[High School Paranormal Romance]
"If you ask me, life sucks ass, and according to my mother, my future is the reason she never gives me the time of day."
Dude, don't ask me why my bitch of a mom sent me away. I mean, I know she has an important car...
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Marlena's disturbing words haunted me as I watched her kneel in front of the fire. She placed a handful of gemstones on a burlap mat.
When she had the nine different stones in a perfect circle, she placed a small brass bowl in the middle. With a piece of charcoal, she drew symbols directly on her wooden floor around the burlap.
"What's she doing?" I whispered softly.
"She's creating a summoning spell to call upon her Stitcher." Justin's lips grazed over my ear as we watched her scrawl nine separate symbols. And, yeah, Justin was still naked, and I was still sitting in his lap. It was a little awkward now that I was feeling better, but I guess I needed to start getting used to moments like these.
"What is a Stitcher?" I finally asked a question that had been on my mind for hours.
"A Stitcher is a powerful energy worker within the Fourth Realm. Kind of like what humans would think of as a Shaman, Warlock, or Witch, but Stitchers can do amazing things. I'm hoping to snuff out your mating call. At least until we can get more Guardians on our side. We need to cloak your energy and figure out a way to deter my father and others within the Realms from targeting you. Stitchers are unpredictable and have their own motives, so finding one that we can trust isn't easy, but the Sun Clan has the best Stitchers in the Realms."
"Well, that's nice to know. So, this mating call... what is it?" I bit my lip, hoping it wasn't something too crazy.
"Well," Justin inhaled deeply as his nostrils flared. "It's a mixture of things. It's partly your scent, but it's also your energy. Together they create a powerful desire to seek you out. Your bloodline is quite unique."
Marlena scoffed. "Unique? A better term is nonexistent."
Justin's gaze raked over my face. Gauging my expression, he spoke in my head. She's right, Angel. No one in the Nine Realms possesses your energy or has a scent as tempting as yours.
Taken aback, I squinted. "What do I smell like? Because I took a shower this morning... I mean, I probably should've taken one after practice, but do I stink?"
Marlena chuckled as she started collecting herbs from glass jars.
"No. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced. Your aroma is seductive as fuck, and combined with the power inside you, it makes people act irrationally just to be near you."
Grinding herbs together in a wooden bowl, Marlena nodded. "Irrational and unforgiving. Many souls will kill anyone and everyone to bond with you. The melancholy life of the Bringer is full of darkness, war, and death."
I stiffened as shivers ran down my spine. What the fuck?
"Why are you scaring her? Her life is full of love, joy, and delight too. She's a powerful leader that will bring peace like never before." Justin's arms tightened around me.
