by Lana Melyan
THE LAST BELL
THE WEIGHT OF MAGIC BOOK 6
Lana Melyan
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Also by Lana Melyan
Copyright © 2019 by Lana Melyan
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual locales, organizations, events, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
Lana Melyan
Cover Design by Cover Reveal Designs
1
Three days went by with no sign of Nate, and he didn’t answer any of my messages.
This isn’t fair. When I needed a few days off I didn’t just disappear. I warned you, and then I met you every day for almost ten minutes, I kept fighting him in my mind.
Maybe he went back to New Orleans, to his vampire, who he thought would understand him better? That thought had swirled through my mind for the past day, making me nauseous.
I avoided looking in Gran’s eyes after telling her we had a quarrel. But it seemed she knew something about our fight, because she didn’t ask me any questions.
Connie was getting really worried about me, and I tried to act normal around her. But I was angry with Logan. I was sure he knew where Nate was, but he wouldn’t answer my questions.
“Nicky, I’m sorry,” he kept saying. “He just said he’d be gone for a while. That it’s safer for you this way.”
“Safer! How’s this safer?” I shouted, and regretted my temper the next second. “I’m sorry, Logan. It’s not your fault.”
Another few days passed.
Connie offered to go to the Grill, and I thought it was better than going home and staring at the walls between staring at the phone.
Who knows, maybe Nate will show up to have a drink.
Logan didn’t come with us.
“He went hunting,” said Connie.
“Why?” I gazed at her. “Because he ran out of blood bags? Or to avoid me?”
“He said the two of us need some quality time together.”
“So to avoid me. I get it,” I said with perceptible anger in my voice.
“Nicky, he’s as worried about you as I am, and he feels bad because he doesn’t know what to say to make you feel better.”
The moment we walked into the Grill, I saw Jess and Leia. Jess waved his hand, inviting us to join them.
I didn’t want to because I wasn’t ready to answer questions and comments like, Where’s Nate? Haven’t seen him for a while. But I didn’t want to be rude.
We sat down, and Leia glanced at me, raising a brow.
“Did you and Nathan break up, or have you just had a fight?”
Well, she likes slapping people in the face with the truth.
“It’s . . . He has something he needs to deal with.”
“Okay, then,” Leia smirked. “I hope he gets done dealing with it before the party. You guys are coming, right?”
“What party?” asked Connie.
“Helloooo.” Leia stared at us. “The dance at school?”
“There’s a dance? What’s the occasion?”
“Four Wolfs won the band competition in Richmond, and now they get to play for us at the gym to celebrate.”
“Right,” said Connie, “I forgot. When is it?”
“How are you?” asked Jess while Connie and Leia talked about the dance. “You look off lately.” He fixed me with his concerned gaze. “You seem to be taking your fight pretty hard.”
“I’m fine,” I said quietly. “I just miss him.”
“I hope it’s nothing serious.”
“We had a quarrel. It happens.” I gave him a weak smile. “How are you?” I nodded toward Leia. “Is there any progress?”
“Not much. We do spend more time together, though.”
“What about Dave? How did he take the break up?”
“You really don’t know much, do you?” Jess chuckled.
“What do you mean?”
“Dave is already going out with Emma.”
“What? When did that happen? They just broke up.”
“It’s been more than a month. At first he started dating to piss Leia off. But now he kinda likes Emma.”
He was right. I’d been busy since coming back from New Orleans. We had to deal with Murphy, then with the mess he left behind, and I had no idea about anything that was going on at school. I barely managed to do enough of my homework and be present at school so I wouldn’t get kicked out.
I kept looking around while we talked, hoping for some miracle. That suddenly the door would open and my Nate would walk in. But it wasn’t one of those magical nights.
2
Friday after class, when Connie and I walked outside, I lingered behind, telling her I’d catch up in the parking lot. I went to the trees where I had once burned a branch.
“I know you’re here,” I said into nothing when I was sure no one was around. “I know you wouldn’t leave me. So stop being an ass, or I’ll follow your example and get drunk and knock myself unconscious. Why are you doing this to me?”
My voice broke, and I stopped talking so I wouldn’t start crying. After waiting a minute or two, I walked away.
I woke up early the next morning. Not by myself; the alarm helped. I wanted to stay in bed for a few more minutes, but my heavy thoughts were awake too, and judging by my dreams, they'd had a big party all night. I got up and went to the bathroom.
I stood under the warm water with my eyes closed and pictured Nate’s anguished face in my mind. I saw that face everywhere: in each book I opened to read; on TV, no matter how many channels I changed; when I was eating, when I was walking; with open or with closed eyes.
I closed the hot tap and let the icy cold water run over me. I shuddered. It felt like hundreds of small hedgehogs fell on me at once and with their millions of needles pricking my skin at the same second. That actually helped, because when I came out of the bathroom, I felt more relaxed. I put on my old, comfortable jeans and a soft, warm sweater and went to the kitchen.
I had some coffee while I sat staring through the window at the naked trees. Then I put on my jacket and walked out of the door. I took a deep breath of the cold December air, got into my car, and drove to the Family Tree.
When I reached the big, old oak, I removed the veil, and went down into the vault. The lamps lit up. I approached the desk, sat down, and opened the box with Joseph and Josephine’s letters. There were two bundles, and first I picked the one which said on its envelopes, To Joseph.
I felt like I was eavesdropping on someone’s private conversation. The more I read, the more I understood how deeply in love they were.
And then I found it, the letter where Josephine confessed to Joseph that she was the one who stole the map, about how guilty she felt for being dishonest with her husband and betraying her family and covens.
. . .I don’t know if you will ever be able to forgive me, and if Nathan finds out, neither will he. He honored his father and the mission. They threatened to kill m
y son. I did it to save him, and if I had to, I would do it again. I would do anything to save my Nathan . . . Please, don’t hate me…
I burst into tears. Oh my God.
Maybe Nate wouldn’t forgive her, but if he'd known that was why his mother stole the map, he would never have done what he did.
I was right, she had a reason. But it wasn't the kind of right that made you feel good in any way.
I grabbed the bundle of envelopes signed To Josephine, and found Joseph’s reply.
. . .Nothing you do will make me hate you. Don’t tell anyone, it’ll be our secret. You did what you had to do to save your son. If you hadn’t done it, they would’ve killed you too, and I can’t imagine my life without you. I understand, my love, and I not only forgive you, I still trust you. And I’ll prove it to you . . .
I wiped my eyes.
Yeah, I understand too. And I forgive Nate too. And it’s not because of how strong the love is, it’s because when you love someone, you believe in them.
It was hard for me to fall asleep, and when I did, I had such messed up dreams that I woke up every morning with my head throbbing.
Gran offered to make a potion, but I refused, and finally, she let her frustration out.
“I know it’s hard for you, but he did what he thought was the right thing to do,” she said. “He thinks you need time to think things through.”
“Oh, I see. He warned you, did he?” I snapped. “So he warned you, and he warned Logan, but he somehow forgot to warn me, to at least tell me, ‘Bye honey, I’m leaving now.’ Did anybody bother to ask what I think is right for me?”
I lay awake nearly half the night, and when I finally fell asleep, for the first time after all those disturbing dreams, I had one that I didn’t want to wake up from. I stood in the woods where Nate called me his everything for the first time. He approached me from behind, wrapped his hands around my belly, then bowed his head. He brushed his face against mine and pressed his lips to my neck. The second he pulled away, I woke up and sat bolt upright in bed.
“Nate,” I whispered. I could still feel the touch of his lips. “I know you’re here.” There was no sound, nothing moved, but I knew what I felt was real. “Nate?” I called again. “You need to stop this. Please. I miss you so much.”
I dropped back onto the pillow. Maybe I’m just going crazy.
I touched the pendant on my chest, Nate’s gift. The two branches in the circle. This is us. And we can never be parted. I clutched it in my palm and closed my watering eyes.
The next day, I got in my car and drove to the cabin. I had wanted to go there for a few days now, but I stopped myself every time. I didn’t want to look for him. I wanted him to come back to me himself because he missed me and had had a long enough moment already. But now, I was really pissed off, and I didn’t want to wait anymore.
I reached the familiar alley and looked at the front yard. There was no car.
I kept hoping my dream wasn’t just a dream. And all this time I was sure he was here, around somewhere. That if he wasn’t at the Grill, if he wasn’t at the mansion, then he was most definitely staying in the cabin.
Did this mean he was really gone? My anger turned into panic, and it became hard to breath.
I stopped the car, got out, and ran to the porch. I pulled on the door, but it was locked. The spare keys were hidden on the terrace. I ran around the cabin. I had to get inside and look at the place. If he was here, I would know. Maybe he just drove out for . . . I don’t know . . . something, and he’d come back.
But then I felt a sudden tingle in my fingers. I stopped dead. My panic was rising, and I backed away from the terrace.
“Nate!” I meant to yell, but I was panting, and it came out as a gasp. “He wouldn’t,” I muttered, instead of trying to calm down. “He wouldn’t just leave like this.”
I took a few steps forward, but my magical energy was storming through me.
Oh, God, I’ll blow it up, I thought, staring at the cabin.
Trying to suppress the rush, I clenched my hands into fists. But the stream of energy was choking me. I couldn’t hold it anymore. I turned to the lake and ran to the dock. I had to let it out. I gulped the air and threw my palms open, pointing them at the lake.
Like someone had dropped a bomb into it, the water shot up and hung in the air. My lungs finally filled with air and I screamed.
“Shh.” A whisper came next to my ear, and I felt a touch on my shoulders. “I’ve got you,” said the low voice that I’d missed so much.
Tears burned my eyes. Nate’s hands slid down my arms. He pressed them against my palms, ran his fingers through mine, and locked them together. “I’ve got you.”
The water slammed down.
I turned around.
“Everything’s okay,” he said, his black eyes looking into mine.
“Are you real?” I whispered, sniffling.
He took my face in his hands and kissed me.
“I’m real.”
I pushed his hands down. “Let me check,” I glared at him. “How could you do this to me?” I hammered my fists into his chest. “How could you leave me like that?”
“Have at it,” he said quietly, standing like a wall. “Let it all out.”
“You left me all alone,” I sobbed, dropping my hands. “I called for you, I spoke to you on the street, in my bedroom, in the woods, hoping you would hear me.”
“I did. I heard it all.” He wrapped his arms around me. “Let’s go inside. It’s chilly out here, and you’re shaking.”
I sat on the couch, and he put a blanket around my shoulders. There was a fire in the fireplace, which meant he had been here when I arrived. If I’d looked at the chimney, I would have known.
He poured whiskey in a glass.
“Just a little,” he said, handing it to me. “You need this. You’re in shock.”
“I am. I just blew up a lake.”
“Nicky, what happened? You’ve been controlling your powers all this time.” He sat on the coffee table in front of me.
“I panicked.” I took a small sip from the glass. “I was sure I’d find you here. And then your car wasn’t there. I thought you were gone, that I’d never see you again.” Tears filled my eyes. I blinked, and a drop rolled down my cheek. “Why did you leave me, Nate?”
He hurried to my side.
“I never left you. I thought I should, but I couldn’t.” He removed the tear from my cheek with his thumb and sat on the couch facing me. “The car is in the garage. It’s Saturday. I thought you would stay in bed longer, and was planning to check on you later. I was always next to you. Like any other day, I waited for you after school, and watched you at the Grill, and I waited next to the Family Tree for you to come out of the vault.”
“Were you in my bedroom last night?”
“Sorry I woke you. But you’ve been having nightmares. I wanted to make them go away.”
“I thought I was going crazy.” I shook my head. I wanted to pull closer to him and rest my head on his chest. But then I wouldn’t be able to see his face, and his eyes which I had missed so much.
“I’m sorry for what I put you through.”
“You hurt me, Nate,” I said quietly.
“I know.” He took my hands and pressed one of them to his lips. “It was torture for me to watch you suffer. But after I told you about . . . I couldn’t look you in the eyes.”
“It wasn’t fair. You could’ve told me that you needed a few days, like I did. But you just left.”
“I was trying to make you hate me, so it would be easier for you to . . . because I thought if I’m not good for you—”
“Stop it.” I threw myself into his lap, and he pulled me in. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I can’t breathe without you.”
“God, I missed you so much,” he said, kissing my arms, my face, my chest.
I ran my hands up his neck and turned his face to me.
“I’ll say to you the same thi
ng you said to me once. The only way for you to leave me is if you stop loving me. Tell me what I need to hear, if it’s still true.”
“Of course it’s true.” He looked into my eyes.
I know this look, and I know those eyes would never lie to me.
“No one ever had such power over me. I love you so much.” He brushed my cheek with his fingers. “You are my everything.”
My hands slid up his back, feeling his strong body under his fine, black sweater.
“Then hold me tight.” I kissed him.
3
We spent the night at the cabin. In the morning, the moment I woke up, I swung around to make sure that Nate was there and met his happy smile.
“I’m not going anywhere, my love.” He kissed me, pulling me closer. “I would never make that mistake again. That cloaking spell was such a pain.” He grinned.
“Making jokes, are we?” I poked him in the stomach.
He turned me on my back, and my eyes closed from the touch of his lips gliding down my body.
“I’m starving,” I said an hour later.
“That means we’ll have to put clothes on.”
“It’s okay.” I beamed at him. “We can always take them off. And we wouldn’t even need to use magic for that.”
“You underestimate the process. It’s magical all by itself.” He smiled, making a dreamy face. “I’ll make your favorite French toast.” His warm lips touched mine.
“And I’ll make the fire,” I said with excitement.
“Really?” Nate raised a brow. “You sure you can do it?”
“Hey, who do you think I am? If it doesn’t work the first time, I’ll use incendio.”
