REFLECTIONS OF YOU (Brighten Magic Academy Book 1) Page 4

  I nibbled on the left side of my lip, not wanting to admit he was right. "I'll think about it a bit more," I whispered. He stared at me for another thirty seconds before he took a deep breath, and pulled me into a hug.

  "Please, Jewel. Just make a decision that will make you happy. I don't want to pressure you. I just want to be sure you don’t have any regrets in the future. Okay?"

  "Okay," I replied, returning his hug. "I wish you wouldn't be so far away, though," I whispered.

  He tightened his hold on me and I closed my eyes when his lips pressed gently on the base of my neck. "I know, Jewel. I wish you could come with me. Would have been nice if the school was unisex."

  "If you were there, maybe I'd go," I confessed in a hushed tone. He lifted his head to grin at me; the seductive smirk made me want to kiss those lips of his.

  "Would you now? We'd make a good team. I heard the entrance test is partnered up. I'd choose you in a heartbeat,” he winked.

  I giggled. "We'd cause more chaos together than good."

  "The duo of mischief. Those were the good old days," Logan laughed.

  "Your parents hated when I came over. We'd always end up breaking something," I added with a chuckle.

  "I loved every moment of it,” he confessed, pressing his forehead against mine.

  "Get down already! Your gonna hurt yourself!"

  We turned our attention to three kids who were crowded around the base of the large tree. They were all looking up and we followed their gaze to see two kids at the highest branch.

  "I can do it!" The smaller blond haired kid declared, but his facial expression showed his hesitation. The older kid next to him with ginger hair rolled his eyes.

  "We didn't climb all the way up here for you to wimp out. You said you could cast the spell. Here's your chance to prove it,” he huffed.

  "Let's just stop and go home. If he gets hurt, we’re gonna be in big trouble!" the kid standing in the middle announced.

  "Wimp!" the older kid up in the tree declared, pushing the blond haired kid. He lost his balance and screamed as his body plummeted towards the ground. The younger boys shouted for help. Logan cursed under his breath, opening his mouth to cast a spell but I extended my hand, spreading my fingers out.

  "Wind!" I called out the one word that triggered a large gust of wind to appear above the boy as he fell to the ground. The gust of wind doubled in size, catching the boy and kept him hovering in the air. His fear filled eyes met mine and tears ran down his cheeks. Logan left my side, marching straight to the other boys who crawled on the ground to move away from the whirlpool of wind, then scrambled to get up. They immediately stood with their backs straight like Logan was a drill sergeant.

  Logan looked up at the ginger-haired boy. "Get down here, NOW!" he snarled and even I was taken back by his sudden anger. Logan was a patient person who normally kept his cool, making this a rare occurance, to say the least.

  The boy flinched at Logan's harsh tone and immediately jumped out of the tree, using magic to lower himself safely to the ground. I remained where I was, but urged the wind to calm with my mind while pulling back my magic.

  The blond boy lowered to the ground and I completely shut off my magic. I lowered my hand, ignoring how it trembled by slipping my hands into the pockets of my dress. The boy began to sob loudly and the black-haired boy who was standing in the middle of the group went over to console him, asking if he was okay.

  "Do you understand what you just did could have got him seriously hurt?! In fact, he could have died if my girlfriend didn't save him!" Logan roared and the boys lowered their heads in shame. The black-haired boy pointed to the ginger kid.

  "It's Nathan's fault. He made him climb up and then pushed him."

  The ginger-haired boy named Nathan flinched, gritting his teeth as he began to quiver in place. "I...I, he said he could use wind magic! I was just proving that he was lying."

  "Maybe he lied because he didn't want to be bullied about what he can and can't do! You guys aren't even old enough to be learning such spells, LET ALONE testing them out without adult supervision. What would you have done if he hit his head and began to bleed out?!" Logan demanded.

  The boys remained silent and Nathan's eyes began to pool with tears. "See?! You'd stand there and cry. You would be put in jail for killing someone because they couldn't be 'oh so cool like you' and do a spell none of you are even properly trained to do,” Logan scolded.

  They all began apologizing and Nathan moved to the kid and apologized for pressuring and pushing him out of the tree. Logan took a deep breath, crossing his arms.

  "I better not see this again, or I'll make sure all your parents are informed. Understood?!"

  "Yes, sir!" they all replied quickly, bowing their heads once more.

  "Go straight home," Logan ordered.

  All of them began to leave but the blond-haired boy stopped, turning around and quickly running up to me. He bowed his head. "Thank you for saving me,” he whispered.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded, giving the best fake smile I could muster. He ran back to his black-haired friend and they both darted off down the path and out of our sight. Logan ruffled his hair, taking another calming breath before glancing my way.

  His normally gold eyes were now a bright amber; they usually shifted to orange when he used his magic. My eyes were similar, shifting from their ruby color to a magnificent gold that was brighter than Logan's, making them look like they were glowing.

  He approached me slowly and I didn't move, still staring in the direction the boys had gone off in. When the blond boy lost his balance, it was as if I was back at Brighten Magic Academy, watching my brother fall over the edge and plunging to his death.

  Even though I'd saved this boy from getting injured, it didn't help the guilt I still felt. I was able to save him but not my own brother.

  Logan's hands brushed against my cheeks and his face blocked my view, his amber eyes slowly turning back to their usual golden hue.

  "Jewel. Breathe baby,” he soothed; his quiet voice was filled with worry. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until he'd mentioned it and I took a deep breath.

  "I'm fine," I stated and Logan gave me a guarded look which meant he wasn't satisfied with my answer. His left hand left my cheek and moved to pull my right hand from my pocket. I glanced away, unable to hide the way it shook from my heightened anxiety.

  "Pathetic, right? How am I going to go to a magic school if I panic over something as simple as summoning wind magic," I whimpered, a tear rolling down my cheek.

  Logan pulled me into a hug and I squeezed my eyes shut. I wished I could just get over this, move on from my brother's death and live the life I once dreamed of when I was a small child.

  "We'll work on it. Okay, my precious?" he reassured me.

  "Alright," I replied, pulling back to give him a small smile. He was right. I could work on it. I still wanted time to think about if going to a normal university was the best decision. If I changed my mind, I could always drop out, but it would be a waste of money and time. People already criticized Logan for wasting two years before going to school. I could imagine them treating me the same for my poor decisions, especially in a town as small as Natala.

  "Let's go home." He kissed me on the lips and wiped the last of my tears tears from my cheeks. Slipping my hand into his, we walked the rest of the way to his place in silence, both of us lost in our thoughts. We'd have to make the final decision in regard to our futures; I just hoped I made the right choice.

  The choice that would lead to a promising future.

  "Brother, couldn't I have done something differently?"

  Again, I stood before the school tower, watching from above as my brother stared down at me. Those gold eyes I adored looked at me with love and compassion. My dear brother who would do anything to make me laugh and prevent anyone from making me cry. When Father died, Brother was our support, but now there he stood, staring down at me with a sad
expression.

  "No, Jewel. There's nothing you could have done,” he whispered, closing his eyes and leaning forward, falling off the edge. Every time I watched him fall, I felt just as I did that day.

  My fear, shock, and determination to save Gabriel would hit me all at once and I'd outstretch my little hands to stop his fall with my magic. Yet, each time was the same; his body would fall and crash to the ground, my pathetic wind magic doing nothing to prevent his death.

  Those gold eyes would fill with tears as blood poured out of his mouth and he'd give me a sad smile.

  "I'm sorry, Jewel. I love you."

  It didn't matter how hard I ran, my six-year-old legs never reached his side before those golden jewels dulled and his life faded away.

  The dream was always the same, leaving me in shock and triggering screams from my throat.

  "Jewel! Wake up."

  I jolted up, fighting for breath while my body trembled. Cold beads of sweat dripped down the side of my face.

  "Jewel."

  I slowly turned my head to my right; my eyes landed on Logan who laid next to me with a distressed look on his face. He cautiously reached out, brushing his hand gently against my cheek.

  "It's just a dream, Jewel." His quiet tone and soft expression helped me think properly as my heart began to calm. I took a few deep breaths, looking around the dark room. Only the tiny stream of moonlight that peeked through Logan's black curtains helped me to determine that it was still night time.

  "Dream?" I mumbled, feeling incredibly exhausted. Logan nodded and pulled me into his arms. I relaxed in his secure hold, the side of my head resting on his bare chest and his hand gently stroking my long hair.

  We didn't exchange words; my nightmares had been a regular occurrence during the depths of the night since my brother’s death. It was one of the reasons why I rarely slept alone; either I stayed at Logan's place or Logan stayed at mine. When he wasn't there, Alice always stayed with me, shifting into a white fox and cuddling with me. I didn't know if she used magic on me when I slept during those nights, but I never had nightmares while in her company. With anyone else, however, it didn't matter what spell they put on me, the same nightmare would torment me.

  Logan's heartbeat always soothed me during these nights. I hated that it was frantic and beating fast because of his concern for me, but just as my heart rate returned to a calm pace, so did his. The beat of his heart and the way he gently stroked my head always did its trick, inviting the darkness of sleep to claim my mind once more.

  I allowed my heavy eyelids to close, and just like that I was fast asleep, dreaming that Logan wouldn't be leaving me.

  "Logan, I'm okay. Just drop me off at home and go see your mother," I stressed, walking over to his white dresser next to the window.

  "Are you sure? I can just delay it," he suggested, as he gave an appreciative glance of me from head to toe. I grinned, rolling my eyes even as my heart skipped a beat.

  I opened the top drawer to my left, the space designated for my clothes whenever I stayed over at his place. I slept here so often that all three drawers on the left half of his dresser were mine, the top containing pants, shorts and pajamas, the second for tops and dresses, and the last for my lingerie.

  I picked out a pair of white jean shorts and began to slide them on. I finished pulling up the gold zipper and fastening the gold button. Then, I pulled open the second drawer and grabbed a red fitted t-shirt. I turned around to see his little frown of disappointment and laughed.

  "You always have the best expressions when I'm putting clothes on," I teased. My comment made him smile as he rose off the bed. It was my turn to ogle his sculpted body from his chiseled chest and defined six pack to the faint V-lines that disappeared into his black boxers.

  "I agree,” he whispered, slipping his arms around my waist and pressing me against him before his hands grabbed my ass. "I wonder what expression I would have if I took these clothes off?" he said with a husky voice and I had to force myself to remember to breathe.

  Logan and I loved teasing around and surely didn't mind sleeping in bed together with just our underwear but we had never been intimate. Yet, after our first kiss last night and the kisses that followed, it seemed to have opened a door to emotions and built-up tension that neither of us had noticed till now.

  He leaned in and ever so slowly kissed my lips. The taste of him excited me and the way his hands squeezed my ass made me regret slipping on these damn shorts, not wanting the barrier between us. The kiss deepened and I didn't want him to stop.

  "Hoot!"

  We pulled apart, turning over to see Alice perched on the headboard of the bed.

  "Alice?!" I exclaimed; my face grew red while Logan smirked, shaking his head from side to side.

  "Last time I checked, you were very supportive of us having alone time,” he pointed out and my face grew even hotter in embarrassment. Alice stretched out her wings, hopping off the headboard onto the polka dot sheets. Then, her body glowed a bright purple. When the light dimmed, Alice sat with her legs crossed and her head in her hands, looking annoyed in her comfortable outfit.

  "I didn't want to ruin your potential sexy time," she rolled her eyes, but a mischievous smirk formed on her lips as she stared at us, Logan just in his boxers and me in my red lace strapless bra and white shorts.

  We pulled apart, snapping out of our clouded daze. I quickly put my shirt on while Logan walked to his drawer, pulling out a pair of black jeans and a white shirt.

  "What's up, Alice?" he asked. We both knew Alice didn't interrupt us unless she actually needed one of us to do something for our parents or out of sheer boredom.

  "Logan's mom is at our place and Mom said she has something to share with you," Alice announced. Logan and I exchanged looks, unsure why his mom would be at my house or what my Mom had to tell Alice and I.

  "Should we make our way there? Since your Mom is already there," I considered, looking to Logan who was putting his shirt on.

  "Might as well. Let's get going," Logan suggested. Alice stretched before she moved off the bed and left the room. I was ready to follow her but arms slid around my waist, stopping me mid-stride. I smiled at Logan's caramel scent and turned my head slightly to meet his lips with my own. We shared one last kiss before I pulled back and saw his concerned gaze.

  "When did you become so worried about me?" I inquired.

  "I've always been worried about you. I can just show it more now that you’re my girlfriend,” he admitted, giving me a wink. I smiled at the reminder, recalling his words as he scolded the kids from last night.

  "Girlfriend. Hmm. Sounds rather awesome."

  "Of course. Jewel Starfire and Logan Cross. The perfect couple in the small town of Natala and the exceptional magic duo,” he drawled out, lifting his hands up in the air like our names were in shining lights.

  "Impressive," I giggled, moving to the doorway. He followed my lead, grabbing his black leather jacket that rested on his wooden desk chair, before trailing behind me out to the stairs.

  We made our way out the door and into the car. Alice had announced that she'd meet us back at our house and disappeared from our sight after she shifted into a bunny and hopped away.

  "Alice is so adventurous. Can she shift into anything?" Logan asked.

  "Probably. Haven't tried. She's stubborn and only chooses animals she obsessively loves," I pointed out.

  "She loves bunnies, owls, and foxes?" Logan questioned, starting the car and pulling out of the parking lot.

  "Yes. Those are her top three. I wished she'd try something abnormal like a vampire," I mumbled.

  Logan laughed. "Jewel, my precious, vampires aren't animals,” he chuckled, turning onto the freeway.

  "Hmph. I can always dream," I replied, yawning. He lifted his right hand to slide along my shoulder and pulled me to rest against his shoulder.

  "Take a nap. I'll wake you up a few minutes before we arrive," Logan encouraged.

  "Are you sure?" I in
quired, my eyes already closing thanks to his verbal permission, feeling heavy. He rubbed his hand up and down my right arm and I smiled at the slow movement.

  "Yes. I'm sure. I'll wake you up. Now sleep,” he reassured me. My mind was already drifting off to the world of dreams. I didn't want to wake up later when I felt a little nudge.

  "Jewel? Precious, you need to wake up. We're a minute away." Logan gently nudged me and I moaned, wanting to sleep longer, pressing my face into his shoulder.

  "No," I mumbled, slowly falling back to sleep. He sighed but was quiet and I fell back asleep.

  I opened my eyes and noticed Alice curled up next to me in her fox form. It took me a few minutes to realize I was in my bed back home. I sat up, rubbing my eyes before running my hand through my hair. My eyes looked at the nightstand to my left, the clock display 7:15 PM. Wasn't I in Logan's car?

  Alice stirred before her purple eyes opened. She stood up and stretched before she walked onto my lap and sat down, staring at me curiously.

  "Did I fall asleep in Logan's car?" I asked her. She nodded.

  "He carried me up here, didn't he?" I continued and she nodded again. I sighed, feeling bad for making him do that. I heard the beep of my phone and I looked at my nightstand again, reaching out for the red and white device.

  I slid the unlock button and noticed the little red bubble with '1' in the middle, indicating I had a new message.

  SWEETBITES LOGAN:

  I didn't want to wake you up. Your mom said that what she wanted to discuss could wait until you were well rested. I'll come back to your place tonight after I spend some time with my mom. She's being all clingy because I'm leaving soon. Make sure you get enough rest. I love you, my precious Jewel.

  I grinned at the message and Alice began poking her head between my arm and my blanket. I lifted my arms, allowing her entrance then lowered my arms back down so she was sitting right in the small circle my arms created.

  She was interested in why I had a wide-ass grin on my face. She poked her nose at the screen and I ignored her curious nature, my mind drifting to what my mother might want to discuss. She must have been wondering what school I was planning to attend. She was well aware that I wasn't planning to go to any magic school, but with her disease, I would probably have to remind her regardless.