Page 81 of Touch Of Fate
“His attack was hidden in the fading light behind the buildings, and there were two closed shops behind them. He ripped her clothing, and it snapped me out of my shock. My magic surged through me, and I moved closer. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I could see him slow down. He grunted and fell to the side. Adeline’s eyes were wide and terrified. I stood over the man and pulled at his life. He was the one thrashing then, and my fury brought him pain. His legs and arms contracted and bent at unnatural angles. I loved seeing him suffer. The blood drained from his face, and at the time, I didn’t know he was dying, or maybe I didn’t care.” Mara moves closer and puts her hand on my chest. “I killed him. I didn’t know when to stop. He was gone, yet I kept going. Adeline crawled to me and hugged me. She had to say my name numerous times before I snapped out of it. I jerked back when I saw he was nothing but a skeleton.”
“You saved her,” Mara whispers.
“She was in shock, and so was I. Nothing like that had happened before. I still feel horrible that she had to calm me down when I should have been comforting her. She had enough sense to get us away. Our things were yards away, and we hurried back to them. She fixed her clothing and hair enough that we wouldn’t be noticed before we joined the crowd. We didn’t say anything as we put as much distance as we could between the nightmare behind the park. I don’t know how we got home. It’s all a blur. My parents weren’t there as we stumbled into the house. Adeline led me to her room and told me to sit on the bed. She got some clothes and changed in another room. I was in shock and hadn’t moved by the time she came back. We stared at each other, and then she thanked me. Adeline broke. She sobbed, dropping to the floor. We switchedroles again. I got up and wrapped my arms around her. I don’t know how long we huddled together on the floor. Adeline’s magic is more internal. Her spells aren’t powerful, so what little she could do didn’t help her fight him off. My heart broke for her, and I forgot about what I did. I just needed to comfort her.
“She eventually dried her tears and sat up. I didn’t feel guilty for killing him, but I was disturbed by my gift. I had no idea that I could do that. We decided together to keep it a secret. The man wasn’t going to come back, and his bones wouldn’t be identified back then. We swore never to reveal what happened that day, and I haven’t.” I turn my head. “Until today. For months, our special days were held on our property. We didn’t leave the house and chose to eat together outside, where it was safe. Slowly, our conversations resumed their normalcy. The first time Adeline decided we would go back to town, her hands shook. Eventually, things went back to normal. She told me never to be afraid of my gift, as it could save someone’s life. I didn’t believe her, but I pretended to.” I turn on my side. “I should have escorted her that day. She insisted, and I should have done the same.”
“Tonight wasn’t your fault.” She cups my face.
“I should have come home with you. Insisting you leave me was wrong.” I grip her hand and bring it to my chest.
“Cameron would have found a way,” she whispers. “I would rather have it over tonight. Adeline was lucky to have you with her, and you saved her.” She scoots closer. “Everything happens for a reason. We all have done things we regret, but we wouldn’t be where we are without them.”
“I don’t want to think about what would have happened if I hadn’t decided to look for Adeline. If I had waited a few minutes more, it would have been much worse. Tonight, I’m grateful that Archer demanded we come to you. Although you shot a handprint of fire on Cameron’s chest as I arrived.” I grin.
“That was the highlight of the night.” She rolls her eyes.
“How long ago did you meet Cameron?” I ask.
“A couple of months. He was nice. Quiet. Nothing that he did made me suspicious of his intentions.” She frowns. “How could he hide his hate so well?”
“You're a good person, so you can’t imagine how. We know the bad guys don’t show their dark side openly. He pretends to be what you expected him to be.” I kiss her hand before letting her go. “Did you know his dad?”
“No,” she says softly, looking down.
“You don’t like talking about your mom.” Her head jerks up.
“It’s not that.” She leans on her elbow, threading her hand through her hair. “She called us her angels. The three of us were a team. Everything was simple then. She showed us love every minute, and she was my idol. I never met my dad, so I didn’t miss him, but she talked of him fondly. Every day, she made up for his absence. I hated school and couldn’t wait to get home to her. Hiding my magic was a challenge, and kids are cruel to those who are different. So many times I wished to spell them and make their lives miserable. Lace didn’t have an easier time. She was quiet and small; they made fun of her. My touch wasn’t as severe, so that’s how I was able to hit the girls who pushed her around. Of course, I got in trouble and was sent home.” I grin.
“Exactly where you wanted to be.” She lifts a shoulder.
“I didn’t hate it, but it was the times Lace had to stay there. I got sneaky about it then because I didn’t want to leave her.”
“My protector. Was your mom upset?”
“No,” she laughs. “She pretended to be stern in front of the principal. When we got in the car, she told me she was proud of me for taking care of my sister. She told me to always protect her.”
“And you always have.” I admire her loyalty the most.
“I was busy making sure Lace was safe, and I didn’t realize I should have done the same to her. She seemed so fearless and ignored people who looked at her strangely. She wore long dresses or skirts in every color, and looked as if she were floating through life. I thought she was stunning. She would rather spend time with us than make friends with humans. Lace was sad she couldn’t hug me, so Mom made up for it. I tried to show my love in any way I could except touch. Words can only make up for so much,” she whispers, and I glide my fingers over her jaw.
“You did what you could.”
“Maybe,” she mumbles.
“What did your mom say about your gift?”
“She wanted me to practice. I just wanted to be a little girl.” A tear slides down her cheek. “Maybe if I had, I could have saved her like you did, Adeline.”
Chapter Eighteen
Mara
“My Mara, no.” He brushes his thumb across my cheek.
“Even though I thought magic was, well…magical. I wished to be normal. Mom loved being a witch, and I loved watching her create fire with her hand. Lace wanted to be a part of our world, but she saw how hard it was on me. Mom would lecture us in her gentle way, telling us we had to embrace our gifts. She said that one day, I would love it and regret my disregard for my spells.” I sigh. “She was right. Always. We came home from school and found her. I touched her and sawwhat Cameron’s dad did. I didn’t recognize him, but that didn’t surprise me. I didn’t pay attention to anyone around us. That day, my spells burst inside me, and I knew I had to use them to protect Lace. I couldn’t let anyone know that she was gone. My fear was that they would separate Lace from me, and I wouldn’t let that happen. We buried Mom in the yard she loved, and I shielded our house from prying eyes. I did the spells as if I had been practicing like she wanted.”
“Your magic knew you needed it,” he says.
