Spellbound (Spellbringers Book 1) (24 page)

“Are you okay, Alisa?” Jerica asked,
brow creasing. “You look a little flushed. Are you sure you didn’t
get hurt?”

“I’m fine,” I stammered, my blush
deepening. How could I sit here with this remarkable woman and
think such thoughts about her son? I felt quite ashamed of myself.
Remembering her reaction the time she walked into the kitchen and
saw Jace holding my wrist, I shuddered to think what she would say
if she found out Bryce and I were…what? What exactly was the nature
of our relationship? I considered asking Jace to take me home, but
I wanted to wait for Abe. I didn’t want to miss anything, any news
at all, about Bryce.

Abe came back in the room, smiling and
shaking his head. “Well, he’d heard about it. As soon as I turned
on my computer, about twenty emails popped up in my inbox. He
wanted to know why a crew had been dispatched. I sent a reply and
waited about two minutes before I got a response. He was so
relieved to hear from me. He hadn’t been so shaken since…” Abe
trailed off. We all knew what he’d stopped himself from
saying.

“Maybe I should head home,” I
announced, trying to keep the urgency from my voice. “I didn’t get
much sleep last night and after this morning, I’m pretty
tired.”

Jace stood up and offered to drive me.
I followed meekly, trying to look tired and pathetic. Inside, I was
screaming for him to hurry. I was desperate to get home to my
computer.

I said hi to my parents when I got
home and then rushed upstairs, locked my door, and switched on my
computer with shaking hands. Never had it seemed so slow, so
outdated. I changed clothes and brushed my teeth while I waited for
the sloth of a machine to come to life.

There were a total of six emails from
Bryce waiting for me. I read the last one first, vowing to go back
and read them all in order as soon as I finished sending Bryce a
reassuring message. I sent him a quick email to tell him I was okay
and asked him to write me back as soon as he could.

His first email was the usual morning
greeting. Subsequent emails were increasingly frantic. The final
message was sent after he’d heard from his dad:

Dear Alisa,

I’m so glad you’re okay.
When Dad told me you were safe and at our house, I nearly cried
with relief. Thankfully, I didn’t. The guys here never would have
let me live it down, and I would have been forced to leave here in
disgrace. After the trauma you’ve been through today, leaving here
doesn’t sound bad at all.

Part of our training
involves an internship in Central Dispatch. When Mom’s call came
through, I almost died from fear. The only thing I knew was that a
Hunter had been killed. I alternated between haunting the halls of
Central and sending emails from my laptop back at the dorm. The
fact that I hadn’t heard from you at all today had me worried
sick.

I don’t know if you
realize this, but I live for your emails. Knowing you care about
me, that you’re always there for me when I need you, means more
than you could imagine. You asked me one time about my anchor.
Well, Alisa, you are my anchor. You are my lifeline. I told you in
that first email that I didn’t regret kissing you. Do you regret
it? I’ll wait here until you reply. No matter how long it
takes.

Love,

Bryce

I wiped tears from my eyes. My reply
was immediate and from the heart:

Dear Bryce,

Do I regret that kiss? If
I’d answered that question after it happened, my answer might have
been different. No, I don’t regret anything that’s happened between
us, good or bad. Every argument, every hurt feeling, every second
we’ve spent together led up to this moment. I am grateful beyond
anything you can imagine to be here, at this moment, at this
computer (slow as it is), writing to you. The only thing that could
make this moment sweeter would be to have you here with me. I am
closer to you than anyone I’ve ever known, Jace and Rachel
included. So, to answer your question, no. I don’t regret that
kiss.

Love,

Alisa

When had I ever been as bold as I was
at the moment I pressed the send button? Battles with Hunters,
taking up for myself with Becky, walking into the dance with
Jace—each scenario would have been impossible for me just a few
months ago. I felt a gradual shift in my perspective and my
attitude toward life. With that email to Bryce there was an element
of risk, of putting myself out there, of opening up in a way I
never had.

Instead of feeling anxious about what
I’d just done, I felt at peace. For the first time in my life, I
was in love. Those childish fantasies of just a few months ago were
a diversion. My survival was tied to those daydreams because I’d
never truly lived. My dreams were the only thing that kept me
hanging on from one day to the next.

Over the past couple of months, I
didn’t need to drift off into a fantasy world in order to keep
myself afloat. With Bryce, I was able to live in the moment. He
kept me tied to this world in a way nothing ever had. I didn’t need
to dream of being someone else or doing something else. I was happy
to be me.

***

Over the next few weeks, I was able to
transform my life in ways I could never have imagined. I tried out
for the softball team and made it. I deliberately exercised. I
began researching different colleges and making plans for my
future. The apathy I’d lived with all my life was gone, and in its
place was a new determination.

I awoke one sunny day in
March and switched on my computer while humming along with Taylor
Swift’s
You Belong With
Me
. The subject line of Bryce’s morning
email was ‘Good Morning…or is it?’ I laughed out loud.

Dear Alisa,

I would love to tell you
good morning, but I won’t. After all, the word ‘good’ is a matter
of opinion. I have good news and bad news. Okay—bad news first. My
unit is leaving for offsite training and I won’t be able to contact
you for several days. The good news is, hopefully, I’ll be able to
get cell phone reception when we stop off in town on the way back,
and I’ll be able to call you.

How am I going to survive
the next few days without being able to write to you? Please keep
your phone close by on Saturday. The idea of hearing your voice is
the only thing that will get me through. Be safe, Alisa, and keep
me in your thoughts.

Love,

Bryce

I felt desolate thinking about the
next few days without contact. I typed out a reply, not sure
whether or not he’d be able to read it before he left. I went
through my normal morning routine, but the light had already gone
out of the beautiful spring day.

Jace picked me up as usual and I felt
a shot of heartache at seeing Bryce’s truck. I had a feeling
everything would remind me of him until Saturday when we could at
last speak.

“What’s wrong?” Jace asked as I
climbed in next to him.

“Nothing. Just tired,” I said, leaning
my head against the window and pretending it was Bryce I was with.
I thought about all the times I’d been a passenger in the truck,
but could only count on one hand the times I’d ridden with Bryce. I
reflected on how drastically my feelings toward him had changed
since the first time he drove me home.

“…
Bryce…”

I jolted back to reality
when I heard Jace speak his brother’s name. Oh, my God. What if he
knew about us? What if
everyone
knew?

“What?” I asked.

“I was just saying, the brakes are
going out on this piece of crap and Dad said I have to have them
fixed. I have to pay for it out of my savings, just because I’ve
been driving it. I swear that’s why Bryce let me borrow it in the
first place—because he knew the brakes were shot and he didn’t want
to pay for repairs.”

“He’s so sneaky and dishonest,” he
continued. “Don’t you think?”

“I…um…” How could I possibly answer
that question? I could agree with Jace in order to cover my own
hide, but then I’d feel like a traitor. Or I could tell Jace the
truth and face his certain wrath. Thankfully, it was a rhetorical
question and didn’t require a response. Jace continued his tirade
until we pulled into the school parking lot.

School was its usual nightmarish hell.
Softball practice was better because I was able to run off some
frustration. After practice, Rachel drove me home and commented on
my unusual silence.

“Okay, spill,” she demanded. “You’ve
been keeping something from the rest of us. I’ve known that for a
while, but out of respect for your privacy, I didn’t want to say
anything. But lately, you’ve changed. Jace told me you hardly talk
to him on the phone anymore. Now you’re moody and
distant.”

Rachel waited only a split second for
me to explain myself. When I didn’t, she continued, “Look, after
the attack, the family agreed to a No More Secrets policy. You
seemed uncomfortable that day, so I know this secret has been
bothering you at least as long as that, probably longer. If you
tell me what’s going on, I promise you it goes no further. My mind
is not an open book when it comes to Jace, remember? He only gets
what I give him.”

There was a hint of threat in her
voice. Ever since the day of the attack, Rachel had been true to
her word about pursuing her training. She met with Jerica at least
three times a week. I sparred with her about once a week. I knew
she would do whatever she had to do to protect the family. If she
felt I was withholding a secret that could put the rest of them in
jeopardy, she would read my mind without feeling a shred of
guilt.

My best option was to spill my guts. I
needed to share my feelings with another person. I was desperate to
tell someone and I finally had a chance.

“I’m in love.”

This was clearly not what Rachel
expected. “With whom?” she asked.

I laughed at the look of suspicion on
her face. She was probably afraid I still harbored feelings for
Jace.

“I’m in love with Bryce,” I admitted,
feeling the burden of carrying the secret drop from my
shoulders.

“Bryce, who?” Rachel asked. I could
tell she was racking her brains trying to figure out if there was a
Bryce who went to our school, or who had graduated in recent
years.

“The brother of your boyfriend.” If I
hadn’t been so nervous about admitting this, I would have enjoyed
the play of emotions on her face as the truth slowly
dawned.

“Bryce?
That
Bryce? Why?” she
blurted.

“He’s been emailing me ever since he
went back to Central to train. Well, let me backtrack.” My face
heated. “On New Year’s Eve, he kissed me. Nothing epic, just a
light…kiss.” I couldn’t bear for Rachel to look at me. I was too
embarrassed to continue.

“So, he kissed you, and now he’s been
sending you emails,” Rachel summarized.

“Several messages a day. They started
out a little flirtatious, but now… I don’t know how it happened.
I’ve totally fallen in love.” I tried to hide the longing in my
voice. “I don’t know, maybe to him it’s just a close friendship.
It’s hard to tell. I don’t exactly have a lot of experience with
guys.”

“Look, Alisa. I hope it works out. I
really do. But I want you to be careful. I’d never say this to Abe
and Jerica, but I got a peek in his mind over the holidays. I know
what you’re thinking. I’ve been holding out on a couple of secrets
too. Anyway, I took a quick look. Or, rather, I tried to look. His
mind is surrounded by a layer of rage. There’s some darkness there,
Alisa. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Her voice was
sympathetic.

“I know about the rage. It’s because
of his older brother. He’s starting to get past it. He’s better
now.” I felt defensive toward Bryce. I understood him and I wanted
Rachel to know he wasn’t bad, just hurt.

Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows
arched. “He’s talked to you about Royce? Jace told me he’s never
spoken of him, not since his death. If anyone speaks his name,
Bryce leaves the room. Jace said he never even cried.”

“Yes, he has. He almost cried in front
of me when he talked about him at Christmastime. Bryce has written
about Royce several times over the last couple of months. He said
Royce was his hero.” I hoped I hadn’t crossed a line in admitting
all of this to Rachel. I figured I could tell her anything because
she could pluck it from my brain if she wanted to.

“Wow. That’s a side of him no one else
has ever seen. Of course, Jace is biased. He’s never said anything
good about Bryce. They’ve always had a tense relationship from what
I’ve heard. I wondered why Bryce let him use the truck, though. It
seemed out of character for him to do something like that.” Rachel
was silent the rest of the drive home.

When she pulled into the driveway, she
said thoughtfully, “You know I won’t say anything unless I have to.
For now, it’s our secret. But I really think you should tell Abe
and Jerica. Not about the kiss or any of the personal stuff, but
about the emails. If anything, it might make them feel better that
he’s got a friend.”

***