Magical Enchantment

Once the moon is out and I can no longer see him in the ocean, I warm up the food that got cold and eat. I'm famished. How many days have I gone without eating?

In the back of my mind, I want to reach out to Hazel and Leo. I know they had something to do with this. Chase is still too green to know his abilities. I also know they're probably being watched by everyone in our world, trying to find us. It probably didn't take long for the word to spread about Elise's son running around the human world undetected. How would I protect him?

A branch breaks in the distance and I see Chase coming out of the water. The fire reflects against the water droplets on every inch of his skin as he nears. I keep my eyes trained on his face. I can't get distracted, not now. He needs me.

"Are you hungry?" My mouth is dry. Maybe I put too much salt in the fish.

His look is brooding and I fight the urge to go to him. I want to comfort him. But I don't know what he wants. If only he would let me in.

He snaps his fingers and is now wearing khaki shorts with a blue polo. Very preppy, my mouth waters. I also wonder how he learned to do that. He hasn't had any training. It has to be the amount of power he harnesses. A newbie witch is taught the most basic spells at a young age and they get more intricate as they grow older. He is doing things young adults do.

I look away and notice he put some clothes on me too. I'm wearing some dark blue basketball shorts and a white shirt. These are my clothes. I hide my surprise while taking another bite of my food. He is a lot more advanced than I could have anticipated. To know where he could find my clothing and have it appear on me. He definitely skipped a lot of lessons to get to where he is. Could our being together have anything to do with it? I know soulmates get stronger when they come together. It would explain why his powers have been dormant all of these years and his need for them as soon as we met. Could his mom killing people for their souls also be part of the answer? He is very powerful.

He sits on a log across from me and leans down so that his forearms are resting against his thighs. He's not wearing any shoes.

"I'm sorry." He's staring at the fire as he speaks. "That was a lot to take in."

"I'm sorry, I wish I could have told you differently."

We sit there in silence, watching the fire slowly burn. I follow the flames up and focus on the smoke. Being in this setting is helping me heal. Being surrounded by nature helps me. The salty air brushing against my cheeks, the cold sand beneath my toes. Any connection to nature is a true blessing.

"How do you feel?" His hazel eyes make me feel warmer than the fire can.

"Better. How about you?"

He shrugs. His shoulders are so wide. I can see why he plays football. He's big. Really big. My cheeks heat up but I know he can't see it. Not with just the fire dancing across my face.

"Leo and Hazel asked me to reach out once you were awake." He says as his eyes are trained on the fire.

"Won't others be watching hoping they can lead them to us?"

He smiles a little and meets my eyes. "I've found a way to communicate without being detected."

"You do realize you can do a lot of things that none of us can?" I don't know why I feel the need to point it out but I do. Maybe no one has told him as much.

His smile vanishes and he looks back down at the fire. "It's because of her, isn't it?" His heartbeat slows and I feel a lump forming in my throat. "She killed all those people and now I'm reaping some of the benefits."

I can't take the distance between us anymore. Slowly, I get up and walk over to him. I stand in front of him, waiting for some type of reaction. After a moment, he opens his arms. I sit on his lap and lay my head against his broad chest.

"You have no control over how you got your powers." I try to find the right words but my mind comes up blank. Being in his arms again makes me feel whole. This feels extremely right. It feels like home. And that terrifies me. It makes me question my future and everything I've been preparing for.

His arms wrap around me. "So, what now?"

I inhale his natural scent and think. I have to be honest with him and myself. "I don't know."

I should have a better answer. I should have better words. I was also left when I was a child and have often wondered about the identity of my biological parents. He must be feeling so lost. Instead of getting closure, he's receiving more heartbreak. I instinctively snuggle in closer and run my hands against his arm. Maybe being so close to me gives him the same sense of security that I can. Comfort without words.

We sit there for what feels like hours until he complains about his legs falling asleep. We move into the cave, removing our clothes, and lay on the bed that fits the both of us just right. We wrap our arms and legs around each other, finding peace in each other's presence. He waves a hand in the air and the top of the cave disappears so that we are looking right up at the sky. The stars are shining bright, the sight is breathtaking. I feel so insignificant against the million twinkling lights in the night. Chase's steady heartbeat is the only thing making me feel like I am enough. At least to one person in this world I am right for them.

"I missed you. So much. It physically hurt." He kisses my forehead.

I run a hand along his chest, wishing the shirt wasn't in between us. "I've heard people talk about finding their soulmate. I never thought I would have the privilege to have one, let alone meet them."

He snorts. "I bet you were not expecting any of this. I sure as Hell wasn't"

I turn my head to look up at him. There is some vulnerability in his gaze. What would I want to hear if I was in his shoes?

"Nothing about your past could have changed the way I feel about you. You have to know just how important your life is to me." I'm trying to keep this light but I don't know how much longer we have until we are discovered. We can't stay here forever. So much time has already passed. And I know we are not going to live the rest of our lives running.

I've trusted the ancestors to guide my life just like everyone in my coven has. We don't question their orders because they've never led us astray in the past. I have to know why they are so adamant about my relationship with Chase. If it is because of Elise, they have to realize none of that was his fault. He is not his mother.

"How can you look at me and not think about all of the horrible things she has done?" I see the remorse. He cares a lot. No matter what I say he is bearing the pain she caused all of our people.

"You are your own person. The fact that you feel guilty about what she did shows me that you are nothing like her." I lay my head down on my chest. "I know you're a good person."

"I've never met anyone like you." He kisses my forehead. "You have a pure heart. Ever since I met you, I knew you were going to change my life."

My eyes begin to droop as I focus on his breathing. I want to stay awake and talk to him and be here for him but hopefully, he'll understand that I am still recovering. I need more time to sleep. To stop thinking for two seconds. I allow myself to be carried away into another world.

***

The light outside penetrates my eyelids.

I don't want to get up and go pee just yet, but I can't stay in bed much longer. I have a morning wood, how embarrassing. The bed shifts and I groan, I hope he isn't getting up just yet. I want to stay in bed all day if possible.

His hand wraps around my thick member. My eyes pop open and I look down just in time to see his mouth wrap around my thick head. My eyes roll back and I groan in appreciation.

"Fuck." I feel a tingle in my balls.

His tongue licks the underside of my dick and it jumps in his mouth. He hums and repeats the gesture. For every brush, my dick bounces back. His mouth goes further down, taking more of me into his mouth. I bring my arms up to wrap around my face. I'm not going to last. Feeling his hot, wet, mouth all over my cock feels amazing. He sucks and bobs his head at a consistent speed. Each time he goes further and further down. My first instinct is to dig my hands into his hair and hold him still when the tip of my thick head hits the back of his throat, but I don't do that. I let him lead. He slurps up some of his spit and I curse.

"I'm cumming." I try to warn, so he moves his face away. I finally look back down.

His hair is splayed against my thighs, his rough hands are wrapped around the base. Shit, I can't hold back much longer.

He bobs faster and I roar as I spill my cum into his inviting mouth. My eyes widen as I see him gulp every drop.

He is careful when he pulls me out of his mouth. The head is so sensitive, I jump a little when he licks it.

"Are you trying to kill me? Because I can die happy now." I lean up on my forearms to look down at him.

His eyes are glowing green, but I'm not afraid.

"I thought you could use some relief." He wipes his mouth and sits back. His hard-on is leaning up against his stomach.

"I've never done that before," I admit. It is hard to stare at him when I want to look down at his member.

"Really?" He seems surprised. "Never?"

I feel self-conscious about my inexperience. "I've never had someone to do it with."

"Oh." His cheeks heat up.

I'm reminded of his girlfriend and I feel the jealousy biting at my soul. "How many partners have you had?" I don't know how to control this feeling. The urge to be possessive is overwhelming. Remind him that he is mine and anyone before me is irrelevant. I don't want to sound like a jealous lover but that is exactly how I am feeling.

"Is that what you want to talk about right now?" His cheeks are flush.

I grind my teeth together. "That bad?"

He comes up to kiss me, and my irrational thoughts go up into smoke. I groan against his mouth and wrap my arms around his neck. Who cares who he has been with? They've never shared anything like this.

"Everette!" I hear a voice yell out.

I push Chase off me and sit up straight at the sound of Leo's voice. I snap some clothes on us and try to clear my head.

I'm confused when I don't see him in the room.

"Leo?" I whisper.

Chase chuckles and looks for something under the bed. He pulls out a mirror and hands it to me.

"There you are, you sly dog." Leo's face appears in the mirror. His golden eyes are almost shining with mirth. "You guys have been getting cozy, haven't you?"

My mouth drops and I can feel the blood rushing to my face.

Chase laughs and kisses my neck before getting up. "I'm going to go for a swim," I shiver. "Say hi to the rest, will you?" He addresses Leo.

"Stop teasing him!" I hear Hazel say in the background. "Bye Chase!" She takes the mirror from Leo and can't stop the smile from spreading over her head. "Wow, you do have a sort of glow about you."

"Oh, God!" I rub a hand against my face. It's hard to say what is giving it away when the mirror isn't doing what it's supposed to at the moment. "Okay, anyways." I sit up straight. "How am I even here right now?"

"Doesn't matter." She shrugs. Her brown eyes turn serious. "All that matters is that you guys are together and aren't hurting anymore."

"Hazel," My tone matches her. "You know this can't last forever." I hate to sound so defeated but I'm not a fool. I knew things would not end the way I wanted them to.

"What are you saying?" Her brows pull in together.

"Elise is his mother."

"And?" The statement doesn't even phase her. "He's a good guy. He cares a lot about you."

I shake my head. Clearly, I know what Hazel would do in my position. No point in arguing with her over something that won't change.

"How are Gina and Paul? I'm sure they're under surveillance now. I'm putting them through a lot." My guilt is hard to hide. Not only are they getting reprimanded by the Star Dust Coven but our ancestors are probably also making their lives miserable. All of these days and now way to account for me, they have to be angry at the point. I've never had them be upset with me before.

"They're fine. They'll live." Her tone is still serious.

"Can I talk to Leo please?"

She hands him the mirror without another word.

"We need to talk in private." I try to hide the emotions running just below the surface. "Please."

I see him signaling to the people behind him. He gives Jake a quick kiss and promises to get him as soon as we're done talking. They're all curious. What could I want to discuss that they can't know about? I'm coming off as ungrateful at this point but that isn't something I should be worrying about now. I appreciate everything they have done for me, but I have to take control now. So that no punishment falls on us and Chase isn't blamed for all of this.

"I'm going back," I start. "And I need your help with Chase."

The blood rushes from his face and his eyes turn hard. He doesn't like this as much as Hazel but at least he's not vocal about it. I'm committing a great sin, choosing to leave my soulmate and practically sever our connection. But what else can I do? How else can I protect him if I'm not part of the most powerful coven? He can't come with me and I have to go to them. At least this way, I know I can assure that they don't do anything to him. I will have some leverage, right?

"Are you sure? If people find out who he is. Who his mother is," He shakes his head. "Do you know what could happen to him?" It is a small mercy to know others aren't aware of his situation yet. They must want to keep it under wraps for as long as they can.

"Please don't fight me on this." I can't take it. If they're both against me and I have no one on my side, I don't know what I will do. "I need your help."

"You know you can count on me. But you would be putting him at risk leaving him here. He needs his soulmate."

"I will always keep an eye on him from up there." I point out.

"Up...You mean you're still going to take the position?" He's incredulous.

"I have to. The spirits won't have it any other way." My heart breaks at the thought. They have spoken and I have to follow through. For my coven.

"Fuck what they have to say, what do you want?" His tone is confrontational.

My tears threaten to seep out but I hold them back. "I want him to be safe. I need you to keep him safe down here while I am away. I can't be distracted by his whereabouts and safety."

"Everette, this isn't right." He's fighting me more than I expected. I feel my resolve slipping.

"Leo, if you can't promise me, you'll look after him, I don't know how I'll survive." A tear rolls down my cheek.

"Okay," He is still shaking his head. "Okay, you know I will. Whatever you need from us, we will help. Just make sure to think this through. Try to understand what you're giving up."

"I will need you to go to my coven and collect some potions to make it easier for him to be away from me. It will allow him to numb that need to be around me. I'll be taking some too just in case it is unbearable."

He nods, silently judging. But I don't care. I can take the silence better than his words.

"You sure you won't regret choosing a silly position over being with your soulmate?" He finally asks.

The hurt in my chest begins to expand and I feel the mirror slip through my fingers.

"So, that's it?" I hear Chase ask behind me.

My head snaps back and I see the unshed tears in his eyes.

He turns away, furiously rubbing them away. I run after him, completely heartbroken at the look on his face. Oh God, what am I doing? Spirits, please tell me there is another way! Please let me stay with him and guide him through this unforgiving world. We only have each other. He needs me now more than ever!

There is no response from the other side, just silence.

"Chase?" I yell through my sobs. His retreating feature moves further away as he moves back to the water. "Chase!" I yell more urgently as I notice a portal opening between us. "Look out!"

He finally turns, just in time to see white-cloaked figures come out of the portal straight towards me. They have found us! What are they going to do to him? One of them raises a hand at me but my eyes are on Chase.

Spirits, please save the man I love!

"Everette!" His deep voice booms through the sound of the crashing waves.

Electricity pulses through me and I fall.

***

"You won't have much time. Just grab what you can and we can send for the rest." The person in front of me speaks. It's a woman. She still has the hood over her face.

We're in a black car, courtesy of the Star Dust Coven. They have been looking for me and as soon as they narrowed down our location, they sent for me. I thought they wouldn't want anything to do with me after I was found with Chase but it is the complete opposite. They're almost rushing to get me where they need me.

Aside from shocking me to stop me from hurting them, they have been fairly civil. Apparently, I was gathering the strength to pull a palm tree from the ground, ready to attack, in case they got close to Chase. But they never did, and I never got the chance to throw the tree because they shocked me. They knew I would do anything to protect him. Even if my coven is known for healing, the violence that ran through my blood in that instant felt familiar. What could they want with me knowing where my heart lays? Surely, they know about him and what he means to me. We broke the rules to get away from them and yet they still want me. Why?

Gina and Paul are waiting outside of our coven when the car pulls up. They're both wearing their finest robes. When were they told I would be coming back? Have they been waiting long?

They rush to me when I almost fall out. The shock was more intense than I first thought. My legs are still numb. My only hope is that Chase was taken back with less force.

"Are you okay?" She runs a hand through my head. "Oh Everette, you scared us to death." Her eyes are swollen from crying.

Paul ushers us inside. I notice the woman stays in the car.

"They're only allowing me enough time to grab my things and go." I push open the door to my room. My mind is racing, trying to figure out the most basic things I will need to make it through the next couple of days there. My heart is beating at a fast rate but I can't let it distract me.

"They're taking you now?" Paul sounds both relieved and surprised.

"Yes," I pull out a bag from under my bed. The drawers and bathroom door swing open as I rummage through my desk. "They said I could come back later to pick up the rest of my things." Clothes and other things start to fly around the room to fit into my bag. They both stay out of the way for the most part.

I feel her hands on my shoulder just as I pick up a notebook. "Where is he?"

None of us make a sound. Everything freezes in the air as I hold my breath. We sit for a few seconds too long trying to make sense of everything that is happening all at once. My heart jumps at the thought of him.

Where he is, who he is with. Did he figure out how to transport back to Leo? Did he run back into the water? Did the Star Dust Coven just leave him there? I listen out for him but get nothing in return. He probably shut me out on purpose. He heard what I said to Leo. He heard me giving up on our relationship to follow through with my chosen destiny. Because it is my duty. Because there are others dependent on me.

"I will reach out to you guys as soon as I can." I start moving again. The rest of my things get packed into the bag and I zip it up. "Make sure you stay safe." I finally turn to look at them.

Paul is concerned but he nods. Gina nods as well but she cries silently.

I hug them both and rush out of there, away from my old life.

Into the unknown.

******