by Sonya Clark
Vadim removed his jacket and draped it around her shoulders, using it to pull her to him. “Hi.” A nervous laugh spilled out.
“Vadya.” Lizzie circled her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. “Oh, God.” She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Maybe she’d do both.
“I know,” he said as he stroked her hair. “It’s okay. Everything’s gonna be okay.”
She let herself sink into his warmth and comfort. The sense of rightness his embrace gave her was like nothing she’d ever felt. He tipped her chin up and pressed his lips to hers. Tenderness flowed between them, and then heat when he increased the pressure.
The sound of fake throat-clearing interrupted them. Vadim kept his eyes on her while he answered. “Yes?”
“We’re gonna go,” said Calla. “Call if you need anything. But, like, not until tomorrow.” She choked off a giggle.
Vadim said to Nate, “Come see me when you’re settled. I could use your help with some...projects.”
For a moment, Nate looked like the soldier he’d once been. “I’m in. See you in a day or two.” He picked Calla up and carried both her and his duffel with no trouble, the two of them laughing and talking as he walked away.
Lizzie watched them go, still nestled in Vadim’s arms. She looked around, realizing she hadn’t paid attention to FreakTown itself. Created in one of the oldest and most run-down parts of town, the architecture was out-of-date and the condition of the buildings poor. Graffiti covered the facades, some of it beautifully artistic. Few people were out in the early morning cold, but the ones who were gave them a wide berth and curious stares. Armed sentries stood outside a guard shack that looked prefabricated and new.
The top of the fence was visible over a low structure. A crew worked installing concertina wire.
“It’s been electrified too,” Vadim said. “Among various other security upgrades in the last month.”
“I didn’t think it through,” she said. “It happened so quickly. I just thought if I could appeal to people’s better natures—show that Normals and Magic Born aren’t that different and that magic is nothing to be scared of.... I was stupid.”
“No, you weren’t. You know what’s on the other side of the fence in front of the main gate?”
She looked at him and shook her head.
“Protesters. Not a lot, maybe half a dozen. But they’ve been there every day since the ordinance passed, women marching back and forth with their homemade signs. Their homemade signs that say We want our children back. That’s never happened before, Lizzie. Never.”
“That’s not because of what I did.” She wanted to see the protesters for herself.
“I think it partly is. Mostly I think it’s the law itself. They went too far.”
“What if they did? What can we do about it? Especially from trapped inside the zone.” Despondency threatened her happiness. This had never been about just the two of them. So much more was at stake. She would grab on to whatever she could have with him and hold it tight, but a larger responsibility tugged at her conscience.
“I’m still working that part out. I know one thing.” He took her by the shoulders and faced her, his eyes burning with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine. “Those protesters out there. What you did in that council meeting.” He took a deep breath, as if struggling with emotion. “It’s given me something I’ve never had. Hope.”
That made no sense to her. How could he have hope when the zone had been essentially turned into a prison? Still, protesters outside the main gate...that was a huge change, as well. If Jennings and his supporters truly had gone too far, perhaps people would start to push back. It would take more than just the Magic Born though. Normals would have to be a part of any movement to change the Magic Laws.
She thought of Nate Perez and how much he’d given up to be with the witch he loved. Maybe Vadim wasn’t so foolish to hope.
All Lizzie knew for sure right then was that she was exhausted, desperate for a shower with at least a little bit of warm water and hungry. Well, there was one more thing. “I love you, Vadya.”
“I love you too.” He adjusted his coat around her more snugly. “Come on. Let’s get out of the cold.”
“I don’t know where to go. I mean, I thought housing arrangements were made. Assigned apartments or something.” She would have preferred something else, but was hesitant to say so.
“If that’s what you want I can take you to the housing office.” He grinned slyly. “If you’d like to take time to consider your options, I happen to know where there’s a very comfortable bed.”
“Would there also be a shower?”
“Mmm. And an eager houseboy to wait on you. Wash your hair. Rub your feet. Rub anything that might need attention.” He linked his arm with hers and they started walking. “Oh, and there’s a bottle of wine waiting too. Clean glasses, even.”
She laughed. “You thought of everything.”
“I try. So what do you say? Shall we go home?”
“I’d like that very much.”
Home. The sense of rightness returned, and this time it was overwhelming. She’d never thought that home could be a person but she realized now that’s exactly what Vadim was to her. Acceptance. Safety. Heaven.
“Just so you’re clear,” he said. “Something that hasn’t changed about FreakTown...” He opened his hand and with a surge of magic she felt all the way to her toes he created a winged dragon out of dark, opaque witchlight. It floated above his palm, sunshine glinting off its blue-green surface to make it resemble labradorite. “We can do magic here whenever we want.” He extended his hand toward her, the invitation clear.
Biting her lip, she took it. She raised her hand to help guide it and focused her will on the witchlight dragon. It spread its wings, flapped them once, then took off. She led it on a bumpy, uneven path above the buildings, over the fence and out of the zone. She gave it a final push of magic to keep it going for however long the energy would last and watched it soar.
* * * * *
About the Author
Sonya Clark grew up a military brat and now lives in Tennessee with her husband and daughter. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance with a heavy helping of magic and lots of music for inspiration. Learn more at www.sonyaclark.net.
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ISBN-13: 9781426898594
WITCHLIGHT
Copyright © 2014 by Sonya Clark
Edited by Jeff Seymour
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