by Alicia Rades
I laughed uncontrollably as he shook the water from his hair. Droplets splashed my face, but I was having so much fun I didn’t care.
“Come here,” Lucas growled playfully.
I splashed him lightly. “Stay away.”
He grabbed my arm and dragged me through the water. My laughter instantly died when he wrapped his arms around me. Suddenly, I felt really hot—like the water might start sizzling on my skin at any moment. Our chests pressed together, though he held my arms tight at my sides.
Lucas’s gaze flickered down to my lips, and he spoke softly. “Try to get me now.”
I struggled out of his hold and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I’ve already got you,” I whispered.
Lucas chuckled under his breath, but I felt like we weren’t joking around anymore. Images of the night at Lake Santos flashed through my mind. It felt like we were back there—holding each other, ready to kiss.
My breaths grew shallow, making my breasts rise and fall from the water rapidly. His gaze darted downward, first to the key around my neck, then to my breasts, before landing on my eyes again. My heart pummeled against my rib cage. Being this close to him made every nerve in my body come to life. I wondered if he could feel me shaking.
“So, what’s this?” I asked. I didn’t mean to lean closer to him, but I felt my lips magnetize to his. “Is this a continuation of where we left off at the lake?”
Lucas leaned closer. His lips were barely an inch from mine. His sweet, warm breath brushed across my cheek. My pulse quickened.
“I-I…” Lucas stuttered.
He sighed, shattering the whole moment. My heart dropped.
“I don’t know, Nad,” he finally said.
I drew away. “I thought you wanted this.”
“I do,” he said quickly. “But do you?”
Truth be told, I wanted Lucas so bad it hurt. Problem was, the future scared me. Would this relationship work if the Reaper’s Shadow curse kept us at a distance?
I couldn’t think about that. So I resolved to enjoying every moment with Lucas that I could.
“I don’t know what the future holds,” I admitted. “But I know that I want you right now.”
Lucas’s expression softened, like my words warmed his heart. I waved my hands through the water and stepped closer to him. With each step I took, he took a step away. It wasn’t like he was running from me—more like he was giving me a choice to pursue him.
“Why worry about the future when all we need to do is live in the moment?” I questioned.
Lucas stilled when his back hit the edge of the pool. His breath wavered. “Because our choices in the moment affect the future, Nad.”
I shrugged, like none of that mattered, though I knew deep down that it did. “Let’s pretend like there is no Reaper’s Shadow curse,” I suggested. "What's a witch gotta do to get you to ask me out?"
Lucas sighed and hoisted himself up out of the pool to sit on the edge. Water dripped from his dark hair, and the moonlight accented the deep shadows of his muscled chest.
He looked down at me with those bewitching green eyes, sending my heart pummeling against my rib cage. "Are you sure you want to be with me, Nad? You deserve to be happy."
"We can be happy together," I promised.
He raised a curious eyebrow. "How do you know?"
I pressed my hands to the edge of the pool on either side of him and pushed myself upward so that only my legs were in the water. My hips rested on the edge of the pool between his legs. Heat pooled between my thighs as I came in so close we were practically touching. Energy sizzled between us, and I saw it in the way he looked at me that he felt it, too. The sexual tension was palpable.
"Why don't you kiss me and find out?" I whispered.
A moment passed where I didn’t know what might happen next. We felt frozen in time, and I held my breath.
Then Lucas’s hand came up to cradle the back of my neck, and he drew me to him. My whole body felt like it was melting into the water as his warm lips moved over mine. My lips parted, and he deepened the kiss.
My arms suddenly became weak, and I lowered myself back into the water. That didn’t stop Lucas from kissing me deeper, though. His lips never parted from mine as he followed me into the water. He took my face in his hands and ran his tongue over my bottom lip. I moaned as I wrapped my arms and legs around him, pressing myself so close to him that it should be a sin.
Lucas’s hands roamed downward, until they were cupping my ass. I gasped and pressed my hips into him, until I could feel his erection pressing up against my most sensitive areas. My fingers trembled as I ran them through his hair. He made little noises of pleasure that sent waves of heat all over my body. A glorious high filled me, like I was mere meters away from cresting the top of a mountain. This was how it should be with us. This was what it should feel like to be with the person you loved. To be denied of that was a curse… literally.
I wanted more with Lucas—as much as I could possibly get. We were two lost souls who found each other in the darkness. Somehow, we had created a spark out of nothing. When he kissed me like this, it was as if the spark could never die. The very air he breathed was mine, and as long as we were together, the fire we shared could never die.
Boldly, I reached up and tugged on the string of my bikini top. The fabric fell away, and I pressed my exposed breasts to Lucas’s chest. My nipples hardened beneath the coolness of the air.
Lucas’s entire body quivered. I half expected him to draw away, to tell me to cover up and remind me we couldn’t touch like this, but he didn’t. Instead, his hands traveled up my body, before settling on the curve of my breasts.
My heart hammered so hard I was sure he could feel it. The air around us seemed heavy with hormones so thick I could hardly breathe. Lucas’s hands massaged my breasts as mine tangled in his hair. Our lips moved in perfect sync as we made out passionately. The room spun around me so fast I didn’t know which way was up or down. The only thing rooting me in place was Lucas’s body against mine. We could’ve been making out for only a minute, or it could’ve been hours. All I knew was that it’d never be long enough.
Bang!
A noise like the slamming of a door startled the two of us apart. I grabbed for the fabric of my bikini and pressed it over my breasts. Lucas and I shared an expression of total horror.
“We should probably go,” he suggested.
I quickly agreed as I tied my bikini back on. We jumped out of the water and gathered our things, then snuck quietly out of the pool. Lucas took my hand as we ducked through the shadows in the hall. We didn’t see anyone, but we made our way back to the dorms slowly and carefully. My heart pounded in exhilaration. I didn’t think either of us wanted to leave the other.
My heart sank when we arrived back at my dorm. I stuck my arms through the sleeves of my robe and draped my towel around my neck.
“That was a lot of fun,” I whispered to Lucas. “It helped take my mind off things.”
Lucas’s face fell. “You mean the curse?”
I nodded.
“Any ideas what you’re going to do about it?” he asked.
“I think it’s pretty obvious,” I replied. “Either me or Chloe has to leave Octavia Falls. I’m staying.”
“You’re playing a game of chicken, Nad,” he pointed out. “Chloe’s not going to cave.”
“She’s going to have to, because I won’t,” I promised.
Lucas frowned, like what he was about to say pained him. “Or she’ll kill you.”
I rolled my eyes. “If she was going to kill me, she’d have done it already.”
Lucas’s eyes roamed over me, and he took my hand. “Maybe you don’t have to go through with your Evoking Ceremony. If you don’t do it, the curse would never activate. You could stay.”
“And then I’d never be a true member of the coven,” I reminded him. “That’s what Chloe wants. She wants to prove I don’t belong. And I do, Lucas.”
“
I just want you to be safe,” he said.
“This isn’t up for discussion,” I stated firmly. “My mind’s made up.”
Lucas sighed.
“Let’s forget about that,” I suggested, before wrapping him in my arms. “I don’t want to ruin the amazing night we just had together.
Lucas pressed his nose into my hair. After a long moment of silence, he spoke. “What’s your secret?”
“My secret?”
“Yeah. You’re so positive lately. How do you do it?”
“I don’t know. It might have something to do with this.” I drew away and lifted the key around my neck.
“What is it?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Something my grandma gave me. It’s supposed to be enchanted.”
Lucas’s eyebrows shot up. “Then it must be rare. We aren’t so great at enchantments in the Miriamic Coven. Can I see it?”
“Go ahead.”
He reached out and lifted the key in his hand. Though it was dark in the hall, he inspected it closely. As I watched his eyes roam over it, I saw something in them. It was like he needed protection. What from, I wasn’t sure—whether it was from himself or some darker force. All I knew was Lucas seemed to need it more than I did.
I didn’t realize what I was doing until I did it. I reached up and undid the clasp on my necklace. I started to fasten it around his neck.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I want you to wear it,” I said.
“Nad, I can’t,” he declined, but I’d already placed it around his neck. “It’s from your grandma.”
“So?” I challenged. “You want to try being more positive? Let’s see if it helps. I want you to have it.”
“I can’t,” he insisted. He reached up to start taking it off, but I placed my hands on his to stop him. My skin tingled where I touched him.
I looked him straight in the eyes. “You know I don’t take no for an answer. Consider it an early birthday present. It’s yours.”
Lucas relaxed. He came in close and pushed a strand of wet hair behind my ear. Butterflies danced around in my stomach. “Thank you, Nad.”
Lucas just hovered there, neither of us wanting to move. He was barely a foot away, just staring down at me. My mouth grew dry as I awaited another kiss. I wished I could invite him inside, but Talia was sleeping.
I licked my lips, but my voice wavered. “Thank you for tonight. We should do it again some time. It’d be fun.”
He nodded as his eyes roamed my face, before traveling down my body. He reached out and ran his fingers down the arm of my plush robe. “You know what else would be fun?”
My whole body trembled. I could think of quite a few things. “What?”
Lucas looked like he was holding his breath. Then all at once, the question spilled out of him. “Would you like to go to the Midnight Formal with me?”
I went speechless. Instead of jumping at the chance, I spat out like an idiot, “I… I thought you didn’t dance.”
He smiled sweetly. “I’d dance for you, Nad.”
My heart never felt as warm as it did in that moment. Lucas made my heart sing in ways no one ever had before. That was when I knew—no matter the limitations, I wanted to spend my life with Lucas. I’d walk to the ends of the earth and back for him.
I became so overwhelmed with joy that all I could do was throw my arms around his neck to keep it from bursting out of me. “Yes, Lucas,” I whispered. “I’ll go to the dance with you.”
I drew away and took his face in my hands. He looked down at me with a blissful expression in his eye.
I smiled back. “And I’ll share every dance with you after.”
His eyes widened, and he went breathless. “Is that a decision?”
I nodded eagerly. “Yes. I want to be with you.”
Lucas wrapped me in his arms, and I felt so warm and safe there. “I’ll find a way around this curse, Nad.”
“I hope we can,” I whispered back. “I’d do anything to be with you.”
He shivered, but I thought it was a good shiver. “Anything?”
“Yes,” I said. “Wouldn’t you?”
He let out a deep sigh and pulled me tighter. “Absolutely.”
Chapter 19
Lucas
The night at the pool was the most fun I’d ever had. Kissing her like that was beyond incredible. I’d never kissed someone like that, and no one had ever kissed me back with such passion. And her breasts… oh my Goddess. There were no words. I could hardly believe she’d let me touch them. It felt like a dream.
But it was real, and I couldn’t stop playing it over and over in my mind. Nadine wanted to be with me, no matter what.
She had no idea how much it meant to me that she was willing to give up her grandmother’s necklace. I didn’t think she understood how valuable an enchantment like this was in the magical community. When Nadine gave me that key, it was like she gave me her heart.
It was in that moment that I realized I was done for.
As long as Nadine was staying in Octavia Falls, I was going to be with her.
One day, I flagged Samantha down after Necromancy Safety.
“Lucas?” She looked surprised to see me. “What’s up?”
I glanced around the hall to make sure no one was around to hear. “I have some questions about the Reaper Moon. Mind if we talk?”
She looked a little hesitant. “I already told you everything I know.”
“I just want to know how the last guy did it,” I begged. “How’d he get in contact with the reapers on the Reaper Moon? I mean, did he just walk up to them and ask?”
She bit her lower lip. “I think it requires a ritual.”
That’s what I was afraid of.
“What kind? How?” I asked.
She shot me a look of apology. “I’m sorry, Lucas. I don’t know. You’re going to have to ask someone else.”
And that’s exactly what I was going to do until I found answers. Who better to go to than the last guy who figured it out?
I didn’t tell Nadine what I was up to. I knew it wasn’t right to keep secrets from her, but I didn’t want her talking me out of it. I could already hear her voice in my head.
“I’m not worth risking the Abyss,” she would say.
But she was. She totally was.
Friday night arrived, and I ducked out the back door of the school before Grant or anyone else could find me. It was my twentieth birthday, and I was pretty sure Grant wanted to go party or something dumb like that, but I had other plans in mind.
As I rounded the side of the school, I heard Ryan’s voice. “Where’s the money you owe me, Gregory?”
“I’ll get it,” Gregory replied, his voice shaking.
“You better,” Ryan spat. “Now get out of here!”
I heard Gregory scramble off in the other direction. I spun on my heel and rounded the other side of the school. I didn’t need another confrontation with Ryan. I felt bad for Gregory, but at least Ryan seemed distracted enough that he was off my back for a while.
I left campus and walked into town. It wasn’t far, and I didn’t have my own car. Snow fell gently from the sky, but the air actually felt nice. I stopped at a psychic shop along Main Street and went inside.
The shop was really small and had only a handful of products on display—things like tarot cards and herbs. It was dark inside, with black walls, dim lighting, and a deep red curtain separating the main room from another room in the back. There was no one there when I walked in, but I suspected the Seer who ran the place could sense my presence. She was supposed to be one of the best in town—slated to be the next on the Imperium Council. I’d never met her, but I’d heard of her. So when I decided to visit a Seer to figure some shit out, I thought she might be the best person to ask for help.
I barely waited a minute before the curtain behind the counter opened. A woman stepped into the room. She was at least twice my age and had beautiful tight curls framing her face
. She wore dark clothes and a purple shawl over her shoulders.
She smiled kindly. “Lucas, I thought I’d be seeing you again.”
I hesitated. “Um… I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“Right,” she said, like she just remembered. “I was in costume. I’m Everly Hall.”
She reached across the counter, and I shook her hand. “Nice to meet you. Were you… were you the night hag on Halloween?”
She smiled. “I was.”
Creepy...
“What did the card mean?” I asked.
She gestured to the curtain. “Why don’t we sit down and talk about it?”
I followed her into the next room, which was just as small as the first. There were candles lit around the perimeter. In the center of the room stood a round table covered in black cloth. A crystal ball and tarot cards sat neatly on top of it.
“Please, sit,” Everly said, gesturing to one of the chairs.
I took a seat, but I shifted uncomfortably. I’d come here to get answers, but now I had no idea what to expect.
“What can I do for you, Lucas?” Everly asked as she sat across from me.
I cleared my throat. “First of all, you can tell me about Halloween.”
She shook her head and wore an expression of regret. “I’m afraid I can’t always make sense of the messages I receive.”
“Do you know who sent you the message?” I asked. “What did they say, exactly?”
Her shoulders fell. “I don’t know. I did as I was told to do. I found you, gave you the card, and…”
She trailed off and stared into the distance. After a few moments, she shook her head, like she couldn’t remember. “I gave you a warning, didn’t I?”
“Yeah,” I told her. “You said I needed to stop… something. You don’t remember?”
She looked at a loss for words. “The way my powers work, I don’t always remember the messages I relay. It’s automatic.”
