Chapter Twelve
Golden Shell Beach was the go-to spot after any rugby game – it wasn’t an invite-only event, but only those who actually cared about the sport went to celebrate.
‘Silas is there,’ Raven pointed out, as we arrived, and then her gaze turned poisonous. ‘Next to Dean Blackwood.’
I glanced at the vampire, with his wire-frame glasses, high cheekbones and mussy light-brown hair.
He was grinning at another vampire, Cameron, and the moonlight glinted off his sharpened incisors.
He glanced our way, and I saw him take in Raven; his mouth quirked into a smile and his eyes darkened.
All of a sudden, his voice was an octave higher.
‘And then, I got the highest mark in the hexes class, set the curve for everyone. Not that I’m worried about anyone beating me,’ he said, his tone all teasing and unnecessarily loud.
‘Raven, don’t –’
But it was lost on her. No one could get under her skin like Dean. Sofia and I watched her go, winced as they got into an argument and then turned away because watching Raven decimate someone, while entertaining, was also vicious. I’d feel bad if I didn’t know Dean could handle it.
‘So,’ Sofia said, while leading me to the drinks table and grabbing two glasses of strawberry punch. ‘Are you going to tell me why Orion Hawthorne made multiple players trip up today?’
‘He – uh – he was helping me get Silas’s attention,’ I said, because it wasn’t a lie.
Sofia’s eyebrows lifted, and she took a long sip of her drink. ‘Is that the only reason?’
‘It’s – well – you – see –’ I stuttered through a ring of responses, and Sofia watched me silently until she finally put her hand on my arm and stopped me.
‘The curse on the town,’ Sofia started, quietly. ‘Did you have something to do with it?’
I gaped at her. ‘How did you know?’
Sofia shrugged a shoulder. ‘When you’re the new one in town, you see things that everyone else overlooks. Plus, every time I mentioned Frost, you looked physically pained.’
‘It was a mistake,’ I started, and the whole story spilled out in a long whisper and with lots of gesticulating.
‘I just wanted to see who my soulmate was. I didn’t want all of this to happen.
Especially not to Frost, or Diya or anyone else.
I need to find my soulmate and share true love’s kiss under the autumn moon.
Orion’s helping me break the curse in exchange for helping him with his friend’s bakery – the Treasure Trove. ’
‘That’s where you’ve been going after school while Raven and I hit the library,’ Sofia correctly guessed, then her eyebrows pinched together, like she was trying to finish the sentence herself but couldn’t come up with the answer. ‘And Silas?’
Now I felt my face heat up, and I suddenly wished I was good enough to do a cooling spell against my skin.
‘On the night of the autumn moon, it would be smarter for me to have him there when I cast the soulmate spell. The curse breaks when I share true love’s kiss.
So, you know, I wouldn’t have to search across town for him if he was right there. ’
‘And you’re sure he’s your soulmate?’
Now the blush went even hotter, even brighter. ‘Yes.’
‘OK.’ Sofia nodded, absorbing all the information. ‘Thank you for telling me.’ She squeezed my shoulder. ‘I’d be happy to help you solve this, if you’d let me.’
I wasn’t going to cry. I wasn’t going to cry. I wasn’t going to cry.
‘And, as my first way of helping you, I’m going to do this,’ Sofia said, and then shouted across the beach. ‘Silas!’
For a girl who was so petite, Sofia had the voice of a loudspeaker. Either that, or she charmed her voice to be louder. Regardless, I saw Silas’s head jerk towards the sound of his name. Then his gaze landed on me, a smile tugged at his mouth, and he was walking over to us.
I turned to Sofia, but she was gone. Literally, all I saw was her wings – a glitter of gossamer lost in the crowd. I couldn’t even hiss her name before Silas was standing before me.
He had changed into his jersey, his hair was all damp and windswept, and the gold rings around his blue irises burned brighter.
‘You made it,’ Silas said, grinning.
‘I made it,’ I echoed, because it was easier to repeat what he said than trying to make my own conversation.
‘I’m glad, because now I get to tell you: you’re my good-luck charm,’ Silas said, and there was an earnestness in his voice that made my stomach flip.
‘That might have been the macaroons,’ I added, with a little laugh.
Silas shrugged and then looked around. A sudden seriousness slipped into his expression. ‘Could we talk alone?’
I nodded, unsure of what alone meant. But Silas seemed to know. He took a few steps back and beckoned me to follow him down the beach. I hardly believed I was going to be alone with him for the first time ever. We walked close to the shoreline, waves lapping at our feet.
Finally, when the party was just a speck in the distance, Silas stopped and turned to face me.
‘I wanted to apologize,’ Silas said in one long breath.
‘Apologize?’ I asked, entirely confused.
‘About what Trent said today. I just wanted you to know that I didn’t – I don’t – think you’re cursed.’
‘It isn’t your fault,’ I replied, heart all soft and gooey at the fact that he even thought to apologize. ‘But thank you for apologizing anyway.’
‘Well,’ Silas said, looking less serious than before. ‘Thank you for absolving me, but I suppose I do have an ulterior motive.’
He said that a little wickedly, and I felt my heart rate kick up. ‘Do you?’
‘Now that I’ve apologized, I could say that you and I –’ he gestured between the two of us – ‘are friends?’
‘We’re friends,’ I confirmed, with a steadiness I did not feel.
I’m in love with you, pretty sure you’re my soulmate, but, OK, friends will do.
‘So, you’ll come to the next game? I need my lucky charm cheering for me.’
There was no way I was going to say no. Not when he levelled that smile at me.
Before I agreed, Orion’s words flashed in my mind.
Build common ground. Once he notices you, get him to like you. Make a connection with him, find similar interests. That’s how you build a strong foundation in a relationship.
‘Depends,’ I said, after a moment, rocking on my heels thoughtfully and playing it cool. ‘Think you could help me with potions?’
His face dropped a little. ‘I’m an awful pick for that. I’m not great at potions.’
I smiled. ‘Neither am I. Guess we could be awful together?’
His laugh was loud, and that sound felt like a victory on its own.
‘All right, Maya,’ he replied, smile still wide on his face. ‘Let’s meet up for a study session. How does next weekend sound?’
Like it couldn’t come soon enough.