Unbound (41 page)

“Ryan,” I breathed, and pointed in his direction. Hunter licked my face and then trotted off towards the ghost. He sniffed the air right before him, let out a high pitched cry and lay down at his feet. Laney looked from the dog to me probably five times, trying to see what we could see. Ethan gently set me down on the edge of Mystery’s stall and knelt in front of me.

“Anora, are you ok?” he asked again, sounding stressed.

“Yes.” I snapped back to reality. Hunter ran over and wagged his tail feverishly. Ryan was gone.

“Tell me what happened,” Ethan instructed.

“I heard someone say my name. I’m guessing it was Ryan. And then I felt like I was being sucked backwards again. But that’s all I remember. When I opened my eyes he was standing there.” I pointed to the spot again. “Now he’s gone.”

“Ok.” Ethan stood and looked away, thinking. Laney sat down next to me. I rested my head on her shoulder.

“Is he still there?” Her eyes moved all over the aisle.

“Not anymore,” I told her. She turned back to face me.

“What does he look like? I mean, is he transparent and white?”

I almost laughed. “Not at all. He looks normal. If I didn’t know he was a ghost, I probably would think he is real. Like Bob, remember? I told you about him.”

“Yea. Do they always look like that?”

I shook my head. “Not all are strong enough to appear like that; most of the time they just appear as shadows or mist. It takes a lot of energy for them to form human like figures.”

“Where do they get the energy?”

“From batteries, power lines or other things like that. And in the case of Ryan, from me.”

“So that’s why you passed out?”

“I think so.”

Ethan knelt back down and put his hands on my legs. “You ok now?”

“Yea, except for the fact that I have supernatural narcolepsy, I’m back to normal.”

“I’m gonna take you back to my house to get something that will help, uh, keep Ryan at bay.”

“Ok,” I said, feeling a little guilty for some reason.

Ethan stood and took my hands. “Let’s go.” He pulled me up.

“Shouldn’t we wait until everyone is gone?”

Ethan shrugged. “No one is wearing your clothes, are they?”

I shook my head.

“And hopefully you didn’t hug anyone else except me or Laney.”

Again with a head shake.

“Amanda,” I said quietly, as to not catch her attention. “I sat and talked with her though.” I watched her put her brushes back in her grooming box. “I think she’s almost done.”

“She’ll be fine.” Ethan tugged on my hands.

“Please?” My eyes showed my concern.

“Ok,” Ethan signed.

“Thanks.”

Ethan pulled me towards him and put his arms around me. It felt so good to be pressed against his muscular chest. I closed my eyes and hugged him back. He kissed the top of my head and ran his hands over my hair.

The sound of hooves on concrete made Ethan and I break apart. Amanda led Ally back into her stall and disappeared into the tack room to put her grooming supplies away. She returned and looked at us, wanting to say something but lacking the confidence to actually say it.

“Ready to go?” I asked.

“Yea,” she said quietly.

“We can walk out together.”

“Ok.” She smiled.

We said goodbye to Penny and slowly walked to our cars.

“Hey, Amanda,” I said rather suddenly, “you said the Pricol- I mean the dog- was big. How big?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” She looked up like she was thinking.

“If Hunter and that dog got into a fight, who would you put money on?” I offered.

“Oh, gosh,” she said and looked at my massive German Shepherd. “Hunter.”

“Thank God.” I smiled in relief. Hunter wagged his tail and nudged my hand for a pet.
 

“So, tomorrow at five?” Amanda asked before she got into her Jeep.

“Yea, we’ll be here.”

“Ok, see you then,” she said with a small wave.

Once she got into her car I knelt down and asked Hunter, “All clear?” He sniffed the air, turned to me and licked my face. I smiled, told him I loved him and buckled him in the backseat of the X-Terra. I hugged Laney goodbye and was happy to see that she was still wearing the Tiger’s Eye necklace. I promised I’d call her later to let her know I was home safe before I got in the passenger seat.

“Can we take a detour down town?” I asked Ethan.

“Why?”

“I was looking for New Age stores online a while back and found one that sells crystals; I want to get some more quartz.”

“Sure, as long as we hurry.”

“It won’t take me long, I promise.”

“That’s fine, some more Tiger’s Eye could come in handy too.”

“Thanks,” I told him again and leaned over to kiss him.

Even though the rain had picked up again, it was crowded downtown. We had to park quite a ways down the street from the store. We walked hand in hand through a crowd. I looked down instantly when I recognized some kids from my school.

“Ethan! Anora!” a female voice called. I knew that voice…but I couldn’t place it. I half turned to see Jill waving idiotically at us. We continued walking but Jill ran to catch us.

“What are you guys doing?” she asked with her super fake smile stuck on her face. I wanted to slap it off. She obviously checked Ethan out, taking in the beauty of his perfect face, sliding her eyes over his chest, which was exposed from under his unzipped leather jacket and then down to his waist. When she let her eyes settle right under his belt I stepped in front of him, trying to hold back my anger and not accidentally curse her—again. She then looked me over.

“What happened to you?” She didn’t mean for it to sound snotty…maybe. My eyes were red and puffy from crying, hay and bedding were most likely sticking to my hair and my jeans were wet and dirty. Jill’s hair was perfectly curled despite the rain and she kept it dry under a pink Coach umbrella. Her outfit of black furry boots, a white short skirt and a tight, black, long sleeve shirt was super cute and looked good on her. I hated her freaking guts.

“Barn,” I mumbled. Even though just hours ago today I convinced myself that Jill was the pathetic one, I wished I was immaculately dressed like she was. I flushed and looked away.

“Well, we have to go,” Ethan said shortly, put his arm around my waist and turned to leave.

“Oh, you don’t want to join us?” She smiled sweetly again. “We just got a table at Blush.”

“No, we don’t want to.” Ethan sounded annoyed. He took a step forward. Jill persisted.

“Maybe some other time then. What are you doing later?”

“Uh, spending time with Anora.”

“Oh, well, do you want my number so you can call when you’re not so…so preoccupied?” She flipper her hair as she spoke. She really thought she was hot shit.

I squeezed Ethan’s hand in response to my anger. The wind picked up suddenly and blew Jill’s umbrella inside out. Another gust messed up her perfect curls. She shrieked and covered her head with her hands, but it was too late. I smiled inside and
really
resisted the urge to imaging lightning striking her. I didn’t want to actually kill anyone.

“Don’t hold your breath because I plan on being preoccupied with Anora for a
very
long time,” Ethan spat back. And then we marched off.

“I am so sick of bitches,” I vented. Ethan put his arm around me.

“You know she’s just jealous, right?”

“Yes, and that she has some deep, psychological problems that she has to take out in the form of bullying.” I rolled my eyes. Ethan laughed.

“I love you,” he told me and kissed my cheek. I hoped Jill was watching.

“I don’t deserve you.”

He stopped walking and spun me towards him. “Why are you so hard on yourself?”

“I don’t know,” I looked down. “I’m not that great.” I shrugged.

Ethan raised one eyebrow. “You’re right. You’re not. You’re just a normal, annoying, stuck up girl like that bitch Jill. Oh, and you’re cowardly, weak and boring and I can’t trust you at all, with anything. Plus you are fat and ugly.” He took my hand and started walking again.

“Kinda over did the sarcasm there,” I told him, secretly feeling better. He didn’t look at me, but I could tell he was smiling.

“
I
don’t deserve
you
,” he confessed.

“What?” Was he just trying to make me feel better? We reached the front of the store. Stopping under the canopy that said “The Silver Moon” in fancy, scrolling font, Ethan put his hands on my waist and stepped so close that our bodies touched.

“Anora, you don’t understand.” He looked above me. He had a thing with not looking in my eyes when he got emotional, I noticed. “I’m a fourth generation Order member. I’ve seen things and done things no one should have to. I was an expert with weapons by age thirteen. I never thought…” he trailed off and sighed. This time he looked me right in the eye. “The four years I was away at college was the weirdest experience in my life. Being around
normal
people having fun was weird for me. But putting a salt circle around our house every night or carrying a silver knife in case of a demon attack wasn’t. Don’t you think there is something wrong there?”

 
I didn’t get a chance to say anything before he continued. “And then I saw you. You were eating ice cream and laughing with your friends. Of course I thought you were hot, but I also thought that you would be something I’d never get to have: a normal girl and a normal relationship.”

“But I’m not normal,” I pleaded. Ethan shook his head.

“I was wrong. I can’t have normal because I’m not normal either. But I tried anyway and it surprised me how much I liked being with you. And when I found out you are part of the Coven…” he smiled. “I was happy.”

I smiled too. I put my hands under his jacket and squeezed his sides.

“Anora, the point is, you are the most wonderful, amazing, beautiful girl I’ve ever met. And the fact that you want to be with someone who has a screwed up life like mine still amazes me.” He looked above me again, as if he was inspecting the top of my head.

“Ethan,” I began, my voice swooning a bit.

“Don’t.” He cut me off and kissed me. “I feel gay enough saying that out loud. Let’s just get the damn crystals and get going, ok?” I rolled my eyes. Men, I thought with a chuckle. He went ahead of me into the store.

“Good evening,” a woman greeted me in a sing-song voice. Her long hair was hanging in loose waves around her waist and she had on an emerald green floor-length dress.

“Hi.” I smiled at her. I loved the way the store smelled; the incense and herbs were so fragrant. It was a comforting smell and a comforting feeling to be surrounded by witchcraft supplies in a setting where it was not only accepted but also promoted. I eagerly scanned the bookshelves and displays, trying to decide where to go first.

“Rough night?” she asked.

“You could say that.” I went over to the shelf full of rocks and crystals, wondering if this lady was able to pick up on something or if I looked as terrible as I felt.

“My name is Madaline.” She strode over and shook my hand. Her touch was soothing.

“Anora,” I said quietly, a bit taken aback by her overwhelming aura. “This is Ethan.” She moved close to him and looked carefully at him.

“Blessed be. That is one powerful witch you have there.” Her eyes sparkled.

I could feel Ethan’s eyes on me as I scanned the rows of crystals. “I know,” he said, smiling.

“Is there anything in particular you are looking for?” Madaline asked me.

“Yea, actually, healing crystals.”

“Ah.” She stepped next to me and picked up an apple green polished rock. “Chrysophase.” She handed me the stone. “Just put it next to the bed of whoever needs healing and let it work its magic.” She smiled at her pun.