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I tended to do this thing where I bit off more than I could chew, then refused to admit I might have been wrong.
It wasn’t often I felt left out — and I had no desire to Link myself forever to anyone — but seeing all of my friends start a new chapter of their lives had left me feeling… feelings. I hated feelings.
I fucking love Dev
Gothic, scary, with a splash of charm, just like me.
“Wishful thinking, I suppose.” “What a wasted wish,”
I hated crying. It was weakness leaking out of the body, which I never did, considering I had no weaknesses.
Incredible
“Her name is Inessa, not Voldemort,” I deadpanned. “Let’s not give her more power over us than necessary.”
I sat forward, instantly feeling protective of my best friend as I waited for her to go on.
“Well, you know how the saying goes: If at first you don’t succeed…” Maisie sighed, her eyes rolling as she finished, “Try —” But I cut her off. “Destroy any evidence you ever tried until you’re positive you can kick some ass.” She laughed, head snapping back up towards me. “See? You get me.”
“Pretty positive that fire can’t be contained, and it’s not going to burn out.” I opened my eyes in confusion, but Blaze wasn’t pointing at the lighthouse. He was pointing at Devanna in front of me, practically vibrating with anger.
Big O is in trouble!!
“Are you done?” he said, the words damn near growled. And shit, why was that sexy? No. Nothing this male did was sexy.
“Yes, that’s it. I spend my days staring out my office window, watching your every move, just hoping I can nail you.” Her eyes widened and I realized my error, but tried to stop my own face from reacting.
Oops
“And I’m a fighter. I’ll always be a fighter. You should be used to that by now.”
“I’m feeling like this little outfit of yours is the damn sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, and it’s begging me to rip it to shreds.”
Ahhhhhh!!!! 💀💀💀💀
The air crackled with the static of my magic, and Devanna shivered as a whisper of it ghosted through her. “Eyes on me, hellcat.”
AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! 💀💀💀
“Or I’ll spin you around right here in this bell tower, rip this sad excuse for pajamas from your body, and fuck you until you’re screaming louder than that damn bell.”
“Orion was terrible,” I scoffed, sipping my coffee again. “How much worse can she be?” Famous last words.
“Oh, my Goddess. The Twilight obsession. It all makes sense now.” “For the record, almost nothing about those films is accurate,” Caedmon interjected, and Val nodded. “Much to my chagrin, we do not glitter. But even we enjoy a little escapism sometimes.”
“I’ll tell you what I want. I want Pascar gone. I want you unleashed, Sabazios. This is your time to shine.” I gave him a stern glare. “Do you have what it takes to make this happen?” Literal fire danced in his eyes, at his fingertips, as he cackled with glee. “Oh, Devanna Rainbow Bailey —” “I told you that in confidence —” “— I thought you’d never ask.”
“Look, I love a good airing of grievances as much as the next person,” I called out over the crowd, and they quieted down. “But this isn’t Festivus. We need to focus and come up with a plan to run her out of town.”
“There’s nothing angels hate more than chaos,” his eyes gleamed, and his entire body shivered in excitement, “the unexpected, the impulsive. The downright dangerous and stupid. Needless to say, I have a plan.”
Blaze UNLEASHED!!!
“Really? That? What do you call the male version of a camel toe, because he has it.” “A moose knuckle,” Nimue said, then gagged at the sight of her cousin. “I wish I didn’t know that.”
One stopped behind me, breath huffing as it sniffed along my head, then began nibbling on my hair. “I’ve never had alpaca meat before, but I’m willing to try anything once. Try me, Kuzco.”
This town — these people — were worth protecting and I’d do anything in my power to keep them safe and happy.
“Right about now she should be deep in a nightmare. Hopefully something truly terrible like an unalphabetized library or a pantry full of empty boxes,” Mo said casually as she slurped the last of her drink. “It’s been a long time since I’ve used the darker side of my Aura magic. I forgot how fun this is.”
Incredible
“No more apologizing for stupid shit. Do men walk around apologizing for being too loud or interrupting women? No. They just bulldoze over us, expecting us to make ourselves smaller to appease their tiny little… egos. Take up space. Be passionate. Be loud.”
My little friend group was expanding, and I didn’t hate it. I didn’t hate it at all.
“Don’t ever tell Kit I said this,” Nimue started, her black eyes looking up at me with a hesitant smile, “because I love him dearly and he is my mate, my husband, my everything. But he’s not my soulmate. You stole that title long before he ever could.”
😭😭😭😭😭
“I don’t have feelings. Period.”
Same
Instead of lifting it to my nose as I’d done a dozen times, I pulled my own clothes off and slid Orion’s shirt over my head, crawling into bed.
They couldn’t break me like this. I’d lived in Deadlights Cove for almost 30 years. I’d witnessed goats destroying the gazebo, elderly nudity far more often than any one person should be subject to — I’d lived with Sabazios fucking Rosewood. I could survive this, too.
For that one night, I’d been able to forget all my other responsibilities. I’d thought I was taking something for myself for once, but really, I’d given myself to her — and it had freed something in me I hadn’t known had been trapped.
“You came for me,” I said, repeating to her the words that wouldn’t stop echoing in my mind. “Don’t think this means I like you,”
“Karma most certainly is a witch.”
“I was working on it until you started humping me from behind like a horny dog.” A laugh rose out of me, shocking us both. “Clearly your memory is going, as you know exactly what me humping you from behind feels like. You came for me then too, didn’t you, Devanna?”
Oh shit!!
“Bossy,” he muttered, but gave in, allowing me to steer us across the street and down my front path. “Men always pronounce assertive wrong when they’re talking about women.”
No, this wasn’t a kiss. Orion had me pinned in place, and he took my mouth in a plundering. He devoured me.
Why couldn’t that witch just admit what we both knew was the truth? We were more alike than either of us cared to admit.
A drop of weakness welled in the corner of my eye, and Blaze’s blew wide. “Holy shit.”
OMG. A tear!
Blaze leaned over, hooking his arm behind my neck as he pulled my head towards him and kissed my forehead. Before I could pull away, he ran his knuckles across the top of my head. “Love you, Devvie,” he said, then flickered out before I could respond.
😭😭😭
I attacked my pancakes, narrowing my eyes at the rainbow of sprinkles she’d added to them.
Sprinkles! Mo can make me pancakes anytime
“It’s okay to let other people in.” Mo brushed my hair back from my face, but never let go of her grip on me. “You have enough love to go around. And those of us that are lucky enough to be on the receiving end of it understand that we are the lucky ones. I’m positive that Nimue, Blaze, Lysander, Selene, even Petra would tell you the same.”
“You’re both the most loyal people I know. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s you two. It makes me happy to think of you with someone who won’t put up with your shit. You need her as much as she needs you.”
“These things rarely happen at a convenient time,” Ryker commented. “Don’t put yourself dead last, even if it’s the end of the world as we know it.”
“Boys.” Mo shook her head where she sat at the kitchen table behind us. “Really. You’d think with two heads you’d be the smarter sex, but that’s far from the truth. The only thing you’re good for is a good deep d—” “Oh,” Blaze cringed, then gagged as he cut her off. “Mo. Gross.”
“I can’t be worried about you while I’m trying to protect everyone else.” Several beats of silence went by before she hissed, “I’m not weak.”
“Pick a safe word,” I said before I lost myself to the haze taking over my body. “Say it if you change your mind and you don’t want this anymore, and everything will stop.” “Popcorn,”
