Page 11 of The Discovered
“You can get under the covers,” I said, feeling guilty about making him uncomfortable in his admittedly sweet gesture. “But don’t try anything.”
“How generous,” Daelon taunted. “And I wouldn’t dare.”
He didn’t have to make it sound likethatpreposterous of an idea. I shook my head at myself. I needed to go back to sleep.
As we lay quietly together in the darkness, I resolved to ask him more about where he came from and why it was his purpose to help me. I knew that it might’ve been insane to allow this stranger to get so close, especially when I didn’t know my friends from my foes. I knew I had enemies here; my nightmare was a good reminder of that. The sooner I got to the bottom of who they were—and whoIwas—the better.
And where did Daelon fit in? As much as I wanted to remind myself that without my clairsentience he was as good as an enemy to me, I couldn’t deny the sense of safety that washed over me as he lay beside me.
And with him there, I drifted off easily into a dreamless sleep.
This time when I awoke, I was calmer. Working through grogginess, it took me a moment to realize there was a weight on my chest. I opened my eyes to see Daelon’s arm wrapped around me like a vine. He was fast asleep, his head buried into the comfortable silk pillow. So much for not trying anything… maybe he wasn’t as immune to me as he let on.
I slipped out from under his grasp, and he stirred but didn’t wake. I was surprised to find that my ankle wasn’t aching. I pulled it out from under the covers and sat up to rest on the edge of the bed. I gasped in astonishment to see that the bruising and swelling had disappeared. Tentatively, I stood, putting some weight on the once-injured joint. It felt tight, but not painful. Delighted not to be so helpless anymore, I made my way to the lavish en suite bathroom to brush my teeth.
The witch realm seemed to agree with me, I thought, as I studied myself in the tall, gold-framed mirror. The reddish hues of my long copper hair shimmered, and my green eyes looked bright and alert. My fair skin with golden undertones was clear and practically glowing. What was in the water here?
Somehow Daelon had obtained most of my belongings from my apartment, and I wondered if his mysterious, magickal ways included a run-in with my roommates. What must they think of me? And everything that had happened? Their terrified faces flashed in my mind, and my heart ached. I missed them more than anything, but with my power returning, no one around me was safe anymore. The best thing I could’ve done for them was leave. Who knew how many witches like the fake cop were already on their way to me as soon as that taxi crashed through the glass? I shuddered, remembering how it felt to have him syphon my energy. It was cold, intrusive, and cruel—like a leech digging its teeth into my soul, draining me. Daelon was right. Anyone who had the gift of magick and chose to use it forthatwas the scum of the earth.
I went back into the bedroom to pick out clothes for the day. I wasn’t really sure whatwitch trainingwould entail, but I thought it best to ensure full range of motion. I settled on black athletic leggings and an olive-green tank top. Although Daelon seemed to be fast asleep still, I slipped back into the bathroom to change. To get my hair out of my face, I swept my long locks into two French braids that rested at my shoulders, with a few strands left out to frame my face. I stole one last glance into the mirror, my eyes jumping to the lace trim of my bralette peeking out from beneath the tank. I pursed my lips and pulled the fabric up.
Daelon was still sprawled out in my bed when I returned, his arm resting where my body used to be. I walked slowly to him, studying his relaxed features in the morning light. I was perplexed by how much softer and more innocent he looked this way, as unconsciousness kept him from putting on any carefully constructed—and often downright domineering—fronts. His facial muscles were relaxed, the hollows of his cheeks shifting slightly with each slow intake of breath. His dark hair was a bit messy from sleep.
I wanted to read him so badly. It was a compulsion. Maybe he was more vulnerable in his sleep. I moved to stand over him, closing my eyes in concentration as I reached out with my mind, feeling around his energetic field for anything perceptible. I was met with only resistance, like an impenetrable steel wall. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled in warning before a psychic shockwave knocked me out of my concentration.
My eyes fluttered open, and I gasped in surprise to find Daelon staring straight back at me.
“What are you doing?” he snapped. He glared at me, and what was once soft in his features hardened. As if remembering where he was, he quickly pulled his outstretched arm back from my side of the bed and sat up. He stretched and flexed his taut muscles as he frowned at me.
I tried to replace my shocked embarrassment with a smirk.
“Did I—” He looked appalled.
I crossed my arms. “Try to spoon me? Yes,” I teased, feigning the scolding tone he’d been all too comfortable using with me.
“Sorry about that.” He shook his head, but then narrowed his eyes again. “You were trying to get inside my mind,” he accused.
My cheeks heated up, but I tried my best to remain impassive. “Can you blame me?”
He considered my words for a moment. “Don’t try it again,” he ordered. “Not that you’d ever be able to.”
How frustrating. I shrugged as if unbothered. “We’ll see.”
Anger flashed in his eyes. He got up from the bed quickly and strode to the door. “It’s in poor manners to force your way into another’s mind, on par with energy syphoning without consent.”
I frowned, considering an apology as the weight of his words sunk in. But he had to understand how impossible of an ask it was for me to trust him on his words alone, given everything that had happened.
“Eat some breakfast, and then be ready to train,” he said without turning. “Glad to see your ankle is healed already.”
I crossed my arms, flustered by him ordering me around like that yet again. The phrasehot and coldseemed to have been created just for him. But he was my only hope of surviving this new world at the moment. As soon as I had a better grasp of my abilities and the nature of this realm I wouldn’t need him anymore—or anyone, for that matter.
And I couldn’t help but grow excited to feel the rush of my power again.
After I made coffee, I waited for him in the living room while considering the fireplace I had lit yesterday with my magick. I leaned back on the plush, black suede couch. Daelon had disappeared into what I presumed to be his bedroom, and I made a mental note to explore the rest of the cabin later. Growing impatient, I set my coffee down on the table in front of me and walked over to the tall windows to gaze at the beautiful scenery. It reminded me somewhat of the Pacific Northwest, or maybe Colorado, with its tall evergreens and mountainous terrain.
Suddenly a chill slithered down the length of my spine, carrying with it a familiar feeling of a dark, alluring power. Power that didn’t belong to me—yet was just as intense and all-consuming. I scanned the trees, taking an instinctive step back as a figure emerged in the distance. Its outline was hazy as if made from blackened smoke.
My breath caught in my throat. “Daelon?” I called, trying to quell the rising panic in my voice. In an instant the imperceptible figure vanished, leaving me to wonder if I had really seen it at all. But I couldn’t deny the energy that had called out to me from deep within the woods—strikingly similar to the abyss in my dream. It was such a fleeting energetic read that I couldn’t be sure, though.
