was sweet and delicious and right. My positive source swirled, making it feel like drips of happiness bubbled in my chest. Naturally, it shifted into him.
He looked at me, green eyes all aglow. “What did you find out?” he asked. “Why’s Ozzy here?”
I pulled my lips in, still enjoying the prior moment. How was he going to respond to the truth?
“Your accident happened around eleven-thirty, not around nine-forty-five.”
Asher sat up straight, and I could tell he was putting his own pieces of the puzzle together.
“Oh,” he finally said. Then he closed his eyes and folded his arms, as if he were praying. After a moment, he opened his eyes. “Emma stopped at his house, didn’t she?”
“Yes.”
He nodded, clenching his jaw.
“Apparently, she told Ozzy she would have you drive.”
Asher sniffed, then looked away from me. “I think she tried to wake me up.” He took a deep breath in and out, struggling to breathe for a minute. “I don’t know. I was so out of it. I’d been up since three in the morning.”
“Asher, it’s not your fault.”
He looked at me. “I know.” He nodded. “I didn’t spike her drink.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I didn’t give her a drink someone else had spiked.”
“No. She chose to drink. She chose to drive.”
“I’m going to go beat the—” He came up short. “I swore I wouldn’t cuss ever again.” He prodded me off his lap. “But where is he? Ozzy!” he shouted. “Where are you?”
I don’t know if I’d ever seen Asher angry before.
“I’m going to rip your head off.”
“You aren’t serious.” I scrambled to go after him, but a wave of dizziness sent me back to the sofa. While I waited for it to pass, I heard Ozzy squeal from the kitchen, and the sliding door slam open, and I could only imagine he was trying to escape the bullet by dodging outside.
“Get back here. Now!” Asher shouted.
Getting up more carefully, I made my way down the hall, using the wall to support myself. He wouldn’t actually—
I didn’t even want to finish the thought.
Reaching the kitchen, I found Holden, Cam, Britta, and Livie out on the patio, and Jerrick near the sink pouring soda into a tall cup. He glanced my way.
“What am I missing?”
I peered through the window. The backlight illuminated Ozzy and Asher in a wrestling match not the fist fight I’d feared, with a drizzly rain dousing them.
Relief fell over me. Asher wasn’t ripping Ozzy’s head off.
“Ozzy getting his face shoved in the mud.”
Jerrick smiled a little, then, grabbing a plate, he opened one of the pizza boxes. “Do you still like Hawaiian the best?”
A nostalgic feeling settled on me as I looked at him.
“What?” he asked softly.
I shook my head slowly, then thought of something the fiend had said. “Do...do you think that Sam was really my best friend, or was I only ever that convenient same-aged girl who lived across the street?”
He lifted his brows. “Where’s that coming from?”
“Something the fiend said.”
Jerrick handed me a plate with three different slices of pizza on it. “You were convenient,” he said.
Tears burned behind my eyes.
“But that made you better friends for each other,” Jerrick said. “I think you two were there for each other when you needed to be. I’m sorry, but not completely, that I came between the two of you.” He sighed. “Jealousy brought out her witch.”
“Mmhmm.”
How much of her jealousy was real? How much was inspired by Ferdinand’s bracelet?
I looked outside. Asher and Ozzy both looked like they’d taken a mud bath now, but had stopped wrestling. They were talking to each other about something.
Holden was making Livie laugh about something, while Cam and Britta had disappeared.
“I know you still haven’t forgiven me,” Jerrick said.
“Have you forgiven you?” I quipped, looking at him.
“No,” Jerrick said quickly. “Your cousin is pretty. Would you mind if I flirted with her?”
“Yes. That’s not happening.”
“Please?”
“No!” I snapped. “No way.”
He rolled his eyes, then held up his cup of soda and said, “Cheers,” in a grumpy tone. “You and your dad own my life.”
I pressed my lips together as a laugh tried to escape.
Asher pulled open the screen door, an excited glint in his eyes. “You never told me there was a half basketball court out here.”
“All you have to do is look outside to see it,” I said, laughing.
“Come play with me.” His eyes begged like a puppy dog.
“I’m going to eat,” I said. “You should take a bath. Don’t you have stitches?”
He grinned then leaned forward to kiss me before I had a chance to escape his muddy, dampness. Somehow, I still loved it. Then he pulled me outside with him, not caring that I dropped one of the slices. The dampness of his clothes slipped into mine.
“That was expensive pizza!” Jerrick scolded.
Pulling me into a muddy embrace, Asher picked up the other slice and held it for me to take a bite.
Chuckling, I took a bite of the Hawaiian pizza and chewed. “That tastes really good.”
Asher grinned then took a bite out of the same one. “Maybe we should have our honeymoon in Hawaii.”
“That’s going too far.” I laughed. “Way too far.”
Britta and Camden returned with two basketballs, and while Asher and I consumed a slice of pizza together, the others all began to play a game of knockout, Jerrick soon joining them.
A couple years ago, Sam would have been here, doing the same thing with us.
“You got sad,” Asher said.
/>
I looked at him with a small smile. “It’s nothing,” I said.
“Are you sure?”
“Well. Is...is it bad that I don’t even want to try to make things up with Samantha?”
“No.” He scoffed. “Are you seriously asking that?”
“Yes. What about you? Are you going to try to make things up with Emma?” I asked.
Asher was quiet for a minute. He shrugged. “I’m not going to harbor anything against her. At least, I’m going to try not to. I—I don’t see why I should stay in contact with her anymore, you know?”
I nodded.
“Can we be best friends now?” he asked, taking my hand in his.
“I feel like eight year olds, having this conversation,” I said.
He teased my lips with his.
“Hey!” Holden shouted. “If you two are done eating, get over here and play with us!”
Ugh. It was probably a good thing he didn’t still live at home. “I’m not!” I called. “I haven’t even had one piece yet.” Plus, I was pretty sure I needed a good long night of sleep before I played basketball with them.
After eating, as Asher showered, taking an outfit I’d pilfered from the clothes Holden left behind, I took a plate of pizza to Mom. Earlier, she had gone upstairs without eating and never came down.
She lay so still on her bed, staring eyes wide open at the ceiling, that she had a death-look about her that momentarily sent my heart beating.
It was quite the picture to end a day already full of scary images, leaving a sour taste in my mouth, and I skirted around the king-sized bed she’d once shared with Dad.
“Mom!”
She startled and sat up. “Tara? What’s wrong?”
“You looked dead.” Wanting to hug her, instead, I held out the pizza.
Her brow furrowed. “Thank you.” Silence.
I hovered, feeling a familiar torn awkwardness, my old frustration that she didn’t reach out more now juxtaposed with my growing awareness that I’d pushed her away. I sighed, turning to leave.
“I was thinking about when I was fifteen and had a similar experience to yours today.”
I turned. “What?”
She patted the bed by her, and I sat down.
The Changeling's Source (Evedon Legacy Book 1) Page 41