Page 20 of The Book Reader
He lifts his hand and strokes my cheek. “I could never forget a beautiful face like yours.”
His words are laced with an emotion that I can’t place. He doesn’t say anything else, his eyes darting all over my face, as if memorizing and relearning it all at the same time.
“Who are you?” I whisper, making him smile sadly.
“I have to go to Arianna.” The sound of my full name coming out of his mouth is like a light caress.
He leans forward and kisses my cheek, making it tingle where his lips had been; the same tingle I'd felt in the cemetery.It was him by the tree. The knowledge hits me with a certainty I can’t explain. He pulls back, heading to a black car on the corner. I shake my head to try and clear my thoughts—how the hell had he known my full name?
“Gaelan? Wait!” I shout out.
A man exits the car and opens the door for him. They share a look. Who is this man? Did he really know my grandfather? Gaelan offers me a soft smile.
“You have my number Ari. Call me any time.” I look down and realize I’m holding a business card. “Until we meet again… my Rose”
I look up in time to see him shut the car door. The car is gone within seconds. I take a couple of steps without thinking before I stop myself. I can’t run after a car, I’m notthatcrazy. I glance back down at the card.He called me Rose. No one but…
I gasp. It can’t be... My dream man always calls mehis Rose. But that’s not possible. Is it? I put the card in my pocket and turn, heading back towards the cottage.Maybe I need to talk to my aunt about this, I think to myself. I’ve never told anyone about my dreams, or about the guy in them. He was mine, my secret—and I hadn’t ever wanted to share him. But now, having met Gealan, I mightneedto share. He could be a warlock, or a daemon even…
One thing is for sure, though… until I know more about him and my dreams, I won’t be calling him.
I crestthe hill at the end of our road and a cold feeling rushes through my body. I pause, trying to place it. I scan the street but it’s still. A littletoostill. Slowly, I approach the cottage gate. To the naked eye, nothing looks out of place. But to the magical one? The plants aren’t moving to greet me. There’s nothing magical in the way they sway with the wind. Fear starts to overtake me as I open the gate. But it pushes back against me, slamming shut. I pull my hand away fast and look at the cottage—it doesn’t want me going in.
I close my eyes and pull in a deep breath, and let the magic of my family run through my body. I’ve not done this in a very long time, but right now I need to be a Jay—grounded in my family’s bravery and strength. Lifting my hands, I let the power build, clenching them together before I open them, letting it rush from my body. “Falsitatis.”
Giveaway.
A breeze picks up around me before it slams the gate open. I run past the flowers and push the front door open with a bang.
I skitter to a halt in the doorway, listening. Something is definitely wrong. My aunt should’ve been shouting at me by now for letting the door slam open like that.
It’s so still.
Fisting my hands, I take a few cautious steps down the hallway.
“Aunt May?” I call out, trying to tamp down whatever I’m feeling that tells me she’s not going to answer.
The photos on the wall are all askew, and a few even have smashed glass spilling out from the frames. Still hearing nothing, I move into the kitchen and freeze when I see the drawers and cupboards thrown open—all of the contents strewn across the floor as if someone was searching for something. The windows are smashed; curtains snagged on the jagged edges of glass. But what gives me pause is all the blood
I press my hand against my lips to stifle my scream. I turn to run, but a moan stops me. My head snaps to the side, and I see my aunt’s feet sticking out from underneath the upturned table. “Removere et leva.”Remove and lift. I say, speaking the words as quietly as I can.
I lift my hand, my powers pulse over my skin, making my fingers tingle.. Gold light emanates around me, then flashes forward, wraps around the table, before sending it flying across the room. It smashes into the wall, sending fragments of wood and glass to crash to the floor.
“Aunt May?” My voice wobbles, the words almost catching as I move towards her. The puddle of blood spreading from her prone form has a pit of utter despair opening in my gut.
I drop to my knees beside her, turning her over as gently as I can. I can’t hold in my gasp at what I see. She is covered in bite marks. They overlap all over her arms, legs, and neck. Her faceis slashed, some of the wounds looking deep. But it’s the gash across her stomach that has me sobbing outright. “Shhhh.” Her voice is weak. “Ari…” She coughs.
“What happened? I need to call an ambulance,” I glance around as though that will somehow supply me with the phone I need to do just that..
“An ambulance? Now why would you want to do that?” I jump, twisting to see three men staring at me from the far entryway. The blood smeared on their mouths and clothes tells a violent story. My aunt fought back, but she wasn’t strong enough. All three of them inhale deeply—like hounds scenting prey. I attempt to put my body between them and my aunt’s, but my eyes widen when I hear her voice in my head.
“Run, Ari… run my child.”
I shake my head at her. I can’t leave, she knows I can’t. They’llkillher. One of the men steps forward, his eyes red and fangs still dripping blood when he opens his mouth. He’s daemon. They all are.
“Boss, you smell that?” He sniffs the air.
The tallest one of them nods his head slowly, turning his attention to my aunt with a grin. “Thought you could hide her from us forever, May? Shame on you. I could smell her down the street. So, so sweet.”I stand slowly, adrenaline coursing through my veins, waking my magic further.
