“That doesn’t sound good,” says Finn, leaning in closer to study the jar. He jerks back when the mist suddenly bangs itself against the glass right where his eyes had been focused, as though it sensed him looking at it.
Rita laughs. “Hey Finn, I think it just gave you the finger.”
Finn smirks in return. “I think you might be right.”
I rub at my arms, feeling a distinct chill. Something inside of me revolts at my proximity to the jar. It’s like my magic, the same magic that presented me with the pages of an unknown book inside my head today, is urging me to stay away from it.
“You need to get it out of here,” I say, eyeing Rita. “It makes me feel odd, kind of like I’m sick with fear. I’ve got goosebumps. Look,” I pull up my sleeve to show her my arm.
“Yeah, I’m getting that too. Maybe not as strongly as you are though,” Rita replies. “But I can’t just let it go. I need to get rid of it properly, and until I figure out how to do that we’ve got to keep it in the jar.”
“How about I lock it in the shed out the back?” Finn suggests, nodding to the little wooden building at the end of the garden. “I’ve got a big padlock that I can put on the door to make sure nobody gets inside.”
I jump on Finn’s suggestion, whole-heartedly agreeing. “Yes, we should do that. Do it now.” My eyes lock on the mist, swirling violently inside the jar as though taunting me, as though struggling to break out. Perhaps even urging me to open the lid. Yeah, fat chance of that happening any time soon.
“We can do that later. I want to show it to Ethan first,” says Delilah.
I glance up at the clock. “But it’s only two. Ethan won’t be up for hours. I can’t sit in the house for that long with it here. I’m seriously repelled by it; it’s making my skin crawl.”
“Amanda’s upstairs packing the last of her things. She’s moving home today. Why don’t you go help her? It’ll get you out of the house for a couple hours and will give me the time to study this thing – whatever it is, in more detail,” Rita suggests.
“Oh, I completely forgot she was going home today. Yeah, okay I’ll do that.”
My voice comes out all skittish and I hurry upstairs to Amanda. I help her with her bags and we get a taxi to her old apartment. For some reason Ira follows me out the front door, silently insisting on coming with us. I kind of like having him follow me around, like the man version of the dog who for a while was my loyal companion. Maybe he’s finding it difficult to break the habit.
“He is H.O.T – hot,” says Amanda to me on the drive, taking in Ira’s well-built masculine form.
I laugh. “He’s mute Mandy, not deaf.”
“Oh,” she answers, her cheeks going a little red as she glances sheepishly back at Ira. I could be mistaken, but I think I see the edge of his mouth tilt up slightly in an almost-grin. Huh. So he is paying attention. Half of the time it feels like he’s in his own little world.
We don’t get back to Finn’s house until around seven, since I decided to stay and hang out with Amanda at her place for a couple hours. Ira goes around the back of the house to the garden. He sometimes likes to sit out there by himself to meditate, so I leave him to it.
When I walk in the front door I’m immediately hit with two distinct sensations. The first is the repulsion from the mist in th
e jar, and the second is an altogether new one. I can feel Ethan’s presence so powerfully; it comes completely out of nowhere. My entire body fills with unmistakable and violent lust for him. Jesus H. Christ. This is definitely not normal. I steel myself and try not to give in to it.
I walk into the kitchen where Ethan, Lucas, Finn, Rita and Delilah are standing around the table, all staring intently at the mist. I swallow hard as my legs turn to jelly and my self-control comes to the brink of shattering.
I want to run my hands all over Ethan’s body, lick him from top to bottom. This so isn’t me - well, not entirely. It’s like someone else’s urges are burrowing inside my skin. Someone who’s really fucking horny.
“Are you any closer to figuring out how to get rid of it?” I ask Rita, stepping up near to Ethan against my own instincts to stand as far away from his hostile self as possible. My body has a mind of its own right now.
“Nope,” she replies, looking kind of embarrassed. “I’ve tried a whole variety of spells and nothing seems to be working. I think I need to hit the books and see what I can dig up. Gabriel, Alvie and Mum have gone to visit an old warlock friend of Gabriel’s who lives on the other side of the country. Gabriel’s certain this guy will be able to help us, but since they’re driving they won’t be back for a day or two.”
“Oh. Did Gabriel and Alvie find anything at Michael Ridley’s place?”
“Unfortunately no,” Rita shakes her head and sighs dejectedly.
I brush my arm off Ethan’s, unable to tamper down the lust. I’m actually frightening myself with how much I desire him. He gives me a quizzical look out of the corner of his eye, but doesn’t say anything. Rita begins explaining something about one of the spells she tried earlier, but I can’t bring myself to pay her any attention. I want Ethan. I need him.
Making sure nobody else in the room is watching, I go up on my tippy toes, lean in close and rest my face in the crook of his neck. Then I flick out my tongue and lick his smooth skin. His body goes rigid and he grips my arm tightly.
“What do you think you are you doing?” he asks harshly, closing his eyes for a moment as though gathering himself. Hmm, I like that I’m affecting him.
“Let’s go to my room,” I whisper.
“Have you been drinking?” he asks, his eyes taking me in, trying to figure why I’m acting so lusty.