I’m floating in a bolt of lightning with a crown on my head and an abundance of power is channeling through me. The Everettsons brothers are with me, bowing at my feet. Well, all of them are except for Porter. No, strangely, I’m sitting in his lap and he’s kissing my neck.

No, not kissing… sucking… on my flesh? No… he’s sucking on something else… something buzzing inside me. It feels amazing. Really, really good—

My eyes pop open, my mind racing along with my pulse. And I swear I can still feel the amazing sensations I felt while Porter was sucking on my neck.

I shake my head as I work to get my breathing under control. What a weird ass dream? But I guess it was better than dreaming of darkness.

But what was Porter even doing to me? Who the hell knows. And it was just a dream, right, so why does it matter?

I let out a yawn and stretch my arms above my head. Then I move to roll out of bed, only to end up rolling straight into Foster.

He grunts as my knee collides with his gut.

“Sorry,” I sputter. How in the hell did we end up so close with my leg thrown over his and our heads inches apart?

“It’s fine,” he assures me, rubbing the spot on his stomach where I kneed him. “I’m just glad you slept okay. Or I’m assuming you did since I didn’t sense you wake up at all during the night.”

“Yeah, I slept great.” As images of my dream creep into my mind, heat rushes to my cheeks. Foster notices, his brows dipping, and my embarrassment increases. Please don’t let him be able to feel what I’m feeling down the link, that his brother turned me on in my dreams. “How did you know I slept all through the night, though? Unless you were awake all night, watching me sleep?” I ask with teasing accusation.

He assesses my blushing face, the crease between his brow deepening. “Maybe I was.” He pauses, then gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and climbs out of bed.

My heart flutters and my head spins. He just kissed me on the cheek. His lips were so soft and felt so good against my skin.

He feels so good.

“Easton messaged me a couple of minutes ago and said my mom messaged him,” Foster says, stretching his arms above his head.

His shirt rides up, giving me a view of his lean abs and the lightning tattoo inking his flesh.

Stop staring at him like a perv, Sky. Get your head out of lust land.

I yank my gaze off him, relieved he hasn’t noticed I was just eye fucking the hell out of his stomach muscles. “What’d she say?”

His hands fall to his sides. “That she still hasn’t been able to get ahold of the headmistress, so we have to stay in the house still. But Easton and I thought maybe we could help you practice using your powers while we’re stuck here.”

“That sounds really great, actually.” Although the idea of using my powers on purpose has me nervous. “Is it safe to do that in the house, though?”

He drags his hand over the top of his head, making strands of his hair go askew. “We’ll probably stick to the pool house since there’s limited things in there that we can ruin, but you practicing is more important than a few things getting broken.”

Maybe he’s right, but that doesn’t mean I won’t feel bad if I ruin something. Emaline and Gabe have been so nice to me that the last thing I want to do is set their house on fire.

“I’ll make sure your powers don’t get too out of hand,” he adds.

“Okay, let’s do it then. But, while we’re at it, can you teach me how to block out what I’m feeling from flowing down the link? It’s starting to really become a pain in the ass.”

“Maybe it is for you, but I think some of my brothers find it amusing.” When I grimace, he chuckles, his eyes crinkling around the corners. “Yeah, I can show you. Just know that the link’s still there if you ever need it. You never have to be alone in this, okay?”

“That still applies even when the link is a bit broken? Or altered, I guess.”

He nods. ‘No matter what, you’ll never be alone in this.”

I nod, my heart constricting at his words. I’m not alone in this.

I’m not alone anymore.

My heart starts doing really weird things, but I shove the feelings aside, silently telling my heart to quit being a dumbass.

After Foster leaves, I get dressed, putting on a pair of black, stretchy jeans and a matching shirt. Then I pull my hair into a ponytail and head downstairs to the kitchen to make myself something to eat. When I get there, though, plates of bacon and eggs are already on the kitchen island.

“Good morning,” Charlotte greets me as she wipes down the countertops with a dishrag.

“Hey.” I peer around the empty kitchen. All the appliances look polished and sparkly and the air smells like bacon with a hint of lemon cleaner. “Where are Foster and Easton?”

“They haven’t come down here yet.” She moves on to wiping down the stove, giving me a smile from over her shoulder. “They’re worse than a couple of girls when it comes to getting ready. Well, either that or my girls just got ready quickly.”

“You have kids then?” I ask, plopping down onto a barstool.

She nods, tossing the dishrag down and turning to face me. “Three actually. But they’re grown up now and married with their own kids.”

“Where’s your husband?” I wonder as I shovel up a forkful of eggs.

She frowns, agony filling her eyes, and I immediately regret my words.

“He died about a decade ago at the hand of an elemental protector of darkness, but that’s becoming more and more common in Elemental.” She wraps her arms around herself. “His death is part of the reason I decided to leave our world and come work for the Everettsons. My children left, too. And while I’m glad we’re all okay, I long for the days when we can all live in our world safely and not have to live in hiding.” She reaches across the counter and pats my hand. “Something I’m sure you understand.”

“Maybe a little. At least the having to hide my powers part.” I chew on a bite of eggs. “How did you end up working for the Everettsons?”

A smile touches her lips. “Gabe’s parents were friends of my husband’s and mine, and when they mentioned needing a housekeeper, I volunteered. They’ve been so good to me, and they are great creatures. They’re always trying to help everyone, even if it means risking their own safety.”

I nod in understanding. “They risked a lot taking me in, too.”

“I know, but I know for a fact they’re happy to do it. Especially Foster. That poor boy has been so lonely and sad since his grandparents passed away. I can only imagine how hard it was for him to think he lost the last of his kind.” She muses over something with a small smile. “Although, he’s been a lot happier the last couple of days. Not that he’s ever treated me poorly. That boy has always been a sweetheart, even if he pretends otherwise to most people. Still, I can’t believe what fate did to him. That the girl he liked would end up being the girl meant for him.”

Her words send confusion through me since Foster has only mildly liked me for a couple of days. I open my mouth to ask her what she meant, but her gaze wanders to something over my shoulder.

“Speaking of which.”

I twist around and find Foster entering the kitchen and shaking his head. His hair is damp, which probably means he just showered, and he’s dressed in his usual head-to-toe black attire with leather bands and studs to match.

“I have a feeling I was just being talked about.” Foster glances suspiciously from Charlotte to me.

“And your feelings are correct.” Grinning, she hands him a plate of eggs and bacon.

Foster takes the plate from her. “Okay, what were you saying?”

I’m actually pretty eager to hear myself, especially to hear what she meant by the girl he liked ending up being meant for him. But she only gives him a smile and a wink then heads for the door.

“I’ll be in my room today, working on some spells. If you need anything, let me know. And please, don’t burn the house down.” With that, she exits the kitchen.

I glance at Foster, trying to put together some pieces I feel like I’m missing.

“What did she say to you?” Foster asks, nervously shifting his weight.

I shrug. “I don’t know. Just some stuff about her and her family and you.” I wait for him to ask what she said about him, but he must not want to hear since he simply tugs on my hand and steers me out of the room.

“Come on; let’s go eat our breakfast in the pool room then get our practice session started.”

The pool house is a massive room with, yeah, you guessed it, a pool. There’re also massive, flourishing trees that stretch toward the glass ceiling that gives an awesome view of the sky. When we first walked in, it had been mildly cloudy outside, but the more I use my powers, the stormier it gets. So far, though, nothing has been set on fire nor has it rained. I think that might be due to Foster syphoning some of my powers, though, and not because I’ve suddenly become a badass at using them.

“Okay, I want to try something new,” Foster tells me as he lines his palms with mine again.

He’s standing in front of me with his shoes off. Easton is with us, but he’s lounging around in a chair beside the hot tub and texting on his phone, griping about how no one will text him back and that he’s super bored.

I trap a breath in my chest, waiting for him to release some of his powers, something he’s done a couple of times already, and damn, is it intense.

“I want you to try to stabilize some of my powers,” he explains, tracing a finger up and down my palm. Faint, blue zaps of light emit across my skin and the air around me hums. It doesn’t hurt, though. No, in fact, it’s quite the opposite.

I shake my head. “I can barely stabilize my own powers, let alone yours.”

“I think you can do more than you’re allowing yourself,” he says. “You’re just too nervous to let yourself feel the full force of your powers.”

“And for good reasons.” I cock a brow. “Remember the grocery store fire incident I told you about?”

“I promise I won’t let you start a fire. I just want you to be able to stabilize my powers so that, if anything ever happens again like with Brody and his friends, you’ll be able to shove their powers out of you.”

I restlessly tap my foot against the concrete. “I don’t know if I can do it.”

“Sky …” Foster’s tone is soft and patient. He’s actually been really patient through all this, something I never would’ve guessed he possessed if you’d asked me a week ago. Then again, a week ago I never would’ve thought a bunch of people were walking around with secret powers. “I know tapping into all this power is scary, especially after you spent years trying to keep it contained, but I need you to trust me, okay?” His lightning-blue eyes spark with tiny lightning bolts. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Trust. What a strangely foreign word. A strangely foreign word that is frightening to feel.

Do I trust him?

I’m not sure. I wish I was, but I still question if he’s lying to me about things.

But that doesn’t mean I’m going to chicken out with this.

An exhale puffs from my lips. “All right, I’ll do it.”

His smile is part surprise and part awe, but he hastily collects himself. “All right, I’m going to slowly let some of my powers into you,” he warns. “Don’t panic, okay? And let the elements around us into you. Build your power so it can take over mine.”

“I’ll do my best.”

He closes his eyes, his face set in deep concentration.

Despite the uneasiness stirring inside me, I find myself studying him, how beautiful he is, how…

Easton catches me gawking at his brother, and a devious grin consumes his face as he mouths, “Busted.”

I stick out my tongue at him.

He points at himself and mouths, “How come you never check me out?”

I shrug, hoping to god he can’t feel my lie down the link. Because the reality is I have checked him out on a couple of occasions. Him and all of the Everettson brothers. But in my defense, they’re all so pretty to look at.

Good god, I have issues.

As the taste of Foster’s powers glazes inside my veins. my attention shifts from Easton to him. His icy-cold, yet somehow warm, power mixes with mine and causes a gasp to fumble from my lips.

“Collect the energy from the elements around us and mix them with yours,” he whispers. Then the edges of his lips twitch. “Make my powers your little bitch.”

I’d probably laugh if my heart wasn’t beating like a cracked out humming bird.

Breathing shakily, I seek the energy around me, feel the air from the trees, the whisper of the rain in the clouds above, the coldness of the air, and the heat of the fire crackling in the fireplace in the living room. I sense all the elements nearby and collect them, adding them to mine, making myself become powerful—

Foster gasps, jerking back, his eyes flashing from lavender to green to silver to gold, and then back to lightning-blue. “Holy fuuuuck.”

A burst of energy blasts out of me and sprays across the room, dusting the pool, chairs, and even Foster and Easton with little crystals in the shades of all the elements.

“I’m so sorry.” I yank my hands away from his.

What did I just do?

Foster gapes at me. “Don’t be. That was … Well, that was fucking impressive.”

“Fuck yeah, it was.” Easton jumps to his feet, wiping the crystals off his face as he walks over to us. “Shit, she’s got a lot of power. It’s awesome, though. I bet she could do some crazy stuff after she’s trained properly”

“Yeah, I bet she can.” Foster stares at me quizzically. “The crack in her wall is growing, too. I think my powers might’ve done it.”

Easton moves up beside me, leaning in and assessing me with his silver eyes. “Can you see what’s hidden behind it yet?”

Foster shakes his head. “Can you?”

Easton traces his finger along my collarbone, and it takes all of my willpower not to shiver from the way his fingers tickle my skin.

“Right here is where the crack is, right?” he asks Foster. When Foster nods, he frowns. “I can’t see a damn thing either.”

Foster stares at me like I’m mesmerizing, and the look makes me squirm.

“Maybe when we finally get it down, we’ll figure out where the hell all her power is coming from.” Foster continues to stare at me in quizzical wonderment, the crystals on his face twinkling in the light above. “You’re amazing, Sky. You really are. I’ve never seen anything like this.” His gaze descends to the crystals covering his arms and a smile graces his lips.

I flick a golden crystal off me, feeling self-conscious. “Just so you know, whatever just happened, I probably did it accidentally, so you shouldn’t be too impressed.”

“Accident or not, you managed to shove out any traces of Foster’s powers from your body,” Easton grins at me. “Do you know how badass that is?”

“It’s extremely badass,” Foster adds. “And rare. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of any other elemental being able to do that.” He surveys me over. “I’d like to try it again, but only if you want to. I don’t want to pressure you into doing something you’re not comfortable with. But I do want to stress that the more you practice, the more powerful and safer you’ll be. Plus, I think you might turn into quite the badass.” He rubs at the crystals covering his arms, his touch melting them and leaving streaks of elemental colors on his flesh.

Their badass remarks are what win me over and make me want to do it again.

I hold up my palms in front of me. “All right, let’s do it.”

Grinning, Foster aligns his palms to mine and Easton claps his hands together.

“All right, badass girl, let’s see what other awesome tricks you have hidden up your sleeve.” Easton steps back, as if he expects me to do something magical.

And hey, at this point I’m kind of wondering the same thing.

Hours later, I’m beyond exhausted but feeling pretty good. Not only did I absorb Foster’s powers a few times and eliminate them from my body, but I blocked out my feelings from traveling down the link a couple of times as well. Not that I’m an expert yet. No, it’ll take quite a bit of practice before I can stand in a circle amongst all the Everettsons and let them blast all their powers into me like I saw them do with Foster the day I discovered their secret. But I’m feeling more confident about my powers than I did a couple of days ago, so that’s a plus.

Still, worry stews inside me about this whole link thing. I haven’t heard Easton or Foster mention their brothers at all, but the longer they’re gone, the more I find myself… concerned. I’m not sure why. I barely know them, yet they’re taking up a lot of space in my mind as I head up to my room to go to sleep for the night, feeling worn out and achy all over.

“Is it normal to be this tired from using my powers so much?” I ask Foster as we wander down the hallway toward our bedrooms.

He flicks a few pieces of crystal off the hem of his shirt. “Yeah. Even I still get exhausted sometimes. But it’s important to practice so you can go out into the worlds without having to worry about your powers getting the best of you. Plus, it’s good to know you can protect yourself.”

“What do you plan on doing once you graduate?” I ask through a yawn.

He stops in front of my door, his lips tugging into a half-smile. “Traveling with you. Remember?”

I slow to a stop with him. “Yeah, I remember. But what if you’d never met me? Then what would you have done?”

His smile vanishes quicker than my heart can take its next beat. “I probably would’ve followed in my parents’ footsteps—worked for the organization for most of my life then died alone.”

His words strike me square in the chest.

“Foster … I—”

He places his finger over my lips. “I don’t want you to pity me. I know you’ve been just as lonely as I have. I saw it in your eyes the day I met you. But I do want you to know that you don’t have to be alone anymore.” He lowers his finger from my lips. “I’m so glad I met you. And I would’ve felt the same way I do about you now, even if you hadn’t turned out to be an elemental enchanter.” He gives a brief pause, then turns toward his shut bedroom door.

“Wait.” I call out and he pauses. “Will you …? Will you sleep with me again?” Face palm.

Did I seriously just ask him to sleep with me? Sometimes, I can be so awkward.

He twists back around, his lips quirking as his gaze zones in on my flushed cheeks.

“You’re so cute when you get embarrassed,” he says through a soft laugh. “And yeah, I’ll sleep with you, but only if you promise not to let your hands wander where they don’t belong.”

The heat in my cheeks grows hotter, yet I manage to get out an eye roll.

“Nice one, bro.” Easton snickers, appearing just down the hallway.

Great. When did he get here?

“No, not nice one bro.” I throw a smirk at Easton. “Anything that you think is nice isn’t nice at all. In fact, it’s the opposite.”

“You, lightning eyes, are becoming more and more entertaining by the day,” he quips with a grin, slanting against a shut door just a ways down from my bedroom. “But what’s most entertaining is when you blush. It’s by far the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Good gods,” Foster mutters, giving his brother a dirty look. “You don’t ever let up.”

“Not when she’s blushing like that,” Easton says. “In fact, lets see if we can get her to do it again.”

“And on that note.” I push open my bedroom door and move to step inside. “And just for the record, I wasn’t blushing.”

“Then why’re your cheeks red?” Easton shouts out through a laugh.

“Because I’m pissed off at you.” Turning around, I flip him the middle finger and grin.

He grins back, his eyes glinting wickedly.

God, he really does get off on this, doesn’t he?

“Whatever. Deep down, I know you love me.” A devious smile carves across his face. “Maybe not as much as you love Foster, but probably pretty close.”

I narrow my eyes at him, but his smirk only turns more wicked. Then he spins on his heels and struts down the hallway with a cocky bounce in his step.

“One day, he’s going to meet someone who gives him a taste of his own medicine,” I murmur with a shake of my head.

“Oh, I know, and I can’t wait,” Foster agrees, stuffing his hands into his back pockets. “Payback is going to be a real bitch.”

“Definitely.” I trade a conspiratorial grin with him. “And we should make sure to tease the crap out of him when it does happen. Pay him back for all the teasing he’s giving us.”

“Sounds like a deal to me.” He grins at me then backs toward his door. “I’m going to go get changed. I’ll be right back, okay?”

I nod then hurry into my room to get changed. Once I’ve pulled on a pair of comfy shorts and a tank top, I climb into bed and check my messages while I wait for Foster to arrive. A frown pulls at my lips when I note there are no new messages from Nina and Gage. Not that I texted them since last night, but I’ve been busy. I guess they are, too.

I sigh at the screen, feeling as though we’re already starting to drift apart, something I was worried about.

I’m not even sure what to do—how to stay connected to them, or if I should even try. Won’t I be putting them in danger? Just how much danger am I going to be in? Will I ever feel totally safe?

Countless worries and questions haunt my mind as I wait for Foster to return.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Come in,” I call out, setting my phone on the nightstand beside my bed.

Foster enters my room, wearing drawstring pajama bottoms and a T-shirt that has a logo that reads: Ash East Arrow.

“What’s that?” I ask, pointing at the logo on his shirt.

“It’s the band Easton ditched school to go see that one time I told you about.” He stops beside my bed and picks a piece of lint off his shirt. “They’re pretty popular amongst paranormals. The lead singer is actually a genie, the drummer is a cyborg, and the bassist is a faerie.”

I blink stupidly at him. “Um … Wait. Genies and cyborgs …? Huh?”

He smiles amusedly as he climbs into bed beside me and rolls over onto his side, facing me. “I kind of like that you don’t know a lot about our worlds, and that I get to be the one to show you everything. I know you haven’t seen much yet, but I promise, when we travel, I’ll show you everything, including this band performing live.”

For once in my life, I’m actually bursting with excitement about something.

“I’d like that, Fost. I really would.” When the most real smile I’ve ever seen graces his pretty lips, I ask, “What?”

“It’s nothing.” He shakes his head, his grin as shiny as the stars and moon outside. “It’s just that you called me Fost.”

“Your family does, too,” I remind him, unsure what the big deal is.

His grin continues to sparkle. “I know, but I like that you’re using my nickname. It means you’re getting more comfortable around me.”

I neither deny or admit it, unsure about the answer myself.

“I’m so tired tonight,” I mumble through a yawn.

“You should go to sleep. You had an exhausting day.” He lightly grazes his lips across my forehead and my heart does that stupid fluttering thing again. “You’re safe with me.”

Safe.

Safe.

Safe.

He wants me safe.

“Goodnight, Fost,” I whisper as exhaustion pulls me under.

“Goodnight, beautiful girl,” he whispers so softly I wonder if I heard him correctly. “I’m so glad I finally got to meet you.”

Again, his words puzzle me.

“What do you …? I think …” I fight the sleepiness inside my body, yet it’s too powerful to overcome, and I have no choice but to succumb to it.