“Show me a trick.”, I said to Hermes as I smiled.

He grinned, “Hold your hands up, palms facing me.”, he said and I did as he said. “This is an old spell for the childern back in the day when they got scared of the dark. I can only make it light up for a few moments, but with your strengh, it could shine probably like a star.”

He lift both his hands up and placed them against mine, “Okay, now?”

“Say 'by thee light'.”, he said. “And think of something bright, like a star or lamp bulb.”, he said.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, picturing a light bulb, bright and blinding, “By thee light.”, I said and opened them, but nothing was happening. “Why isn't working? I made the henna tattoos and the rose garden easily.”

“I helped you with all that though, I'm letting you do this on your own now.”, he said. “Just try again, what were you think when you turned yourself back to normal?”,

My face heated up and I cleared my throat, “Okay, got it.”, I said since I didn't want to tell him what I was thinking was how hot he looked when he was mad. I was saying the spell in my head but I had pictured Hermes shirtless before I had done it.

I closed my eyes and thought of him grinning so cute, it made me want to smile but I didn't, “By thee light.”, I said and I felt something warm against my hand. It felt like air brushing against the palm of my hand, soft and like a feather.

I opened my eyes and gasp. In between mine and Hermes hands was two baseball of lights floating in between out hands, “Wow.”, I said and Hermes took his hand away. I moved one of my hands and the floating ball of light followed my hand where ever I moved it.

I watch Hermes reach over and moved my bangs out of my face by tucking it behind my ear, “You doing magic is amazing, Jaycee.”

I shrugged my right shoulder shyly, “Just remember, this is killing me. Can't be doing it for two long. I can understand why the kids would use this spell, I could have used it when I first saw Insidious.”

“So much nicer then you were as a pup.”, he chuckled and I rolled my eyes.

“Sorry, but turning into a small version of myself is not something I enjoy.”, I said. I looked at the floating lights and brought my hands together slowly, making the ball bigger as they collide like two lighters. Hermes put his hands on each side of mine and brought my hands closer together until my hands touch, making the light disappear.

My eyes met Hermes for a moment before I shyly looked down at my lap, bring my hands safely on top of them. I didn't want to look in them for to long, my feelings were to strong and I didn't want to tempt myself to kiss him.

Hermes had driven into an empty playground park since I didn't want to go home just yet. I didn't feel weird being in the long silk robe, I always had to be in something loose when I could running with my family but being with Hermes made me feel really exposed. It was strange and bad. A good kind of bad feeling though I hated to admit.

I saw Hermes hand reach out and I looked up at him to see his fingers touch my cheek before his hand cupped my face, “With skin contact, it can make it easier to look into someone head for beginners. You can do what I wouldn't be able to if it wasn't my gift. Look closely into my eyes, you'll be able to hear what I'm thinking of.”, he said, making me confused but I did as he said.

I looked cloesly into his blue eyes, looking passed how beautiful they were. I pushed myself deeper, looking into his pupil. It took about a moment of looking at it cloesly before I heard so many differen't voices in my head before I realized it was one person voice, but speaking different things.

I tried pulling away Hermes hand away, but he wouldn't budge. I knew he wanted me to hear something but I wasn't sure what it was I'm suppose to look for.

I tried to concentrate on only one of the voices.

. . . I wanted to hold her hand. . . .as if I wanted her to start thinking. . .because I could never admit it

I could feel my eyebrows come together in confusion as I let that voice go and tried another one.

Lying may hurt her but if she's safe, all it matters.

I tried a different one.

She looked so beautiful I could kiss her the way she was blushing down at her lap, looking like an angel.

Suddenly I saw myself. I was in the pink robe, my hand stretching out to touch something before I realized it was a me now, not some memory. What the voice just said—could he be just thinking about that a second ago? I gasp, pulling myself away from his thoughts.

My face and neck heated up as I pressed my back against the car door. Could this mean Hermes has feelings for me?

Hermes leaned closer to me as if I was some animal and he was the predator. All I could think about was that he was going to kiss me, making my face more red. Why is it that whenever he about to kiss me, I feel like it's going to be my first kiss all over again? Nervous and exciting? Better then it being in the boys bathroom—

I had been think so much that I hadn't realized he was closer, he was only a second away from kissing me. He pressed his mouth against my hard and my eyes widen a little as my hands went around him, grabbing onto his shirt.

He was kissing me, in his car, he smelt so much like old spice, and my dad would kill me if he knew I was making out with a guy in a car, I couldn't help but think.

I closed my eyes finally and part my lips so I could kiss him back. Every thought about how much of a jerk Hermes left my head, only how beautiful and amazing he is was left. His hands came up to my face, tilting my head back as he kissed me.

When he tried to pull away a little, I pulled my hands to the front of his shirt quickly and stopped him quicker then I could growl at him for trying to stop kissing me. He chuckled and moved one hand and I could feel it next to my head against the window as he kissed me.

He then moaned—but it wasn't a pleasing moan. Almost an annoyed painful moan. He pulled away and brought his hands up to his head, “Ah, no.”, he said to himself as if he was trying to fight something.

“Hermes?”, I question, reaching out to touch him. “What's wrong?”

“I-I can feel her trying to get in.”, he said. Before I could ask who, he answered, “Lu-Lucinda, I can feel her trying to fight her way into my head. I've been blocking her the best I could since I didn't want her to find out what we've learned.”, he said. He then took my hand roughly, “You have to make the protection spell stronger of for me.”

“Wh-what?”, I asked, panicking. “I don't know how to, Hermes.”

“You have to or she'll get into my head and learn everything we had—ahh! Jaycee, say proteget ta a malo.”, he said. “Ah, she making it feel like nails are digging in my head!”, he yelled as he threw his back against the his sear and I was starting to shake nervously as I reached out and touched Hermes wrist.

“Proteget ta a malo.”, I said and I realized it happened worked when he was still making crying sounds. I wanted to cry at how hurt he was looking so I just kept chanting the spell.

On the fourth time, Hermes finally stopped and he was breathing hard, his eyes closed, and sweating. I was shaking as I took my hand away from him and bit my bottom lip, “Hermes?”

He opened his eyes and looked at me, “I-I'm okay, I don't feel her anymore.”, he said then his eyebrows furrowed together as he reached up. I jerked, but he touched the bottom of my nose. He pulled his hand away and I saw blood on his index finger. I gasped and touched under my nose where I did smell my own blood. I was to frighten I hadn't realize. “We have to do you first then no more magic for today.”, he said.

*

I touched Hermes chest and closed my eyes as I thought of the henna spell, thinking of tree vines, roses, and stars. I opened my eyes and I was watching slowly lines being drawn on the skin I could see around his chest and down his arms, “One last time before I go in.”, I said.

“You just like marking me, don't you?”, he asked, grinning.

He bent down to kiss me, but I chuckled and put my hands on his chest to stop him, “No, my parents could be watching you from inside the house.”

“But I want to kiss the girl who saved me today from the evil witch.”, he said, biting his lower lip in a sexy way as I felt his hands go down my back towards my butt, but I reached behind me and stopped him as I blushed hard. I had changed into my clothes I wore yesterday since Hermes was nice enough to grab them for me after I changed into a helpless animals.

“Stop that.”, I chuckled. “Why are you being so loveable all of sudden, Hermes? You acted like you hated me and couldn't stand the sight of me a in the beginning.”, I said, now frowning up at him.

“I didn't hate you, Jaycee.”, he said. “I was more. . .being me and you being you, the real us deep inside, it was just like an instinct. I hate to admit it, but I grew up to hate you, but I knew it was all gone once I got to know you again. Realizing that we're the same just changed everything though, I don't to deny I have feelings for you anymore.”

“I'm not going to forgive you that easy though, you hurt me.”, I said before wrapping my arm around his neck, “But not now while your being really cute and sweet.”

His arms tightened around me as I stood up on my tip toes to kiss him until I heard my house door swing open and I tore myself away from Hermes. Oh no.

I watched my dad make his way down the stairs and walked over to us, “So Jaycee, nice to finally meet Hermes again. Remember me, Hermes? I'm Jaycee's dad, Scott.”, he said, holding his hand out towards Hermes and I was chewing my bottom lip nervously.

Hermes calmly put his hand in my dad, but grimace since even I noticed his hand was tight around Hermes, “Nice to see you again, Mr. Russo.”

“Oh please, that's my dad name. It's Scott.”, he said, taking his hand away. “So,”, he said, giving Hermes a hard fake smile, “I couldn't help but watch you lay your hands all over my daughter.”, he said, his voice almost cracking with anger and I glared at him, my face redden up.

“You were spying on me?”, I hissed, but wasn't very surprised.

“So was your mother.”, he said and I looked at the window where I could see my mom quickly pulling the curtain away as if I wouldn't see her. “What kind of crazy thing are you into so have all these tattoos?”, my dad asked. “Aren't you seventeen?”

Hermes was grinning as he leaned back against his car, “Jaycee did them.”, he said and I gasped loudly, making both their heads snapped to me in surprise. “What? My parents know what you are already, why not let your parents know? Your right, this is a new day of age.”

My dad was looking at me, waiting for me to answer and I swallowed the large lump in my throat, “It's Henna.”, I said, giving him an innocent smile.

“What does his parents know?”, my dad asked, his voice hard.

I bit my bottom lip and looked around, “Maybe we should talk inside.”