Captivate (Unearthly Balance Book 1) Read online

  “You’re kind of wise, you know that?” She sits up, studying me with fascination.

  “You think so?” I ask with a hint of amusement. It’s been a long fucking time, way before my banishment, since I felt this rush of exhilaration.

  She nods. “I wish I could’ve talked to you a long time ago.”

  “Am I making you feel better?”

  “A little bit.”

  I don’t know whether to smile or frown. While “a little bit” is something, it’s not a lot.

  “I have an idea that involves you and me,” I tell her.

  “Okay.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze dropping to my mouth.

  I press my lips together, sensing where her thoughts are heading. I could make a move—Evan was right when he said I used to be good at this sort of stuff. Honestly, though, I’m not sure if kissing her would be right.

  Think about why you’re doing this. She has to warm up to you, or the plan will never work. Plus, admit it; you kind of want to.

  I swallow hard, realizing I do want to kiss her, really, really fucking badly.

  Sucking in a deep breath, I attempt to pull my dusty flirting skills off the shelf they’ve been stuck on for centuries and force a charming smile. “I was actually thinking about something else, but if you’re down for that”—I let my gaze drop to her lips—“then we can do that, too.”

  My heart pounds inside my chest. God, I really want this. Not just to get closer to her, but to feel her lips against mine. Feel her. Just feel.

  I elevate my gaze back to hers, measuring her reaction. If she shows any interest at all, I know I’ll cave and smash my lips against hers.

  She blinks up at me, then hurriedly looks over at the ocean, seeming embarrassed. “I wasn’t thinking that. I mean, I know I was staring at your lips, but that’s because they’re great lips. Like, really, really pretty.” She shuts her eyes and shakes her head. “Oh, my God, I’m such a spaz.”

  I nearly smile for the third time tonight, and I have no fucking clue what to do with that.

  “No. You’re seriously the most adorable human I’ve ever met.” I realize my slipup as her forehead creases.

  Holy fucking shit. I didn’t just say that.

  “Human?” she asks, lost.

  “Sorry. Odd choice of word.” Get yourself together, Nico. Focus. Remember why you’re doing this. “My people skills suck sometimes.”

  “Mine, too.” She rolls her eyes at herself. “I’m sure you’ve realized that by now.”

  “You’re doing fine.” My gaze drops to her lips again, and disappointment washes over me as my chance to kiss her slips away. “I’d be a complete idiot if I didn’t say that I think your lips are really pretty, too.”

  She grows even more flustered, her mouth threatening to turn upward.

  I nearly kiss her again, but the moment passes as she leans away, putting too much space between us.

  Internally sighing, I ask, “Do you want to hear my idea about what I think you and I should do?”

  She nods, forcing a smile. “Yes.”

  I hate the forced smile and wonder why she went from almost happy to sad in two seconds flat. Does it have anything to do with me? If it does, I need to fix it. I need to find a way to make her smile again, get her to trust me, get her to spend more time with me.

  I tell myself that my eagerness to make all of this happen is because I’m eager to get the despair out of me so I can take down the gods. As I sit beside Everly, however, staring at her sad eyes, I realize part of me wants to get to know her to help her.

  “I think I should make a list of fun things to do. Then we spend the next week working our way through the list.”

  “Really?” Her eyes widen as she points at herself. “You want to spend more time with me … after tonight?”

  “Definitely,” I answer with a nod. “But only if you want to spend time with me. I don’t want you to feel obligated.” God, please say you want to.

  She hesitates for a moment before nodding. “I want to.”

  “So that’s a yes, then?” I ask warily. Her split second of hesitation worries me.

  She nods, seeming more confident this time. “Yes, I want to. It sounds like a lot of fun.”

  I attempt to get a vibe off her. She mentioned my sadness a lot tonight, and I wonder how potent my despair feels to her. What if she can feel every ounce of the gods’ misery?

  Fuck, what if I’ve been hurting her this entire night?

  Before I can obsess too much about that, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I get a very uneasy feeling that we’re being watched.

  I twist around and scan the beach and the parking lot. Other than a few cars and some people partying down the beach, the area is quiet and empty. That doesn’t mean someone isn’t watching us from the shadows, and I’m not about to stick around and find out who.

  I glance at my watch and realize how late it is. While the magic still burns through my tattoos, I don’t want to use too much too soon.

  Rising to my feet, I take hold of Everly’s hand and pull her up with me. “It’s getting late.” I dust some sand out of her hair, coming so damn close to smiling when she shivers. “We should probably get going.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.” Her lip juts out as she stares off into empty space.

  The sad look gives me a drop of hope that maybe she’s warming up to me a little. At least enough not to want to leave.

  “How about, first thing in the morning, I come over to your house with the list, and then we’ll get started?” I offer.

  Her pout fades as she returns her gaze to mine. “That sounds … nice.”

  Again, her hesitancy throws me off. I almost ask her if she’s sure she wants to hang out with me, but the words get lodged in my throat as I think about spending tomorrow by myself, drowning in the gods’ despair. And the day after that. And so on.

  I trace my finger along the back of her hand. “I promise we’ll have fun.” I hope we will. Fun is kind of a foreign word to me, but maybe I can research it.

  Tightening my hold on her hand, we head back to the car. The closer we get to the parking lot, the more hyperaware of being watched I become, and nervous energy creeps up inside me.

  What if the gods have seen through my shield? What if they know what I’m up to?

  The moment we drive onto the main road, the feeling fizzles, leaving me to wonder if someone—or something—was watching us.

  Chapter 8

  Everly

  For most of the drive back to my apartment, Nico and I keep the conversation light, focusing on our favorite foods, likes and dislikes, and hobbies. I learn that he hates pizza, which hello, who hates pizza? When I tell him that, he almost smiles again, admitting he hates ice cream, too. The little weirdo. Seriously. I also discover that he likes reading, hates the internet, and spends a lot of time at home.

  The last declaration makes me sad. I have to wonder if it has anything to do with his depression. I want to vow to help him, but I’m conflicted over whether I’ll be able to handle it, handle his despair. It’s why I hesitated when he asked me to spend time with him.

  Can I do it? Hang out and ignore the misery? Can I stay conscious?

  I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.

  When I drop Nico off at school, we exchange phone numbers, and then I drive straight home, my head buzzing with various emotions I didn’t even know were possible to feel.

  The instant I step foot in my home, I’m hit with the strangest feeling that something isn’t quite right. After checking the closets, windows, and under the bed, I decide that maybe I’m being paranoid. But when I spot Teddy tucked underneath the computer desk, his claws out and baring his teeth, my nervousness skyrockets.

  “What’s wrong, dude?” I ask, crouching down in front of him. “What’s got you spooked?”

  He hisses at me, inching back into the corner, his eyes fixated on something over my shoulder.

  I
glance back, scanning the living room, but nothing appears out of the ordinary. Nonetheless, a chill slithers up my spine as the feeling of being watched overcomes me.

  I’ve spent a lot time on the internet, reading about supernatural things, and have read a few articles that believe animals can see stuff we can’t. While I don’t believe everything I read, I don’t necessarily discount it. I’m walking proof that strange things exist in this world.

  Gathering up the terrified cat, I dash for my bedroom and lock the door. Then I climb into bed and hide under the covers with my cat until he calms down, keeping my eyes on the door the entire time. I’m not even sure what I’m waiting for. An intruder to barge in? A ghost to waltz through the door and say boo?

  About an hour later, I finally settle down as exhaustion slips over me. My eyelids lower, and I roll over, darkness wrapping around the edges of my brain. Right as I’m about to allow sleep to drag me under, though, I peel my eyes open and set, like, a thousand alarms, hoping it’ll be enough to wake me up tomorrow in time to go out with Nico. Then I lie back down and close my eyes, thinking about what happened tonight.

  While being around Nico was painful, it had its amazing moments. I just wish I felt like I helped him more. That was the point of spending time with him. Yet, he ended up being the one helping me, holding me, while I lost it.

  I replay the moments over and over again, my excitement slowly evaporating as sleep overtakes me. Then I’m yanked into a nightmare of endless pain and torture, and Nico standing in the center of it all, bleeding to death.

  Chapter 9

  Nico

  We have a problem. Evan’s voice fills my head the second I enter my townhome.

  I kick the door shut and toss the keys on the countertop. I had a feeling this was coming.

  Why? Did something happen?

  I felt an otherworldly presence when I was out with Everly tonight. I had a shield up, but I’m pretty sure whoever it was could see both of us. I head to the fridge to grab a bottle of water, waiting for him to say something, but my mind remains silent. The gods saw me, didn’t they?

  I’m not sure …

  Evan, just spit out whatever it is.

  He sighs. Fine. I was peeking in on you, just to make sure everything was going okay, and I felt the presence, too. I went to check on Everly at her house, and there were traces of an inhuman scent in the air.

  I clutch the bottle of water as fear and rage slam through me. You don’t know what it was?

  No. I looked around and didn’t see anything. Whatever it was, it had definitely left by the time I got there. I’ll keep an eye out for something unnatural hanging out in town. I’m also going to peek in on the gods and see if they’re up to something.

  I lean back against the counter and press my fingertips to the brim of my nose. You better make sure nothing happens to her. That was my condition on doing this.

  I know that. Why do you think I went and checked out her house? For the hell of it?

  Was she okay when you left?

  Yes. She was sleeping like a rock. So chill the fuck out.

  Still, you better make sure she stays okay. I lower my hand to my side. Have you talked to Eirene yet?

  Not yet … I’ve been trying, but it’s hard having a private conversation in the After Kingdom. I promise, when I find out, you’ll be the first to know. I’m as eager as you are to get this done.

  I remain quiet. While I’m eager to get rid of the depressing pit constantly hollowing me out, I’m not eager to say good-bye to Everly. Once the curse is broken, I’ll have to leave to help Evan prepare an army and fight the gods. Yet, I’ve only spent one night with her, and I’m already craving a thousand more.

  Don’t go there, Nico, Evan warns, reading my thoughts. You can’t develop feelings for her. It’ll ruin the plan.

  It might be too late for that.

  I’m not, I lie. Do I enjoy spending time with her? Sure. But it’s been a long fucking time since I’ve even felt like being close to someone, so cut me some slack. I unscrew the lid off the bottle of water. I know, after all this is done, I’ll have to leave her.

  Fine. I just hope you know what you’re doing. Getting attached to Everly could ruin everything. He pauses. Look, I have to go … The time lapse is wearing off… I’ll look into who’s following Everly and get back to you when I can …

  When his voice fades, my thoughts go straight to Everly. When my power recharges, I will check in on her. I need to make sure she’s okay. Otherwise, it’s going to drive me mad. Going over there now, with such lower power, the gods will more than likely see me and kill me before I even make it to her house.

  I pace my living room, trying to think of something else. Anything besides Everly being in trouble, which leads me to stressing about the curse, the battle looming in the future, and my family suffering back at home.

  Think of something better. Something happy. Get that moment of happiness you felt on the beach back.

  The only thing I can think of is sitting down and making the list of things for Everly and I to do. The problem is, I don’t have a damn clue what constitutes as fun.

  During my time here on earth, I haven’t done anything fun. Floating around and wandering aimlessly with heavy shoulders and a weighted heart is about it. I doubt Everly’s going to want to do that.

  Frustrated, I head for my computer, deciding I better start looking stuff up, even though I hate the goddamn internet. I just hope I can figure out what can make someone happy. If not, I fail my family, the plan, and Everly.

  Chapter 10

  Everly

  When I open my eyes, my entire body twinges, and my head pounds with an emotional hangover. On a positive note, I only slept for one night and have plenty of time to shower, do my hair, and pull on a clean pair of cut-offs, a black tank top, and a pair of clunky velvet boots. By the time Nico knocks on my front door, I’m ready to go.

  Before I answer, I take a deep breath to steady my nerves and to prepare myself for the gloom waiting on the other side.

  “Hey,” I say, throwing open the door.

  My smile falters at the sight of him, half in pain, half in … Well, I think it’s lust.

  He’s sporting his usual look: black jeans and a black T-shirt, along with his biker boots and leather bands covering his wrists. And his lips are pulled into a sexy, lopsided smile.

  That smile. Holy shit. It’s beautiful, and sexy, and I can’t stop staring.

  When his eyes roam over my body, I quickly look away, feeling really self-conscious. I’m not dressed sexy or anything, but the way he’s looking at me makes me feel like I am.

  Finally, we both manage to make eye contact. I start to force a smile when he glances over my shoulder and into my apartment then his gaze lands back on me.

  “So, can I come in?” he asks, an inch away from sounding amused.

  “Oh, yeah.” I step back and motion him inside.

  He offers me another adorable, lopsided smile that causes my heart to sputter, and then he steps through the doorway, squeezing past me and into my living room.

  As he passes my cat, the two of them trade a glance before Teddy runs off, growling.

  “Wow, that’s weird. He usually likes everyone.” I shut the door, feeling strangely nervous with him being in my apartment. “Although, he was acting all kinds of crazy last night. I thought maybe someone broke into my apartment, but there aren’t any signs of a break-in.”

  Nico tenses, facing me. “You thought someone broke in?”

  I nod. “I’m pretty sure I was just being paranoid.”

  He wavers, seeming to decide something. “Can you promise me something?” he asks, and I nod. “If that ever happens again, call me.”

  Really? That’s what he wants?

  “I guess I can do that.”

  He relaxes a smidgeon then turns in a circle, taking in the bareness of my walls. “Do you live here alone?”

  “Yeah.” I lean against the door, too afraid to get c
lose to him. Too nervous, too scared, too excited.

  Last night was amazing, but I also said and did a lot of idiotic things, like staring at his lips and telling him they were pretty. And that fogginess is already creeping up on me, along with his despair.

  “I have for about six months,” I continue. “But I’ve pretty much lived alone since my brother died.” When he casts me a questioning glance, I add, “I’m not sure if you heard, but my mom went to jail about six months ago.”

  “Yeah, I heard something about that.” I can tell he is treading with caution.

  I force myself to stop being a huge coward and push away from the door, stepping toward him. “Well, before that, she was hardly ever here.” I tuck my hands into the back pockets of my shorts. “She has a drug problem and spent a lot time doing drugs and … paying for them.” I suddenly feel embarrassed.

  “You shouldn’t be embarrassed. What your mom does isn’t your fault,” he says, as if reading my mind. He did that a couple of times last night, too. He sensed my thoughts without me saying them out loud.

  During my search on trying to discover what I am, I read a ton of weird stuff on the internet about people who can read thoughts. Maybe I am a whacked-out whacko, but I’m really starting to wonder if Nico is one of those people.

  “You’re really perceptive,” I say suspiciously. “I swear, it’s like you know what I’m thinking.”

  “What’re you getting at?” he asks, a hint away from being amused.

  “I don’t know.” I shrug. “That maybe you can read minds.”

  He cocks a brow. “You believe in that kind of stuff?”

  My cheeks warm. “I don’t know. Maybe not reading minds, but there is some supernatural stuff that sounds pretty believable.” I pause. “Do you think I’m crazy?”

  He shakes his head, stepping toward me. “Not at all. I believe in that stuff, too.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.”