Winter's Awakening (Light Coven Chronicles Book 1)

by Alessandra Jay

  Chapter 13

  Birthday Bash

  Waking up knowing that it’s my 18th birthday is surreal. Every past birthday, I had always wished to feel a little something different in my body. Something that would tell me my powers were starting to stir and finally reveal itself to me. But every year it’s the same. I wake up disappointed. This year is different though. I don't try to cast because all I have on my mind is Evan. Even though I don’t have magic, I definitely feel something within me when Evan is around. It’s a weird and new feeling, this connection we have, knowing when he’s close by. I don't know what it is, but it makes me feel special. It’s like he’s my little bit of magic. Smiling as I make my way to the kitchen, I feel the tingles down my spine the moment I turn the corner. It has now become a familiar and very addicting feeling. Crossing into the kitchen, I almost shout when I see everyone turn their heads towards me. My roommates and the guys are standing in our kitchen that is filled to the top with balloons.

  “Happy Birthday!” They all shout at once. I laugh as I swat balloon strings out of my face. “Thanks, guys.” I say full of giddy happiness. Charlie and Mack tackle me in a hug, and Evan is right behind them. When they let me go, he takes me in his arms, kissing me sweetly. He whispers, “Happy birthday, love.” I quietly say, “Thank you, Evan.” He takes my hand and leads me to the island, where all the food is set up, handing me a plate to fill. As soon as Evan grabs a plate for himself, Derek hops up out of his chair. He claps his hands and rubs them together. “Finally!”

  Lucas grabbed two plates and handed one to Charlie, waiting for her to serve herself first. I can tell that Evan and Lucas are more alike. They're both a lot more courteous than Derek is. I turn to leave, and Evan hurries forward to open the door for me, further more proving my thought. As we sit down, I say to him with a teasing smile, “You know I could do stuff for myself, right?” He smirks at me, “Oh, I know. But one, it’s your birthday. And two, I like doing things for you.” He says, before drinking his coffee. It’s then that I realize I forgot to get myself some. I slowly stand up and turn to walk to the kitchen, but I hear him snicker when I hear a snap from his fingers. I cross my arms and turn back towards Evan. Right beside my plate of food is now a delicious-looking cup of cappuccino. I wrinkle my nose and squint my eyes at him, as I shove his arm.

  I take a sip and moan because it’s so good. Right then, the other four walk out with food in their hands. They join us at the table and Mack looks at me. “Hey, I didn't see any cappuccino in there!” She says, as she stands up to get some for herself. My eyes get big and Evan quickly stands up. “Allow me, Mackenzie,” he kindly offers her. She slowly sits down, giving us both weird looks. Derek and Lucas are shaking their heads, trying to hide their smiles. Charlie shouts to Evan as he leaves, “I want some, too!” He bows his head and takes off to the kitchen. After a few minutes, he comes back with a tray of four mugs.

  As I look down at my almost finished plate, deciding I’ve had enough, Evan turns to me. “So I figure we can leave after breakfast, to get there a little early. Then we can come back and finish off the night celebrating the college way?” Before I can answer, Mackenzie shouts and stands, “Hell, yes, Evan! I knew I liked you. And on that note, I will be ready in 15.” She gets up and runs to her room.

  Charlie stands up and walks towards me, hooking my arm in hers. “Let’s go get ready, Scar. We’ll meet you guys in the hallway,” she says to both Evan and Lucas. They both stand at the same time, as we exit the dining room. Walking into my bedroom with Charlie by my side, I see a box on my bed. I look over at her and she smiles big. “I wanted to give you your birthday gift now, in case you wanted to wear it to your party.” She shrugs her shoulders and sits on my bed. Smiling, I quickly unwrap the box and look up at her with wide eyes.

  “You're always looking at mine, so I got you a pair,” she says to me. I open the box to see my very own combat boots. They're black, with buckles on the back. They are so very cool. I’ve never had the guts to buy these, let alone wear them. Now I can’t wait to put them on. I put them on the floor and throw myself on top of Charlie. She laughs and says, “You're welcome.” Charlie sits up and stands to leave. “Okay. Get ready, birthday girl. We both have ten minutes now.”

  I quickly stand and run to my closet, grabbing a short-sleeved burgundy dress that’s tight on top but flares out on the waist, stopping just above my thighs. I pick out a pair of thick gray knee-high socks and matching feather earrings. Then I slip everything on and lastly put on my new combat boots. I run over to my mirror and set to do my hair and makeup. But as I see the curly mess atop my head, I slightly panic. Trying to think fast, I run to my bed to get my phone. It’s my birthday, and I think it’s okay to cash in on a magical favor:

  Demi, please. I only have five minutes left to get ready and I haven't even started on my hair. Can you work a cast on me, please, please, please?

  I press send and impatiently wait. Almost immediately, my phone vibrates, and I'm nervous to look. When I do, I smile wide.

  Of course! Any time, sis. And happy birthday! What are you wanting done to it?

  I squeal and respond as quickly as I can.

  Thank you! I was thinking a half up, half down braid crown. And minimal makeup.

  As soon as I pressed send, I felt tingles in my scalp and quickly ran over to the mirror. My hair is lifting up and braiding by itself. It’s fascinating. I stare at my reflection wide-eyed, watching it weave itself into a perfect crown. When it’s complete, bobby pins materialize, as they slowly stick themselves within the braid to keep it in place. Then around the frame of my face, soft curls fall, merging with the bottom half that’s loose.

  Next, I see my lips get an invisible dark, red lipstick applied on. I can’t help but smile while it’s happening. Then my eyes close by themselves, and I almost freak out when I unsuccessfully try to open them back up. I know the spell will be done in a few seconds, so I stop fighting the magic and patiently wait. I feel a spritz of perfume and smell lavender and I try to open my eyes. Thankfully, it works. When I see myself, I look stunned and beautiful. My smile spreads because my sister is damn good at casting. I feel really pretty and can’t wait to show her what an awesome job she did. Once ready I grab my jean jacket and purse and nervously leave to meet the group.

  Mack sees me first, “Damn, girl!” Everyone turns to look at me. I see Charlie cross her arms and nod her head approvingly with a smile, causing me to instantly blush. I sheepishly look up at Evan and blush even more, when I see the look on his face. I can tell he likes it because he’s speechless and has a dreamy look in his eyes. Everyone is waiting for him to say something. Lucas clears his throat, and Evan nods his head. It looks like they're silently communicating. I squint my eyes at Evan, and he just gives me his mouthwatering smirk. Suddenly I feel a bit dizzy, and in the next second I hear Evan’s sultry voice clearly inside my head.

  “Sorry. But do you see her, Luke? She’s gorgeous. I want her.” My eyes feel like they're going to fall out of my head, and my face is even redder than before. I don’t think I'm even breathing. Evan turns his head to Lucas, and he scrunches his eyebrows together, shaking his head. Slowly, Evan turns his head towards me, and his eyes are just as big as mine.” Scarlet?” He whispers as I hear him inside of my head again, but his lips don't move. I clearly heard him say my name. I was frozen, and all I could do was nod. What the hell is happening? The last thing I remember is seeing Evan run to me. It felt like I was falling in slow motion. There was no pain, no sound, no air, then there was darkness.

  Waking up to a nice breeze on my face was refreshing. There’s music playing in the background, and I can hear Mack singing along. I open my eyes and slowly sit up. “Are you okay, love?” Evan says out loud. Thankfully his voice is not coming from inside of my head. Mack turns in her seat and lowers the music, when she sees hears him talk to me. “Scar? You fainted. How are you feeling?” Charlie asks me from the back seat. I look up at Evan and see his concerned fa
ce, so I give him a little smile. I don’t feel as dizzy, but I do feel a little weak. Mack hands me a water bottle, and I drink half of it. Throwing myself back against Evan’s body, I take a deep breath.

  “I feel much better. What happened?” I ask no one in particular. Mack is the one to answer me. “Girl, I don’t know why you passed out. But I have never seen someone fall so gracefully before.” She snorts as she recalls the moment. I look over at Evan, but he looks down at his lap. Confused, I take his hand, and I squeeze it. He looks up at me and gives me a small smile. The next moment Evan is in my head. “I'm sorry, love.”

  Holy crap! I snap my head at him and suck in all my breath. Charlie speaks and breaks my panic. “Scar? You've got that look on your face again. Should we turn around and go home? Are you sure you're feeling okay?” Turning around would devastate my family, so I have to breathe and compose myself. I shake my head and turn towards her. “I'm okay. Let’s keep going.” She looks at me a little longer, then moves back beside Lucas as Mack squints her eyes at me to make sure I'm all right, then turns back forward.

  Evan is trying to look away from me and avoid my eyes and it’s making me nervous. He’s spoken to me in my mind three times, and he knows I can hear him. How could he do that? I'm not a caster. None of my family has ever done it to me before. Maybe I could try. I lay my head down face up on his lap, and I look straight into his eyes. Then I take a deep breath and speak to him, like I would speak to myself in my head.

  “How is this happening?” I say it four times, each time concentrating more and more on Evan. On the fourth time, he gasped so loud that Mack turned around. He shook his head and looked straight up, again avoiding my eyes. I try again. This time without looking into his eyes. “Evan?” He snaps his head at me and finally answers back. “Scarlet, we have to talk about this but later. It’s your birthday. Let’s enjoy your party then talk, when we get back to Syracuse.”

  I know he’s right, but he has to understand that this is the closest I have ever come, to feeling any type of magic. Whatever is going on is electrifying, and it feels so good. I want to try again, but I don't want to upset him. I’ll enjoy the party and my family, but later I need answers. I nod my head and turn forward, as he puts his arm around me and slides me closer to him. Relaxing, I rest my head on his shoulder and enjoy the rest of the ride to my sister’s house.

  Pulling into my sister’s driveway with my roommates, a guy I'm seeing, and his cousins was something I don’t think anyone expected from me, especially me. Demi opened the door before we had the chance to make it up the stairs. Typical Demi looks flawless, in a white and red maxi dress and white flowers in her hair.

  “Scarlet!” She shouts, running down the stairs to tackle me, in the tightest of hugs. “I missed you too, sis,” I say to her, as I squeeze her back. She pulls away with happy tears in her eyes. Demi’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a mother, so she means so much more than just a sister. “It’s only been two weeks, Demi,” I say. She nudges my arm and gives me a side smile, as she wipes her eyes dry. “Now that the sappy hello is over, the introductions must begin! Everyone, I'm Demi, Scarlet’s older sister.” She curtsies, and I hear Mack and Charlie snicker.

  Demi stands back up and winks at them. Evan steps forward and moves right into her personal space. He pulls her into a hug, and I laugh when I see her eyes widen. He lets go of her and bows. “I am Evan White, Scarlet’s date.” He smiles at Demi, and she puts her hand over her mouth, blatantly swooning. She looks at me and embarrassingly points to Evan. “Definitely a keeper.” She turns towards Evan and gives him a bright smile. “Very nice to meet you, Evan.” And the rest of the group introduces themselves. Just as we’re about to finally get inside the house, I hear a loud shriek and little footsteps. My smile gets huge, as I brace myself for my little niece that’s about to jump into my arms.

  “Auntie Scar!” Layla yells, as she runs and jumps right off of the top stair and into my arms. I squeeze and twirl with her, as her squeaky giggles fill my heart. I felt the tears escape my eyes, as I gave her one last squeeze, before I pulled her back to admire her perfect little face. “I’ve missed you so much,” I say to her, as she pulls me in for a butterfly kiss. “Me too, auntie,” she says, hooking her arms around my neck. “Who might this little princess be?” Evan says lightly, as he peeks around my shoulder. Layla laughs and turns red. “Ah, I see the blushing runs in the family.” We all laugh, and Layla puts out her hand to shake Evan’s.

  “I'm Layla,” she bravely says to him. Evan gives her his smirk and shakes her little hand. “That’s a very beautiful name, Layla. I'm Evan. And may I just say, you have the most gorgeous curls I have ever seen.” She laughs and wrinkles her nose at him. “They look like yours,” she says shyly. “Exactly,” he says wiggling his eyebrows. She laughs and throws herself into his arms. Demi and I are both just as surprised as Evan is. But Evan brushes it off and cherishes the moment. Demi shakes her head and continues to walk inside the house. I hear her mumble something, and I chuckle when I realize what she said. “Of course, she picks him to be her first crush.” She hears me laugh and turns around to give me a smirk of her own. “You look amazing, Scar,” she says, as she hooks her arm into mine.

  Walking into the house was slightly bizarre. The smell of home smacked me in the face. Even though it’s Demi’s house and not dad’s, it still feels like home. I was here so much that it became a second home for me. Then I hear my dad’s hearty chuckle, and the butterflies in my stomach all take flight at the same time. I didn't realize how nerve-wracking it is for your dad to meet your boyfriend. Although they’ve already met before, which makes it even weirder. I run forward and turn the corner to the kitchen, to give my dad a big hug from behind. He spins around and wraps his arms around me, chuckling. “I missed you so much, honey.” Again, here come the tears.

  “Come on. Share, share, share!” says Dimitri, as he pries me out of my dad’s death grip and puts me into one of his own. He pulls away and sets me down. “Dimitri,” I say with a huge smile. He whistles and twirls me with his hand. “Looking good, pal.” I smile and pull him in for one more hug. After I pull away, I turn to my family. “I missed you guys.” I hear footsteps coming down the stairs and almost break down, when I see Violet’s tiny face round the corner. The second she sees me; her eyes get big and she lets out one big screech. She holds her hands out towards me, until I take her out of Silas’ hands. He gives me a side hug. “Good to have you back, Scar! Happy birthday!”

  I smile at him and squeeze Violet until I hear her sweet giggling. My dad clears his throat, and I turn towards him. I momentarily forgot to introduce my friends and I feel silly. “Sorry.” I say as I walk over to Evan with Violet in my arms and begin the introductions. There was no reason for me to be nervous. I forgot everyone already knows who Evan is, and it was weird seeing them all give him more respect, than if he was a normal guy I brought home. Everyone got acquainted, and I stepped back to take it all in. They were all in conversation, like they’ve been friends for years. This was a birthday gift I was not expecting, and it made it that much more special. Smiling to myself and enjoying that wonderful baby stench coming off of Violet, I nearly forgot about the party.

  Turning to Demi, who is talking to Charlie and Lucas, I say, “So when is everyone coming over?”

  She gives me a small smile. “I hope you don’t mind, but I didn't exactly invite anyone. We just missed you so much that sharing you was out of the question. We thought something small and intimate would be nicer, now that you're all grown up,” she meekly answers. I pull her in for a tight hug, “You have no idea how much I appreciate that right now. You're the best.” Her entire face brightens up, and her smile is just as big as mine. She takes my hand and leads me out to the backyard to show me her beautiful display. There is a long rectangle table directly in the middle of the backyard, with twinkling lights hanging overhead and candles floating in the pool. Dion and the Belmonts is playing in the background, and the smell of
barbecue is heavy in the air.

  “This is beautiful, Demi.” I say, pulling away. She squeezes me and kisses my forehead. “Happy birthday, Scar.”

  Chapter 14

  Birthday Dinner

  I'm glad Demi kept the party to just us. I missed them more than I realized and it was nice to have them more to myself. Dimitri is flipping the food at the grill with Derek by his side, talking about demons I'm sure. Mack and Charlie are with Demi, with their feet dipping in the pool. Lucas, Dad, and Silas are talking sports by the TV. And Evan and I are with the girls by their tree house. Dinner's almost ready, and I’ve already had two glasses of wine that my dad let me have. It’s amazing how naturally well Evan gets along with everyone, especially Layla and Violet. They're both usually really shy around people they don’t know. But with Evan, they didn't have to become familiarized with him first. It’s like they both fell for him just as fast as I did. Was it magic or just charm?

  This really has been an incredible birthday, and we haven't even had Dimitri's dinner yet. I don’t know if it’s because I'm hungry or if it’s the wine I had, but I suddenly feel lightheaded. I feel my body turning ice cold so I set Violet down on the ground, and Evan looks up at me with worry in his eyes. The sensation that I'm feeling is too difficult to explain, so I run inside to the bathroom. Once inside, I let the hot water run, then splash it on my face and try to heat my icy body up. But it doesn't help. I feel so weak that I slide down the wall and end up sitting, with my knees up and head down on top of them. Why do I feel so faint? I take a deep breath and begin to tremble. What the hell is going on?