Chapter 12
Sara gaped at me. “So, nothing happened? Like, no fucking at all?”
We were back in Spokane, the three of us sprawled across my bed, and it was hard to believe that only this morning I’d woken
in Logan’s arms in his fancy New York penthouse.
He’d kept his promise. There’d been no monsters or bad dreams, and he’d kissed the heck out of me before his driver delivered
me and my friends back at our hotel.
Just in time for us to check out and make our way to an official transport back home.
“No sex,” I confirmed. “Just some amazing orgasms, and then I slept like the freaking dead.”
Sara shook her head. “The warlock is into you, Pais. Like, really into. He threatened to destroy us if we disturbed your sleep
by being too loud. He knows you’re not sleeping very well. It was sweet and—”
“Utterly terrifying,” Haley breathed. “Lucky for me, Noah blocked me from most of his wrath.”
“Noah, hey?” I said as my smile grew. I was genuinely dying to know what had gone on with those two. “Anything happen with that tank of a warlock? You’re not walking funny, so I’m guessing not yet.”
Haley blushed, her pretty face pink and flushed. “Nothing happened outside of cuddling and a few intense conversations, but
I think I fell in love last night. He’s so attentive. He asked me about my books, and fuck me dead, he reads too. Mostly thrillers,
but he requested my favorite book titles so he could check them out.”
“Get him to read that one with the gargoyle who has two dicks,” Sara suggested. “The sex scenes in that were fucking hot,
and it’s always good to train them up early.”
“Great suggestion,” I said, backing her choice. “I’m still waiting for the author to expand that world.”
“How about you and Tobias?” Haley shifted the focus to Sara.
“Tobias Brietlin the Third, you mean,” Sara said with a sarcastic drawl. “Nothing happened. We fought. We danced. We fucked.
End of story.”
Haley and I stared at her, our mouths agape, and I wondered if I’d misheard. “How is that nothing?” I finally said around
a shocked laugh. “Girl. Friend.”
Sara shrugged. “Look, I dislike his personality, but the package is very pretty. And huge. A huge package that I seriously
enjoyed. He talks a lot of shit, but he fucks like a god. That’s the end of it though.”
Haley and I exchanged a blank look for about three seconds before we both lost it. I had to press the bridge of my nose in
an attempt to stop myself from spluttering as I said, “Sara, please never change.” She shrugged like there was no chance of
that ever happening.
“What are your plans for the rest of break?” Haley asked. “I’ve got to get back home to help with Dad, but I can’t wait to see you all next month at Weatherstone. Sophomore year.”
“No plans for us,” I said with a yawn. “Work, keep my magic suppressed—” Haley was aware of what had happened now too, and
thankfully didn’t think I was an evil demon-witch “—and try to figure out why Belle is MIA.”
Haley grew serious, her eyes locked on me. “Do you think it’s a good idea to suppress your magic the way you are? What are
the long-term effects of it?”
Letting out a breath, I shook my head. “I have no idea. Gran would have known, but we have to trust in her advice. The letters
didn’t give an end date. They just said that without the suppression, I’d eventually call the monsters in a public location
where I couldn’t hide them, and the council would destroy me.”
I was only safe now because when I’d unintentionally used my affinity, I’d been at Weatherstone behind their warding, which
prevented the council from knowing. The few who were aware of my long-forgotten affinity might suspect there was a reaper
at Weatherstone, but they never discovered who it was.
Haley pressed on: “What about when you’re back at school? They expect a spellcaster.”
“I can manage basic magic still—the same as freshman year. I’m just going to have to keep pretending my energy is hard to
release.”
Haley didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t argue with me further. “We have your back no matter what.” She gave me a hug,
holding on for a few seconds longer than normal. “I love you both. Keep in touch.”
After Haley left, for the rest of winter break, Sara and I fell into a routine. I went to work and she followed. Even with daily skate lessons, she was woeful, but it was nice having her around.
My parents kept tiptoeing around me, and while my siblings came home for one night to celebrate Dad’s trial dismissal, the
rest of the time they remained with their coven or at Weatherstone. Both, I was sure, preferrable to dealing with the weird
tension in the house.
Logan wasn’t around either, with his father dominating his time, but he called me every night, and I wondered how I’d ever
sleep again without his deep voice whispering sweet stories into my ear. He’d stuck to his promise of slowly building a bond
between us, and I was falling hard and fast.
Though, as nice as a slow build was, if we didn’t get to hard and fast soon, I might actually combust.
A few days before school was about to start, I found myself alone with Mom in the kitchen. “What really happened that night
in the graveyard?” I asked her, unable to keep avoiding all topics related to reapers. “You say you’re not like me, so how
were you there? How did I call you?”
She sucked in a deep breath, and I thought she was about to leave the room, but as the shock slipped from her features, she
settled her breathing. “I wish I knew. I was in the middle of reading Mom’s letters when I felt a pull toward you. A tugging
in my gut. Moms are connected to their children’s magic in ways only another mom would understand. Though I’m sure your gran
had a small hand in getting me where I needed to go.”
I’d read through Gran’s letters too, but there’d been very few revelations outside of her suppression potion. She’d been careful
in case they fell into the wrong hands.
They were all gone now, thrown into the fire by Mom as a precaution against my secret ever getting out.
“How could they just wipe a fifth affinity from existence?” I whispered, finding it hard to believe this was my life.
“You’re quite possibly the last night witch slash reaper alive,” Mom said, just as quietly. “Powerful magic is at play to
hunt your kind down. They’re afraid of this power, sweetheart. They’re afraid of what you are and can do. You can never let
anyone know about this. You shouldn’t even go back to Weatherstone.”
My mind rebelled against the notion. “So, no future for me at all? I just give up now because of some centuries-old prejudice
against this affinity?”
Mom swiped hard at her eyes. “No . . . goddess no. I won’t allow it. I said you shouldn’t go back to college. Not that I was going to stop you. But you must be aware of the risks. The suppression potion is so important.
You can’t ever forget to take it.”
“Okay,” I agreed hoarsely. “I’ll pretend to be a weak spellcaster, the same as last year. I can do it. I can keep this secret.”
Providing Belle’s father didn’t already know and was launching a plan to attack me.
Best I didn’t mention that to Mom.
“What killed Logan’s mom?” I asked, hoping that her sharing mood would extend a little further. As much as I’d like the past
to stay in the past, this unanswered question could be what would tear Logan and me apart.
She hesitated before taking a deep breath. “I have a theory, but I’m not sure I should speak on it. Not while there are feuds
and oaths lingering in the magic of our world. I don’t want to speak it into existence.”
I read between the lines of what she was saying. Rafael was powerful, and we had no idea how well he had us under surveillance. Though, that would mean he was aware of my relationship with his son, unless Logan had his own means of keeping his father’s magic away.
“I love you, Mom,” I said, thankful that we’d managed to talk like we used to. Even if only for a few minutes. “Thanks for
accepting and protecting me.”
She reached forward and hugged me hard. “I love you, Paisley. We will make sure you’re okay. No matter what else happens.”
I nodded, throat too tight to say anything else.
That night when I got into bed and settled under the covers, I sent off a text to Logan, who was no longer Stalkcaster in
my phone.
Paisley: Why did you transfer to Weatherstone last year?
Logan: Your power bloomed. I wasn’t leaving you unclaimed.
Whatever magic we’d woven as children was indelibly imprinted on my being.
A permanent mark.
Logan had told me it was the same for him.
Paisley: Is everything okay with your dad? You’re safe, right?
Logan: I’m safe, Precious. And you need to sleep—I can feel your exhaustion from here. It’s not long until the start of school.
I’ll be with you very soon. Just have to make sure everything is dealt with on this side.
I didn’t know what he was doing, but I found myself trusting him all the same.
Stupid or not, I was all in with Logan Kingston.
And I couldn’t wait for the new year and Weatherstone.
The night before we were set to return to Weatherstone, Sara and I spent a few hours packing our bags.
“So, are you ready for school tomorrow?”
She sprawled back on my bed, cradling her head in her hands as she stared at the ceiling.
“Yeah, I am actually,” I replied as I sat on my suitcase to zip it closed. I’d snuck a few crystals in even though I wasn’t
supposed to spend too much time around them. Mom had locked most of them away, but I’d managed to smuggle out a couple.
Being cut off from them was almost painful, and while I wouldn’t take them with me in my pockets or wear them around my neck
again, I needed to know they were close.
“I’m ready for some normalcy in my life,” I told her, when my bag finally closed.
“And I bet you miss that hunk of a spellcaster . . .” She almost sounded wistful, and I was fairly sure I’d seen a message
from Tobias on her phone earlier.
Maybe I wasn’t the only one ready to get back to Weatherstone and see a powerful warlock.
When we headed down for dinner, Dad was in a celebratory mood, bouncing around the kitchen. “It’ll be great to get back to
teaching and guiding my students, Little Gem,” he said as he ruffled my hair and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Your sisters
said they’ll be back to see you before we leave.”
“What about J and Trevor?” I asked.
He shook his head. “They’re already at school. They’ll see you there.”
I shouldn’t be disappointed—they’d all been here again for my birthday and Christmas Day, but this distance between us all grated on me.
No matter what happened over the next year, I was going to work on getting my family and me back to the place where we were
so close that they knew what I felt before I did.
I couldn’t let this affinity steal that from me.