leave for a few days. Unless you need me to stay.” He looked up, and although he tried to hide it, I could see the sadness brewing inside. With him here, it’d make things easier, especially if what he said about the ring was true, but he’d just lost another friend, maybe more. I couldn’t keep him here with my problems.
“We’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure? I can stay Chase, really.”
“I promise. You go. I’ll clear my head.”
Marcus tried for a smile. “I need to speak with Rayna before I leave. Please call me if something happens, or if you need anything.”
I nodded and gave him the most sincere smile I could manage. “I will.”
I waited until the door closed behind him and looked across the room. The candles flickered in the air, still burning in their multicolored warmth. Their energy called to me, as though their own magic moved through the wax.
The blood in my veins pumped faster. Fear and adrenaline danced beside each other, and as my pulse sped, the heat of the candles increased, their flames stretching off the wick. I closed my eyes and focused my mind, trying to calm my element.
Riley was alive. I should’ve been excited to know I would get my revenge, but I wasn’t. I was worried. More than that, I was scared. If Riley was alive, he could be anywhere, and he had powerful warlocks on either side of him. That meant everyone was in danger. If he was alive…our problems had just begun.
Chapter 5
“Let’s go, sleepyhead. Wake up.” Rayna’s voice rang through my ears.
I twisted under the blankets and my eyes winced open. The sun was already high in the sky and sunlight poured into my room.
“No,” I murmured, and turned away from her.
“Come on,” she said, tugging gently at the sheets.
“Careful, you don’t know what I might, or might not, be wearing.”
The covers fell against the side of my bed and I smiled. I could practically feel the color rushing to her face.
“I gave you ‘til eleven. Now get up. We have things to do.”
“Marcus has only been gone a few hours and already you’re pushing?”
“Trust me; when I push, you'll know it. It'll feel a lot like when I punch.” Rayna walked back towards the hall, grasping the door frame and turning around. Her dark hair was pinned on the top of her head, red strands falling down over the back of her neck. ”You've got five minutes.”
“Fine,” I said.
Rayna smirked and watched me for a moment before pushing off the frame and disappearing down the hallway.
I groaned and pulled the pillow over my head. It was after eleven, but I wasn’t ready to get up. I didn’t know when the last time I’d slept this late was or when it’d happen again, but one thing I’d learned since staying here was not to keep Rayna waiting.
I rolled out of bed and pulled on one of the few pairs of jeans that littered the floor. I took a gray t-shirt from the dresser and started pulling it over my head when I caught my refection in the mirror.
Dark ink still covered my back, the Mark of the Gods–or so Elyas had told me. A long sword started at my neck and ran down my spine, the tip barely hidden by the waist of my pants. Two glyphs were drawn on the blade: one representing fire, and the other water. Shaded wings covered the rest of my back, spreading out from my shoulders and running down to my hips. I’d never forget this mark. It was–what I believed to be–the turning point that led to my mother’s murder. If I hadn’t gone after Vincent, I wouldn’t have this stupid mark, or the ring. If I had listened and waited for her and Marcus, she’d still be alive.
“Chase!” Rayna’s voice bounced off the walls and found its way into my room.
I shook the thoughts away and pulled the shirt down the rest of the way. The shirt fit tight against my body. I wasn’t huge, but between fighting demons and Marcus’ training sessions, I’d managed to stay in excellent shape for my 6’1” size.
I looked myself over in
“We’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure? I can stay Chase, really.”
“I promise. You go. I’ll clear my head.”
Marcus tried for a smile. “I need to speak with Rayna before I leave. Please call me if something happens, or if you need anything.”
I nodded and gave him the most sincere smile I could manage. “I will.”
I waited until the door closed behind him and looked across the room. The candles flickered in the air, still burning in their multicolored warmth. Their energy called to me, as though their own magic moved through the wax.
The blood in my veins pumped faster. Fear and adrenaline danced beside each other, and as my pulse sped, the heat of the candles increased, their flames stretching off the wick. I closed my eyes and focused my mind, trying to calm my element.
Riley was alive. I should’ve been excited to know I would get my revenge, but I wasn’t. I was worried. More than that, I was scared. If Riley was alive, he could be anywhere, and he had powerful warlocks on either side of him. That meant everyone was in danger. If he was alive…our problems had just begun.
Chapter 5
“Let’s go, sleepyhead. Wake up.” Rayna’s voice rang through my ears.
I twisted under the blankets and my eyes winced open. The sun was already high in the sky and sunlight poured into my room.
“No,” I murmured, and turned away from her.
“Come on,” she said, tugging gently at the sheets.
“Careful, you don’t know what I might, or might not, be wearing.”
The covers fell against the side of my bed and I smiled. I could practically feel the color rushing to her face.
“I gave you ‘til eleven. Now get up. We have things to do.”
“Marcus has only been gone a few hours and already you’re pushing?”
“Trust me; when I push, you'll know it. It'll feel a lot like when I punch.” Rayna walked back towards the hall, grasping the door frame and turning around. Her dark hair was pinned on the top of her head, red strands falling down over the back of her neck. ”You've got five minutes.”
“Fine,” I said.
Rayna smirked and watched me for a moment before pushing off the frame and disappearing down the hallway.
I groaned and pulled the pillow over my head. It was after eleven, but I wasn’t ready to get up. I didn’t know when the last time I’d slept this late was or when it’d happen again, but one thing I’d learned since staying here was not to keep Rayna waiting.
I rolled out of bed and pulled on one of the few pairs of jeans that littered the floor. I took a gray t-shirt from the dresser and started pulling it over my head when I caught my refection in the mirror.
Dark ink still covered my back, the Mark of the Gods–or so Elyas had told me. A long sword started at my neck and ran down my spine, the tip barely hidden by the waist of my pants. Two glyphs were drawn on the blade: one representing fire, and the other water. Shaded wings covered the rest of my back, spreading out from my shoulders and running down to my hips. I’d never forget this mark. It was–what I believed to be–the turning point that led to my mother’s murder. If I hadn’t gone after Vincent, I wouldn’t have this stupid mark, or the ring. If I had listened and waited for her and Marcus, she’d still be alive.
“Chase!” Rayna’s voice bounced off the walls and found its way into my room.
I shook the thoughts away and pulled the shirt down the rest of the way. The shirt fit tight against my body. I wasn’t huge, but between fighting demons and Marcus’ training sessions, I’d managed to stay in excellent shape for my 6’1” size.
I looked myself over in
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