Magical Enchantment

Her eyes are more sunken in but they're bright.

"Didn't think you had it in you." Her voice is raspy.

I blow out a breath, still pumping with adrenaline. The sirens can be heard above us, faintly. She's probably been waiting with barely contained enthusiasm. I don't bother looking at her for longer than I need to. We've had more conversations in the last couple of months than I care for. At this point, I just need to play my hand. I know my annoyance is hard to mask now.

"Well, don't just stand there. Unchain me and give me the souls you promised." Her upper lip curls.

I stand tall and flick my wrist slightly.

Every Rebel in the room has their neck snapped in the blink of an eye and drop dead at once.

I chuckle, still catching my breath. There is sweat pouring down my forehead. "There you go. Have your pick" I push the souls out of the room, letting them wander out into the world so they can never find peace. They don't deserve it and she most definitely doesn't need anything to feed on.

She no longer looks amused but doesn't respond in anger. "I knew you were an imbecile."

I place a hand over my heart. "You wound me, mother."

A crazy look appears in her eyes and she starts to growl under her breath. "Don't call me that."

"Why not? I thought we were just beginning to get along."

She spits at my feet. "You wish you were on the same level as me." Her cheeks burn bright. The disgust is plastered on every inch of her face. Her curled lip and pulled brows.

"Yeah, right." My sarcasm twists the knife deeper into her ego. "Whatever you say, mother."

She yanks on her chains and yells until her voice is hoarse. I let her throw her tantrum, enjoying her little spectacle.

"What is your plan?" She stops yelling and asks. "Are you going to kill me now?"

I don't have time to answer before I hear the spell I cast on the door be broken. Everette walks in, alone.

Her eyes follow mine and she looks confused.

How was he able to break that spell? Only I could undo it. Is it because he is my soulmate and he is half of me? I shake my head to stop myself from going there. He isn't half of me. He is his own person. He just needs to be away from here.

"Chase, what is going on?" He looks around at the dead bodies in the room but walks towards me.

I move in front of him, so she can no longer stare at him.

One of her eyebrows goes up and then she throws her head back. "Oh, this is rich!" Her eyes start to water and she continues to laugh like she's just been put into the loony bin.

"Chase, we need to get you out of here. The Star Dust Coven is coming down and they're going to kill you if they see you." He wraps his hand around my bicep.

"So, you did find a soulmate?" Her playful tone makes the hair on my neck stand up. "You thought you would kill me before I had the chance to meet him?"

I snap my fingers and her chains are removed.

Her smile disappears and she doesn't waste any time trying to conjure up whatever way she intends to kill us down here. I see the green electrical charge surging on the tip of her fingers. Her cheeks are burning red now, and the hatred in her eyes is focused on Everette.

I bring a hand up to pause her movements. "Not so fast." I smile, with no emotion in my tone.

"Enough talking!" She shrieks, suspended in the air. "Either kill me or let me kill him." She hasn't taken her eyes off him. There is a hunger, deep in her pools. "His soul is pure. It is going to make being held here worth it once I devour it." Her mouth visibly waters.

Everette's arm tightens around me and he pulls me closer to him.

"Here is what's going to happen," I hear guards running down the hall, coming closer to us. It is now or never. "You're going to take this little dagger," I pull it from the pocket inside my robe and show it to her. "And you're going to run it through your heart."

She rolls her eyes. "That's it? That is how you plan to get rid of me? I knew you were no son of mine. Where is the flare? Where is the true disdain?" She actually looks disappointed.

"Well, as you're dying, you are also going to be feeling the death of every individual you had the misfortunate pleasure of taking a soul from." I move closer to place the knife in her hand.

"Thank you," She smiles and then starts to move again, trying to rush to Everette as quickly as she can.

I bring both hands up to stop her, and it does slow her down but she keeps moving. I begin to yell when the magic feels like lava running through my veins. She is ten times more powerful than she ever let on. Oh fuck, I'm in trouble! Just when I feel my resolve slip, I feel two unidentifiable presences on each side of her. They hold her down and push her to the ground. With their help, I begin to turn the sharp end of the dagger towards her heart. She begins to scream and goes into a frenzy. I'm starting to lose my grip again. Everette steps from behind me and his arm come up. I feel his powers merge with mine and we push the dagger deeper.

"Stop!" A guard yells when he comes into the room.

I push with more force, watching as the dagger pierces through her heart. I cover my ears as her shrieks threaten to bust my eardrums and pull Everette into me. I transport all three of us up above the cell, where the ground is shaking and everyone is also covering their ears. A loud explosion goes off below us and then there is silence.

******

[Everette]

My body jumps.

I'm disoriented and at a loss.

"He's awake." I hear Adam say in the background.

I groan and bring my hand up to my temple. I feel like I've been trampled by thousands of horses ready for battle. How is that even possible? Wait-I shift around, my arm reaching out for him. My eyes fly open as my head continues to pound.

"Chase?" I look around the room to see it's packed with people.

Juliet is on Adam's lap, a concerned look on her face. Jake and Amelia are by the window, not making any attempt to approach me. Hazel and Leo are the closest to me. They both come to sit on the bed.

Hazel takes my hand in hers. "How do you feel?"

"Where is he?" My voice is weak, even to my own ears.

I am weak.

While he faced a room full of Rebels and Elise, I was running after him. He endured her hostile looks and antagonistic comments, while I hid behind him. I did nothing to protect him. I didn't save him, he saved me. And then like a true damsel in distress, I fainted when we were out of the room. I left him alone at every turn to deal with all of the bullshit everyone put him through.

"The Star Dust Coven has him." Leo hands me a cup as he continues to talk. "They are discussing his future."

"What is there to discuss? He killed the Rebels and he killed the most powerful witch any of us have ever come across. He saved us." I drink the foul-smelling drink. The effects are instant. My headache ebbs and my throat is less constricted.

"It wasn't his call to make." Leo shakes his head. "He put my coven at risk, he had been going behind our backs to learn our security measures and lead a whole group of Rebels past our defenses."

"To kill them!" I lower my voice when I see Juliet jump. "Yes, he could have let you all in on his plan, but he did the right thing."

Hazel speaks up. "They have to determine whether they consider what he did as the right thing or not. You know no one goes against their wishes." She places a hand over mine but I find no comfort.

"Adam," I look at him in frustration. "Tell me. What is the worst they can do to him?"

All eyes turn to him and he shifts in his seat. "It is hard to say. If they wanted Elise alive for more information, they could consider his behavior as reckless and will not want that repeated in the future. What better way to assure that doesn't happen than to make an example out of him?"

I nod, trying not to let those thoughts punch my spirits further down. "What is going to happen to me?"

"You're out." Leo doesn't bother sugarcoating it. "They're not letting you back in."

The news should feel like a low blow but instead, I sigh in relief. I don't have to go back. I can stay here and be with my coven. Go back to my people. I can be with him. If he makes it out, that is.

"I have to speak to them. Get them to see that he had good intentions."

Adam shakes his head. "You could make things worse. Just lay low for now."

"Paul will be here soon, to take you back to your coven." Leo motions for the rest to leave the room. Hazel is the only one to stay.

"We are still here for you." He squeezes my shoulder. "My father is going to try to speak to them and vouch that none of his men were badly hurt. We know that was intentional but you have to understand that it makes our coven look weak. The Roderick Coven is not weak."

I lower my eyes and nod. I have to look at the big picture here. How did this affect everyone around us? It has damaged reputations and probably severed ties.

"But," He continues. "My father is aware that Chase would be a great addition to our coven. He has proven his value and he has already started to care for him as one of his own."

That makes me feel slightly better. At least someone still wants him around.

"My father will back up Don if he needs it," Hazel adds. "But right now, we need to make sure you recover."

"I'm fine."

"Okay," She gets up and lightly taps Leo on his shoulder. "I'll see you later."

"Wait," I sit up straighter. "I just wanted to say thank you." A knot starts to form at my throat. "You all have been the best thing to have happened to me."

They both give me a small smile but he's the one to respond.

"After everything you have done for us, it is the least we can do as your friends."

******

[Chase]

I've been staying in a completely white room for the last few days.

There's a stiff mattress on the floor and a toilet in the corner. It's not so bad. The most uncomfortable thing is the fact that I can't use my magic. I know they feel it is safe this way but it still makes me feel like a criminal. I'm imprisoned with no one to vouch for me. I've burned all bridges, deceived those that trusted me, and gone behind the coven's back to kill her.

Will I be eliminated because of that? Going into it, I knew there was a high risk that my blatant display of power wouldn't go unnoticed. Things just came naturally to me. Anything I wanted to learn to do, I do. There were no high barriers stopping me from achieving what I wanted to. As soon as I learned that, I knew I had to get rid of her. To make sure she paid for every life that was lost and avoid the risk of one day escaping and doing it all over again.

Finding the first rebel was the easiest part. There is a dark aura around them. They're always up to no good, causing unexplained phenomena around humans. And with them not having a leader, they were even more careless. There were fewer deaths since they waited for her to return, but their threat was still real. They didn't value human life and wouldn't be dumb enough to take on any actual magical creatures who could fight back.

It was easy to gain their trust. Pretend to be a mole in the Roderick Coven, just to keep an eye on her. As soon as they found out that I knew her whereabouts, it gave me more validity. And then came the hard part. I had to see her. I had to sneak into her cell multiple times, cloaked, and pretend to be on her side. She knew who I was before I ever spoke a word. There was no emotion in her eyes. Every conversation we had made it easy to lose any interest in her. But she did have the information I needed. She gave me more names and more Rebels to gather. In the end, I knew what my ultimate goal was and I would do whatever it took to make sure she never made it out alive.

The door to my room swings open and, to my surprise, Don walks in. He's wearing his black robe and steel-toe boots.

"You ready?" His tone is stern.

I nod, unsure of the situation but trusting of him.

We walk out of my room and to the elevators, four guards following us. Only two of them get in the enclosed space with us. We go down to the first level.

Those walking around pause to stare at us for a few moments. They all look the same. Fair hair, translucent skin, and either gray or white robes with different colored linings. Their weird eyes shift away as we pass them but the curiosity seeps off of them. They whisper and move, still keeping a close watch on our whereabouts.

I shiver to think that Everette was here all alone. Did he feel just as out of place as we do? Why would he want to be a part of this? Is he still a part of it? I don't bother looking for him, knowing that they would never allow our paths to cross in this vicinity. Our last encounter should be proof enough. We're stronger together than we are apart.

We make it through the doors and are finally outside. My power comes back as soon as we cross the threshold.

The light blue light, coming from a nearby planet, glows against Don's face. His dark hair is swept aside and disheveled. He stops walking and places a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm only going to say this once," His voice is low but clear. His fingers grip my shoulder tightly. "If you EVER try to pull some shit like that again, behind my back, I will end you."

I slowly nod, not looking away.

He pulls me in for a tight hug and pats my back. "You come to me with any idiotic ideas you have, okay?"

I find my arms wrapping around his lower body, appreciating this small comfort. I realize that I do care about what others think. I want his coven to accept me and I don't want to disappoint them. My actions were necessary to allow me the ability to move on, but it is much more worth it knowing I have the support of their leader.

He pulls back. "They just chewed my ass in there for even thinking about taking you back, but I know you will do right by our covens. Regardless of where you end up." That is his way of leaving the door open in case Everette doesn't want me to join him.

What a bleak thought.

I nod hurriedly. "You have my word."

He ruffles my hair and points to a blank spot next to us. "Now show me some of that powerful magic of yours and portal us back."

It's barely a thought before the portal appears. His eyes slightly widen and he shakes his head. "You are something else, kid."

***

Leo greets me with a punch to the face.

I spit out some blood but don't retaliate.

"That's for going behind my back." He straightens his black hoodie and runs his fingers through his hair.

"I figured." I keep walking towards my room.

"You could have told me. You could have told all of us. We've wanted her dead from the moment she threatened our soulmates." He's referring to Hazel and Adam.

"I had to be the one to do it. Alone." I open my bedroom door and don't bother closing it, knowing he will follow me in. "I didn't want you all to go down with me if it came to that."

"You didn't need the manpower, that's for sure."

I remove my shoes and clothing, leaving my underwear on. I need a long hot bath to remove all the grime from the last few days. My body is still recovering from all the power I exerted. I put it through a lot, and if I'm being honest, I don't want to talk about this to anyone. I did what had to be done, and I want to leave it in the past.

"What did they say to you?" He throws a towel at me.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? That doesn't sound right. He shakes his head. "You didn't go in front of an audience?"

"No. Your dad was the one who led me out of the building."

"How can that be?" He sounds suspicious. I know this is just the first of many suspicions that will be thrown my way given how easily I was able to hide things from him but so be it. I know I will gain back their trust eventually.

"Man, I'm really tired. Can we talk about this some other time?"

"Sure." He motions to leave the room but stops. "Have you talked to him yet?"

I shake my head, not wanting to think about the outcome of that conversation.

He nods and leaves.

******

[Everette]

I'm coming out of the shower when I see Chase in my room.

He's wearing sweats and a hoodie with his school logo on them. He looks like the same guy I saw at the bar the first night we met. His golden hair is pushed back behind his ears. His shoulders are as broad as ever, looking even more powerful when he crosses his arms. But there is also a loss of innocence in his eyes. There's a jaded look that wasn't there before. There is also a small cut above his eyebrow.

Neither of us speaks as I move around the room and change into some shorts and a t-shirt. I want to run back into the bathroom and wait until he leaves, but I also don't want to look away from him. Ever again.

"So, you're back for good?" He sits on my bed, placing his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie.

I nod and pull a chair over to sit in front of him. Trying to sit on the same bed as him would just be tempting fate.

"What does that mean?" He chews on his lower lip.

"It means, I'm going to go back to being second in command here and will one day take over the Knight Coven." I shift in my seat when he doesn't look away. "It means I failed. I got kicked out of the Star Dust Coven and had to come back with my tail between my legs."

He doesn't look too happy to hear that. He probably hates that I'm back. He sounded angry enough the last time we spoke.

"But that doesn't mean we are going to be forced to be together." I rush out. "You can keep living in the Roderick Coven and we would rarely have to cross paths if we wanted to."

He scoffs in response.

"What I mean to say is, me being back shouldn't change anything." I'm trying to find the best words to ease his anger but it's not working. "Your life doesn't have to change just because I'm here."

He stands without a word and starts to pace. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"I don't know what you want me to say." I admit. I want him to grab me and kiss me so I can stop talking. But that is just what I want. I don't know what he wants.

"I want you to be honest with me." He crosses his arms. "What do you want?"

I watch him, feeling his powers start to resurface. His eyes shine green and I sit up straighter. He's not scaring me, if anything my body is responding in a very inappropriate way to the situation. I want him. What else could I want? What else is there to wish for?

He comes to stand in front of me and growls under his breath. I feel my eyes shining as well. The air between us begins to sizzle and I want to pull away. I stay seated, looking up at him. Wanting to pull him closer to me, closing the space between us.

"Come here." He points to the spot on the floor in front of him.

I drop to my knees with no hesitation. He drops his pants and his cock jumps out, slapping against his sweater.

"Open your mouth." He commands.

I open it eagerly. I've wanted this for so long. Needed it in my system. I don't care that we're currently in a limbo state, unsure of where we stand. I want to do what feels right and right now, this feels more than all right. I want to give him whatever he wants.

He eases the head of his large cock in my salivating mouth and I hum around it, appreciatively.

I bring a hand up to grab the base of his shaft but he stops me.

"Put your hands behind your back."

I follow his orders and wrap both hands behind me. He brings both hands down on each side of my face. I close my eyes and allow him to slowly fuck my mouth. He pushes in slowly and retrieves in the same rhythm over and over again as my tongue massages his underside. I hum again, anticipating his hot cum flowing down my throat. I need him.

He moans when I suck him off, my cheeks caving in and trapping his dick with slight pressure.

"Enough," He grows when I feel him grow in size. I can feel his veins popping out against my tongue.