Smoke and Wishes (Best Wishes Book 1)

by A. J. Macey

  I continued to study and take notes, bouncing from my Supe Society book to my Supernatural Creatures 101: Types and Powers textbook.

  Within the range of taxonomic ranks, the most specific classification is the species. The species of man has many subspecies that includes the generic modern human form of Homo sapiens, meaning wise man. The revelation of the supernatural community established a new subspecies of man of the now dubbed, Homo supernaturalis, meaning supernatural man. Each of these species was further divided into subspecies, but a slang term that is commonly used to describe all supernatural humans is the moniker “supes.” Within this subspecies, there have also been different forms of Homo supernatualis defined by their unique genetic markers. These include: Magick Users, the Otherworldly, Shifters, Fae, and Vampires.

  Some examples of each form:

  Alukah: Vampires

  Magicae: Witch, Warlock, Necromancer, Alchemists

  Aetherius: Daemons, Angels, Incubi, Succubi, Demi-Gods/Goddesses

  Transmuto: Wolves, Lions, Griffins, Kitsune

  Alfus: Nymphs, Fae, Sprites, Sirens, Elves

  The book continued to talk about the different categories of powers and various examples of them; like mental powers such as shielding, telepathy, dream walking. There were multiple types of manipulation; energy, element, and reality being a few examples. Apparently one of my powers, reality warping, falls under that last one. I spent the next couple of hours reading through the rest of my various textbooks. Debate this last week didn’t have any homework or readings yet. The professor said we’d split into debate teams and select topics this upcoming Tuesday.

  I was just starting to take notes from my mental defenses textbook when the Bitch Crew walked into the library, led by the Gucci bitch from Friday. Ugh, I really don’t want to deal with them. They sat in some of the leather chairs that were set into a cluster not too far from me. Thankfully, they didn’t notice me as they started to gossip. I attempted to ignore them, but couldn’t help but eavesdrop when I heard Dante and Hudson’s names.

  “So, how was it, Khloe? Were they good?” The redhead with a southern accent directed the question towards a blonde and another brunette.

  “Oh my gosh, yes, Madison! Hudson was the perfect date. He flirted and touched me throughout the whole thing!” The blonde’s soprano voice called out. Her arms waving about animatedly.

  “Dante was a wonderful guy, he was sweet and funny,” the brunette added. Khloe, should probably remember that. I had a feeling I’d be dealing with them again if they were dating Dante and Hudson. “We actually have another date scheduled for Tuesday after his class! What about you, Brittney? When do you see Hudson again?” Her voice was slightly nasally. Jealousy coursed through me at the thought of any of my guys seeing someone else, but especially at the idea of them dating one of the Bitch Crew. I tried to clamp down on the negative emotions coursing through me. The guys were free to date whoever they wanted, I reminded myself.

  “Our date is for next Friday,” the blonde, Brittney, answered. As hard as I attempted to focus on my studying, their voices cut through any attempts at concentration. Deciding to pack up my stuff quickly, I tried to slip by them unnoticed. I was unsuccessful.

  “Oh, it’s you,” the Gucci bitch sneered. “Shouldn’t you be off stacking the shelves somewhere?” The other girls cackled. Who actually cackles?

  “Looks like she’s going to puke,” Brittney added, then continued in a stage whisper. “I’m betting she’s bulimic, Claire, no one is that skinny.” Breathe, don’t do anything rash.

  “I may be skinny, but at least I’m real. Word of advice girls, Barbie dolls aren't the best body idols. And if you're going to get work done? Make sure your doctor knows what he's doing.” I rubbed the side of my nose, maintaining eye contact with Claire. Smart Lucie, way to be petty. Who cares if they’ve had plastic surgery? I chided myself.

  “Last I checked, we’re dating two of your friends, so what does that say about them? It’s not like they’d want some too thin nobody. No guy would want a skeleton,” Khloe stated, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

  “Temporary lapse of judgment”—I shrugged nonchalantly—“every guy needs to get his dick wet once in a while.” I smirked leaving off the rest of my insinuation. Their jaws dropped, taking the lull of insults, I turned and strode off. My head held high even though my chest was aching and my eyes started to water. I will not cry. I vowed not to stoop to their level again. That's not who you are, don't let them get under your skin.

  I had locked away my emotions when I reached my dorm. Sadie was busy painting a large canvas when I slipped inside. Our shared living room was filled with her art supplies, paint tubes, brushes, metal tools all scattered on a paint tarp thrown over the coffee table. The canvas was dark, shades of black, greys, and white with a splash of red marred the page. The longer I stared at the work in progress the more the hair on my arms stood up. You’re just worked up over what happened in the library.

  I shook my head before turning away from the eye-catching shadows. Not wanting to talk, I slinked past her into my room closing the door behind me. I glanced around my small dorm room with disdain. I really didn’t want to stay here in case Sadie wanted to talk, but I also didn’t want to go back to the library and risk seeing them again.

  I wracked my brain trying to think of something, anything, I could do to get my mind off those catty bitches, when I remembered I hadn’t had a chance to take my wish tokens to my hiding place. Quickly ripping off my messenger bag, I changed from my flats to my knee-high black boots with thick tread. Can’t go trotting through the forest with flimsy shoes. I opened my closet door and pulled out the middle drawer of my dresser. Buried under all of my clothes, wrapped in a soft cream silk cloth, was my token box.

  I looked around for my cream, thick knit sweater which had large slouchy pockets that sat towards the bottom. I was able to slip in the box and cloth with it not being noticeable. The sweater was longer and reached mid-thigh putting the box at the perfect height for my hands to sit in my pockets without being awkward. Tucking my phone away in my pants pocket, I stepped out of my room quietly. Sadie’s movements caught my attention once more, large sweeping motions in frantic succession blended a swatch of dark paint over a blank piece of canvas. Her face was blank, eyes never straying from the easel, just flickering hectically from one portion to another. Yet again, I was struck with shivers and goosebumps at the painting. I slipped out of the dorm, focusing on my feet to rid myself of the odd sensation before pushing out into the breezy afternoon weather.

  Twenty minutes later, I stepped off the slightly worn dirt path, weaving through several trees to my favorite spot on campus. This area of the surrounding forest was deep enough in and far enough off the main routes that it was never was visited. Well, except by me.

  The small pond’s surface rippled in the cool breeze, grey weathered stones lining the water’s edge. The greenery and grass were softly swaying whenever the wind forced its way through the large, aged tree trunks. Sounds of birds and other wildlife of the forest rang out in the silence. Despite still being on campus, the area was still and peaceful. I closed my eyes and breathed in the smell of earth and pine. The stress from my earlier dealings with the Bitch Crew just melting away, the tension leaving my body with each deep inhale.

  When I finally opened my eyes, the sun had peeked through the clouds, casting shadows throughout the clearing. Looking around, I was determined to find a good hiding spot in the place I’d found serenity in. My eyes landed on a cluster of rocks that, upon first glance, seemed piled snuggly around one another. As I crept closer to inspect the formation, I noticed a small opening barely large enough for my token box. Perfect. I took another sweeping glance around the clearing, listening carefully for signs that anyone was near. When I felt sure it was just me and the forest, I pulled out my box, checking that the covering was secure and gently placed it into the alcove. Locating another small rock that sat on the grass a few feet a
way, I grabbed it and laid it on top of the opening, maneuvering it in a way that concealed the box perfectly. Content with my little hiding place, I smiled.

  Shifting from leaning on my knees against the rock formation to sitting on my ass with my back braced against it, I took a deep breath. Still not ready to go back to my dorm, I decided some meditation would be in order. I closed my eyes following the twins’ breathing suggestion and tried to let all my tension and stress go.

  September 4th

  Tuesday Morning

  Lucienne

  I met up with Cam, Dante, and Nik outside the English building before our debate class. Dante and Cam speaking in hushed tones with Nik interjecting here and there. I was more than happy to just walk with them and listen. They were discussing something they’d learned in their Comparative Healing class and how it would relate to Dante’s Advanced Warfare Studies. Having no knowledge on either of those subjects, I just nodded along as we walked into Room 418 and slid into our four person table. I sat next to Cam while Nik sat across from me next to Dante. I was pulling out my notebook and pen when Professor Crest came in.

  “Hello, class!” His thundering voice bounded through the room. The tall, wiry man had on slacks, a powder blue button-up, and a grey argyle sweater vest. His wire glasses were pushed up on top of his head messing his thinning brown hair. His blue eyes sparkled as he looked around the room. “Today is the day! We’re going to be choosing our partners. Once we’re separated into pairs, I’ll have you work on developing your main points in preparation for the upcoming debate later this semester.” He clapped his hands loudly, the noise echoing throughout the room.

  “I want you to find your partner, and then we’ll go from there.” His arms waved forward encouraging us to find someone to pair up with. I turned back to our table and looked around at the guys. They looked between each other and me clearly unsure of who should be with who. Glancing at Cam, I came to a realization, he’d been my table partner since the beginning of the semester and seemed well educated in a range of things regarding the supernatural community, making him a good choice. You just want to be alone with him don't lie to yourself, my mind whispered.

  “Hey, Cam, uh, do you maybe want to be my partner?” I stuttered nervously. “I’ve tried to learn as much as I could about the supe community this last week, but it’s a lot to take in and you spend so much time studying so you, uh…” I trailed off, trying to figure out how to end my statement, why am I like this? “Yeah, so I think you’d make a good partner.” Foot, meet mouth. I wanted to climb under the table and never come out. Instead, I took a deep breath and tried again. “What I’m trying to say, is you seem really knowledgeable and I think we could work well together.” Tucking my hair behind my left ear, I risked a glance over at him. A small blush crept up his cheeks as he adjusted his glasses.

  “I would love to, Lucie.” He gave me a small smile. His light brown hair was a tad messy, the waves falling down his forehead. Bright hazel eyes warmed as he stared back at me. He nibbled on the right side of his bottom lip, flashing a single fang. “I think you’d make a great partner.” Great, now I’m the one blushing. I smiled at him and turned to Nik and Dante. Dante was smirking at me softly while Nik was pouting, his attention focused on Cam.

  “But you are always my partner.” Nik’s pout turned into a salacious grin, dripping in innuendo. Cam’s cheeks tinged even darker as he pushed his glasses up his nose with one hand, clearing his throat before responding.

  “You’ve never had an issue with sharing me before.” His honeyed voice was low as he stared at Nik, a single eyebrow rose. Dante quickly covered his chuckling behind a tan hand. I’m so confused right now, are...are they…? My eyes bounced between the three of them hoping to be let in on the joke.

  “Anyway… guess that leaves you and me,” Dante stated, taking over the conversation, his arm weaving its way over Nik’s shoulder. A cocky smile appeared on his face when he turned to Nik, followed by a wink. “Hope I can keep up.” What the actual shit? Nik leaned into Dante as Cam eyed both of them appreciatively, biting that corner of his lip again. I felt like I was about to drown in sexual tension, the thought of any combination of them together making me clench my thighs tightly. I decided to redirect the conversation, bringing it back on topic, before I did something stupid. Like ask them to make out.

  “Want to be the opposing team for us?” I grinned, acting as if there was nothing odd about what just happened and that my panties weren’t utterly destroyed. Dante’s eyes strayed quickly to my lips while Nik smiled at me, his straight, white teeth catching my attention. Jeez, what is it about guys with nice teeth? As if they weren’t hot enough already. Cam shifted in his seat to face me a little more, his arm going to the back of my chair as he inhaled deeply. A soft sound emanated from his chest. Did he just growl?

  “Any idea what topic you would like to do?” Nik’s response was short and to the point. His voice gravelly and low, cutting off my internal questions as I forced my eyes back to his, struck again by the captivating cloudy grey irises. Grigori shifted slightly when Nik and Dante sat back up to their original positions, his wings flickering out before returning to his side.

  “I’ll be assigning the topics, Nikolai, but I’m glad to see friends are willing to be on opposing sides. It lends a certain strength to a debate when the teams are more susceptible to listening and understanding rather than being biased to their own opinions,” Professor Crest’s rich voice stated as he stopped at our table. “Since you four seemed to have settled your partners and opposing team, I’ll be right back with your topic.” He swerved around backpacks on the ground to his desk in the front corner of the room. He grabbed a scrap piece of paper and scribbled out a topic for us before straightening. Bringing the piece of paper to me, he nodded and shifted directions towards another pair of students.

  Supernaturals are superior to humans.

  I felt ice slide through my veins looking at the prompt. Despite knowing no one at our table would actually agree with it, my chest tightened thinking of the upcoming debate.

  “We’re taking the opposing team,” I announced with a no argument tone, holding the paper out for Cam to take, his soft fingers brushed mine. A tingle made its way up my arm from the brief contact, warming my skin. I looked over to see if he had noticed my reaction, but his eyes were on the paper and attention focused on adjusting his black plastic frames. He skimmed it quickly and nodded his head in agreement before passing the paper off to Dante.

  “Supernaturals are superior to humans,” Dante read out for Nik, a frown forming on both of their faces. Neither looked happy to be on the supporting side of the argument. “This prompt is certainly controversial.”

  “No kidding, I don’t think I’ve ever met a supe who truly believes that, but I guess it would be unrealistic to believe they don’t exist,” Cam added as he ran his hand over his freshly-shaven jaw. Nik’s glassy eyes shifting from Dante’s direction to my partner. Grigori squawked in agreement with Cam’s assessment. This was going to be a rough debate, I thought as we started discussing points for our accompanying arguments.

  9

  September 5th

  Wednesday Afternoon

  Lucienne

  I nibbled on my bag of chips as I flipped through the history book I had collected from the shelf. Cam sat quietly across the table from me, hunched over his notebook page, scribbling notes quickly across the paper. His light brown hair was messier than usual from the number of times he’d run his hand through it. I turned my attention back to the book forcing myself not to stare at him. Despite agreeing to work on our debate to get our main points selected, I couldn’t seem to focus, my mind just a blur of random thoughts.

  “Lucie?” Pulling back to myself, I looked at Cam. His hazel eyes streaked with green, gold, and even some blue, were laced with concern. “Were you listening?” I grimaced before I answered.

  “Uh, no. Sorry. My mind is all over the place today,” I admitted quietly, “w
hat were you saying?” He stared at me for a few moments, eyes taking in every detail of my face.

  “I was just asking if you had found anything in your book, but it doesn’t matter. Are you alright?” His honeyed voice soothed the turbulent emotions swirling in my chest. My lips pursed as I tilted my head slightly, trying to decide if I wanted to dive into where my mind had drifted.

  “I was just thinking about my birth parents... what would they be like? How would my life have been different if I grew up with them in the supe community instead of with my adoptive mom as a human, stuff like that.” I scratched my forehead attempting to cover my filling eyes from the guy across from me who seemed to see everything even if I didn’t want him to.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t be much help, but I didn’t grow up with my parents either. My aunt and uncle gained custody of me when I was five. They’re wonderful people, and I love them dearly, but I grew up wondering the same things. Now, I understand that it’s better to live your life instead of trying to reimagine the past. You can’t fully enjoy the present if you’re living in a world of what-ifs.” The words were soft-spoken, but they hit me like a freight train.

  He slipped his hand into mine, his thumb running back and forth against my knuckles. I blinked back tears, knowing he was right. My mind quieted the longer he rubbed calming circles. I smiled once, finally focused on the here and now.

  “Thank you, Cam. It means a lot.” I squeezed his hand as I spoke the sentiment.