Page 1 of Wicked Warlock
Chapter 1
Zinnia
The covers brushed over my torso as I shifted to the side and ran my leg up and over his. Evermore Castle tended to hold the chillier weather within the ancient stone walls, which cooled my heated skin even though I was still half-covered by blankets. A sign escaped my lips, and for a secret moment in time the world was quiet. There were no battles to be won or worlds to be saved. I reveled in the heat from his body as it radiated off his skin, warming me from head to toe. Tucker’s high body temperature made me appreciate the cool air even more. I closed my eyes, loving the feel of the rise and fall of his chest with every breath he took. The strong, steady beat of his heart filled my ears and for a moment, I just enjoyed the silence that the life we led barely afford either of us.
Strands of my hair fell loosely back from my face and across his chest. I loved the way he toyed with the ends, playing and curling my wild locks around his fingertips. This was bliss, heaven, where I wanted to spend most of my days and all of my nights. But life wasn’t two people living in a bubble. It was friends, family, magic, and in my case, saving this world for our future. The burden was heavy on all of us, yet we did it for our people and for our world. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out with another heavy sigh.
“I know that sound.” Tucker’s voice was a deep rumble in my ear. “Can we have a moment without you stressing?”
“We haven’t gotten far enough. We’re so close, I can almost feel it.” I tilted back my head, gazing up at those bottomless amber eyes of his that drew me in every time.
He groaned. “There’s only so many hours in the day and only so much we can do. Sleep is a normal thing people need to function, Zin.”
“And this?” I ran my fingers over his bare stomach, feeling every muscle flex to my touch. I made a small circle around his belly button, and he sucked in a sharp breath. Heat bloomed low in my stomach and my lips pulled up into a smile. “Is this something that normal people need to function?”
He captured my hand with his then brought my fingers to his lips, gently kissing the tip of each one. “This is something I need to function.”
His amber eyes glowed, and I chuckled. “So says every guy ever born.”
“I promised, I wouldn’t lie.” He shrugged. “Not my fault you’re hot.”
I let my fingers drift across his jaw and down the side of his neck where I traced the tribal-looking phoenix tattoo. Flames erupted right beside me, bringing a warm glow to the dark room.
I giggled. “Round two?”
“That’s not me.” His eyes widened and he began to sit up.
“What?”
“Not. My. Flames.” He pointed behind me.
I shot straight up in bed. My heart raced in my chest. Our stolen moment was gone in an instant. There was only one person who sent me messages like that—Ophelia, my homicidal half-sister. If she sent me a fire message, then I knew shit was about to hit the fan. I snatched it from where it floated beside me. I sucked in a sharp breath.
“What happened?” Tuck jumped out of the other side of the bed, already searching for his pants. His dark auburn hair was a disheveled mess that fell into his eyes.
“War.” Cold determination flowed through my veins. “It’s coming to Evermore.”
I crumbled the note and tossed it on the floor. Clothes, I need clothes. I spun in a frantic circle, searching for something, but everything I wore was black, nearly as dark as the stone floor. “I can’t see anything.”
Tuck’s arms erupted into flames, lighting up his whole dorm room, along with the dark hardwood furniture, towering stone walls, and rumpled bedsheets. “Thanks.”
I grabbed my jeans off the floor and shoved in my legs, doing the jump-pull-zip thing and nearly toppling over. Silvery magic built all around me so brightly I had to squint my eyes against it as I shoved my arms into my black turtleneck and ripped my hair free of the collar.
“We got this.”
Only seconds had passed, and I was already stumbling out the door while shoving my feet into combat boots. “Go sound the alarm.”
Tucker sprinted ahead of me toward the courtyard. His entire body ignited into flames, and he melted from man to huge phoenix with his burning body. If it weren’t for the flames, his dark feathers would’ve nearly blended in with the night. The hall opened directly onto the courtyard. He pumped his wings and took off, lighting up the sky. My silvery power flowed out in front of me like the tentacles of a kraken. They bathed the hallways and courtyard in a silvery glow. The low hum of an alarm sounded, reminding me of one of those tornado warning sirens I’d seen in the movies.
I stepped out into the middle of the courtyard and looked to the sky. Tuck flew high above us, balls of fire shooting from his dark feathery tail. Each one hit a torch on one of the four towers of the school, igniting them into huge warning lights. Fire traveled down the sides of the school, lighting the torches in the hallways and the dorm rooms. In seconds, the whole school would wake and be ready. Those who were trained would take up their positions. Those who weren’t trained would go into a secure place.
Serrina sprinted out from one of the hallways across the courtyard. She looked like she hadn’t slept at all, with dark bags under her eyes. Her blond-streaked hair was in wild tatters, and her clothes were wrinkled like she hadn’t changed in days. “What’s happening?”
“Warwick is attacking.” I spun in a circle, waiting for a sign they were here. I looked to the top of the walls surrounding the school like a fortress and toward the thick metal front gate.
“What? Why?” Her eyes widened and streams of her red magic seeped from her fingers. It danced along the ground at her feet like pools of fabric.
“I have no idea. But I want them all coming from one direction. I don’t want warlocks just invading from every wall. It’s better if we contain the flow to one spot where we can focus our power and attack. Can you force them to the front gate?”
