NovaEarlier that night…After seeing the shadow more frequently over the last two weeks, I should have never let my guard down. I had just been so tired. It had been three, going on four, nights where I’d got little to no sleep. The shadow man wasn’t just a blip in my peripheral now. He was a fixture in the corner of the room, a feeling that swept over me like a wave of vertigo. The worst part was, I couldn’t tell if what I was seeing were real or if it were due to lack of sleep.The guilt intensified until I could no longer think straight.I picked a spot the size of a quarter along my temple. The platinum strands, so similar to my mother’s, littered the carpet around my vanity. Using a comb, I swept my part to the side an inch. It would cover the damage until I made another hair replenishment potion.Dad suggested I call the therapist, which is about the full extent of his advice these days. When he leaves his office, which isn’t often, I catch glimpses of him in the hallway. Sile
NovaSunlight crept through my curtains, assaulting my eyes until I had no choice but to peel myself off the floor. My body ached horribly from the uncomfortable position. The metallic eyeliner sigil had smudged, leaving glittery streaks across my cheek and arms. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and couldn’t help but gape at the disheveled witch staring back at me.Milkshake meowed again, likely for her breakfast, reminding me that it was well past morning. Not caring what I looked like, I trudged downstairs. Dad was in the kitchen making coffee, as he did most mornings. Most people ceased to function after losing their mate. Dad didn’t, he just stopped doing everything else.Upon entering I tripped over my own two feet and caught myself on the counter. Sitting there was the plate of cookies I’d hastily made last night. White chocolate macadamia. Frustrated with the spirit’s lack of response, I had shoved one into my mouth and stormed upstairs.Two sat on the plate currently
OpheliaI forced open an eye and grumbled, “Nova’s here? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”Edwards snarky reply came a moment later. He was still annoyed from earlier. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s not as if you look like the physical manifestation of death or anything. You’ve also been incapacitated for eight hours. Besides, she’s not going anywhere. She’s been sitting on the front porch pouting since four.”Slapping my hand around until I found my cellphone, I tapped at the screen until the display popped up. The time read 6:58pm.She’s been out there for three hours?I dragged myself out of bed, my joints creaking in protest. The mirror confirmed Edwards’ assessment - my hair was a tangled mess, dark circles ringed my eyes, and my clothes were wrinkled. Still, the pain had all but faded since I’d vomited up the potion.Cautiously, I drew on my magic. Other than a bit of lingering nausea, I was able to conjure a change of clothes in minutes.Edward watched me skeptically as I stumbled out o
Ophelia“We’re insane. This is insane.” Nova fisted her hands in her hair and groaned something unintelligible about dark magic, demons, and her soul withering away. I recognized the pure hysteria in the sound. “But I need to sleep before I dismantle this house board by board and rip the slimy fucker out of the walls—”“Inhale,” I cut her off and she sucked in a ragged gasp. “Now hold it and exhale.”She remained silent.“Exhale, Nova.”Her face began to turn red.I rolled my eyes and made sure she saw it, but had to turn away as the urge to smile made my lips start twitching. Nova had always been dramatic, but Nova without her beauty sleep … whew. I could relate, and that’s the only reason why I was being nice to her about it. We were both being haunted by demons, mine were just of my own making.“Holding your breath won’t kill you, it’ll just make you pass out, which will likely bring the demon out sooner than we want.” I flicked her nose. “So, exhale.”Nova let out a long, shudderi
Ophelia“Hopefully this won’t be necessary, but I’m going to leave this paste here with you.” I told Nova, referring to the foul-smelling gunk bubbling away in a mason jar beside her window. It was my first ever spell made using dark magic, and even now I could feel the oily substance clinging to my insides. Nova kept a healthy distance away. “Only use it to draw the entrapment sigil. There’s no dark magic being used in drawing it, so you’ll be fine.” Another bubble popped, and a small cloud of noxious yellow fumes came out. We both cringed. “Just to be safe, wear gloves.”Heavily armed with all manner of potions, I flicked Nova’s lights off and headed downstairs to wait until her demon appeared.I drifted between rooms for a while, lingering in both the kitchen and the lounge for the longest. I opened the pantry, but Nova’s house was very much an ‘ingredient household’. I opted for a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, which I left on the counter, and moved on. Grabbing the mug of tea
OpheliaThe door swung open and slammed against the wall with a crash. The flames licking at my hands fizzled out, their life sucked away by the thing that stood at the foot of Nova’s bed.It was a shadow in the shape of a man, but the darkness it was made up of was unlike anything I’d ever seen. One glimpse at how it devoured all light, even that from Nova’s bedside lamp, and I could tell it wasn’t the kind of darkness one found in this world.The shadow had no lips, but somehow it stretched them back to flash its sharp teeth.“Nova!” I shouted, but I couldn’t see past the demon. Goddess, let her be alive. She had to be alive. I turned my sights on the demon and tucked away every ounce of fear I felt. This demon wasn’t like the mindless runts my father had summoned. It was capable of thinking—of understanding. Hopefully, it understood this. “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you. I don’t care if I have to rip a portal into your fucking realm to do it.”Its grin began to widen, stretching unt
OpheliaThe back of the house was much like all the others in Lunar Isle. Neat, paved paths led to a swimming pool that glittered like a shined jewel.Sterling sat on a metal chair; his feet crossed at the ankles. I almost laughed at the sight of him sipping lemonade out of a glass, a small stem of mint teetering off the side.“This was not what I was expecting,” I confessed, pulling out the chair beside him. “No Victorian mansion, no imposing statues, no walls of dead ivy. You do live next to a graveyard though, so there’s that,” I added dryly.I had been coming around the house when I spotted a path that led to a set of wrought iron gates. Inside there were countless tombstones, some big and others small. I even spotted a few mausoleums.Sterling smiled but shrugged. “My affinity is death, and I don’t mind it. Apart from a few great Aunt’s who have boundary issues, they mostly leave me be.”“You said I have a magical trace on my phone.” I didn’t apologize for the abrupt change of su
RykerThe purr of the Impala’s engine dampened to a quiet rumble as I pulled up to Edward’s place.His scent was everywhere. Salty like the ocean, but with a bitterness that made me feel like I needed to drink a gallon of water to wash it all down. Ophelia’s scent added a touch of sweetness, a burst of ripe cherries that settled across my tongue like a layer of sugar.Scanning the house, I immediately noticed Edward watching from the front window. His eyes held a claim in them that made me long to tear out his throat.Only a fool couldn’t see what the boy was planning. He wanted our mate, and not for the things he’d claim to want her for. Everything out of his mouth was sure to be a lie.Disposing of him would be smartest. Kill him before he kills us. Kills her. He’ll finish the job, and then who will you have? Jude won’t say in this world long—not without her. Edward needs to die. Tonight. Right now. A snarl ripped out of me. “Stai zitto, cazzo! Voci di merda!” [Shut the fuck up! Fu
NovaWhatever I thought I’d been prepared for—it wasn’t this.He wasn’t some decrepit, mangled creature dredged up from the darkest pits of Hell. There were no pus-filled boils or swathes of infected, blistered skin peeling from his face and torso. No forked tongue or souls of the damned clawing to free themselves from his rotting body.He was tall and lean, with lightly tanned skin. His body was sculpted in a way that made every line of him feel intentional. Dangerous. His inky hair was unruly, curling around his forehead and ears. There was a thick white streak sliced through it, striking and unmistakable.Two crimson eyes, like polished rubies stared out at me.Tattoos inked his skin in bold, strange patterns. They coiled around his upper arms, around his throat, and around the contours of his chest.In his hand—of all things—was a rubber spatula.He was eating the vanilla buttercream I had made straight from its container. My breath caught again. I had planned to use that frostin
NovaThe sun was a burning halo above me as I made my way back to my towel on the beach. I relished the subtle sting along my shoulders and neck—one that told me I’d have a slight sunburn tomorrow.Waves crashed at my back, spilling from an entire ocean that shimmered like diamonds, whispering sweet secrets of freedom. My muscles still ached from the two hours I had spent surfing.Hoisting my board above my head, I jabbed it down into the moist sand. A cold chill passed over me just as I flopped down onto my towel. Grabbing a cold water from my pouch, I emptied half of it over my head and chugged the rest.A quick glance to my left revealed my phone, the screen flashing with a call from Ophelia. Suddenly, the brief glimmer of freedom I’d been savoring turned to salt and betrayal.Digging my fingers into the warm sand, I breathed in deeply and let the sounds of crashing waves and squealing children blot out my own internal screaming. I could feel the grains of my own lies grinding agai
OpheliaMy head snapped up. The rich scent of whiskey hung in the air, sharp and unmistakable. Edward had been drinking, but not enough to lose himself. His posture was too controlled, his gaze too sharp as it slid over me.“What?”“You were smiling to yourself, and your face is flushed.” He said, his voice smooth, but the tension coiled beneath was impossible to miss. “So, I asked, fun date?”I met his gaze, my pulse quickening for a reason that had nothing to do with attraction and everything to do with unease. Edward wasn’t stupid. He knew what my smile had been about. He knew where I had been—who I had been with.He wasn’t pleased.Internally, I tried not to panic.There was a reason why Ryker and Jude had dropped me back off at Edwards house, despite our agreement stating I had to sleep under their roof.My father was coming today.At two a.m. exactly he’d be stepping through a portal with another batch of those mate-bond suppressing potions. I still hadn’t fessed up to the lie t
OpheliaThe party transformed the moment those below the age of eighteen were corralled and sent to bed.A silencing spell was placed over the house, and the music was cranked up. Its melody spilled through the night like liquid gold. It pulsed in the air, a living thing, twining around the palm trees until even they swayed to the enchanting tune.Everything became louder. The music. The laughter. The conversation. Everything was rich and unrestrained, mingling with the scent of wine and sea salt.Jude stuck to my side like my own personal wraith. There were some tense moments where I thought he’d snap and swing at someone—or worse, stab them—but all It took was a single glance, a brush of my fingers against his bare arm, and he’d turn away from w hat was pissing him off to follow me wherever I went.It was strange, and even worse, I liked it.After being plied with just enough wine to give me a light buzz, I pulled both Jude and Ryker back into the throng of people dancing. There wer
OpheliaI returned to find Ryker in a heated discussion with who I assumed was another family member. The two were speaking rapidly, their expressions darkening like rolling storm clouds.“Te l'ho detto, Jude si è scusato. Ha sostituito la macchina, vero?” [I told you, Jude apologized. He replaced the car, right?]The man pointed at Ryker and growled, “Sappiamo entrambi che sei stato tu a sostituire la mia macchina. Tieni quel punk psicopatico lontano dalle mie cose! [We both know you're the one who replaced my car. Keep that psycho punk away from my stuff!]” Snatching a beer from a nearby ice bucket, he staggered off muttering to himself in Italian.Ryker was smirking to himself when I approached. “Did he say Jude’s name? What did he do this time?”“Nothing as of recent. He may have set Luca’s car on fire in the past though.”“Guy holds a grudge.”“Wouldn’t you, tesoro?”I shrugged. “I don’t know. Jude can be charming when he wants to be.”Folding his arms over his chest, Ryker crane
OpheliaThe fear that had been churning in my stomach, souring the fruit I’d been insane enough to eat from Ryker’s hand, simmered the entire drive—only to fizzle into bewilderment as we pulled into the driveway of a massive house. I could make out its red-tiled roof beyond a courtyard shaded by swaying palms.The sound of music, bold and joyous, trickled to us past rows of fountains and hedges of exotic flowers. There were so many of them that I was momentarily lost in all the color.Ryker held out his arm and my treacherous heart skipped a beat. “Do you really think I’m going to take that after you forced me here?”He could tell I wasn’t angry, and I hated him for it.Taking his arm, I followed him through the courtyard, our feet falling quietly on the stone pathway. A breeze whispered by, but instead of smelling the sea, I was met with the rich scent of herbs and roasted tomatoes, and— Was that bacon?Laughter sounded from somewhere inside the house, past the windows and wrought-ir
RykerThe purr of the Impala’s engine dampened to a quiet rumble as I pulled up to Edward’s place.His scent was everywhere. Salty like the ocean, but with a bitterness that made me feel like I needed to drink a gallon of water to wash it all down. Ophelia’s scent added a touch of sweetness, a burst of ripe cherries that settled across my tongue like a layer of sugar.Scanning the house, I immediately noticed Edward watching from the front window. His eyes held a claim in them that made me long to tear out his throat.Only a fool couldn’t see what the boy was planning. He wanted our mate, and not for the things he’d claim to want her for. Everything out of his mouth was sure to be a lie.Disposing of him would be smartest. Kill him before he kills us. Kills her. He’ll finish the job, and then who will you have? Jude won’t say in this world long—not without her. Edward needs to die. Tonight. Right now. A snarl ripped out of me. “Stai zitto, cazzo! Voci di merda!” [Shut the fuck up! Fu
OpheliaThe back of the house was much like all the others in Lunar Isle. Neat, paved paths led to a swimming pool that glittered like a shined jewel.Sterling sat on a metal chair; his feet crossed at the ankles. I almost laughed at the sight of him sipping lemonade out of a glass, a small stem of mint teetering off the side.“This was not what I was expecting,” I confessed, pulling out the chair beside him. “No Victorian mansion, no imposing statues, no walls of dead ivy. You do live next to a graveyard though, so there’s that,” I added dryly.I had been coming around the house when I spotted a path that led to a set of wrought iron gates. Inside there were countless tombstones, some big and others small. I even spotted a few mausoleums.Sterling smiled but shrugged. “My affinity is death, and I don’t mind it. Apart from a few great Aunt’s who have boundary issues, they mostly leave me be.”“You said I have a magical trace on my phone.” I didn’t apologize for the abrupt change of su
OpheliaThe door swung open and slammed against the wall with a crash. The flames licking at my hands fizzled out, their life sucked away by the thing that stood at the foot of Nova’s bed.It was a shadow in the shape of a man, but the darkness it was made up of was unlike anything I’d ever seen. One glimpse at how it devoured all light, even that from Nova’s bedside lamp, and I could tell it wasn’t the kind of darkness one found in this world.The shadow had no lips, but somehow it stretched them back to flash its sharp teeth.“Nova!” I shouted, but I couldn’t see past the demon. Goddess, let her be alive. She had to be alive. I turned my sights on the demon and tucked away every ounce of fear I felt. This demon wasn’t like the mindless runts my father had summoned. It was capable of thinking—of understanding. Hopefully, it understood this. “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you. I don’t care if I have to rip a portal into your fucking realm to do it.”Its grin began to widen, stretching unt