Crescent Bound

By Karli Rush

Paranormal Witch Romance series

Alyssa Worthington is the daughter and sole heir to the most prestigious coven in the witch world. Her childhood has been spent in the mundane human world, learning to blend in and hide who she truly is, and it is here, during her last year, that she meets a striking ex-high school quarterback from a small town in Montana who will turn her world upside down.

Alyssa holds the element of fire, unlike her best friends Lisa and Megan, who are both air elementals. It is the elemental powers that reside inside which require positive thoughts and positive actions in order to maintain this magickal connection. What would happen to a witch that let this get out of control? How can evil become the driving force behind revenge and death?

Dark secrets, dark magick, and a desperate desire for revenge will bring Alyssa to the brink of destruction. She is being chased, but this pursuit is a silent one, and her chaser has but one goal, Alyssa’s complete and total destruction. Will she overcome this dark threat and begin to live out her destiny? Will she survive, and if so, will she lose herself as part of the price for being alive? Or, will her destiny rest on being crescent bound?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karli Rush
• Release date: Feb 23, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465928382

Karli Rush

Karli Rush was born in the heart of the Cherokee Nation and lives in its capital. Her Native American heritage holds sway over her writing in many ways. She has the patience of a brain surgeon operating under fire in a war zone. You can chalk that up to her being the mother of an autistic kiddo. With the passion of a starving artist, she writes. The obsession to tell her tales has led her to write novels in the worlds of Dark Paranormal Romance, Dystopian, and Vampires. She walks in two worlds, one grounds her and the other frees her imagination.https://linktr.ee/KarliRush

Book preview

Please, tell me just one more story? I beg in an insisting tone while staring up at him with my big blue eyes that I know he can’t deny.

Alyssa, it’s getting late, my little girl, but if you promise to close those bewitching blues and go to sleep, then one more story, okay? He grins at me as I snuggle down under the covers and wait for him to begin.

My father has this mesmerizing way of making stories come to life. I am still unsure if his voice changes into a softer trance-like tone or the feeling of his magick tingling through the air. I can listen to him for hours while he spins his mystical stories.

He scoots back and begins. "In the ancient times before Merlin, the world was raw with magick, and our kind were the true stewards of the natural world. It was during your great-grandfather Donavan’s journey through parts of Europe that he met a beautiful young woman named Avonna.

She was a great healer and filled with magick. All that met her felt at peace, and she was greatly loved by her people. Donavan fell hopelessly in love with her and would do anything to have her become his lifemate. Avonna loved Donavan with a strength that has held through time itself.

Donavan vowed to quest in search of something as rare and mythical as her. He would present his treasure to the village council in hopes that they would agree to allow Avonna to become his lifemate.

He departed the woodlands of the west where her village stood. He searched by instinct alone, letting only his heart lead him. Donavan traveled far and found many treasures, but nothing worthy.

While walking up a trail leading into a great precarious mountain range, Donavan stumbled upon a rather small man with yellow skin and narrow glistening eyes. The man had been caught in an uprooting storm and was trapped by a fallen tree. Donavan used his magick to set him free and took him to a nearby cave, where he helped the man recover from his wounds.

Neither of them spoke a language the other understood, but they attempted to communicate. After spending eight days together, Donavan came to call the little man Ash because that was the tree that had trapped him. Ash soon came to call Donavan Pinyin, which he learned many years later meant ally or sworn friend.

On the morning of the eighth day, Donavan awoke with a rabbit roasting over the fire and a small fold of rabbit skin. Inside the leather wrap was a gemstone so full of magick and beauty that Donavan knew his quest was complete. He returned with haste to the village and presented the rare stone to the village council.

He held the blazing blue gemstone up to the sunlight, and a brilliant light of energy burst forth. The gemstone’s energy brought health, peace, and abundance to the village for many years.

Donavan and Avonna became lifemates and traveled the world, healing and learning magick. Their knowledge and love are the foundation of the Worthington Coven today. The stone seemed to find its way through time, drifting into coven legend because no one knew exactly where it was until one day, not too long ago, there was a harvesting celebration.

During this celebration, gifts were given. One of the gifts was a small box. Inside this precious box was a piece of rabbit skin. Folded within the worn thin leather was the brilliant blue gemstone.

Until that day, it had not been seen for more than eight hundred years. Your mother had the gemstone set into a ring of Egyptian gold, and it has been with us ever since we knew you were on the way."

What kind of magick does the ring hold, father? I ask, yawning with heavy eyes as sleep begins to immerse me.

Fading deeper into unconsciousness, I hear a sound, music, and a woman singing a familiar tune, Bad Romance by Lady Gaga. What is that? Oh, I must have been dreaming, and the relentless sound is a wake-up call from my cell phone. I reach for it, but the annoying noise finally stops. Thank the gods.

I roll over in my bed with my hands tucked under my pillow, thinking, Father used to tell me that our time to learn the things we need will come when we are ready. Well, I certainly feel ready to learn about my fire element and this magickal world I was born into, sighing quietly.

I did not, however, want to get up this morning, tossing and turning in bed, not wanting to leave my solitude, and then as if it prolongs the inevitable, I toss the white comforter over my head. The very thought of attending another mundane high school turns my stomach. I know this is my last year, my senior year, prom, and all the good things that go with it. It’s just this is the non-witch world.

After I graduate from high school, I’m off to the Arcane. The one place where I truly can’t wait to be, the Arcane, is a private, elite university for my kind…witches.

My cell phone rings annoyingly yet again, Bad Romance sings louder this time, and I moan out, just five more minutes of peaceful sleep, Yes, Megan, how can I help you?

How can you help me? Have you lost your mind? Ah, school, today, like now! Lisa and I are waiting, and you’re the one with the low profile thing going on, and being fashionably late on your first day is not the way to do it, babe. Her voice is full of amusement since I am usually the sensible one.

Alright, thirty minutes, and I’ll be there, I rumble into the phone. I know I need to hurry, I say to Megan with her laugh echoing through the cell as I hang up and jump out of bed.

Megan and Lisa are my best friends and have been since childhood. They are also, in part, my safety net. Keeping us out of the spotlight and unwanted attention helps all of us prepare for the witch world.

Megan is best suited for learning all the details of Who’s, who. Meaning who is the most popular and who is the most gossiped about. Well, we’re supposed to keep a low profile by keeping the drama down, but for her to fit in unnoticed is another matter. When you look like Megan Fox, it’s a bit difficult. She’s also quite promiscuous, which makes it even harder for Lisa and me.

On the other hand, Lisa is quite the opposite, smart, beautiful inside and out, and an added plus, Lisa has found her lifemate in Dawson.

Lisa and I can conceal the three of us when we are out in the mundane world. We call it cloaking, and we learned that one right off.

Witch families with children all travel the world to keep our true identities from the humans. Moving to new houses is quite normal. Megan, Lisa, and I, as well as thousands of others our age and kind, need to be able to cope inside the human world, so we attend public schools all across the globe.

My father, Daniel Worthington, is a world-renowned alchemist and has lived for ages. He actually lived through the Inquisition times.

That is when he met and fell in love with a lady named Monica De Byas, my mother. They became lifemates. When witches fall in love with one another, they usually become lifemates.

It took a long time and many moves, but finally, they moved to Australia. My mother always wanted to live there. That’s where I came into the picture.

I was born down under, but we moved a few years later to the states. Arizona was the first state we lived in, and that is where I met Megan. Megan and I quickly became best friends. Her family is part of the coven, so they moved with us to Florida, where we met Lisa. A few years later, we moved again, this time to California. Lisa and Megan’s families moved with us.

For our final year of attending a human school, we moved to Montana. That’s four states in twelve years, and my relationship with Megan and Lisa has grown just as we have. We are as close as sisters.

My father knew we needed to move closer to the Arcane, so he bought this house in Montana and placed me here for my senior year. I suppose Montana is closer to Moorcroft, Wyoming, than California. Moorcroft is where the Arcane University is located, which is hidden from the human world. I don’t really mind the change of scenery. I just don’t like having to hide who I am all the time.

Running out the door, I hear my mother saying, Keep your chin up and feel great today. I know her words all too well. Positive actions draw positive returns, and negative actions draw negative returns, she echoes behind me as I slide into my black 2011 Shelby 500 GT Mustang. Pushing the start button, which in my car says Go baby Go, the engine fires up. Listening to the motor purr, you just gotta love that sound.

Okay, I’m off to Hutchington High. I’m arriving about two weeks after school starts. We do this on purpose, so we do not attract too much attention with all three of us showing up at once. Yeah, I’m just another straggler.

With our cloak on, no one can really see us. We appear as a bit of a blur to the human eye when we are moving. Teachers and staff can see us when we are in class because we drop the cloak slightly, but no one takes notice too much.

I still feel it’s pointless being here. I know my parents need me to handle this experience, and they say I will appreciate my own kind more for doing this. I never really made friends with the mundane. I bump into them every once in a while and talk with them, but no real relationship.

Being with Megan and Lisa again is very invigorating, though. I can feel the energy flowing all around us. Our magick crackles with an intense vibration that seems to hover and radiate around us.

Witches are more powerful around other witches. One way our kind can know other witches are around—the stronger the energy, the stronger the witch. Since Lisa, Megan, and I are still young, the intensity grows much stronger when we are together.

I find all my classes with no problem. Thank the gods for the internet. We try hard not to have anyone notice us too much, keeping off the radar, as my father calls it.

Megan, on the other hand, has trouble with the whole radar issue. She’s a very free spirit and with her gorgeous looks, keeping her off the radar has Lisa and me on our toes. I think, for the most part, Lisa and Megan like being around humans.

It is kind of funny to me because once you go to one high school, you have pretty much been to them all. You have your cliques of the upper and lower classes, the cheerleaders and the football teams, basketball teams, and other related sports, music, band, drama teams, and etcetera.

The list could go on, but where are the witch clubs or the spell casting team, I wonder? Will they ever teach the true history of the real witches? I guess that it’s highly unlikely. Our real-world is so hidden and for a good reason with all the bloodshed by the mundane humans documented over hundreds of years of endless, hateful persecution. All the lives lost, human and witch alike. It seems so pointless to destroy others out of ignorance.

You see, witches live by a code. Our code of ethics is simple, "As it harms none, do as thou wilt." I like our code, not only because I’m a witch and bias, but what part of doing no harm to anyone can be considered a bad thing?

Suddenly, I find myself deep in thought when I hear around the corner undeniably Megan’s rich, seductive laughter, so I quicken my pace. Lisa appears right beside me, and as we round the corner, we find Megan with a guy… he’s cute, and she’s definitely leaving an impression.

We both grab her and practically drag her out the front doors. I don’t think any damage was done, Lisa says with a smirk.

I shake my head in reply. I don’t want to do a forget me" spell today, but you know we are getting pretty good at it…thanks to Megan here. I look at her and give her a wink. What are we going to do with you, Megan?"

Megan finally stands straight and intertwines her arms through ours, and saunters down the steps. I can’t help myself. I need a boyfriend, Megan states, emphasizing the word need in dramatic Megan fashion.

Yeah, but you don’t need one from here, I say and add, if you can just wait one more year when we attend the Arcane, you can guy hunt all you want.

Lisa laughs. She’ll be lucky even to last one more hour, you poor deprived moon goddess.

Megan stops just a few feet in front of us and looks over her shoulder, shaking her hips, and says, Yeah, well, I was working on that deprived issue, but then you two had to ruin my fun.

Chapter 2

Day one down, I think to myself as I slide into my Shelby, and a hundred and sixty-six wonderful days left. Yeah, I say in a cheerless tone. Starting up my car, I text the girls to come over to my house later for some spell casting.

As I pull out of the school parking lot, I notice a flashy red classic 1966 Mustang with tons of bobbing cheerleaders surrounding it. Sweet car, I think, but roll my eyes as they swarm around it. I bet it gets scratched with all those people hanging on it.

My car is one of my all-time favorite things. It’s a new Shelby Mustang, jet black with a few modifications made by my father and me.

My father owns several drag strips across the country, and we both have a fetish with cars and speed. He not only teaches me everything I need to know about witchcraft, but he has taught me how to drag race.

On weekends, my father and I usually run one of his tracks. We race sometimes, well, okay; I race as much as I can. His Corvette can run eight seconds flat in the quarter. My Shelby runs 10.6 in the quarter. The cool thing is we don’t use any magick when racing our cars. My father has always told me that we should not solely depend on our magick in life.

Through our father/daughter team, we race our cars, trying to outsmart the other in speed. We revel in the adrenaline and the pure love of these beautiful machines.

Amazingly, a month has passed at Hutchington High, and it’s the same game day after day. Another maddening class after another, the work itself is not a problem for me. It’s just the environment.

In my first hour, I have my head down trying to read the assignment for the day when I hear a couple of the guys up in the front row talking and laughing loudly. I tune them out, but suddenly I have this feeling like I am being watched. I keep my head down, allowing my dark hair to fall forward, covering my face.

The teacher, Mr. Whitman, finally has enough and walks over to the guys in the front row and announces, Keep it down, or would you boys rather share your conversation with the entire class? That classic line makes them hush instantly. I have one of my hands over my eyes but peek up just for a moment.

One of the guys I quickly notice is looking over his shoulder attentively at me. I make eye contact and immediately look away, instantly regretting it. Great, chastising myself. I know most mundane girls just love the whole football hot jock look, which is what he looks like, athletic and extremely well-built in his royal blue football jersey. But he’s human, so to me, it doesn’t matter what he looks like. I have never dated a human guy and never will. I laugh to myself and wonder why Megan insists on her never-ending torment of these poor souls.

If a human guy begins going obsessive on her, we always have to do a memory mind sweep spell on him. He simply forgets completely and instantly about the three of us. It would be simpler to avoid them in general. Why bother with the human guys anyway? The only way our kind can truly be with another is to find our lifemate, a true witch mate. Humans cannot be a lifemate, and we live much longer than they do, so even if love is there, we would watch them die.

The bell rings, and I move out of class and down the hall, making it appear as if nothing is unusual, slowly cloaking myself from the unobservant eye. My mind wanders to other activities outside of school.

My father just finished building another drag strip a few miles outside of town. I’m hoping that will keep us busy. I always get excited when there is a new track to tame. My father, being the high priest of our coven, does not always get to play at the track. Sometimes he has to leave to handle coven business.

Now, my mother is a natural-born healer and has found a place that suits her as a doctor at the local hospital. She doesn’t care for the racing one way or the other, but she loves the fact that we do.

When our family is together, it is fantastic, and I think within our coven, we all try to aspire to have great family connections. We stay close to one another as best we can.

Lisa, as an example, lives just a block from us. It is just her and her mother. Lisa’s father was killed in a plane crash, my mother and Lisa’s mother, Lynn, have become great friends, so I guess it is only natural that Lisa and I have become so close.

Lisa’s demeanor is so sweet and loyal. She looks just like her mother with waves of blond hair and big brown eyes. Lisa is an air-element witch, like her mom.

I believe her father was a water-elemental. I don’t remember much about him, really and neither does Lisa. He was killed when she was pretty young.

When Lisa, Megan, and I first attended High School in California, Lisa met Dawson Stoughton in our freshman year. He became her lifemate. When a witch’s lifemate is found, they are together for life unless one of the mates dies. In Lisa’s mother’s case, her mate died, but Lynn never found another to fill the void.

I couldn’t think of another match for Lisa other than Dawson. He’s extremely gorgeous, funny, and very protective of her. Dawson is a water-elemental, and surprisingly most of his family is as well. The Stoughton family is a major part of the Worthington coven and has been for many years. Dawson is twenty now and attending the Arcane. He can’t wait for Lisa to go there next year.

Now that my father has a track here, which is just a few hours from the Arcane, Dawson and a couple of his friends are coming down to help out.

In our sophomore year of high school, I met David Van Buren, a fire-elemental same as myself. David and I hit it off from the start, and we were together for two years. When David started attending the Arcane, he changed somehow, or perhaps it was me that changed.

My father and mother both love David and were so pleased that I had met him, especially since he was a fire user. My father invited David into our coven, and he soon started helping with the race tracks. He drives a mint black 1971 Chevelle, and of course, my father convinced David to start modifying his ride for racing.

I really cared for David, but I just didn’t feel the calling. The "I love you, forever and ever" was never truly there for me. I started distancing myself, and he became more obsessive and demanding.

Then one night, while we were packing for our move to Montana, David calls to tell me he thinks it is best if we didn’t see each other anymore. Breaking up over the phone is pretty lame. I was in a bit of shock at first but then really realized it was coming anyway. I was hurt and cried in my mother’s arms that night. The next day I dried my tears and focused on a fresh new start in Montana without any guys at all.

I haven’t seen or talked to David since the phone-call break-up night, not sure if I would want to. I did hear through the Megan-grape-vine that he’s dating a new girl from the Arcane now. Megan Sicleen lives a couple of miles down the road from us. Megan’s family has been in our coven for a long, long time. She and her family are air-elementals. Megan has other abilities, too, like moving objects around by using her thoughts. She’s not that strong yet. That is where the Arcane comes into play. The elite University of Witchcraft is there to enhance our abilities and teach control so that our elemental magick is not destructive.

Megan has yet to find her lifemate, and I guess the same goes for me, but the difference between her and I is that she’s happy with a guy of the week process. You know, one for a few days, and then once Monday rolls around, she’s bored and on the hunt for the next boy-toy. The main problem is that she’s so spontaneously crazy and fun, yet she’s passionate about life. We usually have to wipe a guy’s memory of her so that he doesn’t obsess over her, which is quite easy for a human to do. I just want to get through this year without passing out from pure boredom.

Chapter 3

As I walk down the hall of yet another exciting day here at Hutchington High, I decide to surprise Lisa. Looking around, I make sure my cloak is in full effect. Not seeing anyone, I shift into a faint silvery mist, and within a fraction of a second, I’m standing right in front of Lisa’s locker.

She jumps as my surprise appearance startles her, causing a high-pitch girly scream. A couple of guys come around the corner about the same time and instantly dart scrutinizing glares her way as they pass by.

What’s her problem? they comment as Lisa turns, ignoring them, and starts pulling books out of her locker quickly. Watching her expression change so dramatically is quite amusing. I don’t shift in public a lot, well, for the most part, but I just couldn’t help myself today. Lisa makes an annoyed aggravating sound and shifts away while I’m standing here digging in my bag. I look around and suddenly notice she’s gone.

Yeah, I see how it is. I know what you’re doing, I say to absolutely no one while a look of confusion crosses my face. Then out of nowhere, I hear a guy’s voice.

Do you talk to yourself often? he asks.

Hesitantly, I drag my gaze up to find this breathtakingly, godlike guy walking up to me smiling, a make your knees go weak, smile. My shock at being seen so clearly while being cloaked puts me at a loss for words with this walking Romeo. I turn around and practically run the other way.

I know, not the most sophisticated or lady-like thing to do, but I’m caught off guard. Majorly. All I really want to do is vanish right now. That would definitely bring on some attention.

As soon as I turn the corner of the hallway, I pull a Houdini act and shift down the stairs, getting as much distance between him and myself as I can. And here I thought I’d get a laugh out of Lisa, but instead, I just freak myself completely out. Guess the jokes on me.

How could this guy, gorgeous and all, see me? This is a problem. He’s human, and that should not have happened. No one else saw me with Lisa, and he didn’t see Lisa shift as far as I know.

At the day’s end, I find Lisa and Megan next to my car. Okay, girls, we need to talk, I say with grave concern. What happened, Lisa? I mean, today when I surprised you in the hall?

Huh? She looks at me completely dumbfounded.

Okay, come on, Lisa, don’t give me that poker face, you shifted away, and then this Greek God of a guy walks up and says, Hi to me, and you know how I am about human guys, but anyway, what happened?

Alyssa, one, I don’t play poker, and two, I shifted away when you weren’t looking as pay-back for scaring me, Lisa retorts with curiosity as she adjusts her bag to her other shoulder. Why, what happened that has you so spooked? I saw the hot guy talking to you, but I honestly have no idea where he came from or why he could see you. I turn to look at Lisa, running a hand through my hair, even more flustered. "I thought you uncloaked yourself," she concludes.

While Lisa is describing my encounter, Megan is standing there with her mouth hanging open, staring at me. I shrug my shoulders finally. I guess when I did my surprise appearance act on Lisa, I must have somehow uncloaked myself. It didn’t seem right. Being openly seen by this human guy, being visible when a witch doesn’t want to, is very uncommon and not a good thing. It rattles my nerves during the drive home.

Three months in, and I haven’t lost my sanity…yet. The three of us are sitting at a plain table for our typical routine lunch. Megan is rambling on and on about the captain of the football team who quit at the beginning of the year and how the lead cheerleader is endlessly begging for her boyfriend back, which coincidentally is the same guy. Then someone was caught doing some random drug in the bathroom, and she goes on with a list that seems never-ending. Closing the text-book I was trying to read, I tell them, I will see you ladies after school.

I begin walking to my next class. Today is definitely dragging. Finally, there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel. Tomorrow is Friday, and my father is coming back into town. We plan on opening the new track.

After school, I meet Megan beside my car. Walking up to her, I ask, glancing around, Where’s Lisa? Megan throws her hands up in exasperation.

She just got a call from Dawson, who is waiting at her house for her. You know how she’s about that man. She just can’t wait.

Megan and I talk a bit more, trying to line up what we are doing next. We both decide at the same time, enough of Hutchington for one day. I get in my car and get a text from Lisa…"Hey, so sorry I left w/o goodbye, Dawson is here, Yeah! I also want 2 tell U we will be at the track tomorrow & David will be 2. Hugs!"

Well, can my day get any worse? I’m thinking about how much I want to crush my cell under my tires—resting my head on the steering wheel in misery when someone starts tapping on my window.

I jump in my seat as I turn to glare at the person who’s trying to give me a heart attack. I find myself looking at that same bewitching guy that startled me in the hall a couple of months ago.

Pressing the button and rolling the window down, I glance at what he’s holding in his hand. It’s a red gas container. I never claim to be Einstein, but I could bet that he needs some help with fuel for his car.

Hey, could you take me to the gas station, he says roguishly and then looks back at his car. See, I could be Einstein.

Sure, why not, I tell him, thinking this is just what I need, a distraction from running my cell over. So, without further ado, I hop out, popping the trunk for the gas container. Back in the car, I glance at him amusingly and advise, The stock seatbelts are still there. You can use it if you’d like. I point behind his headrest to the factory-mounted seatbelt. I finish with a smile watching as he intently studies the five-point seatbelt. Finally, he straps himself in and glances at me with a curious expression and asks, Does your brother always let you drive his car?

I laugh. I don’t have a brother. You must have me confused with someone else.

He laughs but continues, Okay, it’s your dad’s car. I shake my head, smile, and take off, giving the car a quick shift, lightly squealing the tires. I keep driving out of the school parking lot, thinking to myself. Not only is he gorgeous, but he has a sense of humor, two very great qualities in a guy. Too bad he’s not a witch. I soon pull into the gas station next to the fuel pumps and wait for him and turn up my tunes.

Closing my eyes, I again appreciate the great sound of my stereo. I really need some downtime from the news about David. Now, out of nowhere, again, comes...I can see you while you’re cloaked, guy. Mental note to self: talk to my father as soon as possible about this.

I’m taught that we always keep in control of ourselves, with me having fire abilities. Well, things can get a bit…incinerated. Not a good thing. I take a couple of deep breaths and start centering myself, pulling my energy of fire back down away from my fingertips. My agitation is getting the best of me for a second.

Then suddenly, the passenger door opens, and he leans in. Can I get you anything from inside? I nod my head and tell him, jokingly, Yeah, a bottle of Bling H2O water, and don’t come back without it, or you walk back. He laughs quietly and walks away, not quite sure if I am serious or not.

A couple of minutes later, he sits down in the passenger’s seat. While strapping the seatbelt on, he looks over at me with a slight grin and hands me a bottle of S. Pellegrino mineral water. His brilliant smile widens as he says, Your Bling H2O is on order. Hope this will do until then. I give him my quirky smile back and think to myself, One, I’m surprised you even know what it is, so for that, I’ll give you an A for effort. As he takes a drink of his own bottled water, he tilts his head toward me. What are you listening to? I think I’ve heard this song before, but can’t remember the artist? I’m assuming someone like him wouldn’t have a clue, and so I tell him.

"It’s Moratorium by Alanis Morissette."

I reach over to turn it off, but he places his hand on mine and asks, Keep it on, if you don’t mind? I shrug my shoulders, entertained by his request, and pull out of the gas station heading back to school.

So where are you from? he inquires and then quickly adds, I hear you moved here from California. He shrugs coolly. Small town syndrome, no secrets here.

I laugh skittishly if he only knew.

With another hesitation, I reply, You heard correct. I try to answer his questions with short and simple answers. Keep off the radar. I remind myself. We know that living in the mundane world, there are times we will have to deal directly with humans, but as far as I know, we don’t socialize any more than necessary. This guy sitting next to me in my car seems different somehow. I can’t put my little witchy finger on it, though.

I soon realize just how dense I’m being. Witches still have manners, and I didn’t introduce myself, but for all that, neither did he. I still have no clue what his name is. I’m not psychic by any means, and I didn’t want to ask him his name because now, just how would that look?

I’ve been attending Hutchington High for the past few months, and I don’t know anyone’s names in my classes. They apparently seem to know me and are perfectly comfortable asking me for help.

I start running through my memory and all of Megan’s information, and I still draw a blank. I pull my car next to his, which is the only one left in the entire parking lot, and hope that he will just thank me and be on his way. He fills his car with the fuel and reaches inside his Mustang, grabbing a towel.

Wiping off his hands, he walks casually over to me. His face holds a confident smile that I am sure unnerves most women of any age. He holds his hand out to me. It’s nice to finally meet you, Alyssa. You can call me Marc. It’s what everyone here calls me.

I return his handshake and add just a hint of heat, just enough to make him notice. I have no idea why I’m doing this. I guess I want him to remember me. Okay, now I’m not keeping a low profile if he knows my name on top of the handshake. He must have seen the look on my face, my questioning expression. He places his hand over my window and leans down, his face hovering just outside, inches away. I smell his enticing cologne, and that adds to my dilemma.

Running his other hand through his spiky golden hair, he hesitantly says, I’ve seen you a couple of times in the halls, and then I had to switch a couple of classes around and did you know we have two classes together, art history first hour and intermediate calculus fourth hour? I’m sitting here puzzled as he laughs. Doesn’t ring any bells, huh?

I lean back in my seat and sigh. I’m sorry, I guess I’m not much on who’s who, and I get a bit distracted with all the work. It wasn’t an entirely true statement. I wasn’t sure what else to say to him.

He chuckles again. Yeah, it can get kind of crazy here. He walks back to his car, and I catch myself admiring him. If Megan could see me right now, I would be so busted. He throws the towel back inside his car.

Hey, what’s your last name? I call out. I guess just to keep the conversation going. I don’t think it will hurt to ask for his last name.

Colton. He leans against his car and flashes that smile again. Well, my name is Marcus Dela Dante Colton, is his reply, and that’s when it hit me like ice-water in my face. Megan rambles about him all the time. He’s the captain of the football team who quit last year after winning something.

This is who she’s talking about, and so, I ask him, Why did you quit football? He leans forward as if to stand up straight but then reclines back against his car, crossing his arms casually over his chest.

Well, it’s kind of a long story, but I’ll give you the short version. I have been playing football, among other sports, for years, and I feel this year should be different. I believe there’s more to life than competition and sports. I smile inside, thinking, if he only knew about my drag racing, I love the competition.

"So, is your car all