Burned » Kai Parker

11

Observing the messy pile of clothes that I'd just finished yanking off of the hangers in my closet, I planted my hands on my hips and nodded to myself.

"Yep. I can't find my favorite sweatshirt." I faked a dramatic sigh. "Guess I'm not going to Portland."

Sam semi-stumbled into my room, peeking his head out from the side of the boxes stacked in his arms. "Eva, you can't keep saying that whenever one of your things is missing. Do a locator spell, and get to business."

"Sam, I really need you to listen to me here. One of my things isn't just missing." I pointed a stern finger at him. "It's my favorite sweatshirt. The black one–"

"–with the picture of a cartoon puppy on the front, yeah, I recall. It's all you used to wear back at Mama's house."

I lowered my hand. "Good, so you understand how big of a game changer this is."

He deposited the boxes onto the floor and reached up to fix his crooked glasses, squinting at me. "Uh, no, not really. I understand that it's you stalling and deluding yourself into thinking that there's still a way you can get out of this."

I crossed my arms, turning away from him to mindlessly shuffle through old magazines on my nightstand. "Don't know what you're talking about."

I heard him snort. "Eva, I had to cut my own packing short and drive over here to help you with yours, since you have yet to even finish one box."

"Sam, don't even. I know you only came over here because your boss gave you the day off and you were bored." I lazily tossed him a glance over my shoulder. "Mama told me."

My brother was a software developer at a company in the city known as Biotech. As much as the two of us got along, we couldn't be more different in some respects. He had been fascinated by mathematics and science for as long as I could remember, which I would tease him for, but in reality, I'd been grateful for it. After all, Sam was my hero in middle school and high school when the core subjects had kicked up in difficulty and he'd find me most nights at the kitchen table, glaring down at my half-completed homework assignments. He had a way of explaining things that instantly reshaped them with clarity and a patience that combatted my tendencies to get irritated with the material rather quickly.

It was a skill that he carried into a lot of things; even with easing my attitude about this upcoming move to Portland. I'd been supremely rattled when Kai made the announcement and Sam had just barely managed to prevent me from setting the warlock's shirt on fire. I was still dreading the entire thing and trying to pretend that maybe it had all been a mix-up, and I'd shortly be receiving a call from a Gemini that went something like this: "Remember that silly thing, about you coming to Portland to help the alliance? Right, well, Kai made a mistake. Classic name mix-up. You're actually free to never attend a Five Covens meeting again, for as long as you live. Have a good day!"

Wishful thinking, but that didn't stop me from stealing hopeful glances at my phone, like that very call might come through any moment.

Sam had been the diffuser of my discontent, or a portion of it anyway. He enacted his favorite tactic: reminding me that I'm not alone, and proceeding to help me perceive the bright side of the misfortune. I swear, it was a tune that he loved to sing so much that I should be immune to it. And yet, it still worked its magic when he told me, "Eva, I get how you're feeling. This is a crazy change, but not one you'll be experiencing alone. It's gonna be new for the both of us. And we have Luis, so at least there'll be some familiarity to start us off. Plus, Portland is really nice in the fall."

He had a point or two, and I thanked my lucky stars that my older brother was going to be there with me. That didn't, however, erase how upset I was with my mother, who conveniently left out this plan that she had apparently discussed with Kai and the Geminis. I felt so damn foolish. Those various times she'd been amiably conversing with Joshua, little did I know they were deciding my future for me.