Family Magic, Chloe Price [christmas read aloud .txt] 📗

check on you,” she snapped, “ungrateful child. And your mother.”

“Sure you did,” I bit back. “Came to finish us off, you mean.”

She scowled at me, all pretense gone. Good. I was sick of the masks and the lying and the fake smiles.

“It’s time you learned a little respect,” she hissed at me.

“Or what?” I asked.

“Or,” she said, “maybe we make sure you and your precious family end up on the street. This is a coven house, Syd. You’re not one of us anymore.”

I knew she would do it. Sure, we could probably find someone to take us in, but the house, the Hayle fortune, belonged to the coven. Or did it? I knew I’d have to find out and fast. Until then, I begrudged, I’d have to hold my tongue.

“Understood,” I said. “What can I really help you with?”

“You can get out of the way,” she said

“Mom’s asleep,” I countered. “I’d rather you didn’t bother her right now.”

Batsheva laughed. “Oh, Syd,” she said, “I’m not here for your mother. I’m here for the power in the basement.”

I tensed. My father’s statue. No way.

“There’s nothing down there anymore,” I argued.

“We need to be sure of that,” she said. “I need to drain the last of the magic.”

“I told you, it’s gone,” I said as she tried to push past me, putting my body in her way.

“Move,” she ordered. “Now.”

I didn’t. I wouldn’t. She snapped her fingers. Dominic came forward.

“Move or he makes you move,” she said.

I knew I lost. With no recourse and frustrated beyond belief, I stepped aside. The demon hissed and snarled at me but I pushed her away. Until I figured out what to do next, I couldn’t antagonize them. At least, not yet.

I couldn’t bear to think of them down there with Dad so I hit the back door. I needed air, just a little air. I couldn’t, wouldn’t, leave my family alone with them, but I had to have some space to think and the outdoors was always my best place to cool my head. I escaped into the night, and ran right into Quaid.

He caught me and held me when I tried to back away. His face seemed sad, a switch from the cynical smirk he always wore. He glanced over my shoulder at the house before returning his gaze to me. His dark eyes felt bottomless, his magic, a rich, warm, exotic power, gently wrapped around me. I knew I was safe. My demon welcomed him in a rush of golden light. I was lost in that feeling as the walls between us fell for the second time and I felt his absolute regret and fear.

“Syd,” he said, “I need to tell you something important.”

I shook myself, trying to break free from the wonderful glow of him around me. It felt stronger than the first time outside the diner, deeper, more welcoming, like an offer of something I wasn’t sure I was ready for. He always kept himself as guarded as I did, but there was no way to guard against this. With each passing moment I marveled more and more at the connection. I had no idea he was so… endless.

“What?” I asked, dazed. I went through a lot that day and I wasn’t exactly focused. Being engulfed in protective energy didn’t help a whole lot, either.

He looked over my shoulder again before leaning in, lips over mine, eyes so close I could see the glimmer of the streetlight in them.

“They plan to destroy you,” he whispered.

It took a second to sink in. “Who?”

He scowled and shook me, enough to break me free of the spell his magic cast over me. It made me mad.

“Stop it,” I said, pulling free, rubbing my arms, realizing they hurt because he was holding me so hard. Now that we were out of physical contact, his power dissipated again, the walls rising to block each other out. I could finally think straight. “What are you talking about?” He needed to stop touching me.

“My parents,” he said it like the words disgusted him. “Miriam was right. There are traitors. And they’re it.”

“How do you know?” I whispered back, acutely aware the very people we discussed were so close I could feel them.

“I overheard them tonight after the ceremony,” he said. “They were celebrating, Syd, actually celebrating.” Quaid’s anger leaked into his eyes. He struggled for control. It didn’t take long for his calm to return. “I didn’t know. You have to believe me. But I guess there’s some old stuff between my mom and your mom and Batsheva’s decided to do something about it.”

“Some something,” I said.

“I guess,” he said. “You have to get out of here.”

“Why are you warning me?” I didn’t trust him despite having been inside his power and mind only moments before. Had we still been connected, maybe. But it was easy to lose that total sense of who he was when I wasn’t inside his magic. I was sure then he must have an ulterior motive or maybe they even sent him. I took a step back, even my demon rising to the defensive. I wondered at how quickly and easily she made herself a part of who I was despite all my attempts to keep her out. Nothing like a little life-threatening coven action to bring a girl around.

Quaid’s hand reached out to take mine, closing the gap between us, the exchange flowing again. “I’m not like them,” he said. “They’ve been using negative magic, Syd. I want no part in it.”

I knew he couldn’t lie to me, not with that power flowing over me and through me, weaving its way through mine, making itself at home. Lying in that state was impossible for both of us. My demon purred with contentment as his aura fed her.

I struggled to concentrate.

“I can’t leave,” I whispered. “What about Meira? Mom? Gram? I won’t leave my family, Quaid.”

I could tell he was frustrated. “I know. I had to try to warn you anyway. Syd,” he let go of my hand, but the connection was still there. I wondered if it was permanent now. “I wanted you to know… because I didn’t want you to think I had anything to do with it.”

“Why do you care?” I asked him, breathless. How had I not noticed before how sweet his energy was, how lovely and generous, how great he smelled, like chocolate, oddly. How had I missed the draw of his dark eyes, the brightness of his perfect teeth? Or was it the demon in me that made me pay attention all of a sudden?

“I just do,” he said, fingers brushing my cheek.

I believed him.

“I have to go,” he dropped his hand and stepped away. “I’m sorry, Syd. I wish… I wish I could do more. Take care of yourself.”

Quaid disappeared into the darkness. I missed him immediately, missed his warmth around me, the feeling that for once I was not alone. I didn’t even get a chance to thank him before he vanished from sight. Chapter Thirty Three

A strong hand gripped my arm and spun me around. I was face-to-face with Brad. It took me a minute to comprehend what was going on as my two lives overlapped, giving him ample time to speak his mind.

“I don’t get it,” he snapped, angry and hurt, radiating it like a broadcast signal so even my demon shrank away in guilt. “I try to be your friend, more than your friend and you don’t care! I gave up my whole life because of you, Syd, my friends, pissed off my dad, my coach! And what do you do? Ditch me for some other guy!” He shook he was so mad.

Um, what? Since when? It’s not like we were officially dating or anything.

I pulled my arm free. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you.” There was a desperation in his eyes that worried me. It went way past anything he should be feeling. Unless he was the kind of guy who fell for girls who stood him up?

“Not good timing.” I felt terrible about it but I had way bigger stuff going on than him at the moment. “Besides, I thought you were with Suzanne.”

His face fell as he stepped away from me. “Yeah, right,” he said. “Like I’d jump into a relationship with another Alison.”

“You were with her,” I still struggled to switch to normal girl mode, so wrapped up in the mess I was in I could barely focus. “With the pops. You were a bully, Brad, just like them.”

His head dropped. The anger drained out of him. I wanted to hug him and tell him it was going to be okay.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

I went to him and put my hand on his arm. The demon part of me grumbled, vaguely disappointed there was no answering blanket of power.

I ignored it. “I am too,” I said. “Really. But, my family…” I glanced at the dark house, noticing the kitchen light turn on. I felt the draw of that life more powerfully than I ever had despite my best intentions. “Things are really rough right now,” I whispered. “And I need to go back.”

I turned away from him, but he caught me.

“I don’t know what to do, Syd,” he said, face hovering over mine, hands covering the developing bruises Quaid left behind. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

“You have to go,” I said as gently as I could. I wasn’t about to let the Moromonds catch me with Brad. I had no idea what they would do, but I knew they would find a way to use him against me. I didn’t want to put him in that position.

“I can’t,” he said. “I can’t go, Syd. I don’t know what it is, but there is something about you I can’t let go.”

I felt along the edges of his aura with a lump in my throat. Why hadn’t I seen it before? Brad Peters, football star and All-American boy, had a gift. Not full-blown and certainly not strong, but a gift nonetheless. His power was latent, sleeping, but awake enough it recognized me and what I was. I knew it happened sometimes, that normals were born with a hint of what we had, but I never experienced it before. It was quite likely he would never be able to conjure magic, but the tiny spark within him wanted to be fed. Because of it, he was drawn to me like a moth to a flame.

That was the last thing I needed right then.

“Brad,” I said. “You need to go, please.”

Instead of listening, he kissed me.

His lips were soft, softer than I ever imagined a boy’s lips would be, but firm underneath where they pressed against his teeth. His warm breath tasted like cinnamon gum. It filled my mouth. I melted toward him, not meaning to, giving in to something amazing and open and pure. I kissed him back. For that brief slice of forever, I forgot everything but the joy of it.

When he pulled away, I was breathless.

“Do you still want me to go?” He whispered over my mouth.

I didn’t, so help me, but he had to. I did the hardest thing I did all night to that sweet boy who