Page 49 of Untraced Magic
“I’m figuring my adoptive parents were not… magical, and I never knew my birth parents. I was found on the doorstep of an orphanage when I was six months old, with nothing but a locket in my clothing.”
Skye screwed up her face. “A locket? Why would someone leave you with a locket?”
I shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. My mother gave it to me on my twenty-first birthday. Take a look for yourself.” I walked over to the counter, picking up the necklace with the large locket hanging from it, returning to hand it to her. “I know nothing about it. There’s no engraving, only asymbol on the back.”
Skye turned the heart-shaped locket over in her hands, her fingers tracing its delicate etchings.
“This symbol is like nothing I’ve seen before.”
Wes stepped up beside her, hovering over her shoulder. “Do you mind?”
He motioned to the locket, and I nodded as he took it in his hands. Without warning, his eyes turned a deathly shade of ink that flooded his irises completely. Only two black holes remained, indented in his skull.
My eyes flew wide, the chill that spread through me devouring my nervous system. I scurried backwards, falling against the hard wall of Tyler’s chest. He lowered us to the couch until I balanced on his lap, the pads of my fingers pressed into his thigh. His voice scraped my ear. “Be still, it’s okay.”
Fear bolted me to his chest. “What the fuck is going on?” I whispered, gripping his leg tighter.
He chuckled, his voice low in my ear. “That’shisgift. Stay still.”
Just as suddenly, the green orbs of Wesley’s eyes returned. I blinked repeatedly. Was I the only one freaking out here?
Silence stifled the group, eagerly feasting on our uncertainty. Wesley’s eyes swung wildly around the room until landing on Tyler. One word fell from his lips. “Darkness.”
I glared at him. “Well, I sure as hell saw that.”
Skye pinned her hands to her hips, her glare fixed on him. “You need to give us more than that.”
Wesley’s stare turned cold as he focused on me. “Dark magic.”
At his words, three sets of eyes pinned me in place.
“Can someonepleasetell me what the hell is going on here?” I demanded, unable to hide the shudder in my voice.
A thick tension filled the room.
Tyler edged me off him until I sat at his side. He raised a brow at Wes, then looked to Skye, who nodded back.
Turning to me, Tyler dragged his hands through his stubble. “Morgan, every supernatural being you’ve ever heard about is real.”
“Supernatural…” I said, the word sliding off my lips like a landslide in slow motion.
There was no hesitation in his voice this time. “As ineverything. Every being, in every book, in every movie.”
My brows furrowed. “You mean…”
“Everything,” he finished for me. “As in witches, werewolves, vampires… demons. Just to name a few.”
I opened my mouth, as if I had something decent to say but couldn’t gather words. Moments passed, and they juststaredat me. All three of them, silent.
“So, at Jinxed last night…” I couldn’t comprehend what I was even saying and turned to Tyler.
He rubbed his knuckles against each other. “Vampires.”
“I don’t get it…” I started, trying to make sense of all this.
“They were trying to kill you, Morgan, drain you of your blood.”
I realized then the seriousness of last night. Tyler had saved my life, and in doing so, he’d exposed his own secret. I found myself staring openmouthed around the room, unable to grasp my newfound reality for what it was.
