by Rhys Lawless
And then, something completely different came over me. Something I’d never felt before.
A man appeared from the shadows inside the café and unlocked the door, letting us both in. Easton walked in and grabbed the man’s arm, thanking him. I didn’t like Easton touching him, but that wasn’t the worst of it.
The man was in his twenties and fashioned silver hair, a nose piercing, and a brow-ring, as well as the most striking gray eyes I’d ever seen. He was a sight to behold, and the fact that he was so gorgeous and I was… well, me, and the fact that Easton knew him, probably intimately, made me want to pounce on the stranger and claim what was mine.
What the actual fuck was wrong with me? Since when did I think of others as mine, specifically this man I’d only met tonight, and since when did I feel such jealousy that I was ready to commit a crime and break a hundred different laws?
I thought shaking the stranger’s hand would tip me off the edge, but instead, an inexplicable calmness took over me, and the guy grinned.
What was going on tonight? Why was every further step I took toward Easton a step further from reality and sense?
“I’m Caleb. Nice to meet you, Troy,” the silver-haired beaut said, and I let go of his hand.
“H-how do you know—” I stuttered, but Easton placed a soothing hand on my shoulder and cut in.
“We’ll explain everything, Troy. Caleb, thank you for meeting us at this late hour,” he said.
Caleb locked the door behind him and removed a stone from the bracelet he was wearing while mumbling something. Purple dust erupted from his hand and covered the entire door. Before I could ask what the fuck that was, the dust disappeared, the only trace that it ever existed a sprinkle on the floor in front of the glass.
“We’re completely secure now. So tell me. How can I help?” Caleb asked.
We all took a seat in one of the tables, and Easton explained what had happened since I saw him.
“Right, so the hunters are after you. And you work for them?” Caleb asked and turned to me.
“What hunters? I don’t know who I work for. What I do know is that I have no idea what’s happening and I need someone to explain it to me,” I said, losing my patience.
Why couldn’t someone give me straight answers? Why couldn’t Easton tell me like he promised me? I needed to know how much trouble I’d gotten in, and I needed to know now.
Caleb glanced from me to Easton and then back to me while I stared at the ginger man begging him to speak.
“Why don’t I get some spells for you and leave you two alone? I’m sure you’ve got loads to talk about,” he said, and retreated to the back of the cafe.
“So?” I asked Easton once Caleb was gone.
“So…” He sighed. “Where do I even start? There is a whole other world you don’t know about. One you’re not supposed to know about. All the myths and legends you’ve read about? Well, they’re all true. Or, sort of true. The stories that keep you up at night are real. Vampires, werewolves, and witches are real and live undercover. The organization you work for has one sole purpose—to find and eradicate witches. They’re called the B.L.A.D.E. Force. The British Legacy of Arcane Disposal Enforcement. Essentially, they’re witch hunters. They see witches as a threat. But they’re not. We’re not. We’re just like everyone else. Witches are as gray as the rest of humanity. We’re not all evil or all good. You saved my life tonight.”
“It didn’t look like I was doing the saving,” I said.
I couldn’t believe out of everything he’d said, that was the only thing I focused on. Easton smiled warmly.
“Maybe not, but you did. And in doing so, you’ve also put your life at risk too. You’ve put yourself on their radar, and now they will come after you, too, which is why I need to protect you,” he said.
I shook my head.
“You don’t need to do anything,” I told him. “I can take care of myself.”
I had no idea how I could protect myself against people with swords, but I knew for certain he didn’t need to do me any favors. He didn’t owe me anything. I, on the other hand, owed him my life.
“You see, that’s the other part that I need to explain,” he said, and I pinned my gaze on him again.
He was still smiling, but I could tell there was a trace of fear there. And I’d never wanted to kiss someone so badly before in my life until now.
“I’m not just a witch. I’m also a—”
“A fox?” I interrupted, and he chuckled.
“I was going to say familiar, but fox is also right. You might know the term shifters better. Familiars are half human, half animal. We have better sight and instincts than normal humans, and we borrow a lot of our strength from the beasts that live within us,” he said, and it sort of made sense, only it didn’t.
“But I thought familiars are a witch’s pet protectors or something like that,” I said.
“We are and we aren’t. How is a little frog or a hamster supposed to protect a witch? Have you ever thought about that? Witches’ familiars are shape-shifters, and we do indeed protect our witches, but there’s more to it.”
“More? Is that not enough?” I laughed.
“Just a tiny little detail,” he said, and pinched his fingers together.
I crossed my arms and readjusted myself on the chair.
“Ok. Shoot,” I said.
“Familiars and witches-well… they’re meant to bond. As in for life. We don’t just protect any witches. We protect the witches that are… our soulmates,” he said, and bit his lip.
“Cool… I guess,” I said, not entirely clear on why he was sharing that much detail with me. “And have you met your soulmate yet?” I asked.
“I have,” he replied, and the twist in my guts returned tenfold.
So he was taken. It was probably too good to be true that he was single. Not that if he was, he’d want anything to do with me. And even if he was, I assumed he’d never want anything to do with a normal human who couldn’t protect themselves against witch hunters.
I was surprising myself with how well I was taking this whole… paranormal world and the revelation that all the creatures humanity thought were made-up were, in fact, real.
Did I really have a choice after what happened tonight? I’d witnessed it first hand. The magic, the shifting, the hunters. Denying it all would only drive me crazier. Sometimes, it was easier to accept what was right in front of you.
“Oh,” I replied to his remark. I hoped his soulmate wasn’t Caleb. Although I didn’t know if he was a witch or a familiar. Or maybe he was both, like Easton.
Easton chuckled.
“It’s you,” he said, and searched for my eyes until I looked back at him.
“Me?”
Had I heard right? Had he said I was his soulmate? That was impossible.
“But I’m not a witch,” I said, as if that was the only issue with his statement.
“I know. And I’m not sure why, but I know it’s true,” he said.
“H-how,” I asked.
“When you first saw me, did you feel anything? Anything you’ve never felt before?”
Four
Easton
I could see the question made him feel uncomfortable, but I needed him to see I wasn’t making this shit up. I needed him to understand that we were mates now, for life, and anything we did, we did together.
I was already quite astounded with how well he seemed to be taking my world and not challenging or questioning anything, so I was more than ready for what was about to come regarding the mating.
“Uhm, what should I have felt?” he asked.
I shrugged.
“You tell me,” I replied.
I couldn’t imagine that it must be like for him, having to admit to a stranger how attractive and hot he found them because he didn’t know it was normal.
“I-I liked you,” he said.
“And?” I urged him but he seemed to blush.
Okay, I needed to help the
situation here.
“Why don’t I tell you how I felt, and you can tell me if any of that rings true to your experience?” I said.
He shook his head just enough to notice the nod of approval, and I leaned forward on the table.
“I saw you before I even really saw you. I noticed you even when you were in the shadows and your face was hidden. I felt my body pulling me toward you, my heart racing, needing your touch, your lips, your warmth.”
My groin bulged as I relived the moments that led up to our mating. I’d heard from others that you could never forget the first time you laid eyes on your mate, but I didn’t think it would be so detailed. So accurate.
“When I saw your face, it was like getting reacquainted with an old friend. As if I’d seen you before a hundred times and I was already familiar with your presence and your energy.
“It was like I knew your name before you even spoke it, but couldn’t get the words out. Looking into your eyes felt like I was looking at a mirror that reflected your soul.
“I could feel and hear your heartbeat without knowing it was yours. That’s how I felt. And I haven’t even mentioned how horny you made—and continue to make—me,” I admitted.
Troy went beet red at the last comment and looked down.
“Th-that sounds wildly accurate,” he mumbled.
It shouldn’t have, but my heart skipped a beat as if none of it was true until he admitted that he felt the same. It wouldn’t have been the first time I’d fooled myself believing I’d mated, but I was sure this time it was real because none of the other times had ever, EVER, felt like that.
“Right,” Caleb said storming back with a box in his hands. “I’ve picked some of the best defensive spells I got on stock. Are you sure you don’t want me to call Graham to make something to lose the hunters?”
Caleb sat down, not even looking at either of us, but placed the box on the coffee table and opened it.
“No. It’s...it’s okay. I know what I need to do, but I need to have something strong in case they ambush us before I get there,” I told him.
I didn’t like being vague, especially not in Troy’s presence, but I had been sworn to secrecy by Mother Red Cap, so I couldn’t tell Caleb what my plan entailed.
“Okay. You’re the boss,” he said, and presented me with the spells on the box. Troy leaned in to look inside too.
“What are these?” he asked, looking at the colorful gemstones resting on the velvet interior of the box.
“These are spells,” Caleb explained to him. “They’re created by a mix of ingredients, put together by alchemy, and are activated by ways of a spell word. Each stone performs one particular spell. It has one specific result.”
I was grateful to Caleb for going easy on Troy. He must have used his empathy to figure out he was a mortal and had no clue about our world.
“Wow,” Troy marveled, and leaned in closer to the stones.
“You can touch them, you know. Nothing will happen. Only witches can use them,” he told Troy, and Troy didn’t waste a moment grabbing the first one. A black, iridescent crystal the size of a nail.
“You know what this one is,” Caleb addressed me.
“The chaos spell,” I chuckled, recognizing the spell that Caleb loved a little too much.
“What does it do? Is that what happened to the guy at the alley?” Troy asked.
I nodded.
“It covers the victim in a vortex of nothingness. They are trapped in a literal chaos,” Caleb grinned.
“Cool,” Troy responded, and put the stone back in the box.
The next one he picked was an azure crystal.
“This one puts up a shield around you so nothing can touch you. It usually lasts a few minutes, but it really depends on the force of the attack,” Caleb explained, and then handed Troy the ruby stone.
“This one’s hellfire. They won’t be able to put it out no matter what they do. It won’t even go out in water. It is only to be used in dire situations. As I’m sure you understand it’s a pretty dangerous spell.”
Caleb walked us through all the spells in the box and in the end asked me which ones I wanted.
“Well, it depends. How much are they and what deal can you do for me?”
Spells weren’t cheap, especially not from High Council-approved merchants like Java Jinx and Caleb. But I didn’t have the time to call my supplier, and I needed to get to Mother Red Cap before anything bad happened to Troy. I could never forgive myself if he got hurt because of me. The mere thought of losing him sent me into a depressive turmoil, which was why I needed to do everything in my power to protect him.
“You know, Graham, East. He likes the price tag. I could do installments if you want?”
“How much is it? I’ll pay for them,” Troy said, and took a wallet out of his pocket.
I put up my hand to stop him, but instead of succumbing to my plea, he reached for me, and the heat of his touch traveled up my arm and into my chest.
“You can’t—” I said, but it came out only slightly louder than a whisper.
“I might not be able to do much, but at least this, I can do,” he said. “Let me take care of this.”
It was hard to say no to him, as much as I wanted to. He hardly knew me, yet he was offering to pay a very hefty price for me. Did that mean he was onboard with the whole mating thing? It wasn’t like we could do anything about it, but if he chose to not be with me now, before we’d had a chance to bond, it would at least be easier on both of us being away from each other.
Troy handed Caleb his card, and Caleb turned to me, waiting for me to choose the spells I needed.
“Fine.” I let out a sigh of defeat and looked at the box.
I picked up the first three spells he’d presented us with, and he took the payment from Troy.
“You know, I can give you a bigger spell book. I’ve got some in the back. You need more than three spells when the hunters are after you,” Caleb commented as I placed the spells on the notches on my belt specifically designed for keeping them secure.
Troy looked from Caleb to me, then looked at the belt and nodded.
“I’m assuming the thing you carry spells on is called a spell… book?” he asked.
“That’s right,” Caleb said and winked at him, then turned to me. “I like him. Good catch,” he said, and I could feel my cheeks go red.
“I know,” I said and smiled. “And it’s okay. I just need to get to the next place and we’ll be fine,” I reassured Caleb.
Caleb put his hands in the air. “If you say so. But if anything happens to you, your ghost can come and explain to Lorelai what happened.”
He laughed and then I laughed too. It wasn’t funny, but we still laughed. Because if you died under a hunter’s blade, your soul was destroyed. You couldn’t come back to haunt anyone or rest in peace.
And Lorelai would be pissed if anything happened to me.
“Take the new spell book,” Troy said, and handed his card back to Caleb.
“The spell book is free. I ordered them ages ago and never got around to using them. I like my bracers too much. The biggest one has six cartridges, so choose wisely,” he said, and left both of us alone again.
I looked at Troy instead of the box of spells and he smiled.
“I could get used to this,” he said. “I’ve loved games and fantasy all my life. This is like it’s all come to life.”
“I’m glad you’re not freaking out. But this is not a game, Troy. If you die out there, you die for good. You can’t respawn and try again,” I told him.
I didn’t want him treating this like a game. That sort of thing never ended well.
“I know,” he said. “It’s not a game. I get that. But right now, trying to think of it like one is the only thing that is keeping me sane,” he said, and I could detect the strength he was injecting his words with.
I admired that in him. That he chose not to give up and instead had found a way to deal with this weird night and
all the strange events. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what he felt inside. But his heartbeat was definitely smoother now.
“I’m sorry. Of course you know,” I answered.
I had underestimated his intelligence. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Caleb returned and passed me a silver bangle with six hollow spots at intervals. I picked up another three spells and, after paying for them, placed them on my new spell book and washed the blood off my face. We left Caleb behind shortly after to get back home to his little one.
“What’s your plan?” Troy asked me as soon as we got back out and put some distance between us and Java Jinx.
“We need to go to Camden. There is a witch there that can help us,” I said.
“Couldn’t Caleb?” he asked, rightfully so.
“Caleb works for the High Council, and there is a limit to the kind of spells they sell to their coven. The High Council is… let’s just say they care more about order than protection, if that makes sense. As in, the status quo is what drives their decisions, not compassion,” I explained.
“And this other witch is not part of the High Council?” he asked.
“No. She decided a long time ago to cut herself off and only help Nightcrawlers—” Troy turned to me with question marks in his eyes, and I rushed to explain. “All the paranormal creatures that are not witches. She keeps us safe in exchange for our silence. She doesn’t want the High Council or any of its witches knowing she’s still around.”
Troy nodded in understanding. This must be terrible for him, off-loading him with so many details, so much information about a world he never knew existed but which he was now a part of whether he liked it or not.
“I think I understand,” he said, and we continued on our way. “So what is she going to think about you taking me there?”
It was a very good question. One I thankfully already knew the answer to.
“You’re my mate, and that makes you a Nightcrawler now.”
He offered me a smile as a response. A smile I knew was genuine and so damn sexy. He didn’t even realize how sexy he was.
