by Freya Black
At that moment, Kate’s aversion to men and dating in general made sense. She was beautiful, and every man in town would stare when she walked into a room. I’d assumed she had forgone a dating life to raise me, and I always felt guilty about it. But Quinn was the reason. The pain of losing him had been too much for her to bear.
“Do you think you’ll get back together with him?”
“I don’t know, sweetie. We were doomed from the start. That was the other reason my mom was so hell-bent on us breaking up. Without Emma, there would be no Sloane, and you need him to fulfill the prophecy.”
“Why do I need him?”
“His powers will keep you focused, grounded. You have trouble controlling your emotions, which is essential in realizing your full potential. With Sloane’s help, you can learn how to maintain the balance you need to focus on the task ahead.”
“And what is that?” I said, perplexed. This whole prophecy thing still eluded me. Part of me thought it was a joke, especially since I didn’t have any visions to back up the story.
“You will help the Fey Queen and her people defeat the dark Fey once and for all. I know you don’t realize it now, but not even Fey are born with all five divine powers. Some are lucky if they get more than one. That’s what makes you both an asset to the light Fey and an enemy to the dark Fey.”
I tried to absorb it all, but it was too much for one day.
Kate hopped off the chair and helped me to my feet. “C’mon, it’s time for work.”
On Saturdays, we opened the doors at eight o’clock sharp to a crowd waiting on the sidewalk. Our business relied on the steady stream of regulars who frequented each morning. I had just finished brewing a pot of Brimstone Brew before customers rushed to the bar in dire need of their caffeine fix.
Two hours later, the madness settled down.
Declan strolled through the door in mesh shorts and a white Adidas T-shirt. A basketball tucked under his arm showed off the definition in his muscles, catching the attention of a few admirers in the café. For his own amusement or maybe to gauge a reaction from me, he spun the ball on the tip of his finger. He shifted it to his other hand, his shaggy hair moving with him as it rotated.
I shook my head and poured coffee into a Styrofoam cup. “Unless you’re trying out for the Harlem Globetrotters, take a seat.”
The ball stopped moving at once, and Declan sat on the barstool. “Yes, ma’am.” He raised his hand to his forehead and saluted me with a joker smile.
Laughter shook through me as I fixed his coffee.
He took a sip and looked at me sideways. “Did you use four sugars?”
“Of course. I know every drink order in Arcadia. You think I forgot yours?” I dropped a handful of chocolate chip cookies into a pastry bag and set it next to his cup.
“Kate’s cookies! Yes!” He bit into one, making an obnoxious moaning sound, and then he sucked down half of his coffee. After he finished off the rest of the cookies, he looked up at me. “Later, I was thinking, you, me, pizza, and The Walking Dead marathon. Celeste has another date with Mike, so it’s just us. You down?”
“I can’t. I have a date, too.” I tried to suppress the silly grin breaking across my lips, but I failed miserably.
He crumbled the pastry bag and threw it over my shoulder. It hit the edge of the trash can, bounced twice, and fell in the hole. “With whom?”
I sensed a bit of anger in his tone, so I organized sugar packets into their compartments, avoiding eye contact. For some reason, I was uncomfortable with telling Declan about my date. It should have rolled off my tongue, but I struggled to speak his name.
Declan grew impatient with the awkward silence, so I finally spit it out, “Sloane Blackwell.”
A look of concern furrowed his brow. “Are you sure you’re ready to date?”
“What? Are you my dad?” I snapped as a mixed range of emotions flooded through me.
“No, but you don’t even know him.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to shake my divine powers. They raged through my veins with a sense of urgency that I wasn’t sure I could control. “Some would say, that’s the point of dating. Wouldn’t you agree?”
He scoffed at my comment and looked out into the café. Kelly Romero, a brunette on the track team, seemed to catch his attention for a second. But then he turned around, his eyebrows scrunched together.
“I just don’t like it, okay?” The irritation in his voice matched his hardened features, which infuriated me.
“Is there a specific reason I can’t go out with him?”
I was so angry that I wanted to throw him off the stool. He was testing the limits of my self-control. Given my powers, I needed to rein in my energy before I did something to expose myself in front of the Norms.
When I felt more like myself, I answered with a smug expression, “You don’t seem to mind hanging out with him at school or running drills together. So, what does he have? Two left feet or a weird fetish? What’s wrong with him?”
“You don’t know him. He could be a serial killer, for all we know.” The tone of his voice cut through me like a sword.
I hurled a dish towel at his chest, unable to control the rage bubbling inside me. “Seriously? You’re ridiculous. You know who he is, and it’s not like he’s a stranger. Why can’t I go out with him? Huh?”
“Because I don’t want you to.”
“Grow up, Delaney.” Desperate to get away from him, I lifted the sugar caddy and made my way toward the opposite end of the bar.
“Wait!” Declan reached out for me, missing my arm.
I was so disgusted that I couldn’t bear to look at him. “I think we’ve said enough.”
“I can’t handle you going out with him,” he said so loud that the entire café heard him.
Everyone was now staring at us, hanging on our every word.
Aware of the nosy patrons, I spun around and lowered my voice. “Why not? You’re not making any sense.”
“I don’t know,” he huffed. “I never really thought of you dating anyone until now.”
“You never cared before.”
He chugged the rest of his coffee and set the empty cup on the counter. “I’m meeting the guys at the court. I gotta go. Are you coming over to my house to watch the Eagles game tomorrow?”
The Declan I knew had disappeared, and I wondered what Sloane could have done in the past twenty-four hours to annoy him. Even if he was acting like a jerk, Declan was still my best friend.
“What time does it start? One o’clock?”
Declan nodded, a certain hopefulness in his eyes. “Yeah.”
“I’ll grab a pizza from Giuseppe’s.”
The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile. “Sweet! See ya later.”
After Declan left, I debated the possible causes of his disdain toward Sloane. Then, I realized that whatever had caused Declan’s outburst—no matter how large or small—would be a problem.
By twelve o’clock, Celeste relieved me of my shift. It took longer to decide on an outfit for my date than a dress for junior prom. For over an hour, I tore through my bedroom in search of the perfect outfit. Instead, I ended up on the floor in a bath towel, surrounded by a pile of clothes and nothing to wear.
I saw the fact that nothing was working as a sign that our date was doomed.
I sent Kate a desperate 911 text, and five minutes later, she was standing in my bedroom. She handed me a box, an early birthday present, decorated with silver tulle. It contained a dark purple tunic with a scoop neck and black leggings. She motioned for me to sit on the bench in front of the vanity, and she began curling the ends of my hair.
I was on the verge of a panic attack, but Kate tried her best to keep me calm. The more I thought about the date, the more my mind would drift back to my conversation with Declan.
With a steady hand, Kate applied a layer of pink eye shadow to my lids. “It’s going to be perfect. Don’t worry.”
I opened my eyes and he
ld still as Kate smoothed out my makeup. My stomach felt like someone was doing somersaults inside, kicking me with each turn.
“Everything was fine until Declan had to start with me. I don’t get what his problem is. He doesn’t even know Sloane.”
Kate flipped through my makeup bag and slid a shimmery gloss across my lips. “Blot,” she said, handing me a tissue. “Trust me, everything will work out. Declan’s just jealous because Sloane might take you away from him.”
I raised my eyebrow at her. “You really think Declan’s jealous of Sloane?”
“Of course he is. He’s had you all to himself for the past ten years.”
“Yeah, but it’s not like I haven’t dated other guys.”
“True, but Sloane is different,” Kate spoke, as if reciting from one of her magical texts she loved to quote. “That special connection you share is not easily broken. Declan’s just afraid he’ll lose you.”
I felt the need to defend myself even though it didn’t seem necessary. “I would never let a guy come between us. He should know that.”
“Actions speak louder than words. Just make sure Declan is included in your life. If you do, he’ll forget all about it.”
Kate sat with me at the breakfast bar while I waited for Sloane. I kept checking the time on my cell phone, fidgeting, as my heart pounded out of my chest. I tapped my fingers on the bar so many times that I was surprised I had any nail polish left. At some point, I bit the inside of my lip so hard that I drew blood. I was a complete disaster.
I stared at Kate, unsure of what to do.
Then, I raced upstairs and removed the purple satin bag from my nightstand drawer. For centuries, the Crescent Witches in my family had used a special deck of tarot cards for personal Divination. Unlike normal tarot cards used for the Divination of others, Crescent Cards divined only the future of their owner.
With fifteen minutes left, I flew down the back stairwell and fanned the cards out on the bar in the kitchen.
Kate folded her hands on the counter and smiled. “That always worked for your mother.”
“I don’t know what else to do. I feel like I’m going to throw up because I’m so nervous, and this situation with Declan is driving me crazy. I need the cards to tell me what to do.”
I hovered my right hand over the cards, and the scar-like crescent moon birthmark in my palm tingled. The card at the center of the pile registered, and I removed it, facedown.
When I flipped it over, I sighed. “Figures.”
Kate’s lips twisted into a smile. “The Lovers card. How convenient.”
In tarot readings, The Lovers card could represent various choices—new or old relationships, temptations, or the most obvious, selecting one partner over the other.
I pushed the cards away in disgust. “Well, that doesn’t help.”
“The cards never lie.”
I lowered my head and sulked. “I’m not choosing between them.”
“When the time comes, you’ll know what to do. It might not be a choice between Sloane and Declan. Sometimes, it’s a choice between who you’re supposed to be and who you are.”
I frowned, thinking of what the card meant in relation to my life. “Considering the prophecy, I think I already know who I choose.”
When the doorbell rang, I scooped the cards into the satin bag. I waited until Kate and Sloane finished their conversation about the weather and Sloane’s readjustment to Arcadia before I peeled myself off the stool. Sloane stood in the foyer, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. He was wearing a dark gray cotton shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
When he looked at me, a sweet smile spread across his lips. “Fiona…you look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I said with a cheeky grin.
Kate ended our staring contest by pushing me toward the door. “Well, you kids have fun.”
Encased by miles of oak, I drove through Arcadia down narrow stretches of dirt to Terra Falls. Sloane and I spoke mostly about the town and places we had gone to as children. At the end of the path, a lump in my throat materialized when the realization sank in that we would be alone. The makeshift gravel parking area was desolate. I sucked in a deep breath as I exited the car, a rush of nerves sweeping over me.
Sloane leaned his arm on the roof and stared into the forest, in awe of its beauty. “Wow, this place is incredible! It’s even better than I remembered.”
“I know. I love it here.”
We stood at the edge of the cliff. A cool breeze blew off the mountains as we took a moment to appreciate the falls in all of its spectacular glory. Three tiers of blue-green water flowed into the Sabine River. We hiked down the mountain, using the river as our guide. Up close, the water had the appearance of crystals sparkling in the midday sunlight.
Sloane clutched my hand, sending shock waves of energy through my body. When our eyes met, I wondered if he’d felt it, too. We sat at the center of the falls with our backs against a small cluster of rocks. It was my secret place where I would come to unwind when I needed a break from the world. I’d discovered it with my father on one of our trips through the forest.
Sloane hooked his arm around me. His movement was fluid, natural, as if picking up right where we’d left off.
As the hours passed, we discussed life after the Glamour War and the story of my parents’ accident. With Sloane, I found myself opening up, telling him things I had only shared with those closest to me.
The sun’s heat began to fade, and cool air stirred the leaves around us. Sloane felt the raised bumps on my forearms and rubbed them to keep me warm.
“I missed this. I missed you,” he said, tucking a loose curl behind my ear before tracing the outline of my jaw with his thumb.
Sloane looked into my eyes, and without hesitation, I twisted my fingers through his hair, pulling him closer. I could feel his breath on my lips. My breathing was erratic, and on the inside, I was dying with nervous anticipation.
Then, he pressed his lips to mine. Our kiss ignited a fire inside me, an intense spark that grew stronger as the power of my aura took over. When its energy was too strong, even for me to handle, I pulled away, afraid I would hurt him.
“What’s wrong?” Sloane asked, perplexed by my sudden reaction.
“Do you feel that spark? When we touch, at first, it’s like sticking my finger into an electrical socket, but the longer we hold on to each other, it’s sort of comforting, but it also freaks me out.”
He stared at the heart I was tracing on his hand with my finger, and he smiled. “I feel it, too.”
“Do you know what it is?”
“No. I thought maybe it was some kind of telepathic energy, but my dad said it’s never happened to him.”
“So, I guess that makes us freaks.”
He laughed once and said, “Yeah, I guess so.”
Sloane brushed the curls off my shoulder and kissed my neck. Every nerve ending in my body felt like it was exploding at the same time. As he reached my jaw, I lifted his chin so that our lips touched. One after another, images penetrated my skull, seducing me into a trance. I tried to move away from Sloane, but he held on tight as my mind drifted to another place.
Sunlight bled through the stained glass windows spanning the monstrous room. An electric green illuminated the gold tiles of the cathedral ceiling, reflecting off the white marble floor. The room was large enough to fit the entire town of Arcadia and boasted an endless banquet table.
At the head of the table, a man with long blond hair, dressed in a black-and-gold robe, extracted a velvet pouch from his pocket. He removed a gold object the size of his palm and spun the four dice attached to a spindle.
I looked at Sloane in disbelief and turned the blocks, studying the symbols engraved on each side.
“The Talisman of Grimnir,” the blond-haired man said, “one of the most powerful magical tokens in all the realms.”
I glanced at the middle-aged man on the opposite side of the table. He had dark hair tu
cked under a cap and wore navy robes.
“With this Talisman, you will defeat the Hexenjagers,” he said with a slight accent that made him sound more sophisticated. “It was created by the sorcerer Cyprian, the creator of The Black Book.”
Chapter 15
My eyes shot open as Sloane pressed his lips to my forehead. Once I regained awareness of my surroundings, I sat up. The crystal-blue water sparkled like a cluster of diamonds that wavered in the sunlight.
I hooked my arm around Sloane’s neck and rested my head on his chest. “Did you see my vision?” I muttered, still disoriented.
“Yes.” His voice had an edge to it. “It was the Great Hall in the castle at Krona.”
“What is it with Krona?” I said more to myself than to Sloane. “Do you know those men?”
Sloane nodded. “Yes. The man with black hair, his name is Magnus Maximus. He’s Queen Moira’s Magical Advisor and the most powerful wizard in Krona. The man with long blond hair is Erilaz, Rune Master of Krona. He’s also a wizard. The Queen doesn’t make a move without them.”
I stared at Sloane, perplexed. “Kate’s only mentioned the Queen and her sisters.” I paused, trying to recall every detail of my vision. “This might sound stupid, but what is a Rune Master?”
“Each realm has their own Rune Master. They study the ancient runic alphabet used to enchant magical objects. Some of the symbols on the gold tiles in the Catacombs are runes. I’m not sure how it all works, but my dad said, if you know what they mean and use the right incantation, you can enchant them to do whatever you want.”
“Is that why the dark Fey want to steal the magic of the Catacombs?”
Sloane nodded.
“Who’s the Rune Master for the human realm?”
“Jonathan Dorn.”
I chuckled when I heard his name. “Dean Dorn? Seriously? But he’s an Alchemist. They’re not even born with divine powers.”
“I take it that you haven’t learned about the Imperium Council and how everything works. I’m surprised Kate didn’t tell you sooner since you’re going to become Coven Leader.”
I frowned, wondering if my mother would’ve taught me sooner or if she would have enforced the rules like Kate. “I knew about the Fey, but I didn’t realize Jonathan Dorn was a subject of the Council. Kate was waiting until after Initiation to tell me everything because of the Coven Charter. Some of the Inner Circle take the rules very seriously.”
