“My sexy dream man!” she cried and fell into my arms.
It felt good to finally be able to hold her close, to finally feel her heartbeat next to mine. Her hair smelled like burnt vanilla, and her skin was as smooth as silk, though caked with goo and blood. “Please call me Scott, before everyone makes fun of me for the rest of my life,” I said with a chuckle.
Her head lifted, a soft look was in her eyes, and she whispered, “Scott.” Her hands rested on my chest, her eyes studied every inch of my face.
I couldn’t resist the plumpness of her pink lips, and my own moved closer. At their first touch, the electrifying passion from earlier returned, each touch leaving a fiery trail across my skin, her lips igniting the deepest embers of desire. We became lost in the kiss. Her lips moved with mine, and our tongues danced in each other’s mouths. My hands found her soft hair, tugging and caressing it. She moaned softly and I remembered where we were. I pulled back, my breathing heavy. “My Livvie,” I whispered.
She sighed and laid her head back on my chest.
“Scott, I need you over here. It’s going to take more than one healer to bring her back,” Grandma shouted at me.
I reluctantly released all but Livvie’s hand. We rushed together over to Juniper’s limp body. Livvie gasped again, covering her mouth to smother the sob trying to escape. Mark stood beside Grandma, his face white.
“We need everyone to stand back. Healing takes some work, and we need to be able to move around,” Grandma told everyone.
Sadie was too weak to help with the healing, so she stood with Mark in an attempt to comfort him. I lifted Juniper’s body and placed her in the middle of the floor. I got to my knees on her left, and Grandma got to on her right. We each laid a hand on her stomach and one on each shoulder, near the wound. I felt the energy surging through my body. My hands felt warm and tingly as I transferred my healing powers to her. Her body took on a yellow glow, and we knew the healing was working. Five more minutes of this and she should be back with us.
OLIVIA
I couldn’t control the racing in my heart. This night had been a disaster. Now I stood watching the man from my dreams trying to save my best friend. Juniper’s body was limp, the vibrancy of her skin replaced with a dull color, her life gone. She was still beautiful, but now she had an angelic air instead of the energetic liveliness I was so used to. Anna and Scott kept moving their hands along her body, slowly and deliberately. They were deep in concentration, their brows turned down. There was an orange-yellow glow around her body, like she was engulfed by the sun.
I looked at Mark, his face pale and his eyes betraying his deepest fear: that they wouldn’t be able to revive Juniper. I wrapped my arms around my body, my nails digging deep into my skin. I couldn’t think of that now. I couldn’t imagine a life without her. She was my sister.
My mind was pulled out of the deep thoughts with a gasp from Mark. My eyes darted to him and then Juniper. Her eyes were now open, and her wound was closed. Holding my breath, I waited to see what happened next.
No one spoke. Slowly, Scott and Anna lifted their hands. They looked weak. Their eyes were dim, and their shoulders slumped as they stood and backed away. Juniper lay still on the floor, almost motionless. Her fingers moved and her eyes shifted. Her face showed confusion, and she moved in a way that seemed new to her.
My heart raced as I inched closer to her. A hand reached out and stopped me. I turned and realized it was Scott. He looked deathly ill, and all he said was, “Don’t. She’s got to do this on her own.” I stepped back and locked my fingers with his.
Juniper suddenly jerked up, her petite body moving faster than I’d ever seen. Her eyes were wild like an animal’s, and there was a hint of red around the rims of her pupils. I wasn’t sure what had happened. Juniper was back with me, but she wasn’t the same. Her head snapped toward me, startling me. Her skin was clammy, but she no longer looked dead. “What did you do to me?” She glanced at each one of us, her voice laced with fear.
“J…you died. I don’t know what they did, but you’re back with us now,” I choked out through tears.
“I died? Like…I died?”
Scott stepped up, grasping my arm for support. “Yes, you died, Juniper. My grandmother and I brought you back to life. There are a few things we need to explain to you…” he struggled to speak. He was too weak from all the magic use.
Sadie got up from her sitting place. Her face was pink now instead of white. She stepped forward and looked at Juniper.
“Hello, my name is Sadie. I’m Scott’s sister and Olivia’s friend. What I’m going to tell you may shock you, but it’s all true. My brother and my grandmother saved your life, yes, but they also had to do a little extra to make that happen. Aiden, an ancient and powerful sorcerer, slit your throat and you died instantly. There was no healing that. Your spirit probably already had begun to pass over. What my brother and grandma did…they saved you and brought you back as an immortal. You won’t have powers like sorcerers or drink blood like vampires, but you will have speed, agility, strength, heightened senses, and the immortal life. You’ll never die. Good news is that this boy that’s so in love with you.” she pointed to Mark, “is a sorcerer, and he will be able to be with you for a very long time.”
We all stood in silence so thick I was sure they could hear my heart beating. Juniper was an immortal. She possessed super human powers, though not any like Scott. Or…like me. I saw flashbacks of setting Aiden on fire. Melting his body with my hands. I turned to Scott and Sadie, questions heavy on my mind, when a body hurled into my arms. Juniper was crying and holding me with a fierce tightness. I hugged her back, my own eyes burning with more tears.
“I thought I had lost you, J,” I whispered to her. She held me tighter. My ribs felt as if they might snap.
Mark walked up behind her, placing a hand on her slim shoulder. “Juniper? Can we talk?”
Her eyes were shining with desire as she nodded her head. They held hands and walked to the other side of the center, for more privacy I assumed.
I glanced at Scott and asked, “What happened to me, Scott? I threw fire. You spoke of my destiny. What am I?”
He sighed and took my hands. His strong fingers massaged my palms and wrists. My muscles relaxed, and the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding released. “Livvie…I don’t know what you are. You have a white aura. You have visions and throw fire. I’ve searched everywhere for history of white auras and found nothing. I think we need to speak to your parents to find any real answers. All I know is that you are very special to the magical world, or the CC wouldn’t have wanted you so badly. You wouldn’t have been able to defeat him if you weren’t a very powerful being.”
A white aura. Special to the magical world. The words jumbled in my mind making me dizzy. Exhausted, I collapsed to a sitting position. My dress was splattered with blood, and my hair was stiff and gooey. I couldn’t believe the first meeting with Scott was this disastrous night. My head felt heavy as I placed it into my hands, the tears flowing freely from my tired eyes.
SCOTT
I crouched and wrapped my arms around Livvie while she cried. I knew she was overwhelmed by the events, but I was lost as how to help. I caressed her silky hair, trying to relax her mind. Having her in my arms was tempting and fascinating. I kissed the top of her head and got up to find out what we were doing next.
Juniper and Mark were still seated in the corner, she in his lap and their fingers intertwined. They were gazing at each other lovingly. Sadie was cleaning up. Grandma was the only one not doing something. She was standing in the corner with her arms crossed, watching Livvie sob into her hands. I trudged over to her, my limbs not wanting to move. My whole body ached from overuse and I felt like I could sleep for a week and still be tired. My muscles were tight, my eyes were heavy, and all of my energy had been zapped. I reached out to hug Grandma. Her frail body had more strength than mine, and she held me up.
“What is it, little one? You have your Livvie here�
�and that’s a dress I made,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.
I chuckled. “She looks beautiful, Grandma. But…the CC…he’s only wounded, isn’t he?” I already knew the answer, but I needed to hear it to be certain.
“Yes, little one, Livvie only wounded him. That girl you’ve fallen in love with…she’s something special, Scott. Not many magical beings could harm one so strong when just discovering their powers. She seemed to tap into her anger, and it was released in a physical way,” she said, and her hand rubbed my back in circles.
“She has no idea, though, does she? She just got upset and angry and it just happened. Is that why she’s crying?” I was desperate to help her. It burned my heart to see her cry.
“I don’t know, Scottie…you’ll have to ask her about that,” she said as she slipped away.
Strength was returning to my legs, and I was able to walk back to her sitting spot without falling. I sat beside her, and reached to hold her. “Livvie…can you tell me what’s wrong, baby?” I asked her as gently as I could.
Her red streaked face looked into mine. She sniffled her nose a little, but her tears were under control. “I…I don’t know, Scott! I mean, what has happened to me? Is Aiden really gone? Or is he going to come back after me? What does a white aura mean? Have my parents been lying to me all my life?” Her questions bombarded me like hailstones. I reached out to her, sliding her into my lap. We sat, just holding each other for a long time until I could think of something to say.
Finally, the words I needed came to me. “My Livvie, I fell in love with you the first time I saw you, and I had no idea you were magical then. You were only magical in your beauty at that point. I saw no aura. I still don’t, actually, because you are my heart mate. You are the woman I’m meant to be with. When a sorcerer meets his or her heart mate, auras and everything else are null and void. We see only the person we love. As for Aiden, he’s not dead, but he’s seriously wounded. We should be able to find a way to destroy him before he’s strong enough to return. I don’t know about your parents, Livvie…but I’ll go with you when you ask if you’d like.”
Her hand squeezed mine, her face turning up to look at me. “I think I love you,” she said as she leaned in to kiss me. Her lips were urgent with need this time. She gently bit my bottom lip, making me moan when she stopped. Her eyes shone with the love and lust I felt. Grasping her closer, I growled and she giggled, making my stomach dance with butterflies. “You…you are naughty, Olivia Whitehead. Why don’t we see if anyone needs anything else, and then we can go somewhere to get cleaned up,” I said, with a longing glance.
“Ok,” she said as she bit her lip.
My need grew stronger every time I looked at her.
OLIVIA
Being near Scott caused a stirring in my soul. My head swirled at his scent, my stomach jumping at his touch. Each kiss was pure joy, each gaze a special moment in time. My mind was flooded with the dreams I’d had of him, making me long for his touch. We walked to Juniper and Mark, hand in hand, to see if they needed us for anything. One look at their lit up faces, and I knew they had finally admitted how they felt. I reached for Juniper’s hand, my mind still adjusting to the red rim around her dark pupils.
“Come on, J. Let’s walk for a second,” I said and pulled her up. Her steps were faster, her strides longer, and it was difficult for me to keep up. We stood beside the stage where she had died, my arms covered in goose bumps and my body gave an involuntary shudder. “Tell. Me. Everything.” I said to her in my loudest whisper.
Her eyes brightened and a small smile formed on her lips. “Well…he admitted he’s in love with me. And he said he wants to spend eternity with me. I know how weird that sounds, but, Liv, I know he means it. I can feel it. I’m so…different now. Like looking at you…every little thing about you looks HD. The green in your eyes, there’s even a little glow in them. I can see your skin pores. It’s so weird. I can hear everything. There’s a dog about a mile down the road, barking and trying to get out of his pen.”
“Wow…J…you make it sound cool,” I said and playfully punched her arm. Then I realized something, “Ohmygosh, Juniper! I haven’t had any visions since you changed. Maybe I only get them about humans….”
“Maybe. Hey, have you been crying?” she asked. She reached her hand out to wipe my face.
I nodded.
“Liv…what is it? You have this really hot guy here who I saw you kissing, which I want details about by the way. Life can’t that so bad.”
“J…I…your body landed in my lap after Aiden slit your throat. Even though you’re here now, it’s an image I doubt I’ll ever forget.” Tears started falling again at the memories. Juniper reached to hug me, her eyes welling up, too.
“I’m so sorry. I….I didn’t really believe you, Liv. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s ok. You’re here now. That’s all that matters,” I said with a smile.
We hugged a bit longer. “Juniper…what are you going to tell your parents?” I asked.
She wasn’t really paying attention to me, though. Her face concentrated on Mark across the room. He and Scott were picking up chairs and some of the mess we had made. It seemed that both men wanted to get their ladies far from here.
“Go,” I urged her as I hugged her chilled body. She didn’t have the coldness of death, but she didn’t have the warmth that I did either. “We’ll talk later.”
“I love you, Liv. I’ll call you tomorrow,” she said with a squeeze and bounced toward Mark, only she was sidetracked by Anna.
Sadie walked up beside me, smiling as she said, “So…you gonna call him Scott or Mr. Sexy?”
I laughed and said, “Both. Scott is sexy. I know he’s your brother…but…Look. At. Him.”
She pushed me while laughing and said, “Shut up. Eww. Gross. Now I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
“Thank you. For everything, Sadie. You’ve helped me so much…” I said, hugging her hard.
She hugged back, saying, “Anytime. I have a feeling you’re going to be my sister soon,” her face held a wide grin. I avoided the comment, because I was only seventeen after all. A thought occurred to me, and I decided to ask her about something. “Aiden hasn’t been to my house because of the wards you put up, right? That’s why he always stops on the street and texts…”
She nodded, still grinning. I would be proud, too, if I were a young sorceress who had held off one of the most powerful beings in her world.
“Good job,” I said and patted her on the arm.
“Olivia.” I turned when I heard Anna call my name, realizing she was still here. I bade Sadie goodbye, promising I’d see her later, and walked over to where Anna was standing near the door.
“Miss Anna, who knew you were more than you seemed?” I said. I reached out to give her a big hug. Juniper was at her other side, looking suspiciously sneaky.
“Of course, my darling. Things are never as they seem,” she said with a radiant smile.
“I’ll have to remember that,” I said with an awkward giggle. My eyes darted back and forth between her and Juniper, but I couldn’t figure out what mischief they were up to.
“Liv, Miss Anna was just telling me about how much Scott talks about you. He’s really in love with you, but why didn’t you tell me he was visiting you in your dreams?” she questioned.
My eyes widened, and I looked from Anna to Juniper and back, “Uh…you know about that Miss Anna?” I asked nervously.
“Don’t worry, my dear. I don’t know what happened. Though from your reddened cheeks, I’d guess it is best I don’t know.” She laughed and pulled me in for a hug, “You are destined to do magnificent things, Olivia, and you are destined to be with my grandson. And to think, you didn’t want to meet him.”
Shocked, I just stared at her. She had tried to set me up, and I hadn’t been interested. “Oh, yeah, I forgot about that…um…I’d love to meet him, Miss Anna, but see I already have…”
Anna laughed and Juni
per punched my arm with a slight look of hurt on her face. “You didn’t tell me that you were meeting a really hot guy in your dreams?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d believe me. I had a hard time believing it myself.”
“Still. You should have told me,” she pouted playfully.
Punching her arm, I asked, “Why aren’t you with Mark? You left me for him like five minutes ago!”
“Cauuuse,” she said. “I forgot I needed to thank Ms. Anna for saving my life and stuff,” she shrugged. She may be immortal, but she was still the same old Juniper.
Chuckling, I said. “And stuff.”
I shook my head at them, and we collapsed into a three way hug. Never would I have imagined my best friend would die, I would meet my true love, and find out the dress maker I’d been going to for years was a powerful sorceress all on the same night. I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t have the blood soaked gown and powers to prove it. I looked around at our little group. We were all giggling as we tried to get up. That’s when I heard Scott’s deep voice calling for me.
SCOTT
I checked the room to make sure Mark and I had gotten everything cleaned up. Sadie helped us some, but the other three ladies had been busy giggling and acting like girls, so she left to join. I hated to interrupt, but it was time for Livvie and me to finally get some alone time. We had a lot of talking to do. Jogging over to the spot where they fell into a heap, I looked around at them as the giggles got louder. “Are you ladies all right?” I asked. A grin played at my cheeks.
Livvie’s eyes shone and she said, “Yes, Scott, we’re fine.”
My heart jumped every time she said my name. I helped them all up, leaving Livvie for last. I wanted to hold her and never let go. I gave her a knowing look, and her eyes widened in surprise and excitement. Her luscious lips spread into a wide grin, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. I had already told Mark and Sadie goodbye. I grabbed my grandma for a hug and told her I’d see her tomorrow. She looked like she was trying to bite her tongue about something, but I couldn’t worry about that now. All that was on my mind was Livvie.
The White Aura Page 16
