16. Evelyn
16
Evelyn
I woke up to the smell of amber. The musky scent wrapped around me like a blanket.
As I stirred, I realized I was no longer in Ryker’s arms but in Alister’s. His embrace was cool and firm, contrasting sharply with the fiery death glare Ryker was sending his way.
Alister just smiled, completely unfazed.
Lucien walked in, holding a tray with coffee cups and a bag of pastries from the village coffee shop which he placed on the coffee table.
I almost professed my undying love to him before extricating myself from Alister’s arms, grabbing a cup of the delicious nectar, and handing one to Rafe and Ryker.
Lucien took a sip from his cup and looked at Chad, who had just then bounced back from the woods in Hellhound form. Chad shifted back to his human self as he stepped inside, pulling on his joggers with practiced ease.
“You know,” Lucien began, eyeing Chad with mild annoyance, “you should really consider leaving your joggers outside so we’re not all assaulted with a view of your dick this early in the morning.”
Chad laughed, a broad grin spreading across his face. He stretched his limbs leisurely, clearly unconcerned. “No promises.” He rubbed his stomach exaggeratedly. “Is it breakfast time yet?”
Lucien rolled his eyes and threw him the bag of pastries.
Alister smirked. “I’m surprised you noticed, Lucien. I thought you only had eyes for dusty old books and herbs.”
Lucien raised an eyebrow. “At least I don’t need to trick someone into marrying me, Alister.”
Rafe sipped his coffee. “Please. Let’s not go there again. It’s too early.”
Alister scoffed. “Says the angel who’s probably been up since dawn doing yoga or something equally angelic.”
Ryker snorted.
“Hey! I was defending you…and it’s called Tai Chi,” Rafe corrected with a grin. “And I’d invite you all, but I doubt any of you could keep up.”
Chad, mouth full of pastry, mumbled, “I could totally keep up. I’ve basically mastered the downward dog.”
Everyone groaned, but I smiled.
Despite their jabs, there was an underlying warmth in their interactions.
It seemed the guys were slowly becoming friends.
While we drank our coffee, Ryker filled us in on his progress or lack thereof. He still hadn’t found anything useful, and his father was eager for him to work on more important things.
After we finished our coffee, Ryker and Chad decided to head back home, and Rafe flew back to the Academy.
Meanwhile, Lucien was finishing cleaning up so he could drive back to the academy.
“You coming with me, Evelyn?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I nodded and sighed heavily, staring at the pile of papers and books scattered around the room. “We didn’t find anything useful.”
Alister stepped closer.“Your parents never intended for your powers to be unbound,” he said quietly. “There might be nothing to find.”
I nodded.
“They also never intended to die so soon.”
I felt a pang of disappointment mixed with sadness. “So, they never wanted me to be who I truly am?”
“It wasn’t about denying you your true self,” Alister explained gently. “It was about keeping you alive. They feared what others might do if they knew how powerful you were.”
“I need my memory back—the one when my parents bound my magic.”
Alister hesitated for a moment but then nodded slowly. “Very well.”
He reached out, placing his hands gently on either side of my head. The world blurred for a moment before it snapped into focus—into a memory.
I was younger.
My magic was going haywire, little sparks flying around as I giggled with glee.
My wings were out too, shimmering and iridescent.
My parents looked exhausted, but there was love in their eyes as they watched me play.
Then a tall stranger walked in—Alister.
He looked just as he did now: dark hair, dark blue eyes, an air of elegance that felt almost otherworldly.
My parents and he spoke for a while in hushed tones, then he stepped towards me.
“Hey there, little phoenix,” he said.
I giggled at the nickname. “I love that! I’m a phoenix!” My wings glittered and sparks ignited around me as I waved my arms up and down.
Alister leaned in a little. “I have a secret,” he told me.
My eyes went wide.
“Do you want to know what it is?”
“Yes,” I said eagerly.
“We’re going to be the best of friends,” he whispered when my parents weren’t looking.
I laughed. “You’re too old!”
He smiled and went back to speak with my parents as I continued to play with my dolls.
“Evelyn,” my mother said gently, “can you come here for a minute?”
I hesitated but their tired and scared faces made me comply.
I was on a chair beside Alister when he grabbed my hand.
“This won’t hurt,” he promised.
He lied.
The bite was excruciating.
I screamed as pain seared through me and then—nothing. Everything went blank.
The memory faded and tears streamed down my face as reality came crashing back.
Lucien placed a comforting hand on my shoulder while Alister stepped back.
“I’m going to run back,” Alister said. “I need to let off some steam.”
I nodded.
“Let’s go,” I mumbled through my tears to Lucien.
* * *
The drive back to the Academy was mostly silent.
I stared out the window, watching the trees blur by, my mind still reeling from the memory Alister had unlocked. Seeing the genuine fear on my parent’s faces was a stark reminder of the danger that had always lurked around me.
“Lucien,” I finally broke the silence, “how was the rest of your evening?”
He sighed, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel. “It was… eventful, to say the least. After you left, everyone was murmuring. Morgana was livid. You could practically see steam coming out of her ears.”
A small smile tugged at my lips despite everything. “I can imagine.”
“Clarissa stayed with me most of the night,” he continued, his tone growing more bitter. “I tried to boast about my accomplishments—something I never do—and even hinted at being dissatisfied with my current coven.”
That had been our initial plan before Alister showed up.
“It worked. By the end of the party, after talking with Morgana and a few elders, they offered me a place within the coven.”
“Of course, they would want you. You’re the best potion master there is.”
“Morgana told me that if I’m hungry for success—and she thinks I am—there’s plenty of room for growth within their ranks. They’d very much appreciate my unique skill set.”
“That’s…actually good news,” I mumbled, though my stomach churned at the thought of Lucien being involved with the evil version of what used to be my coven.
He glanced at me, a sour expression on his face. “It is. But there’s also the date with Clarissa.”
I winced. “Sorry,” I admitted, reaching over to squeeze his arm gently.
He nodded. “Thanks. It’s good that we might have someone on the inside now.”
“True,” I said thoughtfully. “But still…”
“I’ll manage,” he assured.
We fell back into silence as we approached the gates of Arcanum Academy. Lucien dropped me off at my dorm since I wanted to grab a few things.
“I’ll see you tonight at dinner?” I asked as I got out.
“I guess we’re making this a regular thing,” he replied with a sigh.
“Well, the food is quite delicious, and hey, you don’t have to cook any of it.”
“See you tonight,” he said with a rare smile before driving off.
My phone pinged, and I retrieved it from my pocket.
It was from Adrien: “WTF! You’re married to a vampire?”
I guess news travels fast.