Page 80 of Touch Of Fate
“Shhh…” She glares at him. “I’ll have a chat with Adeline when we get back.”
“I think I’m going to get some rest,” Lace says, setting her cup in the sink.
“I’ll come with you,” Archer says, and Mom sucks in a breath. “No.” He looks at her sternly. “I’m tired and I don’t want Lace to be alone.” Her shoulders droop.
“I won’t fight you. My anxiety is at an all-time high.” Lace squeezes Mom's hand as she walks around her. She stops in front of me. “Thanks.”
“For what?” I tilt my head.
“Loving her,” she says, smiling. “Come on, big man. Spell my house to the max.” She waves as she walks out the door.
“Archer.” He stops in the doorway, and I leave my seat.
“Don’t worry,” he says gruffly. “I’ll take a walk around the neighborhood. Make sure we don’t have any panicked humans from the storm of magic.”
“I appreciate it.” I grab the back of his neck and hug him quickly. “Take care of her.” He nods, smiling slightly, and I know we are going to be fine. As I turn back, Mom is dabbing her eyes with the towel.
“I raised my boys right,” she says shakily. I share a look with my dad.
“Mom, I appreciate the tea,” I start.
“But you want us to go,” she finishes.
“Yes.”
“I want you to call us tomorrow, or even better, get some food with us.” She puts all the cups in the sink and wipes the counter off. “Give Mara our love.”
“I will.” Dad brings his tea to the kitchen and then moves toward me.
“Don’t dwell on it,” he instructs. He hugs me and waits for Mom in the living room.
“Seal the house tight,” Mom says, looking at me sternly as she rounds the counter. “Be good to her. Tell her you love her, and everything will fall into place.” She pats my cheek and joins Dad. “Make sure to ask her about the owl. It has magic inside it.” She waves as she disappears, clutching Dad’s hand. Mom doesn’t miss much.
I quickly lock and spell every window and door. Moving into the bedroom, I do the same and change. Mara is sleeping deeply and doesn’t budge as I climb beside her. I turn to my side and look at her. Is this love? When I saw Cameron, my heart ripped in two. His hate directed at Mara made all the control I tried to build up on the way back to her explode. How could I not see his true intentions? No matter what Mara thought, I knew he wanted her. I could sense his obsession to a point, but I didn’t think his involvement was as severe as it was.
Mara has spoken briefly of her mom, yet didn’t tell me the details of her death. I knew she felt great pain. Losing someone is difficult, and she is still deeply affected. My soul bond hides too much. She takes on the responsibility of those she loves to the point where she has lost herself. I don’t deserve someone so selfless. I’m selfish enough not to care. She’s mine.
My magic has always been great, but meeting Mara has expanded my skills. Healing has never been my specialty. The most I have been able to do is heal minor cuts. When I saw the marks on her neck, I lost it. The spell burned inside me, urging me to use it on her skin. It wasn’t right to have marks on her body. I can still see her bruises, but only in my memory. The owl must have healed the remaining marks, and my mom is right: we need to talk about the bird. My body is calming, and most of my tattoos have gone back to normal. I could feel them glowing and throbbing when I was draining those men. It’s as if my powerwas on overload, and they couldn’t contain so much as once. I was horrified when I realized I was wearing a white shirt, and I couldn't believe I hadn’t noticed sooner. Adeline's warning was throbbing in my head. Hurting Mara is the last thing I would do, but my body was filled with buzzing energy, and I couldn’t take the chance. Before coming here, I’d only taken one life at a time, and only a handful throughout my life.
Rolling to my back, I stare at the ceiling. Sleep won’t be possible tonight. My thoughts are scrambled, and no matter what my family says, guilt still eats at me. Mara is a powerful woman and witch, but it’s still my job to keep her safe. We couldn't predict Cameron's actions, yet something should have tipped me off. The danger is over for now. I have a nagging thought of the other man who came into the store. I don’t think he will go away. He’s determined to find Jerry. He could be a problem that I need to fix. Mara doesn’t need anyone else digging into her life. If I express my concern to Mara, she will want to be at my side when I find him. It doesn’t feel right. Archer might be the right warlock to deal with him. He can change the man's memories and cut off the questions and concerns. I can’t take another kill. My magic is full. I won’t remember any of the men's faces in that house, but the first man I killed will always remain in my head.
“You’re frowning.” I turn my head, and Mara runs her fingertip across my forehead.
“I was thinking,” I murmur, closing my eyes briefly, relishing her touch.
“About?” She drops her hand, tucking her palms together under her cheek.
“How do you feel?” I ask.
“Still sleepy,” she whispers.
“Go back to sleep.”
“Tell me,” she demands, and I give in.
“I was thinking about the first man I killed. Sometimes, I can’t decide if it’s a good memory or bad.” I turn away. “Adeline has always been wild. She takes life as an adventure. Uncle Mavin came into her life later, so she lived with us for years. We had dates together. She called them nephew and aunt exploration dates.” I smile softly. “We would go into town, have lunch, and shop. Sometimes, we would go to the museums, or if there was a carnival in town. At least once a month, we would get up early and make a day out of it. In my early years, I took being a warlock as a cool trick. Adeline encouraged me to be frivolous. We enjoyed the fuck out of each other's company and showed our love. Our family has never been one to hold back on showing affection. Life is too short, and our circle of friends is incredibly small.
“On one excursion, we went to the park and had lunch. I was fifteen and just growing into my body, but I still looked young. We sat there for hours talking. No topic was off limits to Adeline. She was always honest and open about her life and experiences. Learning from her was always interesting. Her stories were always hilarious, yet always had a meaning.” I fold my arms behind my head, my fists clenched. “We were discussing where to go next. Our plans were always vague, and we let the day guide us. She needed to use the restroom and insisted I stay there and pack up the remains of our food. The bathrooms were not far, and I watched her walk across the park. It didn’t take long for me to get our things in order, but she hadn’t returned. I waited a little longer. I started to grow concerned and decided to go after her. I grabbed our things and followed the path she took. As I walked between two small buildings, I heard muffled screams. Dropping everything, I ran around them. I froze when I saw a man on top of Adeline. His hand was under her skirt, and his other hand was over her mouth. He had my elegant,sophisticated aunt on the ground in the dirt. Adeline’s feet were kicking up dust as she thrashed them.
