The Lost and the Chosen (The Lost Sentinel, #1)

by Ivy Asher

If I welcome in too much, it will flood me and turn me into the human version of a Fourth of July sparkler. That would thoroughly fuck up the I’m just like everyone else act I’m trying to maintain.

I discovered over the years that his blue eyes only ever seem to soften for me.

I call them fanged fuckers, but I doubt that’s how they refer to themselves. My best guess would be they’re some kind of vampire, but none of the ones I’ve killed ever tried to eat me; for some reason, they just wanted to take me.

He either spends ninety percent of his day in the gym, or he’s on a first name basis with steroids. My guess would be both.

He’s about to find out that there’s no part of me that’s a damsel, and nothing about this match has me distressed.

He grabs the crotch of his shorts, drawing my attention to the sad excuse for an erection he’s sporting.

Well, if I am crazy, it looks like I have company.

Moral of the story: I need to learn to mind my own fucking business.

“Holy shit! So that’s how you kept from bashing my head in,” the tattooed guy marvels out loud. “I’m Evrin, by the way,” he offers.

“Dude, rein in the asshole if you want any answers from me,” I warn him.

“I don’t know. It shouldn’t have been possible. I didn’t feel any breaches in the magic. She just appeared inside,” Silva adds, as he studies me.

“You can make weapons out of magic, and we’re the weird ones?”

Referring to it as magic makes me feel like some delusional Hogwarts wannabe.

“Okay fine, but if you guys do anything shady, or if you get too rude and annoying, don’t blame me for what happens to you. It’s clear whoever said respect your elders didn’t know you assholes.”

“Um…you know you’re not human, right...Vinna?”

“Well...we’re a race as old as time, with abilities that fall into one of five categories: Offensive magic, Defensive magic, Elemental magic, Spell magic, and Healing magic. There are casters out there with abilities in more than one branch of magic, but it’s rare,” Keegan tells me as if he’s reading from a brochure.

“Our abilities first manifest about the age we reach puberty. It’s called a quickening, and we come into our full power around twenty-five, and that’s called an awakening,”

When I’m done fighting off my inner Disney princess,

“I’m not some sweater in the lost and found or a dog at the pound; you cannot claim me.”

Did these idiots just jump from the roof?

Either lamia are super picky about who can be in their club, or being a lamia makes you stone-cold gorgeous.

It’s okay though; underestimation always works in my favor.

“Faron’s coming for you. Your free days are numbered. My sire will own you soon enough.”

“You’re this fucking powerful, and you don’t even have your full magic yet,” he shakes his head and snorts.

I know I’m confusing him, but I don’t care, so I don’t elaborate.

“You rob a bank, kid?” Aydin finally asks me. I chuckle, shaking my head. They’ve all been watching me empty my hidey-holes with wide eyes, and I wondered how long it would take before someone asked me what the hell I was doing.

“By the moon, you’re fast!” Aydin declares as he bends over and tries to calm his breathing. “Yeah, and you need to work on your cardio.”

“I am just so excited to see all of the things you can do. It has me giggling like a kid on Christmas morning! A staff, a sword, throwing knives, baby swords…what else do you carry in that magical arsenal of yours?” Aydin wonders, his blue eyes bright and eager.

“Little Badass, you live up to your new nickname more and more as I get to know you.”

“Who trained you?” he presses. “YouTube.”

“I have Elemental magic.” Aydin holds up a tiny ball of fire as proof. “Lachlan has Offensive magic.” I snort and try to swallow my laugh. Everything I discovered about my uncle thus far has been offensive, so it’s only right that his magic is too. “Evrin has Healing magic, Keegan has Spell magic, and Silva has Defensive magic,” Aydin finishes ticking off his fingers.

“She strengthened it,” Silva states, looking at me shocked, and they all turn and look at me in the same way. “What? It’s not like I have a clue what the fuck just happened,” I defend. “What did I strengthen?” “The barrier around the house. It keeps out unwanted entities and anything that means harm.” “Oh…cool,” I say casually and climb back into the car alone.

Oh goody, we’re still discussing the cluster fuck that is me and my magic.

“How do you call this a house?” I ask rhetorically. “This is the kind of place that has a name like Chateau be Jealous of All My Money.” I look around in complete astonishment. Aydin and Evrin guffaw with laughter. “I’ll get a plaque made,” Lachlan deadpans, and I see the faintest hint of a smile before the asshole in him scares it away.

“Sorry, I’m just not used to affection,” I tell her and give her an awkward man-pat on her back.

“Is it shopping? Because if it is, I’ll pass. I hate shopping,” I tell him.

Aydin informs me that classes start next month, and a weird look crosses his face as he relays that tidbit of information. Maybe he thinks I didn’t graduate I think to myself as I try to interpret why Aydin’s acting strangely as he talks to me about school.

Oof babe bc you’re a student now I bet

“If I need a car, fine I won’t argue, but I can’t rationalize spending that much money on a car. I’d be afraid to touch it!”

“That’s cheating!” he pouts. “I know…jealous?” I tease. Aydin laughs. “Yes, I am, actually!”

“You’re going to make a fine paladin if you can best this one already,” Neil points at Aydin.

I should get up, but this is the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in, and I don’t want to seem ungrateful by abandoning it so soon.

“It’s not funny, Silva, it was fucking mental! One minute he’s tackling her, and the next she’s on top of him, beating the ever-loving shit out of him. I pulled her off, and next thing I know, she pulls a bunch of knives from her ass. Like literally from her ass!” he exclaims. “She threw one at my head. Thank the moon she missed!”

I’m drooling like a teething baby all over these strangers, and I have no idea where that’s coming from. Your vagina, Vinna, it’s coming from your vagina. I wave off the unhelpful thought.

“Don’t mind if we do,” a twin—I have no idea which one—smiles at me.

“All right, what are we ordering?” Four sets of eyes turn to me. “A yacht,” I randomly guess, completely clueless as to what they are asking me. “No, pizza. What do you want on your pizza?”

I don’t know Valen, and now I’ve gone and sat on him, which is probably crossing some kind of normal social boundary.

“What kind of man-animal…first my spot, then my fucking pizza?”

I wake up confused, not sure where I am. I really need to stop waking up like this.

“Why are you beating down the door?” Bastien smiles sweetly at me. “Because when I knocked on the door softly, you didn’t answer.”

“What about slamming the door in your face gave you the impression that you were invited in?”