by Alessa James
“Enough! This is what I’m talking about,” Gen said firmly. “Edmond will watch Aven’s father. He can be trusted not to have an emotional reaction to Grace’s presence. Will, James, and I shall all take turns staying with Aven.”
“You expect me to let him watch her?” Will said, laughing bitterly.
“Wait. Do I get a say in this?” I asked.
Gen ignored both of us.
“There will always be another one of us nearby, but whichever one of us stays within direct proximity to Aven will have an advantage by drawing from her energy. However, there also will be more temptation for that individual, so we need to divide our time in the hours she is outside of school.”
A man appeared and set down a glass of sparkling water and a bowl of pasta covered in herbs, butter, fresh tomato, and various kinds of seafood. I inhaled the smell of it. Wow. I looked up at the others and smiled.
“So, is this what an empath is like to you guys?” I joked. “A bowl of really awesome pasta?”
James inhaled.
“You, I would say, are more like tarte tatin, wouldn’t you agree, William?”
Will’s expression became murderous, and I squeezed his hand. When he didn’t respond to James, I exhaled.
“All right, then,” I said, clapping my hands together with mock cheerfulness. “As fun as this has been listening to you guys talk about shadowing my every move, it’s killing my appetite. Can we talk about something else?”
Gen stood up.
“Enjoy your dinner, Aven. I’m going to keep Edmond company at your father’s hotel. I’ll see you in school tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” I said, reaching out to grab her hand. “For everything. Really. You don’t even know me, and it means a lot.”
“I would do anything for someone Will loves.”
She smiled and—gently—squeezed my hand before walking out. I turned back to the table. The room was suddenly so quiet that I could hear myself breathing. Picking up my water, I took a sip and looked back and forth between Will and James.
“I don’t think we require your company presently, do you?” Will asked him with mock politeness.
“I believe you’ve proven quite the opposite,” James said smoothly. “If any one of us shouldn’t be alone with Aven, I think it’s safe to say it would be you, not me.”
Before I could stop myself, I started laughing. This was the closest I had ever come—and ever would come in my lifetime—to having two hot guys fight over me. When Will looked over at me, I just started laughing harder.
“Are you two arguing over which one of you is more likely to kill me? Come on! Creeping me out!”
James rose fluidly from the other side of the table and walked toward the door, glancing back at me once with an expression I couldn’t read. He had so much rage and grief in him that it was hard to discern any other emotions in him.
“Why does he care what happens to me?” I asked quietly when he was gone.
I took another bite of the pasta. It was cooling down, but still tasty.
“It’s because of Grace. I believe he wants to atone for his choices—and to punish me for mine.”
“Why is that always people’s solution—to try to control other people’s decisions because they think they’re infallible? Or more likely because they’ve messed up their own lives?”
I wanted to feel some empathy for James—I did—but another part of me just wanted him to butt out.
“Does he think I would join Fidatov? Because I would rather die than become someone’s minion,” I said with a shudder.
Will paused, the blue of his eyes burning with intensity.
“You would be surprised at people’s choices when they are faced with an end to their existence. Immortality has its temptation, but it also carries a price.”
Chapter 23: Explosion
For the rest of the week, I didn’t drive to school, mostly because the drive from Will’s house would have taken forever if I had been behind the wheel. James had made himself scarce ever since the night at the restaurant, and I was grateful.
On Thursday, when Ms. Gilbert handed back our in-class essays on For Whom the Bell Tolls, I looked down at my paper and saw a big, red A+ and Ms. Gilbert’s note: Fantastic work! It wasn’t the first time I had gotten an A in her class, but it was the first time with the tiny plus sign attached. Overall, the day was turning out to be pretty good. Then I got to History and saw Sean, which reminded me that the non-academic side of my mortal life had taken a turn for the worse. Sitting down, I turned to Will.
“Go to lunch with your friends,” he said. “We won’t be far.”
“But Sean is being a jerk,” I muttered.
“He’s being human,” Will corrected.
“A jerk of a human.”
When class ended, I stood up and kissed Will quickly before catching an evil glare from Allison Monroe—and Sean. Walking over to Sean’s desk, I realized that I suddenly couldn’t think of anything to say to him. It made me sad and angry.
“Are we still going to lunch?” I asked.
Sean looked around.
“Where’s your boyfriend?”
“Probably with his friends,” I shrugged.
“Does that mean you haven’t joined his coven yet?”
“You know what? Forget it,” I said, turning and walking for the door.
When Sean caught my arm, I sighed.
“What, Sean?”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been a jerk.”
“Ya think?”
“It’s just you’ve been spending all your time with him and his friends, and …”
I waited.
“I’ve missed you,” he finished.
“It’s not like you haven’t been spending all your time with Lizzie,” I said teasingly.
“Jealous?”
“Oh, definitely.”
Slapping my hand over his mouth, I leaned in and gave my hand a dramatic kiss.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell Lizzie,” Sean said, laughing.
I went to my locker before meeting them at Lizzie’s. When we got to the parking lot, my dad’s old Volvo was there. Which meant that James must have driven it from the coast. I smirked. I was sure he had loved that. I reached into the pocket of my backpack and jumped a little when I found the key inside it. Glancing over at Sean, I decided to cut him some slack. Will and the others could be a little freaky.
“You guys want me to drive?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Sean said suspiciously. “Lizzie? Do we trust Aven driving?”
“Of course we do!” Lizzie said, slapping at him.
I unlocked the car, and they got in with Lizzie riding shotgun. Matt and Amy were going to take Matt’s jeep, and Jeff and Megan were riding with them. At the stop sign on the corner, I looked in the rearview mirror and saw a red Tesla and a motorcycle idling behind us. As soon as I pulled onto the main road, the motorcycle passed me while the Tesla stayed behind me. I drove at a restrained speed, smirking as I thought about Will and James both having to travel at the speed limit.
When we got to Ford’s, it was crowded, but we still managed to find a booth. Sean, Lizzie, and Megan sat on one side, while Matt, Amy, and Jeff sat on the other side. I got stuck on the end. When Sean offered to get me a chair, I shook my head and went to look for one. Then I saw James standing across the restaurant—holding a chair in his hand.
“This is not funny,” I hissed when I reached him. “Leave!”
“I’d rather not,” he said lazily. “All the teenage hormones and lust—I’m quite enjoying myself right here.”
His eyes were a blazing green as I grabbed the chair from his hand. When I got back to the booth, the guys had already left to order.
“Don’t worry,” Lizzie said. “Sean’s getting yours, too. So, where’s your hottie and his crew of international fashion models?”
I had to admit that crew was better than coven.
“His crew?” I laughed, relieved that James
’s presence was hidden by the mob of people.
“You don’t exactly fit in, do you?” Megan sneered.
Feeling the angst and insecurity rolling off of her in waves, I smiled.
“Never said I did.”
She rolled her eyes and started talking to Amy about Jeff in a whiny, ambivalent tone. I was beginning to notice that she was happiest when she had something to complain about—Jeff being one of those things. Tuning her out, I looked across the restaurant and saw James sitting by himself at a barstool staring at something behind me. I looked in the direction he was staring and flinched. The young woman I had seen at my house with my dad had just walked in. Grace. Glancing back at James, I could see the pain in his eyes. It made me wonder when the last time he’d seen her had been. Decades? Had she told him she loved him? Had he blamed himself all the years she had been gone?
When the guys came back with the food, I kept an eye on Grace, watching as she walked up to the counter and ordered a soda before taking the empty seat next to James. I held my breath, terrified that all hell was going to break loose. But James stayed where he was, rigidly still, not even glancing in her direction. I felt a stab of pain for him, wondering what it was like to be betrayed so deeply. Picking up a French fry, I turned my attention back to our table and nudged Lizzie.
“Has Sean’s mom shown you his baby pictures yet?”
“No!”
“You should totally ask her the next time you’re at his house. There’s one where he has Rice Krispies stuck up his nose.”
“Thanks, Aven. Appreciate it,” Sean said.
I smiled.
“No problem.”
When I turned back to where James was, I saw Grace stand up, run her fingers across his back, and then walk out. I shivered and watched as he got up and followed her. I didn’t know whether to feel better or worse now that they had both left the building. Eating the rest of my lunch quickly, I got up to throw away my trash. When I texted Will to see what had happened, his response came immediately.
Don’t worry. Enjoy your lunch.
By the time I got back to the table, everyone else was ready to go. Outside, I saw Will’s motorcycle—and the red Tesla—parked on the street. So James hadn’t left. Getting in the driver’s seat of my Volvo, I turned the key in the ignition. As soon as we got back to campus, I dropped off Sean and Lizzie before parking. Will opened my door before I had even shut off the engine.
“Well, that was intense,” I said as I got out. “What do you think she was doing there?”
“Trying to take out one of the players,” Will said.
I swallowed.
“Is James going to be okay? Emotionally, I mean.”
James and I weren’t buddies by any means, but I did feel bad for him.
“No, I imagine he’s not,” Will said as we walked toward school.
“But he won’t do anything crazy, will he?”
“Define crazy,” James said dryly as he came up on my other side.
I didn’t say anything, because really there was nothing I could say. I couldn’t fix things for him, and I didn’t want him butting into my business. James was one of Will’s companions, but he was a stranger to me.
After school, Will and I drove over to my dad’s hotel by the university’s campus to take Darcy for a walk around the block and hang out with my dad for a few minutes. Right before we left, my dad invited us out to dinner the following night.
“What’s the occasion?” I asked.
“The occasion is ‘We don’t have a working kitchen—and I don’t want to have pizza again,’” my dad said humorously. “How about the Italian place by school—Il Rustico? David Pitt said it’s excellent.”
I nodded, not bothering to mention that I had been there with Will, Gen, and James.
“Sounds great. Uh, Dad? Do you want me to take some of your laundry and do it at Gen’s?”
He looked over at the pile of laundry in the corner and laughed.
“If she wouldn’t mind.”
He took a plastic bag from the hotel closet and shoved some clothes into it. I smiled when he handed it to me, hoping that doing some of his laundry would help me atone for lying to him all week.
“We’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, kissing him on the cheek.
Will and I and walked out and got on the elevator. I didn’t say anything, still feeling guilty for lying to my dad. Then I realized that everything about my life right now was one big lie. Well, not a lie really. A secret so dangerous I could never tell anyone.
When we got to Will’s house, I had him show me where they did laundry. The room was bigger than my bedroom and contained at least half a dozen front-load washers and dryers. After starting multiple loads, I went upstairs to Will’s room and took out my Trig book. Will didn’t join me, which was probably for the best, because it was next to impossible to concentrate on math and him at the same time. After leaving the last few problems blank—I would have to go back to them—I took out the application materials for my dad’s university, shuddering at my score on the math section of the SATs.
The next time I looked up, Gen was standing at Will’s door with an impatient expression. I stared at the black silk dress she was holding out.
“You’re going to be late,” she announced.
I frowned.
“Huh?”
She walked over and pulled me from the couch, pulling me across the house to her room, where she ordered me to change. My eyes narrowed.
“Why?” I demanded suspiciously.
“No questions,” Gen said sternly. “Just hurry up and get dressed.”
With a shrug, I slipped out of my jeans and shirt. Gen made a face at my underwear—clearly not up to her standards. I pulled the dress over my head and looked in the mirror, fidgeting restlessly. I had always felt too exposed in dresses, but before I had a chance to protest, Gen steered me to her vanity where she undid my ponytail and swiftly wrapping my hair in an intricate chignon.
“Close your eyes,” she commanded. “This won’t hurt a bit.”
Makeup. Again. She began applying the makeup with amazing speed. When she stepped back, I opened my eyes and watched as she examined me.
“Parfait,” she murmured with satisfaction.
Perfect? I was pretty sure that Gen was exaggerating. She handed me a pair of high heels, and as soon as I slipped them on, she pulled me from the room and began maneuvering me toward the stairs.
“Where are we going?”
“We are not going anywhere.”
“Where am I going, then?” I asked as I followed her downstairs toward the pool.
“I told you that Will had a surprise for you.”
“Did I mention I hate surprises?”
She laughed as the glass doors from the pool to the outside slid open. I looked up, awed by the sight of the full moon, an enormous pale yellow globe floating in the blackness, the clouds forming a halo around it. When a thousand tiny white lights came on around the cliff side, I blinked.
“Gen?”
I looked around, but she was gone. Near the cliff’s edge, I saw a formal dining table and two chairs. Candles glowed from the center of the table, and beyond the cliff’s edge, I could hear the rumble of an angry sea crashing against the rocks below.
“You look beautiful, Aven,” Will said from behind me.
I spun around, my heart thudding in my chest. Will steadied me, and I inhaled at the sight of him. He wore a dark gray suit and a tie that almost matched his eyes. He looked down, smiling crookedly as he held out a single white rose. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. He took my hand, and I followed him to the table. When he pulled out my chair, I sat down, still breathless with shock. Will had already taken the seat across from me, and I noticed a champagne glass containing an effervescent liquid. Picking up my glass tentatively, I saw him do the same.
“To you,” he said.
“To us,” I smiled.
I took a sip. It was fruity—sparkling cider, I
realized. Will didn’t drink, instead lifting the lid on a steaming bowl of liquid in front of me. Picking up the spoon next to the bowl, I took a taste and gasped.
“You know, I’m going to get spoiled with all this gourmet food. How did you do this?”
Will smiled.
“I hired a chef from a restaurant in Portland.”
I set down the spoon.
“You didn’t,” I said weakly.
He nodded.
“Just because?”
“Because I’ve been waiting for you my entire existence.”
My mind spun as I picked up the spoon again and took several more sips of the soup, which was even more amazing than the lobster bisque he had had delivered. I looked across the table at Will, who continued to watch me, smiling. Before I had even finished, Will stood and disappeared from sight only to return with a shallow bowl with what looked like rice.
“Risotto with giant prawns,” Will said.
He watched me eat, seeming to enjoy it almost as much as I did. Then again, maybe he was drawing from my energy intentionally or unintentionally. When I finished, he rose and took away the dishes before returning with a slice of chocolate cake that looked like a piece of art.
“Will, you’re killing me,” I laughed before adding, “Not literally, but I am going to need to start running again tomorrow.”
I took a bite.
“Oh … wow,” I moaned.
The cake was a dense, dark chocolate, covered in a rich caramel sauce. I took another bite, savoring the flavor.
“Is it possible to OD on chocolate?”
“Does that mean you like it?” he asked.
“It’s perfect. This is all … perfect.”
As I looked beyond the cliff toward the horizon, the moon’s reflection cast a wavering beam of white light across the endless expanse of black water. The entire scene was like a dream, and it scared me. It was too easy to get lost in Will’s world, both the good parts and the bad parts.
“What’s wrong, Aven?”
I shook my head.
“I just wasn’t expecting this. I wasn’t expecting you. I mean … I was absolutely sure that I wasn’t going to go on a single date until after high school, and part of me thinks this is all just one big hallucination or practical joke.”
