I tuck the bag behind me. “No way.” Then I pop the piece of candy into my mouth and let out a moan as the sugary taste dissolves into my taste buds.
East sinks his teeth into his bottom lip as his gaze dances from my lips to my eyes. “Good?”
I bob my head up and down. “It’s the best I’ve ever tasted. Although, I’ve only had cotton candy one other time, but this stuff is way better.”
His eyes sparkle brighter. “I’m glad my magic tastes delicious to you. I should feed it to you more often.”
I’m not even positive why, but my cheeks warm with heat.
Shifting my weight, I stuff another piece into my mouth to stop myself from saying anything stupid.
East’s grin broadens. “Is your mind going to the gutter?”
“No,” I lie, more warmth rushing to my cheeks.
Chuckling, he tugs me to him and brushes his lips across my forehead. “You’re adorable.”
“If you say so,” I murmur against his chest that smells similar to the candy currently dissolving in my mouth. For a mind-losing minute, I consider licking him just to see if he tastes the same. Then I mentally kick my ass and lean away. “So, what am I supposed to do now?”
“For now, you’ll hang out on the vehicle for a while until this investigation blows over. And until we can find out if Maxton and Maple are the only ones here who are helping August,” East says, wiping a drop of cotton candy off my lips with his fingertip.
I’d probably seize the opportunity to bite his finger, except his words remind me of something very important.
“The reason I walked back toward where Maxton was in the first place is because this blond male creature with illuminating eyes came up to me and told me there was food back there,” I tell East and Arrow. “There wasn’t any, so I’m guessing he was helping Maple and Maxton.”
“Was he staff?” East asks worriedly.
I nod. “Yeah, he had a badge.”
East frowns deeply. “It was probably an acquaintance of Maple’s.”
I stick another piece of cotton candy into my mouth. “I should also probably mention that I think … I think I may have accidentally killed her.”
East shakes his head. “Maxton told us what happened, and there’s no way that fall killed her, unfortunately.” He slumps back on the sofa. “She’s probably going to show up sooner or later if we don’t find her first.”
“We should check the magic repair shop tomorrow,” Arrow suggests. “If she’s hurt, she’ll be there.”
East nods in agreement. “You and I will go at dawn.”
“And if she’s there, what’re you going to do?” I wonder, stuffing my mouth with more cotton candy.
“That’s for us to worry about,” he says, and I respond with a dirty look. He grins. “I’m really, really glad we get to keep you.”
I let my head bob back as I groan. “You’re not keeping me.”
He just keeps on smiling, totally amused.
Rolling my eyes, I go back to stuffing my mouth with more sugar. “You think you’ve won this argument, but you’re wrong.”
“We’ll see,” is all he says, shooting Arrow a conspiratorial grin.
I give up, which means I must be super tired.
East flashes me another grin before focusing on Arrow. “I think, while we’re out tomorrow, we can also work on getting those incubus’ and succubus’ souls.”
“But I thought you said you wanted me to get the incubus’s?” I interrupt through a mouthful of sugary deliciousness.
East trades a cautious glance with Arrow then looks at me. “I think we can probably handle it.”
I lick a drop of cotton candy off my lips. “Look, I know I fucked up with the whole knocking down the Arch thing, but I’m good at stealing stuff, and I want to help with this.”
“You can help steal the books. I just don’t think it’s a good idea to make you seduce this incubus so we can get his soul.” He traces a finger down my jawline. “We’ll find another way to get it.”
I glance between the two of them, and Arrow tries to offer me a reassuring smile while East continues to stroke my jaw.
“What’s going on?” I demand. “Because something is.”
East looks at Arrow again then sighs, looking back at me. “We just think that, after the incident with Yellow, it might be easier on you if you don’t have to flirt with a creature that’s going to get handsy.”
Confusion whisks through me. Hardly anyone has tried to do something to make things easier on me. In fact, I’ve spent the majority of my life feeling as if the world is against me. Suddenly, I don’t feel that way, and that makes the strangest, most uncomfortable sensations twirl through me.
“I need to go … do something,” I mutter, rising to my feet then bolting out of the room.
I haul ass to my bedroom, lock myself inside, and collapse to the floor. Tears burn my eyes like dirty, little bastards. I try to suck them back, but a few manage to escape.
I don’t even know why I’m crying. It’s not like Jason has never done nice things for me or tried to make my life easier. He has … a couple of times. I have to admit, though, that most of the time, I was the one helping Jason. Like when he got in trouble with the underground mafia, or the tons of times he pissed someone off and I had to step in and fight for him. Plus, every time we needed something, I was the one who stole it.
I wipe the tears from my cheeks but more trickle out.
The sad truth is, while I thought Jason and I were best friends, being here and being so open with these guys, being able to talk about my curse with them, them helping me without expecting anything in return is very new to me. And that new feeling not only makes me realize I’ve never had a really close friendship, but also makes me painfully aware of how emotionally attached I’m getting.
I need to get my act together and keep this friendship from progressing into anything else. If I can’t and I end up feeling too much, I’m going to have to bail and protect them like they’ve been protecting me.
“Yep, if at any moment I feel like I might be tapping into that curse, I’m going to bail,” I vow, trying to convince myself that the possibility of that happening is probably pretty low.
After all, they’re paranormals, and I just can’t see myself falling in love with one. Plus, there’s a long way between liking someone as a friend and loving them …
I hope.
Chapter 13
Asher
“Are you sure these chains will hold me?” My younger brother, Maxton, asks as I secure the last of them to his wrists.
We’re in a cave out in the middle of the Steel forest. I hauled him out here to keep him as far away from Harlynn as possible so that, when the lockdown is removed, we’ll have plenty of time to leave before he can get to her. Because he’s going to try the moment he has our father’s powers back. He has no control over it; hasn’t since he was born a Wishing Shadow and our father deemed him his servant.
That day was awful. I cried. My mother cried and begged him not to, tried to curse him into not being able to.
He killed her for it, right in front of me, and watched as she died in my arms.
Yeah, our father is a fucking cruel bastard—always has been—which is why I’ve been gathering powerful objects that will hopefully help me kill him.
“Hopefully,” I reply as I rise to my feet and dust off my hands.
The truth is, I don’t know if the chains will hold, but as long as Maxton isn’t being controlled, we don’t have anything to worry about. My brother is a kind man underneath the scars, torture, and decades of being controlled.
“You better be certain.” He leans against the rock behind him, bends his legs, and rests his hands on his knees.
“I’m as certain as I can be.”
I turn to leave, hating having to leave him like this, but I don’t have a choice. Any second the lockdown could be removed, and then he’ll have more power than me.
“You should mak
e sure to cover up that mark on her back,” he suddenly grits out.
I glance at him confusedly. “Huh?”
“The star on Harlynn’s back…” He swallows forcefully then strains out, “It… Just keep it hidden.”
“Okay.” I wish he could tell me why, but I can see on his face that he’s struggling to speak right now. “Thanks.” Even though it pains me, I turn to leave, torn between wanting to stay with him and wanting to get back and make sure Harlynn, East, and Arrow are okay. With the lockdown going on, it makes me anxious being away. “I’ll come back tomorrow morning to bring you some food and check on you.”
“Don’t bother,” he mumbles miserably.
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” I repeat then start to walk away.
“I know a way to get around your curse,” he whispers so softly that, at first, I think I hear him wrong.
I pause, twisting back around. “What did you say?”
He lifts his head to meet my gaze. “I said, I know a way to get around your curse. You know, the one our father put on you that’ll eventually make that lovely creature I met today die.”
“The curse won’t happen if I don’t let it,” I remind him.
He carries my gaze. “He sealed your curse with Destiny. There’s no way of getting rid of it.”
“Then I guess you really don’t know a way to break it,” I point out, turning to completely face him.
“I never said break it,” he says. “I said get around it.”
I eye him over, questioning if he’s toying with me or not. Maxton himself wouldn’t, but if our father has even an ounce of control over him, he would. “How do I get around it?”
He chews on his bottom lip, contemplating. “I’ll tell you, but I need a favor first.”
“What?” I ask warily.
He lowers his head and takes a deep breath. “I want you to kill me.”
I gape at him. “You’re fucking joking, right?”
When he lifts his head and looks at me, I can tell he’s not. He wants to die.
“I can’t live like this anymore.” His voice cracks. “This isn’t a life, Asher. This is hell.”
“I can’t kill you,” I whisper, shaking my head.
“Even if it meant Harlynn could live and that you could finally fall in love?” he questions. “Think about it, brother. You could finally be free from this curse, and I could finally be free from mine.”
I shake my head, stepping back. “I promised that, one day, I’d find a way to free you. I’m working on it now.” With the objects, but I can’t tell him that and risk word getting back to our father.
“Dad is planning something awful with her,” he croaks out, his face bunched in pain as he strains out forbidden words. “If you get rid of me, it’ll make it harder for him to get to her.”
“I can protect Harlynn without killing you,” I insist, balling my hands into fists at my side. “I won’t do this. I’m going to save you like I promised the day Mom died.”
“You can’t save me—he’s too strong,” Maxton grits out, tears flooding his eyes. “Please … please agree to put me out of my misery, and I’ll tell you how to get around the curse.”
Shaking my head, I whirl around and stride toward the front of the cave. “I’ll be back tomorrow with some food.”
“Please think about it!” he cries out. “You don’t have a lot of time! Please, Asher! Come back! Do this for me!”
His words fade as I run out of the cave, running away from him like a coward.
No, I can’t do it. Can’t watch another creature I care about die.
But what about Harlynn? Because, if my father did seal the curse with Destiny, then me falling in love with her will happen. And then she’ll die.
Rage boils under my flesh as I realize that, in the end, I may very well have to make a decision I don’t want to make.
One that might get someone I care about killed.
About the Author
About the Author
Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.
Also by Jessica Sorensen
Other books by Jessica Sorensen:
Capturing Magic:
Chasing Wishes
Chasing Magic
Untitled (coming soon)
Chasing Hadley Harlyton:
Chasing Hadley
Falling for Hadley
Holding onto Hadley (coming soon)
Cursed Hadley:
Cursed Hadley
Enchanting Hadley (coming soon)
Bad Boy Rebels:
Meeting the Bad Boy Rebels
Sweet Lies & Kisses (coming soon)
Hacker Rebels:
Discovering Alexis
Disocvering Us (coming soon)
Tangled Realms:
Forever Violet
Untitled (coming soon)
Curse of the Vampire Queen:
Tempting Raven
Enchanting Raven
Untitled (coming soon)
Unraveling You Series:
Unraveling You
Raveling You
Awakening You
Inspiring You
Fated by Darkness
Untitled (coming soon)
Unexpected Series:
The Unexpected Way of Falling
The Unpredictable Way of Falling
Untitled (coming soon)
Shadow Cove Series:
What Lies in the Darkness
What Lies in the Dark
Untitled (coming soon)
Mystic Willow Bay Series:
The Secret Life of a Witch
Broken Magic
Untitled (coming soon)
Standalones:
The Forgotten Girl
The Illusion of Annabella
Confessions of a Kleptomaniac
Rules of a Rebel and a Shy Girl
The Opposite of Ordinary
Broken City Series:
Nameless
Forsaken
Oblivion
Forbidden (coming soon)
Guardian Academy Series:
Entranced
Entangled
Enchanted
Entice (coming soon)
Sunnyvale Series:
The Year I Became Isabella Anders
The Year of Falling in Love
The Year of Second Chances
The Coincidence Series:
The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden
The Redemption of Callie and Kayden
The Destiny of Violet and Luke
The Probability of Violet and Luke
The Certainty of Violet and Luke
The Resolution of Callie and Kayden
Seth & Greyson
The Secret Series:
The Prelude of Ella and Micha
The Secret of Ella and Micha
The Forever of Ella and Micha
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan
The Ever After of Ella and Micha
Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always
Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always
The Shattered Promises Series:
Shattered Promises
Fractured Souls
Unbroken
Broken Visions
Scattered Ashes
Breaking Nova Series:
Breaking Nova
Saving Quinton
Delilah: The Making of Red
Nova and Quinton: No Regrets
Tristan: Finding Hope
Wreck Me
Ruin Me
The Fallen Star Series:
The Fallen Star
The Underworld
The Vision
The Promise
The Lost Soul
The Evanescence
The Darkness Falls Series:
Darkness Falls
Darkness Breaks
D
arkness Fades
The Death Collectors Series (NA and YA):
Ember X and Ember
Cinder X and Cinder
Spark X and Spark
Unbeautiful Series:
Unbeautiful
Untamed
Extra chapters in the lengthened edition of Chasing Wishes (Capturing Magic, #1)
Chasing Wishes
Jessica Sorensen
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Copyright © 2017 by Jessica Sorensen
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
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Chapter 12
Genies are so annoying. Huge pains in the asses. Faeries aren’t that fabulous either, at least not as much as they seem to think they are. Cyborgs are cool, but they do like to participate in dirty, little lies that could hurt someone.
I know I sound like a straight-up bitch, but I’m going through some stuff, okay? Like how I just discovered I may not be human. Or a normal human anyway. And that the genie who made my parents vanish and cursed me to never be able to fall in love also cursed his own son with a similar curse. Only, he gave Asher the great pleasure of seeing who his demised lover will be, and apparently, the lucky dead girl walking is moi.