Amethyst Tears (YA Paranormal Romance) (Luminescence Trilogy) (25 page)

One question echoed in my mind.
What was so
dangerous
about being her last living descendant?

Chapter 26

IF I HAD TO SAY
happy holidays
one more time, I was going to scream.
Mystic Floral
was bursting with patrons getting their Christmas poinsettias. The bell over the door jingled religiously, letting a cool winter breeze into the shop. My feet were starting to ache, my lips were tired of smiling, and I was moments away from breaking the Christmas CD that was playing through the speakers.

Checking the time on my phone,
I sighed. For some reason this day was slower than molasses. Plus, I kept getting this creeped out feeling that someone was watching me. Paranoid, I know, but I couldn’t shake the snaky feeling.

“Do you have plans tonight after work?” Aunt Clara asked
, waking me from the horror show I was creating in my head. The afternoon rush was over and my wild imagination got the best of me. I was positive that there weren’t any vampires lurking outside, just waiting to suck my blood. Wasn’t I?

She must have noticed me constantly checking the clock
and my nervous behavior. I was only here for another hour and already counting down each precious second. I shrugged. “Not really.”

“No hot plans with Gavin?
” There was this hint of amusement in her voice.

I snickered.
“Talk about hot plans, I saw someone the other night steaming up the windows in the doorway with a certain tall gentleman.”

She gasped. “You saw that?”

“Yep. And now I am completely scarred for life.”

“Please I’m not buying it. I’ve seen your boyfriend. You could probably teach me a few things.”

Now it was my turn to be shocked and embarrassed. “We are so not going there,” I groaned.

She pursed her lips and studied me. I didn’t like the look on her face. She was going to go there.
“Okay now that we have sort of broached the subject.”

I moaned lou
der and put my head in my hands.

“And you have your first boyfriend, which I am glad you got straightened out. It was
n’t fair to lead anyone on. We should talk about protection.”

“Th
ere is so nothing to talk about,” I groaned.

“Yet.
You are often home alone and things can get…heated. I know what it is to be young and in love, and I can see it in your eyes. You are in love.”

“Fine,” I conceded. “I get your point, but you really don’t have to worry. There is no one more responsible than me.”

She brushed my hair off my forehead. “Don’t I know it,” she said, smiling tenderly. It was just the kind of smile that reminded me of my mom.

~*~

Driving home from the shop, I couldn’t help but notice how magnificent the twilight sky glimmered. There wasn’t a cloud in sight, and it looked like you could see all the way to Venus. The sun hadn’t completely set, and I was having a hard time keeping my mind focused on the road. It was the perfect night for stargazing and playing connect the dots with the constellations, not constantly checking out the rearview mirror to see if you were being followed.

Yet I couldn’t help myself. Goosebumps spread over my arms, my heart picked up speed, and I didn’t feel safe. Maybe I should call Gavin. Just the sound of his voice would be enough to calm this jittering,
suspicious nerves pumping in my veins.

I tried to set my mind on other things. Like Christmas. It
was just a few weeks away, and I wasn’t really feeling the holiday spirit. I don’t know…it just lacked that magical air. Don’t even get me started on Christmas shopping. The stress of trying to find the perfect gift for Gavin was giving me an ulcer.

That was a problem for anot
her day. I was just beat.

There was this giant sense of relief when I pulled into my driveway. H
owever I was given the greatest present I could imagine, a mouthwatering Gavin sitting on the hood of his classic muscle car looking like a decadent piece of candy.

Hmm.

Boogeyman forgotten, my eyes ate him up as I shut the door to my aging, pathetic car. He had a silly grin pasted on his face, and his eyes lit brighter than the moon. Someone was definitely up to something.

“Well this is a treat, not that I’m
complaining. What are you doing here?” I asked, walking around the side of his car.

He pulled me between his legs and planted a kiss that made my head reel. “
I missed you,” he murmured low, his eyes running over the planes of my face.

Fireflies frolicked in my belly. I laid my head on his chest.
“Me too.” His heart beat under my ear.

Even though I had felt the prickles
on the back of my neck all day, I still wasn’t prepared when a shadow jumped out of the darkened trees. Neither was Gavin. We had both been so wrapped up into each other that nether of us had felt the strands of magic until it was to late.

The witch appeared from darkness
, immediately on the attack. Stifling a scream, my hand covered my mouth. His face was hidden by a hood with only his sneering mouth visible. I barely had time to register what was going on before Gavin pushed me out of the way.

“Stay behind me,” he warn
ed low, between clenched teeth.

Like I could do anything else, fear froze me in place.
I grabbed onto his arm as he stood protectively in front of me. His muscles under my hand bunched, readying for an attack. A surge of magic gathered in the air, building. I shivered in fear and from the iciness rolling off Gavin’s body.

Instantly he turned from loving boyfriend to the ruthless dark witch. I knew better than anyone what his magic could do to someone. With our lives possibly at stake, it was a gamble I was willing to risk.

“My quarrel is not with you young defender,” the cloaked witch called from the trees. “I just want the girl.” He began to walk toward us.

Gavin stiffened in front of me. “Sorry. She’s already taken.” His voice was dripping like icicles.

Without a warning, the mysterious witch charged. Apparently he hadn’t liked what Gavin had to say. Magic charged through the air, singeing like green acid. It sprayed the space around us like a grenade, heading right for us. Gavin, turning on the balls of his heels, engulfed me in his arms, throwing an invisible shield over us. We barely escaped the shrapnel of a searing ball of emerald fire. I wasn’t familiar with fire magic, but this guy meant business. And I was pretty sure that business involved killing me.

I could only hope that Gavin was a stronger and faster witch. My bet was always on him. It didn’t matter if this assassin was a seasoned witch. My faith was on the guy I loved. Gavin circled the witch like a wolf, going int
o predator mode. Sleek. Lethal.

Gavin’s eyes were tiny orbs of flaming sapphire
, intent on only one thing – keeping me safe. “Two can play that game,” he growled, sounding like a threat.

Instinct took ove
r. With a snarl, Gavin lunged for an attack of his own. Spitting shards of metal spears, he flung them into the intruders midst, catching him in the shoulder. Fire guy flinched for a brief second and leaped forward, the spears disappearing from their mark.

“Hmm. I might have underestimated y
ou,” hissed fire dude. “Time to correct my mishap.”

The shadowy figure blinked from my sight, only to appear in front to me. My heart rate dropped.
Precious seconds ticked by as my life teetered on an invisible thread. Staring into the gleaming eyes of a witch intent on taking my last breath, I could think of nothing. One handed, he laced strong fingers over my neck, ribbons of magic crashing into my windpipe cutting off all oxygen.

Everything happened so fast. I gasped at the loss of the substantial substance I needed to live. In cold fear my brain shut down. It never occurred to
me to use magic to save myself. I was just too stunned to believe that this was really happening. Someone actually wanted to kill me.

Why?

In those split seconds, Gavin in a deadly arc pivoted to face the nameless witch. The eyes that I loved where like jagged slivers of frozen ice. They showed no emotion, turning himself off, he looked like a natural born hunter – a killer.

Only an idiot would not fear Ga
vin, my dark witch. Even as the assassin’s hands squeezed around my throat, I felt a quiver of fear at seeing the transformation. I knew Gavin would never hurt me, but that still didn’t mean he wasn’t a formidable force to be reckoned with.

Out of thin air, a magical dagger appeared in Gavin’s hand.
He was just full of surprises. It was ominous and onyx in color, shimmering with colossal power. I didn’t have to be told that this dagger was something to fear. It rippled in the twilight.

“Play times over.
” Gavin glared in the pitch black of night.

I watched as the mysterious witch
’s eyes went wide right before Gavin plunged the knife into his heart. I heard the whoosh of the blade before it struck. He was so close to me that I felt the gasp of his last breath right before he exploded in front of my eyes. Glittery remains rained where he had last stood. I shrieked. Turning my head away, I shut my eyes only a moment later to be swooped into Gavin’s secure embrace. I buried my head into his chest.

So that’s what happens when a witch dies.
At least there wasn’t a gruesome amount of blood. I couldn’t have stomached that right now. Hovering over the pile of witch remains, I wondered who he was. What he had wanted? Why me? So many questions I would never have answered.

I shivered in the night
against Gavin’s solid chest. Would this be the last attempt on my life, or was this just the beginning of things to come? There was something in the starry sky that whispered of trials I had yet to face. Things were bound to get worse before they got better.

Panting slightly, I
lifted my head and focused on Gavin, his midnight eyes speckling with concern. “Bri are you all right?” His hands ran over my body checking for injury, cuts, and broken bones now that our adrenaline was spiking down.

“He’s dead,” I whispered still in shock.

Those dark blue eyes sought mine. “I’m sorry. I wish you hadn’t seen that, seen me kill.” His words were heavy on the heart, his heart. I felt him tremble.

My arms tightened around his waist as
I searched for a way to ease his heart. Looking down at the pile of confetti glittering the ground at our feet, the wind suddenly churned, carrying it away.

“At least we
don’t have to dispose of a body,” I said in what was such a lame attempt at lightening the dreary mood that settled over us.

I felt a tiny smirk against my
hair, and his arms settled over my shoulders keeping me close. “Bri, I didn’t have a choice, if I hadn’t–” There was regret in his tone, along with vulnerability.

Pulling back,
I embraced his face in my hands, needing to touch him. “You saved me. I don’t know what he wanted with me, but if you hadn’t been here…” I shuddered to think.

Gavin had killed another witch for me. Yes it had been self-defe
nse, but it didn’t stop me from wondering and worrying about his soul. Would his aura be damaged now like mine? Would he have black holes?

Chapter 27

SNUGGLING THE TOP OF MY HEAD,
his arms came around me, keeping me close, keeping me safe. “You’re okay,” he sighed into my hair, a vast weight of tension leaving his body with it.

“
Thanks to you.”

“That jerk spoiled my plans.” He sounded like a sullen two year old.

“What plans?” I asked suspiciously, not sure my heart could handle any more surprises. I think I had just about reached my status quo. Looking up into his face, tiny stars reflected in the pools of his blue eyes.

He blinked at me, his expression unreadable.
“It can wait another night. I think you have had quite the evening as it is. I’m not even sure it’s appropriate after what just happened.”

Well n
ow my interest was peaked. “You can’t do that to me, tease me like that. Now you have to tell me,” I pleaded against his black shirt. “And right now I could use a distraction.” I glanced up under my lashes.

Like a dam had been broken, he dropped the
mask hiding his emotions and grinned like a little boy. “It’s nothing really. I just noticed the lack of Christmas at your house. The store looks like Santa’s workshop, but here it’s… dull and sad.”

I sighed
, looking over my shoulder at my house. There it sat in the dimness looking alone, while the other houses down the street beamed with glittering bulbs. “I know. I just haven’t had the energy or the time to drag all that stuff out, and my aunt’s been too busy.” Especially now with Chad in her life.

He gave me a lopsided grin, trailing a finger down my nose.
“You forget you’re a witch. This will be a piece of cake,” he assured me.