Enchanted Chaos (Enchanted Chaos 1)

I glance down at the card again. “If hunters aren’t powerful, then how did this guy put a spell on the card?”

Easton dismisses me with a flick of his wrist. “That’s merely a party trick. Almost anyone can do that.”

“Anyone can do magic?” I ask in disbelief.

He lifts a shoulder. “Party trick magic, sure. You just need the right ingredients.”

“So, hunters are human?” I ask, trying to make sure I’m following.

Easton wavers. “It all depends on if you believe humans without souls are still human.”

I gape at him. “They don’t have souls?”

Easton gives an uneven nod. “They trade their souls in order to work for the labs.”

“But, what do they get out of it?” I wonder, my heart thudding in my chest. “And why do they have to give up their souls?”

“No one’s really sure,” Max answers. “But my dad has a theory that the labs are trying to extract the powers out of elementals, so maybe the hunters get promised those powers. He’s not sure why they have to give up their souls, though, other than maybe they won’t have a conscience and will be okay with what they do.”

When I shiver, Foster reaches out to crank up the heat.

“You’re fine,” he says. “No one’s going to get ahold of you.”

If that’s even what the hunters want. When the guy approached me in the diner, it seemed as if he was trying to warn me of the Everettsons, not take me to some lab.

Deciding to find out the answer, I let my gaze burn into the card while trying to focus on seeing past the magic, seeing the truth. And after a minute or two passes, words begin to appear. I read them to myself then aloud.

“If you’re reading this note, I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that the Everettson family isn’t your ordinary family. If you’d like answers and someone to talk to, please contact me at the following number. Whatever you tell me about them, I won’t think you’re crazy. I understand that strange things exist, more than most people do.”

“Let me see that.” Max takes the card from me, reads it over, then swallows hard. “It sounds like they’re trying to use Sky to get information on us.”

“How did they even find out she was moving in with us?” Easton questions then gives me an accusing look. “Have you been talking to people about us?”

I scowl at him. “Who the fuck would I tell? I have, like, two friends. And besides, up until you showed up on my doorstep, I didn’t even realize I’d be living with a family of eight. All I knew was your last name. I didn’t even realize Foster was an Everettson when I …” I bite down on my lip before I say something that is definitely going to embarrass me.

But maybe Foster already told everyone about when I tried to hit on him?

“When you what?” Easton presses with intrigue.

“Nothing.” I sneak a look in Foster’s direction, only to find him focusing solely on the road.

Huh. Now I’m pretty sure he didn’t tell them. That’s a surprise, but one I’m relieved about.

“It still doesn’t make sense that they targeted you,” Max mumbles distractedly. “Unless they’ve been watching you for a while. But hunters don’t usually watch humans, so maybe they know what you are.”

“If that’s the case, why aren’t they trying harder to get to her? And her wall makes it really complicated to see what she really is,” Foster points out, but worry rings in his tone. “My bet is they found out she was moving in with us and are trying to recruit her into helping them.”

Unsettling silence passes between them.

“I think we need to do something about this,” Max says with an edge in his tone.

The tension in the air crushes against my lungs, and I nearly dive out of the car. I would have if we weren’t driving. If I tried now, I’d probably hurt myself pretty badly. Then again, from what I’ve learned about the Everettsons, they’ll do a lot to keep their family secrets a secret, which leaves me a bit worried that maybe I’ll get hurt no matter what.

Chapter 20

I don’t jump out of the car. I want to. Fuck, do I want to. But as the storm picks up, probably because of the worry seeping out between Foster and me, I decide against it.

No one says much of anything for the rest of the drive home. Although, I do notice everyone gives edgy glances at the forest lining the road, as if they expect a bunch of hunters to jump out at any minute. Fortunately, that never happens and we make it home safely.