Shimmering Chaos (Enchanted Chaos Series ) Read online

  “You can tell me to stop if you want me to,” he says as he nears the hem of my shirt.

  A protest burns at the tip of my tongue, yet my lips remain fused. Again, I can’t explain why. Maybe it’s because our powers are connected. Or maybe it’s because I’m curious about what it feels like to be touched like this.

  As my lips remain zipped, he slips his fingers under my shirt and drifts upward along my side. The electricity glows brighter, humming, making my body hum with it.

  “I can’t …” Foster squeezes his eyes shut, while little gasps of air rush past my lips. He lowers his forehead to mine, turning his body toward me and forcing me to lean back against the door. His chest is aligned with mine, his fingers delving into my skin as he clutches me.

  I grasp on to him just as tightly as my legs wobble, threatening to give out.

  Never, ever did I ever think touching someone could make me feel this … alive.

  “You okay?” Foster whispers, his breath dusting across my cheeks.

  I give an uneven nod. “Are you?”

  “Yeah …” He sucks in a breath, skimming his thumb along my side. “Your skin’s so soft.”

  I shudder. A shudder that confuses me, and the ground quivers beneath me—

  “What in the hell!” someone shouts. “Which one of you is doing that?”

  Foster slants back, a crease between his brows.

  I blink, the daze slowly evaporating from my mind, and shift my attention away from Foster to our surroundings …

  “Holy mother of … What the hell is happening?” I breathe out as my gaze skims along the frost webbing across the mirrors, the flames flickering in place of where light bulbs used to be, the lightning and clouds covering the ceiling, the rain sprinkling down from those clouds to the icy floor, and the tree—yes, an actual tree—sprouting from the shower, the branches swaying in a light wind.

  Foster glances over his shoulder, and then his jaw nearly smacks the floor. “Gods, this is crazy. I mean, my powers have done some strange stuff before, but this is just …”

  “Chaos?” I offer, still shocked.

  Our powers did this.

  We did this.

  Simply because we are touching.

  Jesus, what the heck would happen if we …?

  If you what, Sky? Just what do you expect to happen between the two of you?

  I roll my eyes at myself.

  “No, it’s not chaos.” He returns his gaze to mine, a smile touching his lips. “This is the most peaceful thing I’ve ever seen my powers create.”

  I cock a brow. “Peaceful? There’s a tree where the shower used to be, and the ceiling is raining, and there’re flames instead of light bulbs.”

  “I know that.” He withdraws his hand from my side, causing a chill to glaze over my body. But then the heat immediately returns when he places his hands on my shoulders, moves me away from the door, and then positions himself behind me, pressing his chest against my back and molding his hands around my waist.

  “That’s not chaos. The rain, the frost, the fire, the tree … Everything’s in harmony with each other.” His lips brush against my ear as he whispers. “It’s like we created our own little elemental world, and it’s beautiful.”

  My shoulder shudders upward as his breath caresses the sensitive spot behind my ear, and then the scene in front of me bursts with light, snowflakes blooming from the swirling clouds, the tree branches stretching, the flames dancing higher and reflecting against the ice.

  “You’re right. It is kind of beautiful,” I admit. “It’s weird, though … seeing something so … serene come from my powers. I’ve only ever created destruction before.”

  He grows quiet for a moment before finally saying with heavy caution, “I want to try something, okay? I don’t want you to panic … I just want to see what will happen.”

  I don’t have a clue what he’s about to do. I could—and maybe should—ask, but again, I find curiosity triumphing over my worry.

  His chest crashes against my back as his breathing quickens. The snowfall thickens, veiling the room around us. Then the wind begins to whisper, breathing in rhythm with his breaths. But that’s mild in comparison to when he grazes his lips along the side of my neck, a soft kiss that causes warmth to erupt in my veins.

  As a gasp fumbles from my lips and my head tips back, the ice glazing the floor springs to life, crackling upward and kissing the ceiling, forming icy beams all over the bathroom.

  “Gods, I think”—he struggles to breathe evenly—“with this sort of power, we could probably build a whole damn kingdom.”

  The fact that he may very well be right sends my pulse spiking, and the ice, wind, and the storm more than notice. They react wildly, cracking, howling, and funneling clouds of ice through the air.

  “Calm down.” He gently massages my hips with his fingertips. “It’s okay.”

  “I’m trying,” I say, the wind stinging my cheeks. “But it’s a lot to take in. I mean, you’re saying things like we could build a kingdom, and I …”

  I think I need a moment to collect myself …

  Deciding to listen to my thoughts for once, I step forward. The second Foster’s hands fall from my hips, the wind stills.

  As I peer over my shoulder at him, he parts his lips, but the words die on his tongue as his gaze collides with mine. Who knows what he sees? Fear and worry? If my expression matches what I’m feeling right now, then probably.

  This is all so overwhelming. Only a few days ago, I thought I was the only one with powers. Now I’m standing in a bathroom with a guy who I thought hated my guts—and possibly still does—in the middle of a wintery scene that I—we created. I mean, how is this real life?

  “I’m sorry,” Foster says, paling.

  I open my mouth to tell him he doesn’t need to apologize, that he has nothing to do with what is sending me into panic mode, but then the door is swung open and Ollie comes rushing in.

  A grin twists at his lips as he spots me.

  “Ogre!” I squeak, skittering backward and pointing at the hungry-eyed creature.

  The wind picks up, sending snow and ice fragments cutting through the air, and the icy floor splinters apart.

  Foster whirls around, spanning his arms out to his sides as he steps in front of me, blocking me from Ollie’s view.

  “Move,” Ollie demands through a blissful moan. “I want her. I want her now!”

  “Back off, Ollie,” Foster warns. “You can’t have her.”

  “Yes, I can,” he whines. “She doesn’t know what I am and isn’t part of Master Max’s family; therefore, I can do whatever I want with her, so give her to me.”

  “No.” Coldness chills Foster’s tone as he leans back, pressing his back against me.

  His scent engulfs me—warm rain, crisp snow, summer breezes, and campfire, all mixed into one scent.

  A growl reverberates from Ollie. “Move out of my way, elemental protector, and give me the girl.”

  “If you so much as come near her, I’ll break your arms and legs,” Foster tells him in a low tone.

  “My, my, does the youngest Everettson have their very first crush?” Ollie sneers. “How pathetic.”

  I peer around Foster and find Ollie grinning, and his grin only doubles when he spots me.

  “You’re mine,” he threatens, his fangs glinting in the light.

  “Fuck off,” I retort, but probably only because I’m standing safely behind Foster. If it was just Ollie and me in the room, that might be an entirely different story. “I’m not yours. I’m nobody’s, so back off.”

  Ollie’s eyes flash with hunger. “Feisty. I like it. I bet you’re tasty, too.”

  My fingers fold into fists, a comeback biting at the tip of my tongue, but Foster beats me to the punch.

  “Shut up,” Foster growls. “And get the hell out of here, Ollie, or I swear to the gods, you’ll be punished in the worst of ways.”

  Ollie simply grins. “You must like her a lot
. Usually, you’re so neutral about everything.” He pauses. “That’ll make it even more fun when I rip her apart.”

  As an angry burst of wind circles around the room, I’m reminded of my powers. That I’m not completely weak. But everyone has been stressing how I need to keep my powers a secret. Still, though I’m a bit hesitant to allow them to slip through, I really want to, which might be a first.

  “Ollie, you will not harm Sky,” Max’s commanding voice flows across the room. “If you do, you’ll be sent back to your world.”

  Ollie must really not like his world because, in quite a panic, he sputters, “I’m sorry. Please forgive me, Master Max. I’m just so hungry and confused. I didn’t realize the girl matters to you.”

  “Well, she does. Just as much as my brothers matter to me,” Max replies, and the stupidest drop of warmth sparks inside my chest. “Remember that.”

  “I will, I will, I will,” Ollie murmurs, his voice quieting until it fades completely as he leaves the bathroom.

  “Is she okay?” Max asks, his tone crammed with concern.

  “I’m not sure. He woke her up, chased her in here, and then tried to …” Foster shakes his head, the muscles in his jaw pulsating. “What the hell, Max? Why is he out?”

  “My bet is he broke the lock on the trunk again,” Max says remorsefully. “Usually, it’s not a big deal … Ollie swore an oath not to harm our family when I took him in, but Sky wasn’t part of that oath. It’s why I was so freaked out when I found out she had been in the attic, something you and Easton did.”

  “I know. You don’t need to remind me.” Foster exhales deafeningly. “Can you make Ollie take an oath not to harm her? It’d be much better if you can.”

  “That’s a good idea. Let me put the request in with my boss.” Max gives a short pause. “Sky, you doing okay back there?”

  I collect my breath before speaking. “Yeah, I’m good.” Kind of feels like a lie, though. Honestly, I feel shaky and off balance. But an ogre did just try to eat me, so …

  “I really am sorry,” Max apologizes again. “I’m surprised none of us felt your fear. I mean, I know we were all asleep, but still …”

  “That might’ve been my fault,” Foster says with a bit of reluctance.

  “And why’s that?” Max asks, sounding positively amused. “No, let me guess. It probably has something to do with why the bathroom looks like all the worlds meshed together.”

  For some dumbass reason, I blush.

  Is there, like, a cure for uncontrollable embarrassment? Because I could really use it around these guys.

  “That’s none of your business,” Foster states. “Now go take care of your ogre.”

  Chuckling, Max leaves the bathroom.

  Foster lets out a frustrated sigh before rotating around to face me. “Are you okay?”

  I nod, suddenly realizing I’m clutching his sides. I hastily withdraw my hands. Then horror sweeps through me.

  “Oh, my God, I’m so sorry.” I smooth the pad of my fingers along the pink, crescent-shaped marks my fingernails left on his skin. “I didn’t realize I was digging my fingernails into you.”

  “I’m fine.” The corners of his lips quirk up. “I thought we already established that earlier.”

  I roll my eyes. “That was lame.”

  “It was,” he agrees with a smile. “But it got you to blush, so …” He shrugs, his grin as bright as the flames dancing around us.

  Shit, am I blushing again?

  I move to cover my cheeks, but he stops me, capturing my hands in his. “Don’t. It’s cute.”

  “Stop calling me cute,” I gripe. “It’s driving me crazy.”

  His grin is all sorts of amused. “Why? It’s the truth.”

  Good God, I can’t take this anymore. Compliments are too foreign to me. All of this is.

  “I need to get dressed for school,” I change the subject, wiggling my hands from his grip. Then I swing around him but pause in the doorway and peer over my shoulder at him. “Is there a dress code at this school? It’s an academy, right? Doesn’t that mean there’re uniforms?”

  “Nah, we can dress however we want. But we do need to put eye drops in your eyes before we go.” His muscles flex as he crosses his arms and leans his hip against the edge of the counter. “Have you decided what element you’re going to go with? You need to decide really soon.”

  I shake my head. “Honestly, between the whole merging thing, the dreams of darkness, and waking up to Ollie hovering over my bed, I kind of forgot I was supposed to pick one.”

  “You can pick whatever one you want, but it might be better if you went with water, like me.” He shifts his weight and massages the back of his neck. “My parents have been talking about speaking with the headmistress and requesting you be placed in as many of my classes as possible so I can guide you through how our school works and help you keep your powers hidden. Although, the school doesn’t know about the last part. All they’re going to know is that you’re an elemental protector of whatever element you choose and that you just barely discovered your powers.”

  I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m kind of glad they’re doing that. This”—my gaze strays around the bathroom then back to him—“all these powers and a new, magical school … it’s a lot to take in, so I’m glad I’ll have someone guiding me through it. I just hope I don’t do something stupid that embarrasses you guys.”

  He tilts his head to the side. “How would you do that?”

  I lift a shoulder. “By, like … talking or something.”

  His brows pinch together. “Talking? How would that embarrass us?”

  “Because I totally suck at it. So, don’t be surprised if you introduce me to someone and I say something spazzy, like the first time I spoke to you …” Face palm. Why did I have to bring that up? Again.

  “It’s fine. I always come off as an asshole, so maybe between your spazzy-ness and my asshole-ness, we’ll …” He wavers, contemplating.

  “Make everyone avoid us?” I propose with a shrug.

  He chuckles. “Maybe. It wouldn’t be too bad if they did. I’m not much of a people person anyway.” He crosses the bathroom toward me. “We really do need to get ready. School starts in just over an hour, but we should get there early to check you in.” He moves to squeeze past me in the doorway but pauses, a nervous edge carving into his features. “And for the record, I never thought you were spazzy the first time we spoke. Not even close.” Then he dips his head and places a quick kiss on my cheek before walking away.

  I’d call him out on his bullshit, give him a little reminder on what happened the first time we spoke to each other, but the kiss is doing weird things to my body and mouth. So, I do the only thing I can do. I stare at him as he walks away with lightning bursting above me and ice melting around my feet, probably from the warmth his kiss sent through me.

  Chapter 2

  Even though Foster said the dress code was chill, I struggle over what to wear. Finally, after deciding on a pair of black jeans, a red top, and my favorite pair of red velvet boots, I head out of my room to take a shower.

  When I step into the hallway, Emaline and Gabe are hovering near the bathroom.

  “I’m so sorry,” I apologize as I approach them. “I can try to help fix …” My jaw nearly drops to my knees when I reach the doorway and get a good view of the bathroom.

  The floor is now ice-free, the light bulbs are back, the clouds are gone from the ceiling, and a tree is no longer sprouting from the shower.

  “How did everything get fixed so quickly?” I glance at Gabe then at Emaline.

  Emaline smiles warmly at me. “We can control and are connected to elements, Sky. Their energy is in our blood, which means that, not only can we summon them, we can also dismiss them.”

  “So, you guys made all the snow and the tree go away?” I wonder why I sound so sad. It’s not like I was happy Foster’s and my powers destroyed the bathroom, but it was the first time my powers d
id something that I didn’t totally hate.

  “With the help of Holden, Max, and Foster, we did,” she says, turning to face me. “Since you guys unleashed all the elements except for darkness, we needed one of each to be present.”

  “Oh. I guess that makes sense.” I pause as memories of my dreams surface. “What would’ve happened if we had summoned darkness?”

  Her smile falters. “Foster mentioned you were having dreams of it.”

  I nod, worry creeping through me as I remember all the things darkness said to me in my dreams. “Foster said it’s normal, though.”

  “It is,” she says, but the way she worries her lip between her teeth has me concerned. “But, since you’re so new to this world and your powers, we think it might be a good idea if Foster gave you a lesson or two on how to block darkness out, okay?”

  I nod. “Okay, I can do that.”

  “Good.” She visibly relaxes then steps aside. “Go ahead and take a shower. I’ll have Charlotte get breakfast started.”

  A protest about breakfast works its way up my throat, but knowing I’m running low on time, I smother it down and hurry inside the bathroom.

  “And Sky,” Emaline says as I start to shut the door. “The world that you and Foster grew? It was beautiful. If I could, I would’ve left it here.”

  Unsure of what to say, I force a smile and shut the door, pretending like I don’t agree with her. But as I turn and glance around the bathroom, it looks kind of dull now.

  A half an hour later, I’m showered, dressed in clean clothes, and my long, brown hair has been brushed and swept to the side in a tangled mess of waves and braids. I’m not really a makeup girl, so I just dab on a bit of kohl eyeliner, some lip gloss, and call it good.

  Before I endeavor downstairs, I grab my bag and phone from my room, noting I have six missed messages.

  Gage: Just wanted to check on you and make sure you’re okay. You bailed so quickly last night.

  Nina: Hey! Gage said you left???

  Gage: You there?