Shimmering Chaos (Enchanted Chaos 2)

He nods then scoots closer, tracing his hand up and down my arm.

Up …

And down …

Why is he really here? What does he really want from me?

Finally, the unknown becomes too much. Later, I might blame what I say next on exhaustion, but right now, I’m too tired to care.

“Do you really like me?” I ask the question that’s been bugging me since I found out what it really means to be an elemental enchanter. “Or are you just acting this way because of what I am?” I mentally roll my eyes at myself. Did I seriously just ask him if he liked me, like we’re in grade school or something?

His gaze relentlessly burns into mine. “I swear I’m not here with you just because of what you are.”

I’m unsure if I believe him or not, but decide to just let it be for right now because I’m fucking tired. How, though, who the heck knows, since I’ve been sleeping almost the entire day.

Silence fills the room, but even though I’m exhausted, I can’t seem to doze off.

“What was it like growing up knowing what you are?” I ask when the silence starts to drive me crazy. “Did you always attend the same school? Did you always live here?”

“I’ve always lived and gone to school here. Porter, Max, Holden, and Hunter were all born in Elemental, though, before the gods and goddesses started to die. But when that happened, my parents decided to move here. They didn’t want to raise their family in a dying world that was plagued by darkness. As for what it was like growing up knowing what I am, it actually sucked. Not because I had powers, but because of the powers I had and knowing I was more than likely going to live a lonely life and would always have a target on my back.” He shifts closer to me. “My parents and brothers have been great and everything, but it’d be nice to just once be able to live my life how I want, without having to worry about what I’m feeling inside. I also sometimes wish I could travel the worlds; just pack up and go, doing whatever I want. I might one day if I can figure out a better way to hide my identity.”

“My friends and I had that plan, too—to travel after we graduated. Unfortunately, I’m starting to wonder if that’s going to happen. But I’m not even sure if it ever would’ve happened. Even though my friends and I are close, I still always have to put up this wall between us, and that makes spending every waking moment with them complicated.”

Reluctance currents off him. “If you want, you and I can find a way to hide our identities and travel the worlds together. We can just take off, see the worlds, live in different cultures.”

Could I do that? Do I want to do that? What about my plan with Nina and Gage?

But everything is so different now. Knowing what I know—that my existence could put them in danger—I’m not sure I could be around them all the time.

“That sounds nice, actually,” I admit, but I feel a bit guilty for bailing on my friends.

What world do I really belong in?

Who am I really?

Will I ever have the answers?

“Good.” He sounds happy about the fact. “Then I’ll get working on making it happen.”

With that, sleep begs me to give in, and I surrender. But, as I begin to doze off, I feel his lips brush my forehead as h

e softly whispers, “One day, beautiful girl, I’ll prove to you that I liked you way before you liked me. Then you won’t have to worry about that anymore.”

I want to ask him how and reprimand him for calling me beautiful, but sleep gets the best of me and, seconds later, I drift off to dreamland.

Chapter 10

I’m floating in a bolt of lightning with a crown on my head and an abundance of power is channeling through me. The Everettsons brothers are with me, bowing at my feet. Well, all of them are except for Porter. No, strangely, I’m sitting in his lap and he’s kissing my neck.

No, not kissing… sucking… on my flesh? No… he’s sucking on something else… something buzzing inside me. It feels amazing. Really, really good—

My eyes pop open, my mind racing along with my pulse. And I swear I can still feel the amazing sensations I felt while Porter was sucking on my neck.

I shake my head as I work to get my breathing under control. What a weird ass dream? But I guess it was better than dreaming of darkness.

But what was Porter even doing to me? Who the hell knows. And it was just a dream, right, so why does it matter?

I let out a yawn and stretch my arms above my head. Then I move to roll out of bed, only to end up rolling straight into Foster.