Morti focused on just about everything else. He was incredibly knowledgeable in all matters of magic—both the good and the bad—but he didn’t have patience for those not informed of the mere basics, such as Summer. If Summer thought he was crabby before, she was definitely unprepared for his ill-temper and grouchiness in his tutelage.
The added urgency of the matter made for even more stress. Ms. Midnight was insistent that Summer stop working at the clinic and focus only on her magic training, but that was where Summer put her foot down. She didn’t go through years of college only to give it up for this crazy magic stuff. Plus, going to work helped ground her to something solid and real, as well as give her a break from Morti.
A saving grace in the magic madness was that Tori was allowed to participate in the lessons. This was a particularly sour point for Morti. To him it was bad enough teaching a witch who had no knowledge of her powers or how to use them—he who only taught the most talented and gifted witches of the time—now he was also teaching a girl with no connection to witches or natural abilities of her own.
However, it was a great gift to Summer having someone to practice and commiserate with, and giving her a feeling of not being alone in her quest to free the world of the evil known as the Macabre family.
*****
Summer was allowed a tiny break in her daily routine of going to work and coming home to spend hours upon hours of lectures, lessons, and lab time working on her magic. It was a most welcome treat and she spent it on a real first date with Jackson. Though exhausted from her classes, she quickly found her second wind with anticipation and adrenaline.
A cozy dinner in a dark corner of a little Italian cafe satiated their appetite with lovely conversation, succulent scents and delicious food. This was followed by a walk along the shore of Paradise Lake, and a star gazing of expansive and prominent celestial bodies and constellations. The air was still warm from the late August heat, but the cool breezes brought a taste of the fall season around the corner.
Hand in hand they walked in heightened awareness of every touch that passed between them. Summer was titillated by Jackson’s closeness and his sweet gentleness. When they climbed atop an embankment of boulders to get a better view of the lake, he lent his strength, placing her on top a giant boulder she couldn’t manage on her own. His strong, gentle hands at her waist, he lifted her to her perch as if she weighed no more than a feather, then hopped up himself using little to no effort whatsoever.
He wrapped his arms around her from behind, using his body as a shield of warmth to her petite frame. He pointed out constellations to her with one hand and held her close to his body with his other, sending tantalizing shivers of electricity to every inch of her flesh that met his.
He took her back to the tiny little cottage she called home where they shared tea on the little couch while Sully watched and listened protectively. He noted Summer had made some progress in opening the puzzle box.
“Look at that…” he said with encouragement, picking up the box.
“I know. I haven’t quite cracked it, but I’ve found at least four or five more moves on my own,” Summer said, feeling proud of herself. “Can you believe it?”
“Of course I can,” he said. “I’d say you’re just about in.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. If I had to guess, I’d say you are about one move away from discovering the contents,” Jackson said, handing the box to her.
“Really?” she said, excitedly intrigued. As if compelled to finish the drawn out venture of opening the box, she searched the perimeter for her next move. Jackson watched her work out the details in her mind then smiled when he saw her move the final piece he knew would open the tiny box.
Summer looked at Jackson with surprise when the piece slid easily to the side and a small drawer was revealed. He smiled at her accomplishment and watched her as she slid the small wooden drawer open. Within was a pendant on a dainty chain slightly tarnished with age in what looked to be sterling silver.
She revealed her prize to Jackson who looked as happy as she felt.
“It’s a sun,” Summer said, inspecting the dangling pendant that swayed back in forth below her thumb and forefinger.
“A sun for Summer,” Jackson said. Summer smiled.
“It’s odd though, isn’t it? It looks as if it is missing something,” Summer said, handing the necklace to Jackson.
He examined it closely and noted a small pin-like protrusion on the back, like a prong on a ring used to hold its gem in place. “You’re right. It looks like a piece is missing. Maybe it’s like a friendship necklace where there are two pieces for each friend—placing them together would make a whole piece.”
“That’s an interesting thought,” she said, looking at the pendant and wondering what might make it complete.
“Was there anything else in the box explaining it?” Jackson asked.
Looking in the box once more, thinking maybe she missed something, she answered, “No. Puzzling, isn’t it?”
“Very. One puzzle begets another,” he said.
“No kidding.”
“Well, I better be getting home. We both have work and though I don’t need sleep, you do,” Jackson said sweetly as he stood, holding out both hands to help Summer from the couch.
“I sure do. Plus I’ve got homework for the grumpy cat,” she said with a disappointed crook of her mouth. She rose from the couch so close to Jackson that her breath quickened and she felt him breathe in the scent of her hair as he casually dropped his hands to her waist.
“Thank you for a lovely evening,” he said in a whisper, his head bowed so his lips were mere inches from her forehead. She felt the warm breath of his words on her face, making her flush pink.
“It was,” she said, thinking what a stupid response that was.
His arms slid around her to the small of her back and pulled her tenderly to him, making her breath catch in her throat. Jackson bowed his head deeper to meet her waiting lips and they kissed. One hand tangled in her long, loose curls as his other pulled her closer, if that was even possible. Their bodies pressed hard upon one another, and for her, time stood still for an instant suspended weightlessly in his arms. There was no pressure of impending doom, no lessons or lectures, no responsibilities to worry about completing—only Jackson and a sudden urgency to be nearer one another.
He pulled away in his gentlemanly style, and saw her eyes were closed as she savored his kisses. She opened her eyes to see his contented smile. He said his goodnights and stole one last perfect kiss before closing the door behind him. She breathed a deep sigh of pleasure, still able to feel the warmth of Jackson’s lips upon hers when she turned off the lights and headed for bed.
*****
With her head filled with blissful thoughts of kisses and Jackson’s taut body against hers, she easily fell to sleep. Not more than an hour after Summer found peaceful sleep, she was awakened by Sully’s traction-less claws trying to move the ever-growing pup after a bouncing ball.
Summer crept to the living room, rubbing sleep sand from her waking eyes and yawning.
“Daniel?” she said hoarsely, spying the stoic angel in the shadows of the room.
“Yes,” he answered, tossing the ball once more for an eager Sully.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’d like to speak with you if you would oblige me,” he said.
“Okay, but you do know we don’t have to meet so late at night,” she said.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I don’t have the sense of time like you do. I’ll try to be more accommodating to your schedule,” he said apologetically, which caught Summer by surprise.
She sat on the couch, wrapping her arms around herself for added warmth. Daniel sat on the coffee table inches from her and leaned forward to just a breath away from her. His hands reached out for her and found their resting place on her shoulders. His face, though incredibly beautiful, looked tortured somehow.
This
strange behavior worried her and she said, “What is it, Daniel? Are you okay?”
“Yes,” he said plainly and full of confidence that Summer could only hope to one day attain.
“Then what is it? You look…different.”
“Do I? I suppose maybe I am, but that is neither here nor there. I hoped I might have a personal word with you and maybe indulge your curiosity a tiny bit,” he said.
Confused but intrigued by this change in Daniel, she nodded affirmation to which he actually smiled. It was such a smile as Summer had never seen. It lit up the room and a feeling of absolute comfort fell over her like a cozy warm blanket of light downy feathers covered in soft flannel fuzz.
He continued looking down at the table to the opened puzzle box and the contents once trapped within. “I see you’ve claimed your secret,” he said as he picked up the necklace in one hand and deposited it into the palm of his other.
“Yes. Though it seems to hold yet another puzzle,” she said, referring to the token of silver in his hand. He undid the clasp and held up the piece in front of her, suggesting she lean forward so he could place it upon her. She did and he engaged the clasp, slowly placing the sun pendant upon her chest just above the dragon scale that glowed atop her breasts. She expected it to be cold, but his touch had warmed the metal, making it feel as if it had always been there.
“I suppose it does seem that way,” he said in answer to her comment. “I hope I can help in that area.”
“Oh?” she said curiously.
“I thought about what you said the last time we spoke and how I must have seemed cruel in not relaying what I know about your family and not intervening in some instances. I hope to rectify that here, now.”
Summer was intrigued, but also a little scared about what she might find out. Did she want to know? Would it make a difference? She didn’t know and like with all great mysteries, the truth could be a double-edged sword.
“I hoped that when your family stepped forward they would explain things to you, but as they didn’t, I feel it is only right you should know, now, what has transpired to bring you to this point in time. Not all of it is good, as I suppose you can guess, but I see no reason why you can’t know your life is truly in danger. I’m not sure how far back I should go to fully explain, so I am going to start with your parents since that is the most important detail for why you are learning to hone your magic. Once you have taken that in and are ready, I will explain more at a later time of past events that are also involved.
“I believe Ms. Midnight has informed you of the Macabre family and how they have been greedy for power from the beginning of their existence. With every great evil there is its counterpart: great good. In this instance it is the Midnight family. What Ms. Midnight did not explain is how you are involved with this great war of power and that you are the result of the two families. You are part Midnight and part Macabre. Your mother, Violet Evans, married Marcus Macabre in 1990.”
“How does that involve the Midnight family?” Summer interrupted.
“Violet Evans’s mother was Ivy Midnight Evans—Myrtle Midnight’s sister.”
“Right. Ms. Midnight mentioned she was my great aunt.”
“Yes. She’s taken great measures to keep you safe,” he said.
“That’s what she said. She said if it had not been for the BROOM, I wouldn’t be alive today,” Summer recollected.
“How very true indeed, but this was in no way a safe or easy path for her and she’s endured great injury to herself in doing so. The Macabre family is responsible for her dementia-like state.”
“How?”
“Torture. You were stolen from the Macabre family in infancy by your grandmother in hopes of keeping you safe.”
“What became of my parents? Were they killed?”
“That’s where it gets a little sticky, as you humans like to say.”
“How so?”
“Your mother died when you were taken, but your father is very much alive.”
“What?” she shrieked in shock.
“It’s true.”
“Why would I be taken from my parents? How could that possibly be in my best interest?”
“It was not an easy decision for anyone involved. Believe me. It was your grandmother Ivy who took you in the night, and she paid for it with her life. Myrtle was a stronger witch than Ivy and it was Ivy’s dying wish that Myrtle hide you away from the evil that is the family Macabre.”
“Why didn’t my father come looking for me?”
“He did. A ruse was arranged to throw them off. A stillborn baby was staged with Ivy in a disastrous car accident and fire. Ivy had been mortally wounded by your father when she escaped with you, but she was able to deliver you to Myrtle before her death. Your mother, though, had been very much in love with your father and could not harm her mother. Your father’s sister Juliette took care of that. When out of sight of Marcus, she killed your mother. She is as evil as they come.”
Summer barely comprehend the horrible story Daniel relayed.
“The merging of the most powerful magical families was Juliette’s plan for years. They couldn’t defeat the Midnights physically or magically so it was Juliette’s scheme to do it genetically.”
Summer fell silent and tears rolled down her cheeks. Daniel cupped his soft warm hands on her cheeks, and wiped the traces of her tears away with his thumbs.
His touch was like nothing she’d felt and it sent tingles of ecstasy up her spine making her shiver. He wrapped his arms around her, raising her to him as he stood. He smelled delicious, similar to a cool rain in a forest—woody, fresh, and sweet all at the same time.
When her tears subsided, he pulled away from her. His eyes sparkled like she’d never noticed. Had it been the moonlight that made them look so dazzlingly blue against the contrast of his milk white skin and dark loose curls that flipped up adorably around his ears?
It was as if she was in heaven—her gloriously beautiful angel holding her lovingly. She quivered at the brush of his lips on her forehead and the tickle of his eyelashes kissing her cheek.
When she gasped a sigh of pleasure, his lips met hers and he kissed her. His lips set her aflame, igniting parts of her she’d never felt. She went limp in his arms as his lips suckled her bottom lip as he pulled away from their kiss, as if trying to hold on as long as he possibly could.
Her knees went weak and she surely would have crumpled to the floor in a heap if he hadn’t had her pinned tightly to his body. She wanted more; she suddenly ached for him and when she felt the hardness of his body responding to her ache, she realized he too ached for her—that was why he had come. He had said as much.
Had her beautiful angel fallen in love with her? Her mind swam with the suggestion, but suddenly was replaced with a flooding of the story of her family and a question boggled her.
She pulled away from Daniel and asked, “Wait a minute, if they can’t defeat the Midnights magically, then why am I in danger?”
He guided her to sit again on the couch and said, “Aside from the fact that Myrtle is very powerful, indeed, she is not her full self anymore. The tortures the Macabres inflicted upon her after your abduction have left her lacking. Even if she was at her full potential, it is only you and her left of the Midnight family.”
“But there’s the BROOM.”
“True, but few of them are any match for the Macabres. Plus, the Macabres have a weapon they didn’t have before—a witch as powerful and formidable as Myrtle ever was,” Daniel admitted.
“And who is that?” Summer asked.
Daniel picked up the sun pendant and held it between them. “Your twin sister.”
The end.
About the Author
T. Lynne Tolles can be found most days, juggling one of two cat muses and a laptop, tripping over an ancient Newfoundland dog and washing a never-ending pile of laundry. When life doesn’t get in the way, she writes paranormal romances for new adults.
Her passion for witches,
ghosts, and vampires together with a light-hearted wit are reflected in her loveable characters and the adventures of mystery they unravel to find their happily ever after.
Website:
http://tlynnetolles.me
Other books by T. Lynne Tolles
Somber Island
Mirror of Shadows
Blood Series
The Hunted
Blood of a Werewolf
Blood Moon
Blood Lust
Bloodstone Heart
Deadman’s Blood
Sisters in Blood
Finding Midnight Page 17
