The Discovered Read online

  “I’m sorry,” Daelon said, halting the buildup. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. You’re not who I’m angry with.”

  I sighed. “I know I agreed to focus on the training first. It’s just frustrating to be so in the dark. Especially when I feel and see what I do in those waters. Something horrible has happened in this realm, and I’m supposed make it right.”

  “Yes. You are. This realm has been waiting for your return—I can feel it too. I know it’s hard. I wish things were different,” he said, holding my gaze. There seemed to be multilayered meanings embedded in those words. He looked suddenly uncomfortable and raw. “I cannot protect you forever. Not against some things. I wish terribly that I could.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but he stopped me.

  “I need you to know that when our little bubble here bursts, and the chips begin to fall, I will always be on your side. Always.” His voice was softer and pleading. It was like he was telling me a deep, dark secret while searching my eyes for understanding. “Like I said, we share a common enemy. I want to help you fulfill your purpose, whatever it is, after I do what I can to teach you everything you’ve been shielded from down in the human realm. I need you to know that I’m only doing what’s best for you.”

  What was he trying to tell me? All his secrecy, his moodiness, and his offhand comments were like a pile of scattered clues, and I didn’t have enough pieces to put the puzzle together. I didn’t know how much longer I could wait for the answers.

  But that look in Daelon’s eyes was so sincere, so desperate. It softened me to my core.

  “I believe you.” And I did, despite the part of my brain that wanted me to run far, far away and figure it all out for myself. I only grew fonder of Daelon as the days passed, even though I knew that trusting him was still a gamble. It was a risk I was willing to take. Like he said my first day here, all I had were his words and actions, and everything he showed me pointed to his reliability as my protector and guide.

  He sighed a breath of relief. “Now, eat.”

  When I awoke in the middle of the night to get a glass of water, I heard Daelon’s voice coming from down the hallway in his room. Why was he awake? Or did he talk in his sleep? I had never heard him when he stayed with me after my nightmares, but I wasn’t a light sleeper.

  I crept forward; the dark floorboards creaked beneath my weight. He spoke in a hushed tone, too quiet for me to comprehend. I took a step closer, almost to his door, when a sudden clatter followed by a thud erupted. It sent chills down my spine.

  “Daelon?” As soon as his name left my lips, the door flew open to reveal a shirtless, sweaty Daelon on the other side.

  My eyes widened as I took in the sight of his muscles shining with sweat, the veins in his arms bulging. He gave me a once over, lifting a brow. I realized in embarrassment that I wasn’t wearing any pants, since I expected him to be asleep at this hour. I was clad in a pale pink satin cami that mostly concealed my panties. As his eyes traveled back up to mine, he smiled mischievously, leaning on the doorframe.

  “I was getting water, and I heard a voice, and then a, uh, loud noise,” I spluttered in clumsy explanation, tugging at the bottom of my top for more coverage.

  “Just working out. Dropped something.” Daelon said, his eyes stony.

  “In the middle of the night?” And while talking to yourself?

  “It’s not the middle of the night. It’s the early morning,” Daelon muttered. “Go back to sleep, and I’ll see you in a couple hours.”

  Before I could react or say anything more, he shut the door in my face. Incredulous, I backed away. What just happened? I wasn’t awake enough to decipher any of it, so I grabbed a glass of water and went back to bed.

  Chapter 5

  Tossing and turning, my mind ran in circles. In my disorientation, between waking and dreaming states of consciousness, I saw Daelon at the foot of my bed. His head was tilted to the side, staring down at me as if he was fully entitled to the act. My heart thudded, and I couldn’t decide if the look in his eyes was unnerving or devastatingly exciting. I wanted to speak, but my voice was caught in my throat. He walked to the side of my bed and reached down, stroking my cheek with the back of his hand.

  I stared up into his dark eyes, mine narrowed at first then widening as he climbed over top of me. What was he doing? And why didn’t I stop him?

  He straddled me, hovering just above my body. His chest was bare, and I wanted desperately to run my hands along his skin. The urge felt just as strong and irresistible as the pull of my power, begging for me to let go, give in, and submit to my most innate instincts.

  “Then do it,” he said, his voice low and husky.

  Still unable to speak, I wordlessly lifted a hand to his skin and trailed my fingers down from his chest to his torso. His eyes were fiery, like they got when I didn’t do as I was told.

  “I told you I could force you silent,” he said, his lips close to my ear.

  His breath on my skin sent a shiver down my spine. Resting on his right arm, his left hand stroked the side of my neck and gently turned my head to the side with his fingers. In a sudden movement his lips were at my throat, his teeth lightly tugging on my skin.

  I drew in a sharp breath as he trailed kisses along my collarbone, his left hand moving down the side of my body grabbing at my waist.

  It was at this point that I became lucid enough to understand this was a dream.

  “But it feels real, doesn’t it?” my very realistic Daelon asked. “Admit you want it.” He leaned in close to my face, brushing my upper lip with his thumb. He looked from my eyes to my lips and back again, dangerously, utterly seductive.

  “I can’t,” I said, barely audible. I shook my head slightly, and my breath hitched. I don’t know who you are.

  “But you do.” There was less than an inch of space between our lips now.

  With the smallest movement, I leaned in and met him.

  When I awoke, soft rays of light streamed in from the windows. I breathed in shallow gulps of air, and I jumped and nearly screamed when I saw Daelon standing just past the doorway.

  “Fuck, Daelon.” A flash of hot embarrassment flooded my system as I covered my face with my arm. “Ever heard of privacy?”

  There was the hint of a smirk on his lips. “You were sleeping the day away. I was only making sure you were alive.”

  I attempted to collect myself. There was no need for all of this paranoia; he couldn’t see into my dreams.

  “What on earth were you dreaming about?”

  No, no, please, no.

  “Nothing,” I said too quickly. This just might’ve been worse than my nightmares. “I don’t remember.”

  “You are a terrible liar.” He raised his eyebrows, regarding me with calculation. “Hmm. What I would give to know…” Compared to his demeanor in the early hours of the morning, this was like night and day.

  “Well we don’t always get what we want,” I shot back. Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. “Now go away so I can get dressed.”

  He leaned against the door frame, his arms crossed. “You didn’t seem too concerned with that earlier.”

  For a moment I panicked, until I realized he was referring to my lack of pants on my way to get water.

  “I didn’t think you’d be awake,” I said, but the words came out far too exasperated and flustered. “Now get out before I force you out.”

  His eyes narrowed at my threat, but he obliged with an obnoxious grin and shut the door behind him.

  For a moment I just lay there, working to slow my breath and racing heart. My power called out to me, frenzied and chaotic, but all I really wanted to do was pull the duvet over my head and hide.

  No, screw this. If the boundaries of our working relationship had been breached, he was just as much at fault as I was—with all his little innuendos, flirtations, and weird pet names. I was supposed to be uncovering the source of the evil that haunted my dreams, hunted me, and killed my mothers. Flirt
ing with the secretive, mercurial witch trainer didn’t seem like it fit into this grand, cosmic purpose they’d laid out for me. I also wouldn’t soon forget his sketchy late night work out session.

  When I emerged from my room, Daelon was waiting in the kitchen to practically force-feed me toast. He also had a cup of coffee for me, which was admittedly sweet of him. I still regarded him with caution, grateful he seemed to be back in business-mode after our exchange.

  “You’re going to need to grab a jacket. We’re going outside,” he said.

  I couldn’t contain my smile. The autumnal weather was in full swing; the tall evergreens, trees with red and orange leaves, and breathtaking mountain landscape were more than inviting. It was my favorite time of year, as it reminded me of some of my most cherished memories with my mothers—holidays, baking, snow, and the changing of the seasons in our cozy village nestled among sloping hills. They taught me little rituals and traditions that reminded them of home, whispered to me as they guided with gentle hands, as if they were passing on the language of a dying world. I hated that I could barely remember any of it.

  “Okay, be right back.” I took one last chug of the tepid coffee.

  Daelon looked taken aback by my childlike enthusiasm, smiling back in spite of himself. He wore a chic charcoal sweater with faded jeans and hiking boots.

  I shot into my room and then re-emerged in a soft, white faux-fur coat to go with my flannel shirt and dark jeans.

  “Those shoes aren’t very practical, Áine,” he chastised, eyeing my black wedge ankle boots.

  “I don’t care. They’re cute.”

  He sighed and shook his head, giving up. He gestured for me to follow him, and we passed through the hall to the other side of the house. We pushed through the door that blended into the glass wall and onto the deck. There was a firepit and outdoor living area to the left and an outdoor bar and more seating to the right, with a tall staircase descending between the two.

  I stopped in my tracks. “Sheesh. This looks built for entertaining. Is that… something you do?” I eyed him, watching as his guarded features revealed absolutely nothing.

  He shrugged. “I more so use it as an escape from my life. I come here when I need to be alone.”

  That seemed like a waste of architecture. “So your life is… stressful?” I probed.

  He glanced at me, pausing for a moment before nodding. “Life in Aradia is stressful for most witches these days. I’m just… happy to be here with you, away from it all.” The rare flash of vulnerability floated up in his eyes.

  I offered a small smile, though we both knew he’d said far too little. There were just too many unanswered questions, and I had only my imagination to fill in the gaps. Was he embarrassed about his past? Ashamed? He’d said his life was parallel to my own, orphaned just like me. I had to assume it was by the same force that my mothers ran from—that they said was destroying the realm—and that Daelon wanted to tell me about after I’d gained control of my power. Maybe where he came from was simply depressing, and that was why he was so eager to leave it all behind to help me.

  If only I could read his energy.

  I pushed away my wandering thoughts, choosing to instead focus on the present moment. It was all we had, and my focus was necessary if I ever wanted to progress to actually being able to use my magick.

  I followed Daelon down the steps, careful not to falter in order to prove him wrong about my shoes. Maybe they weren’t the best choice, but they did complete the outfit.

  The air was crisp and smelled of wood, dampened leaves, and pine. The energy was palpable, much stronger out here than in the house. The witch realm felt more comfortable than Earth’s, and particularly New York City’s, stifling and more viscous ebbs and flows. I was more in tune with myself and the world here.

  We made it to the bottom, and he led me down a beaten path, our feet crunching on pine cones and fallen leaves. I could sense magick all around us, carried through the wind as it whipped through my long hair and whistled through tree branches. When we got to a fallen log, Daelon boosted himself over it effortlessly. I held out my hand and looked at him expectantly.

  “You puzzle me,” he muttered, holding out his arm for leverage to help me over.

  “How so?” I batted my eyelashes at him. “And where exactly are we going?”

  Daelon just shook his head, and I shivered as he put his hand on the small of my back to guide me off the path into a small clearing. The trees around us created a perfect circle. He spread out the plaid blanket he had tucked under his arm in the center of the area as I spun around to take in its beauty. There was a lot of magick in this area; I could feel it woven into the soil and coursing through the air.

  He gestured for me to sit with him on the blanket. “This is where I cast major spells, like to use my shielding gift to neutralize your energy imprint, as well as to establish a perimeter to keep wayward witches from stumbling onto the property. We’re in our own little microclimate of magick here, so that your outbursts aren’t felt by the whole realm.”

  I nodded. “How does the shielding thing really work? Or my clairsentience? Like where do they come from?”

  “That’s a question for the mystics. Where do human talents come from? There’s not a clear-cut answer really. Although it’s generally believed that witch talents come from a place of need—the Universe’s need for balance and symmetry,” Daelon explained. “As a shield, I can tap into protective magick in a way that comes naturally. I’m just attuned to that frequency. It’s useful when it comes to practicing covert magick that I don’t want others to become aware of, since I can mask its energetic makeup. Then, of course, it can be useful in countering aggression and making tangible, energetic shields in the face of attack.”

  “Do you believe then that it’s your gift that led you to take on this mission to help me? Like maybe gifts influence our purpose?” I asked, thinking about my own gift as an energy reader.

  It was strange to think the Universe, cosmos, or whatever else was conspiring for Daelon and me to meet. I yearned to see the bigger picture. I was just starting to feel bits and pieces wafting through my vast ocean of magick, whispered in so many voices and so many languages that it humbled me. Somehow, I was at the center of it all, and it was far more daunting than my first thoughts of revenge. There was something bigger—much bigger—at play, and sometimes I felt its weight bearing down as if I were Atlas holding up the whole world.

  Maybe I wasn’t ready to face it all.

  “Among other things, yes,” he finally answered.

  “Other things like revenge,” I ventured. “Because you’ve lost people like I have.”

  Daelon shot me a warning look. “Yes.” He looked away, almost as if he was searching for something among the trees.

  “What are we doing today?” I asked, quickly changing the subject.

  Daelon looked back at me, relief etched in his features. Whatever horrors we faced, he was clearly terrified of them.

  “You’re going to help me cast a spell.”

  I grinned, but Daelon’s features were grave.

  “A spell for more time.”

  “And that means what, exactly?”

  His gaze unfocused as if he was looking right through me, deep in thought. “That the power I’m protecting you from is growing craftier. I need to cast a spell to distract him—it.”

  So, that thing was a he. Interesting. It would seem all of my nightmares and premonitions weren’t all in my imagination, after all.

  “This is going to require a lot of trust, Áine. I will take care of establishing intent, and with your consent, I will channel energy through you. You can harness more power than I ever could, so I know it will give us our best chance.”

  “And if I don’t consent?” I asked, frowning. I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of this. Was this not what Daelon warned me about, with people looking to use me as a witch battery?

  Daelon reached for my hands. “Then I will accept it.
I want you to feel something first though.”

  I quirked a brow, staring down at my hands now clasped in his. Suddenly a trace of energy travelled through his palms and into my field of perception, and I closed my eyes. It was a part of his aura slipping through the cracks of his shield. The energy was shrouded in a murky cloud of fear, yet at its core was light and soothing and safe—like the warmth of a fire after a long day toiling out in the cold. I felt his desire for security, control, and protection, not only for himself, but for another. For me. A flash of myself in third person passed through my mind, and I was smiling. I felt his awe, saw the way he was utterly mesmerized by me. I reminded him of something he lost, something that was pure and core to his entire sense of self—like home. My own energy reached for his, and it was as if it, too, believed in this inherent connection that transcended all logic and language.

  There was something else swimming in his aura too, something murky and dark that was quick to shift and elude me like dissipating smoke. My hands tightened around his as I searched for the source. I was met with a wall, blocking me from continuing further.

  “No, Áine,” Daelon said sharply. “Permission goes both ways.”

  My eyes flew open. “Sorry. I didn’t realize,” I said. “Well, that’s not true. I’m just not used to it being that way. I’m sorry,” I repeated, watching his eyes until he nodded and relaxed.

  I was used to reading every part of someone at will, even the parts they desperately wanted to stay hidden. I knew there was more, but the part that he had shown me was genuine. Energy couldn’t lie.

  “So that’s how you feel?” I asked, biting back a smile. I tried to come off as teasing, but it fell into a tone of shock instead. It was a surprising read of energy from someone usually so impassive and controlled.

  Daelon tensed his jaw, looking away. Was he going to blush? I couldn’t help but smile at the mere idea of it.