by J. L. Weil
Billy the badass gave me a sly wink as we passed him heading for the door. “I’ll see you soon, sweetheart. They say once you’ve been inked at Divinity you always come back for more.”
Gavin placed a hand on my elbow, and his flirtatious mood vanished. I could feel the steam of jealousy radiating off him. “Don’t hold your breath, tough guy,” he added, spitefully. Then he ushered us into the cool wash of twilight not giving me a chance to say anything, a good thing.
The moment the door closed behind us, we were consumed by the darkness. Gavin intertwined our fingers. Sparks flamed in the air from all the pent up irritation that suddenly rolled through him. “I should go back there and give Rambo a thrashing,” he growled.
I did my best not to smile.
He had been jealous. My chest bloomed.
I took a quick peek at the shabby house one last time before climbing into his car, careful to place my legs at an angle to avoid putting pressure on my back. I closed my eyes and listened to the low hum of the radio, comforted by Gavin’s presence. Before I knew it we were zipping into his driveway, and I wasn’t nearly ready to say good-bye.
Careful of my movements, I leaned a hip against his car and waited for him to walk around. Even with the black night, I could see his sapphire eyes lighting up like blue diamonds. “I wish this night would never end.”
His answer was to pull me into his arms, exactly where I wanted to be. I squeezed and let out a contented sigh. Plastered against him, he kissed the top of my head. There was still a light sting at my lower back, nothing intolerable. He pressed his face next to mine, and his ridiculously long lashes fanned my cheek. “Goodnight, Bri.”
I didn’t want to leave. It had been a huge step to the way things used to be between us. No way was I ready to let that go. I was too afraid that when I woke in the morning, it would cease to be the same—to exist. There were a billion questions on the tip of my tongue—questions about us, questions about runes, and questions about that place. In the end, I was just too exhausted to expel the energy needed to process all the information. So instead I said, “‘Night.”
He pressed a sweet, soft kiss to my lips, and I floated on a cloud all the way to the door on that kiss alone.
This was a night I would never forget.
Truly.
I had the tramp stamp to prove it.
Chapter 18
THE FEELING OF BEING ON top of the world followed me the rest of the night. As I got ready for bed, I could still feel the warmth of his lips. I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on my knee-high socks, unable to believe the events of the day. I touched my lips, remembering what it was like to have his mouth pressed to mine.
Everything with Gavin was always so intense. When things were good, they were cosmic. When things went sour, it destroyed my world. I doubted either of those things was healthy for a relationship, but I didn’t think Gavin and I constituted a normal couple.
There was nothing normal about me anymore.
I snuggled into my pillow, lying on my side. The tingly throb on my lower back brought a small smile to my lips. It was annoyingly persistent, but brought pleasant memories. I had to remember to thank Sophie for her underhanded plan. It was just the push Gavin and I needed.
I tried to force my giddiness to subside by closing my eyes. Sleep was going to be a long time coming. My fingers clutched the cool, tingling stones of the necklace dangling at my neck. Even though it didn’t necessarily work with powerful witches like granny dearest, I felt more secure with it on. Maybe the added presence of my new glamour rune would protect my dreams from others, or more importantly, from me.
Sleep might not have been in my future, but my unusual dreams were. I recognized the dream for what it was…magic. The swooping feeling of being swept away from myself to a world I had yet to really be able to control. The possibilities were there. I had even on occasion grabbed the reins and steered the mystical visions. It was just the instability of it all, the insecurity of my ability to control my dreams. One day soon, I was going to master these dreams.
For now, I wasn’t sure who I would find waiting for me in this parallel universe I seemed to visit more often than not.
The frothy blue-green waves lapped against the foamy shore as they rose and fell. My dark auburn hair whipped against my face with the wind, blocking my sight. Sand squished in-between my bare toes. Spitting a strand of hair from my mouth, I pushed the tangling mess from my face.
There she stood on the bluff, like a dark goddess with mega self-entitlement and a streak of wickedness. She looked like she owned the world, as if it was hers to command with a crook of a finger. If I thought Gavin had an ego problem, Morgana took the cake. She oozed badass.
She wore a bikini with a black sarong tied at her waist. Long, tan legs peeked through the sheer fabric. Waves upon waves of flaming dark red hair flowed with the wind, not like my snarling mess. Her purplish eyes laughed as she looked down to me, her granddaughter.
Immediately, I went on the defensive.
My head raised a notch as I met her amused gaze and arched a challenging brow.
She threw her head back and laughed. A deep, enchantress kind of laugh, and there was pride in those twinkling eyes when they found mine again.
So much for the rune being able to ward against Morgana. Hmm. It might be my dream we were in, but it was her essence that wafted in the air, holding me in a dream.
Like a light switch had been flipped on inside me, I was packed with rage. I was tired of being her puppet. I was mad at myself for not being strong enough to block her. And I was angry about feeling useless.
The smug smile that danced on her lips made me want to strike her down with a bolt of lightning. I was so furious I was quaking.
“I see you still don’t have a handle on your control over the weather,” she taunted, knowing what buttons to push.
I’d been unaware of the storm brewing around me, lost in my own fury and frustration, until she pointed it out. The wind howled, gusting as lightning lit the sky and the heavens opened up in rolling clouds behind me. The blood through my veins intermixed with power. Together the two blended, changing me, giving me an unconscious strength and confidence.
I blinked, taking just a second to rein in what was begging to be released.
In just that nanosecond, Morgana was in front of me, her soft yet firm hands gripping mine. Her eyes illuminated like purple Lite-Brite pegs. “What you don’t want is to let nature rule you. Remember that it is you who summoned her here. She is yours to control. Like a child, she must be taught to obey.”
Together with our hands bound, I felt the energy between us amp up like a high voltage shock. Stunned, I gasped. Then the mother of all storms circled us, but never touched us. We stood in the eye of the storm, unscathed. As quickly as it had been ignited, the vibrating hum of magic began a slow dance of recession, and with it the storm followed. The winds died to a standstill, and the dark, ominous clouds broke apart, letting a stream of sunlight hit the beach. The thundering waves quieted to low, gentle surf.
“Wow. That was amazing.” I couldn’t keep the awe from my voice.
“It was, wasn’t it?” Her smile was smug, eyes lively. “I’d expect nothing less than amazing from my granddaughter.”
Every time she referred to me as her granddaughter, I forgot she was talking about me. It hadn’t sunk in that this prevailing, beautiful, arrogant woman was part of my existence. Without her, I never would have been. It was a hard pill to swallow, considering she hadn’t been the friendliest during our first encounter. Not typical grandmother material.
I was unsure what to say or do. Like most of my dreams of her, she took the reins.
“Let’s soak up some vitamin D and have a little girl time.” She waved her hand in the air and poof, out sprang two wooden beach chairs. “We can chitchat about school, about magic, the boys in your life.” She casually snuck in the last part.
Boys?
As in, more than o
ne? Morgana knew more about my life than I was okay with. It was sort of creepy.
She made herself comfortable in one of the lounge chairs, and for the first time, I realized I was practically naked. I didn’t consider the very skimpy red bikini and wrap as adequate clothing. It was like walking around in my unmentionables. “You put me in a bikini?” I couldn’t help the outrage.
She tilted down a pair of sunglass that hadn’t been there a moment ago, amusement glittering in her eyes. “Hm. I wasn’t sure about the cut, but it flatters your curves splendidly. I’ve seen your selection of clothing, dear. What you need is a little more pizazz in your wardrobe. That, and some sex appeal.”
I choked on the sea salt air. My own grandmother was giving me fashion advice. Who knew what was next—tips on sex?
She studied me from behind her shades. “You’re looking a little pale; magic will do that—drain you until you build up your strength. Why don’t you have a seat?”
Grandma Morgana had just boarded the crazy train. She was out of her mind if she thought I was going to lie on the beach, mostly naked, and gossip.
However much it irked me, she had been right about my energy levels. I was feeling a little lightheaded and wobbly on my feet. Kicking my feet up sounded fabulous and too appealing to resist.
I sighed and joined her.
Sitting in the sunbaked chair, I fought the urge to cover myself with my arms. This was silly. What I needed was a large beach towel. No more had the thought crossed my mind when lo and behold, a colorful stripped towel appeared at my feet.
“Inventive. How about snapping us up a couple martinis while you’re at it?” Was everything to her so nonchalant? A joke? She gave me a smile filled with a thousand secrets. “One drink won’t hurt. After all, you do have a fake ID. How is your newly mutated body art, anyway? Sore? Tingly? All normal, I assure you.”
Wide-eyed and suspicious, I began to wonder if anything in my life would be my own ever again. She left me speechless, thriving on the element of surprise.
“Don’t be so shocked. As my only granddaughter, well, only living descendant really, I’ve taken a special interest in your wellbeing.”
Geez. Wonderful. “So what you’re saying is, you’re keeping tabs on me.”
She tapped a black nail to her lip. “If you like. You should be more careful who you let in your house.” Seriousness sparked in her violet eyes. Gone was the feisty banter. “You’re in danger.”
No shit. Thanks to you.
She let a sultry laugh. “Not me, sweet granddaughter but…someone close to you.”
Oh crap. Had she just read my thoughts? That was scary.
Then it dawned on me. The magic I’d felt in the air on Thanksgiving came flooding back to me. “It was you,” I accused, knowing without a doubt I was right. “You were at my house on Thanksgiving.”
She grinned at me like a proud parent. “Took you long enough. I figured you’d recognize my…subtle hints.”
Subtle? My aunt had been there. She was clueless about the madness I found myself surrounded in. “I should have,” I muttered in hindsight. “Though, I would have expected something more dramatic from you.”
“True, I do like things dazzling. In this case, I only wanted your attention. Instead, I got shoved out, by my own granddaughter.” She didn’t look the least upset by it.
“What do you mean, I pushed you out?”
“You have more skill than you give yourself credit for. What you lack is self-assurance, my dear. Then you’d be unstoppable.”
Unstoppable?
I shivered. I didn’t want that kind of power or responsibility.
“It’s yours, whether you want it or not, love,” she informed, a hint of a smile on her deep cherry lips.
She did it again. “Will you stay out of my thoughts?” I growled. “How is that even possible?”
She tsked her tongue. “So young. So naive. So much promise, so much to learn. I could show you. Show you it all and more. And more… And more…” The last words echoed over and over in my head as her form begin to flicker. My time with her was coming to end as I descended out of the dream and back into the comfy fold of my bed.
My eyes popped open, and a quick glance at the red numbers on the alarm clock informed I’d lost plenty of beauty rest. There was only an hour before school started. A dull ache took up residency behind my eyes. The side effects from these dreams were really starting to suck some serious ass.
I slid out of bed, seeking a shower and aspirin, before changing into comfy clothes, careful not to have anything harsh touching the still-sensitive and sore skin at my lower back. Speaking of…I wanted one quick glimpse in the mirror. I tugged up my shirt and checked out the glimmering ink.
It was beautiful.
I was such a rebel.
And this rebel was going to be late for school if I sat here admiring my rune another minute.
Chapter 19
SCHOOL WAS UNEVENTFUL, just what I needed. A bit of normalcy, allowing the pounding in my head to subside. Gavin had shown up in between each of my classes like old times, and the world felt right as rain again.
In chemistry, we took our usual seats at our table together. He stretched out his long legs. “Break any new rules since yesterday?” He shot me a sinful smile that had fireflies rocketing in my belly.
I leaned on my elbow. “I’m sticking to the straight and narrow path from now on.”
He twirled the hoop in his bottom lip playfully. “And here I thought the whole bad girl persona suited you. I bet you still have the ID.”
The corners of my mouth tipped. “Maybe I’m not ready to let it go completely. A girl can never be too prepared.”
“That’s what mom is always telling Sophie, but I’m pretty sure she isn’t talking about fake IDs or tattoos.”
I flushed a beet red. His words painted an explicit picture of the two of us in my head, and the satisfied smile on his lips said he knew exactly where my thoughts had headed. Suddenly, I wanted to be anywhere but here, in a class filled with prying eyes and a gossip mill waiting to explode.
But when he looked at me like that, the room disappeared. My body on its own accord leaned closer to him, his smoldering eyes doing funny things to my belly. There was this invisible pull between us. His thumb played with the jumping pulse on my wrist as I inhaled the unique woodsy scent that was all him.
My gaze dropped to his totally kissable lips, and an unhealthy dose of excitement hummed through my body—a mixture of magic and teenage hormones. I started to get all kinds of crazy ideas, and his grin turned downright wicked.
Just as I was thinking about covering those full lips with mine, our chemistry teacher shuffled in, balancing a stack of books and a wad of papers. The sound of chalk shrieking on the chalkboard had our little intimate bubble bursting and the chatter of the class resumed—regrettably.
Those sapphire eyes were heated like a blue flame. “After school…” he mouthed.
Yes. Yes. Yes. My body was screaming.
Then my tummy dropped, and my face fell, as I remembered I had plans for another vigorous training session with Lukas. I shook my head. “I can’t today,” I murmured, an apology bursting in my eyes.
The mood was broken. An unspoken understanding in his expression said he knew precisely what I was doing after school and with whom.
Lukas was waiting for me in my driveway when I pulled up. I had to wonder if he even went to his college classes as he claimed. He was always readily available. Weird.
The autumn sun picked up highlights in his hair, making him look like the perfect part for a boy band. Witch? Not so much. Holly Ridge was having an unseasonably warm December. Large, puffy, white clouds rolled above in a clear blue sky.
“Hey,” I greeted, slamming the car door behind me. Tossing my bag over my shoulder, I forced a smile. My heart wasn’t in practice mode, not when I couldn’t get my mind off Gavin. So much time had been wasted these last few weeks. I hated the thought of losing t
ime that could have been spent with him.
Lukas followed me inside, and I propelled my bag in the corner before heading to the kitchen for a couple of cans of Coke. Lunar wove in and out of my legs, yowling for attention, but once he caught sight of my guest, he ran from the room like a bat out of hell, nails shrieking against the floor. What a spaz.
I pushed aside Lunar’s nutty behavior. “What’s on the agenda today?”
Lukas popped the top on his Coke, the fizz hissing. “How about we do a little dreaming?”
I took a swig of my drink, the can cooling in my hand. “You mean dreamscaping?” I wasn’t sure how I felt about going under again. My head had just recovered from last night’s escapade, and I wasn’t thrilled about another round. I needed rest. The more magic I used within the dream, the harder the effects hit when I woke up.
A half smile played across his lips. “You know that you need to work on your control; this will help. Plus, you also need to learn to block other witches from pulling you in.”
“You can do all that?”
His answer was a sunny grin.
I’ll take that as a yes. “You suck,” I added grumpily.
He was completely unaffected by my charm. “How about we change it up? This time I’ll pull you into one of my dreams, that way you’ll get the feel of being on the other side, the one summoned into a dream.”
At least one of was excited. I couldn’t say the same. But he had a point. We took our drinks into the family room. “So how are we doing this?”
He grinned. “Assume the position, sleeping beauty.” His hand swooped over the couch like it was my royal chamber.
I rolled my eyes. “Clever.”
Setting the Coke on a coaster, I kicked off my shoes. Hey, if I was going to take a nap, I deserved comfort. I assumed to horizontal position on the couch, trying every which way to get relaxed. The fact that Lukas was watching me didn’t help. It was weird. He knelt over me, his emerald eyes shining above me. “No funny business,” I warned.
