Page 13

13

EMBERLYNN

I ’m dancing in a field of lavender flowers, laughing and spinning in the sunshine. A beautiful guy is with me, his laughter weaving with mine.

“Your smile’s so pretty,” he tells me as he plucks a lavender flower from the grass. It’s the same shade as his pretty eyes that glimmer against the sunlight. He tucks the flower behind my ear, staring into my eyes.

I can’t stop smiling. Everything feels so wonderful.

“So’s yours.” I feel bold—daring. Unlike myself. But it feels better. I loop my arms around the back of his neck and, standing on my tiptoes, I kiss him.

He kisses me right back, his tongue parting my lips as his hands mold around my waist. “You taste so good,” he murmurs between kisses.

I moan in response, my hands traveling down his back and around to his stomach. I slip them under the hem of his shirt and trace my fingertips along his lean muscles.

He groans, biting my bottom lip, his fingers sneaking underneath my shirt and grazing my belly.

My body floods with need.

I jerk back, preparing to rip his clothes off and meld our bodies together ? —

My eyes open.

The first thing I notice is how hot my body is. The second is that my head is resting in someone’s lap. I glance up to meet Wylder’s eyes, the same eyes I was staring into when I kissed the guy in my dream. The instant I note his expression, a horrifying feeling overcomes me that he has some sort of insight into my dream.

Call it a hunch, but his cheeks are flushed, and his aura is super bright. I’ve seen lust auras before, and his definitely fits the category.

“Hey,” he greets me as I sit up.

Phoenix is on my other side, and Nico is in the passenger seat while Kaiden is driving. All of them except Kaiden are staring at me in a way that makes me wonder if they all could sense I was having a sex dream about Wylder.

But how would they?

Then again, Wylder told me they could sense when I was hungry. Maybe they can sense when I’m horny, too.

I do my best to disregard the warmth spreading across my face. “Where are we?” I peer outside at the trees bordering the road. “And how did I even get in the car? ”

Nico’s head cocks to the side as he crosses his arms on top of the middle console. “You don’t remember?”

I start to shake my head when it all comes rushing over me.

Shadow Man’s voice filled my head. Did they hear it?

“Something dark entered your mind,” Nico tells me, “and Kaiden had to get it out. Your magic went a bit wild, so Wylder lulled you to sleep.”

So, they don’t know that Shadow Man was in my head. Just that a dark presence was taunting me.

“How did Kaiden get it out?”

Nico wavers. “It’s one of his gifts.”

Kaiden’s grip on the wheel tightens as he mumbles, “Gift?” in a sarcastic way.

Nico rolls his eyes but then focuses on me. “Are you okay?”

I nod. “Yeah, I feel great.” And that comes out way too eagerly. I glance at Wylder, whose cheeks are still pink. “I mean, I feel well rested.” Oh God, I sound like an idiot.

“Good. That’s good,” Wylder says, stretching his arm on the back of the seat beside me. “We’re almost home. You’ll be much safer there. The human world has too many cracks that allow darkness to roam around too freely.”

I nod as if I understand, yet none of this makes any sense. Why was Shadow Man suddenly able to telepathically speak to me? And why did the abrupt onset of this happen after these guys picked me up? I doubt it has to do with them, but I question if my reconnection with the magical world allowed him to detect me. From what he whispered in my mind, he hasn’t actually found me.

Deep down, I know I need to warn these guys. But I’m terrified to tell them.

“See, there’s the entrance.” Wylder points in front of us with the hand that’s near my shoulder, causing his arm to be entirely wrapped around me.

Again, I feel safe and don’t know what to do about it.

Thankfully, I have something else to focus on because, one second, nothing but trees and grassy fields surround the road, and the next, houses are dotted everywhere. It’s like a veil was lifted, and a magical kingdom was hidden behind it.

The place is surreal, with massive trees that tower, covered with leaves of every color. Flowers bloom from the grass, and a lake glistens in the distance, the alarmingly blue water matching the sky. The houses look straight out of a fairy tale, and perched on top of the highest hillside is a gothic-like castle with towers and an iron fence that trims around the land.

I pinch myself then wince.

“Did you just pinch yourself?” Nico asks with his brow arched.

“Yeah.” I rub the spot. “I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.”

He chuckles, his eyes crinkling around the corners. “So cute.” He then twists back around in the seat .

I spend the rest of the short drive quietly taking everything in, from the bizarrely titled stores and shops that line the cobblestone road to the mismatched houses that make me glad to be far away from suburbia hell.

The house that Kaiden parks in front of is the most unique one in the area. Partially attached to a tree, the single-story structure has shudders, a quaint front porch, and a back deck that’s made of branches.

“Whoa, cool,” I say as Kaiden quiets the engine.

“This is my house,” Wylder clarifies as he unfastens his seat belt. “This is where you’ll be staying for a while.”

I nod, nervousness webbing in my gut like a nasty little bitch at the reality that I’m about to meet his family. I may have spent a lot of time being passed around through households, but that doesn’t mean I possess amazing people skills. In fact, I generally come off as awkward. But these aren’t people. These are witches and warlocks. Maybe it won’t be as bad.

Of course, when I move to climb out of the car and end up tripping over my own feet like a dumbass right at the precise moment a woman wanders out of the house, my hope gets squashed by my own toes.

Wylder catches me, but embarrassment is already whisking through me and worsens as the woman sputters, “Oh my gods, are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I step back from Wylder, letting my hair veil my face and conceal my mortification.

I don’t do well with adults. The only ones I’ve known haven’t been great. Even a few of my foster parents, who weren’t completely awful, still made me uneasy for whatever reason.

As the woman hikes down the gravel path toward us, the lavender shade of her eyes and aura become visible, along with her blonde hair. She’s wearing wide-legged silk pants and a peach tank top that matches her shoes, and her aura is a comforting shade of pale blue. She’s beautiful, and I’m fairly certain she’s Wylder’s mom.

“Oh my goodness.” Her face lights up as she reaches. “Look at those eyes. They’re gorgeous.”

I self-consciously rub my eye. “Thanks.”

Her smile is as warm as the sunlight basking down on us. “You must be so exhausted from driving. I’ve heard it’s very tedious driving in the human world.”

“This is my mom,” Wylder explains, as if the fact that they look similar doesn’t make it obvious.

“Yeah, I gathered,” I tell him, fiddling with the drawstring on my hoodie.

Behind me, the rest of the guys pile out of the car.

Wylder’s lips part, but a squeal of joy stifles whatever he’s about to say.

“Finally! You guys took forever .” A girl close to my age bursts out the front door. She has long, blonde hair, emerald-green eyes, is wearing a blue dress and sandals, and her aura is as crystal-blue as the sea. The happiness flowing off her is alarming, almost as much as the brightness of her aura.

Wylder’s mother’s is bright, too, making me wonder if that’s merely a witch and warlock trait. The only auras I’m used to are human ones, except with the stipulation of Shadow Man’s. But his was dull and shadowy to the point where it was hard to see at times.

“I’m so excited to finally have another girl in the house.” The girl beams at me as she reaches us.

Sighing, Wylder shakes his head. “Lila, you act like you live in a house full of brothers, when you don’t. It’s just you, me, and Mom, which makes me the one who’s outnumbered.”

His father doesn’t live with him?

She dismisses him with a flick of her wrist, a charm bracelet catching in the light. “But your coven is always here. And then I have my coven, which is all guys, so that’s a lot of guys.” She grins. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind being around a lot of guys most of the time, but sometimes a witch needs a break from all the guy drama. Seriously, you guys whine more than a whiny willow.”

“What’s a whining willow?” I wonder, although a bundle of other questions are tickling at the tip of my tongue.

“Right. You’ve been living with humans.” Intrigue sparkles in her eyes. “What are humans like, anyway? Are they super weird?”

“No, they’re pretty normal,” I tell her. “In a very dull way.”

Her elation goes poof. “Bummer.”

“Lila, give her some breathing room,” Phoenix’s voice sails over my shoulder. “She’s not used to the magical world. ”

“Hey, she can speak for herself.” She rolls her eyes. “Fair warning about this one.” She points her finger at Phoenix as he steps up beside me. “He’s got alpha male potential written all over him. So does Kaiden. It’s not my thing, but if it’s yours, cool. Just giving you a heads-up.”

“Oh my gods, Lila,” Wylder groans while Phoenix glares at her and mumbles, “What is wrong with you?”

The most Cheshire cat-like grin rises across Lila’s face. She’s so getting off on torturing them, and it’s entertaining to watch.

“You’ll have to excuse my sister. She doesn’t come with a filter.” Wylder offers me an apologetic look.

“Hey, that’s so rude.” She playfully shoves her brother. “I’m pure honesty. That's a good thing.”

“I kind of like it,” I admit. I’ve never met anyone so straightforward. Usually, I have to decipher people by their auras. Lila’s like a talking one.

“See, she likes me.” She captures hold of my hand. “Come on; I’ll show you to your room.”

“Mom, make her settle down.” Wylder presses his mother with a pleading look.

“She’s fine.” His mother disregards his begging look. “Let Lila show her around while we get her stuff out of the car.”

I cast a look over my shoulder as Lila drags me up the path. All the guys are watching me, but Wylder’s mother shoos them toward the back of the SUV where our bags are.

I twist around right as we enter the home, catching a glimpse of Kaiden as I do. His aura is alarmingly bright, his expression stiff, and his jaw set tight as he stares at me. I have no time to decipher the intense look, though, as Lila yanks me into her house.

The entrance opens up to a living room with comfy sofas and a television.

“You guys watch TV?” I aim a finger at the television.

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t we?” Lila lets go of my hand.

I shrug. “I don’t know. I guess I just assumed because there’s magic here that you wouldn’t.”

She laughs. “Well, we do. We have a lot of good drama TV series, too.” She whisks into the attached kitchen, which is a small space filled with splashes of blue and hints of floral patterns. “I’m guessing since you know what a TV is, that they exist in the human world, too?”

I nod. “Yeah, they watch it a lot. Sometimes hours upon hours.”

She folds her arms on top of the tile countertop. “That sounds awfully dull. Do they do anything else?”

“Yeah, but honestly, most of it is dull.” I linger near the sofa area. “I don’t know what it’s like in this world, so perhaps I’m just the dull one.”

“I doubt that.” She pushes away from the counter. “I’m really good at reading witches and warlocks, and I’m getting an adventurous vibe off of you.” She points a finger at me like she has me all figured out when I don’t even know myself well.

I spent my earlier years in captivity, and then the rest roaming through different families’ lives, focusing mainly on surviving and not releasing my powers on anyone. Maybe I finally get the chance to figure that out now that I’m around my own kind. Or perhaps I’ll get banished from this world once they learn about my past.

“I also know we’re going to be good friends,” Lila adds as she spins around and motions for me to follow her down a narrow hallway.

“How can you tell that?” I ask as I trail behind her, taking in the family photos hanging on the way.

Some are of Lila by herself, some are of Wylder, and some are of them together with their mom. But their father isn’t present in any of them. I wonder what happened to him.

“Because I’m really good at reading energy.” Lila shoves a door open. “And mine and yours match really well.”

Doubtful. She’s all sunshine and flowers, while I’m as gloomy as a storm cloud that can’t rain. I keep that to myself, because those are the kind of comments that get reciprocated with wounded looks, and Lila is too friendly for me to want to do that.

“This is your room.” She gestures at the doorway then points her finger at the door across the hallway from it. “That’s my room.” She nods at the door beside my room. “That’s Wylder’s room. And my mom’s is down there. Unfortunately, since the guys are all nineteen, they’re going to move out soon, so we don’t get to be roommate besties for too long.” She pouts. “But honestly, most witches and warlocks move out when they’re seventeen, so it’s kind of long past due.”

“They’re all nineteen?”

“Yeah. Why? How old are you?”

“I … I don’t know. No one really knows much about me, so when I was found, the people that found me guessed. From what I know, I’m almost eighteen, but that’s a guess.”

“Interesting.” She taps her finger against her lips. “You’re probably closer to nineteen because the gods and goddesses usually pick the heart of a coven that’s close to the age of her mat?—”

“Lila.” The appearance of Wylder startles the ever-loving daisies out of Lila and me. And I use the term daisies because Lila startles so badly that she sets off a spell that sends daisies soaring out of her hand.

I duck to avoid them hitting me, and then Wylder lets out a string of curses.

When I turn around, he’s dusting flower petals off his face. “Really? Throwing daisies at me is your go-to protection spell?” Wylder asks flatly.

“You have allergies, so yeah.” She snottily smirks at him.

Wylder sneezes. “Fuck.” He rubs his nose as his eyes water.

And me? My lips are parted in shock.

I’ve known power existed for my entire life, but I’ve never seen it used so openly like this. And so funnily.

“That’ll teach you to sneak up on me,” Lila tells Wylder haughtily with her hand on her hip. “But anyway, I have to get to class.” She directs this to me. “But you and I get to go shopping tomorrow, and we get to do it on Kaiden’s credit card.” She smiles and taps her fingers together, like she’s a blonde devil plotting a shopping scheme. “It’s going to be fun.” She waves at me before walking back down the hallway. When she passes by Wylder, she tells him snidely, “You still have a ton of petals in your hair.”

Wylder lets out an exasperated sigh as he plucks the petals from his hair while Lila disappears back into the kitchen.

“I love my sister to death, but she can be a real pain in the ass.” He drops a few petals onto the floor, and they evaporate into sparkling dust as they touch the carpet.

“She’s nice, though. And funny.” I grab a petal from his hair and throw it on the floor.

He smiles. “That’s good. I was hoping you guys would be friends. She’s a year younger than me, so depending on how old you are, you might end up in some of her classes.”

“How am I even supposed to go to class when I know nothing about magic?”

“Kaiden is a magical encyclopedia. He’ll be able to get you caught up pretty quickly.”

“Unless I’m magically stupid.”

“I doubt that.” He brushes his finger along my cheekbone. “I’m going to apologize in advance for how overwhelming things will be for the next handful of days. Today, we’ll let you get settled in, but tomorrow, we need to do the historia legere. Then you’ll be shopping with Lila to get some new clothes. The next day will be tours of the school and tutorials on the laws. It’s going to be a lot.”

“It’s fine. I had to relearn rules every time I went to a new home.” I fight the urge to swallow hard against the flutter kissing my flesh in response to the graze of his fingers.

Every time he touches me, his magic makes me want to kiss him, which is the dumbest thing I could ever do.

I tried to kiss a guy once, and it was the most humiliating experience that I vowed never to repeat. I was fourteen and had been invited to a party. I was excited because I’d never been invited to one. And a cute boy had asked me to go. He was my lab partner, and I thought he was nice. What I learned that night was that he’d been kind to me so he could lure me to a party, get me to try to kiss him, then laugh as he rejected me. A girl was recording it, and it spread all over social media. I spent the next three weeks living in hell, getting mocked, getting stuff thrown at me. Thankfully, I had to move to a new home not too long after the incident.

“Are you okay?” Wylder asks worriedly, his fingers lingering on my cheek.

I nod. “I’m just thinking about some stuff.” I shove the depressing memories from my mind. “Do I really need to go shopping? I know Lila seems excited about it, but I’m not much of a shopper.” I don’t think so, anyway. I’ve never actually had much of a chance to do it, most of my clothes being donated to me.

He withdraws his hand and dithers, biting his bottom lip. “I don’t ever want to make you do anything you don’t want to, but I do think it might be nice for you to get a fresh start here. A new home, new clothes, some insight to who you are.” A faint smile materializes on his lips. “Besides, it’ll bring Kaiden great happiness to spoil you. Trust me.”

I consider what he said. “He doesn’t really seem like a happy sort of guy.”

He dismissively shakes his head. “That’s just how he wants to be seen.”

“I figured as much.”

Surprise reflects in his eyes. “Can you read him at all? Usually, he keeps that pretty hidden.”

I lift a shoulder. “I can kind of sense some things from him. I can also see it in his aura sometimes.”

His brows spring upward. “You can see auras?”

I press my hand to my bubbling stomach as I nod. “Is that not normal?”

He shakes his head from side to side, his shock still evident. “Only a few witches and warlocks throughout history have possessed that power.”

“Great. I’m an anomaly in the magical world, too.” I don’t mean to say the words aloud.

“That’s not a bad thing.” He does that thing again where he sketches his fingers along my cheekbone. “We’ll get more answers tomorrow. Right now, let’s just get you settled into your new home.”

I nod and force a smile. I’ve heard the term before: get settled into your new home.

It never lasts .

While this is a different situation, I have an unnerving feeling that the outcome will remain the same. Call it reluctance to accept change. Call it intuition. Call it the fact that, hours ago, Shadow Man made a grand appearance inside my mind.

Whatever the reason, darkness is dooming in my future.