The Power: Building the Circle - Book 2 Read online

✽✽✽

  Holy hell, this is the most intense make-out session of my life, Lucy thought as her body tingled with anticipation.

  She reached to pull Adrian's shirt off, enjoying the feel of his muscles under her hands. Her bra was gone; she wasn't sure how that happened. Adrian's thumbs were gently circling and pinching at her nipples, making it hard to breathe. He made a very satisfying groaning sound when she nibbled his earlobe.

  Lost in exploring the feel of him, Lucy was surprised when her legs bumped against the edge of her bed. Adrian pulled off her shorts as she pulled at his pants. Her body arched up as he sucked a nipple in his mouth and then closed his teeth around it.

  When her hand wandered down below his waist, he caught it, pinning both her hands above her head with his left hand. She tugged against his hold when his fingers slipped inside her, rubbing a spot that made her body coil like a spring.

  ✽✽✽

  Adrian kept trying to slow down. He kept meaning to draw things out. The rage that was screaming for Lucy wanted no part of it. When her body tightened with anticipation around his fingers, he knew she was ready. Without another thought, he was pushing into her, slowly stretching her.

  The energy was going batshit crazy. Adrian was having trouble remembering to breathe. Then it hit him. Lucy's breathing matched the energy. Her body twisted to meet the surges of raw power.

  Oh, my God. She can feel it.

  Her hips pushed up to meet him and hurry things.

  "Slow, Lucy. Slow," he muttered against her mouth, letting go of her hands.

  "Adrian, not this slow," she muttered back.

  Just like that, the rage drove him forward. He was fully inside as she came hard around him. "Oh, my God," he groaned as the waves of her orgasm continued to roll.

  Adrian tried to wait, tried to wait for the orgasm to pass, for her to catch up. But it was too late. He was moving without conscious thought, slow and steady at first, and then faster. Harder. Lucy moaned his name as she came again, then everything exploded.

  ✽✽✽

  Hours later, Lucy woke up, still wrapped with Adrian.

  Holy fuck, what happened? She wondered.

  Adrian's arms tighten around her in sleep as she tried to scoot away to use the bathroom. "No."

  "I'm just going to the bathroom, I'll be right back," she muttered to him.

  His arms didn't loosen.

  "Adrian, let go. I'll be right back," Lucy said, trying not to laugh.

  His arms still didn't loosen.

  She pushed against his arms. She couldn't move him.

  Lucy didn't want to wake him but didn't have much choice. "Adrian," she said quietly while touching his face. "Let go."

  His arms loosened enough for her to wiggle free.

  ✽✽✽

  The rage clawed at the inside of his brain after Lucy got out of bed. Adrian woke to a wave of vertigo mixed with a stomach roll. He was just sitting up when Lucy walked out of the bathroom.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered as she searched through a basket of clothes.

  The sick, rage feeling quieted at the sound of her voice.

  "S'ok," he said, searching through his memory. He thought he might be missing parts of the night. "How are you?"

  Lucy snorted a cute little sound as she pulled on pajamas. "I'm just great," she said with a grin. "How are you?"

  He smiled a bit at her. "I didn't really intend to pounce on you like that."

  "I didn't mind. At all," she said, chuckling.

  "You're really OK?" He asked.

  "Of course. Why wouldn't I be? I'm going to go find the rest of our clothes, so we don't scar Ree for life," she said with a laugh.

  The rage roared back in his brain as soon as she was out of sight.

  Food. I need food.

  ✽✽✽

  "You're seriously making eggs at 2 AM?" Lucy asked as she walked into the kitchen.

  "Hungry," Adrian mumbled. "Sorry, I know it's the middle of the night."

  Lucy grabbed a bowl out of the fridge, then glasses for water and a pair of plates. "I'm willing to go along with this, mostly because you're doing it shirtless. Thanks for that."

  Adrian smiled at that, but it lacked his usual warmth.

  "You look so tired, you could be Sam," she said.

  "Mmm," he said. "I've been out of sorts."

  "I can tell. Ready to talk about it?" She asked.

  "Can't," he said to the eggs.

  Her eyebrows quirked. "It's top-secret? That far out of sorts?"

  He nodded, but Lucy wondered if he actually heard her.

  "Having eggs?" Adrian asked.

  Lucy shook her head. "There's watermelon in the bowl. That sounds better to me. Plus, I want to see if you can eat half a dozen eggs at one time."

  "I can," he said with a little smile, piling the eggs on the plate. "Thank you. For leaving the food. For opening the door."

  Lucy sighed. "Do you need hot sauce for the eggs?"

  Adrian cleared his throat. "No, it's fine."

  ✽✽✽

  "So, tell me again. Why can't we talk about whatever is going on?" Lucy asked.

  Adrian tipped his head back to look at the ceiling and then cracked his neck. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I just can't. It won't make any sense. My brain is not right."

  Her brow was furrowed with concern. "You can tell me. I hope you know that. I wouldn't tell anyone else. I hate seeing you like this."

  The energies were warring within him. The rage battered his brain, causing a splitting headache at the same time the other energy was trying to tug him toward Lucy. She was talking again, walking toward him. She tried to touch his hand, but Adrian pulled it away.

  The hurt was evident on her beautiful face. She was still talking, but he couldn't understand her.

  I'm causing that pain. I'm hurting her. Right this very minute, I'm hurting her, he thought. I shouldn't be here. I need to go. I need to leave. This is not safe. Not good for her.

  ✽✽✽

  "Adrian, can you hear me?" Lucy asked. "Are you going to be sick?"

  His pupils were fully dilated; there was no color in his face at all. He pulled his hand away when she tried to touch him. "I'm not going to hurt you, Adrian. I just want to help."

  He stared at her with the same blank expression. When she reached up and touched his face, he exhaled hard.

  "Sorry," he said. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

  "I asked if you were going to be sick," she said, hurt now mixed with concern. He was holding her hand to his chest.

  "No, better now. One minute," he said, shoveling eggs in his mouth at an alarming rate, still holding her hand.

  "Whoa, Adrian, slow down. You're going to make yourself sicker."

  "It's fine, almost done," he muttered.

  And he was almost done. He'd eaten most of six eggs in less than a minute. "Holy cow, Adrian. Do we need to go to the hospital?"

  "No. We should go back to bed, though," he mumbled, pulling her close for a kiss.

  "Adrian, wait, what is happen-"

  His mouth closed over hers, smothering the words.

  ✽✽✽

  Adrian woke as the rising sun streamed in the windows.

  Oh, my God. My head. I'm going to be sick again, he thought, jumping out of bed. His legs folded underneath him, unable to support his weight as a wave of vertigo hit.

  "Holy hell, what is going on with you?" Lucy asked as she helped him up. "Did you take some kind of drug or something?"

  "No, no drugs. I'm so sorry, Lucy. I'm all fucked up," he said.

  "Yeah, I got that part. What is going on? You can tell me. I won't freak out, I promise. OK?"

  "Can't," he muttered. "You'll think I'm fucking insane."

  "Well, we're already reaching that point. Might as well go for broke, love," She muttered back at him.

  "What? What did you just say?" He asked.

  Lucy's cheeks were turning pink. "I said we're kinda already there,
so you might as well share."

  Oh, God. I can't do this. I can't do this to her. She can't feel this. This can't happen. I'm a fucking monster…

  "Lucy, I love you. I love you so much. I can't do this to you. I'm sorry. I - We can't. This can't… I'm sorry," he said, tears running down his face.

  Oh, God. I can't do this. I don't want to do this. I really am a fucking monster.

  Before he could think better of it, before he could chicken out, before he hurt her more, Adrian pulled the rage all the way forward.

  "Lucinda," he said, voice making the air vibrate.

  Her gaze was glued to his face.

  "Lucy," he said, as the air crackled with power. The rage rolled through him, disintegrating the happy energy

  Adrian kissed her lips gently, one last time.

  "Lucy, you don't love me. You never loved me. You don't want this in your life. You were attracted to me because I helped you, but that's over now. You're happy it's done." Adrian choked on the lump in his throat. "You know that you made the right call ending things. You know Henry is going to be just fine. You don't want to see me again. You want me to stay away. You'll tell Henry that I love him, but that I can't see him anymore. And you know that I love you, and have only ever wanted what is best for you."

  Lucy blinked at him. "Adrian?"

  "Say it, Lucy."

  "Adrian, I don't love you. I don't want this in my life. We should make the call now and end things," she looked confused.

  "It'll settle in. Rest now, rest until Ree wakes up, OK?"

  ✽✽✽

  Later that day, Will came by for lunch again.

  "Hi you," Lucy said with a smile, opening the front door. "You don't even text anymore, just show up?"

  "Eh, someone's gotta keep an eye on you until Adrian gets his shit together," Will said with a laugh.

  "Oh, he was here last night," Lucy said in a distracted voice.

  "Was he? He stormed out of family dinner last night. I'm surprised he came here," Will said.

  There's nothing. Nothing coming off her. What happened? Will was trying not to freak out.

  "Yeah. We talked this morning. I think that's all done now," Lucy said.

  "Huh?" Will said, breathing fast.

  Lucy shrugged. "I just don't want that in my life? You know? Adrian's great, but I think I was all into him because he pretty much swooped in to save us."

  There's nothing. WHAT THE FUCK DID HE DO?

  "Yeah, yeah. I know what you mean," Will said, nodding. "Tell me again what happened last night?"

  ✽✽✽

  Will poked at Lucy's brain for over an hour. Whatever Adrian did, he really did it. There was no sign of it fraying. He couldn't undo it, yet. He needed to find the pattern in the words, find at least one thread of the compulsion before he could pull it apart.

  ✽✽✽

  Wednesday night, Sam had the dream where everyone suffocates, but the violet-eyed girl was there with him.

  Adaline. She's Adaline. I have a name.

  As she took his hand, he could hear her voice.

  "This is horrible. All the people. Where are we?" She asked, eyes huge.

  "I don't know," Sam said.

  "When is this?" She asked.

  He shook his head. "I don't know."

  "I can't stir the wind here. I can't help them. Have we lost the wind? Your brother. Has he lost Wind?"

  "Maybe. He didn't know what Wind was," Sam said.

  "No, Sam. No. Wind is not what. Wind is who."

  Sam looked confused. "Wind is a person?"

  "Well, wind is a thing. A power. But, Wind wields it."

  "Is Wind like Lady Light?" Sam asked.

  "Yes. Yes. The same. Lady Light is light. Heat. She is Fire. Color. Lady Wind - same concept. She is Sky." Adaline nodded like this made sense. And it did, to Sam, at least.

  "I don't think I've found her, yet. I don't think she is known, yet," Sam replied.

  Adaline looked around. "I think we may have lost her already. I'll look for her, too."

  "Why are things changing?" Sam asked.

  Adaline shook her head.

  Sam's eyes became slits. "What are you hiding? I can feel it. What, Adaline?"

  She smiled, reaching up to touch his face. Her happiness at hearing her name from him zinged through Sam's body.

  "What are you hiding? What don't you want me to see?"

  Her smile faded. "I'm dying. The power is taking me. Walking doesn't help anymore. There's no way to burn through it fast enough. Even in the house with changing views. I don't think it will help."

  Sam couldn't breathe. "How long?" He gasped out.

  Sam's love and fear collided with her resignation, making Adaline's stomach flip.

  "Maybe a season. I think I'll see the leaves fall, but not the new snow," she said.

  "Can I go with you?"

  She looked around again. "I think you must stay, Sam."

  Chapter 18

  When Will arrived for Sunday dinner, Sam, Ethan, Jake, and Matilda were sitting in the big room, chatting. It was early. Others wouldn't be arriving for a while yet.

  "There he is!" Ethan yelled. "Why are we here early?"

  "Because I need you here," Will said.

  "Will, what do you love?" Sam asked quickly as everyone else groaned.

  "Sam, let's do that later," Will said, brushing him off. "I need you to go spooky."

  "Huh?" Sam looked confused.

  "I need the other part. Go spooky," Will said. "Make the room vibrate with your freaky ass voice. Now."

  "I can't do it like that. I don't have control like that," Sam said.

  "Yes, you do," Will said. "Pull it forward."

  "Pull what forward?" Sam asked.

  "Whatever your thing is. Pull it all the way forward where it's sitting in your chest."

  "I don't know what the thing is, Will. You sound like Luke," Sam said.

  "Luke has a thing?" William asked. "I didn't notice. What's his thing?"

  "Peace. He gives peace," Sam said.

  "I fucking hate Luke with my entire mind, body, and soul. I hate Luke more than I hate Ethan," Will said.

  "Hey! I didn't do anything. Why hate me? I don't have a thing!" Ethan said.

  "Fuck you, yes, you do," Will said. "And I fucking hate you. We're off-topic. Sam, do it."

  "It doesn't work like that. I can't do it," Sam said.

  "Fuck me. Where are Mom and Dad?" Will asked.

  "Mom's in the kitchen, Dad ran to the store," Jake said. "What's going on?"

  "I need Spooky Sam. Fuck." Will looked back and forth between Matty and Ethan. He stood up and pulled a quarter out of his pocket. "Matty, call it in the air. Heads or tails."

  "Heads," she said.

  "Its tails," Jake said.

  "FUCK!" Will yelled. "FUCK! Sam, go spooky. I don't want to do this."

  "I can't just do it like that, Will! What's going on?"

  Will rubbed his hands on the legs of his pants. "It'll probably go faster with you anyway, Matty. Just. I need Spooky Sam. OK? You're going to forget why I'm doing this in a sec and be upset. Just. Remember later, OK?"

  Matilda started laughing. "William, Sam's the brother that speaks in riddles. Remember?"

  Will met her eyes. "Matilda, it's your fault your dad is dead. If you hadn't been born-"

  "WILLIAM!" Samuel's voice vibrated through the house, shaking the ground.

  "Fuck, that was fast. Can you undo what Rage does?" Will said quickly.

  The anger fell off Samuel's face as he caught on to what Will did. "That was clever, more clever than I would give you credit for." Samuel - full-powered Spooky Samuel - laughed. Everyone in the room backed away.

  As the laughter died down, Darla ran into the room. "Did you feel-? Whoa!" She stopped cold, looking at Samuel. The energy radiating from him was visible.

  "You have to tell us, Mother. You need to go where you want to go. Claire is right. It's necessary," Samuel said. "Tell us. Tonigh
t."

  "Can you undo what Rage has done?" William asked again, trying to stay on the topic before Spooky Sam disappeared again.

  Samuel turned to meet his eyes. "No. Rage is a child of Life, not Time. Time will resolve rage eventually. But not how you want. Not soon enough."

  William's face fell. "Fuck. I can't budge it."

  "You're pushing from the wrong side, William," Samuel said. "Even if you moved it, it wouldn't help. You understand."

  Will sighed as he nodded.

  "William, there must be four corners to hold the circle. Four Ladies. Only two are accounted for. One is lost to Rage. Where is the fourth?"

  In a heartbeat, Sam was Sam again.

  "HOLY FUCK!" Sam yelled. "How?! How did you do that?!"

  "Fucking-A. I pay attention, dipshit. Matty, I'm so sorry. I didn't-" Before Will could say another word, Matty punched him in the face.

  "Ugh, I deserved that," Will said.

  ✽✽✽

  "HOW?! TEACH ME HOW!" Sam was still yelling at Will as the family was sitting down at the table.

  "THIS IS SO MUCH WORSE THAN THE 'WHAT DO YOU LOVE SHIT!' YOU WERE THERE! YOU KNOW WHAT I DID! PLEASE SHUT THE FUCK UP," Will yelled.

  "William."

  "Dad."

  "Stop it," Hank said, trying not to smile.

  "I'm not the one doing it," Will said.

  "I missed this whole thing," Beth said. "What's Sam wigging out about?"

  "William pulled Spooky Sam out on purpose," Jake said.

  "Whoa," Luke said, looking decidedly uncomfortable. "Was it bad?"

  "You shut the fuck up down there, Number Eight. We're going to have words later," Will yelled at Luke.

  "What? What? I didn't do anything! I wasn't even here!" Luke yelled back.

  "Yeah, Peace. FUCK YOU!" Will yelled.

  "Sam, what the fuck?! You weren't supposed to talk about it!" Luke yelled.

  "You told me not to talk about mine! You didn't tell me I couldn't talk about yours!" Sam yelled back.

  Hank put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. "What is going on?! You know better than to do this over dinner."

  "Whatever," Will said. "We'll compare notes later. Mom, what do you have to tell us before I beat Luke's ass?"