“And miss seeing you?” She walked up to his body and lifted her chin so her lips were just beneath his jaw. “Never,” she whispered, her hot breath tickling his skin.
Gabriel gave her a crooked smile. “How many lies did you tell to get here today?”
“Enough to send me to Hell. You?” She smiled.
“Oh, I don’t lie. I simply don’t obey.”
Raven ran a finger down his chest, stopping at his waist. “And that’s why we are perfect together. I lie…and you defy.” She kissed him quickly before pulling away with a smile. “I have something to show you. Come.”
Raven took his hand and led him down the dark alley, across an abandoned village street, and into the tall trees beyond until they were very, very alone.
“What it is you wish to show me?” Gabriel watched her hair shine in the patches of light that fell through the trees.
She stopped walking and turned around, her eyes bright. “Magic.”
Gabriel tried not to roll his eyes. “You mean your tricks?”
“No.” Raven picked a handful of leaves up off the ground and piled them on a nearby rock. “I mean magic. Watch.”
Stepping away from the rock, she took Gabriel’s hand in hers. Chanting something indiscernible, she closed her eyes and held out her free hand to the leaves.
A spark, a flame, and the leaves caught fire. Burning in a controlled and unnatural way, they withered and curled under orange licks of heat.
Raven laughed. “See?” She looked at Gabriel with big eyes. “I can do it!” She squeezed his hand.
“How did you do that?” He took a step back.
Raven smiled at him. “I’ve been practicing spells.”
Gabriel frowned. “Spells are dark magic.”
“Yes. And I was born to a family of dark magic.” Raven’s gray eyes narrowed at him. “What is your point?”
Gabriel was concerned. “It is dangerous.”
Raven dropped his hand and scoffed. “Only if I do it wrong. Which I won’t.”
“People will say you are a witch.”
“But I’m not a witch.” She smiled and pouted her lower lip. “I am just a girl who likes to play with magic.” She put her hands on his chest and ran them down the length of his torso. “And I…want to share…my magic…with you….” She looked up at him with a smile and Gabriel forgot what he’d been worried about.
Raven continued. “They are harmless spells. Just for fun.”
“Harmless spells?” Gabriel asked.
She nodded, her hands skimming his waist.
Gabriel could live with that.
15
Gabriel met Scarlet in the driveway when he saw her car approach. She had called earlier to say she had an “idea” she wanted to talk to everyone about. Which made him nervous. Scarlet’s “idea’s” were usually dangerous.
Once Scarlet exited her car, Gabriel pulled her into a hug. She snuggled her face into his shirt and he welcomed the distraction from the emptiness inside him.
“These last few weeks have been pretty rough for you, huh?” He stroked her hair.
Scarlet breathed out a laugh against his chest. “These last few months have been rough.”
“I know.” Gabriel shook his head. “They no longer serve pizza in the school cafeteria and it’s really bringing me down.”
Scarlet laughed again. “Totally. And all this dying stuff is really interfering with my grades.”
“Yeah,” Gabriel mocked. “Death is so inconvenient.” He squeezed her gently.
Scarlet pulled back and looked up at him with a weary frown. “I don’t want to die again.”
Gabriel’s heart clenched. “You won’t die. We’re going to figure this out and everything will be better.”
Scarlet nodded, but didn’t look encouraged.
Gabriel bent down and softly pressed his lips against hers. He slid his hands down to her hips and brought her against him as their mouths came together. He wanted to drink her in, draw her into his heart. He wanted to keep her safe forever and take away all the bad stuff. He wanted to—
Scarlet had stopped kissing him.
Gabriel pulled his head up. “What’s wrong?”
She blinked, then shook her head. “I don’t know. I just feel….” Confusion crossed her face.
Gabriel waited, his hands still on her hips.
Shifting her eyes from side to side, like she was concentrating on something. She muttered, “So weird…” and moved away from Gabriel.
“What?” Gabriel blinked at her. “What’s weird?”
Scarlet hesitated, then shook her head with a smile. “Never mind.”
He raised his brows. “Are you sure?”
Scarlet nodded and headed for the cabin’s front door.
Gabriel waited a beat, lost in thought.
Why had Scarlet stopped kissing him? Had he done something wrong?
The hole in his chest inched outward. Growing larger. Making him less whole.
He took a deep breath, grasping at the sliver of quiet hope that still remained in his heart.
And a sliver it was.
As soon as she and Gabriel entered the cabin, Scarlet was greeted by Nate. Who was wearing several sweaters and a pair of mittens.
Scarlet didn’t entirely understand Nate’s dedication to their quest or why he was so willing to drop everything in his life to help them break the curse, but she was grateful.
“Good morning, Scarlet.” Nate raised a mitten. “High-five!”
Scarlet high-fived him with smirk. “Morning, Nate. What’s with the arctic getup?” She stepped inside the cabin.
Nate pointed to the living room, where the broken window was now covered with a blue tarp. “Tarps aren’t very insulated.”
“Ah.”
“We ordered a new window, but it won’t be here for a few weeks because someone had to design a cabin with custom-sized windows.” He glared at Tristan, who was seated in the kitchen as they walked his way.
Scarlet raised her eyebrows. Tristan designed the cabin? Interesting.
Tristan said nothing as he looked at Nate, but once Gabriel and Scarlet entered the kitchen, he dropped his eyes to the coffee mug in his hand.
Scarlet wasn’t sure if his lowered gaze was because of Gabriel’s presence, or because Tristan had just felt Scarlet and Gabriel kissing in the driveway. Or both.
Probably both.
Scarlet averted her eyes from Tristan and tried to act natural. Which was impossible.
When her lips had first touched Gabriel’s in the front yard, Scarlet had felt normal. She had been eager to kiss her beautiful boyfriend and feel his arms around her and his mouth against hers.
But once the kissing became more intense, hot jealousy bubbled inside her, heating her veins until it was a relentless boil.