13. Ezra

Chapter 13

Ezra

C rystal was gone by the time we got back to the condo. The ice cream container from earlier sat empty on the counter, and the used spoon was in the sink. Nova texted her to make sure she was okay and was informed that she would be spending the rest of the weekend with her sister, trying to forget whatever asshole human had hurt her. I felt terrible for Crystal, but I had never been more thankful for the condo to be empty.

Nova brewed us some tea because she claimed it was too late for coffee and quickly changed into her tank top and shorts. I watched as she shakily poured the boiling water from the kettle into the mugs and grabbed two muffins from last night’s batch of baking before collapsing on the couch. She cuddled in the corner of the arm of the sofa and held a couch pillow between her hands and her body. She had her pumpkin-shaped mug in both hands and tucked her knees to her chest, eyes fixed on the wall in front of us. I let myself take her in and found the same expression she had worn that night at the club. Fear had dominated her emotions twice in the last forty-eight hours, and my words wouldn’t bring her relief.

Elias had been wrong; we didn’t have time.

I sat on the opposite side of the couch from her as I told Nova everything my brother had told me yesterday and admitted to lying about the heat being out. She listened intently to every word, from knowing that the Carmines were looking for her to why I decided not to tell her and what Elias said about time. Tears pooled in her eyes, and I could see the ripples in her tea as she started to tremble.

“What are they going to do to me if they find me?” she asked, voice shaky.

I took the mug from her hands and set it on the coffee table before hooking my arms around her waist and under her knees. With a swift move, I pulled her onto my lap, feeling her soft skin against my arms. I wanted her as close to me as possible; I wanted to take her fear away, but I felt helpless in this situation. She relaxed and melted into me, keeping her knees to her chest.

“Nothing,” I said, cheek pressed to the hair draping over her ear. “They’re not going to do anything to you while I’m here.” She seemed to believe my words, but I doubted every statement I uttered.

I wished I had more reassuring words, but I was clueless about what this meant. My fear milled in my thoughts, but I would do anything to protect her. I might not have any special abilities, but I could cast a spell or two, maybe throw a potion in someone’s eyes. Nova quietly sniffed into my chest, and my heart broke, longing to find a way to make her feel safe.

My phone rang a few times while I held Nova, but I didn’t budge until she decided she was ready. I ran my fingers through her hair until her breathing stabilized and the tears stopped rolling down her cheeks. A little while later, I set her down on the couch and asked her to find a movie she wanted to watch while I walked out to the balcony to call Elias. I watched through the door as she restlessly flipped through the listings.

“Hey.” Elias picked up immediately. “Did you talk to Nova?”

“Uh…well…” I started.

“What happened?” he asked. I told Elias everything about the luncheon, fielding questions as he demanded to know more. I finished by telling him that Nova’s parents would come to see Dad on Monday.

His end of the line went utterly silent. “Elias? You there?”

“Fuck!” he screamed, followed by a loud bang and clattering from whatever was on the table. “We have a lot less time than I thought. They have to have something that I don’t. Are you staying with her tonight? Is she coming with you tomorrow?”

“Yes to both of those questions. Could…umm…could you arrange for more security?”

I found myself pacing around the balcony as I waited for an answer. “Yeah. I’ll talk to Dad tonight. I’ll book you a room at the hotel along with everyone else. I’m sure Dad will want to talk after. We can’t overreact, or the Carmines will think we’re panicking.”

I wouldn’t point it out to him, but we were both panicking—at least I was.

“Elias.” I cleared my throat, trying to suppress the emotion bubbling inside me but failing to conceal the trembling. I intended to keep my promise to Nova’s grandmother, but as much as I wished I could, I couldn’t do it alone. The mere thought of losing Nova scared me more than anything else had in my entire life. “We can’t let anything happen to her.” My voice broke as I muttered, “Please.”

“Oh, Ezra.” My brother’s voice softened. “We won’t. I’ll talk to Dad tonight and let you know if we need anything from you, okay? You focus on Nova for now.”

“Okay,” I said, nodding to myself.

I took a few seconds to compose myself before walking back into the condo. Through the glass, I could see Nova’s purple hair had been pulled into a messy bun, and her eyes were glued to the TV. I watched as she selected a movie and reached for the tea I had set before her. Walking back into the living room, I peeked at Nova’s mug in her hands. The liquid level was the same as before, so she hadn’t touched it since I set it down. It was probably cold by now, so I slipped the mug out of her hands and reheated her tea before lowering myself on the couch beside her. She smiled as she took the mug from me and offered to share her blanket. I wrapped my arm around her as she cuddled into me.

“What did Elias say?” she asked, keeping her eyes on the movie. Hocus Pocus was one of her favorite movies and one that we typically watched first during our Halloween movie marathon.

“He’ll talk to my dad tonight and let me know if they need anything from us. My dad will probably want to talk to us after the wedding tomorrow, so Elias is booking us a room in Shadow Falls.”

“Is the wedding safe?”

I had the same question. “Elias will hire extra security.” I skirted answering.

“Okay.”

I twirled a lock of Nova’s hair around my finger, feeling the soft purple strands wrap and unwrap against my skin for the entire movie. She laughed at the same parts she always did and was smiling by the time the movie was over. We stayed on the couch the rest of the day, and I had food delivered for dinner. Movie after movie played on the TV as we avoided talking about anything that had happened, could have happened today, or might happen tomorrow. The atmosphere surrounding us was tense and worried, but Nova stayed under my arm most of the afternoon. By the fourth movie, she softly snored while lying on my chest.

The sun had disappeared from the sky, and the world outside was still. The silence enveloped me in a blanket of peace for a few minutes while I focused on Nova’s breathing. It was steady and rhythmic, her face stoic as she slept. I gingerly wriggled myself free from her and set a pillow under her head on the couch while I changed into my pajama pants and pulled back the covers from the made bed. Once ready, I scooped Nova off the couch and carried her to the bedroom. She stirred in my arms and partially woke as I lightly set her down. She was turned away but sunk toward me as my weight moved the mattress. I covered us with the comforter, feeling the soft cotton underneath me pull when she shifted.

“Ezzy?” she whispered, turning to face me. “Will you hold me tonight?”

The beating of my heart stopped as I nodded, and she snuggled into my side. I wrapped my arms around her, feeling the tension leave my body as Nova’s body fit perfectly against mine. The lines were already blurred; they had been blurred our entire lives, but nothing in this moment could have torn me away from her. Her cheek pressed against my bare chest, and her finger traced my collarbone.

In the silence of the room, I heard her sniffle again.

“Nova, please don’t cry,” I begged, cradling her cheek. As I moved my thumb across her cheekbone, I felt the damp path of where a tear had fallen.

“I’m scared, Ezzy,” she whimpered.

“Nova, I promise with all my being that I will do anything to protect you. Everything will be okay.” Although my first statement was true, I wasn’t sure if I had just lied to her.