AWAITING IN THE DARK

Chapter 15

I follow Noah through the forest. His pace is fast and hard to keep up with. I feel out of breath. Couldn't he just do what he did last time when he took me home? I'm practically running. Noah stops for a second and looks at me. I wish I knew what he was thinking. Without a word, he picks me up and starts to chant. I feel the wind swirling around me. Leaves are flying past my face and sticking to my hair. In less than a minute it stopped.

I look around at my surroundings. This is not my home. This place feels so dark and gloomy. I look up at Noah. He still hasn't set me down. I pinch one of his arms to get his attention. Noah is not fazed by the pinch. He looks down at me and raises an eyebrow.

"Can you set me down?" I ask.

"Oh. Sorry." Noah lets go of me, and my feet touch the ground.

"It's okay. " I whisper. "Where are we?"

"My house," Noah mentions casually.

"Oh. It's beautiful. "

"You think so?"

"No. I was just trying to be nice. It's too dark. "

"You would think that. "

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Eh. Come here. I have something to show you. "

Noah leads me up the stairs and into a room. The stairs make a creaking sound each step I take. The room is filled with shelves of books. There's a cauldron that sits above wood in the fireplace. A box of crystals is placed by a stack of books on the table. The books look ancient. I want to read them all.

I turn towards Noah and give him a big hug. This time, there's no awkwardness. He hugs me back tightly.

"I thought you might like it. You can come here every day to learn instead of that school. I'm positive I can teach you more than the school can. "

"I don't think my mother will approve. " I voice sadly, running my fingers up and down the spine of a book.

"You're an adult Juliet. Your mother's approval doesn't matter anymore. You need to start to be more independent. "

"I can be independent. "

"Prove it. Stop going to that awful school and let me teach you. "

"Okay. " I say reluctantly.

"Jeez. Don't sound enthusiastic. "

"You said you don't have enthusiasm. "

"I don't. You do. "

"Fair. I'm no good at magic. "

"You keep saying that and it will become true. "

"It is true. "

"That's your opinion. I think you'll do amazing. "

Noah smiles at me.

I love it when Noah smiles. It's rare but beautiful. He usually wears a frown on his face. His expressions of cold and anger. I often find myself wondering what happened in his life to make him that way.

I grab Noah's hand and pull it to my chest. The gratitude I feel is overwhelming. I cradle his hand not wanting to let go. I'm afraid that he will pull away but he does the total opposite of what I expect. Noah moves closer to me and pushes a strand of hair behind my ear. He takes a deep breath and sighs. Walking towards a mini fridge in the room, Noah grabs a fruit punch drink.

"Can I have one? I ask, suddenly realizing I'm thirsty.

Noah hesitates and grabs another drink from the fridge. He hands me the bottle. I take it graciously. I twist the cap off and take a drink. It's delicious.

"Thank you, Noah. This tastes great. What brand is it?" I ask happily.

"It's a vampire brand. You wouldn't have heard of it, nor would you be able to find it," Noah replies, chuckling to himself.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

"I'll tell you one day. Finish your drink and come sit next to me. "

I finish my bottle and walk over to where Noah is seated. I pull out a chair and rest my elbows on the table. Noah grabs some crystals and sets them in front of me. Confused, I continue to watch as he rearranges things on the table.

"Concentrate on the crystal. "

"Why?"

"Just do it. "

"Okay. "

"Think of your happiest memory. "

I think about the day I got my puppy. I was seven at the time. It was my birthday. I had been asking my mom for a dog for the longest time. There was a knock on my bedroom door. I opened it and there he sat in a box. No lid of course. He was a cute French bulldog. I named him Tootsie. I remember running down the stairs happily crying to my mother that I had finally gotten a puppy.

Glancing down at the table, I noticed the crystal was shining brightly. It lit up the whole room. I turn towards Noah and tackle him in a bear hug. He pulls me against his chest tighter. I look into his eyes. I'm captivated again. The beauty of those eyes is breathtaking. Noah held me for what seemed like hours but could only be minutes.

Noah runs his hand through my hair and places a kiss on my forehead.

"I told you. You'll do amazing. "

"That was just one thing. "

"You'll be able to do it all in no time. Just stop going to that school. "

"Why are you so intent that I stop attending school?"

"I don't agree with their teaching styles. I've been to a lot of covens. My parents taught me all they knew. They are more than just behind on their education, Juliet. They're hindering their students abilities. "

"Why would they do that?"

"They believe they're protecting you. The more magic you do, the more traceable you become. If you're taught properly, you can always make your magic untraceable. You just have to know what you're doing. "

"How do you know all of this?"

"I have been around for a very long time, Juliet. I know a lot of things. When the Kingdom fell, it created so many problems for everyone. There was no kingdom to enforce the rules. Witches and Warlocks were being forcibly taken from their homes to do their abductors' bidding. "

"That sounds horrible."

"It was. The royal family feels exceptionally guilty for it. There was nothing they could do though. The King was aging into his thousandth year and his son had yet to find his mate. Without his mate, his son could not have full control of his capabilities. A downside to having all three genes. Imagine being a werewolf but not being able to control your temper. Imagine being a vampire but not being able to control your thirst. Imagine being a warlock but having no control over your powers. How could the son rule in such a condition?"

"He couldn't. It would be impossible. "

"Exactly. " Noah sighs.

"They announced that their son had found his mate. Does that mean he has control over all of those things now?"

"I think it does. I don't think they would announce his ruling if he didn't. " Noah smiles at me.

"I should go home now. My mother must be worried. " I whisper.

"Okay. I'll take you home. We don't need you walking through the forest alone. "

I shudder. "Okay. "

I hold on to Noah as the air in the room begins to spin. Within seconds, I am standing in my room, and Noah is again nowhere in sight. I have to learn how he does that.