My hand reaches under my pillow, my fingers connecting with the hard edges of the compass. My stomach flips once it’s in my hand.
I don’t know why it’s my turn to take the compass. Once Jude found Cooper, he passed the compass to Willow. And now that Willow has found Nash, he’s passed it onto me.
Don’t get me wrong, I genuinely want to find my spark. As a familiar, I can sense magic, but I can’t wield it. There’s a part inside of me that’s filled with nothing but longing, wanting to be connected to my spark, to feel them wield magic through me. I crave being their catalyst. They’re going to be brilliant.
But me? I’m just me.
I’m nothing special. I’m the funny guy who isn’t afraid to say something stupid to make everyone laugh that they overlook once they’re done having a chuckle. In my head, my spark is a rainbow and I’m just gray.
Part of me wonders if it would be better for everyone if I tried to pass the compass onto Bently instead of me. Surely it would be better for him to find his spark than for mine to be stuck with me, right?
Even as I think it, my stomach flips with something like disapproval. I let out a deep sigh, knowing there’s no fighting against what Lady Fate wants. It’s my turn. I need to keep my chin up and prepare myself for what that means. All I can do is present myself and hope for the best.
Lady Fate wouldn’t lead me to someone who didn’t want me, right?
This is all without thinking about possibly meeting my true mate! I thought Jude was an outlier, finding his spark and his true mate at the same time but now that the same exact thing has happened to Willow, I can’t help but think this is becoming a pattern.
Am I ready to be someone’s mate? Would I even be a good mate to someone? I’ve never dated. I’ve never kissed anyone. Hell, I’ve barely even attempted to flirt with anyone before! The idea of having some fling with a random person on the road was about as appealing as a tuna sandwich that’s been sitting out in the sun all day. I’m just not interested, but will that change once I meet my true mate? Will those desires and instincts reveal themselves?
I’ve been in my cousins’ pockets since we started this road trip, I haven’t had time to learn how to flirt even if I wanted to. I have no idea how Jude and Willow went straight from being with us to being in a relationship. Can I handle doing the same or am I the cousin who’s going to fuck it all up?
I pull the compass out from under the pillow, looking at it again. I swear it’s moved ever so slightly. Is my spark on the move?
I’m starting to get a bit antsy about leaving this place. I’m sick to my stomach with nerves, but under that there’s another feeling. Tentative excitement. As much as I adore being here with everyone and meeting the hunting crew, I’m ready to get this show on the road. For better or for worse, it’s time to find my spark.
I just hope they’re as excited to meet me as I am to meet them.
Chapter One
Casper
We’ve been on the road for a few weeks, following the direction the compass is pointing. I don’t know how I know, but somehow I just know that we’re getting close.
“You look like you’re gonna be sick,” Harbor murmurs, squeezing my shoulder. “Take a deep breath, Casper.”
Bently looks over at us from over his shoulder before turning back to the road. “It’s starting to get dark. Do you wanna find somewhere to stop for the night?”
My hand clenches around the compass, my stomach going wild with butterflies. I swallow thickly and shake my head. “Can we keep going for a bit longer? Just another hour.”
“It’s happening, isn’t it?” Harbor asks, smiling from ear to ear. “The compass senses your spark, doesn’t it? Oh, I’m so excited! I can’t wait to meet your spark! I bet they’re going to be just as funny as you! You’re gonna mesh instantly, I can just feel it!”
Harbor is so excited that it’s hard to stay nervous. His attitude is infectious and I find myself mirroring his grin.
“We can keep driving all night,” Bently says from behind the steering wheel. “I’ve got at least a few more hours in me before I’ll need a break. This is your moment, Casper.”
“Thanks,” I say, running my fingers through my shaggy dark hair, tucking it behind my ears and out of my face. “I’m so nervous. Holy shit. That poor bastard has no idea what they’re getting in for.”
Harbor smacks my arm. “Shut it, Casper. You’re amazing and they’re gonna adore you. Don’t be so hard on yourself like that.”
“Fine,” I say with a huff. “It’s going to be great and not at all cringeworthy.”
“That’s the spirit,” Bently deadpans.
“I hope you find your mate right away too. That would be extra exciting,” Harbor says, bouncing in his seat. He looks out the window, like maybe he’ll see my true mate out there waiting for me.
“Take this exit,” I murmur, my stomach flipping over itself as the compass moves ever so slightly. “This direction.”
Bently takes the exit, pulling off the highway towards a little town. My heart skips a beat as we continue driving. Despite the night still being fairly early, it seems this little town is already mostly sleeping. We pass only a few cars as we go.
Despite being drawn in a certain direction, Bently pulls the RV through the drive-thru of a fast food joint. When I give him a look he shrugs. “What? If we’re on the hunt then we need fuel to keep us going!”
I groan but order a cheeseburger and large fries despite the nerves in my stomach. Maybe the food will help calm me down a bit. We get our food and quickly get back onto the main drag of this little town, following it through. This town is basically a straight line for a main street, this main road having most of the businesses scattered on either side of it while smaller roads curve off in either direction where people’s homes seem to be.
“Keep following this road,” I say, watching as the small town fades away. I shove my cheeseburger into my mouth, scarfing it down quickly so I don’t miss anything. We follow the road until we see less and less buildings. The road turns from pavement to dirt. There are signs pointing in the direction of the main highway but we ignore that, following this road, following the compass.
Harbor eats his fries like he’s eating popcorn and watching the most intense movie of his life. “We’re so close,” he says, shoving another one into his mouth. “I can tell.”
Swallowing thickly, I can’t help but agree. The longing in my chest feels all consuming, like if I don’t find my spark soon, it’ll completely consume me. My eyes continue to dart between the compass and the road ahead of us. We pass a crossroad and I nearly jump out of my seat. “Wait! We passed them! Turn around.”
Bently carefully pulls a Y turn in order to turn the RV around, going back to the T and taking a left. There’s a rundown house in the distance. Even from here I can see that the house is barely holding on. The roof is caving in, some of the walls have holes in them and a lot of the windows are broken.
The house is very clearly abandoned and condemned. So what the hell is my spark doing here? Are they homeless and squatting here? Are they leaving graffiti? Are they a troublemaker?
Fuck, I can’t wait to finally find out.
There’s a car parked outside. I can feel it in the pit of my gut. The car holds my spark. I can sense them. Can they sense me too?
“Holy guacamole,” I breathe out, my eyes widening the closer we get to the car parked on the side of the road. “Oh my gods. That’s them. My spark is in that car. I think I’m gonna piss myself.”
