by J. L. Weil
It was like walking into Narnia.
As the coffee pot brewed a holiday blend, I organized a plate of Christmas cookies for the customers. It might only be the middle of November, but Christmas in the shop started almost immediately after Halloween. There was still a small section dedicated to autumn and Thanksgiving, but primarily Christmas had taken over and would until the end of the year.
By that time, I would be ready to pull my hair out. The holidays were joyous, but they could also be frazzling. Carols pumped cheerily from the shop’s speakers, although I was feeling anything but cheery.
Actually, I thought I might hurl.
The amount of coffee I had inhaled this morning wasn’t helping my jumping nerves. My stomach was tied like a Chinese knot. I thought about my day with Lukas all night long. It plagued my mind.
The feeling was like being in a tangled web. It spun and spun out of my control.
I lost myself in the monotonous task of arranging the complimentary tray.
“Brianna.” Faintly, I heard a familiar voice.
My name finally registered, and I lifted my head, turning toward the sound of my aunt’s voice. I don’t know how long she had been calling my name, but I hadn’t been paying attention, my movements quick and jerky. In horror, I felt my elbow bump into something, and watched the shiny porcelain faerie on the counter tumble to the ground and smash to smithereens. The sound boomed through the serene shop.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what is wrong with me today.” Liar, screamed my conscience.
She put a steady hand on my arm as I went to bend down and clean up my mess. “It’s okay, really. I got this. Why don’t you take a break for a bit?”
Nodding, I took a seat on one of the stools.
She grabbed a broom and dustpan from the back room, her eyes brimming with concern when she returned. “You seem a little out of sorts. Do you want to talk?”
No matter how much I tried to disguise my emotions, no one knew me like my aunt. Everything inside me wanted to pour my heart out, all the dirty details. Finding out I was a witch. The dreams. Lukas. Gavin. Morgana. I could use some loving advice right now, someone to tell me how to handle this sticky situation, someone to help shoulder all the mounting stress.
How much could I really tell her without involving her in trouble?
“I don’t know. Maybe,” I admitted, studying her as she effortlessly picked up the broken pieces. Too bad my problems couldn’t be swept away so easily.
What was life without complications?
Peaceful.
Her light brown hair was secured in a low ponytail with a pen stuck in it. There were some ribbon pieces hanging around her neck. “I’m listening.”
I might not being able to tell her about the spells, the magic, or the witchcraft, but boy troubles were common teenage problems.
I sighed. “Uh, there is this boy. A friend,” I added.
She lifted a brow. “I see. Is he really just a friend?” There was no judgment, which was why it was so easy to talk with her.
Was Lukas only a friend? “It’s complicated.”
She pursed her lips. “You’re afraid how Gavin will feel about this friendship?”
Ding. Ding. Ding. “Not only that, he doesn’t really know about him. I’m not sure he would understand.”
She was probably wondering how I had suddenly become so boy-crazed. Honestly, I was too. “Well, you won’t know until you tell him. You need to be honest here, to both of them. The longer you prolong the truth, the harder it will be to confess. Trust me. Secrets are never good.”
And I did—trust her. I trusted my aunt more than anyone. She was not just my aunt. She was my friend, my guardian, my family. “You’re right. I’ve already decided to tell Gavin. It just has me completely freaked out.”
“Understandable.” She brushed a strand of hair out of my face. “Whatever happens, Brianna, you can handle it.”
I hoped she was right, because the pit in my stomach wasn’t so certain. Her unabashed confidence in me was a boost to my bruised esteem. I could always count on my aunt to make any situation less complicated.
After work, I knew that it was now or never. The sun was just beginning to set over the horizon, casting waves of purple and orange. The temperature had dropped, making the evening refreshingly cool.
I pulled into my driveway and took a deep breath, sending a text to Gavin before I lost my nerve. Can you come over?
His response was quick and short. On my way.
Just like that.
No questions, no demands for explanations. He was just that forthcoming.
It was hard to imagine my life before Gavin, or my life without him. We might have only met four months ago, but I felt as if I’d been waiting for him my whole existence. I’d never been boy obsessed before. One impulsive action led to my demise. Had I not skipped class that day, we might not be here. Together.
My heart hammered against my ribs. Surely, I was going to have a heart condition after all the insanity I’d been living with as of late. Knowing I had only a few minutes before his speedy arrival, I rushed into the house and bolted up to my room.
A sweep of the room revealed I needed to do a bit of damage control. The bras hanging over my dresser had to disappear. I shoved what I could under my bed, and waited for him, nibbling on my nails. What else could I do?
Lunar tottered under my feet, weaving in and out of my legs. He sat on the floor, looking up at me with those big, baby eyes and let out the tiniest, pathetic meow. Leaning down, I picked up the little furball and snuggled him under my chin.
“Lunar, you’re such a little pest.” His presence was a small comfort. Oh, the simple life. He just purred, loving any and all attention.
Tingles skirted on the back of my neck. Gavin had arrived. Lunar’s ears perked up, and I lifted my gaze to meet Gavin’s in the doorway. He engulfed the entrance. Gavin was many things.
Drool-worthy.
Dreamy.
Dangerously sexy.
A deadly combo. It was impossible to control the effect his presence had on my heart. Not to mention, the dancing fireflies in my belly.
He sauntered into the room, smirking, and I stared, memorizing the lines of his face. Every detail. His eyes were always the clincher for me, sealing the deal with just one glance.
“You couldn’t manage one day without seeing me?” His smile was filled with cockiness that for some ungodly reason, I found attractive. He sat beside me on the bed, the mattress squeaking under his weight.
Gosh. Did he have an inflated ego much? I hated that I was going to burst his bubble. “Funny,” I replied snarky. I blamed it on nervous tension. Lunar scampered to Gavin, and I folded my hands together. “Actually, I need to tell you something.” How was I going to get the words out? Where did I even start?
He raised his silver-studded brow. “Are you going to finally tell me what’s been bugging you?”
And to think I thought I’d been fooling everyone. Apparently not. I dropped my head into my hands. “God. I don’t know where to start.” My voice cracked, and a giant lump got stuck in my throat. He heard the apprehension in my tone and tears suddenly welled in my eyes.
Emotional overload.
Reaching for me, he wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me to him. “Hey, Bri, it’s going to be okay.” His fingers stroked my hair.
The last time we had been in my room, it had been an entirely different vibe, the steamy and hot variation. Now, it was dreadful and stifling.
He waited patiently as I clung to him like a lifeline, listening to his heart race. The zeal of energy between us was reassuring. I swallowed and forced myself to continue what I started. “It’s about my dreams,” I mumbled against his shirt, not wanting to let go just yet. I inhaled his woodsy scent, wishing I could bottle it up.
Then suddenly, I realized that a huge amount of my anxiety had disappeared, like a switch had been flipped inside me, a stream of warmth and tingles followed
from Gavin’s body. I pulled back to gaze into his glowing eyes, concluding he was using magic on me. “Did you spell me?” I asked.
His expression was unreadable. “I wanted to help you relax.”
I pulled my hand from his, and his eyes sharpened. “I don’t know why I didn’t tell you this sooner,” I said, bulldozing full steam ahead. “I should have realized it was important.”
“Tell me what?” The glint left his eyes, and his expression turned stony.
Holy moly. This was so much harder than I envisioned. “I’ve dreamscaped before. A lot, actually. I just didn’t know it.” Now I had his full attention.
“What do you mean, a lot?”
I cringed and wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. “Uh. I don’t know, for as long as I can remember. I thought they were just dreams, nothing more. It wasn’t until the Morgana thing that I realized it was more. Well, that and…”
“And what?” His tone indicated that he didn’t like where this was going. I couldn’t blame him.
Oh crap. Time to drop the bomb. I was sweating bullets. “The person I dreamscape…I-I saw them the other day. Up until that moment, I thought they were only a product of my imagination.”
His dark brows drew together. “I don’t understand. You dream with the same person? A person you’ve never met?”
I swallowed the cannonball- sized lump in my throat and nodded.
He ran a hand through his already messy dark hair. “Wow. That’s trippy. Did she recognize you?”
Shit.
The long pause and panic in my eyes must have said it all.
His shoulders slumped. “It’s a guy,” he muttered. The shade of blue in his irises darkened.
“He’s a witch,” my voice squeaked.
A vein in his temple ticked. “You’ve dreamed of the same guy most of your life—a witch nonetheless—and you’re just now telling me this?” Hurt and jealousy laced his voice.
Each word stabbed me in the gut, over and over again. “I know. I’m sorry. It didn’t seem important at the time. I thought they were only dreams.” Words rushed from my mouth as I tried anything to rectify this horrid situation.
“I can’t believe this!” He stood walking to the center of the room, voice rising. “Do you have feelings for this guy?”
The question of the hour, the one I’d been hoping to avoid.
Searching his eyes, I felt myself drowning in pools of hurt. I guess because I had to think about it, it was enough in his eyes to say that I did. When in reality, my feelings for Gavin were way stronger, but that wouldn’t cushion the blow. “It doesn’t change how I feel for you. It couldn’t.”
He wouldn’t even look at me. Giving me his back, he put a hand on the wall. For a split second, I thought that fist was going to go straight through the drywall.
Quietly, I got up and stood behind him, laying a hand on his arm. I called his name. “Gavin, I—”
He jerked away. “Don’t,” he said in a voice cold enough to freeze Hawaii.
My heart felt ripped to pieces—thousands of jagged, irreparable pieces. The hand he had against the wall flexed, and I watched, stunned, as it plummeted through the drywall spraying pieces in the air. Without another word, he walked out of the room.
It felt like a volcano had erupted inside me. Red-hot molten lava ran over my skin. I couldn’t breathe at the pain that had been in his eyes. Surely, it was going to kill me.
Chapter 6
THIS WAS WORSE THAN I had ever envisioned.
The pain was unbearable.
As soon as the front door slammed shut, I broke apart. Sliding down the wall, I curled into a ball. It didn’t help that simultaneously a wicked storm burst outside. Thunder exploded, lightning crashed, and the wind roared against the rattling windowpanes in a threatening war. I was responsible for the storm, but it didn’t mean I could control it, and the knowledge only made me cry more.
Everything inside me felt fragmented.
I was sick and heartbroken.
My entire being wanted to run after him, to beg him to hold me until the tears stopped, until the hurt stopped. But just as I knew it was too soon, it didn’t make me want it any less. He was more than just a guy I had fallen hard for. He was my protector, my guide through this whole magic mojo. Without him, I felt lost and alone.
Hours had gone by before the tears mostly dried up and my chest stopped heaving. I picked myself up from the corner where I was huddled and plopped down on my bed, still fully dressed. Each breath ached inside. My head hit the pillow, and the moment I closed my eyes, I was being sucked into a dream. A dream that wasn’t of my doing for once, but that didn’t make it any less real.
Or any less unwanted.
Tonight of all nights was not a night I wanted to dreamscape.
A part of me hoped that it was Lukas summoning me in the dream, regardless that every bone in my body was telling me it wasn’t. The hairs on my neck stood out, and the feeling of going under was different. I felt myself being pulled. This wasn’t Lukas’s doing. It wasn’t Gavin’s either.
It was her.
Morgana.
Sure as shit, when my eyes opened, there she stood. Beautiful. Prevailing. Intimidating.
What did she want with me? What could the most powerful witch want with me?
It just didn’t make sense. How had I gone from quiet, plain, boring Brianna, to a witch who dreams of dead witches?
Well, on the bright side, maybe this time I could get some answers, instead of fighting for my life. I really wasn’t up for going round two with Morgana le Fey. Of course she showed up when was I feeling like I’d been kicked in the gut and defeated. If I called Gavin in my dream, would he even come?
Her timing was no doubt deliberate.
Staring into her vibrant shade of violet-colored eyes was like looking into a mirror. It freaked me the heck out. I tore my gaze from hers as I looked around. The only words that came to mind were “enchanted forest.” Beams of colored fireflies zoomed in air that smelled like fresh-cut grass and full-bloomed roses. Exotic and tempting—sort of like Morgana. The trees were filled with glamourous, glowing fruits. Moss carpeted the ground, climbing up the trunks of trees. Any minute now, I expected to turn around and see a unicorn.
I felt like Snow White, and Morgana was the evil queen, trying to tempt me with her wily ways.
I stood there like a statue and waited.
Dressed like a Grecian goddess, her flowing raven gown draped to the mossy bed. Nails the color of death twirled a flower as red as her cherry lips. Locks of dark red hair pooled over her exposed shoulders.
Paralyzed, I didn’t know if I should run or attempt to cast an incantation. My spells usually worked best if I was mad, and right now, with my heart so dejected, I couldn’t muster up any anger, not even toward the woman who had tried to kill me.
I should have been shitting bricks. There wasn’t enough emotion left in me to feel anything but numbness. I was punishing myself for being such an imbecile and handling the Lukas situation poorly.
When Morgana finally spoke, her voice rang with authority. She expected to be heard and not taken lightly, as if anyone would disregard her. “Looks like there is trouble in paradise.”
I flinched.
“I’m not here to hurt you. Come,” she waved her hand, expecting me fall in step with her.
Like I had a choice. Robotically, I moved my feet one in front of the other. Together our legs kept perfect time.
Weird.
“Where are we going?” I feebly asked. Maybe this time she might actually tell me what the hell was going on instead of leading me blind.
“Nowhere in particular. Just to talk.” She angled her head toward me, scrutinizing me. “I thought it was past time I got to know my…let me see… I think, if I am right, it’s great-great-great-great granddaughter.” She ticked off each great on her hand.
Huh?
I tripped over my own feet as I felt the mossy ground fall out from under me. Holy
Crapola.
This dream had taken a turn in a direction that I was entirely unprepared for. Her granddaughter? How the hell was I supposed to feel about that? It didn’t seem real or plausible.
She had to be lying. It was impossible. Not me.
I’m just a small-town girl.
A small-town girl with extraordinary abilities, whispered a voice in my head. I ignored that pesky voice.
One of her lips curved. “I can see that I’ve shocked you. Are you really that surprised to be my only living descendant?”
Only living descendant? At least that would explain why she was stalking my dreams as of late. I wasn’t buying it yet. “D–did you say only living?”
Her cherry lips turned into a seductive grin. “The one and only, dearie.” She was the kind of woman who thrived on drama and being the center of attention—the polar opposite of me.
How could we be related, and why should I trust her?
I paused from our walk, and she faced me. “Bri, my dear.”
The sound of my shortened named caused my heart to twist. Only Gavin had ever called me such. She held out her palm and instructed, “Here, give me your hand.” The look on my face must have shown my skepticism. She gave a dignified eye roll and reached for my hand.
Like the last dream, I felt an instant connection, a string of our energies linking together, harmoniously synchronized.
“Do you feel that?” she asked softly.
Did I ever.
It was the greatest high—pleasure so surreal—a thousand times more potent than any spell.
The gleam in her eyes spoke volumes. She knew I felt it as strongly as she did. My eyes widened, and I started to believe. Just maybe, I was what she claimed.
“Our energies are naturally drawn together. They identify the link—our shared blood.” I found myself caught in the enticement of her words. “Some bonds are love or friendship. Ours is family. Together, our magic is limitless. Through generations it has thrived and flourished, and then slowly it began to die. Until you.”
“How can this be?” I asked, picking my mouth off the ground.
“You know…the birds and the bees. Please tell me you know about—”
