The Magic of Discovery: Emerald Lakes Book One

by Britt Andrews

  “Come here, Sprout.” Kai opened his arms, and Saige melted into him. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head and mumbled little compliments about how pretty she looked. Begrudgingly, Kai released my date and hopped on his bike.

  Saige looked at Sloane, the brave girl. “Thank you so much for your help. Cam told me this was kind of your specialty. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”

  Giving her a curt nod, he turned and grabbed the helmet off of his vintage Indian before climbing onto his bike, the three of them firing up and taking off down the drive at the same time. Inhaling, I turned to where Saige was last standing and startled when I found she was right beside me.

  “We’ll get this figured out,” I breathed, wanting to reassure her.

  “I know. I’m freaked out, but right now? I’m mostly happy. I had a wonderful night with you. Thank you, Fischer.” Her arms snaked around my waist, and she laid her head on my chest.

  “Thank you for coming out with me, sweetheart.” With a lift of her chin, I lowered my mouth to hers. She tasted like perfection, a balm of normalcy for my fucked up soul. I swallowed a moan that slipped out of her throat, and groaned as she pushed her tongue against mine. Gods, this woman.

  Saige pulled back, panting. Fire flared in her eyes, and she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth.

  “Don’t look at me like that. Deep down, I’m a weak man who is hanging onto my earlier declarations by a fucking thread.” Closing my eyes to block out her face and heated gaze, I took a couple of deep breaths to get a hold of my damn self.

  Her laugh carried on the wind that was picking up by the minute; rain was on the way.

  “Okay, okay. I’m going inside, but I was thinking that on Sunday you guys could all come over. Meet Gran, eat, drink, and we can discuss all of the crap going on so everyone is on the same page? Can you ask the others if that will work with their schedules?”

  Grabbing her hand, I walked her over to the side/front door. “I’ll ask as soon as I get back. I’m sure it’ll be fine, though. I’ll shoot you a message and let you know for sure.”

  “Goodnight, guppy.” She lifted up on her tiptoes and gave me a quick peck on the lips before slipping into her house.

  “Goodnight, sweetheart— Wait, did you just call me guppy?” I asked, sure I’d misheard that.

  Laughing, she gazed at me through the mesh of the screen and blew me a kiss. Dropping her hand, she proclaimed, “What? You’re my sweet cutie guppy.”

  My mouth fell open as she turned and walked away, giggling. I’m a goddamned stone cold killer, and she just called me a guppy? I know that’s some kind of fish, but I can’t picture what it looks like. I’m going to google that when I get home, and it better be the size of a shark or some shit. Smiling to myself, I strutted over to my bike. Badass guppy. That’s me.

  The sound of the door closing and the light in the mudroom shutting off sent a wave of calm through my body. My girl was safe, she’d had a great night, and she liked me. The real me.

  Stone walls and high ceilings with domed entryways greeted my eyes as awareness crept into my mind. This room looked like something from a fairy tale, complete with a throne sitting at the far end, white and red banners decorating the entire room, billowing sashes cascading down from the ceilings.

  My bare feet had carried me forward, curiosity overriding all other emotions, to investigate the enormous throne when a man entered at a fast clip from a door to the left. I was so startled I squeaked, and his head snapped around to see who had made such a sound. He was gorgeous in an other-worldly kind of way. Freckles covered most of his face, his deep red facial hair kept short and trimmed.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, walking toward me. I could tell he was trying to figure out who I was and what I was doing standing in this castle in a silk nightie. “Who are you? Are you here to see my father? I’m not sure where he is. I just popped in myself from the other realm. I haven’t been home in a couple of years,” he rambled, lifting a finger to slide his black-rimmed glasses up on his nose then pushing back some of his hair that had fallen into his eyes.

  “I-I’m not sure. I think I’m dreaming,” I said, motioning to the nightgown and bare feet I was sporting. “Where are we?”

  “Well, we’re in Naryan, the capital city. This is the king’s castle, his home,” he answered slowly, studying my face as I took in that information.

  “Naryan. Right,” I muttered, running a hand down my face. I’m definitely dreaming.

  “Can I get you something, anything to drink? A robe?” he offered, his eyes trailing down my body. Swallowing, he held up a finger and stalked over to the side of the room where a massive wardrobe was standing. I watched with interest as he flung open the doors and snatched something made of dark green velvet.

  “Here, let me help you slip this on. You must be cold. This is not the warmest time of year for a visit.” He held up the robe, its wide sleeves and deep hood inviting me to burrow inside. It was beautiful.

  Turning, I extended my arms back, and he slipped the long sleeves on me, pulling it up around my neck. Glancing to my feet, the soft material pooled around the floor and would trail behind me when I walked.

  “There, that should help with the chill,” he assured, moving in front of me. I pulled the robe closed, feeling more secure now that I wasn’t in danger of giving this sweet man an unexpected nip slip.

  “Thank you.” I smiled. Unsure what to do next, I shifted my weight back and forth from leg to leg. Freckle cutie was just standing there. Hmm, this is awkward. He must’ve realized it because he jerked himself straight and started rambling again.

  “It’s just about dinner time. If you’re hungry, you can join us. Do you need to see a healer, though? I’m concerned that you don’t recall why you’re here or even where you are. Are you injured?” His eyes widened at the thought that I might be, and he stepped forward quickly, reaching for my hands. “Did a rogue hurt you, my lady?”

  The moment our hands touched, I sucked in a breath, both of us freezing, his amber eyes searching the depths of my green ones. Fire raced through my veins, and I whimpered at the same time a groan reverberated from his chest.

  “It can’t be,” he breathed.

  I didn’t know what the fuck that meant, but I couldn’t drop my hands from his. We were two magnets slamming together, and the force of that vibrated through my bones right down to my soul. Suddenly, the vision before me started rippling like the waves on a lake. This dream was about to be over.

  “Don’t go, please,” he begged, his eyes pained. I didn’t want to leave him, and that was the strangest damn thing, especially considering I had three men in the real world.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, though I doubted he’d heard it...

  My eyes snapped open, and I flew upright in bed, my heart racing. Patting down my arms and chest, there was no green velvet robe. Maven did not appreciate being jostled from his slumber, and he growled, also needing a moment to take in his surroundings. I searched my room, but I didn’t see any sign of the beautiful man with the pained amber eyes even though I could still feel the whisper of his warm skin against mine. Throwing myself back on my pillow, I stared up at the ceiling. The dream had felt so damn real, and as much as that was screwing with my head right now, I’d take that over those creepy ass shadow demons any day. Luckily, I hadn’t been visited by them since they’d shown up in my room on Friday morning.

  It was Sunday, and the guys were coming over this afternoon to hang out. Not in the mood to analyze my bizarre dream, I pushed thoughts of the red-haired dream man away and focused on my mages. The real, flesh and blood ones that looked at me with heat every time we were in the same room. The very ones who would be here soon. My inner witch gave me a mental high-five before she strutted around like a model on the catwalk. Dating three hot as sin dudes will do wonders for your self-esteem, in case any of you are needing a boost.

  All three of them had been texting me s
ince Friday night. Kai with his usual flirty banter that I lived for and Cam being a total Daddy, inquiring about my wellbeing every chance he got while promising sweet, sweet punishments when I got sassy with him. Fischer, my sweet guppy, had video called me last night, and we talked about anything and everything. Favorite books, foods, television shows. His smiles were addictive, and as much as he was enjoying trying to win me over without his powers, I was getting just as much out of seeing the stress and weight he carried vanish when we were talking.

  Kai had told me that yesterday they’d been doing some work during the day, checking out that warehouse that was for sale again. Maybe if Radical purchases it, the guys could relocate here? I tried not to go down that rabbit hole, but it was hard not to. The thought of them leaving had my stomach feeling like I’d swallowed a pile of rocks, so I was content to just pretend that it wasn’t something that would ever happen. As Gran always said, “She who looks at the world with the eye of a newt will see a newt-like world.” Yeah, I don’t know what the fuck that means either, but this seems like the first appropriate situation I’ve had to use it.

  It was still hard to believe it had only been just over a week since they’d blown into town and my very normal and uneventful life. Funny how you got so used to your life that you didn’t realize what you were missing until the stars smacked you in the head with four hotties. Suddenly, your old life seemed monotonous in comparison.

  Hauling myself up and out of bed, Mave jumped down with me, his feet padding softly behind. Opening my bedroom door, he flew past me down the steps. Good morning to you too, dude. Scrolling through my phone as I moseyed my way into the bathroom, I read a few messages from Miranda. I’d been making an effort to talk to her daily to see how she was holding up; it seemed the moonstone she’d gotten was helping. We hadn’t gotten the chance to have our hangout yet, but she was living vicariously through my dating life and was one hundred percent supportive of my unconventional relationship.

  While she was all for this arrangement, we lived in a little blip of a town, and there was no telling how the members of my community would react to such a thing. Ha. Yeah, right. As soon as Roberta and Matilda got their hands on this information, it would be all over town. I mean, the whole town was still talking about that time Mr. Peterson cheated on his wife with another teacher. Imagine the splash a quad relationship would cause! It was likely to wind up in the town history books to live on forever, shocking future generations to come.

  I refused to be ashamed or embarrassed, though. My guys were good, and it was like Gran always told me: “You don’t let the good ones get away, especially if they’re romantic and know how to wield their magic sticks.” Direct quote. She had a point. Dressing quickly, I bounded down the steps, heading for my beloved coffee and finding Gran ready and waiting.

  “Morning, Gran,” I said, enveloping her in a hug as she filled our coffee mugs to the brim. My heart squeezed looking at her. She was too good to me. Some people my age might not appreciate their grandmother being around pretty much all the time, but I did. She was my best friend, my mentor, and I was pumped that my guys were going to be here in a few hours to meet her.

  Gran and I had talked in detail yesterday about what Sloane had discovered during his investigation, and I was hoping that today wouldn’t turn into an interrogation, but one never knew what was up Gran’s sleeves.

  Gran returned my hug, her grip surprisingly strong. “Morning, did you sleep well?”

  “Decent. I had some dreams though,” I confessed, popping a shoulder.

  “Not about those beasts, I hope?”

  “No, thank the gods. Nothing demon-related, no need to worry,” I assured her, attempting to keep her calm. Warm amber eyes flashed in my mind, and my skin warmed when I recalled the connection I’d felt when our skin touched.

  We fell into a comfortable silence, sipping our coffees, and scrolling through our phones. Mornings like this were perfect, and I enjoyed the peace. The way my life had been going lately, they’d become a rarity. Determined to savor it, I created a group text with the guys, except Sloane. He hadn’t asked for my number again since the first time when I’d told him to eat a bag of dicks. One of the others could fill him in on the details for the day.

  Me: Let’s plan on one for today. It’s going to be hot, but I’m hoping Kai might spoil me with some more of his grilling talents? We have steaks in the freezer that I can get out.

  I added the fingers crossed emoji and hit send. Gran and I both laughed when my phone started pinging out of control.

  Kai: Sprout, I will spoil you with anything you desire. Just tell me your wishes and I will grant them.

  Cam: You are nothing but a butt kisser, K.

  Kai: Okay, but have you seen her butt?

  Fish: He’s got a point. It’s a really, reallllly nice butt.

  My face went up in flames, and Gran gave me a knowing smirk before she tsked and lifted her mug like she was the Queen of fucking England, pinky finger out, and took a small sip before placing it back on the table and using her hand to fan her face.

  “Oh my gods, stop it. I can’t deal with their shit and yours all at once,” I laughed, which was quickly smothered by the thought that in a little bit, I was going to be surrounded by them with no escape. “You all are going to kill me later.” I sighed, not hating it in the least.

  Gran cackled, her face lighting up with excitement. “You already know this will be a memorable evening. Best to embrace it, child. I’m going to go do some stuff at my house for now, but I’ll make my way back over here at some point. Probably when all the fresh mage meat arrives.” She stood and practically skipped her way to the back porch. “No need to call me when they get here. Sensing hot men is my second affinity!”

  May the moon have mercy.

  Cam: It is the best butt. You do have a point, Kai.

  Kai: Thank you. I love being right all the time.

  Fish: You wish, furry fucker.

  Me: You guys are killing me. Kai, if you grill for me I’ll let you feel both butt cheeks.

  Cam: Hey, that’s not fair. What can I do to get the same reward?

  Fish: * eyes emoji *

  Cam: FYI, Kai just jumped up, muttering something about needing to go to the store for spices and other essentials. In his excitement for potential ass pats, he forgot his phone.

  Fish: I think it’s safe to assume we’re grilling, sweetheart.

  Me: Yay! I’ll think about what you can do to earn... rewards. ;) Oh, and someone tell Sloane about when to be here.

  Fish: I’ll tell him... for a kiss.

  Me: Guess we’ll see…

  Standing up, I slipped my phone into the pocket of my yoga pants and prepped some food for later. It didn’t take long to wrap the potatoes in foil and put them in the cauldron pot to slow cook for a few hours. Deciding it would be best to just get as much done as possible now, I pulled out a large bowl and cut up ingredients for a fresh salad. Steak, potatoes, and salad, my absolute favorite meal.

  A small sneeze from the direction of the mudroom alerted me to Maven’s arrival. He made a beeline for me, plopping his ass down on the floor with a huff of indignation.

  “What’s that attitude about, mister?” I narrowed my eyes at him, our sassiness equally matched.

  He snort-sneezed at me again before turning his back and heading toward his empty food bowl. No, it was more like he stormed across the kitchen to his bowl and used his paw to flip it over before turning his head back to me, eyes narrowed to slits.

  “Do not act like you didn’t eat last night before bed, you chunky animal,” I scolded him... but I was actually a softie, so I flipped his bowl upright and gave him a hefty scoop of food.

  He didn’t spare me a second thought, munching to his grouchy heart’s desire. Whatever, I knew he loved me deep down in his tiny black heart. He’d softened a lot toward me in the four years we’d been together. After seeing him sneaking around the property for a couple of weeks, I finally let him
in the house one night during a storm, and he just never left.

  My body was a live wire, so amped up that sitting still was basically impossible. After pacing around the kitchen, making sure everything was clean and tidy, I headed for the linen closet in the hallway to snag some fresh sheets for my bed, and towels for the bathrooms.

  As I stacked my arm with towels, something fluttered to the floor. Bending down to grab it, I realized it was a picture of Gran, Laurie, and myself from the grand opening of The Pig. Laurie had blown into town in her usual shit storm fashion, trying to make my successes somehow a product of the blood we shared.

  The photo had been hanging on the fridge for a couple of years, for Gran’s sake, not mine, until one visit in particular when she’d gotten really mouthy with Gran. It had pissed me off so badly that I’d taken down every picture of her in my home, forgetting I’d even stuck this one in here. I was in the middle, Laurie off to the side. Smiling, I ripped the photo so that she was removed and stuffed her fake ass smirk into my back pocket, leaving Gran and me smiling at the camera with The Pig in the background. It was like she was never there at all. How fitting.

  I snatched the dirty hand towel from the bathroom and hung up the new one before going back out to the kitchen to stick the picture on the fridge. Laurie didn’t get to steal away all of my proud moments just because she was a jerk. No, I’d worked my ass off, gotten through college, and put so much work into my store. Wiping my forehead after my eye stung from an unexpected droplet, I realized I’d started to sweat, my heart rate steadily picking up. Anger was rising like a high tide inside my body, and I was beginning to feel like I would burn up from the inside out.