Page 30 of Her Wicked Knights
Whit shrugs, a grin nestled in the corner of his mouth that doesn’t disappear when he takes a sip from his beer. He’s hot, in a slightly unhinged way, and the way his eyes settle on me makes me think he might be open to something later.
“Something like that.”
“So, they killed her.” Carson says. I’m surprised he sounds disappointed, but when I glance at him, he’s only staring at Whit. “Then how do you plan to take back the magic?”
“Principle of Conservation of Energy.” Whit says simply, like that’s supposed to clear it all up somehow. When he doesn’t elaborate, I glance at Tripp for a little help, but he just laughs, clearly uninvested.
“Energy cannot be created or destroyed.” It’s Colton who answers, to my surprise. I turn to ask how he knows that, but I don’t have to because he shrugs.
“Only transferred.” Tripp agrees, though his lips are still turned down as he tries to piece together how all of these things fit together.
“It’s why there are so many case studies for life after death, reincarnation… a body dies, but the force within it? That’s energy, and it has to go somewhere.”
I’ve never thought about it that way. My father preaches about things after death, arbitrary reasons we have to live a certain way. Things like heaven and hell, God and the Devil. I’ve always considered it a crock of shit, but Whit’s got a point. When someone dies, their body begins to rot right away. Where does that energy go once it’s left the confines of flesh?
Whit chuckles, clearly realizing he’s got me intrigued. Not about magic nonsense or fairy tales, but on a deeper, philosophical level. “Magic is energy, same as anything else. When the witch burned, that magic went somewhere.”
“Where?” Carson asks quickly. He’s leaning forward a bit, clearly intrigued by the possibility of what Whit is claiming.
Whit’s silent a bit as he considers that.
“If I knew…” he smirks, “I’d have taken it back by now.”
16
Marley
"MarleyLavigne!"
I've just heard my name and haven't even had a chance to place the voice before arms close around my neck and someone's weight is on my back.
The tart scent of cranberry juice and vodka clues me in two seconds before I turn and Lacey Perkins plants a kiss on my cheek. "I haven't seen you in forever!"
I like Lacey, but we've never been terribly close, so I'm a little surprised by her sudden affection. I assume it has everything to do with the vodka, which seems to be primarily what she's drinking. The cup in her hand is clear, so I see the tinge of red that I suppose is cranberry juice. "Lacey." I laugh, accepting the hug she's giving me, partly because I think I'm all that's holding her up right now. "I haven't seen you in so long. How have you been?"
"Terrible." She laughs. "I'm at that boarding school now. It's very elite, very creepy, very much not Serenity Hollow."
"Boarding school?" I guess that explains why I haven't seen her in a while.
"Mm. My aunt's like, got a boyfriend who teaches there, and he got it in her head that it's where everybody who's anybody is going." She rolls her eyes. "Anyway, how have you been? Are you still single or did you and Colton finally get over yourselves and fuck?"
"What?" I can't help but laugh. It's so left field; Colton is the last person who would ever be interested in me. We're friends, but I don't even know why. It's not like we have a lot in common, unlike with Tripp. I'd say it's out of habit, but that's doing him a massive disservice. Colton and I just... fit. It's never been awkward with him, and the silence is as comfortable as our debates over everything we don't agree on. He's never shown any interest in anyone, honestly... which is why him dating my best friend came as such a surprise.
And speaking of my best friend, where is Audrey?
I scan the crowded kitchen, looking for any sign of my friend. She tends to be hard to miss with that bright red hair, and yet I don't see her.
"Oh, comeon." Lacey laughs. "Fuck off with your denial! You'd have to be blind to not see that he's into you... in that broody way of his."
"I think you drank too much." I tell her, taking the cup from her hand and sniffing it to see if my suspicions about it being mostly liquor are correct.
"Oh yeah," she rolls her green eyes, "go ahead and deflect. Nice."
That gets a laugh from me. "I am dating someone." I tell her conspiratorially.
"Not Colton?"
"Nope."
