Chapter 28

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

FRANKIE

I let myself into the infirmary as usual but at least this trip was legit. There were no fake rashes and no real injuries. I'd decided to not have Esther's mom just sign off on my volunteer hours without actually volunteering. I wanted to do my part, so I'd called Gin to see if I could do some hours with them for the weekend. Sure, I hoped to see Everest, but the infirmary had been so good to me and my mental disaster that I wanted to give back.

There must have been some kind of alarm or bell that went off when someone entered that only the healers could hear because someone always appeared within sixty seconds of me walking in. I waved.

Gin spotted me and smiled wide. "Frankie! I'm so happy you've volunteered for the weekend. It's the perfect timing."

I frowned. "Perfect timing for what?"

"The Spring Equinox Ritual on Tuesday!" She waved for me to follow her up the stairs. "Did you not know about that?"

"Never heard of it—the ritual, I mean. Obviously I've heard of the equinox."

She led the way to the room at the back of the hall, then opened the door and gestured for me to enter. "After you."

I hurried in, then slowed to a stop. The room looked nothing like the others I'd been in. This room was made of white wooden beams on the floor and walls, almost like the contractor never finished it up. There was no furniture at all, but in the far corner on the left was some kind of long cushion with a few big pillows and blankets on it, like that was the designated spot for people to sit. I glanced around in confusion. The room was full of natural light, but the only windows were in the ceiling.

But the part of the room that really made me nervous, and I wasn't sure why, were the mountains of flowers all separated by color. And then there were big glass bowls that were empty and just sitting in the circles of sunlight on the floor caused by the windows in the ceiling.

"This is our prep room."

"What does that mean?" I gestured around. "Because it looks like the start of a horror film."

She giggled. "I said the same thing when I first started. But no, this is where we perform special kinds of magic and rituals to give us the ingredients we need to heal people with. It's complicated to explain unless you're a healer or a Cup."

"My friends think I'm a Cup."

"I know. I heard. It's why I'm so excited to have you help us out today because you can handle this." She shuddered. "A lot of other people can't."

"That's ominous." I nodded. "And feels like a lot of pressure already."

"Nah, you can't mess up."

"Sure. I believe that." I chuckled. "Okay, so lay it out for me. What's this ritual and what is all this for? And what am I gonna be doing here?"

"Right, so the Spring Equinox Ritual is when all the witches in our community come together to celebrate entering spring from winter. It's about new life, new beginnings, and balance. It's like the day we honor the Earth and give back." She gestured to all the flowers. "This is one part of many tasks, so don't freak out. But these flowers have been selected and will be used in the ritual. All we need you to do is to treat them in the bowls."

I frowned. "The bowls are empty though."

"Well yeah, but they won't be." She giggled and pointed to a line of bottles and vials lined up along the back wall on the ground next to that cushion. "You're going to fill the bowls with different combinations to create potions. Once those are right, you'll dump the flowers into the bowls so they can soak."

"And then what?"

"Someone else's job. They'll take the flowers and mold them into flower crowns and wreaths and such for us all to use on Tuesday." She put her hand on my shoulder. "But really, your job is just to make the potions and put the flowers in."

"Okay, how do I make the potions?" I glanced around. "Is there a guidebook or labels or something? I mean, what's in the bottles?"

"Oh, different things. But from what Leah Irit and Agnes Mann tell me, you have quite the natural skill for potions." She pointed to the wall again. "I want you to shut your brain off and go with your gut. Don't think about it. Just pick some and roll with it."

My eyes widened. "Surely you're kidding."

"I'm not, and don't call me Shirley." She winked and turned for the door. "Remember, don't think about it! Just grab and pour."

"Gin—"

"I'll be right downstairs if you need me." She waved and then slipped out the door, leaving me alone.

"Don't think about it. Shut your brain off. Don't think about it." I groaned and scrubbed my face. "I don't think they know who they're talking to."

And I'm talking to myself. Or the flowers. I'm not sure which is worse. I cursed. I prayed for the day when all of this magic stuff didn't feel as overwhelming as walking into the SAT testing room to take the exam without having studied a single thing for it. Screw it, Frankie. She said I can't mess up, so just go for it.

I walked around the mountains of flowers and empty glass bowls to the back wall where the bottles were all lined up. There were bottles of every shape, size, and color in front of me. Doubt crept in. They sure were expecting a lot from me with this. But standing here panicking wasn't going to make it any better, so I dropped down to sit on the edge of the cushion.

Trust your gut. Whatever that meant. I just started picking bottles up and smelling them. Some had intense scents that belonged in gardens or kitchen spice cabinets. Some were fragrant-free but rich in vibrant color. I looked over to the piles of flowers and an idea came to mind. There were bottles to match the flower colors. She said not to overthink it, so I was going to treat those flowers with the liquids from their matching bottles.

"Come here, reds." I jumped to my feet and grabbed all four bottles that were either red in color or held red liquid inside. "Hello, my little pretties."

Then I carried them over to the bowls in the farthest sun circle. I pretended I was some expert chef who knew exactly what they were doing as they dramatically poured liquids into bowls. Once the reds were set, I swapped out those empty bottles for the three green bottles. Next came the pink, then yellow, and blue. I had just filled my arms with at least eight bottles for the white flowers when the door to the room flew open.

I froze like it was a T-Rex.

But it was Everest.

I gasped. His eyes met mine in an instant. We both stood silent and still just staring at each other. He held a tray full of vials, and between those and the ones I held, it was the only reason I hadn't rushed to kiss him. Plus, I needed to calm down this insane lustful reaction to him.

He cleared his throat. "Francelina."

I smiled but it came out all wobbly. "I'm helping Gin prepare for the ritual."

His eyes widened for a second, then went back to normal. He nodded. "I see."

"Yeah. I'm making potions." I had to busy myself, so I turned to the left and began filling the glass bowls for the white flowers—without looking at him. "What are you doing in here with those?"

"Same thing. I've made these special for the ritual." He walked along the edge of the room, staying within my peripheral vision the whole time. "To help restrengthen and rebuild. There's been a lot of death and damage here, and I want to make sure it's purified."

At that, I looked up and met his stare from the other side of the room. "That's really kind of you, especially since you're not from here."

"You're not from here either," he said softly as he bent down to pour one of the vials into an empty glass bowl. "But your kindness does not surprise me."

I blushed and refocused on the white-painted bottles only to realize I'd emptied them all already, so I carried them back over to the wall. I'd gone through all the bottles and vials that matched flower colors, but I was out of those. The flowers that didn't have matching bottles needed some of them, so I had to pick which to grab, except there was nothing obvious about it. And with Everest in the room, I couldn't even read my gut instincts because even those were focused on him. I had to turn away from him entirely so I wouldn't be tempted.

My thoughts just kept going back to Coach's dark office.

"I am sorry your dance got cancelled," he said suddenly as if he were reading my mind.

"I'm sorry I answered my phone—" I slammed my mouth shut. Heat exploded in my face. "I mean, you know, so we could've continued our date. At the dance."

Nice save, dumbass. The floorboards creaked beneath his weight a split second before a warm tingle slid down my spine. He crouched down beside me, sitting his tray down with all the other vials. He was so close to me that I could lean forward and pick this back up where he left off in Coach's office.

We stared at each other in a silence so loud we were probably disturbing other guests.

Every nerve ending in my body was overwhelmingly aware of just how close he was. That cinnamon scent of his invaded my senses, unraveling me with every second he didn't touch me. My skin was starting to burn with the need to drag his body down on mine right there on that cushion behind me. I'd been suffocating in my need to touch him since last night. I dreamt of his fingers on my skin, of his teeth grazing my throat, of his lips on mine.

I let out a shaky breath and my gaze dropped to his mouth. I wanted to taste him.

His fingers brushed through my hair, and I gasped like I'd been electrocuted. Hot energy raced through my entire body. My pulse skipped beats, then pounded like a jackhammer. He twirled my hair around his fingers. My whole body trembled.

Then he growled, fisted my hair, and dragged my body into his. To my absolute horror a little whimper slipped through our lips. I gripped the back of his head and pushed off my feet, pulling him down onto the cushion with me. He didn't fight me. He braced his hands on the cushion above my head and rolled his body along mine, our hips gliding together perfectly like they did on that couch mere hours before. I moaned and wrapped my arms around his neck. The cinnamon scent surrounded me.

My self-control snapped. I tangled my fingers through his silky hair. I melted into him, pressing every inch of my body flush against his. He angled my head back to deepen our kiss and ground himself against me just right to make me moan. When I slid my tongue into his mouth, he growled and flipped onto his back then cupped my face in his hands as he kissed me senseless. The warmth of our breaths swirled and mixed together. My body was on fire, and I would let it burn. I wanted more. I couldn't get close enough.

We had too much clothing on today. I'd stupidly worn long jean pants and a t-shirt because I'd dressed to work not to be worked over by Everest. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I rolled onto my side, pulling him with me so I could reach down and slip my hands under his shirt. My fingers traced every ridge of his chiseled abs but his hands were still in my hair and on my face. I wanted them on my body. On my skin. I wanted to leave our hands out of this entirely and give us what we both so desperately wanted. I slid my hands around to his back and dragged my nails down his skin.

He growled deep in his throat and then I was on my back again, his body pressing into mine. His body twitched and trembled. I lifted my head and took his bottom lip between my teeth, dragging his mouth back down to—he gasped and rolled off of me so fast he vanished into the shadows across the room.

He cursed and jumped to his feet, wiping his face with his hands before turning and all but sprinting for the door. "I'm sorry?—"

"Everest, wait?—"

"That's not why I'm here, Francelina," he said in a rush.

"Here in this room right now or in Tampa?"

He paused outside the door and just sighed. Those gorgeous eyes bored into me. " Both. "

"So? Why can't I— we —just be a happy accident?" I pressed my hands to my chest. "Why can't we just focus on whatever this is between us? This is not normal for me. This . . . this . . . intensity."

He closed his eyes like my words hurt him. "The happily ever after you want cannot happen here."

"Here as in this room or here as in between us ?"

"Both," he whispered.

"Well, why don't you like me decide if I need the happily ever after right now?—"

"Francelina—"

"Or if I just need you in this room right now."

He hissed through clenched teeth. " Francelina. "

"Everest—"

"I can't." He groaned and gripped the door handle. "I'm trying to protect you?—"

"From what?"

"From me. "

I blinked through the hot tears stinging the backs of my eyes and swallowed through the hot lump in my throat. "I don't understand."

He opened the door, then looked over at me with a broken expression in his eyes. "I know."

"Explain it to me then. What am I missing? Tell me what I don't know."

"Not here." He nodded his head. "When you're done, just leave my tray of vials here. I will return for them later."

And then he was gone. The door clicking shut behind him echoed in my heart.