Enchanter: The Flawed Series Book Four

by Becca J. Campbell

  “Can you tell me which of these you liked better?” she asked.

  Jade said a silent prayer of thanks that she’d been saved from Graham’s compassionate questions.

  She managed to keep busy the rest of the day, taking only a half hour for lunch and skipping her breaks. March was busy enough she didn’t seem to notice, and Jade was thankful for that as well.

  About an hour before closing she ran out of things to do. Graham returned to the desk after cleaning up the coffee station. “Hopefully no one gets gripey about us being out of coffee, but it doesn’t make sense to make a new pot now.”

  Jade nodded. “March says if it’s after 3:30 or so then we’re good.”

  “Perfect,” he said. “Who’s closing up tonight? Are you counting the register?”

  “No, it’s March’s day. She always takes Mondays.”

  He gave a nod. “Great.”

  Jade was glad too since it meant she could get away earlier. She glanced at the clock, groaning when she saw there was still an hour left. Elbows resting on the table, she dropped her head into her hands and sighed. Her hair flowed around her face, blocking the store from view. She closed her eyes for a moment.

  Warmth pressed into her shoulder, and she flipped her hair back. Graham’s hand lay on her shoulder, and he was watching her with concern pinching the bridge of his nose. He bumped his glasses up with one of his knuckles. “Are you sure you’re okay, Jade?”

  She opened her mouth to answer him, wondering what in the world she could say to explain what was going on inside her, when her phone rang. Her eyes gave him a silent apology as she checked the caller ID. She didn’t recognize the number. What if it was the hospital calling about her mom? When Jade pressed the phone to her ear, Dr. Dehaven’s secretary answered.

  “I just wanted to remind you that you’re due for an appointment with Dr. Dehaven. She has an opening Wednesday at nine. How does that sound?”

  “Actually, I’m busy then,” Jade lied, picking at a nail.

  “Oh. All right.” A pause. “When would you like to come in?”

  “Um…I’m not sure yet. Can I call you back?”

  “Just in case you’re hesitant to come in again, I want to let you know that Dr. Dehaven believes you really should talk to someone. She didn’t tell me the specifics of your situation, of course, but she said she’s concerned about you potentially having worse trouble than you’ve dealt with in the past.”

  Jade swallowed. She wasn’t about to share the new problems her emotions had caused. Especially to the secretary.

  “Sharing what’s going on inside really helps,” the woman said. “I’m saying this from personal experience.”

  “Yeah?” Jade said.

  “I’ve gone through years of therapy, and it really changed my responses.”

  “I’ll check my schedule and get back with you.” Thankfully that got her off the line. But Jade had no intention of calling back. She sighed. If only there were someone else she could talk to, someone she actually felt comfortable around. But who could she lay all this on? Not her dad. Certainly not her mom. Not Logan. Not even lighthearted Chloe could she burden with something of this magnitude.

  Before she could slide her phone back into her pocket, it rang again—Logan, this time. Not again. She breathed in through her nose and silenced it. Would he ever stop calling?

  Her mind was spiraling downward—she could feel her protective barrier beginning to crumble, particles trickling away little by little. She just had to make it a bit longer before she could escape.

  Finally at five ’til closing Graham checked out the last customer. He was putting the man’s books into a bag when Jade’s phone rang again.

  She sighed and pulled it out. Logan again. He wasn’t going to stop until she answered. Maybe if she were firm with him, he’d let it go. Stepping away from the sales desk and toward the empty front of the store by the tall book displays, she pressed the answer button.

  “Jade! Finally! I went to your apartment, but I didn’t see your car. I’ve been so worried about you. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. I stayed at my parents’.” She kept her voice low and detached.

  “Why didn’t you call me back?”

  “I told you not to call me.”

  “But you were angry. I thought maybe once you cooled down we could talk.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about, Logan.”

  “Jade, why can’t you believe me? Violet and I were never an item.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “What? Why? I thought you were upset about—”

  “I was.” She bit back any more protests about his lack of forthrightness. “But it doesn’t matter anymore.”

  “Then why do you want to break up?”

  She swallowed. “We’re not good for each other, Logan. I can’t do this anymore.” It sounded like such a typical breakup speech, and she hated that, but in their case it held a whole different meaning. With her emotional instability and his super strength, they were a dangerous blend.

  “I can’t believe you’re saying that,” he said. The darkness in his tone told her he understood the severity of her intentions.

  “I’m sorry, Logan.”

  His silence unraveled something inside her. “I gotta go,” she said. “I’ll talk to you later.” A promise she wouldn’t keep. She waited for a beat and hung up.

  Pushing the end call button on her phone triggered something else inside her. Why did it have to be like this? Frustration. A quick lick of anger—not at him or even at herself, but at her situation. Why did she have to be the bad guy? Why did everything in her life feel so unfair?

  She grabbed the large cardboard poster of that month’s bestselling title and flung it across the shop. She hadn’t even realized what she was doing until it hit a stand of hanging bookmarks and knocked several rows of them to the floor. She looked up to see Graham watching her. When their eyes met, his expression gave her chills.

  Behind the frames of his glasses, Graham’s dark brows pulled down, and his eyes glowed with intensity. He grabbed a display table next to him and shoved it over, scattering books and posters everywhere.

  It took Jade only an instant to realize her emotions were controlling him. Not again! Every fiber of her being wanted to destroy something. Her fury burned brighter, hotter. She let out a yell of frustration but kept her hands clamped at her sides, balled into tight fists.

  Graham grabbed a rack near the door and pulled the whole thing down, releasing his own guttural cry.

  Then, it clicked inside her—the fear. She had to get out of here before something horrible happened. Her eyes met his briefly. She fled for the door.

  She pulled out her key with shaky hands and fumbled with her car’s ignition. Without looking back, she sped out of the parking lot.

  Her apartment was too near people. She had to get away and get there fast. Jade didn’t have time to get to the mountains. She just needed a neutral zone.

  Garden of the Gods, the place where she’d gone rock climbing with the Schuylers a year ago sounded like a nice reprieve. After parking, she hurried past a few visitors who were packing up their gear near the looming, rust-colored rocks.

  The sky was pink near the horizon, but dark, voluptuous clouds hovered above, blanketing the park in a shroud that made it feel later than it was. The tumultuous sky matched her mood.

  She ran along the park trails, stumbling past loose rocks and swiping at her face the whole way. Spotting a deserted area, she sank to her knees and dropped her head into her hands. She began to weep.

  Her shoulders shook as the tears came, and here in this empty place, she didn’t hold back. She let everything out until her heart was raw from the ache. Only when her grief began to subside did she hear faint sniffling near her.

  Jade’s head shot up, and she balked. Graham sat just a pace away on the dusty ground near her.

  “You followed me?”

  Behind his glasses, hi
s dark eyes met hers. Wet streaks glistened on his cheeks.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” she said. “I’m—I’m dangerous.” She pointed at his face. “You’re like this because of me.” She shook her head, but she’d wept herself dry, and all that remained was a hard, shriveled lump in her heart.

  “What do you mean?” Graham asked. “You looked like you were really upset, and I couldn’t let you just run off like that.”

  Jade blinked at him, wondering why he wasn’t questioning her. “Didn’t you wonder why you were destroying book displays at the store?”

  “Of course! I felt so Jekyll-Hyde. You seemed to be having it too.”

  “I have a problem. My emotions are toxic, and when they get out of hand I sometimes…make people do things they wouldn’t normally do.”

  “What? No way. It’s gotta be the water.” He thought for a moment. “Maybe something in our coffee? I don’t know what could be making us go psycho.”

  “No, Graham. I know it’s me. It’s happened before.”

  He frowned. “Serious?”

  She nodded.

  “You were causing all that, up in my head?”

  “Yeah. Which is why you shouldn’t be around me right now.”

  “If that’s true, I can’t imagine what you’re going through. And you’ve already been through a lot, with your mom and all. You shouldn’t have to be alone.”

  The lump inside her softened at his words. “That’s kind. But I could be dangerous.”

  He scooted closer so that their hips were nearly touching. “You don’t look dangerous to me—even if that was you controlling me in the store.”

  “I don’t?”

  “You look like someone who could use a friend.”

  Jade tried to answer, but she choked on a sob. “I really could,” she finally managed.

  Graham slid his arm around her and pulled her in for a hug, and Jade let him. She rested her face on his shoulder and sobbed quietly, this time in relief. For once, she didn’t feel isolated. She let herself sink into him. The warmth of his chest heated her with a pleasant comfort.

  A year ago, this park with its red rocks and dusty trails had been the starting point of one friendship. Today, it seemed to be the birthplace of another.

  ~

  Violet’s plan had worked far better than she’d expected. Ras reported from his weekend surveillance that Logan was no longer dating Jade, and that he was broken up about it.

  She sneered at the thought of him—the big, strong man—a blubbering mess just because of that stupid girl. It was incredibly lame. Still, Violet chose to see it as an opportunity. Logan would be like putty in her hands—a pliable lump in need of a rebound.

  And she was so much more than a rebound. She was his destiny.

  Ras told her that Logan was taking a sick day on Monday, probably to mope. So that afternoon, Violet drove to his little, secluded house in the woods.

  It was quite romantic: being up in the foothills surrounded by tall, lean aspens with no one for a mile in any direction. She envisioned the two of them all alone and smiled to herself.

  She pulled her BMW into his gravel driveway, easing in slowly so the soft crunch wouldn’t alert him.

  Violet exited the vehicle and strode to his front door, fluffing her skirt as she walked. She positioned herself on the stoop with a consideration for what angle would most flatter her body, shrugging off the thought that she still hadn’t quite regained her curves since the coma. What did it matter? This was all trivial anyway—in the end, her new ability made physical features barely relevant. She could enchant him even looking like a hag.

  She rang the doorbell and readied herself.

  When Logan opened the door, his expression took her aback. The skin around his eyes was more creased than usual, and his lids drooped like he hadn’t slept in days. His broad shoulders were hunched in a posture of defeat. The sight of his haggard state irritated her. It made her feel as if she were getting someone’s leftovers. Still, she squared her shoulders and rose above it. Her power could—and would—transform him into something greater than this: into something more than he would ever be on his own.

  “Hi, Logan.” She sent him a coy smile.

  “You? Last I heard you were in the hospital.” His voice sounded exhausted, and for a brief moment, she imagined it were due to long nights worried sick about her. But more likely he didn’t even realize her accident had been his fault.

  Violet clenched her teeth, biting back a desire to ream him out for what he’d done to her. But she forced herself to stay focused. Having him was a bigger prize than crushing him—at least for now. First, she wanted to taste what it was like to have all Logan’s attention—this man, who’d been the object of her passions for so long. All those years she’d searched the Internet for any trace of him and came up empty. Finally, it was her chance.

  “I’ve been home a few weeks now,” she said.

  His eyes drifted up and down her, unimpressed. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay.” His tone was flat, barely polite. It didn’t make her believe the words.

  You did this to me, she wanted to scream at him. It’s your fault. He was the one who had kicked her out of his truck that night and left her to get hit by the next passing car.

  “But you’re not welcome here,” he said.

  “No, Logan. You can’t push me away this time.” Violet reached a hand for him and managed to grab a fistful of his shirt sleeve. She strained, but the colored strings didn’t emerge. A curse flicked through her mind when she remembered it required skin-to-skin contact.

  Logan pulled his arm away and took a step back. “I know you were in a coma, but that’s no excuse for what you’ve done. Sneaking into my truck last spring was about five steps past the line of okay, and if I see you again I’ll get a restraining order.”

  She made a swipe through the air, trying to make contact with his face.

  He darted backward. “Leave now or I’m calling the police.”

  Violet considered trying to sweet talk him enough to get close, but she decided that chance had passed. She lunged at him, throwing herself around his body in a vise grip and refusing to let go. Still she had no contact with his skin.

  He shook back and forth, trying to loosen her hold. “Get off me, crazy woman!”

  With a glance up, she aimed. She managed to land her palm against his cheek for a brief instant. Her hand slid down but found a hold around the back of his neck.

  Logan’s body stilled.

  From her position, still entangled around him, Violet couldn’t see her hand, and she couldn’t tell if the cords had latched on. Surely they had, but…why couldn’t she feel his energy?

  Violet uncurled her legs from around his thighs and dropped to her feet.

  A fog had come over his eyes, a sort of uncertainty. She glanced down at her hand. Only a few of the colored strands had clung to his head. The others trailed out of her hand and behind her—still connected to Ras? Or just trailing loose?

  “Logan?” she said.

  His eyes moved slowly, but they found hers. Then his dark brows came down. His expression morphed back into the anger she’d seen a moment earlier. He shook his head as if trying to shrug off a weight holding him back.

  “Get out of here.” His voice was as thick and slow as molasses. “I’m going to call the—”

  Violet focused on her hand, squinting her eyes in concentration. She had to figure out how to work it. It had been so easy with Ras. What was the difference this time? She mentally flexed the base of the strands, and they flickered out one by one.

  Damn.

  “Get out!” Rejuvenated, Logan’s voice thundered, and he took a swift step forward, hands outreached as he came for her. She would be no match for him, and with the way he looked right now, all his civility had evaporated.

  Violet realized her time was up. She ran for her car.

  He chased her halfway down the drive, but she was fast—all those hours on the treadmill com
ing to her aid. She slammed her door and started up the engine. She pounded on the gas without looking back, hearing the spray of gravel hit the back of the car.

  Her breath came in gasps as she sped away.

  Nearing her condo, she considered things. What had gone wrong? She used her mind to turn on and off the cords, watching them flick out and suck back into her palm. That part was easy enough. It was the connection that was giving her difficulty. For some reason he was able to fight her control.

  She pulled into the garage of her condo and sat, considering. Closing her eyes, she visualized the raw energy. Like a memory, she could see it flowing from her own hand. She could feel more than that, though.

  She focused on those other sources around her, pulled them closer until they solidified with faces. Ras. There he was—and she could stroke his mind with a finger. Her cords had memorized the connection nodes on his brain since they’d engaged so often. She drew the cords in and sent them out again, searching. She felt another presence and recognized the aura of the pharmacist. She didn’t know his name, but she could still wrangle him in with her power. She released him and tried again.

  There was another source of energy out there, but it felt elusive. Grainy. Like a television that couldn’t quite get reception. It must be Logan’s. She felt with her cords, probing, seeking. Something about his energy was different. It was harder to get the connections to stick, but she played around with it a while. She tangled the threads around his tangible presence, weaving them through his mind and testing to see if they had stuck. She couldn’t tell, and guessed she might not know until she saw him again. But for now, she was worn out. She sighed and rested her head against the wheel. It was about time for her next dose of medication, and then she was going to reward herself with a nap.

  Violet exited the car. Inside, she tossed her bag on the kitchen table. A vibration from within caught her attention, and she dug out her phone. She flicked the screen and saw a text message.

  “I miss you. Hope we can get together soon.”