We lay on the floor side by side staring up at the ceiling. So long ago it felt we’d done the same thing, me in a pretty dress, him in a tux, with thousands of teal fireflies swarming around us. Now the green of the garden was replaced with gray walls and the grass beneath was nothing but a cushy mat.
Theo must’ve been thinking of the same memory as me because suddenly he swirled his hand in the air and the beautiful fireflies appeared. The one in my little jar necklace fluttered faster, trying to get out.
“Sometimes I miss it—the manor,” I admitted. “Especially the garden and our library.”
He turned to face me, his arms crossed behind his head. “Me too. Those were the only places I didn’t have to worry about how I looked at you.”
I rolled to my side and reached out, tracing my finger over his lips. “And how did you look at me?”
“Like I loved you.”
“And do you? Love me?”
He nipped lightly at my finger. “You know I do.”
“Say it,” I pleaded. I would never get sick of hearing those words on his lips.
“I love you,” he murmured.
“And I love you.”
I squeaked in surprise when I suddenly found myself on my back with him above me.
“Despite your pig headedness, I love you.” He kissed my neck.
“Oh, I’m the pig headed one, am I?” I joked and he silenced my laughter with a kiss to my lips.
“Even when you back talk me somehow I love you more.” He kissed my left cheek.
“When you defy my orders, I still love you.” This time he kissed my forehead.
“I love everything about you. Forever and always.”
“Forever and always,” I echoed.
You know that feeling when things are going good, maybe too good, and you know it can’t last forever?
That’s how I was feeling.
I wasn’t sure if the others sensed it but I felt as if a ticking time bomb was counting down before a major explosion left us in dust.
We’d made it to August with no signs of the Iniquitous and no more dreams about Thaddeus on my end. To me it was as if they’d gone quiet, dormant maybe, waiting and biding their time so when they struck they’d get exactly what they wanted.
With September quickly approaching, though, I doubted we had much time left.
It’d been last Christmas when Thaddeus had made his attempt to get me.
Something told me he wouldn’t let a whole year pass without trying again.
But this time we’d be prepared. We had to be.
I scaled the rope Theo had installed in the gym in seconds, dinging the bell at the top. When he first put it up I couldn’t haul myself up three feet let alone all the way up. I made my way back down slowly, having learned the hard way about rope burn. I didn’t stop when my feet hit the floor, though. Oh no, Theo had set up a whole freaking obstacle course, not just in the gym but through the entire house and everyone, even Jee, was being subjected to it and timed. Whoever did it the fastest didn’t even win anything, except bragging rights.
“This is the stupidest God damn thing I’ve ever done in my entire existence,” Jee heaved out the words with each heavy breath he took as he tried to haul his body over top of a large block. He made it and then rolled right on the other side landing face first on the floor.
I didn’t pause to help, though I should I supposed, because again this was timed and I knew Theo would give me hell if I wasn’t the fastest.
I jumped over the hurdles he’d set up—they were even taller than normal hurdles used in track, so all the jumping training he’d put me through really helped here.
Then I had to scale the rock wall to the top, and go all the way over to the right before coming back down again.
Normally, my muscles would be screaming at me in protest by now, but months of vigorous activities had sharpened not only my skills but increased my endurance. I felt sure if we had to leave on foot I could run a marathon distance before I had to stop. I was proud of how far I’d come but it’d been hard work and hadn’t happened over night. In fact, I wasn’t even sure when some of this stuff went from feeling impossible to easy. I guess that’s the thing about progress, it happens so slowly you don’t even notice it.
From the rock wall I had “buildings” to scale, which were basically tall wooden walls Theo had built himself—no idea when he had time to do that. His reasoning for those was, if we had to get away quickly we could always go up that way if we were out we wouldn’t have to worry about being cornered in an alleyway. Seriously, he’d thought of everything. I wasn’t sure when he slept. All he seemed to think about was preparing us for different possibilities. We hadn’t talked about it much but I had a feeling that night at the manor, when he sacrificed himself, haunted him. Knowing Theo he’d obsessed over everything he could’ve and should’ve done differently. What he seemed to forget was, the manor should’ve been a safe place. They should’ve never known about it. He couldn’t control that, but Theo? He always had to feel like he was in control of the situation.
I scaled up the wooden wall, landing on a solid surface. Jesus, he’d even built a makeshift roof so that it’d be like running on top of a building.
I ran across and climbed down the other side. I wasn’t sure what to call what he’d set up next, but I had to drop down and crawl under it.
“This is ridiculous,” I grumbled.
I made it through and had to then climb some sort of netting. After, the course took me out of the gym where he’d set up the magical portion of the test. How he’d gotten Jee to agree to let him do this part in his apartment was beyond me, but I’d learned by now that what Theo wanted he got.
I blasted through those so easily I could hear Jee cursing somewhere behind me about not burning down his house. Rolling my eyes, I kept going.
My power came so easily and effortlessly to me now that sometimes I wondered why I ever struggled in controlling it. Once you got the hang of it, it was as natural as breathing, such an engrained part of me I didn’t even have to think to control it half the time.
The course came to a stop in front of Theo leaning against the kitchen counter with a stopwatch.
“Time,” he called, when I crossed the piece of blue tape on the floor.
I joined Ethan and Winston who were already done. We’d each started several minutes apart so the course didn’t clog with us fighting. We wouldn’t find out who was fastest until the end.
Jee finished a few minutes after me, having caught up on the magical portion of the test.
Last was Adelaide. She’d improved a lot that was for sure, I was seriously proud of her, and I knew she could pull this off if she didn’t psych herself out. She always seemed to underestimate herself, and I felt bad because yeah, she was behind the rest of us but we’d all been training longer—even me since Theo had given me private lessons at the manor. It wasn’t her fault and she was catching up quick. I knew she was a force to be reckoned with but she didn’t know it yet. She’d know it soon enough, though.
Red-faced and sweating Adelaide finished, her wild curly hair had escaped the confines of the elastic ponytail holder refusing to be tamed.
Theo recorded his time on his trusty clipboard. He looked like a track coach or something. I was surprised he didn’t have a whistle and baseball cap on to really capture the essence of his persona.
“Who came in first?” I was the first to ask, despite the fact we were all impatiently waiting. Even Jee, who tapped his foot sharply against the floor.
Theo looked up from his clipboard. “Is it really that important?”
“Yes,” we all echoed through the cavernous room.
He sighed and shoved the fingers of one hand through his hair.
“Ethan’s first.”
“Yes,” Ethan cried, raising his arms in the air in triumph.
“Mara second.”
I nodded, pleased. First place would’ve been best, of course, but second was
n’t bad.
“Winston third.”
I held my breath.
“Adelaide fourth.”
Adelaide let out an ear-piercing shriek I was positive reverberated through the entire city and counties beyond.
“I came in fourth?” she asked, tears shimmering in her eyes.
I was certain that in the history of forever no one had ever been happier to come in fourth place than Adelaide Meyers in that moment.
Theo snorted. “Um, yeah … and that leaves Jee in fifth.”
Jee rolled his eyes. “This thing is rigged.”
Theo narrowed his eyes. “Are you suggesting I’m bias?” Jee opened his mouth but before he could respond Theo continued, “Because if I was then Churchill here wouldn’t have finished at all.”
“Hey,” Winston protested, wounded.
Theo’s eyes shot to him. “You play tonsil hockey with my sister. If I hated you before I detest you now.”
Winston shrugged, the gesture saying fair enough.
Winston slung one arm over Adelaide’s shoulders and bent to kiss her cheek.
Theo bristled a small growl rumbling in his chest.
I moved toward him and wrapped my arm around his waist. “Down, boy.”
He mumbled something under his breath I couldn’t catch.
There was protective and then there was Theodore. He was a whole other level. I think the word for it was crazy. But I’d never tell him that.
At our feet, Nigel circled around us. Theo bent and picked him up, the Russian Blue nuzzling into his neck.
“All right hit the showers I guess,” he announced.
I snorted, stepping away from him. “What are you, our football coach now? Hit the showers?” I mocked.
“I don’t even know what football is so I don’t know if I should be offended or not.”
I laughed and shook my head. “No need to be offended.”
As the others headed off I grabbed a protein bar from the kitchen and hopped up on the counter. Theo joined me, placing his hands on either side of my hips.
Tilting his head he regarded me. “You did good.”
I mock gasped. “Is the Theodore actually complimenting little ole me?”
He pinched my cheek mockingly. “Don’t get used to it.”
I took a bite of my bar. “No, no, don’t backtrack on me now. I want to hear all about how wonderful I am. Best girlfriend ever, right?”
“Ever?” He raised a brow.
I shoved his chest playfully. “I mean, I did pine for you when I thought you were dead.”
He dipped his head, cracking a smile. “Yep, and you would’ve never ever moved on. I’m too wonderful to ever get over.”
I frowned. “You’re right,” I said seriously.
There was no way under the sun I would’ve ever moved on from Theodore. Without him I would’ve lived the rest of my life alone. At that point our love story might’ve been short, but it was epic, it wasn’t something that could be replicated. The feeling was too unique. A love that special can’t be replicated, so why bother? It wouldn’t have been about punishing myself into being alone, it would’ve been me accepting that no one else would ever be Theodore. It wouldn’t have been fair to any potential guy out there to try to love him because nothing would ever come close to this feeling.
He stared into my eyes. “I wouldn’t have been mad, you know—if you moved on. You shouldn’t be alone the rest of your life if I’m gone.”
I chewed the last of my bar and laid the wrapper on the counter before twinning my arms around his neck. “No one would ever be you, Theo, and wouldn’t be fair to them because I would always love you more.”
He didn’t say anything. Instead, he kissed me, and that kiss …
It said it all.
I sat in front of the window and watched the multi-colored leaves swirl to the ground.
In Minnesota, when summer ended, the temperatures seemed to immediately drop. Something told me winter would be coming early.
I’d always loved fall though. The colors of the leaves, the coolness in the air, the way the ground crunched beneath the soles of my shoes, coffee and cider, blankets and sweatshirts. There wasn’t anything I didn’t love about it.
But this year, I couldn’t seem to enjoy it like I normally did. Not when I knew the evil that was out there, thriving, breathing just as we did. They needed to be eradicated like a deadly disease, because that’s essentially what they were.
Maybe I shouldn’t have been so focused on vengeance.
But I didn’t feel like I had a vendetta. I only wanted to protect my people. All those enchanters who’d been slaughtered in the manor and at the New York safe house too. They didn’t deserve to die in such a way. It was wrong and we had to fight back, to end it. The Iniquitous needed to learn there were consequences to their actions and we would kill them for it.
It was funny, I’d never in a million years imagined myself becoming a killer, but this was my destiny. I knew that in my heart and soul. I could feel it like a vibrant thrum. I was a Chosen One, and I was chosen for this.
I could see it so easily now, my destiny wasn’t clear, but I knew this was the path I was to follow.
What came after … Well, I guessed I’d have to wait and see.
I heard the telltale soft patter of feet across the floor and a moment later Adelaide sat down beside me, curling her legs under her. Her dark hair was brushed out around her, taking up even more space than her small body.
“We can’t stay here forever, can we?” she asked softly, her words flat—though with Adelaide they were almost always flat unless she was excited about something.
I shook my head. “No, we can’t.”
Both of us watched the view outside, the cars driving by on the street below completely oblivious to the secret apartment high above them—and frankly, to anything around them. It must be so easy to live in such a small bubble, one where the fantasy doesn’t exist, and things are … simple.
She exhaled a soft sigh beside me, but it was filled with worry.
“We’ll be okay,” I told her.
And we would be, okay as we could be, that was. I couldn’t promise a miracle but I had to give her hope. Hope was our most valuable currency. Without hope we had nothing.
She slid her butt closer to me and laid her head on my shoulder.
“You know, you’re like a sister to me,” she confessed quietly. “I always wanted a sister.”
I smiled too myself and rest my head against hers. “Me too.”
Despite the heartbreak, the pain, and the confusion of the last year and a half, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’d found the place where I belonged more than any other, and in the process learned it’s not really a place, not at all, it’s the people you surround yourself with who make you feel at home.
Of course there would always be things I missed of my human life, but this felt right in a way that before I hadn’t realized I was even lacking anything. I hadn’t known how much more I could have.
“What are you two whispering about?” Winston butted in, sitting down beside Adelaide.
“None of your business.” She pushed his shoulder playfully and he pouted, pretending to be wounded. I smiled brightly. I loved watching the two of them together. They were as perfect as …
As soon as my brain went in the direction of Theodore so did my eyes. I found him sitting across the room in a chair, a book clasped in his hands but his eyes … his eyes were on me. I felt my lips part slightly as my breath was sucked out of me. How was it that he could do this to me with one single glance? That hardly seemed fair.
Sometimes I wished he could be a little less perfect, but then I would quickly realize even then he’d still be perfect to me.
Love, I’d come to realize, made you appreciate even the bad things about a person, their little ticks and quirks, because without them they wouldn’t be the same person.
Jee walked into the room and stopped, surveying us all with narrowed
eyes. “Well, don’t you four look like the saddest, most mopiest bunch on the planet?”
“Is that even a word?” I countered.
He rolled his eyes. “Do I look like I care if it’s a word or not?”
I shrugged. “Just thought I’d educate you in case you didn’t.” I smirked. Messing with Jee had quickly become one of my favorite pastimes.
He flipped me off and I let out a laugh I couldn’t contain.
“Where’s Ethan?” he asked. “I can’t find him.”
“Gym,” Theo replied, not looking up from his book.
Jee huffed out a breath. “That explains why I couldn’t find him. I avoid that place at all costs.”
“Then why do you have one in your house?”
“For starters—I put it in for Ethan. Secondly, I actually enjoy it when a bunch of loud-mouthed Rugrats aren’t in my house.”
“Mhmm,” I hummed doubtfully.
Jee was small, but he just had a naturally small body with little muscle. It was obvious he wasn’t big on working out so he was a total liar.
My body had completely transformed, though. Where I’d once been soft and willowy I now felt more like a boulder. My legs were rock hard and I swore they entered a room before I did. My arms were toned and I could lift double my weight if I had to. Even my stomach was getting the telltale signs of potential abs. I wasn’t sure how I felt about all of it yet but I damn sure was proud of myself. The difference in my body proved how hard I was working and it was paying off.
“Fine, don’t believe me,” he sighed dramatically in total Jee style.
He sauntered off down the hallway in the direction of the gym, putting even more swagger in his steps than usual.
“How on Earth you guys found him is beyond me,” Theo muttered under his breath.
“Well, it was fairly easy you see since Ethan was banging him,” Winston responded.
Theo lowered his book. His gray eyes narrowed into thin slits as he stared down the Brit.
“Thank you for the lovely visual I did not need. It was much appreciated.”
“You’re welcome,” Winston said brightly.
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