Chapter Five #2
“And we figured getting you to accept the position as her tutor without knowing who she really is would be almost impossible. If left up to you, the two of you might never actually meet,” Killian said wryly. “That’s why we tried to get you to go to the school as her new professor instead.”
Now, that made sense.
“I know this is all kinds of confusing, but everything has to do with destiny, luck, and timing. We were also warned that telling you about Ava before you actually met might have consequences. At least, that is what the original God of Fate told Devon,” Seneca confessed.
Castiel gritted his teeth. If Keo, the original God of Fate was involved, it was no wonder everything was confusing.
That annoying god liked to be cryptic as fuck.
Some people thought that was a side effect from acting crazy for centuries in order to force the magical source to send him some helpers, but Castiel just thought the damn god liked to mess with people’s fate as a way to stave off his own boredom.
“We were trying to do our best not to mess things up. But we didn’t actually tell you about your mate. You guessed,” Seneca said defensively. “So, that means we didn’t break our promise.”
“You’re right,” Castiel assured. “No one can blame you. I’m going to head out now. I will make arrangements for the reapers at my villa before I leave.”
There were six reapers currently staying with him at his villa.
His home was magically enhanced, making it much larger than it seemed from the exterior.
Because of that, they could go days without actually running into one another.
He would have to inform them he was leaving, but planned to wait until he could provide them with his location in Mystic before he spoke to them.
Killian waved a hand in the air. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of that.”
Castiel shook his head as he picked up the box Lucifer had left for him. “I owe them an explanation before leaving. They should be fine without me, but I’ll tell them to come here if they need something while I’m gone.”
“If we aren’t here, Dario and Anika should be around,” Seneca said, mentioning two of the Guardians who lived at their villa. “We have an apartment in Mystic near the Trifecta University campus. Did you want us to arrange a residence for you in our building?”
“Thank you, but that isn’t necessary. Damien Carver owns a lot of property, and he owes me several favors. I’m sure he can find me a place to stay while I’m there,” he said, mentioning an ancient demon who lived in Mystic.
“Contact us if you need anything,” Killian reminded.
“I will. Thanks.”
Not wanting to waste time, he teleported back to his own villa, arriving back in his bedroom.
He shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it on the bed, then released Myst and Ash into their wolf forms. Ash immediately started walking the perimeter of the spacious room as if checking to see if anyone had entered while they had been gone, but Myst remained by his side.
The wolf was excited about the prospect of a mistress, and he didn’t like having to wait to meet her.
“Same,” Castiel said, rubbing Myst’s head. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her soon.”
Satisfied with that, Myst and Ash curled up together on the large bed by the doors leading out to the balcony. The patch of sunlight streaming in through the glass kept that spot warm in the afternoons, so it was one of their favorite napping places.
He had a few things to see to before he left to find his mate. The warning of potential consequences wasn’t enough to keep him away from his mate, but Castiel would be careful before he proceeded.
While he wasn’t exactly keen on the idea of becoming the Magical Combat professor at the magical academy, he would do it in order to remain close to his mate.
His friend, Damien, knew the headmaster of Trifecta University well, so he was confident that getting the position wouldn’t be a problem.
And if there was any pushback from the school or the Supernatural Council, he would entrust Lucifer or Killian to strong-arm them into approving him.
That was the easy part.
What would be much harder would be making a plan of action to help his mate.
Before he could even get started thinking about that, a ringing sound interrupted his thoughts.
That was strange. He had a phone, but it was tucked away in his desk in his study.
His magic was strong enough to interfere with technology, so he never even bothered to turn the phone on most of the time.
Realizing the ringing was coming from the box Lucifer had given him, he removed the lid and stared down at the phone inside.
It was obviously one of the special phones Devon made that allowed tech and magic to work together without interference.
Lucifer had tried to give him one before, but he had turned down the offer.
Now, it seemed like he couldn’t refuse.
Lifting the device, he frowned as he unlocked the screen.
There wasn’t an actual call coming through.
Instead, one of the only icons on the home screen was pulsing with purple light as the ringing continued.
He clicked on the app, and the screen turned black.
The words Arcane Assist appeared in large purple letters.
When the words disappeared, a new message appeared.
Welcome to Arcane Assist-Beta Version. Ava Fortier, a student from Trifecta University, would like to contact you to request your assistance with her magical studies. Are you willing to connect with her now?
Stepping out onto the sun-washed balcony, he took a deep breath, then hit the Yes button.
He thought he was prepared to meet his mate, but the reality of seeing her for the very first time was so much more than he had ever dreamed.
He had assumed that the video connection would mask the mating pull between him and Ava Fortier, but he was wrong.
The face that appeared on his phone screen was, in a word…perfect.
So perfect it made him go still, as if any movement would break the moment. He didn’t want to risk her disappearing from his sight, not even long enough to blink.
Ava wasn’t the polished, glamorous kind of female meant for worship from afar. She had a raw, visceral kind of beauty that reached through the screen and caught him by the throat. She was seductive without even trying, and alluring beauty as potent as a siren’s song.
Her skin looked impossibly smooth and luminous, completely flawless even though she wore no enhancements.
Her high cheekbones stood in sharp contrast to the softness of her full, lush lips, creating harmony between strength and delicacy.
There was a freshness to her features that didn’t read as na?ve or innocent, but rather as someone unaffected by the outside world.
She seemed to have an awareness of who and what she was, giving her a bearing that presented as regal without being pretentious.
Her hair fell in long, dark waves around her shoulders, midnight black until she shifted and the light caught the subtle shift in color threaded throughout it. The silver streaks woven into the dark shadows reminded him of his beloved wolves, adding another element of wildness to her features.
But it was her eyes that captivated him the most.
Her piercing green eyes were vivid, like precious emeralds held up to sunlight. She didn’t just meet his gaze. She held it, steady, curious, and with a hint of challenge. He could feel a warmth coming from her that he had never felt before throughout the long centuries.
He had never believed in love at first sight before. He’d always assumed it was merely a fallacy. A poetic, exaggerated way of describing attraction. That didn’t mean he didn’t believe in love, though. He had witnessed mates together far too many times for it not to be real.
But he’d never heard of a mating bond being formed over a distance before.
The moment Ava’s face had flickered into view, all of that uncertainty went up in flames. Destiny didn’t care about his cynicism. It didn’t ask permission. It didn’t need to. The truth struck him like a blade straight to the heart, sharp, clean, and with a finality that was as sure as death.
Even if he hadn’t known she was his mate beforehand, he would have felt it the moment their eyes connected.
His soul recognized hers, and his magic surged, restless and possessive, as if trying to claim her before his mind could grasp the entirety of the situation.
Despite being in different countries, separated by miles of distance, he could sense her as clearly as if she were standing in front of him.
She belonged to him.
He wanted to go to her. To wrap his arms around her and kiss her until they were both breathless and desperate for more.
It wasn’t just desire, though the way his body ached and the simmering fire of need that heated his blood proved how much he wanted her.
What he felt for her was something deeper and far more terrifying.
It was undeniable proof that love could happen in an instant.