12. Nova

Chapter 12

Nova

W hat was wrong with me?! Taking my shirt off in front of Ezra? What the heck was I thinking?! I wasn’t. I wasn’t thinking.

Regardless of what possessed me then, I saw something in his eyes I had only seen a few times before. Passion? Desire? Whatever it was, it reeled me further into the out-of-body experience of him tracing his fingers softly on my skin, electricity following them inch by inch. I had half a mind to drop on my knees right there and then. But then Crystal slammed the door, breaking the spell and bringing us back to reality.

Now, we headed to the luncheon along with half of the town, and my thoughts were in a tornado of emotion.

“So, how do you want to go about this?” Ezra asked, bumping slightly into me as we made our way down the sidewalk.

“Do what?” I cleared my throat, pretending I wasn’t reliving every second of what happened in my bedroom.

“The whole pretend to date so your mom will get off your back thing. You know, the lie?”

“Oh, yeah. Umm…” I tapped my fingers against my chin. “I don’t know. Are you sure you want to do this? Half of the town will be there.”

“So?” he asked.

“Your parents will hear. The entire town will know. What if there’s someone out there you actually want to date?”

The words tasted bitter on my tongue. I didn’t like the idea of Ezra dating anyone.

“Don’t worry about that,” he said, smiling at the sidewalk and clearing his throat. He took my hand into his and interlaced his fingers with mine. “We’ll start with this and go with what feels natural.”

“Okay.” I tightened my grip on his hand. Suddenly, I stopped walking and almost slingshotted Ezra back toward me. “How can I thank you for this, Ezzy?” I could think of a few creative ways to thank him, but this was not the time or place to suggest them.

“Hmm…” He looked at the sky, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “How about you come to the wedding with me tomorrow? My mom has been hoping I’ll bring a date, so she put me down with a plus one—a date exchange, if you will.”

Two days of pretending to be dating him? Sign. Me. Up.

I took a deep breath, trying to quell the butterflies in my stomach. “Sure,” I said, shrugging. “It’ll be nice to see your family.”

Our families had always been close and routinely saw each other, but Ezra and I avoided gatherings we weren’t required to attend. We often felt unwelcome and unwanted. The Woodhavens walked a fine line between treating me like family and looking at me with the same sliver of disappointment they gave Ezra. But they had always been nice and had been there for my family after the death of my grandfather.

Music and chatter could be heard in the distance as we walked up First Street. As the town square's gazebo appeared, many creatures were already gathered at the park. I had asked my mom earlier to watch out while I transferred the baked goods from my table at home to the luncheon so we didn’t have to carry them. It was an informal lunch to create a sense of community, so all the food was set up buffet style. Creatures milled about, eating, playing games, and chatting.

My mom caught me in her sights and smiled. Her smile widened when she noticed I was holding Ezra’s hand. Even if we were outcasts within our families and society, my parents always loved Ezra.

“Nova! Ezra!” my mom exclaimed. We drew some eyes toward where we stood, but they quickly ignored us. The only benefit to being cast aside was that my secret was easier to keep if I wasn’t constantly being questioned or prodded.

“Hi, Mrs. Foster,” Ezra said, charming my mom. He might not have had a special ability, but he was charming.

“Why didn’t you just say it was Ezra?!” She shook her head with a smile. “I figured the two of you would end up together! How long has this been going on?”

My cheeks warmed, and my breathing quickened. Ezra squeezed my hand. I was never a good liar, so I had to rely on him to come up with something. He wasn’t a good liar either, but at least he wouldn’t just start laughing like I tended to.

“Well,” Ezra started, wrapping his arm around me and kissing the top of my head. “It’s very new, and we’re figuring it out, which is why Nova didn’t say anything, so please don’t hold it against her. There isn’t much to the story. We were watching movies the other night, and it became hard to deny the energy between us.”

His confidence in the fake story surprised me, and I could almost see my mom’s heart swelling in her chest. “I’m so happy to hear that!” She clasped her hands in front of her chest and smiled before ushering us away. “Don’t let me keep you. Go eat, mingle.”

Ezra grabbed my hand as we walked away, and we both let out a deep breath. My mom walked toward the little field to the side of the pavilion, where my dad was deep in a flag football game. She pointed toward us, and my dad smiled. It might break their hearts when they find out this isn’t what it looks like, but it brought me a semblance of comfort to know that even if I was a burden because of my secret, they could at least be happy for me. I hoped this would quell my mom’s insistence that I had to find a partner soon. I never could imagine myself with someone who wasn’t Ezra. The hidden manipulation abilities would be complex to explain, and then someone else would have to live with my secret. The only reason Ezra knew was because I had told him when I was too young to understand the magnitude of the secret I was asking him to keep.

The grumbling in my stomach caught Ezra’s attention, and he led us to grab food before parking ourselves at one of the empty picnic tables. He sat beside me, thigh pressed against mine as we watched the luncheon unfold. Children laughed on the playground, and grown creatures tried to rip flags off each other’s waists while their partners watched, rolling their eyes at their antics. The wind picked up, and my hair kept blowing on my face and sticking to my lips. In response, Ezra grabbed my wrist and took the hair tie off as I eyed him curiously. He pulled my hair back, his fingers brushing against my neck, and a shiver spread down my back as he sloppily tied my hair into a ponytail, and a pleased smile spread across his face. It was a simple gesture that threatened to bring tears to my eyes.

This was the life I wanted.

A car door slammed, forcing silence and confused stares from everyone. Ezra ripped his eyes off me and tensed as he saw the three men walking toward my parents. I didn’t recognize them, but others did, and the luncheon came to a standstill. A pin dropping would have been a welcome sound in the stiff silence.

“Stay behind me,” Ezra whispered, turning to face them so his back covered most of my body.

“Who are they?” I tried to peek over his shoulder, but he sat taller, intentionally blocking my view.

“Carmines.”

My heart sank at the last name. My heart rate increased as I tried to control my breathing to hear what was happening.

“You are not welcome here,” my father’s voice boomed.

“Is this not a town celebration?” one of the men asked.

“You are not welcome in this town,” my father countered. Everyone around us agreed in hushed tones. I couldn’t see them, but the Carmines couldn’t have been happy about the frigid response.

“We came here with a message for everyone,” another man said. His voice was gravelly and stern. Murmurs ensued through the crowd. “The Woodhavens have been keeping a secret from you. They have been hiding the existence of a Manipulator amongst you!”

Whispers and exclamations of disbelief broke out. To the best of everyone’s knowledge, it had been almost a century since a Manipulator had been born and over forty years since one walked amongst us. The wizard’s firm voice made my heart race even faster. My palms grew sweaty. Ezra placed his hand on my thigh and squeezed it.

“They will not reveal where they are,” the man continued, “and they will not reveal who they are, but rest assured that we will find them.”

“Leave now!” my father stated.

“And when we do,” the third voice interjected, ignoring my father’s demand. “We will punish every single creature who has kept their existence a secret. So, it is in the Manipulator’s and everyone else’s best interest for them to come forward and reveal themselves.”

Silence.

“A Manipulator has not been born in our world in almost a century,” my father said with resolve. To the average individual, his voice was the same as before—steady and secure—but I picked up on the fear it concealed. A fear for me. “These accusations are ridiculous! The Woodhavens have no reason to hide anything because there is no Manipulator.”

I heard the leaves crunching under heavy steps. “Mark my words—The Carmines will return!” The voice was louder and angrier than the first time they spoke. More mumbling ensued before the steps grew fainter.

“There is nothing to worry about, everyone,” my mom’s calming voice broke through the concerned discussions. “The Carmines are known for stirring up trouble. My father-in-law was the last Manipulator alive, and none have been born since his death.” She hesitated for a few seconds. “Astro and I will go to the Woodhaven Estate on Monday morning and get this sorted out.”

Her words seemed to calm everyone’s nerves enough for them to continue their interrupted conversations. After all, who wouldn’t trust Sherman Foster’s family?

Ezra stood beside the picnic table and made eye contact with my dad. He held out his hand for me, and I took it, swinging my legs out of the picnic table. Due to Ezra's last name, suspicious and curious eyes followed us as we approached my parents. However, no one bothered to ask him anything since many figured he wouldn't know any important information. At the end of the day, there were positives to being on the outskirts of power.

“Take her home, Ezra,” my father instructed, out of earshot of everyone. “Don’t let her out of your sight. I know your parents are busy with the wedding, but I will come to see them first thing Monday. Do me a favor and give them a heads-up.”

“We’ll talk to them tomorrow,” Ezra said, nodding. “I’ll call Elias and have him arrange extra security. I have a feeling this isn’t the last time we’ll hear from the Carmines.”

Ezra and my dad spoke to each other as if I wasn’t standing next to them, but I didn’t feel like I was either. My biggest fear had just been realized, and the realization of the danger I was in settled in the depths of my stomach. I would never let the Carmines—or anyone—use me for my ability. Decades ago, they created a culture of fear and animosity that had been eradicated shortly after they forced my grandfather to take his last breath. His death would not be in vain.

“Take care of my daughter,” my dad said, shaking Ezra’s hand. “Please.” My mom hid her fear behind a sweet smile as she hugged us.

“I won’t let anything happen to her.” Ezra’s hand tightened its hold on mine, keeping me close to him.

We hugged goodbye and walked back to the condo. Ezra’s head was on a swivel, and he didn’t release the hold on me, even when we were out of sight. Some people stared, and others shared hushed thoughts, believing the claims that the Woodhavens were hiding something. Technically, Ezra Woodhaven was, and now, we were in danger because of it.

“Hey, Ezzy?” I asked him.

“Yeah?”

“How did they get past the protection field?”

Hidden Creek was supposed to be inaccessible to humans and Carmines alike. The protection spell had been crafted explicitly for that reason and kept our town safe for decades. I knew nothing was foolproof, but it seemed like they had no difficulty getting through. Hidden Creek always felt safe, but now, I was terrified of being home.

“I don’t know, Nova,” Ezra sighed. “But I need to tell you something when we get home.”