OpheliaHesitation had him opening his mouth, his lips parting on an exhale. Within half a second he worked through it. Perhaps it was my expression, the need for truth burning within my gaze that caused him to answer. Maybe it was something else entirely.“Our family has always had a talent for dark magic, but there are limits to its capabilities. It can do many things. It can bring life back into a corpse, though that life will be altered, but it cannot create life on its own.” he explained, gauging my every reaction with those unnerving eyes of his. “Your fourth great grandmother needed a child to further the Morningstar line. She had no siblings, leaving the responsibility to her. No matter the spell, no matter the ritual, she could not carry to term.”“What did she do?” I asked, my voice hoarse.The corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly, “She summoned a demon, of course, but it’s sacrifice was too steep. Her pleas reached another though, something more powerful than a demon
RykerTwo Weeks Later“Jude.”WHACK!“Jude.”“Give me a second.” WHACK!I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Jude, enough.”WHACK! “I said give me a fucking second.”WHACK!“Jude, he’s dead.”Jude paused, the wrench in his hand dripping with blood. It was splattered across his face, creating a Rorschach painting of brutality. He looked up at the lifeless male he’d been taking his rage out on for the past hour and cursed.“Fucking shit. He knew more, I’m sure of it.”I grimaced at the thought of losing whatever information the male might’ve held. Other than that, he meant nothing to me. “Sterling will contact his spirit. Did he tell you anything useful?”Jude’s fingers flexed around the wrench as though he were debating continuing his assault despite his victim being nothing more than a corpse. If he chose to, I wouldn’t stop him. Anything was better than his new routine of going to La Stella to slaughter opponents in the fighting ring or hunting down every Dark Matter dealer on the isla
RykerI hid my clenched fists behind my back. Kimberly ended the call and turned, flashing me a smile with her ruby painted lips. A smile that resembled fresh blood.“Just making sure everything’s perfect for the wedding.” She cooed, fluttering her lashes. I remained still as she reached over, smoothing her hands down the crinkled shirt I wore. Her nails clicked as they passed over a button. “As much as I’m enjoying this grizzly, rugged look, you really need to take better care of yourself. Seriously, what’s been up with you these past two weeks? Don’t tell me you actually miss my bitch of a sister.”Blood roared in my ears. I grabbed her wrist. The urge to snap it in two burned beneath my skin, causing my grip to tighten. She winced, her face paling ever so slightly, though it was hard to tell beneath the concealer she wore.“I’ve delt with you for much longer than I ever should have. Meeting you, making that stupid agreement, was a mistake. You were a mistake, Kimberly.”Each word w
OpheliaOne Month Later“Steady. Hold steady now, my girl.”From my peripheral I could see my father circling me, twin orbs of violet flame crackling in his palms. His movements were fluid and swift as he hurled the first one directly at my face, followed by the second.I pivoted, the grass tickling my bare feet, and willed the beast I’d created into action. The wolf was made of rock and bits of earth welded together by pure magic. Moss sprouted from in between it’s ribcage, blossoming with little white flowers that filled the air with a sweet fragrance. It’s eyes glowed an unearthly green as it lunged.Shattering the first orb of flame with one of my own, I was unable to stop the second. As it hit the wolf’s body, it exploded into chunks of dry earth. I leapt through the plume of dust, bringing a fist down on where my father stood. Within my hand was a blade I’d plucked from thin air.Sparks flew as the blade clashed with the shield my father quickly erected. Through the translucent
OpheliaI was hardly able to sleep that night.Each time I closed my eyes and succumbed to exhaustion I was plagued with nightmares of the day I had lost my life. The sensation of being trapped within my own flesh, unable to move my body, had haunted me for weeks now.Losing your free will did that to a person.Father gave me a reprieve from training the next day, wanting me at max power on the off chance we came across any issues at the nightclub.The club we were visiting, Havoc, had once been a hub for magic users across the country. Potions and spells, hexes and curses, all were exchanged within Havoc’s walls. Witches from all walks of life visited under the guise of night, dark magic users included.As I stood in front of the mirror, my hands splayed out on the vanity’s surface, I ran my gaze over the make-up I had spent the last hour painstakingly applying.Dark liner ringed my eyes, sharp as knives on the outer corners. The silver metallic shimmer on my lids brought out the gre
OpheliaAt a closer glance I could see that Ren Nakamura was several years older than me. If I had to guess, I’d pin him somewhere in his early to mid-thirties. Despite that, he looked young for his age and well put together, though I expected nothing less given his father’s wealth.The women crowding around him giggled as I approached. I spared them a cursory glance, tucking my emotions away.Reminding myself that I was playing a role, I made a show of running my eyes over him, letting them linger on his chest and arms. “Is there a reason you had your goon come and fetch me?”The corner of his lip lifted, exposing a hint of teeth as he flashed me a smile that was nothing short of predatory. “You have no idea who I am, do you?”“I’m new to town.” I replied, “Are you a doctor or something? Maybe a CEO?”He let out a husky laugh that had the women surrounding him flushing, “Something like that. This club that you’re in,” He motioned around us with his hand, “I own it. My name is Ren Nak
JudeOne Hour Earlier…We found her.We found her.We found her.One month, three days, and four hours later, we finally fucking found her.At long last the tracking spell Ryker had been casting religiously snagged on Ophelia. It required blood from the closest relative, which meant we had to get some from Kimberly. We had tried Lucille’s, but the damn thing didn’t take. When I heard about the dark magic spell she’d placed on me I nearly killed her myself, fully aware that I would follow her into the afterlife. It was for Ophelia that I didn’t. The last time we drew blood from her, Kimberly had made the mistake of threatening to harm herself. I watched with equal parts glee and jealousy as Ryker pinned her against the wall, his magic keeping her rooted in place, unable to do so much as blink.The wound on my arm, which was several inches larger than the meager pinprick on Kimberly’s hand, meant for drawing a small amount of blood, was already healing.“If anything, anything at all,
OpheliaI stood at the elevators for a few seconds to regain my composure when I heard the quiet footsteps of someone creeping up behind me.With defensive magic curling around me in invisible wisps, I turned to lock eyes with Nova. Any surprise I might have felt was quickly squashed beneath a mask of cold calm.“Ophelia,” She began, her hands clenched in front of her. “You look good.”I raised my hand, not wanting to hear whatever it was she had to say. All my emotions, all the guilt and pain, had been shoved down deep. I wanted them to remain in the abyss in which I’d thrown them in.“Not interested.”Her flinch told me that she recognized those words. They were the exact ones she told me that day in the halls of Eclipse U. I’d been so desperate to talk to her, to apologize for my horrible mistake.I didn’t blame her for not wanting to hear it, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.This was probably the first time I’d seen Nova without a face full of make-up, and a body full of lace
OpheliaWe ran into a familiar face just outside of La Stella.“Ophelia?”Nova stood a few feet away from the back-alley door leading into the club. She wasn’t wearing her usual lacey, coquette clothing. The babydoll dresses, Mary Jane shoes, and frilly socks were her staple. Her outfits were what drew my attention when we first met. This time there were no bows in her hair or eyeshadow on her lids. It was exhaustion she wore.Her eyes darted around before settling on us. Something had her on edge. Nova wasn’t usually this flighty.“Nova.”I meant for her name to come out as nothing more than a passing greeting, a wall thrown up between two people who had once been friends, but instead it came out like a projectile. The stupid drink that heightened my emotions was still screwing with me.Stupid, it had been so very stupid taking a sip of that drink without confirming it had been the right one. I’d been distracted from the girls slamming into me, but that was no excuse. I had only mysel
RykerI had never paid much attention to what women wore. To get my attention they typically dressed themselves in the finest clothing they had. Jewelry, heels, gowns, the works. They thought it impressed me. It should have.I liked Ophelia most when she wore those small jean shorts that hugged her bottom while she ran across the beach. The little lace tank top she paired with it barely concealed her perky breasts. It wasn’t at all modest, but she was oblivious to that fact. Tomorrow she’d quietly whine and pout, muttering about the horrible sunburn she had. A sunburn that traveled down her chest to the soft swells I wanted to taste.Ophelia was the warmth of Lunar Isle. She was the brightest of colors and softest of sounds.The memory left as quickly as it had come.We talked as we danced. She had her back flush against my chest, her chin tipped to the side as she spoke. Back and forth we went. She was intoxicated from something and would need to be watched. As for me, I was drunk on
RykerWe arrived back at my place to find the house empty, and the wards carved through like sheets of tissue paper.Scraps of the residual magic hovered over just about every surface like confetti.Jude stuffed his hands into his pockets and whistled. “She did this on purpose. Could’ve just unraveled or drained them in that little way of hers, but this? She wanted us to notice.” His eyes sparkled. “Our mate wanted our approval.”I wasn’t going to risk his heart—or his sanity—by telling him I didn’t think that was the case.We found the door to her bedroom wide open, which wasn’t a surprise. I noticed a ball of crumpled paper sitting on the bedside table and picked it up. Almost immediately I could feel Jude hovering over my shoulder like a phantom.“…tasks for Ryker and Jude … earn forgiveness—” Jude lunged forward to try and snatch the paper from my hands. I evaded his grasp and used my magic to knock him back a step. His nostrils flared. “I want it. I’m not fucking around. Give it
RykerA few hours ago…We left Ophelia at the house knowing she’d find some way to eventually break out. Morningstar clearly left her here for a reason and underestimating her had only fucked us over several times. It would never happen again.She was our mate. Kind and compassionate as a ruler should be, but also as vicious and bloodthirsty as a wolf.Jude loved Ophelia as much as he was capable of loving anything. I knew my brother better than anyone else in the world, and I could see that she now meant more to him than I ever had. It didn’t upset me, but it did make me cautious.She knew she held him in the palm of her hand, but I wasn’t sure she realized just how fragile he could be. Her praise would transform him just as quickly as her rejection would shatter him.I wouldn’t lie and say her rejection wouldn’t shatter me as well, but no one had to worry about me leaving a string of bodies in the wake of my grief.Everything would work out in the end, I told myself. We would give ou
OpheliaThe dickhead was right.The moment he stepped away, melting into the crowd, my mind began to race. Jude had been in the fighting ring the first time I laid eyes on him. The brutality of his fight had been both terrifying and beautiful. Would it be Ryker in the ring tonight? Or would it be Jude?I had a feeling they’d be using the remaining members of Diana’s coven. It wouldn’t surprise me if they punished them publicly to try and earn my forgiveness. Too bad it wouldn’t work.The only asses I wanted to kick were Ryker and Jude’s.I made a mental note to add that to my list.Half an hour later the lights flicked off, plunging the entire club into darkness. The music went down in volume until I could hear the excited chatter coming from the crowd.The fighting ring flared to life beneath the stage lights. A young guy with a mohawk stepped into the light. His voice rang with magic, the volume eclipsing that of the music.“Humans, Witches, and Wolves!” The murmuring died down. “We
OpheliaBrushing some stray curls back from his face he grabbed his drink and brought it to his lips. The way he moved was smooth and sensuous, as if he’d had plenty of practice mastering his reactions. “Isn’t it obvious? Our fathers want us to work together.”My eyebrows jumped. What on earth did my father have to do with Lunar Isles military commander? How did they know one another? Clearly my father must have inspired some kind of loyalty for them to go against Ryker.The bond tensed in my chest. On one hand this would benefit my father immensely, but on the other … the bond didn’t like that they could potentially hurt Ryker or Jude.Tears burned the backs of my eyes. What if one of them got hurt? What if one of them—oh that stupid fucking drink.I grabbed the glass of untouched water sitting on the table and took several gulps uncaring of how I looked. A glimmer of panic arose in my chest. The drink was definitely heightening my emotions. Even those few sips were affecting me.I h
OpheliaWaltzing to the shelves of liquor he grabbed three off the first and began pouring random amounts into a large cup. I turned away at that point and leaned against the bar, scanning the basement for any familiar faces.The locator spell wanted me to head straight through the crowd towards the large fighting ring in the center of the room.Standing on my toes, I was immediately slammed into by a group of girls.I righted myself just in time, and bit down on my tongue to keep from lashing out. There were times I swore the potion I took nightly increased my anger. Perhaps that was another side effect.Standing front and center in a group of seven girls total was Diana, Chloe, and Gemma.They looked awful. All three had dark circles around their eyes and looked a good twenty pounds lighter.Before I could say a word the three of them paled, draining of blood until their faces were the color of cold marble. Chloe began to tremble, and Gemma looked as if she were going to vomit. Sens
OpheliaI had plenty of time to plot while spending the next two hours trying to untangle the mess of wards Jude and Ryker placed on my bedroom.Using a notepad and pen I found in the drawer of the bedside table, I’d compiled a list of tasks I’d have them to do earn my forgiveness. Most were juvenile like keying their cars (or in Jude’s case his motorcycle) or having them build me a castle with their own two hands. Others were a bit more demented and ranged from branding them with my name or tattooing it into their skin. Maybe I’d have Ryker declare me Alpha of Lunar Isle.Definitely adding that one.Oddly enough the bond, and my wolf, liked this little outlet I found. The thought of Ryker and Jude reduced to groveling had it humming in my chest.“Hah! Found it.” I lurched into a sitting position. Even though my back was sore from laying on the carpet, a grin took over my face. With a bit of magic I removed the sweat from my body and refreshed my clothes, swapping the torn shorts for
OpheliaI spun around. “Wards. You think wards are going to keep me in here? I’ll drain them just like I drained the dark spell Kimberly placed on Jude.”“That’s if you can find them all, which you won’t.” Jude rolled his lower lip between his teeth. The bond unfurled in my chest. I barely bit back the pathetic whine that threatened to leave me. “I missed hearing you say my name.”Ryker cleared his throat. His hands were clasped behind his back, making him even more imposing than he already was. It didn’t help that his dress shirt and slacks did nothing to conceal the muscled body that hid beneath.“I didn’t take a stand before, but I should have. We should have claimed you the second the bond snapped into place, because you’re all that matters, Ophelia. Not Kimberly. Not the idiotic deal I’d made with her. I fucked up by letting you think otherwise. You might end up hating me more, but this is me taking a stand.” He clenched his jaw, the muscles within twitching. “You aren’t leaving