Page 16 of Overwhelmed By Magic

“How did you die?” Ambrose asks, finding amusement in the way Harlow’s face hardens. I guess it’s a sensitive topic but he got a new lease on life as a Magila. Isn’t that what everyone wants? To harbor essence.

His hatred for Ambrose is something I can nearly taste, his aura supercharging the air with a frost that is unnatural. “Some fucking mage didn’t clean up his mess and nearly killed my stepbrother.”

“So you played the hero and saved him? You wanted to be a Magila that fucking bad?”

In a split second, Harlow goes from standing a few feet from us to gripping Ambrose’s shirt in his hand, aura so thick and black that it’s nearly another entity altogether. “We had everything planned. Everything. And then someone like you decided he wanted to play with essence with no regard to the fucking humans around. That mage nearly took everything from me. Skye would not have survived that pull and for the record, Magila fucking suck. Essence? A joke. If I had the choice, I’d give Mother Nature’s gift right back to the goddess who thought it was funny giving it to me.”

Ambrose does well not to react. I’ve seen him blow up, his essence able to restrain anyone he deems a nuisance. It’s easier to list the number of things he can’t do than the other way around. Harlow releases him, not soon enough for my liking, before turning his rage-filled expression to me.

“I’m sure you’re both very happy here, living a life away from everyone who deemed you guys rejects. But I’m not fucking staying here.”

Despite his rage and eccentricities, he’s fairly predictable. “I suppose that’s because of the human with you?”

That thick aura is back, bleating around him, threatening to unleash a darkness I’ve only ever seen from a few Magila here. “Hands off,” he spits, venom dripping from his words. His eyes have turned an ice blue and I barely miss the crackle of essence running through them.

“You’ve claimed him?” My head tilts to the side, a stray wisp of white hair falling into my face. The shit is longer than I like but I can’t find it in my heart to cut it as if some of my essence has extended to my hair and the earrings I wear religiously.

Harlow’s gaze flits between the two of us. “He’s a fucking human. Why would I-” He catches himself, obviously realizing my intentions. Humans aren’t claimed the same way Magila are but a claim is usually honored nonetheless. “Yes, he’s claimed but he’s not a piece of meat.”

So, the spirit doesn’t realize anything odd about Skye. Interesting. “You recognize his scent, right? How sweet it is? It was dangerous dragging him to Astral Academy.”

“Just as dangerous as you popping in for a little visit.” He’s not going to answer my question but I didn’t expect him to. “Excuse me while I go find my human,” he sneers, reaffirming his claim. “Your fucking uncle found it hilarious to drag me out of his graduation and I know Skye well enough to know that he’s already gearing up to fight the system.” Harlow fades out of existence and I stare at where he used to stand, even more confused than before. Spirits don’t fade. Harlow looked like he stepped into or through something, something that we can’t see on this side of the plane.

Laughter bubbles from my throat, Ambrose glaring at me as I wave him off. “We’ve grabbed a few interesting Magila this year.”

“You aren’t worried the spirit is going to try something stupid?”

“No. I’m sure he’ll be back. Call it a hunch, I suppose.”

11

SKYE

The next few hours are a mess, my phone blowing up with calls and texts, most of them from my mother. I stuff myself in my room, avoiding any contact with the outside world, unsure of how I’m supposed to handle tomorrow.

Or the next day.

Without Harlow…

“Miss me?”

My breath catches in my throat as I whirl around to see a slightly frantic Harlow standing in my room, the man sporting an uneasy grin. I throw myself into his arms, clinging to him for the comfort I know only he can provide. “They fucking took you.” My voice is rough even though I haven’t said a word since Dmitri dragged him out of the arena. I can only imagine how I look, my hair standing in multiple different directions, my clothes disheveled from the constant pulling at my chest as I try to make sense of my thoughts.

It doesn’t help that the essence in my wrist has been tingling, threatening to do something more than just wind itself around my skin. For reasons unknown to me, having Harlow’s arms wrapped around me makes the world fall away. It’s just the two of us.

“I’m not leaving you, babe. Never. I told you that.”

Grimrose Academy can’t possibly be that easy to slip out of. “But how…”

“Shhh, just let me hold you.” His words tell me that he needs this embrace just as much as I do, both of us a little freaked that we wouldn’t ever see each other again. My phone buzzes again but I don’t get the chance to chuck it across the room when it merely just shifts out of existence. At any other time, I would argue with Harlow about throwing things into a void I don’t understand. For now, I’m grateful.

I sag against his chest, burying my nose into the curve of his neck, my intentions slowly turning into desire until my lips are sucking lightly on the skin. Harlow grunts, his arms tightening around my back, fingers digging into my waist.

“Babe, I’m too fucking high-strung right now. If you start this-”

Answering him with a kiss to his jaw, Harlow takes that as an invitation and walks us back to my bed. He begins undressing me, kissing down my neck and shoulders until he’s on his knees in front of me, fingers dancing along the waistband of my pants.

Harlow has always worshiped me in moments like this. Even when he needs my touch as much as I need his, he never rushes it. His aura thickens, the room’s temperature dropping a few degrees and I know that whatever he’s about to say is going to break my heart. “I can’t stay,” he whispers. “But I didn’t get to say goodbye.” I run my fingers through his hair as he places a kiss on my lower belly before taking my free hand and placing his lips to the marks on my wrist.

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