Chapter 2: Sweet Reality

With a contented sigh, Lila closes her eyes and runs her fingers along the ridges of his abdomen, letting her hand rise and fall to the rhythm of his breath. His soft scent, like a spring morning by the seaside, mixes with the smell of the rain pouring down outside as he gently wraps his arm around her delicate waist.

“I love you,” he murmurs, his voice barely louder than the rumbling of the storm.

Lila’s eyes flutter open, and she smiles, savoring the sound of those three beautiful words. “I love you too,” she whispers as she leans over to kiss him.

Pulling her on top of him, Kieran glances up skeptically. “You… You do?” he asks.

He sounds surprised almost, but Delilah barely even notices. It just doesn’t seem to matter right now. She nods and kisses him again, softly pressing her lips against his.

Kieran stiffens slightly as Lila’s hands wander suggestively down his body, her breasts brushing ever so lightly across his hips. She usually leaves by now, disappearing back into the deepest crevices of his desires, but tonight she’s stayed longer than she ever has before. “We can’t,” he begins, pushing aside her eager caresses.

Lila looks startled by his refusal. “Why not?”

“They’re coming,” he tries to explain. “My father, he can’t know about you.” Kieran glances outside as a lightning bolt cracks across the night sky. He’s been through this countless times before, and he knows exactly what that means. Atticus will be here any minute now, but still Delilah remains.

Kieran rises to his feet and begins to dress, watching her with uneasy eyes. Why hasn’t she left yet?

“At least put some clothes on,” he implores.

Delilah sighs and reluctantly reaches for her dress. She doesn’t understand Kieran’s sudden change of mood, and in her current haze his urgency seems excessive. “But why can’t we-?”

A voice, loud and angry, echoes through the barn, cutting her off short. “KIERAN!” it calls. “I’m going to rip you to pieces, you impertinent pox-marked lout! I shall cut off your head and feed your shriveled flea-bitten remains to the maggots!”

“Hide,” Kieran whispers, pushing Delilah behind a stack of hay. “They can’t know you’re here!”

“You lied to me!” the man shouts. “You told me that you could rid us of this plague, but you have failed! For two days and two nights, it has rained over our lands, but still our people die!”

Delilah frowns. Why does that man look so familiar? She's sure she has seen his face before…

“I said I would cure it, and I will,” Kieran retorts. “The antidote will take some time, but-”

“Time?” he scoffs. “You’ve had enough time. Tell me, boy, why should I hide you any longer? The bounty on your head is large enough to entice even the most charitable of souls, and I-”

Delilah awakens with a start, only to find herself safely curled up at home next to her boyfriend Beau. As her surroundings begin to come into focus, the realization slowly dawns on her. It was just a dream.

At first, she can recall every single detail with absolute clarity, from the pounding of the rain to the heat of the fire, but as the minutes tick by the fragile memory starts slipping away from her like sand through a sieve, until finally all she remembers clearly is Kieran.

Kieran, she sighs wistfully. She can still see the hunger in his sparkling blue eyes, hear the pleasure in his satisfied moans, still feel their bodies intertwined in blissful ecstasy. Burying her face in a pillow, Delilah tries to ignore the embarrassment and confusion creeping into the back of her mind, but lying next to another man she feels dishonest, disloyal, and downright dirty for allowing herself to dwell on such thoughts. It was just a dream, she reminds herself again. Just a harmless, pointless dream.

Despite her steadfast insistence that it meant absolutely nothing to her, Delilah decides to avoid Kieran as much as possible over the following few weeks in the desperate hope of pushing him and her infuriatingly inappropriate fantasies out of her head, and for the most part her plan seems to work. Until today, that is.

“I don’t know why I need to come,” Delilah pouts.

Kieran sighs, struggling to hide his exasperation. Her attempts to evade him have been about as subtle as an elephant in a neon pink tutu, and he feels hurt and confused by her recent aloof behavior.

“You promised, Lila,” he replies impatiently.

Delilah glowers at him but remains quiet. She wouldn’t break a promise to Kieran no matter how uncomfortable it makes her.

A lanky man with a goofy grin and intelligent green eyes opens the door and ushers them inside, greeting Kieran and Delilah with an enthusiastic handshake and nearly giddy excitement.

“Welcome, welcome!” he sings. “Welcome to my humble abode! You must be Kieran,” he says, carefully studying the younger man’s face. Once satisfied, however, he turns his full attention to Delilah, and taking her hand in his the man bows down and sweeps his lips across the tips of her fingers. “And you, my dear, must be the lovely Delilah that I have heard so much about. Welcome! Welcome to you both. I am Professor Ellsworth, but you may call me Phineas.”

Stunned into silence by his grand gesture, Delilah can merely nod and blush at his flamboyant greeting.

“Thank you, Phineas,” Kieran replies, stepping between him and Lila in an almost protective manner. “I take it you’ve spoken with Atticus?”

“Indeed,” Phineas nods solemnly as he tears his eyes away from Delilah. “I speak with Atticus quite often these days, but let’s not discuss business matters here. Shall we?” he smiles, motioning toward the living room.

“Your grandfather talks about you quite a lot, Kieran,” Phineas continues once they’re all comfortably seated in the parlor. “He was thoroughly impressed with the progress you made over the summer, and he firmly believes that you have more potential than any mage he’s ever worked with.” Chuckling at the memory, Phineas presses on. “He was quite adamant that I convince you to move back to Arundel to study at the university full-time.”

Delilah frowns, shifting uneasily. Kieran never mentioned a university to her before, and the thought of him leaving Jericho makes her cringe. “Atticus is my grandfather,” she tells Phineas. “Kieran is just a-”

“Just a distant cousin,” Kieran interrupts with a pointed glance in Lila’s direction. “Atticus always thought of me as a grandson, but I am only related to him through his marriage to Esme.”

Phineas scratches his chin, idly pondering this new bit of information. “So you are Esme’s grandchild?” he asks at last.

Kieran shakes his head. “Esme’s sister's niece’s cousin’s son. It’s a bit of a twisted family tree,” he explains, lying with such effortless charm that Delilah almost believes the story herself.

Phineas, too, seems to buy Kieran’s tale, and so he allows the conversation to drift to other topics.

“So, Delilah,” he says after a brief discussion about Jericho’s unusually rainy summer. “Atticus informs me that you’ve never had your powers formally tested before. Why is that?”

Lila looks taken aback by the question. “I, uh- I don’t have much magic,” she replies, glaring at Kieran irritably. He warned her not to say anything about her human father, but other than that Kieran gave her no instructions or advice.

Phineas frowns. “Yes, well, I suppose it isn’t that uncommon for mages who live outside the capital to skip their tests. Still, I never thought that Atticus would approve of such apathy…”

“Atticus was not in direct contact with our family for several years,” Kieran retorts. “It was not his decision to make.”

Phineas nods in understanding and gets up to poke the fire. “I have known Atticus since I was a little boy,” he tells them with an amicable grin, “but some days I feel like I barely know the man at all. Your grandfather has always been quite a mystery to me, Delilah, a mystery I'm eager to solve.”

Noticing Kieran’s tense stare, Delilah decides to change the subject. “Yes, well, shall we get on with it?” she asks.

“Ah, of course! The test. Come here, Delilah dear, and we can-”

“Phineas!” A female voice calls out suddenly. “Phineas, where are you?”

Kieran jumps to his feet as a wispy young woman strolls into the room.

“Honey, the grocery store was an absolute zoo! I couldn’t find any fresh basil, and they were all out of con-” Stopping short, she turns to look at her guests.

“You didn’t tell me we had company,” she giggles as Phineas gives her a peck on the cheek.

“Eva, honey, this is Kieran and Delilah,” Phineas announces cheerfully as Kieran reaches out to shake her hand. “Kieran, Delilah, this is my wife Eva.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Kieran mumbles awkwardly, feeling inordinately shy around the pretty blonde.

Delilah doesn’t even bother getting up. With a halfhearted wave, she turns her attention back to Phineas. “Can we get started please?” she demands. “I have a busy day today, and I really can’t hang out here all afternoon…”

“Right, of course,” Phineas chortles. “All you need to do is stand here, like this, and relax your mind. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Taking her hands in his, Phineas begins to weave a binding spell around them both, and within a few moments Delilah falls into a sleep-like trance.

At first, Kieran watches the scene with a mixture of idle curiosity and innocent indifference, but as the spell progresses and their connection deepens he becomes increasingly agitated and annoyed.

Eva, a notorious romantic among her own friends around town, quickly picks up on the jealous vibes emanating from her house guest, and with a sly smile she silently steers Kieran into the kitchen and away from the source of his irritation.

“How long have you two been together?” Eva asks after fixing Kieran a cup of coffee.

Kieran glances up sharply, surprised by the seemingly random question. “What?”

“You and your girlfriend,” Eva repeats. “How long have you two been together?”

“Oh, no, we’re not-”

Eva ignores him. “Because you don’t have to worry about her and my Phineas,” she says with a slight smirk. “I love the goof, and he can be a bit of a flirt sometimes, but I promise you he’s totally harmless. He was a professor back in Arundel, and before that he worked as a TA, so he’s quite familiar with the testing process.”

“In fact,” she continues before Kieran can cut in, “that’s how I met him. He was a grad student studying under my uncle, and I was in one of his classes. It was quite adorable, too, when he finally got up the nerve to ask me out. You see, he didn’t think my uncle would approve, but Uncle Cy didn’t care in the least! The old man can be a bit testy sometimes, but he doesn’t have any kids himself and I think he’s eager for an heir. Not that Phineas and I are ready to start a family yet, of course, but whenever we do I hope we have a son. That way we’d be a shoo-in to inherit part of Cyrus' estate, and I just know he’d choose our kid over my sister’s little brat…”

As Eva babbles on and on, Kieran quickly finds himself growing weary of her grating, high-pitched voice. He’s never been very good at making small talk, but Eva doesn't even notice, too preoccupied listening to the sounds of her own chatter to pay any attention to her guest. To Kieran’s relief, Phineas and Delilah finish up before long, and the friends depart soon thereafter.

Delilah doesn’t see Kieran again until a few nights later at her stepbrother’s engagement party. Due to limited finances and a lack of time and energy, the couple decides to keep the event extremely low-key, only inviting their absolute closest friends. Delilah, for her part, is secretly glad she has an excuse to spend the entire evening away from her boyfriend Beau, even if it means being in the same room as Kieran for a while.

From left to right: Heidi Schmidt (Rigby’s fiancée), Rigby McKinley (Delilah’s stepbrother), Austin Hayes (bassist in their band), Mia Sinclair (childhood friend of Delilah’s), Delilah McKinley (heir extraordinaire), and Kieran Everard (???).

At the beginning of the party, Lila stubbornly avoids Kieran whenever possible, but as the night progresses she finds herself increasingly drawn to him, even cuddling up next to him when he sits beside her on the sofa. Kieran, for the most part, tries to ignore her confusing and often frustrating behavior, but he can’t deny the tension between them, so thick and palpable that even oblivious Austin can feel the heat in the air.

Unable to stand it any longer, Delilah excuses herself from the party early, claiming that she has a big photo shoot in the morning and needs her beauty sleep.

“I’ll walk you home,” Kieran decides, jumping to his feet as Delilah prepares to leave.

“I don’t need an escort,” she sulks as they stroll down the largely deserted city street. “I’m a big girl now. I can handle myself.”

Kieran chuckles bemusedly. “Perhaps so, but I'm not doing this for you,” he retorts. “It makes me feel better, knowing you are safe.”

Giggling, Delilah jumps on his back. “Well, if you’re going to insist on walking me home, then I think you ought to do all the walking,” she teases. “No point in wearing out two pairs of feet.”

Kieran laughs and shakes his head. “Why do your feet get the free ride?” he asks with a lopsided grin.

“Because you’re nicer than me,” she replies before planting a big, wet kiss on his cheek.

“I don’t know about that,” he counters. “Nice guys never get the girl, and I’ve got the prettiest girl in the world wrapped around my shoulders right now.”

Delilah snorts and quickly hops off his back. “I don’t need the flattery,” she protests.

“I would never tell you something that I don’t wholeheartedly believe,” he responds, his voice low and serious.

Frowning, Delilah folds her arms across her chest and sighs dramatically. They are quite close to her building now, but she doesn’t feel like going home just yet. “Kieran,” she begins, an idea forming in the back of her mind. “Kieran, let’s go swimming!”

Kieran tries to object, but Delilah remains steadfast in her resolve. Practically dragging him behind her, they arrive at a small, sandy beach that sits just down the block from her apartment on the banks of the Kaen-Garen River.

Kieran’s protests grow louder when Delilah tells him just how she plans to go swimming.

“Naked?!” he cries. “Lila, it’s totally illegal! What if someone sees you?! Or worse, what if someone recognizes you?! Do you know how much trouble we could get in if the tabloids photographed you dressed like that?!?!”

“Relax, Kieran!” she calls over her shoulder. “There’s nobody here but us.”

Kieran frowns, glaring at the back of her head. “You don’t know that, Lila. There are paparazzi everywhere.”

“Join me!” Delilah shouts. “The water feels amazing!”

“And get arrested? I think I’m fine right here,” he retorts.

“Ahh, come on Kieran! Don’t be such a killjoy!”

“Lila…”

“Can’t you just loosen up and have some fun once in a while?” she cries. “I mean, seriously. I never realized what a drag you were.”

Grumbling the whole time about the outrageous things he does in the name of love (or pride, as the case may be), Kieran strips down to his boxers and wades out into the cold river water.

“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” he groans. “Someone is going to see us and get the wrong idea…”

“I don’t care,” Delilah exclaims. “Let them see. My life is no one’s business but my own.”

“And Beau’s,” he counters.

Flipping onto her back, Delilah lets herself drift in the river’s gentle, slow-moving current.

“I don’t love him,” she says as Kieran comes up beside her. “I don’t even like him most of the time.”

Kieran frowns, mulling over her words. “Then why are you still with him?” he asks after a minute.

Delilah shrugs noncommittally. “He says he loves me, that he wants us to get married and start a family together. Heidi tells me that we’re perfect for each other, and Bexley and Roscoe like all the free publicity our relationship gives to the band. It just seems to make everyone else so happy.”

“Everyone but you,” Kieran amends.

Tired, cold, and wet, the friends decide to head for dry land.

(Alternate caption: Kieran quite likes the view from down here...)

As they begin to put their damp, sandy clothes back on, Kieran gets the overwhelming urge to show Delilah just what a great idea skinny dipping was, and at this hour of the night tickling seems like the best revenge.

“Stop!” she shouts, gasping for air. “I’ll say it! I’ll say it!”

Kieran grins and loosens his hold. “I’m waiting,” he tells her with a laugh.

“I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry.”

“And?” he presses.

Delilah sighs. “And-the-next-time-I-want-to-objectify-your-body-all-I-have-to-do-is-ask,” she mumbles.

“That’s right, because I don’t mind sharing the love,” he smirks.

Turning to face him, Delilah carefully studies his bright blue eyes. “Even with a lying, two-faced coward who shamelessly exploits her best friend’s feelings for her in order to cling to some ill-conceived notion that she’s not a worthless pile of dog shit?” she whispers as she fights back a sudden wave of tears.

Kieran freezes, the smile vanishing from his lips.

“Lila, look at me,” he whispers.

“No,” she sobs, hanging her head dejectedly. “I’m s-sorry. I-I shouldn’t have s-said anything. I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately! I just thought…”

“Look at me,” he repeats again, more firmly this time. Running his hand along her wet, tear-stained cheek, Kieran gently turns her face toward him. “It's true," he sighs. "I love you, Lila. I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember. I never told you because I was afraid, afraid that I would disappoint you or hurt you or... or lose you. But I was a fool. I was the coward. I- I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

And then, because he's certain he'll never have another chance, he kisses her, lightly brushing his lips against her soft, delicate mouth.

“Come home with me,” Lila murmurs, struggling to speak, struggling to breathe, through the pounding in her chest.

Once they arrive back at her place, Kieran and Delilah spend the rest of the evening tangled up in each other's arms.

...Turning sweet dreams into even sweeter reality.


Challenge Notes:

This is probably my most favorite chapter that I’ve ever written. <3 I’m sorry, I know it got a bit sappy there for a while, but I couldn’t resist. I am a diehard hopeless romantic with no other outlet for my sad addiction besides Sims stories, The Princess Bride, and old I Love Lucy reruns. Seriously though, I’ve been dying to get them together since… forever, and I’m sure most of you saw this coming a mile away. =D

So, to sum up my ramblings, thanks for putting up with my corny writing, and I promise it will get interesting again soon! (As in, I will actually go into detail about how magic works in my world and the "tests" that Lila underwent this chapter and Maeve's death and the stuff that Kieran learned over the summer and how Atticus fits into this whole twisted story and... I think I need to shut up before I give anything important away!)

In other news, Delilah apparently has trouble keeping her clothes on. I didn’t realize it until just now, but it’s been more than three updates since she last went for an entire chapter without taking her shirt off for the camera. =P Also, I know that Lila’s apartment is a peeping Tom’s paradise at the moment, but she can’t afford curtains right now and even if she could she has more important things to spend her money on. Like a toilet that doesn’t overflow every five seconds.

Would anyone find it useful if I were to put together some sort of summary page that goes over the story’s main characters and places and some of the more important plot points? I’ve been toying around with the idea for a while now, but I’m not sure if people would even look at it, let alone read (or at least skim) it. I kind of doubt that my story is really complex enough to warrant writing a cheat sheet, but as the author it’s really hard to tell.

Finally, a blooper I want to share. Why I feel the urge to share it I have no clue, but I just… don’t even… know… what... to say... o_O Words escape me.

Chapter 1: Focus

Like sticky red strawberry juice splattered on a clean white blouse, she remembers the way her mother’s blood clung to her that dark April morning, seeping into every wrinkle and pore. With a shudder, Delilah closes her eyes and attempts to redirect her thoughts, but the memory grips her like an invisible hand tightening around her neck. The more she fights it the stronger it becomes.

Three months ago, Delilah found her mom's dead, mangled body on the floor of her father’s kitchen. The police wrote it off as a suicide, a heartbroken woman getting the ultimate revenge on her newly married ex, but Lila's dad doesn’t buy that story. He claims she was murdered, her wrists slashed in an attempt to hide the crime and mislead the cops, but as for who killed her or why, his theories stop there.

Either way, Lila knows one thing for certain- Her life changed forever that cold spring morning. No longer able to stomach living in Jericho, her father and stepmother packed up her siblings and moved across the country. Her childhood home, the only house she had ever known, was sold and torn down, and her best friend Kieran, who had lived with her family since before she was born, deserted her, leaving town earlier than planned to stay with her grandfather for the summer. As for Delilah, she and her stepbrother Rigby remained in Jericho, ultimately resorting to couch surfing until they could find a decent place to rent.

“I can’t sleep again.” Delilah hears the words tumble from her lips with unexpected emotion, but she’s far too exhausted to hide her desperation.

“Do you want me to come over?” Kieran asks in a worried voice.

She assumed he’d be angry, that he’d sigh and groan and complain about the outrageously early hour, so his sincerity takes her by surprise. “Yes,” she whispers in reply. “Please.”

After returning to Jericho last month, Kieran moved into an apartment with Rigby and their band mate Austin. The building is just down the street from Lila’s flat, and so he arrives at her door within minutes of hanging up the phone. Yawning and rubbing his eyes, he settles down next to her on the sofa and waits for her to speak.

“Were you thinking about Maeve again?” he asks at last, breaking the drowsy silence.

Delilah nods but doesn’t elaborate, and Kieran decides not to press the issue. She’s had a rough time dealing with her mother’s gruesome death, and he knows better than to push her right now.

“Did I wake you up?” she wants to know.

Kieran shrugs. “Doesn’t matter,” he says as he fights back another yawn. “I don’t mind.”

Lila smiles tiredly and lets her eyes begin to drift closed. Kieran’s presence has always had a soothing effect on her, and tonight is no exception. She feels sleep wash over her at last, blowing in like a warm breeze on a chilly winter day.

A small glimmer of sunlight peaks through the gloomy morning sky as Delilah lazily cracks open her bleary eyes. She feels tired, disoriented, and achy from sleeping upright on the couch all night, but still she forces her mind into focus.

“Kieran,” she whispers as she nudges him with her knee. “Kieran, wake up.”

“In a minute, Lila. I’ll be over in a minute,” he mumbles under his breath.

“Isn’t there somewhere we’re supposed to be today?” she asks distractedly. “Like a gig or something?”

Kieran’s eyes fly open as he begins fumbling around for his watch. “The studio!” he yells, jumping to his feet. “We start recording today!”

Melvin Roscoe, the vice president of their record label and the man who gave Delilah’s band their big break, rarely tolerates tardiness at the office, unless it’s his own that is. Luckily for Delilah and Kieran, he shows up for work even later than they do, and so their transgression goes largely unnoticed.

“Excellent work,” Roscoe chortles through the speaker as the pair finish up an acoustic number. “I think we’ve got enough material to call it a day. Delilah, Bexley and I would like to see you once we finish up in here.”

“I wonder what he wants?” Kieran muses in a hushed tone.

Delilah glares at him and shrugs moodily. “He doesn’t want to speak with you guys,” she retorts. “Whatever it is, I’m the one in trouble this time.”

“Do you think it’s about the concert?” Austin whispers.

Rigby rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “We’ve already been lectured about that, dude.” Assuming Mr. Roscoe’s deep, commanding voice, he continues. “You four are damn lucky that I don’t fire you right this instant. I have never been so outraged in all my life! Performing a halfway decent set instead of the shit I told you guys to play. And at the Simmy Awards too! Why, if the audience hadn’t of loved every minute of it, I’d drop you faster than you can say ‘terminated’. You must be the luckiest bastards to ever walk into my office, getting away with a stunt like that. I swear, if you ever disobey me again I’ll stick my foot so far up my a-”

“Ahem,” a small, dainty cough interrupts Rigby’s spiel, cutting him off short. Bexley Maddox, Roscoe’s assistant, silently motions for Delilah to follow her, and with a pointed glance in Rigby’s direction she disappears back into the studio.

“Good work today,” Roscoe declares as he swivels his chair around to face Delilah. “I hope we can keep up the momentum tomorrow.”

“Yes sir,” Lila nods, feeling unusually shy. She’s been around Mr. Roscoe plenty of times before, but something about him always makes her nervous.

“Did you see yesterday’s paper?” he asks. “Front page, bottom right?”

Lila frowns, startled by the question. “No, I don’t usually read the newspaper. Why? Did our band get a mention?”

“Indirectly, I suppose,” Bexley says with a smirk. “The article was about you, Delilah dear. You and Beau Henderson…”

Delilah feels her cheeks begin to burn as Bexley’s words sink in, but she manages to maintain her composure.

“You didn’t tell us that you two were dating,” Bexley continues in her typical condescending voice. “Why?”

“H-He told me not to," Delilah stammers as she fidgets with a loose strand of hair. This contract means the world to her, and she'd do anything to keep her employers happy. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think-”

“Sorry?” Roscoe chuckles amusedly, but his eyes remain hard. “Whatever for? Beau Henderson is one of the most visible actors in show business today, and we think it’s great that you’ve taken it upon yourself to cultivate your image like this. Tell me, where did you two meet?”

“At an after party at the Simmy’s, but Mr. Roscoe, I’m not trying to ‘cultivate my image’,” she says, shaking her head. “I just enjoy-”

“Of course, of course,” he replies with a knowing wink. “I understand how it is. Naturally we wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. I just wanted to tell you that we here at Zephyr Records fully support your relationship and wish you two the best of luck together.”

“He wasn’t mad?” Kieran frowns and sets down his glass, making a loud thud on the table.

“Nope,” she replies cheerfully. “Not even a little. I think he thinks it’ll be good for the band, all the extra publicity.”

“But- Doesn’t Roscoe want you to focus on our album? I mean, we’re at a critical point in production right now, and once we release our second single you won’t have time for a boyfriend…”

Delilah giggles and playfully shoves Kieran’s arm. “Keep thinking like that and you’ll never get laid. Dating Beau is no more time consuming than being friends with you or Austin or anyone else. Speaking of Beau,” she adds, glancing around, “I wonder where he is?”

“Maybe he got tied up on set,” Kieran mumbles irritably.

“But surely he’d call or text or-” Delilah stops suddenly as her eyes come to rest on a man by the elevators. “Oh!” she breathes, jumping up to greet him.

Kieran tries not to watch as Lila throws herself into Beau’s arms, but a masochistic sense of curiosity keeps him engrossed in the scene before him.

“You alright?” Rigby places a concerned hand on Kieran’s shoulder, startling him out of his brooding silence.

“Yeah, never better,” Kieran snaps.

Rigby smiles sympathetically at his longtime friend. “Pretty nauseating, isn’t it?” he asks as he motions towards Delilah.

“You don’t like him either?” Kieran surmises.

Rigby shrugs. “He seems like a nice enough guy, but they’re all wrong for each other.” He pauses, carefully watching Kieran’s face. “Why don’t you just tell her, dude?” he asks at last.

The question catches Kieran off guard, but he is spared from having to answer by the arrival of Delilah and her date.

“We’re heading out,” she announces. “Beau has an early day tomorrow and doesn’t want to be tired on the set.”

Beau nods and flashes a pearly white smile. “I’m a total disaster when I haven’t gotten enough sleep, and we’re shooting a big action sequence first thing in the morning.”

“You’re leaving?” Kieran hears the words, dripping with disappointment, spill from his lips before he has a chance to stop himself.

Delilah laughs uneasily as Beau’s hand tightens around her shoulder. “Yeah, Kieran, but I’ll see you at the studio tomorrow. Is that okay?”

Kieran shrugs and drains the rest of his beer in one gulp, slamming the empty glass down on the table. “Fine, do what you want,” he replies gruffly. “I don’t care.”

An awkward silence hangs in the air as Kieran pointedly avoids making eye contact with anybody, and so Delilah and Beau leave without another word.

“Your friend doesn’t like me very much, does he?” Beau asks once they arrive back at Delilah’s place.

Lila shakes her head in reply, allowing Beau’s hands to wander leisurely up her shirt. “It’s nothing against you, babe. It’s just that Kieran can be a bit protective sometimes.”

“I don’t like the way he looks at you,” Beau murmurs in her ear. “Is there something going on between you two?”

Delilah rolls her eyes and turns around to face him. “No,” she declares, more forcefully than intended. “He’s just a friend. A good friend, but that’s all.” Narrowing her eyes, she adds, “Why does it matter to you anyway? It’s not like we’re exclusive or anything.”

“Maybe we should be,” Beau whispers as he leads her over to the sofa.

“Really?” Delilah sounds skeptical, but noticing the crestfallen expression on his face she changes her tune. “Uh, I mean okay, sure, that would be great.”

Lifting her into his lap, Beau smiles and pulls off her top. “My parents married young,” he explains in between kisses. “And I don’t want to spend the best years of my life living alone. I’m eager to find the perfect woman to wake up with every morning, and well,” he trails off, watching her closely. “I think I’m falling for you, Delilah. I realize that we haven’t known each other very long, but I can already envision our future together, from the beautiful house in the suburbs to the newborn baby in your arms…”

Delilah finally manages to shut him up with a tongue down his throat, but still it couldn’t come soon enough. His “vision” keeps her tossing and turning all night long.

The following day, Lila meets up with her friend Heidi for a late lunch at the diner across town. Heidi had insisted that they get together after receiving a frantic phone call from Delilah earlier in the morning.

“He said he wants to find someone to wake up with every day,” Delilah exclaims with a dramatic sigh. “That he can already see our future together, everything from the cookie cutter house to the bratty children.”

Heidi giggles, assuming the indulgent expression of a woman dealing with a willful five-year-old. “Well, I think it’s adorable,” she retorts. “And romantic too. He sounds like the perfect man for you, rich and successful and ready to make a commitment…”

“But I’m only eighteen!” Delilah snaps. “I’m too young to be thinking about forever.”

Heidi freezes, her face hardening slightly at her friend’s words. “Well, I don’t think you’re too young,” she proclaims. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, Lila, but I didn’t want to bother you so soon after Maeve’s death.” Taking a deep breath, she says, “Rigby and I are engaged. He proposed last month after your parents sold the house.”

Delilah’s face lights up at the news. “Really?!” she enthuses. “That’s awesome, Heidi! I’m so happy for you guys!”

Heidi shakes her head in confusion. “But you just said-”

“It’s different for you and Rigby,” she explains with a shrug. “You guys have known each other for years, and you’ve been dating since high school. Honestly I’m surprised you waited this long!”

Pleased with her friend’s response, Heidi spends the rest of lunch talking about wedding dresses and cake flavors.

Since Kieran lives in a cramped apartment with two non-magic roommates, he frequently drops by Delilah’s place to practice his spells. Well, that’s his excuse anyway.

The months Kieran spent with Delilah’s grandfather changed him in more ways than one. Not only did the ancient mage teach him how to use and control his powers, but he revived Kieran’s once dwindling interest in magic. Indeed, ever since his return to Jericho, Kieran spends more time fooling around with his spells than he does his instruments, a dramatic turnaround from his high school days.

“I thought we went over this already!” Delilah exclaims irritably as she joins Kieran on the couch. “I don’t care about magic, and I don’t want to waste my time with it. I’m perfectly happy pretending that I don’t have any powers at all.”

“But it’s part of you!” Kieran retorts, sounding equally exasperated. “An important part too, if you’d let it be. Besides, Atticus knows that you inherited your mother’s magic. I told him so myself. He wants you to get evaluated by a friend of his, to test the extent of your powers.”

“Atticus never gave a crap about me before. I don’t know why he suddenly cares now.”

“Human mage pairings are extraordinarily uncommon,” Kieran explains. “The last known case occurred over three centuries ago, and those children had no powers whatsoever. As a result, the magic community shuns humans now, distancing themselves from their non-magic counterparts whenever possible. But you have the potential to change all that, Delilah. You are living proof that humans and mages can produce children with powers equal to or greater than their magic-bearing ancestors.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Delilah frowns. “I don’t have much magic. You can start a fire with the snap of your fingers, but I can barely create a spark.”

“You could burn down this whole building if you wanted to,” Kieran insists, sitting up straight. “You have more magic than you realize, Lila, if only you would sit still and focus on it.”

Delilah shakes her head. “You’re delusional! I can’t cast a spell to save my life.”

“You’re wrong,” he declares. “Why don’t you try it? Right now?”

“Try what?”

“Casting a spell. If you can’t do it, I promise I’ll stop bugging you, but if you can then you’ll go with me to meet Atticus’ friend.”

Delilah sighs, feeling resigned. “Fine, but it won’t do any good.”

“Sure it will. I’ll guide you every step of the way.”

Rising to her feet, Delilah patiently listens as Kieran gives her some basic instructions.

“And remember to breathe,” he adds, noticing her apprehension. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

“Anything I can think of?” she asks with a nervous frown.

Kieran nods. “It’s just an illusion, a trick of the mind. If you can visualize it, then you can create it.”

Closing her eyes, Delilah reaches deep inside of herself to summon her magic to the surface. Sparks of light begin to play around her fingertips as she prepares to cast the spell, and then in a blaze of energy her vision suddenly materializes in the palm of her hand.

“An apple?” Kieran laughs.

Delilah beams with pride, her eyes glued to the mirage. “I can’t believe I did it!” she exclaims excitedly. “And it looks so real too!”

“I don’t know,” he says with a mischievous grin. “It almost looks too perfect if you ask me…”

Delilah opens her mouth to argue, but the apple vanishes before she gets a chance to reply. “Where’d it go?” she cries.

“You lost your focus,” he explains. “With more practice, you’ll be able to create and maintain illusions without so much effort, but for now it requires your full concentration.”

“Well, that was kind of fun,” Lila admits reluctantly. “I guess we can go talk to your friend.”

“Atticus’ friend,” Kieran corrects. “I’ve never met the man myself.”

“Thanks you,” Delilah says suddenly as she throws her arms around a wholly unprepared Kieran. “For believing in me.”

Kieran feels his entire body tense up as she rests her head on his shoulder. “I- I- You’re welcome,” he sputters. “Any time.”


Challenge Notes:

As I mentioned in my challenge notes last chapter, Delilah is now my generation one founder. I technically failed Luca’s generation, as I didn’t finish raising all the kids to young adulthood and Emily never achieved her lifetime wish, but I was more than ready to move on. I do want to share one cute photo from their teenage years, prom night at the McKinley household. It matches a picture I took ages ago of the gang as children (found here).

Also, after I made Beau, I made a grave realization. He looks *just* like a Ken doll! o_o