Violent Delights

by Boggs, Hannah;

  Odette tilted her head. “I had thought you two got along?”

  “Not in recent years. We don’t necessarily hate each other … we just wish we weren’t family,” he said and left it at that.

  The town was now getting smaller and there were only a few businesses that dotted the area until they were almost all gone. Odette could see the beginnings of the sea too. There weren’t as many trees but there were more shrubs and rocks and a giant lighthouse. Even from far away, she could see that it looked pretty rundown. It wasn’t in use anymore, not for many years now. Ivy crawled up the side of it, covering some of the porch as well. She could see evidence, as they drove closer, of where the police had once had this place taped off to prohibit visitors.

  Grayson parked his car as close to the lighthouse as he could, smirking the whole time. He hopped out of the car and opened up her door like a true gentleman, helping her out.

  “Come on, you’ll love it here.” He half-dragged her towards the stairs, his excitement getting the better of him.

  “We aren’t going to run into other people, are we?” Odette checked around the bushes for things like bicycles or human beings.

  Grayson snorted. “Do you see any other cars? We’re here alone, princess.”

  “Not everyone is as brazen as you, Mages. They could have walked here or hidden their ride.” Odette tucked her hair behind her ear, standing on her tiptoes to peer around the area. It was extremely windy at the lighthouse but it was a nice and cool breeze that countered the blazing sun. She let go of his hand and walked out by herself, deciding that she wanted to explore this place some more. It was hauntingly beautiful, a place that was full of ghosts, probably. Odette ran her hand along the metal railing, looking down at the sand-colored rocks and the way the water splashed up against them.

  Grayson came up behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder. “I knew that you would like it here. It’s beautiful and it’s quiet. It’s almost like another dimension.”

  I’m pretty sure this place is infested with ghosts. “You’re right, I do like it here. I like the charm it has.” Odette turned her head to give him affection but Grayson was laughing too hard.

  Odette frowned; she didn’t know what was so funny. Had she said something? She didn’t think so. Was there something on her face? Did she make a face?

  “Oh, princess, you amuse me.” Grayson’s hands were on her hips and he turned her around from the sea so she would face him.

  “What did I do?” She laughed a little too, only because she didn’t know what else to do.

  Grayson smoothed her hair back—it kept flying forward and getting in her face—kissing her lightly. “Your thoughts. Don’t worry about it, though.”

  She let him kiss her, deeper than he had kissed her before but she didn’t put much effort in it. She was thinking about what he said. My thoughts are amusing?

  If anything, this added to her idea that the twins had actual magic. How was that possible, though? Obviously, their amulets had something to do with it, unless that was all for show but Odette didn’t think so. It was very rare—if ever—that she had seen them without those things.

  “Stop thinking so much…. You’re miles away when you should be right here.” His fingers were woven in her hair and they controlled how close the two of them could get and if she could pull away.

  Odette shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m just having a hard time concentrating on one thing lately.”

  “It’s because you’re stressed,” Grayson murmured. He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I brought you here so you wouldn’t be stuck in your house moping.” He kissed her cheekbone. “Away from the cat.” Her nose. “Away from my place and people who can harm you.” Her cheeks.

  Odette was bright red and only a small part of it was because of the heat of the sun. “You need to stop being so sweet or I won’t be able to handle it.”

  “Relax and think only of me,” he slipped his sunglasses off. “I am all you need.”

  There was a heavy pause between the two of them. Odette fully expected to see the dark intensity on him again but he didn’t have it. He was still him, watching her lovingly. His warmth was all-consuming and she was certain that it was about to tear through her if he kept looking at her like that. Odette cleared her throat, her hands resting comfortably on his chest. “You’re all I have,” she assured him. She could feel with her fingertips how his heartbeat picked up. Grayson had a small smile playing at the corner of his lips, but before it could bloom any bigger, he crushed her into him.

  Odette had to twist and push against him in order to free her arms from his painful hold. They rested comfortably over his shoulders, playing with the ends of his thick brown hair. He kissed her like he would lose her. It was breathtaking and soul-crushing all at once. Odette didn’t know where the sudden passion came from but it was stifling. And, strangely, she didn’t care. The numb hole in her chest needed to be filled by something—Grayson seemed perfectly happy to do that.

  He pulled away once he had his fill, his chest heaving with every deep breath that he took. A dark shadow fell across his face from the setting sun. No words passed between them. None were needed. After all, he knew everything that would have been said anyway.

  Grayson coaxed Odette into his chest and she relaxed there in his arms, knowing that she was safe.

  Odette was half asleep as Grayson drove her home. He had her nestled up against his side, his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. It was about forty-five minutes before ten but he didn’t want to give Odette’s parents reason to worry. There wasn’t a lot to do at the lighthouse anyway.

  Grayson had told her about a tour that he and Greer were doing in January. It was supposed to take them further into the Midwest than where they usually went, and he was just ready to get it over with.

  “You don’t like being a magician?” Odette was somewhat shocked. He had always seemed so dedicated to what he did.

  “I don’t like being a performer,” he corrected.

  They arrived at her house faster than she expected. Grayson tensed beneath her as they drew even closer. There was another car parked outside and it was one that she had been in before. It had just been a while.

  “I’m coming in with you,” Grayson ordered.

  They got out of the car and Odette eyed the other Mages’ car. She felt like it was a trap and that, any second, it would explode or something. Was she there because of Nadia? Surely, she hadn’t found out about it.

  Odette opened up the front door, anxiety eating away at her stomach. What if Greer was going in for the final kill because of Nadia’s warning? Was she waiting for her? What if she had her parents tied up? Oh God, what if she killed her parents and she was there to kill her too?!

  Greer was sitting on one of the couches, smiling at something Jonah was saying. Pamela was beside her husband, laughing. For some reason this scenario made Odette even more uneasy.

  “You’re home!” cheered her mother. “Hello, Grayson; I trust you treated my daughter right?” Grayson smiled kindly. “Of course.”

  How can he be so calm when I feel like I’m about to lose my lunch?!

  “Good to see you, Mr. Sinclair,” Grayson greeted, walking over to shake her father’s hand. “Greer, what are you doing here?”

  Greer giggled even though it sounded like she was mildly offended. “I hadn’t seen Odette since the accident that happened under my watch. I feel horrible and I was hoping to come here and make sure everything was going well. I had wanted to see Odette but I was surprised to see you two going out on a date.” She waved it off, wiggling her shoulders a little. “All the same, I had to see my favorite Sinclairs. You all are just so warm and welcoming that you make me feel like I’m your daughter too.”

  Odette held in a sneer of disgust. She was so fake. Greer acted as if she were on stage, putting on the show of a good-mannered girl for her parents. It wouldn’t fool Odette.

  However, her parents actually bought the act.
They melted, their eyes softening and their shoulders sagging.

  “That is so nice of you to say, sweetie,” Pamela fawned. “Gosh, I think I’m going to cry.” It was true, her face was turning red and her eyes glittered with happy tears.

  Greer ignored that and turned around in her seat to acknowledge Odette. “I also came here to invite you to a summer pool party we are holding at our house in two weeks.”

  Odette stiffened and Grayson reached for her hand.

  “I … know it may seem a little inappropriate considering what has happened, but you don’t have to swim! You can just stay by the poolside or even spend time inside. Grayson usually does that and I’m sure that he would be more than happy to entertain you in some way.”

  Jonah coughed and Odette turned red. She released Grayson’s hand quickly, hiding hers behind her back, and, this time she didn’t hide her glare at the girl.

  “Thank you,” she said in a tight voice. “I’ll try my best to go.”

  I want to slap you as hard as I can, Odette thought to herself.

  Being anywhere near that girl and water didn’t sound like a good idea to her. It felt too much like Greer was plotting. Even in the low light of the living room, Odette could see how dark Greer’s eyes were.

  “It’s late, sister, we should go so we won’t be a bother to the Sinclairs anymore.” He didn’t glare at Greer like Odette had but his anger was pretty clear in his voice.

  The female twin nodded reluctantly. “We wouldn’t want Grandfather to worry.” She stood up from her seat and embraced Pamela and Jonah affectionately. “Thank you for having me in your home.”

  “Anytime,” said Jonah.

  Greer sauntered past her brother, not sparing him a glance. She was focused fully on Odette who wanted to be anywhere but there. The older girl wrapped her arms around Odette tightly. It reminded her of the plastic of the pool cover, cold and suffocating.

  “It was wonderful to see you again, Odette. I missed you.”

  Odette hummed, patting her lower back. The girl sounded sort of sincere, but she didn’t care.

  Greer released her, her smile turning sour. I guess she wasn’t received as well as she thought she would be. That’s what you get for trying to drown people.

  Grayson came to her side a second later. She assumed he just got through hugging her mother too because he smelled a little like her. He grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it.

  “I’ll see you soon.”

  “Yes, soon.” She squeezed his fingers and finally let him go.

  The twins both glanced back at the family one more time before they left. The house was quiet and Odette went to sit with her parents.

  They received her well, wrapping their arms around her lovingly. Odette smiled at them, feeling some kind of talk coming.

  “Det,” Pamela started. She looked at her mom, paying as much attention as she could, as tired as she was. “We don’t want you to go to that party.”

  XIX

  Odette breathed a sigh of relief. “I understand. I was a little nervous about going there anyway.”

  Maybe her parents had seen through Greer’s act. Odette couldn’t have been sure but she knew that they weren’t dumb. Maybe they had seen that she was putting both Odette and Grayson on edge with her being there, or that she was being a little too sweet?

  “Let me try to rephrase,” Pamela said. “We don’t really want you to spend as much time as you do now with those twins.”

  She thought wrong. That was not good. Odette blinked several times and sat up a little straighter. “Is this about that comment that Greer made? ‘Cause I think she was just poking fun. You guys know I haven’t—”

  “It isn’t about that,” Jonah interrupted. “But … thank you for clarifying.”

  “Then why?” She looked between both of her parents. “You are the ones who said that you wanted me to have friends. To be as normal as I could be. Why are you doing this now?”

  Pamela laid a hand on her daughter’s knee. “It’s because we’re worried. It just seems like any time you are with them, something bad happens. Twice already, you’ve ended up going to the emergency room for things that shouldn’t have happened.”

  “On my first date with Grayson we were held up and I fainted. That was my illness. When I went over to Greer’s, I wasn’t feeling well and I accidentally fell in the pool,” Odette was furious. “Those, both times, were caused by what’s going on in my stupid body! It isn’t their fault. And, both times, Grayson was there to save me. He even took a bullet for me!”

  Both of them were quiet but Odette knew that this argument was far from over. It was one of those that left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, one that hung over everyone’s head like an ugly storm cloud.

  “All your life, since you were little, I’ve told you that I would take a bullet for you,” Jonah said, “and I always wanted the boy you were meant to be with to do the same. Grayson has done that, but it doesn’t mean that he is the one, Det. He seems like a good guy but you don’t have to spend every single second with him. It isn’t like you guys are getting married.”

  Pamela nodded along. “We don’t want you to become one of those girls who abandon their friends for her boyfriend, even if it is Greer. I just think that maybe you should take this week to yourself. Start there. It doesn’t mean that you can’t talk to them on the phone either. Maybe the three of us could do something together this week.”

  They cared about her, Odette couldn’t get mad at them about that. All the same, this was a punch to the gut. She swallowed thickly and nodded her head.

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  Her parents didn’t talk to her much longer and told her to go upstairs to get some sleep. Odette was like a zombie and she rubbed her eyes roughly in an attempt to stay awake longer. She pushed the door open sleepily, about to launch herself onto her bed, when something caught her eye.

  Odette yelped, “Grayson, what are you doing in here?!” She quickly pulled the door shut to ensure he wouldn’t be seen.

  The boy was standing over by her bookshelf and he didn’t seem fazed at all by her reaction. “I wanted to make sure that Greer hadn’t done anything to your house. I didn’t need you to ‘accidentally’ miss a step and break your neck.”

  Odette glanced behind her, hoping that her parents couldn’t hear anything. “Well, I haven’t yet. Thank you, though … but I think you should—”

  “You seem tense.”

  “Yes, I’m tense. My boyfriend snuck through my window yet again and my parents are awake down stairs, meaning they could come up any minute.” Odette put her hands on his chest and pushed him towards the window.

  “No, it’s not that. It’s something else.” He cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb across her skin. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

  Odette shook her head and looked down at her feet. “Now just isn’t a good time. I’m sorry.”

  From the stairs, she began to hear the loud footsteps of her father. Odette had to act fast but she was practically frozen in place. Instead of just pushing him back out the window and trusting he would be safe, Odette shoved him in her closet and shut the doors as the door to her room opened.

  “Are you okay?” Jonah asked, looking between her and the closet.

  Odette nodded and scratched the back of her head, “Yep, just looking for pajamas.”

  Her dad looked even more confused. “Even though you don’t keep them in there?”

  “Just … wanted to see if there were any T-shirts. Laundry. Not a whole lot of choices.” She walked away from the closet doors. It took everything in her not to glance over her shoulder to make sure that Grayson was staying put.

  “You women are strange,” Jonah commented. “Get some good sleep.”

  Odette played with the hem of her shorts. “Is there a reason you came up here?”

  “Not really,” he said. “Well, I actually thought I heard voices but that could probably be the whole me-being-an-old-man
thing.”

  “Yep, yeah it could. I was talking to myself. You might have heard me.”

  “Maybe? Night.” And he left. He didn’t close the door either.

  Odette sighed and closed it like before and went back to the closet doors. Grayson was turned around, his back muscles taught through his shirt. He didn’t move to face her or do anything really other than stay perfectly still.

  “He’s gone,” Odette said simply.

  Grayson glanced at her, turning back around to face her. In his hands, the journal she had found in the old window seat.

  Odd, she hadn’t left it in her closet.

  “What’s this?” He had it opened, so he was obviously reading it. It was some kind of test.

  “It’s a journal from one of the previous house owners. I didn’t get very far in it so I don’t know what all is in it.” A lie. Odette had read that whole thing.

  Grayson shook his head and looked at the pages with disgust. “You don’t need to read this. This man … he didn’t have a very good opinion of me.”

  Before she could say anything about throwing it out, Grayson acted. The hand holding the journal erupted into blue flames, engulfing the book in one go. Odette’s eyes grew and she stammered out a protest of putting the fire out for fear of it burning the house down. However, as soon as the flames touched the leather bound book, it dissolved into ash, then the ash dissolved into nothing.

  It took less than a minute for the journal to be nothing more.

  Odette knew better than to react. She tilted her head upwards to look at Grayson’s face, which was passive. He dusted his hands off, even though there was nothing on them, and sniffed.

  “You are very precious to me, Odette. Don’t forget it.”

  He didn’t gather her up in his arms like she expected him to do, and he didn’t give her a heart-stopping kiss. He leaned over and pressed his lips on her hair line. It was a lingering kiss, bittersweet like him. He stepped away and slipped out of the window without another word.

  Odette glanced over to her bookshelf and saw an empty space where she was certain the journal had once sat in. So, how did it get in the closet?