What was she trying to tell me?
I was still shivering slightly. I didn’t even realize I was shivering before now. Maybe it was from the shock of tonight.
“Danny, you okay?” Sebastian asked.
“It’s the shock.” Francine wrapped her arms around me, warming up my body with her hands. “It’s okay. Marick always keeps his word,” she whispered.
I could feel his eyes on me again. How was I going to trust this man? I felt it again. He was very trustworthy. He took a bullet for someone he thought was the enemy.
Marick gave Katia some more directions, and finally, we stopped. We got out in front of a dilapidated farmhouse.
Nobody said a word. He was seriously going to leave us here. Everyone followed him, and he stopped by the old door.
None of this was making any sense. I looked up. There was no roof on this structure, the walls had gaps in them bigger than me, and one side had no wall.
My gaze snapped back to Marick. I could swear he drew a key out of thin air.
Sebastian chuckled. “Marick, we have a bit of a problem.”
“What?” Marick turned around in search of any danger.
“That Forgotten potion erased more than Danny’s memories. I don’t think she can see this.”
I looked at Sebastian who still smiled.
“More magic?”
“Yeah,” he said, teasing me.
“Let me guess: we are not standing in front of a structure with gaps and no roof.”
Everyone laughed.
“No,” Sebastian said softly.
I sighed. “Yay me.”
I heard the lock, and we all entered. I still didn’t see what they saw.
“Oh, this is heaven,” Louise said in an animated voice and ran upstairs that were almost broken to the floor. There was no upper area either. She didn’t fall, and I couldn’t see her at all.
Sebastian laughed. “I would give anything to see what you see.”
“No, you wouldn’t.”
“Marick?” he asked.
“I can’t help this time.” He sounded dull.
“You can. You’re just scared.”
He huffed. “That too.”
Fear ripped through me as a coyote cried. “I really don’t want to see this.”
Sebastian thought it was hilarious. “Only one way you can see what we are seeing, Danny!”
“Is it painful?”
“It could be.”
Francine laughed.
“For Marick.”
“Marick?” I didn’t understand.
“He opened your eyes to all this the first time. He’s the only one that can do it again.”
“Oh, just fucking tell her,” Katia said sounding grumpy again as she disappeared into another area of the house that had no walls, but I couldn’t see her.
“Tell me what?” I look at Sebastian again.
“He has to kiss you.”
“Oh,” I blushed.
Sebastian laughed again as he walked away. “Your choice, Danny: keep seeing what you’re seeing or see this house’s real beauty.” He winked and walked into a part that used to be a section of the house. Now only rocks and grass were growing through it. He didn’t disappear though but plopped down on something and hovered in the air. I closed my eyes. This was going to freak me out more than I already was.
Marick was standing close by. I looked at him nervously.
“Please. I’m never going to fall asleep,” I said to Marick for the second time tonight. I still felt ashamed of what I said to him earlier.
He smiled, walked closer, cupped my neck like he did earlier to inspect all my freckles, and pulled me gently closer toward him.
My stomach flipped again just like before. He slowly lowered his head toward mine and brushed his lips gently against mine.
My heart stammered as the kiss grew. I wanted to kiss this stranger, but a part of me had no idea who he was.
Still, the kiss felt amazing, and it didn’t care whether I wanted to kiss him or not, we were kissing.
When we finally broke the kiss, my head was dizzy. I had to keep my eyes closed for a while to get the spinning under control. I held on to his hand not to lose my balance.
“The dizziness will pass in a few seconds,” he said in a deep voice.
“So, this is normal?” I asked with closed eyes.
“Only in the beginning,” he said softly.
I finally opened my eyes, and he let go of my neck, a soft smile spread across his face.
I turned my head to look around, and what I found could only be explained as magic.
Chapter 10
MARICK
(Earlier)
* * *
The Limo was packed, and nobody said a word. I had no idea how to feel about having Danielle here. She had no idea who I was.
Minaut would not lie. She was really Danielle. The question now was why did my father still want to execute them?
What I did tonight was short of treason. I didn’t kill anyone, but I did refuse an order. Minaut did too. The fact that I didn’t murder anybody was the only thing that I could bargain my safety on and hope that I would get a fair trial.
None of this felt right.
“What are you going to face at home, Marick?” Sebastian asked softly.
“I don’t know.” My voice came out sounding as grave as I felt. A part of me was still scared that it wasn’t Danielle. But Minaut found what she buried with Danielle ten years ago, and the wisp left me just like that and chose Danielle.
She wanted to protect her too this time, to make sure that nobody was going to hurt her again. I knew how she felt about the shifters. Wisps hated shifters. I didn’t know why. Maybe it was the way they were created, put together, that brewed hatred for shifters in wisps. She wouldn’t have chosen Danielle if she was a shifter.
“I’m so sorry about everything,” Sebastian said again.
I shook my head. “I am. I should’ve listened, I should’ve—”
“Hey, we had evidence. We had many theories, especially my dad, about what was going on here. But we don’t know who is doing this.”
“I’ll speak to my dad, do whatever has to be done.”
Sebastian smiled. “I know you will.”
“Whatever happens, take care of her.”
“You know I will.”
He looked out the window, and I looked at my hands again. My shoulder still ached, but Minaut had healed me.
I looked over to Minaut who was purring with her head on Danielle’s lap.
My eyes shifted from Minaut to Danny. She wasn’t looking at me, but I know tonight was scary for her. She was like seeing magic for the first time again.
Even when she discovered it fifteen years ago, she was afraid back then, almost left me. But in the end, she accepted it. I pray that she would accept it now.
The safe house finally appeared.
“Katia, take the off ramp up on your right.”
She took it. I knew she was still pissed off at me for marrying Danielle instead of her. But I didn’t really love Katia. The view of the house came in its full glory. A beautiful French property with fourteen rooms, three lounges, two libraries, a kitchen, two studies, and the most beautiful staircase one has ever seen.
To the human eye, it looked dilapidated. This was a way to protect us from them. And with Minaut here, she could make the entire property vanish so that even I wouldn’t be able see its glory if needed.
Wisps were one of the most magical creatures in our possessions. She belonged to my family for generations, passed on from one father to the next. The entire magical world only had four left, and I was bargaining on that total. I know that Minaut would make my hearing light.
At the entrance, I produced the key from its magical compartment.
Sebastian chuckled. “Marick, we have a bit of a problem.”
“What?” I turned around immediately thinking that there might be other witches nearby. I didn’t
see anyone.
“That Forgotten potion erased more than Danny’s memories. I don’t think she can see this.”
My gaze shifted to Danny who immediately looked at Sebastian. I never liked how close they were. Even after the Forgotten potion, it was still there.
“More magic?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said, teasing her, his eyebrows raised. I looked away and closed my eyes. I missed her so much and would give anything for her to remember a second of her life with me, to know that it was real and that this wasn’t some make-believe life she had with me.
“Let me guess: we are not standing in front of a structure with gaps and no roof.”
Everyone laughed. I smiled.
“No,” Sebastian said softly.
“Yay me.” She sounded sarcastic.
I opened the door and entered. Immediately, warm lights lit up the stairs and the soft wooden floors of the cozy foyer.
I took my jacket smeared with blood from my shoulder wound earlier and hung it on the cap as everyone entered.
“Oh, this is heaven,” Sebastian’s teenaged sister said. The last time I saw her she was about five. She ran upstairs, and my gaze found Danny looking up in horror after her.
Sebastian laughed. “I would give anything to see what you see.”
I looked away again and moved toward the alarm system.
“No, you wouldn’t,” she said, snapping at him softly.
“Marick?” he asked.
“I can’t help this time.” I couldn’t. She wasn’t by far ready for any of this. She wasn’t even the last time, and she had me at her side back then.
“You can. You’re just scared,” Sebastian said, teasing me.
He still knew me so well, but he was speaking of another kind of fear. Scared that I would get kneed in the balls.
I huffed. “That too.”
“I really don’t want to see this,” Danielle said. I really didn’t like her tone. She was afraid. Any human would be after what she witnessed tonight.
The human eye saw it as a dilapidated home, ruined to the ground. Half the structure was missing as if it survived a war long ago.
Sebastian chuckled. He couldn’t hold in his laughter. “Only one way you can see what we are seeing, Danny!”
“Is it painful?”
“It could be,” Sebastian said.
Francine laughed as she passed me, and our eyes met.
“For Marick,” Sebastian said.
“Marick?”
I felt her eyes on me as I moved toward the electricity DB fuse box to bring this establishment to life.
“He opened your eyes to all this the first time. He’s the only one that can do it again,” Sebastian said.
“Oh, just fucking tell her,” Katia said in that snide tone of hers. It’s been fifteen years. Seriously? She disappeared into the kitchen, and I tried not to pay any attention to her. Guess time doesn’t change everyone.
“Tell me what?” Danielle asked.
“He has to kiss you.” Sebastian blurted out as I switched on the plugs and burners for the warm water.
“Oh.”
Sebastian laughed again as he walked away. “Your choice, Danny: keep seeing what you’re seeing or see this house’s real beauty.” He winked. I wish that I didn’t see it.
More switches flipped upwards. She was still standing at the entrance like a fragile little bird whose wings were clipped and who couldn’t fly away.
“Please,” she said, “I’m never going to fall asleep.” I looked at her and my lips turned up into a smile.
She might not be ready, but she was open minded—better than last time.
I walked closer to her and stroked the side of her face softly. My fingers curled with ease around her neck, and I bent my head slightly down toward her lips.
Her eyes closed first. My lips brushed hers and a gentle tingle spread through me as I kissed her.
I pried her mouth gently open with my tongue. I had to concentrate make sure this kiss didn’t get out of hand.
Ten fucking years, she was alive all this time.
The kiss grew, I didn’t even feel eyes on me anymore or give a shit where I was. To my surprise, she was kissing me back.
It was magical, just like it always had been.
Sebastian cleared his throat, and we broke our kiss.
What was his deal with her?
Our faces lingered inches in front of each other. Her hand was cupping the one that still hold her face gently.
I felt as if I was on fire. It was as if life finally came back, as if she switched me back on like I gave this house life a few minutes ago.
I opened my eyes. Hers were still closed, and she swayed softly. A smile broke over my lips as I remembered how dizzy my kisses made her in the beginning.
I hate the Forgotten potion. “The dizziness will pass in a few seconds.”
“So, this is normal?” she asked with her eyes still closed.
“Only in the beginning.”
She was still so beautiful.
She finally opened her eyes, and I had to let her go.
She looked past me, her eyebrow raised, before a gasped left her mouth. She turned her head to look around.
Sebastian laughed again as I entered the living area where most of them took a seat.
“How is your wound?” Francine asked.
“Minaut fixed it up.”
“So, what is going to happen, Marick?” Darius asked with arms folded. “If Eli doesn’t even believe you, how are you going to get through to him that we did not do this?”
“He will listen. I’ll make him listen. Minaut choosing Danielle will also count in your favor.”
I start to roll up my shirtsleeve.
Darius nodded. He had all the right to be afraid. He wasn’t only afraid—he was pissed off.
“What’s the plan then, Marick?” Sebastian asked as Danielle wandered into the lounge and sat on one of the open chairs.
“Speak to my father.”
“You went against one of his orders. He won’t take that lightly, Marick. You took out his guards.”
“I had no choice. It was either that or watching all of you die. I need to know who is behind all of this, and Katia said something tonight I never thought about. Why do the shifters try to make me believe that Danielle was still alive when everyone else thought she was dead?”
“It’s a good question,” Luke said. “Just know it’s not your father, Marick. He might be guided by someone’s actions. Who is the head of security?”
“Flavion took over after you got banished. Whatever they planned, they’ve been dormant the past ten years, really wanting everyone to believe that it was you guys that stirred up all the problems. They are patient. I don’t know what the motive could be or why they thought killing Danielle would help their cause.”
“They didn’t kill Danielle,” Sebastian said.
“They made me believe they did. If they wanted me off guard, they had ten years to make a move, Sebastian, and they haven’t.”
“Maybe they have, and you just didn’t pay attention.”
I didn’t like that idea, that I wasn’t paying attention.
“How old are Josh and Em?”
“Thirteen.” I smiled. I had to tell them that their mother was still alive.
“I missed them so much.”
“I do too,” I said softly.
His hand cupped my shoulder. “Sorry, Marick.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Francine kissed Darius softly on his cheek, and he gave her loving smile. It was only her that could do that to the brute. “I’ll go see if there is anything to eat. We had a long day. A full stomach and a clean bath might just be the top priority on our agenda.” She looked at everyone as she said that.
“Yell if you need help with, Eric,” Darius said. She smiled, squeezing his arm softly. She was a keeper, staying with him through all these years.
“Stop carrying the world on your should
er. We’ll be fine.”
He gave her a soft lopsided smile, and she walked to the exit. “Danielle, mind helping me?” Francine paused at the doorway.
“Sure.” She smiled, and I watched her leave.
“I know it’s hard seeing her, Marick.” Luke spoke first. “When Sebastian came home and told me that he saw her in Paris, I didn’t want to believe it either. After he followed her around for a few days, showed us the pictures, I knew that she never died that night. You think shifters are behind this? I’ll help you discover who they are.”
I look at Minaut. “I don’t get it. Minaut would’ve picked them up a long time ago. Why didn’t she?”
None of them answered. The wisp looked at me, and I wish I could feel what her reply was.
If a shifter somehow managed to win her trust, she was never going to forgive herself for messing up.
Minaut lazily got up from the ground and walked out the lounge.
“If they succeeded, that wisp is going to need help to get over this,” Luke said.
“All I know is if they fooled her, they are damn good.”
Chapter 11
DANIELLE
* * *
“You’re really quiet tonight, Danielle.”
“Still trying to process,” I said as Francine took food out of the fridge and grabbed pots and pans, ready to start dinner. “I don’t understand. How did the food get here?”
She gave me that look.
“Magic?” I took a guess.
She nodded and carried on peeling corn. “I know it’s a lot to take in. It’s why humans never could really live in our world. You were truly an exception, Danielle. I even sometimes believe that maybe you had some witch blood in you.”
I froze as she said it. My mother believed it. “Is it possible?”
“What? For humans to have witch blood? Yeah, it is. Especially if they are not part of our race. Pure blood witches are just as many as the outbreads.”
“Outbreads?”
“Humans who married witches but didn’t know they were witches. You and Marick are the only ones who made it known because of who he is. If he wasn’t royalty, then I’m sure you still would have no idea that he was different.”
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