Authors: J.L. Weil
I might have given up right then and there if it hadn’t been for a familiar voice that sounded in my head.
Don’t just sit there and take it like you don’t have a backbone. Fight back
.
Morgana.
I don’t know how she was able to get in my head, and I long since stopped questioning how she did anything. Hearing her snarky voice filled me with relief. I wasn’t alone.
You are tougher than he is. Your bloodline is stronger. Now get to your feet.
Push back your fear and focus on the source that gives you power. Don’t let him take what is yours by birthright.
She gave me the shove I needed, the spark of fight.
I did as told and pushed against the bonds that held clutched me. On my feet, my legs wobbled like a baby doe, my body weakened and imprisoned from his spell. But little good any of it did me. No sooner did I have both feet on the ground, when my knees buckled, sending me back down. Defeat raced through me, squashing the shred of hope Morgana’s presence had instilled.
About damn time,
I heard her grumble in my head.
I had exhausted all my energy. Whatever had her all fired up was at the very bottom of my
shit-I-should-be-concerned-about list.
Then I felt it
—the tingles of another witch. Lifting my head, the tattoo at my back hummed with recognition.
Gavin.
“Bri!” he yelled.
I heard my name in the distance. It was washed out by the roaring
in my head and Morgana’s voice coaxing me not to give up. I wasn’t the only one startled by Gavin’s appearance. Actually Lukas looked horror-struck.
Gavin hit
him like a freaking NFL linebacker, knocking them both to the ground. They rolled, severing the link he had on my energy. I sucked in a sharp breath of invigorating air and coughed. My entire body was still radiating with magic and relief. He hadn’t been able to wipe me clean. No surprise since I had an exuberant amount. There was a little of Gavin flowing through my veins and all of Lotus. I had more than enough to go around, which made me all that more dangerous. In theory.
Sucking
every last drop of my magic was going to be difficult, and no way in hell was I going to lie down and make it a cinch for him. So not an option. But now that Gavin was here and in the line of fire, it changed the rules. And Lukas was playing a game without rules.
Their forms swirled crazy fast, combining colored lights of magic with punches.
It was unnatural the way they fought each other. My blurred vision and labored breathing only made it that much harder to keep track of their movements, spiking my fear.
Lukas head jerked to the side when Gavin’s fist hit him in the jaw. And so the beat down ensued. They took turns
plummeting each other as I tried to regain my strength. I could barely wrap my head what was happening. It still seemed so unreal, like I was dreaming and any minute I would wake. But the pain in my chest was all too real and the blood gushing from the side of Gavin’s temple, not a figment of my imagination.
M
y worst fear came true. Lukas kicked Gavin in the back of the shin, sending Gavin to the floor. Then Lukas pounced, securing him with invisible bonds as he had done me. I scrambled to feet, ignoring the way my head spun.
With a sadistic twist of his lips,
Lukas’s eyes flicked to mine. I let a startled gasp. His green irises illuminated in a ruthless chill. “Don’t do this—” I pleaded, but before I could get the words out, Lukas tossed me like a beanbag.
What a colossal asshole.
Apparently I was nothing but baggage in his way to get what he truly wanted. The knowledge hurt almost as my landing. I crashed to the ground with such a jarring impact my teeth shook. Gavin’s growl bellowed over the surging storm, breaking the binds that held him. With his hands free, he threw a flaming ball at Lukas’s chest, but the sly devil was able to step back at just the last second. Fire exploded at his feet. How long could the three of us tear into each other? I never in a gazillion years thought my life would come to this.
My boyfriend.
Me.
And the guy I’d known most of my life.
Fighting on opposing sides. My judge of character was seriously deranged. How had I let Lukas fool me for so long? He was unhinged and frankly, he scared the ever-loving crap out of me.
One
wrong move and it was all over.
Hasta la vista baby.
Do something before he makes mincemeat out of your boyfriend,
Morgana goaded in my head.
Or worse.
I had forgotten about her.
The “
or worse”
stopped my heart. Instinct propelled me into action. It might have been a little slow on the uptake, but I shot to my feet. On sturdier feet, I shoved my ratty hair out of my face. The storm above me was still aggressive, moving in a whirlwind around me. I reigned in the winds, allowing me to get a clearer sight of the two of them.
“B
ri, run! Get out of here,” Gavin yelled, taking a hit to his left shoulder.
And leave him? Not on his life.
“I can’t,” I snapped, suddenly fighting angry tears. Drops of rain started to pelt from the sky. Seeing him with blood on his lip, swollen knuckles, and the determination of a mule, I was on the verge of losing my shit.
Gavin ducked.
“You have a choice to make, Bri. Make it now,” he prodded, dodging yet another beam of blazing gunk.
Tears blinded me,
but I blinked them away. He was right. I threw my arms out on either side of me, and power rippled in the air surrounding me. If I didn’t do this, Lukas was going to rip the magic from not only me but also Gavin. If I did, then there was no going back. The darkness would increase tenfold and the desire for more would triple. My soul for Gavin’s life…
Because I was sure that Lukas was out for blood.
It seemed like a fair trade in the heat of the moment. Unlike Lukas, I didn’t enjoy the daunting task or look forward to the agony I was about to cause.
Don’t be a wuss
, I ordered myself. “I’m sorry,” I choked, no longer fighting the tears. And then I let the power gather inside me, ready to unleash at my command.
Gavin saw the decision in my face. Understanding and regret swam in his eyes.
He would save me from this formidable deed if he could. I watched as he struggled with his need to protect my soul and I. We both knew there was no other way. I had to stop Lukas, not just today, but any future attempts as well, and this was the only way I knew how.
Now that I had made the choice, the witch inside was in a hurry to get it over with.
I stepped forward.
Lukas’s dark green eyes
drifted over me suddenly looking like the boy in my dreams. “Brianna. Don’t. What I did, I did for your own good. You can’t handle your powers.”
Gavin
smashed his fist into the center of his gut. “Shut up,” he roared.
In any other situation, I might have laughed.
But it didn’t matter what pleas Lukas emitted—it was too late. He threatened me—what was mine. I gathered all that I had and with sad eyes and hurled my light—my darkness—my power. It struck Lukas in the heart, blinding me. Lightness and darkness swirled, for I had both.
The first taste of his magic was
idyllic—a high with no equivalent—the sweetest forbidden nectar. I let the stream of his energy flow into me, pumping my veins with a sensation so unique. It was nothing like than anything I’d ever felt. I didn’t need to be a sorceress or a rocket scientist to realize that I was being pumped full of dark magic.
Lukas had
more than dabbled.
Like a dam bursting, I was flooded
with so much power it bordered on painful. I panicked and almost broke the connection. It was Morgana who gave me the last bit of strength I needed. Her shimmery form stood beside me, offering her light—her guidance. She slipped a hand on my shoulder and I lifted my chin.
Pushing past my anguish I held on, praying that when this was over, I wouldn’t be an utter basket case. Morgana’s outline flickered, signally that her spirit in this plane would not last much longer
. We both knew that this was it—our final goodbye. Everything seemed to be coming down on me at once. When it rains it pours. I was losing so much in just a blink.
A friend.
A grandma.
My soul.
On one last raspy gasp, the link I had to Lukas fractured. A bitter flamed burned inside me, spreading from the very tips of my tops to the split ends in my hair. I wouldn’t have been surprised if my hair was floating in the air like I’d been given the world’s biggest noogie with a balloon.
Oh man. Ohmanohmanohman.
I had done the unspeakable—again.
Experience taught me that in the aftermath
, I operated on a no-touch policy. I was numb to the core. What I had done would cost me dearly. Lukas had been powerful, and his magical roots run deep. There would be a steep pricing for stripping him naked—leaving him human.
I felt it crawl inside me
—pure evil.
What an odd thing it was to be powerl
ess one moment and a witch on steroids the next. That’s how it felt…like I had become a witch overnight.
“
It will pass,” Morgana said, suddenly in front of me. The black dress she wore was faded gray, and her form was sheer. I could see right through her. There were so many emotions swimming in her violet eyes. “And when it does, you must find a way to counter the stains on your soul. You won’t have long.”
I choked on
a sob, not knowing how to say all the words that were running through my head. “I wish we had more time,” I whispered. There was still so much I didn’t know, so many uncertainties. What if I wasn’t able to fight the blackness?
She brushed
a piece of hair out of my face, her touch a warm glow. “Blessed be granddaughter. You did well.” With one last lash of the wind, she was gone, and the cold carved deep in my bone.
I fell to my knees. Sweat soaked me.
Fire and ice flowed through my veins in a waging war against each other. Footsteps trotted behind me. Wrenching my head to the side, Gavin sunk down beside me, but careful not to touch me. “How did you know?” I asked in a weak voice. My energy was depleted and my throat scratchy.
His gaze searched my face.
“Because no one can make a storm like you can.”
My lips curved in a feeble smile. “For once, I’m glad.”
Brows drawn tight, he said, “I just wish I had been here sooner—”
I put a finger to his lips,
trying to avoid the cut, silencing him. “Don’t. You got here. That’s all that matters.”
The moon’s glow dusted over his face.
His closeness in itself gave me comfort. “I’ll find a way to save you. I promise,” he vowed.
There was such determination that I even believed him.
“Lukas?” I asked, wondering if he was okay. He would never forgive, but I was okay with that. At least he wouldn’t be able to hurt me anymore or anyone else for that matter. He needed to be humbled, and I thanked God I had Gavin as my anchor, or I might have ended up as power hungry as Lukas.
Gavin glanced over his shoulder
to where Lukas’s body had been. “He’s gone.”
My shoulders slumped.
Suddenly I was crying—an ugly cry. Maybe it was the residual adrenaline from the fight or that I had just stole magic from someone I had once considered a friend. Gavin gathered me in his arms, shielding me from the forlorn rain the drizzled down on us.
“No way am I leaving you alone. And I’m not asking you, I am telling you that you’re spending the night with me.” Gavin shoved his hands into his back pockets, glowering.
Under any other circumstances I would have jumped at the chance to be in his bed. I opened my mouth, but I was to
o weary to argue. Lukas hadn’t disappeared off my worry radar, and it was obvious Gavin felt the same. Now that I had a moment to breathe, I didn’t want to be alone.
I
exhaled. “Let me grab a quick bag and text my aunt.” The slightest movements, even one as small as breathing ached. I hurt in places I didn’t know could be sore. It was a strange feeling. I was engorged with power, but I had no outlet to release it. My body couldn’t keep up with the tornado going on inside me. It shocked my system.
Gavin was no worse for wear. His shirt was torn at the
hem and had blood dribbles down the front. A purplish-yellow bruise had started to form at the apple of his left cheek and just under the eye.
I reached for his hand,
the cuts over his knuckles catching my eye. Seeing him like this made me wish I had the ability to heal. I pressed a soft kiss to his hand. “Thank you for always being here.”
He cracked a smile. “I love a good bashing now and again.”
My throat constricted. I couldn’t ask someone to love me more. “Good. I think I am the kind of girl that trouble follows her everywhere.”
Wrapping his arm over my shoulder, he replied, “I know you are.”
He helped me to my feet and together we more or less wobbled into the house. Lunar, happy to see anyone, started weaving in and out of our legs as we tackled the stairs. He was such an attention hog, but I couldn’t resist picking him up and nuzzling the little fuzz-ball.
The first thing I noticed when I entered my room was the beams of light struggling
to break through my white curtains. I took it as a sign. The storm had past and things could always be worse—no on died. Looking at the room of my childhood, I knew things could never go back to how they used to be. I had to look toward the future and come to terms with my decisions, no matter how harsh they might seem now.
Taut lines appeared at the corners of
Gavin’s mouth. “You okay?”
I stretched up, securing my arms around his neck. “I am now.”
He lowered his head, resting his chin on my shoulder. Letting my eyes fall shut, minutes passed with only the sound of the whistling winds and the occasionally dripping of water. His heart beat strong and steady against mine. That’s what he meant to me—strong and stead.
His
arms tightened.
Regrettably, I stepped out of his embrace and went to my dresser. Opening the draw
er, my hands shook slightly—not completely okay after all, but I would get there. I tossed random crap into a beach bag in record time. The sooner we got out of here the better. I wanted… I didn’t know what I wanted, but I knew that I wanted to be away from here—at least for the time being. The wounds were still raw and a change in scenario might do me some good.
Gavin leaned against the wall, waiting patiently and when I stopped fluttering around the room, he asked,
“Ready?”
I bit my lip and nodded.
On the car ride to Gavin’s house, I sent my aunt a text telling her that I was spending the night at Sophie’s. Her short response back lifted the little bit of guilt I was feeling. She was going to be staying the night at Chad’s. Her first sleepover. I tried not to make a big deal out of it. You would have thought that I was the parent here—worrying obsessively, but knowing she wouldn’t be alone made all the difference.
The what-ifs would always haunt me. What if I can’t be saved? What if Gavin decided I was hazardous? What if I hurt someone? My soul might forever be Hell bound.
By the time Gavin pulled into his driveway, I had worked myself up, and I going to hurl. There was no telling what was going to happen.
There was a warm, inviting aroma of cinnamon and spice when we
walked into his house. A candle burned on the dining room table and there were soft voices coming from the back porch—female laughter—Sophie and her mom.
Soundlessly, h
e tugged me upstairs, shutting the door to his room behind us. “I thought before the hordes get a look at us, we should change,” he said at the same time he yanked his shirt over his head.
My mouth went dry.
He lifted a brow. “You can use the bathroom first.”
I tore my eyes from his abs. “W-what?” My mind had gone blank, and I hadn’t processed anything he’d said.
Gavin grinned, eyes twinkling. “I said you take the bathroom first. There are fresh towels in the closet.”
“Oh.” I might have stared another minute or two before hiking my bag higher on my shoulder and moving into the plush bathroom.
Behind closed doors I refused to fall apart, so I washed my face, ran a brush through my matted hair and threw it into a messy knot on my head. I would win no beauty pageants, but I no longer looked like death. Slipping into a pair of sweats and a tank, I shoved my old ones into the bag and made a mental note to burn them later.
I reemerged feeling almost human again
—and alone. Gavin was nowhere in sight. Curiously, I traced my finger along the edge of his bed, walking toward the open balcony door. The breeze from the ocean was flapping the stone colored curtains. I stepped outside and inhaled deeply, loving the fresh scent of sea and sand.
The view was breathtaking, nothing but the lapping of foamy waves.
I could lose myself in the beauty of the endless ocean. My tattoo began to tingle, and I didn’t need to turn around to know that Gavin had joined me. I welcomed his warmth as his arms circled my waist from behind.
I leaned
against his chest. He rested his face against mine, propping his chin on my shoulder. Strands of his wet hair tickled my cheeks. “I had to board up the door to keep Sophie from barging in,” he murmured.
Just the deep timber of his voice had the fireflies in my belly making an appearance.
“Is it okay that I am here?”
“Sophie isn’t the only one who is concerned.
” Keeping an arm secured at my hip, he reached for something behind him on the ledge. “My mom ordered me to have you drink this.” He handed me a clear glass with a yellow substance.
I took the swirling opaque fluid
. Concoctions always made me leery, especially when they had a magical mist emitting from them. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Gavin’s mom, because I did, but I was a picky eater and this bordered into the strange and unusual food group.
He smirked at
my hesitation. “I promise it tastes better than it looks. It will just ease the aches and pains.”
Now that he mentioned it, all the small cuts and bruising was gone from his face. His mom was handy to
have around. Regardless of what he said, I braced myself for the nasty aftertaste. Surprisingly, there was none. It was tasteless.
“Are you hungry?”
he asked, releasing me and leaned against the porch rail.
I shook my head
, turning around to face him. There was no way I could eat, not with my stomach twisting and turning. I might not eat again. “Morgana was there,” I mentioned out of the blue.
His eyes narrowed.
“What did that
witch
say?”
The way he said “witch”, implied that he was calling her a foul name. I imagined she would have gotten a kick out of it. Suddenly, my heart felt heavy
—burdened. “She said goodbye.”
The whole demeanor on his face changed.
Sympathy glistened in his eyes. “That must have been hard.”
“It was. I never thought I would end up caring about her so much.” She had in her own way saved me.
Shifting his weight, he crossed one leg over another. “Love works in mysterious ways.”
That it did
—mysterious and sometimes demented ways. Lukas’s so-called claim that he loved me was proof. A bitter taste filled the back of my throat. “I tore the magic right from his soul.” Tears welled up and spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them.
He grabbed my hand. “Bri, you did what you had to do.”
I sounded reasonable, but did I? Was there no other way? My control slipped. This whole time I had convinced myself that I would never use dark magic, but when it came down to it, at the first sign of trouble and that was exactly what I had done. And the worst part was, I would do it again. If it meant protecting Gavin, I wouldn’t blink. “I’m a monster,” I whispered.
“What?” Disbelief laced his tone. “How can you think that?”
“Do you see what I did to him?”
He placed his hands on my shoulders
, his brows wrinkled in concern. “And if you hadn’t Lukas would have done worse. The difference is you used your powers to protect. You acted out of self-defense. Lukas used them for greed, personal gain.”
I dragged a lungful of air. “It’s hard to admit out loud, but I would do it again. If anyone threatened you or my aunt, I wouldn’t hesitate.”
He made a sound in the back of his throat, and then pulled me into his arms. The tears came. My shoulders shook as I purged myself, overcome with guilt. Gavin held me close, rocking me, rubbing my back. When the tears stopped, he pulled back, grasping my face in his hands. “You look like you are about to drop dead on your feet.”
I
gave a wet snort. “Is that your way of telling me I look like crap?”
There was a glimmer of a smirk on his lips
, not the full heart stopping kind, but it still touched me. “Hardly. In my eyes, you could never look anything but beautiful. I know you are good inside, and no spell is going to tell me otherwise.”
I laughed.
“That was so cheesy.”
He
kissed the tip of my nose. “You loved it.”
I did, because I loved him.
His words all teasing aside wrapped around me, filling me with warmth. He might not be able to wash away all my fears or the guilt weighing inside me, but for the moment, they were what I needed.
His hands trailed down my bare arms.
“You should lie down, or I could carry you…”
Otherwise, I was going to get off my feet one way or the other. The question was whether or not he was going to have to force me.
“Only if come with me?” I countered, knowing he was right. I was feeling pale and lightheaded.
His answer was to
twine our fingers.
Wordlessly, I
climbed on the bed and scooted over, making room for him. He slid under the covers, tucking me into his arms. I rested my head on his chest, just under his chin and felt him brush his lips against my hair.
We lay there talking about nothing and everything for a few hours, passing the time. He made me laugh when I didn’t think I could
, taking my mind off the heavy stuff. Our arms and legs we were tangled together. The sun had gone down, and it was nearing midnight when I let a yawn.
A wicked glint
lit in his eyes. “I know what you need.” His hand traveled over my hip, then dipped at the waist. The mischief in his smoky blue eyes told me just what he had in mind.
I held my breath.
“Oh yeah, and what might that be?” I drew a heart with my finger over his heart.
He ran his finger down my cheek.
“I think it’s better if I show you,” he said in a sinful tenor, easing me gently on my back.
I beamed. “
What are you waiting for?” I was impatient to lose myself in what he offered.
Grinning, he bent down and took my mouth, slanting his head to get the perfect fit. My eyes fluttered shut and the fireflies in my belly went wacko.
I ran my fingers into the still slightly damp hair that curled at the nape of his neck. A faint spark jumped from my skin to his.
Turned
out, he meant kissing and stuff. I needed a little bit of both.
I moved, throwing my leg over his.
I flicked my tongue across his silver hoop, sending us both into frenzy. He growled, deepening the kiss and emptying my brain. Every inch of my skin was sensitive to his touch, heating and glimmering as his fingertips teased me. From there things went to sauna hot. Clothing bunched up. Sheets pushed aside.
My lips felt swollen from his
silky kisses. God, he was just so damn good at it.
Squeezing a hand at my hip, his tongue swirled in my mouth, and m
y heart slammed against my ribs.
Holy a
wesome sauce.
“Mak
e me forget, if not for a night,” I murmured. My voice broke as he nipped at my lip.
Thick, long lashes hooded eyes like the color of the ocean’s floor
—dark and blue. “I can do that,” he whispered.
I shivered.
In the background, waves splashed in a romantic melody, singing in harmony with the sounds of nature. It was like one of those relaxation CD’s my aunt pumped through the shop’s speakers.