Chapter 21 21

Chapter 21 21


ARIA

I walked alongside Jaxon, my heels clicking softly against the campus pavement. The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp grass and the faint aroma of coffee from the cafes lining the road.

I kept my eyes forward, fingers twirling the strap of my bag, but my gaze flicked up when I saw Lyra.

She was coming toward us, moving with that irritatingly graceful gait that always drew attention.

My chest tightened slightly, although not from fear, no, I had long stopped fearing her, but from the thrill of the moment. I tilted my chin up, straightened my shoulders, and let the full effect of my presence sink in.

I let a small, almost innocent smile curl on my lips, the kind that would draw him in every time. My hair fell perfectly around my face, catching the morning light, and I subtly adjusted my posture so he could see every curve, every motion I wanted him to notice.

I felt the pull almost immediately. His eyes softened, that familiar warmth creeping back into his gaze, the one that had always made my chest flutter. I knew it wasn’t real, at least not entirely.

The spell worked, the water, the charm, the subtle little whispers of influence.

He smiled at me, just as I knew he would. And I didn’t care. I didn’t care that it wasn’t entirely him, because right now, it was enough.

Lyra stopped a few feet away, glancing at us. I felt that little pang, that twinge of instinctive irritation, and my lips curled into a playful, teasing smile. I stepped slightly closer to him, letting my hand brush against his arm, casual enough to seem natural, deliberate enough to remind him whose side he was on.

“Jaxon,” she said, her voice hesitant, as if she was trying to reach him through the invisible wall I had built around him.

His gaze didn’t waver. He didn’t respond. My smile grew, an invisible satisfaction curling in my stomach. He ignored her completely. Every inch of him leaned toward me, even if he didn’t realize it consciously. The spell had done its work.

I let my eyes linger on her, watching her expression shift from confusion to frustration. I could see the heartbreak in her stance, the way her hands tensed at her sides, the way she bit her lip as if to stop herself from saying something more. It made my chest swell with a dark, delicious satisfaction.

“Come on,” I whispered, gently tugging at his hand. His fingers tightened around mine, a subtle reassurance that the connection had grown stronger. He didn’t notice the way I watched Lyra, her form shrinking slightly as we walked away.

I let myself savor the moment. The thrill of having his attention entirely, completely, for me, coursing like a slow, powerful fire through me. I knew the spell was working, I could feel it in the way his eyes lingered on me, the subtle movements of his body mirroring mine without thought.

He couldn’t resist me, not fully, not now. And it thrilled me more than I cared to admit.

That night, the plan continued. He booked the hotel, his voice low and distracted as he confirmed the reservation, claiming it was for us to have some time together.

Romantic time, as he said. I could feel my pulse quicken. My fingers brushed over the edges of the confirmation email on my phone as I imagined the night ahead, the hours where he would be mine, fully immersed in the illusion I had crafted.

We arrived at the hotel, and I could see him relax slightly, the stress of the day melting from his shoulders. But as he stepped inside, rubbing his temples, I noticed the tension crossing his face.

“Jaxon?” I asked, tilting my head, a frown flickering over my features.

“My head…,” he muttered, wincing. He didn’t even look at me directly, more like he was trying to gather his thoughts, fight off the sensation.

I knew immediately. The spell.

The charm I had strengthened through the hexed water. It had always been subtle, a whisper, but tonight, it was stronger than ever, tugging at his consciousness, threading through his nerves. That small ache in his head, it was my control manifesting.

I didn’t hesitate. I reached into my bag, pulling out the water I had prepared, slightly shimmering, carrying the essence of the enchantment I had woven. “Here,” I said softly, tilting it toward his lips. “Drink.”

He did, reluctantly, and I could almost feel the tightening of the spell as it took hold, reinforcing the connection, solidifying my influence. He swayed slightly, and I stepped closer, my heart hammering, not from love, not from desire, but from the raw exhilaration of power.

The phone rang. Alberto, I assumed.

Jaxon glanced at it, hesitation flashing in his eyes—a small crack in the usual rhythm of his life. Normally, he would answer immediately, talk, laugh, brush me off, but he didn't instead, he ignored the call, declined it, and I felt that pulse of satisfaction shoot through me, sharp and sweet.

This was proof.

Proof that the spell had reached him, that his focus was entirely on me.

“My time has come,” I whispered under my breath, letting a triumphant smile curl across my lips. I watched him from the corner of my eyes, his expression softening toward me, his attention completely redirected.

And yet…there was still the memory of her somewhere beneath the surface. The small flicker of something he couldn’t name but didn’t fully understand.

I pressed closer, letting my fingers brush against his, a gentle, deliberate touch. His eyes met mine, glazed and soft, unguarded. Every muscle in my body ached to assert my control further, to make sure he never saw her again the way he had before.

And in that moment, I realized just how far I had come, how meticulous my planning had been, how perfectly the pieces had fallen into place. He was mine.

At least for now.

I didn’t see the shadow lingering outside the hotel window, subtle but aware. I didn’t see it watching, measuring, waiting. I didn’t see her, Lyra, a presence he could never fully erase, even as the spell tugged at him.

But tonight, in this moment, she didn’t matter. She was a memory, a ghost I could keep trapped behind the walls I had built around him. And for the first time, I let myself believe that I had won, that the game had shifted entirely in my favor.

The phone on the table blinked again. Another message. Another attempt at contact. I ignored it. Jaxon leaned back, his head resting against my shoulder, the ache of the spell manifesting faintly but controlled, and I smiled. A long, slow, victorious smile.

My heart raced with anticipation, but beneath it, a faint, nagging thread of awareness whispered, he was under my influence, yes, but for how long? How long before the world reminded him of the other, of her, of what I couldn’t erase completely?

I brushed my fingers through his hair, leaning in to whisper again, and the moment was mine, pure and intoxicating. But outside, the city kept moving. And somewhere, the quiet shadows waited.

I didn’t care yet. Not tonight. Tonight, I had him.

And that was all that mattered....