Page 24

24

EMBERLYNN

N ico and I barely speak as we sit in the living room, waiting for everyone to return. Eventually, Nico decides we should focus on doing more research. He hands me a book, grabs one for himself, then rests back on the sofa and begins reading.

Our arms brush every time one of us turns a page, and while Nico seems unaffected by it, the connection sends tingles kissing across my flesh. I squirm every time it occurs, confused about my body’s reaction.

Hours tick by, the moon awakening the night sky cut hazed with starlight.

“Should we be worried no one has come home?” I ask. “It’s so late.”

“It’s fine.” Concern seeps through his tone, though, despite his effort to wear a mask of composure.

My gaze travels to the moon. When I was younger and sat in my cage, I’d stare at the moon and make wishes. It was always the same—to be free from him. Sometimes I convinced myself that I was able to escape—because of my wish. The reality is that probably isn’t the reason. However, I make a silent wish anyway as I gaze out at the moon.

I wish for everyone to be okay.

And for us to get some answers.

Releasing a breath, I return to reading the book that contains details about the dark history of witches and warlocks.

One of the darkest times in history was when the warlock, Ashford Greywing, obtained the power of stars. The sky went black except for the moon and filled him with enough power to ruin the world. To this day, no one knows what happened to him, as after a decade of wreaking murder and chaos, he vanished into thin air. Some believe the power was too great for him and slowly started to kill him. Others believe another creature was responsible for his death and siphoned his powers from him.

While the reason remains a mystery, even almost two decades later, many still fear his return. His worshippers, who have gone into hiding, have been rumored to be plotting his return. But that’s all speculation.

The council believes Ashford to be dead, but as a precaution, they advise anyone to keep a lookout for him. His picture is on the following page …

I slip my finger underneath the edge of the page, and my heart leaps into my throat.

Because the photo on the page is of a man with hauntingly cold eyes that are familiar.

I think about the wish I made, more specifically the latter part about the answer. Maybe my wish was cursed. Perhaps the damned moon is cursed.

Whatever the reason, suddenly I can remember what he looked like–the face of the Shadow Man.

I blink a few times, willing the photo to morph into someone else. But it remains the same.

Ashford Greywing is Shadow Man. And he stole his power from the stars. However, during my time with him, he didn’t have much power. That’s why he needed me. He had ways of containing my magic, and he used devices to do bad things, me being one of them. He murdered in front of me many times. And made me kill for him.

“What’s wrong, pretty eyes?” Nico fixes his finger on my chin and turns my head toward him. His brows furrow as he studies me. “Your breathing’s shallow, and you’re so pale, baby. What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” I choke out.

I don’t want to tell him. I can’t.

But Nico—all of the guys—have been so nice to me. They deserve to know. Because if I don’t tell him, I’m the badness Shadow Man tried to mold me into.

“This.” I tap the photo of Ashford Greywing.

Nico’s gaze descends to it, and the fear that flickers in his eyes makes telling him the truth even more difficult. “Oh, yeah, Ashford was a horrible warlock. It’s been almost twenty years and witches and warlocks still fear he’s alive somewhere, plotting his next attack on our kind … He actually killed Wylder’s father. His mother was pregnant with him when it happened and then only a few weeks later Ashford disappeared.”

Oh my God …

No …

I can’t …

“ Yes, keep all your thoughts a secret ,” he whispers through my mind. “ Keep me locked away and make me your dark secret. ”

It’s that that draws the confession out of me.

“Before I was found by the humans, I …” You can do this, Emberlynn. They need to know . “I was his prisoner.”

Nico didn’t anticipate this at all. His reaction, at first, is frozen shock. Then that thaws into scorching anger.

“What?” he bites out in a razor-sharp tone.

I startle at the sharpness but push forward. “I don’t know how I ended up with him. But I know I was with him from when I was about five to when I was almost seven. He kept me in a cage and made me … use my power for him.” I swallow down the tremulous breath clawing at my throat. “It’s part of why I loathe my powers so much.”

He sucks rapid breaths through his nose, gripping the book he’s holding so tightly the pages tear.

“I’m sorry,” I sputter. “I know I should’ve said something before, but I didn’t know who he was. And then I just got scared because sometimes I can hear him in my head. And he said he’d always find me. That’s why I panicked when you guys showed up that day. I thought you worked for him. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know he killed Wylder’s father … I’ll go pack my stuff.” I slide the book off my lap and start to get up, but his fingers enclose around my arm.

“Why the heck do you think you need to pack your stuff?” he asks, gaping at me.

“Because I lied. Because I didn’t tell you. Because I let him use my power to do awful things. And because … that’s just how it works. No one wants to live with someone that’s bad.”

He considers a complicated question, and I can see it on his face when he figures out the answer.

His hand leaves my arm, and he lifts it to cup my cheek. “I don’t know what your time in the human world was like, but from the little things you’ve mentioned, I’m assuming you’ve never had a sense of family before. But that’s what a coven is. We’re an unbreakable bond, pretty eyes. The five of us will be connected forever. And even despite that, we’d never kick you out over this. You were a child when he had you.” He lowers his head, leveling his gaze with mine. “Whatever he made you do, that wasn’t your fault. And you need to realize that so you can heal.”

I swallow thickly. “You said he killed Wylder’s dad. He won’t forgive me.”

“Forgive you for what? It’s not your fault.”

“But I’m connected to Ashford. I can still hear him in my head sometimes. It’s why I blacked out on the elevator. I was too afraid to tell you.”

“And that makes sense. You barely know us, and you’ve never been able to trust anyone. But you can. You can trust all of us.” He rests his forehead against mine. “But you need to tell them, okay? Because, if by some chance these deaths and murders have to do with him—his way of trying to get to you—we need to prepare for that.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “I’m scared to.”

“I know.” He laces our fingers together. “But you told me, and it feels a bit better, doesn’t it—to get that off your chest?”

With my eyes still closed, I nod. “It does a little.”

“Good.” He traces the folds of my fingers. “In return, I’m going to tell you something myself, something that’s hard to talk about, and I was waiting for the right time to tell you.” He summons a measured exhale. “My father is fey. My mother had an affair with him, and I am a product of that affair.”

My eyelids lift open, and I lean back to look at him. “Does that mean you have other powers besides warlock magic?”

“It means a lot of things. I can tell you more about it later.” He brings my knuckles to his mouth to kiss my hand. “Everything will be okay. You just have to trust us, okay?”

Before I can answer, the front door opens, and Wylder rushes in, his cheeks flushed from the chilly wind that gusts in with him. He hastily closes the door, ruffling his hair into place.

“It’s bad out there.” He kicks off his shoes and takes off his hoodie. “The weather’s acting up, and the entire town is in a panic over the murder of James, although the council hasn’t officially announced it’s a murder yet.”

“Well, it clearly was. The guy couldn’t have cut off his own head.” Nico winces at his own words.

“I know.” Wylder drapes his jacket on the coat rack then heads straight for me. “How are you doing with all of this?”

Fine seems like a dumb word—all the words do. So, I shrug.

Nico gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. “I sent a soaring letter to Kaiden and Phoenix,” Nico informs Wylder. “Hopefully, that’ll be their get-out-of-jail-free pass.”

Wylder drops down beside me. “I doubt it’ll be for free, but it was a good idea. We need them here. Especially Kaiden.”

“I know, particularly if shit gets back quickly.” Nico scoots books aside so he can move closer to me. “We figured out something while you were gone.” Nico trades an encouraging look with me. “Or Emberlynn did, anyway.”

Right. I guess that’s my signal to tell Wylder my dirty little secret.

“I found something while I was reading through a book”—I nervously open and flex my hand— “about Ashford Greywing.

Wylder’s entire face alters, his lavender eyes graying, his muscles constricting, his voice trembling as he asks, “What about him?”

I can only put my faith in Nico that what he said is true .

Mustering a deep breath, I tell Wylder what I told Nico about my time with Shadow Man, aka Ashford Greywing. Shivers are racking through my body by the time I’m finished.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I know this is probably hard, since he killed your father. And you’re sitting here with someone that’s connected to him.”

“You’re not connected to him,” he bites out in an eerily low tone. His hands are balled into fists, and so many emotions are flashing across his face that it’s hard to sort through them. But he’s definitely angry. “He may have stolen some of your years, but that doesn’t mean you’re connected to him.”

“But I can hear him in my head sometimes,” I remind him. “So, there is a connection.”

“Oh, we’re going to sever that,” he assures me, hysterically tapping his foot against the carpet. “As soon as Kaiden can perform the spell properly, which he’s going to completely focus on once he learns about this.”

“What if that doesn’t work?” I draw my knees to my chest. “I don’t even know why Ashford can suddenly get into my mind when he hasn’t since the humans found me.”

“Probably because you used your magic, and he can sense you now. It gives him a place to start. Although, from what you’ve told me, he clearly doesn’t know where you are.” Nico sweeps strands of my hair off of my shoulder. “Try to relax. We’ll get this figured out.”

Try to relax? How am I supposed to relax when Wylder’s foot tapping is shaking the entire sofa ?

“Wylder.” I place my hand on his knee. “I really am sorry you have to deal with this.”

He stops bouncing his leg and stares at my hand on his leg. I’m about to pull away when he lays his hand on mine then pulls on me until I’m sitting on his lap. The move is so sudden that I gasp.

“What’re you doing?” I stammer as I straddle his lap.

He cups the back of his neck, the imprints of his fingertips splashing magically warm kisses across my flesh. He catches my gaze as he passionately vows, “No human or creature is ever going to take you away from us again—ever, okay? I don’t want you worrying about that. Or apologizing for him . He stole you. He stole you from us. From years of happiness. And he’ll never do it again, even if we have to kill him.” His eyes darken. “In fact, I hope we do.”

My stomach somersaults, swoops, then drops.

He massages the back of my neck. “I’m sorry if I’m frightening you. I don’t mean to. I just … I don’t want to lose you.”

“I get it. Lila told me how bad it was when I wasn’t here.” I rest my hands on his shoulders. “I really am sorry, though … about your father, I mean.”

“Thank you for saying that, but I promise, I'm fine.” He works to even out his inhales and exhales. “It happened a long time ago, and it’s not your fault.”

I still feel guilty and so sad for him. And Lila and his mom.

“Is your mom going to be okay with it?” I state my worries aloud. “And Lila?”

“Of course they’ll be okay,” he promises me. “None of this is your fault.”

I plunge into silence for a heartbeat of a second, preparing for what I say next. “He did make me do things … He used my powers to do … I don’t really want to talk about that yet, but they were awful things. And I was awful for doing them.”

“No, you’re not. You were a child.” Nico’s voice is uncharacteristically fierce for him. “You can’t be blamed for any of that.”

“But we won’t press you to talk about it until you’re ready,” Wylder adds, his hands gliding down my back to settle on my waist. “Kaiden will have some questions, but you don’t have to answer anything that you don’t want to.”

They’re being so nice.

Too nice.

This can’t be real, can it?

“Where is he, anyway?” I shift in Wylder’s lap, changing the subject. “I thought that letter was supposed to get him here?”

Wylder checks the time on his watch. “It’s getting late, so I’m guessing he’ll be here soon. And we should be hearing from the council about the murder.”

Nico crosses his inked arms. “They’ll probably put up a curfew until they solve this. And I’m assuming we need to tell them what we know.”

“I wouldn’t go that far yet.” There is a tease of a kiss along my side from his finger as he stares out the window just over my shoulder. “We’ll make the decision on what to do when everyone is here.”

Nico crooks a brow. “But this is a murder we’re talking about.”

Wylder’s shoulder elevates against my hand as he shrugs. “Kaiden was already skeptical of them after they acted as if Emberlynn appeared out of nowhere.”

“True,” he agrees with a bob of his head. “I don’t like this. Everything feels wrong and unsteady, like our entire worlds are about to collapse out from underneath us.”

“The council has been veering toward corruption for a while.” Wylder’s hands are on the move, slipping around to my back. “We’ve all known this. In fact, we were discussing mutiny just the other night.”

It’s like he can’t stop touching me and, while my body is wildly igniting, my mind is lost in Confusion Land. I’ve spent my entire life never being touched, at least gently like this. When the guys first showed up, any touches made me feel uncomfortable. But within days, I’ve warmed up to it, even sought it at times. Straddling Wylder, though, it feels so blissfully good. Yet, at the same time, my mind is racing on whether to climb off of him or curl inward.

The cluelessness of it bleeds even further into my brain. I question why he’s so openly holding me like this. It has to be a coven thing, right? Because I’m their heart ? It’s still strange how intimate it feels. I need to ask about it. I need to ask a lot of questions. But right now, this doesn’t feel like the appropriate moment .

Wylder tangles his fingers through my hair, playing with the strands. “A while ago, when my mother had too much to drink, she told me that when my father died, there were rumors floating around that some of the council members were secretly supporting Ashford. None of this was proven, and most of the members still have chair positions to this day, so perhaps it was simply rumors. But the way my mom told me, with so much fear and worry in her eyes”—a shudder convulses through his body— “I think there’s more to it than what she said.”

“We should talk to her about it,” Nico advises. “Maybe once we tell her about Emberlynn, she’ll have more to say about it, if she knows about the risk it poses to our beautiful heart .” He smiles at me but worry ghosts his eyes.

“I’m still worried she’ll be upset when she finds out.” I lower my head against Wylder’s shoulder as I blow out an uneven exhale. “I know you guys said everything is peachy, but I feel so guilty about all of this—the baker’s death, the fact that Nico was poisoned, you losing your father. I think I might be cursed.”

“You’re not cursed. You’ve had a hard life. In ways I can’t even imagine.” Wylder presses against my back, urging me closer to him.

“Okay, well, I might not be cursed, but my powers are.” I sit up, brushing my hair out of my face. “I’m not trying to have a pity party. I accepted the fact a long time ago that what I can do is a curse. That’s just a fact, and it’s why I need to be careful using them. ”

“All powers can be dangerous, if the witch or warlock chooses to make them,” Nico tells me. “And some struggle more than others, depending on their power source.”

“You mean Kaiden?” I ask, and he nods.

“And Phoenix at times,” Wylder adds, “depending on the day. Honestly, Phoenix and Kaiden will probably be the best ones to help you learn how to control your powers.”

“Do you ever struggle with it?” I ask Wylder, hitching my arms around the back of his neck.

He hesitantly nods. “I struggled the worst with it right after the ceremony. Sometimes feeling emotions so potently can be dangerous, if it’s a darker emotion.”

“I’m sorry it was so hard for you.” I smooth my hand over his scruffy jawline.

He melts into my caress. “It’s okay. It’s much better now,” he murmurs, his eyelids lowering.

Nico’s smile is purely genuine as he stares at me. “Because we have you now, baby.”

“What is it with this baby thing?” I question. “That’s the second time you’ve called me that.”

“Hmm … really?” He feigns dumb.

I roll my eyes. “You know you still have glitter on your face, right?”

“Hey, you said I got all of it off,” he says through his laughter.

“No, I never said that,” I deny. “I just told you that you had some on your face.”

He rubs at his forehead, and I snicker .

His eyes narrow to slits as an artful grin curls across his lips. “You know what? It’s my time to play with you for a bit.” He lunges at me and tickles my side.

I snort like a pig then squeal as I attempt to dive off Wylder’s lap. Wylder catches me, though, and jumps to his feet, hitching his arm under my butt. I latch my legs around his hips and hook my arms around the back of his neck as he skitters around to the other side of the coffee table.

“Traitor,” Nico says through his laughter.

“How does that make me a traitor when I like her better?” Wylder quips as he shuffles back toward the window.

I twist around in time to see Nico hurtling over the coffee table. Then he barrels at us.

Wylder skirts to the right, but Nico leaps forward, and his hands land on my sides. His fingers delve into my flesh as he tickles me.

“Stop!” I cry through my tears of laughter.

“Never,” he teases, tickling me harder as Wylder attempts to get us away.

I’m about to pee my pants. If I do that, I’ll pee on Wylder, which would be, hands down, the most embarrassing moment of my life.

“Please, stop,” I beg as I laugh so hard I can’t breathe. “I’ll do anything.”

“Oh, baby, don’t ever make that promise to a faerie,” he taunts, the warmth of his breath feathering the shell of my ear. “Even a half-faerie.”

“Why?” I start to ask when the front door flies open.

Within a millisecond, Nico is in front of me, and then Wylder has me on my feet and hidden behind the shield of his body. Magical embers illuminate from their hands and light up the room. Nico’s magic is an awe-striking shade of teal, and Wylder’s matches the lilacs that bloom from the trees outside of his house.

“It’s just us,” Phoenix says as he enters the house with Kaiden. “Where is she?”

Wylder sidesteps and tows me forward. “Relax. She’s right here.”

“Thank the gods.” The exhale that punches from Phoenix’s lips is crammed with relief. “When I heard the news, I thought …” His throat bobs as he swallows. “I thought the worst. And Nico’s letter was so vague.”

“You should’ve read it before my addition,” I tell him as his gaze meticulously trails up and down my body. “He made it sound like one of us was murdered.”

Kaiden pushes the door shut then closes the curtains. “It’s chaos out there. Word has gotten out that James has died.” He cracks the curtain and peers out into the night. “Do you know who found his body?”

“It was us, actually.” Wylder rubs at his elbow. “All three of us.”

Kaiden’s attention darts to him. “Emberlynn was with you?”

Wylder opens his mouth. “Yes, but?—”

“Why in the hell demons would you take her there after what happened?” he hisses, turning around .

Nico throws his hands up in the air. “We can’t just lock her away, Kaiden. And we didn’t think James was going to be decapitated.”

The way Kaiden’s entire body goes as still as a corpse is enough to send a slithering chill up my spine.

“He was decapitated?” he asks in a darkly cold tone. “And she saw that?”

“I’ve seen worse,” I intervene. “And I’m glad they took me with them.” When his chilling gaze lands on me, I resist the instinct to squirm. “Not that I wanted to see a headless body, but I felt useful … kind of. And I need that. I don’t … I don’t want to be a burden. I’ve been that way too much in my life.”

Nico presses Kaiden with a look. “Now, are you going to get mad at that?”

My words chip away at Kaiden’s icy demeanor, and he backs off. “Tell me everything that happened while I was gone.”

It takes a while to recap all the events that occurred today. Nico makes hot chocolate while Wylder goes over the details of what happened. And then, ultimately, about Ashford Greywing and my unfortunate connection with him. I speak as minimally as possible, and my guard is up the entire time, searching for signs that this blasé demeanor they have about the fact that I was a horrible warlock’s magical tool is all a facade. Because it has to be. This level of kindness and understanding doesn’t exist.

And yet, like with Wylder and Nico, Kaiden’s and Phoenix’s reactions are one of rage toward Ashford Greywing for keeping me prisoner for years. Phoenix is so upset that he excuses himself and bolts out the front door, slamming it behind him.

Wylder exhaustedly pushes up and chases after him. “Phoenix, don’t you dare try to find Ashford and kill him?—”

The front door closes, leaving me with Nico and Kaiden.

Nico collects a cup of hot chocolate from off the coffee table. “Glad we’re all keeping a level head about this.”

Kaiden is leaning forward in the chair across from where Nico and I are sitting. He’s hunched forward with his arms propped on his knees as he mulls over everything.

I cup my mug in my hand, watching the steam rise off the chocolatey liquid inside. “Is he really going to try to find Ashford?”

“Probably, but he won’t find him,” Nico says with indifference. “And eventually, Wylder will calm him down. He’s good at that.”

“Because he’s a healer?”

“That and he’s known Phoenix the longest.”

“Oh.” I take a sip of the drink. Yummy. “How long have you guys known each other, anyway?” I’m deflecting the subject elsewhere, but with the way Kaiden’s gaze is boring into me, it’s clear he wants to discuss my past further.

“For most of our lives.” Nico balances the mug on a coaster. “But Wylder and Phoenix have known each other since they were born. Stella and Phoenix’s mom used to be friends before Phoenix’s mom passed away.”

So much death. It’s awful. I don’t know how to process it, but my heart aches in ways I’ve never felt before.

“Is it like that here?” I switch hands with my mug. “Is there a lot of death? Because Wylder’s father is dead, Phoenix's mother is, and I have no clue where my parents are, but they could be.”

Reluctance masks Nico’s features, and he offers me no response.

I frown. “There’s more, isn’t there?”

Nico flits a glance in Kaiden’s direction. “Kaiden’s brother died a while ago, and his mother.”

“Oh … I’m so sorry, Kaiden. I shouldn’t have brought this up.” I feel terrible. I need to keep my dumb mouth shut, like I used to.

Kaiden gives a dismissive shake of his head. “You’re fine. It happened a while ago.”

“It’s good for you to learn about everything,” Nico tells me. “And as for me, there’s not been a lot of death, but many of my siblings and my father are fey, so they’re immortal.”

Right. I’d almost forgotten his confession about being part fey. “Are you?”

“Immortal?” he checks, and I nod. “I am, yes.” He sounds so depressed about it.

“You don’t want to live forever?” I wonder, raising the glass to my lips .

“I don’t want to watch everyone I love die,” he answers, reaching for the mug again. “Immortality can be great as long as the people you love are, too.”

“That makes sense.” I hold the mug in both of my hands, dazing off.

It’s strange to think that if I stay with these guys, at some point, I’ll be super old, and Nico will be as youthful as he is today.

“I have to ask you a question,” Kaiden interrupts my thoughts. “About your parents.”

I waver. “Okay.”

He reclines back with his chin in his hand. “Do you remember anything about them at all?”

I shake my head. “I don’t have a single memory of before I was with Ashford Greywing. But I do know I had parents. He used to taunt me all the time with the fact that they gave me to him.”

“He never said why?” Kaiden asks.

I shake my head again. “And even if he did, it was probably a lie. He used to lie to me all the time to mess with my mind.”

He lowers his hand to his lap. “You were five, though, when you can remember being with him?”

I nod. “Close to that, anyway. I didn’t know my real age until now.”

He rotates a ring on his finger. “What’s your first memory then?”

“Being in the cage he kept me in.” I take a huge gulp of my hot chocolate, hoping the warm, gooey goodness will alleviate the rising anxiety in me.

“Kaiden, maybe that’s enough for today,” Nico suggests, glancing at him. “This is probably a lot for her.”

“I know.” Kaiden deliberates. “I just have one more question … When you think about your parents, can you feel their existence?”

I waveringly nod. “Yeah. Why?”

“Because I think some of your memories were erased,” he informs me with a dash of reluctance. “More than likely by Ashford Greywing. It’s possibly why you can’t remember them.”

“Trauma could’ve done that to her, too,” Nico points out, setting the mug down. “Trauma can be a real dirty little bitch.”

Kaiden drums his fingers against his knee. “Maybe, but Ashford Greywing was known for his ability to memory wipe. And since she was five when she became his prisoner, which seems old enough that she should have at least a few memories, he probably erased her mind. It’s why she can feel that she knew her parents but can’t see any proof of it.”

I press my fingertips to my forehead. Could he be right?

“We can get them back,” Kaiden tries to reassure me. “And I can get him out of there.”

I lower my hand. “You mean Ashford?”

He nods. “But it’ll take a bit. I need to … practice with a specific power of mine before I attempt any of that. It comes with some risks that worsen if I haven’t practiced, which I haven’t done in a long time.”

Do I even want my memories back? I’m not so sure. What if they’re awful?

I do, however, want Ashford out of my mind, so I nod for now, figuring I have some time to decide if I want my memories back.

Wylder and Phoenix return then, and Stella and Lila are with them. All of their cheeks look bitten with frostbite and ice is glazing over the window.

“This isn’t good,” Stella states as Wylder closes and locks the front door. “There are already whispers about who could’ve done it, and too many fingers are being pointed at too many different creatures. If the council doesn’t step in, creatures will be divided, and the last time that happened …” She visibly shudders as she unties her scarf from around her neck.

“I’m sure everything will be fine.” Wylder attempts to convey confidence but miserably fails.

Lila flops down on the sofa on the other side of me. “How are you holding up with this, bestie? It has to be a lot to take in.”

“You mean the murder?” I ask, and she bobs her head up and down as she steals my mug of hot chocolate. “The magical aspect of all this is a bit overwhelming, but murder exists in the human world. They did podcasts about it … Do you know what that is?”

“Podcasts? Oh, yeah, we have so many of those here,” she tells me. “There’s this one done by this faerie named Pepper that centers on the gossip at the academy. It’s not her real name. No one knows her true identity, but if you want to learn juicy details about everyone at school and their history, that’s the place to go.”

“How about we don’t talk about gossipy podcasts?” Nico suggests stiffly, growing a bit squirrely.

Lila bends forward to catch his gaze, her eyes glimmering with amusement. “What’s the matter, Nico? Does Pepper have dirt on you?”

Nico glares at her, and she cockily smirks.

“We should get to bed,” Wylder interrupts while peering out the curtain. “It’s late, and we should probably get up early to prepare Emberlynn for her first day of school.”

And suddenly, I feel sick for a different set of reasons.

Nico eyes me closely. “Why do you look more freaked out about that than when we found James?”

I rub my hands up and down my arms. “I’m not freaked out. I’m just nervous. I make terrible first impressions.”

“No, you don’t,” Nico disagrees. “You just think you do.”

“Agreed.” Lila raises her hand. “I, for one, liked you from the moment I met you.”

“That’s weird,” I tell her with a dry look.

She throws her head back and laughs. “See, that’s the kind of thing that makes me like you.”

I literally have no response to that.

“I’m assuming everyone is staying the night, with the lack of movement in this room,” Stella says as she embarks into the kitchen.

The guys trade a look, then Wylder wanders away from the window. “Yeah, I think so. We can put up some protection spells before we go to sleep.”

“That’s a good idea.” Stella places the tea kettle Nico boiled water in into the sink without so much as lifting a finger. All she does is swish her hand and ta-dah ! “I’ll go get some extra blankets and pillows.” She leaves the room while the guys prepare to put up protection spells.

Lila snags my hand and yanks me with her as she walks toward the kitchen. “Let’s go pick out an outfit for you for tomorrow.” Without giving me time to protest, she drags me out of the room and into my bedroom.

She notices the bags I left on the floor and gapes at me. “You didn’t put any of the clothes away?”

“Sorry,” I apologize, reaching for one of the bags to do just that. “I got a little sidetracked with the whole doughnut thing. And then the murder.”

She swats my hand away. “I’m just teasing you.” With a grin, she waves her hand in the air.

Swoosh .

All of the clothes and shoes zip out from the bag and fly into the closet, onto the hangers and shelves. She takes one look at my agape mouth and cackles with laughter. “It’s so funny seeing the surprise on your face every time someone uses magic.” She strolls into the closet while pulling her hair up into a messy bun. “Now, let’s pick out an outfit that rocks.” She sifts through the hangers, and examines each shirt, dress, and pants. “I feel like I should warn you—if they guys haven’t, anyway—that tomorrow is going to probably be intense.”

I drop down on the bed with a bounce. “Because of the murder?”

“Well, partly that, but you’re also the first heart that was believed to not be alive. That alone is going to make you a hot topic. But you’re also in a coven that is made of warlocks that come from extraordinarily powerful bloodlines from various different power sources.”

“Oh. I don’t know how to feel about that. I don’t like attention.”

“Sorry if I’m stressing you, but I feel like it’s better if you know.”

“It is.” I think so, anyway. “Is there anything else I should know?”

She dithers as she eyeballs a short, black velvet dress. “There’ll be some hate thrown at you from women who like Nico.”

Realizing I’m still wearing Nico’s hoodie, I wiggle my arms out of the sleeves and slip it off. “Why would they hate me?”

She pauses, mutters incoherently, then tells me, “He’ll be around you a lot. They’ll be a bit jealous of that, but don’t let them push you around. We’re technically not allowed to use magic on other students while we’re at the academy, but there are ways around it.” She sneaks me a mischievous grin from over her shoulder.

“I feel like standing up for myself will be the least of my problems.” I flop back on the bed and stare at the ceiling. “I don’t know how much you’ve been told about my powers, but I can barely control them, have only purposefully used them once with Wylder’s help and, up until a week ago, I didn’t even know witches and warlocks existed. I just thought I had a weird ability … So, how am I supposed to ever catch up with everyone else at the school when I know nothing?”

“Kaiden. He’ll have you caught up in no time. He’s super smart.”

“Everyone keeps saying that, but really, all of that is dependent on my learning ability.”

“You’re smarter than you think,” she says matter-of-factly.

“Thank you for saying that,” I tell her. “But you don’t really know me that well, so how can you know that?”

“Because you walked into a lot.” She grabs a dress off a hanger. “And you’ve handled that better than most witches or warlocks would. Besides, you’re not alone. You have your coven. You have me. And you have my mom.”

“Maybe.” I hope she’s correct about this.

But, in the end, I have my doubts when it comes to myself and my ability to pull this off.

By the time the guys finish putting up protection shields, Lila has gone to bed, and I’m attempting to fall asleep. But when Wylder pops his head into my room to check on me, I’m wide awake and the lamp is on.

“You’re still awake,” he notes as he opens the door all the way.

I push up on my elbows. “I can’t sleep. There’s too much going on in my head.”

“You’re worried about school.” It’s not a question.

I sit up all the way. “Amongst other things.”

“I don’t want you to have to worry about anything.” He enters the room and tentatively sits down at the foot of my bed. He has fragments of petals in his hair and a steak of dirt on his forehead “But I know that’s impossible.” He rests back on his hands. “We’re going to try to make your first day go as smoothly as possible.”

“What about the whole thing with the poisoned doughnut? What if someone tries to do something like that again?”

“They won’t. Now that we’re aware someone is targeting you, we can protect you better. We can put up protection spells. And one of us will be with you at all times.”

“That sounds exhausting for everyone.”

He extends his hand toward my chin. “We don’t find it exhausting. It’s what the coven was made to do …” He tenderly outlines my jawline with his fingers before withdrawing. “Now, about the nightmares you’ve been having. I know Kaiden suggested it in a weird way, but it might help if you slept by me in my bed. ”

“I’ll be okay. I can deal with nightmares.” I reach out and sweep some of the flower petals out of his hair, running my fingers through the strands unnecessarily longer than I should. “I’m sure, at this point, you probably need a bit of a break from me.”

“Never.” His forehead creases quizzically as I brush my fingers through his hair again.

“You had flower petals in your hair,” I explain, flicking a few off the comforter. “And some dirt on your forehead.”

He scrubs the dirt away with the sleeve of his shirt. “I had to hike through the thick branches that are around the house to get the protective shield put up all the way.”

“So, everyone’s just sleeping in the living room then?” I yawn, sleepiness tugging at my mind.

“Except for me.” He stands up. “I’ll let you get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow.” He leaves the room but pauses as he’s closing the door. “If you wake up from a nightmare and need me, just come into my room. I don’t care if you wake me up. It’s what I’m here for.”

“Okay, thanks.” I offer him a smile of gratitude even though the probability of me taking him up on his offer is marginally low.

Honestly, the possibility of me getting any sleep seems fairly low. How the hell am I supposed to go to sleep with new schools, murder, and magic looming over my head like a storm cloud?

Almost every time I started a new school, a disaster would happen, ranging from milder incidents like tripping in the hallway to a guy named Gary locking me in the janitor’s closet. It took the janitor four hours to find me in there, and I almost peed my pants waiting to be let out.

Maybe it won’t be so bad. And even if it is, I should be worried more about the concept that someone tried to poison me. I don’t know, though. Almost getting murdered might be as frightening as a first day at a school for paranormal creatures.

Then again, all of this should be a cakewalk, seeing as how I spent two years being the prisoner to the most dangerous warlock in history, according to what I found out tonight. And the reality is, that despite what anyone says, I can never erase the blood on my hands.