^{If you missed the first book - Fireflies - you might want to start there. It's here in its completion, written for Steemit. If you enjoy it, feel free to ask to be added to the subscriber list for the sequel, where new chapters are being released daily.}

Entry 20

"A magici... NO!" She rolled her eyes impatiently.

Now that she had made the decision to expose him to her powers, excitement overwhelmed her. Why give him sips when she could open the floodgates? Her own emotional dam had been holding back too much, stifling flow and expression and connection. The potential of the next few moments clouded her mind and pushed her beyond where wisdom dictated.

"Hold on. I'll show you again!" In a flash decision, she grabbed his hand and pulled it to her. Placing the gem into his hand, she covered it with her own and began manipulating. He felt a tickle in his palm and became nervous. Within seconds, she lifted her hand away, releasing four butterflies into the night.

"How did you?!" He scratched at his palm where their wings had brushed against his skin. He couldn't make the tingle go away, and shivered. "How did you do that?"

A frenzied excitement filled her eyes. "I think I can teach you how!" She searched his face for a hint of understanding - any slight realization. But how could he? What did he know of anything other than this world, where hokey magicians and cheap illusions were the only explanations he could fathom? She slowed her words this time, hoping that he felt the importance of the message she was trying to convey.

"What if ...you ...could do ANYTHING... in this world?" She bent down to grab another rock and took his hand in her powerful grip.

Maybe something a little more interactive...

She pulled at his essence, coaxing his cells to be a part of this transformation. He was resisting, so she pulled a little harder, oblivious to the amount of energy that she drained in him. His knees began to buckle before she realized what she was doing.

"Caleb!"

He collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide with fear. He was terrified - of her! She recognized that look. It was the one that she had seen in Derek, before she ripped him apart. Caleb was losing consciousness, but before his eyes rolled back into his head, he whispered fiercely, "I don't want anything to do with you."

She knelt down next to him, trembling. How foolish! What was I thinking? A million thoughts spun around in her head, chastising her. Did you really think some college boy would have been open to the... ugh! What now!? She would need to drain him a bit more. She shuddered at the thought. The word "predator" swirled in her mind, and she swallowed tightly as she thought of how her mother had died.

Just a little. Just enough to erase this.

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