“I don’t do Christmas.” There was no way I was going anywhere near glitter or baubles.
I might go near some mistletoe if I could get Wilder underneath it.
Benji’s face sank a little at my reluctance and Damyr placed a kiss on his temple that instantly brought his smile back.
Urgh, they were impossiblysweet.
“You’ll do this Christmas. That’s an order,” Damyr said before heading out of the room, dragging Benji behind him. “Vlad, keep things moving.”
“Yes, boss,” Vlad shouted after Damyr as he left. The tank then fixed me with a cool stare. “See if Wilder will accompany you to the Rowan Coven tomorrow. I need you to run a few errands for me today.”
“Sure thing. Text them to me and I’ll get them done.” Normally, running errands would annoy me but doing them today would give me plenty of time to think about Wilder. I was already contemplating how I was going to see him again and I wasn’t sure I could wait until tomorrow.
I stood up from my chair, ignoring the worried look in my twin’s eyes as I left. It was time to pay my little witch another visit, but I wasn’t going to give him a chance to run away.
So first, I needed to see a guy about breaking some protective wards.
Chapter Four
Wilder
Ascream ripped from my throat as the end of a nightmare left me. My body was shaking as the fear and agony of the nightmare faded from my mind. Sweat clung to my back and soaked through my sheets.
They never stopped. Those damn nightmares invaded my sleep most nights, and I didn’t even remember them. I just felt them. Every agonising second of them. All the pain and suffering as if I’d lived it myself.
Were they even my memories? Were they the ghosts of my past or someone else’s? How could I not even know?
Sparks of my violet energy arced between my fingers as my magic rose up to protect me, but something felt off.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention, my skin turned clammy and my heart pounded in my chest signalling danger. I wasn’t alone. “Who’s there?”
I hated that the lingering effects of the nightmare made my voice tremble in fear.
The lamp in the corner switched on highlighting the vague shape of someone sitting in the armchair. The stranger crossed one leg over the other, looking far too comfortable in my space. “Is that normal for you? To wake up screaming?”
The threat of danger left my body with a sigh. It was Byron. The goddamn psychopath who couldn’t seem to leave me alone. At least he hadn’t killed me.
“How did you get in?” I asked, my magic sparking at the ends of my fingertips.
My house was warded to the high heavens and covered in protective spells. It should be impossible for him to be sitting there, but there he was, in all his lethal prowess.
Fuck. Was I impressed?
I think I was.
“I saw a man about a little charm.” He lifted his hand to show something dangling between his fingers.
The silver pendant shimmered in the lamplight, and I could sense the power radiating through it. There was only one person I knew powerful enough to put so much energy into something so small. “Did Acheron give you that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Byron chuckled. “The man likes any opportunity to piss you off. When I said I wanted to break into your house, he was only too happy to oblige. Where were you today?”
I swallowed, my throat uncomfortably dry. “Why? Did you miss me?”
“Yes.”