He lowered his mouth to mine again, and let out a soft, happy moan. “It drives me crazy knowing you’re so close to me, but still so far away.”
“I’m right here… I’m always right here.” I kissed him back happily. Then I pulled away and whispered, “But you shouldn’t be. If Ana knew—”
“So we’re being a bit naughty. We’re teenagers. It’s normal. It’s practically expected.” He cocked an eyebrow and grinned.
“Yeah, normal for normal teenagers. But not such a great idea when there is a powerful witch nearby who can summon killer gargoyles like that—” I snapped my fingers. “Or worse,” I added under my breath when I recalled the way Ana had spun Nicholas’s body around and ripped off his shirt just by moving her fingers. What else could she do to him if she wanted to? True, she’d promised to accept the idea that we were together, but she’d also said she didn’t want him on the property. I only hoped she didn’t have some sort of silent alarm set. Our relationship was already too precarious right now, and I didn’t want her thinking I was being devious.
“Then let’s go where we don’t have to worry about any of that.” He pressed my body to his, and before I could even say a word I was pummeled with a storm of freezing ants.
The grass felt like the softest of spun silk beneath my bare feet. I didn’t need to look around to know exactly where we were, and my heart smiled.
Druantia.
A magical oasis, and our spiritual home. This sanctuary offered the best that nature could possibly offer, and then some. All around us enormous trees, centuries old, stood twisted and proud. Their golden branches arched high overhead, creating a partial canopy with their eternally emerald leaves. Mysterious twinkling lights zigged and zagged among them, and danced along the forest floor. And above it all, a full, luminescent moon shone down from a sky of midnight blue, casting its ethereal glow on the enchanted landscape.
I turned to Nicholas and grinned. “I love it here. This place always feels so good, don’t you think?”
He wrapped his arms around my waist and gazed down at me, his eyes half closed. “Not as good as you feel in my arms.” He chuckled at the look I gave him. “Yeah, I love it, too. I’m blessed to have been called here.”
I looked at him, puzzled. “What do you mean ‘called here’?”
He took my hand and we started wandering slowly along a faint path that meandered through the trees. As always, I felt like I had awakened in a dream… not only was I with Nicholas, but we were surrounded by the most unbelievably breathtaking scenery. Everything was better here—brighter, softer, stronger, sweeter— as if this place was perfection and everything else a lesser copy.
Hand in hand, we headed toward a sparkling pool beneath a waterfall. “Not everyone hears the call to come here,” Nicholas said. “There are other places similar to Druantia in other parts of the world. They’re not the same of course… maybe the same basic idea, and special in their own right. But the Isle of Druantia is the original, the oldest, and the most powerful magical sanctuary in existence. But only a relative few will ever be able to see her remarkable beauty for themselves.”
“That’s weird,” I murmured. “I just assumed this was a place everyone like us knew about and could come to.” Then, I remembered Sophie and Lily’s shocked reactions when I’d told them I’d been here. They certainly had thought it to be a big deal.
“Not everyone. Just the lucky ones.” He smiled and traced my lips with his fingertips. Even the magic of this illuminated, enchanted forest couldn’t compare to the spell Nicholas cast when he stood so close to me and gazed lovingly into my eyes. It was as if our souls were becoming as one, and our bodies were just in the way.
“As much as I love it here, I brought you here for a reason,” he finally said. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
My heart fluttered. “What is it?”
He led me over to a patch of velvety grass beside the pool. The waterfall made a steady, soothing sound that was immensely appealing. Suddenly, I had the urge to strip off all my clothes and jump in for a swim. But the serious look in Nicholas’s eyes kept me focused.
We made ourselves comfortable by the water. “So how’s it going with finding your mother?” he asked.
I shook my head. “It’s not. I just saw her in the Stone that one time, but I’m going to look again when the time is right. See if I can see more… figure out where she is, or what she’s near.”
He glanced away, and I could feel his nervousness. “Before I say what I have to tell you, I need to ask you something.”
“Okay.”
He turned his body to face me and looked directly into my eyes. “Do you trust me?”
I almost rolled my eyes at the question. “Of course I trust you. With my life. Why do you feel you even have to ask?”
He let out a deep breath, his jaw tense. “I just needed to hear it. And for you to hear you say it. Because I’m going to need you to trust me, even if you don’t want to.”
“You’re scaring me right now,” I whispered, and clenched at the grass beneath my hand.
Nicholas drew his arm around my waist and lightly rubbed my lower back. Usually that would send the butterflies into action, but now my stomach was so knotted there was no room for them. “No, don’t be afraid. I have to tell you something, and you’re going to want me to tell you more. But I can’t… and you’re going to have to trust me that it is for the best. You must believe it.”
I didn’t like this one bit. But I did trust him. “Okay. I’ll take your word for it. What do you need to tell me?”
His mouth was pressed in a tight line. “I did some asking around tonight about your mom, and her history with my coven.”
My heart skipped a beat.
Nicholas lowered his eyes and continued. “There’s a very powerful family within the Triple Star, and anything that happens, they know about it.”
“Sounds like our version of the Council,” I murmured, my eyes still riveted on his.
He shrugged. “Maybe. I think most every coven has their own set of leaders, so to speak. Anyways, I asked a few of them about your mom, and what happened the night your grandfather died.”
“And…?” The word was a whisper.
He took a deep breath. “And… the story you have been told is a lie. All of it.”
Chapter 16. Lies
I felt like ice water was running down my spine. “What do you mean it’s a lie?” I whispered.
He shook his head again. “I can’t give you the details you want right now. Believe me, I wish I could. You have to find your mother and get her to tell you the truth.”
“What truth? What really happened then? If you know, you have to tell me!”
He frowned and looked deeply into my eyes. “This is why I needed you to trust me.”
I jumped angrily to my feet, my hands on my hips. “Are you kidding? Why are you playing games? You’re just dangling a carrot in front of me, knowing I can’t reach it. If you can’t tell me what I need to know, why say anything at all?”
He rose to his full height, his mouth twisted in a grimace. “I just thought you’d want to know that my coven wasn’t responsible for his death. But I can’t tell you who was, or why. There is more to the story than you’ve been led to believe, and it’s important that you find out what it is.” His eyes pleaded with mine, but my frustration was escalating.
“That’s a lot easier said than done,” I snapped.
He reached for my hand. “I know you can do it.”
“Is there anything else you can tell me?” I begged.
“Just that Ana hasn’t told you the whole truth about things.” He clenched his jaw. “She’s keeping secrets from you. But I can’t tell you what they are… you have to discover them on your own. It’s the only way. And you will.”
My eyes narrowed.
“Calista, I love you more than anything,” he whispered tenderly. “I want you to be happy. I want what’s best for you. And
I hate that you’re going through this.”
I took a deep breath and tried to control my irritation. “What is Ana lying to me about? Am I in danger?”
He shook his head vehemently. “No, nothing like that at all. If I thought there was even the slightest chance you’d be at risk, I would’ve already yanked you away from her, whatever the cost.”
“Then what is it?” I pulled my hand away. I didn’t feel like being consoled. I wanted answers. And I hated that the person who could actually give me some, wouldn’t.
He bowed his head. “Actually, at least as far as Ana is concerned, I think she’s lying out of love for you. She’s afraid she’d lose you if you knew the truth. As misguided as she may be, at least she’s doing it because she cares.”
My insides were a conflicted storm of frustration, confusion, anger, and compassion. I could tell how hard it was for Nicholas to say these things to me. He was in a tough spot, and I knew he was only trying to help and do the right thing. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t do more. It wasn’t his twisted family drama we were being dragged into.
Finally I regained my composure. “Thank you for telling me this,” I whispered. I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. “I know you’d tell me more if you could.”
He gently stroked my hair. “Believe me, if I did, everything could all blow up,” he murmured. “It’s better this way.”
“What am I supposed to do with this information?” I leaned back slightly to look in his eyes. “You’re saying that the circumstances of my grandfather’s death aren’t what I’ve been told, and only my mom can set it all straight?”
He nodded and pulled me back to him. “I just wanted you to know that there was more going on than what you’ve been led to believe, and Ana was only using the Triple Star coven as a scapegoat. It’s important that you know that.”
I chewed on my lip and scowled. “And Ana is keeping more secrets from me. But I can’t say anything to her about that now, can I? I can’t just come right out and ask her.”
He shrugged. “You obviously know her better than I do. But I would think if she’s already gone to such great lengths to keep the truth from you, then she really doesn’t want it to come out. But you have to find it. You have to find your mother. Don’t give up, okay? Your happiness… our happiness, might depend on it.”
I gazed back toward the crystalline waterfall careening over the shiny silver rocks. “I’ll try,” I whispered. “I have no idea if I can do it, but I’ll try.”
Chapter 17. Belong
Nicholas returned me gently to my bed, hovering above my body as we shared our final kisses. It took all my willpower not to pull him down on top of me and keep him there, but I knew he had to go. For more reasons than one.
“I love you. Call me when you’re ready to go for a run,” he whispered.
“I will. I love you, too.” I never got tired of saying those words to him, or of hearing him say them to me. But in a way they weren’t even necessary. I could feel his love for me as strongly as I felt mine for him.
“Sweet dreams,” he murmured before fading into the darkness.
The next morning I tried sleeping in, but even though it was Saturday I was wide awake by seven a.m. I thought about calling Nicholas, but then I heard Dad tinkering in the kitchen and decided to join him first.
“Mornin’,” I greeted as I walked out of my room. I stretched my arms and let out a big, loud yawn. I was still pretty groggy and wished I’d been able to get more rest, but I could never sleep late, even when I wanted to.
“Mornin’, sweetheart.”
I took a seat at the bar across from him and twisted my hair up in a loose bun. “Watcha doin?”
He glanced over at me and held up the toaster. “Dang thing’s gone and broke on me. Won’t get hot no more. There goes my breakfast.”
I remembered what I used to do to our air unit back in our tiny flat in Basile, Louisiana. “Oh, that’s nothing.” I got up and walked around the bar to where he was standing. “Lemme see it.”
I closed my eyes, placed both hands on the sides of the broken toaster, and willed it to work. I knew it had obeyed me when I felt the small spark tickle my palms.
“There, try it now.” I set it down and gave Dad a lazy smile. He had the oddest look on his face as I started to walk back to my stool—
OH MY GOD WHAT DID I JUST DO?!
I stopped midstride, every cell in my body frozen in sheer horror. For the life of me, I didn’t know why I just did that. Now what? THINK!
Slowly I turned back around, praying my face wasn’t as red as I thought it was, and that I didn’t look even half as guilty as I felt. I forced a fake smile and a laugh. “Ha ha, just kidding. Wouldn’t that be cool if it worked though?”
Dad looked uncomfortable and shifted his gaze away. “Uh, yeah… uh, Callie…”
“Don’t even worry about it.” I hurried back over and took the toaster from him. I held it tight to my chest and shooed him away. “I’ll have eggs and blueberry pancakes ready for you in five minutes. Go sit.”
He paused, uncertain. “Ya don’t gotta, I can just grab—”
“I insist. I want some, too. Now go. Five minutes.”
He hesitated a moment longer, then nodded. “Well, I best go get cleaned up then while I wait.”
“Okay.” I flashed him a bright smile and grabbed a giant bowl and a wooden spoon.
As soon as I heard the door to his room close, I collapsed against the refrigerator and tried not to hyperventilate. What was I thinking? Or why was I NOT thinking? I’d never done that in front of him before. It’d always been second-nature to keep my weird abilities hidden from him. I didn’t even have to think not to do it – it was automatic.
But so was what I’d just done with the toaster. I didn’t think, I just did it.
And I’d almost exposed my secret.
Even worse, I could have put Dad in danger. If he had seen something he shouldn’t have… what would happen? Would the Council have to come and put some sort of enchantment on him and erase his memory, too?
I felt sick at the thought, and cursed myself for being so utterly careless. But I was more than just angry… I was also a little bit scared. I was starting to feel like things were happening that were out of my control. And it was only a matter of time before someone got really hurt.
The batter was sizzling on the griddle when Dad came back out, freshly showered and dressed. It always amazed me how fast he could get ready. I’d still be lathering my hair.
“That smells delicious. Glad that darn thing broke on me.” He smiled, and there wasn’t the slightest hint of suspicion or discomfort from him. I felt a little better. But still, I needed to be much more careful.
“Whatcha doin’ today?” he asked, as I set a plate of hot cakes and eggs down in front of him.
I went to the pantry to retrieve the maple syrup. “Nothing much. Go for a run. Hang out with Sophie and Lily later.”
He gave me a half smile as he poured the syrup on his stack. “You ever gonna tell me who that boy is I see you runnin’ with?” My face froze, and he chuckled. “What, you think I ain’t got eyes?”
“I…no…of course I know you do,” I stammered and laughed nervously. Why hadn’t I realized that Dad could see the shoreline just as clearly as Ana could, depending on where he was on the property? For some reason I’d never even really thought about it. I’d always been careful to lock my bedroom door when Nicholas shimmered in at night, but completely forgot about our activities in broad daylight.
I stared down at my plate and cut off a bite of my pancakes with the side of my fork. “His name is Nicholas,” I mumbled, very aware that my face was definitely pink. “He lives a few houses up the beach from us. We’re friends. We go running together sometimes.”
Dad gave me a knowing glance, his toffee eyes kind and understanding. “From what I seen, looks like more’n just that. Unless you be runnin’ ‘round holdin’ hands and kiss
in’ all your ‘friends’ like that.”
“No! Of course not.” I wished the earth would open me up and swallow me whole, right then and there. He saw Nicholas and me kissing? God, how embarrassing. “I like him. He’s my boyfriend.” There, I said it.
Dad raised an eyebrow. “A boyfriend, huh? Thought you was too smart to get mixed up with fellers at your age. They nothin’ but trouble.”
“Nicholas is a really good guy, Dad. He’s really nice to me and treats me with respect. You’d like him.”
He grunted and shoved a huge bite of pancakes into his mouth, then chased it down with several gulps of milk. “And why haven’t I met this young man who wants to be courtin’ my daughter? If he’s so respectful, why hasn’t he asked for mah blessin’ to be seein’ you proper?”
Because it’s not 1950?
“Um, well, we really haven’t been seeing each other all that long, and he was away for most of it. He just got back last week.” I crushed my napkin in my hand, then straightened it out again.
“Well, then why don’t ya bring him around sometime. Introduce us. We’ll have supper.”
I paused. Nicholas and Dad together? Talking? About what? Me? While we ate? Ugh. But I supposed it had to be done. Obviously they’d need to meet each other eventually. But the magical side of my life was so crazy at the moment, I just wanted Dad shielded from it as much as possible. The less he knew about everything the better, and that included my relationship with the powerful warlock four houses away.
“Bring ‘em by tonight. Let me get a good look at him.” Dad put down his fork and rose to his feet.
Gulp. “Tonight?” So soon?
He bent over and gave me a kiss on the top of my head. “Thanks for the breakfast. Gotta split. Got a big delivery comin’ in to Diamond Falls.”
“Oh… okay… so, um, really... tonight? What if he has plans…?” My voice faded as I could tell Dad was totally ignoring me. He picked up his jacket, then took an apple and stuck it in his pocket before grabbing his keys.