Dangerously Beautiful

Chapter 29

     "Dad?" I looked at the man who didn't look a day over 35. Magic, I guess.

     He looked at me wide-eyed."Katarina?" I nodded my head. "I know I'd recognize those blue eyes anywhere." He pulled me in for a hug and whispered, "Plus, I'd know that magic from anywhere. How on earth did you get it back baby girl?" He looked at me in awe and something else I couldn't quite place.

     "I've been looking for you. I just got my magic back and I don't know how to control it. Julie told me that you locked it up. I need to know why and what I can do. Teach me, please." I asked, pleading more like it.

     He nodded, "Follow me. It's not safe to talk out in the open." He looked at the rest of the group with hesitation.

     "They're my friends they're.."

     "Werewolves and a witch. I know." He looked at them with a look that I couldn't decipher but he quickly snapped out of it and nodded, pulling me down a hallway and into an office.

     "I can't believe you're here kiddo. You're all grown up." My dad looked at me with so much affection.

     "Oh, so now you're excited to see her? Where the hell have you been for her whole life then?" Asher said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

     "Asher, come on..." I began before my dad interrupted.

     "It's okay Katarina. He's right. I did leave, but I had good reason. There were supernaturals coming after me. They knew that I had something, something very powerful. It was amplifying my magic to an extreme. I knew if they found me, then they would sense your magic. So, I did what I thought was best for you."

     "You locked my magic away." I finished the words for him. "What did you have? Why was it so important that you couldn't just give it away and stay with us, with me?" I asked, feeling hurt by his betrayal. Even if he was just keeping me safe.

     "It doesn't matter now. I was able to hide it. No one can have it. It could lead to the destruction of all humanity." He said almost absentmindedly. "But you're here now. And I have so much to teach you." He looked at me the same way he did when I was little. I almost felt normal.

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Asher's POV

     "Does something seem a little off to you guys?" I asked the guys and Mia while we watched Kaia and her dad training with their magic.

     "You mean besides Kaia actually smiling and not complaining for more than five minutes? Yeah, I'd say shit is really strange right now." Sebastian said, looking at Kaia's attempt to throw a fireball at moving targets.

     "You mean her dad, right? Everything seems to be going well to me." Hayden said, clapping me on the back. "You're just worried about here, it's understandable."

     "I don't know Hay. Something just seems off about the guy." I said, sighing.

     "I get it. I mean, what the hell was that about him having to hide something from some people? I just got a weird feeling about him. I guess we'll find out sooner or later." Mia said, watching Kaia successfully hurl a ball of fire, incinerating the target.

     Kaia came running over with the biggest smile on her face. "Did you see that? I was able to control the fire without having to display any strong emotions." I really didn't want to put her in a bad mood by telling her my thoughts on her dad. But if he tries anything, then I won't hesitate to attack.

     I placed a smile on my face. "I did. You did amazing baby." I kissed her lips before a throat was cleared.

     "Katarina, come on. We have a lot of work to do." Her father said, looking mildly pissed off.

     "She goes by Kaia actually," I told him with a blank look. He glared at me over Kaia's head so she couldn't see. Fucking prick.

     "Right. Well, since we know what your powers can do. Let's see how much we can push the limit." He smiled at her, with a hint of mischief in his eyes.

     I watched as they walked over to a table with a book on top. I could feel Mia shiver next to me. Her eyes looked a little wide and panicked. "Mia, you good?"

     "Uhhh yeah, it's just that...I felt some dark magic coming from that book. It could just be a residue leftover from a different spell but...I don't know. I just have a bad feeling about that book Ash." She whispered as quietly as she could without alerting Kaia or Abraham to our conversation.

     I walked over towards Kaia as she started reciting a spell. I held my breath waiting for the dark magic to arise. Only...in place of a dangerous creature...There was a puppy. A golden retriever puppy at that. Well, I guess Mia was right about the residue of dark magic used at a different time. This spellbook seemed safe enough, right?

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Kaia's POV

     I was brimming with controlled power after the training session with my dad. I couldn't believe the amount of stuff that I was able to accomplish with his help. I could feel Asher's anxiousness through our mate bond but I decided to ask him later in private about it.

     I was cut off from my thoughts when my dad said, "I think we could use your magic. You're a force to be reckoned with Katarina." I internally grimaced at his use of my full name, especially after Asher told him not to. "Let's try something new." He looked at me with excitement in his eyes. The rest of the guys and Mia went upstairs where there were bedrooms on the second floor of the bar. Apparently my dad owned the bar and has his own place above it.

     He walked over towards a bookshelf and carefully took out an old book, about the size of a textbook. "This Kaia is an ancient spellbook that has been passed down through our family. It contains the most powerful spells ever created." He was practically bouncing on his toes in excitement.

     "What kind of spells?" I asked, feeling some weird form of magic coming from the ancient book.

     "Well, some may call it dark magic but it all depends on the perspective." He grinned, with a look that I couldn't decipher in his eyes. He was a hard person to read.

     "I don't want to do any dark magic. Mia told me that it's bad. It can change a person and there are always consequences when using it." I was hoping that would satisfy his answer. I know it sounds stupid, but I really didn't want to disappoint my dad. What if he thinks that this is just a waste of his time training me. Without his help, I'm just a loose cannon.

     He smiled, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. "You're right, for a weak witch, it can have consequences. Let's just forget about it, for now." He gestured to the door with his hand. "Why don't we quit for the day and try again tomorrow. I plan on bringing you somewhere else to train."

     I smiled back and walked upstairs to the bedroom where Asher was waiting for me. "Hey," I grinned at him as he laid shirtless on the mattress, sitting on the floor.

     "Hey, baby. How did the rest of training go?" He asked, pulling me to his side.

     "It was okay." I contemplated telling him about the instance with my dad but decided against it. I could handle him if I needed to. "We're going to train tomorrow, are you coming with?" I asked looking up into the eyes of the man that I fell in love with.

     "Of course baby. I will follow you until the day that I die." He kissed my lips before closing his eyes. Now looking back, I really wish that he hadn't said those words.

One more chapter to go until the end of Dangerously Beautiful Book #1! Any guesses or predictions on how this book is going to end? Let me know your thoughts.