by Jen Stevens
“I love you,” she whispered into my ear when she was finished.
Those words gave me pause. Outside of my mother, I have never heard them muttered in my direction before. They felt deep and significant and left a weight in my chest that I’d never experienced. I had all but professed my love to her when I asked her to take the Book of Shadows from the Grangers, but I couldn’t bring myself to say those three small words. To hear them come from her mouth—to feel the effects of someone as special as Storie saying something so powerful—it was like nothing I've felt before.
“I love you, too,” I admitted back, hoping she could tell how difficult it was for me to say.
Her mouth returned to mine in a delicate frenzy, her hot center pressed back against my stretched skin. I couldn’t take the teasing torture anymore. My hands wrapped around her bottom as I lifted us both from the water, carefully lying her down onto the padded forest floor. She opened her legs for me, and I rested between them, easily settling into her warmth.
Her lilac eyes peered into mine so innocently, the black flecks danced around her pupils as she awaited what came next. I leaned down and gently caught her lips with mine, slowly easing in. The sun had disappeared somewhere behind the trees, taking most of the light away with it. We were on full display yet blanketed in darkness and I could feel her insecurities about being seen fade away with our kiss.
I raised myself just enough to reach between our melded bodies and massage her mound once again. As always, she was dripping wet for me. When I was sure she was ready, I grabbed my length and lined my tip up with her slick center. Just before I pushed myself in, she wrapped her legs around my back and pulled me into her body, shoving my entire cock inside her in one movement.
A moan erupted from her throat that matched the hiss I released between our lips from how deliciously tight she was. I paused inside her for a moment, pulling away from our kiss to ensure she was still okay. When I saw nothing but ecstasy painted across her face, I began rocking my hips back and forth, savoring every bite and scratch she gifted me as her pleasure built up.
I leaned down and sucked her perky, pebbled nipple into my mouth, taking her full breasts into my hands as my finger played with the other side. Her back arched off the ground and another quiet moan left her as she wrapped her arms around my head and scraped her fingers across my scalp.
I felt the familiar tightening sensation throughout my body and knew I had to bring her over the edge with me. With my tongue lapping against her tits and my cock grinding as far inside her as it would go, I reached my hand between us and rubbed circles around her clit. Within seconds, I felt her muscles pulsing around me and I let go of my own release. We swallowed each other's sounds of pleasure, too caught up in our cloud of ecstasy to care if anyone heard. That same white-hot bolt of lightning from before shot through my body as we became one, strengthening the power that our bond manifested even further.
When we were both finished and all that could be heard in the quiet forest were the echoes of our heavy breaths, I rolled off and laid on the bed of leaves beside her. My arm tugged her closer to me until she turned and nestled herself into my side.
Chapter 33
Storie
The prospect of communicating with my parents carried me through the next twenty-four hours in a cloud of oblivion. I left the cabin with a list of random items they needed to perform the ceremony and had Blaire come with me to gather them in town first thing in the morning. Remy didn't go too far into detail about how it works or if I'd be able to actually see them for myself or simply use him as a vessel to talk through, but I was excited nonetheless.
I couldn't wait to see his gifts in action. To share that potent power and know it's what we were made to do together.
“So, do you have a list of questions you're going to ask?”
Blaire and I were standing in the homeopathy section of Granger's Pharmacy, searching the sparse shelves for a bundle of cedar, some dried herbs, and blue and black candles. When I asked her what they could possibly need these things for, she pinned me with a look of condescension and stated, “For protection,” as if the answer was obvious.
“Mom says they haven't been able to keep anything in stock lately. I guess everyone in Watchtower is preparing for the worst.” She crouched down to rifle through a pile of discarded, wilted herbs that had fallen out of their packages and were left behind. I saw the worry etched across her face before she turned away to hide it. “I just wonder how it's going to go without the Quarters’ shield in place.”
“Everything is going to be fine, Blaire,” I comforted feebly, kneeling beside her. “We're going to get answers and straighten everything out.”
She only nodded her response. I could tell she had the same doubts we all had; she was just afraid to voice them out loud. Her hand swiped across the bottom of her nose, and she stood straight, turning toward the cash registers.
“We've got fresh herbs and cedar at home. I'm sure Grammy won't mind if we take a few.”
We stopped at the checkout counter and Callista greeted us with a warm smile. She scanned our candlesticks and looked between the two of us skeptically.
“I hope you ladies aren't planning on doing anything irresponsible tonight.” Her eyes landed on Blaire and stared for a long moment in stern, silent warning like only a mother could do. “You know how dangerous it's going to be out there.”
Blaire held her hands up innocently. “I'm not doing anything.”
Callista quickly glanced at me before she turned to the register and printed a receipt that she shoved off to the side. She grabbed the bag of candles and handed them over the counter, casting one last look of caution toward her daughter.
“You're all set,” she chirped, never asking for payment.
I grabbed the bag and turned toward the doors, eager to escape Callista's icy attitude. For the first time since I met her, she reminded me of her mother. The Granger insolence was far more intimidating when it came from someone as kind as Callista or Blaire. I had at least learned to expect it from Tabitha.
“She's just worried,” Blaire explained when she met with me outside the pharmacy. “After what happened on Mabon, her and Grammy have forbidden me from practicing any magic for Samhain. I think it bothers them that they can't do the same to you.”
We walked to the hotel in silence as I considered what she said. I was under the impression that whatever Tabitha and Callista did on Mabon actually helped save Beacon Grove while the Quarters were being attacked. If they weren't planning on practicing any protective spells through Samhain and the Quarters were busy communicating with their ancestors, who would be there to save everyone when the black magic inevitably took over?
I didn't get a chance to ask Blaire before we got to the hotel. As always, the walk from town was much shorter with a Granger there to lead the way. I didn't think that would ever make sense to me.
“What do you think you're doing?” Tabitha barked from her recliner when Blaire began picking off herbs from their backyard garden just outside the doorway.
“Storie needs a few and Mom was fresh out,” Blaire casually explained, throwing random leaves into the paper bag she grabbed on our way through the kitchen.
“Let me guess, you're planning to do something stupid with that boy,” Tabitha murmured expressionlessly to me, turning her attention back to the TV.
Blaire rolled her eyes and carried the bag over to the built-in shelves surrounding the TV Tabitha was watching. She opened a few cupboards and dug around before she found what she was searching for. After shoving a thick green bundle of cedar into the bag and folding it shut, she slammed it into my chest and nodded.
“That should be it.”
“Are you sure you don't want to come?” I offered one last time while we walked through the house, hopeful that she'd change her mind.
“She's not going anywhere near those boys tonight,” Tabitha's startling voice bounced off the walls.
Blaire looked at
me and tilted her head apologetically. “It's best I stay here in case they need me. You'll be okay, though.”
---
Remy had a pot of water boiling when I arrived with the supplies. He pulled the herbs from the paper bag, closely assessing each one before unceremoniously throwing them into the water. Rhyse was going through the house and prying open windows, allowing the chilled Autumn air to sweep into the warmed space. Lux grabbed a mop and bucket and waited by the stove for Remy to finish boiling the water.
I watched in astonishment as they each moved together flawlessly through the cabin without speaking a single word. Lux dumped the still-boiling infused water into the bucket and began swiping it around the floor with the mop, starting in the back of the cabin and working toward the door. Enzo lit the cedar stick and waved it around the room as Rhyse followed behind and closed the windows. Remy set the candles up on the table and lit them.
The whole process took less than half an hour. By the time they were done, the sun was setting, and the room was quickly darkening. The fireplace filled the space with a warm, orange glow and the candles flickered on the table, making their shadows dance across the walls as they gathered around the circular table and took their seats.
Remy dragged an extra stool over for me between him and Enzo. Once we were all seated, Remy began to explain the process.
“We're going to draw from our elements as best as we can. Once I've accessed the spirit world, I'll be able to share that energy with everyone and hopefully give you guys a boost. We're going to focus on calling Storie's family forward.”
He turned his attention toward me. The flames from the candles reflected perfectly into his black eyes, giving them an odd appearance as he spoke of his ability to access the underworld and manipulate its energy.
“Since we share energy, I'm not sure if you'll be able to enter the spirit world or if I'll have to relay messages to you. Either way, we'll do our best to get answers.”
I dipped my head, and he took that as confirmation, his gaze bouncing around the table to be sure everyone else was ready to begin. Enzo grabbed the knife sitting before him and dragged it across his palm with a hiss. I gasped as he handed the bloodied blade over to Lux, who repeated the movement.
One by one, they each drew blood and held their fists over a ceramic bowl in the center of the table, allowing it to spill and mix together with the others.
Remy shot me a reassuring look and they began whispering a chant to fully lift the veil between worlds.
The next few moments happened in a storm of overwhelming thoughts and emotions. The addition of the other three created a far more dynamic experience. One that overtook my entire body to a point of nearly blacking out completely.
My body and spirit were torn apart once again, only this time the dark, dampened wood of the cabin disappeared and I was spit out into a bright, cotton candy sky.
I felt their presence in each of my senses before I could physically see them. It was the oddest sensation, as if they were somehow inside my head and surrounding my body all at once—a deeply rooted part of me.
My father's spirit presented itself first. It felt masculine and familiar and filled my nose with his potent cologne. My eyes opened and he was standing before me with Aunt Ash at his side. When my eyes locked with hers, I was consumed with the taste of her infamous brownies—such an odd detail to remember.
“It's really you,” I marveled, my throat thick with emotion.
“You've grown to be so beautiful,” my father said through a proud smile. He looked to Aunt Ash and nudged her teasingly with his shoulder. “You didn't mention that.”
Aunt Ash shook her head and lifted her eyes skyward playfully. I missed watching them banter. Having them here made me realize that I longed for their presence in my life way more than I was ever willing to admit. It reminded me of the gaping hole I've been ignoring since they've been gone.
“Storie, I'm sure you've had some earth-shattering revelations since coming back home. I'm so sorry I didn't prepare you for this world soon enough.” Aunt Ash jumped right in, her face scrunched into her signature look of concern.
“Lighten up, Asher. She's doing just fine on her own,” my dad comforted.
“Actually, we've asked you here to answer some questions. I'm not sure how long we have to talk,” I explained, remembering that Remy said there might be a time limit on our visit.
“Anything,” they both agreed in unison.
I turned toward Aunt Ash, deciding it was finally time to ask the question that haunted me for years, even while she was alive.
“Why did Rayner come to visit us that day?”
She didn't need clarification on which day I was talking about. She already knew. It was the day that our lives changed forever.
The day she sealed her fate.
“He was coming to collect you.”
“For what?”
“Rayner was an old family friend,” she began, looking over to my father regretfully. “We thought we could trust him with the knowledge of who you were. He was just getting the Movement off the ground and a lot of his ideas in the beginning made sense. But over time, he got more radical. Then, Quarter families were hunting Counters based on false claims, and we were forced to leave Beacon Grove to protect you.
“Before we left, your parents agreed to bring you back when you were old enough to fight the Quarters if need be. By the time you were eighteen, he changed his plans. He wanted to use you as a weapon against them, just as their fathers did.”
“That sounds like I should have known what I was much sooner,” I accused, glaring at her.
I hated myself for reverting back to my petulant ways, but so much pain could have been avoided if she'd just been honest with me.
“Yes, that was the plan,” my father started. He clamped his mouth shut when Aunt Ash held her finger up to stop him.
“When Mason died, I didn't know how to proceed. I thought he would be the one to handle it on his own time, but I was face-planted into single parenthood and completely unprepared. I decided at first to tell you on your tenth birthday. Then, when the time came, I couldn't do it. So, I pushed the benchmark back over and over until before I knew it, you were receiving acceptance letters to colleges I knew you'd never be able to attend. Not when so many witches were hunting you and you had no idea how to protect yourself.”
She exhaled a deep breath, the lines in her face only deepening with regret. “I'm so sorry, Storie. I thought we had more time together.”
Her face tilted down at her hands and my father wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
“I know your deaths weren't accidents,” I began, and then paused.
Was it okay to talk to spirits about their death?
My dad nodded his head solemnly. “No, they weren't. And you know who was responsible. Anyone who stood in his way while he was getting the Movement going was simply eliminated, just like the people he was supposedly fighting against.”
All traces of anger or resentment were gone from his voice. He had already come to peace with what was done to him. It was only me who dwelled on it anymore.
That led me to my next question. “Why did you lie to me about my mother's death?”
Almost as if she were waiting to be mentioned, the woman from the photos Hazel showed me materialized on the other side of my father. She wore a kind smile and her purple eyes gazed at me as if I were the most riveting thing she'd ever seen.
“Storie,” she breathed. Pale, feminine hands covered her mouth as her eyes misted with emotion.
I felt a tugging in my belly button and my vision flickered between the Graves cabin and the spirit world. Remy was still deeply concentrating on keeping me tethered on this plane, but the others appeared to be struggling to hold their corners. A drop of blood had run from Enzo's nose and over his lips. Rhyse's complexion was faded and gray.
The connection was severing, and time was running out. They wouldn't be able to keep me here much longer
.
When the flickering stopped, I pushed away my emotions about seeing my mother for the first time and focused on the reason I was there.
“I don't have a lot of time,” I rushed out.
My father stepped forward. “We had to cover your birth up somehow. Tabitha Granger had managed to take care of the others without incident. We should have known Rayner wouldn't let you slip through his fingers.”
“I still don't understand what that means. Lunet said you passed five days later.” I looked to my mother, then back at my father. “Why did you lie about her dying in childbirth?”
“Because no one was supposed to know you were born twelve hours after Remington Wildes. We kept you a secret until it was safe.”
“But it wasn't safe…”
“No, it wasn't,” my mother agreed soberly. “Rayner knew the truth and he wanted to use you as a pawn to weaken the Wildes boy. We didn't know how far out of his mind he'd already become by then.”
“So, what exactly happened?”
“He came after you in the same way we feared the Quarters would. They were fighting on opposite sides for the same result: to weaken the future generation of Quarters. Rayner didn't expect me to fight for you as hard as I did. By the time he'd eliminated me as an obstacle, Tabitha found us and stopped him. She wasn't able to save me, though. That has haunted her for years.”
Tabitha was weaved deeper into my past than I ever knew, and she kept it a secret from me all this time, pace feeding information as she saw fit. The monster in my chest was roaring to life again, irritated at the deeply rooted lies and deception. Each time I thought I was on the path to finding answers, I learned that I was being led astray by people who didn't think I was capable of handling it.
Who were they to decide?
“So, Rayner murdered all three of you?”
