Growing Out of the Light

Chapter 4

We move swiftly, arriving shortly at the waterfall. At the feet of the water, I raise a hand to silence everyone. Loud cheers erupt from above us and I watch as a boy jumps off the cliff into the water in front of us.

"Shit. Humans." Hayden mutters.

Brynn looks at me waiting for me to instruct our next steps.

I stare in interest at the boy in front of us. I've seen him before at the other cliff. He swims closer to us unaware of our presence. As he nears us, I take notice of his features. He's breathtaking beautiful. His grey eyes contrast his dark chocolate skin. He runs a hand through his short brown hair shaking the water out of it.

But something is off. Like there is a shimmer over him blocking us from seeing the true him. Stepping forward, I mutter revelare, revealing us to the stranger despite Brynn's confusion.

His eyes widen as we appear directly in front of him.

"Woah." He says holding his hands up.

I wave my hand in front of him to remove the shimmer. Just as I expected, a green arrow covers half his face.

I pull him out of the water into a chokehold. He twists my hand flipping me onto my back and points an ice dagger at my throat. Brynn and Hayden go to attack him, but he freezes them with his other hand.

"And you are?" He asks, removing the ice dagger from my throat. He offers a hand to help me up, but I sweep my leg out causing him to tumble to the ground. I quickly straddle him, pinning him to the ground with my weight.

"I mean I don't mind this. But like take me out on a date first." He says smirking at my position.

I point my glowing hand at the side of his face.

"Unfreeze my friends warlock." I spit out.

"Only if you tell me your name" he says calmly despite the obvious danger he is in.

I look at Brynn and Hayden both frozen in place and then back at the smirking boy underneath me. Sighing, I roll off him allowing him to sit up. I stick my hand out for him to shake it.

"I'm Finley. And you?"

He kisses my hand instead of shaking it.

"Julius."

I remove my hand from his grasp and point expectedly at my friends.

"Oh right. Sorry." He rubs his head sheepishly and mutters an unfreezing spell.

I watch as they defrost sneaking a glance at Julius. He seems familiar but I can't seem to figure out how I know him other than as the previous cliff jumper. As soon as Brynn unfreezes, she launches herself at him. She starts punching him soaking wet. Hayden pulls her back and she grunts in frustration.

"We need him alive Brynn." I say rolling my eyes at her impulsiveness.

Julius winces in pain rubbing his jaw slowly.

"Wow you guys are so friendly."

A loud cheer erupts from above us.

"Shit. My friends are coming down." Julius casts another shimmer over his face covering his marking.

"You're in the Hunters coven." I state ignoring the other mortals.

Julius looks back up at his friends in distress.

"Look sweetheart. I don't have time to get into this. I'm with mortals. They don't know about me, okay."

I march up to him and start jabbing at his chest.