Free Ethereal Knights by Addison Moore Page A

thing?
    What then, genius?
     
    ***
     
    Outside, it’s hotter than an overheated engine. I lean up against the truck and give a sharp whistle for Nev. It takes a minute for his dark plumes to cover the sky, gliding across the vanilla expanse like a primitive-looking kite. I flick my finger in the air and hop into the truck. I don’t know where Skyla Messenger is on this island, but I’m sure as hell about to find out.
    Nevermore leads me down the main stretch of highway with traffic backed bumper-to-bumper, no thanks to the endless roadwork Paragon seems to demand.
    All of those dreams—the endless visions cycle through my mind. Skyla and I holding hands, rolling around on a black sand beach, Skyla dressed as a French Maid, kissing me like she means it—the courthouse scene where the judge pronounces us man and wife. That’s my favorite, outside of the juicier ones that double as porn. Nevertheless, I like the idea of ending up with Skyla—Skyla as my wife one day, in the not-so distant future.
    A horn goes off behind me, and I scoot through the intersection, following Nev all the way to the mall.
    “Mall, huh?” I say, pulling into a parking spot near the front. I couldn’t think of a better place to “accidentally” bump into someone.
    I get out of the truck and watch as Nev loops around the food court. I never did appreciate the fact it was an outdoor mall, since it usually rains twenty-four seven, but for today’s stalker-esque purposes, I couldn’t think of a more brilliant design.
    I navigate my way through the sparse crowd and spot them sitting at a table.
    And there she is. Skyla sits with Brielle beneath a big umbrella, playing with the cup in her hand. Every now and again, she glances around with a nervous look.
    Perfect. As if Brielle hasn’t spooked her enough with all that talk about Chloe, Logan had to join in on the fun and let her know she’s got a bull’s-eye on her back. I don’t need any test results to let me know she’s the Celestra I dreamed about for Logan. Too bad for him our dream girls are one in the same—I know for a fact that she ends up with me.
    I duck behind an overgrown plant and watch as Nev oversteps his bound by landing too close to her.
    “I see her, dude—split,” I whisper, but Nev doesn’t twitch a feather. Looks like Nev has decided to hop on board the freak-Skyla-out express.
    Maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe she needs someone around who can calm the storm—someone who has no intention of rocking the boat—like me.
    Okay. Here it goes. A flood of nerves bum-rush my stomach. I feel like I should be hitting the nearest restroom, definitely not continuing toward Skyla and Bree, but my feet won’t stop moving. I bypass a swarm of kids running through the fountainheads that shoot out of the concrete. The water spouts to life behind Skyla like she’s some ethereal princess, and I’m betting she is.
    “Oh, thank God.” Brielle jumps at the sight of me and wraps her arms around my waist so tight that for a second I think she’s having some kind of seizure.
    “Hey!” Skyla’s face brightens when she sees me. Her eyes cut a quick glance over my shoulder on the lookout for yet another Oliver. My heart drops like a brick at the realization it’s Logan she was hoping to see. Not me, never me.
    It’s becoming painfully clear I’ve spent the last few years lusting after Logan’s future wife. Apparently, I’ve “conveniently” deposited myself in his visions.
    “You’re late for your shift.” I say it casually to Bree, as if I weren’t secretly thrilled to be rid of her.
    “Oh, shit! I’m so sorry! We have to go.” She snatches up the bags like a hostage situation were about to erupt.
    “Hang out for a minute.” I nod over to Skyla. “I can give you a ride.”
    “Sure.” She says it low as if she wasn’t really convinced she wanted to “hang out for a minute” with me. And really? I can give you a ride? Word choice? If I start lacing everything