When Lightning Burns [COMPLETED]

Chapter 25: Traveling Vigilantes

Luke held Julie's hand.

Good luck out there. He sent her the thought privately. With their connection, it was easy to talk that way when they touched.

Julie smiled back at him. "I don't need luck with you watching my back."

At a sigh next to her, she looked over at one of the chorus dancers. Yeah, she knew they were super sappy. Luke was allowed back here as her bodyguard, even though they made no attempt to hide their real relationship.

She took a deep breath. Now was her music cue. She put a big smile on her face. It was real—there was no need to fake it. As one of the female leads in this dance company, she had nothing to be sad about. She loved this part. She played a dark witch who ensnared a young lover from his true love. There was lots of energy in this dance.

Her dark costume spun around her as she 'chased' after her victim. She sent out spirals of light only Luke could see, letting them wrap around him the way they wrapped around her.

He stood still, his face slack as the light energy twirled around him like ribbons she held onto. As she twirled by, he mouthed, Later. Her smile somehow widened. Luke didn't want to escape her.

She flitted to an end, her heart thrumming.

"That was beautiful." He pecked her on the nose.

"Get a room," a voice called out.

"Only if you do next time, Stewart!" She rolled her eyes at one of the male leads. She had caught him practically in the act a week ago with one of the other dancers.

"Why? It spices things up!" he yelled back. "You can join in next time."

"Dude!" Luke yelled.

"Yeah, yeah." The guy walked by, grinning. "You know I'm joking. I mean, you put a rock that big on a girl, and it's kind of a glaring message that she's taken."

Julie fingered her ring, absently twirling it around her finger, like her mother did with hers. The large, oval diamond was set slightly slanted as intricate vines of platinum leaves and tiny, diamond flowers held it in place.

She lowered her voice as they walked back to her dressing room. "Did you find it?"

Luke closed the door, turning around as soon as he saw her changing. He was waiting until they were married.

Julie was doing everything she could to make that hard on him. After all, they were already committed—what did it matter? He was so traditional sometimes. There was no question that with Rory it would've been different.

She frowned at the thought. She hadn't thought about him in months. She wondered how he was, what he was doing. Did Luke keep in contact with his brother and not tell her? No, he would say something. She had to let the worries go as she had let him go. She would find out if he was hurt. Otherwise she needed to respect his space.

"Yeah, it's just like all the others." The sadness in his voice was clear, even if she couldn't see his face.

"Hey, it's one more compound freed!" She stepped into the shower and cleaned off quickly. Thankful, as a lead, she had her own space and could shower and dress at her leisure.

"Yeah," Luke continued as soon as the water was off. "But we both know that there are so many more out there. We may never find them all. And with the council—"

"Hey, we can only do what we can do. Let's focus on the ones we can help and keep trying to figure out the others as we go." Julie paused. This was touchy. She pulled a shirt over her head. It was dark blue. It would work. "Have you heard from Ike lately?"

"No."

"Well, that doesn't mean anything. He said he was going to work on the big picture with...your brother." She couldn't say his name. "You can turn around now."

Luke did, smiling and coming over to her. "You ready to go kick some human experimenters asses?"

She smirked. "Isn't the heroine of most stories supposed to fall for the man who wants to protect her and give her a safe life?"

Luke ran a finger down her cheek in response and whispered back in her ear, making both her body and heart ache, "Not if she doesn't want that."

She had been fooling herself all these years, scared to open up to someone, her love of dancing an excuse to avoid relationships. That somehow being in love, the other person had the power to smash any dreams if they left her. But no one could take away her dancing without her permission. She wasn't afraid of that anymore. Not with Luke.

She leaned up to kiss him. Taking a deep breath, and reveling in the scent of crisp pine trees. Forest Fey. She was addicted to the smell now. "Always. As long as it's with you."

He tipped up her head, looking into her eyes. "Always."

Julie smiled. God, they were sappy. Who would have thought?

Luke took her hand, pulling her along into danger. Together.