Free Deviation: Altera Realm Trilogy Book 2 by Jennifer Collins

hand, and the light faded. “Sorry. I forgot magic isn’t popular around here.”
    Syney stared at the tree for a moment before looking back at Adam with a smile. “What was that?”
    He shrugged. “I conjured light through the tree. It’s pretty simple.”
    “Do you think…Can you teach me?”
    He grinned. “Absolutely.”
    “Really? That’s great. I hate the fact that us Magic Users seem to be afraid of magic.”
    “Have you done any?”
    She nodded. “The last time I was in the Human Realm. I met a woman who kept all the magic books her family came across.” She paused then added, “It felt amazing.”
    “It does.”
    Syney bit her lip and stepped closer to him. His approval rating rose each minute. “Do you know a lot more?”
    He nodded. “I was raised with magic. It’s common in the neutral territories.”
    “Hm. I think this is going to be a beautiful friendship,” Syney said, sliding her arm around his.
    They began to stroll through the gardens again. Adam told her about some of the more interesting people he had met on his journey through the neutral territories. He had played cards with a Shifter bear that was a bad bluffer. He had made friends with a gang of Vampires who ran a strip club of sorts in the Human Realm. Syney rolled her eyes at that. She could picture Gabe operating a place like that. After they had talked for hours about their lives, they finally met back up with Reed, who had gotten a good-night kiss only moments before.
    Adam patted his back. “Good job, kid.”
    Reed, who was beet red and smiling like an idiot, just nodded.
    Syney laughed. “Well, I guess this really is good night now.”
    Adam’s smile fell, and his face softened. “Actually I want to give you something. But I have to stop by my room first. Can I come by your room in a few minutes?”
    Syney gave a nervous laugh and bit her lip. “Um, that’s…probably not a good idea.”
    “Nothing intimate…Well, it’ll probably be intimate. Just say yes.”
    Syney stared into his brown eyes and got a little lost. She felt her cheeks heat up as she nodded.
    “Good,” he said, before taking off.
    Syney and Reed walked back to her room, with Reed talking the whole time about Hyacinth. She was so happy for him and told him as much. “Andthings went better this time for you, I could tell,” Reed said as they stopped at her door.
    She nodded. It definitely had gotten better for her once Adam had opened up and stopped trying to show off. She really liked the man she had walked through the gardens with. He was nice and had been so many places and seen so many things. And he had laid himself out there for her to see. It was a refreshing change from the guarded people who lived in the Village. She was wishing Reed good night as Adam walked up the hall with a bag in his hands.
    “I’ll send Poppy in a bit,” Reed said.
    “Um, could you have her stay out in the hall tonight?” she asked, knowing full well her face was bright red. There was no way she was sleeping with Adam, but that didn’t mean there might not be a good make-out session involved in the night’s festivities.
    Reed gave her a grin and nodded.
    “Hey,” Adam said with a smile.
    Syney smiled back and led the way into her room. She turned around to awkwardly offer him a seat, but he already was sitting on the floor, pulling out four black candles from his bag.
    “Sit down,” he said, placing the candles in front of him in a circle.
    Syney sat as he lit them. She felt a rush; she couldn’t help it when magic was involved.
    Adam opened a small blue book and read an incantation. “What were your parents’ names?” he asked, looking up at her.
    “Joyce and Richard Andrews.”
    He nodded and closed his eyes. He repeated the incantation, this time adding both names at the end. He opened his eyes and gazed at her for a moment before looking off at something behind her. He looked back to her and gave a soft smile. “Good night, Syney.” He got up and