Wicked (The Drake Chronicles Book 1) by Clover Donovan Page B

wrapping themselves around his thick arms, the branches swirling about his muscles.
     
    Ethan finally presumed that it was Adam’s room and was no longer as nervous as he was growing to be. Adam turned and spotted Ethan’s staring.
     
    “Would you like it better if I kept my shirt off?” Adam teased. Embarrassed, Ethan turned onto this back and willed his eyes to the ceiling.
     
    “How long have I been asleep?” Ethan asked.
     
    “A few hours, my father said you needed to rejuvenate after that stunt you pulled.” Adam explained.
     
    “Is this your room?” Ethan asked, trying to change the subject. Adam snickered and pulled a burgundy t-shirt over his torso.
     
    He walked back over to the bed and lied down next to Ethan. Ethan’s body grew tense. He hadn’t been in bed with a boy in a long time. Technically, he wasn’t in bed with Adam, they were just lying next to one another.
     
    Tiny stars erupted on the ceiling, turning the brown paint into a night time sky. Ethan turned to Adam and smiled.
     
    “Yes, this is my room. I had to carry you here because you used too much dark power; you almost gave in to your dark blood. Just a little longer and you would have evolved. You’d be a dark warlock right now.”
     
    “I didn’t know what was happening because the only time I’d ever seen the sky do that was on my birthday but when I brought you home, my dad explained it all to me, and how it is severely rare. Are you feeling okay? Are you feeling different?” Adam looked greatly concerned, his forehead scrunched in the middle.
     
    Ethan could see that Adam was concerned for him; even after only knowing each other for a single day, something was pulling them together.
     
    “I feel the same, nothing has change-” Ethan’s eyes grew wide as a brutal pain began clawing at his right arm. He screamed in agony and Adam yelled for his father.
     
    A hulking, dark haired man hurried into the room and over to Ethan’s side. He’d never felt so much pain in his life. Sweat broke out across his forehead as he looked down at his arm. Letters began surfacing, coming through his skin, red and bloody.
     
    Soon the letters were bubbling and almost instantly, the pain came to a grand halt. Ethan was breathing hard and crying. His breathing finally returned to normal and he stared at Adam’s father.
     
    “What was that?” Ethan asked.
     
    “It was a Samaris.” Adam’s father grabbed Ethan by his arm, showing him the words that appeared to be engraved into his inner forearm. Ethan saw the words and swallowed hard. “It is old magic and they used to do it a very long time ago. It was an easy and safe way to get a message to another witch without getting caught. It doesn’t last long; it should disappear within an hour.” Adam’s father ran his hand along the words but Ethan didn’t wince.
     
    Adam resembled his father almost entirely except for his age and his black and gray hair. They were both tall, had plenty of muscle, and had piercing blue eyes. His father also had a long scar, the shape of a crescent moon near the top of his left eye.
     
    “Emma,” Ethan said and sat up, rubbing the tears from his eyes. He looked down at his arm and silently read the words to himself.
     
    Ethan, be careful and hurry back to the house. I know you have used a lot dark magic and you can’t do that again. Don’t let Adam influence you, you can’t leave me alone to deal with all of this. I need you. Find Oleandra and get back to Logan’s house before something else happens.
     
    I love you.
    Emma
     
                  Out of the corner of his eye, Ethan saw that Adam was reading it too and he turned his arm over. He didn’t deserve to see that. After everything he has done for me, Ethan said to himself and pulled the sleeve of his sweater down over the message from his sister.
     
    He loved Emma, that would never change, but she didn’t know Adam. He would find Oleandra, get back home, and keep Adam