Lenobelle

Chapter One

First of all, I was severely out of shape. I ran only a couple of feet and my lungs were already howling in an angry protest. Secondly, my pursuer was, in fact, hella fit. Seriously, this guy jumped out of a moving car and just took off after me. Now, logically, there was no reason for me to run, considering I had no Earthly clue as to why this man was even chasing me down. However, he was large and powerful looking, that alone was enough to give me a spook and send me running to the hills. I wheezed, huffed and panted as my feet made heavy thuds under the ground beneath me.

"Stop right there!"

His masculine voice startled me as if I could actually be more afraid.

"I said stop!"

My body betrayed me as all my limbs halted, sending me face down into the pavement. I would be genuinely surprised if my face didn't bruise soon. Whatever had just happened to me completely petrified me. No, it was more like gravity was working against me, keeping me completely flat on the ground. I couldn't even lift a finger. Panic set itself deeper into my mind as I tried to move my paralyzed appendages. The metaphorical weight of the world kept me pinned. My heart hammered in my chest at an unhealthy pace as fear tore itself through me. He quickly took his place next to me. From what I could see from my awkward position, he was inspecting my person. If I was being honest with myself, had he not pummeled me to the floor, I might have found him attractive. His incredibly muscular body crouched over my not-so-impressive form. His thick dark brows creased in confusion as he gazed at me completely baffled. His tank top hung low, revealing a very impressive chest. The exposure allowed me to clearly see the brand on his collar bone, he was a fricking wizard.

"You're not the prisoner, though you look a lot like her" he casually stated as if I knew what the heck he was talking about.

He hovered his giant man hand over the small of my back and muttered a barely audible apology. My body began vibrating with that pin and needle feeling, then as if I had never even malfunctioned, my movement came back to me! I brought myself up onto my raw, skinned knees, pulling my shirt down to cover my chunky belly. I scrunched my nose as I tried to ignore the pestering sting. The offender offered me his hand only to have it swatted away. His eyes widened in shock, he blinked a couple of times and set his expression back into that serious I-mean-business glower.

"What in the world is wrong with you?" I shrieked, standing on wobbly legs.

"What's wrong with me? More like what's wrong with you?! Why did you take off for no reason!" He bellowed back obviously shocked, taking a more defensive stance.

"Who wouldn't run away from one ton of man barreling towards them?!" I questioned, resting my hands on my hips.

His dark eyes sparkled in amusement before setting back into a stern glare. He crossed his hands over his chest, making his muscles flex under his skin. Good lord, I would need to bathe in holy water when I got home. I have never been so aroused and so angry at the same time. He was as hot as they come, but he was also a jerk for using his stupid wizard powers on me. Seriously, it's not like I could have outrun him any longer. He stood back to his full height. As he continued to look down on me, I decided it was time to leave and maintain some shred of dignity. He wordlessly fished into his back pocket, pulling out a badge.

"This is my official identification from the Western castle. I'm allowed to be using magic around town, just in case you even think about trying to sue me." He smirked as my irritation plastered itself on my face. "Have you seen a woman who looks like you?"

"No" I quipped "Only big mean jerks who thinks it ok to go tripping people!"

I didn't mean to stomp my foot, but I did. I couldn't look like anything more than a bratty child to this man.

"You ran for no reason" He responded, putting an emphasis on each word "you behaved like a petty criminal. Not to mention your choice of clothing does nothing for you. You look homeless."

Oh no he didn't, he did not just insult my dad's over-sized BBQ competition tee. He won this thing fair and square. That was it, if it was a war he wanted, then it was war he'd get. Before I could unleash my full attitude on him, he slid me his card, effectively shutting me up.

"The name is deputy Misha, call this number if you see a sorceress with black hair and a heart branded on her left breast. Do not engage her, just call the number and go somewhere safe" He flashed me a quick smile, which was obviously super perfect and angelic. His weirdly symmetrical teeth made me hate him only a little bit more.

"Misha's a stupid name" I scoffed, pocketing the card.

He rolled his deep brown eyes as he sneered down at me. The smugness practically radiated off of him. He smoothed the wrinkles out of his clothes and gave me a nod before taking off in the opposite direction. I scowled, earning myself concerned stares from those who passed by me. Coming to the conclusion that enough was enough, I marched home. I managed to run far enough to almost land me at my apartment complex, I only had to walk a few blocks before I arrived at the wonderful oasis known as home. Wow, I was super proud of myself considering the only thing I ever ran was my mouth. My phone vibrated in my pocket demanding my attention. SHIT, that chase, and fall had cracked my phone screen. My big brother was going to kill me! He forced this wretched thing on me stating that 'flip phones are for old men and ten-year old's Sadie'. I was never going to hear the end of it and the worst thing was, I wouldn't be able to escape his wrath because he's my freaking roommate. My best friend's picture showed through the cracked glass; oh, Juniper was going to eat this shit up. She loved gossip of any sort, especially about hot men. I pictured her manicured pink nails flying over her mouth accompanied by her famous shrill shriek.

Call me asap!

I quickly sent the text still grimacing at my shattered phone. I flaked some of the glass shards away, careful to not prick my fingers. It only took one second until I received June's call.

"What?" She squealed most likely knowing that I had something worth telling her.

"Nothing much, just got slammed down by a god damned wizard is all" I replied, disdain laced in my voice.

"WHAT" she screamed causing me to jerk the phone from my face. "Oh, my God Sadie that is so illegal! Are you ok girl?"

"Yeah I'm ok, the dude was a knight so he has his rights to be an ass or something like that."

"A KNIGHT SADIE, WHAT IN THE WORLD?"

I launched into the whole story as I speed walked to my home. My bed was a siren beckoning me to sea, sleep was a good friend of mine. June gasped at every little detail and asked me if I was ok several times before I wrapped it up.

"So, in conclusion, there is a magical maniac that looks like me running around and I had the pleasure of meeting the world's most egotistical nob." I huffed remembering his 'I'm-so-better-than-you expressions'.

"So, was he hot?"

I sputtered almost tripping for the second dang time today. I expected as much from her, but for some reason, the question left me without words. Hell yeah, he was probably the hottest guy that I've interacted within months. My cheeks grew hot as I pictured his strong dark arms and his incredible jawline. Or even worse, how intense his eyes were, they practically danced with authority.

"HE TOTALLY WAS" June screeched picking up on my silence. I could hear her pacing around as she got invested in the conversation. "AND YOU SCORED OFFICER HOTTIE'S NUMBER, SADIE THIS IS BIG."

"Absolutely not" I scolded "He gave me his card, his business card. It's not like he wants me calling him and asking him about his sign."

June took in an audible breath of air.

"I bet he's a Leo."

"JUNE."

"He is totally giving off Leo energy."

"JUNE."

"What, hold on someone is beeping in on the other line."

Before I could even squeeze in an 'okay' I was put on hold. My leg muscles ached with every step I took as I made my way through my hometown. Spring was just around the corner, which meant that my cozy little town began to perk up with color from the local plant life. Pinks and purples dotted the bushes that hugged the edge of the sidewalk, trees began to shed their orange and red hues in favor of lively greens. The western state of Lenobelle was known for its beauty, though it wasn't a favorite destination for tourists due to the lack of beaches or amusement parks, it still attracted a decent amount of attention with its many greenhouses that produced some fresh, organic groceries. Rumors have been spread that our queen lets the farmers use arcane magic in order to grow so successfully, which was just political rubbish. The only people's magic who remained arcane was the outsiders and the castle's shaman. Magic has dwindled down as people evolved over time, becoming more dependent on technology. The shaman of each castle (North, East, South, and West) was different because they were all around 100,000 years old and if you asked me, that was just way too damn old. Each section of the country was governed by one castle, which marked itself as the capital of each section. I was unlucky to not live by any beaches, but I did live a jump, skip, and hop away from the capital of the west. Which meant I ran into a lot of certified wizards with unique brands. Wizards and witches were scouted out as teenagers in high school. Around the time puberty set in was when people who wielded magic began to show signs. Operating your magical powers was almost like operating a car at this point, you had to have a license and if you misused it the shaman could take it away, except taking away someone's power was a lot more permanent than a restricted driver's license. Our queen was not unkind, just very stern and straight forward. She was one of the only women in power and most older people questioned her position on the throne. Lately, a lot of uproars have been happening over the new law she imposed. Older individuals who show clinical signs of mental instability were to have the powers monitored and if need be, taken away. Some people find the law unethical, I, on the other hand, am all for it. Especially since I had to deal with a crazy old wizard today. I couldn't break change for a twenty and the geezer almost lit the whole book store on fire. Guards were all over him like flies on poop and I was so ready to quit right then and there. Turns out the poor guy has some kind of stress disorder from serving in the military in his younger years. Other than that, life seemed to run pretty smoothly, except for your petty criminals. Like that would ever change.

"Hey babe I am back" June's voice startled me, breaking my train of thought.

"Well it's about time" I replied; light humor sprinkled in my voice.

I finally arrived at the complex I lived in, dreading walking up the stairs. My legs and thighs were on fire as I hauled myself up into the promised land. Everyone wants to live on the fourth floor until they got to do four floors worth of climbing. By the time I was at my door I was way too out of breath. Man, I needed to work out.

"June I almost ran all the way home; I was seriously freaked. I just want to lay on my couch in my undies and watch T.V. No hot guys, no running, and no wizards."

I fumbled around with my keys until I managed to lodge it into my door and twist.

"I get it girl, but still this is so novel. Hey, let me call you back the momma bear is calling, love you!" She chirped enthusiastically.

"Love you too" I muttered prying open my door. Always busy that one.

I was hit with another immediate shock. In my house planted oh so comfortably on my couch was another hot guy. He was sprawled out, his thick arms draped lazily across the back of our leather sofa. His hair was a bright crimson and piercings littered his too-perfect face. What a typical oh-look-at-me-I'm-an-edgy bad boy. His presence was not the defining factor that threw me off, his right arm held five magic brands. Not one like most wizards, five. By accident, we made eye contact. His eyes locked onto mine producing a cold chill that crept down my spine. If looks could kill I'd be blown to bits where I stood. My natural alarms were sounding off in my skull. I was half, only half tempted to run away again. My brother decided that it was time to make an entrance. He balanced a tray of fancy little snacks in one hand and a tray of drinks in the other. The venom-laced glare quickly melded into a pleasant one. I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding, willing myself to move from my spot. Did no one just see that? This dude just eyed me down like he could jump up and stab me at any second.

"Hello Sadie, anything exciting happen today?"

My brother's sweet honey-filled voice coaxed me out of my shock. I opened my mouth to tell Garrett everything and maybe even cry about how embarrassed I was, but something in my gut twisted. My instincts were violently telling me not to disclose any information about today. I would wait until I had Garrett alone, that way I could also tell him that I got wicked bad vibes from his friend. Instead of giving him a proper response I just shrugged.

"You know how it is when it comes to customer service. I just was blessed with assholes today. It's been a long one" I lied hoping I passed that off casually enough.

I refused to look at the intruder. Never less, I could feel his eyes bore into me as I spoke. It took an actual effort to make my body move casually. Garrett tilted his head sympathetically at me. His pretty black hair fell perfectly down his shoulder in onyx waves. He was always way prettier than me. He was taller and his hair should have been in its own commercial. Not me, I was lucky enough if I could get this big black mane into a damn bun that sat at maybe a decent-looking angle.

"I'm sorry honey" he cooed "grab a bite to eat and come watch movies with us. Taylen should be over pretty soon."

Relief melted over me, Tay was sure to get the same vibe off of this new guy. The poor kid has been helplessly in love with my brother since we were fourteen. Garrett may be an honor student and highly recommend by any job he dared to tackle, but holy hell was he oblivious to romance. I wordlessly meandered my way into the kitchen happy to pry myself out of the wizard's field of vision. The smell of freshly boiled tea wafted into my senses reminding me that I was hungry and thirsty as heck. I shoveled a paper plate full with whatever was on the stove knowing that it'd be divine because Garrett made it and scrambled to my room. What in the actual freaking freak was happening today? I decided to lay low in my room until that guy went home. What was up with these dudes being insufferable today? I took a bite of what I now recognized as cauliflower casserole as I chewed the thought over. This guy was different and definitely the bad kind. Misha may have been full of himself but his eyes didn't look like those of the man in my home. The stranger's gaze was filled with something deeper than sternness and far more intense than hate. He looked to me as if he was a hunter locked onto his prey. My heart leaped in my chest as I recalled the event that just happened mere seconds ago. The fact that we were separated by a wall did nothing to comfort me, I wanted miles and miles between us. I was genuinely scared of him and I couldn't even begin to explain why other than a strong hunch I had. But hey, since when have my hunches ever been wrong? It's always good to trust your gut. At that moment my gut decided to make me nauseous. I set my plate down on my bedside table as I searched for my phone. I dialed June's number; I needed my best friend to come over at that very instant.

"What's up?" She answered

"Come over, Garrett has some weird dude over and I'm not going to be ok until you get here," I said trying to keep my naturally loud voice at a hushed volume.

"Oh, that sounds spicy. Does Tay know?" she asked obviously looking for drama.

"yes" I hissed "and don't say a damn thing about today. It's officially a secret."

"Cross my heart! I'm about to jump in the car right now! I'll call you as soon as I'm there!"

With that, she ended the call. Now all I had to do was just sit and wait for the blonde giggly oasis that was my closest friend. I plopped onto my back and starfished on my mattress. Ever since magicians have expanded crime rates have gone up. Undoubtedly, not everyone wanted to use their license to wield for anything upstanding. The only people who were supposed to use magic on the streets were cops or special forces for the castle. Or if you were like me or June, you were born without it and lived a totally normal life like the majority of us. Well, everything was totally normal until a fine cop threw me to the ground and Satan made himself at home in my apartment. My brother's gross and desperate flirtatious giggles drifted into my room. I stiffened a little, that was new. My brother rarely flirted with anyone. And as of right now he was in the living room giggling like a little school kid who just gave a note to their crush. My mouth watered as bile threatened to make its way up my throat. Oh man, the sound of those little laughs was going to make me puke. I flung myself off my bed and dashed into the restroom. I just barely made it to the toilet when my stomach contents purged themselves. My knees slammed down into the fluffy black rug that rimmed the toilet. I silently thanked Garrett for his expensive taste as I finished my vomiting session. I flushed the grossness down and began loading up my toothbrush with some paste. A timid knock sounded from the door.

"Come in" I gargled assuming it was my brother checking on me.

I assumed right, Garrett stepped into the small space and shut the door behind him. He looked concerned and even a little flustered.

"Are you ok?" he asked shyly tucking a piece of hair behind his ear.

"Yeah" I replied after rinsing my mouth out "something just hit me and I had to puke."

"I did think you looked a tad bit pale when you came in. Do you need me to go pick you up something?"

He was too sweet for this planet. I almost said yes but the thought of being alone in the house with that guy almost made me sick again.

"Thanks, Gerry bear but I think that it's just a stomach bug. You know working with the public and all that jazz."

Just as he was about to press me further our doorbell rang. Garrett quickly ran to the door to greet our visitors. Two voices drifted cheerily into the home. Tay and June must have arrived at the same time. I shuffled into the living space getting ready to be pounced on. A flash of blonde whipped through the room and crashed into me accompanied by a high-pitched girl squeak. I let some chuckles escape my mouth as I welcomed the biggest warm and swaying hug that June could give. Another pair of arms engulfed both of us, but these ones were large and meaty.

"Hey, Taylen!" I gasped excitedly.

I was released from the rib-cracking embrace. For a few seconds, I forgot about the elephant in the room.

"Hello, how are you tonight?"

"Not too well" Garrett interjected placing a hand firmly on my shoulder "at least that is what I thought before our beautiful blonde airhead came flouncing in here."

I scoffed and shrugged his hand off of me.

"That's why she is here" I lied "I called her before I puked. I didn't want to bother you as you entertained your guest."

Said guest decided that it was finally time to weasel his way into our conversation sporting a rather humble and totally fake smile. June was eyeing him up and down, skepticism heavy under her ridiculous false eyelashes. He offered her his leather cladded hands as if he wanted her to shake them. She made a loud popping noise with her mouth. I inwardly flinched knowing what the sound called for out of the experience. She was about to give him the questioning of his life. In the next ten or so minutes June was going to have enough information on this creep to do a thorough social media scan.

"So" she started flashing him a stupid smile "What's your name? Where do you work? Do you even work? How did you meet Garrett? How long have two known each other? Do you have any kids? Did those piercings hurt? Where did you get those? Did you go to school somewhere around here? What are your intentions with my fake big brother?"

Big tall and scary seemed slightly shaken by the sudden barrage of questions coming from the short ball of pink standing in front of him. People, in general, misjudged June as someone who was unintelligent and vain. I loved watching their startled expressions as they began to grasp what they were really dealing with. He regained his composure and practically forced a laugh out. I let my eyes dance around and wondered if I was the only one who could see the irritation poorly concealed in his eyes. Garrett only starred slack-jawed at June in what I can only assume was horrible embarrassment. Taylen made it a point to not make eye contact with any of us, jealousy radiated off of him and I almost wanted to hug him and scream 'I'm so sorry my big dumb brother let this really hot guy in our house but if it makes you feel better, I hate him!'

"Well let's just skip the formalities huh" he chuckled. I wanted to melt for only two point five seconds. His laugh was low and sexy. "My name is Aaron, but you can just call me A. Garrett and I met at Flora's as we were shopping. He was very helpful and assisted me after learning that I am not from around here. We exchanged numbers and became friends all around two weeks ago. No kids and I am looking for work at the moment. Nothing hurts me anymore and I just want to get to know the neighborhood."

June smiled triumphantly and extended him her hand. Bangles clanged around as he shook with a little too much force. The action was subtle and had I not already been wearied of him I would have missed it completely.

"I'm June, Sadie here is my best friend," she said gesturing to me "which makes Garrett my un-biological brother even if he hates me as of the right now. Also, this is Taylen. He is basically going to marry Garrett one day and I have the perfect wedding planned ou-"

"OKAY" Garrett yelled yanking June to the side "maybe you should go tend to my baby sister please and thank you June."

It took the will of several Gods for me not to die laughing right then and there. Aaron raised an eyebrow stealing glances between my brother and Taylen. Taylen's whole demeanor changed, shifting from insecure into proud and mighty. My brother, on the other hand, was mortified. I sauntered off towards my room with June swaying right beside me. As soon as the click of the door shutting hit my ears, I peeled into laughter falling onto my mattress for the second time that night.

"Shut up Sadie!" I heard muffled through the wall. That only set me off harder and soon I felt like I was going to puke again.

June, however, did not partake in the humor. She perched herself at the end of my bed and silently massaged her hand. She blinked back some tears before making eye contact with me. She was always really good at pretending she was ok when she wasn't. My breath was snatched out of me when I noticed her hand. A red mark started to bloom where Aaron had gripped her too tightly. I instantly shot up to march back out there and kick the shit out of him for harming my June bug. To my dismay, she pulled me back down and sent me a silent plead to keep calm.

"He has five tattoos Sadie" she whispered in urgency "that is not normal, what in the hell is your brother thinking?"

I took her hand in mine and assessed the damage. No doubt there was going to be a bruise there in the morning, if not sooner.

"He meant to hurt me" she whimpered blinking away tears "I know I came on strong but I wasn't that bad."

"No," I said sternly "you didn't deserve that; you were just doing what any good friend would have. This is way out of line."

For the first time in my life, June was out of words. The silence unsettled me to the point that I just wanted to leave. Guilt crept up on me slowly. If I felt like this guy was dangerous should I just leave him alone with my brother? My mind screamed no even though logically I would not be able to take him down on my own. June snuggled up to my side and nibbled on her nails. I fumbled around in my pockets until I found a small little daunting square.

"Officer Misha White" Printed on it along with two numbers. One that belonged to the police station and one that leads directly to his line. I decided to send him a text, wondering if that number could even receive text messages.

"Hey, it's the girl you assaulted today. Quick question, can someone have five magic brands? Asking for a friend, thanks."

I hit send before I could regret the decision. I placed my phone face down and shut my eyes waiting for a reply.