Wicked Omen (The Royals: Warlock Court Book 1), page 17
“Which class?” I wanted her to stay here with me.
“Um, combat or weapons training something like that.” She walked over to the door and bent down to slip her combat boots on. She pulled her long, thick hair up on top of her head into a high ponytail.
I glanced over at Cross. “Surely the best people to teach combat are us, don’t you think?”
Astrid froze and Cross gave me a “what the hell are you doing” look. Truth was I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. I needed to stay away from her. Nothing good would come from the two of us getting involved in any way. I had things to do, responsibilities not only to the warlock heirs but to the Witches Court. I’d been sent here by Matteaus himself, the leader of the Fallen, to do a job. I was supposed to get ready for a war to come. It was my job and my job alone to unite the witches and warlocks to be ready. And Astrid, no matter how tempting she was to me, was a distraction from all of that.
Astrid looked at Cross’ face then back at me. “Oh, that’s okay. I can just run over to class.” She hiked her thumb in the direction of the school.
“Nonsense, let’s go.” I waved for her to follow me. What am I doing? What am I doing?
I walked farther back into the house with her hot on my heels. We passed through the kitchen and into the room at the back of the house. I opened my arms wide and smiled. “Pick one.”
Chapter 24
Astrid
Holy weapons! I stood in the middle of an eight by ten white room. There were no windows and only the one-way in. I spun in a circle, looking at weapon upon weapon. Whips, chains, crossbows, swords, and daggers. My eyes locked on a single dagger. It had a gleaming silver handle and shining black blade. It almost looked like it was made from obsidian. I reached out and plucked it from the walk. Below it was a holster made to fit it perfectly. Two straps hung from it and I grabbed it up. “Oh, I like this one.”
Beckett strolled over to me and plucked the knife from my hand. He tossed it end over end then caught it by the hilt. The light glinting off it reflected in his ocean eyes. “Good choice.” He reached for the holder for it. “Do you know how to hook this up?”
I gazed at the double straps hanging from it. “Thigh holster?”
“Very good.” He bent down and wrapped his hand around the back of my knee and gently pulled it forward. He held the holster up to my thigh. Only the tips of his fingers brushed against my jeans and I felt the heat of his touch through the material. He fastened the top strap around my thigh. The buckle was thick and silver. It matched the one on the second strap. As he wrapped it farther down my leg and the buckle clicked into place, a jolt shot through me. When he stood up straight and met my eyes, my stomach did a little flip-flop.
He held the knife out toward me. When I made a move to take it, he flipped it up in the air away from me and caught it. “Do you know how to use it?”
I arched my eyebrow at him. I might’ve been a socialite and grew up on the Upper East Side, but I was still a New Yorker and my father wasn’t a naïve man. He’d made sure I knew how to take care of myself on the streets. I’d never carried a gun, but on occasion when Tilly and I went shopping, I may or may not have had a knife in my purse. I reached out and placed my hand over his. Again just from that one touch I wanted to be near him. Beckett Dustwick was infuriating and tempting all at once. His grip eased on the hilt and I slipped the knife from his hand and took a step back. I may not be able to fully control my magic, but I knew how to handle a knife.
I gave it a small toss and caught it. Before he moved back, I pressed the tip of the knife to his stomach. “I think I’ve got it.”
A smile spread across his face. Then I felt the smallest press in my side only to find that Beckett too held a knife. I giggled. “Aren’t we quite the pair?”
He leaned into me, his body so close, all I had to do was go up on my toes and our mouths would touch. Just . . . an . . . inch. I wanted it. I wanted to see if he felt the fire I did. The fire of desire and the fire of frustration was a constant war with in me when it came to Beckett. His breath fanned across my face. “I think so.”
He didn’t move and I didn’t either, so we stood like that. His eyes locked on my lips and his tongue darted over his mouth, leaving a glossy trail. We both dropped our knives and they clattered to the ground. He leaned into me and I pressed my hands over the hard ridges of his stomach. His hand wrapped behind my back and he pulled me closer. He splayed his fingers and his whole hand covered my whole lower back. My body pressed to his and I wanted this moment. A stolen second in a room full of weapons.
When his lips met mine, I melted against him. My entire body fit with his. Like two puzzle pieces coming together. Heat bloomed low in my stomach and I wound my fingers into his shirt, tugging him closer. When his tongue brushed against mine, fire exploded in my body. I stumbled back and he followed. I felt the doorframe press into my back, but I didn’t care. The corner of it would leave a bruise later. He moved his hands. One rested on the wall above my head and the other he wrapped around the back of my neck, holding me to him. He growled low in his throat like he couldn’t fight this, couldn’t fight me. His mouth tasted minty and fresh. I wanted more. So much more from him.
My phone vibrated in my back pocket and the blaring ring of a FaceTime call filled the room. Beckett shoved away from me and pressed the back of his hand to his lips. His eyes bore into mine and for a moment I thought he was angry at me. We stood there breathlessly staring at each other. I didn’t know what to do, what to say. I’m sorry? I wasn’t sorry, not one little bit. I needed to know if the fire I felt went both ways. He staggered back and shoved both his hands in his hair. When he broke eye contact with me, I glanced away, not knowing what to say. He threw his arms down and shook his head. The muscle in his jaw ticked and I felt anger rolling off him in waves.
“You gonna answer that?”
I didn’t want to face whatever was happening between us. It was complicated. I flattened my hand over my hair then opened my phone and smiled down at it. “Medusa, hi!”
“Hey, girl.” She brought the phone so close to her face that all I could see was one of her purple eyes. “Why are your cheeks so pink?”
I rubbed my hand over them real quick then bent down to pick up the blade. I slid it into the holster at my side. When I looked up, Beckett just shook his head and turned away from me. In anger or disgust? I didn’t stay to find out. I spun around and marched out the door. “Oh no reason, I was just, um . . .” Having a totally hot make out session with Beckett and he hated every minute of it. Mortified, I am freaking mortified. “Having a training session.”
“Oh well.” She zoomed back out and I could tell she was lying on her couch. One of the snakes smacked its nose into the phone and Medusa brushed it away. “Anywho, I was thinking about the screen cap you sent me of the inscription on the box.”
I stormed through the kitchen and into the foyer to where the box lay on a side table near the couch. Now Maze had his phone out and Odin was perched on his lap, watching whatever was on the screen. Maze tilted his head and so did Oden. I tossed my long ponytail over my shoulder and leaned over the inscription. “Yes, I’m standing over it now.”
Beckett came up beside me and hissed. “You asked her to help?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Duh.”
How was I supposed to stand here so calmly after that scorching kiss? It clearly pissed him off, only I didn’t know why. Was I a bad kisser? Did he think it was my fault? Though I definitely remembered him being the one to grab me. Medusa did that little girlie squeal again. “Oh my God! Is that, that dreamy Beckett?”
I pursed my lips. “Dreamy no, but yeah, that’s Beckett.”
She wiggled her fingers at the screen and purred. “Hiiiiii, Becks baby.”
“Um, hi?” He shifted from one foot to the other and put his hands on his hips.
“So did you guys, you know, figure shit out? Hook up? Get down and dirty? Make it official boyfriend girlfriend?”
Maze and Cross both looked up from their respective couches and at that exact second Logan walked down the stairs only to look at the two of us, turn around, and head back up. Heat rushed my cheeks and I wanted to crawl under the table and hide.
“Medusa, focus.”
“Oh, so that’s a no then.” She sighed and examined her nails. “No matter.”
I didn’t want to snap at her. I did my best to remain calm. I’d just made out with Beckett in a freaking weapons room and he hated it and now Medusa was pouring salt on an open wound. “So about the box.”
All eyes were on me, including the only good one Odin had. I wanted to be anywhere but standing here right this second. Medusa shifted into another position and the screen bounced. “Right, so, okay. I remember Gregor asking me about where my sisters lived.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Your sisters?” I didn’t even realize Medusa had sisters.
“Yeah, Stheno, she lives in a place called Magen’s Bay. Or something like that. I don’t know, but I thought if I told you, it might help. I’m not sure when Euryale is, she’s uber picky and is a serious loner.”
I arched my eyebrow at Beckett, who nodded and pointed to one of the lines. I forced myself to smile into the phone. “That’s super helpful, thank you.”
Her cell phone tinged, and she giggled. “Kk, I gotta go. Athena’s picture is getting major play. I photoshopped her onto a Sports Illustrated model. So many messages.”
“K, text me.”
She blew a kiss into the phone. “Love ya.”
The phone went dead and we all looked around each other in silence. My lips felt swollen, my cheeks felt pink, and deep down I was still mortified by how Beckett reacted to my kisses. I didn’t want them all to be looking at me. I wanted to move on from this. Or at least try to, no matter how much my heart hurt. “Looks like we’re going to Saint Thomas. I’m going to go get ready.”
Behind me Maze said, “I’m out for this one.”
“Why?” Beckett snapped.
“Umm, because I don’t want to?” The couch creaked and I froze at the top of the stairs, waiting to hear what would be said if anything. Maze’s footsteps left the room. For a moment there was only silence. Then Odin followed me up the stairs. I pressed my finger to my lips, telling him to be quiet. He gave me a single nod.
“Ugh.” Beckett grunted, then the leather couch creaked like he’d just sat down. I couldn’t see them, but I could picture them.
“You need to be careful with that one,” Cross chided him.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he snapped back.
“Well, we’re going to talk about, because you need to remember why you’re here.” Cross snapped his finger. “Look at me.”
“What?” He sounded like he spoke through gritted teeth.
“Your job is to unite the warlock world under Zinnia’s rule. Otherwise we are screwed. Because even the Fallen are worried, and if those guys are scared, we should be too. We have half the warlock world after us, trying to stop us, we have a book to find, and may I remind you about the vow you made to Zinnia. Her mother can’t stay like that forever.”
“I know all this!”
“Good, because don’t forget I know you. Your secrets are mine and mine are yours.” He cleared his throat and his tone was calmer. “I’ve been called away by Tuck, so I can’t go with you either.”
Who was this Tuck and what was he to them? There were so many things I needed to learn about this world. About everything and I still felt out of sorts.
Beckett sighed. “I have to take Astrid. This is her book and her quest. But I’ll call Nova, just to make sure I have a more practiced witch to back us up. We’ll need her power.”
I turned away, not wanting to hear another word. I’d go get ready and handle this quest and pretend like the last ten minutes hadn’t felt like a dagger to my heart while he called another girl for help…
Chapter 25
Astrid
I tripped through Beckett’s portal and nearly ended up with a mouthful of sand. With one hand I caught myself on a palm tree. With the other I held on to Pandora’s configuration where my book was trapped. At some point I would get better at this! I had too, it was downright embarrassing. The sand squished between my toes and I sucked in a breath as I straightened my stance. I hate your freaking portals!
Beckett strolled through, looking like he was walking down the hall. He wore nothing but a pair of wet suit pants. His chest was bare and there on the side of his ribs were four faint scratches. From my nails? The wind blew his hair back from his face and scented the air with the smell of the sea. That sexy tattoo on his neck made him even harder to resist. He strolled over to me and reached for my elbow. “Are you okay?”
I pulled my arm away before he could touch it. “I’m fine.”
He kissed me then pushed me away, and as much as I hated to admit it, that hurt . . . bad. I didn’t open myself up to people, but when he kissed me, for the briefest moment I opened up to him. Why did he kiss me if he didn’t want to? Why shove away? And then after all that he’d gone and called Nova because I couldn’t cut it. Because he trusted her over me. Was I jealous? Hell yes! But underneath it all my feelings had been burned.
“I deserved that,” he mumbled.
I shot him a look. “Yes, you damn well did.”
“Astrid, please—”
“You know what, let’s just not talk right now. We have a piece of skin to retrieve.” I wanted to say more, but at the same time if I did, then he’d know he hurt me, and I refused to let that out.
Then the portal shimmered once more, and Nova strolled through like a gothic supermodel. Her long white blond hair was piled in a bun on top of her head and she wore a skin-tight wet suit that ran down the length of her arms and legs. I too wore a wet suit, but mine cut off at the shoulder like a tank top and zipped up the front. Her ebony eyes flashed, and she smiled at me and then at Beckett. “Everything okay?”
“Yes.” I gave her a quick smirk. I couldn’t fault the girl for showing interest in Beckett. He was hot in ways I couldn’t even comprehend. He was brave and any girl would consider herself lucky to have him, including Nova. But did she have to be so damn good at everything? It was easy between them, not like it was between him and me. At every second I was driving him crazy and he was frustrating the hell out of me. I turned away from them and faced the bay.
The bay was the calmest water I’d ever seen. The waves barely lapped at the beach. The bay itself was surrounded by mountains that lined up in a beautiful U-shape. When I looked up to the right, my father’s mansion blended in with the forest rising around it. The windows were dark and I knew no one was home, but right now I wanted to be there and not down here with him. I wasn’t going to tell them one of my father’s houses was over there. Instead, I was going to get this mission done and go back to school.
She moved to stand beside me, and clapped her hands together then wiggled her fingers. Purple sparks flew from her fingertips and jumped across the sand like sparklers. “Great, let’s get going.”
Two could play at that game. I let my magic seep from my palms. It fell across the sand and crept toward the water like an ominous fog. “I’m ready.” The moment my magic touched the water, a golden path lit up in the waves. Holy crap! “Follow the yellow brick road?”
Beckett took a step back. “This has to be a spell from Gregor Lockwood. It recognizes your magic, so yeah, I think so. Follow the road so to speak.”
I stepped forward and the warm water washed over my toes. Even in November the air was warm, and the water was like touching my toes in a bath. At this time of night, the moon reflected in the easy tide. The water was so clear I could see the white sand below. I waded in and pointed out toward the small island that was just beyond where the mountains nearly touched. “I’m guessing that’s where she lives?”
Beckett turned his head to face where I was pointing. “That’s where the sparkling trail ends, so I think so.”
“Great.” I walked out until the water came up to my thighs. I glanced over my shoulder at where Beckett and Nova stood close together, whispering about things I couldn’t hear. She placed her glove covered hand on his arm and he looked so at ease. I moved to turn back out toward the island and start swimming, but then something long and covered in tentacles shot out of the water like a harpoon and wrapped around my waist. “Becke—”
My words were cut off as it yanked me off my feet. I was dragged under and salt water shot up my nose and burned down my throat. I struggled against the pull, kicking and punching as best I could. But it was a losing battle and the last thing I saw was the shock on Beckett’s face before I was swept out to sea with the tide.
Chapter 26
Beckett
“Becke—” Her scream was cut off to a watery cry.
My head snapped up in time to see her dragged under by a long tentacle. Her arms reached out for me and I wasn’t freaking there, where I should’ve been. “Astrid!”
I ran out after her, but she was too far. The water splashed and she sucked in a gasping breath. Terror, pure terror coursed through my body. I called my magic to my hand and threw a blue orb out into the water. I leapt on top of it and snapped my fingers for Nova. She jumped on behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I threw my arms out and shot blue smoke out behind me. We propelled forward and I spread my legs wide, making sure I kept my balance like the way I did when surfing. My heart hammered in my chest. My hands shook. She was my responsibility, my reason for being here, my girl.
The golden trail disappeared and with it Astrid. “No!”
Nova patted on my shoulder. “Keep going! I think I saw where she went.”
