“No, Jackson,” I say, pulling away a second. “What?”“Nothing,” he whispers, his face suddenly a little said. “I was…going to ask you for a promise you couldn’t keep. So. I won’t ask it.”I tighten my hands in his shirt, desperate to know what it is that he wants, desperate to give it to him –But h
“Ariel!” The word bursts from Jackson even as he grins, I think swept away by my laughter even as he’s confused by the direction of my thoughts. “Seriously, what are you talking about? What on earth makes you want to do that?”“I was jealous!” I say, throwing my hands out, my laughter subsiding. “Wh
He laughs, tightening his arms, pulling me a bit closer.“But Jacks,” I say on a sigh, looking up at him. “If you can pass me energy in the morning after our runs and that keeps me going all day…shouldn’t I take advantage of it? I mean, not forever, but right now our time is limited and I want to le
My eyes fly open in the real world and I’m instantly in action, as is Jackson – because the shouts here?God, they’re even louder and more panicked than those we heard dreaming.I leap out of bed, ripping the curtain open, already starting across the room when I stumble over my own feet, my jaw drop
“I do,” Jackson replies, nodding once. “Not important right now. Just…let’s get these shadows tucked away, all right? I want you to imagine like…a fishing rod, with all the shadows attached to the line. And now slowly, mentally, just…start to reel that fish in, okay?”A moment passes as Jesse stares
When the bottle comes around to me I’m ready for it, taking my own long drink, but the boys have already moved on.“Wait so,” Jesse asks, eyes on Jackson, “how did you know how to do that?”Jackson sighs and gives a brief summary of his magic for Jesse’s sake, and then elaborates for all of us. “Whe
He looks up at us and shrugs, his expression wary, like he thinks he might sound crazy.“That’s…scary, man,” Rafe says, his voice breathy. “But also really cool.”Slowly, Jesse breaks out into a smile. “Yeah, I…I think it kind of is.”“Fire goddess, shadow lord,” Jackson murmurs, looking around at u
The next morning I find myself, by some bizarre miracle…at the foot of the bed, blinking awake with my face pressed against Jackson’s chest.God, how did I even get here? I yawn and reach up a hand to rub my eyes. Did I like…crawl down here in my sleep?“We’re never doing this again,” Jackson murmur