“How were we supposed to find out about him without talking to him?” I countered. “Plus, Ana had no idea what I already knew about him. And I knew he wasn’t some threat like she thought he was. Anyway, he took me to this place…this unbelievable, otherworldly, fairytale forest. The Isle of…Isle of Dor or Dur something,” I struggled to remember the name.
The eyes of both girls were as large as saucers. “The Isle of Druantia?” Lily asked, astonished.
“Yes, that’s it. You’ve heard of it?” I was puzzled. For some reason, I had thought it was a secret place Nicholas had discovered on his own.
“You’ve been there? You’ve really been there?” Sophie asked in amazement. She and Lily appeared to be more surprised by this than anything else I’d said so far.
I scrunched my forehead. “Yeah, why? What’s the big deal?”
“What’s the big deal?” Sophie exclaimed. “It’s practically the birthplace of magic…the most enchanted realm in the world. Holy crap! What happened there? I still can’t believe you’ve actually been there…”
Lily interrupted, “Let her finish first, Sophie.”
Sophie turned to me. “Right. Go on.”
I glanced back and forth at the two of them. Clearly, this latest piece of information had thickened the plot substantially.
“Well, we get there…and yeah, it is a pretty unbelievable place. But we start talking, and he’s telling me things.” I relayed the part about him being adopted and learning magic from different people around the world.
“Ah,” Lily said. “So that explains it.”
“But he also tells me about some of his powers. And he was here those times I thought I had seen him. And the most incredible part was that I had been there before… on that Isle, with him. But in my dreams.”
I expected a reaction from them, but they remained passive, as if waiting for me to say something else.
“And he as much as confirmed that we’d been in dreams together. But really been together, where he is aware of it and so am I… Like it’s real, but it’s happening when we sleep or something,” I concluded dramatically.
Still they sat there, completely unfazed.
“Don’t you see? I’m not crazy! Whatever this thing is with Nicholas…whatever is going on between us, I wasn’t imagining it! I wasn’t just having crazy delusions! He was there, too!”
“Well, of course you’re not crazy, Callie,” Lily said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“You are both Spirit Walkers,” Sophie said softly, awe in her voice. “That is sooo cool.”
I sighed. “Yeah, that’s what he said, too. But I’m sure it doesn’t matter now, because I don’t think I’ll ever see him again anyway.”
“Why?” Sophie asked. “Because of this thing with Justin? If there’s anyone we’re not likely to see again, it’s Justin—not Nicholas.”
I shook my head. “You don’t understand. Last night, with Nicholas on the Isle…it was…magic. Not hair-suddenly-changing-colors, or, I-can-light-fires-with-my-fingers, or flying or shimmering or Seeing through a Looking Stone magic. I mean real curl-your-toes, passionate-love kind of magic.” I sighed and collapsed back on the couch.
“And then today, it was gone. The way he acted toward me…like last night never happened. Like he didn’t even know me. Like he didn’t even like me anymore.”
“What are you talking about?” Sophie sounded flabbergasted. “He was at Ana’s first thing in the morning! I’m pretty sure he wasn’t trying to sell her Girl Scout Cookies. And what is he doing now? Off on some crazy mission to save your friend from killing you...and probably risking his life!”
“Did something happen that we are not aware of?” Lily asked gently.
I looked at her and Sophie sheepishly. Sophie was right. I was completely overreacting. Just because he didn’t throw his arms around me in front of everyone, and instead was offering to save my friend’s life.
“I guess… I guess I’m just being stupid,” I said, suddenly feeling foolish. “It’s just that when we were all sitting in the sunroom, the way he looked at me was so—hard. When I gave him that hug because he was going to help us, he just seemed so…put off by it. Like he didn’t want to touch me. Then upstairs before he shimmered to get Justin, he didn’t say anything to me. Nothing to indicate when he would be back, or when I’d see him again. He didn’t even say goodbye.” I wiped at the tear that was trickling down my cheek.
“I just got the horrible feeling that I’d done something wrong,” I continued as Sophie lovingly patted my back. “Something that made him think twice about wanting to be with me. Maybe it’s because of the way I was acting about Justin, I don’t know. He doesn’t like Justin anyways; maybe he’s mad at me for making him do this?”
Sophie and Lily exchanged sympathetic looks.
“I’m sure you’re reading too much into it,” Sophie said. “Nicholas doesn’t strike me as the type of guy who does something he doesn’t want to do. And those were some crazy, tense happenings here this morning. Not exactly a time for romance. Maybe he was just trying to play it cool in front of all of us.”
“And I’m sure he didn’t give some dramatic farewell because he’ll see you very soon,” Lily offered. “He can shimmer. You’re both Spirit Walkers. No matter where he is in the world, he’s only a blink of an eye away.”
The sickening panic of earlier slowly faded away. I hugged them both, eternally grateful to be blessed with such wonderful, logical friends.
Chapter 30. Wait
“What do you make of that anyways?” I asked later, when we were in my room. Lily and Sophie were both spending the night again, and Lily was busy making up the daybed. It’d been Sophie’s idea for us to use a levitan charm to move it into my room from the spare room, and although the bed had made it safely, all the bedding had fallen to the floor when we accidently flipped it upside down.
“Make of what?” Sophie was lounging on the chaise and staring up at the ceiling. Stargazing, no doubt.
“Doesn’t it seem sort of strange that a guy who has magical powers like I have, like we do—a warlock who is also a Spirit Walker like I am—would just happen to live a few houses away from me? I mean what are the chances?” I brushed my long, crimson hair. I still couldn’t get over the shock of seeing my reflection in the mirror.
Lily and Sophie exchanged a look.
“Well, actually, it’s not really that bizarre,” Sophie began, propping herself up on her elbow to watch us. “That he’d be nearby you, that is.”
“Have you read much of your family’s Book of Shadows?” Lily asked, tucking in the sheets.
I shook my head. Ana had shown me the ancient book not long ago, and told me it held the secrets and stories of our family for the past thousand years. It was a beautiful book, covered in plush, purple velvet with intricate markings. It was also ridiculously huge.
“I flipped through it a few times, but I just looked at some of the pictures and glanced at the writing. A lot of it looked kind of hard to understand.”
“Yeah, the older stuff especially can be tricky,” Sophie agreed.
“You really should read it sometime,” Lily said. “It has more than just spells and counter-curses and events. It also has the legends and mysteries.”
“Like what?” I was hoping her tangent about the Book of Shadows had something to do with my earlier question. It was something I’d been wondering about ever since I realized what Nicholas was.
“There are passages that explain how nothing that happens is accidental…it’s all sort of prearranged, even if we don’t know it at the time.” Lily finished smoothing the covers and started fluffing some pillows.
“What, like fate and destiny stuff?”
“Sort of. It was written to address the phenomena of witches, wizards, warlocks, sorcerers—whatever you want to call us—how we tend to gather in the same areas, even when we don’t mean to or realize we’re doing it. For some reason, we’re all draw
n to other magic. Even if someone is separated or alone, they always manage to find a magical haven somehow,” Lily said.
“My mom thinks that’s why there was a Hunter here, too,” Sophie interjected.
I ignored her. I didn’t want to think about Justin now. I opened a dresser drawer and grabbed some pajamas. I wasn’t very tired, seeing as how I’d slept most the day, but I was anxious to see if Nicholas would appear to me in my dreams.
“So, Nicholas was just drawn here? But his mother isn’t a witch, and it’s her house—” I started.
“Let me finish,” Lily continued. “It gets sorta deep. It just explains how the soul is energy that never dies, even when our bodies do. Just because you turn off a light in the house it doesn’t mean the power is shut off.”
“What does that have to do with what I—”
“I’m getting to it. Basically, your soul has been around a lot longer than your body has. And you’ve lived before as a witch. And so has Nicholas. One of the legends is that our powers from past lives carry over into the next. But that’s not all that carries over,” She paused and perched herself on the end of the bed.
“Well, what else does?” I asked
Lily gave me a coy smile. “Love.”
I laughed. “Are you saying Nicholas and I were in love…in a past life?”
She shrugged, and headed to my dresser, rummaging around for some pajamas of her own. “It’s possible. Like I said, this stuff is in the legends and mysteries section.”
“Soo romantic,” Sophie swooned. “I wonder who I was in love with in a past life.”
I rolled my eyes at them. “I think you guys have done too much shimmering. You’re missing some brain cells somewhere,” I said, crawling into bed.
“I dunno, Cal. Some of the things you said…how you guys are when you’re together. What we saw. That was some pretty intense stuff there,” Sophie drawled, and repositioned her body to stare back up at the sky.
“Isn’t it too foggy to see anything tonight?” I nodded my head toward the ceiling.
“Nah, just gotta push it out of the way. Takes more effort though, and I’m getting tired.” She blinked rapidly a few times, and then turned over on her side to face me.
“I’m serious about what I said about Nicholas,” Sophie continued. “It makes perfect sense that he’d be here. Your souls would recognize one another, even if his face didn’t look familiar to you…and may I just say what an utterly divine face it is. I mean Brady is a total hottie and all, but Nicholas…my God… I just never knew someone could be that beautiful. He’s on a whole other level of hot.” She sighed and giggled salaciously.
“I know, right?” I muttered. “That has me pretty freaked out, too. I mean, he is sooo out of my league! I think that’s what has me so worried about him being cold to me this morning.” I pulled the comforter up over me. “It just seems completely unreal to me that a guy like him would want a girl like me. I keep thinking someone is just playing a nasty joke on me or something—”
“Oh, shut up!” Sophie said at the same time Lily exclaimed, “Calista, stop!”
“First of all, you’re gorgeous—with or without your glasses. Red, light brown, green, blue, or purple hair—it doesn’t matter. You’re funny, smart, sweet…definitely a catch,” Lily admonished.
“And really, don’t be so hard on yourself. Let’s be honest…the entire world is out of his league.” Sophie giggled. “But if there was someone who’s close it’d be you.”
“Gee, thanks.” I gently whapped her with a pillow and laughed.
*****
I float through the air, weightless and free. Over the churning waters, straight to the lights. The Isle waits for me...calls to me. I swoop down and settle on the grass. Standing, searching, calling...
“Nicholas?”
Silence.
I’m all alone. I can’t feel him anywhere.
The twisted, silver trees are quiet; the twinkling lights in the glowing grove slowly dim. It grows darker and darker as I wander through the meadow, calling...hoping...
Please, Nicholas, come to me. Find me.
I wait.
Nothing.
I’m all alone.
I fall back on the silky grass and gaze upon the midnight sky. I cannot cry, though my heart is breaking. Staring at the pulsating stars, I think of Nicholas…wondering where he is, if he’s safe, and if he’ll ever come back for me.
But I will be okay, no matter what. This is the life I’m destined to live, for better or for worse. I am blessed with so many gifts… My father is happy, I have wonderful friends, and Ana has brought me closer to the mother I never knew.
I am a Morningstar witch, like my mother before me. My powers have only just begun to bloom. Where once there was a shell of a girl…scared, alone, and confused… now lives a young woman, strong, confident, and proud.
One day Nicholas will return to me, and we’ll be together again. As we are supposed to be. He has to. He must. I know he is my match… my love… my destiny. He is the one I want. He is all I need, now and forever.
And so I will wait.
For as long as it takes.
*****
End of Book 1
Kiss the Crystal Sun
Spellbound Trilogy #2
Chapter 1. Secrets
Basile, Louisiana
~3 months earlier~
The suffocating air and unbearable humidity woke me earlier than usual. Before I even opened my eyes I knew today was going to be “sticky-sticky, hot-hot”, as Louella-Jean, the Cajun woman from the Open Aire Market would say. Not even dawn yet, and my lumpy pillow was already drenched with sweat, and my threadbare sheets were a damp, tangled mess around my legs. Grateful to finally be awake, I sat up and tried to clear my head.
For the third time in as many weeks, I’d had the dream again. Or more accurately, the nightmare. The one where someone I knew and cared about—someone I trusted—was trying to kill me. And I was powerless to stop him. His face was never more than a dark blur. But in my heart, I believed he’d cared about me, too.
The dream always felt so real…so shockingly vivid. But even though my unique gift of foresight had always been depressingly accurate, this vision couldn’t have been a preview of something to come. It had to be just a weird, but normal, everyday nightmare. The fact was, I didn’t even have any guy friends. The only male I ever really spoke to was my father, and maybe the occasional teacher at school. There had to be a rational, psychological explanation behind these dreams—not a psychic one. Actually, the way my life had been going these past several years, I was a little surprised I hadn’t awakened even more often in a terrified panic.
The sounds of my dad shuffling around in the other room told me it was later than I’d thought. He was trying to be quiet, but his every move was announced by the creaky floorboards, and amplified through the paper-thin walls.
Creak, Creak, Creak…
Three steps. He’d walked from his bed on the couch over to the bathroom. The water pipes moaned in protest as he turned on the shower.
Make the water be warm. Make the water be warm. Make the water be warm, I chanted silently. The water heater in our unit was broken more often than not, and even though the weather was unseasonably hot, no one in their right mind would want to be subjected to a chilly blast of ice water first thing in the morning. My intense prayers usually worked for me, and I could only hope they worked for my dad, too. Of course, he could be standing under freezing pellets right now, and he’d never let on.
But something inside me told me they were working. Because even though he was several feet away, and on the other side of two separate walls, I could feel his emotions…as if they were my own.
He hadn’t been awake five minutes, and already I felt his apprehension about finding work today. And I felt his fear, no doubt from knowing that we were nearly out of food and the rent was already almost three weeks late.
But these emotions were normal from him. Nothin
g unusual. Nothing I couldn’t handle. We’d get through this rough patch, just as we always had. I took several deep breaths and tried to reassure myself of that.
The hardest part was his shame and disappointment that he was forcing me to live this way. Despite his best efforts, I knew he felt like a colossal failure as a parent and as a man. This broke my heart, and there was nothing I could do about it.
So if I could make his morning shower just a little less uncomfortable—as trivial and insignificant as that may be in the grand scheme of things—my stupid, weird abilities would at least be good for something.
Still sitting on my bed, I crossed my legs in the lotus position. Then I closed my eyes and began my daily ritual.
Breathe…Relax…See… What is in our future?
Some rain later…
Then…nothing.
I took a deep breath, shook my head, and tried again.
Rain this morning…
Nothing. That was all.
I pounded the springy mattress with my fist. “Ugh! What’s the matter with me!?” I knew it wasn’t exactly normal for someone to be able to ‘see ahead,’ as I called it. But I had always been able to do it, and now when I couldn’t, I was alarmed.
“Come on, Calista. Focus!”
I closed my eyes again and took another deep breath. Perhaps this dang humidity was melting my brain.
Rain later this morning…then…
Nothing.
“Crap!” I flopped back down on my bed, annoyed. What is going on?
The pipes moaned again as the water stopped, and a few moments later I heard five creaks. He was in the kitchen.
Please eat something, I silently begged. I don’t care if it’s the last thing in the house. Please eat something. I’d grown increasingly alarmed at how hollow my dad’s cheeks had become in the past few months, and how the skin around his handsome, chiseled face had begun to sag.
The Complete Spellbound Trilogy Bundle Page 23
