Chapter 19
“Clearly we have a lot to talk about,” Trevor said stiffly. “We knew you were hiding shit from us over winter, and I had a
feeling it was to do with a warlock, but I didn’t imagine it was this warlock.”
Reaching out, I offered him a hand, and Logan didn’t stop us from touching. “Let’s have dinner together,” I said, desperate
to regain my former closeness with my family. “Maybe grab J too, so I can explain what’s been going on.”
His hand locked around mine, holding on tight. “Okay, sis. But no more secrets, please. We’re in this together, whatever this is.”
“Promise,” I murmured.
He held on tighter, as if afraid to let go, but he eventually released me. “I’ll grab Jensen and we’ll find your table.”
When he was gone, Logan tucked me into his side, and I let my head fall to his hard chest. “Do you think I’m putting them
in danger by bringing them into my mess?” I asked him quietly. “We know what they did to the family members associated with
my affinity in the past.”
He steered me toward the buffet before he answered. “It’s our mess, Paisley, and in my opinion, the danger is the same whether they know or not. It’s better that they’re informed, especially if we need to protect you.”
I’d been trying to protect them, but in the process had hurt those I loved the most. Mom was doing what she felt was best in pretending none of this was
real or happening, but I couldn’t hide myself the same way. Not any longer. “You’re smarter than you look,” I said with a
laugh that could easily turn into a sob if I didn’t reel it in.
If I wanted to get through this next conversation, I couldn’t start crying yet.
“Fucking Hel, Paisley.” Jensen stared, his bite of steak on his fork forgotten as he gaped at me. “How could you not tell
us this over winter break?”
We’d secluded ourselves at a table right in the back corner, which was just large enough to fit me, Logan, Jensen, Trevor,
Noah, Tobias, Sara, and Haley. For the last twenty minutes, in whispers, I shared everything about my affinity and what I’d
been through, including what we’d found out from Gran’s letters. I even mentioned Belle and my suspicions that her father
was the one who tried to get Dad fired and the rest of us thrown from Weatherstone.
As truth poured from me, I felt lighter.
And terrified.
My powers had caused a death at the school, and I was waiting for the person who would judge me for it—who would believe me
to be the monster, rather than the creatures I’d accidentally called here.
“Mom never said a word,” Trevor growled. “She’s just been making you suppression potions and icing the rest of us out. Why
would she keep this from us? We’re the only ones to trust with this fucking information. We’re your family.”
“She’s scared,” Logan said with a snap. He’d been tense since I’d started speaking, and I got the feeling he was worried about their reactions and how it would make me feel.
“The only real information she has about this affinity is from an ancient book that detailed how every other witch like Paisley was murdered, and panicked letters from her mom listing the ways to keep herself and her daughters safe should one of them have the same affinity. You need to cut her some slack.”
“So . . . is Mom a reaper too?” Jensen asked in a tone so low we almost missed his question. His gaze darted to Logan. “Did
she call the monster that killed your mom?”
The whole table fell silent, and I couldn’t bring myself to look Logan’s way. “From what she’s told me,” I whispered, my chest
aching, “she’s an elemental. She said she has a theory about what happened that day, but it wasn’t the time to go into details
while trying to keep me safe.”
Logan touched my arm and drew my attention. Bracing myself for whatever expression I’d face, I was relieved to see him looking
as he always did. “Breathe, Precious,” he murmured, running a soothing fingertip along my neckline. “I don’t blame your family
for her death. Just like I don’t blame you for that student’s death. You did nothing wrong.”
That was a subjective viewpoint, but it helped ease up the pressure in my chest.
Trevor let out a heated huff of air. “Belle’s dad is going to be a problem. We need to deal with him before his next attempt
to take down our entire family.”
We all fell silent again, and I wondered if the tension and unease I now felt was somewhat directed at me. “I’m sorry to have
brought you all in on my mess,” I mumbled, feeling the full force of my guilt.
“None of this is your fault,” Haley said fiercely, reaching out for my hand.
“I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, this is the fault of the magical community.
They chose fear, killing off the witches like you in the past. If you were aware of your affinity, trained like the rest of us, none of this would have happened.
You don’t deserve this, and the cycle has to end at some point. Maybe it ends with you.”
Trevor shoved his empty tray away. “I think you need to learn to control your affinity, Paisley. The secret can’t stay that
way forever, especially with an elder already suspicious. You have no choice but to embrace your affinity and educate yourself,
and we will stand by you. We’re all powerful, and we have respect in the community.”
“You’re not powerful enough to take on the entire magical community,” Tobias said stiffly, though he cast me a softer smile.
“Not even if the whole school stood with Paisley.”
“She won’t know until she learns how to control her affinity,” Sara said, taking a sip of her soda. “How do we know that her
affinity isn’t a fundamental part of our magical world? Maybe we’ve been missing a large piece of the puzzle for decades.
The spellcasters are still causing issues in Europe. Paisley might be able to kick a spellcaster’s ass, knocking them down
from their perceived place at the top of the hierarchy.”
Logan, Tobias, and Noah exchanged a loaded stare, and I was struck with another suspicion. “Does Rafael have anything to do
with the unrest over there?” I asked the trio, who were far too good at concealing their thoughts.
“Let’s just say, it’s furthering his interests,” Logan said. “That many spellcasters in one place, using their magic to battle . . .
The overflow of energy is ripe for the taking.”
Magical overflow happened in large bursts of energy. It lingered in the air, tainting the land and world around it. Unless
someone gathered it up and used it to funnel into other spells.
Rafael struck me as the type of warlock who’d use whatever power he could for his own end, even if it meant encouraging war. Even if innocent people got hurt.
Maybe especially if they did.
As we’d learned in history class, the grounds of this school were powerfully imbued with hundreds of souls. Death left a particularly
strong magical essence.
“Why are they fighting?” Haley asked. “At home we tend to exist in the human world, outside of occasional coven events. I
only heard about the unrest this morning in class.”
I’d learned about the unrest from Belle last year, when she’d accidentally spilled elder secrets, but the information was
widespread now. At least in the magical communities.
“They’re trying to abolish and reform the council,” Logan said shortly. “Spellcasters don’t like answering to anyone, and
they’ve banded together to control the narrative.”
“Explains why Daddy Kingston is interested,” Sara said as she wrinkled her cute nose. “That bastard screams of I need to control the world and every witch and warlock in it energy.”
“Daddy Kingston,” Tobias said with a hoot, before he waggled his eyebrows at Logan. “And here I thought you’d be the first
bastard to rock that name.”
Fucking Hel. My face felt hot at the mere thought. Logan leaned closer, his scent and magic adding an extra element of heat
to my body. “What are you thinking, dirty girl? You want to call me daddy in the bedroom?”
Any denial on my part would only lead to more ridicule, and I was too frazzled to come up with a better reply than “A title
you’d have to earn, spellcaster. I’m not sure you have Big Daddy energy.”
I mentally applauded myself for trying to make light of it, especially as everyone else laughed. Logan gripped the sides of my chair and dragged it and me between his legs, his lips so close to mine that I could taste his power. “Challenge accepted, Precious.”
“Get out of here,” Trevor said, throwing a napkin at us. “You might have claimed her with some freaky magic when she was four,
but she’s still my sister. And I’ll still beat your ass.”
“Trevor,” I groaned, shaking my head at him. “I’ll say this once and once only. I’m twenty-three years old. I don’t need your
advice or assistance with my love life. Especially considering you’ve banged half the school.”
Trevor opened his mouth and then slammed it closed again. “I’m a one-witch warlock now. Belle has more than enough personalities
to keep me interested.”
I snorted before coughing to cover it. Haley tapped the table with the nail on her pointer finger. “Do you think her dad stopped
her from talking with us? Or she made the choice?”
“I think it’s both,” Sara said, a neutrality in her tone that I’d never heard from her before. She had big feelings usually,
but with Belle, she’d gone cold. “He’s been in her ear, influencing her. The few times we chatted on the phone, she was distant
in a way I’d never felt from her before. We can’t expect the same Belle to return tomorrow.”
It hurt to think that we might lose her. Belle had been the first friend I made at Weatherstone, and through everything we’d
had each other’s backs. I couldn’t imagine her not being part of my life, but I also wasn’t going to beg for her friendship.
If she chose to believe her dad after all we’d been through, there wasn’t much I could do.
“We need to talk more about Paisley’s affinity,” Trevor said, a yawn overtaking his face as he rubbed a hand across his eyes.
“But not tonight. I need to get some sleep so I can function with whatever bullshit the world throws at us tomorrow.” He pushed to his feet, before pausing and meeting my gaze.
“I’d like to read that reaper book if you still have it. ”
“Me too,” Jensen said, also getting to his feet. “We’re here for you, sis. Alice and Jenna will be as well, even if you end
up as a lonely old spinster with twenty pet monsters.”
I glared at him.
“No chance of that,” Logan drawled, and as he stood, he pulled me up beside him. “She’s my bonded mate, and we’ll have babies
and monsters, which means she’ll never be alone.”
Trevor and Jensen replied with jibes and threats to kill his arrogant ass, in the way only brothers can, but I didn’t hear a word. Logan had my full attention as he swept me out of the dining hall,
and when we reached his dorm, our lips clashed in a desperate kiss.
No level of fatigue would stop what was about to happen next.
A night being loved by Logan was totally worth any exhaustion.