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I STOOD AT THE EDGE of my porch, the night wind ruffling the branches of the nearby trees. The sudden need was magnetic, irresistible—a yearning that eclipsed reason and obligation with its intensity. Brad was just across the way, separated by shadows and the lure of forbidden desire. I could feel him, as if our bond sent out invisible tendrils, seeking each other in the night.
“Unbelievable” I clenched my fists, the internal battle raging within me.
If we were caught, the consequences would be dire: expulsion from the Council’s inner circle, a broken reputation. And yet, the thought of his touch caused a rebellion in my heart.
The night breeze carried Brad’s drawl to my ears. “Hey.”
He was leaning against the trunk of an old oak tree, hands in pockets, looking as casual as if the world wasn’t about to implode around us.
“Hey yourself.” My feet moved of their own accord, luring me to him like a magnet. I couldn’t resist the electric hum of our bond, even though I knew better. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“I know.” His grin was infectious, bright even in the darkness
“I should go.” I tried to sound firm, but my feel didn’t move. The way he looked at me, like I personally hung every star just for him, made my knees weak.
He stepped closer, pine and earth mingling in the shrinking space between us. “Ah, but what’s life without a little risk?”
I let out a heavy sigh. “Life is...safer. Especially with the High Witch watching my every move.”
“Tell me something.” His gaze sought mine, probing for an answer we both already knew. “Can you feel me even when I’m out of sight?”
“Always,” I admitted. The admission hung in the air, a truth as real and powerful as the magic thrumming through my body. “It’s like an invisible string ties us together.”
He moved even nearer until only just a breath separated us. “Bound by something deeper than spells or destiny. Maybe it’s because we’re two of a kind, Sage. Misfits in a world of dusty, old rules.”
“Or maybe it’s because you’ve got a piece of my heart,” I whispered.
A slow smile spread across his face. “Could be. Though I bet it has more to do with that potent seventh-level magic you wield. Forever weaving connections that shouldn’t be possible.”
“I think it’s about you and me, not my powers,” I replied, unable to suppress a smile.
“Let’s make the most of tonight, then. Before reality rips us apart again.” Brad’s blue eyes were alight with moonglow.
“Brad...” I said, the warning clear in my tone.
But then all the reasons this was reckless and foolish dissolved, until nothing existed but the two of us.
He gathered me in his arms. His lips found mine, and I softened in his embrace, my hands tangling in his hair, holding him closer still. For a blissful moment, nothing else mattered. Not the rules we broke, nor the consequences we would face. There was only this, only him. This was reckless, dangerous, and absolutely intoxicating. I’d never felt more alive.
My skin tingled where Brad touched me, sparks of magic dancing between us. This connection, this strong attraction—it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Maybe this was why the High Witch feared us together. We were a force of nature, unpredictable and untamed.
When we finally broke apart, panting, he rested his forehead against mine.
“How can something so right be so wrong?” I whispered.
Brad let out a shaky laugh. “The High Witch would say it threatens the natural order she’s desperate to maintain.”
I wanted to scream. Natural order? More like Ingrid’s twisted version of control. She’d rather see us miserable than risk her precious status quo.
I rolled my eyes. Ingrid and her precious order. As if love could be contained by rules and regulations.
“Remind me again, since when do we care about her order?” I said bitterly.
Brad’s jaw tensed. “We may not have a choice. If we get caught again, there will be hell to pay.”
Ingrid’s wrath was no joke. I’d seen what happened to those who crossed her. But the alternative, giving up Brad, felt like ripping out a piece of my soul.
I winced, remembering the High Witch’s cold violet stare, her clipped tone when she’d forbidden me from seeing Brad. The memory of Ingrid’s fury still haunted me, her threat sharp as knives. She’d made it abundantly clear that if I defied her again, the punishment would be severe.
“I can’t lose you,” I said, hating the tremor in my voice.
My throat tightened. The thought of being separated from Brad made my chest ache, like someone had reached in and squeezed my heart.
I’d lost so much already. My parents, my childhood innocence. Brad was my anchor in this hurricane of magic and politics. Without him, I’d drift away, lost in the currents of power and expectation.
Brad gently tilted my chin up. “Hey. Look at me. I’m not going anywhere.”
I searched his face. “You can’t promise that. Not if she—”
“Shh. Don’t go borrowing trouble.” He drew me close again.
I buried my face in his chest, breathing in his scent. I really wanted to believe him, to lose myself in this moment. But the rational part of my brain wouldn’t shut up, spouting worst-case scenarios like a demented spider weaving webs.
“Let’s not think about the High Witch right now,” Brad whispered, his fingers tracing the blue highlights in my hair. “We have this moment, Sage. Just this one.”
My heartbeat slowed. Brad’s touch sent a fiery fervor throughout my body, a harsh parallelism to the constant dread that had been gnawing at my insides. For once, I wanted to silence the nagging voice in my head, the one that kept reminding me of the consequences we’d face if caught.
I nodded against him, knowing he was right. We couldn’t let fear steal away the precious time we had together. I wanted to be present with him, even if it was fleeting.
“Show me something new,” I murmured, craving the distraction of our magic.
He led me through the fence and into his backyard where we had more privacy.
“All right,” he replied, an incandescence lighting up in his face.
Releasing me, Brad stepped back and extended his hand. He focused, and the wind around us began to shimmer. Wooden beams sprung from the ground, weaving into an intricate lattice above us, blooming with lush ivy and fragrant jasmine.
My breath caught in my throat. Brad’s magic never ceased to amaze me, with its raw power tempered by an artist’s touch. It was moments like these that made me fall for him all over again.
“Now you, beautiful,” he said, his tone affectionate.
I reached out, allowing my own power to surge forth. The flowers on the lattice burst into a kaleidoscope of colors, each hue more vivid than the last. Our combined magic swayed together, an opus of structure and beauty, his architecture and my embellishments.
“Perfect,” he said.
I smiled, caught up in the wonder of what we could create together. Our gazes fastened, and in that instant, it was just Brad and me, surrounded by the magic only we could make.
He gathered me into his arms again, and I went willingly. Eagerly. Our lips met in a kiss that sent sparks flying—literally. Tiny bursts of light popped around us, a manifestation of the power coursing through our joined bodies. It was passionate and consuming, a physical reverberation of the attraction we shared.
My mind went blank, every worry and fear evaporating. In that moment, I didn’t care about the High Witch, the rules, or the consequences. All that mattered was Brad, his arms around me, his lips on mine.
“Brad...” I whispered, trailing off. I clung to him, feeling both complete and utterly undone.
My heart trembled like a caged bird. This was wrong, so wrong, but it felt electric. The High Witch’s warnings echoed in my head, but Brad’s touch silenced them all.
“Sage,” he replied, his voice rough with emotion.
Brad’s fingers traced along my jawline, and I leaned into his touch, loving the warmth of his skin against mine.
“Why does it feel so good to be bad?” I pressed closer to him.
He chuckled, low and deep. “Because forbidden love is sexy.”
A thrill blasted through me, equal parts excitement and fear. I was playing with fire, and I knew it. But oh, how I loved the burn.
“Fair point.” I grinned, my heart sprinting. “But the High Witch—”
“Isn’t here,” Brad finished, his expression gleaming with mischief. “And what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
I bit my lip, torn between desire and duty. The sensible me knew we were playing with fire, but the rebellious streak that had gotten me into trouble so many times before was all too eager to throw caution to the wind.
My parents’ faces flashed in my mind. What would they think of me now? But then Brad’s spicy cologne surrounded me, and all thoughts of disappointment vanished.
“You’re a bad influence, Bradley Adams,” I teased, poking him in the chest.
He caught my hand, bringing it to his lips. “You love it.”
My breath hitched. “Maybe I do.”
We stood there, frozen in a moment of tension and possibility. The air sputtered with barely restrained magic. I could feel the power humming beneath my skin, begging to be released.
My fingers tingled, itching to cast a spell. Any spell. To channel this wild force flowing through me into something tangible.
“So,” Brad said, breaking the silence. “What now?”
I smiled, an idea forming. “Now? We make some magic of our own.”
A dog barked, and we froze. Panic surged through me like ice water.
Reality came crashing back, harsh and unforgiving. My heart pounded so hard I was sure Brad could hear it. We’d been careless. Reckless, even. How could I have forgotten where we were?
Images of Ingrid’s disappointed face, of being stripped of my powers, flared to life in my head. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
“Someone’s coming,” I hissed.
“Go!” Brad urged, pushing me towards the hidden exit we’d used for months between our houses.
“Be careful,” I pleaded, catching his hand for one last squeeze before slipping away into the shadows.
“Always am,” he shot back with a wink that didn’t quite reach his worried eyes.
As I darted through the shadows, guilt and fear battled for dominance in my chest. I’d risked everything for a few stolen moments. But even as dread sank low in my stomach, I couldn’t bring myself to regret it. Not yet, anyway.
We’d been so close to getting caught. Again. Too close. As I made my way back home, the fear of discovery shadowed me every step of the way.
My skin prickled with each rustle of leaves, each distant conversation. I imagined Ingrid’s spies everywhere, watching, judging. But beneath the fear, a small part of me thrilled at the danger. At the secret I now carried.
My blood surged through my veins, a panicky tempo that matched the quickening of my footsteps. The darkness seemed to close in around me, thick and oppressive, as if it could swallow me whole. I felt it, the strain of a thousand eyes that were not there, watching, waiting for me to slip up.
My hands shook with the residual adrenaline, the tremors betraying my outward composure. I whispered incantations, spells to cloak my presence, to muffle the sound of my galloping heartbeat. But no magic could ease the gnawing fear that twisted in my gut.
As the recognizable silhouette of my home came into view, relief zipped through me in an icy wave. The light-blue paint and white trim of the house stood out against the unlit street, a beacon of safety. I slipped through the front door, leaning back against it once I was inside, allowing myself a moment to catch my breath.
Upstairs, in my room, the anxiety finally began to ebb from my shoulders. I sank onto the bed, the mattress dipping beneath me. Brad’s touch still lingered on my skin, a phantom caress that caused a fluttering feeling in my stomach. The whiff of magical flowers, which we had conjured together in those stolen moments, hung in the air, sweet and heady.
I closed my eyes, letting the memories of our reunion crash over me. The way he had adoringly looked at me with such intensity, it was as if he could see straight into my soul. The way our combined powers had twirled around us in a concerto of light and sensation, evidence to what we could be together.
And with every beat of my heart, the reality of our situation descended heavier upon me. Our love was a forbidden one, a flame that could be extinguished by the Covenant of Veiled Boundaries at any moment. What would we have to sacrifice for this relationship? For a chance to be together without constantly looking over our shoulders?
Then I drifted off to sleep, dreams of forbidden kisses and the foreboding of a future filled with danger and desire cradling me into slumber.