Amerie made it to the restaurant five minutes early. Sounds of silverware on plates and low chatter filled the air. Music so low that it was barely audible played on a loop. A large fish tank sat behind a full bar near the back of the restaurant. Amerie’s stomach growled. Part of her wishes she hadn’t skipped breakfast for this early lunch, but she didn’t want to risk pushing back the time and having to rush to change and freshen up for her date later. As she followed the hostess back to a booth, she met eyes with Mae sitting across from Kierian. They held no recognition in their eyes looked away as if they were strangers. Picking up the menu, Amerie attempted to hide her nerves. She sat with her back to the table where Mae and Kierian sat, both of them with clear view of the open side of the booth so they could identify any signs of magic. Amerie shifted in her seat, anxious about what they’d find today. Blaze and Brynn walked in shortly after she sat down. Amerie waved them over
The rest of the lunch with Brynn and Blaze had gone well. They’d confirmed that they were witches and were aware of more happening in the forest. Mae had squeezed into the booth next to Amerie after their admission and glared daggers at the witches. Kierian helped Amerie diffuse the tense situation. Amerie had to rush out to start getting ready for her date, but promised to text them as she waved goodbye to the sisters. Mae and Kierian stalked out behind her. Amerie had made it home just in time to change and touch up her makeup. She just finished curling her hair and was putting on her earrings when a knock sounded at the front door. Milo perked up and wagged his tail. She gave his head a scratch and grabbed her purse before opening the door. Everett stood in a navy blue blazer, white shirt with the top two buttons undone, and dark jeans. He looked like a model straight out of a magazine.His green eyes scraped across her body from head to toe, drinking her in. The emerald green app
Amerie felt like she was on cloud nine. The day with Everett had been so effortless. They walked along the park path hand in hand, laughing and joking as if they’d known each other for years. The sun had gone down two hours ago but Amerie was in no rush. She savored this moment of normalcy. Her heart fluttered each time she met Everett’s gaze in the warm glow of the street lamps lining the path. They sat down on a park bench facing a pond near the middle of the park. The iron arms on the bench had small designs of wolves in them. Amerie traced her finger along them. “This town loves their wolf stories,” Everett mused. Amerie let out a soft chuckle and turned to find him watching her. “You said that your mom was attacked by a wolf when she was younger,” Amerie prodded. Everett nodded. “Yeah, when she was fifteen. She said it was a black wolf that looked and smelled diseased. She still gets uneasy when she smells rotten meat or old garbage that’s been in the sun too long.”“The wolf
**Unknown POV**A slender young man sprinted through the forest. Wide green eyes darted back and forth, his bare feet not slowing or faltering. Pants littered in mud and multiple repair stitches hung loosely from his bony hips, barely held in place by a thin string. His shirt that had at one time been white was missing both sleeves and three buttons. Blond hair packed so thickly with grit and blood it looked nearly black hung past his shoulders. A jagged pink scar contrasted his pale, sunken skin from above his right eyebrow and across his nose to his upper lip. The man slowed as he stepped into a busy camp. Tents with torn black fabric and multiple fire pits were scattered among an array of hellish beasts. Some had heads of serpents with three eyes, others walked on four legs and had multiple tails. Some looked similar to Minotaurs from ancient stories and others were draped in shadows. Snarling Embertaurs patrolled the camp. A few human slaves like himself shuffled about with their
Everett’s white knuckles gripped the steering wheel. His lips formed a thin line, his eyes focused straight ahead. They’d been riding in silence for fifteen minutes. He hadn’t said a word since Amerie told him the truth about Asteri, Celena, Apollo, and the Embertaurs. Not even the radio was on. Amerie sat in the passenger seat twirling her thumbs and chewing on her cheek. She stole secret glances at him as he drove. Five minutes from Amerie’s house, Everett took a sharp right turn onto a narrow dirt road. Dirt crunched as he pulled over into a space looking over the lake and climbed out of his car. His navy blue blazer remained in the seat. He stopped near the edge of the cliff and laced his fingers behind his head, tilting his chin up to gaze at the night sky. Amerie waited a moment before getting out of the car and slowly walking over to him. She stood their in silent support while she waited eagerly for him to speak. Everett sighed and dropped his hands to his side. He turned to
Amerie sat huddled in a blanket on the couch as she shuddered uncontrollably. Everett was pacing in her living room, occasionally glancing into the backyard. Milo sat by the back door on high alert and growled at the slightest movement outside. He’d been frantic and uneasy when Amerie got home. They knew who she was. They knew where she lived. She wasn’t safe. Everett had refused to leave her home alone. He’d consoled her and listened carefully as Amerie explained what the blood and crow meant. Without hesitation, he had offered for her and Milo to stay with him for the time being. Amerie had agreed but asked to wait for Apollo and Mae before they left. Everett helped her pack a couple bags and they now sat in the trunk of her car along with Milo’s food and bed. Milo growled lowly and then stopped and wagged his tail. A tap on the glass of the back door made Amerie jump. “I think it’s Mae,” Everett informed her. Amerie craned her neck and saw Mae standing with a longbow on her back
“Tuitio!” the sisters shouted in unison. Purple magic burst from their palms and shimmered directly in front of Apollo, blocking the creature from advancing. A shield. Amerie stared in awe. The thing let out a low, sinister laugh. A tingle ran down Amerie’s spine in response. Wrong. Other. Foul. EVIL. “Young witches. Interesting.” The thing grinned and tilted his head to the side as he beheld the sisters. He inhaled deeply and hummed in delight. “It has been a long while since I have tasted the power of a witch.” Amerie’s hands warmed as it eyed the sisters and took a step closer. Apollo let out a warning growl. The creature smiled and raised his hands in defense. Its eyes flicked back at the sisters and he made to take another step. A knife landed at his feet. “Leave.” Mae snarled and drew another dagger, flipping it. “I see we are unwelcome. Very well. We shall leave you for now.” The thing bowed slightly and turned to the trees with its hands behind its back. It walked past
Amerie flopped onto the snowy ground with a huff. Her muscles were sore from the long hour of training in the dark, but her power was still reeling to come out. It was endless. Simmering embers covered the moonlit ground of the clearing in orange specks. A small fire remained lit just inches from her right hand, the melted snow around it starting to turn to ice as the flames receded. Her aim and concentration had been true throughout the training, and the others bore small singe marks to prove it.Celena had not held back in the training when Amerie visited her in the pool. While the expanse of her powers were still unknown, other abilities Amerie had yet to uncover had surfaced during the training. In this world she had only been asleep in the water for an hour. In Amerie’s reality, she had spent the majority of two days training with Celena without breaks. She needed to continue practicing to allow the powers to bloom into their full potential, but in the time she spent with the god