First Magic - Raven Steele (read along books txt) 📗
- Author: Raven Steele
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“I had no idea. I’m not in the loop on all the Auran gossip. The rules in your world seem to change all the time. Knowing this, it’s probably best if you go to Lucent.”
I closed my eyes and flexed my jaw.
“That being said,” Jake continued. “You are different. You’re not like other Auras, not even like your mother.”
“Really?”
“Your mother was strong, but she was also careless. She lived her life with no regards to the future. That’s not how you are. You’re so much more careful, and you’re not afraid to fight. Maybe I won’t make you leave.” The hand that was rubbing the back of his neck moved to his temple. “Let me think about it.”
My face lit up. “You mean it?”
“We’ll see, but I am worried about Christian.”
“I think we can help him.”
“How?” Jake asked.
“First, you have to have an open mind. Second, you can’t freak out.”
“Just spit it out,” he said.
“Let him stay here at night. He can sleep on the couch, and I’ll be in my room. That way if there’s a problem, he’ll be right here. He can get his sleep and still be close enough to protect me.”
He groaned. “That may work, but I don’t want any unnecessary contact between the two of you, if you catch my meaning.”
“Not gonna happen. It’s against the rules.”
“Rules can be broken. Remember your father and mother?”
I shook my head. “But Christian’s not like that. He takes his position very seriously.”
“So did your father, but when it comes to matters of the heart, rules don’t matter.”
I placed my hands flat on the table. “I promise. It won’t be a problem. Besides, other than me leaving, this is the best way Christian can keep me safe without killing himself in the process.”
Jake stared into the distance while he tapped his fingers. I waited patiently for him to decide—for a second.
“Come on, Jake. I promise nothing will happen.”
He turned to me. “All right. He can sleep on the couch, but I’m going to come up with some strict rules.”
I threw my arms around him. “Thank you!”
I jumped up and opened the front door, but Christian’s car was already gone. He usually left at dawn to get ready for school, but sometimes, he’d come back. I guess I’d have to tell him at school.
Christian wasn’t in first period and when I couldn’t find him in second, I began to worry. As far as I knew, he’d never missed a day of school. I tried calling him, but he didn’t answer his cell phone. After third period, I faked sick and drove straight to Christian’s house. His truck was parked in the driveway.
As soon as I jumped out of my car, I saw Mr. Stockett leaving the house. I was half tempted to dive behind my car and hide, but he had already spotted me and was walking toward me with an expression that said, “Wait until I get my hands on you!”
He moved so close I had to back into my car just to leave a little space between us. “Hello, Mr. Stockett. How—”
“This is your fault.” He raised a finger at my chest. It might as well have been a gun.
“Excuse me?”
“You think you’re more special than the rest of them? That you don’t have to follow the rules?”
“I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
His eyes twitched and his nostrils flared. “Christian got hurt protecting you last night.”
My heart sunk into my stomach. I placed my hand on my car to steady myself. “Is Christian okay?”
“If you would’ve gone to Lucent Academy like all the others, this would never have happened. I knew Christian should have declined a guardian position for someone so young and inexperienced.”
Spittle from his lips sprayed my face. I resisted the urge to wipe it away.
“Is Christian okay?” I asked again.
“He will be.”
“What happened?”
“He broke a rule. That’s what happens when you start feeling beyond what a guardian should feel for a charge.” He shook his head. “You are just like your mother, careless and thoughtless. And I don’t care what difficult circumstances the Council—or should I say your aunt—thinks you have. You are just like the rest of them and should have to follow the same rules. They made a mistake allowing your mother to do whatever she wanted, but they’re making a bigger mistake allowing you to do the same thing.”
My nostrils flared. “I don’t care what you think about me or my mother right now. I just want to see Christian.”
He stared at me for what seemed an eternity before he finally stepped out of the way.
As I walked off, he called after me, “Think about someone else for a change.”
I imagined myself giving him the bird.
I opened the front door without knocking. A maid or servant, or whatever the rich call them, asked, “Can I help you, Miss?”
“I’m looking for Christian.”
“He’s upstairs. Third door on the left.”
I bounded up the stairs and threw open the door. The bedroom was so opposite from the rest of the house I wondered if I’d entered the wrong room. Other than a bed and dresser, there was no furniture. The walls were bare except for a shelf that held an encased, autographed football. I quickly forgot about the oddness of the room when my eyes found Christian lying in bed. My heart broke.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. It was difficult to understand him because he was trying to speak through two swollen lips.
I couldn’t answer. I moved to his bedside and very carefully touched his swollen face. His chest was bare except for a white brace that wrapped itself around both of his shoulders making him look like he was wearing a cop’s gun holster.
“Shouldn’t you be at school,” he mumbled and turned away from my touch.
“I am so sorry.”
“For what? You didn’t do anything. I was the moron who got hurt.” He grimaced as he shoved an extra pillow behind his back. “It looks worse than it is. I’ll be fine in a couple of days.” He paused. “Will you say something? You’re making me feel like Frankenstein.”
“What happened?”
He attempted to sigh, but his breath caught in his chest and he gasped for air. “Stupid ribs.”
I reached out and took his hand.
With his head down, staring at our entwined fingers, he began, “Last night at around three, the Vyken came. He was on the mountain ridge above your house just standing there, watching. When I stood, I caught his attention. I thought he’d run, but he just kept staring. And then the strangest thing happened. His body began to shift and his figure changed until it was you I saw standing on the ridge. I knew it was you because of your long, white hair. It was blowing all crazy in the wind.”
“How could it have been me?”
“Not you, of course, but he’d made himself look like you.”
“How’s that possible?”
“It’s the first time I’ve heard of it. I mean, I know Vykens can change their appearance after drinking an Aura’s blood, but I didn’t know they could do it multiple times.” He shook his head. “It’s crazy.”
“Then what happened?” I asked.
His eyes met mine. “If you were anyone else, I wouldn’t tell you this, but I think you can handle it.”
“What?”
“After a minute, your blonde hair became blood red. And then your face . . . you had no eyes, only black holes.” He moved his hand out from under mine, and grasped my arm tightly. “And then your head fell off.”
“Wow,” I said, taking in what he’d just told me. “So what did I do next, you know, without a head and all?”
“That’s what you want know? I knew you’d be able to handle it, but I didn’t think you’d act so nonchalant about it.”
I took hold of my head and moved it around. “Works just fine. What you saw was just an illusion. What’s the point of getting upset over something that didn’t happen?”
“Because the Vyken was showing me what he’s going to do to you.”
I shrugged. “I already know he wants me dead. Now I know how. Maybe I’ll start wearing a metal neck brace or something.”
“This isn’t funny. Why aren’t you taking this seriously?”
I pursed my lips. “You’re right. It’s not funny, but if I start thinking about how
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