by V. M. Marsh
“That may well be, but as I said before, time is of the essence and the greater good must be considered. We must get him to cooperate, and Emma is the best chance for that. Besides, she knows her duty and has chosen it over Lars once before. I have no doubt she will again and that her betrothal to Jace will remain intact.”
My heart sunk as many members of the Circle glanced between Jace and me with expressions of relief. I stared at the ground as I fought to keep from frowning or appearing anything other than indifferent. Peeking at Jace from beneath my lashes, I saw him shift uncomfortably and grimace.
We were friends, but that was all. We got along well and even liked each other. We would make great roommates.
However, there was no spark, no chemistry. How we were expected to make little magic offspring without that, I had no idea. Maybe we could do artificial insemination. I put a pin in that thought to discuss with Jace later since I knew he had no more desire to have sex than I did, which was none at all.
“Thank you for this valuable information, Emma. Now get to work on making your vision happen. Everyone else, keep an eye out for the Power Thief and stay safe. That will be all.”
As the Circle scattered, I attempted to get lost in the ruckus and leave unnoticed. Mostly, I was avoiding my parents and Jace. I had nearly reached the thicket surrounding the circle when a hand clamped on my shoulder.
“Hold it right there, Missy.” Dad gently turned me around to face him. Grimacing, my hand rose in a half wave.
“We're worried about you, honey.” Mom said. “We had no idea Lars was back. When did that happen?”
“He showed up in the lobby asking for sanctuary not long before I called the Circle.” I sighed. This wasn't going to be pleasant.
Eyeing me suspiciously, Mom nodded. “Well, we don't want you to get hurt again. Despite what you think, we know how difficult it was for you to break things off with him last time. Are you sure you can handle this?”
I laughed humorlessly. “It's not like I have a choice, Mom. I have to handle it; the Council has spoken. You know as well as I do that when they say jump, we ask, 'How high?'”
Dad pulled me to him and wrapped his big strong arms around me. Kissing the top of my head, he said, “You'll always be our baby. Don't do this alone if your heart can't take it. Your mom and I are always here to help. And so is Jace. Lean on us, on him if you need to. Or even if you just want to.”
I squeezed him and laid my cheek on his chest while I inhaled the pine scent of his shirt. Dad always knew just what I needed. Sometimes he knew what I needed when even I didn't. Taking solace in the comfort of my father's arms, I struggled to keep from crying over how unfair life could be.
In some ways, I was blessed beyond belief. For instance, how many people had as loving, kind, and caring parents as I did? I was sure not many. But in return, life was determined I would live without romantic love. Without a true partner to share my joys and sorrows, to raise a family with. I sighed. Life could be a twisted cruel bitch.
“Thanks, Dad.” I let go of him. As I strolled away, he gave me a pointed look that told me he’d noticed I didn't promise or agree with what he'd said. After shrugging, I fought the forest back to the lodge all the while wondering how the hell I was going to accomplish my task without destroying myself in the process.
Chapter Three
Feeling antsy, I flounced over to the lodge bar in keeping with my extra-perky personality everyone expected. After a deep breath to brace myself, I hauled open the door with a hundred-watt smile stretched wide across my face. Practically sparkling, I bounced to an ebony square stool at the bar.
Spotting me, Charlie yelled over his shoulder just before disappearing in the back with a tub full of dirty glassware. “Hey, Emma. I'll be right back. Sit tight.”
Drumming my fingers, I played a dull tune on the chocolate granite top shot through with caramel swirls shining in the dim lighting. A guest a few stools down from me shot me a raised brow as if to inquire about my sanity. I let my eyes take on absent quality and grinned at him, like I had a few screws loose. He frowned and turned back to his drink.
Chuckling, I continued my merry tune of thuds on the bar. Sometimes this persona had perks, like when I got to mess with people. If I couldn't be myself, I should at least get to have some fun with my role.
With that in mind, I pursed my lips and rocked out to my finger music. It was difficult not to burst out laughing as I watched the guest from the corner of my eye, especially when he picked up his drink and moved to the other end of the bar.
Throwing open the swinging doors, Charlie came out wiping his hands on a rag. He threw it beneath the counter as he came to stand before me. “What'll it be today? A tequila sunrise? Midori Sour? Strawberry margarita?”
My face involuntarily scrunched up with distaste. Crap. I needed to cover for that. Sorry, Charlie, I was going to have to pull out the woe-is-me card. I made my face fall. “Those all sound too much like a Scarlet drink. I'll just have a glass of Cabernet, please.”
I felt horrible when Charlie lost his smile and dropped his gaze. “Sorry, I didn't mean to bring her up. I know how much this situation hurts you.”
He placed his hand over mine and gazed earnestly into my eyes. “It sucks. It'll take time, but she'll get over it. She'll come back to you. I'm sure of it.”
His eyes darted passed me as a look of horror and chagrin crossed his face. Faster than a rattlesnake, he released my hand and backed away. I raised a brow as bewilderment came over me, but he turned to snatch a wine glass from the rack and drag out a bottle of wine. That was weird.
Well, it was until Zoey hesitantly sat beside me with downcast eyes. Now it all made sense. Don't worry, Charlie, I got this.
I adopted a kicked puppy-dog expression while facing Zoey. I even pinched myself hard enough for tears to well up in my eyes. Ooops, that may leave a bruise. It stung and really hurt even after I let go.
“Hi, Zoey.” I moped. Just as I hoped, her eyes shot to mine, and she frowned with concern.
“Are you alright?” She instantly asked. She was so sweet. I felt a touch of guilt, but reminded myself this was for her benefit. Well, her and Charlie's.
Charlie placed my drink on the bar. Perfect timing on his part. “Charlie said something about drinks that reminded me of Scarlet. He felt horrible and tried to make me feel better, but I think I need more than a pat on the hand.”
I flung myself into her arms and sniffled. Without hesitation, she held me while rubbing and patting my back.
It was actually really soothing, which made me feel horrible for acting with her. At the same time, it put me at ease and lulled me. It was almost as if she was working her own magic similar to Charlie's voice persuasion power. I was pretty sure he could lull someone right into a coma with it if he wanted to.
I sighed. Zoey was a good friend to have. I wished I could be a better one to her.
At least with Scarlet, I felt like we were on an even playing field. She gave me bitchy attitude, and I made up for it with the lie of my persona. It made it easier not to feel guilty around her because we both gave as much as we took. That's not a very healthy relationship now that I think about it, but since I'd never be able to have a normal one anyway, that was probably as close as I would get.
Laying my head on her shoulder, she stroked my hair. “There. All better now?”
I almost laughed at her treating me like one of her kindergarteners, but I was far too relaxed. “Yes, actually. Thank you. How did you do that? It was almost like magic.” I shook my head.
She laughed uncomfortably and shifted in her seat. She was so shy and humble, I could just eat her up. Not literally-I wasn't a cannibal, after all.
I chuckled sadly at the corny joke Scarlet would have loved. She didn't know I knew she liked them. Another “perk” of being a Seer with intermittent intuition regarding others' thoughts and feelings.
A warm summer breeze flowed through the bar carrying a hint of cinnamon an
d cloves. I would know that particular scent anywhere. He was here. Finally.
Sipping my wine, I refused to let him know I could sense his presence from across a room. I had to play it cool to make him think my feelings for him were gone.
My eyes narrowed. I might have already ruined that with my reaction to his return in the lobby a few days ago. I wondered if I could play that off as shock and surprise.
Standing behind me, he leaned to let his voice rumble quietly in my ear. The jerk. “I know I'm not allowed sanctuary, but could I at least have a drink?”
I knew it was a bad idea, and it took everything I had not to turn my head to brush my lips against his. Instead, I gulped my wine. If you could call it a gulp. I think I downed half the glass.
“Of course, you can. Have a seat.” I waved Charlie over. “Lars, these are my friends, Zoey and Charlie. Guys, this is Lars.”
“I'm her ex-boyfriend.” I nearly broke my neck whipping my head around to glare at him as he sat on the other side of me. I was now sandwiched between him and Zoey.
“Yes, ex is the operative word there. It was back in high school, so ancient times.”
“What would you like tonight?” Charlie asked him.
“Well, since it appears Emma is off the menu, I'll have a beer. Nothing fancy, just whatever you have on tap.”
I began to give him a death glare until I remembered I was supposed to be extra-perky Emma. Smiling brightly instead, I chirped, “Yup, sorry big boy. Emma is most definitely off the menu and so is Zoey.”
Frowning slightly while watching Charlie from the corner of her eye, she saluted me with her glass of white wine. “That's right, fries before guys. Could I get an order of those please, Charlie?”
I nearly choked on my wine as I laughed. “Is Scarlet rubbing off on you? Because I never imagined anything like that would come out of your mouth.”
Her brows stitched together with confusion. “Scarlet doesn't say things like that, but my brother does. I'm more like him than you know. It just takes a while for it to show sometimes.”
I wanted to smack myself in the forehead. Of course, Scarlet never said things like that out loud. It was one of her endearing qualities only I knew about thanks to my magic. “Oh, right. I just think of them as Scade now.”
I paused and raised a brow in response to her raised brows. “No? How about Cadelet? Scarlade?”
Zoey lit up like Fourth of July fireworks as she laughed so hard tears streamed down her cheeks. Charlie was clearly enjoying her laughter as he gazed at her with a lazy half grin.
He was definitely in love. Well, at least infatuated. I wondered how much longer he would wait to make a move. Or her, for that matter. She didn't need to wait for him.
Lars cleared his throat, so I reluctantly turned to him. “Who are Scarlet and Zoey's brother?”
“More friends of mine. Scarlet is my best friend. Well, she will be again once she stops being mad at me for a stupid thing I don't want to talk about. Zoey's brother, Cade, is Scarlet's live-in stud muffin.”
“So, where are these friends tonight? On a date or something?”
Zoey's laughter had died down to giggles as she answered. “They very well could be. We have no idea. We could call them and find out.”
She looked at me questioningly, but I shook my head. Now wasn't the time, especially when I had a new mission to deal with.
“They live in Virginia Beach now because my brother is in the Navy. He was stationed up here on recruiting duty when he met Scarlet. Then he stole her away from us when he transferred.” She sighed.
“Tough break.”
“It is, but I still have Charlie and Zoey here. And you if you want to be friends now. Only friends.”
I discretely watched his reaction in the mirror behind the bar. It was hard to hold back a chuckle at the mixture of horror and disbelief expressed in his raised brows and slacked jaw.
He rubbed his face and shook his head at me. “Not exactly what I had in mind, but I'll take whatever crumbs you're willing to throw me. For now.”
“Since we're friends, where have you been staying? Once the shock of your return wore off, I've been waiting for you to come back to the lodge.”
“I'm crashing on an old friend's couch for now, but it's not ideal. I'd rather stay here. It feels like such a sanctuary.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. You can stay.”
He reared back in shock, which made me laugh like a hyena. I loved surprising people. Or weirding them out. Actually, I loved making them behave in contradictory or unexpected ways that made me laugh.
“Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack, roomie. You were right-I have plenty of rooms in my little cottage. You can stay in the one furthest from mine. You'll have your own bathroom and everything. And since we're friends, I'll even let you stay for free.”
“You're not messing with me?”
I blew out an exasperated breath and chirped brightly. “No, I'm not messing with you. Completely honest offer.”
“Everyone around here knows how generous and friendly Emma is. You can believe she's genuine.” Charlie chimed in, and I nearly cringed.
My public persona was definitely sold to him. Real Emma wasn't nearly that friendly and generous. I valued my solitude, and sometimes I hated having to pretend to be so helpful. People tried to take advantage of my helpful nature, and it was exhausting being everyone's “yes woman.”
Lars gave me a skeptical side eye. “Well, if you and everyone else say so. I actually have my bag in my trunk, just in case I could talk you into letting me stay. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be.”
“Yup, that's me now. Always willing to lend a helping hand and all that.” I practically cheered.
Then I inwardly groaned when I realized having him at my house meant I would need to be “on” twenty-four seven now. This was going to be completely draining. I was tired just thinking about it. I needed to get out of here.
“I'm beat. It's been a long day. How about you grab your bag, and we'll go to my place to get you settled in. It's a bit of a hike, but you should be able to handle it as long as you didn't bring a whole house worth of stuff.”
“Nah, just a bag.” He said as we rose from our seats.
After telling Zoey and Charlie good-bye, we ambled outside. Neither of us wanted to seem like we were in the hurry we obviously were. I wasn’t sure why he was in such a rush. Maybe he was afraid I'd change my mind. I just wanted to get home to barricade myself in my bedroom suite, where I could take off my mask.
“I'll just wait on that bench over there while you get your stuff.” I told him, and he ran off.
Gazing at the stars, I released a happy sigh. It was so peaceful here. I really did love the Sanctuary, and I was so grateful my parents would pass Spelton Mountain Resort down to me, so I could stay. Well, so I'd have a reason to give other people and a means to support myself. It also made a good cover for other Circle members to live in the Sanctuary too.
When Lars returned, I felt newly invigorated and resolved to protect this place at all costs. Turning brightly towards Lars, I chirped, “Ready? Let's get you settled in, big boy.”
Strolling to my cabin under the stars with Lars by my side, tranquility set in. This felt right, like it was where I belonged. Both here in this place and with this man. I longed to hold his hand or touch him.
Crap. This wasn’t part of the plan, and I needed to calm my racing heart before it got me into trouble. I wasn’t sure Lars and I could be friends, but I was meant for another, no matter how much my heart protested.
Reaching the door, my hands shook as I struggled to fit my key into the lock. This felt life changing, like I was at a point of no return. I couldn’t tell if that feeling was meant for Lars and me or for the battle with Bradley, but something big was occurring right now. Something that would shape the future.
Fighting down nervous giggles threatening to bubble up from my throat, I pushed open the door and step
ped inside my cabin. “Alexa, I’m home.”
“Welcome home, Master of this domain. Thank you for returning to rescue me from the cat.” The Echo replied as it turned on the lights.
“What the hell was that?” Lars stared at me in confused amusement.
“That’s my Echo. You haven’t heard of them?” He shook his head, so I responded with a shrug. “It’s an electronic personal assistant of sorts. It does all sorts of cool things, like adjusting the lights, making coffee, keeping the cabin a comfortable temperature, and reminding me of my schedule.”
“That sounds really creepy, which is saying something coming from a guy like me. I can be damn scary when I need to me.”
My brow rose. “What exactly is it you do these days, Lars?”
His blank look and crossed arms indicated he wouldn’t be answering. My job would be a whole lot harder if he wasn’t going to open up. Maybe he would be more willing to discuss it tomorrow after we’d both gotten a good night’s sleep.
Still, I rolled my eyes at his non-answer. “It’s not creepy. As I said before, it’s cool and very helpful. It makes my life easier, more streamlined, and less lonely.”
I clamped my mouth shut as I realized my latest revelation and turned away before I could see pity in his eyes. I didn’t want his pity. Sighing to myself at my blunder, I realized I needed to get us to bed. Separate ones, of course.
Scurrying up the stairs, I didn’t look back to see if he followed, but I could hear his heavy footsteps behind me. Reaching the top, I turned down the hall opposite of my bedroom. I needed to put Lars in the room furthest from mine if we were going to keep this platonic.
I froze. If? I meant to help keep things between us platonic. That wasn’t any better.
My heart thundered against my ribs.
To make it easier to stay platonic? Nope. I couldn’t come up with anything better. This wasn’t good, not good at all. However, I was in no state to sort it out this late at night.
Pushing open a heavy oak door, I gestured inside and waited next to the entrance. “This is you. I’m at the other end of the hall. If you need anything, ask Alexa to drop in on my room. It acts as an intercom system between all the rooms of the cabin.”
