“What about Corbin? Why didn’t his powers ever weaken when he had Colden?”
“Because Colden never developed his ability.”
“Why doesn’t he live his life as a human? I mean, what does he do?”
“He can do most of things that all Enchanters can, but doesn’t have a unique power. And he isn’t very strong.”
“How does he stand that? Everyone around him is powerful.”
“He hated everything his father stood for so much, that he’ll do anything to keep us and the Ephemerals safe.”
Peter peered out the window, and Ava wondered what he was thinking. Instead, she just kept driving. Impatiently waiting for him to say something.
“What will happen to you now that you’ve told me all this?”
Her dream of Savina and her Aureole about to kill her came back to her and it made her shudder. “I don’t know.”
“It’s something bad, huh?”
“I could incur a harsh punishment. I didn’t talk to them before telling you all this. And I took you today, which Savina won’t be happy about at all.”
“Would they hurt you?”
“They could. I don’t know what my penalty will be.”
“But you haven’t done anything wrong. Think about it. If you hadn’t saved me, I would have known about Devon and you regardless.”
He had a point. “But since we did save you, you weren’t going to know anything. You would have been safe.”
“And how long do you think it would take for Xavier to come after me again? Especially if Savina had erased my mind. I wouldn’t know who he was or that he was bad.”
“She said she would have kept you safe.”
“What does that mean? Was she going to ship me off somewhere like I was in some sort of witness protection?”
“Possibly.”
They were both quiet for a long while. The rain stopped as she pulled her car onto an exit ramp. She made a turn and drove on to a long, high bridge. The crystal blue ocean partially shimmered below them under the partly cloudy sky. Once she crossed, she drove through the long hotel strip, found a public part of the beach, and parked her car in the small lot. The beach was deserted, especially since there was a hurricane threat. She got out and Peter followed as the wind picked up, whipping her hair in her face.
“I can’t believe we’re at the beach,” he said. “It seemed like a short drive. How fast were you going?”
Ava shrugged, tucked her hands in her hoodie pockets, and trudged through the white sand toward the water. “I don’t know.”
“You mentioned those illusions reflecting your powers. Which one was yours?”
She felt her lips twitch into a smile. “The ocean. I’m a Water Enchanter. I can conjure it, imagine people downing in it, and breathe underwater. Remember that day it snowed?”
“Yeah.”
“I turned the rain into snow. I can’t make it rain or anything, but I can turn water into ice or make it boil. At least, I think I can. I haven’t really tried.”
“Wow. What about the others?”
“Thomas is fire. He can create it.”
“How did he burn you?” He gritted his teeth, pointing to her arms, which had already healed.
“Because he can’t seem to control his anger, he grabbed me by the arms and squeezed. It felt like he had wrapped my arms in hot coils.”
He shook his head. “I can’t believe he did that to you. What can the others do?”
“Melissa is an Earth Enchanter,” she said. “She can move dirt, rocks, and things like that. And can poison people. Lance is the Sun, and can absorb powers. Gillian is the Moon, and controls minds.”
Peter stopped. “Did she mess with me?”
She turned and met his frightened eyes. “No.”
“But she could?”
Ava nodded. “That day you and Thomas fought, he threatened he would get Gillian to mess with your mind. That’s why I didn’t correct you when you thought I was still in love with Thomas.”
“But when he kissed you—.”
“That was Gillian making me feel that way,” she said and then stared out among the building waves. Red flags flapped hard in the wind cautioning anyone to go into the water. The constant thunder of the water colliding with itself calmed her. The salty air blew in gusts as seagulls and pelicans glided above in search of food. A large pelican landed on the water, and waded, like a duck in a pond. Its eyes watched the fish below, waiting to grab one.
“That day in the hallway,” Peter said. “When all those guys walked up to you…”
“She did that, too. We’re not supposed to harm or kill Ephemerals. But Gillian likes to play.”
“This feels so surreal. Like a dream.”
“I promise you, it’s not.”
“Well, at least I understand a bit more.”
“You must keep this a secret. No one can know.”
He reached inside her pocket, pulled her hand out, and intertwined his fingers with hers. His hand was cold, but she warmed it. “I promise. I won’t tell anyone.”
The pelican dipped its long beak into the water and pulled it back out, lifting it to the sky to swallow its meal. Ava crossed her legs and sat in the sand, and Peter followed.
“Okay, so you accidentally killed this Ephemeral guy when you meant to off the girl, right?”
“Yes.”
“How—how were you going to, you know…?”
“Drown her.”
“What happened? I mean, why didn’t it work?”
“She put images in my head so I couldn’t focus.”
“Like what?”
She looked down and her eyes watered. “She made me see my mom die again.”
“What?” he shrieked.
“I realize now she was murdered.”
He cursed. “H-how do you know?”
“She gave me the killer’s memory of that day. Not mine. She made me feel as if I were the one who made the lightning…” Ava shook her head.
He cursed again. “Was the killer there last night?”
“No. Kristen was there. She can produce lightning.”
Peter took a deep breath. “Does this mean Seth has an ability, too?”
“Yes.”
“Is there any way to save him? I know he’s a good person.”
“I think I finally convinced my coven that Xavier isn’t a Halfling and that he and Trudy made the Ephemerals into Halflings. Since we didn’t kill Trudy, she and Xavier have gone back to Devon. Colden led an Aureole to find him, but I haven’t heard the outcome of that yet.”
“Would it all be over if Devon were dead?”
“One could only hope.” She turned her head back to the ocean. The dark clouds speedily passed over them, covering the sun completely. “How are you not freaked out?”
“I was last night. But now that I understand more.” He shrugged. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter to me what you are.”
“Just what I do.”
“No. It isn’t like you’re out there killing people for no reason. You are protecting humans and yourself. Besides, haven’t you noticed? I’m so much in love with you that it’s overpowering any other sense I might have.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Oh, Peter.”
“This Devon guy won’t win. He won’t take you.”
“I hope.” She stood and moved closer to the edge of the water. “I wanted to explain everything to you to give you a choice instead of Savina taking it from you. I’m hoping this will give you a reason to leave.”
But that wasn’t true. She selfishly wanted him to stay.
“Leave?” Peter’s voice came from behind her. “No. You said every time you’re in pain and you see me, the pain is gone.” He took her arm and turned her around until they were face to face. “So what if I can protect you against him? I’m prepared to take on whatever I need.”
She searched his eyes. He seemed so confident. “I thought this would be harder. I never expected you to ta
ke my being an Enchanter so—so calmly. I feel like you’re letting me off the hook too easily and I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“You worry too much.”
“I don’t want to be the reason if you die.”
“You won’t be.”
“You saw us kill someone. Don’t you see what we are? We’re hunters.”
“You kill bad Enchanters.”
“You are so stubborn.”
“Yeah. Think we’ve established that we both are. But I’m not backing down.”
“I just want you to be safe. That’s all. I can’t bring you in this.”
“It’s a little late, don’t you think? Besides, you think I’m just going to let you take me back home and that be it? Just go about my life when I know you are in danger. Your mom had to convince her Aureole that she and your dad belonged together. You can do the same.”
Her lips pressed tightly together and her eyes narrowed at him. “No.”
“You know I’m not going to leave you unprotected.”
“No,” she insisted, but she felt her chin quiver.
“Why are you fighting this so much? This is the only way.”
“Because I love you, Peter,” she said. “And I can’t stand the idea of you getting hurt.” She sighed as tears fell down her cheek.
Peter reached out, brushed them away, and his brown eyes held hers. He placed his cool hands on either side of her face. “When we kissed, it was like…like an explosion. It was so powerful and I just knew it was right. I love you so much that I will fight and die for you. We’re in this together.”
Another tear fell.
“It won’t work,” she said. “I would have to convince Thomas and Gillian. They don’t exactly like the idea of you, at all.”
He shrugged. “Savina and Colden would have the final word right? You said they knew your parents loved each other. They can sense it with us, too. We just need to get their approval.”
“Savina told me to stay away from you. And I didn’t.” She removed his hands from her face, and turned back toward the waves. They grew, but were inviting to her.
“She won’t hurt you,” he said. “Or me. Can’t we talk about this somewhere else? I think we should go. It looks like a bad storm is coming.”
“It’s okay.”
Ava wanted to show him what she could do. If he wasn’t afraid, he really needed to see. She slipped off her shoes, and then eased her feet into the cold water.
“What are you doing? Ava, don’t go in there.”
Using her mind, the water quickly turned warm, as if turning a knob to hot, just like the day at the waterfall. She twisted around and held out her hand for him.
“Did you mean every word you just said?” she asked.
“Of course I did.” He moved closer. “I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes, I do, but come on. Seriously, it’s getting worse out here.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“I need to show you something.”
The wind whipped through her hair. The water crashed against sand, and as it retreated to the ocean, her feet sank in the wet sand.
“That water has got to be freezing.”
“Take off your shoes, and take my hand.”
“What are we doing?”
“You’ll see. Walk slowly into the water.”
He stepped into the freezing water, and caught her hand, never taking his eyes off her. His hair was messy from the wind. She focused her energy to pass into him.
“Wow, it’s warm. Are you doing that?”
She could feel herself smile. “Yes.”
“It’s amazing.” His voice shook. “But shouldn’t we get out before we drown from the waves?”
“No.”
A wave rolled toward them, and grew. Ava forced it to grow higher, making a rogue wave. She held it up for a moment, and then let it collapse around them. She felt Peter tremble.
“You want to be a part of this? Then you have to see what I’m capable of doing. Come.” Ava slowly moved deeper into the water. She wanted to share all of this with him, even though it was stupid and reckless.
“Ava,” he wavered.
“Trust me.”
He nodded, tightly held her hand, and then moved with her deeper until the water was waist high. She felt him relax.
“It’s like the water moves with you. It’s so calm around you, but so violent everywhere else.”
She pulled him closer, until their faces were just inches apart. The water began swirling, faster and faster until it rose above them, like walls. The water spun around them like a whirlpool, barely sprinkling on them. It was like their private bubble.
“This is so unreal,” he said, watching the water.
“What are you thinking?”
“Wondering how you’re doing this.”
She tilted her head upwards, and closed her eyes. Their lips touched, igniting the thunderous explosion of her heart, sending the blood throughout her body like lava from a volcano. He held her closer and his lips matched the urgency of hers.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
THE POINT OF NO RETURN
The drive home was rather quiet. The sun had set and the only light that guided her was the bright silver moon that peeked through the many broken clouds. Peter slept in the passenger seat. Sleep tugged at her body and she realized she hadn’t really slept since two days prior.
Ava knew the others were angry. She didn’t have to have a necklace to know that. Her cell phone showed several missed calls and messages from Melissa. She didn’t even want to think about what Savina and Colden would do to her. She would take Peter home first, and then talk to her friends, though she wasn’t sure what to say to make them understand.
The kiss, the ocean, creating the rogue wave had left Ava on some sort of high. Every bit of it was exhilarating. She couldn’t deny that Peter strengthened her, and that she deeply loved him. It was unbelievable how easily he accepted her supernatural world. Maybe he was like her father in that he was willing to give up his human life for her. The gesture awed her, but it still left her feeling guilty.
“If you keep chewing on your lip, you’ll make it bleed,” Peter said, stirring from his sleep.
She sighed. “Sorry.”
“Why are you still so tense?”
“I’m trying to figure out what to say to them.”
“Tell them the truth. We’ll make them understand.”
“You’re not coming with me.”
He let out a frustrated groan. “Yes, I am. It will be better if I’m there.”
“You can’t come. What if Thomas attacks you? Or Gillian tries to manipulate you into hurting yourself? You know she made Melissa almost slash her wrists open.”
“Stop fighting me,” he said. She could sense irritation in his voice. “Don’t you think Gillian or Thomas would have at least tried something on me by now?”
“That doesn’t mean they won’t tonight.”
“If you take me home, I’m only going to follow you again.”
Ava shook her head.
How was she even going to do this? Could Peter still become an Enchanter if two members of the Aureole disagreed? And what about Savina? Would she even listen to Ava? She had failed the mission. Broken her oath and her coven. Prevented her from erasing Peter’s memory.
She felt Peter’s hand take hers. “We can do this, Ava.”
“If there’s any sign of danger, will you promise to run?”
“Not without you.”
“You’re impossible.”
He squeezed her hand. “It will be fine.”
How could he be so sure?
“Stop doubting me, please,” he said.
“Are you reading my thoughts?”
“No, but I can read your face like a book. I know what you’re thinking when I say certain things because you bite your lip or you furrow your eyebrows.”
He knew her well.
Moments of silence passed. She didn’t know what Peter was thinking, but she stayed nervous as if her insides would give way at any moment from the stress. She wanted to do this, but was afraid.
Ava drove into the woods, down the narrow path, through the trees. She tried keeping her breathing normal, but once her necklace glowed, she knew her friends perceived her emotions.
She edged closer to the cabin, shifted the car in park, and killed the engine.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked.
He leaned over and softly brushed his lips against hers. “Yes. I’m sure.”
With a nod, she got out, and they walked hand-in-hand to the door. She took a deep breath and slowly turned the knob and opened it.
“Ava, where have you been?” Gillian stood from the couch with Jeremy. “Savina was looking for you.” Her glower quickly faded into surprise once she saw Peter. “What the hell is he doing here?”
Melissa and Lance moved closer as Peter came fully into view beside Ava. She clutched his hand so tight. Her heart pounded so fast she thought it would knock a hole in her chest.
“I need to talk to all of you.”
“What happened?” Thomas’ss voice came from down the hall. He abruptly stopped. Anger flashed in his eyes, and his fists clenched.
Ava tightened her grip on Peter’s hand and stiffened. “Thomas, please listen.”
“You brought him here?”
She held out her hand as if to stop him from getting any closer. “Just please listen.”
But it was no use. Thomas bolted toward her. She braced herself, ready to block him. As she anticipated Thomas’s impact, Peter’s body struck her, forcing her to fall over. She landed on the hardwood floor, turned her head sharply, and saw Peter slam into Thomas, knocking them both to the ground.
They struggled with each other until Lance seized Thomas and held him back. Melissa hustled to guard Ava and Peter.
“Let me go,” Thomas yelled. “I want to break him.”
“Calm down.” Melissa said.
Gillian folded her arms across her chest. “Are you siding with her now?”
“G, now is not the time.”
“You’re damn right this isn’t,” she snapped. “This isn’t the time to be bringing your new boyfriend into our home while he tries to attack us.”
Under A Blood Moon (Elemental Enchanters) Page 28
