Secrets From My Mate

Chapter Seventeen

Explanations

I was glad not to see Derek the following morning. I don't think I would have been able to reframe from lobbing one of Lane's amber stones at him to see if the charm really worked. It wasn't really a charm but I preferred to think of it that way.

My brother informed me that there were a few spells that were safe for us to work before the ritual, spells that just required a spark of the Gift, only using the energy that we willingly channeled into it. Gran never taught any of the spells to us because not even Lane had taken an interest in the Gift until after he'd gone through the Ritual. Of course, she still managed bit and pieces here and there, sneaking our education into things we took interest in. Teaching me about herbalist for example.

The spell that Lane taught me was ridiculously easy. It was a spell for summoning fire. I wasn't very kind when I informed him that I already knew how to summon fire. In fact, I spent most of my time trying not to summon fire. His response was to scowl and say that this spell was for a focused fire. I could create those as well but it required a good deal of, well, focus. It wasn't exactly something I'd be able to do when I was scared and being threatened.

That's where the amber came into play. Amber was on of Fire's gemstones. Normally, I would avoid the stone since it had a knack for drawing out my fire affinity. Lane promised me that these wouldn't since he'd charmed them for the spell. All I would need to do is channel my energy into a stone, recite the activation incantation and throw the stone at my target. The last part where I had to aim at someone with the intention of harming them would be the hardest part. If my will wasn't a part of it then the spell wouldn't work, or worse it would backfire in some way. If all did go well the stone would turn into fire, or as I called it, a fireball.

I wanted to hurl one right at Derek's head.

"Kit," Colt murmured under his breath as we got out of the truck.

I took a deep breath. "Sorry." I forgot, sometimes, how closely Colt paid attention to my temper. "I'm okay."

He nodded but his expression was still concerned. The concern didn't lessen through out the day either. Derek may have kept his distance, a smart move, but his lackeys didn't. The main lackey was Jake. Something that neither Lucy nor I were happy with, though for different reasons. He walked along a razor's edge every time he came near my little sister. I knew Jake was aware that he was almost eighteen and she was only fourteen, I just also knew that if he tried anything on her, I would end him.

By the time school let out my mood had only soured. Derek may have been giving me space to "cool off" as Jake put it, but I felt his eyes on me. I felt his longing through the Bond. When Lane hit him, nearly breaking his nose, instead of grim satisfaction, I just felt worry. I hated it. I hated being mad at him and worrying about him at the same time. It felt like being at war with myself, something that I already had enough of.

Things might have been easier if I was getting any sleep. I kept having that same dream. I was standing in the desert by a cliff and I was watching Hekate and Lilith. I always woke up, full of dread, just before Hekate could take Lilith's hand.

When I woke up Saturday morning, the dream's claws still deep in me, I just wanted to roll over and try to get some real rest.

"Nice try," Lucy said, pulling my comforter away. "I was just coming to get you up."

"Why?" I groaned into my pillow.

"Because there are two very excited little girls downstairs and they really want to go to the mall like you promised," Lucy answered.

I sighed and sat up, rubbing my face. "I completely forgot that was today." I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and checked the time. "Alijania will be here soon."