Free Moondust by J.L. Weil Page B

glanced at the fuzz-ball. “I bet. Lucky for you, I am anything but normal.”
    His eyes laughed. “It’s why I like you best.”
    When he said stuff like that, it made me uncomfortable. My cheeks flushed, and I shook my head helplessly. “Do you even go to classes anymore? You are still in college aren’t you?” I thought about his just popping into my school the other day.
    He made himself right at home, stretching out on the couch, his long legs extending under the glass coffee table. “If the mood strikes me,” he replied, settling.
    I bit my lip, enough with the pleasantries. He was making me edgy. I was trying to take Morgana’s advice, find my inner confidence, so I blurted out, “What is going on with you? Lately, you don’t seem yourself.” I took a seat on the chair across from him, my leg bouncing.
    Angling his head to the side, he looked me in the eye. “I could say the same about you.”
    Okay , I deserved that because I hadn’t been myself, but what was his excuse? Maybe I should have lain off the coffee this morning; I was jittery. “If you only knew,” I muttered.
    His eyes sharpened, his demeanor losing some of its carefreeness. “I would if you told me instead of pretending everything is fine when it is clearly not.”
    Touché. I tensed up. “Well then, you might want to brace yourself. I still haven’t gotten over the shock.”
    He crossed his arms over his grey t-shirt, legs kicked out in front of him, and a hint of a smile on his lips. “You forget. I already know.”
    I hadn’t forgotten —not by a long shot, but I wanted to hear him say it. “How is that? I’ve told no one.”
    He didn’t bat an eye. “Not even your boyfriend?”
    Silence.
    My protective instincts flared.
    “That’s what I thought.” T here was smugness in his voice.
    I rushed into defensive mode. “It’s not like you think. I didn’t give him a choice.” I took a deep breath and admitted what was hard for me to say. “I’m a clàr silte.” After the words flew from my mouth, I waited for him to express outrage or to scramble for the door.
    Emerald eyes held steady on mine, he said, “There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
    W ow. Not the reaction I had been expecting, but he had warned me. I guess deep down, I didn’t believe that he really knew what I was because, if he did, I didn’t understand how he could continue to be my friend. It didn’t make sense to me.
    My eyes narrowed . “How do you know what I only just found out?”
    “ It’s simple really. Our bloodlines have crossed before,” he said as if he weren’t dropping another atomic bomb.
    At first I thought he was kidding, but as I st ared at him, I came to realize he was being serious—dead serious.
    Will everything that comes out of his mouth shock me?
    I gaped at him.
    Upon seeing my open mouth, he continued. “Don’t tell me you are that surprised. We have a connection, and I know you’ve felt it.”
    There was no denial from my lips. For as long as I could remember, I’d felt a kinship with Lukas. It was the main reason I had been so relaxed with him and so open about my life. I tried to connect the dots that were swimming around in my head. What did he mean, connection? He mentioned bloodlines… “You’re related to Morgana too?” I asked. What other kind of connection could he be talking about? I know that it had to do with our similar powers.
    He made a yuck face. “Ew. That would be awkward considering I’ve kissed you. No. Not to Morgana, but to her lover.”
    I felt like I had just been sucker punched.
    Less than 24 hours ago I had just learned that Morgana had practiced the dark arts, and that it was the guy she loved who had pushed her further and further to the darker side of magic. “How is this possible?” I demanded. Annoyance stirred inside me. I was tired of Lukas’s keeping things from me. I understood why he might not blurt out that I was a witch during a dream. Anyone would have dismissed it as