Chapter 11: Blondes, Brunettes, & Josey
Cionna’s POV
My aunt scans her hand over me until she lingers over my heart. When she looks up at me, her face says it all.
“Cionna, I don’t know what it is about this man, but he’s affecting your heart energy. Not in a positive way at least. Normally, I would never tell you to be wary of falling for someone. But, this man is poisonous. If you continue to get close to him, he could very well change you entirely to where it can’t be repaired. Cionna, I am so-”
“Don’t,” I cut her off. “Nothing is more important than getting back mom and dad. I’ll cut him off. No problem. I should have known it was suspicious that a guy that great would be interested in me.”
My aunt reaches for me, but I flinch away from her as I feel tears building behind my eyes. I snatch my bag from her and speed away. I felt something in me break and hoped it wasn’t my heart. It was too soon to love him. He was a stranger. It wasn’t my heart breaking, it was my hope. My hope is that maybe I could have loved him or been allowed to. It was pointless.
***
Julien's POV
Josey’s House
My eyes felt heavy as they slowly opened. I feel a cool dampness on my head as my vision clears. I was welcomed by an unfamiliar room and a soft mattress under me. My dazed state was replaced with worry and confusion as I searched the room for anything that could tell me where I am.
The space is open and airy. The walls are gilded with gold trimming and the soft cream color flowed in sync with it. There is a large vanity across from the bed and the mirror is outlined in rosewood.
There is light pooling in from every window and I’m stumped as to who this place belongs to. My answer came when I heard the door clicks and watch as it swings open. I half expected Cionna to appear as the room fit that of an angel, but to my great misfortune it was no angel. It was Josey.
She swept into the room in a long white robe with her hair freshly brushed and draped over her collarbone. I hated how beautiful she is. It was as if she was built to feed your eyes and soften your defenses. When her eyes meet mine, she grins at me and makes her way to the bed. I slide over until I’m at the other side when she sits on the edge.
She sucks her teeth and pouts at me. She crosses her legs and the robe slides back to reveal the lush swell of her thighs. There were droplets clinging to her skin. She just showered before coming in here.
My defenses flew up as I was suspicious of the current set up. The last I remembered, I was at work having a feeding crash. I went to the store room and then nothing. I was texting Cionna before it happened. Crap. Cionna! Wait, I can’t text Cionna in front of Josey. I eye Josey as she brings her hand up to her cheek and bats her lashes at me.
“You know, School Boy, you don’t look too grateful. Which I don’t understand given I got you out of quite the pinch. You were in a state when I found you. I thought you would have learned by now not to go so long between feedings.”
“I don’t feed, Jo. I’m not your school boy anymore either, so save it. What the hell were you doing at my job anyway?”
“Tsk. See, that still doesn’t sound very grateful. I mean, after I dragged your sorry a*s back to my home, nursed you back to health, and covered for you with your boss. You should be kissing my a*s. You wouldn’t even be in this situation if you would follow god-given nature, Julien.”
“It damn well wasn’t god-given, and you didn’t answer my question. Why were you at my job? How long have I been here? And I know what we eat, so what did you do, Jo?”
With a huff, Josey rises from the bed and sways over to her vanity. She pops open a drawer and retrieves a small wallet shaped case and takes out a cigarette. Bringing it to her lips, she snapped her fingers and a flame appeared in the air. Lighting her cigarette, she takes a long drag and exhales smoke when she replies.
“I came by hoping you’d changed your mind. I asked the guy at the bar about you and he said you were getting sick in the back. So, I scooped you up, told your boss I was family and you had a health condition. I brought you home, cooled you down, and gave you some much needed medicine.”
I sat up straighter as my temper threatened to flare. She is being vague to annoy me.
“Jo, I’m not gonna ask again,” I warned.
“Don’t worry, School Boy. I didn’t take your sweet, sweet, innocence. I like my partners to participate. I healed you with these.”
She taps her lips seductively and winks at me. “A little taste from the source and you were right as rain. It’s not as potent and it won’t last as long, but we could always change that.”
“Not a chance in hell.”
“If hell is what you want, I can arrange that.”
The gleam in her eyes glowed red and the air turned a freezing cold. Her smile is wicked instead of sexual and the smoke surrounding her appeared to be coming from her body instead of the tobacco in her hand.
“All fun aside, we have more important things to discuss, Julien.”
“Same old Josey. You peel back all the tricks, fake kindness, and twinkling eyes, and your horns start to show.”
“Easy big fella. I might take that as a compliment. You’re not still sore about New York are you?”
My face turns to stone and I jump to my feet. I’m in front of her in two seconds flat ready to snap her in half if she utters a word about New York. My anger doesn’t faze her. She simply smiles and blows a cloud of smoke in my face.
“I have word from my father, so you might wanna sit down.”
***
Cionna’s POV
Three Days Later
Cafeteria
I push my food around my plate with no interest. The last three days having been emotionally draining. Julien had been texting me every day since he asked me out and I never responded. He even tried to call me. What made it worse was that i couldn’t tell him anything. I’d placed my focus back on the ritual to bring back my parents and re-strengthening my magic.
I hadn’t spoken to my aunt much since that day either. We would meet and train, then I would leave without a word. I blame her for taking Julien from me even though I know it wasn’t her fault. Why was I so hung up on this guy? I stabbed my fork into the chicken breast on my plate and growled.
My outburst caused Lex to speak.
“Hey C, are you alright? You’ve been kinda out of it lately.”
“Just… just stressed out, Lex. Don’t worry, kay?”
“So, I was thinking about your birthday and-”
I drop my head to the table with a thump. With the week I was having, the last thing I wanted to think about was my birthday. I pounded my head on the table as Alexis spoke praying she would forget about it.
“And I was thinking we could hit the arcade, do a paint and sip, you know something fun and hilarious.”
“No, Lex. I don’t want to do anything for my birthday, ok? I just want to make it through the next few weeks without losing my mind,” I grumble from the table.
“C, your birthday is in four weeks. I’m just throwing some ideas out there. I didn’t say we should have a hotel party or something.”
“No parties.” I state firmly.
“I know. I know.”
“I mean it, Lex. No parties.”
Lex nods in agreement until her eyes drift to the side and she starts rambling.
“I know you don’t like parties C, but it’s your twenty first birthday. We’ve got to celebrate that. Hell, bring your bartender boyfriend if you want. Do body shots off her chest. I don’t care, just have fun.”
I had almost forgotten about Julien for a few minutes until Lex brought him up. I didn’t tell her I’d stopped talking to him. If I did she would harass me with questions that I couldn’t answer and I just wanted to forget about him.
It is easier to pretend we’d never met than face him again.