His smile of warmth was so contrasting to Mrs. Scoville’s glare of condemnation. Despite it, he looked a little like her.
Down in the lower level, someone played an acoustic guitar in a classical style. The beauty of it caught me off guard.
“I’m William, by the way.” He extended his hand.
My attention returned to him. “You’re William?”
When I took his hand, he gripped mine in a firm shake. At the same time, positive source from him sifted into me. His felt balanced and calm.
Recognition glowed in his amber eyes. “You’re a changeling.” He smiled.
I nodded, frowning. "So are you. Does Asher know?"
William shook his head. "No. It wasn't until a few years ago that a friend of Asher's helped me realize what I was. Mom didn’t want me telling Asher." He scratched his forehead. "Before that, I’m sorry to say, I used him as my punching bag.”
Asher’s story about William beating him up, the bruises he’d caused, made more sense. No wonder they’d struggle with his anger.
“I've thought about telling Asher,” William said. “Maybe I will sooner, so it's easier for you to tell him."
Hope burned in me. If this kept going somewhere with Asher, that would be helpful. The fact that his brother was welcoming seemed promising. “Is that Asher playing the guitar?”
“Yes.” He smiled. “He’ll be happy to see you. Come in.” He stepped aside. “Sorry, I’ve kept you waiting. My parents aren’t in, but I’m an adult." He winked at me.
“Thank you.” Pulling my hands into my sleeves, I nervously followed the melody of the guitar to the lower level family room.
Asher abruptly stopped playing. “Tara!” A grin instantly lit up his face, and he set aside the guitar.
His instant welcome made me feel like I was home. “I didn’t know you could play.” I came over and sat beside him on the couch.
“Yeah, it helps me clear my mind.”
“Wait a minute…” Earlier, he wouldn’t let me see his phone when he brought up that guitar song. “Can I see your phone real quick?”
“Okay.” With a puzzled smile, he picked it up from the end table and unlocked it. “Did you need to tell your parents you arrived?” He handed it to me.
“Um…” I opened up the video ap and sure enough the guitar cover of Don’t Stop Believing was still there. The name of the artist was Asher but the video had no views and appeared to be private. It was one of several others. “That was you?” I showed him the video.
Both humor and annoyance flashed in his eyes, and I pulled away from him as he snatched his phone. Asher came after me, letting his phone slip to the ground. “You little trickster.” He smirked. Asher tickle-attacked both sides of my waist, and I collapsed backward on the couch “I wasn’t ready to show you those.”
Squealing, I grabbed at his wrists, struggling against outright kicking him. “We have a rule in my house that you have to stop when we say ‘please stop’, so please stop!”
Relaxing, Asher held onto my wrists, like he was wary of me trying to tickle him.
I stilled, letting my hands fall on the couch next to my head, and he held them down.
Asher leaned over me, and his breath was warm against my face, smelling of mint. “It’s a good thing I really like you,” he whispered. He rubbed my nose with his.
Pleasurable chills rolled through my body, and I held my breath. Asher purposefully teased me by bringing his lips not even a hair's width from mine.
I closed my eyes, groaning.
Asher’s heat retreated as he sat straight, then he gently prodded me to a seated position.
Smiling mischievously, I threatened to collapse back down, but he jerked me up against his side. Grabbing his phone from the ground, I held it out to him. “Please, pretty please, share?” I tried adding the puppy dog look to my eyes.
A gentle, resigned growl emerged from Asher. He wrapped one arm around me, and I tucked right up to his side. Asher re-unlocked his phone and tapped on the second song on the playlist. “This is a hobby, so don’t go telling anyone.”
I rested my head near his neck. “Of course.”
Asher tilted his head so his cheek rested on mine.
We spent the next twenty minutes snuggled together, watching three covers he’d recorded. “I love it,” I whispered, then looked at him. “Do more.”
“Thank you.” He gave me a squeeze, then we just simply stared into each other’s eyes for half a minute. “So, did you come over to work on our project?” he asked.
My nervousness stole back through me. Avoiding eye contact, I hesitated, thinking of the blanket in my backpack intended for a dessert picnic at the park. Intended for a second date. Asking him was so awkward it was painful, and I really, really wanted to default and say, ‘yes, I’m here to work on our project, and look, I brought cookies.’
“Is something wrong?”
“I was wondering...that is, since I messed up everything this morning...”
“Are you feeling bad about going to Jack’s?”
“No.” I bit my lip and slowly shrugged. This was pretty much saying, look I want to kiss you, so let’s go on that second date. “I was wondering if you wanted to go on a walk and have a picnic at the park. I have cookies.”
“That sounds like a date.” Mirth lurked in his green eyes.
“Yes or no?”
Asher restrained a grin. “Let me ask my brother.” He rose but then bent to say quietly, closing the gap between us to an inch. “This doesn’t have to be about a potential kiss.”
“Okay. So no kissing?”
“Just a second date,” he whispered, letting his fingers graze my hand. Asher ran up the stairs, his steps pounding.
I followed and waited on the landing, looking toward the main floor of the split level home. The last twenty minutes snuggled up together had gone too quickly; I wanted to do it over again.
William laughed from the kitchen where Asher had gone.
“I’ll make it up to you,” Asher said before returning. Coming down the stairs, he grabbed his jacket from where it hung and thread his arms through. “Where to?”
“The park,” I said. “The one down from the high school. I thought we could walk.”
“Sounds wonderful.”
Enroute, not holding hands, we took turns describing Halloween costumes we’d worn as kids. Asher had been different superheroes from ages five to ten. Afterward, he’d switched to a creepy mask with a black hoodie.
I was a bee, a fairy, a cat, and a dog, before the princess craze took over, and I planned out every year to be a different one. That had ended last year because I hadn’t dressed up for Halloween.
“Halloween’s this week,” Asher said. “We could put together a matching couple costume.” He joked.
“You can be a caterpillar, and I’ll be a butterfly.”
Asher laughed. He put an arm around me as we walked. “I like you—a lot,” he whispered in my ear, and his breath tickled my ear, giving me happy squirms.
My face burned, and I reached an arm around his waist, thrilled at another chance to be tucked next to him. “I like you a lot, too.”
Reaching the entrance to the park, we crossed the street and turned up the sidewalk. There were a few cars parked by the playground, and kid chatter carried on the wind.
I guided Asher toward a grassy trail, surrounded by natural wild grass and wildflowers. The trail wrapped around the meadow, giving way on the left to a forest for a long stretch, before returning to the meadow.
The walk and contact with Asher made my positive source swell, loosening my tongue. Since we’d both watched a lot of anime, we talked about our favorites.
We were laughing as we emerged from the trail, coming out above the playground near one of the pavilions.
The children and parents were gone.
“Do you want a cookie?” I swung off my backpack.
“Can you hear my stomach growling?” Asher asked. “I’d love
one.”
I put my bag on one of the tables and unzipped.
Asher observed the playground. “Those slides look crazy,” he said. “I never played on anything like it.”
I looked over at the double level tower with multiple slides coming from the first and second floors. “Oops and Nathaniel were here every day during the summer.” Daniel dragged me along, and I’d spent summer drawing in the pavilion.
Bringing out the cookies, I opened the bag and before handing one over to Asher, enhanced the chocolate so it would be sweeter and the texture so it would be softer. I’d built up so much positive source over the last hour, it was easily done.
Handing it to Asher, I ate mine as Daniel had baked it, which was still tasty.
We sat down, using the table as a backrest.
“Did you bake these?” Asher asked. “They’re delicious.”
“Daniel mostly,” I said. “I helped a little.”
He leaned back with his elbow on the table, which opened his body to me. I moved closer until I could feel his warmth infusing me. He finished eating, then shifted one leg over the bench to face me.
As I swallowed, Asher brushed hair from my face and draped it over my shoulder, sending shivers through me.
His lips tickled my ear as he whispered. “Do you want to go down the slides?”
Turning my face toward his, I maintained the thin gap between us, letting my nose rest ever so slightly against his. “I think we’re too old for that.” The varying shades of green in his eyes swirled around, and I lowered my gaze to his lips. A vibrant energy flowed between us.
“Do you want to kiss me?” he asked.
“Are we supposed to wait until the end of the second date?”
“No.” He cupped the back of my neck. His thumb traced my ear before he gently pressed his lips against mine. Instinctively, I closed my eyes, savoring the rush that blazed through me, our lips together.
As his lips tugged mine before releasing, slivers of warmth zipped through me.
Not ready for that to be it, I pushed toward him, wanting him to somehow know what he was beginning to mean to me. My positive source soared, coursing through me. As he opened his mouth more and lengthened the kiss, everything flared, and I intuitively let the surplus positive source slip into him.
“Tara?” Feeling his smile against my lips, the feeling compounded.
I realized what I’d just done, and fear eliminated positive source. I jerked back and scrambled to get away from Asher, before the sudden influx of negative source could backfire into him.
“Sorry.” I put up a hand to block him from me. My heart pounded. I felt light-headed. My breaths were shallow and rapid.
Asher was going to think I was a freak.
Beyond my family and other alvs, I’d never shared with anyone about being one. Not even Sam or Jack. I’d shared source, but never in a way that anyone noticed. What I gave Asher had been way too much for him not to notice.
To my surprise, Asher smiled. Curiosity glinted in his eyes. “Easy, Tara.” He stood, approaching me.
Okay, so he wasn’t running away in terror.
I took a couple controlling breaths, taking a slight step back before stopping, letting Asher bridge the gap. He touched my elbow, and I forced myself to relax, then he pulled me close.
He tilted my chin, forcing my gaze to meet his. “You don’t have to hide from me.” He stooped so his lips barely grazed mine. “May I?”
I nodded, trying to calm my heart.
Closing my eyes, I relished the moment he kissed me. Positive source swirled again, though not as vibrant. Reaching around Asher’s neck, I let it flow into him through my hands, which made Asher smile, then he gave me one more pressing kiss.
He wrapped his arms around my waist, rocking me back and forth, before looking at me with a huge grin. “So.”
A car door slammed, and the happy cries of children about to set on the playground filled the air.
“Should I walk you home?” Asher asked.
I narrowed my eyes. He wasn’t going to ask about what happened? No way he hadn’t noticed. “I’d love that.”
Shouldering my bag, Asher took my hand. He whistled a tune as he tugged me onto the sidewalk.
As we passed the slides, I avoided looking at the spindly mother, though I could feel her eyes burning on me as we passed within feet of where her innocent children played.
Asher picked up our pace, and I skipped a little to keep up. Back by the road, we slowed again.
I looked at him, still wondering. He had to have noticed.
With a crooked grin, he looked at me. “What?”
I furrowed. “You aren’t going to ask me anything?”
“Can I kiss you again?”
“No, I mean, yes, but—”
He swooped in with a kiss, and the passing car honked at us.
I pressed my lips together, licking them inside, then laughed. “Okay.”
“What do you want me to ask?”
Shaking my head, I shrugged. “I’m not sure. Some sort of recognition that wasn’t a normal kiss.”
“You’re the only girl I’ve kissed, so how would I know?”
I laughed. “Asher, tell me you didn’t notice something, and I’ll stop pressing.”
He was quiet for a moment. “My brother, William, has an energy thing he does. I’ve never talked to him about it, because he hasn’t wanted to.”
Asher had recognized William’s source.
“Sometimes, the energy is sweet. Other times, it’s bitter. Like, when I was younger, and he’d lose his temper, leaving huge bruises on me. After the accident, when I was recovering, it was sweet. I’m certain he’s the reason I recovered.” He looked at me. “Kissing you brought a huge influx of the sweet.” An adorable smile lit his face. “I think this makes more sense to you than me.”
“It does,” I said. “When I met William earlier, I figured out that he is like me.”
Asher rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb, nodding encouragingly.
I sighed in relief. “We’re changeling alvs.”
“Changelings? Like in fairy tales?”
“Kind of—Daniel says that’s where the term came from.”
“All right.”
“Or maybe the fairy tales of changelings come from us.” Dad used to tell me stories about fairies trading their babies for human’s, and the replacement was called a changeling. “What do you know about changelings?”
“Changelings were babies exchanged by fairies for their own. They were mistempered and not well behaved.”
“Changeling alvs aren’t actually fairy babies switched out at birth. They start as angelic, perfect babies, but as they move beyond newborn stage, their temperaments change, and they become difficult,” I said. “It’s because their emotional core is connected to a magical energy called source, which can be positive or negative. I’ve been trained how to manage and use mine since I was little because my grandmother was a changeling, and my parents both understood it. There’s more to it than that, but I’m not sure I’m supposed to share more.”
There was a code among the alvs that they not speak of their abilities to those outside their circle.
Asher’s brows furrowed. “William was an emotional nutcase until my friend Ozzy’s father began mentoring him. I thought he’d taught him how to manage his anger.”
“Ozzy?” I repeated. An unreal feeling settled over me. The image of my cousin kicking a ball to me, and his mother shouting his name flashed across my mind. Osmund. Don’t play soccer inside! Did Aunt Bodilla live in Portage?
“That name sounds familiar to you?” Asher asked.
“I have a cousin named Osmund I haven’t seen in years. His parents, my aunt and her husband, are both changelings.”
“Is your aunt’s name Isla?”
“That’s her!” My eyes widened.
“Small world.” Asher seemed troubled.
“What’s wrong?”
Asher
shook his head. “Your cousin is one of the crowd that hates me.” Sadness stole across Asher’s face.
I squeezed his hand. “No worries. Mom and Daniel don’t get along with them anyway. I wouldn’t even recognize Osmund if I saw him.”
Asher chuckled.
“What’s funny?” I asked.
“He hates people calling him Osmund.”
The bike trail turned off the main road going alongside the road that wound behind Asher’s neighborhood. It soon angled away from the road into a grouping of trees that screened us from passing cars.
Behind us, the setting sun sent streaks of purple and red across the sky, painting the scattering of clouds, which deepened into purple on the eastern horizon, heralding the approaching night.
“You called it source?” Asher asked.
I nodded. “It builds up inside me unless I use it.”
“That’s amazing. So much of William makes sense. And your tantrum on Friday.”
“Hey!”
“The energy radiating from you reminded me of him. I kind of wondered.” He reached a hand around my waist. “One more,” he said, his lips once again teasing mine, “While no one can see us?”
I pushed up on my toes to close the gap. Cupping the side of his face, I traced his cheekbone with my thumb. “Don’t expect every kiss to be packed with positive source,” I whispered.
His answering smile against my lips sent warmth trickling through me, and positive source responded like a wave crashing on the shore. Now that he knew, I shared it with him, unafraid.
Daniel had not turned on any lights, and the computer screen made his face glow. It was a sure sign that Mom wasn’t back.
“Hello,” I said as he looked up at me. “Can Asher stick around for thirty minutes? We wanted to work on our project.”
Behind me, Asher flicked on the hallway light.
“I think you two have spent enough time together today,” Daniel said.
That wasn’t a no. I’d also expected some push back. “He likes all your suggestions, minus the not pairing off one,” I tried to sugar Daniel up. On our remaining walk, I’d told Asher about my conversation with Daniel.
Asher stood behind me with a hand on my waist. “My brother, William, is a changeling.”
The Changeling's Source (Evedon Legacy Book 1) Page 26
