by Alexis Davie
Romi would not put it past him, as he had a natural inclination to spy on her, although he would never openly admit it to her. He would describe it as being protective of his only daughter, the sole heir to the Friar fortune, as he had referred to it Romi’s entire life.
Her family had accumulated a lot of wealth over the years, but she didn’t care about it and she also didn’t care about the rest of her inheritance. To her, they were only dusty books, old trinkets and talismans whose power had run out hundreds of years ago. There was one item she did want, however, and that was the lapis lazuli pendant necklace her great grandmother had worn. It was the source of her power, and it was rumored that her soul, as well as her immense power, was locked inside the stone, only to be given to the most worthy of witches. It was locked inside a wooden box, guarded by magic, and only a witch pure of heart would be able to conjure the spell to release it. So far, no one had been able to.
Romi caught sight of her father out of the corner of her eye and turned her head slightly. Her father looked bewildered, angry, but at the same time, he could not tear his eyes away from the now pink and purple ball of energy bathing both of them in its glittery hue. She was struck by wonder at her fast her power had grown, and she wondered whether it was only because of Nyx, or because she now felt better about her future, and herself, for that matter. Her father’s hand waved at her, a small gesture, but she knew exactly what it was. He wanted her to finish, so that he could talk to her.
This is going to be bad, she thought to herself, making sure that her father did not read what was on her mind.
When performing a spell and releasing their energy out of their bodies, witches opened themselves up as well, including their thoughts, which meant that most other witches could hear their thoughts as clearly as though they’d spoken them.
Her eyes flashed and the light emanating from her palms decreased in both size and intensity, until it fit on her fingertip before vanishing into nothing. She turned to her father and smiled.
“I’ve never been able to hold it for so long before,” she told him dreamily, allowing her guard to come down, even if it was just a little bit. “And those colors. Did you see them?”
“I did,” her father said simply and closed the grimoire. “Something's changed in you, Romiera.”
Romi pursed her lips in disapproval. She had never liked her full name, hence she shortened it to Romi, but of course her father, being who he was, still called her Romiera.
“Why do you say that?” she asked, shifting her weight uncomfortably.
“Your energy has changed. It’s filled with pinks and warm colors. Your hues have always been cold, blues and greens,” her father pointed out and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What has happened these past three days?”
“Nothing,” she stuttered, knowing she did not sound too convincing.
“If you’re lying to me, Romiera—” her father warned.
“Okay,” she sighed. “There is something that happened, but it’s not a big deal. I doubt that it has anything to do with my new pink energy.”
“Tell me.”
“Well, I kind of met one of the Dragon Princes,” she said slowly.
Romi noticed that her father’s shoulders tightened and his glare grew harsh and volatile.
“What?” he asked in a booming voice.
“Would you please just listen to me for a second before you explode like Mount Vesuvius?” she asked.
Her father straightened his shoulders and glowered at her.
“I met him a few nights ago, one of the princes, and he was nothing like you said. He was nice and kind and…”
“That’s what they want you to think. They’re evil, vindictive, and manipulative. I want you to stay away from him, Romiera. Is that clear?” her father ordered.
“Dad, I’m a grown woman. I can look after myself,” she said firmly. “I know you want to protect me because I am your only child, but you can’t hold onto me forever. You know how I am, and you know that the tighter you hold onto me, the further away I am going to run.”
Her father shook his head. “Those dragons are evil.”
“Did they really do what your book says they did?” she asked and motioned bitterly to the grimoire on the table. “Or are you just bending the truth because you just don’t like them?”
Within an instant, her father was in front of her and he struck her cheek with a swift motion.
“You will not call me a liar! The Veskovic family caused the destruction of our coven! They slaughtered our family, and left us to die in the ruins of it all,” he exclaimed loudly, painfully. An angry tear ran down his cheek and his eyes flashed in disdain. “Those dragons are the reason why we had to uproot ourselves and leave our home, because they took what they wanted from us, leaving us with nothing!”
Romi stared at her father, her hand on her burning cheek and her eyes filled up with tears. “I don’t believe that,” she whispered in a broken tone.
“You’ve only met him once and he’s already clouded your mind,” her father muttered and he glared at her with contempt. He paused for a moment, studying her face, and his eyes flashed. “Or maybe something else happened which you don’t want me to know.”
Romi stared at him wordlessly and her hand slowly dropped from her cheek after a long pause. She wasn't ready to tell her father about what had happened, but since he had already seen through her facade of trying to act ‘normal’—however farfetched that notion even was—she knew the time had come.
Or maybe not.
She could lie, pretend that there was nothing between them, that nothing had happened between them. They talked—a lot—and they laughed. She knew about his family, although she was a little vague about hers. There was nothing threatening about Nyx, and she did not think she would ever feel that safe in a dragon’s presence, especially not after what she had heard from her father.
“I saw him after I met him initially.”
Her father’s eyes widened, and his face reddened from anger. “How many times?”
“Twice, after I met him,” she answered reluctantly. “I did not feel anything threatening about him, and you know how well I can read people.”
“That’s not the point, Romiera!”
“Would you just stop, please?” she said with frustration, and her father remained silent. “I understand that his family hurt you, Dad, and that because of them you lost your family, but he did not do anything to me. He did not hurt me—”
“He will. They always do.”
“Again, I don’t believe that. Nyx is good, and I know there is kindness in his heart.”
“He’s got you tricked,” her father muttered and turned away. “Unless…”
“Unless what?” she demanded.
Her father whirled around and shook his head in disapproval. “Did something happen between you?”
“Like how? Physically?”
“Did he touch you?”
“No, he did not touch me. How can you even think that?”
“Your energy changed.”
Romi inhaled slowly and deeply through her nostrils. “Dad, I’m going to tell you something, and even though I know you’re going to go ballistic and want to lock me away in the basement or the attic, I need to tell you this. And when I do, please don’t interrupt me, because I need to talk to someone about this, and even though I know you’re not the right person to talk to about this, you’re my dad, and you have the right to know.”
Her father held his hand up, dismissing her immediately, and he took a step toward her. “If this has anything to do with you and that Dragon Prince, then I do not want to hear it.”
“Dad, please—”
“You are to stay away from him. Is that clear?”
“You can threaten me all you like, Dad, but some things are just bigger than your need to control me. I’m done,” she told him, held her hands up in the air in defeat, and turned on her heel.
“Don’t you dare turn your bac
k on me, Romiera,” her father bellowed after her.
She whirled around and pointed her finger at him. “You’re the one who’s making me do it!”
Her eyes filled up with tears, but she did not want to give her father the satisfaction of seeing her crying and emotional. She turned away and stormed out of the house.
The cold night air hit her face as she heard the door slam behind her, and she walked to her car. She drove off into the night, softly chanting the words of a spell she did not use often enough.
A locater spell.
Romi needed to talk to Nyx, but she did not know where he lived, until now. The address floated around in her mind and, punching it into her GPS, she drove straight to it.
She realized she may look like a stalker if she showed up on his doorstep, but she felt like she had no other choice.
She drove into the trendy part of Covent Garden, parked her car behind a silver Mercedes, and climbed out. A dark brown door with a golden number 20 lured her out of her car, as if it knew exactly who she was. She opened it, since it was unlocked, and she walked to the spiral staircase to her left. A golden plaque on the wall showed that Nyx lived in the penthouse on the fourth and fifth floors. Of course, that did not surprise Romi in the least, as she knew the Dragon Princes were incredibly wealthy. She walked up the staircase to the fourth floor and stood in front of his door, hesitating for a moment. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
It only took a moment for the door to open, and Nyx’s face lit up when he saw her, although after a moment, his expression changed slightly.
“Hey,” he said to her with an apprehensive smile.
“Hey, can I come in?”
“Yes.” He stepped aside, allowing her to enter.
Romi stepped inside and although she had never been inside his home before, she felt completely at ease and comfortable. The spacious apartment was bright with large windows and light gray and taupe couches. The drapes were still open, allowing the lights from the city to sparkle through.
“Wow,” she whispered and turned to him.
Nyx was dressed comfortably in a pair of tracksuit pants and a red, long-sleeved T-shirt. His hair was messy, and there was a bit of stubble on his face. Her anger slowly melted away at the sight of him, his presence and just being inside his apartment soothing her, but she still needed answers from Nyx.
“I’m sorry to just show up at your door unannounced,” she apologized and noticed Nyx’s guitar leaning against one of the couches. An open notebook lay on the table beside it, as well as a pencil. Clearly he was in the middle of something. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.”
Nyx shot a brief glance at his guitar and shook his head. “No, of course not. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she answered, but her tone was filled with evidence that she wasn't quite so sure herself.
“Do you want to sit down? Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee?” he asked. “Tea, maybe?”
Romi suppressed a smile, as he was clearly under the misconception that the only thing witches drank was tea, and answered, “No, I’m fine. Thank you.”
Nyx looked at her, unsure of what to do, and shifted his weight. “How did you find me?”
“I did a locater spell in my car. I hope that’s okay. I just really needed to talk to you about something. Actually, it’s more of a confrontational question, to be honest,” she muttered.
“Okay,” Nyx said.
“What did your father do to my family?” she asked bluntly.
“I’m sorry, what?” Nyx asked in confusion.
“What did your father do to my family?” she repeated. “He despises you, all of you, and I want to know if what he told me was true. Did your father kill his coven? Did the Dragon King of Lunca slaughter almost every witch and warlock in my father’s family? I would really like to know.”
“Who’s your father, Romi?”
“Henry Friar, from the Waterford lineage,” she answered.
Nyx’s eyes darkened significantly and he nodded. “My father did kill every witch in that coven, or at least he thought he did.”
“So everything is true. The torturing, the burning at the stakes, even the earthquake…” Her voice trailed off as the images of her father’s past flooded her vision.
“Yes.”
Nyx’s simple answer made her stomach churn.
“I did not know that was your family, Romi,” Nyx said, a thick sense of sadness and guilt in his tone. “I’m so sorry.”
Romi shrugged and shook her head. “It wasn’t you who did all of that, and you couldn't have possibly known that you would meet someone whose father survived that tragedy.”
“I did not do anything to stop it.”
“You were probably just a kid back then anyways,” she whispered. “That’s why my dad hates you so much, and doesn’t want me around you.”
“Wait, you talked about me with your dad?” Nyx asked, panic forming in his eyes.
“Yes, I did. He noticed something changed in me. We were casting spells in the conservatory,” she told him and noticed his perplexed expression. “Yeah, don’t even ask.”
Nyx shrugged his shoulders, but remained wordless.
“Anyway, my energy’s colors changed. It was always green and blue, not a hint of purple or anything remotely warm. This time it was filled with pinks and oranges and purples. I could also hold my energy for so much longer than usual, and it lit up the whole conservatory. It was something so amazing, I can’t even describe it. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how blissful it made me feel,” she explained, her eyes eventually filling with tears. “What did you do to me?”
“I could ask that very same question,” he stated and turned to the notebook on the table. “I write songs about my life, about my feelings, never about a person. People let me down, and I don’t ever want to deprive a song of its potential because of a connection to a person who is no longer in my life. My songs are about feelings, longing, and wanting to find my place in the world. Then I met you, and everything changed. I started to write a song about you, and the way I feel about you, which sounds so fucking insane because I don’t even know you, even though it feels like I do.”
“I know what that feels like,” she whispered. “I can’t stop thinking about you, Nyx.”
“I can’t stop thinking about you either,” Nyx admitted and placed the notebook back down on the table.
Romi slowly approached him and took his hand, sliding her fingers between his. “Then don’t,” she whispered and looked up at him.
Their eyes met, and Nyx’s free hand rose up to her face. His skin was warm against her cheek and her senses exploded inside her. Her lips parted as he traced an invisible line below her bottom lip, causing Romi’s body to quiver with desire. He leaned in and kissed her lips with an equal amount of passion, urgency, and softness, which was exactly what she needed at that moment.
Releasing his hand, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. His warmth enveloped her, clearing her mind of anything and everything. All that mattered to her at that moment was Nyx. The pressure of his body against her made her want more, and her hands slid down his shoulders, finding the hem of his shirt. Her hands slipped underneath the soft fabric and found his skin, his rippled muscles. Her mouth broke free from his and he kissed her neck, causing her vision to blur with desire. She threw her head back as Nyx’s lips kissed her neck, traveling down her chest. She unbuttoned her shirt and it slid gracefully off her shoulders and down to the floor. Her hands tugged at Nyx’s shirt as well and he pulled it over his head and dropped it to the ground.
The heat inside Romi’s body exploded into a fiery inferno as Nyx scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom. The coolness of his soft sheets was welcoming in contrast with the fire burning inside her body—and his—and she groaned happily.
Nyx stood at the edge of the bed, staring at her intently and she couldn’t help but silently gaze at him i
n wonder. He was the closest thing to a perfect specimen she had ever seen. His broad shoulders, his perfectly sculpted torso, his strong jawline, and the incredible way he made her feel everything with such intensity—Nyx, in his entirety, was perfect for her, and she never wanted to be without him.
Ever.
Romi bit her bottom lip and in an attempt to be sexy and seductive, she slowly slid off her pants, holding her gaze with his. It seemed to work, as Romi noticed a definite shift in Nyx’s tracksuit pants and she raised an intrigued eyebrow.
“You should really stop that. You’re killing me,” he whispered in a husky voice.
“I’m not doing anything,” she whispered in return. “Not yet, anyway.”
A smile crept onto Nyx’s lips and he slid his own pants down as well. He slowly made his way onto the bed and positioned himself so that he hovered over Romi.
Romi studied his every move, taking in every inch of his body, etching it in her mind. Her arms around his shoulders brought him closer to her, against her, and she brought one leg up, resting her calf on the small of his back. She felt Nyx hesitate for a moment.
“What’s wrong?” she panted.
“Nothing. Everything is perfect, as long as it’s perfect for you too,” he whispered, brushing a lock of red hair off her face.
Romi smiled warmly, happiness seeping from every pore in her body. “It couldn’t be any more perfect if you tried.”
Nyx smiled again and nodded slowly before kissing her again. His hand moved down to her thigh and he whispered against her lips, “Is this okay?”
“More than,” she whispered back.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
His hand pressed against the soft fabric of her underwear and Romi already felt the fireworks going off inside her panties. The warmth of Nyx’s hands met hers and a moan escaped her throat as he pleased her, still kissing her neck. The waves of pleasure crashed over Romi one after the other until she felt as though she floated six feet above the ground.
“Take them off,” she whispered hoarsely in his ear, and he obeyed. With her calf again resting on the small of his back, she applied pressure, allowing him to slide inside her, and he groaned, his warm breath against her face.
