kai parker - spellbound

CHAPTER TWO

Aurora and Kai sat in the living room, the remnants of their earlier conversation still lingering in the air like a thick, unspoken tension. The room was dimly lit, as the fire crackled softly in the hearth. Aurora clutched her knees to her chest, her eyes fixed on the flickering flames, while Kai's demeanor had shifted to one of focused seriousness.

"What is your problem?" Kai's voice sliced through the heavy silence. Aurora sat opposite him, knees drawn to her chest, looking distant. When she glanced up, her eyes were a storm of shock, anger, and confusion.

"Oh, I don't know? Maybe the fact that a serial killer is in my house asking for my help? How do I know that when we get out of here, you won't go and butcher MY family?" she yelled, her voice trembling with frustration.

Kai raised his arms in a defensive gesture. "Okay, hello? Not all of them died. And believe me, they had it coming—"

"That's not even an answer!" Aurora interrupted, waving her hand in exasperation.

Kai's expression hardened as he dropped his arms. Aurora pressed on, her voice rising. "I mean, what could your family have possibly done that was so bad you felt the need to kill them?"

Kai's eyes darkened, his demeanor growing more serious. "Coven, not family," he corrected, his tone cold and detached.

The way he said it made Aurora pity him, if only for a moment. "Is it because you were a siphoner?" she asked.

Kai nodded, a bitter snicker escaping his lips. "My 'family' called me an abomination. That hurt my feelings," he said with a mocking smirk. "And, I had to merge with my twin sister Josette at some point. My father knew that if we merged, I would win. So that's why they put me here."

Aurora didn't know how to respond. She felt bad that his family treated him like dirt, but he wasn't exactly a good person who deserved sympathy. "If you really need to know, as soon as I get out of here, I'm merging with my sister, and I will win. Annnnd... I'll be the leader of the Gemini coven." He smiled. Aurora just stared at him, her expression unreadable, Kai trying to figure her out. She looked down at her hands and played with her rings.

"I understand what it's like to be the defect of your coven," Aurora began, her voice soft.

Kai looked up at her, intrigued.

"When I was eight, there was an accident, and both of my parents died." Aurora paused, her voice trembling with the weight of her memories. "I grew up in New Orleans, with my coven. The Mercurio coven. I knew that I came from a powerful lineage of witches. When I was thirteen I thought I was ready... I thought, maybe I could use that power to bring my parents back." She exhaled before she could show any emotion. "I was too young to even understand magic let alone use it. But I did it anyway and things got out of control and my best friend Alina died. I was shunned by my coven and me and my aunt moved to Mystic Falls to start over." A wave of guilt filled her expression. "And the worst part is... I didn't feel sad. I never felt more powerful in my life." She looked up at Kai again, her eyes meeting his. "I've never told anybody that before."

Kai looked almost relieved. "You see, Aurora," he said quietly, "We're more alike than you think."

Aurora remained silent, her mind racing with conflicting emotions. "I'm nothing like you. I regret what I did."

Kai leaned in, his gaze intense. "Just because you regret it doesn't make you a good person. You killed someone, Aurora, and it felt right."

"No—it was an accident," Aurora quivered, her voice barely a whisper.

"Magic is rooted in intention," Kai retorted, his voice sharp. "If your spell had truly gone wrong, it would have backfired on you, not killed your friend. You wanted her dead."