by TJ Hines
“Guys we need to talk,” I said to Will and Caleb who were sitting in the family room with Ella, Drew, Donte, Natalie, and Marshall.
“Uh oh. I know what that means. Let's give them some privacy everyone.” Ella said taking Drew’s hand and leading him out of the room.
“What’s up Kinz?” Caleb asked stretching his massive arms out on the back of the couch.
Will came towards me and sat in the chair next to Caleb but made sure to look just as sexy as ever doing so. Oh man, what was I going to do here. I was honestly attracted to both of them but I didn’t want to deal with the fighting anymore so there was only one logical solution. They would have to fight for me in a mud pit shirtless. No. That would be wrong and sexist. I was going to remain Switzerland and let them both go. I was also going to hope that they could get along knowing that I didn’t want any kind of relationship other than friendship with either of them. I should have done this a long time ago. But I was dreading the conversation so much because I was honestly afraid that one or both of them wouldn’t want to be just friends with me and I would lose them. Forever.
“Look I can’t take the hostility between you two anymore so to be clear going forward I love both of you guys. You are both my best friends and I can’t imagine you two not being a part of my life. So, all I want from either of you is friendship. No romantic relationships. I have too much going on in my life right now to worry about hurting one of you, so this is my only solution. Friendship only. Deal?”
“Oh Kinz I wish it could work like that but I can’t turn off my feelings for you and I know you can’t turn off your feelings for me,” Will said giving me a slow and sexy smile that melted all the resolve in my body. I couldn’t help from giving him a sappy smile back. That was until Caleb started talking.
“Kinsey I’m your best friend and if having only a friendship with you is what you want I will respect your wishes but just so you know I am still in love with you and I will be until the day that I die. And I think deep down you are in love with me too.” Caleb said coming to stand in front of me. “I don’t want any of this to be hard on you so I will keep it strictly friendly until you tell me otherwise starting in one minute.”
“Why one minute?”
“Because.” And then the unthinkable happened. Caleb kissed me. In front of Will. The kiss was absolutely delicious in every sense of the word. It started off slow, but it kept building until his hands were in my hair and he was passionately and urgently kissing me. “59…60. And now I will respect your wishes.” He said walking away. I couldn’t help but look at him as he walked away from me while his kiss still lingered on my lips.
“You have got to be kidding me!” Will yelled throwing his hands up and storming out of the room.
Well, that plan backfired. But it was so totally worth it.
Thanksgiving Day had arrived, and Addison, Ensley, and Donte were helping Em in the kitchen since they had to fix enough food for an army. Literally. The Council sent six new Protectors to us just in case, as my southern friends like to say, crap hit the fan. We told Addison they were family members staying with us for the holidays to keep whoever was watching us though her out of the loop. She didn’t question it probably because Jack was the one who told her, and he could actually tell a lie. Emily put me, Natalie and Ella in charge of setting the table. To have enough room for everyone we had to push the couches up against the walls in the family room so we could extend the table out and then we had to set up two folding tables to make sure all eighteen of us had a place to sit.
Everyone got along so wonderfully that it almost felt like a big, happy family. Donte and Drew told stories from their childhood as shapeshifters. Ella and Ensley shared their Thanksgiving memories. Even Caleb and Emily got in on the festivities, though Caleb’s memories usually always involved me which I could tell kept irking Will. The only person not talking was Will and he was becoming more closed off every day.
“Will, why don’t you share a Thanksgiving memory with me?” I leaned over and asked him. I was positioned between him and Caleb still trying to keep the hostility to a minimum.
“I don’t have one Kinz, except the ones I spent with you. My mom always worked, and my dad has never been in the picture. I had a nanny who took care of me, but she spent Thanksgiving with her family, so I spent mine in my mom’s office. Until I met you, I didn’t know what Thanksgiving was really about.”
“I’m sorry you never got to experience happy Thanksgivings growing up.” I didn’t dawn on me at the moment, but I touched his arm to show my empathy and Caleb noticed it.
“Don’t be such a douche!” Caleb threw a roll at Will’s face. Unfortunately for Will, it had a little bit of mashed potatoes on it, so it splattered on his face. Caleb busted out laughing while everyone else sat in stunned silence. Then Will threw a handful of stuffing at Caleb, part of it landing in his mouth because he was still laughing.
“Tasty,” he said. I couldn’t help but laugh at that statement. Next thing I knew I had a piece of pie shoved in my face by him. “Still think it’s funny?” he asked.
“Yep and delicious.”
“Food fight!” Drew yelled taking position behind Ella. That’s right he would defend her with every bit of his being, but he would sacrifice her in a food fight without hesitating.
Food was flying everywhere. Even Jack and Emily got in on the fun. Marshall continued to eat his food undisturbed until Addison let a big chunk of Sweet Potato Pie fly at his face. Everyone stopped when that happened because no one knew how Marshall, who is always very serious and professional around everyone even though I knew the truth about him being a big prankster, was going to react. He simply scooped the pie off his face and placed it on his plate and started eating it. It was one of, if not the best, Thanksgivings I’ve ever had. It was nice to see everyone unwind and be carefree even if it was for only a little while. It had been so tense around the house with all the new revelations coming about and everyone waiting for my birthday to roll around. I knew that tomorrow would bring us back to reality but for tonight we were a family, having fun and creating memories.
Caleb continued to stay with me in my dreams just in case Tyler came back. He didn’t make his presence known all that much but I knew he was there. Especially when I had a dream concerning him. He was always there to point out that I couldn’t keep my mind off of him. Which was not necessarily true. Sometimes it was him and Will. He said he couldn’t manipulate dreams, but I didn’t completely believe him because I never had more than a few dreams with only Will in them and I could tell it bothered Caleb that I would dream about Will in a romantic way. He never said anything, and he never interrupted but I could sense the disappointment.
“So, what's the plan for tonight?” I asked Caleb on the way to my room.
“I’m going to see if you can dreamwalk too. Since your mom’s powers are kind of unknown to all of us, it might be possible. Then you can dreamwalk my dreams to see that you are all I dream about.”
“Wow.” I gave his shoulder a small push with my hand and smiled. “Like I care what you dream about.”
“Oh, you do. We both know it.”
I ignored the comment because I was trying to stay Switzerland when it came to him and Will.
“What’s step one in this process?”
“You have to clear your mind and think about the person you are trying to connect with. Think about what they look like, what they smell like, what they taste like. Try to recall as many details as possible so that your mind can build a bridge to them.”
“Umm, that is a lot of detail. I really need to think about all that?” I asked reaching my bedroom door.
“The more detail the easier it is. I can access your dreams within about five minutes of you starting to dream.” He looked me up and down like he was undressing me with his eyes, “I know what you look like—beautiful and sexy.” He leaned in and smelled my neck and said, “I know what you smell like—coconut and orchids, and I know what you t
aste like—strawberries with a hint of vanilla.” He licked his lips as if he was remembering our first kiss.
Wow. Hello, hormone city. I was instantly aroused by his attention to detail.
“So, all I need to do is think about all those things and I’ll be able to dreamwalk with you?” I asked trying to get my head out of my pants and back on Switzerland.
“Not exactly. It takes practice and a little bit of luck. Sometimes you try to dreamwalk and the other person isn’t dreaming yet. Other times you might try all night and never get a hit because the other person didn’t dream. It happens. I want you to practice on me. I want you to build that bridge between us and see if you can dreamwalk with me. Stay focused. Keep practicing for a few hours and then wake me up and we will switch.”
“Okay, what do I do once I make it to your dream world.”
“Find me. Oh, and remember, if you hear anything out of the ordinary, the appropriate response is to run away from the sound not towards it. And try and stay out of trouble.”
”Duh. Why would I run towards it?”
“I don’t know babe you tell me why you do?”
Caleb fell asleep in my bed just like he used to do in high school when he would sleep over. His room was actually the room Addison was staying in because it was next to mine but since Addison was a stranger in a house full of people he decided to let her have his room. And he stayed down the hall with the other guys most nights but every once in a while, he would find his way in here and curl up in the bed with me or sleep in the chair next to the bed.
I sat on the bed next to him listening to him sleep and trying to determine when I should practice the whole dreamwalk thing. I kind of wanted the power but at the same time having powers wigged me out so I didn’t know if I really wanted something else that defined me as other or not. I didn’t want to let Caleb down though, so I decided, in the end, to give it a shot.
Okay, Kinsey, you can do this. Step one. Clear your mind. Step two. Think about the person you want to dreamwalk with. Step three. Build a bridge to that person’s mind. I had no problem clearing my mind. Which was hard to believe with as much crap as I had going on these days. My problem lied in step two. Thinking about the person you wanted to dreamwalk with. In great detail. How was I supposed to do that and stay Switzerland? I tried and tried again but I couldn’t get past step two.
“Stop thinking about Caleb as your friend for a little bit and look at him as a man,” I told myself. I looked at him for the first time as someone I was attracted to instead of my best friend who would break my dolls when we were little or steal half my food when I wasn’t looking. I really looked at him and he took my breath away. He was so muscular now, maybe he always had been, and I just never saw it before, and he was so tall. His feet hung off my bed. His body was all muscle but looked like it would be comfy if you needed it to be. His long, thick eyelashes surrounded the most beautiful emerald green eyes I had ever seen. His nose had a small hump on the bridge where he busted it when we were little playing on the trampoline. His face connected with my head and blood went everywhere. He smelled like a hot apple pie and taking a stroll in the woods at dusk. And from what I can remember his lips were soft yet firm and he tasted like vanilla.
My bridge to him immediately went through and the next thing I knew I was standing in our old hangout, the skate park at dusk.
“You made it,” Caleb said turning towards me.
“Took me forever but yeah I finally managed to get it right. So, this is what you dream about.”
“Nah I dream about you, but this is where I wanted to hang out tonight. I knew you would find your way to me.”
We hung out at the park for what seemed like hours. No agendas, no flirting. Just two best friends skating and talking about life. It was nice to do something normal for a change even if it was in a dream world. The hardest part for me once I got to his subconscious was leaving. It was so safe there in his head. I didn’t have to worry about anything. It was just me and him like it used to be.
I asked him questions about how he got Will to wake me up in that flower's dream I had with him, Will, and Tyler. He said normally he has to wake up and then wake the other person up but sometimes, depending on the person, he can actually manipulate the dream and the people in it. He figured that since we were bonded, that was how he was able to talk to Will in my dream. Since Will was part demon like me.
“I have another question for you. Why do you think we are bonded?”
“Because we are. We have been since we were eleven.”
“What?”
“Do you remember the blood pact we did the summer we were eleven when you fell and cut your arm. I told you lets be blood bonded and do you remember what you said?”
“I said Cool. But I didn’t know it was a real thing. I thought we were playing.”
“Well, how was I supposed to know that you didn’t know what was going on in our world yet. Anyway, it’s actually been quite useful. I’ve always been able to find you no matter the distance.”
“I guess that isn’t such a bad thing then.”
Caleb said I needed real rest because while one would think you would be resting while you are in the person’s dream world you actually are not because your mind is not in dream sleep. It is very much active. Caleb had been pulling double duty since Tyler invaded Addison’s dreams. He would be up for his normal day and then he would stay up in my dream while I slept so that I was safe. He had only been getting a few hours of sleep during the day while I was doing schoolwork. How he managed to do it I will never know. I tried to convince him that since Tyler had not shown up in weeks that it would be safe to take some nights off dreamwalking my subconscious, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He said I was his number one priority plus he was so handsome he could do without a little beauty sleep to give the other guys a chance with the ladies.
A large part of me wanted to talk to Jack about the situation to get him to override Caleb so that he could finally get some much needed rest but the bigger part, the more selfish part, won out because I liked having Caleb there at night and knowing that he was there to keep me safe from all the bad things.
CHAPTER TEN
Christmas break brought a new level of stress for all of us because Addison wanted to go home and see her family. I think logically she understood that it wouldn’t be safe for her without someone like Ensley or Emily going with her because of her dreams. Jack finally caved on her going home for Christmas Eve and Christmas if she took some guards with her. Of course, Ensley volunteered to go as did Drew and Ella. I was happy she was getting to go home to see her family, but I was sure going to miss her and the other guys.
Jack got a check-in report about Abby. She was still missing. The police were starting to believe that she was dead because it had been over a month with no leads and her boyfriend had been murdered. I was still holding out hope that the Protectors would find her safe and sound, but I think I may have been the only person. Even her family had held a memorial service in her hometown.
Addison and Emily were planning my 21st birthday party and Winter Solstice party since they always coincided. I told them I didn’t want anything this year especially with everything going on, but they wouldn’t take no for an answer. It honestly gave them something to do with their time and to keep their minds off of my impending doom. Addison and Emily were becoming good friends which warmed my heart because it meant Addison was opening up more and more. She had become very closed off right after she arrived here. Emily said it was to be expected with what she was experiencing. She had become more social with everyone, including Jack who can be a big stubborn jackass sometimes. Jack joked about wanting such a sweet kid like Addison to be his little sister. I punched him for that comment. He was stuck with me whether he like it or not.
To keep my mind off the fact that I was a ticking time bomb, Jack had me training twice a day. I had almost perfected the basics of the magical arts when he put me training with Ensley and Natalie to
learn offensive magic. Ensley tried to teach me the art of fireballs, like the ones he used on the way up here when we were being followed by demons sent by my family. Natalie was there more or less to keep me from burning down the house or someone.
“You can do it Kinz. Just think about a ball of fire and say the word Ignis. But remember you have got to picture the fireball in your head for this to work.”
I tried for what felt like days, but it never worked. Ensley hoped that maybe once my powers reached maturity, I would be able to perform the spell because according to him it was one of the best weapons to have in your arsenal against demons but especially against vampires. The stories are all true. Vampires are as real as demons. Vampires though do not have the range to behave civilly. They are complete blood-lusting animals. They have a one-track mind and that is to feed. They aren’t romantic or sparkly. They are killing machines who have to be put down. They are so bad that it is the one species that the Council prohibits hybrids from being made.
Jack said that my magical abilities would come to full power when I reached the age of 21. No one was completely sure about my dark powers. They could come tomorrow for all I knew. I did know that the spell my parents placed on me when I was little to help shield those dark powers from myself would be negated when I reached maturity. So not scary at all. I was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. A whole bunch of people wanted me, not just Hell. Apparently, the Council wanted me brought to them after my 21st birthday if my dark powers had reached maturity so that they could help keep me protected. Jack thought they wanted me contained so I couldn’t accidentally hurt someone. He wasn’t okay with the Council’s plan, so he was trying to figure out another way of keeping me safe from myself, my uncles, and the Council.
