Light in the Storm

I tapped my pencil against the wooden desk with the ticking of the clock, my eyes focused on the board that held the directions. They were simple: do your work or read. I couldn’t do either. I swallowed the lump in my throat and ignored Josh’s whispers and pokes, shoving his hand off my shoulder. I bounced my leg up and down and stared out the window, resting my chin in my hands. I heard footsteps, but I didn’t look up.

“Miss Stewart, if you’re going to do nothing in my class, I suggest you go to the office,” Ms. Bradley mumbled dryly. I glanced up, my eyes settling on her frail face. She was my English teacher and her assignments weren’t fun like Mrs. Holster’s. But I guess I’d always have a soft spot for her. She kind of allowed Nick and I to connect with the whole partners and projects thing. She sighed when I didn’t speak. “Either get your book out or get yourself out.”

I wasn’t in the mood to read. I wasn’t in the mood for anything and it wasn’t even lunch yet.

I grabbed my bag and stood, moving past her swiftly. I could feel Anna’s eyes on me and I heard Josh snort something, but I chose to ignore it and closed the door behind me. The halls were empty, the bright yellow posters on the wall giving me some sort of cheery feeling. I guess I had a soft spot for any color related to yellow. I wasn’t glowing now though; Nick wasn’t here.

I rubbed my eyes carefully and continued forward, slowing down my pace as I reached the office window. The secretary wasn’t there, but Mr. Cornell was. He was digging through papers, his hand moving quickly as the other held an apple. The papers didn’t look like anything that belonged here. They weren’t lunch menus or handouts or even school records. They were in a tattered and stained folder, though. I furrowed my eyebrows and took a timid step forward, resting my hand on the counter. My hair fell around my face and I watched him chomp on his apple, his eyes scanning the pages. And then they met mine.

I opened my mouth and quickly looked away, closing it again. He cleared his throat and shuffled some papers, the chair squeaking as he stood. I glanced up to see him smile.

“Lonnie, what’re you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in class?” he mumbled softly. I sighed.

“Ms. Bradley sent me here because I wasn’t doing anything,” I shrugged, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Why?” he questioned, looking at me with concern. I didn’t want to admit that the nightmares were still scaring me, that I was terrified to lose Nick, to see him disappear. I didn’t want Mr. Cornell to think I was crazy.

I was fine before I left and during the first two periods, but then I started thinking. What if… what if he wasn’t there when the school bell rang? What if he went out and didn’t come back? What if he got hurt? So many things could go wrong and I was only thinking about them now. Nick was strong and intelligent. He was a wolf with instincts. Nick knew right from wrong, good from bad; he knew what had to be done and he would keep me safe. I wanted to do something for him. I wanted to show him that he wasn’t the only one who could be strong, that he wasn’t the only one that could make someone happy. I wanted to make him happy.

“Didn’t feel like it,” I mumbled, laughing slightly. I bit my lip and drummed my fingers against the counter, peering over his shoulder. “What’re you doing?”

“Oh, um…” he cleared his throat, smoothing out his shirt. “I was just looking through some papers, watching the office while she’s at lunch.”

“Oh,” I nodded, glancing around awkwardly.

It was silent for a moment, the mumbling and laughing of a few assistants down the hall disappearing down the stairs. I watched Mr. Cornell glance at the clock and then at me, as if he were waiting for something. I narrowed my eyes in confusion and opened my mouth to speak, but the door opened. I could feel a gush of cool air on me and immediately looked up, surprised. I couldn’t help but smile.

Nick.

His eyes met mine and his lips instantly twitched into a smile, his eyes soft. I felt relief wash over me, everything about him still perfect. He stepped inside and pulled his jacket tighter around him, pushing back his curls before he took the few steps over to me.

“Nick, what’re you doing here?” I asked quickly, immediately recognizing the smile in my voice. Nick glanced at Mr. Cornell, his thin eyebrows furrowed for a moment, and then his eyes met mine. My heart fluttered at just the way he stared into them.

“I came to pick you up,” he mumbled, his voice calm, but I could tell he was nervous about something.

“Pick me up?” I asked, confusion sweeping over me.

“Eve called,” he muttered, his voice low. I blinked in surprise, cocking my head. His hand gripped my arm lightly and he tugged me closer, his lips brushing my ear. I tried my best not to shiver. Fail. “She’s calling a meeting with us.” That definitely spiked my interest.

I pulled back some to look at his worried features, taking a deep breath. “What does that mean?” He opened his mouth to speak but quickly turned away, grabbing the sign out sheet on the counter. I didn’t know if Nick was allowed to just take me out of school, but he was doing it anyway. He offered a polite smile to Mr. Cornell and he returned it to both of us before Nick connected his hand with mine and led us to the door.

“No member of the council calls a meeting with people outside. It’s very rare,” he breathed once we stepped out into the cool air, the clouds blocking the sunlight. I scratched my head and tightened my grip on his hand, turning to face him as we walked across the lot.

“Even… with us? The great wolf and the great witch?” I asked nervously, biting my lip as we stopped. He opened the door and placed his hand on my back, guiding me in as if I’d trip. Maybe it was because I almost did this morning.

“Even with us,” he confirmed, nodding, his curls bouncing. I gulped.

Eve was the head of the council. It was her job to do these things, even if we were friends. The council had many rules for us, more so than others. We were to set examples for “our people,” and breaking a rule ended up in some sort of punishment that Eve would have to give. I wasn’t exactly sure of the rules, I tuned them out when she had informed us of them--that was the day she became the council leader. But Nick knew them all. That’s the way he was. I smiled.

[&&light]

I had learned that the council wasn’t necessarily in the village, but, in fact, hidden in the mountains a few hours away. He had stopped the car at the bottom, prompting us to walk along a path that led into a cave like opening, ultimately disappearing into an odd thicket. Nobody would find it.

The view wasn’t something I was used to, many bare trees seeming to disappear, being replaced by rigid mounds. The grass on the mounds looked lush, despite the dark color and the fall weather, and leaves still surrounded the area. I could see a slight peak of the sun from where we were walking. My legs ached already. I wasn’t used to walking so much anymore and Nick chuckled at my whining, pulling me closer to him as we went. It was cool around, the wind blowing my hair, and he tightened his grip on me. I sighed.

My eyes settled on a large stone like building in the distance, oddly placed in between thick tree trunks and dirt paths. It was large, more wide than tall, and there appeared to be no windows. I didn’t like the looks of it. Maybe I was claustrophobic. Nick began to lead a little more, his steps more timid as we went. He had never been here either, but Nick always had a good judge of character, his wolf instincts carrying out into his human form. He could sense danger. Right now, he just didn’t want to get lost.

I kept my thoughts to myself as we walked forward, hopping over the large rocks. They were a definite hazard to me, but he made sure I didn’t trip. My eyes focused on the large, dark wooden door. It was molded with different lines and it looked elegant, in some weird way. I bit my lip, chewing on the raw spot that had been forming. Nick was right. I did do that when I was nervous.

“Come on,” he whispered softly, tugging me along a little faster.

We stepped down the slight slope and reached the door. I almost ran into it, but he quickly pulled me back. He gave me a look that told me not to say anything and I let my breath out, pushing my hair away from my face. His hand reached up and he knocked on the door, still not sure what exactly to do around here. I had no clue.

It took a quick second for the door to squeak open, the darkness from the inside being lit by the dim light of the outside. I could see bright red eyes peering out. They reminded me of Coimbra, but it wasn’t him. He ran. The eyes narrowed as they landed on me and I shuddered. I could see Nick’s jaw tighten and his eyes darkened some, his hand immediately pulling me behind his back in a protective manner. I rested my forehead on his shoulder and peeked at the eyes behind the door, swallowing the lump in my throat as he opened it wider.

A tall thin figure came into view, his thick head of hair holding a bronze color, his red eyes alert. His thin lips were set in a fine line, his face cold and his skin pale. He looked just like Coimbra… and then I remembered he had brothers.

“Ah. I thought I recognized that delectable smell, but the mutt here might have ruined it. Excuse me--I mean great wolf,” he smiled icily, holding out his long finger to point at Nick. He bowed lazily, his eyes holding mine until Nick spoke harshly.

“Who are you?”

“Atchison, at your service,” he said lowly, raising his thick eyebrows. I gripped Nick’s muscular arm over his leather jacket, relaxing a little when he did.

“One of Coimbra’s brothers?” he murmured, crossing his arms. Atchison nodded shortly. “It must be terrible having a brother who’s a coward.”

Atchison’s jaw tightened and his hard eyes narrowed, the red sparking. He licked his dry lips, most likely out of habit, and leaned forward. Nick didn’t even move. His chocolate eyes were watching Atchison like a hawk, his full lips almost pouted. He uncrossed his arms and moved it behind his back, wrapping it around my waist. They were interrupted quickly.

“Atchison,” a cackling voice called. I stepped on my tiptoes and glanced over Nick’s shoulder and past Atchison, my eyes settling on an older woman with silver hair. She had a bronze glow with a hint of red and her eyebrows were raised in question. She wasn’t old, her voice just shook some. She didn’t appear to have any wrinkles, her hair the color of the silvery moonlight that I loved. I offered a timid smile and she lightened up. She was a witch and she could see my bright glow due to how close Nick was. “Leave those two alone. Eve is calling the meeting now.”

Atchison obediently stepped back and had his arm around her in an instant. Nick relaxed his grip and pulled me to his side, lacing his fingers with mine. I glanced up at him nervously but his eyes did their best to reassure me. I sighed.

“Come on in and close the door behind you,” she said smoothly, leading Atchison towards a large archway covered by a thick black curtain.

Nick and I stepped in the entryway and he shut the heavy door tight, turning back around in the darkness. My glow was the perfect light. It was kind of romantic in a way. I held back my giggle and cleared my thoughts--this was serious.

“I’m Agatha, by the way,” she announced as she pushed the curtain back, a brighter light streaming through. We nodded in response and stepped forward, Nick’s eyes locking on Atchison in alert. “Don’t worry. Atchison won’t harm your lover,” she said soothingly. I immediately saw Nick’s face flush a deep shade of red and he looked down, carefully pushing me forward. I couldn’t help but giggle, my eyes meeting Agatha’s. She winked.

I liked witches.

“What’s this about, anyway?” Nick asked, clearing his throat. His voice was soft and almost shy, his cheeks still warm. I hadn’t seen him stay embarrassed for that long. I shrugged it off.

“Eve will tell you,” Atchison said, his voice dry. Something told me he wasn’t like Coimbra and that he actually cared about being on the council. I was relieved, but didn’t find any solace in his words.

“I thought no one from outside of the council could be here,” Nick said clearly, glancing around as Agatha pointed down another hallway, the arch smaller.

“That’s true, but this involves you two very much.”

Great.

We walked through the archway and immediately spotted a small door, a glass window with different colors placed in the middle. I could see a few figures on the inside, sitting at a low table in tall, old looking chairs.

“So… is this like a meeting?” I finally mumbled. Nick looked like he wanted to know too.

“You could say that, yes,” Agatha answered, pushing open the door. All eyes immediately fell on us. My eyes immediately settled on Eve first. She sat at the front, her red glow gone. Here eyes were soft as she smiled at us, but the nerves were clear. There was an older man beside her and a younger girl beside him.

“Dad?” Nick asked suddenly, surprise in his voice. I looked over to where his eyes were settled and blinked in surprise, smiling lightly at his kind face. “Dad, what’re you doing here?”

Nick had taken me to visit his family a couple times. Denise was always so kind and she often talked of my mother. I had met Kevin’s fiance’, Danielle, and she was very sweet. She seemed a little freaked out about me being a witch and Kevin’s brother being a wolf, but she didn’t mind. She couldn’t now that she was living in the village with them.

The village was a place for family, I think that’s why Nick missed it the most. His family’s house was rather large despite where it was located--in the middle of nowhere. The surrounding houses were nice too and everyone seemed like they were close with each other. Nick always smiled at the little wolf boys, speaking to the ones who were past their cycle and now able to phase. But, for some reason, there was still some tenseness between him and Joe. I had noticed it when we first met and I always wondered what was wrong. I never asked.

“Nicholas, Lilliani,” he smiled, stepping forward. He looked his usual calm self. That was some relief. “The council called me here.”

“We think it’s important that as many people know about this,” Eve stated, rubbing her cheek.

“Then why don’t you just get everyone together?” I asked, confused.

“We can’t worry any humans or common creatures that are involved in our world.”

“Please, take a seat,” Agatha murmured, motioning to the chairs. I glanced over at Nick and reluctantly stepped forward, choosing one close by Eve. I sat down and bit my lip, Nick taking the seat next to me. He pulled my chair closer without a thought but no one seemed to mind it. Seeing my glow brighten made me feel bad for Eve, and I could see the way her eyes now looked empty. She had been betrayed. She deserved happiness. But that wasn’t the focus right now.

“The council has rules,” Eve started, her hands in her lap. “And we also have stories. Stories and legends and premonitions.”

I was already confused, but Nick was already taking a part in the conversation as he leaned forward.

“Premonitions?” he questioned. Eve looked at me. I gulped.

“You know the story of the black magic?” she questioned, her attention now on Nick.

“The black magic? We defeated that already, what does that have to do with anything?” I asked quickly. Nick glanced over at me in a moment of silence before answering Eve’s question.

“The old story said that the black magic stalked it’s prey. It comes back every ten years or so and searches for the power of the great witch, defeating anything in it’s way. The story says that, once the black magic is defeated, it will never come back, unless it could be awoken…” How did he know all of this?

“You two have encountered the black magic and know how it stalks and you know how to defeat it-”

“What are you saying?” Nick interrupted, his voice holding both demand and slight fear. I glanced between the two.

“We know Sheba was killed for not carrying out her duties to Lucas. We know what he’s capable of. Have you ever thought that defeating him was too easy?”

“Easy?” I scoffed, sitting up. “I almost died! How is that easy?” Eve sighed, looking down.

“Nobody is around to awaken the magic. Coimbra is still on the run, but we have a feeling that he’s closer than we think. And Jeremy is nowhere to be found. We feel that he’s working with the black magic…”

“What?” Nick whispered. I could see his fists clenching over the arms of the chair, his knuckles turning white. My mind was spinning and I felt a chill run through me at her next words, everything going deathly silent.

“Lucas… Lucas is still alive.”

I stared at her in shock before glancing around the still room, my eyes locking on Mr. Jonas. He stayed calm, letting out a small sigh. And then I looked at Nick. He was… angry.

“What?” he shouted suddenly, his voice shocked. A few jumped. Nick didn’t have a temper necessarily. He was calm for the most part, but he was tightly wound, serious. “You’re telling me that, after all we did, after all we risked, your stupid witch is still out there? Lonnie risked her life for all of us and you’re telling me that it didn’t mean anything?” I wanted to reach out, to calm him, but I couldn’t-- I was too shocked to do anything.

Lucas was still out there? What was he doing? Where was he? What would happen? I had so many questions.

“Nicholas, we didn’t know this could happen…”

“You didn’t know?” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. He stood now and Atchison was immediately there, hissing in anger. Nick didn’t care. “They’re your stories. I get the future isn’t set in stone, but this is your magic we’re talking about. My soul mate is risking herself to save us all and you sit there telling us that it was useless because he’s back? Where is he anyway?” he growled, his eyes locking on Atchison. “And you… stay out of my face.” His voice was low, cautioning the vampire to leave him alone. It looked like he was ready to attack someone.

“Son,” Mr. Jonas warned, looking at me hopefully. I gulped and stood, setting my hand on his shoulder gently. I rubbed softly, doing my best to calm him, but I was full of nerves myself. It felt like my stomach was twisting in knots.

“Nick,” I breathed. He relaxed some, shutting his eyes tight. It occurred to me that all of this anger was for me… he wanted to protect me.

“Lucas is weak, most likely gaining strength with Jeremy’s help. As he gets stronger, he will search for Coimbra. He knows Lonnie’s scent and he’ll find her again. We fear that he’ll come back too strong… he won’t be the black magic anymore,” she whispered, pushing back her long hair.

Nick’s hands gripped the table lightly and he looked around, his features showing he was deep in thought.

“That’s where the premonitions come in,” Eve whispered, her eyes meeting mine. I curled my hand around Nick’s shoulder and leaned closer to him. “We know Lonnie’s dreams tend to come true, her nightmares being a key to what’s in store. For all of us. Lonnie… I need you to come by, whether it be here or my house, and tell me if you have any dreams.”

My heart began to pound in fear and it suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe, my skin prickling with goosebumps. I stared at her in shock, the images of the two past nightmares sweeping back in to haunt me. They both involved Nick hurting somehow and I couldn’t take it.

It suddenly felt like I was choking on air, my panic getting the best of me, and my head began to swim. My stomach twisted with fear and my eyes locked on Nick’s now worried face, his body turning as he tried to get a better look at me.

“Lonnie?” Nick whispered, his voice barely audible over my new gasps for air. I moved my hand backwards, trying to feel the chair, and I suddenly fell backwards. Nick’s hand gripped my arm tightly and I shut my eyes, different images flashing through my mind, one being a thick, black cloud swirling around, making everything invisible.

“Lonnie,” he said more clearly, his worry evident. I could hear Eve’s chair squeak as she stood hurrying over to me, but I didn’t open my eyes. I tried to breathe deeply. I was even more frightened than before. Was this a panic attack or something? It felt like I was choking and I began to squeal, panicking even more now that I couldn’t feel anything. “Lonnie, what’s the matter?” he asked quickly, pushing me down in my chair. My chest heaved up and down and I opened my eyes, immediately locking with his soft chocolate ones.

I tried to speak but I couldn’t and I shut my eyes again. I could see Nick’s face, the glow of it pulling at my heart. I wanted to be closer to him. I wanted to tell him what I was so worried about. I wanted him to tell me everything would be okay, that he would be fine and that he would always stay with me.

“Lonnie, come on. Look at me. Calm down,” he instructed. His warm hands held my cheeks, his hot breath hitting my face as he breathed quickly. I felt dizzy.

“Nick. Nick you’re…” I tried, my voice shaking.

“I’m here. I’m right here. What’s going on with you? Just… calm down.”

I tried my best to follow his instructions, blocking out all the mumbles from around. I was even more of a freak then I thought I was.

“Lonnie?” Eve’s kind voice whispered, followed by Mr. Jonas asking if I was alright. I could feel my heart slow down and my breathing stayed quick, but I was calming down little by little.

“That’s it. Shh,” Nick encouraged, his voice so soft and soothing. I opened my eyes again, my chest still heaving, but I was better. I blinked repeatedly, feeling like I wanted to cry. I was overwhelmed… with everything. “Lonnie.”

I looked down at my hands, my face still being held by his hands. I didn’t need this. I didn’t need any of this. I just needed to go home and lie down.

And then I remembered the way the blackness in my dream moved, like it was the wind swarming rather than a magic swarming with the wind.

“If… if it isn’t black magic, then what is it?” I croaked, staring down at Nick as I spoke. He watched me carefully, sliding his hands down to my shoulders and then down my arms, rubbing his thumb over my skin.

“It’s a black storm,” Eve muttered, catching both mine and Nick’s attention. “And it’s stronger and capable of more than we could ever imagine.”

[&&light]

The walk down was harder for me and I was unfocused. Nick didn’t speak and the car ride was also silent, only the humming of the engine occupying my eardrums. I kept my mind blank, refusing to think about anything, and I sat still. I watched all the trees and houses pass as he turned down the street, my dad’s car gone to work. He parked in the driveway and slid out of the car, leaving me in the silence for a moment. When the door clicked open, I slowly turned my head to face him, my eyes locking his innocent ones. He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me out of the car with ease, shutting the door tight.

He set his hand on the small of my back and led me towards the door, our footsteps echoing through the silent air. I breathed out deeply and pushed open the door, slowly trudging inside. When Nick shut the door, the darkness surrounded us and he suddenly spoke.

“Lonnie, what’s going on with you? You’re… you’re screaming for me and you’re telling me to promise I won’t go anywhere. And then you start having panic attacks at just the mention of a nightmare. We need to talk about this now,” he said softly, his voice still stern.

I stared at him for a long moment and bit my lip, trudging up the stairs. He followed close behind, my glow lighting up the whole way to my room. I pushed open the door and immediately went to my bed, plopping down with a sigh. Nick stood against the wall, his muscular arms crossed over his chest.

“You’re hurt,” I blurted out, locking his gaze. “In my dream…” He furrowed his eyebrows and stepped closer, cocking his head in confusion. “You disappear.” He looked a little taken aback at first, but then he swallowed and stepped closer, sitting down next to me.

“I’m fine Lonnie. Right now, I’m fine. And I’m here. I’m not going anywhere,” he said clearly, but I turned my head to face him.

“But you could go… so easily. You could disappear and I wouldn’t know what to do.” My voice was so weak. I never liked being this way, feeling like a baby, but Nick made it so easy to be myself--to show everything I was feeling. Well, almost everything…

“It was a nightmare. I know sometimes they come true, but you have to trust me. I won’t leave you. I can’t leave you,” he whispered, delicately touching my face. I leaned into his touch and let a shaky breath escape my mouth, pushing my forehead to his. I could feel his lips so close to mine as I breathed heavily against them, his hand moving to my hair, pushing the strands away.

“But you-”

“No,” he interrupted sternly, leaning forward some more. His lips touched mine, his breathing uneven as he held me to him, his eyes beautifully shining. “I love you and I don’t know how many times I have to say it before you understand. My job is to protect you and I’ll always be here for that. I’ll always be here for you.”

I shut my eyes and nodded slowly, my lips grazing his as I did so. His hand tightened in my hair and he finally kissed me. I breathed deeply and kissed back, leaning forward. I placed my hand over his heart, gripping his shirt between my fingers. My other hand connected to his neck, my fingers twisting around his curls. It surprised me when he leaned forward, his lips moving at a faster pace against mine, and the feeling was… amazing. His arm snaked around my waist and he drew me forward, my lips pulling away from his for a moment before I smashed them back on. When I was like this, I felt complete. I felt whole and perfect.

I needed this. I needed him.