Chapter 39
AVA
A thud brings me out of my zoned-out stupor.
“Another?” Luna smiles as she nods toward the fresh cup of coffee she just placed in front of me.
Blowing a flyaway piece of hair out of my eye, I run a hand through my tresses and sigh.
The mug is pleasantly warm around my hand as I pick it up, and I shudder, remembering the freezing rain outside.
Somehow the weather has gotten worse, and Chicago winters are arctic to begin with.
Whoever pissed off Mother Nature needs to cool it before I turn into a pink popsicle.
Tracing a whorl in the wood of the bar, I take in my surroundings.
On my lunch break, I knew I needed to get out, and Bean Hive seemed like the best place.
I wandered in slightly zombie-like, and Luna brought my favorite coffee after one glance at me.
I guess I drank the first cup while so deep in thought I didn’t even realize I was done.
It’s still a bit weird, coming here without Celine.
Man, do I miss working with my bestie.
Luna wipes the wooden bar down and waves to a customer as they leave. Everyone loves her since she takes the time to get to know those who pass through. That’s not even counting the amazing coffee blend that’s unique to her café. It’s so smooth and light in flavor.
“Are you going to tell me what’s got you sighing for the umpteenth time?” She peeks at me through blond and lavender strands.
“Did I tell you that you rock the hair?” I shift in my seat. “We should touch up the color soon.”
She quirks a brow at me. “Nice deflection. Seriously, Ava, what’s wrong? This quiet energy isn’t like you.” Genuine care seeps into her tone, and I deflate. “I don’t like seeing you like this.”
As I launch into my tale of woe, Luna listens to everything with a concerned expression.
I don’t leave any details out from the investigation, power explosion, or my relationship with Valen since all of it went down.
Nobody is close to us, so I don’t have to censor anything, although if they did hear, it would probably sound like I was recounting some crazy show or book.
“So that’s where I’m at. I nearly killed my best friend and I have these powers I don’t know how the fuck to control.
” Even now they swirl in my chest, and occasionally, a tingle will shoot down my arm.
“I feel like a loose cannon. I don’t know how to control my magic.
What if it comes bursting out of me again?
Could I level this entire building and everyone here with it? ”
“That’s heavy.” Luna’s fingers flex on the counter.
Her nails are painted a silver glitter color.
It’s a reminder that I haven’t even felt like getting my nails done, which is so unlike me.
“What happened to Celine doesn’t sound like it was your fault,” Luna murmurs.
“You can’t be too hard on yourself. It seems to me like you guys only managed to escape because of you. ”
Making a tsk sound, I swirl my coffee around. “Now you sound like Valen,” I grumble.
Luna nods to one of her employees, who assumes her spot working the bar.
She walks around to my side and takes my hand with a gentle tug.
I grab my mug with my free hand because I’m not going to leave a drop of coffee behind.
Leading me to the back where an empty table is, she sits and tugs me down with her.
Her blue eyes, a brighter, more vibrant shade of blue than mine, shine as they search my face.
There’s a calming energy about Luna. Her general personality and aura are comforting, and I find I can talk to her easily. It’s not that I can’t talk to Celine, but I think anyone could walk up to Luna and have a conversation without it feeling awkward.
“Have you practiced your magic more with Jade?” she asks, crossing one jean-clad leg over the other. She has a killer pair of brown boots that encase her lean calves.
“Not yet. I let her know what happened, but told her that I’m not ready to dive into the deep end. I know I need to, but I’m too chicken shit right now to do it.” My lips flatten at how small I feel. It’s quite the departure from my loud personality and fuck-all way of living life.
The fact is, I need to learn, and as quickly as possible. If I’m able to help Valen with whatever is going on with those underground tunnels and break the spell my ancestor used to bind him, then the sooner I learn, the better, but I’m so fucking scared.
Luna pats my leg, and I take another sip of coffee.
“I think you should call her up and pencil in a time to start slow. It’s a huge adjustment for you, having active powers, but who better to help than a fellow witch? She knows exactly what you’re going through. You said it yourself.”
Blowing a breath out of my nose, I give her a small smile. “I guess you’re right, oh wise one.”
Luna flips hair over her shoulder with a grin. “I might not be as crusty as Valen and Zavier, but I do know a thing or two in my young age.” She sticks her tongue out and crinkles her nose.
I almost laugh at her verbiage choice of young age as an immortal being. But I guess considering she was turned in the early 2000s, that does make her young as far as vampires go.
“It would make me feel better if I could channel these powers into something helpful. Right now, we’re sitting ducks.
If I recreated what I did in the tunnel but more controlled, I think we’d have a fighting chance, but who knows if that’s even possible.
The bottom line is Valen is still being hunted by the sick fucks who held him captive, and I want to be able to protect him.
” I sigh and down the last of the contents in my cup.
I’ll feel caffeine jitters later at work.
Or maybe it’s because a plan is formulating in my head and I feel more inspired and energized than I have in days.
I can’t keep burying my head in the figurative sand.
If I’m going to help my mate, I have to be proactive.
Luna hums thoughtfully.
“You know what? I do think I’m going to call Jade.
” I snap my fingers and point at Luna who gazes back, confused.
“She has all kinds of spell books and tomes in her shop. There’s got to be something I can find to help there.
” I know Valen wouldn’t sit back and let something happen to me.
I need to be proactive and stop wallowing.
Blue eyes watch me warily from across the table. “Please be careful. Talking with Jade is one thing, but magic isn’t something you want to mess around with when you aren’t ready, especially advanced spells.”
“Pfft. I’m always careful.” I wave a hand and smile.
Bells jingle against the door as I step into Jade’s stationery store after work.
I drove myself this morning so I’d have the car but still texted Valen to let him know I wouldn’t be home right away.
He’s such a worry wart that if I don’t, I know he’ll come looking, and now there’s no telling who or what might be looking for him, so I’d rather he not be out on his own.
Jade’s helping a customer at the counter, so I peruse the store until she’s done. A few others mill about, and it makes me happy that her store does well for itself. Nowadays with everything at our fingertips and going digital, I imagine selling stationery is tough.
“Hey, girl,” Jade calls, walking over to me. She rocks an all-black ensemble from top to bottom and her dark hair flows over her shoulder in a glossy curtain. “I felt your power when you walked in the door, but standing this close, it’s electric.”
Picking up my hair and rubbing it between my fingers like I can touch the energy, I frown. “Really? I don’t know if I like that. I don’t feel yours.”
“You’ll learn to mask it.” She gives my arm a reassuring squeeze and nods her head to the back room. “Come on.”
We make our way to the back room, and I pointedly ignore Liam, who tries to wave at me from where he stocks a shelf.
“I’m glad you’re finally ready to talk. Letting your powers sit without learning to control them can be dangerous if you let it go on too long.
” She gives me a pointed look and then flits around the room, looking for a specific book.
I eye the others on the shelves. There are so many of them that surely there must be answers in one of them.
“I’m sorry for being a coward. I got hung up on hurting Celine in the process of unlocking my powers, and then I remembered what happened to you with your mom, and it got all jumbled in my head.” Jade gives me an empathetic glance and motions me over to a table in the center of the room.
We both kneel on pillowy cushions, and she lays out her pile of books. She opens one, and we both cough at the dust that flies out.
“Been a while since I cracked open one of these bad boys,” she comments and flips through until she finds the page she’s looking for. “Aha, here it is.” She turns it toward me so I can see it.
My brow furrows at the odd diagrams and arrows pointing in different directions. “What am I looking at? Are we cracking some code?”
“In a way,” Jade replies. “It’s a set of exercises to go through to help you control yourself.
It’s a lot of mental motions but a few physical too.
It’ll feel silly at first, but I promise it does help.
” A faraway look enters her eye. “After Mom, it’s what helped me get on track, so I can attest to it. ”
My stomach sours at her comment, and I reach for her hand. I understand what she’s feeling now more than ever.
“I’m not into the sappy shit, but thank you,” she laughs and blows out a breath. “Okay, let’s start with this one. Picture the ball of power and use your mind to manipulate where it moves. It might resist at first, but you have to stay open and work with it.”
From there, we go through the list of exercises, and she’s right, I do feel silly.
At first nothing is happening, and my frustration turns into my power working against me.
Jade is a great teacher and gives constructive criticism without berating me for not knowing what I’m doing.
Slowly but surely, I figure things out. By the end of the lesson, I’m feeling less shaky and more in tune with the glowing core of my body.
When I don’t think about it as destructive, it helps me work in tandem, and the prickly tingle is much more comfortable as it radiates through my limbs.
“Just like that,” Jade praises, and I open my eyes to see a wide grin across her face.
A phone rings in the stationery side of the store, and she calls for Liam to pick it up. When he doesn’t, she jogs out of the room to grab it while grumbling about not being able to find good help.
The little devil on my shoulder starts speaking in my ear, and I glance around the corner to find Jade deep in conversation.
She’s facing the other way, so I duck back into the witchy side and dart over to the rows of books.
Not having a fully fleshed out plan, I start to open random ones and take pictures of the spells.
Every few seconds I check to make sure she isn’t coming back and snag as many photos as I can.
What are you doing, Ava?
I chide myself for being sneaky, but I know if I told Jade I wanted to practice more advanced spells, she’d say no.
That’s a smart answer and one I should heed, but I’m desperate to help Valen.
Who knows when those goons will show back up to try and haul him back to their dungeon lab.
I’m terrified that if he gets taken, I’ll never get him back.
I have to be ready. Something in these books has to work, but I don’t have the patience to work my way up to them, and frankly, we don’t have the time.
“Okay, thanks for letting me know and getting it sorted,” Jade says from the other room, but it sounds like she’s getting closer.
“I’ll keep an eye out for the delivery this weekend.
Bye.” Her footsteps echo closer, and I dart back to my spot at the table.
Picking a random diagram on the page in front of me, I follow the arrows and mimic the motion with my arms.
“Your book is upside down.” Jade snorts, and I peek out from one eye to see it indeed is.
Fuck. So much for being smooth.
“Oops. Guess I’m getting a little tired. I think I’m going to head home.” I feign a yawn and grab my belongings.
“You did well today. Pat yourself on the back, Ava.” She follows me to the front. “We’ll have to set up another time to work on it, but you already have a much better handle than I did at this stage.”
Feeling a little guilty, I simply smile and wave while I exit the store.
Once I’m situated in my car, I pull up my camera roll and scan the pictures I took.
Some of them are completely useless since they’re in languages I can’t read or understand.
A few, based on the name of the spells, are also a no-go unless the one that’s used to make a person more beautiful is going to help us knock the enemies dead.
Frustrated, I keep scrolling until I land on the last one. “Use for danger,” I murmur to myself. “That’s perfect!” I cheer and keep reading.
The items necessary for the spell to be completed are listed, along with a few others. Others that can strengthen it and allow it to last longer.
I bring up my notes app on my phone and quickly make a list of supplies.
I need a little more time to read over the spell and feel confident enough to try, but in a few days—a week tops—I’m doing this.