Page 5 of Twilight Echoes (A New Dawn #7)

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“ A re you sure you want to do this now?” Avery pleaded with Darrell as she paced in her parents’ living room. She hadn’t been able to sleep all night, much less focus on rehearsal, and it showed when she fell twice doing things she could do in her sleep.

She didn’t care that Trask had agreed to come or that the power her father’s magic held surpassed most wizards. Looking at a person’s memories was dangerous and had other side effects besides death. “We can wait one day for the Royal Council to meet. Maybe they have a different idea? Perhaps a seer could do this.”

“I know you’re nervous about your father?—”

“And you, too.” Avery stopped at the end of the sofa, hands on her hips, and glared down at Darrell.

Everything about him made her insides melt and her outsides rattle with a combination of anxiety and desire. The schoolgirl crush she had on him for all those years bubbled from her heart, only nothing about what she felt for him was childish.

No.

Her grown-up body wanted to savor every succulent flavor that floated off his skin. She wanted to feel his strong arms wrapped around her while their hearts beat as one.

“Sit down.” He patted the cushion. “Trask is here to make sure nothing happens to either one of us.”

“Then why isn’t he doing this instead of my father?” She let out an exasperated sigh, plopping herself on the couch. As she bent her leg, the cold, sharp pain, like an ice pick jabbing her joint, ricocheted to her teeth. Instinctively, she grabbed her knee and groaned.

“Did you hurt yourself more while practicing today with Olivia? Or when you fell?”

“I told you. It’s overuse and I’m fine,” she said, though honestly, she had no idea what was wrong, and today everything felt worse. But it would have to wait until after this performance because she was not letting Olivia have it. Not because she was being a bitch or a prima donna, or any reason other than the opening show belonged to her.

“You’re not fine. You’re in pain. I can tell. I know the signs. Been there a time or two myself.”

She turned her head, lowering her chin. “Nice try, but I’m not letting you change the subject. What you are about to do is dangerous.”

“Doing nothing is more dangerous.” He slipped his fingers through hers and the damn fairy dust flew from her pores like it was the Fourth of July. His silky skin kissed her palm, causing her heart to thump heavily in her chest. “But I will ask to have Trask do it if it will make you feel better.”

“No. My father is insistent that while Trask might be more qualified to look inside, my father isn’t as good at dealing with all the things that could go wrong,” she said. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“What did you and my father discuss while I was gone last night?”

Darrell closed his eyes, dropping his head back. “Imprinting. Fairy dust. Mating. Fated Moons. The whole ball of wax.”

She bit the inside of her mouth. “Why did my dad ask me to leave? It’s not like he hadn’t already told me.”

“If I said I didn’t know, would you believe me?”

She let out a curt laugh. “Tell me why. And don’t lie to me.”

He didn’t get a chance to answer as her father, Jackson, and Trask strolled in.

She freed her hand. Her bond with him grew. There was no denying it. Every second they came closer to this insane procedure, the more she wanted to stand up and fight for him. And she knew what that meant.

Acceptance.

Mating.

Fated Moons.

All shit she was slowly accepting.

Yet still didn’t want right now.

Darrell sat up, running his hands up and down his jeans.

“This is Jackson. He’s married to my daughter Amanda.” Her father carried a small vial in his right hand. “And this is Trask. Technically, he’s Toldar, but he hates being called that.”

“Only because when people hear that name, they get the wrong impression of me and think of my spirit mother. Not my human one,” Trask said. “Of course, they are then reminded of what the watchers told everyone about my mother and her death, so there is that.”

“Please excuse my ignorance,” Darrell said. “While I’ve followed along with the rest of the paranormal world regarding what happened with the Fergusons, I have no idea what that means.”

“The woman who gave birth to me was human. But I am not,” Trask said. “At the time I was conceived, my mother had been possessed by Tara Moonglimmer.”

“Oh. I’ve heard of her and was told she’s been destroyed.” Darrell placed his hand on Avery’s back.

And once again, the room filled with more dust.

Trask chuckled. “She has been. But the world, including many paranormal creatures, don’t understand that I was created out of pure fairy magic. Not evil, like Tara, who wasn’t even a whole entity. For her, my sole purpose was so she could steal my magic to become her true self. Without my powers, she couldn’t exist without a host. Her first attempt after my mother was my mate. It failed because my mate is awesome.” Trask puffed out his chest and smiled, waving his hand through the fairy dust. “Avery, you’re a healer.”

“I am,” she said. “Did my father tell you that?”

“No. I can feel it in your dust.” He gathered it up in a ball and tossed it right into the center of Darrell’s chest. “Your fairy side is much more powerful than your witch side.”

Darrell gasped as the dust ball disappeared into his body.

“But we’re going to have to teach you to conserve it because it knows he’s hurting and while you’re fighting your connection, it’s pointless and needs to stop.” Trask waggled his finger. “Your dust and its magic are still developing and because he and his pack are suffering so badly, it could suck you dry.”

Darrell jumped a few feet away. “I wouldn’t want that to happen.”

“I can use some of my fairy powers to prolong things and help her dust settle down,” Trask said. “But it’s in her nature to heal. And to protect, defend, and honor you. Not much we can do about that.”

“I asked Jackson here because of what you’re about to go through; he experienced something similar last year,” her dad said.

“When I became pack leader, I was given some details, but I’m not sure I was given full access. Do you mind if I ask what the whole story was?” Darrell asked. “And how it’s similar to what’s about to happen to me?”

“To make a very long story short, Alfred’s sister cast a couple of spells on me to keep me from mating with Amanda. We had to banish them, and it’s quite painful,” Jackson said, sitting in the wingback chair. “And then my lovely mate put her father’s magic in my hands, and I almost died. Let’s hope Avery here doesn’t have to do that to you and that the two moons hang in the sky soon.”

“Perhaps we should get started,” her father said.

But her mind kept playing Jackson’s words over and over again.

“Why does it have to be me next?” she asked, staring at Darrell. “And why babies right away?”

Her father coughed.

Darrell pounded his chest.

Jackson and Trask just laughed, like it was funny.

Which it wasn’t.

“Are you honestly opposed to having children right away?” Trask asked, wiping his hand over his face, as if to remove the smile. “I only ask because I do understand and respect your feelings. When I met Hollie, the last thing I wanted was for my mate to find me. If that happened, it meant Tara had been awakened and I might have to do the unthinkable and destroy my mate like I did my mother, which isn’t exactly what happened.”

“Not in reality,” her father said.

“Well, no. But my that’s because everyone in those bubbles lie.” Trask rubbed the back of his neck. “Except my wife. But no one could know the truth about my mother. Or my father. Or me for that matter. Even Hollie had no idea who I was. But the point is, I never intended to have children. Now I have Ali and another one on the way. What’s happening now is something that has been predetermined for centuries.” He clasped his hands together and a green ball appeared. “The only thing I know for certain is that the wolfairies were the key to freeing all the fairies and restoring a balance that had been destroyed. It leveled the playing field for the good side of magic.”

Avery peered inside the ball. A vision of two worlds appeared. One with the wolfairies and one without.

The one without was riddled with chaos and anger.

“The first pairing of Fated Moons and now twins of a witch fairy and wizard fairy is tipping us into something else.” He spun his fingers. “A cosmic energy of some kind. Watchers have always believed there are two universes, each with different realms. I understand realms because I can transport myself from one place to the other. It’s not easy. It hurts. And if I do it too much, too often, or for the wrong reason, it will kill me.”

“Then why do it?” Darrell asked.

“I generally don’t. Last time I did it was right before I killed Tara.” Trask clapped his hands, destroying the ball. “Our research at the farm tells us that long before history was ever recorded, an evil spirit similar to me cast the world into two universes. The Legend of the Fated Moons, if completed, has the power to pull them back together, unlocking a more stable core. But more importantly, pulling those trapped in a dark universe where other witch and wizard fairies have been trapped.”

“That is a lot to take in,” Avery mumbled.

“I know.” Trask rested his strong, powerful hand on her shoulder. “And I’m sorry the weight of it all is coming down on you. But the universe wouldn’t call to you if she didn’t think you could handle it. Just like pairing a Havernite with an alpha wolf who had an attitude problem. Or me with a watcher who knew nothing of the outside world except what she observed living inside a bubble.” He arched a brow. “I’ve learned not to question these things, even when they don’t make much sense at the time.”

“I suppose it’s no weirder than Jackson over there imprinting on a one-month-old.”

“Yeah, that was strange, all right,” her father said. “We know there is a purpose to your mating. Nothing you can do to stop it.”

“And that brings us back to why I’m here. We won’t have any kind of a future if I’m dead,” Darrell said.

She covered her mouth, hoping to muffle the gasp. It did, but it didn’t stop the fairy dust. She sighed.

“Avery, I think it’s best if you go to another room. Your mother is in the kitchen,” her father said.

“Nope. No way. I’m staying since this does affect me.”

“No, you’re not.” Her father pointed toward the hallway. “If I need you, I’ll call you. Got it?”

“Dad, we just went five rounds about him being my mate. I’m?—”

“Can I have a minute with Avery, please?” Darrell stood, resting his hand on the small of her back. The familiarity of it melted the anger into tiny pieces of forgettable angst.

“Sure,” her father said.

She took Darrell by the hand and led him into the main dining room, closing the door. The fairy dust followed her into the space, wrapping its warm particles around their bodies.

Resting her hip against the table, she folded her arms, even though she wanted to wrap them around him, pressing her lips on his, feeling his velvet tongue twirl around in her mouth.

He was hers.

She was his.

It was that simple.

“Well, now you’ve gone and done it,” he said, holding her gaze.

“Done what?” She cocked her head. Her mouth defied her wishes as her lips formed a small smile.

She knew exactly what he was talking about.

“I want to hear you say it.” Darrell pressed his hands on the back of a chair, his dark eyes pleading with her to express her acceptance.

But she was one of the most stubborn women on the planet. It didn’t matter that fated mates were destined to be together, their bond stronger than any others.

True love.

She wasn’t going to say it out loud while standing in her parents' dining room. Nope. He wasn’t going to push her to do that. It was bad enough she had to go and claim him without even thinking about it.

And worse.

She liked it.

“There is nothing to say.”

He arched a brow. “I told you I imprinted. I gave you the where. I’ve hid nothing from you, including the fact that I can’t take my eyes off you. All I want to do is wrap my arms around you and kiss you until you beg me to stop.”

“It’s not fair of you to ask me to say anything. You’ve had years to think about how you feel. For all I know you could be in love with me already.” She swallowed her breath, clearing her throat. “Based on what I’ve read.” She shrugged.

He smiled, and it made her heart skip.

“Love needs time to develop, so while deep in my soul it’s true, we don’t know each other very well, and if your father and Trask can figure this shit out, maybe we’ll have a chance.” He took a few steps closer. The heat from his muscles coated her body. “The day we danced, my life changed. Everything I did led up to the moment I could walk back into your life. The last thing I want to do is break your heart by dying.”

“Why’d you wait so long?” She chomped down on her tongue, wishing she hadn’t asked the question. It implied she wished he had come for her sooner. “I mean, you could have contacted me at any time after I became of age.”

He reached out, taking her chin between his thumb and index finger. “You’re the best dancer I’ve ever had the privilege of being paired with.”

“I was five. I’m sure there were other principal dancers?—”

He gently brushed his lips over hers like a paintbrush making the first stroke on a canvas. “No one has ever been better than you, which is why I’m concerned about your knee and ankle.”

She pursed her lips, knowing it also scrunched her nose. A look she wasn’t fond of. “I told you, it’s overuse.”

“You know there is something wrong, and I fear it has to do with me.”

“Why do you say that?”

He ran the back of his hand across her cheek. “Is it a cold, sharp pain?”

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. The frigid sensation in her knee started a few months ago. It came and went, but lately, it had increased in intensity.

“I have that same feeling in all my joints. My father also complained of that same pain before he died of heart failure. We need to find out if what you’re experiencing is in any way related to this spell.”

“Wait a minute. You imprinted on me while we were dancing, right?”

He nodded. “It’s not like I had much control over it, and while it made me happier than I’d ever been in my life, it scared me a little.”

“Did you tell anyone?”

“I spoke to my dad about it,” Darrell said, dropping his hands to her hips. “But that was on the car ride home. Hours later.”

Instinctively, she leaned into him. “What did he say?” A wave of sadness coated her heart. His father would never meet their… she couldn’t finish that thought.

“That when it happens that way, so young, it means something important and that you were one special, young woman.”

She closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead, circling his arms around her waist. Inhaling deeply, she let his wolf scent of freshly chopped wood seep into her bloodstream. That smell had mesmerized her years ago, but she’d been a child and didn’t understand why it made her feel so good inside.

“Wait.” She cocked her head back, blinking. “If my pain is from this spell, my father would be able to tell that.”

“No. I don’t want him to worry about you.”

“He’s already worried, and he’s risking his life and powers for me because he doesn’t want you to die. And he wants me to be happy. Besides, this might make it so he doesn’t have to peel back your inner aura.”

“That really doesn’t sound appealing.”

She let out a short laugh. “He still might have to do it. But if what I suspect is true, he’ll know the right location.”

“Still doesn’t sound like fun.” He grabbed her by the wrist before she tugged open the doors. “What?”

“Not until you say the words.” He leaned so close his lips were less than an inch from hers.

“Why is that so important?”

“Because I’ve dreamed about this moment since I was eleven years old,” he whispered.

She swallowed her beating heart. “I accept you as my fated mate.”

His mouth brushed against hers as if he’d lifted her off the ground and twirled her around. It lasted less than a minute but she’d cherish this moment for a lifetime.

“We should get back.” She pulled open the doors. She took him by the arm and scurried off toward the living room. “Dad.” Her father sat in his big chair, reading a magazine, waiting patiently. “Where’s Jackson and Trask?”

“Helping Mom move some furniture around to set up a couple of cribs. She thinks her grandchildren will be staying over, often. I keep telling her until we know there’s no danger, we’ll be going to the farm. But she won’t listen to me.”

Avery couldn’t wait for her sister to give birth, but she had other things to deal with right now. “We need you to cast a matching spell.”

“Why?” Her father peered over his reading glasses. “What spell and why can’t you do it? I fear your skills are getting rusty.”

“Because I think I’m infected by the spell because he imprinted on me all those years ago.”

Her father bolted upright. “Your overuse problems?”

She nodded. She would have some words with her sisters for letting that cat out of the bag.

“Hold hands,” her father said.

She held up their already intertwined fingers.

Her father reached for a small box on the coffee table. “Out of the cauldron and into this case, bring a single spell into this space. Cast it back if not a match, but if it is, mix it for a batch.”

Darrell squeezed her hand as his body trembled. The coldness in her leg increased. She gritted her teeth as a tearing sensation lifted from her knee, floating into the box. A larger one popped out of Darrell’s chest. He let out a low growl.

“I have good news, and I have bad news,” her father said as he stuck his finger in the box, swirling it around.

“Is the bad news that what’s happening to me and my pack is also happening to Avery?” Darrell asked.

“Yeah, that’s bad.” Her father set the box on the coffee table and continued to peer inside, moving it around and breaking it apart.

“How? Why?” Darrell asked as he tugged her to the sofa. “She’s not a wolf, and it seems to only happen to males.”

Her body weakened from the spell, she caved into the soft cushions, rubbing her knee.

“That brings me to the good news.” Her father closed the box, sealing a piece of the spell. “First, I can probably match it to the coven.”

“Since you have it, can’t you do some hocus pocus and reverse it?” Darrell asked.

“It’s locked, so no, I can’t. But whoever cast this spell did so on the day Darrell claimed you as his mate.”

“Someone from the dance studio?” She blinked, remembering all the girls who glared at her that day. Deep down, she knew they all hated her. Sure, some tried to be nice, but during her entire career, others had been jealous. She’d learned to smile, ignore the looks, and block out what everyone said about her behind her back. “That certainly narrows down the suspects.”

“It does, but whoever did this is either dead or dying,” her father said, rubbing his temples.

Not a good sign when her dad did that.

“Why do you say that?” Darrell asked.

“This spell wipes out an entire bloodline by increasing the aging process. It often takes time to worm its way through the bloodline. But because it was a locked spell, whoever cast it either aged faster than anyone in your pack and is dead or is suffering from permanent aging.”

“I don’t understand that part,” Darrell said, his hand resting on her knee, gently massaging as if he knew exactly where the pain was. “Why cast a spell that will do the same thing to you?”

“If a child did this, he or she might not have known. But their coven would have to because this witch would have immediately aged or died shortly after that, and it would be happening to every witch, so with each death of theirs, one would die of yours.”

“Why did it start with my father and not me?” Darrell asked.

“I’m guessing that because it was cast on you, the idea was to make you suffer. Make you watch everyone die, and you’d be the last. But it’s also possible this coven found a way to keep the witch alive until recently because it took years for it to start happening to your pack, which means they are probably doing the same thing with everyone getting sick,” her father said.

“We need to find this coven and their Book of Shadows so my father can unlock it and banish the spell.” Avery thought back to that day in the studio. All the girls. All the names.

“I don’t understand why this coven wouldn’t do that themselves since they are dying, too,” Darrell said.

“They can’t.” She curled her fingers over Darrell’s hand. “Only my father or Trask can unlock a Book of Shadows, and if they were to go to him, he’d have to strip all of them of their powers forever for locking it in the first place. Their coven would cease to exist.”

“Wait.” Darrell pinched the bridge of his nose. “How can they lock it, but not unlock it?”

“It’s our law.” Her father stood, taking the box in his hands. “I need to go get Trask. We’ll work on seeing if we have enough of this spell that will tell me what coven we’re dealing with, while you two get me a list of every witch that was at that studio that day, focusing on anyone who might have it in for either of you. Then we need to find out who went missing, got sick, or is dead.”

“Thanks, Daddy.”

Her father leaned in and kissed her temple. “Young man, you’re staying here until we figure all this out.”

“I don’t want to put you out,” Darrell said.

“You’re my daughter’s destiny. In our world, we call them soulmates. So you're not.” He shook Darrell’s hand. “Avery, make sure he’s comfortable.” He lowered his chin. “Wherever you want him to be is fine with your mother and me.”