《Bound by Moonlight》


 C1. Magic, Tea and Unrequited Love

    My heart beats sluggishly. I glare at the ball of fire struggling to live between my palms. I will it to grow, to shift, to do anything. But I¡¯m tapped out. Sweat drips from my brow and onto the flame, extinguishing it.


    I groan and look up to find that Grandmother¡¯s lips are pursed with disapproval.


    ¡°Again,¡± she orders.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I say, trying not to whine.


    ¡°Artemis,¡± she snaps.


    I wince and bring my hands together again, cupping them enough to create a hollow. More sweat forms, sliding from the crease between my eyebrows to the tip of my nose. I focus hard on my hands and, miraculously, a few sparks erupt between them, as if I were physically striking stone with a flint, but that¡¯s all. No fire blooms.


    Grandmother¡¯s face is pinched when I give up and drop my hands to my knees, bending over to catch my breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s just as well,¡± she says curtly. ¡°Your chauffeur is here anyway.¡±


    Tires crunch on the gravel driveway outside, confirming her words. My heart rate picks up significantly.


    ¡°He¡¯s not my chauffeur,¡± I mutter. Hurriedly, I push my dark bangs out of my eyes and wipe the sweat from my forehead.


    ¡°Oh, really? So your mother doesn¡¯t pay him to drive you around?¡±


    ¡°Just to and from here.¡± I quickly reach for my bag as I hear heavy footfalls on the ancient front porch.


    ¡°Come in, young man,¡± Grandmother calls before Dev even has a chance to knock.


    The screen door creaks open and my breath catches as he steps inside.


    Devereaux LaTour is my idea of perfection. At eighteen, he is just south of six feet and packed with lithe muscle. His dark hair is short on the sides and long on top, curling gently over his forehead.


    His grey eyes settle on me.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he says, and I feel his voice all the way down to my toes. ¡°Ready to go?¡±


    I nod and hoist my bag up on my shoulder.


    ¡°And how are you this evening, Mr. LaTour?¡± Grandmother asks, busying herself with cleaning up after our training session. A few scorch marks decorate the drop cloth she¡¯d had the foresight to spread out.


    I wonder what Dev thinks she and I do when I come here. I once told him that it was piano lessons, but I¡¯m not sure if he believed me or not.


    ¡°Just fine, ma¡¯am.¡± He gives her a charming but tight smile. Only showing a peek at those dimples that I love so much.


    He¡¯s always been like this around Grandmother. Never quite daring to look her in the eye. Maybe he is afraid of her. She is the rich and mysterious Bia Adelfi, after all.


    I grasp the strap of my bag and rock forward on my heels. ¡°I¡¯ll see you next week, Grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Goodnight Artemis.¡± She follows us out onto the huge, white wrap-around porch. The house, Moonhollow, is an old plantation house that has been in our family for generations. It¡¯s ancient and rife with magic.


    As Dev and I make our way down the stairs Grandmother leans against a post.


    ¡°Devereaux LaTour, don¡¯t forget what I told you.¡± Like everything else about her, her voice is stern.


    This warning is something she says every time the two of them part ways. I¡¯ve always burned to know what the hell she¡¯s referring to, but neither of them have ever given up that information. It has been like this since the first time she met Dev, when he moved next door to Mama and I when he was twelve and I was ten.


    ¡°Sure thing, Ms. Adelfi,¡± he says without turning around. It¡¯s what he always says.


    The night is clear as we careen down the Louisiana back roads in Dev¡¯s large black truck. Stars cover the sky like we¡¯re under a big blanket with pinholes in it.


    Every week we do this. He brings me out to Moonhollow and five hours later picks me up and brings me back into town. Back to Crescent Creek.


    We hardly ever speak during these interludes, and we absolutely never speak outside of them. Mama pays him twenty bucks a week to cart me to and from Moonhollow, but other than that, he acts like I don¡¯t exist.


    I assume this is because I¡¯m considered weird.


    My witchy ancestry makes me an outcast. People aren¡¯t quite sure if it¡¯s true or not but just the possibility that I might be something unnatural makes people shy away.


    Which is a shame, because Dev really is the prettiest boy in town. He¡¯s a senior and a football player at our school. Like every other teenage girl within a five mile radius, which encompasses almost all of our small town, I am hopelessly in love with him.


    Well, not love, maybe. Because while I have lived next door to him for six years and spend a total of an hour in a car with him once a week, I can¡¯t claim to know him all that personally. Sure, I¡¯ve been in his house. His little brother, Jules, is my best and only friend, besides my Mama. But Dev is a pretty private person. So no, not love, I guess. But I¡¯m definitely in lust with him.


    However, I know my chances are abysmal, so it¡¯s something I¡¯ve just accepted as a fact of life and am trying to move past.


    Tonight the truck windows are halfway down and my brown-almost-black hair cyclones around me, forcing me to gather it and try and tame it into a rough braid.


    ¡°Someday,¡± I tell Dev as I divide my locks into three sections. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me what she¡¯s talking about when she says that.¡±


    He snorts. ¡°Not likely.¡±


    I stare out the window as my fingers work on my hair, because it¡¯s that or stare at him and drool like an idiot. I assume their shared secret has something to do with my Grandmother¡¯s precognition. She probably saw something all those years ago and for some reason needs to continuously warn him against it. Which is weird, because Grandmother is a pretty selfish person. She only cares about things like that if they affect her or the family. I know I shouldn¡¯t pry, it¡¯s probably something very personal, but I can¡¯t stop my curiosity from raging. Whatever it is, he probably doesn¡¯t even believe her.


    It¡¯s a half hour drive each way from Crescent Creek to Moonhollow. Dev has been driving me ever since he turned sixteen and got his license. Mama and I had had a car up until that point, but almost on the same day that he¡¯d come home with his truck our Honda had crapped out beyond the point of salvation. Like it was kismet.


    I enjoy our car rides together, even though he barely looks at me and we hardly ever speak. Soft music plays from the radio and the bucket seat is so worn in and comfy that sometimes I doze off. Nights like tonight especially, when I¡¯m exhausted from training and the cool fall air caresses me from the open window.


    Once my hair is restrained, I lean my head against the glass and let myself drift off, savoring the feel of having Devereaux no more than three feet from me. I imagine what it would be like if he treated me like a friend and not just a vaguely annoying acquaintance. It¡¯s a nice fantasy to fall into.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    I jump awake to the clearing of a throat and the cutting of an engine.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I say with a yawn as I unbuckle my seatbelt.


    Dev doesn¡¯t respond, just opens the door and climbs out. We pass one another in the driveway as I head to my house and he goes to his. The quick brush of his arm against mine gives me goosebumps.


    Mama¡¯s nose is buried deep in a romance novel when I come in and drop my bag by the door. She jumps and smiles widely up at me.


    ¡°Hi baby. How was your Grandmother¡¯s? Want some tea?¡± She stands, dropping the book to the couch and hurrying to the kitchen.


    I follow, glad to be home. Mama and Grandmother have been estranged for years. I¡¯m not certain about why, exactly, and trying to get a straight answer out of either of them is like trying to teach a cat to pour tea. But even Mama agrees that I need training to hone my witchy powers, so my trips to Moonhollow still happen weekly. Sometimes I think Mama made our car break down on purpose, so she wouldn¡¯t have to take me out there anymore.


    I sigh, remembering the disappointed tilt of Grandmother¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you train me up?¡± I drop into one of our mismatched kitchen chairs and slump against the table as Mama puts the kettle on to boil.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not as mean as your grandmother,¡± she says with a chuckle. She sits down across from me at our small table. ¡°Training takes time and discipline. And I¡¯m terrible at discipline. Thank the goddess you¡¯re a good kid or you¡¯d be runnin¡¯ amuck in this town and I¡¯d have no say in it.¡±


    I smile, trying to picture myself as a delinquent instead of a straight A outcast. It isn¡¯t an image that comes easily to the mind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Mama. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m cut out to be the powerful witch that she thinks I am. I¡¯ve been working my butt off and I¡¯m still on basic elemental stuff.¡±


    ¡°Time and discipline,¡± she repeats. ¡°And we¡¯re a family of psychics anyway. The elemental stuff, while useful, is not our strong suit. You¡¯ll understand once you move on to omens and stuff like that. How to read cards and runes and even bones and tea leaves. Your Grandmother¡¯s an expert in all that.¡±


    I blow upward, making my bangs fly. ¡°I haven¡¯t even had a real vision yet. Maybe I¡¯m not a psychic like you two.¡±


    She laughs, placing a hand over her heart. ¡°Baby, it¡¯ll come. And some days you¡¯ll wish it hadn¡¯t.¡±


    I frown. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She purses her lips thoughtfully. I don¡¯t tell her how the expression reminds me of Grandmother.


    ¡°This morning at the grocery store I touched Mae Weatherby¡¯s hand and saw an affair in her future.¡±


    I gasp. ¡°Mr. W is gonna cheat on his wife?!¡±


    ¡°See now, I don¡¯t know. It wasn¡¯t that specific. Maybe she¡¯ll be the one cheatin¡¯ on him.¡±


    Mama¡¯s visions are usually pretty vague like that. Grandmother is the one who can pinpoint exact dates and events most of the time, when she bothers. Probably because of all her time and discipline.


    ¡°That sounds awful.¡± I rub my eyes. ¡°I think I¡¯ll skip the tea tonight. I¡¯m beat. Night Mama.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight baby. Don¡¯t stress yourself about your powers. They¡¯ll come in full force when you get deflowered.¡±


    I learned about that from Grandmother. For young witches, losing their virginity is just the push most powers need to manifest. But I have no plans to experience that in the near future, not even for the sake of power.


    I head back to my bedroom, stopping off in the bathroom on the way.


    Our two bedroom house is small and ramshackle, nothing compared to the three story behemoth that is Moonhollow. But I love it anyway. My room has a slanted ceiling on one side above my bed and a set of shabby french doors that open up onto our back patio. Mama fixes up the house a little bit at a time but she¡¯s also a business owner and most of the money she makes goes back into her bookstore. The rest feeds us.


    My window faces the window of the luscious Dev LaTour. Our bedrooms are separated by a small, tiger lily lined grass alleyway. Normally he keeps his blinds down, so it¡¯s quite a surprise after I¡¯ve stripped down to my bra and panties to turn and find him staring at me. His mouth hangs open in surprise.


    I should grab the first thing I can find and use it to cover myself but instead my eyes drop to his bare chest and narrow hips. His pecs, abs and adonis V seem to fry my mind, cutting off all chances for logical thought.


    He wears tight blue boxer briefs, the athletic kind that are meant to breathe in all the right places. When my eyes drop to check out what¡¯s below the waist, so do his hands. He covers himself and clears his throat.


    I lift my eyes to his and feel a blush start in my cheeks and work its way down my neck.


    ¡°Your window¡¯s open,¡± I blurt dumbly.


    His eyebrows raise.


    ¡°It¡¯s just.. Your window is never open.¡± I glance down at my olive green bra and panty set, suddenly grateful that I matched today. Slowly I reach for my robe and pull it on.


    ¡°Our air conditioning¡¯s broken,¡± he explains, eyes still on my face and hands still covering his junk.


    ¡°My condolences,¡± I say, because I can¡¯t think of anything else. I tie my robe closed. Our air conditioner has been broken for years.


    Our staredown is interrupted by his little brother, Julius, barging into his room.


    ¡°Dev, have you seen my - Oh, hey Emmy. Wow. Your room is like, right there.¡±


    I smile at the sight of my best friend.


    ¡°Has it always been so close?¡± Jules tilts his head.


    ¡°No, the houses have crept closer together over the years,¡± Dev says dryly, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°Dude. We should switch rooms,¡± says Jules, ignoring his brother¡¯s sarcasm.


    Dev narrows his eyes. ¡°Why? So you can have an even easier time sneaking out? No way.¡±


    I¡¯m relieved. Not because I don¡¯t want to be closer to Jules, but because the thought of possibly never catching a glimpse of his brother¡¯s abs again is devastating.


    Jules harrumphs.


    ¡°What did you need, little brother?¡±


    ¡°My math book.¡±


    Dev gives up covering himself and instead pulls on some plaid pajama pants.


    ¡°I have no idea, Jules. Can you get out of my room?¡±


    I suddenly feel like I¡¯m intruding and turn away, busying myself with finding something modest to wear to bed.


    Instead of listening to Dev, Jules strolls to the window. ¡°Can I borrow yours, Em?¡±


    I blink up at him, shorts and tank top clutched to my chest. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Your math book.¡± Jules looks amused. ¡°Can I borrow it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure. Meet me in five.¡± I don¡¯t have to specify where. We have a meeting spot over the fence that divides our backyards, underneath a shady mulberry tree.


    Dev grumbles and Jules hurries out of his room, clicking the door closed behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just go change in the bathroom,¡± I mumble.


    ¡°Or you could close your blinds,¡± Dev suggests gruffly.


    I laugh in surprise. ¡°No way! Mine were open first. And we haven¡¯t had a/c since 2014. You close yours!¡±


    He wrinkles his nose in a look that I hate to admit is almost unbearably attractive.


    ¡°Look, let¡¯s just be mature about this.¡± His eyes slip down my body again, as if picturing what I looked like underneath the robe. ¡°We¡¯ll just both do our changin¡¯ in the bathroom before we go to bed. No big deal.¡±


    Heartbroken as I am to miss out on a show like this ever again, it seems like the best solution.


    ¡°Fine. Uh¡­ I have to go meet Jules, so, goodnight?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep him out too late.¡± His stern tone reminds me that he is really the caretaker of the household. Their father is a single parent and a trucker, so he¡¯s gone more often than he is home.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I say.


    The night is still just as clear as it was during the ride home when I meet Jules under the mulberry tree. I hand my calculus book over.


    ¡°So how¡¯d everything go with your ¡­ extracurriculars?¡±


    Jules knows my secret. He once walked in on me trying to summon enough water to put out a small fire that I¡¯d accidentally started in my bedroom waste bin. That was two years ago and he hasn''t¡¯ said a word about it to anyone, so I figure I can trust him.


    ¡°Exhausting. Me and fire don¡¯t really get along.¡±


    He snorts, tucking the textbook under his arm. ¡°That¡¯s true for most people.¡±


    ¡°Jules?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm?¡±


    ¡°How come you never come with Dev when he drops me off or picks me up from Moonhollow?¡±


    Jules leans against the fence, putting more faith in it than he probably should. ¡°I dunno. He¡¯s never invited me. He usually just takes off without warning.¡±


    I mull that over. Some silly little girly part of me hopes its because Dev cherishes our alone time as much as I do.


    Jules yawns. ¡°I¡¯m off. See you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Sweet slumber,¡± I say with a smile and then a yawn of my own. I make my way back inside.


    Upon my return, almost involuntarily, my eyes sweep the dark recesses of Devereaux¡¯s room for him. I find him sprawled on his back on his full sized bed, still topless with sheets gathered around his waist. One arm is thrown over his eyes, probably to block out the light given off by my little bedside lamp.


    I turn it off and slip into bed, but it takes me awhile to fall asleep. Even though I¡¯m exhausted from training all evening, I¡¯m restless now. Resisting the urge to sit up so I can watch the slow rise and fall of Dev¡¯s chest has me tossing and turning. Gods, am I really that obsessed? I pride myself on my uniqueness. My ability to be different from everyone else at Crescent Creek High. But in my longing for Devereaux LaTour I feel just like every other girl in town.

 C2. Storms, Snakes and Brotherly Affection

    I wake the next morning to the frantic buzzing of my phone. The poor thing is about to vibrate itself right off the nightstand and into the waste bin.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I grumble.


    I sit up and peek into Dev¡¯s room. He¡¯s already gone and the bed is made up neatly. The dark blue duvet doesn¡¯t even have a wrinkle.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be late if you don¡¯t get your butt out here real soon,¡± Jules says in my ear, sounding like he¡¯s already had his morning coffee and then some.


    ¡°A witch is never late, Jules LaTour. She arrives precisely --¡±


    He cuts me off. ¡°She arrives three minutes past the bell every damn day. You¡¯re lucky you have such good grades or the teachers would hate you.¡±


    ¡°Who could hate me?¡± I ask, already halfway dressed. ¡°I¡¯m delightful.¡±


    Jules snorts.


    ¡°Five minutes,¡± I say before hanging up and rushing to brush my teeth.


    The air outside when I meet Jules at my front gate is charged and staticky. Like a giant balloon is hovering just out of sight.


    ¡°You got an umbrella?¡± I ask as we start walking.


    ¡°What for? It¡¯s not ¡®sposed to rain.¡±


    I shoot him a strange look. ¡°It¡¯s going to. Can¡¯t you feel it?¡±


    Jules glances up at the muted morning sky. ¡°I can¡¯t feel anything but lateness.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not late yet, Jules. Relax.¡± But I pick up my pace anyway, because I don¡¯t want to get caught in the rain.


    It starts storming halfway through second period chemistry. I shoot Jules a smug look. He replies by mouthing WITCH at me, making me snort.


    Mr. peach clears his throat in my direction. My eyes snap forward obediently but what I see when I look at him makes me gasp.


    Mr. Peach has a snake wrapped around his ankle and moving upward, slithering over his pant leg. He doesn¡¯t seem to notice, doesn¡¯t seem to care. But I care. In fact, I¡¯m damn near hyperventilating in my chair.


    Out of nowhere another snake appears, sliding over his shoe and encompassing his other leg. They are both small and black, with no markings and black eyes. Nondescript. Just¡­ snakes. Snakes that my teacher doesn¡¯t seem to be worried about and my classmates don¡¯t seem to notice. My blinking turns rapid as my heart rate rises.


    Mr. Peach continues discussing upcoming changes to our seating arrangements, oblivious to the snakes that are ¡­ beginning to flicker and fade. Like a neon light slowly dying.


    I press my palms into my eyes. Am I seeing things? I know I¡¯m supposed to gain foresight at some point, but this doesn¡¯t seem like a vision. It seems like spliced footage or something.


    When I look back up, Mr. Peach is back to normal. No snakes slither around his person. Jules shoots me a concerned look just as the bell rings. The lights flicker threateningly above us as we stand and gather our things.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m hallucinating,¡± I mutter to Jules when we¡¯re on our way to lunch.


    ¡°What, like, right now?¡±


    ¡°Not this exact second, no. But earlier. In Chem.¡± I pull the strap of my bag higher up on my shoulder.


    ¡°What¡¯d you see?¡±


    We round the corner into the cafeteria and I sigh. The room is jam packed. The students who usually sit outside, Jules and myself included, are driven inside by the unrelenting storm. There looks to be only standing room at this point.


    Instinctively, my eyes search out Devereaux, scanning the crowd until i find him. He sits at a long table near the windows with the rest of the football team. My stomach sours to see a cheerleader on his lap. Claire Milleux is Dev¡¯s on-again-off-again girlfriend. He isn¡¯t promiscuous like one might expect of a football player, he just breaks up with and gets back together with Claire in an endless cycle. She is also in my and Jules¡¯ chemistry class. She must have jogged to get here so quickly.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    I¡¯m not even sure he likes her all that much. She reclines against his shoulder, her long legs crossed before her, seemingly oblivious to the storm that batters the glass behind her. Dev has one arm secured over her middle but is chatting with another one of his teammates.


    Jules and I get our lunch - we always share one - and set against the wall. It seems like most kids shy away from the windows so that¡¯s where we end up.


    The witch in me loves storms. I like to think of my inner witch as a feral moonchild that dances naked around bonfires and talks to cats. And she is doing a big ¡®ol happy dance at this weather. Reveling in the fierceness of the elements.


    ¡°Do you have to go work at the bookstore after school?¡± Jules asks around a bite of chicken salad sandwich.


    I shake my head. ¡°Mama won¡¯t stay open in rain like this. Customers don¡¯t wanna buy books when it¡¯s wet.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense, I guess. I¡¯ll get Dev to drive us home.¡±


    My pulse picks up a little and I glance again in the direction of the football table. ¡°I like walking in the rain. You can ride.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn,¡± he groans. ¡°You got so sick the last time I let you do that. Just let us drive you.¡±


    I sigh, remembering the nasty cold I¡¯d fought for weeks. ¡°Fine.¡± It will get me home faster to ask Mama about my hallucination anyway.


    I don¡¯t have any repeat snake sightings for the rest of the school day, which is a relief. The weather, however, only worsens.


    Jules and I wait for Dev just inside the doors that lead out to the parking lot. We watch people sprint to their cars with various makeshift umbrellas over their heads. It would be comical if we weren¡¯t about to face the same fate.


    Devereaux rounds the corner with Claire on his heels and slows when he sees us. His eyes bounce back and forth between Jules and I.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a tight squeeze,¡± he says. ¡°We¡¯re taking Claire home too.¡±


    My stomach drops. Crammed into close quarters with Dev¡¯s girlfriend? Not on my bucket list.


    I end up halfway on Jules¡¯ lap, leaning mostly against the passenger door for support. Even though she will be the first one out, Princess Claire demands to sit in the middle, pressed up against Dev.


    Claire¡¯s house is on the nicer side of town and is easily four times the size of mine and Mama¡¯s little fixer upper. It isn¡¯t quite as big as Moonhollow though.


    ¡°I¡¯m having a birthday party tomorrow night,¡± Claire announces, fighting to be heard above the cacophony of the rain. ¡°You¡¯ll come, won¡¯t you Dev? ¡­ You two can come too, I guess.¡± She glances at Jules and I with a well-practiced nose wrinkle.


    Dev glances at us as well, frowning. He obviously doesn¡¯t like the idea of the two of us at a party with him.


    In truth, Jules is a partier. He manages to sneak out and get into the majority of the parties around town. Dev seems to remain oblivious to it, though that seems a little unrealistic. Jules drags me along too whenever I allow myself to be dragged, which isn¡¯t often. I don¡¯t much enjoy the party scene.


    Dev gives a noncommittal grunt to Claire and she sighs dramatically before gesturing for Jules and I to stand in the rain while she gets out.


    Jules shoots her a wink as she passes and she rolls her eyes. We climb back into the truck, both of us drenched and shivering.


    ¡°The sex had better be phenomenal with that one,¡± Jules says to his brother, sniffing indignantly.


    I spread my hands open in front of the heat vent, trying to push away the mental image of Devereaux and Claire in the throes of passion.


    ¡°Shut up, Julius.¡± Dev sounds annoyed but there¡¯s no real fire behind his words. ¡°Y¡¯all aint coming to that party.¡±


    Jules scowls. ¡°Why the hell not? You¡¯re not gonna go so what does it matter if we do?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t planned on going, the idea of hanging out at Princess Claire¡¯s house is utterly unappealing, but Jules is so riled up. I let him include me in his plans for the sake of his argument.


    ¡°Who says I¡¯m not going?¡±


    ¡°Oh please, Dev. You never go. You¡¯ll be lifting weights with Brody or reading a book somewhere.¡±


    Brody James is Dev¡¯s best friend and fellow footballer. He somehow talks even less than Dev and might as well be the third LaTour brother with as much as he stays at their house. He not-so-affectionately refers to me as Mrs. Jules.


    ¡°And how do you know, huh? You go to these parties, Julius?¡±


    Jules falls silent, knowing he is suddenly on dangerous ground.


    ¡°Yeah. I know all about your little excursions. You think that shit don¡¯t get back to me? I¡¯m the goddamn quarterback, Jules.¡±


    There is shocked silence as we turn onto our street and bump across the familiar pothole on the corner.


    ¡°Well then,¡± Jules says slowly.


    I look at him with wide eyes.


    ¡°Guess I won¡¯t have to sneak when I go to Claire¡¯s party,¡± he says.


    My mouth drops open.


    Dev growls and his hands tighten on the steering wheel. ¡°Well I¡¯m going too.¡±


    ¡°Great, we¡¯ll see you there.¡±


    ¡°Uh, Jules --¡± I try to tell him that I won¡¯t be attending. Jules has other friends to party with after all, but he cuts me off with a glare.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you there,¡± he repeats, emphasizing the ¡®we¡¯.


    I sigh.


    Dev pulls into their driveway, knuckles white and jaw clenched.


    ¡°Jules,¡± Dev begins, but Jules cuts him off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare. You¡¯re not my dad. We¡¯ve been over this.¡±


    And they have been. Many, many times. It¡¯s their usual fight, in fact. Dev wants what¡¯s best for Jules, but Jules can¡¯t see that. I¡¯ve given up trying to explain it to him. It was starting to sound like I was on Dev¡¯s side when Jules really needed me to be on his.


    I fumble for the door latch and all but fall onto the pavement. The tension between the brothers is suffocating. Maybe it comes along with my witchy ancestry but I¡¯ve always been a little too sensitive to people¡¯s emotions. Anger and resentment like what exists between Dev and Jules always makes me feel like I can¡¯t breath.


    Neither boy glances at me as I take my leave, almost blindly making my way across the driveway and my lawn. I¡¯ll let them finish this fight in private. It¡¯s not my business. I suppose I¡¯ll know the outcome when Jules either does or doesn¡¯t drag me to Claire¡¯s party.

 C3. Death, Beer and Quarterback Intervention

    Mama has a fire going and a steaming cup of peppermint tea waiting for me when I step inside. I drip miserably on the doormat until she brings me a towel.


    ¡°Storm came outta nowhere,¡± she says, rubbing my arms. ¡°Clear as can be when I went to bed and darker than a politician¡¯s soul this morning. I closed up shop at noon and came right home!¡±


    ¡°Did you beat the rain?¡± I ask, shucking my jacket.


    ¡°Barely.¡±


    I go and grab a dry set of clothes before changing in the bathroom, noting that Dev¡¯s room is empty and dark. I wonder if he and Jules are still sitting in the truck glaring at one another.


    I hang my drenched clothes over the shower curtain rod before heading back to the living room and wrapping my frozen fingers around my mug of tea. Mama sits down beside me, a cup of her own in hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asks.


    I sigh, almost hating how well she can read me. ¡°Nothing. Dev and Jules are fighting. Oh, and I hallucinated in class today.¡±


    Her eyebrows shoot up. ¡°Hallucinated? What did you see?¡±


    So I tell her about the snakes, with as much detail as I can provide. Mama¡¯s face is pale by the end of it.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure it was snakes?¡± she asks.


    I nod.


    Mama curses and stands, beginning to pace. ¡°We need to tell your grandmother,¡± she says.


    My stomach sinks. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It was a vision, baby girl.¡±


    I had already sort of guessed that. ¡°And what? Mr. Peach is gonna turn into a snake?¡±


    The idea would be laughable if Grandmother hadn¡¯t hinted at the existence of shifters once or twice during our lessons.


    ¡°Visions generally aren¡¯t cut and dry like that. There¡¯s a lot of symbolism involved.¡± She continues pacing back and forth across the worn wood floors.


    ¡°So what do snakes symbolize?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Death.¡±


    My hands begin to shake. I set down my tea on the coffee table. ¡°So Mr. Peach is gonna die?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± She stops in front of the coat rack where her purse hangs and pulls out her phone. She hits a few buttons and puts it to her ear, then resumes pacing.


    ¡°Mother? It¡¯s happened.¡±


    There is a pause and Mama¡¯s eyes widen.


    ¡°What? No! She did not lose her virginity! She had a vision!¡±


    I choke out a laugh. Grandmother asks me every week if I¡¯ve slept with the LaTour boy yet. I¡¯ve explained to her countless times that Jules and I are just friends but still she asks over and over again, almost hopefully. It has gotten old.


    ¡°A snake,¡± Mama hisses into the phone.


    There¡¯s a long pause this time. I imagine Grandmother putting a hand to her chest and gasping dramatically. It¡¯s something she does a lot.


    ¡°Okay. Thank you, mother. Call me if you find anything.¡± She hangs up and sits down beside me, seeming to calm a little bit. ¡°She¡¯s going to look into it.¡±


    I nod. My trembling fingers dig into the cushion of the couch on either side of my lap. ¡°How do I stop it?¡±


    ¡°First of all,¡± she says, turning to me. ¡°Just because the snakes appeared to you on Mr. Peach doesn¡¯t mean your teacher¡¯s gonna die, or is even involved at all. Visions are tricky, especially for you because we don¡¯t know your specific style yet.¡±


    ¡°My style?¡±


    ¡°Yes. For instance, my visions come as flashes of concept. I touch something or someone and get like¡­ a general gist of something big in their future. Like adultery, or pain, or falling in love.¡±


    ¡°Or death?¡± I ask.


    She swallows and nods. ¡°As you know, your grandmother¡¯s visions can get very specific. And that¡¯s a bit of natural style - she sees images of the future - mixed with years of honing. She can revisit her images again and again and even try and stretch them out for information.¡±


    ¡°So what style do I have?¡±


    ¡°I think yours will be more about symbolism. Like dream interpretation, kind of.¡± She laces her fingers and brings them to her lips, studying my face. ¡°So even though your teacher was the one with the snakes on him, it¡¯s probably just because you were focusing on him at the time your vision hit.


    That made sense, though I wasn¡¯t at all comforted. ¡°So who¡¯s going to die?¡±


    ¡°It might not even be anybody you know, baby girl. Or it could mean a symbolic death. Though double symbolism isn¡¯t likely. I¡¯m going to order pizza.¡± She reaches for her phone and stands again.


    I gape after her and stand, following.


    ¡°What do you mean a symbolic death?¡±


    ¡°Like a part of you or someone dying. Like an inner child or something. Or your virtue. Maybe you are going to lose your virginity. You know, orgasm means ¡®little death¡¯ in French.¡± She looks at the phone and puts it to her ear. ¡°Hello? Yes. I¡¯d like to order for delivery.¡±


    We don¡¯t discuss it much more after that, other than her telling me to try not to stress about it and to pay attention to any more symbolism that might present itself to me.


    Dev¡¯s blinds are closed when I go to bed. The storm is starting to die down as I slip beneath my covers and bring up Jules¡¯ name on my phone. I want to check in and find out the outcome of the brothers¡¯ fight. Part of me also wants to make sure that neither of them have died in the six hours since I¡¯ve last seen them.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he says, sounding blessedly alive.


    ¡°Hey. How¡¯d it go?¡±


    He groans and I hear him flop back on his pillows. ¡°My brother¡¯s a stubborn asshole. But we¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°I have no desire to go to that party, Jules.¡±


    ¡°Emmmmmy, you have to!¡± he whines.


    ¡°Why? You have other friends!¡± Though I don¡¯t really consider them true friends to him. They really only go to parties with him, and they don¡¯t like me much. Zoe and Chip. They¡¯re in the grade above us and are usually on some drug or another. The kind of people that carry around a flask in high school.


    Jules sighs dramatically. ¡°Look. Obviously I can¡¯t make you go. But this is a big win for me! I get to go to a party without getting shit about it from Dev. I mean the downside is that he¡¯s going to be there, but we can avoid him. I need you there.¡±


    I sigh just as dramatically. ¡°Fine. But if I hate it, I¡¯m bouncing.¡± Though the realization that Dev is actually going to be there kind of makes me want to go. Even though I¡¯ll have to watch him with Claire all night.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll get Chip to drive you home if you want.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, no. Chip is creepy, Jules.¡±


    ¡°He just has a little crush on you, that¡¯s all,¡± he says.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare leave me alone with him, Julius LaTour.¡± My tone leaves no room for argument.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    He¡¯s silent for a moment. ¡°Of course not, Em. I¡¯d never make you do anything you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    I yawn. ¡°What time are we going tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Like nine. I¡¯ll pick you up.¡±


    I snort. ¡°Okay Jules. I¡¯ll see you then.¡±


    I spend the entire next day trying to have another vision, but it doesn¡¯t happen. The sun comes out in full force and everything is hot and muggy. Even the air is sticky. Mama has been at work all day and will be there late tonight. The bookstore is open until midnight on Saturdays and often has author or poetry readings. Mama will get a ride home from Maddox, her only employee.


    By the time Jules knocks on my door I have tried everything I can think of to induce any sort of divination. I¡¯m frustrated and exhausted.


    Jules takes one look at my lackluster, zero-effort outfit of jeans and a threadbare t-shirt and says, ¡°No.¡±


    He holds up his hand to say ¡®five minutes¡¯ to where Chip and Zoe are waiting in Zoe¡¯s car on the curb before pushing me back inside and leading me to my closet. He picks out a midnight blue dress and leather boots and sends me to change.


    ¡°Should I do anything to my hair too, fashion master?¡± I ask jokingly upon reentrance. My long, wavy hair hangs halfway down my back.


    ¡°Nah, I love your hair. Here.¡± He turns around from my dresser and holds out a silver moon pendant that Grandmother got me for my birthday, in honor of my name.


    I pull aside my hair so he can clasp it onto me and turn around to face him. Jules is only an inch or two taller than me. ¡°Am I acceptable now?¡±


    He squints and takes a step back, looking me up and down. ¡°It¡¯ll do. Come on.¡±


    He leads me back out to Zoe¡¯s beat up two-door. Sometimes I think that Jules is only friends with these two because they provide him with transportation to the parties he frequents.


    Chip gets out so that we can push the seat forward and slide in the back.


    ¡°Looking good, Emmy,¡± He says with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle.


    I give Jules a pointed look. ¡°Thanks, Chip.¡±


    We pull up in front of Claire¡¯s house five minutes later and park, one of countless cars taking up space in her big circle drive. The house hums with music and the energy of dozens of teenagers. It seems the whole school has come out tonight. Great.


    I climb out of the little car, trying not to flash my underwear to any passers by. Zoe takes one look at my outfit and snorts derisively. She is tall with olive skin and a mass of black curls. Her nose and eyebrow are pierced. I¡¯ve always suspected that she has a thing for Jules but have never said anything. I get the feeling she might curbstomp me if I did.


    Chip is a little shorter than Zoe with pale skin and light brown hair. He has a smattering of freckles across his nose. I don¡¯t find him unattractive, exactly. But his personality puts me off of him. His eyes are always rimmed in red from either cannabis or alcohol and he pretty much constantly slurs his speech.


    ¡°Pretty,¡± he murmurs, reaching out to push hair behind my hear.


    I step away before he makes contact. ¡°Thanks. Shall we?¡± I gesture to the mansion.


    Jules leads the way up the driveway to the cobblestone steps. I shiver as we pass Dev¡¯s truck parked near the house. He must have been here for a while already.


    Claire¡¯s house is nothing special. Sure, it¡¯s opulent and grand, filled with priceless decor and marble floors, but right now it looks like a cliche. High schoolers crowd the hallways, the couches, the stairs. The furniture in the formal living room has been pushed aside and now there¡¯s a dance floor, with a fog machine and strobe light.


    Jules grasps my hand and pulls me through the throng of people. It seems he already knows that the cool kids hang out in the backyard.


    Hanging lanterns are suspended from wires that crisscross the entire area, illuminating a massive pool, outdoor kitchen and hot tub. It¡¯s scattered with people in various stages of drunkenness and undress. Like always, my eyes search out Devereaux.


    He¡¯s sitting like a king at the head of a long patio table littered with red solo cups and playing cards. His hair is styled just right to make him look like a young Jensen Ackles. Claire sits on his right, laughing and chatting with a few cheerleaders sitting near her. Brody sits on his left, looking as upset as I am to be here, if the deep scowl on his face is anything to go by.


    Jules drags me to a bar that¡¯s stocked with almost every type of liquor imaginable. A keg sits on the ground beside it and I opt for that. Getting sloppy drunk sounds like a recipe for disaster at a party like this. Beer is practically water to me.


    Chip makes a noise of approval in his throat as I grab a cup and begin to fill it.


    ¡°A beer girl. I like it.¡±


    Not only does his attention make me cringe, but we¡¯ve been to parties together before. I always drink beer. More than likely he¡¯s just been too messed up to notice.


    I ignore him. Jules comes to stand beside me, something more potent wafting from his cup. Dev looks up and his eyes lock on us, his perfect mouth turning down.


    ¡°Good. He knows we¡¯re here,¡± Jules mutters.


    I sigh. ¡°Is this whole night just going to be a power play?¡±


    ¡°I have to prove to him that I can handle myself.¡±


    ¡°So yes.¡± I tip my cup back and down half the beer in one gulp.


    ¡°Fill that up. Let¡¯s go join their game.¡± He points to two empty seats at the other end of the patio table.


    I groan but do as he says. ¡°Jules.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my secret weapon, my little heavyweight. You¡¯ve got to keep me in line.¡± He shifts from foot to foot excitedly, like a boxer getting ready for a match.


    I want to point out to him that I¡¯m only a heavyweight because I¡¯m not mainlining vodka lemonade, but I bite my tongue.


    Chip and Zoe have already disappeared into the crowd as Jules and I make our way to the table. Claire, Dev and Brody all stop talking as we lower into seats.


    ¡°Deal us in,¡± Jules orders confidently.


    Dev sits back and crosses his arms. Brody reluctantly tosses us some cards.


    The cheerleaders scoot a little bit away from me, as if I might turn them into frogs just with my proximity. I smile to myself, liking the thought of that. I¡¯ll have to ask Grandmother about it later.


    I have to give Jules some respect. He doesn¡¯t try and start any spiteful small talk, just plays the game and drinks, because of course it¡¯s a drinking game.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he says, a few hands and a drink and a half later. ¡°Emmy. I¡¯m sorry about Chip.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stress about it. You know I can take care of myself.¡± I can tell he¡¯s beginning to really feel the alcohol. He¡¯s leaning over a little in his seat, so I lean in too so it looks like we¡¯re exchanging secrets.


    ¡°Yeah. But he¡¯s an ass. And really I just ¡­ I mean, he¡¯s fun to drink with when you¡¯re not here but ¡­ you should always be here.¡± His grey eyes are a little cloudy. It¡¯s the look he gets when he¡¯s thinking about his mother, and I know I need to derail this train of thought quickly.


    ¡°Jules,¡± I say, placing my hand on his and leaning in further, bringing my lips to his ear. ¡°Sit up straight. Show your brother that you¡¯re not a little kid. This is why we¡¯re here.¡±


    He jerks upright and looks across at Dev, as if he¡¯d forgotten where we were. ¡°Right, yeah. Thanks.¡±


    It¡¯s far too loud for Devereaux to have heard any of that, but he looks on with concern nonetheless.


    Jules shoots him a smirk and the glassiness in his eyes fades a bit.


    We keep playing for  what feels like forever before Jules decides we¡¯re done. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside. I have to pee and I think I¡¯ve proven myself here.¡±


    My eyebrows shoot up. ¡°Uh, sure, if you can manage to stand by yourself.¡±


    He shoots me an annoyed sideways glance. ¡°Snippy. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He pushes up from the chair and wobbles a bit.


    I rise too, putting a steadying hand on his arm.


    We make our way toward the house and I feel Dev¡¯s eyes on our backs, assessing. I pull Jules closer to me so it looks like he¡¯s standing more upright than he is.


    We navigate our way through the darkened inside with relative ease. People are either dancing or making out in dark corners. A few even seem to have gone home. It¡¯s less crowded now than it was when we arrive. Maybe they¡¯re all in the pool or upstairs.


    I find a bathroom line for Jules and leave him to go fetch water. The kitchen is sparsely populated, with a few people leaning against the large island chatting. I find a clean red solo cup and bring it to the sink. When I turn on the faucet, instead of water, a snake slowly makes its way into the basin. It¡¯s small and black, like the ones wrapped around Mr. peach¡¯s legs yesterday. It hisses angrily at me. I blink a few times, my heart racing as I assure myself that it isn¡¯t real. A moment later the snake starts to flicker and I realize I¡¯m just staring at running water. I quickly fill up the cup and leave the room, my heart in my throat.


    I was hoping when I had another vision it would give me more information, any clue as to the nature of the death about to occur, but this wasn¡¯t helpful at all. Just startling. Like a jump-scare in a horror movie when you¡¯re expecting some informative backstory.


    As I round the corner back into the hallway I feel a hand on my waist. I look up into the twinkling eyes of Chip, whose cheesy grin is stretched across his face. He¡¯s half in shadow and half bathed in the kitchen light and the combination makes him look grotesque. Like something out of a freakshow circus. My heart pounds, harder than it did at the sight of the snake.


    ¡°Hey beautiful,¡± he slurs. His breath smells like tequila.


    ¡°Hi, Chip.¡± I try and maneuver out of his reach but his grip on my waist tightens. A bit of water sloshes out of the cup as my fingers clench around it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± He leans in, his hot, putrid breath cascading over my neck.


    I shudder. ¡°No way in hell.¡± I try and push past him but he uses his larger stature to press me against the wall. ¡°Chip!¡± I gasp, outrage pushing its way through my veins.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he murmurs. His cracked lips find my jaw. Before I know what¡¯s happening his hand skims down my side and slips under my dress.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± I ask, panic tinging my voice as I try and shove him off. He¡¯s heavy though. I vaguely recall that he¡¯s on the wrestling team. Lots of muscle.


    His hand snakes up my inner thigh and I drop the cup, water splashes across the ground at my feet.


    I start to call on my magic. I¡¯m not supposed to use it on normal people but I feel like this is a special occasion. I try and summon the element of fire - maybe if I can just singe him he won¡¯t even know what happened later - but it¡¯s so damn hard to focus when his fingertips are skirting my panties.


    And then there¡¯s a sickening crunch and Chip is on the floor. To the side stands Devereaux with a fire in his eyes that I¡¯ve never seen before. He caught Chip on the cheekbone and Chip is holding his face, trying to stanch the blood as he stares up at Dev and I in shock.


    ¡°Get out of here. Find your ride and leave, now.¡± Dev¡¯s voice is low and makes me shiver, in a good way though. It¡¯s a huge contrast to how I felt just seconds ago.


    Chip scrambles up and out, heading toward the living room, presumably to find Zoe and get the hell out.


    My chest rises and falls rapidly. I take a few breaths to recenter myself as the panic fades.


    Devereaux¡¯s hand is dripping onto the floor. I point. ¡°Let¡¯s go get you cleaned up.¡±


    Without waiting for an answer I turn and start up the stairs.

 C4. Tiptoes, Drowning and Farm Boy Confessions

    The guest room we end up in is lavish and stuffy. Dev cradles his hand.  I head to the en suite and flip on the light, looking around. He follows and I can feel his presence in the small room like a caress.


    ¡°I appreciate what you did,¡± I tell him, trying to shake the feeling of Chip¡¯s hand up my dress.


    I don¡¯t really expect Dev to respond. Sure, he punched a guy for me, but that¡¯s just because he¡¯s a good person, not because he likes me anymore than he did yesterday when he drove us home without looking in my direction.


    ¡°He had it coming,¡± he says, surprising me. He leans against the counter and spreads out his hand, flexing his fingers with a wince.


    I ball up a bit of toilet paper and dampen it in the sink. His knuckles are bloody.


    ¡°If you want antiseptic you should ask your girlfriend where it is. But I can clean you up a little bit.¡± I hold out the sodden wad.


    Dev shrugs and holds out his hand to me.


    I try to keep my breathing under control as I take his hand and rest it on my palm, examining it. I feel like it¡¯s a losing battle. Just touching his hand makes me want to fly up into the sky and explode like a firework.


    He swallows as I gently dab his wounds. ¡°I wanted to thank you,¡± he says.


    I blink. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Taking care of Jules. I know he wanted to prove to me that he can handle himself doing shit like this. But all he proved to me was that he really needs you to lean on. Literally and figuratively.¡±


    I keep clearing the blood. I¡¯ve had the feeling all night that Jules wasn¡¯t giving Dev enough credit. The boy has eyes like a hawk.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you came at all tonight,¡± I admit.


    He snorts. ¡°Everybody is. Is it that strange?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answer honestly.


    I glance up at Devereux and our eyes meet. My breathing shallows out again and I feel like I¡¯m falling into his grey-green eyes. His pupils dilate and I want so badly to kiss him that my hands are shaking.


    Why not? I think to myself. When am I ever going to be this close to him again? Alone? And he looks like he wants it too.


    Before I can talk myself out of it I stand on my tiptoes and press my lips to his.


    When I was a kid, our landlord took Mama and I to the beach, which sounds strange if you don¡¯t know Mr. Monroe. But he¡¯s a good guy, always helping us out if he can. I remember standing in the water, watching where Mama and Mr. Monroe sat on a blanket on the shore, sharing a picnic. The tide would gather and release around my ankles, over and over. And slowly, so slowly, it would increase. Soon it was up to my knees, pulling at me like a siren, begging me to let it carry me away.


    Mama had warned me not to get pulled under, not to let the ocean take me, but I hadn¡¯t listened. When the water swelled around me one last, triumphant time I was caught and pulled away. The ocean engulfed me so easily, and I was completely at its whim.


    That is what this kiss feels like. Like we¡¯re drowning in each other, powerless to the tide that overtakes us. What I had imagined it to be like a thousand times while sitting in his truck on the way to and from Moonhollow doesn¡¯t come close to this.


    My heart and breath are his and his are mine. He tastes like bourbon and spearmint and lightning and I want nothing more than to stay connected to his lips forever.


    Dev seems to feel the same way. His big hands clasp my face, holding me tightly as he kisses me, and we are lost. The floodgates are open and we are utterly lost.


    Until a throat clearing interrupts us and we both jump apart, panting like our lungs were really filling with water.


    Brody stands in the doorway, his arms crossed over his broad chest. He tilts his head and studies me, almost suspiciously.


    The lights above the sink flicker while I fight to control my breathing.


    Dev runs shaking fingers through his hair, bloody knuckles forgotten. ¡°What?¡± he barks at his best friend.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Claire¡¯s pissed off,¡± Brody informs him. ¡°And Jules is looking for Mrs. Jules.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I mutter. I¡¯d forgotten about Jules with everything else going on. First with the snakes and then everything with Chip.


    I push past Dev, trying not to shudder at the brush of his body against mine, but Brody blocks my escape, standing in the doorway.


    ¡°Let me go.¡±


    ¡°Demanding, isn¡¯t she?¡± His lips twitch. ¡°Where ya going, Mrs. Jules?¡±


    ¡°Jules and I aren¡¯t a couple,¡± I remind him, for the millionth time. ¡°But I¡¯m going to go make sure he¡¯s okay, if that¡¯s alright with you.¡± I cross my arms.


    ¡°Let her go, Brody,¡± Dev orders from behind me, his deep voice making my toes curl in my boots.


    Brody¡¯s eyes search my face for a moment before he steps aside.


    I flee from the room, my body still buzzing with Devereaux¡¯s kiss.


    Jules nearly knocks me over when I reach the bottom of the stairs.


    ¡°Emmy!¡± He¡¯s somehow even more drunk than he was when I left him. ¡°I heard what happened. Chip is seriously fucking dead to me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Your brother took care of him.¡±


    He nods, leaning heavily against me for support. It¡¯s still pretty loud inside so we stumble-walk to the front door and drop down onto the steps.


    ¡°I heard about that too. Heroic asshole,¡± he grumbles. He lays down on the cold concrete and puts his head in my lap.


    ¡°So.. how are we getting home? Did Zoe and Chip take off?¡± Not that I would ever ride in a car with Chip again.


    ¡°Yeah. We can .. mm..¡± Jules starts to drift off and I sigh.


    I know I should go in and find Dev and ask him to drive us but the idea of being in such a small space with him so soon after that kiss ¡­ it both chills and heats me at the same time.


    ¡°Get up,¡± says a gruff voice from above. ¡°I¡¯m taking you home.¡±


    I¡¯m startled to find Brody towering over us. ¡°What? Why?¡± I blink up at him.


    ¡°Dev asked me to. Is he even conscious?¡± He gestures to Jules, sounding annoyed.


    ¡°Jules, sweetie..¡± I shake his shoulder and he stirs, groggily burying his face in the midnight fabric of my dress. ¡°Come on. Brody¡¯s driving us home.¡±


    Jules blinks and sits up easily enough. Standing is harder and walking is nearly impossible. He ends up slung between Brody and I like a wet rubber band. He falls asleep again once we make it into Brody¡¯s truck.


    It¡¯s a similar truck to Dev¡¯s. In fact, I think Dev may have bought his off of Brody¡¯s dad a few years back. Brody is a farm boy, through and through. His family farm is a few miles outside of town the opposite direction of Moonhollow.


    I don¡¯t know Brody all that well. He¡¯s even more quiet than Dev and always seems reluctant to go home, spending a lot of his time on the LaTour couch. I¡¯ve never put much thought into why that is.


    I do right now, studying his profile as he drives. He has a stern jaw and a crooked nose. I wonder if is parents are negligent or abusive, or if he is just lazy and hates farm work.


    ¡°Stop staring at me, Mrs. Jules,¡± he grumbles.


    I huff at the nickname and try to shift under Jules¡¯ dead weight. ¡°I¡¯m not his Mrs.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better not be, kissing his brother like that.¡±


    ¡°How do you know Dev didn¡¯t kiss me?¡± I ask.


    He snorts, like that¡¯s the most ridiculous notion in the world.


    My heart sinks and I start to come down from the high of that earth-shattering kiss. Of course, Devereaux would never kiss me. What was I thinking?


    Brody has one hand on the steering wheel and the other dangling out the window in a relaxed manner. His hair is dirty blonde and chin length, blowing back from his face in the breeze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally, Emmy,¡± he says, sounding a little bit pitying. ¡°You¡¯re a sophomore and he¡¯s the quarterback. Graduating in the spring.¡±


    I think this is the first time he¡¯s ever called me by my name. I enjoy how it sounds on his lips, but his words sting me.


    He pulls into Jules¡¯ driveway and turns off the truck. We just sit for a moment as the engine dies down.


    ¡°Do you have a key?¡± I ask hopefully, because I don¡¯t feel like rummaging through an unconscious Jules¡¯ pockets.


    Brody nods and gets out, coming around to help me with Jules. Together we manage to get him to his bed. I take off his shoes while Brody leans against the door frame and watches.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this brother?¡±he asks.


    I frown up at him. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want Dev when this little punk is right in front of you?¡±


    ¡°Jules and I aren¡¯t like that,¡± I say, glancing down at Jules¡¯ chaotic curls and feeling a tug of tenderness on my heart.


    Brody snorts again like he did in the truck. ¡°Sure you aren¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t tell him you kissed his brother if I were you. There¡¯s enough dissension between them as is.¡±


    Hearing the word ¡®dissension¡¯ come out of the farm boy¡¯s mouth surprises me almost as much as what he¡¯s implying. I glance back down at my best friend.


    Does Brody know something I don¡¯t? I wonder.


    Mama isn¡¯t home yet when I head next door and let myself in but I¡¯m not surprised. She often takes a while to close up after Saturday¡¯s events. Personally I think it¡¯s so she can spend more time with Maddox. He has worked at the bookstore for her as long as I can remember. They are very close.


    Dev¡¯s blinds are closed as I get into bed. As I try to fall asleep all I can think about is that kiss. I think Brody¡¯s wrong. Dev was definitely into it just as much as I was. I can still feel him holding my face and pulling me closer. My body aches with unfulfilled desire until I consider that he¡¯s probably spending the night at Claire¡¯s house. That distinguishes the flame real quick.

 C5. Masochism and Copper

    I don¡¯t really see Devereaux in the coming week, so we aren¡¯t forced to awkwardly talk about what happened between us after he broke Chip¡¯s nose. I¡¯m certain he spent the night at Claire¡¯s after kissing me like that, so I¡¯m not exactly happy with him. But I take Brody¡¯s advice and don¡¯t tell Jules.


    The visions increase. Two, three times a day I catch glimpses of a slithering body disappearing around the corner or into air vents. I can¡¯t shake the sense of dread that engulfs me, like something is coming. Mama and Grandmother are both working hard with their own senses to find out what¡¯s coming, but to no avail. Keep your eyes open they keep telling me, but all I see are snakes.


    Thursday comes, and all day I¡¯m worrying my lip, dreading being stuck in the cab of Dev¡¯s truck with him for a half an hour. Dreading the way his smell will permeate my senses from all angles.


    Jules and I walk home like normal and I stow my backpack inside before meeting Dev in his driveway.  We stare at one another for a moment before each silently climbing into the truck. The first ten minutes are silent, and I¡¯m fighting a war with myself, using every distraction tactic I know in order to not pounce on him and try and relive that kiss.


    I crack the window and choke down fresh air.


    Finally, he clears his throat. ¡°We should talk about what happened at the party, Emmy.¡±


    My heartbeat skyrockets, and I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because we¡¯re finally having this conversation or simply because he said my name.


    ¡°About you breaking Chip¡¯s nose or about what happened after?¡± By some miracle my voice doesn¡¯t shake.


    ¡°After,¡± He says gruffly, his grey-green eyes focused on the road ahead, his hands tight on the steering wheel.


    ¡°It was my fault,¡± I say after some deliberation, remembering Brody¡¯s derisive snort at the idea that Dev would ever willingly kiss me.


    Dev glances sideways at me, his expression unreadable. ¡°Maybe to start with. But I didn¡¯t ¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have ¡­¡± He sighs. ¡°Look. It was a mistake and it can¡¯t happen again. For multiple reasons. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I say quickly, having imagined way more of a verbal lashing. ¡°But, um, what are the multiple reasons?¡±


    He exhales through his nose and flexes his fingers. ¡°Well for one, I have a girlfriend.¡±


    Right. I feel my face pucker like I¡¯ve licked something sour.


    ¡°And two, Julius.¡±


    ¡°What does Jules have to do with this?¡± I ask, frustrated.


    Dev looks incredulous when he turns to me. ¡°What are you talking about? Jules has everything to do with this. The little punk¡¯s in love with you.¡±


    My breath catches in my throat at this revelation, and my mind immediately begins to deny it. ¡°No way. He would have ¡­ he wouldn¡¯t be so¡­ no way.¡±


    ¡°Well he¡¯s never said it outright,¡± Dev concedes. ¡°But it¡¯s obvious to me how important you are to him. He¡¯s protective of you and spends as much of his free time with you as he can.¡±


    I exhale, relieved. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s in love with me, Devereaux. We¡¯re best friends.¡±


    ¡°Still. Please don¡¯t tell him, if you haven¡¯t already. About kissin¡¯ me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I grumble. ¡°Brody already warned me not to anyway when he drove us home. Jules was passed out.¡±


    He nods grimly, swallowing. I watch his adam¡¯s apple bob with an ache in my chest.


    ¡°Good,¡± he says.


    ¡°Did you¡­¡± I must be a masochist because I can¡¯t help the words that fly out of my mouth now. ¡°Did you spend the night with Claire? After?¡±


    A touch of color graces his immaculate cheekbones. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business, Em.¡±


    The tires crunch as we turn onto the long gravel drive up to MoonHollow.


    As the ancient house comes into view  my breathing accelerates and I¡¯m overcome with a feeling of icy fingers sliding up my spine.


    Dev must hear my suddenly uneven breathing because he sighs. ¡°Come on now, she¡¯s my girlfr-¡°Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± I snap. ¡°Somethings wrong.¡±


    The feeling only increases as we near the house and I lean forward in my seat, barely daring to breathe now.


    We pull into the circle drive just as the sun sinks below the horizon. Sitting on the front steps is Edward, Moonhollow¡¯s old groundskeeper. He¡¯s always been a sweetheart, full of smiles and the occasional wise words, but tonight he looks strange. He¡¯s pale, staring at the ground, and his hands are covered in¡­


    ¡°Is that blood?¡± I gasp, fumbling with the handle of the truck door until it swings open and I practically fall out.


    The air is thick with magic.


    ¡°Emmy!¡± I distantly hear Dev growl as he hops out to follow me.


    I stumble to a stop before Edward and he looks up at me. His electric blue eyes, identical to my mother¡¯s,  glisten with the sheen of tears.


    ¡°I was too late,¡± He rasps. ¡°I couldn¡¯t save her, couldn¡¯t stop her¡­¡±


    ¡°Edward, what are you talking about?¡± My voice shakes. I look past him to the door. It¡¯s hanging open and at a weird angle, like it¡¯s missing a hinge. My feet start moving before my mind catches up.


    ¡°Emmy? What are you doing? Stop!¡± Dev sounds frantic behind me. ¡°Don¡¯t go in there!¡± He¡¯s suddenly right against my back, putting a restricting arm across my chest. ¡°Emmy we need to call the police and wait out here.¡±


    But it¡¯s almost like I can¡¯t even hear him. My need to go inside is too great. I bring a hand up and touch his arm, having no trouble summoning fire this time.


    ¡°Ah! What the fuck?!¡± He steps back, clutching his arm in horror as I pass through the doorway and step inside.


    The smell hits me first. The scent of ozone, sulfur and copper. Magic and blood.


    I turn the corner from the foyer into the living room and swallow, bringing a hand to my mouth. The blood is everywhere, the walls, the ceiling, the furniture, the curtains. And it¡¯s not just blood but chunks of flesh and organs, clothing and hair and bone fragments. And snakes. Hundreds of snakes, writhing and twisting all over the floor, covered in grandmothers blood. They hiss at me as if to say See? We told you this was coming.


    Devereaux is beside me then, looking all around the room. He doesn¡¯t seem to notice the snakes which leads me to believe that they¡¯re in my head.


    I¡¯m reminded briefly that it was he and Jules who had found their mother¡¯s body when they were younger, after she¡¯d overdosed on her sleeping pills. He¡¯s done this before, I realize, as he pulls out his phone and dials 9-1-1. I hear him distantly, even though he¡¯s right beside me. My own blood pounds in my ears as I look at the rent remains of my Grandmother, searching for anything big enough to identify her by.


    My mind rebels when I find nothing substantial and my stomach does a kick, and I¡¯m soon emptying it onto the floor before me. A hand holds back my hair and then I¡¯m being led outside.


    I drop down beside Edward, who looks as though his world might be shattering even more than mine. His head is in his hands, silver hair clenched between his fingers. I¡¯ve always suspected that he was my grandfather, but it has never been addressed. One of the things that goes undiscussed in the Adelfi family.


    I think I¡¯m in shock, because Dev is standing in front of me and words seem to be coming out of his mouth but I can¡¯t hear him. I¡¯m not even sure he¡¯s real right now. Like the snakes, perhaps he¡¯s just in my mind. A way for my subconscious to comfort me. Maybe it¡¯s just Edward and I on this porch, rocking back and forth as darkness falls and Grandmothers blood cools inside, irrevocably ruining her precious rugs.


    I reach out to Dev¡¯s chest, just to check, and when my fingertips meet firmness I choke out a sob of relief, grasping at the fabric of his t-shirt. In the next second my face is pressed against him and his strong arms wrap around me, holding me while I shudder.


    Time passes. I¡¯m not sure how much. I hide, breathing in Dev¡¯s spearmint and cedar scent. Somehow it centers me, as much as I can be centered at the moment.


    The sheriff''s department arrives and asks questions, but Dev is the only one of the three of us coherent enough to answer. Then Brody¡¯s truck rolls up and out climb Brody, Jules and Mama. They must have gotten her from the shop.


    Her voice I can hear clearly. She marches past us and demands to see what they¡¯re now calling the ¡®crime scene¡¯. It¡¯s strange to me to see her here, on this porch. It¡¯s been years since she¡¯s visited this house.  She disappears inside.


    My hearing is coming back slowly, sounds filtering in. The hushed voices of the deputies as they radio out for assistance. There are maybe four of them. Dev is explaining to Brody and Jules the events that led us to where we are now, standing in front of the steps, with me clutching him in a death grip. I don¡¯t even remember standing up.


    Slowly I uncurl my fingers from Dev¡¯s shirt and he looks down at me in surprise. He¡¯s pale, and his breathing is quick but his eyes are cognizant and concerned.


    ¡°Hey there,¡± He says cautiously. ¡°How ya doin?¡±


    Jules is staring at me with wide eyes, looking like he wants to pull me to him but is also afraid to touch me. He knows that Grandmothers death is probably magical in nature, that there is more to this. That somebody didn¡¯t just blow her up. Not that that isn¡¯t weird on its own. I¡¯m sure the deputies are baffled.


    If I had had the presence of mind I would have stopped Dev from calling the police, because now they¡¯re going to investigate. But it can¡¯t really be helped now.


    Mama comes out of the house, her lips pursed tight. She glances at the three boys surrounding me and seems to deem me safe because she turns her attention to Edward, kneeling in front of him to look up into his face. The two of them speak softly and I see him shake his head once or twice before she pulls him into a tight hug, still kneeling.


    Brody is staring out over the rapidly darkening fields, his jaw set grimly.


    Jules tentatively reaches out and takes my hand, squeezing. ¡°Emmy?¡±


    I blink at him and swallow, trying to find my voice. ¡°Jules,¡± I manage.


    He pulls me from his brother and into his arms. I wrap myself around his neck and squeeze him hard while he strokes my hair with shaking hands.


    The rest of the night is a blur. Mama sends Brody and the LaTour boys home and we ride with the Sheriff. I¡¯m not sure where Edward ends up. I fall into bed later, bone tired and utterly numb. I know I should be feeling things; grief, guilt, fear, curiosity. But tonight I¡¯m just blank as I stare at the ceiling.

 C6. Evisceration and Eavesdropping

    I don¡¯t go to school the next day. I don¡¯t even get out of bed until around noon. Mama is sitting at the kitchen table when I get up, pouring over an arrangement of tarot cards. Her eyes are red rimmed and she looks as though she hasn¡¯t slept.


    ¡°What killed her?¡± I ask, not bothering with pleasantries.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She flips over another card.


    ¡°Did she do it herself, on accident? Or did someone else --¡±


    ¡°Baby girl, I said I don¡¯t know.¡± She stands and starts bustling around the kitchen, fixing a cup of coffee.


    ¡°Mama, she was eviscerated,¡± I say weakly, taking the mug when she hands it to me. ¡°What could have done that?¡±


    ¡°Any number of things.¡± She picks up her own coffee, sipping it grimly.


    ¡°My visions,¡± I murmur, pleadingly, silently begging her to tell me that they had nothing to do with this.


    ¡°Have you seen any more snakes since yesterday?¡±


    I shake my head no.


    ¡°Then yes. It seems that this is what they were alluding to.¡± Her hands tremble on her cup.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± My voice cracks.


    ¡°Baby girl.¡± She fixes me with a stern stare. ¡°This was not your fault. Don¡¯t you dare think that for a moment there was anything you could have done to stop this. We will figure out how and why this happened, but it may take some time. Right now we just have to deal with ¡­ with everyday things. They¡¯re cremating what they could, uh, gather of her remains and we need to set up a wake. Every witch in the South will be in attendance.¡± She takes a long pull from her cup. ¡°She¡¯s left you Moonhollow,¡± she adds, almost as an afterthought.


    I gape at her. ¡°Me?¡±


    She nods, lips thin. ¡°You¡¯ll receive the deed when you¡¯re eighteen. Edward¡¯s going to care for it until then. We¡¯re going to hold the wake there.¡±


    I swallow. ¡°But¡­ but she died there.¡±


    ¡°You think she was the first to die in that house? All the women of our ancestral line have done so, not to mention that it used to be a plantation, Artemis. Its history is vast and bloody.¡± Her use of my full name exposes how upset she is. She turns around and begins scrubbing at her now empty coffee cup.


    ¡°Back up.¡± I stare at her. ¡°All of the women of our ancestral line have died at Moonhollow?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How did I not know this?¡±


    ¡°I assumed your grandmother would have told you. I guess she hadn¡¯t gotten to that yet in your lessons.¡± She places her cup on the drying rack and returns to her spot at the table.


    ¡°Do...is it like on purpose? Or did they just never leave?¡±


    Mama looks a little amused as she gathers up her cards. ¡°Many of them left. But it¡¯s tradition to come back before you die. Their souls rest there, in case any of us ever need guidance.¡±


    My heart races. ¡°So can we just ask Grandmother who killed her?¡±


    She bites her lip. ¡°Not...yet. There¡¯s a refractory period. She¡¯ll need some time to adjust to being dead before she¡¯s ready to talk to us.¡±


    ¡°But what if whatever took her is coming after us?!¡±


    ¡°I have taken that into account. This house has every magical protection on it that I could think of. I spent all night crafting charms and drawing wards. We should be okay. But if you start seeing snakes again, you let me know.¡±


    I drop down into the chair across from her, my mind slowly working through everything. ¡°I want to know what happened to her. I want to know who would do such a thing.¡±


    She sighs and rubs her eyes, setting down the deck. ¡°I¡¯m almost sure she didn¡¯t accidentally blow herself up. Your grandmother was a master of her craft. It was her life.¡± She sounds a little bitter. ¡°So you¡¯re right to be cautious. I¡¯m going to give you a protection charm to wear and we¡¯re going to keep our eyes peeled. Alright? But even if your Grandmother made an enemy, that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that it¡¯s coming after us next.¡±


    I exhale slowly, nodding.


    ¡°And let me know if you have any visions at all, not just snakes.¡±  She picks the deck back up and shuffles.


    I nod again.


    That night, I have trouble sleeping. Another storm is raging outside and even though I¡¯m emotionally exhausted, I need something to quiet my brain.


    The light is on in the kitchen when I get up for a cup of tea. As I approach I hear voices, so I stop out of sight and listen. To my complete surprise it sounds like Mama and Devereaux. I focus hard on what they¡¯re saying. It¡¯s not easy to hear over the tempest outside.


    ¡°Honey, it¡¯s not your fault,¡± Mama says consolingly. ¡°There wasn¡¯t some trigger you pulled. What you think you feel --¡±


    ¡°All due respect, ma¡¯am, I know what I feel. I¡¯ve been fightin¡¯ it for so long and the minute I let my guard down¡­¡± Dev trails off, sounding miserable.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    What in the ever-loving hell are they talking about? I wonder.


    ¡°Take it from a psychic, kiddo, some prophecies are self-fulfilling. Believe me when I tell you that this wasn¡¯t your fault. It¡¯s pure coincidence is all.¡±


    There¡¯s a moment where Dev catches his breath, like he might argue some more, but instead he exhales roughly. ¡°If you say so, Ms. Adelfi. Again, I¡¯m sorry to have bothered you this late.¡±


    A chair scrapes across the tile as he stands and I sink further into the hallway¡¯s shadows.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I haven¡¯t been sleeping well. Since, you know. I¡¯m so sorry you had to see that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad Emmy didn¡¯t have to face it alone,¡± he says gruffly.


    I feel his words tingle all the way down to my toes.


    ¡°She¡¯s only seventeen, Devereaux,¡± Mama says quietly, and I¡¯m not exactly sure how that¡¯s relevant to the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m painfully aware, ma¡¯am,¡± he murmurs. ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    The sound of the screen door shutting can be heard a moment later.


    I hurry back to bed before Mama finds me eavesdropping or Dev glances at my room from his and finds it empty.


    I spend the weekend wrapped in a cocoon of grief and anger. A very primal part of me cries out for retribution but I manage to ignore it. Jules comes over on Sunday and sits through far too many old southern romance movies with me, because they were my Grandmother¡¯s guilty pleasure. I fall asleep on his shoulder and wake up alone in my bed.


    I go to school on monday, still sad, but even angrier now. The need to know answers to all of the questions swirling around in my mind about Grandmother¡¯s death is almost overpowering.


    ¡°I think I should go ask the ancestors,¡± I mutter to Jules as we walk home that afternoon. It¡¯s warm and sticky.


    ¡°Ask the what, now?¡± he asks, barely paying attention as his thumbs fly over the touchscreen on his phone. How he can walk and text at the same time is beyond me.


    ¡°My ancestors. Apparently every witch in my family has died at Moonhollow. Who are you texting?¡±


    ¡°Zoe. She wanted to know what happened with you-know-who last weekend. You have dead ancestors?¡±


    The incident with Chip feels like years ago now, what with all that¡¯s been going on since. I feel a tinge of guilt at the memory of the kiss that Dev and I shared.


    ¡°Everyone has dead ancestors, Jules,¡± I say.  ¡°That¡¯s what makes them ancestors.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± He darkens the phone and drops it into his pocket, giving me his full attention. ¡°But not everyone can ask theirs questions.¡±


    ¡°True. I have that advantage, I guess.¡±


    ¡°So because your grandmother died in the house, you can go ask her who killed her?¡± He sounds wary.


    ¡°Yes and no. Mama says there¡¯s a waiting period after someone dies where they¡¯re unreachable. But I figure maybe the other dead witches hanging around saw something.¡±


    ¡°And when you plannin on doing this, Em?¡±


    ¡°As soon as possible. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s eating me up inside, all these questions.¡± I push fingers through my wind-tangled hair. ¡°I¡¯ve got to know what killed her. I should have protected her. What good are these visions if I can¡¯t stop what¡¯s coming?¡±


    He sighs, worrying his lip. ¡°Alright,¡± he says quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. We can sneak out, take Dev¡¯s truck.¡±


    I look at him in admiration. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Jules.¡±


    ¡°I just hate to see you upset, Em,¡± he says, and Dev¡¯s words come back to me. The little punk¡¯s in love with you.


    ¡°When should we do this?¡± I ask.


    He chews his lip thoughtfully, his dark curls bouncing as we walk. ¡°Not tonight. Dev¡¯s supposed to go to Claire¡¯s for something or other. Dinner with her parents, I think.¡±


    I¡¯m too wrapped up in my feelings of despair and anger over Grandmother¡¯s death to give the idea of Dev meeting Claire¡¯s parents the attention it deserves, which is probably for the best. Any more emotional turmoil and I might just split open.


    ¡°Tomorrow night, then,¡± I murmur, catching Jules¡¯ hand in mine and squeezing gratefully.


    He gives me a smile that speaks of reassurance tinged with concern. He¡¯s worried about me.


    ¡°Do you even know how to commune with your ancestors?¡± he asks. ¡°Did you get to that part in your witch lessons?¡±


    ¡°Uh.¡± I pull my hand away to run fingers through my hair again. My bangs stick up like crazy and I blow at them. ¡°Not really. I mean, she mentioned that talking to ghosts was easier for us than it is for like, normal people.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a specific spell, or ritual or something?¡±


    ¡°No. But I know where Grandmother kept her grimoire, so if Mama hasn¡¯t moved it, I¡¯ll have access to that.¡±


    Jules still looks unsure, but he nods. We walk a ways in silence before turning onto our street. He looks surprised when he spies Brody¡¯s truck in his driveway.


    ¡°I thought for sure he¡¯d have detention today,¡± he mutters.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I ask, not really interested in the answer. Brody James always has detention for one reason or another.


    ¡°He got into a fight today in the cafeteria.¡± He glances sideways at me, frowning. ¡°You were there. I mean, we were across the room, but still.¡±


    ¡°My mind¡¯s been elsewhere. Maybe he got suspended for a while or something.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s likely, I guess. Freaking delinquent. It makes no fucking sense. Dev is so strict and adamant that I don¡¯t do anything wrong and then he¡¯s cool with Brody doing whatever.¡±


    I shrug. ¡°Brody¡¯s a big boy. Dev still sees you as a responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Well I wish he¡¯d stop. I can take care of myself.¡± He crosses his arms and kicks a rock.


    I ruffle his hair affectionately when we make it to my house. ¡°So tomorrow night?¡±


    He nods. ¡°What are you doing tonight?¡±


    ¡°Mama and I are doing wake-planning activities,¡± I grumble.


    ¡°Gross. Alright, I¡¯ll see you in the morning then. Get some real sleep, Em.¡± His grey-green eyes, so like his brother¡¯s, seem to see into my soul.


    I nod absently and we part ways.


    Mama gets home later and we sit down together at the table, pick at the chinese food she brought home and plan the refreshments menu for the wake. There¡¯s an air of melancholy that blankets us and it¡¯s stifling. It makes me squirm, makes my blood burn. I¡¯m usually very honest with my mother about the goings on of my life, but I don¡¯t mention my plans to ask the ancestors about Grandmother¡¯s death, even though she¡¯d likely be able to help find the spell for it.


    Something tells me she wants to just leave it alone for now. The vial of protection herbs on a chain around my neck seems to be her solution to any possible problems. But I¡¯m not even sure if what¡¯s driving me to find out is fear or righteous anger. It feels more like the latter, and Mama¡¯s always taught me to not take action when I¡¯m angry, to wait until I¡¯m thinking clearly. But this time, just this once, I¡¯m going to act. It¡¯s almost like I¡¯m compelled to do so. I need to find out what happened to her.


    I go to bed with the odd sensation of unsaid words hanging in the air between Mama and me. A large part of me wants to tell her my plans, to lay it all down and hash it all out. But I know she¡¯d talk me out of it, and the part of me burns so fiercely to know is overpowering. So I toss and turn in my bed for a few hours, chancing glances at Dev¡¯s darkened, vacant bedroom.


    That¡¯s right, he had dinner with Claire¡¯s parents tonight. I wonder how that went. I wonder if he¡¯s still there.

 C7. Subterfuge, Blue Hair and Dire Consequences

    School the next day passes in a blur. Mama stays late at the shop on Tuesdays for inventory so I don¡¯t have to deal with lying to her face, which is nice.


    Around midnight I sneak out, wincing as my french doors squeak something terrible, but the light in Mama¡¯s room doesn¡¯t so much as flicker.


    Jules meets me in his driveway. Like me, he¡¯s dressed in dark colors. His curls are even haphazardly gathered in a messy man bun. The new look catches me off guard and I stare at him for a moment, trying to interpret the flutter in my stomach that overtakes me when I look at him. Or maybe the flutter is due in part to the fact that he¡¯s here, helping me, dangling the keys to his brothers truck enticingly.


    ¡°We should put it in neutral and roll it to the end of the street before we start it. It¡¯s so loud,¡± he whispers.


    ¡°Is your brother asleep?¡± Dev¡¯s blinds were closed so I couldn¡¯t tell. Brody¡¯s truck is here in the driveway too, but no lights are on in the living room.


    He shrugs. ¡°He and Brody are downstairs, probably working out.¡±


    I lick my lips and nod. We get to work rolling the truck.


    It¡¯s a pointless exercise though. As soon as we reach the edge of town, Jules curses.


    ¡°What?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I think Dev and Brody are behind us.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I pull down my visor mirror in alarm.


    ¡°That or it¡¯s the sheriff flashing his lights at us for no reason,¡± he huffs.


    ¡°Just keep going. Just.. just get me there, okay? We¡¯ll deal with them when we get there. What are they gonna do, run us off the road?¡±


    Jules grins. ¡°You got it, boss.¡± He presses down the gas peddle a little.


    Moonhollow is intimidating in the darkness. Swathed in shadow, it looms like the set of a horror movie. Hell, it is a haunted house. Purposefully so, though knowing that doesn¡¯t make it any less creepy to me.


    Jules puts the truck into park and kills the engine. He¡¯s about as good as driving as he is at drinking, but somehow we made it. Even with Brody and Devereaux tailing us so closely.


    Jules and I share a resigned look as we prepare for whatever punishment the two older boys have in store for us for sneaking out. We exit the truck just as Brody¡¯s engine cuts.


    Dev is before his little brother in the next instant, looking mad enough to pop a football with his bare hands.


    ¡°Give me the keys,¡± he bites out.


    Behind him, Brody approaches, looking much less concerned.


    Jules hands over the keys to the truck without hesitation. On the way here we had discussed our contingency plan. If it came down to it, I would stay and find a way home in the morning. The house technically belongs to me anyway.


    Dev looks like he¡¯s trying to find the right words to express just how pissed off he is.


    ¡°What in the ever loving fuck - ¡° He takes a breath. ¡°- possessed you to steal my truck and drive halfway across the county without a goddamn license?!¡±


    ¡°It was my fault!¡± I blurt.


    Three sets of eyes fix on me and Brody looks suspiciously like he¡¯s trying to hide a smile.


    ¡°And why, Artemis Adelfi, did you need to get here at one o¡¯clock in the morning?!¡±


    I can¡¯t help but shiver under his focus. ¡°I just needed to, okay? Don¡¯t blame Jules. I just needed a ride. Y¡¯all can go on home now. I¡¯m sorry I dragged everybody out.¡±


    The look of consternation on Devereaux¡¯s face turns to shock. ¡°You expect us to just leave you here? It¡¯s the middle of the night! Not to mention we found your Grandmother¡¯s mysteriously exploded body in there less than a week ago. It¡¯s still a crime scene, Emmy! For God¡¯s Sake!¡± He gestures wildly to the yellow tape draped from one porch pillar to another, barring the entrance.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I say, even though my hands are shaking at the thought of going in there alone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. There¡¯s just something I need to do.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about¡­ ha!¡± He makes a sound somewhere between a choke and a laugh. ¡°Listen here. There is no way in hell I¡¯m leaving you here in the middle of the night. So get in the truck or I¡¯m calling your mama.¡±


    Shit. ¡°Dev,¡± I say, panic tinging my voice. ¡°It¡¯s my house! She left it to me, so there¡¯s no reason why I can¡¯t -¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He cuts me off. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you here. And that¡¯s final.¡±


    His tone leaves absolutely no room for argument and I deflate.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Then at least let me run in and get something.¡± The spellbook. If I can get Grandmother¡¯s grimoire then I can learn how to prepare to talk to the spirits, at the very least. ¡°Please Dev. We¡¯ve come all the way out here.¡±


    Dev narrows his eyes at me. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Just a book!¡± I say hurriedly. ¡°A book of my grandmother¡¯s. Her journal. Please, it¡¯s sentimental.¡± There¡¯s desperation in my voice and he must hear it, because he stares hard at the house for a moment.


    He exhales angrily. ¡°Fine. But I¡¯m going in with you to get it.¡±


    ¡°I am too,¡± Jules says firmly.


    ¡°Hell, let¡¯s all go. Make it a party,¡± Brody says, cracking his neck with a tilt of his head.


    I nod, accepting their conditions. We all turn and face the three story behemoth that is Moonhollow. The house has been well maintained but parts of it still creak when a cold breeze picks up. I shiver and start forward.


    The boys follow.


    We are halfway up the steps when a sense of foreboding hits me so strongly that I stumble.


    Jules puts a steadying hand on my arm as Brody rips away the yellow crime scene tape.


    Something inside me is screaming not to go into the house, but I ignore it. I want the grimoire. I want to find out what happened to Grandmother. More than fear I feel the thirst for answers, and if I¡¯m being honest with myself, retribution.


    I pull keys from the pocket of my jeans and flip through until I find the oldest looking one. It slides into the lock like butter and then the door swings open with an ominous groan.


    Dev slides past me, entering first. Then Jules does the same, followed by Brody, leaving me last to walk through the door. As soon as I do, the heavy wood slams shut behind me and a deep, velvety voice begins chanting.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I yell in panic, trying to push past the guys to see what¡¯s happening. They¡¯re all standing at the living room entrance, blocking me into the foyer.


    The voice continues on, ignoring me. It¡¯s speaking Latin, which I¡¯m terrible at. All I can make out is the word for ¡®witch¡¯, lamia. I duck under Brody¡¯s arm and my blood chills in my veins at the sight before me.


    Kneeling in the middle of Moonhollow¡¯s living room floor is ¡­ something. A man-like something with red eyes that exude light like a neon sign, and an ethereal aura that glows bright enough to momentarily blind me. He .. it .. is in the middle of a ritual. The air is charged and the lights are flickering off and on. He¡¯s picking up power fast.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I order again, because I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing, but I know it can¡¯t be good.


    Jules, Dev and Brody are all still, eyes wide like they can¡¯t believe what they¡¯re seeing. They probably can¡¯t.


    I run forward. My only hope of derailing whatever the man is trying to do is to disrupt the ritual before he can complete it. But when I reach the circle he¡¯s made, using what to my horror looks like blood, he looks up and flicks his fingers to the side, throwing me against the wall like a rag doll without ever touching me.


    There¡¯s a startled shout behind me and then all three of my companions are on the ceiling, unmoving, pinned there by an unseen force.


    I push up in alarm. A lamp is in pieces next to me and my head throbs. I taste blood but I don¡¯t think anything is broken.


    All the while, the man keeps chanting, barely stopping for breath. His red eyes are focused on a small fire before him, in which a small branch is being devoured by the flame. It looks as though it¡¯s almost gone.


    ¡°Stop,¡± I plead, not trying to get close this time. ¡°Stop! I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing, but stop!¡±


    His thin lips curve up into a smirk, but he doesn¡¯t stop chanting. Instead he flicks his fingers again and I find myself being slammed into the wall once more. My head cracks off the plaster and I see stars as the boys shout useless objections from above.


    Every inch of my body hurts as I turn my head and watch the man. The latin flows flawlessly from his tongue. He¡¯s shirtless and only wearing black harem pants that cuff at his knees. He¡¯s barefoot and on each forearm is a leather cuff. He looks like a character from a book. It¡¯s dark, so I can¡¯t tell for sure, but I think his hair might even be blue.


    The last of the branch disintegrates as the fire consumes it and his chanting comes to an end. There¡¯s a moment of tense silence where nothing happens and I almost start to sag in relief. But then a beam of light suddenly appears between me and the red eyed man. It¡¯s like an ethereal rope that reaches inside of me and ties itself to my heart. By the wide grin on his face, the same is happening to him, and this is exactly what he meant to achieve.


    The rope pulses and I feel even weaker than I did a second ago.


    Fuck. He¡¯s draining me. This asshole has some nerve.


    But then three more glowing lines appear, wrapping themselves around my heart as well, and for a moment I can¡¯t breath. My eyes follow the ropes to the three boys on the ceiling, who all look as shocked and terrified as I feel.


    The red eyed man does not like this new development. The grin fades from his devilish face and he snarls. He moves into a crouch, angled upward, like he might launch toward the ceiling, presumably to kill my friends.


    Everything within me rebels against what¡¯s about to happen. Before I know what¡¯s going on all the ropes pulse and I¡¯m drawing energy to me. I whip upright and hover off the ground a little bit, cradled by the wind. It¡¯s the only element, so far, that I¡¯ve excelled at in my training with Grandmother.


    It¡¯s enough to startle the red eyed man who pauses his launch to look up at me. When he does I blast him with a gust of wind powerful enough to send him backwards. Having access to this much power is intoxicating.


    He hisses at me and stands swiftly, then suddenly runs at me in a full out sprint.


    I panic and my hands catch fire. I cross them in front of me defensively and project outward with my mind, creating a blast so potent that when the red eyed man hits the opposite wall, he leaves a dent. He slides down into a crouch and glares at me, hissing.


    ¡°Witch,¡± he growls. ¡°This isn¡¯t over. I¡¯ll find you again when you don¡¯t have your guardians to drain from and we¡¯re away from this cursed house.¡±


    With that remark he rushes the front window and crashes through, fleeing with inhuman speed. The glowing rope between us stretches and then begins to fade with distance.


    I stare after him in a moment of stunned silence until a loud crash sounds. Dev, Brody and Jules fall to the floor.


    It¡¯s painful, despite the rugs, and I know this because I feel it. The glowing lines connecting me to each of the three of them pulse and it¡¯s like I fell from the ceiling also, three times.


    I gasp and drop to my knees. My hands extinguish and I wrap my arms around my middle. Then the lines pulse again and I am overcome with terror. More than just my own. It¡¯s totally encompassing. I curl into a ball on the floor and hug my knees to my chest. I might be crying, but I¡¯m not sure.


    Dev is the first to speak. I¡¯m not sure how much time has passed when he asks, ¡°What in the hell was that?¡±


    I can feel his panic, feel his racing heart like it¡¯s my own. Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s closest to my physically, or maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m focusing on him.


    ¡°Emmy!¡± Dev barks, demanding answers. ¡°Emmy?¡± He notices me in fetal position and his panic takes on a different flavor. He scrambles over to me and places a trembling hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asks.


    I choke on a sob, my eyes squeezing shut. I think I lose consciousness.

 C8. A Brand New Entourage

    I¡¯m not sure how much time has passed when I hear the front door slam open. Footsteps approach and then Mama gasps and I feel a cool hand on my forehead.


    ¡°Baby girl,¡± she breathes. ¡°What have you done?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re bound,¡± says a matter-of-fact voice with a British accent that I recognize as Maddox, from Mama¡¯s store.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna need you boys to take a deep breath,¡± says yet another voice, this one with a cajun twang. Mr. Monroe, our landlord.


    ¡°She¡¯s feelin¡¯ what you¡¯re all feelin¡¯, and it¡¯s killin¡¯ her,¡± he explains.


    I cry out as the panic and terror only worsens.


    ¡°Not literally!¡± Maddox assures them. ¡°It¡¯s just a little overwhelming to her is all. Goodness, Andre. You¡¯re going to give the kids a heart attack.¡±


    Mama helps me into a sitting position as the boys attempt to tame their emotions. She brushes my hair, wet with tears, out of my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make some tea,¡± she announces to the room. ¡°And then y¡¯all are going to tell us exactly what happened here tonight.¡±


    A half an hour later, the seven of us are seated around Moonhollow¡¯s giant oak dining table. Chilled fingers are wrapped around steaming mugs of chamomile as we recount everything that¡¯s happened since the four of us arrived here. It takes a little while to get through , and when we¡¯re done all three adults look grim.


    I¡¯m still not sure why Maddox and Mr. Monroe are here but I know better than to question Mama when I¡¯ve broken so many rules tonight.


    To my surprise, she doesn¡¯t address my insubordination. Instead she glances at the men on either side of her before looking at me in sympathy.


    ¡°I was actually going to put this off until you were older. Twenty at least,¡± she says sadly.


    ¡°Put what off?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Being bound. Getting guardians. It¡¯s part of life for us Adelfi witches, but I think it¡¯s archaic. It¡¯s from a time when witches faced a lot more hardship than we do now.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am,¡± Devereaux says politely. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to get off topic, but do you mind tellin¡¯ me what the hell that guy was?¡±


    ¡°Probably a djinn,¡± Maddox answers him. ¡°They¡¯re creatures that can be summoned in order to aid one¡¯s magic. Nasty blokes.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t summon anything,¡± I say desperately.


    ¡°I know, baby girl,¡± Mama says soothingly, pushing her long dark curls over her shoulder. ¡°We think your Grandmother did. We think that¡¯s what killed her.¡±


    My throat closes for a moment and I fight to produce words again. ¡°Why would it ¡­ bind us all together?¡±


    ¡°That probably wasn¡¯t what it meant to do,¡± answers Mr. Monroe.


    ¡°It probably just wanted to bind itself  to you. Odds are ¡®ol Bee had it bound to the house and it needed a way to escape. Didn¡¯t plan for you to have an entourage though.¡± He gestures to Dev, Jules and Brody, who are all plale with wide eyes.


    Hearing him refer to my stern grandmother so informally is very strange. I wasn¡¯t even aware they knew each other.


    ¡°So the .. djinn¡­ is bound to me as well?¡± I ask.


    They all three nod.


    ¡°How do I undo it?¡±


    Mama¡¯s face is a mask of sorrow and pity. ¡°A binding like that only ends when one of you dies.¡±


    I mull that over for a moment before realization hits an dI look around at my best friend, my crush, and the school bad boy.


    ¡°So¡­¡± i begin, needing to hear the implication out loud.


    ¡°Yep. Y¡¯all are stuck together,¡± Mr. Monroe supplies.


    ¡°But their emotions are so ¡­ much,¡± I whisper.


    ¡°That¡¯ll fade,¡± Mama says. ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s still so fresh. Soon you¡¯ll have to focus on each one individually to feel what they¡¯re feeling.¡±


    Jules takes a breath like he¡¯s going to ask a question but Maddox cuts him off.


    ¡°It¡¯ll fade a little for you, but you¡¯ll always be able to feel her somewhat,¡± he says, fixing each boy with a meaningful stare.


    Two things occur to me at once. One, that the guys can feel my feelings. Awkward.


    And two, ¡°You¡¯re her guardians, aren¡¯t you?¡± I turn to Maddox and Mr. Monroe. ¡°You¡¯ve both been around my whole life. Watching over her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Emmy,¡± Mama says, smiling fondly at her men. If I¡¯m not mistaken there¡¯s love in her eyes. ¡°They¡¯ve always protected us. We were bound when I was nineteen.¡±


    ¡°Is one of you my father?¡± I can¡¯t help but ask. It¡¯s never really bothered me before, not having a dad, but maybe that¡¯s because I always had these two men living on the periphery of my life. Always there when the roof leaked or we got caught with a flat in the middle of nowhere.


    Sorrow washes over all three of their faces and I frown, knowing the news can¡¯t be good.


    ¡°No. His name was Will,¡± Mama all but whispers.


    ¡°He was one of us,¡± Maddox says. ¡°But he died in a car accident on the night of your birth.¡±


    I¡¯m stunned into silence at that.


    ¡°But he woulda loved you, baby girl. Just as we love you. And your Mama,¡± Mr. Monroe says, sincerity shining in his warm brown eyes.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have made all that much of a difference in the way you were brought up. The Adelfi family is a strong matriarchy,¡± says Maddox. ¡°They like to use men for procreation and protection. And that¡¯s all.¡± He sounds a little bitter.


    Mama shoots him a scolding look. ¡°That¡¯s not to say there isn¡¯t a lot of love between a witch and her guardians. It¡¯s a very special bond.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    I glance at my ¡®entourage¡¯ as Mr. Monroe called them earlier. I think all three of them are in shock because all I feel is numbness and a little bit of muted anger. Brody is scowling at the table, Dev is staring blankly into his tea and Jules is gaping at Mama, and has been for some time.


    ¡°So basically,¡± Brody says carefully, his voice like a bomb that¡¯s about to go off. ¡°We¡¯re going to feel her every emotion until we die and there¡¯s nothing we can do about it?¡±


    ¡°Or she dies. If she dies you¡¯re all released,¡± Maddox states plainly. ¡°Which is probably what the djinn is planning to do.¡±


    All three of the boys look horrified, and therefore so am I. I mean, I probably would be anyway, but I can¡¯t really find myself under all of them. My heart rate picks up and I begin to sweat.


    ¡°Can¡­ we need to protect her,¡± Dev croaks.


    Mama smiles grimly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. We are going to work on it. You¡¯ll be drawn to her. And if danger ¡­ when danger comes, you¡¯ll be assets. Being a witch¡¯s guardian makes you stronger, faster. And she¡¯ll be able to draw from you to fuel her power. Like she did earlier.¡±


    The glowing ropes have faded to barely shimmering lines and I¡¯m glad because they were pretty creepy. I can still feel them though, connecting me to the guys.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®drawn to her¡¯?¡± Brody asks in alarm.


    ¡°Attracted to her,¡± Maddox supplies. ¡°Spiritually, geographically, sexually. You¡¯ll feel better when she¡¯s around.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one of the reasons this ritual isn¡¯t done these days until a witch is at least eighteen,¡± Mama says darkly. ¡°It¡¯s hard to be so close without becoming ¡­ intimate.¡±


    My face flames red and an image of Dev¡¯s naked chest flashes through my mind.


    Brody pushes back from the table abruptly. ¡°No,¡± he says. ¡°You people are crazy and I want no part of this bullshit.¡± He strides into the hall in the direction of the front door and a moment later there¡¯s a bang and a startled shout.


    Maddox and Mr. Monroe are up in an instant and following, faster than the rest of us have time to react. Mama isn¡¯t too far behind them and then Dev, Jules and I follow.


    The front door is ripped from its hinges completely and Brody¡¯s eyes are wide.


    Mr. Monroe chuckles. ¡°There¡¯s that extra strength. You¡¯ll get used to that.¡±


    Brody just blinks at him before stepping through the door frame.


    ¡°You won¡¯t want to go too far,¡± Mama warns him.


    He flips her off and marches to his truck.


    ¡°How are guardians usually chosen?¡± I ask, turning to Mama. I can feel the cord stretching uncomfortably the further away from me Brody gets. I¡¯m sickened with the realization that maybe I feel so uneasy right now because of the distance the djinn is keeping.


    ¡°Fate,¡± she answers simply, and Maddox explains further.


    ¡°We were drawn to her. We all ended up in this town one way or another and all of us ended up in love with your mother,¡± he says.


    I gape. ¡°Before you were bound?¡±


    He nods.


    ¡°Then your grandmere did the culling ritual,¡± says Mr. Monroe.


    ¡°The what?¡± Dev asks.


    ¡°It¡¯s a test. To find out if you¡¯re worthy to be her guardians. She¡¯d already told us her witchy secret by then, or we¡¯d found out in one capacity or another. Did any of you know?¡±


    Jules raises his hand and Dev frowns, glancing sideways at him.


    I notice that Maddox has a hand on the small of Mama¡¯s back and Mr. Monroe keeps brushing his hand against hers. I wonder if it¡¯s always been this way between them and I just never noticed. Sometimes you don¡¯t see what you¡¯re not looking for.


    ¡°Can we still like ... live normal lives?¡± Jules asks. ¡°Like, go to college and stuff?¡±


    ¡°Sure, if you all attend the same university.¡± Maddox says crisply.


    ¡°What about wives? Children?¡± Dev asks, sounding more curious than upset. Even though inside I know he¡¯s still reeling.


    Mr. Monroe grimaces. ¡°It¡¯s ¡­ possible. And you can try. But, trust me. You¡¯ll have trouble wanting anybody but your witch. Not to mention you''ll need to have physical contact with her at least once a day.¡±


    My cheeks blaze again as that sinks in.


    The six of us file out onto the porch and watch Brody, who is just sitting in his truck. He hasn¡¯t even started the engine yet. Maybe he¡¯s feeling the distance like I am. All of their emotions are starting to fade, and I¡¯m grateful.


    ¡°What do you mean we¡¯ll have trouble?¡± Jules asks.


    ¡°Gettin¡¯ it up,¡± Mr. Monroe says bluntly.


    ¡°Andre!¡± Mama scolds.


    Dev and Jules both pale.


    Mama puts an arm around my shoulders and squeezes me to her.


    ¡°And you two ¡­ willingly .. did this to yourselves?¡± Dev asks. ¡°Not only bound yourselves to her, but share her?¡±


    That thought hadn¡¯t occurred to my poor, muddled mind. That essentially I had just gained three reluctant boyfriends.


    ¡°Obviously, the four of you will have to work out the dynamics amongst yourse-¡±


    I interrupt Mama. ¡°And what about the djinn? Do I have to sleep with him too?¡± My words are bitter because the shock is wearing off and the hopelessness of the situation is catching up with me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to sleep with anybody. This is an unfortunate situation because none of you chose it, but it can be managed if you all choose to try and ignore it. It¡¯ll take some getting used to, but there are drugs and things that can simulate or suppress libido. Spells. You will need brief daily physical contact, but you can otherwise avoid each other if that¡¯s what you wish. It¡¯s not impossible.¡± Mama takes my hand. ¡°You are fortunate though, that these boys are already friends of yours.¡±


    Jules takes my other hand. ¡°I would have followed you anywhere anyway, Em. You¡¯re my best friend.¡±


    My eyes fill with tears and I pull him to me, hugging him tightly. Touching him feels different now. Bigger. But just as comforting. Like coming home.


    ¡°But she is connected to that thing too,¡± Dev states. ¡°So it can feel what she¡¯s feeling too, right?¡±


    I pull away and wipe at my eyes while Maddox nods.


    ¡°Andre and I are going to hunt it. With guardianship comes a certain amount of instinctual protective skills. Don¡¯t worry about anything. Just focus on adjusting to your new circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any more questions?¡± Mama asks softly.


    ¡°What do we do about Brody?¡± Jules asks.


    ¡°He¡¯ll come ¡®round,¡± Mr. Monroe says. ¡°Give him time to sort through his shit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Do you have marks? Show me your wrists,¡± Mama says.


    I blink and turn my hand over, surprised to find the image of a crescent moon with an arrow through it. It¡¯s pale against my tan skin, like it¡¯s been branded on. Dev and Jules have identical marks, and I¡¯m willing to bet Brody does too.


    ¡°The symbol of Artemis,¡± Maddox says approvingly.


    ¡°What¡¯s yours?¡± asks Jules curiously.


    Maddox moves aside his high-tech wristwatch to reveal a small rose. Of course, for my mother Aphrodite. They call her Rose for short, and the rose is also a symbol for the goddess Aphrodite.


    Mr. Monroe and Mama show theirs too. I¡¯ve always known about Mama¡¯s but I thought it was a birthmark. Mr. Monroe keeps his hidden with a leather cuff.


    The sky is starting to lighten, signalling morning. In the distance, a rooster crows.


    ¡°We should go. Y¡¯all have school,¡± Mama says.


    I stare at her like she¡¯s crazy. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. After all of that? And there¡¯s a magical creature that wants to kill me! And we all look like we just started a fight club!¡±


    ¡°Brody always looks like that,¡± points out Jules.


    ¡°Not helping!¡± I hiss.


    Dev snorts.


    ¡°Look. We¡¯re going to take care of the djinn. Your Grandmother never should''ve have summoned him. We¡¯ll make it right,¡± says Mama.


    Maddox and Mr. Monroe share a look that implies they¡¯ll be keeping Mama as far away from that thing as they can. Mama either doesn¡¯t catch it, or ignores it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the door back on,¡± she says.


    Her henchmen fit the wood back against the frame and Mama leans in, whispering something that convinces the splintered wood to repair itself and the hinges to reattach.


    Devereaux and Jules gape and she winks at them before flipping the hall light off.


    ¡°Ride with us, baby girl,¡± Mama orders softly.


    I nod and head toward Maddox¡¯s shiny BMW.


    Dev and Jules head to Dev¡¯s truck and Brody¡¯s engine finally roars to life.


    We caravan home and get ready for school.

 C9. Moths, Windowsills and Lifelong Commitments

    School is Mama¡¯s way of punishing us for sneaking out. I don¡¯t think she blames us for what the djinn did, but she isn¡¯t happy about it.


    My brain is mush after being up all night and my nerves are shot. I jump at every loud or sudden noise, thinking it¡¯s the djinn coming to kill me. I know that Maddox and Mr. Monroe said they¡¯d take care of it but what if they don¡¯t get to it before it gets to me? Panic pulses in my veins at the thought and force myself to inhale through my nose and out through my mouth. My desk neighbors all look at me in annoyance. My chemistry teacher rambles on about carbon, oblivious to my fear. I try to ignore it and focus on the lecture, but I¡¯m having some trouble.


    It doesn¡¯t help that there¡¯s a moth fluttering around the teacher¡¯s head. It¡¯s incessant but he doesn¡¯t seem to notice. Aren¡¯t moths supposed to be nocturnal anyway? What is this little thing doing awake?


    As I watch, trying desperately to focus on why carbon is important to the food chain, another moth joins the first and the two of them loop and flit around Mr. Peach¡¯s head like they¡¯re rehearsing for Cirque Du Soleil. He continues on, heedless. It¡¯s like he¡¯s immune to annoyances.


    When a third joins the fray I start to wonder if perhaps there¡¯s a moth factory that just opened its doors or something. Mr. Peach closes his book and I expect him to bat them away or at least blow at them, but he just sets the book on the desk and clasps his hands in front of him.


    ¡°And there you have it. I¡¯d like you to design a lab ¡­ ¡° he goes on, but I don¡¯t hear him.


    More moths have joined the dance, there are almost a dozen now, and counting. Where are they even coming from? No one else is reacting.


    It finally hits me that this must be a vision, and I feel stupid for not realizing it sooner. My heart pounds as I raise my hand and ask to be excused to the restroom. Mr. Peach says yes and I take my bag with me when I go.


    Like the rest of Crescent Creek, our school is old. The girls bathroom is large and echoey, with giant frosted glass windows and a wide sill for girls to set their backpacks on while they occupy the stalls. This is where I sit now, pressing my back against the cool stone wall and my shoulder against the sun-warmed glass. I pull my knees up tightly and try to calm myself.


    I get about three deep breaths in before the heavy wooden door bursts open hard enough to crack against the wall. In stride my guardians, all three of them with different expressions. Jules looks concerned, Dev looks cautious and Brody looks pissed off.


    They relax a little when they see that I am unharmed. Jules hops up onto the window sill and sits beside me, his back against the glass.


    ¡°What gives, Em?¡± he asks. ¡°Your heart¡¯s racing like a clydesdale.¡±


    He¡¯s so nonchalant about knowing my heart rate without even touching me that I have the urge to smack him.


    ¡°I¡¯m just having a rough day. Sorry to bother you guys.¡± I wish I could hide. Just sink into the wall. I feel so exposed, so open and naked.


    ¡°So no djinn appearances?¡± Dev asks, his grey-green eyes searching my face.


    I shake my head. ¡°I ¡­ had a vision, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m not even sure what it means. I¡¯ll have to ask Mama when I get home.¡±


    ¡°A vision? You get visions?¡± Brody pushes off from the wall and comes to stand beside Dev.


    I nod glumly. ¡°They¡¯re never straightforward though. I saw snakes leading up to Grandmother¡¯s death and now I¡¯m seeing moths.¡±


    ¡°What the hell do moths mean?¡± Brody asks with a sneer, like he¡¯s trying to sound uninterested. I can tell he is though.


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t know. Probably not death again,¡± I say. ¡°Unless fate is playing some sick cosmic joke on me where every single vision I get foretells someone¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem likely,¡± Dev says, rubbing a hand over his jaw.


    ¡°If you¡¯re okay, we should get back to class,¡± Jules says, bumping his knee against mine. ¡°Bell¡¯s about to ring.¡±


    ¡°You go,¡± I murmur. ¡°I¡¯ve already got my stuff. I¡¯ll just see you later.¡±


    Brody pivots and strolls out. After another suspicious look at my face, Dev follows. Jules jumps down from the sill and pats my knee before exiting also.


    I stay there through lunch, trying to tamp down all of the emotions swirling through me; mine and the guys¡¯. It¡¯s difficult to discern my own mental state from theirs but eventually I can get it. Each of the guys¡¯ feelings are tinged with a different flavor. Not literally a taste, more like an essence. A signature. Something to let me know the emotion came from them. Once I figure that out, it¡¯s easier to block them out. Which feels intrinsically wrong but also necessary for my sanity, at least today, when everything is so crazy. I can still sense their locations though, even while I can block out their emotions.


    I spend the rest of the day trying to ignore the ache of having the boys so far away from me, even though they¡¯re all still in the school. I don¡¯t check their emotions. It seems that to figure out what I¡¯m feeling today I need to avoid them. So I do that, going to Mama¡¯s bookstore after school for a while instead of walking home with Jules. Even when I get home I focus anxiously on my homework instead of checking in with them, magically or otherwise. I¡¯m a wreck and can¡¯t focus for anything, but I exercise self control to an extreme degree.


    My tactic works until bedtime.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    I can feel them all next door, and it¡¯s almost still too far away for comfort. Or maybe that¡¯s the djinn¡¯s distance, throwing everything off kilter. I can even tell that Jules is in his room and Dev and Brody are in the basement.


    I¡¯m anxious as I climb into bed. I feel stretched thin, pulled in too many directions.


    Mama is out tonight, hunting the djinn with Maddox and Mr. Monroe. I stare at the ceiling and try and focus on my breathing, but it does nothing to slow my speeding heart.


    A text lights up the screen of my phone and I smile at Jules¡¯ name.


    Can I come over? It reads.


    I type out a reply and stand to unlock my french doors. Jules is there a few moments later, wearing a tee and athletic shorts. His curls are in disarray. He offers me a rueful smile.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± he says.


    I almost tell him that I couldn¡¯t either but, of course, he already knows that. Instead, I take his hand let out a relieved puff of air when my anxiety dials down a notch. Touching seems to do the trick.


    Jules looks a little more calm as well. He tugs me toward my bed.


    We curl up together easily, muscle memory from childhood sleepovers. Now, we stare up at the ceiling together.


    ¡°Is this our new normal?¡± he asks, idly stroking my hair.


    ¡°No. It will be less ¡­ anxiety filled once the djinn is dead. At least I hope so. I¡¯m sorry I feel so --¡±


    He cuts me off. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize for your feelings, Em. Let¡¯s set that precedent right now. Never worry about how you feel.¡±


    ¡°But it affects you all now. It¡¯s not just me I have to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Stop. That¡¯s an endless loop. Feeling bad for feeling bad, et cetera. Just feel what you feel.¡±


    I sigh, already starting to feel the fingers of sleep grasp at me. I focus for a moment on the bodies next door. Both are feeling exhausted. Brody feels confused and a little angry. He always seems a little angry though. Dev is apprehensive and a little restless. And they both feel muted somehow. Hazy.


    ¡°Are they high?¡± I blurt to Jules.


    ¡°Who?¡± he murmurs.


    ¡°Brody and your brother.¡±


    He snorts. ¡°Of course they are. What do you think they do in that basement?¡± He turns his face to me. ¡°What does that feel like on the connection?¡±


    ¡°Blurry.¡±


    He looks amused. ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t all of this kind of freaking you out?¡± I ask him. ¡°You seem so chill about it.¡±


    He pauses thoughtfully for a while before answering. ¡°I already knew you were the real deal, a witch, and to be honest, if I¡¯d known being an Emmy guardian was a job option, I probably would have signed up anyway.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s for life! I¡¯m still reeling that the practice exists at all in this day and age. We¡¯re so young Jules. This isn¡¯t fair to you at all.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Em. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Jules --¡±


    ¡°This happened to both of us, Emmy. To all of us. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re your servants. You¡¯re stuck with us too.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t really thought of it like that. I¡¯d been more worried about how this binding would affect their lives than how it would mine. In truth I never gave much thought to my future because it had all seemed fairly predetermined. Finish my witchy training, graduate high school, go to community college and work at the bookstore. Someday become a single mother and move back into Moonhollow, like all the women in my family.


    Of course, I¡¯d always been in love with Devereaux, and in some of my more detailed fantasies he was the father of my child. But we didn¡¯t end up together. Adelfi women never seem to have husbands. Now I know why, I guess. They get guardians instead.


    Jules snores softly, alerting me to his slumber and I snuggle closer, taking immense comfort in the contact.


    Somehow I manage to push all stressful thoughts from my mind and drift off too.


    Mama clears her throat loudly, startling Jules and I awake.


    ¡°Breakfast is ready,¡± she announces. ¡°And we should really get you on a birth control spell. And get your boys tested.¡±


    ¡°Mama!¡± I gasp, horrified.


    ¡°What? I know you¡¯re still a virgin, baby girl, but they aren¡¯t. Not even you, Julius LaTour. Don¡¯t give me those innocent eyes. I can sense these things. It¡¯s part of my power.¡±


    I glance sideways at Jules who is blinking blearily up at her. At least she doesn¡¯t seem mad that he¡¯s in my room. She turns on her heel and disappears into the hallway, leaving the door wide open.


    I groan and cover my face with my hands. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Jules shrugs and pushes himself up with a yawn. ¡°I wonder how effective a birth control spell is compared to like, the pill.¡±


    ¡°Jules!¡± My cheeks are red.


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious! Calm down, Emmy.¡± He stands and I feel the loss of his touch like a punch to the stomach. My breath leaves me in a whoosh.


    I feel empty. Like a vacuum with nothing to suck.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Jules turns around to face me, frowning. His curls are crazy from sleep. ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ that¡¯s like a wound that just .. just aches. Do you feel it too?¡±


    I nod, swallowing. ¡°They said it¡¯ll get easier. It has to.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what the guys are feeling right now, not having touched you all night like I did.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m like a drug. Like, the more you use the more you want kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± He looks unsure.


    I certainly hope so, because it can¡¯t be like this all the time. It just can¡¯t.


    I let him use the bathroom first and then slip in for a shower. I finish and dress quickly in jeans, a tank and a purple lace cardigan. I¡¯m still toweling my hair when I come to a stop at the kitchen entrance, shocked at what I see.


    The room is filled to the brim with guys. Maddox and Mr. Monroe sit at our small kitchen table while Mama passes out plates of eggs and bacon to Dev and Brody, who lean against the wall. Jules sits on the counter, legs swinging and his plate already half empty.


    Dev and Brody look up in unison and I can feel relief emanating from them, as if just seeing me makes them feel better.


    Brody looks away quickly but Dev keeps his eyes on me, drinking me in. Mama shares a knowing look with her guardians when Dev fails to notice that she¡¯s trying to hand him a fork.


    ¡°Devereaux,¡± she eventually says softly.


    He jumps and blinks at her before taking the fork and muttering an apology.


    ¡°Good morning, baby girl. I¡¯ll make you a plate.¡± Mama moves back to the cupboard.


    ¡°How - How was the hunting? I didn¡¯t hear you come in.¡± I note the tired bags under Mama¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Fruitless,¡± says Maddox curtly. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll find him.¡±

 C10. Angry Volleyballs and Forbidden Glimpses

    I don¡¯t really have time to ask Mama about the significance of Moths before I¡¯m being shoved into Dev¡¯s truck and carted off to school. Brody drives close behind us.


    ¡°We could have walked like usual,¡± I grumble to Jules.


    ¡°Something tells me that would have been more distance than these guys are willing to put between you and them,¡± he replies quietly, leaning in so that Dev won¡¯t hear over the sounds of the Chili Peppers coming from the speakers.


    I swallow and nod. The thought hadn¡¯t occurred to me but it makes sense, and honestly I probably would have hated the distance as well. I wonder idly if the djinn is as affected by our binding as these guys are. He doesn¡¯t seem to be, but then again he¡¯s a supernatural creature. Rules probably don¡¯t apply the same way.


    Dev, Brody, Jules and I stand in a circle beside Dev¡¯s truck once we reach the school parking lot. It feels like a team huddle before a big game, when really we¡¯re all just mentally preparing for another day living in our new reality. Our connected reality.


    I meet each of their eyes in turn, trying to wordlessly convey how sorry I am that we¡¯re in this mess.


    Two sets of grey-green eyes and one set of indigo stare back at me, seeming to each try and convey something else. Though I¡¯ve no idea what. And then, just like that, we break. We all go our separate ways, heading to our separate classes.


    I have two classes with Jules, French and English, and no classes with either of my older guardians. At least, I thought I didn''t. Five minutes into gym class Brody strolls in like he owns the place.


    ¡°Mr. James. Nice of you to finally join us,¡± Mr. Aarons drawls.


    Finally? We¡¯re a quarter of the way through the school year, and I¡¯m supposed to believe that Brody has just gotten away with not showing up to class at all? Stupid football star.


    We are currently doing mindless laps around the room. The students are chatting idly with friends, clumped together as they trot along, pretending to jog. Except for me, because my only friend is Jules and he¡¯s not in this class.


    I really don¡¯t mind trailing alone after the rest of the kids, but when Brody falls into step beside me, it¡¯s nicer than I¡¯d like to admit.


    The girls in the class shoot me dirty looks and the guys all look a little miffed that Brody James didn¡¯t choose to run with them. It¡¯s annoying and amusing all at once.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going Mrs. Jules?¡±


    His low rumble sends a shiver of awareness through me. Has Brody always affected me like that?


    ¡°You should really come up with a better nickname for me, given the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°You mean like Mrs. Dev-Jules-Brody?¡±


    One of the girls up front glances back at him with a blush.


    ¡°Keep your voice down,¡± I hiss. ¡°You¡¯re gonna get me jumped by your fan club.¡±


    He laughs. ¡°Relax. You¡¯ve got yourself three suped-up bodyguards. Just like you planned.¡±


    I gape at him, slowing to a stop. ¡°Excuse me? You think I wanted this to happen? Are you being serious right now Brody?¡±


    He slows too and faces me. His jaw is tight and his eyes are as cold as steel.


    ¡°You tell me. You¡¯re the one that lured us out to the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.¡±


    I gasp.


    ¡°Adelfi! James! Deal with your lover¡¯s quarrel later!¡± Mr. Aarons barks. ¡°Right now it¡¯s time to run!¡±


    We both pick up our pace again. My fists are clenched tightly at my sides and I¡¯m so angry that my vision is starting to bend.


    ¡°Ah ah, mistress. I can feel you boiling. Not too intense or you¡¯ll have the LaTour brothers busting down the door.¡±


    I think I prefer ¡®Mrs. Jules¡¯ to ¡®Mistress¡¯. It implies that he and Dev and Jules are my slaves in some way. I shudder.


    ¡°Brody James,¡± I hiss through clenched teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare insinuate that I wanted this. That that thing was in cahoots with me in any way. It killed my Grandmother for fuck¡¯s sake!¡±


    My voice is getting a little shrill and Mr. Aarons glances at us suspiciously.


    ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t have anything to do with ¡­ the djinn. But you can¡¯t deny that you¡¯ve been grooming us to be your guardians. You¡¯ve got Jules wrapped around your finger and Dev around your lips.¡±


    Images flash of the epic kiss that Dev and I shared at Claire¡¯s party. That feels like a decade ago now. Thank god Brody¡¯s talking low enough that only I can hear. If that got back to Claire¡­


    ¡°And you, Brody?¡± I sputter. ¡°How the hell have I been grooming you? We¡¯ve barely even spoken before this.¡±


    He shrugs and continues to effortlessly keep pace while I¡¯m starting to flag. How is it fair that the guys got second nature superpowers and I didn¡¯t?


    We run in silence for a moment as I try to get my anger, and my breathing, under control. A big part of me really wants to slap him.


    ¡°Maybe I was just there. Maybe I wasn¡¯t a part of the plan,¡± he mumbles.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Before I can respond, Mr. Aarons breaks us up into teams for volleyball. Brody plants himself beside me and the teacher doesn¡¯t seem to have a problem with it. I guess the football star gets to do whatever he wants. Surprise, surprise.


    ¡°There was no plan,¡± I say to him in a hushed voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know guardians were a thing! You heard Mama! I wasn¡¯t supposed to get any until I¡¯m older.¡±


    He grinds his teeth, not ready to accept my answer yet. I can tell he¡¯s feeling confused still, and angry. And needy? I probe deeper, focusing on his emotions. I focus so hard, in fact, that I don¡¯t notice when the other team serves the ball right into my face.


    There¡¯s a loud whumph as the volleyball connects with my skull and then a brief flash of blinding pain before darkness.


    When I come to I¡¯m mostly on the ground. My head is propped in Brody¡¯s lap and his hand is on the side of my face. His thumb caresses my temple and every space where our skin connects feels electric. Pleasureful. It¡¯s almost enough to distract me from the pain of having a volleyball collide with my face. Almost.


    I groan and try to sit up but Brody puts a hand on my shoulder to keep me flat.


    ¡°Slow down, mistress. Nurse is coming.¡±


    Belatedly, I realize that I¡¯m covered in blood. I think my nose may be broken. The thought turns my stomach.


    As a means of distraction I delve into Brody¡¯s feelings, curious to see if my getting hit has affected him at all. At the very least maybe it made him a little less angry with me. What I find when I probe our connection surprises me.


    Brody is ¡­ worried. And also full of wonder. Reverent. It translates into every careful stroke of his thumb across my head.


    The rest of the class has made a circle around us. They gawk openly at me. I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re more riled up over my possibly broken nose and concussion or the fact that I¡¯ve got my head in the lap of the great Brody James.


    I close my eyes so that I don¡¯t have to see them and focus on Brody¡¯s ministrations, letting it calm me down. Then I reach out mentally for Jules and Dev. They¡¯re both worried too and I try to send out soothing vibes over our connection. I¡¯m not sure if it works or not and I¡¯m interrupted anyway by the school nurse/librarian pushing through the crowd.


    She kneels beside me, setting a first aid kit on the floor. She pokes at my face for a moment before offering me a reassuring smile.


    ¡°Not broken. Mr. James, will you help me escort Ms. Adelfi back to my office? We¡¯ll get you cleaned up, dear.¡±


    I keep my eyes on Brody as Mrs. McCleary cleans the blood from my face with a wet cloth. He¡¯s holding my hand, but he keeps glancing down at where we connect like he isn¡¯t sure why it¡¯s happening. Like the sensation is unfamiliar to him.


    I wince and squeeze his hand as the nurse presses against my eye socket.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have a black eye,¡± she announces. ¡°I¡¯m going to run to the cafeteria to get you some ice. Stay put. You too, James. I¡¯ll write you a note for your next class.¡±


    She leaves and Brody reclaims his hand, crossing his arms over his broad chest.


    ¡°The nurse knows you by name?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I¡¯m in here a lot.¡±


    Right. He¡¯s always fighting.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay,¡± I tell him, though I can¡¯t deny that I¡¯m taking comfort in his presence.


    He snorts. ¡°Like I¡¯d rather be in class. How are the guys?¡±


    I close my eyes and take a deep breath, focusing first on Jules. I can sense him on the other side of the school. I let his emotions overtake me and when I open my eyes, I¡¯m surprised to see a blackboard instead of the vision chart that occupies the nurse¡¯s office wall.


    In chalk are guidelines for a paper on the industrial revolution. I look down at a desk an dsee hands that aren¡¯t mine. They¡¯re bigger and rougher, tan with a few freckles and a leather bracelet on the right wrist. A leather bracelet I recognize. These are Jules¡¯ hands.


    I gasp and am drawn back to myself.


    Brody has moved to stand in front of me. ¡°What?¡± he asks. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ I think I just saw through Jules¡¯ eyes for a second.¡±


    He draws back. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    I shake my head, heart pounding.


    ¡°So you can just drop into our heads any time you feel like it?!¡± I feel anger start to engulf him again. ¡°This is bullshit! You could see something personal!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I did it on purpose! I¡¯m still learning here!¡±


    The bell rings loudly. Brody and I glare at one another as classroom doors fly open and the hall fills with students.


    Brody¡¯s phone buzzes and he pulls it out, scanning the screen.


    ¡°You should give Devereaux your number. He¡¯s flipping out.¡± He texts something back and drops the phone into his pocket.


    Less than thirty seconds later the door slams open and Dev¡¯s eyes travel the room until he finds me. His gaze lands on my face and he curses, striding forward.


    ¡°What happened?¡± he asks roughly.


    Belatedly I notice that my shirt is also stained with blood. I look like a crime scene.


    ¡°Nothing exciting,¡± I mumble. ¡°I got hit in the face with a volleyball.¡±


    ¡°How did you manage that?¡± He leans down to get a better look at the damage and I catch his scent. The butterflies in my stomach take flight. I¡¯m not used to this Dev. The one that cares and fusses and actually looks at me. It¡¯s more unsettling than the pain I¡¯m currently in.


    ¡°I¡¯m not, uh, athletically inclined.¡± I blush.


    Brody snorts.


    ¡°Jesus Christ, look at you.¡± Jules stands in the doorway.


    ¡°It looks worse than it is.¡± I wince.


    ¡°You have no evidence to support that,¡± Brody says.


    I glare at him. ¡°Well it¡¯s your fault! You were distracting me with your .. your ¡­ feelings!¡±


    Jules sputters out a laugh. ¡°Excuse me? Are you talking about Brody James? I think you¡¯re confusing him for someone who¡¯s not an emotionless zombie.¡±


    My eyes stay on Brody, who looks like he¡¯s fighting the urge to strangle me right now.


    The nurse bustles back in, carrying a ziploc bag filled with crushed ice. She stops and looks around at everyone in surprise.


    ¡°Well this is quite the rendezvous. Here you are dear, for your eye.¡±


    She hands me the ice and I press it to my face, stifling a gasp at the pain. Dev, Brody and Jules all wince in solidarity.


    ¡°I¡±m not writing you all notes, so you¡¯d better head to your next classes before you¡¯re late,¡± she says to the guys. ¡°Ms. Adelfi will be fine on her own.¡±


    ¡°But -¡± Brody starts, no doubt having been depending on the excuse to cut his next class.


    ¡°Out,¡± the nurse repeats.


    They all reluctantly file out and I can¡¯t help but feel a little empty at their absence.


    The nurse checks me for a concussion, determines I don¡¯t have one and then sends me on my way with the ice pack and an advil.


    At least I can catch up with Jules in chemistry, but when I arrive the seat next to him has been taken. The only spot in the room is next to Claire. My stomach drops.


    ¡°Ah, Ms. Adelfi,¡± Mr. Peach, the biology teacher, addresses me. ¡°Mr. LaTour informed us of your incident. Please have a seat and say hello to your new lab partner.


    I swallow and make my way to where Claire sits in her honey blonde perfection. She gives me a guarded once-over, her nose wrinkling when she sees my black eye and bloody shirt.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I mumble.


    She sniffs indignantly in response and we both turn to the front of the class.

 C11. Jungle Cats and Janitor Closets

    Mr. peach spends the rest of the hour outlining the labs we¡¯ll be doing this month. Claire doesn¡¯t say anything to me but she keeps glancing sideways at me. I can¡¯t help but wonder how things are between her and Dev. If they¡¯re still even together. The last I heard he was meeting her parents but that was before he became mine.


    My guardian, that is.


    I get my answer during lunch when Claire drops gracefully into Devereaux¡¯s lap. I¡¯m stunned for a moment, just watching, and then an animalistic possessiveness rises up so swiftly that I have to grip the edge of the table that Jules and I are occupying to keep myself seated. The urge to march over there and drag her out of his lap by her hair is nearly unbearable.


    ¡°Breathe,¡± Jules orders, placing a hand on my leg. ¡°Take a deep breath. In, out, there. You¡¯re okay.¡±


    His touch is calming and I manage to tear my eyes away from the football table. My heart rate slows as I focus on Jules¡¯ eyes and my inner beast settles down.


    A chair scrapes out on the other side of me and I look up in surprise as Brody drops down into it, setting his lunch tray down on the table.


    ¡°What the fuck was that, mistress?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Not loving the new nickname,¡± I hiss.


    ¡°Claire sat on Dev¡¯s lap,¡± Jules explains. He leans around me to study Brody. ¡°What¡¯re you doing here? If we¡¯re trying to keep some semblance of normal you shouldn¡¯t be seen with us.¡±


    ¡°Who gives a shit about normal?¡± Brody prods a finger at the questionable looking pizza.


    ¡°People are gonna ask questions if Emmy suddenly has three boyfriends, Brody,¡± Jules says.


    Brody shrugs. ¡°Let ¡®em. You can look now, mistress.¡±


    I glance back up and see that Claire has moved to a separate chair. She looks pissed about it too. Dev catches my eye and we share a grimace. He must have felt my discomfort and acted accordingly.


    Sorry, I mouth.


    The response was completely out of my control. If Jules hadn¡¯t been here to talk me down I¡¯m not sure what I would¡¯ve done. Even Brody¡¯s presence is helping.


    I focus in on Dev¡¯s emotions for a moment and find him ... struggling. He¡¯s annoyed, probably at me, and ¡­ aroused? I guess that makes sense. He did have his girlfriend sitting on his lap.


    The thought makes another murderous wave crash through me, totally unbidden.


    I don¡¯t want to feel this way but I¡¯m helpless to it. Like some primal part of me wants to scream ¡®mine¡¯ and mark him somehow. Claim him as my own.


    Brody puts his hand on my knee, distracting me enough to pull me out of my angry trance.


    ¡°As hot as it is when you go all possessive jungle cat, mistress, you seem to be working all three of us up.¡±


    I look at him in surprise, mostly because he called me ¡®hot¡¯ and is touching me in public. These things are out of character for the guy who barely acknowledged knowing me before this whole ¡®guardian¡¯ thing happened.


    In fact, whispers are beginning to erupt around us. Once I catch mine and Brody¡¯s names a few times I stand. It takes a conscious physical effort not to look at Claire and Devereaux.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go eat outside,¡± I announce, hating myself for the jealousy and wrath coursing through my veins. It¡¯s the same feelings I had about Dev before the binding but magnified to a crippling degree. My clenched hands shake on the lunch tray.


    Brody tsks. ¡°Alone, mistress? I think not.¡± He rises too and leans in. ¡°See, I¡¯ve got this urge to be near you. So you¡¯re going to have trouble losing me.¡±


    Jules has risen as well, though he doesn¡¯t offer an explanation for following me.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Is it really that bad?¡± I ask them as we make our way outside.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been anxious today. Not touching you all the time like we did all night,¡± says Jules, eliciting a growl from Brody. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what Dev¡¯s going through. I guess he¡¯s staying away to keep up appearances.¡±


    ¡°Which is stupid if you ask me,¡± Brody cuts in. ¡°I mean, and I can¡¯t reiterate this enough, who gives a shit?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the quarterback and has a girlfriend. Suddenly ditching everything so Emmy can pet him might draw too much attention to us,¡± says Jules.


    ¡°Please. He and I run this school. Devereaux can do whatever the hell he wants.¡± Brody seems as unconcerned as he sounds.


    We all settle onto a stone bench in a secluded corner of the courtyard, but I can tell even Brody is a little worried too.


    I pick disinterestedly at my pizza. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask Mama about the needing to touch me thing. Maybe it¡¯s the djinn throwing things off. Mr. Monroe and Maddox don¡¯t seem to be like that around her.¡±


    Brody and Jules share a look over my head.


    ¡°What?¡± I ask.


    ¡°They totally are, Em,¡± Jules says. ¡°You¡¯ve never noticed?¡±


    ¡°Both those dudes were like, holding her hand or had a hand on her back, like, all the time,¡± Brody adds.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not like they live with us!¡± I argue. ¡°They go long periods of time without touching her.¡±


    ¡°Well maybe - hopefully - it¡¯ll fade somewhat. This is just really ¡­¡± Jules trails off, seeming to search for the right word to describe our need to have physical contact with one another.


    ¡°Intense,¡± Brody supplies. ¡°Annoying. Torturous. I don¡¯t know how Dev can stand it.¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t.¡± Dev¡¯s deep voice curls my toes and I look up to find him standing in front of me.


    ¡°Was wondering when you were gonna crack,¡± Brody mumbles.


    ¡°Lasted way longer than you,¡± Dev snaps.


    Brody shrugs. ¡°She got hurt. What was I supposed to do? Not carry her to the nurse¡¯s office?¡±


    Dev sighs and fixes his eyes on me. ¡°Can we go somewhere private?¡±


    Of course he¡¯d want to be away from prying eyes. I¡¯m not sure why that hurts a little bit.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I stand, my barely touched lunch tray forgotten on the seat behind me.


    Jules starts to rise as well but Brody clears his throat. ¡°Don¡¯t, kid. Let them have some alone time.¡±


    ¡°But -¡±


    ¡°Julius,¡± Dev snaps. He¡¯s so on edge that his whole body is tense.


    I ache to take his hand but we¡¯re still out in the open. He walks away and I follow him inside. Most everyone is still eating in the cafeteria so it isn¡¯t hard for us to slip into a maintenance closet unnoticed.


    The second the door clicks shut I¡¯m against the wall with Devereaux¡¯s larger body covering mine. He presses his face into my neck and breathes deeply, fisting his hands in my hair.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her to sit in my lap,¡± he mumbles against my skin. Goosebumps erupt and I shudder.


    ¡°Oh?¡± I choke out.


    ¡°You wanted to hurt her so badly. I felt it.¡± His body shudders this time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I mumble, though I¡¯m not sure if I really regret wanting to hurt Claire or not. The emotion has been with me for a long time, granted never this strongly, but still. I don¡¯t mention that part to Dev.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. You couldn¡¯t help it. Just like I can¡¯t help this. This is ¡­ bliss.¡± He presses his lips to my skin, probably able to feel my pulse pounding wildly.


    ¡°Bliss,¡± I echo, allowing myself to feel this euphoria as he feels it. Totally encompassing.


    It¡¯s different than it was last night with Jules. That was like coming home and this is like ¡­ waking up from a nightmare. Instant, total comfort. Breathing after gasping for air.


    ¡°She¡¯s your girlfriend,¡± I say, knowing as I say it that all I¡¯m doing is stating the obvious.


    ¡°And I can¡¯t even look at her.¡± He finally pulls away from my neck but rests his forehead against mine instead.


    Joy bursts through me at his words, followed immediately by guilt.


    ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t feel bad. This isn¡¯t your fault. You didn¡¯t ask for this.¡± He pushes a strand of hair behind my ear.


    My guilt only intensifies. Because again, these feelings aren¡¯t new to me. I¡¯ve always loathed and envied Claire, because I¡¯ve always loved Dev. And he didn¡¯t love me back, until maybe now, because he has to. Suddenly I feel sick to my stomach.


    I push him away and reach for the door handle.


    ¡°Whoa, Emmy, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You should stay with her. You¡¯ve gotta keep up appearances. This could even out, wear off once the djinn is dead.¡± My eyes well up, unbidden.


    He snorts. ¡°Andre and Maddox seem pretty convinced that it won¡¯t. We should just --¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I pull open the door. The idea that the only way he could ever reciprocate my feelings is due to some sort of spell sears my insides. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t do anything. I¡¯ll see you when you need your next fix.¡± I sound so bitter, but I can¡¯t help it.


    The bell rings as I slam the door closed behind me.

 C12. Virgins, Black Eyes and Family Discussions

    The rest of the day passes in a blur of angst, calculus and moths. By the time Jules and I find each other after school I¡¯m utterly emotionally exhausted, and that¡¯s without checking in on how the boys are feeling.


    ¡°What are we doing tonight?¡± Jules asks me as we begin our trek home.


    ¡°Planning my Grandmother¡¯s wake,¡± I reply sullenly.


    ¡°What are we talking? Flowers? Caterers? Where is it being held?¡±


    ¡°Moonhollow.¡±


    He grimaces.


    ¡°It¡¯s the only place big enough to host my giant-ass family.¡±


    We lapse into silence for a while before he asks, ¡°Hey, Dev didn¡¯t like, try anything when you guys went off to find privacy, did he?¡±


    My cheeks heat. ¡°What? No.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    We turn onto our street.


    ¡°Why?¡± I eye him curiously.


    ¡°We all kinda made a pact,¡± he says.


    ¡°What kind of pact?¡±


    ¡°A no sexual advances on you pact. Now that we are all so, y¡¯know, connected to you. It¡¯s hard to find out where we end and you begin.¡± Jules seems a little bit sheepish, like he thinks I¡¯m going to be mad.


    I mull it over, trying to decide how to feel about it.


    ¡°I know the feeling,¡± I finally say as we reach my driveway. ¡°Is this like a forever pact?¡±


    ¡°Why, you want in our collective pants, Artemis Adelfi?¡± he teases, bumping his shoulder against mine.


    My face heats even more. ¡°No!¡±


    He holds his hand out for my key so he can unlock the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s a for-now pact. Until things settle and we know the parameters of this binding thing. Until you¡¯re older. Until we figure out what¡¯s real and what¡¯s ¡­¡± He trails off.


    ¡°The spell,¡± I finish for him. I¡¯m surprised to find myself glum.


    He nods.


    ¡°Losing my V-card would result in the full onslaught of my powers anyway.¡± I drop my bag by the door and head for the kitchen.


    ¡°Say what now?¡± Jules asks. ¡°I thought you could already use magic.¡±


    ¡°Cursory stuff. I really get the juice when I,¡± I bring my fingers up to do air quotes. ¡°¡®Raze my maidenhead¡¯.¡±


    Jules wrinkles his nose. ¡°It sounds so romantic when you put it like that.¡±


    I snort. ¡°Grandmother was psyched for me to lose it. She¡¯d ask me about it every week. I guess she was a little obsessed with power.¡± Grief overcomes me for a moment at the mention of her, but I try to reign it in.


    All of Mama and my¡¯s plans for the wake are spread across the table. I swallow and try to blink away the moisture in my eyes. Even if she was a power-hungry hag she was still my grandmother and I loved her.


    I feel a comforting hand on my shoulder and I give Jules a watery smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Tea?¡±


    He nods.


    I take a few painkillers to help ease the throb of my shiner and get us set up with refreshments and then we sit down and start calling possible wake attendees, caterers, florists and whoever else Mama has written down in her delicate handwriting.


    An hour and a half later Mama emerges from her bedroom, followed closely by Mr. Monroe. I don¡¯t know why the thought of them sharing a bed is shocking to me. They¡¯ve probably been doing it my entire life.


    Jules has a knowing smirk as he eyes them.


    ¡°Baby what happened to your face?¡± Mama rushes to me and grips my chin, looking at my eye closely.


    ¡°I got in a fight with a volleyball,¡± I say glumly.


    She blinks, then laughs a little bit. ¡°You scared me. I thought maybe the djinn had found you.¡±


    I shake my head.


    She puts a hand over my eye and mutters a few words under her breath, the dull throb recedes a little bit more. ¡°I can¡¯t heal it all the way, but I can help with the pain.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say gratefully.


    ¡°Where¡¯re the others?¡± Mr. Monroe drawls, dropping down into a seat.


    Mama heads to the coffee maker.


    ¡°Football practice,¡± I supply, closing the notebook.


    ¡°Bet they hurtin¡¯.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Andre,¡± Mama warns.


    The wiley cajun chuckles. ¡°Aint nothin but the truth, Sweet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll get better after the djinn is gone. Right?¡± Jules asks.


    Mr. Monroe chuckles again. ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on how hard you boys push it.¡±


    Jules¡¯ brow wrinkles in confusion.


    ¡°The longer you go without touching, the stronger the need to do so becomes,¡± says Mama.


    ¡°Until what? What happens if we just stop touching her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll become all you can think about. An addiction you¡¯ll never get over. You¡¯ll get weak and forget to eat and just waste away.¡± Mr. Monroe sounds nonchalant.


    At the horrified looks on both Jules¡¯ and my faces, Mama clears her throat.


    ¡°It¡¯s because when you all were bound, your life force was tied to hers. When you touch, you kind of generate .. life energy. Refuel.¡±


    ¡°But I thought she drew from us. Like when she fought off the djinn,¡± said Jules.


    ¡°She does, in times of need. It¡¯s give and take. She gives at a constant rate so that she can take in powerful bursts when she needs it.¡± Mama pours steaming coffee into two mugs.


    ¡°Y¡¯all are symbiotic,¡± Mr. Monroe says.


    ¡°So the djinn is wasting away right now?¡± I ask hopefully.


    Mr. Monroe - Andre - looks grim. ¡°Not like a human would. He can get his power ups other ways too. Djinns feed off of people¡¯s dreams. But he is growing ¡­ hungrier, I think. You¡¯re hidden from him now, Sweet, but if you take that necklace off¡­¡± He gestures to the small vial of protective herbs around my neck that Mama gave me to wear the day that Grandmother was eviscerated.


    Absently I bring my hand up and clutch at it. ¡°He¡¯s got to know where I am though. I can feel Brody and Dev at the school right now. These herbs can overpower the bond?¡±


    Mama nods. ¡°They were grown and gathered at Moonhollow. Your ancestral land. There¡¯s power there. The blood that begat their line centuries ago is the blood that flows in your veins.¡±


    I shiver. ¡°How does it protect me from specifically him? And not the guys too?¡±


    ¡°It hides you from those with malicious intent, Sweet. Your boys don¡¯t have that.¡± Andre takes a long drink from his coffee.


    The doorbell rings, making me jump.


    Jules rises. ¡°Right on time. I ordered pizza for everyone.¡± His voice is a little shaky, and I can feel his nervousness at the information that has just been given to us regarding the djinn.


    Mr. Monroe insists on paying and just as the food is placed on the table I hear the tell-tale rumble of trucks in the LaTour driveway.


    ¡°Go invite them over, baby,¡± Mama says, giving me a pointed look.


    I stand and swallow. I don¡¯t really want to talk to Dev after running away from him this afternoon but I¡¯m going to have to sooner or later so I might as well do it now. Besides, there are five large pizzas sitting in front of me.


    When I emerge from the house, Devereaux and Brody are leaning against Dev¡¯s truck, chatting. They look casual enough but I can feel indecision within them. Like they don¡¯t want to head into the dark LaTour house but they¡¯re not sure if they should come over to mine either.


    At my approach they both look up, and I can sense stark relief in each of them, although Brody¡¯s is accompanied by annoyance. Like he¡¯s upset about being relieved to see me.


    I stop maybe two feet in front of them and swallow. ¡°Mama says y¡¯all should come over for dinner. We ordered pizza. Well, Jules did.¡±


    Dev eyes me almost warily. Like he¡¯s afraid I¡¯m going to run away again.


    Brody looks ¡­ hungry.


    I can feel their need to touch me.


    Without warning, I step forward and hug both of them at once, sliding an arm around each of their necks. All I have is this need to assuage the ache inside of them, and me.


    They envelop me. They are both slightly damp and freshly showered. Dev smells like his usual spearmint and cedar, and Brody smells somehow like both clean laundry and woodsmoke. Being wrapped up in them is almost unbearably good.


    They hold me tightly, like I am their greatest treasure, and breathe me in just like I did them. I wonder what I smell like to them.


    ¡°Are you guys hungry?¡± I ask, but it¡¯s muffled against a letterman jacket.


    Brody laughs and it shakes all three of us. ¡°Always, mistress.¡±


    Maddox joins us once he closes up the bookstore for the night and Mama and I once again have a full house. It¡¯s strange to me that in such a short time, this is starting to feel completely normal. Mama with her men and me with mine.


    After everyone has at least a slice in their belly, Brody turns to Maddox.


    ¡°So how¡¯d the djinn hunting go last night?¡± he asks.


    Maddox¡¯s face falls. ¡°Not well. Rose¡¯s locating spells kept getting thrown off. They would lead us to empty locations, or just go haywire. We had to start over dozens of times. We were considering -¡± He cuts off, eyes tracking to Mama whose face is withdrawn and angry.


    ¡°Considering what?¡± Jules asks.


    ¡°That we might use Emmy to draw him out,¡± Maddox finishes, his crisp british accent tight.


    ¡°Like bait?¡± Brody asks, pizza paused halfway to his mouth. His lips are turned down in a disgusted twist.


    ¡°No. No way in hell.¡± Dev pushes his plate away.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be well protected,¡± Andre says. ¡°She just has to take off the necklace and he¡¯ll come find her.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll be ready,¡± Maddox hurriedly adds. ¡°With an arsenal the size of Louisiana. It won¡¯t get past us.¡±


    Mama stands to get herself a glass of water and I can tell by the unease in her shoulders that she doesn¡¯t like this plan any more than Dev does.


    I clear my throat. ¡°When?¡±


    All eyes snap to me.


    ¡°Emmy, all due respect, this aint happening.¡± Dev stands.


    ¡°Devereaux,¡± Mama all but whispers. ¡°This is the most efficient way to get this over with.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your feelings for her cloud your judgement, son,¡± Andre says.


    And then all hell breaks loose because Brody and Jules weigh in angrily and soon everyone is standing and shouting and pointing fingers and I can¡¯t breathe.


    Nobody notices when I slip out the screen door and gasp in mouthfuls of cool night air. I drop down onto the porch swing and pull up my knees, listening to the echo of all the people close to me arguing over my safety.


    When Mama finds me I¡¯m running the silver of my moon pendant back and forth across my lips, eyes unfocused as I zone out. She sits beside me, breaking me out of my revery.


    ¡°What¡¯s the verdict?¡± I ask.


    ¡°We¡¯ve decided to keep hunting the djinn without using you as bait yet. We¡¯re giving it until the wake. That gives us another week. If we don¡¯t find and end him by then we¡¯ll start using different tactics,¡± she puts a comforting hand on my knee.


    I nod. ¡°That¡¯s reasonable, I suppose. I¡¯m sorry I got into this mess.¡±


    ¡°Oh baby, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± She puts an arm around me, squeezing me against her. ¡°I was angry too. Going back to Moonhollow is exactly what I would have done at your age. And honestly, I don¡¯t think I could have chosen better guardians for you. They just managed to dissuade my stubborn ¡®ol cajun and my british taskmaster.¡±


    I chuckle, wondering what my life would be like if I had gotten to choose my guardians. Very different from this. Maybe.


    ¡°So the wake is a week from tomorrow night. So that gives us time to¡­ keep trying. And figure things out. Now, why don¡¯t you come inside and have more pizza?¡±


    I nod and stand, heading in.

 C13. Wake Preparations and Espionage

    Jules stays the night again that night, and the next night too. The weekend passes slowly. Dev and Brody find me when they need me and it¡¯s so strange. My habit up until now has been to avoid them. Popular jocks don¡¯t mess with outcasts like me.


    Mama puts the hunting on hold for her normal Saturday festivities at the bookstore but other than that she and Maddox and Andre spend their free time trying to find the elusive djinn. They aren¡¯t successful.


    The week passes by with the guys and I settling into a routine. We¡¯re subtle at school, because I insist that we shouldn¡¯t make any big life changes - like Dev breaking up with his girlfriend - until the djinn is dead and we know what kind of relationship the guardian bond is going to force us into. Brody even goes back to sitting at the football table.


    The weather gets a little colder.


    Mama pulls me out of school on Thursday to help her prepare Moonhollow for the onslaught of visitors it will receive friday night for the wake. This means lots and lots of cleaning. I¡¯ll be doing the same tomorrow too, because school is out for a teacher work day. Jules will even be able to help. The boys, however, will have a football game in the early evening. Luckily, the wake isn¡¯t starting until nine.


    Going back to Moonhollow again after our run-in with the Djinn is unsettling, but it seems as though Edward has repaired the front window already and puttied over the cracks in the sitting room walls. He is nowhere to be found as Mama and I set our bags down on the entryway table. This is the first time that it¡¯s been just the two of us in more than a week and it feels ¡­ strange. Like I¡¯m forgetting something important.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± Mama says with a smile when she notices my uneasiness. ¡°You¡¯re missing the boys, yeah?¡±


    I swallow and nod, not really proud of it. Aside from Jules, I¡¯ve been fairly independent my whole life. This is like having to relearn who I am.


    ¡°I miss mine too. But this is good for us. And them. Time apart to clear our heads. I¡¯ve been spending more time with Maddox and Andre than I normally do and it¡¯s getting a little stifling,¡± she says.


    I follow her through the hall and into the kitchen and watch as she puts Grandmother¡¯s old cast iron kettle on to boil.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot of work to do in a short amount of time,¡± she says. ¡°You got the list, baby?¡±


    I nod and pull a folded up piece of notebook paper from my pocket. Our to-do list to prepare for the wake covers the front and back of the page.


    It takes us all day to get the cleaning done. By the time I look up from the floors I¡¯ve been  scrubbing the sun has just finished sinking below the horizon. I shiver and look around. Mama must be in another part of the house. The overhead light flickers a little with my nervousness. I feel achy without the guys near me, hungry for their touch.


    Or maybe I¡¯m just hungry in general.


    ¡°Mama?¡± I call, standing and wiping my pruny hands on my jeans. The bandana I  wrapped around my head to keep my hair back is failing under the pressure of my mahogany tresses and strands keep sleeping free and falling around my face.


    She doesn¡¯t answer, probably too far away to hear me or listening to music or something.


    I take a deep breath and try to shake my unease. I think about Jules and Dev and Brody, curious to see if I can tell what they¡¯re feeling from a distance like this. I can, but it¡¯s vague. Like an echo of their emotions. They all seem to be feeling the same as me; anxious.


    I close my eyes and focus on Jules, seeing if I can get anything more specific. He also seems somewhat irritated. I open my eyes and am caught off guard when Brody and Devereaux are sitting across from me. It¡¯s then I realize that I¡¯m in the LaTour basement. I must be seeing through Jules¡¯ eyes again. I try turning my head to get a better view, because for some reason I¡¯m glaring hard at the space between them on the dumpy couch, but I can¡¯t control it.


    ¡°Just chill the fuck out, Julius,¡± Dev says, annoyance distorting his beautiful face.


    The view shifts a little and I think Jules sat back and crossed his arms, even though I didn¡¯t feel it.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be back when she¡¯s back. Girl¡¯s got your balls and you¡¯re not even screwing her.¡± Brody is deftly rolling a joint on the low coffee table before him.


    ¡°Christ,¡± Jules spits out. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking hypocrite Brody. You¡¯re going to jump all over her like an excited puppy when she gets back.¡±


    Dev exhales roughly. ¡°Stop it. Both of you. This isn¡¯t our faults, and we can¡¯t be held responsible for wanting to touch her. This is magic, okay? We have to just accept it. So yeah, Jules, he¡¯s going to need to be near her when she¡¯s back. So am I. So are you. So shut the fuck up.¡±


    Jules mumbles something under his breath that even I can¡¯t understand.


    Brody brings the joint to his lips and lights it, inhaling. ¡°The worst part is that I¡¯m so fuckin horny though.¡±


    I blink again and am back in my own head, and blushing fiercely.


    ¡°You alright?¡± Mama asks, standing in the doorway to the kitchen.


    ¡°F-Fine. Do you, um, do you ever get to see through Maddox or Andre¡¯s eyes for a moment?¡± I had meant to ask her this earlier in the week but it didn¡¯t seem all that important in the face of tracking the djinn and preparing for the wake.


    Her eyes widen and then sparkle. ¡°No. But I¡¯ve heard of it happening. When the bond is particularly close. Whose eyes do you see through?¡±


    ¡°Jules¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± She looks delighted. ¡°It¡¯s probably because you were best friends first. But still. You¡¯re going to be such a powerful witch, Artemis.¡±


    I rock on my heels and wipe the back of my hand across my forehead. ¡°It¡¯s happened twice now.¡±


    ¡°Does Jules know?¡± she asks, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I forgot to mention it. Brody was there the first time it happened. With me, I mean. Not with Jules. So he knows. So do you think it¡¯s only going to happen with Jules?¡±


    She looks thoughtful. ¡°Maybe. But it could happen with the other boys in time too, if y¡¯all end up as close as you and Jules currently are.¡±


    ¡°Mama, is it true that they won¡¯t¡­ can¡¯t be with other girls because of me?¡±


    She sighs and picks up her bag, flipping off the light behind her. ¡°The only thing stronger than the bond is the love of a soulmate. If they find their soulmates then all bets are off. But that is rare, Emmy. A lot of the time bonded witches and guardians are each others soulmates.¡±


    ¡°You can have more than one?¡±


    ¡°Witches can. So really, only in this specific instance.¡±


    I follow her out to the car that she borrowed from Maddox after locking Moonhollow¡¯s massive front door.


    ¡°So what did you see?¡± she asks once we¡¯re on the road.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Through Jules¡¯ eyes.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I blush again. ¡°They were all hanging out in their basement. Complaining about being leashed to me.¡±


    So fuckin horny. Brody had said. And for some reason those words send a spark of electricity through me.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Mama shoots me a sympathetic look. ¡°It¡¯s a hard adjustment, baby.¡±


    Her phone dings and she hands it to me, keeping one hand on the steering wheel and eyes on the road. ¡°Check that, will you?¡±


    I wrinkle my nose. ¡°What if it¡¯s a sexy text from one of your men?¡±


    She laughs. Her dark hair is blowing in the breeze from the open window and I am suddenly very envious of how beautiful my mother is. ¡°They know better than that. Remember baby, I¡¯ve managed to hide my relationship with them for the better part of your life.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to, you know,¡± I say, swiping my finger across the surface of her phone.


    ¡°I know. And I regret it now, even though it¡¯s the way of things in our family and has been for centuries.¡±


    I grimace. ¡°Family tradition sucks.¡±


    ¡°Most of them do, some are okay. What¡¯s the text say?¡±


    ¡°Andre is making gumbo for dinner and wants us to invite everyone over. Mama, we¡¯re gonna need a bigger house.¡±


    She laughs again. ¡°Maybe we should move to Moonhollow.¡±


    I shiver a little at the thought. Even though I just spent the day there without any incident the place still feels a little cursed to me. ¡°But I love our little house.¡±


    ¡°Me too, baby. But all seven of us could fit at Moonhollow with our own room each and still have room for guests.¡±


    ¡°I think Brody¡¯s parents would notice if he moved across the county. And Dev and Jules¡¯ dad does come back sometimes. Once or twice a year.¡±


    Mama chuckles. ¡°Well it¡¯s not a perfect plan. I almost forgot about Jessup. When was the last time he showed up?¡±


    Jessup LaTour is the absentee father that somehow both Jules and Devereaux are the spitting image of. They both adore him too, even though he pretty much doesn¡¯t live there. He does support them financially, though. And when he¡¯s home he always throws a fantastic barbecue for the neighborhood.


    ¡°Fourth of July, I think.¡± Absently I pick at a hole in my jeans.


    ¡°So can you control the seeing through Jules¡¯ eyes thing? Or is it random?¡± She sounds giddy, excited that I have an ability she doesn¡¯t.


    ¡°Uh, I haven¡¯t really tested it.¡±


    ¡°Try it right now! Close your eyes and focus on Julius.¡±


    I do so, taking a deep breath and willing my fingers to still in my lap. I find the thread that ties me to my best friend and follow it, picturing his smiling face.


    Once again I can feel Jules¡¯ irritation, but it¡¯s more muted now. I open my eyes and realize why as Jules¡¯ tanned fingers pass the joint to Dev. I get the flash of the crescent moon brand on the inside of his wrist.


    ¡°Emmy¡¯s birthday is coming up,¡± he announces.


    Brody is lounging back, his head propped on the back of the couch and legs spread wide. ¡°So?¡±


    Dev exhales a cloud of white smoke and passes to Brody.


    ¡°So we should get her something,¡± Jules says.


    ¡°She¡¯s not our fucking girlfriend, kid,¡± Brody grumbles.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably the closest thing you¡¯re ever gonna get,¡± Jules says with some satisfaction.


    Brody coughs and glares at him. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve had gi-¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t,¡± Dev interrupts him. ¡°You¡¯ve never had more than a fling. Have you ever bought a gift for a woman?¡±


    ¡°No. And I¡¯m not starting now. She¡¯s not our girlfriend, she¡¯s just a girl we¡¯re stuck with --¡±


    Dev cuts him off again. ¡°She¡¯s as much a victim of this as we are, James.¡±


    Brody sighs. ¡°I know. Okay? I know. I don¡¯t blame her.¡±


    Dev glances back down at the pages he¡¯s filling out on the coffee table and I realize that he¡¯s doing homework. For some reason the thought of him doing homework while getting high is amusing to me.


    I blink for a moment and then find myself back in the car with Mama, laughing.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± she asks, smiling.


    ¡°I hope Andre made a lot of gumbo, because they¡¯re all stoned.¡±


    ¡°They are? Trying to numb the connection, no doubt. Makes it more bearable.¡±


    ¡°So drugs help?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say ¡®help¡¯. They mask it, like they do other things. It¡¯s a temporary fix.¡± She hums quietly as she turns onto the main street that runs through Crescent Creek.


    ¡°They were still complaining, but they don¡¯t blame me, at least,¡± I say. I pull down the sun shade mirror and checking my reflection. Most of my bangs have escaped the purple bandana and there¡¯s a smudge of dirt across my forehead as well as on one cheek. My black eye has faded significantly, just a vague shadow now.


    ¡°Text them, baby. Tell them to come to dinner. We¡¯ll be home in a few minutes,¡± Mama murmurs.


    I pull my own phone from my bag and send off a quick text to Jules, then close my eyes and focus in on him again, taking advantage of my newfound control.


    The phone screen is almost blinding in the dim light of the LaTour basement.


    ¡°She¡¯s almost home,¡± Jules says, relief coursing through him. So much that it¡¯s almost heady.  ¡°And Mr. Monroe is making gumbo.¡±


    ¡°Shit, that sounds amazing,¡± Brody says, peeling himself off of the couch with a groan.


    Dev sets down his pencil and flexes his fingers before standing. ¡°Let¡¯s try not to trample her, okay?¡±


    ¡°She misses us too, Dev. I can feel it. I know you can too,¡± Jules says, almost defensively.


    ¡°Yeah. But we¡¯re not animals, Julius. We can control ourselves, right?¡± He gives a pointed look to his brother and Brody.


    Jules sighs heavily. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Brody nods, swallowing.


    I come back to myself just as Mama pulls into our driveway.


    She glances sideways at me. ¡°You do it again?¡±


    I nod, giving her a sly grin. ¡°Just wanted to make sure he got the message.¡±


    She chuckles. ¡°Be careful with that, baby. I can see how it would get addicting fast.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just jealous,¡± I tease, unbuckling.


    ¡°Little bit,¡± she admits. Her eyes twinkle as we get out of the car.


    The boys pile out of their front door and cross the yard to us, all of them looking a little glazed.


    Jules has a headband pushing back his wayward curls, similar to the bandana in my hair. He offers me a large smile and I fold myself into his arms. He smells good, like weed and sage. I¡¯m not sure if this is what Dev meant when he said not to act like an animal, but I don¡¯t care. I think the hug is perfectly appropriate. Instantly the tension inside me starts to abait.


    I hear our screen door open and close and instinctively know that Mama has gone inside to find her men too, even though my back is to the house. Over Jules¡¯ shoulder I watch Dev, whose eyes are fixed on me intently.


    His hands are fisted at his sides, exhibiting that famous Devereaux self control. I wonder what he would be like if it broke. A different kind of ache opens up inside me at the memory of the kiss we shared before this all began. He was borderline animalistic then, but not fully, I don¡¯t think.


    Of course the boys feel the heat that courses through me. My face flushes and I pull away from Jules, offering a nervous smile. ¡°Missed you.¡±


    ¡°Missed you too.¡± He clears his throat and threads his fingers with mine.


    Brody makes a noise deep in his throat and strides forward. He leans in and surprises everyone by planting a kiss on my cheek. His lips are warm and rough and I feel the sensation all the way to my toes.


    Then he wraps me in a quick embrace before stepping back and moving to walk toward the house. I can smell the gumbo all the way out here and it¡¯s making my stomach rumble.


    Devereaux¡¯s eyes drop to Jules hand in mine and even though I can feel a spike of annoyance from him, his face gives nothing away. He¡¯s perfectly neutral.


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± he says gruffly.


    I wonder if it¡¯ll always be like this. Aching distances followed by awkward reunions.


    I unwind my hand from Jules and turn to him. ¡°Go on inside, I¡¯ll be there in a moment.¡±


    Jules¡¯ eyes flash between his brother and I before he nods and leaves.


    I turn back to Dev and tilt my head, studying him. He¡¯s got on jeans and a dark red flannel over a plain black t-shirt. He looks so good that it makes my chest hurt. Him being able to finally feel all of these emotions that I¡¯ve harbored for him isn¡¯t ideal, but at least I can blame it on the bond.


    He steps close to me and I am forced to look up because he¡¯s taller than me. He smells like he always does; spearmint and cedar.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go down at Moonhollow?¡± he asks.


    ¡°It was exhausting, but we got a lot done. More to do tomorrow, and then tomorrow night¡­¡± I trail off, realizing that I never asked him, or any of them, if they would come to Grandmother¡¯s wake.


    Dev raises an eyebrow at me, like he was wondering when I was going to get around to inviting him.


    ¡°Do you own a suit?¡± I ask instead.


    We haven¡¯t touched yet and the distance between us is like a vacuum. There¡¯s less than a foot there but I¡¯m almost shaking with the effort of keeping it there.


    He laughs, surprised. ¡°I do. So does Jules and I got one I can lend James.¡± It takes me a moment to realize he¡¯s talking about Brody. My head is a little foggy, clouded by him.


    ¡°Great. So, uh. It starts at eight.¡±


    He finally, blessedly, closes the distance between us and pulls me into a tight hug. My arms go around his neck of their own accord and squeeze. I press my face into his shoulder and bask in the exhilarating feeling.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there. Got warmups and then the game tomorrow or I¡¯d help you prepare too.¡± His voice is a little muffled in my hair.


    ¡°Maddox and Andre will help. We got most of it done today anyway. Tomorrow¡¯s just hanging up pictures and directing the caterers and whatnot. The whole clan is coming into town. It¡¯s going to be crazy. My mom has two sisters and my grandmother had a couple younger sisters and I¡¯ve got cousins and second cousins and -¡±


    I realize that I¡¯m rambling, my words speeding up with my breathing. I can¡¯t help it. He makes me want to climb him like a tree and never, ever come down.


    His hands on my back quiet me a little and I trail off. I force myself to pull away from him and indulge in that hated distance again.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ll get to meet my cousins,¡± I finish lamely.


    ¡°Can¡¯t wait.¡± He offers me his trademark half smile that makes me weak in the knees and inclines his head toward the house. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    I nod and follow him inside.

 C14. New Rules and Poker Lessons

    Maddox and Andre both look exhausted. Mama mentioned that they stayed out all night hunting for the djinn again, with no results. It must feel like they¡¯re chasing ghosts. Or maybe not, because I¡¯ve never tried chasing ghosts. Maybe it¡¯s quite satisfying.


    Dinner is mostly quiet. Mama announces that after the wake we¡¯re going to have to look into making me bait to draw out the djinn, but until then I¡¯m to keep my vial on and stay near my boys. She seems to put a lot of faith into the boys¡¯ abilities to protect me despite them being fledgeling guardians, but she seems to think their innate guardian instincts will do the trick.


    Jules and I do dishes after everyone is finished. We stand side by side alone in the kitchen. He bumps my hip and I smile.


    ¡°You going to stay over tonight?¡± I ask. He¡¯s slept in my bed every night this week.


    He sighs. ¡°I got in trouble.¡±


    ¡°What? Why? You sneak out all the time and Dev doesn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°That was before. Now¡­ they¡¯re jealous.¡± He hands me a bowl to dry.


    I blink at him. ¡°Ah. I guess it is sort of ¡­ unfair. Even though you¡¯re my best friend. And we used to have sleepovers all the time.¡± I sigh.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he agrees. ¡°But think about how they feel.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We should stop,¡± I say glumly.


    He nods, looking sad as well.


    ¡°...I have something to tell you.¡± I take a deep breath.


    ¡°Hm?¡± he glances sideways at me.


    ¡°I can see through your eyes sometimes.¡±


    He drops the bowl he was scrubbing back into the sink. It makes a clang and thankfully doesn¡¯t break.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± he asks.


    ¡°It is what it sounds like. When I focus on you, I can see what you¡¯re seeing and hear what you¡¯re hearing for a short period of time.¡± I say.


    Jules swallows, processing. ¡°Just me? Not Dev or Brody?¡±


    ¡°Just you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Mama says it¡¯s ¡®cause we were close before the bond. And it got amplified.¡±


    ¡°Uh.. huh.¡± He stares ahead out of the window for a moment. ¡°Maybe just, uh, use your power for good and not evil, yeah?¡±


    I laugh, surprised. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t like spy on me when I¡¯m on the toilet, or uh, you know.¡±


    I probe for his emotions and find him amused, embarrassed and a little bit proud. Proud that he¡¯s the only one I have this certain connection with, I guess.


    ¡°Know what?¡± I ask, distracted.


    His embarrassment worsens. ¡°Having alone time.¡±


    I blink at him. ¡°Alone ti - oh. Oh! Oh, god.¡± My cheeks burst into flame. ¡°Yeah, no, of course I won¡¯t watch that.¡±


    Jules laughs awkwardly. ¡°Cool, thanks.¡±


    I lean in and kiss his shoulder before setting down the dish towel. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then, I guess. You coming to Moonhollow with me and Mama or you gonna go watch the football game?¡±


    ¡°Those my only two options?¡± he asks, chuckling.


    ¡°Yep.¡± I pop the ¡®p¡¯.


    ¡°Moonhollow it is. Those two have enough fans to inflate their egos. They don¡¯t need me at the game.¡± He puts the last dish in the drainer.


    The boys head home after I get one more hug from each of them. Mama gives me a kiss goodnight and then heads to bed.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    I shower and then go over the list for the wake a few more times to make sure I don¡¯t forget anything in the morning. When I finally slide into bed, it feels empty. I huff and stare at the ceiling for a while, but I feel itchy, and irritated. Not nearly as bad as I did while at Moonhollow, because I can feel them right next door. But it still feels ¡­ wrong to sleep alone.


    I sigh and stand, pulling on sleep shorts over my underwear. Dev¡¯s blinds are closed but I can tell he¡¯s not in his room anyway. He and Brody and even Jules are in the basement. I slip my boots on and quietly slip out of my French doors. It¡¯s only mildly chilly tonight. My sports bra and Supernatural t-shirt provide more than enough warmth.


    The front door is locked, but I kneel before it and whisper ¡°Open¡±. It unlocks with a satisfying click. Of all the things that my Grandmother taught me, I think I have used that lovely little trick the most.


    I make my way to the basement stairs and realize there¡¯s no way to quietly sneak down them because they¡¯re old and creaky as hell. I descend to find all three boys staring at me, eyebrows raised.


    ¡°How the hell did you get in?¡± Brody asks. It¡¯s contrary to his feelings. I can tell he¡¯s glad to see me.


    I smile secretively. ¡°I have my ways.¡±


    Jules coughs and it sounds a lot like the word ¡®magic¡¯.


    ¡°What¡¯re you guys up to?¡± I step off the last step and falter, suddenly feeling self conscious about crashing their powwow.


    ¡°Just watching tv and playing some cards,¡± Dev says. His grey-green eyes are fixed on my face. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± I link my hands behind me and rock back and forth on my heels a bit.


    ¡°Come sit down, Em.¡± Jules gestures to the couch between Dev and Brody.


    I let out a relieved breath and nearly skip there, sliding between the two football stars easily.


    The very old, black and white tv in the corner is playing some monster movie as I settle in. The couch is wildly uncomfortable, all support having given way years ago, but the comfort of having an arm against each Dev and Brody more than makes up for it. My body practically hums.


    ¡°Do you ever go home?¡± I ask Brody.


    He snorts. ¡°Not if I can help it.¡±


    ¡°Jessup oughta adopt you,¡± I say, peeking sideways at his hand of cards.


    ¡°He¡¯d have to be here for that to happen,¡± Dev points out. He doesn¡¯t sound upset about it, just matter-of-fact. I sense a little sting underneath that, but I have a feeling these guys have been getting high since they left my house so their emotions are dulled.


    Jules lays down three queens and grins. ¡°Suck it, boys.¡±


    ¡°Since when do you smoke, Jules?¡± I ask.


    ¡°He started today,¡± Brody jokes.


    ¡°Did not,¡± Jules grumbles. ¡°I¡¯ve smoked before here and there. Zoey is a big stoner, and Chip....¡± He trails off and his eyes cut to me. Anger surges in all three of them at the mention of my would-be rapist and they bristle, shifting.


    ¡°Settle down,¡± I mutter.


    ¡°But -¡± Jules begins, but I cut him off.


    ¡°It¡¯s over. Devereaux took care of it. I don¡¯t want to think about it any more.¡±


    Jules looks at me with wide, pleading eyes. ¡°But you are. I can feel it, Em. You¡¯re sick to your stomach.¡±


    I swallow down the lump forming in my throat. Honestly the events of that night are overshadowed by that kiss. That fucking kiss that still makes my head spin. That¡¯s what Jules is feeling, that falling sensation.  ¡°So you¡¯re all coming to the wake tomorrow night, right?¡±


    ¡°If we have to,¡± Brody grumbles, giving in to my need for a subject change.


    ¡°I bet you¡¯ll look good in a suit,¡± I tease, nudging his shoulder with my own.


    ¡°I look good in everything. And nothing.¡± He turns a cheesy grin on me.


    I can¡¯t help but burst out laughing, even as the image of what I imagine a naked Brody James to be like floods my mind.


    ¡°James,¡± Dev says warningly.


    I¡¯m reminded of the no-sex-with-Emmy pact that they all made and suddenly feel like I know whose idea it was. I turn to look at Devereaux. He¡¯s currently dealing another round. He deals me a hand.


    ¡°What are we playing?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Five card draw,¡± Dev replies without looking at me.


    ¡°Is that poker? I don¡¯t know how to play poker,¡± I admit.


    ¡°Of course she doesn¡¯t,¡± Brody mumbles sarcastically.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s gonna be like that, Brody James?¡± I pull away from him, inadvertently making more contact with Dev as I do. ¡°¡®Cause Jules and i can just go upstairs and play something else if that¡¯s how you¡¯re going to -¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± he says, cutting me off. There¡¯s an edge of panic to him. He grabs my forearm and tugs me back to the middle of the couch. ¡°I¡¯m surviving on like two hugs a day here. Fucking stay.¡±


    Jules howls with laughter, leaning back in his chair.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± I say softly, trying to soothe Brody a little bit. I don¡¯t like feeling him afraid. It¡¯s unsettling.


    Dev swallows and starts to explain the game, leaning into me a little bit to show me his hand. I¡¯m a fast learner and I get the hang of it quickly.


    A little while later, Dev excuses himself to the bathroom and I focus in on Jules with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°What are you doing hanging out down here? You never hang out with your brother.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°We suddenly have something in common.¡± He raises his eyebrows at me meaningfully.


    ¡°Wanting to bang the same chick usually makes brothers enemies, not friends,¡± Brody says, taking a pinch of green herb from a plastic bag and stuffing it into the mouth of a blue glass pipe.


    ¡°Fuck off, Grody,¡± Jules says, not missing a beat.


    ¡°Normally you¡¯d be at a party on a friday night,¡± I point out.


    ¡°Yeah, getting fucked up and trying to get laid. But my priorities have changed, Em. We¡¯ve got a lot going on, and I¡¯d like to not be too far from you.¡±


    I sigh, hating that everything has changed so much because of me. ¡°Someday your life will go back to normal, Jules. I promise.¡±


    He gives me a weird half smile, reminiscent of his brother¡¯s. ¡°I hope not.¡±

 C15. Secrets and Saggy Couches

    We play a few more rounds of poker that I am heartbroken about losing, because we¡¯re betting m&m¡¯s. I yawn deeply. It¡¯s warm down here and I¡¯m surrounded by my boys. It¡¯s the safest I¡¯ve felt in a while.


    ¡°You gonna stay the night?¡± Jules asks hopefully.


    ¡°If that¡¯s okay? It¡¯s probably cold outside,¡± I mumble from where I¡¯m slumped against Brody¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I can go back in the morning. I don¡¯t think Mama will mind.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to stay,¡± Dev says gruffly.


    ¡°I can just sleep here.¡± I yawn again.


    ¡°This is my bed, mistress. But I¡¯m willing to share.¡± Brody is all bravado outwardly, but underneath I can sense hope. He¡¯s got that tinge of neediness again and the nurturer inside me needs to soothe it.


    I know the offer was said half-jokingly but I nod anyway. ¡°Sure. But I get to be little spoon.¡±


    All three of them look a little shocked. But I figure that Brody is my guardian just as much as Jules is. It wasn¡¯t fair that Jules and I had that extra contact. Brody deserves it too. Dev does as well, in the future. Though that may just be wishful thinking on my part. I¡¯m not sure he¡¯d ever break his self control enough to ask.


    Brody blinks nervously at me. ¡°I won¡¯t try anything, I promise.¡±


    ¡°I trust you,¡± I murmur sleepily.


    Dev and Jules both stand and stare at one another awkwardly before simultaneously looking down at me and Brody. It¡¯s strange to see them act so related.


    ¡°So I guess, uh, bed then. Do you need anything, Em?¡± Jules asks.


    ¡°Water, maybe.¡± I unlace my boots.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± Dev says. His voice is deep tonight. Maybe it just gets that way when he¡¯s tired.


    ¡°So how do you get away with being stoners and doing football? Don¡¯t they drug test you?¡± I ask Brody as he settles down onto the couch.


    I lay down in front of him and he drapes a muscular arm over me. This is even nicer than I expected. He smells enticing, like spicy citrus. I fit perfectly with my back to his chest. My hair is up in a high messy bun and he somehow works his way under it so his face is flush with the back of my neck.


    Brody snorts. ¡°Like Crescent Creek has that sort of budget.¡±


    ¡°It tickles when you talk,¡± I tell him, and he laughs.


    He¡¯s like a furnace behind me, but it feels amazing to my tired body. Sore from cleaning Moonhollow all day.


    Devereaux returns and sets a glass of water down on the coffee table. ¡°You two can, uh, take my bed if you¡¯d like.¡±


    Brody chuckles. ¡°Ever the gentleman. Emmy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine here if you are,¡± I murmur, already half asleep.


    Jules leans down and kisses my cheek. ¡°Night Em.¡±


    ¡°Night Jules. Love you.¡±


    ¡°Love you too.¡±


    I hear him start up the stairs and look up at Dev, who is staring at us with a blank face. I¡¯m almost too tired to try and sense his emotions but the jealousy he¡¯s giving off is almost palpable.


    I blink a few times and start to sit up, to reach out to him, but Brody¡¯s exhausted arm over me is heavy.


    ¡°No,¡± Dev tells me, sensing my intentions. ¡°This is good. It¡¯s good. He needs this.¡±


    Brody is already breathing deeply against the back of my neck where his face is buried.


    ¡°But you -¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± He leans down and lays a kiss on my forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He says it against my skin and my whole body shivers.


    I follow him with my mind as he goes up the stairs and to his room, feeling the pull in my heart as he gets further away. Then I focus on Brody¡¯s warm, rhythmic breathing and it doesn¡¯t take long to calm me.


    ¡°Brody?¡± I ask into the darkness.


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    ¡°Why do you stay here every night?¡± The question has been plaguing me for years.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say next time I go home, I¡¯ve got a beating waiting.¡± He chuckles dryly.


    My heart rate picks up. ¡°Are you kidding me? They beat you?!¡±


    He rubs his hand up and down my arm. ¡°Relax. I¡¯m eighteen. I¡¯m still debating if I even want to go home ever again.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me feel better, Brody.¡± I manage to roll over so that we¡¯re face to face, my nose against his.


    He sighs. ¡°I appreciate your concern for me, Mistress, but just drop it, okay? I shouldn¡¯t have said anything. That part of my life is over.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I deflate a little and kiss his cheek. ¡°It¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°That I used to have to worry only about myself, and occasionally Jules. Now I have to worry about all three of you.¡±


    ¡°Mm. I can relate to that. I¡¯ve never worried about anybody, not even myself. Well, I guess except Devereaux,¡± he says.


    A spark of something lights within him at the mention of Dev and I examine it closely, intrigued. ¡°...You love him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my best friend,¡± he says, somewhat defensively.


    ¡°But you -¡±


    ¡°Drop it, Emmy.¡± His tone is stern now, his muscles tense.


    My eyes are wide as I stare at his silhouette in the small sliver of moonlight that seeps in through the high basement window. Is he in love with Devereaux? Is that why he practically lives here and has never had a real girlfriend?


    ¡°Stop starin¡¯ at me. I can almost hear the wheels turning inside that pretty head.¡±


    ¡°But Brody -¡°


    ¡°Go to sleep.¡±


    I sigh and give up, nuzzling my face into his neck. I suppose he¡¯ll tell me when he¡¯s ready. If that day ever comes.


    It¡¯s surprising how quickly I¡¯m at sleep¡¯s edge, considering that I¡¯m snuggling on a couch with Brody freaking James. Dozens of girls at school would likely run me over with their car to be able to take my place. His deep and even breathing makes it easy to drift off.


    I wake the next morning on Brody¡¯s chest. The sun is barely peeking in through the tiny window. I watch as a moth lazily drifts down from the windowsill. Then another, and another. Then about fifty more. They swarm quietly, filling the path set by the beam of sunshine. Then, as quickly as they appeared, they¡¯re gone.


    I keep forgetting to ask Mama about what moths mean. They don¡¯t seem as dangerous as snakes, but I still feel a sense of foreboding after every appearance.


    I push up on my elbow and switch my attention to Brody. He truly is gorgeous. His chin length dirty blonde hair is pushed back from his face and my eyes catch on the masculine curve of his jaw. I recall our conversation last night before we passed out and wonder once again whether or not he¡¯s in love with Dev. I can¡¯t really blame him if he is. I¡¯ve been in love with Dev since I figured out what boys were for.


    I have a leg swung over one of his so I remove it and sit up, dreading the moment when I stop touching him. It always feels like I¡¯m breaking off a limb when Jules and I part ways in the morning.


    ¡°Just going to sneak off, huh?¡± Brody¡¯s rumbly morning voice asks from behind me.


    I smile. ¡°Just trying to save you from my morning breath.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a funny mistress.¡± He chuckles and sits up, swinging his legs over beside me and pulling the pillow he was using into his lap, hugging it as he yawns. I lean on his shoulder a little.


    ¡°Are the LaTours up yet?¡± he asks.


    ¡°How would I - oh, right.¡±


    He chuckles as I close my eyes and focus first on Jules and then on Dev.


    ¡°No, both of them are still out. I have to go. Mama and her men are going to want to head to Moonhollow pretty quick. Half the witches in the South will be coming to the wake tonight to pay their respects to the great Bia Adelfi.¡±


    I pull my boots from under the coffee table and shove my feet in, lacing them up.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Brody says, running fingers through his hair. ¡°For sleeping with me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do. I dragged you into this mess.¡±


    I stand, severing our contact, and bite back a gasp.


    Brody curses and grabs for my hand, tugging me down onto the pillow in his lap.


    ¡°I forgot to warn you,¡± I murmur, laying my head against his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s always like that after we¡¯ve been touching for a while. At least between Jules and I.¡±


    ¡°Well that sucks. I¡¯ll let you go in a moment,¡± he says, arms squeezing me around my middle.


    We take a minute of silence to just soak each other in. It¡¯s peaceful. No sound but our even breaths and synced up heartbeats. Finally his hold on me releases and I tip to the floor, biting my lip to stifle a groan as I pull away.


    He hugs the pillow tighter in my absence.


    ¡°Have a good game today,¡± I say as I head for the stairs.


    ¡°See you tonight,¡± he responds.


    I shoot Jules a wake-up text as I walk home. I¡¯m surprised to find Mama, Maddox and Mr. Monroe are already up and sipping coffee in the kitchen. Mama¡¯s eyes when she spies me in the doorway are curious.


    ¡°What am I going to do with you, Artemis Adelfi? Sneaking out to see boys in the middle of the night.¡± She tsks.


    I blush, unable to come up with an apt response. Everything she said is true.


    Maddox hands me a cup of coffee and I lean against the door frame.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to hunt up that birth control spell sooner rather than later,¡± Mama says.


    I blush harder. My face and chest must both be crimson now. ¡°Mama. It isn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Not for you it aint, sweetheart,¡± Andre says with a chuckle from where he sits at the kitchen table. ¡°But for teenage boys? Much less teenage boys who suddenly have you as their whole world? It is.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve made a pact. A no-sex-with-Emmy pact,¡± I inform them.


    Mama raises an eyebrow. ¡°Whose idea was that? Yours?¡±


    I swallow. ¡°Dev.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Devereaux.¡± Mama shares a look with Maddox and then Andre, and I can¡¯t quite figure out what she¡¯s conveying to them. She looks¡­ knowing, with a side of mischievous.  I don¡¯t know what it means.


    ¡°What about Devereaux?¡± Jules asks, making me jump as he steps up beside me and brushes his arm against mine. I didn¡¯t hear him come in. He looks like he just rolled out of bed. His curls are extra chaotic and when he sees me blink at them he pats them down and gives me a sheepish smile.


    ¡°I was just explaining why I don¡¯t need a birth control spell,¡± I pass him my coffee.


    He takes a big drink and then passes it back. ¡°Might be a good idea. Y¡¯know. Just in case.¡±


    ¡°Julius LaTour!¡± I smack his shoulder.


    Mr. Monroe cackles.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the ingredients together tomorrow,¡± Mama says with a sympathetic smile. ¡°Better safe than sorry, baby. I know how it is with guardians. The pull is ¡­ strong.¡±


    I close my eyes, embarrassment still coursing through me. ¡°What do moths mean?¡± I blurt out, trying desperately to change the subject.


    ¡°Moths?¡± Mama asks, thrown by the non sequitur.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been seeing moths. Everywhere. Like before, with the snakes.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± Mama sets down her coffee and purses her lips, tapping her finger against them in thought. ¡°Moths tend to mean new adversaries.¡±


    ¡°New? Like, newer than the djinn currently gunning for me?¡± I frown.


    ¡°Well when did they start?¡± she asks. ¡°Before or after you faced the djinn?¡±


    I think back. ¡°...after, I guess. The day after. I was sleep deprived and hyped up on bond-sensations, but there were definitely moths where there shouldn¡¯t have been.¡±


    ¡°So yes, a new adversary. Keep your eyes peeled for new rivals.¡± She puts her cup in the sink. ¡°Now go get dressed to spend the day preparing, and don¡¯t forget to bring your dress for tonight. The new one I bought you.¡±


    I nod, handing the last of my coffee back to Jules. ¡°Did you bring your suit?¡± I ask him, noting he¡¯s wearing ripped jeans and a t-shirt.


    He nods. ¡°No worries, Em. No need to control freak me.¡±


    I grumble and head to my room.

 C16. Black Lace and Sisterhood

    Dev and Brody are late for the wake. So far only by twenty minutes, but I¡¯m anxious without them here.


    Moonhollow is swarming with people, most of them strangers to me. Jules looks surprisingly natural in his suit. It¡¯s a look that I wouldn¡¯t have pegged him as being able to pull off, but he looks dapper. Down to the little crescent moon cufflinks that Mama provided him with.


    The two of us have our backs to the wall of the great room, watching as guests file in.


    ¡°I can certainly tell who¡¯s in your family,¡± he says quietly to me, gesturing to a pack of gorgeous women with mahogany hair and almond eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s my mom¡¯s younger sister, Clio. Her twin, Eos, and their daughters, calliope- twelve, Electra -thirteen and Persephone - eighteen.¡±


    Jules blinks at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t know your family was that big. I thought it was just you, your mom and your Grandmother.¡±


    ¡°They live over in Alabama. I haven¡¯t seen them in a while.¡±


    I follow Jules¡¯ eyes back to the group. Four men follow them closely, herding the girls and keeping eyes on the twins.


    ¡°Guardians?¡± he guesses.


    ¡°I¡¯d assume so, yeah.¡±


    Another group of dark haired women flush into the room, followed by a few silver haired crones.


    ¡°Those must be Grandmother¡¯s younger sisters.¡± My eyes search hard for Brody and Devereaux even though I know they¡¯re not here yet. I¡¯d have felt if they got close. I did feel a burst of sheer euphoria about half an hour ago, so I assume they won the game. It must have gone into overtime.


    ¡°So how come you got the house? Isn¡¯t Moonhollow like, the ancestral home to all of these witches?¡± Jules has a hand clasped gently around my wrist. I think the connection is almost subconscious for him.


    ¡°Moonhollow goes to the oldest daughter, I guess. Mama should have gotten it but Grandmother was mad at her for leaving in the first place, so she gave it to me. The oldest daughter of the oldest daughter.¡± I grab a few flutes of champagne from the tray of a passing server and hand one to Jules, just as I begin to feel the nearness of Dev and Brody. ¡°They¡¯re close,¡± I murmur.


    Mama, Mr. Monroe and Maddox stand near the door, passing out service pamphlets that I put together a few days ago. Mostly it¡¯s just pictures of Grandmother and a graph of the family tree.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hug Dev goodbye this morning,¡± Jules suddenly mutters to me.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I ask, distracted by the sight of my cousin Persephone flagging down a server for her own champagne. She looks so much like me that it¡¯s almost eerie. She¡¯s a few inches taller, and much prettier. Her lips are more elegant and less full than mine, her nose just a little bit pointier. Her shiny hair is pulled up in a high ponytail. Our dresses are similar too. Black and backless with lace covering our shoulders and collarbones. That must be by design. Another one of those pesky family traditions.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t touch Dev this morning. He¡¯s going to be jonesing.¡± Jules squeezes my wrist a little to get my attention.


    My stomach sinks as I realize that he¡¯s right. I was in such a rush to get back to my house that I forgot to say goodbye to Dev. I didn¡¯t even think about it, used to trying to avoid him so as not to annoy him. Guilt eats at me as I anxiously watch the door.


    I feel them before I see them. Two dashing young men in a grey and a black suit, looking a little sweaty from having rushed here from a game. Dev¡¯s eyes are anxious as he searches the crowd for me. I can feel the hunger inside him, feel the desperation.


    I shiver and hand Jules my empty glass. Before I know it my feet are moving toward them. There is a mass of people between us but we each make our way to each other in record time, meeting in the middle of the crowd.


    I don¡¯t even have a second to admire him close-up in his suit before I¡¯m swept up in his strong arms and pulled against his chest so hard my feet dangle off the ground a little. The rest of the room might as well not exist to me. All of the people chattering a moment ago now blend into the blurry background and all that¡¯s left is me and Devereaux LaTour.


    ¡°Emmy,¡± he all but groans quietly in my ear, making my toes curl in my black flats.


    ¡°Dev, I¡¯m so sorry about this morning. I was in a rush and I -¡±


    ¡°Sshh.¡± He gently kisses the space behind my ear to quiet me. ¡°Forget it. We¡¯re here now. All that matters.¡±


    I nod and breath him in, relaxing as his spearmint and cedar scent permeates my senses.


    Finally, after what is probably too long, I unwind my arms from Dev¡¯s neck and he sets me lightly on the ground. The crowd comes back into focus, milling around us.


    ¡°Bia¡¯s granddaughter,¡± some old lady passing by whispers to her companion, nodding to me with slight disapproval. ¡°Just like her mother.¡±


    I frown and turn to respond but they¡¯ve already moved on and Dev¡¯s hand is snaking down my arm to clasp my fingers in his, so I¡¯m thoroughly distracted. I turn back to him and realize that he¡¯s staring down at my black dress. It reaches mid-thigh and is A-line with the aforementioned lace and sleeves that come down to my elbow before belling out. It¡¯s very witchy, and a little sexier than I would have picked for a wake, but now that I¡¯ve seen the rest of my family wearing something similar, I understand why Mama chose it.


    Brody stands behind Dev and his eyes are doing a similar dance up and down my figure. I raise my eyebrows at him.


    ¡°What?¡± I ask.


    ¡°You clean up well, mistress.¡±


    I sigh. ¡°Maybe just call me Emmy tonight, huh?¡±


    Someone taps me on the shoulder and I spin, expecting to see Jules but come face to face with my cousin, Persephone.


    Her hazel eyes are narrowed at me. ¡°Excuse me, Artemis Adelfi, but do you have fucking guardians?¡±


    Caught off guard, I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. After a moment I swallow and find my voice. ¡°Hello to you too, Seph. It¡¯s been a while, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Hello little cousin. I heard a rumor that you had guardians but I didn¡¯t think it could be true. You¡¯re too young. You¡¯re still a freaking virgin!¡± She narrows her eyes at me. ¡°You are still a virgin, right?¡±


    I glance around. ¡°Can we talk about this somewhere that¡¯s not in the middle of the crowd at our Grandmother¡¯s wake?¡±


    She huffs and takes my arm, tugging me bodily through the throng of people.


    Dev still has my hand so we form a chain through the room. We end up on the other side of the kitchen, in the mud room that is thankfully empty of people. I release Dev and face Persephone.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    She crosses her arms, eyes flashing angrily. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes. I have guardians. This is Brody James and Julius and Devereaux LaTour.¡± I gesture to where the boys are standing behind me.


    ¡°This is ridiculous. I¡¯m not allowed guardians and you are?! You¡¯re only seventeen! You are a virgin, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I blush but nod, seeing no reason to lie to her.


    She throws her hands up. ¡°Ugh! Why do you even need guardians if you haven¡¯t unlocked your full powers yet? Ridiculous!¡± She storms past us and screams ¡°MOTHER!¡± as she enters the kitchen.


    The door swings shut behind her and I blink. I was not prepared for that interaction whatsoever.


    I turn to the boys, my mouth hanging open, and find them with similar expressions on their faces.


    Brody breaks the silence by stepping forward and planting a kiss on my temple. ¡°Hey. So that was weird, right?¡±


    I laugh a little, nervously, and nod. ¡°Mama didn¡¯t tell me this was going to be a thing.¡±


    ¡°Is Persephone the oldest daughter of the second oldest daughter?¡± Jules asks, raising an eyebrow.


    I think about it for a moment. ¡°She¡¯s Clio¡¯s oldest daughter. I .. think Clio was born first of the twins. So, yes?¡±


    ¡°Maybe she thought she was going to get the house. Since your mom was kinda¡­ excommunicated,¡± he says, shoving his hands in his pockets.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t excommunicated.¡± I frown. ¡°Just ¡­ estranged.¡±


    ¡°Estranged enough to get herself written out of Bia¡¯s will,¡± Jules says.


    I bite my lip. He has a point.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t explain why she¡¯s so mad that I have guardians though,¡± I grumble, tossing my long braid over my shoulder and crossing my arms.


    ¡°She¡¯s just jealous, mistress.¡± Brody offers me a cheshire grin and I find myself smiling back. ¡°Doesn¡¯t help that you¡¯re way prettier than she is.¡±


    That catches me off guard. ¡°What? No way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, Em.¡± Jules says. ¡°Now let¡¯s go back to the party and get more champagne, hm?¡±


    ¡°What did she mean, unlock your full powers?¡± Dev asks, ignoring his brother¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°Oh, um.¡± Damnit. Why am I always blushing? ¡°When I lose my virginity I¡¯ll become a real witch.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a real witch right now?¡± His eyebrows raise.


    ¡°I¡¯m a portion of a witch. I can do parlor tricks. Light candles, unlock doors, attempt to fight off vengeful djinns and lose.¡± I shrug.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t lose Emmy,¡± Jules reminds me. ¡°You sent him packing.¡±


    ¡°Only because he was weak from captivity. And I¡¯m sure the binding spell itself took a lot out of him. Not to mention his being tied to me did not work in his favor, and I had all of you to draw from and -¡±


    My speech gets faster and faster until Devereaux grips my shoulders. Then my words fail me completely as I stare up into his beautiful face and the world falls away again. He¡¯s scowling and all of the sudden, every fiber of me wants to kiss him again. I want to drown once more with him, so badly that I start to tremble.


    I pull away before my self control breaks and stumble. Jules catches me against his chest, wrapping an arm over me.


    ¡°You two need to keep the heat to a minimum,¡± Brody growls, obviously having felt that spark between Dev and I that grew into a simmering volcano in the span of a breath. ¡°Do I have to remind you that you have a girlfriend, asshole?¡±


    My stomach drops and knots with guilt and so, I can tell, does Dev¡¯s. He glares at Brody. ¡°It¡¯s just explosive because I hadn¡¯t touched her since last night, James. Don¡¯t talk about what you don¡¯t know.¡±


    The two lock eyes and a fierceness passes between them so intense that even Jules seems to feel the need to intervene, but just as he takes a breath to do so the door flies open again and in march Aunt Clio, Aunt Eos, Persephone and Mama.


    I turn to face them, backing up into the boys.


    ¡°See?¡± Persephone all but screeches. ¡°Look!¡± She grabs Jules¡¯ wrist and flips it over, shoving up the suit sleeve to reveal the little moon scar that marks him as mine.


    Just seeing her touch him has me bristling. Possessiveness sears through me and I step up to her, baring my teeth.


    She drops his hand and takes a step back, actually looking a little fearful. ¡°Guardians,¡± she sniffs, having proved her point to her mother.


    Clio purses her lips disapprovingly and turns to Mama. ¡°Really, Rose? She¡¯s only seventeen. Did Mother even vet these boys?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t get the chance, Clio,¡± Mama says calmly. ¡°She was killed by a djinn she¡¯d been keeping as a pet. The same djinn that bound these three to Artemis when the kids happened upon the estate late one evening.¡±


    Aunt Clio and Aunt Eos gasp dramatically in unison.


    ¡°Bite your tongue!¡± Eos hisses. ¡°Mother would never!¡±


    ¡°Well, she did.¡± Mama folds her hands in front of her.


    ¡°Why would she?! She had Moonhollow. The land, the ancestors, her guardians!¡± Clio¡¯s tone is full of disbelief.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe it wasn¡¯t enough power. She was down to one guardian. Edward. He¡¯s here tonight, you should pay your respects,¡± Mama says.


    Eos rolls her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re not you, Aphrodite. We don¡¯t feel the same way you do about guardians.¡± Her eyes flick briefly over to the guys at my back before turning back to her older sister.


    Clio is grinding her teeth. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense. And her leaving the house to Artemis is bullshit. You left the coven Aphrodite!¡±


    Mama takes another deep, calming breath and it settles my nerves a little bit. ¡°Yes. But Mother wanted Artemis to remain within it until she was old enough to make an informed decision one way or the other. You know this.¡±


    ¡°And? What has she decided?¡± Clio turns to me. Her cold eyes look me up and down disdainfully.


    ¡°She¡¯s still a virgin, mother,¡± Persephone hisses.


    Clio¡¯s eyes nearly bug out of her head. ¡°And she has GUARDIANS?! There is an order to things, Rose!¡±


    Apparently the virginity loss usually happens before the guardians are acquired. Oops.


    ¡°Like I said. The binding was done by the djinn. Who is bound to her now as well.¡± Mama says the last sentence quietly.


    I understand why as both Aunt Clio and Aunt Eos start to gasp in tandem. ¡°The high priestess can not be bound to a fucking djinn!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working to rectify the situation!¡± Mama finally seems a little flustered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll have it figured out.¡±


    My brain is stuck on the phrase high priestess being spoken in reference to me.


    ¡°I want to challenge her,¡± Persephone pipes up.


    ¡°What?¡± Mama asks.


    ¡°I want to challenge her. For coven head and Moonhollow.¡± Persephone crosses her arms and lifts her chin defiantly.


    Clio and Eos both stare at her for a moment, open mouthed before Clio finally speaks.


    ¡°You can¡¯t, sweetheart. Not until she¡¯s come into her powers,¡± she says. ¡°And you should probably find your guardians first before challenging someone with three of them.¡± This time it is her eyes that move over Jules and Dev and Brody, assessing.


    I deflate a little with relief, knowing for certain that I couldn¡¯t survive a magical fight with my obviously already devirginated cousin. At least not tonight.


    Persephone huffs before storming angrily out of the room.


    Clio and Eos turn back to Mama. ¡°Take care of the djinn situation, Aphrodite. Or we¡¯ll be traveling back here very quickly.¡±


    Mama nods and offers them a saccharine smile. ¡°There¡¯s sweet tea in the dining room, girls. I remember how you both used to love it.¡±


    Clio and Eos push past her and leave the way Persephone did, the door banging rudely behind them.


    Mama turns to me. I¡¯m sure she can tell by my wide eyes that I¡¯m freaked out. I realize that one of my hands is twined with Jules¡¯ and the other with Dev¡¯s, and Brody¡¯s hand is on my back.


    ¡°Baby, you okay?¡±


    ¡°High priestess?¡± I squeak.


    ¡°We can discuss this later, alright? We need to get back to our guests now. We are hosting this thing, you know.¡± She puts on another smile and turns to the door. ¡°Just rest assured that I won¡¯t let anyone take Moonhollow from you.¡±


    I blink and then she¡¯s gone, the door swinging shut behind her just like it did her sisters.


    I untangle myself from the guys and step away from them, taking a few deep breaths as I try to digest everything that just happened.


    ¡°Your cousin is a bitch,¡± Brody says, breaking the silence.


    ¡°The whole freaking family is, cept Rose,¡± Jules says in agreement. ¡°No offense, Em.¡±


    ¡°None taken,¡± I murmur, bringing my necklace up and rubbing it against my lips absently.


    The three of them watch me until I drop the necklace and straighten up. ¡°Guess I¡¯d better head back out and host or whatever. You guys coming?¡±

 C17. Boys, Beds and Pancakes

    I lead the boys upstairs and down the same hall we tiptoed through earlier. The moon room is easily recognizable by the large crescent moon adorning the door.


    ¡°This is the room I¡¯ve always stayed in,¡± I say, pushing it open, ¡°when I would spend the night here from time to time.¡±


    The room is decked out in lunar decor. Paintings, sculptures, even the curtains depict the great orb in the sky.


    The four poster bed is large and I swallow. ¡°Did you guys bring a change of clothes?¡±


    ¡°I have spare t-shirts in the truck,¡± Dev says, backing toward the door. ¡°I¡¯ll go get them.¡±


    He turns and almost runs out of the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s his problem?¡± Brody mumbles, already starting to shuck his suit, piece by piece.


    I shrug and turn, offering my back to Jules so he can unzip my dress. I have pajamas stored here in the big moon carved wardrobe on the wall opposite the bed. Once unzipped I collect them and head to the attached bathroom to change.


    After getting dressed in purple yoga pants and a loose v-neck I splash water on my face and try to calm my pounding heart. It¡¯s no big deal, spending the night with three guys. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to have sex with them. I¡¯m not ready for all that would come after, nor has the birth control spell been performed yet. Not a big deal, I tell myself.


    When I emerge Dev is back and the three of them are in boxers and t-shirts, because I was too distracted to remember to tell them we would be spending the night here.


    ¡°Hope this is okay,¡± Brody says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I get it. I didn¡¯t exactly tell you to bring jammies to the wake.¡± My cheeks are red as I sit on the edge of the bed. ¡°So how do we wanna do this?¡±


    ¡°You get the bed, we¡¯ll take the couch. It folds out,¡± Dev says authoritatively.


    Brody and Jules share a look.


    ¡°No, man,¡± Brody says. ¡°You take the bed with her. We¡¯ve each gotten to sleep touching her in the last couple of nights. It¡¯s your turn.¡±


    Devereaux won¡¯t meet my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. Not with the way things have been going tonight.¡±


    ¡°What happened with Claire?¡± I can¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°She broke up with me,¡± he says, that careful mask of neutrality in place. Underneath though¡­ is also neutral.


    I blink at him in surprise. Claire broke up with him and he doesn¡¯t care?


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry.¡± Because it is my fault, after all.


    He gives a rough shake of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be. It had little to do with the binding thing. We just weren¡¯t right for one another right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something you say when one of you was fuckin¡¯ around,¡± Brody says. ¡°Now why don¡¯t you wanna sleep next to the mistress?¡±


    I wince at the nickname.


    ¡°We have¡­¡± Dev looks at a loss for what to say. ¡°Our chemistry tonight¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be a good idea.¡±


    Brody seems to finally get it. ¡°Ah. You¡¯re afraid we¡¯d end up with a high priestess.¡±


    Jules blinks at him and barks out a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s funny, Grody. When did you get funny?¡±


    ¡°Shut it, Mr. Emmy.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but smile at their banter.


    ¡°What if I sleep with you guys?¡± Jules asks. ¡°That should be a suitable turn off for you, huh Dev?¡±


    ¡°An Emmy sandwich,¡± Brody says, eyeing the three of us. ¡°And I get the whole couch to myself.¡± I can feel a little bit of disappointment in him but more than that is amusement. He did get to sleep with me last night after all.


    Dev exhales slowly, like a balloon losing its helium. ¡°Yeah, okay.¡±


    In truth, the bed is massive and could fit all four of us, but I¡¯m not sure any of us is ready for that yet, even if it is just for sleep.


    Brody stretches out on the dark blue couch and I climb slowly into the middle of the giant bed. The underside of the canopy is a star map and I stare at the constellation of my namesake as I wait for the LaTour brothers to climb in on either side of me.


    This is a dream. This has to be a dream. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll wake up any moment. Devereaux smells like his usual intoxicating spearmint and cedar and I turn to face him when he settles under the covers. ¡°Do you snore?¡±


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t snore. Our bedroom windows practically touch,¡± he says.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± I look back up at the canopy.


    Jules reaches for my hand under the covers and I give it to him, relishing the warmth that spreads through me at the contact. It¡¯s like sunshine.


    I reach out for Dev¡¯s hand on the other side and the warmth that ignites when our fingers clasp is wholly different. Electric. I swallow, barely daring to breathe.


    This is going to be a long, long night.


    ¡°Why did your Mama leave the coven?¡± Brody asks from across the room.


    I deflate a little, the tension broken for a moment. ¡°She said it was just because her and Grandmother didn¡¯t get along. But that doesn¡¯t really explain why she¡¯d leave the whole coven behind.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it has something to do with how she treats guardians,¡± Jules suggests. ¡°Your aunt said something about that.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how normal witches treat their guardians,¡± Dev says.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Grandmother never really acknowledged hers in front of me. Even when they died. I remember seeing one of them getting buried by the others in the back field, next to the family cemetery,¡± I say.


    ¡°Next to the cemetery?¡± Brody asks, confused.


    ¡°Mhmm. The Adelfi family is women only, I guess.¡± I give both brothers¡¯ hands a squeeze. ¡°I don¡¯t even know if I want to be head of a coven like that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you can change the rules,¡± Dev murmurs, scooting a little closer to me.


    The entire left side of my body breaks out in goosebumps.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I murmur before yawning. ¡°Sounds difficult to change centuries of tradition though.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°If anyone can do it, Em, it¡¯s you.¡± Jules gives me a sideways smile.


    We lapse into silence for a moment. I close my eyes to try and test how sleepy I am.


    ¡°So, anybody else find it stupid hot when Emmy bared her teeth at that Persephone chick for touching Julius?¡± Brody asks.


    My eyes pop open in surprise.


    Jules laughs. ¡°Yeah, that was awesome. You looked like you were gonna rip her throat out, Em.¡±


    ¡°She should have known better. She obviously knows more about guardians than I did before getting you guys.¡± I yawn again.


    ¡°Go to sleep,¡± Dev says softly beside me.


    I turn to find him on his side, watching me. I didn¡¯t even hear him move from his back.


    ¡°You first,¡± I mumble drowsily.


    He smiles wryly. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    I try to stay awake, I really do, but it isn¡¯t long before the comfort of being surrounded by the three of them overtakes me and I doze off.


    I dream of the djinn.


    I¡¯m sitting in Moonhollow¡¯s kitchen, at the small table that Grandmother would eat at when there weren¡¯t enough people to warrant disturbing the dining room. It must be morning because light is streaming in through the large windows. There¡¯s a cup of coffee in front of me.


    Bustling around the kitchen in a frilly pink apron is the djinn. He looks almost translucent in the morning light. His pale skin is ghastly. His indigo hair is long and loose around his shoulders.


    I¡¯m so shocked to see him that it takes me a moment to notice that he¡¯s making pancakes. There¡¯s a comically high stack of them next to the stove. I watch as the djinn adds a few more to the pile and then proceeds to pour more batter.


    I can almost smell the oil sizzling in the cast iron. But I can¡¯t, of course, this is a dream. I can¡¯t even smell the heavenly looking coffee steaming in front of me. I take a drink anyway, out of habit.


    ¡°Your subconscious is a strange place, Artemis D¡¯Argent,¡± says the djinn, suddenly in front of me. He sets down a plate of at least twenty identical pancakes, perfectly balanced. ¡°Is this what you think guardians do?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not my guardian.¡± I glare at him. ¡°You¡¯re just a parasite that used me to hitch a ride out of Moonhollow.¡±


    He throws his head back, laughing. The entire kitchen shakes as he does so.


    ¡°True enough,¡± he says. ¡°Though, I am bound to you now. Our souls reach out to one another. It¡¯s a shame we can¡¯t touch in dreams.¡±


    I shudder as he drops a hand down onto my shoulder, even though I can¡¯t feel it.


    ¡°Took me a while to reach you, even in your dreams,¡± he continues conversationally. ¡°You¡¯re well protected. But it will not help you, in the end.¡±


    ¡°How long did she keep you?¡± I can¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Years.¡± He picks up a bottle of syrup and drizzles it liberally over the stack of cakes. ¡°Long enough to more than justify what I did to her. Djinn¡¯s often deign to help witches with trivial matters, a mistake I will never be making again. To say she overstepped her station is an understatement.¡±


    I realize that I¡¯m shaking. The energy he is exuding must be powerful enough to feel, even in my dream. It¡¯s terror and wrath and just wrongness. The pink frilly apron does nothing to take away from his level of intimidation


    ¡°When I finally find you,¡± he says, pulling out the chair across from me and sitting down. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill your guardians first. One by one. Rip their skin from their muscles and bathe you in their blood. Then your beloved mother, and her guardians too. Hell, even the old hag¡¯s last remaining guardian. Your grandfather, I believe. Then, I¡¯m going to gorge on you. Fill up the stupid cavern that you¡¯ve opened up inside me since we bound --¡±


    ¡°You bound us. It¡¯s your fault that you¡¯re tied to me.¡± It¡¯s probably not a good idea to interrupt the djinn while he¡¯s planning the murder of my family, but it at least catches him off guard.


    He laughs once, humorlessly. ¡°Be quiet, witch. I had no other choice. Your whore of a grandmother trapped me in that cursed living room. Your fate will be much worse than hers, and worse yet the longer you let this go on. You could give yourself up to me now. Take off your vial of petty herbs, leave Moonhollow. Your family will be spared. Your guardians, your mother. Your fathers and grandfathers and whoever else claims a piece of your wretched heart. I am too strong for them, for you. I feed from dreams. And this one will be a significant boost. Witch dreams always are, and there are many to feed from tonight.¡±


    The djinn leans in and sniffs me, taking a big, noisy whiff. ¡°Delicious.¡± He reaches out and with the long gnarled nail of his index finger peels a piece of skin from just underneath my eye down to my neck. It feels like nothing I¡¯ve ever felt before. Until this moment I¡¯d thought that you couldn¡¯t feel real pain in a dream, but this is excruciating. It feels like he¡¯s tearing off a piece of my soul. I watch in horror and panic as he slurps my strip of skin into his mouth noisily and closes his eyes, seeming to bask in the sensation.


    I wake up screaming.


    Dev has my head clasped to his chest. My face is pressed against the fabric of his t-shirt and the firm muscles underneath.


    ¡°Emmy, you¡¯re safe. It was just a dream,¡± Jules says as he strokes my back, sitting beside Dev and I.


    The bed dips as Brody joins us.


    Belatedly I realize that I¡¯m practically in Dev¡¯s lap. But it feels too good, too comforting, for me to move. I clutch him tighter until my screams have faded, until I can breathe on my own again. Then I move off of him.


    The four of us sit in a circle on the bed as I tell them about the dream. I don¡¯t leave out any details.


    ¡°I¡¯m less convinced now that the bait thing is a good idea,¡± Dev says.


    He¡¯s unsettled. All of them are. To be honest, I am as well. The trembling in my fingertips is only beginning to fade.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any other options.¡± I blow out a breath. ¡°He¡¯s so strong. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he can hide from us forever. Drawing him out seems to be ¡­ it.¡±


    ¡°What about your, uh, coven?¡± Brody asks. ¡°Surely all those sexy witches working together could kick the djinn¡¯s butt six ways to Sunday.¡±


    ¡°Mama didn¡¯t seem too keen on even telling Aunt Clio about the djinn. I doubt she¡¯d want to ask her for help.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Jules scoffs. ¡°If it¡¯ll protect you, she should swallow her pride.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her about it.¡± I sigh, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. Terror still clings to me and it¡¯s joined by worry. ¡°I wish there was a way to block him from our minds. He said that witch¡¯s dreams power him up more than normal dreams and there are a lot here tonight. He was referring to my family, I guess. Moonhollow is bursting at the seams with witches right now.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s just turning into a powered up mega asshole?¡± Brody grimaces. ¡°And he¡¯s bound to you. Your protection must be strong if he can¡¯t reach you. He¡¯s got to know you¡¯re at Moonhollow right now.¡±


    I nod. ¡°I don¡¯t think he can get back on the property. He mentioned something about me taking off my herbs,¡± I finger the vial at my throat, ¡°and leaving Moonhollow so I could give myself up to him. I think we¡¯re extra protected here.¡±


    ¡°But wasn¡¯t he bound to this place too? Why would he be banned now?¡± Jules asks.


    ¡°Well, he left. And Moonhollow protects itself. Grandmother probably overruled that with her will when she trapped him here, but Moonhollow has probably had enough of his crap.¡± I look around the room with a vague smile. ¡°Powerful ancestral haunted home and all that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should live here,¡± Dev says with a frown.


    ¡°Mama actually suggested that.¡± I push hair back from my face. ¡°But being that far away from you guys on a nightly basis sounds terrible.¡±


    They all nod in agreement, even Brody.


    ¡°I¡¯ll live here eventually. I guess. Since the place is in my name. Though if Persephone beats me in our challenge or whatever I think I¡¯d have to forfeit it to her.¡± Thinking about my future is strange, especially because it is now so closely tied with theirs.


    Jules¡¯ eyes light up. ¡°A new adversary. Your visions were warning you about your cousin, Em!¡±


    Realization sinks in. ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s¡­. A relief. I thought it was going to be a new villain like the djinn. Maybe a demon or ghost with a grudge against me or something.¡±


    ¡°Demons are real?¡± Brody stares at me with wide eyes.


    ¡°Probably. I dunno. I never finished my witch training. Grandmother was more focused on my powers than teaching me history and lore.¡±


    ¡°Power hungry old bat,¡± Jules grumbles.


    I nod solemnly in agreement.


    Jules and Brody both yawn in unison then glare at each other.


    ¡°I think we should try and get some more sleep,¡± Dev says authoritatively.


    A shiver traverses my spine. Sleep leads to dreaming. The feeling of having my skin stripped away makes me itch and bile to fill the back of my mouth.


    ¡°Y¡¯all should definitely sleep,¡± I say. ¡°I think I¡¯m done for the night.¡± I move toward the edge of the bed.


    ¡°You need to rest, Emmy,¡± Dev says, stopping me with a hand on my arm.


    I swallow back the small moan that wants to escape at his touch.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s almost dawn. I should go make coffee anyway for any early risers.¡± I pull away and stand, searching the floor for my flats. ¡°Go back to bed. Brody you can take my spot if you want.¡±


    Brody snorts and gets up too, heading back toward the couch. ¡°Yeah, right.¡±


    From inside the wardrobe I pull on a thin blue robe and tie it loosely over my pj¡¯s. The guys settle down into the bed, all of them watching me as I run fingers through my hair. I walk to the door and pause, offering them a reassuring smile.


    ¡°Sleep well.¡± Then I¡¯m out the door and into the shadowy hallway, barely illuminated by the first fingers of dawn slipping through distant windows.


    I miss their warmth and presence instantly, but the urge to be alone is strong. I start a large pot of coffee in the kitchen and brew some chamomile for myself. Maybe it will calm my nerves.

 C18. Chamomile and Suicide

    It turns out, there is no spell or ritual that allows you to tap into the ancestral ghost hub at Moonhollow. I find this out while I¡¯m curled up in a wicker chair on the third floor balcony, watching the sunrise.


    ¡°This was always my favorite spot too,¡± says a slightly transparent woman as she soundlessly folds herself into the seat beside me.


    I nearly spill the mug of hot tea I¡¯ve got clutched to my chest.


    She laughs, the sound like wind chimes tinkling in a light breeze. She looks like me, but a little older. Her thick, dark hair is in pigtail braids that frame the sides of her radiant face. Her body is covered by a long, old fashioned dressing gown. Her feet are bare.


    ¡°I¡¯m Thena,¡± she says, offering me my own smile. She even has the beauty mark at the curve of her lips.


    ¡°Emmy,¡± I respond, breathless. I set the tea beside the leg of my chair and pull the afghan tighter around my shoulders.


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re not quite descended from me. But you may as well be. The Adelfi line is such a cluster of sisters. I was your grandmother¡¯s great aunt.¡±


    That put her having lived sometime in the late eighteen hundreds. I swallow nervously.


    ¡°I have some advice for you, but first ask me your questions. I can see them swirling behind your eyes.¡± She folds her hands daintily in her lap.


    ¡°How many ghosts reside here?¡± I ask, unable to contain my curiosity.


    ¡°Countless.¡± She offers no more information.


    ¡°Just D¡¯Argent women or guardians too?¡±


    ¡°Guardians haunt the lands, but not the house.¡± Her iridescent eyes seem to twinkle.


    I mull that over. ¡°But do...do their witches get to see them?¡±


    ¡°Sure. From a distance.¡± She squints out at the grounds like she¡¯s trying to see the guardians.


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible,¡± I murmur.


    She¡¯s quiet, eyes faraway. ¡°It is the way of things. Not everyone has the same feelings toward their guardians as you and your mother.¡±


    ¡°You mean how we treat them like humans?¡± I ask, unable to keep the disdain from my voice.


    ¡°I mean how you love them.¡± She offers me another dazzling smile.


    I think about that. I¡¯ve always been in love with Devereaux, and of course I love Jules. But Brody¡­ Brody has always looked upon me with disdain. But now that I¡¯m getting to know him I realize that he¡¯s definitely deeper than what he seems like on the surface. I am starting to feel something for him, too.


    ¡°Mama says guardians are chosen by fate. Is that true?¡± I ask.


    ¡°In a sense, yes. There¡¯s a spell one can do to call them forth. Magic is kinda like fate.  And of course the Order of Praecantrix assist in guardian placement.¡±


    I frown. ¡°The what now?¡±


    ¡°The Order of Praecantrix. For as long as witches have had guardians the Order has been in existence. It is made up of a council of men who work alongside priestesses to locate, groom and place potential guardians with their witches.¡± Thena purses her lips thoughtfully. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t have told you that. The Order isn¡¯t revealed to a witch until she¡¯s much older. But I suppose since you already have guardians, what¡¯s the harm?¡±


    ¡°Were¡­ Mama¡¯s guardians chosen by the Order? Were mine?¡±


    ¡°Your mother¡¯s were. I don¡¯t think yours were, given the circumstances.¡± The sun shines through her face, and it¡¯s a little bit off putting.


    ¡°Does the Order have magic?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s why they work with priestesses. A High Priestess is in charge of the summoning of guardians for her coven fledgelings. The order then gives them a little training and places them in the witch¡¯s life to find.¡± Thena looks back out across over the land and something occurs to me.


    ¡°Are your guardians down there somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she admits, turning to me. ¡°I had two.¡±


    ¡°Do you miss them?¡±


    ¡°It was not my place to miss them. Or feel anything for them. We were taught that guardians are for protection, power and procreation only. And occasionally pleasure.¡±


    ¡°The four P¡¯s,¡± I murmur, earning me a wry smile from my dead relative.


    ¡°Guardianship is not a life I would choose for my son, if I had one.¡±


    Adelfi women only bear more women. It¡¯s known by everyone, even by the non magical folk in the area. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I blow across the surface of my tea. ¡°You said you know my circumstances. Do you know of the djinn?¡±


    Her face puckers with disapproval. ¡°Of course I do. It¡¯s ¡­ unfortunate. What she did. That poor creature.¡±


    I sputter. ¡°Poor creature? He¡¯s trying to kill me!¡±


    ¡°Bia was never kind to him. She used him until he was almost dead, multiple times. I¡¯m not defending his actions now, but I can understand why he¡¯s bitter. Being a fly on the wall of this house isn¡¯t always exciting.¡± She seems to go even more transparent in her agitation.


    I huff. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t do anything to him.¡±


    ¡°True. But you¡¯re the only thing standing between him and his freedom. So you may as well be his warden, like your grandmother was.¡±


    I stare at her, heart thudding. ¡°What¡¯s your advice, Thena? You said you had advice.¡±


    She smiles wanly. ¡°My advice is to take your own life. It will break the bond and set that poor creature free.¡±


    I feel the blood drain from my face as I gape at her. ¡°Are you kidding me right now?¡±


    ¡°Oh you¡¯ll be fine,¡± she pats my knee, but I don¡¯t feel it. ¡°As long as the resurrection spell is performed fast enough no harm will come to you.¡±


    I blink, my mind flickering between ¡®kill yourself¡¯ and ¡®resurrection spell¡¯. ¡°Define fast enough.¡±


    ¡°Before the body cools is the rule of thumb,¡± she says, like this is everyday knowledge. Perhaps it would be if I was up to date on my studies.


    I look away from her, shivering in the cold morning air. ¡°That seems a little extreme. I¡¯m not keen on dying.¡±


    ¡°But the djinn is very powerful. He¡¯s eluded your mother and her guardians thus far and will continue to do so. Soon he¡¯ll resort to hurting those you love.¡±


    I glance at her sharply, remembering the djinn¡¯s words from my dream. The dream that wasn¡¯t a dream.


    ¡°Well, uh, thank you for your input.¡± Though I have no idea what to do with the information or the suggestion that Thena has given me. I start to ask about Grandmother¡¯s ghost but think better of it, deciding that I don¡¯t really want to see her right now.


    ¡°Think about it. And I¡¯m here if you seek council again.¡± It¡¯s an obvious dismissal even though I was here first. I find myself standing abruptly and heading inside, tea in hand, not entirely of my own volition.


    I¡¯m half way down to the ground floor before I stop and blink away whatever ghost compulsion she used on me. What a strange sensation. I mentally check in and make sure the boys are still sleeping before making my way all the way to the kitchen.


    To my absolute relief, Mama is there. She¡¯s still wearing last night¡¯s dress and makeup and she¡¯s leaning against the counter, sipping from a mug that I recognize as Grandmother¡¯s favorite. Her hazel eyes snap to me when I enter.


    ¡°You¡¯re up early, baby girl.¡±


    ¡°The djinn visited me.¡± Her eyes widen and she sets down her cup swiftly. ¡°In a dream! In a dream,¡± I hurriedly amend.


    She exhales. ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°He was just threatening. Wants me to turn myself over and save him the trouble of killing everyone I love.¡± My voice quivers. ¡°And then I met a ghost who said I should just kill myself and free the djinn.¡±


    She blinks for a moment, processing all that I¡¯ve just said. ¡°What ghost?¡± she finally asks.


    ¡°She said her name is Thena.¡±


    Understanding crosses her face. ¡°Great Aunt Athena always has a very nihilist outlook on things. She died pretty violently and it traumatized her.¡±


    ¡°How did she die?¡± I sit my tea down on the counter when I notice my hand is trembling.


    ¡°Spell gone wrong.¡± Mama nonchalantly takes a drink.


    ¡°Is there seriously a resurrection spell?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s tricky. And hardly ever actually works. It¡¯s like a two percent rate of success,¡± she explains.


    I sigh. ¡°That¡¯s not promising.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were considering it, baby. You¡¯re smarter than that.¡± Her shrewd eyes search my face.


    ¡°Our fight against the djinn just seems so hopeless. Why can¡¯t we ask the coven for help?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not part of the coven. Not only would they deny me out of spite but they are bound not to help me. Assistance only goes to members,¡± she says.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s selfish. Could I ask them? I¡¯m part of the coven, right?¡± I ask.


    ¡°You can certainly try. But until you come into your power Clio is in charge.¡±


    I chew on my lip. ¡°Thena also told me about The Order of Pr¡­ Prae something.¡±


    ¡°Praecantrix?¡± Her eyebrows rise. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no harm in you knowing now. Your guardians are bound.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t a witch know before then?¡± I hop up onto the counter and pick up my tea.


    ¡°Because it can skew the data. Your high priestess does the summoning and some guys show up, then the Order vets them and puts them in your life to see how you interact. If you know that they might be your guardians then you¡¯ll act differently around them. It needs to be natural. They need to be drawn to you and you to them.¡±


    ¡°You said it was fate.¡±


    ¡°Fate, yes. With a little magical push to speed things up.¡±


    ¡°And a council of crotchety men to prepare random dudes for a life of being a subservient sex slave,¡± I say glumly.


    She laughs. ¡°Essentially, yes. I left the coven when I found out about the Order. The guys are sworn to secrecy until the High Priestess gives the okay but it felt like such a betrayal from the men I had fallen in love with. And I didn¡¯t want that life for them.¡±


    I don¡¯t want that life for Jules, Dev or Brody either. They didn¡¯t even get the rundown from the Order before being bound to me. I rub my forehead, suddenly exhausted.


    ¡°You should get some sleep, baby. We¡¯ve got a house full of witches who will be clamoring for mementos of your grandmother¡¯s today, and then the farewell ceremony tonight.¡± She brushes my hair back from my face.


    ¡°Did you sleep?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°Not so much. I got to reminiscing with my sisters and time got away from us. But I¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯ll take a nap later, after you¡¯ve gotten more rest. We can switch off.¡±


    I nod blearily and drain my cup.


    ¡°You can send the boys home today. They can¡¯t be part of the ceremony tonight and it will go pretty late. We¡¯ll head home tomorrow after cleanup.¡±


    My stomach drops at the thought of so long without them, of sleeping without them. Having them all in the same room at bedtime was really nice.


    I nod reluctantly. ¡°Yeah, okay.¡±


    I hop down and wander back upstairs, pausing to take a deep breath before opening the door. My guardians are all where I left them. Brody is sprawled on the cushy couch and Dev and Jules are each on their respective sides of the bed, facing the edges. The dull morning light pierces the gauzy curtains just enough to make the room look hazy. I yawn again and climb over Jules, settling into the middle with ease.


    Each of the brothers rolls over so they¡¯re facing me, but both still seem asleep. I smile and close my eyes, dropping immediately into an exhausted slumber.

 C19. Hushed Voices, Rivulets and Cousins

    I wake a few hours later to voices, but my eyelids feel heavy. Sleep still weighs them down.


    ¡°Let her sleep,¡± Dev¡¯s voice says, close to me. ¡°Who knows how long she stayed up after that dream.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking a shower,¡± Jules announces, and I feel the bed shift on my other side. The bathroom door creaks closed a moment later.


    There¡¯s a silence where I feel my grasp on consciousness slipping again but Dev snaps me back to attention when he says, ¡°Why don¡¯t you come take his spot, James?¡±


    Just the thought of being the meat in a Devereaux-Brody sandwich ignites a fire in my belly. I feel my nipples tighten underneath my shirt and hope they don¡¯t notice. I¡¯m on my back with an arm over my head and the other resting on my stomach, so my chest is on full display. I pray to the goddess that there¡¯s a sheet over me but I¡¯m not quite in touch with my body enough to tell, and if I move to find out they¡¯ll know I¡¯m awake.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we just get up? It¡¯s like nine thirty.¡±  Brody¡¯s morning voice is deep and grumpy sounding. I picture him stretching. His grey Crescent Creek football t-shirt is probably riding up on his toned stomach deliciously.


    What is wrong with me today?


    ¡°I just want you to be charged up on Emmy energy, that¡¯s all. Come get your fix.¡± Dev sounds mild.


    Brody joins us on the bed a few seconds later and settles into Jules¡¯ spot. He gently rests a hand on the arm that¡¯s thrown above my head.


    ¡°Let me warn you, man. It¡¯s gonna hurt like a bitch for a minute or two when you stop touching her. I think prolonged exposure makes it hurt worse when you let go. Like a punch to the gut. Found that out the hard way yesterday morning,¡± Brody says.


    Dev is touching me? I flex my fingers slightly and feel them at my side, so the hand resting on my stomach must be him. My heart flutters.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a few hours,¡± Dev mumbles.


    ¡°Still. I bet it¡¯ll sting.¡± Brody¡¯s hand moves down my arm towards my elbow. ¡°So what really happened with Claire?¡±


    Dev¡¯s fingers twitch against me. ¡°Claire was just a distraction.¡±


    Brody chuckles and skips his fingers over my shoulder and across my collarbone, gently grazing. ¡°Thought so.¡±


    Dev growls. ¡°Stop. You¡¯re gonna wake her up.¡±


    ¡°Her skin is so soft,¡± Brody says faintly, as if in wonder.


    ¡°James¡­¡± Dev¡¯s tone is full of warning.


    Brody ignores him. ¡°What are we doing today?¡± he asks instead, resting his calloused fingers on my neck.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to mow and go down to city hall and pay the gas bill. If she doesn¡¯t need us here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s weird that our lives revolve around her now,¡± Brody murmurs. ¡°I crave time with her more than alone time, and that¡¯s new to me. Usually I¡¯m happiest when it¡¯s just you and I doing our own thing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Dev agrees. ¡°That¡¯s why I broke it off with Claire. Because that¡¯s how you¡¯re supposed to feel about your girlfriend. I never did, even before this whole guardian business happened. I put up with her annoying personality so I could get laid, and kept hoping I¡¯d feel something. I¡¯m a shitty person.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t try and leave her every other week. She kept roping you back in. It¡¯s not entirely your fault. We gotta be careful at school now, though. Make sure she doesn¡¯t do some stupid girl revenge bullshit against Emmy.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen too many movies,¡± Dev says, shifting slightly, but keeping his hand on me.


    ¡°Girls can be fuckin¡¯ cruel, Devereaux. Don¡¯t kid yourself.¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s not like I told Claire that I was leaving her for Emmy,¡± Dev grumbles.


    Brody snorts. ¡°We all heard your spat last night, or part of it at least.¡± He adopts a gruffer voice than his own to imitate Dev. ¡°¡®He¡¯s not her girlfriend¡¯. Stupidest response ever.¡±


    ¡°Stupidest isn¡¯t a word,¡± Dev snaps. ¡°And y¡¯all heard that?¡±


    ¡°We were lookin¡¯ for some place to chill away from the crowd and came across you two.¡±


    ¡°All of you?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm. Emmy¡¯s family wouldn¡¯t stop hounding her about sex.¡± Brody sounds amused.


    Dev¡¯s fingers spasm against me.


    I¡¯m fully awake now, and it¡¯s a wonder they¡¯re both not catching on by the speed of my breathing. Thankfully they seem lost in their conversation. I should make my presence known, but for some reason I¡¯d rather just listen for a little longer.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised, honestly, that she¡¯s still got her V card. I figured baby brother would have hit that like a screen door in a hurricane,¡± Brody says.


    Dev sits up suddenly, removing his hand from me in the process. We both gasp at the loss and I open my eyes, blinking disorientedly for a moment.


    ¡°Dev, you woke her up!¡± Brody says in fake outrage.


    Dev is radiating barely contained rage, and I don¡¯t know why.


    ¡°Are..¡± I clear my throat, trying to find my sleep-stolen voice. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I push myself up into a sitting position.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he grunts, staring hard at the quilt. His fists are clenched, probably to stave off the ache of our parting. I¡¯m not loving it myself.


    The bathroom door opens and steam rolls out. Jules is dressed only in low slung jeans and I stare at him. I¡¯ve seen him in various stages of undress throughout our friendship but he has never affected me like this. His bare chest looks like it was cut from stone. He¡¯s not as ripped as Brody or his brother, he¡¯s not an athlete, but he¡¯s lean and made well. And obviously no slouch, based on the muscles in his arms. He wears a leather necklace with a ring that was his mother¡¯s. I almost forgot that he had it. Usually it¡¯s tucked under his shirt.


    My mouth has gone dry and I realize that I¡¯m blatantly checking him out. His curls are dark and drenched, dripping onto his shoulders which in turn send rivulets running down his pecs, over his nipples and onward to the tanned skin of his stomach.


    Devereaux¡¯s agitation only increases, threatening to choke me. I give myself a little shake and turn back to him.


    ¡°Put on a fuckin¡¯ shirt,¡± he orders Jules.


    I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s hot in here or if I¡¯m just drowning in hormones.


    ¡°Devereaux,¡± Brody says carefully. ¡°Take a deep breath.¡±


    I place a hand on the bare skin of Dev¡¯s wrist and he seems to calm a little, huffing out a breath. He finally looks back at me, his green-grey eyes are dark. I shiver in response and try to offer him a comforting smile, but it¡¯s hard when all I¡¯m feeling is the intense urge to kiss all three of them. Which is weird. Especially in relation to Jules.


    ¡°I need to get dressed,¡± I say, cheeks red. I push to the edge of the bed, brushing against Dev¡¯s knees as he pulls them up to let me by. I grab my clothes and escape to the bathroom, finally taking a steadying breath when my back is against the door.


    I am brushing my teeth when I open the door again. All of us are dressed now. Jules even has a shirt on.


    ¡°Mama said y¡¯all should go on home today,¡± I announce around my toothbrush. ¡°The rest of the day is just family stuff.¡±


    Three sets of eyes darken this time. Jules exhales roughly and Brody scowls.


    ¡°When will you be back home?¡± Dev asks. He¡¯s wearing dress slacks and a grey Crescent Creek Football t-shirt identical to Brody¡¯s.


    ¡°Tomorrow sometime. Today is just cleanup and the ritual later.¡± I turn around and spit before rinsing the toothbrush and setting it on the counter.


    Brody groans. ¡°That¡¯s forever, Mistress.¡±


    ¡°We can stay and help clean,¡± Jules offers.


    I shake my head and pull my hair over my shoulder to braid. ¡°I don¡¯t like how the rest of my family treats guardians. I don¡¯t want you to have to deal with it. Besides, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got stuff to do. You have lives.¡±


    Brody grimaces and Devereaux rolls his shoulders back a few times.


    Jules looks mildly amused and moves to stand behind me. He pulls my hair back over my shoulder and proceeds to braid it for me.


    I walk them out to Dev¡¯s truck, ignoring the looks we get from my relatives as we pass through the house.


    A long hug each and then they climb in and take off, and it almost physically hurts to watch them disappear down the driveway.


    Persephone waits for me on the porch when I turn around, arms crossed and expression sour.


    ¡°It really isn¡¯t fair. I¡¯ve been begging for guardians, but grandmother never gave me the time of day,¡± she says once I reach her.


    ¡°Again, it wasn¡¯t by choice. I¡¯m lucky I can stand them.¡± I step past her and tug open the door. She follows.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t even been through the culling?¡± she asks, her bravado starting to falter.


    I shake my head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that happen before the actual binding?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it does.¡± She offers me a small smile and I finally see the cousin I used to play with as a child. Hours upon hours spent between the two of us playing hide and seek in the orchard, or pretending we were warrior goddesses on various quests to save unfortunate souls.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Seph.¡± I mean it.


    She nods and bites her lip for a moment before pulling me into a hug. ¡°At least they¡¯re cute. Your guardians could model.¡±


    I laugh. ¡°Right? Cheekbones for days.¡±


    She links arms with me and we head inside and to the dining room, where Mama is serving eggs benedict to thirty or so witches who are in various stages of wakefulness. For a moment I¡¯m confused at how good the food looks, but then I realize that Andre must be cooking. Eggs benedict is one of his specialties. Silently I curse Mama for not letting him come around more when I was growing up. I missed out on so much amazing food.


    Persephone and I grab our breakfast and go out to the sun porch to eat.


    ¡°So how are you still a virgin with those three tall glasses of water at your beck and call?¡± Seph asks me, leaning forward in her white wicker chair.


    ¡°They¡¯ve only been mine for a few weeks. And they¡¯re not - they don¡¯t exist just to serve me.¡± I blush. Suddenly the image of Jules, Dev and Brody as some sort of dungeon sex slaves comes to mind.


    ¡°Uh, they kinda do, Artemis. My mama¡¯s men cater to her every whim. Shit, two of them are at home adding an expansion onto the house right now.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t raised like that, Persephone. Mama¡¯s men were friends of the family. Still are.¡± I gulp down sweet tea to cool my flaming face.


    My cousin considers what I said thoughtfully, then wrinkles her nose. ¡°Sounds lame.¡±


    I snort.


    ¡°So, seriously! Don¡¯t you want to have sex with them?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess. But the only reason they want to is because of the bond.¡±


    She smirks. ¡°Sweetie, I¡¯m sure they¡¯d hit that one way or the other.¡±


    I grimace. ¡°Jules is my best friend but we¡¯ve never been romantic. And up until last night Dev had a girlfriend. And Brody is just ¡­ a slut.¡±


    She laughs. ¡°Well if you get tired of them, send ¡®em my way. And if you beat me and become high priestess, make sure you summon me some guardians like yours, okay?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how it works,¡± I reply, thinking of the challenges ahead.