His Miracle Mate: Rise of the Moon Children

Chapter 40

Magic rose and waned all around me in pulses, every one belonging to a supernatural. I could feel the individual threads of energy, and I felt as though I could snap them one by one if I wanted to.

They pushed against my senses, drowning me in power and luring my own magic.

My heart beat in my ears. Wind rattled the windows, and the room darkened as clouds gathered in the sky outside. If I didn't get out now, I felt like I was going to suck all the magic out of the room.

People moved toward the crowded entrance, too slow for my liking. I glanced at the glass wall and got a good visual for the patio outside. Then I teleported out there.

"What the f-"

I looked back. Whitewell crouched down to pick something off the ground. I startled him so much he dropped his... cigarette?

Out here, the beat of magic was softer. The forest, the mountains, the air, the lake, their energy settled down my magic and slowed the dangerous pulse, draining it through the earth.

Wind mellowed, ruffling my hair with gentle fingers, and the sun peeked through the clouds.

Rolling his cigarette between his fingers, Whitewell looked up at the sky, then looked at me with a raised brow.

"Does that even do anything to you?" I blurted out, pointing to the cigarette.

"I'm sure it's not as effective as it is to humans. But for shitty days like this, anything helps." He touched his finger to the tip of the cigarette. The pad of his finger glowed a pale green, and after a moment, smoke wafted up in the air. Well, I guess he didn't need a lighter.

He didn't comment on the abrupt change of weather, and I was thankful for it. Not everyone knew about my abilities, but I was sure it would get out sooner or later.

I sneezed and sniffed. The air out here was much colder. Wrapping my arms around myself, I leaned against the wall a few paces away from Whitewell, out of sight of the glass walls.

The patio stretched several yards, meeting the open forest ground. Several seats dotted the surface, but we stayed standing.

The lake spread endlessly in front of us. It almost looked like a sea if not for the mountains beyond it. Giant firs shrouded the sloped grounds everywhere the eye could see. I wonder if there were wild animals out there. The thought reminded me of Gray. My heart gave a painful tug.

A sudden breeze blew, blasting cigarette smoke right into my face. I glared at Whitewell. "The smoke is really ruining the vibe."

He chuckled but didn't drop the cigarette. His magic was so... poise. There was a measure of calmness in it. As if he was sure of his place in the world and he was happy with it.

"Why are you out here?" he asked, his eyes squinting at the shimmering lake.

I opened my mouth to... I didn't know. Maybe lie and tell him I was just taking a breather outside. But I was so tired of mistrusting everyone and being on my guard. I wished I could blink and this entire mess was over. I wished we could just live in peace.

And maybe for Aria to get the heck away from Ezra.

I hit the back of my head against the wall and settled for the truth. "They sent me to sound you out. To loosen your lips."

He gave me a startled look and raised his eyebrows, removing the cigarette. "Are you sure about that? I don't think that's the way to do it. For one, you're not supposed to tell me."

I shrugged and blew out a heavy sigh, looking at the massive mountains ahead, the snowy ridge disappearing behind fuzzy clouds every now and then.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm just tired of... everything. So, are you going to tell me exactly what you know about Nadia?" I asked, dropping my voice to a whisper.