Magical Mate

Chapter2

Zara

I had barely gotten to work on time this morning, fighting the snooze bar. Now, time seemed to drag on, not because I hadn’t slept all night but because I was being haunted by a pair of ice-blue eyes. Why? Why couldn’t I shake the feeling that I had seen those eyes before? It was like they knew my soul. I checked the clock on the computer, only thirty minutes and I could go home shower and slip into my dreams.

By the time that I made it home, I could hardly keep my eyes open. Like they were being pulled down by small weights. By the time I showered and slid between the cool sheets, sleep was already claiming me.

When my eyes opened, I was surrounded by trees. I was running. I could hear my heart racing in my ears. Panic. If I don’t calm down, they will hear my heartbeat and find me. I can’t be found! Goddess, please help me if they find me, it, no!! NO!! They were closing. Gaining precious ground. I try to lift my heavy skirts to free my legs, to run. I must escape. Must hide. I hear their voices; closer now. What do I do? Oh Goddess! NO!

I shoot straight up from a dead sleep! Cold sweat running down my body. Breathe Zara, it was just a bad dream. But why do I smell the damp earth in my room? Sometimes being a lucid dreamer is a scary thing. I slide from my bed; a nice cup of lavender chamomile tea should calm me down. What was that craziness anyway?

This was different. I felt like I was living this nightmare. I wonder what the crystals could tell me. Or maybe I should have Lydia read my cards. I shake off the thought as I glance at the clock. It’s 12:30 in the morning. I’m standing in the kitchen waiting on the kettle to scream when my phone vibrates on the counter with a text. I picked it up.

Hello Siren. I know it’s late, and you’re probably asleep, but I had to tell you, you’ve been on my mind all day. Hope we can talk again soon.

I stand staring at the words on the screen, Siren. He called me a siren; should I answer back this late? What would I say? I think while I pour the hot water into my cup, I can’t help but smile. I picked up the phone to text my reply,

Funny because I have been thinking about you all day as well. How are you?

Cire

Goddess help me. I didn’t think she would be awake. But I couldn’t help but text her as soon as I woke up. She has been on my mind all day, and what little sleep I did get did nothing to fade her away.

So, what has you up at this time of night or are you just nocturnal by nature?

I smiled, thinking that maybe just maybe she has a little bit of Nocturna in her. The phone chimes, interrupting my primal thoughts. How could I be thinking this way when I just met her?

Making a cup of tea so I can go back to sleep. You?

I think about my reply. How can I tell her that I woke up from a dream tasting her lips against mine? She would think that I was a crazy stalker.

Well, I was up late this morning, so my sleep schedule might be a tad bit off. But it is totally worth it. Speaking of being up all night, would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow?

Please say yes, my mind is begging the fates. I must see this girl again.

Zara

Oh my, dinner tomorrow. There are those butterflies again! How can I resist?

Sure, that sounds great. What time and where?

Oh Goddess, I don’t remember when I was this nervous and excited.

How about six thirty at the Grotto? Does that sound ok?

The Grotto? That is the most romantic place in town. No one has ever taken me there.

Six-thirty sounds great. I will see you there.

I replied, trying to still those butterflies.

Oh lord Lydia, you better be up. I need you and your cards! I think as I set the phone down and take my tea to the living room.

I sat down letting my body relax. My mind reaches out into the ether as I try to channel Lydias’ energy. I really need to talk to her. I hope she’s awake. I know if she’s not, she will never hear her phone, it’s probably silent, or turned off. What can I say she loves her sleep. So, just to be safe, I am going to just pop into her head and wake her up. I mean, what else would your BFF do in this I need to dish, and I need advice situation right?

So, I let my thoughts reach out to her as I feel her energy. It’s warm, and slightly chaotic. A chaotic neutral. It’s welcoming though. A swirl of fiery red and gold. I poke.

Lydia. Hey, you up? Lydia?

I can feel her grumble and then her gravely dazed response.

Well, I wasn’t, but then some rude friend interrupted a very lovely dream of me being rescued by a ridiculously hot and wet Jason Momoa. What do you want, and do you know what time it is?

Uhg! Sounds like I interrupted an excellent dream.

Yes, I am perfectly aware of the time, but I met a man, and I need,

Before I could even finish my sentence, her squeal through our link made me jump and possibly go deaf.

Don’t say a word, I am on my way.

Before I could reply, she was sitting on my couch, legs crossed in her oversize t-shirt. Sometimes I wish teleportation were my power, but I am more of a telepath with premonitions.

Lydia, who has been my best friend since, well, since forever. She is a fiery witch. I don’t mean because of her hair. Hair that makes me jealous, a beautiful fiery mix of reds and golds. Her eyes are a bright emerald green. We are both elementals. Where I was an earth mother, she was a fire guardian, and she looked the part.

I turned and looked at her,

“Took you long enough”, I said.

She huffs, “Had to grab my cards, now dish!”

“Goddess, you make it sound like it is so unusual for me to have met a man”

I laugh, but we both know that I have been so leery of meeting anyone since Draven crushed my heart. Never trust a vampire, they have no soul!

“Uh huh, now tell me” She says, or more like demands, in her I love you, but I’m not playing tone.

“Well, last night that blind date stood me up. Yet another reason I don’t like dating warlocks, but any way, I decided instead of being a downer, I would go have a couple of drinks and sing some karaoke.”

She crunches her face. “Without me, geez, I see how it is.”

“Any way,” I continue,

“When I walked in, I felt like someone was watching me, and there was this man. All I noticed were his ice-blue eyes. They seemed to set me on fire instead of freezing me out! And all night I could feel him staring at me. All I could think was that I knew those eyes, I had looked into those eyes, they knew my soul. When he finally came up and introduced himself to me, I was lost. Like as nervous as a school kid. Damn, Lyds, his voice alone made me squirm. I have never been so turned on by a man just speaking to me. His name is Cire. He’s tall, with strong hands and bulging tattooed arms that look like he could throw me over his shoulder and carry me away. I am in lust.’

Lydia sat with her mouth open, gaping at me; she must have had a good picture of what lust looked like.

“Damn, if he looks as good as you describe, I wonder if he has any brothers!”

We both laughed.

“Well, he asked me to meet him at the Grotto tomorrow for dinner,” I tell her. “But something feels odd, like we have met before.”

“Have you tried your crystals? She asked me. I shook my head no.

“I thought that maybe we could consult the cards first.” I told her, “That way I know I didn’t conjure my answers out of hope.”

She nods in understanding

“Alright, let's light the candles and shuffle the deck.”

She has me lay out five cards: past, present, future, reason, potential. As she turns my cards, her brow creases, her green eyes flair bright emerald. It’s almost as if she goes into a trance as she speaks.

“Your past holds the lovers, in the past you had your soul mate, your connection was strong, the cosmic string has never been severed, your present holds the wheel of fortune, the cycle will repeat itself, soulmates caught in the upheaval of chance and change, your future the empress stands as a nurturing mother, filled with beauty and sensuality, a harmony with nature, a child, born of nature and the spirit of the wolf, the reason has no reason, it is upon itself, the two of swords, indecision and delay, lies exposed when the truth is finally spoken, emotions in turmoil, so cold, so bitter, fear overwhelms you, the potential, the ten of cups, a reunion of homecoming, but something must be lost to come home,” Lydia’s eyes flutter, and she looks at me and the cards on the table,

“Well, that’s a mess,” I say, “And now I am even more confused.”

Cire

I sat the phone down on the charging dock, walking over to the bar to pour a drink. How can I be so entranced and drawn to someone who I have never met before? Oh, Moon Goddess, you certainly have a way with timing. I know with every fiber of my being that what I am doing could be seen as wrong, but I don’t care. I must know, I have to be sure that I am on the right path, that I make the right choice. I can’t live a life of what if.

I sit and sip my drink when she walks in. I feel nothing, as she walks over to the bar and grabs a bottle of juice. Never once taking her eyes off me, as if she were waiting for a reaction.

“Where did you disappear last night, Cire?” She asks, giving me a coy smile.

Once, not long ago, I would have kissed it off her lips. Now the very thought makes me cringe. It is amazing how someone’s beauty changes when you can finally see their soul, and it’s ugly.

Evangeline, tall, long brown hair, and blue eyes. Once I thought that she was the one, my mate. I had never felt the mates pull to be with her, but then some never find their true mate, but can love and even fall in love with someone that they connect with. I thought that maybe that was my fate in life. To just love. To not have the power of fated love. I was okay with that.

That was until the engagement and finding my fiancé in the arms of another man. I would have thought that my wolf would have gone crazy. If she was my mate, then shouldn’t I be ripping him apart? Shouldn’t I be ready to destroy the world? Burn it down? Yet, all I did was walk away. Even then, even now it’s too late, I can’t simply walk away from Evangeline. How can I until I know if the child that she is carrying is mine?

She knows that I will never walk away from my child. She knows she has the upper hand. I would condemn myself to misery before walking away from my child.

“Cire, did you hear me? I said you got in very late last night or should I say this morning.” Her voice is so sickly sweet, it is nauseating.

I look at her over the rim of my glass while I twirl the liquid inside, my whole mind and body void of emotion when I look at her.

“Why Evangeline, I didn’t think you would notice I was missing” I said, disdain lacing every word.

“Awe Darling,” she almost purrs, “the baby and I missed you.” She says, placing her hand on her still flat stomach. It’s all I can do not to growl at that statement. I never thought of nine months as a life sentence, but it feels like it will never end.

I place my glass on the table and stand to walk out of the room.

“Goodnight Evangeline, get some rest.” And I walked out to find the privacy of my room to continue my thoughts of warm brown eyes and a sirens song.