Smoke and Wishes (Best Wishes Book 1)

by A. J. Macey

  “Can I help you?” I asked as I looked through the piles of books on the cart to see if there were any other non-fiction novels to shelve before moving on.

  “Yeah, you can.” Her voice took on a harsh quality as she placed her hands on her hips and lifted her chin to look down her nose at me. “Stay away from Dante.” Her sharp words cut through the quiet corner of the library, my brows scrunching at the odd command. Great, plastic number one has an attitude.

  “Dante and I are just friends, so I don’t understand where the hostility is coming from.” I gave her an incredulous look. Her eyes burned in anger as she glared at me. What is this girl on because hot damn, she’s intense.

  “I don’t give a shit what you two are or aren’t, stay away from him. Got it?” She took a few steps forward, closing the distance between us. After taking half a step back from the raging Barbie, she leaned her arm onto the top of one of the book stacks that were piled on the cart.

  “And if I don’t?” I really didn’t want to deal with this bitch, so I started pulling the other books for this section off the cart.

  “Then you’ll regret it.” She proceeded to push the stack she was leaning on over the edge of the cart. She turned on her heeled boots and strutted away. I knew my mouth was hanging open staring after her. What grade are we in? I feel like I’ve taken a damn time machine back to middle school. When I finally snapped out of my stupor, I bent down and picked up the spilled volumes hoping the pages weren’t damaged in the tumble.

  I unhurriedly returned the rest of the books after that. While I didn’t want to leave Muriel to deal with all of the counter business, I just didn't have any more social interaction in me. By the time I pushed the book cart back into its slot behind the front desk, it was nearing dinner time.

  “Hey, hon, I’m going to run over to the dining hall and grab some quick supper. Would you care for anything?” Muriel’s voice filtered out from the office, I shot back a quick ‘no, thank you’ before taking up my post at the counter.

  I was lost in reading a book someone had returned when the heavenly aroma of curried spice swirled around me. Looking up, I found Dante leaning on the counter with his arms crossed in front of his barreled chest. His face was lit up in a broad, white-toothed smile. The deep tan of his skin was flushed and his chin was covered in a day’s worth of stubble.

  “A little blue-haired bird told me that you love yourself some lamb vindaloo. Can I convince you to have dinner with me?” His eyes held a playful glint, shifting to move one arm so he could prop his chin on his palm.

  “I can’t leave, Dante, I’m the only one here.” I threw my thumb over my shoulder towards the office to show it was empty. He knelt down in front of the counter like he was grabbing something from the floor, which piqued my interest enough for me to lean forward up off my chair.

  “Well, then I guess it’s a good thing I was a Boy Scout. Always be prepared.” His deep voice flitted over the counter from his bent over position. When he straightened, he held two take-out bags and set them on the counter. “I come bearing delicious Indian cuisine including; lamb vindaloo, vegetable samosas, several types of chutney, gulab jamun, and of course, a large stack of naan.” My stomach growled loud enough for Dante to hear, resulting in a soft laugh to fall from his lips. “I take it that sounds appealing.” His voice shook with amusement. “So how about it, firecracker, have dinner with me?”

  “I’d love to Dante. Now bring that deliciousness back here before I waste away from starvation,” I pleaded in a pathetic voice. My playfulness was rewarded with a full-bodied laugh while he walked around the counter. Wonder what that plastic bitch would think of this. I snickered in my head at the thought of what her facial expression would be.

  Ending my internal musings, I rolled over to the empty desktop adjacent to the computer, pulling a stool out for Dante. He reached up and brought the bags down from the high counter. As he emptied the bags out onto the desk, I was enveloped in the heavenly smell of curry spices once more. Inhaling deeply, I moaned. Dante turned to me with a raised eyebrow, a strange look that quickly morphed into amusement flitted across his face before I could identify what it was.

  “Sadie wasn’t kidding when she said you had a deep-seated love for Indian food.” He took a bite of the dish. I was thankful he ordered a double amount otherwise I couldn’t honestly say there would have been enough for the both of us. I shook my head and took a bite of the lamb, followed by a bite of naan soaked in the vindaloo sauce.

  “I fucking love Indian food. Well, I love food in general.” I shrugged as I took another bite.

  “With how small you are, I never would have guessed,” he responded while digging into one of the vegetable samosas. His comment was innocent enough, but it still stung. Now or never.

  “I, uh, don’t really have an appetite when my nerves start acting up. I do love food, especially spicy food, but when my anxiety is being an asshole, it’s a struggle to get anything down and keep it down.” I looked at my food, soaking up more of the sauce with the bread so I didn’t have to see the look on his face. After a long silent pause though, I glanced over to him.

  “I’m sorry, firecracker, I didn’t mean to be insensitive. I wasn’t thinking.” His eyes searched mine with a small frown marring his handsome face.

  “It’s alright, Dante, I promise. Truthfully, this is something I promised myself I’d work on when I came to RSU, making friends, opening myself up. Charlie, that girl that called while I was at your place the other day, knows almost everything about me. Which is great, don’t get me wrong, I love my best friend, but when I left for school at the beginning of summer, I realized I wasn’t close with anyone other than her and my mom. So, I decided to try and be a bit more open and social. Although, I’m pretty sure the twins kind of forced me into it when they ambushed me after I deliberately sat away from the crowd at orientation.” I laughed remembering them plopping down into the seats and talking to me like they’d known me forever. My heart ached at the thought of my mother and Char, but I pushed the feeling away quickly. That’s why I’m working on it.

  “I’ve never been great at making friends, I was picked on a lot in school, Charlie and...” I shut down the thought of him before it could fully form. Taking a deep breath, I continued, “Charlie would always stick up for me. That’s why we became such good friends. She’s always confident and doesn’t take shit, and I’m, well...” I shrugged as I mumbled the rest, “just kind of there. I don’t know, I don’t seem to interact well with others and my nerves usually get the best of me.” I realized I was rambling on and decided to redirect the conversation. “So, yeah, that’s way more depressing than I anticipated for tonight. Time for a subject change. How was your day? What have you been up to?” I laughed looking into Dante’s forest green eyes.

  “Well, you’re more than welcome to use me for socializing practice.” He chuckled. “I promise not to judge, I actually struggled with something similar when I was younger. The guys have always been there for me, but it was hard making any other friends outside of our little group. Getting into Kohl my senior year of high school actually helped. It kind of forced me out of that shell, maybe you just need to find where you belong that brings out that in you too.” The warmth of his smile made my heart squeeze. Where did these amazing guys come from? They're all so thoughtful. “I have an idea, give me your phone.” His calloused palm appeared in front of me. I raised an eyebrow at him and dug it out of my jacket pocket. He quickly typed something in after I unlocked it. “There now you can reach me anytime, day or night.” Now that I thought about it, I figured it would be a good idea to have Cam and Nik’s numbers since I’d already gotten the others.

  “Thanks, I sent you a text so you have my number. If you want, you can send it to the other guys. The only thing I need you to promise me is to make sure no one gives it out to anyone else or tell anyone that it’s my number, alright?” I couldn’t help the desperation that tinged my words as I cut into the rest of my sa
mosa.

  “You got it, firecracker, I’ll just add you into a group message how’s that?” My phone chimed immediately after his inquiry.

  Dante: “look who joined the party guys!”

  Hudson: “holy shit, princess is officially in if we’re adding her to group chat!!!” His response was followed by three excited emojis.

  Lucie: “hey guys, happy to be part of the inner circle.”

  Landon: “LEMON DROP!!”

  Unknown Number: “hey doll, how are your ribs feeling today?” The text screamed Cam.

  Logan: “pleasure to have you love, this could get interesting,” his message included a winking emoji as well as the one with little devil horns, making me chuckle.

  Unknown Number: “Got it.” Nik rounded out the last of the group’s responses.

  I saved Cam and Nik’s numbers to my phone, my chest tightening for an entirely different reason than the usual anxiety. It felt good to belong, especially with a group as close-knit as this one. Their looks have nothing to do with it. At all.

  “I’ll talk to them about not giving out your number. Okay, firecracker?” I nodded in response, tucking my phone into my pocket. “And to answer your questions, well, for one I’m sitting here enjoying this delicious dinner with you. Second, our Kohl practices are going really well so we should definitely have a good shot at winning the tournament this year. Third, I have a double date tomorrow night with a girl from my stats class.” I tried to ignore the surge of jealousy at the thought of Dante on a date with someone else. Who am I to feel that way? I just met the guy.

  “That's great,” I squeaked, my voice pitched slightly higher than normal. “I remember the twins mentioning you were captain of a Kohl team, but I honestly have no idea what that is or how it’s played,” I admitted hoping he wouldn’t detect my irritation at the date comment. Dante proceeded to launch into an in-depth, albeit very confusing, explanation of the supernatural game Kohl. There’s a person who is essentially a goalie defending a flag, a group of enforcers who try and knock out the other team, and then the attacking group who are tasked with capturing the flag by any means necessary. Well, not including mortal wounds or permanent damage, obviously.

  “It’s a game you have to see to really understand. I mean, I’m the captain and I still have a hard time explaining it to those who’ve never seen a match.” He chuckled at my confused expression.

  “No, I think I’m following. What role do you play in the game?”

  “I’m what’s called a Rover. I can jump in for any position needed at any time,” he explained. The more he spoke on the topic, the more his eyes lit up. He must really enjoy this game, I hadn’t seen him this animated over anything else. “For example,” he started, grabbing a stapler and some other office supplies to create a makeshift field on the desk in front of us. “If the goalie was being hounded by Raiders, I could jump in and be an assisting Guardian. Or if the Enforcers are struggling, I can back them up as well.” I nodded and kept my face blank, hoping he didn’t see how lost I was. “You didn’t understand any of that did you,” he said with a teasing smile.

  “No,” I said with a smile of my own, continuing to nod. He shook his head at me and continued.

  “Raiders are the ones responsible for retrieving the flag, a Guardian is the official name for the goalie, as for the Enforcers”—he trailed off trying to come up with a comparison—“think beater in Quidditch.” I stared at him in awe.

  “Like Harry Potter?! Oh, I have got to see this game.” My excitement was blatant in my words.

  “Well, good, we have a game on the 21st, you can see it all play out then. The captains are the only Rovers and everyone has the go-ahead to defend themselves, but Enforcers are the only ones who can actively ‘attack’,” he finger quoted.

  “Sounds both intriguing, yet utterly terrifying. I have no idea how I would even fair in a Kohl game. I can barely use my powers.” I coughed out a laugh at the crazy idea of me on the field.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll all be alright and if not, there’s the hospital wing in the administration building for a reason.” Dante finished up the last of the Indian dessert he brought for us after I motioned of being way too full, even for dessert. “You’re going to come watch the games, right?”

  “Of course, I’ll come. I want to support my guys and, you know, understand what the hell people are talking about when they bring up Kohl.” My voice rang with amusement.

  “Your guys, huh?” Dante’s face broke into a smirk with an eyebrow raised. It just occurred to me what I said and immediately felt heat rush to my cheeks.

  “You know what I mean, not my guys, but more my group of friends that I want to show my support to,” I quickly rattled off gesturing wildly before I could dig a bigger hole for myself in this deep grave I’d already started. I laid my head on the desk with a thump, groaning. Bury me now please, my headstone shall read ‘Death by Social Awkwardness’.

  “What’s the difference between the guys and my guys,” he prodded, the latter part of the statement was laced heavily with innuendo.

  “Uh…” I struggled to figure out what I was going to say without sounding perverted or overly possessive. Thankfully, Dante took mercy on me.

  “I’m just teasing, firecracker, don’t worry. I know the twins will be happy knowing you’re out in the stands rooting for us.” he stood up to throw the trash away.

  “The twins are on the team too? Wait, just the twins? You won’t be happy I’ll be there?” I couldn’t help the hint of flirtiness that slid into my voice. Dante didn’t disappoint in his response.

  “You know damn well I’ll be happy you’re there, firecracker.” He had leaned over me with his chest brushing my right arm, his breath tickling my ear as he whispered. The deep melodic sound of his voice rumbled in my chest, causing a small shiver to run down my back and my breathing to pick up speed. He glanced over his shoulder at the clock hanging on the wall. “Damn, I have to get going. Thank you for having dinner with me, Lucie. I’ll text you.” He straightened up and walked back around the counter. With a wave and a smile, he pushed out the front doors stepping outside into the fading sun.

  8

  September 2nd

  Sunday Morning

  Lucienne

  I pushed open the door to the library, stuffed from a breakfast with Sadie that consisted of delicious cinnamon rolls and fruit cups. Got to toss some kind of healthy food in there. I wasn’t working today, but I figured getting a day to work on upcoming reading and assignments would be the smart thing to do. Walking towards the back of the main study area, I found a small two-person table right under one of the windows. I placed my book bag on the floor against the table leg and pulled out my notebook, a pen, and my textbook; An Introduction to Supernatural Society: The History of Supernatural Integration into Human Society. I decided to just jump right into reading before looking over the syllabus, not really caring about the upcoming assignments at the moment.

  Until the early 20th century, various supernatural species avoided the Homo sapien, humans, preferring to live in species-specific seclusion groups such as shifter packs or witch covens. However, by the early 20th century, most supernatural species did eventually assimilate into the human population while masquerading as full human. In the year 1931, vampire Henry Marion’s actions ultimately lead to the humans’ revelation of the existence of all supernatural species. Between 1919-1931, Marion left a trail of exsanguinated corpses across most of the United States. It was between 1930 and 1931 that Marion was at his most prolific, killing 18 total victims. Although Marion wasn’t caught until 1932, once captured he was convicted of 34 counts of first-degree murder and eventually sentenced to death.

  These events were the impetus that eventually forced the supernatural community to reveal their existence. Immediately after the event, which came to be known as “The Exposure”, leaders from each supernatural group assembled in an effort to strategize about the best way to transition into a peaceful coexis
tence with humans. This meeting established the position of Supernatural Ambassador; a post that was intended to create open communication and understanding between the two species.

  After more than 5 years of intense debate and unrest, the decision to integrate all supernatural species into human society was finalized. This integration included equality for all supernatural species regardless of their specific supernatural type or supernatural powers. Using modern genetics, each supernatural species has been identified using unique markers to define their “race,” thus avoiding the establishment of a caste system. The Supreme Court ruling of Terriano vs. The State of Texas stated that while those of supernatural origin are considered human, with their extra abilities the need to institute a separate legal system of judgment would be necessary within the parameters of criminal proceedings, legislation, and incarceration when the human courts were unable to.

  So essentially, everything is the same for supernaturals as humans, just a separate, more equipped legal system to handle things “as needed”. I continued to read and started to take notes. The book then went on to cover the other changes to the government in America, supernatural specific seats were added within Congress in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to make sure representation of supernaturals were included. A Supernatural Ambassador position was added to the Presidential Cabinet, and a Supernatural Special Operations division was added to the military. Although the division wasn’t tied to one specific branch over the other, it was there as a precautionary basis.

  Another significant change to the government and legal structure was that a supernatural jail/prison hybrid was created, structured to handle all types of supernaturals including those held for trial after an arrest, minimum security all the way up to a supermax wing of the prison. Finally, the last addition was a supernatural equivalent to the FBI known as the Federal Supernatural Investigation Division, or FSID for short. They handled cases that looked to be supernatural that the human police couldn’t solve. That sounds like a quite a bit of changes for them to be treated “just like humans”, though I didn’t doubt that they helped bridge any gaps between supes and norms.