Kit wakes me up at five in the morning. Five. In the freaking morning. He gets points for bringing coffee, but still. He’s lucky I don’t dump it on him for getting me out of bed at this ungodly hour.
“Why do you hate me?” I grumble as he stands outside my room while I get dressed. I grab a loose-fitting beige sweater and black cotton leggings to keep warm.
Kit laughs through the door. “I know you don’t believe this, but I’m actually trying to help you.”
“What is it about Wielder magic that makes us have to train before the sun comes up?”
“Nothing.”
I yank the door open and glower at him. “What?” I whisper-yell because the rest of the house is probably still asleep.
“Your mind is most open right when you wake up,” he explains. “I want to have the best chance of this working.”
“This,” I echo, grabbing my coffee off the nightstand and following him down the hall. “Oh, you mean my ability to use magic. Right. How could I forget?”
“You’re not a morning person, huh?” he asks in a teasing tone.
I glare at the back of his head. “You’re really asking for a coffee shower, Kit.”
“You’ll get used to the early mornings, I promise. And it’ll be well worth it once you see how well the method works with your abilities.”
“Uh-huh,” I mutter. “Sure thing, Professor.”
Kit grins at me over his shoulder. He holds the side door open for me, and we wander around to the backyard. My breath fogs the air, and I grip the mug tighter, willing it to warm me up.
Small lamps light the yard just enough to cast a silhouette on our faces. I take a gulp of my coffee, closing my eyes momentarily as it warms my insides. I open my eyes when Kit speaks.
“Yesterday, we played a bit with fire magic, and that didn’t seem to call to you. Water magic, either. I didn’t want to overwhelm you with all of them at once, so today we’re going see if you connect with the others.”
“That leaves me with air or earth, right?”
“Potentially,” he answers, vague as ever.
“What does that mean? I could have different magic?”
“Elemental magic isn’t as straightforward as you may think. You could have the ability to wield multiple elements. Those abilities may come and go, and one may be stronger than the other.”
I take another sip of coffee. I’m nowhere near awake enough for this conversation. “Why?”
Kit laughs. “We don’t know everything about our abilities. We’re constantly learning—all of us.”
“Okay,” I say, dragging out the word. “Where are we going to start today?”
“I want to keep it light and easy. Nova is planning to go over your online school stuff in a bit, so I don’t want to overwhelm you too much.”
I exhale with a dry laugh. “Awesome.”
“You’ll train with me and do schoolwork pretty much every day. Class isn’t on a set schedule like you’re used to.”
“School on the weekends,” I mutter. “Great.”
He offers a sympathetic smile. “Let’s try to focus on this for now, okay?”
I nod. “Teach me all the things.” The quicker I catch on, the sooner I can go home. If nothing else, that’s at least motivating. I also can’t help but think about my dad. The words he left me in his book. Maybe there’s a part of me that wants to figure this out, to make him proud of me. To escape the fate he met when his magic spiralled out of control.
As we walk around the yard, Kit tells me to focus my senses on the nature around us. “Take my hand and close your eyes. It’ll help you concentrate, and I’ll make sure you don’t trip or walk into anything.”
We stop walking, and I set my empty mug in the grass, shooting him a look. “Smooth. You just want to hold my hand.”
The corner of his mouth twitches as he shakes his head. “Come on. Quit being difficult and focus.”
Exhaling heavily, I slap my hand into his and grumble, “There. Happy now?”
His expression is smooth, focused. “Close your eyes,” he instructs, and I do, suddenly not cold from the frigid temperatures thanks to Kit’s hand surrounding mine. “Good. Now try to open yourself to the world around you. What do you feel, smell, hear? Take your time.”
I take a deep breath in an attempt to center myself and follow Kit’s guidance. The faint chirp of crickets fills my ears and the grass smells damp, earthy, as if it rained last night. My tongue is still coated with the bitter aftertaste of my coffee, but oddly enough, I think I can smell the fresh pot of coffee—in the kitchen.
“What do you feel?”
“Nothing,” I say with a sigh.
“Keep trying. You might be thinking about it too hard.”
“Me? Overthink? Never.”
Kit doesn’t know me well enough for the joke to land where it should. That, and he’s only concerned with teaching at the moment.
I take a second to get back into the zone. This time, I focus on the air, on the way the wind is blowing through the trees and making my hair fall into my face. I try to visualize slowing the wind to a gentle breeze.
“Slow down.” The words fall from my lips in a whisper.
Kit gasps softly, and my eyes fly open. The world seems darker somehow, but it quickly returns to normal once I blink a few times.
“Did I do it?” I didn’t feel a difference, but maybe I missed it.
Kit just stares at me for a moment. Finally, he blinks, shaking his head.
I grimace, confused by his response, and tilt my chin down. “I don’t know how to make this work.”
“Don’t you worry about that,” he says, rubbing his hands up and down my arms. “That’s my job. You figure it out on your own, and Nova won’t need me anymore.”
I try to smile, but the result is weak. “How long does it usually take a new Wielder to figure it out? To actually use magic?”
He pulls his hands away, slides them into his jean pockets, and shrugs. “Everyone is different.”
“Can you give me a ballpark?” I push.
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to upset you.”
I look away. “Because I should be figuring it out by now.”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. I just don’t want you to have expectations that don’t work out for you. Playing the comparison game won’t help you. It will only ever hurt you.”
“Maybe that’s the problem. My expectations are misguided because I don’t really have any idea what I can do. Or can’t for that matter.”
His head tilts to the side. “That’s a good point. All magic has limitations. The older the Wielder, the more powerful they are, but we aren’t invincible. We have mortal lifespans and can be hurt just like any human.”
“So I shouldn’t expect to be able to move mountains on day two, is what you’re saying?”
He offers a bemused smile. “I’m saying to be kind to yourself. In the grand scheme of things, you’re handling this exceptionally well.”
“Yeah, me trying to escape on foot the other night was super level-headed,” I joke, surprising myself with how easily it came. Maybe I’m more comfortable here than I thought—or than I want to be.
We go through a few more exercises with no success before calling it a day. Heading back inside, Kit goes for a shower while I stop in the kitchen and pour myself a giant bowl of Fruit Loops. I skip the milk and spoon, eating it like popcorn as I sit cross-legged on the couch.
Slowly, the rest of the house gets up and starts moving around. Lydia is the first one to join me in the living room, coffee in hand.
“How’d it go this morning?” she asks with bright eyes and a barely concealed smile.
“I’m eating a huge bowl of cereal that’s more sugar than anything else, and without a spoon. How do you think it went?”
She arches a brow. “What do you mean? I eat my Loops like that all the time. I’ve even got a stash in the back of my closet.”
I can’t help but laugh. Despite how awful I feel, talking to Lydia makes me feel more grounded, which seems more and more important these days as I explore this whole part of my life I had no idea existed until my birthday. “It didn’t really go anywhere.”
She frowns. “That sucks. Sorry, Emery. You’ll get it, though. Took me a few days to break through that mental block before I accepted the whole thing. Once I got over that mountain, the magic stuff became a lot easier.”
“You think I might be blocking myself from my magic?”
Lydia takes a drink of her coffee, setting the mug on the table in front of the couch. “Maybe. I’m sure Kit has given you the everyone is different speech, so I won’t bore you with it again. He’s right, though. I know it can be ridiculously disheartening at the beginning, but once you have that breakthrough, everything will fall into place.”
I glance at the bowl in my lap. “You sound so sure.”
“Of course I do.” She tosses her dark brown curls over her shoulder dramatically. “I’m speaking from experience here.”
“Well, I appreciate it.”
She nods. “Hey, you’ve got a friend in me, Em. I want to see you succeed here. Same as Nova and Kit.”
When tears spring in my eyes, I turn my face away in surprise. “Thanks, Lydia.”
“Anytime.” She pats my knee. “I’ll catch you later. I’ve got training with Zoe and Kit, but I’ll be around this afternoon once you’re done with class. I think Nova’s waiting for you in his study.”
Oh, right. I still have to deal with high school classes on top of all the life-changing stuff going on. Fantastic. “Sounds good,” I tell her, smiling as she gets off the couch and leaves the room.
I finish my cereal and put the bowl in the dishwasher before meeting Nova in the study. He stands from the chair behind his desk.
“Before you ask, I really don’t want to talk about this morning, so can we please just focus on the mundane stuff for a while?”
Nova smiles softly. “Of course.” He gestures toward the chair on the other side of the desk, and I walk over, dropping into it.
“How does this work, exactly? Am I going to have a video feed of a live class or something?”
He lowers himself back into his chair. “You have access to all of the course material you would have received at your old school.” He leans back and opens one of the desk drawers, pulling out a laptop—my laptop. He sets it on the desk in front of me along with the charger. “You’ll go through learning modules and assignments on an individual basis. However, I’ll be here to assist if you need.”
I was under the impression before coming here that Nova was a teacher, so this is one of the few things that doesn’t surprise me and that I feel confident won’t be a total disaster.
“Uh, okay. So I work with Kit at the ass crack of dawn and then have schoolwork for the rest of the day?”
Nova’s lips twitch. “Yes.”
“His whole practicing magic in the morning helps thing. Is there any truth to that, or is he just trying to torment me?”
He laughs. “It has been proven to help other Wielders.”
“Great,” I deadpan.
“If it doesn’t work for you, let him know. He’s here to help you, Emery.”
“You keep saying that,” I tell him. “I’m just wondering when I’m going to believe it.” I lean back in the chair. “I thought I did believe it or that I was at least starting to, but—I don’t know. Lydia suggested that maybe I’m still blocked and that’s why the magic isn’t coming to me.”
Nova nods. “Possibly.”
“Possibly?” I echo. “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got for me?”
His smile is faint. “You said you didn’t want to talk about this morning.”
My eyes narrow slightly, but I can’t say anything, because he’s right. “Okay. Can I have my lesson for today?”
“Emery?” he asks.
“Yeah?”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“I really don’t.”
“All right.” He turns his attention to the computer on his desk, typing quickly for a few moments before looking at me again. “I’ve sent a link with your materials to your student email.”
I arch a brow. “How’d you get that?”
He gets up and walks around the desk, coming to stand beside me. “I have connections with a lot of the schools in the area.”
“Right,” I say as I flip open my computer and connect to the Internet. “I’m surprised you can even get Wi-Fi out here in the middle of freaking nowhere,” I mutter under my breath.
Nova’s brows rise, making his forehead crease, but there’s amusement in his eyes. “Yes. Electricity and running water too. It’s mind-boggling.” His tone is light and teasing, and for a moment, I see the Nova I knew growing up. The one who always made me smile. I let myself remember that feeling, the warmth and comfort. For a split second, I forget the reason I’m here.
When everything comes rushing back, it punches a hole in my chest, and I shift in the chair, dropping my gaze to my lap. “I should probably get to work.”
“You can work in here for today,” he says. “I have some things to attend to in town, so I’ll be gone until later. My cell number is on the fridge if you need to get in touch.”
“I don’t have my—”
Nova sets my cell phone on the desk beside my laptop. “I’ve asked you to trust me,” he says in a low voice, and my eyes lift to his. “Now I’m going to trust you to be careful with this.” Meaning I won’t use it to contact my friends or call a cab to get the hell out of here? Of course those thoughts cross my mind, but the longer I’m here, the more I understand how important it is to keep what I’m experiencing from my friends. As much as that kills me, there’s a part of me that gets it.
I reach for it. “I will. Thanks, Nova.”
Once Nova is gone, I lose myself in something I at least understand and can work with. Plain old high school English.
It’s dark outside by the time I close my laptop after three pre-recorded lectures and a short paper. I wander into the living room to find Kit and Mason watching a football game on the TV above the fireplace.
“How was class?” Kit asks, turning his attention toward me while Mason keeps his eyes glued to the TV.
I shrug. “Good. Pretty boring, though I guess it’s nice to have some semblance of normal in my life. Something I actually know how to do.”
He smiles. “Fair enough.”
Glancing around, I ask, “Where are the others?”
“Nova’s still out, and the girls are on their way back from a hike. They should be back any minute.”
I pull at the sleeve of my sweater as I lean against the doorframe. “Should I start something for dinner?” My tone wavers, not wanting to step on any toes.
“Nah,” Mason chimes in now that the game has switched to a commercial. “Nova’s picking up wings and pizza.”
My stomach grumbles at that. “Oh, cool.” I glance toward Kit. “Do you have some time? I was hoping to try again before dinner.”
His smile grows. “Yeah? Let’s do it.”
“Dude, the game,” Mason says.
Kit rolls his eyes as he gets off the couch and walks toward me. “I’m glad this morning didn’t scare you off,” he says as we walk outside. “I know slow progress is frustrating, but consistency is key here, so I need you to keep working with me. I’m good at what I do, but that only means so much. If someone doesn’t want to learn, like really deep down suppresses their abilities, then I can’t help.”
I frown. “Do you think that’s what I’m doing?”
Kit doesn’t hesitate. “No, I don’t think so at all.”
“You sound so sure,” I mumble, wanting to look away. His certainty in my ability to figure this out has put an uncomfortable amount of pressure on me. I don’t want to let him down. I don’t want to let me down.
The nightmare I had where I hurt the people I cared about lingers at the back of my mind, almost like a warning. Or a reminder of why I’m here. I need to figure this magic thing out so I don’t hurt someone I care about. And so it doesn’t hurt me.
The corner of Kit’s mouth kicks up and his blue eyes—which look more gray than blue right now—sparkle. “You’re still here, aren’t you?”
I press my lips together. “I’ve thought about leaving more than once,” I admit.
“But you’re here,” he repeats, “because you made the decision to stay. There’s a reason for that, and we both know it. Lean into it. You know you’re supposed to be here, which is exactly why you haven’t left.”
“Well, that, and the fact I have no idea how to get anywhere from here.” I try to laugh to show him I’m only kidding, but it comes out high-pitched and weird.
“That didn’t seem to be a concern when you tried to make a break for it,” he teases, his gaze dropping to my lips, making me blush.
I cross my arms over my chest, pinning him with a half-hearted glare. “Oh, and what would you have done in my position?”
Kit shrugs. “I’d have been a lot faster, that’s for sure.” He shoots me a wink, and I reach out and shove him. His deep laughter fills the air, and I end up joining in, laughing until my belly aches.
“Hey!”
We both turn toward the house and find Lydia sticking her head out the window. “Dinner’s here! Get your asses in here before Mason inhales it all.”
Kit and I look at each other, and I say, “So much for extra practice. Maybe later?”
He scratches the back of his head. “If you’re up for it. Or we can pick it up tomorrow morning.”
I sigh. “Sounds good, but how about we let the sun rise before you drag me out of bed?”
Kit shakes his head as we walk back to the house. “You’re really not a morning person, are you?”
“I think we established that today,” I shoot back, hurrying inside to the warmth—and the pizza.
Once I’ve successfully taken down four slices of pizza, Lydia pulls me aside, grinning as if she’s got some secret she’s barely holding in.
“What’s up?” I ask, not completely sure I want to know.
“I’m taking you out tonight, and we’re going to party like it’s your birthday.”
“Uh, hard pass. I’m not the partying type. Plus, my birthday is over.”
She frowns. “Well, too bad. I didn’t know you on your birthday, so I’m forcing you to celebrate now.”
“Why does that sound like more of a gift for you than for me?”
Lydia bats her lashes at me. “Oh, come on! It’ll be fun, I promise. Mason and I know this great spot. It’s a little ways away, but Zoe agreed to be our DD.”
“But we’re not—”
“Don’t worry. This place is on the smaller side, and Mason knows the door guy.”
I look back at her, hesitating. “Okay,” I finally say, and she squeals. “But I have pretty much nothing to wear.”
Lydia purses her lips, looking me over. “I’ve got the perfect outfit for you.”
The music is thunder in my ears. It’s so loud I can’t hear myself think. Why did I let them bring me here? Even with what feels like fifty layers of makeup on my face and a black cocktail dress hugging every curve on my body, I feel wildly out of place. I appreciate Lydia’s intentions with this whole girls-night-out thing—though Mason is around here somewhere—but this really isn’t my scene, and I’m kind of hoping we don’t stay long. I try to enjoy it, though. I sip the rum and Coke in my hand, swaying my hips with the beat. It vibrates through my entire body as the haze of perfume and alcohol and body heat makes my head spin. People scream over the music while others belt out the words, and I get a strong whiff of pot as a group of women teetering on insanely high heels rush past where Lydia and I are dancing. Strobe lights flash around the room, and the crowd hoots and hollers with excitement as the song changes to one of the current chart-toppers.
We laugh and dance, and I let myself get lost in it. To forget what brought me to this moment and all of the unknowns waiting for me when we go back to Nova’s.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I allow the sound to drown me.
When I open them a few moments later, my entire world narrows on the guy leaning against the bar across the room, surrounded by moving and dancing bodies.
His hair is so dark it appears black and sweeps across his olive-toned face. He’s dressed head to toe in black, and his blue eyes are locked on me, blazing with an intensity that makes my knees lock.
Everything about him is hauntingly familiar.
Panic is ice in my veins, freezing me in place as the world moves on without me.
It’s him.
But it can’t be. He’s not real. It . . . it was just a dream. A horrifically scarring nightmare wherein my magic hurt the people I care about while this guy—this stranger—stood by and watched, but it wasn’t real.
“Emery?” Lydia’s voice is muted by the music, but I feel her at my side.
I can’t stop looking at him. He’s watching me with recognition in his eyes, and fear clamps down on my chest. “I need some air,” I choke out, pushing through the crowd toward the neon red EXIT sign. I slam my shoulder into the door and sigh when the cold night air seeps into my skin. I appear to be in an alleyway between the club and another building, surrounded by brick exteriors. I work on getting my pulse back to a normal speed as I step away from the building, taking a long gulp of my drink. I don’t know how I’m going to explain myself to Lydia. I could probably blame it on the combination of the alcohol and the temperature of the club getting to my head.
“Are you all right?”
I whirl around, the glass slipping from my fingers and shattering against the concrete. “Crap,” I mutter before my eyes shift in the direction of that deep, smooth voice. And then my heart slams against my chest. It’s the guy from my nightmare. The only person my magic didn’t touch. Everyone else was destroyed, but not him.
“Wh-what . . . ?” I shake my head, my breath fogging the air. “No. I mean, yes. I’m fine.”
He arches a dark brow, regarding me curiously.
My mouth goes dry, and swallowing only makes it worse. “Do I know you?”
The guy smiles, and that small act makes my stomach flip-flop. Maybe it’s the rum . . . though most of it ended up on the ground.
“Our families go way back,” he finally says.
My brows scrunch up even as my chest tightens. “Um. I think you have me mistaken for someone else.”
“Nope. I don’t.”
I suddenly feel very defensive. “I’m adopted,” I say, in hopes he’ll realize his mistake and leave me alone.
He leans against the brick, rubbing his jaw. “Of course you are,” he says under his breath.
“Who are you?” I demand, standing straighter as if that’ll somehow help me feel less freaked out. Or appear it, anyway. But with the way I’m shivering, I probably look ridiculous.
The corner of his mouth kicks up, and he lifts his gaze to my face, taking his time doing so. “Remington Henstridge.”
“That’s quite the mouthful.”
“Indeed I am,” he says without missing a beat.
“Has that line worked for you? Ever?”
He smirks. “You’d be surprised, little bird.”
My eyes narrow as I cross my arms across my flushed chest. “Why did you follow me out here?”
Remington purses his lips before shrugging. “I enjoy a good chase.” His eyes flash with mischief, and my breath catches. There’s something going on here, and my gut tells me I need to remove myself from the situation.
“Well, I don’t enjoy being chased, so feel free to get the hell away from me.” Anger bubbles in me, and if my arms weren’t crossed over my chest, they’d be balled into fists, ready to take a swing at his stupidly attractive face if necessary. He can’t be much older than me, but the guy radiates confidence as if nothing can touch him.
He pushes away from the wall, closing the distance between us as his eyes flick across my face. “You have no idea what you’re in for.”
I stand frozen, staring into his eyes. I can’t bring myself to move, because even as my heart pounds in my chest, something in his pale blue gaze draws me in. It doesn’t make a lick of sense, and before I can think anything of it, the door to the club swings open, slamming against the brick as Kit storms out.
“How wonderful,” Remington says, his voice dripping with sarcasm, “the fun police have arrived.”
Confusion floods through me. “Kit, what are you—”
“Get away from her, Henstridge,” Kit barks.
My eyes widen at his tone. Kit knows this guy?
Remington chuckles. “We both know it’s only a matter of time before I get what I want.”
“What?” I cut in, my eyes bouncing between Kit and the guy I’ve had the misfortune of meeting tonight. “What does that mean?”
“Forget it,” Kit says without taking his eyes off Remington, then grabs my hand to guide me back inside.
“She deserves to know,” Remington says.
My head swings back toward him at the same moment he reaches for my wrist. The second our skin touches, tingles shoot through me. I gasp, pulling away from him. It didn’t hurt. If anything, it was energizing. Like a jolt of caffeine.
My eyes snap to his, but there isn’t shock or surprise there like I was expecting. Just a mix of amusement and something darker.
Lydia and Mason appear in the doorway just as Kit and I hurry back inside the club.
Kit’s hand goes to my back and guides me out the front of the club into a waiting car. Zoe is behind the wheel, shuffling through her music. Mason slips into the passenger seat while Kit, Lydia, and I slide into the back.
Once we’re on the road heading home, I break the silence.
“Someone care to explain what just happened?”
“What were you thinking?” Kit demands, and Zoe turns off the music at that point.
“I’m sorry,” Lydia says, shaking her head. “I just wanted to let Emery have a night out. She’s been wrapped up in training and school for the last couple of days. She deserved a fun time after everything she’s been through.”
“And you thought taking her to some shady club was a good idea?” Zoe chimes in.
Mason scowls at her. “Relax, Zoe. Nothing even happened.”
“What are you talking about?” I cut in. “Of course nothing happened! Why would it?” When the car goes eerily silent, it’s my turn to scowl. “Oh no. You’re not allowed to be secretive now.” I look at Kit’s over Lydia’s head. “Who was that guy?”
“Here we go,” Zoe mutters under her breath, pulling onto a main road.
“Kit—” Lydia starts.
“Who is Remington?” I ask.
Kit sighs, raking his fingers through his hair. “We’ll talk about this at home. Once I have a chance to discuss it with Nova.”
I glare at him. “Seriously? What does Nova have to do with this?”
Kit shakes his head but doesn’t answer me. “I can’t believe you went there,” he grumbles under his breath.
“Chill out, Kit, okay?” Lydia snaps. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he’d be there.”
“He lives above the club,” Zoe says in a dry tone.
“So? That doesn’t mean he’s always there.” She sighs. “He probably saw Emery there with us and just wanted to mess with you.”
Confusion floods through me as I try to piece the events of tonight together. No luck. All I can figure is there has to be some connection between Remington and the Wielders. He must be one, but if that’s the case, why do they seem to hate him?