Page 18 of The Book Reader
“I’ll be back in a minute,” I say.
Even though he has sunglasses on I can feel his gaze on me. I can’t fight the urge to move quickly, but just as I reach him, he vanishes.
“Ari? What are you doing?” I ignore Aunt May, striding over to the tree. When I can find no one there, I frown.
“Hello?” I call out as I walk around it. Where did he go? He was just here. I shake my head—I know what I saw. He was here. “Where did you go?” I mutter to myself as I turn, scanning the cemetery for any signs of him. But it’s like he’s vanished into thin air.
The wind picks up, and the scent of lemons has a moan slipping past my lips before I can stop it. It feels like a part of my body that hasn’t been awake for a long time is starting to stir. I place one hand on the tree and close my eyes, shaking, the need to find this man running through me like wildfire. My face starts to tingle and I snap my eyes open, my hand flying to my cheek at the sensation—like someone is caressing me.
With my hand still on my cheek I back away from the tree, my eyes still glued to the spot where the man had been. My aunt’s hand brushes my arm, and I blink, bringing my focus back to what we’re supposed to be doing here. She frowns at me.
“Is everything okay? What were you doing?” she asks.
Shaking my head at her, I link my arm through hers. “I thought I saw someone. But it was…” I trail off not knowing how to explain. It was the weirdest feeling in the world, like I had just seen a ghost.
“Are you seeing things, Ari?” Her question makes me smile. Maybe I was, and I’m finally going crazy. We make our way to where my parents were laid to rest. My aunt gives me a sad smile as she heads off towards my grandfather’s grave, leavingme at my parents.. They were buried together. In life they never wanted to be apart so in death they will remain together forever. I drop to my knees and smooth away the leaves that have fallen on their grave. Tears start to run down my cheek, and I laugh sadly. “I know, Daddy… my pretty eyes should never have tears in them.” It was always something he used to say to me whenever I would fall over or get upset. “It’s a sad day for us, Dad. I miss you so much, I wish you were here.” Tears are now running fast down my cheek., I would give anything to hug him right now, to smell his earthy scent, the smell of a garden just after it rains. “Mom, I need you. I’ve been dreaming about a man with blue eyes. I wish I could tell you about it, to hear what you think the dream could mean.” I’ve been so long without that some days I wonder how my life would have been different, what advice they both would have given me.
Reaching my hand out, I whisper, “Matutino sole floret ut lux cedit.”As the morning sun blooms, light gives way.
Flowers start to appear over the gravestone in long vines. This was one of the first spells my grandfather ever taught me. He told me that one day I wouldn’t need the spells themselves, that magic would just be a part of me, an extension of myself.
I stand up when I see my aunt making her way over to me, I blow a kiss to my dad then reach out to rub over my mom’s name “I love you both so much. Look after Mom for me.” I smile, knowing he will no matter where they are. He always did.
My aunt is red-faced and puffy-eyed by the time she makes it over to me., She’s like this every time we come here. She places her hand on my shoulder. “Are you ready?”
“Not just yet. Do you mind if I stay?”
She goes to her knees next to me and reaches out to touch the gravestone. “She was so excited to have you. I remember when we found out she was pregnant; your mom and I stayed up all night talking about what your name would be.” She laughs sadlyand then climbs back to her feet. I can tell this is too much for her again. “I’ll meet you at home.”
I nod, unable to speak. I know the story well: it was repeated for every birthday. How I was named after one of my great, great, great aunt’s that was so powerful that no demon or Wicca ever messed with her. It didn’t stop the humans though; she had been burned at the stake when she was twenty-five years old. Instead of saving herself, she hid her powers. She sacrificed herself for her daughter, enabling our line of witches to continue.
I watch my aunt walk off slowly, seeing her stop at a few graves as she goes.
I move to sit on the little bench close by and stare into space. I don’t really know what to say or do, all I know is that I don’t want to leave, and I still have my grandfather to visit. After what feels like hours, I stand up and walk over to where his gravestone is. I smile sadly when I see that my aunt has added flowers and his favorite chocolates.
I kneel and reach out my hand, running my fingers over his name—Lou Jay. The day my grandfather died, I was with him, but I don’t remember much.
He had picked me up from dance class, and then after that, my memory goes black. I never found out what happened, I just remember waking up in the hospital with broken bones and an odd scar—like two puncture marks on the inside of my left wrist. As the years have gone by, it has faded, but every now and then, I get a tingle, almost like pins and needles.
“Got any new spells for me, papa?” He would always have a new one for me to learn every day, small ones, like how to clean my room, or how to make chocolate appear. The last one he taught me was how to hide my body from sight.
“I wish you were here, papa. I feel so lost… You told me that I have all this power, but I don’t know how to tap into it.” Tears start to fall down my cheeks now, and I let them.
A shadow suddenly appears on the ground next to me. I look up, and up, and up, at the tall, attractive man extending a tissue in my direction. I frown slightly as I reach up and take it. “Thank you,” I whisper.
I stand, offering him a sad smile. “This is my family’s plot,” I say, not even sure why I’m offering up that information. The man remains silent, making me look up at him awkwardly. He’s wearing sunglasses, the lenses black, but the way his head is tipped slightly forward, I can feel his eyes on me, causing my cheeks to heat up. Could this be the guy I’d seen earlier? By the tree?
Trying to gather my thoughts, I ask, “Did you know my grandfather?”
“I met him a long time ago. I saw the memorial posted in the paper.” His voice is deep and husky, making butterflies take off in my stomach.
“My aunt will be happy to hear that. She posts that every year, hoping more than the two of us will come.” My voice cracks a little with nervousness. He grins at me, and the smile completely transforms his face. My mouth drops open in shock. He must be the best-looking guy I have ever seen; his features boasting a killer jawline, thick kissable lips and dimples—the man has dimples—giving way to his boyish smile. I’m beginning to wonder if this man is a warlock or daemon, because no man should be this good looking. I hear him chuckle, and it breaks me from my wayward thoughts.
“Sorry… er… What was I saying?” I try to cover my obvious staring.
He smirks at me and I know I’ve just been caught out. He leans in closer, and the scent of lemon invades my senses,making me bite my lip to hold back a moan. “You were asking me how I knew your grandfather,” he prompts.
I’m unable to answer because the sudden urge to kiss him right now is high. I shake myself out of it, because kissing a stranger in front of my dead relatives would be frowned upon. I blurt out, “I’m sorry. But I have to go.” This man makes me feel things that I have never felt before in my life. I need to get away from him as quickly as possible. I turn, only getting a few steps away when he calls out to me.
