Magical Enchantment

Paul remains standing and nods. "So, back to Cha-"

"Don't say his name." Her voice is eerily empty but the threat is brimming.

"Why?" He leans down on the table and stares straight into her crazy eyes. "Are you scared that I might conjure him up?"

There is an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. I take in a shaky breath and find my eyes burning.

"I don't believe in ghosts." She spits out.

My heart feels like it's been replaced with a jackhammer. The blood rushing to my cheeks and ears is making my heart work overtime. There is a throbbing headache forming at the side of my temple. I'm going to be sick. Why couldn't Paul have warned me? He should have told me why we were here.

"He's not dead." There is only conviction in his words.

She doesn't say anything. She stares past Paul and her eyes gloss over.

In her stillness, I finally see the resemblance. Her cheekbones and straight nose. Those features that I couldn't find on Chase's mom earlier. The streaks of platinum blonde in his hair that look almost white in the sun. I double over and throw up on the floor. Leo comes down next to me and Gina rubs my back.

"I killed him as soon as he was born. I killed him. That pathetic name never made it out of the Rebel clan." She says in wonderment. "When I found out he would be stealing away from my power source for every soul that I took, I made sure he never breathed again." She huffs out a breath. "I would never share any of my power with anyone."

"Oh, God." My eyes are overflowing with tears. There is nothing left for me to throw up so I am left gagging. "Please, stop." The pain in my chest is unbearable and Gina holds me against her.

'Everette, what's wrong?' Chase tries to pull me to him but I shut everything down between us.

"He is very much alive." Paul corrects her.

The shrieking starts up again but I feel the blackness around me.

***

I wake up with tears in my eyes.

I reach out to my side but there is no one there. My eyes keep trying to close but I force them to stay open.

"Everette, shhh." Gina comes to the edge of the bed and puts a wet towel on my forehead. There is a candle burning by the bedside and I notice we're in my room.

"Chase," I push the towel away. "I need to see him." I am on pins and needles. My body is aching all over. I need him.

She finally looks at me. "Oh, you're awake." I look at her confused. "I'm sorry, you've been in and out of it for so long it's hard to know if you're dreaming or not." She hands me a glass of water.

I look down and notice there are some Lion's Breath with other herbs plastered to my legs. We usually use these as a treatment for someone who is suffering from great pain. I pull them off myself.

"Gina, I need him." I try again. My hands are shaking and I feel dizzy.

'Hush, boy.' The spirits yell in my head. They're angry at me. I wince.

"You need rest, sweetheart." She lightly pushes me back and I feel my body being pulled into my bed.

"How long has it been?" I try to control my breathing. Gina has our ancestors on her side. Which is why it is hard to fight them all at once.

"Six days." She places the leaves back on my legs and my chest. "Just a few more days and you will have forgotten everything."

'Lay back, hun. We know what we are doing.' This voice tries to pull me back but it does nothing to calm my nerves. The ancestors all have one goal.

"No," My hands try to stop her but I can't move. "Gina, no. I can't forget him. Don't you see?" I'm trying to keep my grip on reality. Six days? My body is burning to be with him. I need to see him. I need to be with him. I can't let them do this.

"You have to." She is crying now. "You see why you cannot be with him. He's too powerful. Dangerous. I am doing this to protect you."

I cough against the burning sensation in my throat. "Gina, I will die without him."

She stops what she is doing and kisses my forehead. "No, baby, you will die if you go to him."

The blackness creeps in again and I succumb to it.

******

[Chase]

The heavy feeling hasn't left my chest.

I haven't seen him in days and I have no way of contacting him. No matter how many times I try to get into his head to talk to him I am met with a thick wall. He has shut me out. The last time I tried talking to him my heartbeat was all over the place and I had to stop playing with Grayson and take a seat. I tried pulling Everette into my arms. I didn't care if my whole family saw what happened. I just knew he was in trouble and there was nothing that I could do about it. The fear gripped my throat and I cried. Grayson freaked out, called my parents over and they laid me on the couch and made me some tea. When they asked what was wrong, I had nothing to say. I just felt an emptiness in my chest.

That night I tried again. The next day and the day after that I tried to travel to him but I didn't know where he was. I tried his room but I couldn't get through. I stayed with my parents for three days but eventually had to go back to school. They could see I wasn't all right but they couldn't stop me from leaving.

It hurt. He shut me out. What if it wasn't what he wanted? What if he was choosing to be away? I have to find out.

I rush to practice. I contemplate reaching out to Jake over the phone but I want to see him in person. I want to see his reaction and gauge if he knows anything. I look down at my watch and curse. They're probably already out of the locker room.

I almost run into him as he is stepping out.

"Jake!" I pull his arm and drag him into the room again. I look around and listen to see if anyone else is in here. We're alone. He has his football gear on.

"Chase." Jake looks concerned. "You look awful. Where the fuck have you been?" He reaches out for me but stops himself. His look is guarded.

"I need your help."

"I-" He steps back and leans against a locker. "I can't."

"Jake." I feel the anger rumbling in my chest. The lights above us begin to flicker and his eyes go wide.

"Your eyes!" His body stiffens.

"Jake!" Leo is at his side. He pulls Jake behind him and points a finger in my direction. He's only wearing a black cloak and black boots. "Chase, calm down." There is a bit of electricity coming out of his fingertip.

I cower and bend down. I feel my eyes burning and I control my breathing. "Shit, I'm sorry, Jake." I pull at my backpack straps and bounce on the balls of my feet, trying to shake away the feelings of anger and despair. "Leo, I need help. I need to see him."

He visibly relaxes and shifts towards Jake. He doesn't fully turn his back on me. "Head to practice. I'll be here to pick you up after." Their kiss is quick.

"Help him." Jake whispers and leaves without saying goodbye.

"You look green. When was the last time you ate?" Leo sits on the wooden bench across from me. I follow his lead and sit on the one behind me.

I try to think of my last meal but can't. All I've been drinking is the herbal tea my mom gave me before I left. I can't stomach anything else. I feel the sweat forming on my forehead, my heartbeat is increasing on its own accord again, and the headache is returning. This happens a couple of times a day and I don't know why.

"I need to see him, Leo." My lips are trembling. I've never felt this sick before. It feels like I have the flu but nothing I do makes me feel better.

He rests his elbows on his thighs and brings his hands together. "I can help."

I finally look at him and breathe a sigh of relief. I thought this would take a lot more convincing.

"But we have to do it now and you only get a ten-second window to do what you have to do."

I jump up to my feet. "Then let's go."

He stands and reaches a hand out to me. "I will go over exactly what you need to do, you do something slightly different and it could fuck all of it up."

My head bobs up and down. As soon as I grab his hand we are traveling.

"Eat this." He throws a power bar at me. "You'll need the energy." Even though I see the concern in his eyes I can see there is something else there. He doesn't look comfortable being near me. But what has changed? Was it the fact that I almost harmed Jake? I wouldn't hurt him, not really. But something inside of me is shifting so I can understand his concern.

I scarf the bar down by the time we get to a dark room.

There are candles floating around but this is not Leo's room. The walls are not as dark as his or as muddy as Everette's. We both turn to look at the bed to find two girls making out.

"Hazel," Leo clears his throat.

"Jesus, Leo! Knock first!" A pillow flies across the room right at Leo's head. He ducks in time.

"Hazel, we need to help Everette." He doesn't move

I turn away to give them some privacy while they throw some clothes on.

***

"Remember, ten seconds to grab him, put this on him," Leo hands me an extra ring that matches the one I put on myself, "And say the spell to get you guys out of there. Don't take him to your place or anywhere you both have been to before. That is the first place they'll look."

"Who are they? And why do I have to say a spell? Last time I just grabbed him and we were traveling."

We're still in Hazel's room but I'm sitting in a chair and she and Leo are looking down at me. Her girlfriend is sitting on her bed looking very concerned.

Hazel crosses her arms and gives Leo a look. "Just know there will be many...beings looking for you and they do not want you two together."

Leo takes off his cloak and hands it to me. "The spell covers your tracks. The rings will keep both of you hidden." Once I put on the cloak, I feel a weight on my shoulders. "This will hide your identity while you have it on. There are other things it can do but we don't have time for a lesson, so just use it as a cloak for now."

"I'm here." Another person pops into the room and I clutch my chest. Do they all just pop in whenever? This guy has black hair that is cut very close to his scalp. His skin is lighter than Leo and Hazel's and his eyes are black with white specs in them. He has tattoos on his arms and a piercing above his eyebrow. He has the same cloak as Leo but he doesn't quite fit in with Leo's Coven. There is something different about him.

"Thanks, Adam." Leo shakes his hand, Hazel hugs him. "We just need your help keeping an eye out for the Star Dust Coven. What we're about to do might ruffle a couple of feathers."

His smile is mischievous. "I've been waiting to do this." He nods in my direction. "So, you're Everette's soulmate?"

Hazel punches him on the arm and Leo rubs his neck. "Dude."

He puts his hands up. "Sorry, I didn't know it was a secret." He takes out his phone and pulls up a screen with some coding. "Anyways, I'll try and monitor Leo's cloak and keep it hidden for now so they won't see anything amiss. Now don't do anything crazy while you have that cloak on, Chase."

The word soulmate is running around my head. I mean, that explanation is as good as any that I can come up with. It feels right. My mind is a fraction clearer now.

"You still have access to their systems?" Hazel looks over his shoulder.

"No, he doesn't." Leo manages to sound disapproving and proud at the same time.

"I thought being part of the Roderick Coven means I don't have to follow all the rules." He smiles. Is Adam the troublemaker in the group?

"Okay, you're live buddy." Adam points in my direction.

I stand and shake the nerves from my shoulders.

******

[Everette]

My eyes are closed but I feel him touching me.

I can't see him but I can recognize his touch anywhere. He's here. Or is this a dream? I want to sob. This is the cruelest part of all about not being in control of my body or my mind. My lucid dreams have conjured him up multiple times since I've been here and every time I wake up, it is to an empty bed.

I am being picked up.

I moan in pain and he hushes me. I listen to him and stop my whining.

The air around us picks up and I can feel the shift in our setting.

Please let this be real. Please let this be real.

***

I am in and out of consciousness for what feels like months.

I sweat all the time and wake up groaning against the pain in my head. My mouth is always dry and no amount of water helps. I wake up just to throw up sometimes. It is always dark, there is never any light. The only thing that keeps me calm is his murmurs. I know I'm safe. I feel his protective arm around me anytime I begin to move around, uncomfortable in any position that I lay. As soon as we make any physical contact my body relaxes and I go back to sleep in an instant.

***

I finally wake up without the grogginess.

I hear the water crashing against the sand in the distance. The seagulls sound very close. I smell the fresh scent of a beach. I lick the salt off my lips and turn over in bed. We're in a cave. The hard walls make the space feel cool. I rub my arms. The light is coming from my left. I give my eyes some time to get used to the blinding light. A quick look in that direction confirms our location. But which beach? I'm not sure. There are some palm trees and coconuts on the floor in the distance. This must be heaven. Groaning, I stretch my body out. The bed is comfortable. I want to stay in it all day but I know I need to find Chase.

My eyes almost close all the way when I step out of the cave. It is very bright outside. Not a cloud in the sky. The sand is hot under my feet but I don't see any shoes anywhere. I bring a hand up to guard against the pounding rays of the sun.

When my eyes finally land on him, my breath leaves me.

He's sitting at the edge of the beach, naked. As if he can feel me staring, he turns around and looks at me. His smile makes my toes curl into the sand. It is only then that I notice I'm only wearing my boxers. I walk over to him and sit next to him.

"Finally." His bright smile takes over his whole face.

I see the resemblance. His lips are a bit fuller than hers but she left her mark there with him.

"Who?" He asks, invading my thoughts.

"How long have I been out of it?" I ignore his question. I need to stop thinking around him unless I shut him out. I close my mind off to him. My eyes run down his neck and land on his pecs. He is too good-looking for his own good. Not only is he attractive but why does his body have to look so good? His hair is still wet from being in the water. It brushes his shoulders.

"Three days." He leans back on his forearms and stares out at the beach. "Why can't I hear your thoughts anymore?"

My eyes are glued to his body. He has the perfect tan. His glistening skin is more valuable than gold. His stomach dips in and I can't hide my shock to see he has a hard-on. His legs flex and I look away.

"We have to talk."

He chuckles bitterly. "I save you and you want to have the 'we have to talk' speech?"

"If I don't say this now, we can't move on."

He motions for me to continue.

"Are you adopted?" Secretly I hope that he says no and that this is all a mistake. But with the reactions from Elise, I know there is no way he is not her son.

"Yes, does that matter to you?" I can see the vulnerability there.

I wrap my arms around my legs and lean my chin on my bicep. "No. I was also adopted." He looks surprised. "I just...have you thought about your biological parents?"

He shakes his head. "Not really. Lauren and Phil have been amazing parents to Grayson and me."

"But have you not thought about why you have powers?"

He sits up and crosses his arms. "Can you please open your mind to me? I haven't been able to hear you for over a week and I want to know why you're asking all of these questions."

I shut my eyes tight and I breathe in slowly. "Before I do, just know that we found your biological mother." I open my eyes to look at him when I don't hear anything else. He's looking into the ocean. "And just know she is not who you think she is." I don't want to be the one to do this but I have to be.

I notice the ring on his hand when he runs it against his hair. I look down at my hand and notice I'm wearing one too. I gave Leo these rings when he was trying to protect Jake from the Rebels and Elise. And now we're using them to hide from my own Coven. The irony.

"Damn it, Everette, just spit it out."

My mouth opens but no words come out. I do what feels the most natural and I lean in to kiss him. Only then do I open my mind and let him see everything from the first moment I had to deal with Rebels to Paul's last conversation with Elise.

******

[Chase]

I fight down my natural reaction to lay over Everette and take him here and now.

As soon as our lips meet my body stiffens with desire. The way his body presses against mine is unreal. His lips are so full and damn kissable. I want to show him just how much I have missed him but then images start to pop up in my head. I feel like I'm watching a movie but it all feels real. Like I'm living through it. It doesn't take long for me to realize I am seeing Everette's memories.

There are some of him in magical fights with people in black cloaks. The cloaks don't have the same red lining that the Roderick Coven's cloak does. And then there is this powerful witch in a green cloak. She looks familiar. He's stuck in the ground, she's terrorizing Hazel and her soulmate. Talks about all of the souls she has been collecting. And Everette finally gets up and has some ghosts help him put her into a crystal. The images cut to her in a glowing room and a guy talking to her. My name comes up and I feel my hands trembling. She talks about having killed me and making sure I never steal her power. The images stop abruptly and I pull away from him.

His worried eyes are watching me closely.

"What the fuck was that?" I run a hand through my hair and get up. I don't wait for him to answer. After quickly wiping my mouth, trying to erase the images I just saw, I run to the water. The first wave slaps me hard, right up against my quads. The water is freezing but I need this. I keep moving forward until the water is up to my neck. Then I swim away until my arms burn. My lungs complain but I don't care. I don't want to feel. I need to get away. I don't want to think.

What does all of this mean?

***

When I get tired from swimming I float on my back and let the waves do with me what they want. Push me wherever they want or discard me where they will.

My arms and legs are numb. I know I'm cold because my lips keep trembling but I can't make myself go back. Even knowing Everette will be there waiting for me, I can't bring myself to face him. How can I after what I just saw?

They found my biological mother. It would be a lie if I said I never thought about her. Of course, I've wondered who would leave me at such a young age with no letter to explain anything. But I've been so blessed to grow up in a loving home that I didn't feel the urge to find my actual family. And now I am glad I never looked. I almost wish I never found out. I could have gone to my grave without knowing any of this.

She is evil. She is hated. She is spiteful. We have the same face. How can Everette look at me and not be reminded of her? How could he want to be with me knowing all the awful things she has done? Why is fate so cruel? Just when we thought we could get through our first hurdle, a giant wall comes up between us.

I can feel him trying to communicate with me but I have shut our communication off. I need more time alone to digest all of the new information.

******

[Everette]

After sitting on the beach for hours and watching Chase move further and further away, I decide to get up and make myself useful. I build a fire, conjure up a net with bait, and cook what I catch. I make us a tent out of small leaves, which I enlarged, and sit there as the sun starts to set. Every time I look up I see the black dot that is Chase. He got so far away and yet I can only wait here for him. I know all too well what it is like to need space. I know he is okay because I can feel it deep down, there is no immediate danger. I try not to feel rejected when he refuses to let me into his thoughts. I can give him time.