Chapter Seventeen #2
“I will.” Dad brings his tea to the kitchen and then moves toward me.
“Don’t dwell on it,” he instructs. He hugs me and waits for Mom in the living room.
“Seal the house tight,” Mom says, looking at me sternly as she rounds the counter.
“Be good to her. Tell her you love her, and everything will fall into place.” She pats my cheek and joins Dad.
“Make sure to ask her about the owl. It has magic inside it.” She waves as she disappears, clutching Dad’s hand. Mom doesn’t miss much.
I quickly lock and spell every window and door.
Moving into the bedroom, I do the same and change.
Mara is sleeping deeply and doesn’t budge as I climb beside her.
I turn to my side and look at her. Is this love?
When I saw Cameron, my heart ripped in two.
His hate directed at Mara made all the control I tried to build up on the way back to her explode.
How could I not see his true intentions?
No matter what Mara thought, I knew he wanted her.
I could sense his obsession to a point, but I didn’t think his involvement was as severe as it was.
Mara has spoken briefly of her mom, yet didn’t tell me the details of her death.
I knew she felt great pain. Losing someone is difficult, and she is still deeply affected.
My soul bond hides too much. She takes on the responsibility of those she loves to the point where she has lost herself.
I don’t deserve someone so selfless. I’m selfish enough not to care. She’s mine.
My magic has always been great, but meeting Mara has expanded my skills.
Healing has never been my specialty. The most I have been able to do is heal minor cuts.
When I saw the marks on her neck, I lost it.
The spell burned inside me, urging me to use it on her skin.
It wasn’t right to have marks on her body.
I can still see her bruises, but only in my memory.
The owl must have healed the remaining marks, and my mom is right: we need to talk about the bird.
My body is calming, and most of my tattoos have gone back to normal.
I could feel them glowing and throbbing when I was draining those men.
It’s as if my power was on overload, and they couldn’t contain so much as once.
I was horrified when I realized I was wearing a white shirt, and I couldn't believe I hadn’t noticed sooner.
Adeline's warning was throbbing in my head. Hurting Mara is the last thing I would do, but my body was filled with buzzing energy, and I couldn’t take the chance.
Before coming here, I’d only taken one life at a time, and only a handful throughout my life.
Rolling to my back, I stare at the ceiling.
Sleep won’t be possible tonight. My thoughts are scrambled, and no matter what my family says, guilt still eats at me.
Mara is a powerful woman and witch, but it’s still my job to keep her safe.
We couldn't predict Cameron's actions, yet something should have tipped me off. The danger is over for now. I have a nagging thought of the other man who came into the store. I don’t think he will go away. He’s determined to find Jerry.
He could be a problem that I need to fix.
Mara doesn’t need anyone else digging into her life.
If I express my concern to Mara, she will want to be at my side when I find him.
It doesn’t feel right. Archer might be the right warlock to deal with him.
He can change the man's memories and cut off the questions and concerns. I can’t take another kill.
My magic is full. I won’t remember any of the men's faces in that house, but the first man I killed will always remain in my head.
“You’re frowning.” I turn my head, and Mara runs her fingertip across my forehead.
“I was thinking,” I murmur, closing my eyes briefly, relishing her touch.
“About?” She drops her hand, tucking her palms together under her cheek.
“How do you feel?” I ask.
“Still sleepy,” she whispers.
“Go back to sleep.”
“Tell me,” she demands, and I give in.
“I was thinking about the first man I killed. Sometimes, I can’t decide if it’s a good memory or bad.
” I turn away. “Adeline has always been wild. She takes life as an adventure. Uncle Mavin came into her life later, so she lived with us for years. We had dates together. She called them nephew and aunt exploration dates.” I smile softly.
“We would go into town, have lunch, and shop.
Sometimes, we would go to the museums, or if there was a carnival in town.
At least once a month, we would get up early and make a day out of it.
In my early years, I took being a warlock as a cool trick.
Adeline encouraged me to be frivolous. We enjoyed the fuck out of each other's company and showed our love.
Our family has never been one to hold back on showing affection.
Life is too short, and our circle of friends is incredibly small.
“On one excursion, we went to the park and had lunch. I was fifteen and just growing into my body, but I still looked young. We sat there for hours talking. No topic was off limits to Adeline. She was always honest and open about her life and experiences. Learning from her was always interesting. Her stories were always hilarious, yet always had a meaning.” I fold my arms behind my head, my fists clenched.
“We were discussing where to go next. Our plans were always vague, and we let the day guide us. She needed to use the restroom and insisted I stay there and pack up the remains of our food. The bathrooms were not far, and I watched her walk across the park. It didn’t take long for me to get our things in order, but she hadn’t returned.
I waited a little longer. I started to grow concerned and decided to go after her.
I grabbed our things and followed the path she took.
As I walked between two small buildings, I heard muffled screams. Dropping everything, I ran around them.
I froze when I saw a man on top of Adeline.
His hand was under her skirt, and his other hand was over her mouth.
He had my elegant, sophisticated aunt on the ground in the dirt.
Adeline’s feet were kicking up dust as she thrashed them.
“His attack was hidden in the fading light behind the buildings, and there were two closed shops behind them. He ripped her clothing, and it snapped me out of my shock. My magic surged through me, and I moved closer. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I could see him slow down.
He grunted and fell to the side. Adeline’s eyes were wide and terrified.
I stood over the man and pulled at his life.
He was the one thrashing then, and my fury brought him pain.
His legs and arms contracted and bent at unnatural angles.
I loved seeing him suffer. The blood drained from his face, and at the time, I didn’t know he was dying, or maybe I didn’t care.
” Mara moves closer and puts her hand on my chest. “I killed him. I didn’t know when to stop.
He was gone, yet I kept going. Adeline crawled to me and hugged me.
She had to say my name numerous times before I snapped out of it.
I jerked back when I saw he was nothing but a skeleton. ”
“You saved her,” Mara whispers.
“She was in shock, and so was I. Nothing like that had happened before. I still feel horrible that she had to calm me down when I should have been comforting her. She had enough sense to get us away. Our things were yards away, and we hurried back to them. She fixed her clothing and hair enough that we wouldn’t be noticed before we joined the crowd.
We didn’t say anything as we put as much distance as we could between the nightmare behind the park.
I don’t know how we got home. It’s all a blur.
My parents weren’t there as we stumbled into the house.
Adeline led me to her room and told me to sit on the bed.
She got some clothes and changed in another room.
I was in shock and hadn’t moved by the time she came back.
We stared at each other, and then she thanked me.
Adeline broke. She sobbed, dropping to the floor.
We switched roles again. I got up and wrapped my arms around her.
I don’t know how long we huddled together on the floor.
Adeline’s magic is more internal. Her spells aren’t powerful, so what little she could do didn’t help her fight him off.
My heart broke for her, and I forgot about what I did. I just needed to comfort her.
“She eventually dried her tears and sat up. I didn’t feel guilty for killing him, but I was disturbed by my gift.
I had no idea that I could do that. We decided together to keep it a secret.
The man wasn’t going to come back, and his bones wouldn’t be identified back then.
We swore never to reveal what happened that day, and I haven’t.
” I turn my head. “Until today. For months, our special days were held on our property. We didn’t leave the house and chose to eat together outside, where it was safe.
Slowly, our conversations resumed their normalcy.
The first time Adeline decided we would go back to town, her hands shook.
Eventually, things went back to normal. She told me never to be afraid of my gift, as it could save someone’s life.
I didn’t believe her, but I pretended to.
” I turn on my side. “I should have escorted her that day. She insisted, and I should have done the same.”
“Tonight wasn’t your fault.” She cups my face.
“I should have come home with you. Insisting you leave me was wrong.” I grip her hand and bring it to my chest.
“Cameron would have found a way,” she whispers. “I would rather have it over tonight. Adeline was lucky to have you with her, and you saved her.” She scoots closer. “Everything happens for a reason. We all have done things we regret, but we wouldn’t be where we are without them.”
“I don’t want to think about what would have happened if I hadn’t decided to look for Adeline.
If I had waited a few minutes more, it would have been much worse.
Tonight, I’m grateful that Archer demanded we come to you.
Although you shot a handprint of fire on Cameron’s chest as I arrived. ” I grin.
“That was the highlight of the night.” She rolls her eyes.
“How long ago did you meet Cameron?” I ask.
“A couple of months. He was nice. Quiet. Nothing that he did made me suspicious of his intentions.” She frowns. “How could he hide his hate so well?”
“You're a good person, so you can’t imagine how. We know the bad guys don’t show their dark side openly. He pretends to be what you expected him to be.” I kiss her hand before letting her go. “Did you know his dad?”
“No,” she says softly, looking down.
“You don’t like talking about your mom.” Her head jerks up.
“It’s not that.” She leans on her elbow, threading her hand through her hair.
“She called us her angels. The three of us were a team. Everything was simple then. She showed us love every minute, and she was my idol. I never met my dad, so I didn’t miss him, but she talked of him fondly.
Every day, she made up for his absence. I hated school and couldn’t wait to get home to her.
Hiding my magic was a challenge, and kids are cruel to those who are different.
So many times I wished to spell them and make their lives miserable.
Lace didn’t have an easier time. She was quiet and small; they made fun of her.
My touch wasn’t as severe, so that’s how I was able to hit the girls who pushed her around.
Of course, I got in trouble and was sent home. ” I grin.
“Exactly where you wanted to be.” She lifts a shoulder.
“I didn’t hate it, but it was the times Lace had to stay there. I got sneaky about it then because I didn’t want to leave her.”
“My protector. Was your mom upset?”
“No,” she laughs. “She pretended to be stern in front of the principal. When we got in the car, she told me she was proud of me for taking care of my sister. She told me to always protect her.”
“And you always have.” I admire her loyalty the most.
“I was busy making sure Lace was safe, and I didn’t realize I should have done the same to her.
She seemed so fearless and ignored people who looked at her strangely.
She wore long dresses or skirts in every color, and looked as if she were floating through life.
I thought she was stunning. She would rather spend time with us than make friends with humans.
Lace was sad she couldn’t hug me, so Mom made up for it.
I tried to show my love in any way I could except touch.
Words can only make up for so much,” she whispers, and I glide my fingers over her jaw.
“You did what you could.”
“Maybe,” she mumbles.
“What did your mom say about your gift?”
“She wanted me to practice. I just wanted to be a little girl.” A tear slides down her cheek. “Maybe if I had, I could have saved her like you did, Adeline.”