asking every Enchanter out there if they’ve heard of anything like this before.”
“Wait, he’s not talking about the Scrawl of Secrets, is he?” My gaze bounces back and forth between them. “But that seems a little risky, considering it’s locked up in Hushing Forest, which FYI, only pixies know where that is. Plus, it’s dangerous, so dangerous the Keepers won’t even step foot in there.”
“No one said you were going.” Jax brushes me off with his eyes on Ollie. “You think it might have answers?”
“It’s probably your best bet.” Ollie props his foot on his knee and takes a swig of his soda. “And it’s probably less dangerous than talking to Enchanters. Cross paths with one who’s not as nice as me, and you’ll end up under their enchantment until you die.”
Jax cracks his knuckles against the sides of his legs. “You think you could find a pixie that you could make lead us there?”
The way he says “make” has me speculating if Ollie is going to enchant this pixie into taking Jax. I’d feel bad for the pixie, but I really want to find out what’s going on with me.
“I’m sure I can, but it might take a couple of weeks to get close to one. Pixies have a keen sense of when an Enchanter is close by, and they tend to stay away from us. I don’t really blame them, though.” He smiles at me, but it looks all sorts of wrong, filled with self-hate and torture. “What we can do is rather terrifying. I’d probably stay clear of me, too.”
I feel sorry for him and awful for how I reacted when I first heard he was an Enchanter. He’s obviously experienced a lot of anguish because of what he is.
I really need to stop jumping to conclusions before I meet people.
The thought is very un-Keeper like and makes me wonder if perhaps I’m starting to change from the girl who flipped out when her Guardian mark appeared. That need to eliminate first and ask questions later is gradually diminishing. Maybe one day, I won’t react when Jax mentions a vampire, fey, Enchanter, ogre, or any other paranormal creature.
“But you think you can do it?” I ask Ollie. “And you’d be willing to do it?”
He nods, sweeping strands of hair out of his eyes. “I’d be happy to. It’ll make me feel useful for once.”
Before Jax or I can say anything, he scoots to the edge of the seat and places the can back on the table.
“Do you mind if I check something first before I set out on this pixie tracking mission?”
“Sure.” I take a long gulp of soda.
“I promise it won’t hurt,” he adds, rising to his feet. “But I’m really curious if you have any traces of fey magic in you.”
I choke on my soda. “Holy shit.” I cough. “You can do that?”
He nods, kneeling down on the hardwood floor in front of me. “I just need you to let me relax you for a second.”
I glance at Jax, and he nods with assurance. Setting the soda down, I inch to the edge of the seat and rest my hands in my lap.
“All right, you can do it.”
He gives a seemingly genuine smile, but he swiftly composes himself, reaches for my face, and cups a hand around each side of my head. Looking straight into my eyes, his lips begin to move as he chants what sounds like gibberish underneath his breath. His pupils begin to swirl, vivid shades of blue sparkling against the sunlight.
“So pretty …” I hear myself murmur.
Ollie’s lips quirk, but he bites back the smile and continues gazing into my eyes, drawing me in to his hypnotic gaze. My muscles relax until my body feels as weightless as clouds. It makes me want to fly. And sing. And dance. Do anything and everything.
“Blink for me, Alana,” Ollie whispers softly. “And the enchantment will wear off.”
My head bobs from side to side. “No way … This feels too nice.”
Ollie presses his lips together, stifling a laugh, and I hear Jax sigh.
“Alana.” Jax’s scent kisses my senses. “You need to blink.”
“You smell good,” I murmur. “Like
“Wait, he’s not talking about the Scrawl of Secrets, is he?” My gaze bounces back and forth between them. “But that seems a little risky, considering it’s locked up in Hushing Forest, which FYI, only pixies know where that is. Plus, it’s dangerous, so dangerous the Keepers won’t even step foot in there.”
“No one said you were going.” Jax brushes me off with his eyes on Ollie. “You think it might have answers?”
“It’s probably your best bet.” Ollie props his foot on his knee and takes a swig of his soda. “And it’s probably less dangerous than talking to Enchanters. Cross paths with one who’s not as nice as me, and you’ll end up under their enchantment until you die.”
Jax cracks his knuckles against the sides of his legs. “You think you could find a pixie that you could make lead us there?”
The way he says “make” has me speculating if Ollie is going to enchant this pixie into taking Jax. I’d feel bad for the pixie, but I really want to find out what’s going on with me.
“I’m sure I can, but it might take a couple of weeks to get close to one. Pixies have a keen sense of when an Enchanter is close by, and they tend to stay away from us. I don’t really blame them, though.” He smiles at me, but it looks all sorts of wrong, filled with self-hate and torture. “What we can do is rather terrifying. I’d probably stay clear of me, too.”
I feel sorry for him and awful for how I reacted when I first heard he was an Enchanter. He’s obviously experienced a lot of anguish because of what he is.
I really need to stop jumping to conclusions before I meet people.
The thought is very un-Keeper like and makes me wonder if perhaps I’m starting to change from the girl who flipped out when her Guardian mark appeared. That need to eliminate first and ask questions later is gradually diminishing. Maybe one day, I won’t react when Jax mentions a vampire, fey, Enchanter, ogre, or any other paranormal creature.
“But you think you can do it?” I ask Ollie. “And you’d be willing to do it?”
He nods, sweeping strands of hair out of his eyes. “I’d be happy to. It’ll make me feel useful for once.”
Before Jax or I can say anything, he scoots to the edge of the seat and places the can back on the table.
“Do you mind if I check something first before I set out on this pixie tracking mission?”
“Sure.” I take a long gulp of soda.
“I promise it won’t hurt,” he adds, rising to his feet. “But I’m really curious if you have any traces of fey magic in you.”
I choke on my soda. “Holy shit.” I cough. “You can do that?”
He nods, kneeling down on the hardwood floor in front of me. “I just need you to let me relax you for a second.”
I glance at Jax, and he nods with assurance. Setting the soda down, I inch to the edge of the seat and rest my hands in my lap.
“All right, you can do it.”
He gives a seemingly genuine smile, but he swiftly composes himself, reaches for my face, and cups a hand around each side of my head. Looking straight into my eyes, his lips begin to move as he chants what sounds like gibberish underneath his breath. His pupils begin to swirl, vivid shades of blue sparkling against the sunlight.
“So pretty …” I hear myself murmur.
Ollie’s lips quirk, but he bites back the smile and continues gazing into my eyes, drawing me in to his hypnotic gaze. My muscles relax until my body feels as weightless as clouds. It makes me want to fly. And sing. And dance. Do anything and everything.
“Blink for me, Alana,” Ollie whispers softly. “And the enchantment will wear off.”
My head bobs from side to side. “No way … This feels too nice.”
Ollie presses his lips together, stifling a laugh, and I hear Jax sigh.
“Alana.” Jax’s scent kisses my senses. “You need to blink.”
“You smell good,” I murmur. “Like
Similar Books
