Luminescence Trilogy: Complete Collection

by J. L. Weil

  The guy next to Astar with turquoise hair responded. “She took out one of our witches, Lotus, confirming that he gave us the right witch. Lotus was stripped of all her powers.”

  I stifled a gasp, trying not to show any emotion. It was hard to take anything from a guy with peacock-colored hair seriously, which made it a little easier.

  Jared stood straight, with his feet apart and arms crossed like a military lieutenant. “Is he here? We’d like to talk to him. See if we can help.”

  Astar nodded. “He might be. He is known to hang out here. His name is Devine. Lukas Devine.”

  Chapter 19

  My mouth opened, but I didn’t know what to say. A thousand denials were at the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t voice any of them. She had to be mistaken.

  Gavin’s faced turned dark, and he sent me a warning look. Keep quiet.

  Suddenly, it felt like a living, breathing monster had moved into the room with us, cramming me into a corner. My stomach seized. The next thing I knew I was gasping for air. Lukas? Lukas? His name echoed over and over in my head. A sense of denial took over and I started shaking my head.

  There was no way he would betray me. Lukas was my friend. Christ, he claimed that he cared about me, wanted to be with me. What was all the crap he was vomiting about us being destined for each other?

  Was this some kind of sick, twisted attempt to hurt me because I had chosen Gavin?

  My mind was whirling, but I still refused to believe that Lukas would stoop that low. He had done some pretty shitty things, like lie to me, but I had given him the benefit of the doubt. It had been to protect me. Right?

  I wasn’t so sure anymore. And I hated being filled with doubt. It made me weak and vulnerable, which were two things I couldn’t afford in the witches den.

  “I think there’s something wrong with your girl,” Astar commented.

  I probably looked like I was having a seizure or something.

  In two ground-eating strides, Gavin was in front of me. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him “Hey,” he crooned. “I’ve got you.” Wrapping an arm around my waist, he started to lead me toward the door.

  Thank God. I couldn’t not stand to be inside the club another nanosecond without feeling like I was suffocating, like I was being pulled by quicksand, drowning.

  “What did you slip into her drink?” I heard someone sneer before Gavin got me out of there.

  I leaned on his sturdy frame, taking comfort in his woodsy scent as he moved us through the crowded space. There were bodies everywhere, and I couldn’t breathe. What a time and a place to have a freaking panic attack. Timing was never my friend. And then just to drive home just how much my timing sucked…

  I saw him. We were about to reach the exit, and I looked back over my shoulder.

  “Lukas,” I hissed between gritted teeth. And before anyone could stop me, I was racing across the dance floor, zeroing in on my target. Lukas’s eyes found mine. “What are you doing here?” I demanded, and somehow was able to keep my voice even. Though I already knew, but I wanted to hear him say it—admit that he had put a hit out on me.

  I expected to see surprise in his eyes, not coolness. “Don’t you look…different.”

  Oh, snap. I had forgotten about my disguise, but it didn’t seem to matter. He still knew it was me underneath all the gunk. “Don’t dick me around,” I barked, tired of all the lies.

  His eyes narrowed. “Have you been drinking?”

  How dare he turn this around on me without a single bead of sweat. I was dripping with perspiration. The lights beat down on me like a sauna. “Is it true? Did you—”

  A hand closed over my mouth, silencing me from blowing my cover. “Bri, now is not the time,” Gavin hissed in my ear. I could feel the barely restraint anger seething from him in the arms wrapped around me. He wanted to kick Lukas’s ass as much as I did.

  Lukas’s lips thinned in a tight line. “You are going to get yourself in serious trouble in here. They don’t take kindly to fighting.”

  “I don’t believe it.” But, I was starting to. It was hard to imagine Lukas selling me out. He just wouldn’t.

  Yet he didn’t deny or admit that he was involved, and I found his silence maddening. The longer I stared at him, begging him to tell me that they were all wrong, the more heated my blood became. That was it. I reached my boiling point.

  The anger I felt just then was chart topper.

  I thought about shoving my boot up his ass, but instead I punched him in the gut. It wasn’t a girly kind of hit. I had packed it with magic. The air expelled from Lukas’s lungs in a rush.

  Jared laughed to my right. “Damn, girl.”

  It felt good to hit Lukas. My lips twitched in a giddy satisfaction as he groaned, which only sweetening the deal, but one taste wasn’t enough to feed my anger or hurt. So I lunged forward. My fingertips tingled with power, except I never made it. I found myself plucked midair, hoisted over Gavin’s shoulder, fireman style.

  “I never want to see you again. Ever!” I screamed, pushing the colored hair out of my face so I could sear Lukas with glares of hate. What an asshat. The fact that Lukas sold me out really burned my butt.

  Gavin’s dark eyes flashed like blue flames. “I’ll deal with you later,” he growled.

  Lukas cocked his head. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Gavin pivoted, weeding his way toward the exit as I tried to wiggle free, but his hold was like vise grips. “I’ll behave. You can let me down, now,” I yelled.

  “I kind of like manhandling you,” he said, but put me on my feet.

  Any other time, I would have appreciated the way my body glided down his. I guess I could blame Lukas for that, as well. The list of crud I could pin on Lukas was getting quite extensive.

  I stomped out of the club, dying for a gulp of fresh air without all the smoke, sweat, and magic clogging my senses. Air punched my lungs as I pushed my way out the door, Gavin and Jared right behind me.

  Gavin didn’t say anything, just stood beside me, letting me greedily inhale the cool night’s breeze. I was thankful for the quiet, just listening to the bustle of the city streets a block or two away.

  It was Jared who finally broke the silence. “This was the first time a girl almost got us kicked out of club, little brother. That makes her practically family now.” He swung an arm around my shoulder.

  I think that was Jared’s warped way of saying I passed the Mason initiation.

  Now that my lungs could breathe easier and my anger had subsided momentarily, I started to have a whole new onset of problems. My head started to spin in dizzy circles, blurring the city lamplights in a nauseating way. I lost my balance, and if it hadn’t been for Gavin’s ninja reflexes, I would have face planted the ground. “I think I’m going to be sick,” I moaned.

  Jared took a step back. “Yep. She’s all yours, bro. I’ll drive.”

  There wasn’t much talk or goofing-off as we piled into Gavin’s car. He threw the keys to Jared. They both knew that I wasn’t in the mood for bantering, not because my head was throbbing, but because of what I’d learned.

  This night had gone to shit. I had naïvely thought that after we left the secret society, I would…

  God, what had I thought?

  Once I’d learned the name of the witch who had given away my identity, then what? Did I plan to storm their house and threaten them or worse? The damage was already done. My name, my face was already circling through the community like wildfire.

  It was only a matter of time, and I felt as if my days were numbered.

  This had been a wasteful, stupid idea. I accomplished not a darn thing and lost a friend. I couldn’t afford to lose any more.

  Sitting in the backseat, I was feeling like I’d been poisoned, and Jared’s The Fast and the Furious driving wasn’t helping. God, did he think he was Dominic Toretto? Newsflash. If we got pulled over, I would definitely be asked to walk a straight line.

  Huddled in the backse
at, I could do nothing but groan. I didn’t protest when Gavin pulled me against him, or when I felt the tremors of magic skip on my skin. “What are you doing?” I barely managed to ask, the sound of my voice croaky.

  “Just helping take the edge off. Close your eyes,” he instructed.

  With pleasure. When I opened them again, I was entangled by the depths of his sapphire eyes.

  He rubbed his cheek against mine, the stubble tingling on my face. “Better?”

  Considering the shape I had been in before, the worst of my hangover was gone. “My head still feels like a bowling ball, but I don’t feel like I am going to yack all over you anymore.”

  “Good.” He kissed my forehead.

  “I don’t know what I would do without you,” I said, snuggling up against his side.

  He sent me a mischievous grin. “I’m pretty damn awesome.”

  And just when I didn’t think I had it in me to smile, Gavin proved me wrong.

  We were almost home, I realized, as Jared took the last turn to my street. Home sweet home. The sight of my house and the giant pear tree out front almost sent me to tears. Glancing up at the second-story window of room, I could practically hear my bed screaming my name. All I wanted to do was crawl as quietly and quickly as possible to my bedroom, and lock the door, so I could do some wallowing.

  Self-pity. So not cute.

  Gavin walked me to the door. “Are you sure you are going to be okay tonight?”

  A thrill sparked inside me. It was a miracle I could feel anything at all. I brushed my frazzled hair behind my ear. “Yeah. I just need to be alone.” I sensed a part of him was leery to leave my side, but he respected my request for space, though not too much. He would be at my house at first light regardless that it was a Saturday. I didn’t imagine I would be sleeping in anyway.

  “Bri,” he called as my hand reached the doorknob.

  I glanced over my shoulder.

  “Don’t shed a single tear on him. He doesn’t deserve them.”

  I gulped, my throating suddenly closing. All I could do was nod, before I disappeared inside my safe haven. I closed the door silently behind me and tiptoed into the kitchen with only thoughts of my jammies dancing in my head. Then a voice pierced through the darkness, making me jump out of my panties.

  “Where have you been?” Aunt Clara demanded. She was sitting on the kitchen table in the dark.

  I squealed.

  Oh. My. God.

  My shoulders sagged. My hand flew over my sputtering heart. “You scared me half to death. I can explain,” I rushed, praying that I hadn’t slurred my words or smelled like a Captain Morgan.

  She wrung her fingers around a mug of hot tea. “Good, because I would love to hear it.”

  I scuffed my boot on the kitchen floor, wondering if I lied or told her the truth. I had known the time would come sooner or later, and I’d had enough of lies. The deceit would feel like sandpaper on my tongue.

  A purple strand of hair fell over my eyes. Shit-on-a-broomstick. I had forgotten to say the words to remove Sophie’s charms. How in hell was I going to explain this to my aunt?

  Wait a second.

  Why wasn’t she freaking out? “You know it’s me?” I asked.

  She scoffed. “Of course I do. I know my niece when I see her.”

  That’s what she thinks…

  Or did she?

  I scrambled for a logically explanation, but as I looked at her face, I realized that it wouldn’t make a difference.

  Reality was a bit sobering.

  “How long have you been using magic?” she asked, staring at the tea in her cup.

  Bam. I was hit with one shock after another tonight.

  I froze. “You know about that?” I asked in a breathy tone.

  The corners of her lips tipped in a weak smile. “I’ve always known what you were capable of. The gifts you inherited.”

  For the second time today, I had the rug swept out from underneath me. I didn’t know how I was going to find my balance again. Sinking down into a chair at the end of the table, I dropped my head into my hands. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

  “I wanted to, many times, but your mom made me promise that I would not tell you. She was worried for your safety and trying to protect you. I had to honor her final wish.”

  I knew how hard she had taken the death of my mom, and I totally got why she had kept the truth from me. Like my mom, they both loved me and didn’t want me to get hurt, but none of their efforts had changed the outcome.

  She took a sip of her tea. “Are you okay?”

  No. I was not okay. I was far from okay. “I don’t know. It’s been a roller coaster of a year, and I am still processing.”

  Confusion flickered over Aunt Clara’s pretty face. “Are you at least going to tell me why you are dressed like that? Are you in trouble?”

  Crap. I was so exhausted I kept forgetting about my trashy look. Glancing into her concern eyes, all the words—the truth about where I’d been—got ensnared in my vocal cords. Things were complicated. If I started talking, I would have to tell her about Gavin, and Lukas, and I just didn’t have the energy in me tonight.

  “I went to a club,” I said, yawning. It was the most truth I could give at the moment.

  She stood up, placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “We’re both tired. Let’s get some sleep and we can talk in the morning.”

  I think I nodded. I would have agreed to anything as long as it got me into my bed. Holding onto the banister, I pulled my dragging butt upstairs and into my sanctuary. With a sense of sadness, I crossed the room and caught my reflection in the mirror. I hadn’t bothered to flick on the lights, but even in darkness, I looked like a hot mess. Mascara streaked down my cheeks. I was seriously rocking the world’s messiest do. And my outfit was laughable.

  Screw it.

  I tore off my clothes and body slammed the bed. Burying my face into the pillow, I inhaled the familiar scent of my life. Lunar came jumping up and curled into my arms, resting his little head next to mine. So many things were spinning in my head, creating a chaotic noise. I felt like I was spiraling downward, and by the time I understood what it was, there was no stopping it.

  I was being summoned.

  Chapter 20

  “I didn’t think you were ever going to close your eyes,” Morgana’s voice sounded from behind me, slightly miffed.

  I spun around, facing her, and angled my head to the side. “Do you watch my every move?”

  “Usually.”

  I gave her a bland look.

  Dark waves of hair spilled over her shoulders as she looked at me with eyes that were anything but innocent. “What? There’s not much to do on the other side, and you amuse me.” She walked around the room, occasionally running her finger along the back of the couch or over the woodwork.

  She looked so strange inside my house. Speaking of strange…I glanced down at myself and sighed. For once I wasn’t dressed in some sheer flowing dress or half naked. I had on my favorite tattered jeans, my coffee solves everything shirt, and pink, polka-dot socks. I couldn’t have been happier.

  Until I remembered all that had happened.

  My face fell.

  “Oh, shoot. You didn’t know if it was going to be me or him summoning you.” Morgana’s violet eyes missed nothing. “Grab me a drink, love. I’m parched. All this dreaming, traveling and spying stuff wears me out. And we have a lot to catch up on.”

  She was right. I watched as she sauntered toward the porch like she was walking the red carpet, her hips swaying. Shaking my head, I grabbed two cans of soda from the fridge and followed her outside. There was something stunningly beautiful about the sky. Reddish oranges and pinks smeared across the horizon. Hidden crickets sung from the overgrown brush and woodlands surrounding my house.

  It made me miss summer, so much tranquility and quietude. The perk of a dream was you could make it any season you wished. In the real world, summer was still a few months away, whi
ch meant graduation was that much closer.

  She was sitting on the old porch swing, staring off at the sky, much like I had. I sat down beside her, the wood creaking under my weight, and handed her a drink.

  “I miss this the most,” she said, lifting her face up to the light. “The feel of the sun.”

  Morgana may be many things, including sometimes a bitch, but she knew what I needed, when I needed it. She knew when to push me, when to console me, and when to be my friend or a shoulder to cry on. For the first time, I saw the woman sitting next to me as family. “I think I will miss the ocean the most.”

  With a flick her wrist, the porch swing started swinging on its own. “We each have an element we connect with. It is no surprise that yours is water. Do you plan on going somewhere, dear?”

  My brows scrunched together in confusion. “No.”

  “You said will miss, not would.”

  My feet stopped swinging over the side.

  She took a sip of her drink and winced. “How do you stand this stuff?” Waving her hand over the drink, I felt the swirling of magic. “There. If Jesus can turn water into wine, I can turn whatever this into something just as sweet.”

  The idea of alcohol turned my stomach.

  A secret grin appeared on her lips as if she knew that just a small whiff would have me puking over the edge. “You think because of what happened last night that you are doomed, is that it?”

  Did I?

  There just seemed to be so many strikes against me. If I managed to live and survive the attacks on my life, my soul still had shards of darkness, and they weren’t getting any smaller. If anything, they were growing, and it would only be a matter of time before the light was snuffed out.

  “I am here to tell you that there is still hope.”

  She was able to cut through my bleak thoughts. “How?” I asked.

  Hesitating, her expression sobered. “When the darkness becomes too much, you will find reprieve in the one thing you keep close.”