Underneath a Dark Moon (Twisted Dark #3)

Chapter Twenty-Two: Lost and Found

I was being hunted.

I could feel it in my bones or rather could feel my magick grating against me. As if it could sense the presence of those who wanted to find me and warned me. It had taken me a while to understand how my magick worked. My mother had been right, it had never needed to be awakened. It felt like it always had, it was a still presence within me but it packed a heavy punch. I wondered if that was how my mother felt with her magick.

Everyone had talked about how magick seemed to swarm in their veins, how it seemed to prickle and tingle within them. Mine didn't do that. It was a still silence until something alerted me, warned me, that something was off and then it raced through my veins like the force of a raging inferno. It had been difficult to become accustomed to but now it seemed to be like second nature. A small movement of it within my veins worked as an alarm system. It happened and I instantly teleported away.

It was strange to get used to being able to do that. Only the most powerful magick users were able to teleport without the appropriate spells in place. It was a showing of great magickal strength to be able to forcibly rip yourself through space and time without magickal barriers protecting you. I understood why my mother always insisted upon teaching me all the spells and movements that were needed for a sorceress level witch. I had always believed it was her being unreasonably hopeful. I should have known better than to question her.

Now I was using every bit of the knowledge she had given me to stay ahead of those who were trying to hunt me down. It was hard but I was managing fairly well. I never realized how difficult it would be to try and hide from the Covens when they was searching for me because I was the current head of the Royal line. My killing of Mercutio for his place had felt great at the time, very great, but I wasn't prepared for just how many issues it would cause.

I got no peace of mind because of all of the witches and warlocks that were now searching for me. Witches, because I held all the current political power of the realm of the Covens and nothing could happen without my say so and warlocks, because I was now a very hot commodity and I was apparently open for business. Which was code for I was single and in need of a dick in my life. So I was stuck hiding out in rundown motels and teleporting away from every single witch I saw. I swear they had all been notified by my newest position of royalty all at the same time. Every single one seemed to know.

That wasn't even including the fact I was pretty fucking sure Abe was tracking me as well. Which I hated. One because I didn't want him anywhere near me after I saw that stupid signed order and two there was a stupid part of me that still shivered and tingled at the thought of him finding me. Not to mention that I couldn't actually bring myself to feel attracted to anyone else since him. I had tried, believe me I had. It was why I was tucked into a large club, sitting at the bar, trying to forget the world, to forget him.

I took a sip of my invigorating potion and shivered at the chill that ran up and down my spine as I did so. Being royalty did have some perks, I could demand only the most quality, top shelf, ingredients in my potions. Not to mention my face was apparently now known to a lot of people and I didn't have to pay for anything, the royal reserves footed the bill. Which also meant I had to never go to the same bar or club twice and had to use gold when getting a motel room. I was getting used to it though. Human settlements were my main targets. It was better when it was just them and no magick or supernaturals, it was always simpler.

However, I had been getting itches to dip back into the outer edges of the supernatural world and so I hit the Emporium for another trip to Prestige. It was large enough and dark enough that I knew I could hold my anonymity for awhile. I looked out over the crowd, letting the faint beat of the music roll over me. I tapped the signet ring against the glass of my potion. It made my magick pretty much automatic in how it worked. I willed something and it happened precisely how I wished it to and currently it was to mute the sounds around me.

I leaned against the bar, setting my drink down as I tugged the hem of my dress down just a fraction, smoothing the fabric out rather lazily. "This seat taken, luv?" At the gruff voice I slowly blinked, looking at the yellowish Fae that was gesturing to the bar stool right next to me. I shifted on my own seat and gestured with my hand but not giving a response as I trailed my fingers down the outside of my potion glass. "Any reason why you are hiding out in the corner?" He grinned at me, his green eyes seeming nearly luminescent in the strange lighting of the club and I took a drink of the potion before I once again set it down.

"I like to people watch." I looked him up and down and felt nothing at his slightly muscular form that was artfully displayed with his tailored pants and slightly rumpled button up shirt. There was nothing there when he gave me an easy grin and it set my teeth on edge.

I wanted to forget Abe, forget everything about him. I didn't want to remember that he looked at me like I was his entire world, that he called me sweetling, that he whispered sweet nothings into my ear as I fell asleep tucked tightly into his arms. I wanted to forget everything. Yet I was still remembering it all in great detail. No matter what I tried, he had driven himself underneath my skin and seared himself into my memories.

He had ruined me.

I picked up my glass again and took a long drink of the potion, knowing I needed to remain alert while in the club. I had made the mistake of getting drunk once and had passed out in a booth in a dingy bar only to wake up in the fucking royal palace with locking wards on my doors. Which would have been laughable at the time because of how easy it had been for me to rip through them, but I had learned my lesson and never lost my head while around supernaturals again.

My magick scraped across my nerves, prickling them with awareness. There were witched about and they were prowling for me. I tensed, wanting to leave before I forced myself to relax, faintly moving my fingers to throw up a ward of unseeing so I could remain invisible. I wasn't going to let some witches ruin my evening out. I was staying put.

The Fae shifted beside me, leaning closer to me as if to try and speak over the music I could hear a lot less than he could. "I must tell you that you are an exquisite female." At the rather sincere words my cheeks heated and I looked away from the Fae. I still wasn't used to compliments, I couldn't change that about myself. I had been Novis for so long that shedding that name was difficult at times. "Do you perhaps want to head out of here? I could maybe... get a room somewhere, just the two of us." He reached out and stroked my knee as he shifted closer. There was a part of me that was tempted to say yes, to try and prove everything wrong, to show that Abe hadn't changed something deep inside of me. Yet there was a bigger part of me that had my skin crawling from his hands on me.

I took another drink and silently cursed Abe to all of the humans hells.