《Conjuring Fire and Whispers of Air》 Prologue What would you do to make this life worth living? We say life is short; what if someone told you death would come for you soon? Many of you have just had the same thought: ¡°Live every day like the last¡±. The reality is, unless you live it, you wouldn¡¯t know what you would do. As you read this story, I invite you to think. What would you do?
Pendle I remembered that day so clearly. Everyone gathered closely¡ªblack clothes and umbrellas covering the small plot. I stood close to my mother and brother at the front. Our coven gathered around us, supporting and mourning my dad with us. I felt numb. My cheeks were stained with never-ending tears. I tried to stay strong for my mother and brother. Sometimes, even the strong must fall. My hand shook as I took a fist full of dirt and covered the wooden urn six feet into the ground. His plot was not too far away from his mother, my grandmother, as he wished. As the rest of the earth was returned into the hole, I was distracted by a rogue squirrel running across the wet earth and looking down at her plot. There was something¡­ calming about graveyards. I placed three silver coins onto the mound of dirt now covering the wooden urn. I felt a rush of unexpected energy; I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. When exhausted, I had difficulty keeping what little magic I had hidden. A large familiar hand on my shoulder told me it was noticed. Nixon, our coven leader, had a firm touch. I knew the words without hearing them, ¡®I cannot control it.¡¯ He let go with a squeeze¡­ We would be having another ¡®chat¡¯. I was too grief-stricken to care. Mum stayed longer as the others travelled to the wake. Wistful, I set fresh flowers down by Grandma¡¯s headstone. I remembered the good times in my childhood; nostalgia came over me as I could hear her praises for my ability to conjure magic and fire easily¡­ ¡®What would she think now?¡¯ I thought apprehensively, ¡®Disappointed?¡¯ ¡°Lexi? Come on, it¡¯s time to go.¡± Lathen, a childhood friend, coaxed me back to earth. He had a youthful face. 5¡±9 tall guy with jet black hair, large waves framing his face and dark chocolate eyes to match, like looking into a void. The first one I¡¯d met in our coven group when we were babies. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He was more sensitive to your emotions, genuinely caring and empathetic. Everything he did came from the heart. In our early teens, we did get together after he admitted having a crush on me. Lathen gently patted my shoulder as I stood next to him. He has been a friend to lean on since my father was in a coma and through his death. ¡°May he travel quickly to you in the Summerland,¡± I prayed and placed three silver coins on top of the headstone. With a kiss on top of the headstone, I left with Lathen to join the coven at the wake. From that day, I hoped I would not see much death for numerous years. Now, a year later. It was difficult to adjust without Dad, but somehow, we moved past the grief and held onto the notion that he was watching over us. I missed his face, his smile. I know my mum was still hurt, yet she held it well as we visited them in the familiar graveyard. I sighed before pulling out the old flowers as my brother opened the new pack. ¡°One year,¡± Mum mumbled, ¡°Time does fly.¡± We left Mum there. She preferred to murmur to the headstone and said she felt he was closer when she was there. She would update him about the events over the year.
Pulling into the driveway, I turned to Alexander, my 14-year-old brother. He looked much more like our mum, slightly tanner, with brown eyes; he was closely catching up to my 5"4 height. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked gently. ¡°Yeah,¡± he muttered, ¡°I just don¡¯t like graveyards.¡± I breathed a laugh and left the car after rubbing his shoulder. Unlocking the door, I was greeted by the familiar sandalwood incense and beige walls. My mum repainted the walls after my dad passed away last year. It was simple and neutral colours: beige, white, and woody browns. He was the DIY dad, building and modifying the house without magic. It was difficult for my mum to make changes to the house. Everything reminded her of his handiwork; she wanted to keep it as it was, but the wear and tear had forced her hand. I hear the cat, Sooty, crying for his lunch. ¡®Food, food!¡¯ is mostly all I hear from him. Wasting away, dying from starvation¡­ ¡°Alright, alright, come on.¡± I watched him dart from the living room, past me to the kitchen¡ªSat there, a black cat with a paw on the cupboard hoarding away his food. As I pulled a pouch out, he purred and danced around the legs, making me smile. He does it every time. I put down the filled bowl and looked around the house we called home. Mum got professionals to install a sliding patio door for easy access to the back garden. The herb and vegetable garden was now a pastime I did alone with my dad and mentor gone. I glanced at the large clock on the wall, 2 p.m. Time for more research.
I got comfortable on the sofa with a thick book in hand and a pencil in my teeth. ¡°Rare curses and defensive spells¡± is a once-abandoned book by my father. It was dotted with pencil scribbles and Post-it notes. Some of my own and others of his. He taught me about these Dark spells. I remembered his anger at me finding the book and wanting to read it. After a short talk between parents, he began to talk me through basics. More importantly how to undo and protect against these spells. Naively, I asked the coven members to help me after Dad passed¡­ I should have known no one would help me learn dark spells. Nixon nearly set the book alight on ¡®accident¡¯. Now, I self-taught from the scribbles Dad left behind. I got to work. A couple of hours in, I came to another annoying halt. This is now the fifth page missing from the book, its edge frayed, some ink remaining, and the small piece left behind, but nothing to work with. I sighed in frustration. I noticed the book getting thinner over the last four years. But I never mentioned it to my dad. There must have been a reason he didn¡¯t want me to read into certain spells. I assumed he would return them when the ¡®time was right¡¯. Now, I may never know them. I moved on to the next section, ¡®Jinxing Spells¡¯. Mew? Sooty jumped onto the armrest and slowly approached me, making me put the book down. That was enough; a couple of hours of study gave me a lot to think about. I checked my phone for a new message in the coven group chat. As I typed a reply, the front door creaked open slowly. I leaned over the side of the sofa and watched Mum walk through slowly, shaking her umbrella off. Behind her, the clock on the wall was stuck at 2:03 pm. Every clock in the house had stopped at the same time. The time of my father¡¯s death. Sacrifice Glenrothes His phone vibrated once more ¨C another incoming call he would ignore. He pinched the flesh between his brows as it continued to ring. He contemplated just up and leaving his family behind, to get away from her ¨C Maddie. His phone stopped, the screen going back once more. He had already tried blocking her, but a new number started to call him instead¡­ She even convinced their mutual friends to hound him. He recalled that night when he decided enough was enough.
¡°Babe?¡± Her voice was sultry, too sugary for him to find it sweet. She grasped onto his arm, nearly ripping it from his socket. He refused to respond to that pet name, instead continued to walk following the two humans that followed and practically idolised Maddie. Although growing up with her, he could only tolerate her for so long. Like a river, he kept on flowing, going through the motions of the small town of Glenrothes. It dull and disinteresting, he only enjoyed it when it snowed. With a pout, Maddie leaned more onto his arm, with manicured nails pressing in and cleavage evident in the purposely low-cut top. She gently flipped her perfect big brown curls, making them fall over her shoulders. There was no denying she was beautiful; she flaunted it well. She approached him a couple of years ago with an agreement, no strings attached. Leo went with the flow, and she always instigated it. Although recently, she began to change her tactics. He had seen all her tricks before, and she tried to push his limits many times. He realised she was trying to play ¡®hard to get¡¯. Yet, he felt no feelings towards her. Superficial was a way to describe her. Maddie tried again, using his name this time, ¡°Leo?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± he replied curtly, his gruff Scottish accent showing through. She huffed while trying to keep up with his strides, ¡°Could you slow down? I want to walk with you!¡± With a quiet sigh, he did as asked. If he didn¡¯t, she would whine to his brother, Derick, and he would not hear the end of it. What Maddie wanted, Maddie got. His brother could not say no to her and continuously denied his head-over-heels love for her. She tried often pitted the brothers against each other. Her own little playthings. With a small town like Glenrothes, he was stuck until he could escape. He loved his hometown. Yet the people he shared it with¡­ The four stopped outside her abode. Derick was already waiting outside the front of the empty house. ¡°Yo,¡± Leo greeted, while Maddie waved. ¡°Has he been good to you, Mads?¡± Derick asked standing at the other side of her. She beamed a smile and nodded. The five of them made their own small coven, it was a monthly gathering. This night was no different. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Unlocking the door, Maddie invited them in and immediately set the brothers to work, pushing the furniture away to make room for their circle. Maddie set a circle using salt. The two followers, while human, were one of the few who were in on the magic and knew of witches. They stood by, giggling with excitement. Thanks, Maddie. ¡°I think I have cracked our spell,¡± she stated grabbing the usual candles she also procured a bowl of water, an athame and a bag knotted at the top. ¡°Great, are we trying tonight?¡± Derick asked, immediately helping with the items, placing them in the middle. Leo took interest in the bag, he convinced himself it was moving. ¡°What spell?¡± Leo asked, confused. She turned away to grab a book and placed it down on the floor, pages open. She often obscured her writing to a code only she could read. ¡°Oh, just something to help our non-magic friends!¡± she replied. Leo knew not to fully trust Maddie¡¯s workings. He was targeted by a few ¡®pranks¡¯, as she called them. Love spells, enchanting charms. None of which Derick believed. He knew she was planning something; she had become secretive again, ¡®studying¡¯ and hiding away. Sceptically, Leo sat and closed the circle using the rest of the salt. He hoped she was not cursing anyone this time. Clasping hands, they waited for Maddie to bless the circle, but Maddie simply began the spell without a chant. Although he stayed quiet, Leo was startled. The others did not seem fazed. Her eyes glazed over, and her deep mustard magic lit over her skin. Words were whispered, tumbling from her mouth, ones the others did not understand nor catch. Derick gulped, watching. Neither of them had seen this before. Maddie swiftly stopped, dropping the two hands she held and picked up the athame. ¡°Er, Mads? You want to tell us what the plan is-¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Derick¡¯s words were swiftly cut off by her. She swiftly carved a jagged line through her palm, making Derick shout. The other girls gasped in horror. ¡°Are you mad?¡± He grasped her now bleeding hand, halting her movements. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she calmly replied, ¡°No. I¡¯m making us stronger.¡± She tugged her wrist from his grasp and let the crimson drops fall into the bowl of water, turning it red. Bewildered, Derick repeated, ¡°Stronger?¡± Giving a pointed look, she flipped the athame over, pointing the hilt to him, ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Leo glanced between the athame and his brother. Derick took the athame and faltered with his next actions. Whilst the two were distracted, Leo placed a hand over the coded book and whispered, ¡°Revelora.¡± The words transformed into readable English. He got a look at the title before it was kicked away by an angry Maddie. Outraged, Leo shouted, ¡°Magic transfer! You are stealing another person¡¯s power?¡± ¡°Borrowing-¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± Leo cut her off, picking up and opening the small bag. There two little bleary eyes blinked up at him, it was a small cat. ¡°For god¡¯s sake, Maddie. Blood magic? Don¡¯t tell me you are sacrificing this poor thing?!¡± Leo fumed, taking the cat out of the bag and inspecting it. She was deeply disturbed to think this was okay. She quickly turned to Derick, ¡°Rick, we have talked about this! I finally have the answer! See! It¡¯s simple: we can make more witches! Then we can-¡± She tried to justify her dark perceptions. Shaking his head, Leo swiped the salt, breaking the circle and headed for the door with the kitten in hand. ¡°Leo, wait!¡± Maddie pleaded. ¡°I am done. Animal sacrifice is a step too far, Maddie.¡± ¡°I can revive it!¡± ¡°Fuck off.¡± With that, he slammed the door. Vowing never to join them again.
Sighing once more, Leo opted to turn off his phone instead. He and his brother never talked about that night. Instead, their once good relationship was now strained. He would never admit it, but cats were a soft spot for him, a favourite animal. He used his small amount of savings to try and save the little ginger cat. It was thin, young. It made him angrier at Maddie. The vet, with a heavy heart, said the best thing for the little guy was to be at peace. He never told his Ma or Da, or anyone for that matter. If they did, he would surely cry at the unfairness of the young life lost by a vile beauty. He sighed once more, and ruffling the back of his head, turned off the lights and settled into bed. He hoped for good news. Many things had happened since that incident, and Leo did well in avoiding Maddie. Never once noticing the large black bird sitting near his window. As the lights turned off, the bird took the flight back to its master. Dreamer Pendle Why does he feel familiar? His eyes locked on mine as he held me. I continued to stare and could see the sunset reflected in his blue eyes as he leaned me back. My breath escaped slowly; the white flakes in his eyes became apparent as he pressed clearer. A slight breeze made me shiver. His heat enveloped me as I pressed into him, basking in the closeness. Our noses are touching, our breath mingling, and our heart rate soaring. It was addictive. I followed his lead, edging slowly, wanting the sweet kiss I craved. A little more, a little more... Then I was freefalling. Thud.
¡®Ouch, that¡¯s going to leave a mark.¡¯ Cocooned in the bed covers, my eyes opened to view my bedroom¡¯s cream-carpeted floor. Whining aloud, I wrestled out of the warm bed sheets. My heart was still beating fast, reeling from the dream; it stirred feelings of familiarity. Three times this week, he has haunted my dreams. He is a stranger I have never met and will probably never meet, yet¡­ ¡äYet what?¡ä the thought intruded my brain before I could stop it. Shaking my head cleared the unsettled thoughts and feelings. And yet, I am terrified by the fear of rejection, of hurting. Throwing the covers back to the bed, I glanced at the bedside clock, 6:27 am. The light of dawn barely lit the room. I clicked off the alarm; there was no point in returning to sleep now. It¡¯s just another Thursday¡ªa school morning full of routine. At least Easter break was close. I knocked on my brother¡¯s door. ¡°Come on, Alex. Time to get up,¡± I half-shouted through the white door. A rustling of covers and a quiet groan was my reply. Turning into the bathroom, I caught my forest green eyes in my reflection and paused. Taking in the pale face I know so well, cheeks flushed with a red tinge. I often wished to look different, as most young girls do¡ªsharp cheekbones instead of my rounder face. But then again, my friends did say I was blessed with dimples, even if it was just one on the left. I smiled at fond memories of my friends. I took in the lengthy blonde hair that was desperate for a cut. ¡äYeah, still a copy of my dad.¡ä A now wistful smile graced my face. A knocking on the bathroom door, bursting the daydream I had put myself in. ¡°Hurry up, Lexi!¡± Alex whined shortly after. ¡°I really need to go!¡± Taking a small step back, with the water still running, I spoke aloud, ¡°Hm, is that water I hear?¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Now exasperated. Chuckling, I shut off the tap and opened the door as slowly as possible. ¡°What¡¯s the matter-?¡± Before I could finish my teasing remark, he pulled me out of the way and slammed it shut. I only got a glimpse of the top of his dark blonde mop. ¡®Rude.¡¯ Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. I started to walk back to my room to change from my pink pyjamas. ¡°Hey!¡± Alex shouted from down the hall, ¡°When¡¯s Mum back?¡± he questioned. Pausing with my door open, I looked back towards the bathroom, where his head stuck out. ¡°Probably after we leave. Make sure to stay quiet when you get home,¡± I replied, leaning into the door frame. He nodded and vanished into the bathroom, my eyes following his hair, and I heard the shower turn on. Damn it, Alex. ¡°You better be quick in there!¡± annoyance is clearly in my voice. I heard a faint reply of ¡®yeah, yeah.¡¯ back. Our mum was due back from a 2-day trip. She worked as an Executive Assistant. So sometimes it was just my brother and me in the house.
At 7:32 am, Alex decided to come downstairs¡ªracing into the kitchen, hair slightly wet, dressed and hungry. ¡°Breakfast?¡± he asked, seemingly out of breath. ¡°Toaster,¡± I retorted just as it pinged up, ¡°We still have some time.¡± I resumed my admiration of Sooty on the table. He chattered at the birds eating seeds from the feeders in the shade of an apple tree. I get up from the chair, polish off an Earl Grey tea and place it into the sink. I glowered at my brother, eyebrows pinching together as he nearly inhaled the pop-tarts. Leisurely, I walk to the bottom of the stairs and put on my shoes. I looked through both of our backpacks, and I checked that I had everything. Books, pens, pencils, planner, money for lunch, my phone¡­ ¡°Oh shit,¡± I mumbled; how could a teenager forget their phone? Groaning, I took the steps two at a time to my bedroom. As I picked up the mobile, I glanced out my window. The empty house for sale down the road had movement. A man in a fine business suit, an estate agent, walking with a ¡®SOLD¡¯ sign to the house. He covered the ¡®For Sale¡¯ to ¡®SOLD¡¯. I checked the time and pocketed my phone while wandering back down the bottom of the stairs, where Alex was putting on his shoes. ¡°Have you got everything?¡± I asked. He looked over his shoulder at me and nodded, still chewing his breakfast.
We vacated the house, and while double-checking the lock, I informed Alex, ¡°We have movement.¡± Alex looked down at the empty house as he opened my car¡¯s passenger door and huffed before cheekily smiling, ¡°Hopefully, they will be nicer than the last ones!¡± He referred to the previous family, the Mants, specifically their only child, Megan. She was a typical teenager, 17 years old, the same as me. I tended to avoid her and her friends. Although, when she picked on my brother, she got what was coming to her. Since then, it felt like she was suspicious of us. As witches, we try to keep on the downlow. Misinformation and fearmongering spread quicker than a flame, creating witch hunts and trials and killing many innocent people. Humans knew of our existence, as well as other ¡®fairytale¡¯ beings, but fear of things that are different. Fear of something stronger than you and often they seek out supernaturals. They go looking for trouble with the werewolves and vampires around ¨C who wouldn¡¯t want strength or to live forever? Making new supernaturals is more complex than a scratch or a bite or picking up a wand like in the movies, another reason for witches to stay hidden. Now, the fae¡­ They loved to torment and mess around with humans¡­
From beside me, my brother groaned, putting a hand to his face. ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me I need to turn around,¡± I asked playfully. ¡°No,¡± he replied, ¡°I just remembered I have maths this morning.¡± I laughed wholeheartedly at him.
Leo He was dreaming of her again... The long golden tresses flowed in the slight breeze as she weaved in and out of the trees. She stopped slowly in front of a deep, gentle river. Turning to look at me, those same green crystal eyes. The kind that seems to look right into the soul. It shook him to the core, but that¡¯s all he ever saw¡ªnever her facial features. Everything is a quick blur with sleep. Just a whisper that left him wanting more. It¡¯s always the same. Although, this time, he caught the curve of her bosom. But this time, she backed away from him into the stream seductively. She goes in knee-deep, still facing him. Her face is slightly more transparent now, plump pink lips looking kissable, open. Speaking. Whispering. Closer, he must get closer. Walking forward, he tries to gain distance, but his body seems to move through a thick treacle. Now, she turns away, sinking into the water further. ¡°Follow me down to the river.¡± The voice reached his ear as clear as the water, seductive and taunting. He broke out of the captivating dream with a sweat. Wiping it away from his forehead, he recalled the dream, savouring it. She was more apparent this time. Why? He quickly walked over to the worn-out book of shadows on the bare desk and wrote down everything he remembered before it disappeared. The morning sun cleared through the curtains. His mind woke up a little more with the warmth through the window, illuminating the bare room he called a bedroom from childhood. It did not seem like he had eight hours of sleep, but indeed, his phone did not deceive him. Today, he was moving to a new place, a new life. Or so his Da¡¯s wife, Cynthia, told him. After not knowing his birth mother, he happily called her Ma within a few weeks of meeting her at age five. A knock came at the door, echoing in the room. ¡°Best be awake, bro. We go in 20. Long drive and all.¡± The voice of his brother, Derek, chirped through the wood. ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± he responded, gruff-like with a Scottish timbre. He ruffled his hair, tangled from the sleep, and moved to the box in the corner to fetch clean clothes as the rest was packed. Taking one last look at the house. He left it behind with his family; there was no one worth saying goodbye to; he hoped not to be found by old faces either. It was going to be a long journey. Goodbye Glenrothes, Hello Pendle. Meeting Lexi I sighed as I finally flopped on the sofa back home and closed my eyes. I felt movement behind me, and I peeked through an eyelash to see my brother looking worried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, closing my eye again. ¡°Are you sick?¡± he asked, placing a hand on my forehead. I eyerolled under my eyelids. ¡°I saw that,¡± he retorted. I sighed, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just not been sleeping well, that¡¯s all.¡± I pulled the blanket off the back of the sofa and rolled over. A little white lie. I glanced at the white candle in the centre of the coffee table. I was purposefully staying awake to practice magic by lighting the candle. I am trying to figure out a way around the lock placed over my magic. I quickly learned that using too much magic at once was an unpleasant experience. I had fainted numerous times. At least now, I could hold a flame for a few hours¡­
¡°¡­Lexi?¡± I was shaken awake. ¡°What?¡± I mumbled. ¡°Your phone¡¯s ringing.¡± Alex held it up to me, and with bleary eyes, I answered it with a yawn. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Damn, napping already?¡± I breathed a laugh at Lathen¡¯s teasing, ¡°Shush. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve not checked your phone, have you? There is a promise we made last year.¡± ¡°A promise?¡± I echoed carefully. ¡°A drink for your dad?¡± I gently facepalmed, ¡°Ah¡­ that.¡± Last year, we agreed to go to Jack¡¯s Hideout, Dad¡¯s favourite place, and have a drink in his memory. ¡°Seri is coming, and the other two have other plans,¡± Lathen informed. ¡°Okay¡­ Sounds good. Meet you there.¡±
¡°Thanks, Mum!¡± I thanked getting out of her car. ¡°Stay safe!¡± she waved before pulling away. I turned the corner to Jack¡¯s Hideout. It was hidden from the public, down an alleyway. It¡¯s a supernatural hangout, and the owner, Jack, provides a haven for all. I stopped at the familiar red brick wall and knocked three times. A code word was needed to get into supernatural hideouts. The tricky part was finding the entrance¡­ A brick moved into a square peephole, revealing bright brown eyes, ¡°ID?¡± ¡°Bellatrix.¡± The eyes disappeared, and the bricks shifted. The hidden door opened. I was greeted by quiet music and chatter. It was quieter than the weekend, but a few tables were spare. I spotted my friends at a table close to the bar. Seri was waving to catch my attention with a bright smile. I smiled back and approached.
Seraphina, my best friend. Her unruly strawberry-blonde hair landed in soft beach waves around her shoulders, cascading down her arms. Her fringe touched her upper brow and framed her lightly freckled face. She was a beauty with icy blue eyes to match; they were glittering with happiness. Seri is like a sister to me and my most intimate friend; we share everything. She is sensible, pleasant, charming, and has an eye for finer things. She was down to earth but as mischievous as Quinn. Plant dying? Earth magic was her area. With expensive herb gardens, you did not want to get on the wrong side of her. My garden was still flourishing, thanks to a bit of love! Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Seri patted a seat between her and Lathen, which I took. ¡°Lexi!¡± Seri cheered. ¡°Hey! Sorry I¡¯m a little late.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Here.¡± Lathen scooted a drink towards me. ¡°Ah, cheers,¡± I thanked. One toast turned into three, and it was my turn to get the round. I stood waiting to be served. I felt it before I heard footsteps approaching. A fur feeling on my tongue and the taste of metal overtook my mouth. I swallowed slightly as the taste grew with each step. I had to ignore it. Dark magic. ¡®Who the hell?¡¯ My body became heavy as the overwhelming sensation of magic transparently scanned me. I rolled my shoulders back, and although sluggish, my magic blocked it any further. I continued to stare forward, hoping not to draw too much attention. Instead, they stood beside me, leaning into the bar. Wanting to give them a piece of my mind, I finally looked at the new face and my breath caught in my chest. I found myself looking into familiar electric blue eyes. I was taken back to my dream, the beach. ¡®It¡¯s him.¡¯ The one I thought I would never meet. I thought books exaggerated the feeling of meeting your fated, now, standing here before me. I know what they were talking about. Although my magic was muted, there was a small, undeniable pull. Even though he was hunched over slightly. You could tell he was tall, at least 6¡±2. Light chocolate hair, that looked soft to touch. Even styled in a faux hawk. The clink of pool balls dragged me away from the electric blue, and looking over my shoulder, I found Lathen looking at me while chatting with Seri. ¡°You know that is still considered rude,¡± I uttered, turning back to the bar. The empty bar made it obvious this stranger was talking to me. He cleared his throat before replying, ¡°I didn¡¯t think anyone else would be here. Just an assumption,¡± he mumbled, a light Scottish dialect showed through. ¡¯Oh fuck¡­¡¯ ¡°There are more than a few of us, and you¡¯ve already made a bad impression on one,¡± I softly said with a grin. ¡°Do over?¡± he pleaded with humour in his voice. ¡°You¡¯d be lucky,¡± I scoffed quietly, and a grin grew on his face. He turned towards me more, ¡°Leo,¡± he stated, holding out a hand. Looking down at it, I hesitantly took it, no doubt a blush over my cheeks, ¡°Lexi.¡± ¡°Beautiful,¡± he remarked, letting go of my hand. I continued to feel the heat rising in my face. I looked down at the counter. ¡®Damn, Lexi, what¡¯s got you in knots?¡¯ ¡°So, passing through?¡± I asked quietly, making conversation. ¡®Please, say no. Please, say no!¡¯ ¡°Would you be disappointed if I was?¡± he teased. A small giggle left me, ¡°I hardly know you; why would I be disappointed?¡± ¡°Ouch,¡± he claimed, rubbing his heart.
¡°Are you alright, Lex?¡± ¡°Geez!¡± I jumped at Lathen¡¯s voice from behind me. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and turned to him, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine¡­ Found a new friend.¡± ¡°I can see that,¡± Lathen was looking at Leo. His eyes were not kind. Internally, I groaned at Lathen¡¯s attitude. With eyes narrowed at Lathen, I gave a brief introduction, ¡°This is Leo. Leo, this is my friend Lathen.¡± Leo smiled with a nod in greeting. ¡°Sorry about the wait. What can I get for you?¡± The bartender asked, finishing our conversation.
Despite Lathen¡¯s weak protests, I invited Leo and his small party of two (his brother, Derick) to our table. Leo kindly helped me carry the drinks back to the table. Seri¡¯s sheepish look told me she tried to stop Lathen. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little awkward. I was surrounded by friends and strangers. I had to keep this discovery to myself. Feelings would be hurt¡­ I had to put this Lathen-ship to rest. ¡°So, how long will you be in Pendle?¡± Lathen asked with arms crossed, looking between the two. A small bang was herd as Seri shifted, no doubt kicking him. ¡°We actually just moved here,¡± Derick informed. His voice was gruff, and a slight stare made Lathen shift slightly. Derick¡¯s hair was long, swept to the side and black, matching his charcoal eyes. You could not tell where his pupil was. My gut wrenched slightly. Something felt off. ¡°Oh! Welcome!¡± Seri chirped up bubbly, raising her new drink. I mimicked and chorused a welcome. Seri continued before Lathen could, ¡°Don¡¯t mind Lathen, he is wary of strangers.¡± Lathen protested slightly but Seri continued, ¡°We normally have two more in our little group. Our families band together too.¡± The drink helped wash away the metallic taste, and the fur feeling ebbed. Maybe it wasn¡¯t so bad¡­ ¡°So, where did you move from?¡± I asked. ¡°Glenrothes in Scotland,¡± Leo replied. ¡°How do you like Pendle so far?¡± ¡°It¡¯s interesting. Especially knowing there¡¯s more of us here,¡± he implied. Seri leaned forward a little more, ¡°Do you have a girlfriend?¡± I kicked her lightly under the table, although I was interested to know. ¡°Damn Seri!¡± Lathen exclaimed, ¡°Give the dude time to breathe.¡± Leo laughed before replying, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Leo briefly looked over at me while saying it. Lathen changed the topic and spoke to Derick.
I bit my lip lightly as I caught Seri in my peripheral; she was watching me. She leaned onto her arms on the table, making me look at her. A mischievous smirk grew on her face. It was an all-knowing look, and I didn¡¯t like it one bit and narrowed my eyes in response. Do you ever regret telling your bestie about your dreams? At that moment, I did. ¡®Goddess, help me.¡¯ The whispering from Seri started. ¡°So,¡± she sang out quietly and leaned towards me. I shushed her, trying to keep in conversation. ¡°Well, if he isn¡¯t the dream boy, then he¡¯s up for grabs, right?¡± she grinned. I sighed before smiling, ¡°Seri. He isn¡¯t your type.¡± She giggled, ¡°Yeah but he is yours.¡± ¡°Shh,¡± I quickly replied. ¡°So¡­ is he?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure.¡± Her eyes narrowed before I continued, ¡°Kind of awkward with Lathen here.¡± She leaned back and nodded slowly; she knew where I was coming from. ¡°What are you two whispering about?¡± Lathen asked loudly. I looked to Seri. Busted. ¡°Nothing to concern you!¡± Seri pointed out, turning away from him purposefully.
My eyes caught Leo¡¯s once more, and my face flushed with heat. ¡®If he isn¡¯t the one, then I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ There was only one way to find out, to remove this lock placed over me. I got what I wished for. Red One Week Ago¡­ As the front door swung open, I was attacked. ¡°Lexi!¡± Quinn chirped happily as she continued squeezing me into a hug. I reciprocated, ¡°Hi!¡± I said back enthusiastically. Quinn was only a few months younger than me. Her tousled pixie cut was faded into more of a lilac blonde. Her wise, light caramel eyes always seemed full of cunning and mischief. An olive tone to her skin perfectly matched her eyes. I looked over her fading purple hair into her empty house. ¡°Where is Seri?¡± I ask, eyebrows knotting together. ¡°Ah, upstairs prepping the bathroom,¡± she threw a thumb over her shoulder, ¡°Come on in! I am so excited!¡± I grabbed the abandoned plastic bag filled with bleach and hair dye and followed her up the stairs. A girl¡¯s night is just what we needed on this Wednesday night. I turned half-way up, realising my mistake, ¡°Oops! The door.¡± It had been left open slightly. Before I could take a step, a pale-yellow wisp flew past, hitting the door shut. I laughed and turned back to Quinn. ¡°Not a problem,¡± she said, flicking her wrist as the yellow light disappeared from her hand, ¡°Come on,¡± she chirped happily, leading me to the bathroom.
The second hug I was prepared for, I placed the bag on the vanity and opened my arms slightly for Seraphina. ¡°Ooh! What colour have you chosen, Lexi?¡± Seri asked, peering over my shoulder into the brown paper bag. ¡°My favourite colour!¡± I laughed. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve been waiting for my red moment!¡± Quinn, giddy with excitement, took the items out of the bag. The bathroom floor is covered with old duvet covers, splattered with paint and previous dye. A chair in the centre looked like it had seen better days, but it was perfect for dying Quinn¡¯s hair. She sat with her feet bouncing as Seri mixed the bleach. I took a moment to appreciate these two girls¡­ Well, witches. Quinn¡­ However bossy she could be, she was outgoing and brought banter. She is the main reason I have some confidence; her energy, passion, and pep talks boost our small group, and she was quick to anger, especially regarding her friends. Like her father, her magic is drawn from energy (everything dead or alive) and has excellent potential to lead a larger coven. Her pale-yellow magic reminded me of Tinkerbell¡¯s pixie dust. An hour later, Seri and I were painting the bleached hair bright red. ¡°So¡­¡± Quinn started, trailing off as she painted her nails to match the new colour hair, ¡°About you and Lathen." I resisted the urge to eye roll. Instead, my eye twitched lightly, ¡°What about ¡®us¡¯?¡± Seri¡¯s lips puckered slightly, listening to Quinn not speaking a word and avoiding my eyes. ¡°You never told us why you broke up,¡± Quinn hinted. ¡°Of course, I have. It was weird. You know he¡¯s like a brother to me.¡± I said. Lathen and I¡¯s relationship started from a friendship. Admittedly, I did like him romantically at the time when he asked me on a date. But then my dreams about my fate began to manifest, and after a few short weeks, vivid dreams about a life with Lathen showed me a future I didn¡¯t like. My crush fizzled out, and I decided we were better off as friends. Quinn on the other hand¡­ ¡°You really expect us to believe that?¡± her eyes met mine, but she gave nothing away. ¡°Yes. Because that¡¯s what happened." ¡°Surely, that¡¯s not the only reason.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I shrug, ¡°It wasn¡¯t fair on him to dream of another dude,¡± I mutter. Quinn went quiet and only hummed. ¡°Ooh! Have you had another? I bet it was saucy,¡± Seri jumped in, wiggling her eyebrows. I laughed but didn¡¯t respond, instead directing a quest to Quinn, ¡°How are you and Devan?¡± ¡°Oh yeah! Ah, and your 2nd anniversary is coming up! Any plans?¡± Seri asked¡­
¡°There.¡± I said, trimming the last bit to her pixie cut, ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± I said. ¡°Perfect, you are a genius!¡± Quinn gushed, ruffling her fresh, red-dyed hair. ¡°Red suits you,¡± I say, admiring her short locks. ¡°Every colour suits Quinn,¡± Seri pointed out, winking. I agreed and began to yawn. ¡°Boring you already?¡± Quinn teased, ¡°Looks like you need some beauty sleep.¡± ¡°Come on, Lexi. It¡¯s getting late anyway!¡± Seri said, tapping her hands on my shoulders. Bed sounded like a lovely idea. My tired eyes blinked as we prepared to leave.
Dropping off Seri, I finally made it home. Unlocking the front door, Mrs Crowley, a friendly neighbour, and my brother¡¯s babysitter, greeted me. ¡°Hi, Mrs Crowley. Thank you for looking after Alex.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, dear. He is up in bed. Now, don¡¯t be a stranger!¡± She hurriedly shuffled on her shoes and exited the house. I waved her off and locked the door ensuring it was secure. I practically raced up the stairs, hearing the call of my comfy bed. It never took me long to doze off, and I only hoped for sweet dreams¡­
Stifling another yawn, I shifted my bag onto my shoulder, and I smiled goodbye at Alex as he exited the car. I focused on the entrance to the school and watched Alex hurried off to his small group of friends at the top. I checked the group chat, looked at the previous messages, and jumped as a warm arm hooked around my neck. My head whipped left to find Seri with a smirk on her face. She pushed me forward to the steps, making me stumble a little. Before I say anything to her, another arm went around my waist, keeping up the walking pace. Searching to my right, Quinn was there, grinning back at me. My face lights up with a smile as the whispering starts in my left ear. ¡°So, what do you reckon?¡± Seri began. ¡°Uh about what?¡± I asked confused. Quinn cut through my question, ¡°I say we put a freaky looking doll on the door just to freak her out.¡± ¡°You know we can¡¯t do that, Quinn!¡± Seri gasped, moving her freckled face before mine, raising her eyebrows. ¡°It was just an idea!¡± defended Quinn. ¡°Who are we talking about?!¡± I half shouted, only to be shushed as a small group of students hurry past us. ¡°Coach Reily. We are trying to get her gone for a while,¡± Quinn whispered, ushering me forward. ¡°Wow¡­¡± I replied sarcastically. That poor woman¡­ Seri and Quinn often come up with pranks to pull and no one was safe. Friends, family, students, teachers, even the headmaster¡­ And I was often roped into it¡­ ¡°Well,¡±¨Cshe removed her arms and crossed them on her chest¨C ¡°It will make a better story than the black hair dye,¡± she nonchalantly spoke. Seri shushed her, ¡°You know the headmaster is still trying to figure out who that was!¡± ¡°Haha! That snarl the next day.¡± A wicked smile appeared on Quinn''s face, but Seri¡¯s grimace said it all. There was venom that faithful day for all the school. The lustrous red hair was box dyed black after a splotchy mess was revealed that morning. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the back and forth between the pair. The shrill of the school bell rang. 8:55 am. It startled me, and looking towards the sound, I watched as Alex scampered through the main entrance. Sigh. ¡°See you at lunch?¡± Quinn asked, hopping ahead to her class. I simply nodded and lagged behind Seri.
Lunch came quickly. Thank the Goddess. Heading over to our usual spot outside, I spotted Quinn already sitting cross-legged, looking over an art textbook. She smiled at me as I sat near her and leaned back against the tree, a fiction book in my hand; I greeted her as I sat. It wasn¡¯t long before Seri and Devan joined us. Devan had not changed from when we were kids. Just taller. His short sandy blonde hair was jelled into a comb over fade, and his eyes reflected a blue-violet, unique like mine. He was like a rock: Self-disciplined, honest, and strong. He stays collected through any problem and stays fair-minded. For any issues, he was the man to talk to. Also, he and Quinn made relationships look easy; he was fiercely loyal to her, and they were like two puzzle pieces, complimenting each other. Deven settled next to Quinn, and they greeted each other with a small peck. Seri practically collapsed out of breath. She laid down on the grass next to me and took advantage of my lap, placing her head on it. I chuckled and ruffled her fringe to her annoyance. ¡°Hey Lexi. How¡¯s Alex?¡± the modulated voice of Devan reached my ears. As I glanced at the snuggled pair and shaking my head gently, I reply, ¡°No signs yet.¡± Witches tend to gain their full powers around the age of 13. We call it Enmagica; going through the process is more like a bad cold. Fever, sweating, tired and run down. Unfortunately for Alex, as far as we know, he is the first in our family not to go through Enmagica. A ¡®late flower¡¯, as my mother calls it. The older a witch gets, the riskier it is. ¡°Call us if it happens while your mum is gone. We¡¯ll try our best,¡± Seri spoke up. I smile back at her and playfully reply, ¡°You really think I will deal with it on my own? Oh, buddy, you¡¯re number one on my speed dial!¡± Laughter filled my ears, and I noticed an absence of a fifth. ¡°Where is Lathen?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°Detention,¡± Devan replied. I rolled my eyes, of course. ¡°I know,¡± he agreed, ¡°Oh and come over at six tonight.¡± We have a weekly coven session every Thursday and rotate the meeting spot, tonight¡¯s would be at Devan¡¯s. Devan¡¯s phone pinged. He looked down confused, ¡°It¡¯s from my dad¡­¡± he trailed off. ¡°We can meet at my place if there is a problem?¡± Seri offered. ¡°Ah¡­ No, it¡¯s not that,¡± Devan confused looked up to me, ¡°My dad has something for you, Lexi.¡± ¡°Me? Has he found more hidden pictures again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He hasn¡¯t said.¡± Deven replied, shrugging. I simply copied him and went back to my book; Seri often took advantage of my absent-minded head massage, something I often did when reading¡ªa habit I picked up from having a cat on my lap.
The day was uneventful, thankfully. Spying the young ones finally leave the building, and I shout, ¡°Alex! Hurry up!¡± They scrambled forward as if they had only just noticed us, still talking animatedly. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll see you all at 6. Later!¡± Devan restated, walking towards his car, his brother, Brandt and girlfriend, Quinn, in tow. I was too distracted to reply this time, scouring through my bag for my keys. ¡°Do you want to be dropped off at home, or will you hang out with me?¡± I enquired to Seri while still looking for my car keys. Jingle. Pausing, I glance up. My keys! Quipped with a bright smile, I take them from my brother''s hand. ¡°You are so dead. When did you swipe them?¡± I jested to him. ¡°You dropped them this morning,¡± joshed Alex. ¡°I will come with you!¡± Seri giggled, changing the subject. Seri ran to the car to take the front seat. Unlocking it, Alex and Seri scrabbled to get in first. ¡°Okay! Stop, Alex! Seri is our guest,¡± I bantered. He gave in and climbed into the back of the car. I threw my bag next to him. Finally, we are heading back home. To comfort, to¨C ¡®Something unexpected.¡¯ I hoped for something more to the same routine.
Be careful what you wish for. The Circle As soon as we arrived home, Alex quickly reached the door and opened it in seconds; abandoning his shoes and bag, he rushed into the living room. No doubt eager to play video games. Seri and I barely got through the door before I could hear the start-up of his console. Taking off our shoes, Seri started asking, ¡°Is it okay if I use-¡± ¡°Use the shower?¡± I cut her off. ¡°Seraphina, it¡¯s a Thursday ritual. I¡¯d be insulted if you didn¡¯t.¡± I jested. She grinned back. ¡°You better go in now; your hair takes ages to dry,¡± I remarked. Walking to the door under the stairs. I waved my palm left, directly over the wood, while whispering. ¡°Chamborium.¡± I grabbed the handle and opened it to the guest bedroom with an ensuite. ¡°Thank you!¡± she bubbled, going through the door. She already knew where everything was, includinghertowel. ¡°I¡¯ll be out in 20!¡± she finished. ¡¯More like 45,¡¯I thought, chuckling. Moving into the kitchen, I spotted some freshly baked cinnamon cookies. Mums cookies! I seized the opportunity to take a bite. Mmm, yummy!
Seri shut the door behind her and took a deep breath. She and Lexi were as thick as thieves from the day they met and always will be. Although, something nagged her in her chest, did she really know Lexi? She felt there was a gap, no, a crevice between them. Did she imagine it? Was there something Lexi wasn¡¯t saying? Seri had often thought it on and off, even before her grandma passed away four years ago, but waved it off. Pessimistic thoughts get you nowhere. Reasons unbeknownst to her, the feeling would return tenfold. It disturbed her to no end. It irked her not to know her best friend as much as she should. She shook off the irrational feeling and carried on into the ensuite with a towel.
I pulled the car up to the dropped curb, blocking Devan¡¯s car; the time read 18:00 on the dashboard. Seri, Alex and I all but jumped out of the car when we arrived. Casually leaning against the small fence, Quinn waved and folded her arms onto the beam. ¡°On time, this time,¡± Seri chirped. ¡°Congrats, want a medal?¡± ribbed Quinn with a raised eyebrow. Alex hastily disappeared inside to his friends. I followed him into the kitchen. Looking behind me, I asked, ¡°Usual place?¡± ¡°Yeah, take this with you.¡± Quinn handed me a full thermos. Touching it, I picked up on runny honey; this was Quinn¡¯s favourite, Honey Tea. ¡°Don¡¯t drink it all at once this time!¡± I teased, smiling at her. She laughed, pushing my back towards the backdoor. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to get colder tonight. Don¡¯t want the flu now!¡± she stated, ¡°I had enough of Devan when he was ¡®dying¡¯.¡± Using her fingers to quote. Looking outside, I saw our small group at a dainty table, chairs almost carelessly stuck in the middle of the grass. Devan¡¯s back garden is broad. The far back was full of privet, leading into the natural forest behind his house. It gave the perfect cover for our weekly circles. I opened the door, taking in the brisk night, and joined them while whispering to Quinn. ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re going to give Lathen another go, right?¡± ¡°What? What gave you that idea?¡± I whispered harshly. ¡°Oh, come on Lexi, you¡¯ve totally been flirting! You were best friends; he knows you well¡­Perfect match in my eyes.¡± Before I replied, a fruity voice piped up, ¡°What are you girls whispering about now?¡± The two of us halted, not realising how close we were. I looked at Quinn and raised an eyebrow. She gazed at Lathen and remarked quickly back at him, ¡°That¡¯s a need-to-know basis.¡± Placing the thermos on the table, I pulled out a chair, only for it to be stolen by Seri. Without pause, I sat on her lap.Oomph! ¡°Shh, you are my chair now, bitch,¡± I joked. ¡°So, what did Travis give you?¡± Lathen quizzed me. Shrugging, I replied, ¡°I¡¯ve not seen him yet, nosey.¡± And tapped the side of my nose. We stayed like this, prattling back and forth, until Travis started the lesson with the young ones. It was half 6. The sun is still saying goodbyes, and the moonlight is growing. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. I leaned back taking in the laughter. Quinn, Seri, Lathen and Devan were like my family. Being close in age, we all got along like a house on fire and complimented each other. As witches, we draw power from the five elements: Water, Earth, Fire, Air and Energy (or Life and Death). My brother and I come from a long line of fire witches. Although the others would not believe it, I¡¯m currently the strongest in the family. My brother could surpass me, so long as he doesn¡¯t burst into flames. I had a fever and couldn¡¯t touch any books unless I wanted to burn them to ash. Quinn slept like a sleeping beauty. Almost coma-like. Seri had a jungle of a garden. Lathen flooded the school, being connected to water. Airy Devan nearly gave the town a tornado warning ¨C freak gales were very rare here in the UK.
We trekked forward for 15 minutes, laughing and joking away like ordinary people, in a deep, dark wooded area and came across our usual spot. Quinn took over, and an energy wielder, she was a natural priestess. She grabbed the salt and five candles out of a nearby stowaway. It was covered with glamour untraceable. The candles represent a different element: Red is fire, blue is water, green is earth, yellow is air, and white is energy. We took our respective candles from her and stood within each point of the star. I flicked my fingers to spark a small flame on the wick first and lent out the flame to light the other candles. Seri¡¯s magic rose to the surface of her hand, and a sky-blue wisp ran over the ground, creating a dipped outline of a circle. We stepped in before she closed it behind her, then drew a star within it, effectively making a pentacle. Quinn traced the five symbols, her pale yellow making ghostly outlines in the air. Symbols for protection, purity, strength, healing and clarity. Then she muttered, ¡°Obscuravale.¡± An invisible wall cloaked us from prying eyes. Looking from the inside, it was a white see-through wall following the circle. From the outside, we were utterly camouflaged. Quinn spoke the usual verses aloud. I call upon the guardians of the north, spirits of the earth, The east watch tower, guardians and spirits of the air, To the guardians of the south, spirits of fire, And to the west watch tower, guardians and spirits of water. I humbly ask for you to bless this circle tonight, If any spirit of love and light wishes to join us tonight, I invite you now. Tonight, she added something different. ¡°We call upon only the good energy to be present as we become one with the Goddess and her gift of magic. I revoke all dark energy and only allow light to guide us,¡± she continued. ¡°May it give us clarity and freedom to express ourselves. I ask the universe to aid us in our daily tasks and karmic lessons.¡± ¡°We are thankful for the blessings we receive and those we unknowingly give.¡± Quinn¡¯s voice did not waiver, and she finished the blessing. Bless this circle. May we be protected and loved. So mote it be.¡± ¡°So mote it be,¡± We all repeated. We placed the candles behind us on each point and stepped closer together; holding hands, we kneeled first to ground ourselves. We let the earth take all negative energy, fear, stress and worry from our bodies. Gradually, I began to feel lighter; with each breath, I could feel my magic pulsing lowly, making me smile and giggle slightly. Circles gave me reprieve from the chains that bound my magic. It made me somewhat melancholy, but I quickly shook off the feeling as it almost filled my spirit. I was highly aware of the others and their magic. Devan and Quinn¡¯s signature was very similar, but the colour of their magic was different.Soulmates. It was always hard to distinguish them both from each other. I rejoiced in their excitement, thankful they found each other in the vast world. In that moment I yearned for the same.
Carefully standing up, we could feel the energy and the moons energy around us. Quinn began to move, leading us clockwise around and around and around. The energy is swirling. It got higher and higher, reaching the tall trees around us even though my magic was lacking slightly compared to everyone else. Someone experiencing this could say it was overwhelming. It was a relief, trust, and a blessing to be a part of. The experience of a circle gets better with each passing year. I opened my eyes more, seeing myself giving off my bright crimson colour magic, I relaxed into it; feeling free as it blurred with the eager sky blue of Seri¡¯s, the curious dark purple of Lathen¡¯s, the confident moss green of Devan¡¯s and stood out from the respectable yellow of Quinn¡¯s. It rose into the night in small wisp-like ribbons mixing into the night. A beautiful sight to behold. A silent prayer left me. ¡®Goddess, help me find the strength to unbind these chains. I wish to be free.¡¯
After a while, we began to tire out, the energy level lowered, and with it, we were slowing from the dizzying merry-go-round. We came to a stop and slipped back down to our knees. Our breath came out in hurried puffs; even the athletic Devan was struggling with his breathing a little. We all grounded ourselves, removing excess magic and returning it to the earth. I looked at the candle behind me, lifting an open palm; I squeezed it into a fist. Concentrating, all the flames went out, and the moon¡¯s reflected light provided an icy glow. Quinn broke down the symbols and circle with a tiny swipe of her foot over the engraved earth. Seri swept her hand across the ground, and just like that, the pentacle was erased and replaced by ¡®undisturbed¡¯ leaves and dirt. ¡°Revelora,¡± Quinn announced. Her hand moved diagonally from right to left, lifting the cloaking spell.
¡°I needed that,¡± Lathen hummed, leaning forward onto his hands, no longer panting. ¡°It¡¯s been a long week,¡± Seri affirmed, standing up to place the salt and candles away behind the glamour. ¡°Could do with a dip,¡± tempted Devan, hearing the gentle sound of running water. A few meters away was a deep river with a small pool. ¡°Shall we?¡± he smirked at Quinn in particular. ¡°You just want to see me naked again,¡± Quinn ribbed as she was being pushed by Devan light-heartedly towards the water. ¡°You can¡¯t blame me for trying,¡± he winked, still happily moving her. I threw a hearty laugh and turned to look at Seri. We were used to their mannerisms and sex jokes. I wiped my eye as Seri started in song. ¡°Follow me down to the river,¡± she started quietly. I nodded, and we took off running. Surpassing the others, we continued the song together. ¡°Follow me down through the trees.¡± We stripped along the way to the steady water flow; our laughter could be heard for miles. ¡°Follow me down to the river, man.¡± We turned to the giggling voice of Quinn, quickly being followed by Devan. Lathen lagged with his shirt stuck, nearly tripping. ¡°I¡¯ll be down here on my knees!¡± All 5 of us happily sang and laughed, turning left down the riverbed to the circular pool. We had gone wild swimming in here before, skinny-dipping many times. Growing up around each other, you are not embarrassed in front of your witch family. Nor your sexuality. Seri and I held hands as we paddled into the chilly water. Follow me down to the river, Drink while the water is clean, Follow me down to the river, I¡¯ll be down here on my knees, Young love is as sweet as can be. Tipping my head back, I sank under and broke the surface water. A tiny splash behind me made me jump and turn. Nothing. I tried to stretch my senses out as far as they were able to. Something felt off and bristled across my senses. Wide-eyed, I quickly turned from where we came. Nothing. All I could see, and sense was us now. It left as quickly as it came. I stood up slightly, looking around, my senses not reaching as far as they should be. Feeling frustrated I gave up. The feeling of restriction came back 10-fold. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I felt the gentle hand of Lathen grasping my elbow. Glancing at him, he was looking in the same direction as me. After a few moments, I speculated, ¡°Must have been an animal." Glamour Spells Contrary to Quinn¡¯s comment about the weather, the night chill did not drop in temperature. We were slowly drying out from our late-night trip. My hair was slightly damp and wild as we returned to Devan¡¯s house through the tree line. I noticed a painful knot in Seri¡¯s hair. Ouch. Hopping onto the back porch, I could see Travis Treent, Devan¡¯s father, still giving his lesson to the trio: Alex, Brandt and Lana. I overheard the discussion, Glamours and how to break them. Although the five of us were on our own, we were still learning. You are taught the basics, protection spells, glamours and runes alike, until age sixteen. From that, you can discover your path; you learn what interests you and what you think will be helpful. Having a large coven, talking with one another and being able to clarify things creates a great learning environment. A safe one, too. For the most part. Devan went into the house first, taking off his still-wet shoes. Following suit, Heaven stopped me, Devan¡¯s mother. She spoke softly and placed a hand on my shoulder, ¡°Lexi? Can I borrow you for a minute? We¡¯ve found something that should be yours.¡± Like Devan, she was kind, heartwarming, and easy to talk to. Slightly smaller than I, she had a more auburn hair colour and caramel eyes, which conveniently Brandt had, a mamma¡¯s boy. Previously, my grandmother lived in this house before she passed away four years ago, and the place went up for sale. The Treents needed more space, and my parents were more than happy for them to purchase it. Often, we have left things behind by accident. I thought this was such an occasion. ¡°Yeah, not a problem,¡± I replied happily, following Heaven. She took me into their library room. The door was closed, but my weakened senses perked up. Something familiar was behind this door. It was calling to me. ¡®This has never happened before.¡¯ She opened the door, and a book was sitting innocently on an office desk. A brown leather-bound book with yellowing withered pages, this was old and used well. My grandma¡¯s signature was all over it¡ªher book of shadows. It was most likely filled with private encounters, dreams, spells and family history. Usually, the book is passed down to grandchildren for them to learn from, like an heirloom. I brushed my hand over it, recalling seeing it open with scrawling on every page. A sad smile came to my lips. Although I saw it many times, I was never given it. I never owned it. It usually was shared from the age of 16 or was passed down before death. My dad¡¯s mother had dementia. She had hidden it and could not remember or did not want to tell where it was, why we didn¡¯t know. She never mentioned the book nor the reason in her will either. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Where did you find this?¡± I whispered, turning back to look at Heaven standing near the door. ¡°Right underneath your feet. Wrapped in silk and hidden in a glamour,¡± she said back softly and motioned to the floorboards. I unwrapped the binding on the side and flipped it to the long back page. A family tree is present. The last entry was ¡®Alexander¡¯, my brother. My father¡¯s name is still in black ink, linked with my mother''s name. My grandad¡¯s name was scratched out. I brushed my fingers over the illegible name and became aware of something else. It wasn¡¯t the book calling me, and I looked down to the floorboards, where my feet stood. ¡°Did you find anything else?¡± I asked slightly louder, still looking down. ¡°What is it?¡± I met her eyes. Her eyebrows furrowed with concern. ¡°I think¡­ I think there¡¯s something still there.¡± I looked back down as the calling strengthened, ¡°May I?¡± I asked, looking for permission; I received a nod back. Lifting the wood revealed nothing but a handmade wooden container deep enough to house the book. I knocked on the bottom and confirmed my suspicion. A false back, something was further down, underneath it. I pressed my palm down onto the bottom; it was easily elbow-deep. Mustering magic to my fingers, my hand glowed weakly, ¡°Relevora,¡± I coaxed. The bottom gave way unexpectedly, making me jump. Lifting it out of the way, a pouch of black velvet tied with a gold cord sat. I relayed this to Heaven, who called for Travis to come quickly. The colour black was used for many things, to contain something or for protection. This object is full of energy. Getting it out was the next task. I switched positions, laying down on the cold, re-varnished natural woodwork. I reached down. My fingers brushed the material, and a necklace flashed in my mind with a white pendant. The image came and went in a flash. I felt like I had seen it before. Reaching for it again, my finger snagged on the corner with no grip. The image came clearer: Victorian style, a single string of see-through crystals and a silver clasp on the back. Shifting again, I strained to reach it; grasping a corner, I pulled up the double-knotted velvet pouch from its hiding place and sat back. I looked up to see Travis next to me, just as curious as myself. He replaced the wood as I took a look inside. The necklace sat against the striking background of black. It looked hand-crafted, with clear crystals and a silver clasp, just like the images. The pendant had a blacked-out female shadow profile and a single diamond on the back. I couldn¡¯t tell if the energy coming off was good or bad; all I knew was that it gave me shivers. It would have sat comfortably around the bottom of the neck. I remembered this. This was in the single wedding photo of my grandparents. The chain reflected the light from around her neck as she wore her white flow gown, and a row of flowers adorned her head from the circle ceremony. We had thought to bury her with it but could never find it... But why was it concealed? ¡°This was hers as well. She wore it in her wedding photos,¡± I beamed. Heaven looked over my shoulder, ¡°It is beautiful,¡± she praised, giving out her hand. I took it and stood up. Grabbing the book, I gushed out a thank you to both. Heaven shook her head, ¡°They¡¯re rightfully your families,¡± she smiled.
The Grandfather clock struck 12. Midnight! ¡°Lexi?¡± Seri said sheepishly, ¡°Do you mind giving me a lift home? I didn¡¯t realise the time!¡± she appeared in the doorway with Alex behind her. ¡°No, I don¡¯t mind! Come on. I don¡¯t want to be driving too late. Have you got my shoes?¡± I replied, walking out into the small hallway. She held them up in response, and we walked out of the front door with a chorus of goodbyes following us. It was half 12 when I got home; after checking all the doors and windows, putting my wet shoes onto the radiator and getting ready for bed, it was 1. After the strange presence in the woods, I sealed the house with a protection spell. I thought about starting to read my grandma¡¯s book in my hands. ¡¯It¡¯s already late. Just go to sleep, Lexi.¡¯ I set them both on my desk next to my computer. Crawling into my bed and snuggling into the thick cover, I fell to sleep, and for the first time in a long time, I did not dream. Nosey Neightbour Present day... "Lexi! Lex! Wake up. We''re going to be late," Alex fretted in my ear. I groaned and rolled over before snapping my eyes open, as a feeling of dread shot through me. I instantly looked at the clock: 8 O''clock? Fuck! "Why didn''t you wake me up earlier?" I shrieked. Scampering from the warmth of the bed and clawing on some clothes from the closet. I rushed to the bathroom to change. ¡°Not my problem you came home drunk,¡± Alex retorted with folded arms. Coming out from the bathroom with a toothbrush in my mouth, I tried to protest, "I was not drunk!¡± I wouldn¡¯t admit it, I did feel a little rough¡­ the drinking games were fun but felt exhausted. He changed the topic, ¡°The phone rang this morning, which is why I woke up. Mum will finish earlier today. She¡¯ll be back this afternoon." "Okay, grab me some breakfast bars, would you? Oh, and lunch, it¡¯s in the fridge!" I said, finally exiting the bathroom to my room while he walked down the stairs. I huffed as I noticed the bags under my eyes and covered them with makeup. ¡°Lexi!¡± shouted Alex. I glanced at my clock. ¡®Damn it. Half 8! Go!¡¯ I ran downstairs, where Alex was standing with the front door open, both our bags in his hands and my keys already in the outside lock¡ªAtta boy. "Sooty?" "Fed," he reported. I took a deep breath and got into the car with him. Alex and I made it before the final bell and as usual, Lathen was rocking up late. He noticed Alex and I getting out of the car and smirked, ¡°Late Langton?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± I retorted catching up to him. ¡°Let¡¯s get this day over with¡­ Friday yay!¡± Lathen spoke a little too cheery after a night out. I winced at his happy mood and covered my ear. He laughed and clasped my shoulder in a half hug before moving me to the steps. I rolled my eyes at him and picked up the pace.
Saying the day lagged was an understatement. ¡®Note to self: No more drinking on a school night.¡¯ I grimaced and strolled over to the loud cafeteria to grab food; it bustled with students as expected. I caught sight of Quinn perched on one of the blue plastic chairs at a small round table, digging into her sandwich. I relaxed next to her. ¡°Afternoon,¡± I greeted. Quinn lifted her head quickly in a greeting, ¡°Heard you had fun last night¡­¡± I groaned loudly and leaned into the table. We were shortly joined by two defeated-looking friends, Lathen and Seri, and a relaxed Devan. ¡°That bad, huh?¡± Quinn quizzed the trio. My eyebrows knit together in concern. ¡°Dodge ball. Devan was on the opposite team.¡± Lathen laboured over his breath, clearly defeated. He rested next to me, resting his head on folded arms. I pat his shoulder with sympathy. ¡°She was pissed, as in, argument with the husband pissed,¡± Seri added, sitting opposite me. Devan casually nodded in agreement, taking a seat next to Quinn as she turned to me, ¡°Oh gods, I think we need carbs next week!¡± A chuckle escaped my lips at her remark. ¡°So heard you three met a newbie?¡± Devan asked without a sweat. ¡°Yeah, a new family moved into the old Mants house,¡± I informed, ¡°My mum will no doubt be introducing herself...¡±
I pulled up behind Mum''s car and sighed for the umpteenth time today. I needed coffee. I felt a sharp pain on my forehead and hissed rubbing the centre of my brows. ¡°What was that for?!¡± Alex leaned away from the unnecessary flick to my forehead. ¡°Just, checking you¡¯re still alive.¡± I groaned again, getting out of the car, ¡°Just you wait.¡± As I got out I felt eyes on me, I glanced down the road. Sure enough, I met two blue eyes. Leo was stood out the front of the old house, with, I assume, his family. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Wow, Mum didn¡¯t waste any time, huh?¡± Alex laughed lightly as he walked past me and into the house. Mum was talking with the new family, but she wasn¡¯t the only one chatting. Mrs Crowley was an elderly lady, lovely at heart but nosier than my mother, and (bless her) did not know when to stop talking. ¡®Oh no, poor neighbours,¡¯ I thought. Leo raised his hand and gave a small wave. I smiled and waved back before entering home, sweet home.
I took a sip from the mug, and the front door opened and closed quickly; Mum finally graced us with her presence. Coming into the living room, she leaned over my shoulder on the sofa. ¡°They have cute sons about your age,¡± she avowed. She did this often. Like a teenager, she always knew the gossip or tried to get me on a date. ¡°Hm, I know. I met them already¡± I said, then regretted the words that flew out of my unfiltered mouth. In the blink of an eye, she joined me on the other side of the sofa, ¡°You have?!¡± ¡°When?¡± she quizzed shifting closer. ¡°The bar last night¡­¡± ¡°Tell me everything!¡± I groaned and threw the blanket over my face. She simply laughed and stood from the sofa, ¡°I have invited them over for dinner on Tuesday,¡± she declared. I peaked out from the covers and mumbled out a, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I bet you already know they¡¯re witches?¡± I nodded yes slowly and her shoulder slumped. ¡°Damn it! I thought I was the first¡­¡± I giggled at her. ¡°Well, I will call Nixon,¡± she sighed, pulling out her phone to ring him. Quinn¡¯s father, Nixon, was our prominent coven leader. Any new witches, he was one of the first ones to know. Often, they are invited to join us permanently or for circles or celebrations. ¡°Hello, Nixon. Is this a good time?¡± she greeted him on the phone. After a short pause, she explained the situation, not that I was eavesdropping. ¡°So, would you like me to invite them to the next circle, or shall I leave you to it?¡± she clarified. ¡°Okay, speak soon! Bye.¡± She hung up and wandered back into the living room. ¡°How did you find that out with Mrs Crowley present?¡± I quizzed. ¡°I was a little rude, I will admit,¡± she confessed, ¡°My senses picked up on it when I scanned them,¡± she squeaked. I laughed at her silliness. Using your powers to ¡®scan¡¯ over someone was considered rude. Your magic touches them to investigate them like an animal does when scenting something. Doing this can allow a witch to feel what you are feeling, your strength, and even your heritage. Humans cannot tell when we do this, but Witches. We know. That¡¯s why I nearly shouted at Leo at Jack¡¯s Hideout. ¡°So, they are coming over on Tuesday?¡± I said, looking for confirmation. ¡°Yes, their children will start school Monday, too. Delayed paperwork, but one of them will be in the same year as you. Make friends!¡± she replied, wandering off to the kitchen again to make dinner. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± I murmured, returning to the paused episode.
After sorting my homework, I left the house for the back garden and tended to the herbs and vegetables. Ensuring the clippers were sharp, I got to work. Such a variety in this witch''s garden. Lemon balm, Rosemary, Chamomile, Sage¡­ You name it. Each one had its meaning and use in spells. Some for love, calming, and protection; these were taught to me from a young age by my dad. Stretching I could feel and hear the pop¡¯s in my spine. De-weeding the small garden was a large task. I wiped my forehead, leaning back tomove onto a different task. I harvested most of the herbs, sat on the grass, and tied them into bundles with garden string. Mew? Looking left, I noticed a black cat; it was relatively larger than average with blue eyes. It looked exotic for a black cat. My eyebrows scrunching together, I watched it peruse the garden it found itself in. Sooty was going to have a paddy. ¡°Hello, kitty-cat,¡± I coaxed. It looked at me, and unbothered, it went back to exploring. There were not many cats around this neighbourhood, and they were usually not black. It was well-kept, making me think it had an owner. I left it to its own devices, not wanting it to stay. ¡®It could be the new neighbour¡¯s cat,¡¯ I mused. The cat strolled off back to wherever it came from. I had a feeling I would see it again.
I hung the completed bundles along the kitchen wall with more aged ones. Once they had dried out, then we could use them. I wandered into my room, picked up the book of shadows, and returned down the stairs. Stopping at the door under the stairs, I waved my hand right and recited, ¡°Chamborium.¡± Opening the door, I was greeted by a pumpkin smell coming from the incense burner. This was the room we worked in. It was a dark, small, square room, still with space despite the large mahogany table in the centre. Candles were aimlessly around the room, all lit, their wicks never fading, and the wax never melting. Opposite the wall with the door was an extravagant bookcase filled with books, potions, herbs, empty jars¡­ It was a half-hazardous room¡ªan organised mess. The walls were limestone, said to be the best at absorbing energy. The wall left of the bookcase was a hearth. A wood fire still wanting to be lit and a cauldron hanging above the wood. A lower table with a white cloth covering the wood was on the wall to the right of the bookcase. Five distinct areas marked earth, water, air, fire and energy. These changed with the sabbat. There were still loads of white and pink candles from Imbolc, the second sabbat of the year. Grabbing my book of shadows from the bookcase, I began to write an entry as I did not have time yesterday. It was halfway filled with information. I was hoping to find many new things from Grandma¡¯s book. My grandmother and I are persons of logic, and chemistry is our passion. I smiled, reminiscing a memory, standing around a cauldron, and setting things a flame with her magic, making me laugh and giggle. After finishing, I immersed myself in her writing. Pulling the book open, I started at the very beginning. My hands brushed over her handwriting; her name was scrawled on the front page. I took a deep breath and blinked away the unshed tears. I missed her. The first few pages were filled with basics¡ªthe eight sabbats, new spells, moon phases, etc. I was looking for diary-like entries but found a new section: ¡®Herbology¡¯ it read. It was filled with recipes and information on herbs and flowers and when to use them. Many were experimental, and notes, changes, successes, and failures were scribbled on paper. One of the spells caught my eye, ¡®Banishing vampires¡¯. I noted it in my book; you could never have enough protection and banishing spells. The door opened, and my ears were greeted by a humming tune, Mum. She glanced over at me with a smile as she grabbed some herbs from the bookcase. ¡°Lamb hot pot tonight,¡± she informed me and came over to look over my shoulder. ¡°Ahh,¡± she realised, ¡°Found anything interesting?¡± she asked, resting her hand on my shoulder in a half hug. ¡°Not much, only this ¡®Banishing Vampires Spell¡¯,¡± I answered, tapping it. ¡°Oh,¡± She gasped, ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to remember this one for years!¡± she exclaimed. She tapped, ¡®Cakes and Ale: Saturn-day night fever!¡¯ Followed by a recipe for a sponge cake and a chant. ¡°Your grandma made the best cake!¡± she professed. I stretched back, not knowing how long I¡¯d been in the room. Taking her selected herbs, she left the room, and I decided to join her and help cook.
Unknown ¡°Is it done?¡± A lady adorned in black turned slightly to the left, watching him out of the corner of her eye. ¡°Yes. Everything is in motion,¡± he affirmed. That was enough for her to hear. She turned from the mirrored reflection and into the shadows. She disappeared from view and left the earth entirely. Fire "Come on Alex," I shouted from the front door on a Monday Morning. I looked down the street to see Leo and a younger girl leaving their house. I know he didn''t have a car, and the walk wasn''t long but¡­ "Hey!" I shouted down, waving. Leo looked up and gave a wave back. "Need a lift?" I offered. "Sure!" "I''m here!" Alex rushed out of the door, out of breath. I shook my head at his antics, "Well, you''re in the back." "What? why?" he glared. "I''m offering the neighbours a lift," I gestured down the driveway towards the two entering the gate. I tried to ignore the growing feeling of fur as I introduced them, "This is my brother Alex¡­ Alex, this is Leo and¡­" "Freya¡­" The girl said sheepishly. I smiled at her sweet voice, and Alex lifted a hand and sheepishly waved.
"Come on, Freya! You have to meet Luna and Brandt!" Alex excitedly jumped out of the car and waited for her to join him. They were off before I locked my car. I shook my head as Leo stood beside me. "Before we moved, she didn''t have any friends her age," Leo informed, "It''s nice." I watched Freya''s smile grow as Luna asked her questions. Luna''s brother, Lathen was nowhere to be seen. I was slightly relieved. It was easy to see the pair were related. Luna has long beautiful black hair, and pale skin. We often referred to her as little snow white. No doubt she should break hearts when she grew. "What do you have first?" I asked. "Erm," he pulled out a sheet with his timetable on it, "Chemistry, Mr Glann, Room A26." I smiled, "Looks like you''re with me then. Come on, you''re lucky I don''t sit next to anyone."
Mr Glann. Black hair, brown eyes, tall, slim, glasses typically nerdy looking, wore a tie loosely. He got along with older students, could handle banter, and kept up with the ''times''. I guess that''s why he was easy to get along with. The bell rang, starting the lesson. "Right, class. It''s an analytical practical today. You''ll use your previous knowledge to identify a compound I give you," Mr Glann articulated before pausing when his eye landed on Leo. "He is a new student, Mr. Glann," I announced. He glanced at a clipboard, running a finger down the list of names before stopping, "Well in that case. Welcome to Chemistry. Prepare to die," Mr Glann advised jokingly, holding up a Bunsen burner. A small laugh was shared around the classroom and the teacher turned back and continued from where he left off. From my peripheral, I saw Leo beside me shift slightly to look at me. Moving forward, I rested my chin in my hand, fingers covering my mouth and side-eyed him. ''I have to admit; he is good-looking.'' I admired, looking back at the whiteboard. I continued to write down the reactions and products from the whiteboard, even though I already knew them. "Right!" Mr. Glenn boomed, "In pairs, come to the front desk. I''ll give you an unknown sample. No one will have the same one, so no cheating." ¨CGiving some students a pointed look¨C "You will have the rest of the lesson to figure it out based on our discussion," he maintained while pulling out ten test tubes from under his desk. "Can you get the sample? I''ll get the equipment," I said to Leo. "Working with Lexandria, are we Leonard?" I overheard Mr Glenn say to him. Leonard? Pfft. He sighed and beseeched, "It''s Leo, Sir¡­" "Got it, Lion," Mr Glenn tested. I rolled my eyes. He did this to everyone: nicknames, wrong names, abbreviations, etc. Leo returned with a bottle with a colourless solid labelled ''J'', and I pulled my hair into a bun. "Thanks, Leonard," I teased. He simply groaned.
Halfway through, we''re nearly finished, except the Bunsen burner refused to take flame. After the fifth time, the split was too short. I turned the gas tap off. I inspected the classroom. Everyone was concentrating; Leo was watching me with slight confusion. I held a finger to my lips lightly. Instead of using the splint, I would use my own. I took a small split in my right hand and cupped my left to shield the flame. I nodded at Leo to turn the gas tap back on, and with a slight flick of my fingers, a crimson flame emitted from my fingers. The Bunsen caught the flame, and it quickly turned from red to orange. It was unnoticeable to the naked eye. I looked up at Leo, and he stared with wide eyes. I returned to the burner and opened the valve, so the flame was blue. "Here,"¨CI gave him the ''J'' powder and a wet splint¨C "Dip the splint in and put it in the flame," I advised. Taking the instructions, he did so, watching the blue flame turn crimson. "Lithium," he remarked, "I love that colour." You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. He placed the splint onto the safety mat under the burner and observed me. I noted the colour down and nodded. "It''s lithium carbonate," I confirmed. I closed the valve, and the flame turned back to orange. I left it lit for the next person. I motioned for Leo to follow me as we approached Mr. Glann''s desk. "Yes? Is it too tough for you, X?" I resisted an eye roll, "No, Sir. This is lithium carbonate," I stated, placing the bottle on his desk. He looked at a list in his drawer and, smiling, let us go before the bell rang. "Make sure you clean up before you go, and Lexi, please show Leo around," he declared. I nodded at his request. "Right," Mr. Glann said, getting up from his desk. "Anyone need help?" A few hands rose in the class while I packed my bag. "Sarah, you have the easiest! Surely you have something by now?" She shook her head and returned to testing as we exited the room. My tongue still felt fuzzy, but the taste of metal ebbed away quickly. "What do you have next?" I asked, making small talk. "Physics," he replied, looking up from his timetable once more. I took a long breath. "You''re with me again, then," I rambled, walking down the corridor at a snail''s pace. "Why do you hide it?" Leo asked. "Hide what?" I asked, pausing. "You act weaker, you hide your power¡­ From everyone," he concluded. My eyes widened, I felt like a deer in headlights, "How do you know that?" No one had picked up on it before. Not even my friends. They did not know of the lock and I would not be the one to tell them. There was a reason they could not know. The bell stopped the conversation, and the corridor quickly filled with students. I encouraged him to walk faster with me to the next lesson.
"Hey," Leo started for the fifth time that lesson. I shushed him, cutting him off. I was concentrating, and Mrs Horton was harsh when it came to ''disruptive behaviour''. Leo was persistent. I continued to work on the half-completed calculations. "You forgot to carry the one," he whispered, continuing. Pausing, I gave an accusing look. "What do you mean ''carry the one''? Where the hell did you get that from?" I shout-whispered. His pen tapped the first calculation, and my mouth dropped slightly, realising he was correct. "The rest is right, but somehow you screwed up the first one." Correct again. I then noticed the incorrect numbers I copied in the second one. I put a hand to my forehead as I crossed it out. "Thanks," I mumbled. "I don''t bite," his knee nudged mine. My pen stopped as I re-did the calculation. I slowly lifted my gaze to look at him. He had an evident smirk and was trying not to finish his statement. I tittered, holding back a snort. I turned away, closing my eyes. I would not laugh. The bell tingled three times ¨C Lunch. As I gathered my things, Leo whispered in my ear, making me pause. "Your eyes are beautiful, by the way," he remarked, walking off into the corridor. I felt my cheeks heat a little. ''No. I refuse to blush,'' I scolded myself. "Ah. Miss Horton?" I grabbed her attention, "I was hoping to talk to you about improving my grade¡­"
Getting out my lunch, I strolled over to our usual spot. I paused momentarily when I realised another body was at our table. ''What the hell is he doing?'' Leo is sitting beside Lathen, having an arm wrestle; the others are laughing and joking with him. I sat down across from them, not interrupting them. "Lexi! Where did you wander off to?" Seri asked, nudging my left side. I elbowed her ribs lightly and replied, "I had to talk to Miss Horton. Extra credit to boost my grade." "Damn, I didn''t realise your grade was that bad. Do you need help?" Devan pipped up to me. I shook my head no with a light smile, looking towards the foolery still happening. "Oh, yeah. I found him wandering around looking for his locker," Devan continued. I raised an eyebrow, "Do you have an issue asking for help, Leo?" I questioned Leo, distracting him. Leo looked up at my voice, and his grip went slack, allowing Lathen to win. Lathen whooped, and I giggled. "No, I don''t have an issue, and did you do that on purpose?" Leo asked the accused. "I don''t know what you''re talking about," I retorted. Quinn spoke with a smirk on her face, "Trust Lexi to tease the newbie." "Initiation." I placed my head in my hand and took a bite out of my sandwich. "You''re talking about me like I''m not here," Leo protested. "Who said that?" Lathen bantered, looking around. I let out a giggle. I looked straight at Leo, and he winked at me. The conversation switched to a random video on the internet. My eyes caught something purple just behind him. Brittany, an acquaintance and fellow geek. She sported a purple flowing top and black shorts, holding her folders in front of her torso with both hands. I lifted my hand slightly in a wave. "Are you coming to chess after school?" she said right off the bat. "It''s the finals." "Yeah, Alex has been on about it all week," I reassured, "The same classroom as last time?" She nodded yes to my question and waved goodbye. "I think I want to join chess," Leo said, looking after Brittany. Devan and Lathen sniggered. She was the cute type with a small, framed body; almost all the nerds fancied her. "Aw, too bad the season is over," shot Quinn to the boys. "Do you think he''s a player?" she quietly asked me. I shrugged before responding, "He seemed decent until that remark," I grunted. "Meaning, she may or may not like him, and he''s playing up around the guys." Seri quietly jumped in. "Ha ha ha ha ha," I said in fake laughter, looking over at her. "Shut up," I said quickly under my breath, making her snort in a burst of small laughter. "Come on. Gym time." Quinn said, pulling me up from my seat. I groaned and let her drag me along as the bell rang.
I sat in the biology classroom, waiting for other people to arrive. My brother plays chess, and I like to watch it. "Hey," came a voice from the doorway. I turned away from my book to find Leo walking towards me. "Do you mind if I come with you? To watch, I mean," he said with a hand on his neck. "If you want, it might be a while before everyone gets here," I replied, returning to my book. He stood behind me, reading over my shoulder. "Yes? Can I help?" I asked irritated. "What are you reading?" he sat beside me, leaning on the table and facing me. "A book," I replied. I wasn''t even reading the page, my eyes just glazed over the words. "What kind?" "A thriller." "What''s it called?" "You ask a lot of questions." "And you''re very blunt." I looked up at him, putting the book down and laid a hand on my chest in a mock gasp. "No shit Sherlock." He chuckled in response. I plucked up the courage to ask him, "So¡­ Did you sacrifice an animal? I hope it wasn''t a bunny rabbit," I joked, more for myself than him. His eyes widened a little, and he quickly asked, "What are you talking about?" The playfulness dropped suddenly. I paused, thinking of what to say next, "I can sense¡­ it," I quivered. "You''ve been around dark magic, involved in it," I finished looking into his eyes. He relaxed, and his eyebrows knitted together, "That was a couple of months ago. I''ve not been near it since," he confessed. "Can the others¡­?" "No. I don''t think so¡­" Observing him, I could see I shook my head at the confession, "You''ve done an excellent job cleansing yourself." "Cleansing¡­?" his question trailed. I stared at him, deadpanned, and nodded slowly. "Please tell me you know what that is," I faltered. "Well, yeah, but only kids do it, right?" I immediately facepalmed, "Yes, it''s basic shit, man, but it works. I suggest you relearn Grasshopper." My brother came bounding through the door, halting our conversation "Hey, sis!" Alex exclaimed. "Hey. Are you ready to beat Chris?" I asked hopefully. "You know it!" Alex hopped into a chair in front of me as others began to enter the classroom. "You never answered my question," Leo piped up to remind me. "It''s called ''How to get away with Murder'', and I''m looking for a victim," I bantered, "Happy now?" "Very." With a smirk on his face, he leaned away.
"Checkmate," Alex exclaimed after a thirty-minute game. He held out a hand, his opponent looking defeated, shook it. "That''s ten in a row," Chris, his opponent, uttered. Alex leaned back, smiling widely. "Until next time, Alex." They shook hands again, and Alex came over to me, and I noticed Leo talking to Brittany as she updated the board with the results. "Are you ready to go?" Alex asked. "Yeah, let''s," I replied, getting up from the chair, "See you later!" I said, leaving the room. A chorus of ''byes'' followed us out.
Driving home I thought back to the conversation in the corridor. How did he know? Was it the Bunsen that gave it away? No¡­ Surely not, the others would have picked up on it from our circles. I chewed my nail, as the thoughts built while driving. I kept it well hidden like I was told to do¡­ "Erm Lexi?" Alex interrupted my thoughts. I blinked looking at him. "Are you going to get out? We''re home¡­" Dinner I adjusted my pine green jumpsuit straps and checked myself in the mirror. ¡¯Looking good, Lexi,¡¯ I praised.
¡°Lexi, is that make-up I see?¡± Mum marvelled, Blushing, I mumbled, ¡°I wanted to make an effort.¡± A knocking at the door caught my mum¡¯s attention away from me. The fur feeling came back slightly. I suppressed it as my mum opened the door to reveal five people. Inviting them in, the introductions started. ¡°Hello again! Welcome to our town. I¡¯m glad to meet the rest of your family,¡± Mum bubbled. She stepped sideways with an arm extended into the house, inviting them all in with a warm smile. ¡°Hello! Thank you again for the invite,¡± The woman thanked me and turned to me, ¡°I am Cynthia,¡± she greeted. I took in her chestnut eyes and ash-blonde hair that rested gently against her shoulders. She had a hand resting on a slight bump in her abdomen; She glowed like an expectant mother. She gestured to the oldest male, ¡°My husband, Noel.¡± I could now see where Leo got his looks, spit image of his dad. ¡°My youngest, Freya.¡± The young teen, Freya, smiled sheepishly, looking similar to her mother in features, only her hair was longer and mousy brown. ¡°You have met Leo.¡± He gave a polite smile to my mum. Mum took a peek at me. ¡°My eldest, Derick.¡± Derick, Leo¡¯s elder sibling, looked nothing like Cynthia or the Husband. Although I had met him before, the same uneasiness I felt at the bar, came back. ¡°Since we¡¯re using first names,¡± Mum teased, ¡°I am Isobelle. My oldest, Lexi.¡± She gestured to me, ¡°And my youngest¡­ Ah! Alex.¡± Alex exited the kitchen and was immediately put under the spotlight. He waved nervously and gave my mum a takeout menu. ¡°I hope you like Indian because we are ordering in!¡± Mum chirped.
Having our fill of Curry and Samosas, we were getting to know each other a little better in the living room, with a couple of borrowed chairs from the kitchen. I have developed a soft spot for Freya. She was timid but innocent. She had only just gone through Enmagica, and they had to move quickly from their home after a building in the village burned down. It was clear that Alex has also made a new friend, talking to her enthusiastically. ¡°Will your husband be joining us?¡± Noel inquired innocently. I felt he would ask; he eyed a family photo taken two years ago. ¡°Ah, no. My husband has passed to The Summerland,¡± Mum smiled sadly. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I could see her holding back a couple of tears. It was a touchy subject for all of us. ¡°Oh! I am sorry,¡± Noel apologised. Mum reassured him and moved on to a different topic. ¡°How far along are you, Cynthia?¡± Mum asked. ¡°Oh, only four months,¡± She smiled kindly. ¡°Oh, I wanted to ask you, do you think transitioning into your coven would be safe with a pregnancy?¡± she asked, concerned. ¡°Transitioning?¡± A gruff voice spoke up, Derick, from the corner of the room. ¡°Yes, we did tell you about it at the weekend. You do not have to participate if you do not wish to,¡± Noel responded. There was a slight glare from Derick when Noel spoke. ¡°Um, I am not sure! We do have a nurse in the team. If not, we shall have to postpone your transition¡­¡± My mum trailed off, probably making a mental note. ¡°Mum!¡± Alex¡¯s voice boomed in from the kitchen. Mum looked at me, ¡°Can you see what he wants, please, Lexi?¡± I quickly got up to help him, thankful for the interruption.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I quickly found out. Alex stood with the dishwasher door detached from where it was meant to be. ¡°It just¡­ fell?¡± he gulped. I sighed and took the door from him, not realising how heavy it was. Ofph! I took a deep breath, mustering as much sluggish magic as I could into my hands and declared, ¡°Restorignum.¡± The door flew from my hands and fixed itself back into place. I felt lightheaded but ignored it to test the door, opening, closing and turning it on. ¡°There. Fixed it; don¡¯t break it again,¡± I insisted to Alex. We both looked at each other as we heard the door slam close. I slowly went to the living room with Alex in tow. Derick was gone, but the look Leo gave me, it would not be the last we see of him. That¡¯s when I saw the light green symbols on Cynthia¡¯s back from the doorway. ¡°Sorry, Cynthia, is your magic green by any chance?¡± I asked. ¡°Green? No, why?¡± I touched her shoulder and became dizzy. ¡°You have a jinx,¡± I informed. She looked at me in wonder. ¡°So that¡¯s why I have been clumsy; I thought it was just pregnancy¡­¡± she laughed, ¡°It has been happening since I got with Noel,¡± she admitted. ¡°You need to be a bit more careful. Have you had a chance to protect the house?¡± Mum said to her concerned. ¡°Ah, not yet.¡± Noel admitted, looking ashamed. I left the room to the door under the stairs and fetched my book of shadows, opening it to the ¡®Jinxes¡¯ section. ¡°A sigil should fix it,¡± I said out loud, ¡°May I?¡± I asked Cynthia, and she gave me a nod. Taking another deep breath, I mustered my crimson magic again and traced a sigil to break the jinx. The light-headedness worsened, but I didn¡¯t stop until I traced a protection sigil. ¡°There,¡± I muttered with laboured breathing, little black spots filled my vision, causing me to blink more. ¡°Lexi? Have you overdone it again?¡± Mum stood beside me, concerned. I moved my head quickly, the world tilted, and I saw black.
I felt my magic thrash at the cage, begging to be released. I was so tired of everything. I was tired of being scared, being feared, being frustrated. My requests were always rejected, so I stopped asking. ¡°-Lexi,¡± I heard a voice, Leo? ¡°Soona.¡± There it was again. ¡°Lexi, wake up.¡± I did as I was told, my eyes barely opened to see the blurry, concerned face of Leo. As I blinked more, the blurriness faded. Then, I tuned into a one-sided argument. ¡°No! For the last time. TAKE IT OFF NIXON.¡± It was my mum on the phone, practically screaming, ¡°Don¡¯t get up yet,¡± Leo crooned, pushing my head down onto the pillow. ¡°What happened?¡± I croaked. ¡°I have no idea. You fainted after getting rid of the jinx, and then your nose started bleeding,¡± he explained. I felt a tickle of liquid from my nose; Leo wiped it away and restated, ¡°Soona,¡± his magic was an ocean blue, and I felt my nose warm as he attempted to stop the bleeding. ¡°You¡¯ve been bleeding for-¡± ¡°She is out cold. She has had a nosebleed for ten minutes, and it¡¯s not stopping; her episodes are worsening. She can¡¯t even light a candle, Nixon,¡± Mum reasoned. ¡°BULLSHIT, it¡¯s for her protection! You will need protection from me if you don¡¯t,¡± threatened Mum on the phone. She looked over to see me awake and looking at her. ¡°I will see you Thursday, and this lock is coming off, mark my words.¡± She hung up the phone and, taking deep breaths, knelt beside me and took my temperature. ¡°The bleeding has stopped,¡± Leo mentioned calmly. Mum thanked him and reassured him we were fine. ¡°Please, tell your parents how deeply sorry I am to cut the night short.¡± It was then that I noticed how empty the room was. ¡°I will,¡± he said earnestly. I tried to lean onto my elbows, but the dizziness won. ¡°I¡¯m just going to stay here forever,¡± I jested, smiling at my silliness. ¡°Leo? Would you mind taking Lexi to her bedroom? I don¡¯t have the muscles to move her?¡± Mum asked in a pretend huff. I looked at her suspiciously, ¡°No, Mum, I¡¯ll be fine. Just give me a few min ¨C ahh!¡± As I was hoisted into the air like a princess, I shrieked. ¡°Put me down!¡± I exclaimed, putting my arms around his shoulders. ¡°Sorry, your mum¡¯s orders,¡± he insisted, walking up the stairs. I looked back at my mum to see her practically swooning, and I shook my head at her. I was going to kill my mum. ¡°No, really, I¡¯m fine. Just put me down,¡± I spluttered for the zillionth time. He pulled back the covers, and I was eventually placed on my bed. My cheeks flamed, and I wished the bed would swallow me whole. ¡°Thank you,¡± I squeaked out, looking away from him. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± He bowed mockingly and hesitated to leave. I knew he had questions, but I felt too drained to talk; I could feel my eyes drooping as I lay in bed. As I fought to stay awake, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. Answers I awoke to the alarm ringing and registered that I had fallen asleep in my clothes and probably looked like a racoon. I sighed, forcing my sore self out of bed to prepare for the school day. I was still tired. I knew I would be bombarded with questions from Leo. I just hoped he wouldn¡¯t bring it up to the others. They are not meant to know; one of the few reasons my magic locked down is because of them¡ªtheir ¡®safety¡¯, as Nixon put it.
On Wednesday, the second period was always blank. Usually, we would go to a nearby diner to grab a long lunch before the afternoon lessons. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t feel good today. I had a takeaway last night. It''s not settled right,¡± I lied to Quinn. She gave me a ¡®all good¡¯ and left the building. I fled to the library, hoping Leo would not find me. I had evaded him so far today. He wanted answers, but was I ready to give them? Short answer, no. I had been told to keep this to myself for so long¡­ I¡¯m worried. I settled down at a table on the second floor; three tall bookcases surrounded it. I hoped it would be a while until he found me, or better yet, not at all. Pulling in my aura, I continued to read the book I started yesterday. I waited.
As my leg bounced in anticipation, my senses twitched; he was searching for me. His essence was cast out like a wide net, and I bit my lip, debating. ¡®He will ask you eventually. Sooner or later,¡¯ a pesky voice piped up in my noggin. I hated that it was right. I let my essence reach out and touch his, and slowly, he started to get closer. ¡°You are not an easy woman to find,¡± he huffed, sitting beside me. I instantly put the book down and turned my attention to him. ¡°Good, I don¡¯t want to be found,¡± I sassed. ¡°Obscuravale,¡± Leo demanded. The silence grew between us as the veil closed. ¡°What did your mum mean by a ¡®lock¡¯?¡± Leo probed. ¡°Did you ask the others?¡± I probed back. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because judging by how your brother took to you fainting, not many people know about it,¡± he theorised. ¡°Answer my question,¡± he restated. I looked down at the table, thinking of a way to explain. It was true; Alex had never seen me faint from using my magic. Leo was smart. ¡°When a witch has committed a heinous crime. Do you know what they do?¡± I started. ¡°Yes, a council decided to lock away¡­ their powers¡­¡± he trailed. Looking into his eyes, he started to put two and two together. Hopefully, he was not getting five. When a crime has been committed using magic (mostly murder), a council will lock away someone''s powers, so they are less of a threat in a mainstream prison. They meet their grave early if they fight it or try to use magic and push through the lock. It can only be removed if the person(s) that placed it there removes it. I swallowed, ¡°It¡¯s not a full lock on my magic, but recently, it¡¯s been getting harder not to fight it¡­ I have been trying to find a way around it¡­¡± He shook his head in disbelief. ¡°And the others don¡¯t know about this?!¡± his voice started to rise. ¡°Calm down, and no, they don¡¯t. It''s for the best. For everyone.¡± ¡°For the best?¡± he exasperated. ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± I lamented. ¡°Then make me,¡± he pleaded. I shook my head, refusing to let the tears accumulate, I was frustrated. It brought back memories I didn¡¯t want to remember. After a moment, I took a deep breath, sniffling. ¡°They are scared. They fear me, what I can do without thinking about it. If the others knew¡­I don¡¯t want to lose my family.¡± I could not stop the tears from falling this time, they streamed down, the weight of reality and years of holding this in, finally took its toll. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand how someone could resort to this. There are other ways,¡± he consoled. Placing a hand on my shoulder; he pulled me towards his chest and held me in his arms. I let him and nodded in agreement into his hoodie. ¡°I know,¡± I whispered brokenly, ¡°I tried. Goddess knows I tried.¡± I wept, releasing the pent-up frustration and heartache. After a short while, my sore eyes protested, and my sobs relented. I calmed down but still stayed cuddled to his chest. ¡°How long?¡± he whispered, ¡°How long have you had this lock?¡± ¡°Too long,¡± My voice sounded raw, my throat protested the talking. He pulled back and looked at my red-eyed, messy face. I wiped the tears away to make myself a little more presentable. ¡°Since my rite of passage, a few days after my Enmagica. Four years ago,¡± I told him honestly. ¡°And this Nixon? He¡¯s the one that put it on you?¡± I nodded at this question. ¡°He is very persuasive. My mum and I went along, thinking it was best.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°And he¡¯s never eased it off?¡± ¡°No. He made it stronger,¡± I sniffled. Leo looked away from me, and I could see the anger in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s why your magic is hidden?¡± ¡°Yes. Hopefully, my mum will convince him to take it off. Or at least ease it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you normally have a circle on Thursday nights?¡± ¡°Yeah, this week we are meeting at Quinn''s house.¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s safe? For you, I mean¡­ with the fainting and all.¡± ¡°No, circles are fine. As I said, it''s not a full lock. If I don¡¯t force or push against it, I will be fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happened last night. You pushed too hard.¡± I sheepishly nodded. It had been a while since I fainted, testing my limit was a past time I ventured alone. ¡°I will be there. If you need me,¡± he offered. I looked at him and smiled, ¡°Ah, what a hero,¡± I joked. My smile dropped, ¡°Thank you. And I¡¯m sorry about your hoodie,¡± I apologised. His grey hoodie was now wet from where I had been leaning. He smiled at me, ¡°Anything for a lady in distress,¡± he vowed. I giggled. I felt reassured and a little braver. A small weight had left my shoulders. I felt better than I had done in days. The bell rang loud: lunchtime. ¡°Revelora,¡± he stated. Getting up, he held a hand to me, ¡°Come on, let''s get some food.¡± I smiled at him, taking his hand. We left the library.
Thursday night came around quickly. I did feel grateful to Leo; letting loose some emotions helped, and I was almost back to my usual self. Sighing, I recalled the week, writing an entry into my book of shadows (BoS).
10th March This week has been a wild one. Grandma¡¯s BoS was glamoured and hidden in a nook under the floorboards at Devan¡¯s place. Which has NO diary entries? Grandma¡¯s necklace: also glamoured further below it¡­ I still have no idea what to do with it. Should I return it to her grave? But it is rightfully mine¡­ There will be spells and recipes in there I may able to use. Then, there¡¯s Leo¡­ Unexpectedly, we have gotten close and quickly. Is he the one haunting my dreams? If he is, then why do I feel nothing? No spark? No instant love? There is still so much we don¡¯t know about each other. But he knows the one thing Seri doesn¡¯t: the lock. Goddess, I even cried ON him! It was an ugly cry, too¡­So embarrassing! Although, he is a distraction¡­ I think I can rely on him¡­ I need an ally to remove this lock! Blessed Be, Lexandria.
Putting the pen down, I took a breath and closed the book. The black pouch holding the necklace caught my eye, and I couldn¡¯t help but want to admire it again. A knock at my bedroom door made me jump. I say, ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nearly time to go, Lexi,¡± Mum¡¯s head peaked in, ¡°I have asked Leo and Freya if they would like a lift,¡± her eyes glinted cheekily, ¡°You can take Leo in your car.¡± ¡°Mum!¡± I bleated. She chuckled and left the door ajar. Getting up quickly, I followed her down the stairs to see Alex, Freya and Leo already there. I noticed a lack of fur and a metallic taste. He finally cleansed. ¡°We can all fit in my car,¡± she decided. Too damn right we can all fit. Arriving at Quinn¡¯s house, I mentally prepared myself for a clash with Nixon. I felt a hand on my shoulder before we got to the door. ¡°You¡¯ll be alright.¡± Leo¡¯s words of encouragement were whispered into my ear, and he squeezed my shoulder lightly. Turning to the side to look at him, I smiled slightly and nodded as my mum knocked. Nixon answered the door. He looked older than his years; his hair was greying almost gracefully, with a short beard to match. His eyes showed wisdom like Quinn¡¯s, reflecting the same caramel. You could see why he was the prominent coven leader, and his presence demanded attention. A confidence no one could match, looking relaxed and comfortable. He was good with words. It was hard not to trust him and his decisions. He welcomed us all in as he usually would. I could see the others in the kitchen. ¡°Alex, will you take Freya and Leo to the others? Lexi and I need to speak to Nixon,¡± Mum asked warmly as she stood near Nixon. As they left, Nixon directed us to his office space. I worried my lip as I followed. He closed the door and obscured our conversation.
¡°I hope you have had time to calm down, Isobelle?¡± ¡°I have a clear head if that¡¯s what you mean.¡± Mum ushered me onto the chair while they stood facing each other. I knew to stay quiet. ¡°This has gone on for too long, Nixon,¡± she gently intoned, ¡°We need to give her freedom.¡± ¡°I agree, but I am concerned she will not be able to control her magic.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll not know until you let her try. The last review was just after my late husband passed. Emotions were running high after we found out how he died.¡± ¡°Hm, yes, I remember.¡± So far, so good; they were staying calm. My eyes were playing tennis watching both speak in turn. ¡°It¡¯s time to take off the lock.¡± Nixon regarded me before replying, ¡°I don¡¯t think we should be hasty now. Do you remember why we put the lock on in the first place?¡± Mum glanced at me, taking a moment before offering an alternative, ¡°Ease it then. I do not want her fainting from using a tiny bit of magic. Not to mention the nosebleeds¡­¡± ¡°Please, Nixon. I do not want to lose my daughter too.¡± He nodded yes at the request. I silently breathed a sigh of relief. Some freedom is better than none. He came behind the chair, and I leaned forward slightly. I felt him pull back my t-shirt so my upper back was showing and held a hand over the scruff of my neck. I closed my eyes and relaxed as much as possible, not resisting. I could see it in my mind¡¯s eye. A rectangle of dark blue, filled just shy to the top with red. It represented how much of my magic was locked. I concentrated and melded my magic into a ball. It felt like chains around it, almost squeezing, blocking me from touching it. ¡°Ready?¡± Nixon asked. My mum kneeled and grasped my hands, soothing them with a thumb. I replied, ¡°Yes.¡± His magic flooded in, twirling around the sphere I created. He drew many Sigils on my back, ones I didn¡¯t know. Something broke like guitar strings. Like chains. And I was able to breathe a little easier. He stopped, withdrawing his magic and let go of my neck. Again, my mind¡¯s eye showed that same blue rectangle, but the red was less; it occupied three-quarters. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. My mum had her watchful eyes on me, smiling. ¡°Relax, Lexi,¡± she coaxed. I did. The world didn¡¯t implode. My senses reached further, and I flexed my hands into a cup. With little resistance, a red flame appeared, and I held it, feeling giddy and smiled. ¡°Lexi,¡± Nixon¡¯s voice caught my attention. I closed my hands, and the flame died out. ¡°Do you understand why we cannot erase it?¡± I nodded my head, ¡°Yes. I do. Thank you for this.¡± My mum opened her arms, and I enjoyed the contact. After a moment, I realised. ¡°The others will notice the difference¡­¡± I spoke out loud. ¡°They may. However, we can put it down to grieving and chakra blocking,¡± he informed a great plan. I smiled and nodded. Nixon took down the veil and opened the door for us. ¡°Right,¡± Nixon entered the garden and rubbed his palms together, ¡°Who¡¯s ready for pizza and a Chakra lesson?¡± I greeted Seri and Quinn with a hug. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Quinn chirped. We walked down the street to a park entrance and went through the tree line. It was a shorter walk, about ten minutes due east. Quinn set up as she did before. This time, we had six candles for the new addition of Leo. I gestured for Leo, standing next to me, to do the honour of lighting the candles. He smirked and clicked his fingers, and all six ignited with a blue spark in sync. ¡°Was the click for flare?¡± I joked. ¡°Yes,¡± he admitted, getting laughter from us. As the energy began to climb, I noted that my magic was climbing higher than before. It still lagged slightly, but the difference was like night and day. Next to me, A heavy blue poured from Leo, surpassing everyone. He looked free and joyful. It made me smile. My energy after the circle was substantial. We decided not to wild swim, and a question from Lathen confirmed my earlier worry. ¡°How come your magic has grown?¡± I smiled and recited the words of Nixon. Coffee? The date was set. The Grimsbanes would have their rites on Sunday. Tomorrow. For now, I was happily humming behind the coffee bar at Kitties Koffee, cleaning up from the mad rush. I had been optimistic since Thursday night. A little bit of freedom means a lot. Kitties Koffee was a coffee shop in the main town; it was relatively well known. I persuaded my boss to hire Seri a couple of weeks ago, and it was agreed that I would be the one to train her as a barista. The bell tinged from the top of the front door, and glancing at the clock told me it was 3 p.m. I turned with a smile on my face to greet the customer. ¡°Hey! I¡¯ll have a mocha-frocha-bullshit, please.¡± Lathen stood leaning on the counter with a grin. I chuckled briefly until he added, ¡°With extra bullshit.¡± I snorted out a laugh at his cheeky joke, and I turned away from him. ¡°The usual?¡± I asked through the giggles, and he nodded. ¡°Where is Seri?¡± he asked, looking behind the counter. ¡°Delivery. It came later than normal. Where is the rest?¡± ¡°Devan is picking up Leo. He seems to fit in well,¡± he answered, looking at his phone, ¡°Leo has just been added to the group chat too.¡± I hummed in response while still making a black coffee for Lathen. I thought back to my few encounters with Leo so far. I couldn¡¯t help but blush. He was sweet, fun to joke around with, and knew how to handle a crying ¡®damsel¡¯. I smiled. The tingle of the bell broke my daydream. I turned back to Lathen and placed his order on the counter. ¡°So? What do you think?¡± he looked at me expectantly. I hesitated, ¡°About what?¡± I asked, confused. A look of disappointment appeared on his face briefly. Behind him, Devan and Quinn also looked confused. ¡°Never mind,¡± he murmured, taking the black coffee and turning to the others. ¡°Yo,¡± Devan greeted. ¡°Hey, cappuccino?¡± Devan nodded and clapped Lathen on the back, guiding him to an empty booth. I looked at Quinn just as Seri came back from the delivery. ¡°Hot chocolate, please,¡± Quinn said. Before I turned around, Seri was already on it. Quinn leaned over the counter a little and spoke softly, ¡°So? What did you say?¡± she asked. I was puzzled, ¡°What did I say to what?¡± Now I knew something was up. A flash of surprise crossed her face, and she shook her head. Seri placed her order on the counter. ¡°Just talk to him, please,¡± Quinn encouraged and sat with the others. I stared into Seri¡¯s eye. She looked sheepish; she knew. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked her quietly. She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re clueless. Did you zone out again?¡± ¡°What do you mean again?¡± She shook her head and paused, ¡°Just¡­talk to him. Alone. You know how shy he gets.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Then she disappeared into the back again. I sighed, knowing that¡¯s all I would get out of her. ¡¯I¡¯ll talk to him tomorrow.¡¯ ¡°I swear I¡¯m a ghost or something.¡± I chuckled, ¡°Sorry, Leo, what do you want?¡± I asked without facing him. ¡°Is that really how you treat a new customer?¡± he teased. Embarrassed, I turned my head, ¡°Shut up. Do you want anything or not?¡± It was his turn to chuckle, this time at my embarrassment. ¡°A white coffee, please.¡± As I made his order, he asked, ¡°What time do you get off?¡± It made me pause; I internally shook my head. ¡¯He isn¡¯t asking you in that way, Lexi.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m on closing, so I¡¯ll finish at nine tonight,¡± I replied, handing him the coffee. ¡°Cool, thanks,¡± he said softly and took a sip while walking away. Seri came back out with the packaging, and I helped her put it away. ¡°What was that about? You seem all buddy-buddy with Leo,¡± Seri asked. I decided to give the truth, even though she wasn¡¯t spilling the beans to me, ¡°You are my best friend, Seri; I¡¯m not replacing you, don¡¯t worry. I like him. He¡¯s sweet.¡± She paused and looked down at me under the counter, ¡°Do you like him?¡± ¡°Maybe. What do I need to talk to Lathen about?¡± ¡°You know what, never mind. Let me know when you figure it out.¡± And the conversation stopped. ¡¯Wow, bitch.¡¯ I let Seri go home early as it got quieter. After cleaning the floors, I clocked out and shut up the shop. 9:05 pm, and the moon was rising nicely. I walked to my car, absentmindedly trying to find my keys. I noticed a figure leaning against my car. I paused and cast out my senses, Leo. Getting closer, I quizzed him, ¡°What are you doing here? I thought you left with the others ages ago.¡± He shrugged before confessing, ¡°I wanted to ask you more about the lock.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still there if that¡¯s what you mean.¡± ¡°Why not just take it off completely?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story, and I¡¯m a little tired of talking about old memories.¡± He understood and shifted from the boot to stand in front of me. ¡°I wanted to talk to you about something else¡­¡± I tilted my head slightly as the pause got longer. I saw his mouth open and close; he was considering his sentence. ¡°Spit it out, Leo.¡± ¡°I have dreams,¡± he blurted, ¡°¡­about you.¡± He suddenly found his shoes more interesting. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s not someone else?¡± I braved feeling my cheeks heat a little. He chuckled softly, ¡°You think I¡¯d forget a body type like that,¡± he said suggestively. His gaze took me aback a little; it was fire. Goddess! ¡°Plus, not everyone has beautiful green eyes.¡± With every word, he got closer and touched my jaw, his thumb stroking my cheek. I felt my face get hot, I was definitely blushing beet red. His eyes pierced mine. The white specks confirmed it. They were brighter under the rising moon, and my heart skipped a beat. I leaned into his hand, my own covering his. ¡°But normally, there is an instant connection,¡± I doubted. ¡°If your magic is locked¡­ Your fate line might be locked too.¡± I gasped, and my eyes shifted, considering the possibility. If it is¡­ Did Nixon make mistake? Or was it on purpose? Leo took my hand and placed it on his heart. ¡°Feel it here,¡± he whispered and pulled at my waist. His magic reached the surface, and my body hummed as mine rose to the surface. He tucked my head into his chest and gently rested his chin on my head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to push you too far.¡± I don¡¯t know if he meant my magic or something else. There I felt it, the string of fate as it was called. It extended to me, and I felt a slight tug, same as that night at the bar. There was a gentle warmth as our magic mingled in a purple hue. A voice was niggling in my head practically screaming not to give in, and my fear returned. ¡°I don¡¯t know my limit anymore. I need to test it out,¡± I hesitated. I tried to step back, but he did not let me go. ¡°Could you let me go, please?¡± Using his shoulders, I pushed myself away as far as possible, and his eyes narrowed. Shit. ¡°Why did you get scared all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Drop it.¡± The fear dropped, but the annoyance was clear in my voice, ¡°Don¡¯t run from it. I don¡¯t mind helping you test that limit.¡± A wolfish grin grew. ¡°Don¡¯t be a prick. Let me go.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± I sighed in annoyance and he took advantage of my slight relaxation, pulling me closer. Our faces were centimetres apart, my cheeks flamed again, and my lips separated slightly in anticipation. As a warning, his nose nuzzles mine lightly, and I take his face. ¡®Screw it.¡¯ I beat him to the punch line and kissed him. Warmth came over me, warming me up from the inside, and made me tingle from head to toe. My hand wandered to his neck. Breaking apart, he pulled me in deeper for another. The warmth became a flame, and magic filled me with an electric feeling. I ignored the squeeze and focused on the pulling from somewhere more profound, and the flame became a fire. It roared. There. It¡¯s tangled, caught in the cage. The string of fate, Leo was right, and this was my proof. I didn¡¯t want to stop. The fire became comfortable and enjoyable. The fate string, while it was stuck, tried to reach out. A sharp pain in my head forced me to break our embrace; clutching my head, I became woozy. ¡°Lexi?¡± his voice was muffled. ¡°Le-Leo, I don¡¯t feel so good.¡± His hand tugged my face up. ¡°Shit, your nose.¡± He tucked my hair behind my ear, and the shock became horror as he pulled his hand back. His fingertips were covered in blood. ¡°Lexi. Hold onto me; I¡¯m going to put you on the floor.¡± I didn¡¯t respond; my eyes felt heavy. ¡°Leo, I¡¯m sorry. You were right.¡± He cut me off, shushing as he placed me on the floor. Taking off his hoodie, he put it behind my head, and I felt exhausted and dizzy, ignoring the trickle of blood down my cheek and jaw as he pulled out his phone. ¡°Hello? I need an ambulance,¡± he sounded so far away. ¡°Lexi, stay awake.¡± I couldn¡¯t. Strife My ears picked up on hushed words and soft, even tone, beeping every few seconds. Opening my eyes, I whined at the bright white flooding my vision and placed an arm over my eyes. The talking stopped, and someone moved to my side. ¡°Hello, Lexandria. Do you know where you are?¡± spoke a soft male voice. Blinking a few times, I was able to look at the man. ¡°No,¡± I croaked, my throat dry. ¡°Here,¡± he sat me up, giving me a cup of water. Although groggy, I was able to look around. ¡®A hospital ward?¡¯ I looked at the man attending me and noticed his uniform¡ªa nurse. ¡°Here, lean back,¡± he altered the hospital bed, allowing me to sit up. ¡°You are in St. James Teaching Hospital. Now, I am going to take some observations, and then your visitors can come in.¡± He shone a light in my eye, blinding me more, before asking, ¡°Do you remember what happened last night?¡± ¡°I fainted¡­?¡± ¡°Are you prone to nose bleeds or any bleeding conditions?¡± I shook my head no. ¡°Any chance you could be pregnant?¡± I huffed slightly in annoyance, ¡°No.¡± He placed a blood pressure cuff on my arm and a gadget on my finger. ¡°Taken any recreational drugs recently?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Alcohol?¡± ¡°Zilch.¡± ¡°New medications?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you,¡± he said, scribbling down on a folder, ¡°We took some blood and a head CT scan. The doctor will be up soon to talk about your results. Am I okay to let your visitors in?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you,¡± I glanced at his nameplate, ¡°Shaun.¡± ¡°Not a problem. Press this button if you need me.¡±
I don¡¯t know who I was expecting¡­ Okay, I¡¯m telling fibs. I was expecting a certain someone. Instead, I had a fretting Mother and an unfazed Nixon. ¡°Thank goodness Leo was there to help you. The nurse said it was most likely exhaustion or dehydration,¡± she prattled. ¡°Mum, please¡­ my head,¡± I complained to stop her babbling and turned to Nixon, ¡°Not to be rude¡­ What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to reassess.¡± ¡®Uh oh.¡¯ ¡°Reassess what?¡± ¡°What caused you to faint? Were you using magic? Or were you pushing again?¡± He asked softly not to be overheard by others. ¡®I should have known.¡¯ He was trying to find an excuse to increase the lock again. I answered after a short pause, ¡°I was pushing a lot more than the other times.¡± ¡°And why would you do that?¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°Because my fate string is tied,¡± I stated bluntly. My mum gasped; he didn¡¯t look shocked by the news. ¡®That answers my question. It was on purpose,¡¯ I thought, crossing my arms. ¡°How do you know that for sure?¡± he probed giving nothing away. ¡®How do you think, idiot?¡¯ I stared at him silently, asking, Really? He continued, ¡°With your track record of not being able to control your powers, especially when it comes to your emotions, it is safer for it to be locked.¡± As he spoke, my anxiety crept up. We have had this conversation before. Was he right? Is it dangerous? What if-? ¡°Think about it. They say love makes you blind, crazy even. Love makes your emotions unpredictable; therefore, your magic is erratic, uncontrollable.¡± ¡°Staying level-headed is the best action with large amounts of power. So, yes, I tied up your fate string to allow you to stay in control of yourself.¡± By the end of his speech, I became light-headed and panicked. I lost my breath, my heart was pounding, and the even-toned beeping became erratic on the monitor. A sense of doom came over me. I couldn¡¯t see from the tears threatening to fall. ¡®I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ I pressed the call button. ¡°Lexi? What¡¯s wrong?¡± my mum fretted. ¡°See. Lack of control-¡± ¡°Shut up, Nixon.¡± My mum butted in just as the curtain flew open. Shaun appeared and looked at the monitor, ¡°Alright, everybody out,¡± he requested. ¡°W-what¡¯s hap-ppening?¡± My words came out as a stutter, as fat drops of tears streamed down. I couldn¡¯t breathe between hiccups. ¡°You are having a panic attack,¡± he stated softly, ¡°Breath in ¨C 1, 2, 3, 4 and out, 2, 3, 4.¡± He repeated himself until my heart rate decreased on the monitor and my eyes stopped the waterworks. My chest squeezed as the hiccups failed to ease as quickly. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°I felt like I was going to die,¡± I confessed. ¡°Unfortunately, everyone says the same. I think visitor time is over for you.¡± ¡°No. No, it¡¯s fine,¡± I lied. I could not let Nixon win and convince my mum this time.
It was just my mother who returned with, I assume, a doctor. ¡°Miss Langton, I have your results from the CT and blood tests.¡± My mum sat next to me and took my hand, and I nodded for him to continue, and he read from the clipboard in his hand. ¡°When you came in, you were bleeding from your nose and ears. Nothing abnormal on your blood results; you have normal clotting factors, meaning no bleeding disorder.¡± ¡°Your CT also came back clean, with no signs of brain injury or haemorrhaging.¡± ¡°As to where the bleeding came from, we have no idea, but we have ruled out all serious conditions. If it happens again, please come back, and see us. For now, I am happy to discharge you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± I heard from behind the doctor. The doctor stepped aside to reveal Leo, holding two cups. I thanked the doctor and confirmed that I wished to be discharged. Leo sat down next to my mum, passing her a drink. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were here,¡± I said. ¡°I needed a coffee. Sorry I wasn¡¯t here when you woke up,¡± he replied, tipping the coffee cup to his mouth, ¡°I saw Nixon on my way back up.¡± I sighed, ¡°Yeah, he paid me a visit.¡± ¡°With that face, I guess it wasn¡¯t positive.¡± I looked down at the thin sheets and shook my head, ¡°I think he wants to tighten the lock. Please, Mum, don¡¯t let him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen, Lexi.¡± She cut me off, placing another hand on my own, ¡°This is wrong. I will not let him put it back, I promise you,¡± she affirmed, kissing my head. A buzzing noise echoed around the minor ward. Looking sheepish, Leo said, ¡°Sorry, I got to take this. Be right back.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been here all night, Lexi,¡± Mum informed me after he left. ¡°All night?¡± I repeated, looking away from the empty door to her. Nodding, she gave me a knowing look and asked, ¡°So, what happened last night? And don¡¯t lie to your mother.¡± A blush rushed to my face, ¡°We kissed,¡± I muttered. ¡°And¡­?¡± she probed whilst giddy with quiet squeals. ¡°Mum, stop,¡± I cringed. ¡°Come on, little one.¡± She calmed down but still had a smile, ¡°Is he? Your fated?¡± ¡°I think so¡­?¡± She leaned back with a grin, ¡°I knew it.¡± Blushing harder I continued cautiously, ¡°That¡¯s why I pushed my magic. I wanted to know, but¡­¡± ¡®I hope so.¡¯ I added mentally. I was crushing¡­ Hard. ¡°Sorry about that. Ma was calling.¡± I smiled as Leo returned.
¡°So, what are we doing for Ostara? It¡¯s in two days, you know.¡± Seri¡¯s voice cracked through the speakerphone. I rolled over onto my back. I was glad to be back home. ¡°Hm, I have no idea. Maybe something new?¡± I suggested, ¡°I really don¡¯t fancy playing designated driver with drunks in the back again.¡± ¡°Oh, come on! You loved teasing us! Plus, it was your idea to use a Sharpie on Devan after he fell asleep.¡± I laughed at the memory. ¡°Well, we might be babysitting this time. So, no nightclub.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we can just leave them home with a film or something. You know, leave food and water out for them.¡± ¡°They are not dogs!¡± I chuckled, ¡°And my mum says you¡¯re the responsible one¡­Man, I should tell her stories.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just jealous your mum likes me more.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡± Her tone changed to nervous, ¡°Have you spoken to Lathen yet?¡± ¡°Yeah, about that, Seri. Stop encouraging him. I¡¯m not that dense. You both know I do not like him that way.¡± ¡°ME? Oh no, this was all Quinn. I had no part in this. Even Devan is on your side; he doesn¡¯t like Quinn stirring the pot.¡± I sighed loudly and put an arm over my face. You could tell when Devan and Quinn were arguing. The banter between the two stopped and the atmosphere, tense. I should have known after dying Quinns hair¡­ ¡°I know,¡± she continued, ¡°I keep trying to change Lathen¡¯s mind, but he won¡¯t give up while he¡¯s got the thumbs up from half the coven.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What?¡± ¡°Oops, I mean. Erm¡­¡± She then went on babbling, trying to redact her statement. ¡°Oh, come on, Lexi!¡± she sighed. I gave no response still miffed. ¡°I mean, it doesn¡¯t help that Lathen saw you and Leo kissing¡­¡± she taunted. ¡®Why this sly¡­¡¯ ¡°Wait, what?¡± I exclaimed in hysterics after realising what she had said. ¡°Ah! So, it¡¯s true! When were you going to tell me, hm? This is juicy info, and you didn¡¯t think to tell your bestie? I¡¯m hurt, deeply.¡± I could hear the pout in her voice, ¡°You¡¯ll get over it.¡± I sat up and stopped the phone call. It didn¡¯t take long for her to start calling me again, and feeling humorous, I took the call. ¡°Did you hang up on me?¡± her ludicrous voice screeched through the tiny speaker. ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t know. Did it sound something like this?¡± Click. I love her, really. It vibrated for a third time, and I picked up without looking at the screen. ¡°Have you calmed down?¡± I smiled into the phone. ¡°I didn¡¯t realise I was angry with you.¡± Came a male voice. I took a sharp intake of breath and looked at the phone screen. Lathen. ¡°Oh, hi Lathen,¡± I said, ¡°I thought it was Seri ringing again.¡± ¡°Hanging up on her again?¡± ¡°Yes, she loves it,¡± I chuckled. He immediately asked, ¡°Are you home? I need to talk to you.¡± ¡®Oh goddess.¡¯ Filled with dread, I replied, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m home; come around whenever.¡± ¡°Alright, see you soon.¡± I immediately texted Seri. [Lathen called. He is coming over. Pray 4 me.] I got an instant reply: [F] followed by, [I want details tomorrow, see you tonight.]
A knock at the door. Memories of the dreams came back to me as I stared at the door. They were of us and showed me a future I didn¡¯t want. Goddess had a plan and it wasn¡¯t with Lathen. The knock came again, a little louder. I opened the door with a small smile. ¡°Hey, come in.¡± Lathen followed me to the kitchen, and I asked, ¡°Drink?¡± ¡°Er, no thanks.¡± He sat at the table, fidgeting, and I sat opposite him. ¡°So, what¡¯s up?¡± I silently begged him not to do it. "Listen..." ¡®Here we go.¡¯ ¡°Last year, I told you that I still felt something for you, and I still do. I would go as far as saying I love¨C¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± I interjected. Dumbstruck, he asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it. Because it¡¯s not true,¡± I bluntly and laid my feelings down, ¡°I love you like a brother. Nothing more. Please stop this; It was a crush. We tried it. I said no.¡± He looked down at the table and his eyes became slightly glassy. He knew I didn¡¯t do well with tears. A guilt trip wasn¡¯t going to work this time. ¡°It¡¯s only because of Quinn¡¯s voice in your ear that you keep doing this, and it¡¯s gone on for too long. I¡¯m sorry, Lathen. This,¡±¨CI gestured between us¨C ¡°Is not going to happen again.¡± His sad look turned into displeasure, ¡°It¡¯s because of him, isn¡¯t it?¡± It sounded more like a statement than a question. I sat up a little straighter and stayed calm at his anger. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Leonard. He¡¯s been sniffing around you like a dog in heat since he got here.¡± I opened my mouth to protest his choice words, but he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t even deny it. I saw you both last night; give me the truth,¡± he spat. ¡°The truth? Okay,¡± I fumed, having enough of his tantrum and stood up. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s entirely his fault. Goddess knows I¡¯ve put up with you and Quinn trying to force me back into a relationship. That stops now.¡± ¡°You are not, nor will you ever be, Leo. Goddess has a plan for me, and it wasn¡¯t you. Get over it!¡± I retaliated. ¡°I just want my best friend back before he started complicating things!¡± I snapped, my eyes now tearing from rage. He stormed around the table, ¡°I can¡¯t help who I love!¡± I sneered at him, coming closer, ¡°You don¡¯t love me! Quinn has manipulated you to think you do! You wouldn¡¯t have this petty jealousy if you did love me!¡± ¡°Oh, and you know what love is, huh!?¡± he shot, getting in my face. ¡°No, I don¡¯t! But it¡¯s not this, Lathen!¡± He kissed me. Rites Just like that, he kissed me. Trying to make it all better, but it made things worse. I pulled back as quickly as it happened, and I slapped him. I grounded out, ¡°Get out.¡± He turned, not looking back once; he opened the door forcefully and left. The door became blurry, and my sniffles filled up the empty room. ¡°Lexi?¡± I heard my brother speak softly from the staircase. I squeezed my eyes shut. I forgot he was here.
Another knock at the door with a familiar pattern. I knew who it was. Not wanting visitors, I asked Alex to answer it and turned into the kitchen to fix a cup of tea, trying to admire the vase of unopened dahlias from this morning¡¯s harvest. I heard silence as the door opened and closed¡ªsoft footsteps came closer to the kitchen. The kettle popped as they stopped in the doorway, creaking as they leaned against it. I refused to turn around. I swallowed before answering, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you could hear that from across the street?¡± I asked bitterly, filling the cup. Nothing was spoken as a reply; I took it as a ¡®no¡¯. ¡°Tea?¡± I asked, holding up an empty cup. ¡°Lex.¡± The whisper of his voice made me pause and blink back more tears. I abandoned both cups and turned. He had seen me in this state before; my eyes were red, and my voice was scratchy and the lump in my throat would not shift. I expected to see sympathy, which I didn¡¯t want. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I looked into his eyes. The ones that would make me feel better, ones that were free of pity, just concern. Taking steps towards him, I shook my head no and, hugging him, buried my face in his chest. He returned the favour and squeezed. ¡°Did you spy on me, Leo?¡± my voice was muffled by his shirt. ¡°A little,¡± he admitted, ¡°That was some anger. I just caught him leaving the house and decided to check on you,¡± he murmured into my hair. He moved us forward, not letting me go, to the counter and filled the other cup. ¡°Want to talk about it?¡± he asked. I pulled back slightly, one hand clutching the back of his shirt, and I took my drink. ¡°It was stupid. Hopefully, it won¡¯t happen again. I can¡¯t believe his nerve¡­ He was angry because he caught us kissing yesterday. He can¡¯t let this crush go and let me be happy.¡± He rubbed my back calmly, ¡°Sorry. I seem to have upset the balance. I should have asked first if anyone was in the picture. I didn¡¯t realise you were in a situation-ship.¡± I rolled my eyes at the term, and he began to untangle himself from me. I grabbed his arm before he pulled away and looked up at him. ¡°He is not. It was a non-runner from the beginning. We tried dating, years ago, but it was too weird. He is like a brother to me,¡± I explained, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be sorry. To be honest, Quinn has been encouraging him, her stupid plans to match us up.¡± ¡°He still kissed you, though.¡± He made me pause for a second time, and his arm rested on my waist. His face never changed, as casual as talking about the weather. Looking confused, I asked, ¡°How do you know?¡± He smirked, ¡°With a red cheek like that, I say he provoked it. I didn¡¯t tag you as the violent type unless forced.¡± He placed his cup down after taking the last sip and putting it on the counter; I copied and flipped the kettle on again. ¡°So, how many times did he pucker those lips?¡± Looking back at him with a sly smile, I replied, ¡°Just once. You sound jealous.¡± His eyes flicked to my lips as a warning. He stole them with a small peck. ¡°That¡¯s because I am. Hey, you didn¡¯t faint this time,¡± he joked. Giggling, I held his shirt in a tight fist. In a daze, I pulled him down and kissed him again. This one was more passionate but had a hint of sweetness. Relief flooded through me, the anger and annoyance melted away, never did I feel happy at the fire erupting through my body. I became aware of our magic. I didn¡¯t force it; It flowed naturally. The longer we stayed embraced, the more our magic became intertwined. The kettle popped, making us pause. He didn¡¯t let go of me; he looked at me as if waiting for something to happen, ¡°I¡¯m not going to faint, promise.¡± He glanced above us and to see the purple haze around us. Closing his eyes briefly, small petals floated around, tulip petals and the Dahlias in the window opened in bloom. It made me laugh in delight. The haze faded, the petals vanished, but the flowers stayed the same. He smiled at my response and kissed my third eye. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve done for all your girls?¡± I resorted. Grinning, he said, ¡°No, I¡¯ve seen Da do it a few times around Ma. I figured out the rest.¡± I smiled, ¡®How sweet.¡¯ ¡°Tonight is going to be fun for you.¡± I sighed and rolled my eyes, ¡°Thank you for ruining my mood.¡± After a short while, Mum returned home from shopping, and Leo said goodbye after I thanked him¡­ and he got a sneaky kiss goodbye. I immediately rushed up the stairs to my room and recalled the day''s events in my book of shadows, tracing them onto blank paper. 17th March They say that Sundays are days of rest. Ha! It''s been the busiest day of the year so far. So much has happened all in 1 day. Lathen finally pushed me over the edge. It''s not even Lathen I''m seething at; it¡¯s Quinn. Too controlling. I have to say something, speak up to her, But how will the coven fair? Friendships? Broken. A rift between us will cause lousy energy. On top of everything already happening. To quote Shakespeare: ''To be? Or not to be¡¯¡­ selfish? Or selfless? as it were. Blessed be, ~ Lexandria
We were cleansed for the night¡¯s ¡®festivities¡¯. Putting on the black velvet cloak, I was ready. We had to be washed with salt and handmade soap in the bath. No shampoo or other products were allowed, so I let my hair hang down to dry. I pulled up the hood as we entered the car; the night had already fallen, and we were shadows in the night. I couldn¡¯t help but be distracted by anxiety. Quinn was lovely until you got on her wrong side. I prayed that Lathen had not said anything to her yet. I left my phone at home and turned it on silent. After Leo left, it was ringing non-stop. Most were Seri, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look. ¡°Lexi? Honey?¡± Mum¡¯s voice brought me back to earth. She chuckled, ¡°Zoning out again, are we? With that look, I¡¯m surprised nothing is on fire.¡± She referred to my short time with my full powers after Enmagica. I would zone out; books, candles, clothes, anything that could catch fire, did. I still don¡¯t know how it would happen. Being absent-minded didn¡¯t help. The coven was concerned; having intense magic and being unable to control it made people afraid. It was challenging and dangerous. I Am Dangerous. As we arrived, I shook off my wondering brain and followed my family to the back garden of Seri¡¯s house. She lived away from the town and had very few neighbours around. It was perfect for privacy. Collin, Seri¡¯s father, greeted me as I walked in. ¡°Hello, nice to see you again; it''s been a while!¡± ¡°Collin! Did you have a lovely trip?¡± Mum strode over to him and kissed both sides of his face in greeting. Seri¡¯s father was an architect and was often away for weeks. We were the last ones to arrive. The large circle was prepared and needed closing on us when we entered. Salts, tree bark, incense and candles surrounded the circle''s edge. All of us gathered, and brief hellos, all you could hear was nattering. Observing the familiar faces around me, I noticed Lathen on the other side of the garden with Quinn; they were conversing. My heart sped up a little as the anxiety peaked. Distance. Sometimes, I felt so far away from all of them. My magic bound, perhaps forever. A secret I could never speak of, they would reject me. I took a deep breath and found Seri. I talked with her in hushed words about what had happened earlier. A clapping took us out of the conversation; I focused on Nixon standing in the centre of the circle and calling us together. The Grimsbanes in the very centre, sitting ready for the rite to begin. A rite of passage was a circle to welcome someone into a coven. You essentially ¡®showed off¡¯ your magic and synced your magic with everyone. Massive amounts of energy can flood the person. Closing the circle, I stood between my mum and Alex. After grounding, we all moved as one. All sixteen of the current family coven, holding hands and moving in a dizzying circle. The Grimsbanes formed their smaller circle in the centre, moving against our clockwise. As the power increased, we sang, welcoming the family. You have a place here in our hearts, It will change and grow. If you lose your way and can¡¯t find a way, We¡¯ll send a storm to capture your heart and bring you home. Despite the distance, you will see my footprints. Yes, you have a place here, deep in our hearts, You will depart someday, in some way, But you will still have a home here in our hearts. Freya broke free of the inner circle and lay on the grass, smiling joyfully with her. Then followed Cynthia; she looked a little more tired; perhaps it was the pregnancy. Lastly, Noel and Leo also joined them. Leo looked in pain, but we didn¡¯t stop moving around the circle. Then came the flash. It was brilliant ocean blue, Leo¡¯s magic: a blinding and a shout of pain. The ever so familiar, gut-wrenching fear could be felt. Gasps all around and wide eyes held open on one person. The circle immediately stopped. The Shock. I reacted without knowing it. Nixon moved, breaking his link, and I ran to Leo. ¡°No!¡± I fell, covering Leo¡¯s now small form with my body. ¡°I won¡¯t let you,¡± I said with conviction; Nixon ground to a halt, ¡°Not again.¡± Just behind Nixon, I noticed Quinn¡¯s face screwed in horror, but she stared off into her world. Nixon''s spell was broken. Looking at Seri, she held a hand to her mouth, unshed tears filling her eyes. There was a stunned silence. The Shun. Lathen broke the silence, ¡°What do you mean, ¡®Again¡¯?¡± he asked no more than a whisper. I closed my eyes and tilted my head down. ¡°Lexi. Move. It¡¯s dangerous. It¡¯s unnatural,¡± Nixon persuaded with demand tight in his voice. ¡°Bullshit,¡± I spat back at him. As Noel began to stand, I turned to him and asked, ¡°Did he grow up like this?¡± Noel nodded solemnly. He was shaken from the reaction of the coven. Leo stirred under the silk cloak under me. ¡°Can he control it?¡± ¡°Yes. The old coven taught him to control it.¡± A natural ability to transform into an animal was a very rare occurrence. There are spells, but it takes a great deal of energy to accomplish. Our coven always taught this was Dark magic, another lie. I glowered at Nixon. Daring him to start something, I saw the debate in his eyes. The Judgement. He huffed and walked to his daughter, who blinked out of her daze. ¡°You¡­You altered our memories,¡± she accused, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you couldn¡¯t handle what had happened. Look at her; now that you remember, you feel different about her,¡± he spoke loudly. I felt four pairs of eyes staring at me. I looked up to Seri. She gave me hopelessness and pity. In the corner of my eye, I saw Devan take a small step. Regarding him with hope, he didn¡¯t move further; his eyes were down to the ground. The Reject. A lump formed in my throat as the silk rustled. I sat back on my feet and helped Leo out slowly. First, a small snout, a black ear, then two. He peeped out with two bright blue eyes. A cat and one I had met before. I swallowed the lump. I warned him, ¡°Move slowly. You¡¯ll freak them out.¡± He tightened up at the sudden message. As his family moved closer to him, I got up and looked at my mother. Her eyes were sad but held pride. Holding out her hand, I fell into them. ¡°Please, I want to go home,¡± I asked in a small voice. She turned with me under her arm, and Alex held my hand as we walked away. ¡°Leo! Don¡¯t run!¡± I turned to the sound of Cynthia¡¯s voice. I spotted a black blur shoot into the bushes, heading for the forest. I made no effort to move until my mother ushered me away. ¡°Let this pass. It will turn out okay,¡± Mum said softly, ¡°Believe in the goddess''s plan.¡± I closed my eyes and silently cried. ¡®Goddesses plan? No. Nixon¡¯s plan. I¡¯ve just thrown a spanner into the works.¡¯ Forever bound by fear. Late Night Visitor A hot shower does wonders for the soul. But more is needed for this one. Laying on my bed, I was examining the ceiling. Anything to distract my loud thoughts. Nothing would stop the niggling voice in my head. My hearing picked up on whispering voices under the hum of the wind. I couldn¡¯t tell where it was coming from. I didn¡¯t feel like investigating. Tap. I remember my Rite of Passage, ¡®History does repeat itself.¡¯ Tap. ¡®The tree needs cutting back again; stupid branches.¡¯ Tap. Tap. ¡°Lexi!¡± I jumped out of my skin and moved quickly to the window. Tap! The branch was tapping on my window, but it wasn¡¯t from the wind. Little blue eyes looked at me. Shocked, I opened the window wide. ¡°Leo?¡± ¡°Who else? May I come in?¡± I nodded and moved away from the window, allowing passage. I was shocked to see him in this form and the fact I could understand him. I thought I could only speak to Sooty, my familiar, this way. I never attempted to speak to other cats¡­ Leo jumped from the branch to the windowsill, dragging something with him. I grabbed it quickly. It was clothing¡­? ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯d appreciate nakedness.¡± I gave out a soft laugh, of course. Where else are your clothes supposed to go? I inspected him. ¡°We meet again, kitty cat,¡± I said quietly in a knowing voice. ¡°You think your mum is the nosey one? Cats can go anywhere.¡± After a short silence, I asked, ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m fine. You''re clearly not.¡± ¡°No need to be rude¡­ I meant magic-wise.¡± ¡°Oh. Fine, just really¡­ magic-y. I¡¯m not sure about being able to turn back.¡± I snorted, ¡°Well, sorry, I already have one black cat. He¡¯s not a fan of others.¡± His tail banged the floor in protest, ¡°Damn it! But I¡¯m a great lap cat!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. I turned back to the window and closed it. Thump. A blush rose to my face. He transformed back; I could sense it. I didn¡¯t dare turn around as I heard the rustle of clothes. ¡°I heard what you said to Nixon,¡± Leo began, ¡°You knew what he was going to do.¡± ¡°I did.¡± He stepped closer, and I took it as a safe sign to turn around. He watched me and waited patiently for me to continue. ¡°A lock,¡± I disclosed. His eyes narrowed at me slightly in confusion. I sighed and recounted the faithful night that Nixon placed the lock.
It was a night that chilled the skin. I twirled and spun, dressed in white. As the song ended, I felt an enormous burst of energy flow through me, enveloping me in bright crimson. The pain was excruciating. I remembered being trapped in darkness, entangled in my clothes. I struggled to get out. ¡°Lexi?!¡± My dad shouted desperately. His voice was loud and piercing. Evering was loud, I could hear murmurs and gasps from the coven around me. I jumped and cried out at the hands that grabbed me. It was overwhelming, I felt helpless and foreign in my own body. ¡°Shh, sweetheart. It¡¯s okay¡­¡± Slowly Dad helped me become untangled, I felt a weird sensation of hair all over me. It was like a stray hair tickling my skin, but it was all over. I blinked my eyes open seeing a concerned Mum and Dad¡­ Were they always this big? They towered over me. No¡­ something was different. Nixon pulled on my dad¡¯s shoulder looking down at me. I could practically feel the shock and horror he was hiding with just a look into his eyes. Moving my parents out of the way, Nixon pinned me to the ground by my neck. A spell was placed directly over the nape ¨C the lock. Instantaneously, I felt my bones and muscles elongate. My mouth shifted and ears move. I felt flushed with heat and felt sweat drip from everywhere, it was worse then P.E¡­ Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. I was told later that I morphed into a long-haired white cat. I had taken on my familial animal. My smaller coven members would not speak to me. Two weeks after the event, they still avoided me. We grew up learning that morphing or turning into an animal form is Dark magic, is taboo and unnatural. I became afraid of myself after that night and the coven could not move forward. They rejected me. Nixon claimed his actions were initially an unconscious action. The limitation was made more robust and permanent after reaching a consensus amongst the whole group. Quinn, Lathen, Seri and Devan had their memories altered and everything returned to normal.
¡°The transformation happened once, and it never happened again.¡± I finished my story to Leo, ¡°I didn¡¯t want the same to happen to you, or anyone else for that matter.¡± I felt my mood get lower; Their memories were now back. What would happen now? Leo stayed silent, just listening to me. I continued, ¡°Originally, the lock was only meant to block my morph; it was made stronger after my grandma passed. Then more when my dad died.¡± I laid my head on propped up knees. ¡°Why would that make your lock stronger?¡± ¡°Ah, Nixon made it stronger, but how I was dealing with them passing made my emotions ¡®too unpredictable; therefore, my magic was uncontrollable¡¯, as he put it.¡± Leo scoffed, ¡°A load of shite.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but snort as his accent came through. ¡°Another thing we have in common,¡± he said, poking my side. Flinching, I giggled and moved away, ¡°Yep. I can understand you in cat form as my familiar¡¯s are cats.¡± He reached for my side again, but I moved further, ¡°Whatever you are thinking of doing, don¡¯t.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ticklish.¡± He verified with another swipe at my other side. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare; I will kick!¡± I threatened with a foot up, and he chuckled. ¡°Why did you come over here anyway? Did you get lost?¡± ¡°No, Ma did not stop mollycoddling. So, I escaped.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but giggle imagining it. ¡°Well, you did flee out of there pretty quickly. Was it painful?¡± ¡°Uncomfortable, I felt like I was on fire.¡± I nodded; I knew the feeling. I moved from the uncomfortable floor to my double bed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry the welcome wagon wasn¡¯t¡­ well, welcoming,¡± I joked. ¡°Is that how they reacted to you as well?¡± ¡°Yep. Stunned silence, and no one moved. Except Nixon, of course¡­ He always has a plan.¡± The bed dipped as he face-planted the bed, and I yawned. Although I acted tired, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep. Old memories are harder to forget at nighttime. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t know much about your life before you moved here,¡± I hinted, lying down and rolling to face him. Humming, he asked me, ¡°What do you want to know?¡± I shrugged, anything. He thought briefly, ¡°Well, growing up in Glenrothes isn¡¯t as interesting as being here. Theres open land, but not much cover. So, circles were not a weekly thing and when they did happen it was at someone¡¯s house.¡± ¡°It was just Da, Derick and I until Cynthia and baby Freya. My birth mother left us when I was young. I can¡¯t remember what she looks like exactly, but Da always said Derick got her looks.¡± ¡°My old coven was much smaller. Just two families, and there was Maddie, who was about the same age as us. She made some human friends that would join us sometimes. When we were allowed to do our circles, we did everything; nothing was off-limits.¡± ¡°About a year ago, Cynthia was targeted by jinxes and pranks. I thought it was Derick. He wasn¡¯t a big fan of her when Da brought her home. But our circles and spells got darker.¡± ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t understand it. All I know is Maddie was going into blood magic and I wanted no part in it. After researching more, I took a huge step back from them. I said my goodbyes there and then.¡± I quietly asked, ¡°What were they trying to do with blood magic?¡± ¡°They were trying to take someone else¡¯s power. To make them stronger and possibly make new witches.¡± ¡®Make new witches? Is that even possible?¡¯ I gently chewed my lip before asking, ¡°Do you think Derick has gone back?¡± ¡°I know he has gone back. I hope he doesn¡¯t tell others where we are or bring someone to the house. He left most of his stuff and I¡¯m sure he will be back for it...¡± His eyes started drooping, so I kissed his cheek and shifted to get under my covers, ¡°Sofa is free. Good night!¡± Getting settled under the covers, I felt him move until he was directly beside me. ¡°Erm, no. Downstairs!¡± ¡°You¡¯re mad if you think I¡¯m not taking advantage of a comfy double bed.¡± He stayed above the covers and wrapped an arm around me. ¡°You better not snore,¡± I said, closing my eyes, fatigue taking over me. ¡°Dream of me tonight.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t count on it, buddy.¡±
I woke up alone. My window was open, and Leo''s clothes were in a heap on the floor. I could not bring myself to get up. I couldn¡¯t physically do it. I still felt tired. Looking at the clock, it was 7:45 am. Alex would wake soon. I forced myself up. My stomach turned at the thought of going to school. I knocked on Alex¡¯s door, which opened to a bright-eyed boy. ¡°You don¡¯t look so good,¡± he remarked. ¡°I¡¯m not going to school. Best get ready so you don¡¯t miss the bus.¡± Closing the window, I returned to my bed to find a fluffy cat in my warm bed. I reassured myself it was Sooty and snuggled him close. I thought back to the last time I didn¡¯t feel fatigued. Before, I was given the book¡­ and the necklace. ¡®Where is the necklace?¡¯ I pondered, thinking.
My mum came into the room, ¡°Lexi?¡± I felt the bed dip. ¡°Alex said you aren¡¯t feeling well.¡± She put her hand on my forehead. I knew I wasn¡¯t running a fever. ¡°I can¡¯t face them,¡± I responded wearily. She came to the other side of the bed and inspected my face. ¡°You look exhausted. Did you not sleep last night?¡± ¡°I got some sleep.¡± I was unsure if she saw the clothes on the floor that evidently were not mine. ¡°Well, how¡¯s about breakfast?¡± ¡°Hm, I¡¯m not hungry.¡± I had no appetite, was exhausted, and even staying awake felt like a chore. The covers were whipped from me, ¡°Up,¡± Mum sternly said, ¡°You can mope after you¡¯ve had something to eat.¡± Sooty jumped from my arms, and I reluctantly got up, ¡°You¡¯re not going to make me go, are you?¡± ¡°You are in no fit state to learn, but I will not have my daughter starve.¡±
Mother knows best. I knew she was right, but I didn¡¯t feel hungry. The toast tasted like cardboard, even with jam. Sitting on the back porch, I swayed back and forth slightly from the swing. I kept warm with a small blanket and looked around the garden, drinking tea. The weather was bleak, like my mood. Everything seemed dimmer. My mum was looking at the vegetables in the greenhouse. ¡°Is the garlic ready yet?¡± she asked. ¡°Don¡¯t think so, maybe the carrots.¡± I didn¡¯t get up; I knew she was trying to get me active. I didn¡¯t want to; the fresh air was soothing, however. The dahlias caught my eye; they were still unopened, and many were not mature enough to flower. I couldn¡¯t help but think about yesterday. ¡°Mum!¡± I heard from inside the house. ¡°Alex is home,¡± I informed her. She went to the back door and slid the door open, ¡°Out here, Alex!¡± ¡°I brought friends.¡± Alex announced; I closed my eyes and my shoulders fell. I didn¡¯t want to deal with people right now. ¡°I brought your homework.¡± Okay, I could make an exception; I opened my eyes to Leo holding out a few papers and took them with thanks. Alex was showing Freya around the garden. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you went to school. Are you not tired?¡± I asked Leo. ¡°I¡¯m not too bad. I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t. You don¡¯t seem like the type to skip school without being sick.¡± He was right about that. I shuffled over slightly to make room on the double swing chair so he could sit. ¡°How are they?¡± ¡°Awkward. I¡¯m unsure if it was because I was there or something else.¡± ¡°Probably a bit of both,¡± I said bleakly, sipping from my cup. ¡°I only spoke to Devan briefly, and the rest avoided me like a plague.¡± I perked up slightly, ¡°Did he have anything to say?¡± ¡°He wanted to know if you were alright,¡± he informed me, ¡°They¡¯ll come around soon.¡± ¡°Not all of them will.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± Also, true. But I knew Quinn. Nixon would not allow her anything to do with me, given the choice. ¡°We shall see,¡± I verified. Ostara 19th March Today is Ostara, the spring equinox. This is meant to be new beginnings and the official start of spring¡ªfertility, rebirth, and renewal. But I can¡¯t shake off this low mood. I feel empty, and I want to keep crying for no reason. Scratch that; there is a reason. Have I lost my coven? My friends? I paused the entry there as a teardrop threatened to smudge the ink and decided to finish it later. I still did not go to school. The thought of potentially seeing them brought nothing but panic and sadness. Leaning back away from my book, I took a moment to look at my phone. I switched it off. I knew this was avoidance. I did feared seeing hateful and angry text¡¯s from the little coven. I put my head in my hands and scratched my scalp as a soothing habit. I could hear the TV quietly from my bedroom, but there was whispering underneath that. It was close. It was the same whispering I listened to the other night before Leo was tapping. I listened closely, homing in on it. Turning my head, it was coming from my bed. The voices came from underneath it. The black velvet pouch sat clear as day in the centre, under the dusty storage/cat hideaway. ¡®How did it get there?¡¯ I last recalled it on top of my grandma''s book. Shuffling under the bed, I reached for it; the voices got louder, almost deafening. Pulling it out, the voices stopped. It did not feel different from when I found it hidden under the floorboards. It was suspicious; something did not feel right. I decided it would be better under the stairs. Walking into the room, the candles were in a neat line on the bookshelf, and the alter had been cleaned down. Ready for new decorations. I placed it into the cauldron and placed the lid on top; it and its energy would be trapped until I was prepared to investigate it. I felt a wave of fatigue wash over me and joined my mum on the sofa. We cuddled as I fell asleep.
I woke alone as the front door opened. ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± Alex announced. ¡°Welcome home,¡± I yawned. ¡°Oh, you have a visitor¡­¡± Alex motioned to the door, and I saw a sheepish Seri standing. ¡°Seri?¡± I said groggily. ¡°Hi,¡± she let herself in, closing the door behind her. With a sudden burst of energy, I got up to hug her but paused. Did she want me near her? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lexi,¡± she sniffed, and I held my breath, ¡°I am sorry I did nothing. I am sorry you had to keep it a secret. I am sorry you had to deal with this alone,¡± she cried. I hugged her tightly, shaking my head, ¡°I hated keeping it from you, but I had no choice. It was decided by the coven ¨C by Nixon. That it would be best kept quiet.¡± ¡°I tried looking for you yesterday at school, but Devan told me you were not well.¡± ¡°Ah, I am not sick,¡± I revealed, ¡°I was scared to see you all. What you would say¡­¡± tears formed in my eyes. ¡°Oh gosh! I am so sorry,¡± she gushed and held me tighter. ¡°Stop saying sorry,¡± I laughed and cried. Happier to have my best friend back, ¡°I am sorry if you tried to call or text. I turned my phone off.¡± ¡°That explains why you never replied. I tried calling you. I thought you blocked me!¡± she giggled, sniffling every so often. We sat on the sofa after your tearful reunion. We talked about what happened two nights ago at the rites ceremony, and she updated me about the others. ¡°Devan and Quinn haven''t talked. I don¡¯t know if they had an argument or if Quinn is still processing it all. We haven¡¯t talked about what¡¯s happened, to be honest, ¡°Lathen refuses to speak to me about it and walks away when he sees Leo. I know Devan asked how you are; he asked me first before he went to Leo¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t think you wanted to speak to me again, Lexi.¡± I laughed at the irony, ¡°I thought the same thing about you, Seri.¡± ¡°It was your brother. I plucked up the courage to ask him about you, and he invited me here,¡± she admitted. She continued, ¡°So, Leo has been looking after you, huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that,¡± I grinned, ¡°He¡¯s sort of kept me sane in your steed.¡± She laughed, ¡°And you said he isn¡¯t replacing me!¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. I mock gasped, ¡°Never!¡±
Sitting next to me, Seri encouraged me to turn my phone on. To see if there were any messages or missed calls other than hers. I nearly held my breath, waiting for it to start up. Buzz. Buzz. Every few seconds¡­ ¡°Sorry¡­ I left a few voicemails and messages.¡± I laughed at Seri¡¯s confession. There is nothing in the group chat and a message from Devan. ¡°Devan: ¡®How are you? Are you alright?¡¯ Nothing from Quinn or Lathen.¡± ¡°Hm, it might take time for them to come around.¡± From what I was told yesterday, I had a feeling that Devan¡¯s name would pop up. I am a little upset that Quinn didn¡¯t, and after the spat Lathen had, I am not surprised he hasn¡¯t checked up on me. ¡°Does Quinn know about me slapping Lathen?¡± ¡°What? When did you do that?¡± Seri asked hysterically. ¡°Ah, shit. I forgot to mention it at the circle.¡± I recounted the entire argument to Seri, her mouth opening in shock. ¡°You¡¯ve had a shit weekend!¡± ¡°Tell me about it¡­¡± ¡°Anyways, I heard nothing about it. I am not sure if Quinn knows yet.¡± Yet was correct. She always had a knack for playing detective. Nothing went past her nose for long. Well¡­ except when her memories are altered. ¡°Onto another gossip.¡± She had a mischievous smile on her face¡­ I knew where this was going, and I smirked. ¡°Come on. Spill. The last thing you told me was your rude awakening. I hope you haven¡¯t made a dint in your bedroom floor.¡± I scoffed at her cheekiness, ¡°Well, now I am not telling you.¡± She pleaded her innocence. I rolled my eyes and told her everything. Summarising everything. The fainting after dinner, the coffee shop, the hospital, and the last night''s visit. ¡°Oh la-la,¡± She said, wiggling her eyebrows, ¡°and did the late-night visit end in a kiss?¡± ¡°Actually, no.¡± ¡°Where is he anyways?¡± ¡°You know we are not attached at the hip. I have no idea, probably at home¡­?¡± There was a knock at the door. Seri¡¯s grin widened as we sensed who it was, and she scrambled for the door. I followed closely, trying to pull her away before the embarrassment. My mum beat us both and allowed Leo in. ¡°Not attached at the hip, huh?¡± I shushed her as a blush spread on my face. ¡°Hey Seri.¡± ¡°Hi Leo,¡± she waved, giggling. A jingle from her phone made her pause. ¡°Oh, damn it! I have to go. Dad is expecting visitors,¡± she said, disappointed. Phew. ¡°I will see you tomorrow, Lexi? At school?¡± she ventured and hugged me goodbye. I confirmed I would see her tomorrow. He passed me the homework from today, just one sheet. ¡°I told you they would come around,¡± he grinned. ¡°Well, Seri has and Devan maybe. I haven''t heard a peep from Quinn or Lathen.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in a better mood,¡± he noted, looking at my more relaxed state. I nodded with a slight smile on my face, ¡°Thank you for keeping me sane and the fainting stuff¡­ That was sweet.¡± I admitted. He held out his arm, and I took the invitation to hug him. ¡°I am here whenever you need me.¡± I smiled and heard Mum clearing her throat. I sighed and pulled away. ¡°Yes, Mother?¡± I ventured and turned to see her in the living room doorway. ¡°I believe it''s your turn to dress the alter,¡± she reminded, ¡°Leo can help you if he wants to.¡± I looked at him for confirmation, and he shrugged, ¡°I have nothing planned.¡± I opened the door under the stairs and invited him into the room. ¡°Woah, cool,¡± he complimented. ¡°Anything you need, we probably have.¡± I hinted towards the bookcase and turned to the altar. We kept everything we used to dress the altar in a chest underneath the altar table. It was a treasure trove of crystals, candles, and nick-nacks. Leo, curious, knelt beside me and took a gander inside. I took out a lilac cloth to cover the bare top. Ostara has the same associations as the Christians'' Easter: rabbits and eggs. Years ago, we painted empty eggshells with symbols and beautiful patterns as a family. Along with bits of rabbit fur (that we found while foraging) and statues of the animal joined the eggs on the altar.
To finish, I added a wreath of daffodils to the back and rested it against the wall. ¡°There,¡± I whispered. Dressing at an altar was therapeutic. All five elements were present. To the north: earth ¨C flowers, carnelian, and tigers¡¯ eye surrounded bark from an old oak. To the east, air ¨C --incense was lit, filling the room with magnolia and Sandalwood. To the south fire ¨C sat white, pink, and green candles. To the west: water ¨C a chalice filled with spring water. In the centre was a circle of eggs and rabbit statues. ¡°Looks great. Well done, you two.¡± Mum peeked her head in briefly and complimented the altar. Stretching as I got up, I realised I had not put my grandma¡¯s book away. Grabbing it, I placed it back on the shelf. ¡°Is that your book?¡± Leo asked, intrigued. I giggled, ¡°No, it was my grandma¡¯s, Selena.¡± ¡°I was going to say that¡¯s one hell of a concealment.¡± I paused, turning to look at him. I repeated, ¡°Concealment?¡± He looked taken aback, ¡°Ah, of course, you might not be able to sense it with the lock. Yeah, there is a concealment on it.¡± ¡°Like a glamour?¡± I took the book back out and inspected it. ¡°No, it¡¯s better than a glamour. It hides things completely. A glamour can only do so much: a trick of the light or a ¡®glitch in the matrix.¡¯. Whereas this, is brilliant. May I?¡± I passed it over to him, and he inspected it before focusing on the spine. After a few moments, he spoke: ¡°Diary, diary.¡± And opened it, I gasped. Diary entries now filled the pages, and he flicked through. ¡°How?¡± I asked, bewildered. He chuckled in response, ¡°A concealment requires a password to unlock, and normally, it is etched into the bindings somewhere¡­ In case one forgets.¡± Huh. Sneaky Grandma. Grinning, I returned the book and said, ¡°When I get this lock off, you must show me how to make one. How could you sense it? Even my mum didn¡¯t!¡± Putting a hand on his neck, he replied, ¡°When you are powerful enough, you notice everything.¡± Hm, he wasn¡¯t kidding. The book was still open, and on a random entry, I briefly admired it. ¡°Now you know how to open it.¡± I giggled and thanked him. ¡°How''s about an old Glenrothes Ostara tradition?¡± Leo bemused, holding up a pouch. I looked in curiosity and nodded, OK! He led me outside, and we wandered to a small part of the stream. Sitting down, he explains, ¡°In ancient times, many believed that beans contained evil spirits: Greeks, Egyptians, Incans, and so on, ¡°Throw one bean at a time and call out something you need to say goodbye to ¨C a bad habit, a job, whatever personal reason, ¡°You are tossing away the negativity and discord, giving you a clean slate. Normally, you¡¯d go to the highest point you can find and throw them from there, but it¡¯s pretty flat around here.¡± He placed a couple into my hand, and inspecting them, I asked, ¡°What kind of beans are these?¡± ¡°Just board beans, kind of like the ones you might grow.¡± He went first, ¡°My relationship with my brother.¡± ¡°My anxiety holding me back.¡± ¡°Glenrothes.¡± ¡°Being a people pleaser.¡± For a moment, I wondered what the others were up to and how their Ostara celebrations were going, if they did any¡­ We usually spent the sabbats together. This was the first time without them. I threw one last beam into the stream but didn¡¯t say anything out loud and watched the ripples fade on the stream''s surface. The sunset glinted in the water¡¯s reflections, and I leaned back onto Leo¡¯s shoulder. Leo started murmuring, ¡°I have been meaning to ask you for a while, but it never seemed like the right time.¡± I hummed in response, and he continued, ¡°Are you free this weekend?¡± I grinned slightly, ¡°I have my normal Saturday shift, but I am free on Sunday.¡± ¡°Dinner?¡± Looking up at him, I smiled, ¡°Okay, It¡¯s a date.¡± He leaned down and kissed me, sealing the deal. Astral 30th October 1951 I was helping my mother prepare the house for celebrating Samhain, as I did every year¡ªdecorations, herbs, etc. A knock on the door interrupted us, and I looked at the door as my mother opened it. It was Blaire, our high priestess, checking on things, I presumed, and carried on with hanging up the apples and acorns around the house and setting small wax candles in our cauldrons, the circle room and around the altar. Then, HE startled me. He asked about every little thing I did like he''d never seen seasonal d¨¦cor before. Although, he and his family came to join us from America. So maybe he had not. I had met them all once last week, he spoke very little to me, and I thought nothing of it. Oh, how na?ve I am. He, meaning Jerrold, has tried talking to me every day. Why? How should I know! I am scared to be alone with him, and I was glad others were here this time, even if it was our mothers. Mother says I should try. She just wanted me out of her hair. I knew that much. We shall see how this continues, but he''s a pain. - Selena. I re-read the page a second time. ¡°Jerrold?¡± I racked my brain; nothing popped up, and looking at the family tree at the back didn¡¯t help either. The name linked to my grandmother was utterly erased with black ink. I remember my dad never talked about my grandfather; even though my grandma married, there were no pictures of the groom, and she kept her maiden name. It was Friday evening. I perched on the sofa reading diary entries in my grandma''s book. I did end up going back to school on Wednesday. Seri was happy to see me. Still waiting for something from Quinn or Lathen, even our regular table in the cafeteria was now taken over by others. I didn¡¯t even get a chance to talk to Devan face-to-face; every time I found him to speak to him, he disappeared again. I figured out that texting was simpler. Usually, they come to see Seri and I working at the coffee shop every Saturday without fail. Perhaps this was another tradition broken. I sighed, shutting the book, I picked myself up to put it back on the shelf. My brain started to hurt, so much so I could hear voices¡­ No, I was hearing voices. The cauldron lid was removed, and I swiftly checked if the pouch was still there. It was. Swallowing, I felt the urge to open it. Pulling at the gold ties, the velvet opened, revealing the necklace again; I pulled it out from the black pouch. Holding it, I was overcome with emotions; Silent tears streamed down my face. I looked down at it perplexed, put it back how I found it and placed the lid on top. I wiped away my tears. I didn¡¯t feel sad, so where did these tears come from? I¡¯ll speak to Mum about it tomorrow. Maybe she has an idea.
I lay there in my bed, facing the window, which was open, the curtains fluttering in the breeze that was pouring in. I don''t remember opening that. Come to think of it. It wasn''t a full moon tonight, either. I sat up cautiously and looked around the room. The room wasn''t chilly, but it wasn''t exactly warm either. I had read about these before, during my studies. Astral projection: I wasn''t asleep nor awake, and I wouldn''t wake until something disturbed me, such as shouting or a physical touch in the real world. Often, it could be achieved through meditation or a spell. But how was I doing it? This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Hello?¡± I called out, not seeing anybody around me or under the bed. I heard a crack to my left¡ªthe culprit, leaning against the window, black and white checkered pyjama pants and shirtless. I breathed a sigh of relief, Leo. I admit I may have admired him for a little too long. He had a good build, more than reasonable. He was lean, just enough so you could see a slight definition in his abdomen. His chest was broad, and he had arms that I appreciated around me. From the moonlight, the olive tone of his skin stood out. I started ''slightly'' before speaking. ¡°You know this isn''t funny and highly dangerous,¡± I crossed my arms against my chest. Watching Leo, he rubbed the back of his head, ruffling the ''bed head'' he had going on. ¡°You¡¯re saying that like I know what''s happening?¡± he said back in a gruff voice, thick with sleep. ¡°Where are we?¡± he asked, clearing his throat. I stood up, and I answered him, ¡°The Astral plane¡­ Although, why we are in my room I have no idea¡­ Don''t get yourself comfortable this time,¡± I remarked, ¡°How''d you manage to get in here anyways?¡± He shrugged and sat at my desk, facing me, ¡°Poof, I was here. I don''t remember a thing.¡± I looked down at my feet. It didn¡¯t add up. He didn¡¯t seem like the type to lie either. Something else was afoot. I looked back up to find him staring more like wondering eyes. I became very aware of what I was wearing: my underwear and a bed shirt, barely reaching mid-thigh, slightly oversized on the top, and hung off my shoulder. ¡°Stop staring!¡± I said at his ludicrous stare. Heat rushed up to my cheeks, forming a grin on his face. ¡°I bet you''d look better in one of my shirts... or better yet, nothing at all,¡± he playfully remarked, turning away from me to the desk. I felt my blush deepen, flushing my face with heat. I followed his gaze; innocently sitting there was Grandma''s book, open to the page I left it. Moving near him, I reached out to touch it, confused. ¡°Selena? Isn¡¯t that your grandma?¡± he asked. I bent forward slightly to head height and confirmed, ¡°Yeah. But I put it away downstairs. I didn¡¯t leave it here.¡± ¡°Was it on this page?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I let out a breath. It didn¡¯t make sense. Leo closed the book, and it looked like he was waiting for something. ¡°Closing the book isn¡¯t going to do anything. We are in the astral plane,¡± I informed him, leaning away. ¡°Damn. You mean this isn''t a dream, and we aren''t going to tumble into bed?¡± I laughed hard, ¡°No, this isn''t a dream, and we will not ¡®tumble into bed¡¯. I don¡¯t think we will wake up until one of us is disturbed.¡± Sitting on the edge of my bed, I continued, ¡°We are going to have to wait this out until one of us wakes up for real.¡± I felt the bed dip next to me, and my eyes widened a fraction as I turned my head to look at him. There was a short silence that befell the room. Hair covered my face as I looked to the floor, the blush returning. We had not spoken since Ostara when he asked me out. Every time I look at him, I can¡¯t help but get butterflies. He shifted slightly next to me, and my hair felt like it was being pulled away. My cheeks flushed lightly as the piece of hair covering my face was tucked behind my ear. Taking a deep breath, he broke the silence. "You are beautiful when you''re shy," he whispered, deep and penetrating my eardrums. My heart thumped painfully in my chest; I''d never heard someone speak so softly... So raw. It wasn''t the statement that made me shy. It was his senses; his magic was currently wrapping around me like soft ribbons. I still didn''t look at his face when he tugged me towards him. My head rested in the crook of his neck, not looking up. His arm wrapped around me, hand resting on my waist. A small chuckle vibrated his chest, and he rested his head atop mine. A short silence again. This one was more comfortable. His fingers on my waist relaxed and stroked the material covering my skin. We just sat there like that. My embarrassment began to ebb, and I moved my head. Inch by inch, slowly, I looked up at him, butterflies rooted in my stomach, pushing out the shyness. He pulled away a little, looking down at me. His eyes, my mind went blank like I couldn''t function. His voice smoked softly, and my breathing faltered, but I still didn''t move. His other hand found my chin and pulled it up. My eyes locked onto his. The electric blue of his iris was piercing, the white streaking its way through, brightening. They were soft, dangerous, and filled with emotion, one I couldn''t decipher; I felt like I was being sucked into them. I couldn''t look away. I felt his heat radiating from his body, his magic still around me. The instinct came over; I returned the favour and closed my eyes as he descended. There was the fire; it came from the bottom of my ribs up to the centre of my chest, closer to my heart. It burned bright and brilliant. I was in awe- I felt peaceful. Then, it was gone.
I opened my eyes, breathless and looked at Alex next to me. "Are you okay? You were mumbling... and you¡¯ve slept through your alarm¡­ Are you crying?" he asked as I sat up and touched my cheeks. Indeed, they were wet. Looking around the room, I saw everything was how I left it before bed. Except for one thing: the pouch was back. This time on my bedside table. "I''m fine¡ªa weird dream. I couldn''t wake up. Thank you," I mumbled, my voice thick with sleep. "What time is it?" I said, getting out of bed, and my heart was still thumping irritably in my chest. "Half ten, that''s why I checked on you. You''re not usually this late getting up," he stared at me cautiously, sensing I was uneasy. "Must have not set my alarm," I said, sniffing and wiping my eyes. Alex nodded and left the room, not probing any further. ¡°Breakfast is downstairs.¡± Yawning an ''Okay'' to him, I got up while staring at the black pouch. Vampire I told my mom about the pouch and the astral plane that morning. I purposely omitted specific details¡­ We were both now staring at the necklace, sitting innocently on the kitchen table. "Hmm, looks like this necklace is causing problems,¡± she said, ¡°Let me see.¡± Holding her hand out, I opened the pouch and emptied it into her hand. My eyebrows knitted together, "It looks different," I stated. Emitting from the pendant was grey smoke. It rolled outwards erratically¡­ I pointed this out. "Seem¡¯s it''s cursed. It needs locking up and blessing... Preferably by goddess Earth, you won''t be able to have this back for a while. But there will be signs when it''s purified. Keeping it in this pouch isn''t helping, only aiding," she said, her voice full of wisdom. I gave her a questioning look. "Come, we will do it now." We fled to the garden and kneeled in front of the herb garden. "As it is almost the spring equinox. It''s better to place it near growing herbs; their roots should help remove the dark energy. But the plants must be bathed in light and water daily. Or it will affect them more horribly." I nodded at her instruction. She made a hole for the necklace and laid it bare against the earth. She covered it with dirt and traced symbols I had yet to learn of on top of each inch of soil. "What are those?" I asked. "Wards, to help the process and keep the energy at bay. We are still determining what it''s for. So, to be safe, if someone practising Dark magic stumbles upon it, they cannot reach it while these are here." With the final layer, she concealed it with a glamour that should make sure it was covered.
Washing away the dirt, Mum asked me, ¡°So, what are you wearing on Sunday?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I had not yet told her about my date. She giggled, ¡°Nothing gets past me, you know.¡± ¡°Seri told you, didn¡¯t she?¡± Mum laughed. Sometimes, they were as bad as each other. ¡°Oh, come on! I hope you are going to wear something nice! I don''t think Leo will appreciate all doom and gloom,¡± she teased. "Mom, I''m not all ''doom and gloom''... I''m badass," I whined out. I heard laughter from the living room, Alex. "HAHA! In your dreams, sis! She''s a nerd with her nose stuck in a book!" he joked, walking into the kitchen clutching his stomach. I gave him a deathly look and said, "Come here, dear brother." With a sinister grin. He bolted around the kitchen. I chased him around, only to catch him within minutes. My mother shook her head, "Kids! Behave," she reprimanded, just as I was giving him a nuggie. "I''m going to get ready for work,¡± I said. I let my brother out of his hold and left the kitchen. "Have a good day, honey!" my mother shouted as I gathered my things. Taking a deep breath, I wondered what today had in store.
It was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Our typical Saturday rush was non-existent. I was bored out of my mind, and Seri looked the same. We had already caught up on gossip and bitched about everything. The coffee shop was empty and spotless. ¡°Oh! I got a text!¡± Seri exclaimed. ¡°This isn''t Love Island,¡± I replied, peeking in her direction. ¡°¡­It¡¯s Quinn.¡± She hesitated as she opened the message. The jingle from the door made me look to the front counter, and it was Devan¡­ No Quinn, no Lathen. ¡°Oh my gods,¡± Seri whispered, ¡°They¡¯ve broken up.¡± The words slowly came out of her mouth, and she looked up, seeing the same person I did. He looked like a mess, and it was clear he had been crying. I swallowed as he greeted, ¡°Hey girls.¡± His voice was rough. He didn¡¯t look at either of us as he leaned on the counter. Opening the server''s door, I approached him and held out my arms. Bending down, he took the offer and hugged me, new tears forming in his eyes. ¡°Hi, Devan.¡± ¡°Do you know?¡± ¡°Seri just got a text.¡± ¡°Pfft, wow.¡± I coaxed him to a booth, and Seri joined us after flipping the ¡®Be Right Back!¡¯ sign. This was unlike them. Quinn usually comes to Seri and me during arguments, whereas Devan confides in Lathen. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Seri started, ¡°Devan, please tell me this is an argument. Is Quinn being dramatic?¡± He shook his head, ¡°It started as an argument. She was¨Cis being ridiculous about you, Lexi,¡± he looked over at me, and with honesty in his voice, ¡°She wants to remove you from her life completely.¡± I felt my heart sink. I knew Quinn would be the hardest to break through, but to want nothing to do with me? My heart gave a familiar ache. Grief¡­ My eyes started watering. Devan grabbed my hand to reassure me. He continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know what her deal is. You¡¯ve been our friend for years, and we know you would never hurt us or bring anything terrible, but she¡¯s throwing all of that out the window.¡± ¡°She¡¯s convinced you and Leo will bring nothing but Darkness to everyone. I tried to make her listen¡­¡± he trailed off, gazing off into his world. ¡°Just know, I don¡¯t think that. I¡¯m on your side.¡± I gently tapped his hand with my free one and disputed, ¡°There are no sides here, Devan.¡± He sighed, ¡°Sorry, Quinn has made it seem like a war.¡± I hummed, thinking about my following words carefully. ¡°Nixon¡­ may not be playing fair either.¡± ¡°He decided to change your memories, keep my lock on, and make it stronger. If I had let him last week, he would¡¯ve done the same to Leo.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t let that happen to someone else. He¡¯s very¡­ persuasive and justifies his decisions well. Quinn is his daughter. He¡¯ll want to keep her safe,¡± I finished. Devan nodded, contemplating my words, ¡°Seems like he has a vendetta against you.¡± ¡°Vendetta is a strong word¡­¡± Seri piped in, ¡°But it¡¯s a word that fits.¡± ¡°Any idea¡¯s why?¡± Deven questioned. I shrugged, ¡°Not that I know of¡­¡± Buzz, Buzz. Seri¡¯s phone lit up with caller ID: Quinn. She looked at Devan, and he nodded to her. She walked away from us to take the call. ¡°So, you and Leo?¡± I sighed, ¡°Yeah?¡± Everyone wants to know about Leo and I. ¡°He tells me you¡¯re going on a date?¡± ¡°Oh, he told you this, did he?¡± ¡°Well, he asked me where to go for a dinner date. I put two and two together.¡± I smiled, ¡°Hm, what if it wasn¡¯t with me?¡± ¡°Then I would kick his head in for stringing you along.¡± I laughed at Devan¡¯s words as he smiled, ¡°Is he treating you right?¡± ¡°I think he is,¡± I said honestly. ¡°Good.¡± Devan leaned back into the booth as Seri rejoined us, Seri sighed heavily before she spoke. ¡°She¡¯s angry. I didn¡¯t tell her you were here, but she wants to go out tonight¡­ to the club.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± I whispered. Alcohol + Angry Quinn = Something to regret later. While we were only a year away from being able to purchase drinks legally, a glamoured fake ID card could get you anywhere. ¡°I know¡­ If I don¡¯t go, she¡¯ll go anyways without me¡­¡± ¡°Hm, at least you could keep an eye on her,¡± I said, ¡°I think she needs someone to keep the alcohol at a minimum.¡± ¡°You¡¯re assuming she¡¯s not started already.¡± I grimaced and told her, ¡°Give me a ring if things go pear-shaped. We¡­¡±¨CI gestured to Devan and I¨C ¡°are probably the last two people she would want to see. But we¡¯re the only ones with cars, and a taxi will take forever.¡± Buzz. Devan¡¯s phone this time, he laughed at the text before reading it aloud, ¡°Leo: Why is the coffee shop closed?¡± I turned around and peered to the front door. Sure enough, Leo was there looking puzzled. I laughed, removed the sign, and unlocked the front door. ¡°Howdy, stranger, you¡¯ve missed all the drama,¡± I said, inviting him in.
Buuuuzzzzz My phone rang to life. It was not that late in the night. ¡®Here we go.¡¯ I picked up the phone without looking. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Sniff¨C Lexi?¡± I immediately stood up and grabbed my keys. ¡°Quinn? Where are you?¡± ¡°At Jack¡¯s, please hurry,¡± she cried down the phone. ¡°Stay on the phone. I will be there in five minutes. Tell me what¡¯s happened.¡± I stayed calm while getting in the car and linked the phone to Bluetooth. A crying drunk Quinn was not good ¨C where was Seri? ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure. We only had a few drinks,¡± she stumbled over her words, ¡°I think we both blacked out. I just woke up in the toilets, and Seri is covered in¡­¡± I waited for her to finish, ¡°Quinn? Are you alright?¡± ¡°Y-yes. Seri won¡¯t wake up.¡± ¡°Stay where you are.¡± ¡°She¡¯s against the door¡­ I don¡¯t think I can get out!¡± ¡°Stay calm. I¡¯m on my way. You¡¯re okay where you are.¡± I could still hear Quinn crying. ¡°She¡¯s covered in blood!¡± Quinn shrieked. I took a breath, ¡°Are you sure it''s not just a red drink?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Stay there. I¡¯m coming; let me know if she wakes up.¡± ¡°O-okay.¡± Her crying subsided, and all I could hear was loud music and every so often sniffles.
I pulled up to the hideout and practically ran to the door. Usually, this never happens in Jack¡¯s; he¡¯ll be furious when he finds out. I heard wolf whistles as I walked down the alley. I ignored the two men at the end of the alley smoking and knocked on the metal door. ¡°Okay, Quinn, I¡¯ll hang up and come and get you both. Is Seri awake?¡± ¡°Okay. No, she isn¡¯t.¡± The slit in the metal door opened, ¡°ID?¡± ¡°Bellatrix,¡± I said to the bouncer. The door opened, and I was allowed in. I immediately went to the bar. ¡°What can I get you?¡± ¡°I need an angel.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Ladies Toilets. I think it''s Yellow Jello.¡± The bartender nodded and went to the back. I went to the toilet and saw the code words on the wall. These words are lifesavers. Asking for an angel is asking for help and ¡®Yellow Jello¡¯ means spiked. I called out, ¡°Quinn?¡± ¡°Here,¡± I heard her cry out, ¡°Thank the Gods!¡± I tried to peek under the door, and my hand touched something wet and red. Quinn was right. Blood. A male staff member came into the toilets, ¡°Yellow Jello?¡± ¡°Here. She¡¯s against the door, unconscious and red.¡± He placed his hand on the door, pulled out a key card. He shimmied it upwards and unlocked the door. He cautiously moved back as Seri was resting against the door. I managed to lay her down carefully, and Quinn hugged me, crying. She was pale but warm, and I could feel the pulse on her neck going strong. I inspected her, looking for the injury. The staff member pulled out a test strip, opened Seri¡¯s mouth, and tested her saliva. Puncture marks were on her neck and wrist. The sign of a Vampire. ¡°Confirmed, Yellow Jello. She¡¯s been given Rohypnol ¨C Roofies.¡± I held up her wrist to show the puncture marks, ¡°Someone had too much fun,¡± I pointed out dryly. ¡°I¡¯ll call an ambulance,¡± he said, leaving for the bar. Quinn ventured, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Lexi, I didn¡¯t know who else to call,¡±¨Cshe looked down to Seri¨C ¡°Seri and Devan were right. I¡¯m such an idiot,¡± she cried, putting her hands to her face. ¡°I understand if you hate me forever.¡± She still sounded drunk. Quinn must have been spiked also. ¡°No, Quinn. I would never hate you,¡± I said, holding her to my side and letting her cry. A few minutes passed, and the staff member returned, ¡°Jack¡¯s been informed. He¡¯ll investigate it and apologises for the lack of manners. I¡¯ll move her to the alley; the ambulance is nearly here.¡± To keep this place hidden, it was protocol. I nodded, and he carefully lifted Seri and ventured outside. Placing her down, he advised the other customers to scram. I huddled near Seri with Quinn and placed my jacket over her. She still looked so pale. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright,¡± I reassured us as the sirens approached. ¡°This one will need to be checked out too,¡± I pointed my thumb to Quinn, ¡°She was the one that called me when she woke up. I think she was also drugged,¡± I told the A&E Doctor. The doctor was not shocked at the puncture marks on Seri¡¯s neck and wrists. She asked, ¡°Does she have any marks too?¡± ¡°Not that I know of.¡± The doctor nodded and approached Quinn, coaxing her into a bed. It was going to be a long night. After confirming that the two were indeed drugged by Rohypnol, they were moved to a different ward, and I was allowed to stay with them. After testing her iron level, Seri was hooked up for a blood transfusion; she was dangerously low on blood and iron. While vampires usually take only what they need, witches'' blood is highly addictive and potent to creatures of the night. Quinn was indeed drugged also but did not have any marks on her. Squeaky clean is what the nurse said. ¡®Perhaps they were interrupted?¡¯ I pondered, my eyes drooping. I leaned my upper body onto Quinn¡¯s bed and fell to sleep. Mother Hen I awoke to Quinn''s phone buzzing; she was still sleeping in the hospital bed. Blinking awake, I glanced at Seri; the colour had returned to her cheeks. I felt relieved and picked up Quinn¡¯s phone to quietly answer it outside the ward. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Lexi?¡± I heard Quinn''s mother, Winnie, ask in confusion, ¡°Where¡¯s Quinn?¡± she sounded slightly panicked. ¡°She is alright, just sleeping. Please don¡¯t panic, but she¡¯s in hospital¨C¡± ¡°Hospital!?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine. She and Seri were spiked last night while they were out. Quinn called me for help.¡± I heard her sigh lightly, ¡°I¡¯ll be down in a few minutes. What ward?¡± I gave her directions to navigate the hospital. When I returned, Seri was awake and looking around. ¡°Seri! Hey,¡± I whispered. ¡°Hello,¡± she croaked. I passed her some water from a tray and returned Quinn''s phone to her side. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°It seems trouble found you this time, girly,¡± I pointed to her neck, ¡°You¡¯ve been bitten.¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t remember a thing.¡± She touched her neck, feeling the scabs, ¡°I think we had three drinks. Then I woke up here. Oh, gods. Is Quinn, okay?¡± Seri peeked over to the lump in the bed next to her. I confirmed, ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s sleeping. It seems you were both drugged, but they only bit you. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, just tired still. A little woozy.¡± ¡°Good, you can go back to sleep if you want. It''s still early.¡± While Seri nodded back to sleep, I took out my phone and called Collin, Seri¡¯s dad and informed him of what happened. After reassuring him that Seri was fine and was talking, he decided not to abandon his work. ¡°Please can she stay with you until I get back?¡± ¡°Of course. Once she¡¯s been discharged, I¡¯ll update you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lexi.¡± I knew what he was worried about, as I was also cautious of the same thing. This vampire now knew Seri and possibly Quinn were witches, and they were not afraid to take what they wanted in public. They will come back for more eventually. And when they did, would they stalk the rest of us?
Quinn was still sleeping in the hospital bed when her mother, Winnie, arrived. ¡°Has the doctor been yet?¡± she asked me. ¡°No, not yet. The nurse said it might be another hour,¡± I informed her. She got up with a ¡®right¡¯ and wandered to the nurse''s station to get information¡­ I heard a sigh, and in my peripheral, I saw Quinn blink her eyes open. ¡°My mother is so loud,¡± Quinn groaned. I chuckled as she sat up and raised the bed. ¡°Is my dad here?¡± she nervously asked. I shook my head, ¡°Just your mum.¡± Quinn breathed a sigh of relief, and an awkward silence grew. ¡°Do you remember much of last night?¡± ¡°Hm,¡± she thought for a second, ¡°I remember¡­ trying to call Lathen and then crying on your shoulder¡­ and the ride to the hospital with you and Seri. I can¡¯t remember anything else; it was a blur¡­¡± ¡°Well, no doubt Jack will ask you questions about last night.¡± ¡°Jack? We were at Jack¡¯s Hideout?¡± she asked in confusion. I asked, ¡°Where did you think you were?¡± ¡°I remember being outside Star Gazers.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Star Gazers was in the next town, a good two hours away. We went there last year for Ostara. ¡°Wait¡­ were we?¡± Quinn looked more confused. ¡°I though¡­¡± She ruffled her messy hair in frustration, ¡°I remember walking into Jack¡¯s, drinking. Then, I was in the park, walking away from Star Gazers with Seri?¡± she questioned herself. ¡°I must have blacked out and I woke up¡­ in the toilets at Jack¡¯s,¡± she said cautiously, ¡°Maybe I was dreaming about being in Star Gazers.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± I agreed, ¡°You¡¯ve just woken up, maybe your memories are a little jumbled. It''s okay,¡± I reassured her, patting her foot. When Winnie came back, her face was contorted into annoyance. She did not get any other information from the nurses. ¡°Please excuse me while I talk to my daughter.¡± Her eyes stayed trained on Quinn. Quinn looked solemn, looking down at the bed as the curtain came around and a spell was cast. Seri and I shared a look, poor Quinn. ¡°Do you want a coffee or snacks?¡± I asked, getting up with my purse. ¡°Diet coke¡­ and chocolate,¡± she asked. I thought it best to make myself scarce while they were ¡®talking¡¯. Making my way back, I passed Winnie, going in the opposite direction. ¡°Everything alright, Mrs Caldwell?¡± I asked her in passing. Her response was curt, ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be back later.¡± She did not stop to chat. Arriving back, it was clear Quinn was frustrated. I silently gave her a drink and a chocolate bar before turning to Seri. ¡°Thanks,¡± she murmured. Giving her a small smile, I sat back in the visitor''s chair between the beds. ¡°My dad¡¯s coming,¡± she grumbled, ¡°My mum thinks it''s your fault I¡¯m here. She isn¡¯t listening to me.¡± Sighing, I replied, ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going anywhere, anytime soon. Especially while you are both here¡­ I¡¯m not going to stop caring about you, Quinn. If you don¡¯t want anything to do with me, then that¡¯s your choice, and I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± All three of us sat in silence. Quinn was deep in her thoughts as the nurse came to do some observations.
Just after half 8, the doctor checked on the previously drugged-up girls and gave the lowdown on the recent results. ¡°Seraphina, your iron levels are back to normal; I don¡¯t have any concerns there,¡± he then addressed them both. ¡°While you were only given a small dose, Rohypnol may still affect you over the next few days. So, be careful in what you take and do. I also know from your medical records you are both seventeen; I suggest you wait one more year before going out again and get rid of the fake IDs,¡± cautioned the doctor. ¡°Any problems, come right back to us.¡± The doctor turned to walk away, only to be caught by Quinn''s worried parents as they entered the ward. I turned to Seri and stood by her bed, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you discharged.¡± ¡°Is my dad coming?¡± she asked, pulling the covers back. ¡°I called him. He has asked you to stay with me, while he¡¯s away. My mum already has the spare bedroom ready,¡± I smiled. She mirrored my smile and her things; I could hear hushed words from Nixon. Neither of them regarded us as they stood close, speaking hushed words to Quinn. I held my smile and waved to Quinn as we left. ¡°Gods, that was awkward,¡± Seri whispered after exiting the hospital. I hummed in agreement. The balls are in Quinn''s court now.
When we eventually arrived back at my home, my mum immediately hugged Seri. ¡°You poor thing! We¡¯ll look after you like our own until your dad comes back.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mrs Langton,¡± Seri chirped and pulled away to pop her things on the ready-made bed. ¡°And you,¡± Mum turned to me, ¡°As proud as I am that you helped your friends in a heartbeat. Please don¡¯t go alone next time,¡± she gave a soft stern and hugged me also. ¡°Yes, Mum,¡± I said, reciprocating her hug. ¡°Anything from Lathen?¡± Seri asked me. I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯ve not spoken to him since the Rites,¡± I replied, perusing my wardrobe. Seri piped up, ¡°Go for green.¡± ¡°But I wore green when my mum invited them over!¡± Seri budged past me and pulled out a cream floor-length dress. It was made from cotton and buttoned up the front. It was styled into a V-neckline that hugged the waist before flaring out and followed down to the floor. The sleeves were short but flowed loosely around the arms. ¡°I normally wear that in summer.¡± ¡°But you will be sat in a restaurant, and it''s not that cold¡­ It''s mild!¡± she persuaded. ¡°If I come home colder than a witch''s tit, you and I are not talking,¡± I stated, and she chuckled at the old saying.
At 6 O¡¯clock, there was a knock at the door. I looked at Seri in confusion; I wasn¡¯t leaving until half past. Giving out my senses, I was taken aback by who was there. My mum¡¯s figure leaned against the living room doorframe as I opened the door and greeted the guest. ¡°Hi Quinn.¡± It was obvious she had been crying, her meek greeting confirmed it, ¡°Hi¡­¡± ¡°Come in.¡± She sheepishly came in, hiding a not-so-secretive bag behind her legs. She asked, ¡°You can tell me to buzz off¡­ May I stay with you?¡± I glanced over at Mum before I closed the door and asked, ¡°Is everything alright at home?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been kicked out,¡± she reassured, ¡°After what you said this morning, I realised that¡¯s not what I want. I¡¯m grateful to call you a friend.¡± ¡°My dad, for whatever reason, has not been treating you fairly. He¡¯s not listening to me and what I want. For now, I need space from my parents and be with my friends.¡± Quinn put on a brave face, but I could tell she was apprehensive. My mum nodded and walked away back to her programme. I smiled at her, ¡°You¡¯ll always be greeted with open arms here,¡± I said, doing just that, and she hugged me with leaky eyes. Seri hopped down the stairs from her hiding place and joined in. ¡°Yay, best friends,¡± Seri sang. The group hug ended, and Quinn admired what I was wearing. ¡°Are you going out?¡± I bit my lip before nodding. Seri whispered to Quinn, ¡°She¡¯s going on a date!¡± ¡°Seri!¡± I exclaimed. Quinn''s face showed nothing as she asked me, ¡°You really like him, huh? Leo?¡± ¡°Yes, I do,¡± I said confidently. She slowly nodded and whispered back to Seri, ¡°I want all of the tea while she is out.¡± Seri nodded, and their mischievousness returned. I would have to speak to Quinn about Lathen another time. ¡°You can put your stuff here with Seri¡¯s,¡± I said, opening the door under the stairs to the spare bedroom.
Fifteen minutes later, the door went again. This time it was Leo. ¡°Hey,¡± I greeted, opening the door, ¡°Let¡¯s go, quick!¡± I caught Leo by surprise as I grabbed his hand and walked to the car, and he laughed at my antics. ¡°Erm! Not so fast!¡± Seri said, popping her head out the door, ¡°I want her back by ten pm, Mr Grimsbane! I know where you live.¡± I facepalmed but continued walking to the car. Leo just laughed harder. Both Seri and Quinn stood at the door frame and waved us off. ¡®Embarrassed is an understatement.¡¯ The Date Taking a sip of my drink, I looked out the large window next to our booth. The restaurant looked over the large river several miles out of town. The moon rose slowly, showing off its half-lit side. The setting sun left its peach colour on the clouds. Over dinner, we made small talk, and I got Leo up to speed from last night''s drama at Jack¡¯s. ¡°Next time you get a call like that, please call me,¡± he affirmed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you used the ladies¡¯ room,¡± I teasingly smirked as he laughed. ¡°You know what I mean. The vamps could have still been there. You could¡¯ve run into more trouble.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I thought back to the night. I was focused on Seri and Quinn, that I didn¡¯t think about any lurking dangers. I should¡¯ve called for backup. Come to think of it¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t have your number¡­¡± I thought out loud, embarrassed. ¡°You really don¡¯t use your phone much, huh?¡± he laughed and gave me his phone. ¡°I was going to ask if that was Quinn next to Seri. Has she come around?¡± ¡°It was, and she has. I think you need to change your name to Mr Right.¡± He grinned sneakily, and I felt I would regret saying that later. The waitress came closer to the table stopping our conversation. ¡°All finished? Would you like to see our dessert menu?¡± Leo looked at me, and I nodded. ¡°Yes, please,¡± he answered. ¡°You just don¡¯t want to go back to Seri and Quinn yet,¡± he whispered as she walked away momentarily. ¡°No,¡± I defended, ¡°I¡¯m enjoying our time together,¡± I said, browsing the menu the waitress placed on the table. Leo plucked it from my hands and glanced over it, ¡°You knew what you were having before you ordered your main,¡± he stated. I laughed, ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°Easy,¡± he smirked, ¡°You looked over the deserts first before the main.¡± Smiling I ask, ¡°Want to share a chocolate cake?¡± He replied with a smile, ¡°Only if there is a scoop of ice cream on the side.¡± I grabbed the server''s attention to order when I noticed out of the corner of my eye who was serving at the bar. ¡®Shit.¡¯ My hand faulted and played with my hair instead and I retrained my attention to Leo. ¡°Who have you seen?¡± Leo leaned forward, eyebrows raised. ¡°Hm? No one,¡± I feigned innocence. His eyes narrowed in disbelief; after a few moments, I yielded. ¡°Lathen, I knew he worked here, but usually, he doesn¡¯t work Sunday night. He¡¯s behind the bar.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I didn¡¯t know if Lathen had seen us yet, and I would have preferred it if he didn¡¯t. ¡°You know I was going to offer to host a circle,¡± Leo said, diverting the conversation and causing me to focus back on him. ¡°But?¡± ¡°But it would be unfair to invite some and not all. Have Quinn and Devan spoken yet?¡± ¡°Not that I know of, but Quinn has begun to realise her fathers¡¯ dislike of me, and she knows she was in the wrong. I think it''s only a matter of time before they get back together.¡± ¡°You sound sure.¡± ¡°They are crazy for each other. Quinn doesn¡¯t make sense without Devan and Vice Versa.¡± ¡°Then, there¡¯s you being weird around Lathen.¡± I rolled my eyes, distraction unsuccessful, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should wait for him to come to me or¡­¡± ¡°Well, the last time he came to you, look at what happened.¡± My eyebrows twitched up; Lathen got slapped by Moi. ¡°An independent woman like you will be able to handle him.¡± Leo leaned back into his seat with a grin. I smiled, ¡°Oh, but I thought I was a damsel in distress?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only when I¡¯m around,¡± he said proudly. I giggled, ¡°You¡¯ll just have to wait until we are all back to normal.¡± ¡°Or¡­ we could have a circle. Just you and me.¡± I looked at him suspiciously, to which he wiggled his eyebrows. He had me in stitches. I took in a deep breath as we left. I was going to kill Seri. It was cold. I rubbed my hands together just as something warm covered my shoulders: Leo¡¯s jacket. He pulled me to his side, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as we walked to the car.
Despite Seri¡¯s warning, I didn¡¯t get to my house by 10 p.m. I glanced around at the windows; no one was peering out. ¡°Thank you for tonight. I enjoyed it,¡± I said, turning to Leo. ¡°Good. Maybe we should make it a regular thing,¡± he smiled. ¡°I would like that,¡± I said, matching his smile. He reached for my hand, ¡°I would also like it if¡­¡± he trailed off, not finishing his sentence. I looked up from our hands. He was watching the house, and my eyes rolled, fully aware of what was happening. Flipping my hand downwards behind my back without looking, I mumbled, ¡°Shadefurlum.¡± The blinds and curtains close to the peeping eyes. Looking impressed, he returned his eyes to me. ¡°You were saying¡­?¡± I encouraged, smiling. He chuckled, ¡°I would like it if you said yes to us being official.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve not asked me yet,¡± I pointed out. He smirked, ¡°Lexi¨C¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I cut him off. He leaned down and kissed me, ¡°Too adorable.¡± I blushed at his statement and shushed him. ¡°Come on. I think Seri is dying to know what happened.¡± I groaned at his statement as he ushered me towards the porch. Lo and behold, Seri was gawking from the living room window. She realised she had been caught and disappeared. Before I got to the door, I turned to Leo once more. I was a step higher than him, the perfect height to reach him. I put my hands on his shoulders. He grasped my waist, and he kissed me goodnight. ¡°Ahem. No canoodling in public.¡± I broke away and turned to Seri, giving her evil eyes. I heard him chuckle and whispered in my ear, ¡°Dream of me tonight.¡± I turned my glare to him as he walked backwards until I entered the house and shut the door. Seri started when the door shut, ¡°Lexandria, it is 10:43 pm; you are grounded! ¡­Unless you spill!¡± She rudely pointed a finger at me. ¡°You are such a cockblock,¡± Quinn whinged to Seri. ¡°I don¡¯t want our girl to give everything away on the first date,¡± Seri claimed. ¡°Oh, my gods,¡± I said slowly in response to Seri, feeling a blush rise. ¡°She has a point, Lexi,¡± Quinn agreed. I rolled my eyes and began to walk upstairs, face possibly beyond red. ¡°Hey! Come on, girl, spill!¡± Seri protested. ¡°It¡¯s a school night, and I¡¯ll tell you tomorrow, promise. Right now, I¡¯m exhausted.¡± I yawned the last sentence. Our phones buzzed in unison just before I disappeared up the stairs. Lathen sent a message to the group chat. Opening the conversation, I saw a photo of Leo and I walking out of the restaurant with his arm around me. The caption read, ¡®Had a nice date, Lex?¡¯ All three of us looked at each other. Seri started to grin. ¡°Good night, princesses,¡± I said, fleeing upstairs. ¡°Good night!¡± Quinn said, no doubt pushing Seri into the spare bedroom. As I got to my room and shut the door, I couldn¡¯t stop the smile on my face. The photo had been ¡®liked¡¯ by Devan and Leo. I saved the picture Lathen had sent and decided to reply before I slept. [Yes, I did! Thanks for asking ??]
Pendle She stood over his lover with an athame in hand; She had been planning this for years. She pointed the tip to the woman''s shoulder while they slept soundly. Pushing the athame into her soft shoulder, she began her spell. It was child''s play. No protection to stop her. It was almost like she was begging for it. He would regret trying to replace her with another. A sinister smile crept onto her face as the room glowed green. Creak. She could not stop; it was nearly finished. Everything led up to this moment: the preparation, the endless need for more potent magic. As the door opened, she looked him dead in the eye. With a blink, she was gone, and her spell was left behind. Cursed Alex groaned on the route to school. He was shoved into the back of the tiny Yaris with bags all around him. ¡°What''s wrong, Alex?¡± I asked, looking at him in the rearview mirror; he looked grumpy. ¡°How long are they staying with us again?¡± I chuckled as Quinn and Seri stopped chattering to look at him. ¡°Too much oestrogen, huh?¡± I teased, and he groaned once more. Quinn replied to Alex¡¯s question, ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know, that bed is so comfy. I might have to move in permanently,¡± she hinted. Alex whined in protest and, crossing his arms, grumbled, ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not here for the next two weeks.¡±
The bell for lunch rang out. Leo waited for me, and we walked out of the classroom together. As we headed to the cafeteria, I was ambushed. Quinn and Seri hooked their arms around mine and hurried me further down the corridor, missing the cafeteria doors. ¡°We will be right back!¡± Seri sang loudly. They turned down the next empty corridor and huddled around me. My eyes flitted between the two. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I ask. ¡°Spill,¡± Seri replied. ¡°Spill what?¡± Quinn huffed, ¡°Are you serious? The date dummy!¡± I decided to mess with them, ¡°It was awful,¡± I wailed dramatically. They were stunned in silence before looking at each other. Seri speculated, ¡°Yeah, looked like it, seeing as though you were kissing face and that.¡± ¡°What do you want me to say? We had dinner; we had a great time, and we went home.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± Quinn drawled out, rolling her hand in the air. ¡°And¡­?¡± I mimicked. ¡°Are you a thing¡­?¡± I looked off to the side. I could not stop the blush rising, and I quietly confessed, ¡°Yes.¡± My poor ears were in pain from the shrieking; after a few moments, they quietened down, and I queried Quinn. ¡°What about you and Devan?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t talked to him yet,¡± she faltered. ¡°Not even a text?¡± She shook her head; no. Seri typed away on her phone as she walked towards the cafeteria; my phone buzzed. A new message was sent to the group chat, and one person was added. Seri¡¯s message read, ¡®Devan, Quinn needs help! She¡¯s stuck in the janitor''s room!¡¯ Quinn looked confused until Seri jumped and grabbed her arm. ¡°Lexi, help!¡± Quinn cried. Instead of helping Quinn, I took her other arm and helped Seri. ¡°Sorry, Quinn. You two need to kiss and make up!¡± I encouraged. She whined, ¡°Fine, but please don¡¯t actually lock me in the closet!¡± We both laughed. If we didn¡¯t put her in there, she would run away!
Later that evening, Leo¡¯s parents, Noel and Cynthia, visited and asked to speak to Mum and I. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Mum politely asked. ¡°We aren¡¯t sure,¡± Cynthia said. Noel¡¯s hand came to rest on her shoulder reassuringly, and she looked up at him. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to alarm anyone in case it was nothing,¡± Noel started, ¡°I saw my ex-wife last night. She stood over Cynthia while she slept and left this,¡± he finished, encouraging his current wife to share. Cynthia turned and, pulling off her black cardigan, revealed a luminous green etching on her skin; it was buried deep and looked like an unhealed, jagged cut. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What worries me more is I haven¡¯t felt our baby move or their essence since I fell asleep¡­¡± Cynthia worried, tears threatening to spill over. ¡°May I touch?¡± I asked, staring at the glowing green. Cynthia nodded and cleared her throat. Hovering a handover, I warned, ¡°Please tell me if this hurts.¡± I allowed my magic to pour over it. I couldn¡¯t feel anything. No signature, nothing. Inspecting it closer, I noticed my magic sinking into a particular etching in the skin, revealing words. ¡®A concealment?¡¯ Taking a deep breath, I whispered, ¡°Remember me¡­?¡± Then, it flooded the room. Cynthia''s skin was crawling with lines crisscrossing all over her shoulder and back. It was concealed. Thank gods, Leo told me how to unlock them. Examining the green lines, I vaguely recognised them from my father¡¯s book of spells, ¡°Give me a moment. I think I have seen this.¡± Grabbing my book of shadows, I flicked through the pages under ¡®Hexes and Curses¡¯. I asked further to narrow down what we were dealing with, ¡°Tell me everything ¨C did you hear any words? See anything?¡± ¡°I was gone for five minutes. I heard no words. No chants. I thought I interrupted her as we couldn¡¯t feel anything wrong. Goddess, were we wrong.¡± ¡°It seems like she cut into you¡­?¡± I asked Cynthia. ¡°I was out cold, never felt a thing,¡± she replied. ¡°My ex was a fan of athames¡­¡± Noel trailed off. ¡°Is her magic usually green?¡± He shook his head, ¡°No, but it is possible she gained powers from something¡­ or someone. What she and the coven were doing was extreme, and I didn¡¯t want my boys around that,¡± he stated. I touched the lines once more. They bent to my touch, repelled by my hand. I noticed they were knotted together and counted ten strands. ¡°From its appearance, it seems like she did succeed: viridi invidia¡ªEnglish name; Green Envy. Potent magic. If she practises what you¡¯re saying, it would have been easy for her.¡± ¡°Within a few seconds, strings of hexes can be knotted together and placed. With five minutes, she could have easily put a powerful hex and concealed it.¡± ¡°It isn''t known that well. It takes much preparation and is very taxing to the person casting it. It can also easily be deflected back onto the caster. Perhaps that is why she waited till you were alone and sleeping," I explained, turning the book around to show them. ¡°The hex can target anything: Bad luck, family, health, your baby, you name it.¡± Cynthia began to cry uncontrollably at my words. ¡°Can it be removed?¡± Mum asked me. ¡°Yes, but it will be difficult and long¡­ Preparation needs to be done. It may take the whole coven, depending on what we are dealing with¡­ but I won¡¯t know until I remove it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll phone Nixon,¡± she grimaced and got up to call him. ¡°Is there anything we can do for now?¡± Noel asked while consoling Cynthia. ¡°Hm, not that I can think of. If you don¡¯t already, get a check-up and have regular checkups for your baby. If you cannot feel them ¨C either they are protecting themselves, or they are the target.¡± ¡°And let me know if you have anything strange or unusual happen. Including dreams¡­¡± I advised. I closed the book and placed it back on the bookshelf. One thing was for sure. I would not be able to remove the Hex with this locks entirety. Using this to my advantage felt horrible, but perhaps this was the leverage I needed to regain my powers. Guilt eats away at the conscious. I shook my head to get rid of my thoughts.
Walking out, I found Seri and Quinn in the back garden, admiring the plants and new seedlings popping through the ground. Seri would be back at home tomorrow with her dad. Opening the back door, I could hear them chatting amongst themselves and sneaking up on them. I made them jump. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked loudly. ¡°Geez! Lexi!¡± Seri exclaimed with a hand over her chest. I playfully laughed. Quinn spilled the beans, ¡°Devan is messaging me again.¡± I gave her a knowing smile, and she added, ¡°And Lathen¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not talking to me after seeing us this morning.¡± I stayed quiet and sat on the grass, ¡°Things happened all at once¡­ Our argument, the memories, then Leo and I... I¡¯m not surprised he is hurt.¡± Quinn and Seri joined me and faced each other. ¡°He told me you slapped him out of nowhere.¡± I instantly looked up at Quinn when she spoke. Shocked, I asked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What?¡± She spoke slower this time, ¡°He told me you were arguing, and you hit him over nothing.¡± I stared, taking in her words, ¡°That¡¯s not what happened,¡± I said quietly, her head tilted slightly. ¡°He tried to profess his¡­ feelings for me. Things got heated, and he couldn¡¯t handle the truth that I did not like him that way. I didn¡¯t expect it¡­ he kissed me. Then, I slapped him,¡± I stated calmly. Quinn''s eyebrows rose, ¡°Well, he left that info out.¡± ¡°In all honesty, Quinn, you played a part in this also.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Since we broke up, you¡¯ve been trying to get us together and encouraging him more than once to get me back.¡± She said nothing for a moment, ¡°Devan said that too,¡± she murmured and quickly added, ¡°I liked you two being together. I thought we would feel closer together and that you were afraid or something.¡± ¡°Especially how he put it,¡± she realised, ¡°I never talked to you about it¡­ and well¡­¡± She sighed, ¡°My dad kept asking for updates about you two and wanted you together. I thought that meant the whole coven wanted you two together, and so,¡± she babbled. I touched her knee, interrupting her, ¡°Your dad was asking?¡± She nodded huffing, ¡°I need a break from him¡­ I don¡¯t even know the difference between my thoughts and him putting them there,¡± she put her head to her knees, ¡°Especially after finding out the whole memory thing.¡± I felt pity for her. It seemed she struggled to trust her dad, herself and everything she thought of and believed in. ¡°You can stay here as long as you want. You know my mum doesn¡¯t mind, and I will help you with anything I can,¡± I said to her. ¡°How are you both feeling after Saturday night?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling great. I still can¡¯t remember anything,¡± Seri said, stretching her legs. Quinn admitted, ¡°I feel a little weird still. I keep having weird dreams about Star Gazer.¡± I asked her for more. ¡°In the dream, I walk away from Star Gazer, towards the park, and I just walk through it¡­ alone. There¡¯s no one else. But! I do remember, we had drinks and obviously a dance. The next thing I know, I wake up in the toilets.¡± Seri responded, ¡°We might have to go to Star Gazers. There must be a reason you keep having the same dream.¡± ¡°Well, the Easter break is coming up. Road trip?¡± I suggested. ¡°Once the whole Lathen thing is sorted, I¡¯ll try to talk to him tomorrow,¡± Quinn finalised. Unwanted Guest I sat with my back against the bark, reading the last of my book over lunch. Others entirely took over our usual table, but as the days slowly warmed up, it was pleasant to be outside. Leo lounged with his head on my lap, and I absentmindedly ran my hands through his hair while reading. The tree provided shade but with the right amount of light for reading. Seri and Devan were sat in front of us, sharing answers for their Maths homework. Quinn had decided to track down Lathen and have ¡®a chat¡¯ in her words. A chorus of cheers broke the ambience. Looking up, it was the cheer team moving into the grassy area. Turning the page, I noticed Tiffany being lifted into the air and carried by the football team to the field. We were all looking at the commotion. ¡®Tiffany must have been made head cheer.¡¯ I had seen Tiffany many times at Jack¡¯s Hideout, and it didn¡¯t take long to figure out she was part of the werewolf family. She was an extrovert not to mention her brother and their pack. She would make a great leader for the cheer team. I placed my hand back on Leo¡¯s hair and continued to read. ¡°What¡¯s all that about?¡± Leo asked. The voice of Quinn made an unexpected entrance, ¡°Tiffany is the new head cheerleader.¡± She stood looking over at the crowd, and a sheepish Lathen stood behind her, looking in my direction¡­ It was Leo he was watching. Devan greeted, ¡°Hey, bro.¡± Lathen nodded in response. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t return your calls. I needed some time,¡± he replied to Devan. ¡°No problem. It''s been a weird couple of weeks. I think we¡¯ve all needed time,¡± he stated. Quinn nudged Lathen¡¯s shoulder, and she sat down near Devan and Seri. ¡°Lexi? Can I talk to you?¡± I took a stealthy, deep breath as Leo moved to sit up. Walking away from the group, I stayed in the open. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I turned to Lathen. He motioned to walk further, but I knew the others couldn¡¯t hear us. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine here, thanks,¡± I said, crossing my arms. He took a moment. ¡°I need to apologise,¡± he admitted, putting his hands in his pockets, ¡°For losing my cool when we were talking.¡± Talking. I kept my silence and waited for him to continue. ¡°I¡¯m sorry things got heated and for upsetting you. I also should not have left like that. It was cowardly.¡± ¡°Do you and I have the same recollection of this ¡®talk¡¯?¡± I asked sternly, my heart began to speed up and anxiety rose. He sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not sorry for kissing you.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡± I started to walk away, but he grabbed my arm gently to stop me. ¡°Wait, please, Lexi.¡± I returned to him, ¡°You crossed a line, Lathen. I did not want that.¡± ¡°I was a douche, I know. But-¡± ¡°There should not be a ¡®but¡¯ in that sentence.¡± He continued anyway, ¡°I wanted you to know how much I care for you.¡± ¡®Hilarious way of showing it.¡¯ ¡°You basically told me I was a liar, and my feelings weren¡¯t real. I was frustrated at Leo getting close to you so quickly. I took a shot,¡± he defended. ¡°Wrong shot to be shooting, especially in an argument.¡± He gazed to the side, ¡°Well, you should know my feelings have not changed.¡± He looked back at me and finished, ¡°I can and will wait for us.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. I looked down and stated, ¡°Well, you should know that Leo and I are together now.¡± Looking back at him, I continued, ¡°Try something like that again, and it will be more than a slap.¡± He considered the witch sat against the tree and stated, ¡°I don¡¯t think he is right for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your opinion.¡± I turned on my heel and returned to my spot. Leo sat beside me this time as Lathen sat with Devan. Leo cleared his throat quietly, and I muttered, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°A circle this Thursday?¡± wondered Quinn, pulling her crossed legs closer. A chorus of yes around Leo suggested, ¡°My house will be free on Thursday.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Party at Leo¡¯s!¡± Devan cheered. Quinn shoved Devan in jest, ¡°Shh! We don¡¯t want the populars to turn up!¡±
Jingling my keys, I watched Quinn walking in front of me, at the end of the day, to the car. Before we walked too far away from the school''s entrance, Devan called out to Quinn. I paused in my stride. Quinn turned to look at him and, touching her growing pixie cut that was fading to pink, she told me, ¡°Go on without me. Your house isn¡¯t that far.¡± I nodded to her and continued to be accompanied by Leo, and he asked, ¡°So, are you missing your brother?¡± Alex and his year group were on residential for two weeks in Hathersage. ¡°Pfft, no¡­ Not yet, anyway,¡± I admitted, ¡°Are you missing your sister?¡± ¡°Eh,¡± he shrugged, ¡°A little. I¡¯m used to her being there all the time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s peaceful, right?¡± He laughed and changed the subject, ¡°I wanted to show you something I found this morning. It came out of nowhere¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± He put his hands together in prayer, ¡°Please may I have a lift.¡± I laughed as he begged and taunted, ¡°Didn¡¯t take you for the begging type.¡± He followed behind me to the car.
Leo opened the door and let me walk in first, and the home was quiet¡­ It¡¯s empty. ¡°Where¡¯s your parents?¡± ¡°Pre-natal appointment,¡± he said. I looked around. It was modernised. I assume from the Mants living there¡ªvarnished wooden floors and carpeted staircase and living room. I couldn¡¯t see the kitchen from where I was standing. Pictures and family photos were everywhere; it was a loving, homely vibe. I felt Leo shift behind me, and I moved to the side, assuming he wanted to move past me. Instead, I was blocked against the wall, causing me to look up at him in confusion. His arms trapped me, caging me against the wall. He was smirking. Grinning, I reminded, ¡°I thought you wanted to show me something?¡± ¡°That can wait. I¡¯ve been wanting to do this all day.¡± I giggled at his statement, and he leaned down from his 6"2 height with eyes glinting mischievously. His hand strayed from the wall to my waist as our lips touched. It was a whisper of a touch, and my hands entered his stubbled fade and reached up for more. I no longer felt the wall at my back as I leaned into him. Our lips connected repeatedly, and I became hyper-aware of his bare hand on my skin, making its way to my back. His thumb stroked my hip. My hand also wandered down to his clothed chest. His other hand joined the teasing of my skin under the shirt. I couldn''t help but giggle as he brushed over a tickly area. Scratch. Our lips smacked as we pulled apart and paused to listen. Clink, scratch. It was coming from the front door. I didn''t sense anything. No animal. No person. I picked up on the taste of metal and the fur feeling on my tongue. "Lexi," he whispered. I looked back up at him; his eyes were narrowed, glowering at the door. ¡°Hide yourself and go to my room. Keep hidden.¡± He pulled away and put his weight on the door. My heart rate increased, his actions putting me on edge. My anxiety hitched higher. "Who is it?" I whispered back, pulling my energy in, cloaking myself. "Someone I hoped never to see again." Scratch, Clink! I could hear metal turning and scratching as I walked past and climbed the stairs. Leo watched me go up and opened the door when he could no longer see me. "Derick," I heard Leo say. ''It''s just Derick? Why hide?'' I paused at the upper railing; I could tell which room was Leo¡¯s from his signature and consoles on the floor. It was directly in front of me, away from the stairs. "Hello, handsome. I missed you." Came a woman''s flirty voice; Derick wasn''t alone. "Maddie," Leo grunted tightly. I couldn''t help but lean over the banister, trying to look. I saw a brunette with large curls clinging to Leo''s arm; his back was to the stairs, seemingly blocking access. I couldn''t see her face, but she was model thin, with heels to catch up to his tall stature. "Your stuff is in the garage," Leo grunted, walking away. She stayed attached to his arm as they moved. I heard footsteps leading away and breathed a sigh of relief. Up righting myself, my ears picked up on whispering of echoing and jumbled voices. ¡®What? It couldn¡¯t be.¡¯ I listened a little longer. I could hear the mumbling voices of the trio downstairs, but there were unmistakable whispers along with them. There was no mistake. Following the hushed whispers, I entered Leo''s room. Surveying the room, I saw it. On the bedside table sat a black velvet pouch covered in dirt. I knew exactly what it was, and I was freaking out inside. ¡®The necklace. How?¡¯ Swallowing, I contemplated picking it up to ensure the necklace was inside. The sound of clicking heels on the wood floor stopped my debate. I listened carefully under the whispers, hoping she would not ascend the stairs. My luck was up; I heard the muffled thump of footsteps on the carpet. Panicking, I grabbed the bag and hid between a display case and the back of the open door. ¡°Obscuravale," I breathed as the voices stopped their incessant nattering. The footsteps paused on the landing; I nearly held my breath, hoping I wasn''t heard. The fur feeling on my tongue grew ten-fold. I watched through the crack of the doorway. She looked around at the bedrooms before slowly coming closer. She was gorgeous, with a face of flawless make-up. I would believe her if she claimed to be a model. She was a little taller than me, even more so with the heels; she walked in with no effort. I looked away as the insecurity hit me, and I couldn¡¯t stop the green-eyed monster of jealousy. It was apparent she knew Leo more intimately. Why did he want to forget a face that perfect? I shook my head; that was a conversation for later. ¡®You need to focus and stay hidden, Lexi,¡¯ I scolded myself. Looking back up, she was much closer, standing in Freya¡¯s pink room. Maddie finally turned to Leo¡¯s room; this time, I held my breath as she walked through the doorway. I reassured myself I was hidden. I watched her enter the room and study it as if looking for something. Moving to the bedside table, she inspected the dirt left behind. ¡°Maddie,¡± Leo thundered. I jumped slightly a small scream left my throat. I never heard his footsteps. Her head snapped to the door, and she quickly sat on his bed, legs crossed and leaned back on her hands. Her face changed to a prerogative one as he neared the doorway. I felt his senses sweep the room, but I kept my self-hidden still. ¡°Leo,¡± she tempted, flicking her hair back. I saw his face appear as he entered the room further and glanced around with his arms folded. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± he demanded. ¡°A good time,¡± she coaxed, inspecting her fingernails, ¡°Like the old days, it¡¯s no fun without you,¡± she sighed, pouting. ¡°Cut the crap,¡± Leo huffed. ¡°Oh, come on! One last time?¡± Maddie leaned back further and patted the bed next to her. I felt numb and looked down at the floor. I knew I didn¡¯t imagine it. They did know each other intimately. I felt numb to the conversation, refusing to accept the jealousy, envy and sadness. It wasn¡¯t my business, it¡¯s in his past. Leo said nothing, and a shadow blocked the light. Glancing up, he leaned against the display case, arms still folded. Did he know where I was? ¡°Who is she?¡± Maddie¡¯s voice turned cold. I tensed up. The veil was still present; she couldn¡¯t see me. ¡°What are you on about?¡± ¡°The girl your fucking? Who is she?¡± she accused. ¡°Who says I¡¯m seeing anyone?¡± he defended. ¡°You would have jumped at any opportunity in the past. So obviously, you¡¯re seeing someone else to refuse me.¡± ¡°Derick is waiting for you,¡± he finished curtly. She huffed and left the room, ¡°This is not over.¡± ¡°Oh yes, it is.¡± He waited a few seconds, ensuring she went downstairs. He looked over his shoulder, looking past me. Of course, he knew where I was, but I didn¡¯t reveal myself. Crash! Leo tutted and quickly left the room. I leaned back onto the wall and slid to the floor, clutching the bag to my stomach. Taking a deep breath, I relaxed a little. Opening the pouch, the necklace was indeed still there. I closed it back up and felt my cheeks, no tears this time. Yet, I felt the need to cry. The Forest After a few minutes, Leo returned and looked again at the space between the door and the display case. I kept silent. I felt bitter and sour with sadness, all I could think about was the flowers and petals in the kitchen. Had he done the same for her? To woo her? ¡°Revelora,¡± Leo crooned. I stayed sat, ¡°Glenrothes isn¡¯t interesting, huh?¡± Leo groaned and joined me on the floor, ¡°We were friends with benefits, that was all.¡± ¡°You never mentioned how pretty she was.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t important.¡± An eyebrow raised as I scoffed, ¡°Can¡¯t imagine why you never wanted to see her again.¡± He frowned, ¡°Because I quickly realised how shallow she was on the inside. Then I started having dreams.¡± He gave me a pointed look. ¡°Jumped her every chance you got,¡± I repeated, looking down. ¡°Lexi, stop,¡± he growled. Looking back at him, I saw his jaw twitch as he raised his hand to his eyes, squeezing between his brows. The silence grew along with my wild and wonderful thoughts. ¡°I stopped seeing her after I realised what they were up to,¡± he admitted. He said that was only a few months ago, and I felt sick. Why was I this bothered? Was it because she was pretty? Friendly with him? Offered herself? As my thoughts continued, I felt his hand tuck hair behind my ear, and I looked back at him; he was much closer now. His hand caressed my cheek. ¡°Whatever you are thinking of. Stop it.¡± ¡°Easier said than done.¡± My eyes watered a little. He noticed the pouch I was clutching and gently took it from me. Placing it off to the side, his hands replaced the emptiness, and he pulled me gently to him. I moved to his lap, seeking comfort and reassurance. ¡°You¡¯re the one I have been waiting for,¡± he professed, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. The past should be left there,¡± he cooed, kissing the back of my hand. ¡°Tell me one thing¡­ and be honest.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The petals, you said you haven¡¯t done it for anyone else.¡± ¡°I was telling the truth.¡± I relaxed a little more; he was no liar. I cleared my throat, ¡°And... erm, your bed?¡± ¡°God¡¯s no. I hardly get private time to myself, never mind bringing a girl around,¡± he laughed, ¡°Well, except for right now,¡± he pointed out. I chuckled, looking down at the dirty pouch. ¡®Right. That¡¯s what he wanted to show me.¡¯ He followed my eyes, ¡°I have no idea where it came from, but I¡¯m glad you hid it. It feels¡­ weird.¡± ¡°Do you remember our trip to the astral?¡± I asked, still sitting in his lap, ¡°I think that had something to do with it,¡± I gestured to it. ¡°Huh,¡± he said, picking it up, ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡± ¡°My grandma¡¯s necklace or at least that¡¯s what I know it as. What it is tainted with, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Mind if I open it?¡± I shook my head, No. Undoing the gold knot, he tipped the pouch onto the floor. ¡°Elevitarus,¡± he said, and the necklace hovered before us. Twisting his hand, it rotated. ¡°Even weirder, my mum buried it in the back garden and placed wards around it so it could not be found.¡± Leo looked at me, ¡°And now it''s here? That doesn¡¯t sound creepy at all.¡± I agreed and reached out to touch the pendant; it felt cool, and I felt the same intense sadness again. I quickly pulled away and wiped my tears. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Leo alarmed. ¡°Nothing. When I touch it, I get these tears, and I¡¯m overwhelmed by sadness that isn¡¯t my own.¡± Leo reached out to it also. The hand holding my waist tightened as he touched it, but no tears were in his eyes. He looked angry¡­ fuming. ¡°What the fuck?¡± he growled. I pushed his hand away, ¡°Leo?¡± Shaking out his hand, ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± his voice was much calmer, ¡°I felt angry more than anything.¡± I opened the pouch, and Leo dropped the spell, letting it fall into the velvet. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Any ideas on what to do with it?¡± I asked. He rested his chin on my shoulder and thought, ¡°Maybe bury it again without the pouch. We don¡¯t know if it¡¯s blocking its power or protecting it.¡± ¡°We¡¯re home!¡± hollered Noel from downstairs, closing the front door. Leo moved his head down, groaning, forehead now resting on my shoulder, ¡°I thought I had more time with you.¡± I giggled, attempting to get up from his lap, only for both his hands to hold me in place. ¡°Leo?¡± questioned Noel. ¡°In my room!¡± he shouted back. ¡°Did you have visitors earlier?¡± ¡°Yeah. I still do!¡± Leo looked at me, ¡°Lexi is here helping me with homework,¡± he lied. That must have been enough for Noel, as his footsteps left the stairs and the TV turned on. Leo winked at me, pushing the door closed slightly and kissed my shoulder. ¡°Now, where were we?¡± he whispered. I tried to stop myself from laughing, ¡°I was about to help you with your homework.¡± I shifted in his lap, and his hands held me a little tighter in protest. ¡°A few more kisses?¡± he pouted. Giggling, I shifted to face him and continued where we left off downstairs.
My phone rang to life, startling us. His hand stayed buried in my hair as I reached for it. Somehow, it was pushed away from us. I assumed it was from when we moved to lie on the floor. ¡°It¡¯s Quinn,¡± I said apologetically. ¡°Answer it,¡± he whispered, not stopping his kisses down my neck. I cleared my throat, ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hey, sorry I won¡¯t be back tonight¡­ I¡¯m staying with Devan,¡± Quinn¡¯s voice explained. Leo still did not stop, moving further down to my stomach, skimming over my bra. ¡®When did my shirt come off?¡¯ I lifted my head to watch him, ¡°Ah, Okay. No worries. Have you sorted things out?¡± I watched him as he grinned into my skin. I felt the shiver as goosebumps appeared all over my skin. ¡®When did his come off?¡¯ ¡°Er¡­ You could say that¡­¡± she cooed. I laughed at her words, ¡°Have a great time. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Leo moved back up to my jaw as Quinn said goodbye. I ended the call and giggled as his lips found mine again. I gently pushed his bare chest, and he backed up with a hand next to my head. ¡°Your parents are downstairs,¡± I pointed out. ¡°And?¡± he leaned onto his elbows, boxing me in, ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean we have to stop.¡± I matched his smile, ¡°True, but I don¡¯t want to be caught without my shirt on,¡± I whispered. ¡°That¡¯s half the fun,¡± he purred. He made the mistake of brushing a hand against my side. I snorted; the tickle-dam had been broken, and every move of his hand made me laugh and giggle more. His smile told me he was doing it on purpose.
When I eventually got home, the sun was setting. I leaned back on the closed front door and sighed happily. ¡°Hello, dear. Had a good day?¡± Mum appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands. ¡°A great day,¡± I smiled. ¡°Hm, sure looks like it,¡± she inspected my appearance and I blushed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± I said, taking off my shoes and retreating to my room. ¡°I thought we could have a movie night. Chinese?¡± ¡°Ooh! Yes! I¡¯ll have my usual, please.¡± Going to change into my pyjamas, I found out what my mum was referring to. My cheeks were flushed and lips red, almost bruised. I had faint pink marks on my neck, too. I blushed harder and decided to freshen up before going back downstairs.
I was disturbed by birds twittering. Groggily opening my eyes, I noticed I was not in my bed. More awake now, I lifted my eyes to see tall trees above me. Laying on brown leaves, I¡¯m surrounded by a forest and green plants. The sun was high, but I knew it was still the dead of night. Sitting up, I felt a sense of familiarity, the Astral. But where was I? I called out, ¡°Leo?¡± All I heard was the echo of my voice bouncing around. I carefully got up, staying vigilant. My awareness grew, and I stretched my senses out. ¡°Lexi?¡± his voice echoed back, and the birds took off from the trees. ¡°Leo!¡± I exclaimed and walked forward. That¡¯s when I noticed the red string around my pinky. I laughed at the irony. ¡°Lexi,¡± Leo¡¯s voice still bounced, and I moved forward a little quicker this time following the red string. The trees started to thin as I came across a dirt road. It had two tracks and looked like it had been well used. Before I crossed, I heard the clip of horses¡¯ feet and rocketing of wood. I stayed back in the shadows and waited for it to pass. Two black horses pulled a Victorian-style topless black carriage. It was being driven by a footman driving the horses along the track. As it passed, I gazed the woman, sat in the back. She wore a cream hat and dress. Her brown hair peaked from under the hat as she sat in the back. Her face¡­ looked like mine. That¡¯s why this place was familiar. I could smell tobacco smoke emanating from the side of the road. Two men stepped out, blocking the road, frightening the horses and forcing the carriage to stop. ¡°Lexi?¡± I jumped as I heard Leo¡¯s voice much closer. Could they hear us? Glancing back, they seemed unfazed, and I shouted back, ¡°Leo?¡± and took a step forward. The horse''s whine caught my attention. One of the men knocked out the footman, and the other took the struggling woman. I felt a tug on my finger and gazed to the other side of the minor road. Leo. I quickly jogged towards him, ¡°The woman. Are you seeing this?¡± I panicked. ¡°Shh, what woman?¡± I motioned to the left, just a few meters down from us. Leo faltered, ¡°Is that¡­¡± ¡°I think this is a past life,¡± I confirmed. She fought against the two men, and one ripped a necklace from her neck. The pearls scattered, and the pendent flung to the side and landed before us. We looked at each other, seeing the same thing. It was the same one on my grandma¡¯s pendant. The woman cried out, making us observe the unrest once more. I held onto Leo¡¯s arm as she was left on the ground with a stab wound to bleed out. ¡°ANNA!¡± A male voice cried out as he ran to her from behind us. ¡°That¡¯s you,¡± I whispered to Leo. The dark blonde man dressed in a white waistcoat and full-length dress pants skidded to his knees near her. We watched intently as he picked up her lifeless body. He was a few minutes too late. He cried out in agony, crying on her chest, his hair just shy of touching her skin. I felt tears run down my face. My worst fear, like anybody else, is Death. Leo¡¯s hand wiped away my tears and turned me away from the scene. ¡°I think we have found out why the necklace affects us,¡± he murmured. ¡°And stalks us,¡± I whispered. He grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the road. As we exited, the scene disappeared like mist, and Leo pulled me closer and wiped the remaining tears away. Some texts suggested soulmates would meet again and again over lifetimes. ¡°I assume we are in the astral again?¡± he asked. I nodded, ¡°Yeah. We won¡¯t be woken up until someone or something disturbs us,¡± I reminded. ¡°Well,¡± Leo looked around, ¡°We can either stay here or continue walking.¡± I looked back at where we came from, feeling much calmer. The small road was gone, and tall trees once again surrounded us. ¡°I suppose we keep walking.¡± This time, we stayed close and walked in a random direction. The sun above us began to set rather quickly. Holding Leo¡¯s hand, we navigated over fallen tree trunks and vegetation, with no clear sign that the forest would end soon. Leo paused suddenly, ¡°Do you hear that?¡± I listened for a moment, ¡°Do you mean the birds?¡± ¡°No, I can hear someone saying my name,¡± he looked around, confused.
Before I could reply, I awoke in my bed, alone. Leo must have been hearing one of his parents, I concluded. Then, the alarm blared next to me. Without looking, I reached to click off the alarm, only to feel velvet. It had moved again. I remember forgetting to take it home from Leo¡¯s. Moving the pouch, I clicked off the alarm. Mum was already downstairs, and I asked for her help once again. Before covering the uncovered necklace with dirt, I added my own sigil to stop it from moving from the hole. Hopefully, that will keep it at bay. Stay Thursday evening came around quickly; it was raining heavily outside, while refreshing, the bitter cold wind forced us to have a circle inside. I was in Leo¡¯s house helping rearrange the furniture in the living room. It was spacious once the sofas were pushed to the walls and the coffee table was moved to the kitchen. I brought garden twine to outline a circle so as not to ruin the carpet. ¡°There,¡± Leo said, setting down the rolled-up rug in the kitchen. Glancing at the clock, it was a few minutes past six. I settled down on the large sofa pushed against the wall, looking out the bay window to the front of the house. ¡°Do you think Lathen will come?¡± Leo asked, passing me a cup of tea. I chewed my lip in thought. Lathen wasn¡¯t wholly hostile towards Leo. After meeting at the bar, Leo¡¯s charm opened up a friendly Lathen. He was slowly getting back to his old self around me after the rites... I wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good thing. I felt on guard around him after the argument. ¡°I have no idea,¡± I said honestly, ¡°He won¡¯t be doing himself any favours if he doesn¡¯t accept us.¡± Taking a sip from the mug, I folded my legs under me and shifted closer to Leo, facing him with a perfect view of the porch, and we settled into a comfortable silence while waiting.
Hearing the car doors shut, I peered out of the windows¡ªhalf past, right on time. Four people walked up to the door. Leo patted my knee and got up to open the door for them. I was half surprised Lathen was also there. I grinned when I saw Devan and Quinn holding hands. They were back together alright. Luckily, my cup was empty as Seri hopped beside me on the sofa to hug me. Quinn sat at my other side as Devan went to the kitchen with drinks for after. My grin continued as I watched her. ¡°Not a word,¡± Quinn warned me. ¡°Drama queens, the pair of you,¡± I teased. ¡°Please don¡¯t scare us like that again,¡± Seri added, pouting. Quinn rolled her eyes and leaned her head onto my shoulder; I passed my cup to Leo when he held his out, passing us. ¡°Anything more on this necklace freaky necklace business?¡± Seri asked. I shook my head, ¡°No, but I feel so much better,¡± I admitted, ¡°I¡¯ve been tired and exhausted whenever that was around. I think it had something to do with it.¡± ¡°Well, if it affected you emotionally, it would not be surprising if it was draining you,¡± Quinn pointed out. I nodded in agreement. ¡°So¡­¡± Seri trailed. Oh no, I braced myself as she continued. ¡°I think you are leaving some details out of these astral visits you¡¯ve been talking about,¡± Seri whispered, hinting mischievously. ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about,¡± I feigned innocence. ¡°Hm? No kissy faces?¡± Quinn whispered. ¡°Always whispering,¡± Lathen interrupted from the doorway, looking at the three of us. I chuckled as Quinn said, ¡°Girly things don¡¯t concern boys!¡± ¡°What if you¡¯re talking about said boys?¡± ¡°Even more so,¡± she defended. ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± Devan protested from behind him. ¡°Feel free to whisper about us,¡± Quinn teased before getting up, ¡°Are we circle-ing or what?¡± A chorus of laughing sounded in the living room.
The twine did a great job, and nothing was on fire from the candles; bonus! We worked together to put the living room the way it was and settled on the two sofas, talking. Music was playing quietly from the speakers, and we all had a drink of cider courtesy of Devan¡¯s stash. It was 9:30 pm when a knock came at the door. Leo got up, looking confused to answer it. ¡°Did anyone spill the beans about a free house?¡± I asked, looking around at my friends. They all shook heads. As the door opened, the fur feeling came back, shit. Before any greeting was uttered, the door shut again, and Leo¡¯s annoyed face appeared. ¡°Don¡¯t answer it. Don¡¯t let them in,¡± he said, crossing his arms. The curiosity of Seri got the better of her, and she peeped through the curtain. ¡°Seri, don¡¯t,¡± I warned, too late. Seri quickly looked back at me with concern. ¡°Leo! You open this door right now!¡± The dulled voice of Maddie could be heard. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Quinn looked at me with concern¡­ explanations would come later. Lathen pipped up from my left, ¡°Leave some broken hearts, Leonard?¡± I nudged him. ¡°Leo! I told you this wasn¡¯t over!¡± Maddie demanded. Devan laughed at the grimace Leo pulled, and I watched him put a hand up and pinch his brows. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll leave,¡± I cautioned, getting up. Leo closed his eyes almost in defeat. ¡°Do you know who she is, Lexi?¡± Seri asked. ¡°I do,¡± I admitted, looking at her. ¡°She¡¯s a pain in the arse, is what she is,¡± Leo insulted. ¡°I heard that!¡± Maddie''s voice was more unmistakable this time, ¡°Party is over. We need to talk.¡± I peered around the door. The letter box was propped open with her hand, but I could not see her eyes peering through. ¡°Go on, Lexi. Tell her what for,¡± she whispered encouragingly. Quinn''s voice made me jump. I didn¡¯t realise she moved. ¡°Are you insane?¡± I whispered back. ¡°It¡¯s obvious she isn¡¯t going to leave, and I don¡¯t think she will leave Leo alone anytime soon,¡± she prodded. ¡°We have your back,¡± she soothed, placing her hands on my shoulders. ¡°You just want to stir the pot,¡± I speculated. ¡°No, I want you to grow some balls,¡± she ribbed. The letterbox snapped shut, making us pause. Clink, scratch. ¡°The hell is that?¡± Lathen asked. ¡°She¡¯s trying to break in,¡± Leo informed. ¡°That¡¯s what that noise was last time?¡± I said, perplexed, and he nodded. Clink! I took a breath. Although Quinn¡¯s persuasion did nothing to the situation, she was right. Maddie wasn¡¯t going to leave and probably wouldn¡¯t leave Leo alone. Quinn¡¯s cajoling won; I walked to the door, and Leo realised what I was doing too late. I opened the door, ¡°What do you want?¡± Maddie got up from her crouched position quickly and inspected me, ¡°And who are you?¡± ¡°I could ask you the same thing.¡± ¡°Where is Leo?¡± she said crossing her arms, trying to look behind me. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you until you tell me who you are and what you want.¡± I saw him in my peripheral, leaning against the wall next to the door. Quinn and Seri were probably at the living room doorway eavesdropping. She flicked her hair back and, standing tall, replied in a haughty voice, ¡°I¡¯m Maddie, and I must speak to Leo.¡± I raised an eyebrow at the tone, ¡°Hello, Maddie,¡± I heard Quinn giggle, ¡°I¡¯m afraid Leo is too preoccupied to speak to you.¡± Maddie¡¯s eyes slid sideways at Quinns laugh, it was obvious she became more irate. ¡°Well, you can tell him and your friends that the party is over.¡± She grounded out slowly, ¡°His girlfriend is here now.¡± I snorted, ¡®One more push¡­¡¯ I tilted my head, and my confidence rose as I remembered her question from a few days ago. ¡°I¡¯ll let you on to a little secret¡­¡± I pushed the door so just my face was shown and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m the girl he¡¯s fucking, and you were never his girlfriend,¡± I winked at her as she gasped. I finished louder this time before she said anything. ¡°Goodbye, Maddie!¡± I waved, ¡°If you come around here again, I¡¯ll be speaking more than words.¡± I watched her struggle with words before she finally smirking. ¡°He¡¯ll get bored and come right back. He always does,¡± she reassured, with the same arrogant voice, before finally walking away. I closed the door, calmed my magic and anger with a deep breath and turned to look at the eavesdroppers. To my surprise, all four had a head peeping out from the doorway. ¡°So proud of you,¡± Quinn said first. ¡°You are a bad influence,¡± I stated, walking away. ¡°Yo, send her Lathen¡¯s say if she comes back,¡± Devan volunteered, clapping a hand on Lathen''s shoulder. ¡°Trust me. I wish I never met her; I would not wish her upon my worst enemy,¡± Leo warned with his hands up. Lathen grimaced at Leo¡¯s words. The drama has ended for the night, and Leo told the story of Maddie and Glenrothes. He divulged a lot more than the night of his rites. It seemed as gorgeous as she was; she was not cut from a white cloth and had a vicious dark side beneath a fa?ade. Lathen whistled long, ¡°Damn. It¡¯s always the pretty ones,¡± he joked.
Later that night, Quinn asked as she pulled on her shoes, ¡°Lexi? Did you bring my stuff?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. One second.¡± Walking to the kitchen, I fetched the bag of Quinn¡¯s clothes and personals, giving it to her. ¡°Thank you,¡± she beamed, ¡°and please thank your mum for taking me in again.¡± I laughed, ¡°I¡¯ll let her know. Are you going back home¡­?¡± ¡°Not yet, but Devan and I still need to talk about some stuff.¡± I nodded, and we joined the rest outside. The rain was still spitting down, but the four made it to the car without getting drenched. I waved as they left. ¡°You know,¡± Leo trailed off, ¡°My parents are gone for the whole night. It¡¯s going to be lonely by myself,¡± he coaxed, stepping closer with a dramatic pout. I giggled, ¡°That sounds like a you problem,¡± I said teasing, taking a step away. I grabbed his arms as they appeared around my waist, and he whispered in my ear, ¡°I will be good, I promise.¡± ¡°Pfft, how you fib!¡± He chuckled and kissed my temple, ¡°Seriously, I won¡¯t do anything you don¡¯t want me to. No pressure.¡± I blushed at his words and bit my lip. I didn¡¯t feel pressured, nor did I not want to. It was timing; we had only just made official status. His hand moved and tugged my lip out of my teeth. Turning my head to look at him, I decided.
I woke up to a phone ringing, and I whined quietly as the sun poured in through the window, illuminating the navy-blue room. ¡°Hello?¡± His voice was gruff, thick with sleep, and his arm tightened around me. True to his word, nothing other than making out happened. I was in borrowed pyjama bottoms and an old shirt. I checked my phone to find one unread message. Mum: [Okay, sweetie, have fun ??] I smiled and shook my head at the photo she attached. Sooty made himself at home on my bed. ¡°Okay, not a problem,¡± Leo shifted, hovering over my upper body slightly, ¡°See you tomorrow. Bye Da.¡± He hung up and said, ¡°My parent¡¯s car has broken down. They¡¯re staying another night.¡± ¡°Oh dear. Nothing serious, I hope?¡± ¡°He thinks it¡¯s a dead battery. The car wouldn¡¯t start. Luckily, he¡¯s covered.¡± Leo moved to sit up on one elbow. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I yawned and closed my eyes again, ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Nearly seven.¡± I whined and pulled the covers up. He laughed lowly. ¡°Do you like waffles?¡± I uncovered my eyes and looked at him, ¡°I love waffles¡­¡± He chuckled, kissing my head, ¡°Come on,¡± he said, getting out of the warm bed. Huffing, I followed suit. He paused at the door, watching me. ¡°What?¡± I asked, rubbing an eye. ¡°I knew you¡¯d look better in my shirt.¡± A wolfish grin spread on his face, and I playfully hit his shoulder. ¡°Oh, my gods.¡± I said with a full mouth. Waffles covered in berries and chocolate. They tasted amazing. He smiled and sat opposite me at the table with his own. ¡°Are these from a packet?¡± I asked, confused. Defensive, he said, ¡°No fresh. Well, leftover mix from yesterday.¡± ¡°You have these every day?!¡± He laughed, ¡°No. Only when I can be bothered.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to stay more often,¡± I said out loud and met his eyes.
Quietly entering the front of the house, I peeked around. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Leo said, peering around. ¡°Shh, I¡¯m avoiding my mum.¡± ¡°I thought she was okay with you staying?¡± I entered the house after the coast was clear. ¡°She is. That¡¯s not why I am avoiding her.¡± I shut the door behind us. I was still dressed in borrowed pyjamas, avoiding my nosy mother from asking me questions. Climbing the stairs, I paused when I heard the creak of a door. Uh oh. ¡°Lexi, sweet? Is that you?¡± I heard Leo chuckling from the bottom of the stairs. I gave him a warning look. ¡°Hi, Mrs. Langton!¡± I groaned. ¡°Ah ha! Trying to avoid me, are we?¡± she said, appearing at the top with a cheeky smile. ¡°Of course not, Mother,¡± I lied and finished the steps. I walked past her to change. I shivered as she struck up a conversation with Leo, ¡°Leo! Good morning. Did you have fun-¡± I closed the door and sighed before changing. As I finished, my mum poked her head around the door. ¡°Leo told me his parents are gone for another night.¡± I looked at her, ¡°And?¡± ¡°And I would take advantage of an empty house if I were you,¡± she winked, closing the door again. My mum was something else. But¡­ I packed a small bag with clothes for work the next day¡­ Just in case. Prepared I had a spring in my step at work on Saturday. Seri looked at me weirdly, desperate to discover what made me happy. When there was a pause in customers, she pounced. ¡°Okay. Spill it,¡± she cornered me in the stock room. ¡°Nothing to spill. I just woke up on the right side of the bed.¡± ¡®In the right bed.¡¯ I smiled. Her eyes narrowed, ¡°Uh huh,¡± she drawled. I winked at her and walked past to stock up the cups. I heard an audible gasp before she scurried to me and whispered, ¡°Have you?¡± with a pointed look. I laughed, ¡°No.¡± Her head went limp in disappointment, ¡°You mean to tell me you had an empty house, and nothing happened?¡± ¡°He was a gentleman,¡± I continued to smile. ¡°Sure, the long game. I get it¡­ It¡¯s a matter of time.¡± I laughed and heard the bell jingled. I got up to serve the new customers. ¡°Welcome. What can I get you?¡± ¡°Lexi? I don¡¯t recognise you with that hat!¡± I looked up properly this time, ¡°Oh! Hi Tiffany!¡± I greeted. The new head cheerleader smiled, she was in her cheer uniform, seems they are practicing over the weekend. The blue and silver colours of our school made stark contrast against her mocha skin and her amber eyes seemed to glow. ¡°How long have you worked here?¡± she asked eagerly over the counter. ¡°About a year, but I only work weekends.¡± ¡°Ah! I don¡¯t normally come in on Saturdays.¡± She smiled and contemplated the board. The bell jingled again; looking up, I noticed a small group of people enter. One of them I recognised as Tiffany¡¯s brother. ¡°I''ll have a hot chocolate.¡± ¡°With cream?¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± She turned to her brother, ¡°What do you want?¡± He and the others in the group added to their order. I helped Seri make the drinks and overheard their conversation while waiting. The gaggle of boy¡¯s were not very good at talking in hushed voices, we could still hear them. ¡°Did you hear what happened at Jack¡¯s last week?¡± ¡°Yeah. Apparently, they were two witches.¡± Seri¡¯s hand momentarily faulted, nearly dropping the milk carton, and we shared a look as they spoke. They were talking about her and Quinn. ¡°No way! I didn¡¯t know there were witches in Pendle¡­ Someone has a death wish. Jack is not going to like that it happened in his place.¡± ¡°Right? That¡¯s not all¡­ It¡¯s been happening everywhere, not just to these witches¡­ Humans and Fae have been reporting things too.¡± My eyebrows furrowed as I continued to mindlessly make the coffee. ¡°Is it just one group?¡± ¡°So they say... After the truce, no vamp dares to cross the line.¡± I waited a few moments before placing their orders on the table, ¡°Enjoy!¡± No one else was at the counter. I looked at Seri as I went to the back, and she followed. ¡°Seems like word spreads fast,¡± I muttered quietly with a hand on my cheek. ¡°How did they know about Jack¡¯s?¡± Seri asked, her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Tiffany is from a wolf family.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°You¡¯re surprised?¡± ¡°Wow, I need to pay attention¡­¡± ¡°I think we all need to be careful. Whoever¡¯s responsible doesn¡¯t care about rules or repercussions. Especially now they know you and Quinn are witches. They could bring trouble, and we must stick together. Now more than ever.¡± Seri¡¯s face turned grim, and she nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll ring Quinn,¡± she informed, pulling out her phone. The situation around Seri¡¯s and Quinn¡¯s experience is not something to take lightly, as there were multiple attacks of vampires feasting. It could get worse. Making new vampires was not as simple as a bite, killed and then reborn. You needed to drink blood from a witch. Fresh blood. New vamps could hardly control their impulses, and the amount of blood needed depended on the witches power. It was a spell for trouble. In contract, to make a Werewolf. You need a witch''s magic and a tiny bit of blood. However, they can still reproduce normally, so the practice was quickly stopped. Many Vampires were angry at the treaty, those that rebelled against it, were culled by their own sires. No more witches were bitten for fear of the repercussions, the final record was one hundred and fifty years ago. We had been at peace ever since.
The rest of the day passed quickly, and it was busier than usual, but we had our regular visit from the coven. Quinn told us she had to speak to her dad about what we had heard. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Is your dad leaving for work any time soon? Don¡¯t want you to be on your own¡­¡± I asked Seri, as we shut up the shop. ¡°No. The next time he¡¯s leaving is after May half term. I¡¯ll let you know if it changes,¡± she informed, pulling out her phone. Double-checking the lock, we vacated the premises.
Pendle With arms folded, he kept himself hidden watching the pair. ¡°Jackpot,¡± he humoured. He took the advice of an unexpected informant and was surprised to find two witches so quickly. He would keep that one close. They say never to return to the same place twice, but where there were witches, there was a family, and a family meant a coven. He has found his supply. His ears prickled at the sound of footsteps¡­ well paw-steps, they were still a couple of miles out from him location, but he was in wolfen territory. Time to move on and lay low, as ordered. He set off walking in the opposite direction of the coffee shop, and dialled a contact in his phone¡­
Lexi Sunday was full of preparations for the next full moon in three days. The full moon provided the most energy in the whole calendar month. It was the optimal time to attempt to remove the curse. Luckily, it was Easter Break for the next two weeks¡ªplenty of time to recharge. Leo and Noel were helping with the preparations. I sat cross-legged on the floor near the fireplace; Sooty perched on my lap, watching intently¡ªa witch''s little helper. Stirring the cauldron, I added sliced lemon and eggshells to the water. ¡°Here.¡± Leo passed me the crushed cinnamon and cloves. Thanking him I took it and paused my fingers on the scripture before me. ¡°Cloves and cinnamon to boost success¡­Rosemary to cleanse, nettles to purify¡­ Juniper! I need ten juniper berries.¡± Noel was closest. Dropping them in individually, I imagined each strand leaving Cynthia back. Placing the lid on, I elevated it over the fire and let it boil. ¡°There,¡± I said. Sooty quickly moved as I attempted to get up from the floor. ¡°Okay,¡± I ticked the items off my fingers, ¡°banishing salt, rose oil, purifying potion, amethyst, amber, wand and athame¡­ Just let this stew for a few hours, and it will be ready.¡± I sighed, ¡°Thanks for the help,¡± I said to all of them, stretching to loosen the kinks in my spine. Noel breathed a sigh of relief and left the room to Cynthia and Mum in the living room. As I moved to the door, Leo blocked the way.
¡°Will you be able to do it with the lock?¡± I bit my lip, and his head tilted to the side; he knew my unspoken answer. ¡°Teach me how to do it.¡± He rolled his sleeves. I put a hand on his forearm, ¡°No, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± I reassured, waving it off. He glanced behind him and shut the door, ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± He wasn¡¯t accusing; his tone was soft and coaxing. Busted. I gave in, ¡°I¡¯m hoping to force his hand,¡± I admitted, looking down ashamed. ¡°You mean put yourself in danger? What about Ma?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m hoping it won¡¯t come to that. She¡¯ll be fine. That¡¯s what the wand and athame are for.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve prepared this?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I examined him. ¡°What if it comes to that? What if you faint?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll feel it coming and pause the cleansing. With something like this, taking a couple of sessions is normal anyway. I promise no more danger or harm will come to your mum or her baby.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question: What if it comes to that?¡± What if he refuses to budge? ¡°Then I must teach you.¡± His face turned grim and his eyes hardened, ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± I took a breath and looked away again, preparing for the lecture. ¡°We better try and convince him then, hm?¡± ¡°We?¡± I observed his eyes. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t hide things from me. It won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± I murmured, ¡°I already feel guilty¡­ I¡¯m using the situation to my advantage. But if I didn¡¯t¡­¡± I trailed off. ¡°It won¡¯t come again, and you¡¯d be back to pleading,¡± he finished. I nodded, chewing my lip. I had to try. ¡°Hey, I get it. Especially with the fate line trapped.¡± He grabbed my hand and drew reassuring strokes with his thumb. I tackled him into a hug, and he chuckled as my eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of warmth filling me. His phone vibrated from his pocket, and I pulled back just as mine did the same. I looked at him, confused. ¡°Devan,¡± he stated looking. I looked at my phone, ¡°Quinn. Oh gods. Don¡¯t tell me they are arguing again.¡± I picked it up, moving to the table, as Leo answered his own. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hey! Jack¡¯s asking for Seri and I to come to the hideout. We thought all of us should go together.¡± ¡°All of us, as in¡­?¡± ¡°The boys, too.¡± ¡°Ah, is that why Devan is calling Leo?¡± ¡°Leo¡¯s there with you, huh?¡± she queried. I could tell she was smiling, ¡°Much like Devan is there with you, yes.¡± ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good idea though¡­What time?¡± ¡°About seven?¡± ¡°Okay, meet you there.¡± Before I hung up, Leo¡¯s hands trapped me at the table. Turning around, he leaned down to my height. I could see a glint in his eyes but said nothing. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just imagining you in a short dress.¡± I smacked his shoulder as he smirked. I thought he would leave, but he shuffled his hands closer together, closing the space I had to move and leaning forward. The glint never left his eyes; it made him seem predatory, but I dared not look away. I may have omitted some information from Seri; touching was involved the second night, hence my happy mood. He grabbed my waist and hoisted me onto the table. Pushing my clothed legs to the side, he stood between them and grabbed my neck, kissing me. I immediately felt the flame in my chest; He¡¯s addictive. My hands traced his shoulders and upper back. Despite the warmth from the love, my skin prickled, and goosebumps erupted. A book fell from the bookcase, startling us. We both laughed, and he let up, picking up the book. ¡°It¡¯s your grandma¡¯s,¡± he said, placing the opened page on the table. Skimming over it, it was an entry I had yet to see. Getting off the table, I was invested in it after spotting an unfamiliar name. ¡°Weird, I haven''t seen this one, and I¡¯ve glanced through it a couple of times.¡± Leo stood next to me, ¡°It¡¯s blank, that¡¯s why.¡± I looked at him confused, then back to the book, ¡°You don¡¯t see this writing?¡± It was almost ghost-like. He chuckled, making me look back at him. ¡°Your grandma loves secrets, huh?¡± I laughed, ¡°Oh yes. As a kid, I remember she would hide sweets and easter eggs everywhere. I had to find them with what little magic I had.¡± I paused, trailing off; I had seen this before. I placed my hands on the ¡®blank¡¯ pages, ¡°Nocht do r¨²in.¡± The pages bled black, and the ink turned black. ¡°Woah,¡± Leo said, ¡°Was that Irish?¡± ¡°Yeah, Great-Great Grandma settled in England. Selena trained me in her tricks. I just forgot them,¡± I smirked and read the passage.
2nd February 1953, Imbolc. My favourite time of the year. Time for change, and I have changed, well, towards Jerrold. Even though the fear has gone, a new fear comes. I heard from Mother about when soulmates meet, about the fire inside; she tells me it will subside, but it''s different for everyone. It''s too overwhelming; I don''t know what to do. I cannot help but feel it entrapping, but it¡¯s not inviting, not at all. Hellfire. That¡¯s what it felt like. I cannot help but feel giddy at certain times, but it is truly frightful. I shall have to try, try to find a way. Oh, goddess, help me. - Selena
¡°Jerrold?¡± I thought out loud, this was now the second time Grandma talked about the unknown man. ¡°Your grandad?¡± I shook my head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Grandma and Dad never spoke of him¡­ It¡¯s sad reading about her struggle with her fated¡­¡± Leo looked up at me, ¡°Do you feel this way?¡± ¡°No,¡± I smiled and pecked his lips, ¡°I¡¯ll have to try to play about with the spells she taught me¡­see if I can find out more.¡± I placed the book back on the shelf. ¡°What happened to your grandma?¡± ¡°She passed away three years ago. She deteriorated after a diagnosis of dementia. She loved to hide things but forgot where she would put them. This book and the necklace were found only recently. Just before you moved in.¡± ¡°Impeccable timing¡­ and your dad?¡± I grew quieter, ¡°¡­ After Grandma¡¯s funeral, he changed. Withdrew from us. We thought he was grieving in his way. It was only him and Grandma, as far as I know. I don¡¯t know exactly what happened. Nixon told me Dad was found in the forest, covered in blood, trying to bring my grandma back. He was dabbling in blood magic and Necromancy,¡± I explained softly. ¡°It took a toll on his body; he died in the hospital after falling into a coma. Whenever we visited him, All I could taste was metal, and my tongue felt furry. I put two and two together¡­¡± ¡°That''s how you could tell. The first day we met,¡± Leo said. I nodded, ¡°It wasn¡¯t as strong, but yes.¡± ¡°I bet Nixon is holding that against you, too, right?¡± ¡°He has not said it to my face, but probably.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like him.¡± I laughed. Werewolves ¡®Geez. Really?¡¯ I looked at my phone once more. In the ¡®Girls Only¡¯ chat, they discussed what to wear. Of course, we couldn¡¯t just go in jeans. Oh no, Quinn practically shouted at me for suggesting the idea. Here I was, looking through my closet to dress to the nines. For a ¡®quick drink¡¯ at Jack¡¯s Hideout. A quick drink, my ass. Dressing like this; we would eventually taxi to the nearest town after a few drinks. I texted Leo the warning, to which he replied. [Devan already told me ??] Sigh. I pulled out the little black dress, a clutch, and heels. ¡®Girl, we got work to do.¡¯ ¡°Well, the boy scrubs up good,¡± Mum stated, looking out my bedroom window. I moved to peek out; sure enough, Leo was walking towards the house. His black shirt was buttoned up, except for the last two, grey jeans and trainers to match. ¡°Don¡¯t have too much fun, sweetie.¡± ¡°Mum!¡± I whined. She laughed, leaving the room.
After asking Mum nicely for a lift to Jack¡¯s, she pulled into a side road a few minutes away from the hideout. As I unbuckled the seatbelt, she turned to look at us. ¡°Stay safe. If you need to call me, it doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m asleep.¡± ¡°Okay, Mum. See you later.¡± I leaned forward and kissed her cheek before following Leo out of the car. I waved as she left, and Leo held out his arm. ¡°Please lead the way.¡± I chuckled, and holding his arm, I gently guided him down the alley. The same cigarette smell got stronger as we walked down. I could see the faint amber glow at the end. I turned to the metal door and knocked twice. The metal window slid open, and amber eyes peered out. ¡°ID?¡± ¡°Bellatrix.¡± The door opened, allowing us entry. I spotted Seri and Quinn at a high table waving while walking in with Leo. Devan and Lathen were playing at a pool table just before them. It was busy on a Sunday night. Usually, all the tables would be occupied, yet somehow, they managed to get a prime spot. After a few drinks, Quinn tried to play pool with Devan but failed miserably. Devan was more than happy to teach her¡­ ¡°Shameless!¡± Seri hollered. Quinn stuck her tongue out at her and carried on. Seri and I laughed and sat dancing in our seats to the music. ¡°Hey!¡± Exploded a voice from the bar, ¡°Hands off my sister.¡± We stopped and couldn¡¯t help but look over. It was Tiffany¡¯s brother; he was clutching an offensive hand, and Tiffany was calming her brother down. ¡°Calm down or take it outside,¡± Commanded a voice. Jack. ¡°Geez, sorry, miss.¡± The guy shrugged his hand out of the tight grip and walked away. ¡°Bro! Chill, come on.¡± Tiffany turned and returned to her group. Her brother still seething with anger, followed her without taking his eye off the random guy. Jack watched them walk away from the bar. Looking straight at our group, he stepped forward. ¡°Quinn.¡± I motioned to Jack, coming closer, and she came closer to the table. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Who is that?¡± Leo whispered in my ear. ¡°The owner, Jack.¡± Jack was a burly man, older and wiser. He kept a tight ship and was no-nonsense. Everyone played nice, or you were thrown out, simple as. No drugs were permitted, and no smoking inside. Nothing happened without Jack knowing; if something did happen, you were assured he would find out who had done it. ¡°Evening. Are you the two who came in last week?¡± ¡°Yes, Seri and I,¡± Quinn said, gesturing to Seri. ¡°Grand. You and your friends come this way, please.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll guard the table,¡± Lathen said, sitting on a stool. ¡°I¡¯ll stay too,¡± Leo said. I looked at him suspiciously, but he winked and returned to his drink. Jack led us to the back rooms, a VIP section, which was empty. Full length windows allowed us to look over the whole bar and dance floor with plush red sofas, and a large TV monitor stood in the middle. I looked down at the busy bar and inspected Leo and Lathen. They were¡­ talking. But their body language told me it wasn¡¯t a comfortable ¡®chat¡¯. They gave nothing away, talking like two friends. He pulled the curtain closed, returning my attention to Jack and he hooked a laptop to the monitor. ¡°I think I found the culprit, but I was wondering if you recognise ¡®em and hopefully tell me a name.¡± ¡°Our memories are a little jumbled, but we will try,¡± Seri mentioned, sitting on the edge closest to the screen. He nodded and played the video. It was a tape from behind the bar pointed out at the pool table and seating area. Fast forwarding it, he quickly spotted Quinn¡¯s bright red hair. We watched a past Seri and Quinn grabbed a chair and sat by the bar. ¡°I only counted two drinks, the third abandoned,¡± Jack murmured, allowing to play. I could see Seri¡¯s face scrunching up as she sipped her second drink. ¡°The second one tasted weird, very alcoholic,¡± Seri recalled. Jack rewound it, but nothing was different: the same female bartender. ¡°Wait, can you slow it down?¡± Devan asked. He did. There. A smudge, a blur as the bartender placed the drinks down. Jack tutted; he noticed it too. ¡°That solves that. Now.¡± He fast-forwarded until they were approached by a man, tall, blonde and slightly tan. ¡°Recognise him?¡± They watched and shook their heads. ¡°After this, you go off the frame. Until¡­¡± They staggered through the front door. Quinn is holding up Seri, who is close to fainting. The bar was packed, and no one noticed them enter the bathroom. ¡°Two hours later. Your friend comes to get you.¡± He played it, and sure enough, I was at the bar asking for Angel and running to the toilets. ¡°How did they get outside?¡± Devan asked. Jack shook his head, ¡°We¡¯ve been scratching our heads at that too. But superspeedy here has a couple of tricks up his sleeve-ies.¡± I noticed someone in the tape, ¡°Could you go back?¡± ¡°How far?¡± I thought about it, ¡°When they were approached.¡± I had a gut feeling, one my intuition could not ignore. Could a random vampire simply get lucky finding two witches? He let it play normally. ¡°Stop. Look at the bottom right, the blonde girl watching him.¡± Seri and Quinn looked closer. ¡°Megan?¡± Seri shrilled. ¡°What the hell?¡± Quinn murmured. ¡°You know her?¡± Jack gruffed. ¡°Megan Mants. She¡¯s meant to be three hours away looking after her grandmother after they left months ago¡­ And last I saw her, she was NOT that pale,¡± I informed. ¡°You think she¡¯s been turned?¡± Devan asked. ¡°Why else would she be there? If you fast forward to them coming in, you see her follow them in and hide in the corner.¡± Just as I said, she followed them and directly look into the camera before moving off the frame. ¡°Sneaky fucking Vampires,¡± Jack swore, ¡°I¡¯m sorry this happened in my place. If I find out more, I¡¯ll inform you.¡± We thanked Jack as we returned downstairs. Quinn¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as she was thinking. ¡°Anything?¡± Lathen asked hopeful. ¡°Well,¡± Seri started, ¡°You remember Megan?¡± ¡°Mants? Yeah.¡± ¡°We think she¡¯s turned Vamp.¡± ¡°She drugged you?¡± His eyebrows rose. ¡°Not her, but possibly her sire,¡± Quinn mumbled. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°How would she know¡­?¡± Devan muttered. Quinn replied instead, ¡°I don¡¯t think she did¡­ Maybe she wanted some sort of revenge? Or¡­ wrong place, wrong time?¡± We all became quiet, the mood sombre. Megan could be one of many people turned. Two hundred years ago, a truce was formed all over the world. No more vampires were to be made, no more killing of witches. With the witch trials, we became few and far between; many hid away from society and never returned, while others stayed but kept their heads down and out of sight. ¡°If it comes to it. Do you think the wolves will help?¡± Leo asked. ¡°Who knows,¡± Devan replied, shrugging. I chuckled lightly and recited, ¡°The enemy of my enemy is my friend.¡± We finished off our drinks and decided to end the night there. I made sure I left nothing, looking into my clutch. ¡°Oi!¡± threatened a voice. I was quickly pulled back into Leo¡¯s warmth. He pulled me out of the way as a body flew across the tables. ¡°You okay?¡± he asked, helping me catch my feet. ¡°Yeah,¡± I breathed, ¡°Time to go,¡± I panted, watching with wide eyes at the brawl about to ensue. ¡°I TOLD YOU OUT!¡± Jack''s voice quickly thundered over the entire place, hauling two bodies away from each other, ¡°Bloody pups!¡± ¡°Yep, go.¡± Leo pushed the bottom of my back, urging me forward. I grabbed Seri¡¯s hand as we passed her. Lathen held the door open as we exited, and Quinn flagged down a large taxi. ¡°Well, that sucked,¡± Lathen began, ¡°Maybe we should stick to house parties for now.¡± ¡°So long as an ex doesn¡¯t show up. Eh, Leo?¡± Devan added, laughing. Leo groaned. They were not going to let that one go. As we piled into the cab, the door slammed open, and the two brawlers were thrown out.
Arriving at our street, Leo held out a hand to help me. I waved and said goodbye from the corner. We turned, walking down the road. Leo searched his pockets before pausing and groaned, ¡°Shit.¡± I paused with him, ¡°What?¡± His face fell, ¡°My house key¡­ I think I dropped it when I pulled you out of the way.¡± I laughed at his predicament before realising what that meant. I smirked, ¡°Come on, Idiot,¡± I grabbed his arm, ¡°I bet you did this on purpose.¡± He laughed, ¡°I¡¯m not that sly.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I hummed. Getting out my keys and inviting him in. Luckily, I hadn¡¯t given him back the pyjamas he abandoned on his cat adventures. The Ritual I sat in a chair, eyes closed, meditating. I prepared myself mentally for the evening ¡®talk¡¯ with Nixon and the inevitable No. I worked closely with Cynthia over the past few days, preparing her and trying to get a feel for the magic as much as possible. I knew the steps, the spell; I just needed the power to do it. From her news a few days ago, my plan no longer mattered. No longer was it a matter of wanting this lock off; it was a must. The babe was struggling. Their heartbeat was faint and slow. Cynthia was immediately told to bed rest: no stressing, no walking, no chores. I relayed this to my mum and Nixon, who said, ¡®I will think about it¡¯. There was no room for errors. Leo pored over the book I had placed in front of him. He would finish if I could not, but only as a last resort. I could not stop my legs from jittering with anxiety. The worst part was waiting. I sighed once more and Mum placed an empty cup and a transparent teapot in front of me. Steam poured from the spout, and a curled-up jasmine flower lay in the middle. As it steeped in the hot water, it unfurled and turned the water a pale yellow-green. ¡°Drink. It will calm your nerves,¡± she encouraged, sitting down. Green Jasmine Tea was great for anxiety. It often did calm me down. ¡°Is everything ready?¡± she asked. I nodded, ¡°Except this lock, yes.¡±
The whole coven gathered at Seri¡¯s back garden when the time came. Although a lousy experience lingered here from a few weeks ago, there was no question it was the best place for us to convene away from prying eyes. I spied Nixon nearer to the back of the house and peeked back at Leo. He gave me a nod, and I tried my luck. ¡°Nixon?¡± ¡°Lexi.¡± ¡°You probably know what I¡¯m going to ask.¡± He took a heavy breath and sighed, ¡°I just don¡¯t think this is the right time for you. We have only just relaxed your lock a little; it is too soon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just about me, Nixon; think of the babe.¡± ¡°These things take about a week to break anyway. The child will be fine. You can pause and resume when you have recovered.¡± ¡°This curse is making the pregnancy high risk¡­ to both. The longer it¡¯s present, the more risk it poses.¡± ¡°I trust in you-¡± ¡°She could die. The best chance for success is tonight. The full moon. Any time after that, it¡¯s a fool''s game.¡± He shook his head, ¡°You and I know these things cannot be rushed. The whole coven is here to support you; use their energy, and you will be fine.¡± I closed my eyes in frustration, ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. I cannot channel effectively with this lock. You know that: you put it on me. It will be slower and more painful than it needs to be.¡± His lips pursed, ¡°How¡¯s about one foot at a time, eh? Try it out, then we will re-analyse.¡± he finalised, walking away from our conversation. I took a breath to calm the rising anger. ¡°Alright! Gather around,¡± Nixon stated, ¡°Thank you for pulling together our newest members. We know this is a tough time, and it is going to be a rough week for all of us.¡± ¡°Rough week?¡± Quinn whispered next to me. ¡°He won¡¯t budge,¡± I whispered back. She shook her head with a displeased look, ¡°I got you.¡± ¡°Lexi.¡± Nixon stretched out an arm. I approached Cynthia, who was already sitting on the grass with plenty of cushions to make her comfortable. I sat close to her back, and Noel brought the cauldron with the simmer inside. It was to purify and cleanse the strands as I removed them. ¡°As mentioned yesterday, we will need volunteers to share the pain,¡± I reminded. Nixon said nothing as people stepped forward to sit in a circle with Cynthia. Mum, Heaven, Seri and Quinn sat. Hopefully, more would if things got rough. Noel hovered close to us as Nixon cast a circle. ¡°Is there anything you want to add Lexi?¡± My mother said as Nixon finished. I thought about it, ¡°Yes. I think I do.¡± I called out, looking to the stars, ¡°I ask those goddesses who protect women, mothers and motherhood to join us tonight¡­ Brigid, Frigg, Hestia, any deity who wished to, please help us tonight.¡± I looked down at the wand and athame and took them in one hand. ¡®Hecate, mother of the craft. Help me.¡¯ I looked back up, ¡°Join hands.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. As they did, Winnie and Dawn, Lathen¡¯s mother, stepped forward and sat to join the inner circle. I smiled slightly and placed my hands on Cynthia¡¯s shoulders. My crimson magic circled them all together, creating a shared link. ¡°Roinn an gr¨¢, roinn an phian, roinn n¨® t¨¢ gach rud in vain,¡± I announced. And they repeated, ¡°Share the love, share the pain, share or else all is in vain.¡± The rest stood around the circle, watching inside and outside the ring. I took a deep breath with Cynthia, ¡°You must relax. Let them take it. Ready?¡± She nodded, placing my hand onto the wound; my magic slowly sank into the neon green. I let my magic sweep the inside, looking for the loose end. There. I pointed the wand to my palm, concentrating the end flew to my palm, and I heard a grunt. I glanced around to find Quinn looking weirded out. ¡°That felt weird,¡± Quinn said sheepishly. I smiled lightly before twirling the wand in a circle, it took the first strand and curled it into a messy ball. I stopped once I saw the knot. ¡°Elevitarus.¡± The wand struggled to stay afloat. Using my fingers, I inspected the knot and noticed a black sphere with red eyes. ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered, ¡°It¡¯s a screamer.¡± ¡°A what?¡± Nixon asked in disbelief. ¡°A screamer,¡± I repeated, ¡°When I undo this knot, it will leave. It will go back to its maker.¡± ¡°She will know?¡± Noel asked. I nodded, ¡°She will know what we are trying to do, and probably stop us.¡± ¡°Is there anything we can do?¡± Noel asked. ¡°Hm, if we can keep it here and stop it from escaping, we might have a chance. But¡­ That also means we don¡¯t have a week, Nixon.¡± I turned to look at him. ¡°Once I take off this knot. The screamer gets loose. Even Leo isn¡¯t strong enough to keep it here for a week. I cannot stop. I cannot pause.¡± ¡°Hm, how about you swap? Leo undoes it,¡± Nixon announced. ¡°I don¡¯t know how,¡± Leo fibbed. ¡°It¡¯s not something I can teach in five minutes,¡± I said. His eyes narrowed as all eyes looked at him. ¡°Fine,¡± he spoke stiffly, ¡°This may hurt.¡± Pulling the collar of my dress back, he pinched the skin that held the mark. He gave no warning and forced his magic to cut the chains. I hissed in pain at the sudden invasion covering my senses. May hurt my ass. I tried to ease the pain by curling my magic up. His magic swarmed the cage; I could practically hear the links of heavy chains falling to the floor. I felt a snap and a flutter in my chest as he let go and took a shaky breath. I no longer felt limited, and my fate thread freed. I blinked as tears threatened to accumulate. I could breathe. I felt free. I shook my head and focused back on what I was doing. Rejoicing could come later. ¡°Are you ready to catch this?¡± I said to the others. ¡°Little game of hot potato,¡± Lathen joked. ¡°Three¡­ Two¡­ One.¡± At one, the magic from my finger loosened the knot, turning it over, out came a scream, and it streaked up, leaving a trail of black smoke. ¡°Arrestoria!¡± It halted, battling against an unseen force, in mid-air. Lathen was the first to test it. ¡°It¡¯s a strong little thing,¡± he worried. ¡°Take it in turns; don¡¯t attempt to look strong,¡± I told them and got to work. My magic came to me quickly, and I did what I wanted without resistance. It was terrific; it finally felt like a part of me, not a separate thing. The red made my fingers glow as I manipulated the knot. I teased it out: Ping! It sounded like a guitar string breaking. ¡°By knot of one, your spell is undone,¡± I spoke with intention. Moving the wand next to me, it twirled the rest into a ball and threw it into the cauldron, where it sizzled and spat. The smell of juniper filled the area. For each strand thrown in, a berry would pop. I repeated the process; luckily. It was just the one screamer passed to Lathen¡¯s father, Philip. ¡°By knot of two, it comes back to you.¡± The green ball sizzled as it got trapped in the water. ¡°Pass it, Phil!¡± I heard Devan say. Ahhhh! It screamed as it was passed. Inch by inch the screamer got higher into the air above us. ¡°By knot of three, so mote it be.¡± The concoction now bubbled with the heat it was making; I rolled my neck as the fourth one pinged; usually, I would be dizzy by now. ¡°By knot of four, this power affects you no more.¡± Into the bubbles, it goes, sizzling and spitting. ¡°Here, Devan!¡± Travis took over, Ahhh! As the wand wound on the 5th, I asked Cynthia, ¡°How are you?¡± I saw sweat dripping down her face, ¡°Hot, but I¡¯m okay. These ladies are amazing.¡± ¡°Good. We are halfway there,¡± I reassured as I untangled number five. ¡°By knot of five, this spell takes a dive.¡± ¡°Noel!¡± Travis shouted, passing it. Ahhh! Bubble, bubble. The mixture took it in white steam, rising steadily. ¡°By knot of six, this spell goes to river Styx.¡± I was beginning to enjoy the sound of the sizzle as I added another. Turning back, I noticed the next three were tangled around one main stem. It was different from the stead knotted line. Picking one, I went with it. ¡°By knot of seven, your events I¡¯ll leaven.¡± ¡°Collin! Take it!¡± Noel encouraged. The mixture was boiling steady with the seventh added. Ping! That one came away easy¡­ ¡°By knot of eight, you do not change fate.¡± Splutter and sizzle. The mixture started to turn black. Taking the second to last, a slight flick came loose; it was too good to be true. ¡°By knot of nine, your spell is in decline.¡± Adding it, the cauldron threatened to boil over. It sizzled and spluttered more violently. ¡°Here, Leo. Take it,¡± Collin spoke. Ahhhh! I coaxed the end of the tenth onto the wand. Instead, the wand stopped suddenly and dropped to the floor. Confused, I took it manually and tried to pull the last strand out. It was buried within her body. The eerie glow under her skin glowed and the trail went straight down her spine. It would not budge one inch. I couldn¡¯t see it attached to anything. ¡°Erm Lexi¡­¡± I leaned forward, and Cynthia whispered, ¡°Is it normal to feel the baby move? You have not finished yet¡­ and I¡¯m only five months.¡± A cold shiver entered my spine and a cold sweat followed. I took a moment and turned my attention to Quinn, ¡°Quinn. Be honest, when I tug this, where is the pain?¡± Giving it a gentle tug, Quinn''s face twisted into horror, ¡°The hell is that?¡± Winnie started to laugh, ¡°I remember that feeling,¡± she looked to Quinn, ¡°That¡¯s a baby moving.¡± While they were all smiles, my face turned grim, and I quietly leaned back. I reminded Cynthia to relax and ensured my voice was calm. Closing my eyes, my magic flushed down the green wound and followed the strand to the source. I hoped it was not where I thought it was¡­ ¡®Hello there,¡¯ I coaxed as my magic entered the baby''s space. ¡®Don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m looking for something that shouldn¡¯t be here.¡¯ My magic followed the green line. As I feared, it was wrapped around the baby. Manoeuvring it, I loosened the lasso around the body; luckily, it was not around the umbilical cord. I kept going until I found the knot. It was now only knotted around the hand. I moved my palms to an open space away from Cynthia¡¯s back and concentrated. Manipulating the strand, willing it to loosen. My magic danced around, trying to find a weak point. It was a good few minutes before it loosened. I felt a little lightheaded. I opened my eyes, reached forward to the wound, and coaxed it out. The last strand was free, and I rolled it into a ball. ¡°By knot of Ten, your wickedness ends.¡± I threw it into the cauldron with the others. Staring into the pot, I said, ¡°Incendia.¡± The contents lit fire. I turned to see Leo, now playing with the screamer. Pulling it this way and that. Like a cat playing with a mouse. My hands latched on Cynthia''s shoulders, ¡°Thank you, sisters.¡± And withdrawing my magic, I added, ¡°Thank you, deities.¡± ¡°We can break the circle now. Leo¡­ you can let that go,¡± I said, glancing in his direction. ¡°Soona,¡± I said, healing the cut left behind on Cynthia¡¯s shoulder. Examining everyone, it was clear this took its toll. Everyone looked exhausted. I felt drained, but goddess, I felt whole again. Ahhhhhhhh! The screamer echoed around the dark night as it left, shooting to the north. Anna I took the rose oil and traced a pentacle on her back. ¡°Here, take this.¡± I gave her the oil, ¡°Protect yourself and the house. Don¡¯t neglect it this time.¡± She nodded, wiping the sweat away with a towel. A large hand clasped my shoulder and touched the upper part of my back. ¡°Great work, Lexi,¡± Nixon said, praising, ¡°Now I think it best to replace the lock.¡± ¡°Dad. No!¡± Quinn gasped. She pushed down on his elbow, trying to get the palm away from my back, but his magic was already invading. I gasped from the pain of his magic forcing mine back down. I felt blood trickle from my nose. ¡°Quinn. Lexi cannot control it.¡± ¡°I am sick of this bullshit!¡± she spat. ¡°Language.¡± While they fought. He silently continued invading and tying my magic down. I felt weaker, woozier. ¡°No. You listen to me! Stop it! She doesn¡¯t need it. This. What happened tonight should have proved to you that much.¡± ¡°Leo¡­¡± I tried weakly, reaching out. His hand held mine; if looks could kill, Nixon would have died years ago. ¡°Athame,¡± I whispered. Leo glanced down, spying the same thing I was staring at. The flames in the cauldron dimmed as he continued slyly. Noticing the flames, Leo picked up the athame and pointed it at Nixon. ¡°Stop it.¡± Nixon let go and stepped back, ¡°It¡¯s for her own good.¡± He looked up at Mum, ¡°Isobelle, tell them! She is her father¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Mum retorted. ¡°She will turn Dark just like the rest of your family.¡± Mum looked in horror, ¡°That¡¯s what you think of my family? Of our family?¡± ¡°Just look at your mother, your brother, your husband. I¡¯m protecting you from that heartbreak just as you asked.¡± Mums face was horrified, she shook her head slowly. She could not believe the words coming out of his mouth. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s on.¡± I said louder. Quinn turned and pulled the collar down. A blue box was reprinted in the same place; the red bar was barely there. Leo stopped him before he could tighten it more. Quinn glared at her dad; getting up, she said nothing as she left. Devan followed her, probably to comfort her. All eyes were still on Nixon. ¡°You will all thank me later,¡± he muttered and left, opposite the way Quinn went. ¡°Winnie,¡± Heaven gently poached, ¡°I think you need to beat some sense into him.¡± Winnie looked down, defeated, ¡°You know¡­You know I have tried for years. Isobelle, I don¡¯t know where that came from. He never told me. Goddess, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± That was the first time I ever saw her cry. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Leo dropped the athame and wiped the blood I didn¡¯t get from my face. ¡°Are you dizzy?¡± ¡°I was, but I¡¯m okay.¡± Leo helped me up, and Cynthia caught me in a bear hug. I smiled as she mumbled thank you. She eventually let go with tears down her face. I looked at the cauldron; it was still lit and burning nicely. Collin approached, ¡°You go home. Get some rest. I¡¯ll keep an eye on it.¡± I looked up at him, tired, ¡°Okay, Thank you. Just wait for the fire to go out and put the lid on. Nothing else needs to be done.¡±
On the way home, I could not stop the tears from falling; I felt the part of me I could not use or touch. Access to my full powers was blocked once again. At least my fate line was no longer tangled in the mess. I made sure of that. I got sleepy in the car and gently rested my eyes a little. I didn¡¯t realise I was asleep until I was hoisted into the air. Groggily, I opened my eyes. Leo looked down at me, and I shut my eyes again and buried my head into his neck. I let him carry me, too tired to put up a fuss. My hands were clasped around his neck as he carried on forward. Eventually, he put me down into my bed, but I didn¡¯t let go. I sleepily whispered, ¡°Stay, please?¡± He breathed a chuckle, ¡°Your mum is here, she¡¯ll know.¡± He removed my hands from his shirt. I pouted, ¡°please?¡± He kissed my forehead and moved from my vision. Disappointed, I tucked myself under the covers and heard the door shut. Under the covers, I tugged the white dress over my head and threw it on the floor. I neglected to put my pyjamas on. The bed dipped, ¡°Well, someone is eager, but I think you need sleep.¡± ¡°Shh. No funny business. My mum is in the house,¡± I trailed off, drifting into dreams.
I blinked at the bright sun and shaded my eyes with a hand. I rocked back and forth, hearing wooden wheels and horsed neigh. My blood went cold. My hand was covered in lace gloves. I did not need the hand up, for I had a hat. I purchased it that morning. ¡®How did I know that?¡¯ I took a deep breath, enjoying the cooler breeze riding to my betrothed; he had something to give me before I left to visit my aunt in the north for a month. I gazed down and straightened out my cream dress and ensured my unruly curls were presentable as the carriage turned the corner. ¡®Am I reliving that day? The one I saw in the astral? I don¡¯t remember this part.¡¯ The carriage stopped at a white Victorian house with black trimmings, doors, and windows. It was beautiful. I searched the upper floor of the house, looking for the open window where he would stand¡ªgreeting me before I even walked through the door. There he stood. Longer hair than a typical gentleman, a white waistcoat and a button-up shirt paired with black dress pants. I smiled and hurried forward, the butler opening the door as I knocked and allowed me entry. I approached him as he stood in the window and touched his shoulder. He turned to me. ¡°Good evening, Edward,¡± I greeted. ¡°Good evening, Anna,¡± he smiled, ¡°I wanted to give you this. As a promise to marry, look on it and think of me.¡± He held up a necklace. It was stringed pearls and a pendant with a blacked-out shadow in a neat row. It was the necklace I was admiring that morning. How did he know? ¡°Turn around,¡± he whispered. He clasped it on me, and I touched it with warm feelings that heated me. This kind soul was mine. Turning back around, I smiled. ¡°Beautiful,¡± he breathed. It was improper to kiss on the lips before marriage. Instead, he kissed my hand. ¡°Safe travels, Anna. I hope to see you upon your return.¡± ¡°Thank you. I will see you in a month, Edward.¡± I curtsied and returned to the carriage. I was slightly disappointed he did not see me off, but my aunt was impatient. ¡°Anna! Wait,¡± Edward shouted. He quickly placed a top hat on his head and sleeved a jacket, ¡°Please, let me see you to the train safely. There have been several thieves on the rise,¡± he worried. I smiled, ¡°Edward¡­ Thank you for the offer, but you have work to do. I am afraid I will never want to leave either if I see you standing there.¡± I reached his shoulders, and on my tiptoes, I kissed his cheek farewell. I turned and got into the carriage, ¡°I will see you in a month.¡± The crack of a whip started the horses forward. ¡°Write to me?¡± he said. ¡°Always.¡± As I left, I saw him pause, walking towards the door and watching me go again¡ªthis time for a month. I held onto the necklace as the carriage moved forward. ¡®I recognise this.¡¯ I was turning the bend, as I thought. The two men stepped out, causing the horses to stop, stinking like cigarettes. Thinking back to the astral, did Edward run all that way? I leaned forward, looking for an easy way to escape. Opening the door, I was not quick enough. The ruffian grabbed me, and I struggled against him, frightened for my life. I would not let him have his way. ¡®Shit. Anna isn¡¯t a witch.¡¯ The other one came around and yanked the pearls, spilling them everywhere, and the pendant flew. They took all my jewels and money; they left my virtue. ¡°The boss said we can¡¯t leave anyone alive this time.¡± My blood ran cold, and I fought harder to escape, this time for my life. Panic set in. They were too strong. One took out a knife, and pain erupted like a fire. My lungs burned as I struggled to breathe. I fell to the floor like a ragdoll. ¡°Edward,¡± I muttered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I felt cold. My vision blurred, and the world faded to black. I awoke in a sweat and sat up. Feeling my chest and side. Nothing. ¡°Hey, Hey.¡± Leo caught my attention, ¡°Shh, I¡¯m here.¡± I wailed and clung to him. ¡°Gods, that was horrible.¡± He laid us back down but did not move me away. ¡°Gods, I felt hopeless,¡± he muttered. I paused, ¡°Did you dream about¡­?¡± ¡°About Anna, but I lived it-¡± ¡°Through their eyes,¡± we chorused together. I quickly looked around for the necklace or voices. I saw nothing. I heard nothing. ¡°Is your fate line still locked?¡± ¡°No. The connection could have made us dream.¡± I laid back down and snuggled into his arm. ¡°I hope that doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Hm. Maybe there is a lesson we need to learn.¡± ¡°Well, there are better ways than to experience death through a past life. That was horrible.¡± Whitby The months flew by. Everything had turned quiet after the curse was removed. I don¡¯t know what I expected to happen, but there was no word from Leo¡¯s birthmother, no more Curses or Jinxes. Cynthia was still on bedrest as a precaution but was as big as a house, ready to drop any day. Even the attacks stopped after we met with Jack. He did not find a speck of dust to follow. He was more frustrated at the loose ends he could not tie. Quinn stopped dreaming about Star Gazers, and everything was quiet in the strange supernatural world. Speaking of Quinn, she still did not return home. While staying with Devan, she informed her dad that she would only return after removing my lock. Not his wife, Winnie, laid it all out on the table. Give up the role, remove the lock, and stop your need to control everything. Things had shifted in the coven. Faith in Nixon¡¯s ability to lead unbiased was questioned, and the lead was passed with a vote. Travis (Devan¡¯s Father) took up the role with pride. Alex, well, had yet to Enmagica. With his fifteenth birthday coming soon, we all held our breath.
My phone buzzed, causing me to pull away from Leo; we both looked at it on the side table, but he continued showering me in kisses. I giggled, ¡°Leo, come on, let me answer it! It might be important.¡± ¡°Nothing is more important right now.¡± Laughing, I wrestled over to the bedside and picked up the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Heeeeyyyy,¡± Seri greeted on the other side, ¡°Ready for our summer break away? Quinn wants to leave at ten.¡± I groaned, ¡°Ten? What happened to twelve?¡± ¡°Ha! She is way too excited for the beach. Tell Leo to stop hoarding you. I¡¯m sure he can keep his hands off you for a few hours while we get there.¡± We were halfway through summer break, and our little coven booked a week away to Whitby. Leaving at ten would mean less time alone together¡­ Leo took the phone from me, ¡°Sorry, Seri, Lexi is busy at the moment.¡± And he hung up. I laughed, ¡°You know she will call back, right?¡± ¡°Yep, and you are going to ignore it this time.¡± He dragged me back to the centre to continue. Expect the unexpected, they say. My phone did not ring a second time as predicted, and I can¡¯t say I expected Quinn to barge into the room. ¡°Get up. We have a beach house to get to.¡± Quinn swanned in like she owned the place. ¡°Geez, Quinn! You could have knocked!¡± Leo said, pulling the covers. ¡°Where is the fun in that? I shit you up.¡± I sighed. Although the recent months had been quiet, our time alone was non-existent. We wanted to take advantage of an empty house and free time. That plan was now foiled. ¡°Alright. We will get ready,¡± I resigned, ¡°Get out. We will be down in fifteen.¡± As she left, Leo muttered, ¡°Cockblocked once again.¡± Gathering my discarded clothes, I chuckled, ¡°We may not be alone, but at least we get to share a bed,¡± I said, winking. I gave cuddles to Sooty before I locked up the house; my mum would return later in the evening. The car was already packed up. This time, I wasn¡¯t the one driving. Leo, now having a part-time job, had been able to purchase a decent car that was larger than my petite Yaris. The others were waiting outside the house. ¡°You got everything?¡± Leo asked, closing the boost of his Fiesta. I nodded, ¡°Everything apart from Seri!¡± I smiled as she hugged me. ¡°Have you got the address, just in case?¡± Devan asked. ¡°Yeah. If I lose you, I¡¯ll ring,¡± Leo said, approaching the driver''s side. ¡°Let¡¯s Go!¡± Quinn cheered, hopping to Devan¡¯s car with Lathen behind them. ¡°Psst, I got sweeties,¡± Seri said, jiggling a packet. ¡°Yes!¡± I said, fist-pumping, ¡°From the old sweet store?¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± she said, getting in the back.
We had not lost Devan¡¯s car while travelling down the motorway, and Seri was suspiciously quiet in the back. ¡°Seri?¡± I turned, ¡°Are you okay? You''re not feeling sick, are you?¡± ¡°Hm, no!¡± she said quickly, putting her phone face down. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. My eyes narrowed, taking in her behaviour; she looked like a dear in headlights, ¡°Who¡¯s the boy?¡± ¡°You got all that from her silence?¡± Leo pipped up next to me. ¡°Yes, now shush, I am interrogating.¡± I returned to Seri, ¡°Someone I know maybe?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said quietly, her face flushing red. ¡°Alright, I will just call Quinn to see if she knows.¡± ¡°No, wait!¡± Seri said, grabbing my shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Erm¡­¡± she mumbled under her breath. ¡°What?¡± Her face could rival a beetroot, ¡°A guy¡­ at work, he left his number¡­¡± I gave her a knowing look, ¡°Is this the guy you have been making eyes at for the past month?¡± ¡°I have not been ¡®making eyes¡¯ at him!¡± ¡°Trust me, yes, you have. Is it?¡± ¡°¡­Yes¡± ¡°Ha! He took his time taking Quinn¡¯s advice,¡± I uttered quietly. ¡°Wait, What?¡± ¡°Nothing. Continue texting your boyfriend,¡± I teased, and she slapped my shoulder. Taking a sweet, I offered it to our driver, who took it without taking his eyes off the road and placed a hand on my thigh. I like being a passenger princess. The car speakers stopped their music broadcast and started playing Leo¡¯s ringtone. Tapping a button on his steering wheel, he picked up Devan¡¯s call. ¡°Yo,¡± Leo said. ¡°Hey, we need a pit stop, Quinn is starving.¡± ¡°Next turn-off?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Pulling up, my stomach began to growl; sweets can only do so much! Once we stopped, I got out of the car and ran to the passenger door. ¡°Lexi, don¡¯t you dare!¡± Seri shouted. ¡°Seri is taking to caf¨¦ guy!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°About time!¡± Quinn said from the window. Seri groaned, ¡°We are talking! That¡¯s it!¡± ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t! The tables have turned Seri! It¡¯s our turn to tease you!¡± I said in jest as Quinn got out. ¡°When¡¯s your date?¡± Quinn asked. Groaning, Seri walked away without replying.
We arrived at the place we would call home for the next week. A large holiday home is looking over the harbour. The cobbled streets gave the fishing town character. Thanks to the history and ghost stories around Whitby, it is a hot spot for supernaturals. I launched onto the double bed, sighing at the softness. It was a long drive; after stopping, I drove the car until we stopped again. It was now teatime; Devan suggested looking for food after a break. Leo mirrored me on the other side of the bed and turned his head, ¡°So your uncle lives here?¡± ¡°Hm, he owns one of the metaphysical shops on the other side of town,¡± I replied. Mum¡¯s younger brother, Kieron, resided here in his hometown; we were lucky to see him twice a year. I had not seen him since Dad¡¯s funeral. I could not help but remember what Nixon said to my mother that night. ¡°She will turn Dark just like the rest of your family.¡± Mum looked in horror, ¡°That¡¯s what you think of my family? Of our family?¡± ¡°Just look at your mother, your brother, your husband. I am protecting you from that heartbreak.¡± I am still unsure what he was referring to. Mum never made a peep about it and claimed Nixon belonged to a psychiatric hospital. Knock, knock. I leaned onto my elbows and looked at the open door. ¡°Devan has found a place. hungry?¡± Lathen said, peeking his head in. ¡°And parched. I¡¯ll get the first round in!¡± Leo said, hopping up and rubbing his hands together. One thing was for sure: the Scottish knew how to drink. I laughed and followed them out. We strolled to the chosen pub; the streets were still bustling with visitors. The houses and streets were charismatic and charming, even with the many bodies. Leo gently held my hand as we walked with the group, but I felt it was just us. Nearing our destination, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the scene. The boats tied up swayed with the air and waves, and the call of seagulls made a change from home. Breathing in, you could smell the fish being pulled from boats and the smell of the salty sea. There was something almost nostalgic about it.
Later that night, Leo and I managed to sneak away from the continuing drinking games in the shared house. Walking upwards next to a cliff, I leaned against the fence overlooking the town. ¡°I don¡¯t know why,¡± I started, ¡°but I feel like I am waiting for something to happen.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been too quiet. I can¡¯t help but feel a little on edge.¡± ¡°Hm, I know what you mean. Didn¡¯t you say Jack hasn¡¯t found anything about that vampire?¡± I nodded, ¡°Vampires are good at making themselves scarce, but like everything before us, they leave something. I was worried about Quinn¡¯s dreams for a while, but now they have stopped.¡± Leo nodded, ¡°I also half expected my mother to make contact again.¡± I paused, ¡°Again?¡± I asked, looking at him. He didn¡¯t look at me, and I gave him time. ¡°When I turned sixteen. A letter came. One for me, one for Derick. Da said it was from my mother, and it was my choice. I did not know what he meant until I opened it. ¡°She wanted to reconnect. Derick agreed, and I did not. My brother is probably back living with her just a few minutes away from Glenrothes,¡± he confessed. ¡°Another reason Ma and Da wanted to move. Last year, I got another letter asking me to see her, to let her explain,¡± Leo said, shaking his head. I thought about that day Derick and Maddie came to visit. After a brief pause, I asked, ¡°You know¡­ Maddie looked like she was trying to find something¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± he turned around, looking at the red cliff. ¡°What do you think she was looking for?¡± He shook his head, ¡°I assumed she was snooping around to try and find my BoS or blackmail. It¡¯s what she did last time,¡± he pointed out. My intrusive thoughts kicked in, ¡®what if¡­¡¯ ¡°Earth to Lexi,¡± Leo¡¯s voice teased my ear. I glanced at him, ¡°Don¡¯t let those thoughts wander. There are others around.¡± My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, and I looked over my shoulder. Indeed, we were not alone. ¡°Strange, I never felt them coming¡­ I still don¡¯t,¡± I murmured. ¡°Fae,¡± Leo whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t give them a name and don¡¯t say mine.¡± I nodded, ¡°Got it. Shall we head back?¡± I whispered back. ¡°No might seem suspicious.¡± Leo shifted closer, sharing his heat against the wind, and we looked at the moon rise. ¡°We have not seen lovebirds around here in ages, have we, John?¡± ¡°No, we haven¡¯t. A pleasure to meet you,¡± ¡®John¡¯ was a small distance away and purchased at a table. ¡°Evening,¡± Leo greeted them both, and I nodded, letting him take the lead. Fae never used real names. Not only was their name¡¯s un-pronouncable to non-fae folk, but names lead to favours. Favours and deals is what gets you into trouble. ¡°We haven''t met witches in a while, too, have we, Fred?¡± John said to his friend. ¡®Fred¡¯ shook his head. Leo glanced at me; I kept a straight face and asked. ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°Ahh, I can tell you for a pretty penny, but we were hired, you see,¡± Fred stood up, rummaging through his pockets, he pulled out a letter, ¡°For you, Edward.¡± Taken aback, Leo reached out and took it from them. "Have a good night." John. stood and with Fred they left as quickly as they came. Leo flipped over the letter to read the writing on the front. "The hell? This is the same handwriting as my mother''s. But it''s addressed to Edward," Leo looked puzzled. "May I see?" I asked. He passed it to me. The letter was sealed in Green with an ''M'' calligraphy seal. On the front, it read ''Edward'' in cursive. Whoever wrote this knew of the past life. "I think¡­ we need to look into our past lives again," I concluded. "The past name addressed to you and Fae finding us here. This is not a coincidence. Someone is either playing with us or wants us to figure something out." Leo nodded, "I think you are right. For now, though,"¨CI placed the letter into his opened hand¨C "Let us enjoy this holiday. We can worry about this later." I nodded and took his offered arm, and we wandered back. Sleepwalker Something grabbed my shoulder, and I took a sharp breath, eyes snapping open. ¡°Lexi,¡± Leo whispered. ¡°Geez, Leo-¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Bleary-eyed, I looked at him, still processing through my half-sleep state. He stared at the bottom of the bed. Looking down, Quinn stood void of emotion and eyes wide open. She looked possessed. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I murmured low. ¡°No idea¡­¡± Quinn didn¡¯t react to my hand waving in front of her face. Her eyes didn¡¯t shift, and I noted they were cloudy. Instead of the wise caramel eyes seeing out, they were more beige. ¡°I think she¡¯s sleepwalking,¡± I suspected. ¡°Is she normally this creepy when sleepwalking?¡± ¡°She has never sleepwalked¡­¡± I half debated getting out of bed to wake her, but they say never to disturb a sleepwalker. ¡°Quinn?¡± I ventured. She turned slowly and walked towards the door. Her movements were slow and a little jerky, like a puppet. I followed her out, ¡°I¡¯ll watch her¡­ make sure she doesn¡¯t hurt herself. Will you get Devan?¡± ¡°Gotcha,¡± Leo replied, exiting the bed. When Quinn approached the stairs, I made sure to be in front of her going down. ¡°Quinn?¡± Devan¡¯s voice came from the top. ¡°She¡¯s out of it,¡± I replied, reaching the bottom steps. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lathen appeared from the living room, rubbing his eyes. He crashed after being drunk under the table. ¡°We think Quinn is sleepwalking.¡± ¡°Impossible, she¡¯s an energy witch. When they sleep, they sleep.¡± Devan looked guilty and said, ¡°Actually¡­ This isn¡¯t the first time.¡± Quinn entered the kitchen and made her way to the table. ¡°What?¡± Lathen inquired. ¡°After watching the footage at Jack¡¯s. She would sleepwalk and do strange things; she even left the house once.¡± Quinn artfully pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± ¡°Because it only happened a few times¡­ I didn¡¯t think anything of it.¡± I watched her sitting; her hands stroked the table before her, and then her nails scratched the surface. Lathen cringed, ¡°Geez, horrible noise.¡± I noticed her hands moved in a pattern, ¡°Get paper and a pen. I don¡¯t think these are scribbles.¡± ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Devan said, finding the things nearby. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t add up. She was drugged, but no blood was taken. She blacked out for two hours until she called me. She had memories of walking away from Star Gazers and now sleepwalking?¡± I placed the paper and pen below her hands, nudging them into position slightly. She paused, feeling around again. Her hand grasped the pen and carried on her ¡®scribbling¡¯. ¡°She¡¯s channelling, not sleepwalking,¡± I affirmed. ¡°Channelling?¡± Devan asked. ¡°Energy witches can get messages or visions. Without an outlet,¡±¨CI gestured to the pen and paper¨C ¡°this will continue. Her psyche has awakened. She¡¯ll be able to connect to the other side of the veil more easily.¡± ¡°Cool. But why did it happen after Jacks?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± Thud. ¡°Ouch! WTF?¡± Quinn gasped, rubbing her forehead. The conversation stopped. ¡°Quinn? Are you alright?¡± Devan soothed, cautiously putting a hand on her back. ¡°No, I am not alright! What kind of sick prank is this?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been sleepwalking again.¡± Devan kneeled beside her and looked at her red forehead, ¡°Well¡­ sort of.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I went on a walk again?¡± ¡°No... Lexi, you can explain it better than me.¡± I stared down at the paper neatly covered in ink. ¡°Your psyche has awakened¡­ This is channelling,¡± I informed. ¡°I did that?¡± She looked over the paper. I nodded and she picked it up inspecting her artwork. ¡°Do you know what it is?¡± she asked. ¡°No¡­ But I know who might.¡± ¡°What the hell is going on here? Do you know it¡¯s 3 AM?¡± Seri appeared in the doorway, she looked tired and pissed. ¡°Long story¡­ I¡¯ll tell you tomorrow,¡± I reassured her while she yawned. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Come on, back to bed,¡± I said, ushering everyone out.
The next afternoon, we explored the town a little more. I slowed to a stop outside of a shop window. ¡°See something you like?¡± Leo asked, looking into the Summer Solstice display. Depictions of sun and sunflowers covered the merchandise of locally made items: Soaps, bags, cloaks, even a large painting and a broomstick. Accompanying the articles were published books, crystals and herbs. To the side was a menu of seasonal fresh desserts and beverages available. ¡°Hm,¡± I replied, looking past the display inside the shop, ¡°This is my uncle''s store.¡± Taking in the window display I remember many summers at Whitby, it brought fond memories of walks with Dad. The display would be different each year. I let my senses stretch out, seeking the larger store for my uncle. After a few seconds, I found him in the basement. ¡°He¡¯s in.¡± I turned toward the others. They were looking inside a different place over the road. ¡°Come on, they¡¯ll find us no doubt,¡± I coaxed. ¡°Merry meet!¡± Greeted the woman behind the counter. Several people were randomly browsing around the shop, not all of them witches, some into the occult or simply spiritual, and others were sitting in the caf¨¦ section tasting cold drinks and cakes. I approached the woman manning the till. ¡°Merry Meet. May I speak to Kieron?¡± Before she opened her mouth, a door behind her opened. ¡°I thought I felt a disturbance,¡± A man chirped behind her, a smile stretching on his face, ¡°Hello, dear niece.¡± He quickly came around the counter with his arms out, and I greeted him with a hug. ¡°Hi, Uncle Keiron.¡± My skin looked even paler than my uncle''s; he could walk in the sun for ten minutes and tan. The same kind of teddy bear-like brown eyes my mum and brother have with dark chocolate hair to match. He was slightly taller; I was a few inches shy of him. ¡°I missed you!¡± I admitted, pulling away. ¡°Ahh, is it possible you have grown even more?¡± he cupped my chin, inspecting me, ¡°I see your wisdom has grown despite your young years,¡± he teased. I turned to Leo, ¡°Uncle Keiron, meet Leo ¨C My boyfriend.¡± I added the last part quickly; I had not yet introduced Leo as my boyfriend before. ¡°They¡¯re in here!¡± I heard Seri¡¯s voice from the front door. ¡°Ahh, you brought more friends! Welcome.¡± He gestured around him, at the shop. They were like kids in a candy store and immediately split up to look at everything up for grabs in the shop. My attention returned to Keiron, ¡°I wanted to ask you about something.¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± ¡°Quinn, drew this from a channelling. Any ideas?¡± After looking at Quinn¡¯s drawing with fresh eyes, it was clear this was a birds-eye view of a scene. Two people are within a circle in the centre of the image, and ruins surround them. Ribbons of symbols cocooned the pair, reaching forth and around the air. I knew nothing of the characters and had not encountered them before. One person was lying down, surrounded by liquid, and the other was kneeling at the other''s head with arms outreached upwards, almost desperate and pleading with the heavens. Keiron was a history buff. It was a long shot, but maybe he recognised the ruins to give us a clue. He hummed, turning it this way and that way, considering the image. ¡°Give me a moment.¡± Keiron took the image and turned away, back down into the basement. Leo came closer behind me, leaning down he whispered, ¡°They have chocolate cake.¡± I bit my lip and perused the cake stand. They indeed had my favourite. I glanced back at Leo, who smiled and got a table. I quickly followed with glee but instead went to the counter to order.
After a slice of cake and halfway down a Lavender coffee, Uncle Keiron appeared again with a large book and took a vacant seat near me. ¡°So, the ruins are hard to pinpoint as my sister says, you see one, you¡¯ve seen them all before. However, they look similar to the abbey at the top of the hill.¡± He took a photo and pointed out similarities between the drawing and the image. ¡°In terms of the spell, I can tell you everything.¡± His face gave nothing away. ¡°You know it?¡± I asked, surprised. ¡°Unfortunately, yes. It was the one your father tried.¡± I looked back at the image more interested, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The one that put him in the coma. The one he never recovered from: Vitamortum.¡± My stomach dropped, the richness of the cake, now tasted sour. This is what my Dad tried? This is what killed him? I was not told of the details of my fathers accident and how he was put into a coma. My hands shook as I placed the picture down again. Lathen asked the question everyone was thinking, ¡°What does it do?¡± ¡°It is taboo to use it,¡± Kieron warned, ¡°It upsets the balance of life and death.¡± He turned the open book towards me and pushed it over the table, ¡°It brings people back from a point of no return. What we call a near-death experience.¡± He read the passage aloud as I was reading it. ¡°He tried to bring back your grandmother, Lexi.¡± I closed my eyes with memories flooding back. I remembered how upset he was at my grandmothers passing. It was only them two, when he lost her, he was stricken with grief, he visited her gravestone every week without fail. My grandma had been dead and buried for a couple of years before Dad fell into the coma. Surely you would need a body or vessel for such things? ¡°I can see the wheels turning,¡± he leaned over and tapped my forehead, ¡°From what I can tell, he was bordering on necromancy and absolute stupidity.¡± Keiron shook his head as if to shake off a memory, ¡°Your grandma was long gone¡­ It takes a toll on anyone who performs it, never mind trying to use it for necromancy. Anyone who has tried it, has died and no one has been successful in completing the spell.¡± ¡®He was a dead man before completing the spell,¡¯ I concluded. Seri, next to me, put a hand on mine in comfort. I couldn¡¯t help but read further down the page. ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect you to know what the spell is. I thought you¡¯d be able to tell us more about the ruins,¡± I remarked; my uncle laughed in response. I remembered the words of Nixon, ¡°I wanted to ask you something else.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve met Nixon?¡± I saw Quinn tense up slightly, ¡°Our coven leader?¡± ¡°Was,¡± Keiron corrected. Surprised, I asked, ¡°Mum told you?¡± ¡°Who else?¡± I chuckled lightly before continuing, ¡°He said something a while ago that¡¯s been playing on my mind.¡± ¡°That you¡¯ll turn Dark like the rest of us?¡± He held a small smile and tilted his head to the side regarding me. I nodded solemnly. Keiron thought about his words carefully, ¡°Nixon¡­ believes a lot of things. Including certain spells being ¡®Dark¡¯.¡± he quoted. ¡°His words are not gospel. In our family, only taboo spells are off limits and transformation is not one of them.¡± He gave me a pointed look at the last part. ¡°There is no such thing as Dark magic. It was made up by the ¡®white witches¡¯, and now every Tom, Dick and Harry claims x, y, z is Dark magic,¡± he wailed. Laughs chorused around the table. ¡°Sorry, I went on a rant there,¡± he apologised. I shook my head, ¡°I always miss your rants!¡±
Evening fell, and we eventually made it back to the holiday house. I caught Leo sitting on the bed, fingering the letter the Fae gave him the other night. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I inquired. He snapped out of his thoughts and watched me move closer, sitting beside him. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not sure if I should open it.¡± ¡°Curiosity killed the cat,¡± I teased, he laughed. My senses washed over it, ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything from it.¡± He shook his head, ¡°I get nothing either.¡± After a small silence, I encouraged him, ¡°Open it.¡± He cautiously broke the wax seal on the back and slowly unfolded it.
Dear Leonard, The last I wrote to you was two years ago. I see you have finally found your fate and ended up in Whitby, as predicted. The necklace has not left you alone. It is trying to warn you. I know about all of your past lives and the ones you have found out about recently, Edward and Anna. You are trapped in a cycle of death. When you meet, one always perishes before your life together begins. Heed my warning. You must NOT go to the Abbey. Search St. Mary¡¯s Church graveyard for a familiar name if you need more proof. I look forward to seeing you soon. Morgan.
¡°It is my mother,¡± Leo muttered grimly, ¡°Da always said to take her claims with a pinch of salt.¡± He folded it back up and sighed. ¡°Looks like we need to count 199 steps to the church,¡± I remarked. ¡°You believe this posh?¡± ¡°Well¡­ We can¡¯t completely write it off. She knows about the necklace, about Anna and Edward¡­ What if she is right about something?¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably the one that planted the necklace and kept moving it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if this familiar name is a glamour. We don¡¯t even know their last names, and Anna is a trendy Victorian name.¡± ¡®He has a point there.¡¯ I sighed, ¡°Well, I was going to tell you; Seri wants to go to the abbey tomorrow if you are up for it.¡± ¡°Sure. This,¡±¨Che held up the letter¨C ¡°is a load of shite.¡± I laughed as it started to burn in his hand. The Abbey By Day I awoke in the middle of the night to Leo huffing and groaning in his sleep.
Leo¡¯s dream The carriage had only just left. Yet dread filled him. Anna was in danger. His lungs burned as he desperately tried to catch up. Helpless. He felt helpless and the thoughts did not help. ¡®I should have insisted on going with her.¡¯ ¡®Why did I let her leave?¡¯ He felt a twinge in his heart, and his blood ran cold, ¡°Anna! No!¡± He turned the bend. He could not stop. The horses were trying to get loose from the tipped-over carriage, frightened. The footman is dead. Sweet Anna lay dressed in yellow. ¡°ANNA!¡± He pushed, willing his body forward; He checked for a pulse, breathing, anything¡­ The pearl necklace was in pieces. Her clothes ruffled. Tears blocked his vision; as he held her. His body wrecked with sobs and screams of sorrow and grief. He cried out for his loss. A short while later, he composed himself as much as possible and picked her lifeless body up to take her back home to her parents. He felt numb. Walking through their gate. Her mother appeared at the door and wailed when she saw Anna¡¯s head lolling down unnaturally. Her father shouted, demanding to know what Edward had done. ¡®What had I done? Nothing. I could do nothing.¡¯ He let the father vent his anger, but walked straight past him to lay her on the long chair. Edward mumbled to the butler, ¡°Get the detective.¡± Every day, he mourned her. Holding the necklace in his hand as he walked. Some of the pearls were missing, but the jeweller did well in repairing them. He knew Anna has been looking at this for months. He was finally able to acquire it in a silent auction. He was glad to have given it to her and remembered the bright smile on her face upon seeing it. Staring down at the headstone, he crumbled to his knees. Once again, he cried out. Harrowing. His soul felt empty. He could not go on without her.
Lexi Leo jumped awake. I reached out to gently touch his clammy face. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Just a bad dream.¡± He took my hand, kissing my palm. I waited for his breathing to calm. He tugged me closer and buried his face in my hair. ¡°A nightmare,¡± he murmured, ¡°Remember the dream we shared after the ritual?¡± I nodded. ¡°I woke up before it finished before Edward reached Anna¡­ This time was the¡­ aftermath of it.¡± I laid on my back and opened my arms, knowing he was distressed. He snuggled into my shoulder and hair, taking the hug fiercely. It made me smile lightly. I said nothing, trying not to get sucked into my thoughts of ¡®what if ?¡¯.
In the afternoon, we climbed the 199 steps. ¡°198!?¡± Lathen cried out. I laughed at his predicament. ¡°Woah! You can see everything from up here!¡± Seri said, turning to take in the tops of the houses and the lighthouse on the other side. My eyes explored the top of the steps; the gothic St. Mary¡¯s Church stood, and we were surrounded by headstones stretched for miles. Walking around the top, we took an interest in the history and the views. Surprisingly, it was a clear day. I walked amongst the tombstones, glancing at each one. Leo was right¡ªtoo many Anna¡¯s. ¡°Come on, Lexi!¡± Quinn waved as they approached the Abbey, the same one that inspired the writer of Dracula. As you can imagine, it was a vampire hot spot. Yes, they could walk in daylight. No, they did not sparkle. Any vampire in the sun would have the same tattoo, an Ankh with a sun surrounding it. It was blessed witch¡¯s ink and a spell not to burn; it also makes them look ¡®human¡¯ rather than undead. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The ruins of the abbey were beautiful and well-preserved. Large archways and weathered stone gave the age away. Seri stopped suddenly while we were talking. ¡°Seri? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I peered in the same direction she was looking. She shook her head, ¡°I thought I saw Megan; it was just that girl,¡± she whispered. She watched a younger girl hurried by excitedly. Seri bit her lip; I knew that face. She was hiding something. ¡°How often have you ¡®seen¡¯ her?¡± I tested. ¡°Since we arrived,¡± she admitted, ¡°Even Quinn mentioned it last night; I thought it was in my head.¡± ¡°You could be on edge; we¡¯re in an unfamiliar place, a vampire hangout. Leo and I saw Fae; they could be messing around a little,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t sleep very well either.¡± She rubbed her eyes. None of us did after Quinns ¡®sleepwalking¡¯, but Seri loved her sleep! I relaxed as we returned down the stairs. Nothing happened at the abbey; we didn¡¯t see a familiar name on a grave. ¡°See. Pinch of salt,¡± Leo whispered as we took the last step. Grasping my hand, he tugged me away from the steps. I couldn¡¯t help but smile lightly letting him lead the way.
Later that night, we had some fun at a local club, Zorro. It was a place for witches and humans ONLY. Slightly drunk, I was pulled into the middle of the dance floor by Seri. I could feel other witches'' magic rising and bouncing to the beat. We were surrounded by carefree souls. It was a breath of fresh air. I followed Seri¡¯s lead and let loose, dancing to the base. Red tinge surrounding me mixing with Seri¡¯s carefree sky blue and others around us. Seri began to get friendly with a slightly older human. She winked as I whispered a warning to her, and danced to her hearts content. As she turned away to face her partner, a familiar warm arm came around my waist, and I was pulled back into a chest. ¡°I¡¯d like a dance, too,¡± Leo whispered in my ear. I giggled and turned around to face him. He pulled me closer to him as my arms went to his neck. The beat slowed down, and we found ourselves swaying. I couldn¡¯t stop smiling and laughing with Leo. The dance floor became fuller with other bodies. A small apologetic push parted us from Seri. I lost sight of Quinn and Devan as they sat at a table, and Lathen stood by the bar, flirting. We were eventually pushed near a wall and hidden from view. I giggled, knowing he was feeling teased. Leo pounced, kissing my neck and up to my lips. I quickly sobered up. I felt fire in my lower belly. It glowed hot and red. We had yet to take the final step; interruption and no alone time made it impossible. I looked into his eyes as we pulled apart, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± I purred. ¡°You got it.¡± He took my hand, and we rushed back to the empty house. I quickly messaged the group chat: [Left early, not feeling well. Meet you back at the house later. Have fun!] Devan instantly replied [?? get better soon].
I was tucked up on his chest; my breath slowly evened out as we kissed. I could not help but feel loved. Thank gods, Leo knew a ¡®protection¡¯ spell¡­ Leo¡¯s phone rang to life. ¡°Too late this time.¡± He smirked. Pulling away, he reached down to his jeans pocket for his phone. Returning to the same position, he sang, ¡°Hello?¡± I couldn¡¯t hear the other side of the conversation. ¡°Woah, slow down. Who?¡± I tensed up, shit. Guilt washed over me; did something happen while we were not there? Leo looked at me and stroked my back to calm me down, listening to the person on he phone. ¡°She isn¡¯t here. Are you sure she¡¯s not in the bathroom or something?¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked, nervously. ¡°Devan,¡± he quickly replied to me, ¡°Can¡¯t find Seri.¡± Wheels started to turn¡­ The human she was dancing with smelt of cigarettes¡­ With a groan, I held my hand out, ¡°Give me the phone.¡± He did, and without greeting, I said, ¡°Check outside; you know she has a habit of social smoking.¡± ¡°Ah shit, forgot,¡± his voice slurred. Bang ¡°Oi! Seri? You out here?... Silly goose¡­Yep, you were right; she is here.¡± ¡°Jeez, don¡¯t scare me like that.¡± I relaxed once more. ¡°So¡­ have you done the deed?¡± Devan asked, teasing. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you that!¡± I gasped. Blushing I returned the phone to Leo as Devan¡¯s laugh echoed. ¡°Yes,¡± Leo confirmed; I smacked his chest. ¡°Alright, see you later.¡± he hung up the phone. ¡°They are on their way back,¡± he informed. They were about 20 minutes¡¯ walk away. I was wide awake, but I didn¡¯t want to get up. A knocking came at the door; I rolled away from Leo¡¯s warmth and put an oversized t-shirt over my head to answer it. Opening the door, Seri stood, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Seri? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked concerned, pulling her into my arms; she was still drunk. ¡°Quinn.¡± Her lips wobbled. ¡°Has she shouted at you or something?¡± I soothed brushing her wild hair back. ¡°No, she-¡± Seri hiccupped, ¡°She¡¯s been taken-n.¡± My heart dropped and eyes widened, ¡°What?¡± I whispered. ¡°What?¡± Leo pipped up, pulling on his jeans at the news. I gently grasped the crying girl, holding her by the shoulders, ¡°Who took Quinn?¡± ¡°Megan. We were nearly home when they took her. Lathen and Devan are trying to find her.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± I mumbled feeling panicked. Seri leaned onto me, grasping the oversized shirt seeking comfort, she struggled to form sentences, I would not be able to get more information from her. Leo quickly grabbed his phone, dressing quickly. ¡°You stay here, I will go and look with them,¡± Leo said, moving away from us both. ¡°Be careful!¡± I said after him. Knowing Seri shouldn¡¯t be left alone. I stayed comforting her, she eventually stopped her tears and I coaxed her to her bedroom. She swiftly fell to sleep.
Redressed, I placed protective Sigils all around the rooms and the house. If anything came close, I would know. It was 2 am she had been missing for just under an hour. I let out a breath and began to pace again. I was beyond anxious, I was running out of fingernails to bite, instead I now worried my lip. I felt the three boys cross over the line and pulled the front door open before they got to it. ¡°Anything?¡± I asked, desperate, allowing them in. ¡°No, not even a whisper,¡± Leo spoke gently. ¡°Any ideas Lex?¡± Devan asked, tiredly. ¡®Just one¡­¡¯ I thought. I fled to her room for a piece of her jewellery and returned to the kitchen where the trio sat. Cutting a piece of twine, I hung the ring from it and got a map of Whitby out. The ring stayed still as it draped from my knuckles and rested my elbow on the table. I took a deep breath, ¡°Where have they taken her?¡± It spun around furiously; I fed magic down into the string, willing it to show me what I sought. It was a way of dowsing without a pendulum. Even breaths as it eventually swung in one direction. Moving it slowly across the page, it was attracted to a particular spot on the map, like two magnets drawn together. Finally, it circles the church and the abbey, undecided, unwilling to pick a point on the map. ¡°Have you checked the Abbey?¡± ¡°First place we looked,¡± Lathen replied. ¡°We should go and split up. You¡¯re exhausted, Devan,¡± I pointed out. He didn¡¯t look at me. He was away in his world. Gently, I put my hands on his cheeks, snapping him back to the present. ¡°You are not going to help like this; get some rest. We¡¯ll call you.¡± I ushered him to the sofa and covered him with a blanket and placed a soothing sigil over him, he slept like a baby. ¡°Right, you two with me.¡± I was a woman on a mission. I locked the house up and placed a protection line over the door; Seri and Devan were officially sealed in, and we moved to the church and the Abbey. The Abbey By Night I kept the string with me and dangled it once I reached the top of the steps, I was surprised that I was now shaking, the adrenaline was building, all I could hear is my heartbeat in my ears The makeshift pendulum swung in a circle. No matter which direction I faced, it would not give a location to Quinn. I shook my head in frustration, ¡°We will have to split up. She¡¯s somewhere around here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the graveyard and church,¡± Lathen volunteered, walking away. ¡°I¡¯ll go around the history building and the wall of the abbey,¡± Leo said. ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t approach them alone,¡± he warned I agreed and kissed him, ¡°Call me if you find anything.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡±
Sneaking past security was easy with a quick Obscuravale spell. Walking towards the abbey, it was pitch black, even the spotlights that would light up the ruins were turned off. No shadows lurked; no people stood¡ªjust silence. Normally one would find a picturesque quiet night, bliss. However, a missing friend and vampires out for blood ruined the mood. ¡°Illumi,¡± I whispered blinking. A spell I came across in my grandma¡¯s Bos, slowly the grounds became clearer, a spell to see in the dark better. I lifted the necklace and with a small rush of magic, it spun¡­ and spun¡­ still nothing. I sighed and decided to move forward towards the ruins. Cold metal touched my neck, and I froze as an arm wrapped around my abdomen, halting my step. I small gasp escaped me and I internally cursed myself for not paying attention. ¡°Hello, Lexi,¡± they greeted. ¡°Megan,¡± I replied, putting my hands up in defeat, ¡°Where¡¯s Quinn?¡± ¡°She¡¯s fine for now. Luckily, you showed up. We need another supply.¡± She words sent a cold shiver down my spine¡­ ¡®Another supply?¡¯ The bad feeling I had, grew tenfold¡­ Megan moved forward, picking my neck with the knife. I hissed in pain and felt a small trickle move down my neck. I let her guide me from behind. ¡°How did you get tangled up in all this?¡± I asked, calmly. ¡°Shut up,¡± she hissed, ¡°I always knew there was something off about you.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your grandmother?¡± Megan did not reply only sighed heavily and pushed me forward a little bit too roughly. We came to the large doorway south of the abbey. She stopped us at the entryway. I looked down the vast grassy area. It was empty, there was still only us two around. ¡°Dracula,¡± Maddie announced. The blank archway shivered and seemed to melt away. I scoffed internally at the irony as the concealment lowered. I had to blink as it got brighter. Behind it was a scene that would haunt my dreams for life. There in the centre, Quinn laid. Her hands and legs were bound behind her. Her neck and jaw were covered in her own blood. Her eyes widened as her eyes met mine, she realised another joined her. Her loud words muffled by tape, but she was protesting. The pendulum now swayed thrashing against my hand. The concealment threw off Quinns location. I should have realised sooner. I took in the ruins, a bonfire lit most of the structure and a few torches lit up the rest. There were several people standing all around the ruins. Casting my senses, three humans, yet to turn, four vampires, including Megan and¡­ another witch? I glanced up beyond the small steps. They were covered by a black cloak obscuring their face and locked up in a cage. I swallowed thickly, would I join them waiting to be the next ¡®supply¡¯? ¡°Ahh, there she is!¡± A man dressed in finery, seemed to welcome us with open arms, my stomach turned at his bright smile, it was evident through long fangs he was a vampire his teeth looked pinkish from blood. Another vampire approached, with a blood-stained chin and bound my hands together. I hissed as the ties seared my skin¡ªpure iron. While iron could not kill us, pure iron burned the skin and trapped witches'' magic. My sight returned to normal, I could only see as far as the bonfire¡¯s light would reach. I was forced down to my knees by Megan, and she laughed gleefully, moving to the welcoming man. ¡°You found her friend! Well done, Meg,¡± he cooed, taking the slightly bloody knife from her hand and took a strong sniff. ¡°This one is strong. She¡¯ll do nicely¡­¡± He charmed. Megan stood beside him, sharing a malevolent smile whilst looking at me. I inspected Quinn before me. Her complexion was pale giving a stark contrast to the rich red neck and arms. It was clear she was tired, near defeat. Yet her wide eyes watched the man with defiance and disgust. She still had her spark, it gave me hope that we could make it out¡­ if we played our cards right. ¡°You must be the Sire of all these?¡± I spoke aloud, returning my attention to them. ¡°That I am. Cornelius,¡± he said proudly introducing himself with a slight bow of his head. ¡°What¡¯s the plan then? You¡¯ve already broken the treaty and nearly killed my friend. What, are you going to rage war on the werewolves?¡± He laughed harshly, ¡°First, I need to get rid of my Sire. I have had enough of her and all the rules. Vampires should not have to hold themselves back or be oppressed. Then, I will move onto the council. We shall see who stops us.¡± ¡°Of course, to do that, I need numbers. You know witches are hard to come by. I have to take what I can, you have no idea how long I have been searching... Luckily for me I met Megan, a wonderful informant!¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Can¡¯t imagine why a witch wouldn¡¯t help your plan,¡± I said looking to the cage pointedly. ¡°Indeed.¡± He turned to the cage, ¡°She is a different case entirely... I think it¡¯s selfish to hide your power away when it is so¡­ delicious.¡± Megan disappeared like smoke, and I felt the knife once again biting my throat; this time, Megan intentionally cut lower down near my shoulder. Cornelius came closer, and Quinn¡¯s muffled voice cried out in protest. I felt disgusted and tried to move away as his slimy tongue licked the wound. ¡°Ah, a fire witch. Where are your friends?¡± ¡°Like I¡¯d tell you,¡± I spat. ¡°Fair enough. We have plenty of blood from you both.¡± He turned away and gestured to one of the humans, ¡°Now is your chance. Sean, take the red head. Dean, you can take the first bite of the new flesh. Do not overdo it, boys. We may be able to keep them for a while.¡± They both approached him, each holding out an arm, and Cornelius took a bite out of both, injecting them with venom. The last ingredient needed to make a vampire. Dean approached me, and I swallowed thickly, tensing up. I had to wait for the right moment. I turned my head away and braced for the pain. It seared like hellfire as he took blood, and I screamed, pulling a knee up. I hit a sensitive area and tried to run for the entrance as he groaned and collapsed. I was, of course, caught before I made it out, but I had to try for both of us. I screamed, ¡°LEO!¡± ¡°Shh, Loverboy can¡¯t save you here,¡± Cornelius whispered, ¡°Stay calm, Dean. She will get what¡¯s coming to her¡­¡± Cornelius dragged me back to my original spot. Dean has recovered quickly, and I could see he was tense and angry. Dean bit down again.
At the church ¡°Leo?¡± Lathen called out. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. I couldn¡¯t find anything.¡± ¡°Me neither. Is Lexi back yet?¡± Leo shook his head. Something in him felt off, he felt calm and reaching out, he couldn¡¯t feel Lexi¡­ Something was wrong. ¡°I think we should go to the Abbey; check it out.¡± Lathen agreed with a nod and together, they kept their eyes and ears open.
Lexi I no longer had the strength to scream. I don¡¯t know how long I laid there. But it felt like forever, it hurt to breathe. Megan had to stop Dean from overdoing it. It didn¡¯t take a genius to see he was rough, especially when a kick met my stomach. I¡¯m sure he cracked a rib or two¡­ I lay on the ground, feeling dizzier than before. The ties cut in more, making my wrists sore, my magic trapped beneath my skin, trapped once more. The feeling was frustrating. In my blurred vision, I looked over at Quinn. The tape on her mouth was ripped off, her eyes looking far away. Cornelius stood over her, he slowly leaned down and placed a hand to her neck. It dawned on me; he was checking for a pulse. ¡°No,¡± I whispered weakly. ¡°Damn it! We have pushed this one too far,¡± He angrily shoved the new vamp away, ¡°What a waste,¡± he muttered in displeasure. Quinn''s eyes started to darken, and she struggled to focus on his face. Adrenaline fled through my veins once more. Heart racing, the dizziness increased tenfold. ¡°Quinn? No!¡± I screamed. ¡°I know. It''s such a shame. Here, I¡¯ll let you say goodbye,¡± Cornelius sighed and he clicked his fingers. Someone grabbed me by the arm, hauling me over to her. ¡°No! No, Quinn please¡­¡± I cried. Shoving me down to the ground, my knee cracked on a stone slab, I ignored the shooting pain and I shimmied up to see her face. ¡°Quinn! Keep your eyes on me¡­ Stay! Please!¡± ¡°Devan¡­¡± she muttered. The light in her eyes began to fade. A mask of death overtook her face. They were right. She was at deaths door. I was there when my grandmother passed away, the face of death is unforgettable. My shoulders felt heavy as the weight of grief stuck me and my chin warbled. I clenched my fists, determined not to cry for their entertainment. Something they were probably betting on. ¡°Quinn. I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± I became overwhelmed by the unfairness of it all. I felt the tears drip down onto her skin despite by best efforts. Each silent tear was a scream of frustration, a desperate plea for relief. I sniffed, and I could hear their taunting snickers. How dare they. How dare he do this to her. To us. The anger buzzed to rage, I felt my magic dance below the skin and the chain binding my wrists began to hum, fighting back. ¡°A-Assholes.¡± I choked out. ¡®You know what you must do.¡¯ I fought against the iron. It was not as painful as the lock I once had. I slowly leaned back onto my knees and took a deep breath. Eyes blurred with tears, I pushed my magic through overwhelming the iron, pain shot through me and red flames ingulf my hands. Twisting around the iron. I should have tried this earlier. ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t,¡± teased Cornelius as he stepped forward. Ping. Too late. The ties snapped to the ground. I closed my eyes as the knife returned. It instead melted against my skin as the crimson fire rose to the surface. I heard a hiss behind me as the vamps hand was charred, I could smell the burning flesh. I slowly stood while staring at Quinn, my sight was still blurry. They would pay, no more would be hurt. ¡°You fucked around and now you find out,¡± I muttered darkly. Shifting my eyes, I unknowingly stared at Sean. Lifting a hand, I twisted it in the air. His neck twisted with a satisfying crack. My hand quickly engulfed in flames and with it fire engulfed him. His body turned to ash before it hit the ground. ¡°Shit,¡± Megan gasped. ¡®Shit indeed.¡¯ I didn¡¯t think about what I was doing. It was subconscious, and my magic willed it, and I let it free. ¡°Time to go,¡± Cornelius announced, stepping backwards. He turned with Megan and ran. I flung a fireball, hoping to sear them. Dean, not looking where he was going, tripped over his friend¡¯s burning body and caught himself aflame¡ªa shame. I rolled my neck as his neck snapped. Various squawks and squeals came from every direction, as I flung fire and encircled prey. I felt myself reveal in the feeling of vengeance. I enjoyed it. Chasing one last vampire out, the abbey was abandoned by the blood suckers. The bonfire was slowly dying out, but provided enough light to see the blood soaked grass. My eye caught the iron cage in the corner. Flicking a finger towards it, the lock popped open. ¡°Get out of here,¡± I muttered, not giving them a moment more of my time. ¡°Thank you. Restorignum Dracula.¡± The ruins shimmied, and the cover from the Abbey fell. Grass was still burning from my magic as I kneeled at Quinn''s head. Her pulse was too weak, her breaths were barely shallow, and her skin deathly pale. She still clings on to life, fighting, muttering Devan¡¯s name. I acted on impulse. ¡®Quickly Lexi¡­¡¯ I ignored the soreness in my throat and the sting in my eyes. Fire encircled us as I chanted the words written in Keiron¡¯s book. The words came so quickly and the felt smooth on my tongue, but I felt my magic dwindle. Pain tore through me, I had reached the limit. The lock was holding me back. ¡®I¡¯ve lost too much blood. I must push.¡¯ I pushed through the lock. I must save Quinn.
Leo and Lathen The sun was barely rising at 4 am. They walked cautiously through the grounds facing the abbey; the ruins were bare. There was not a soul to be found. ¡°It¡¯s too quiet,¡± Lathen mumbled. Leo agreed they had circled around three times now, even looking through the ruins of the abbey twice. Nothing could be heard. Lexi couldn¡¯t be found. Had she returned home? Was she looking for them? They heard fast footsteps approaching, too fast to be Lexi. They ducked down, ¡°Obscuravle,¡± Leo breathed, covering them both. ¡°That¡¯s Megan,¡± Lathen said, surprised, ¡°I bet this is her vamp family¡­¡± Megan and the older man were near the car park, running from the ruins as a few others scattered behind them. They swiftly moved to the other side of the grounds and disappeared from view. The smell of burning caught on the wind. Leo felt a sense of impending doom. Lexi was in trouble. ¡°Something is wrong. Let¡¯s go quickly,¡± Leo said hurriedly. As he spoke, the abbey began to shiver and slowly glow red. Ribbons of magic could be seen with characters swirling around. ¡°Vitamortum,¡± Lathen breathed in astonishment. A scream echoed around the grounds, and the crimson glow ceased rapidly, and Leo¡¯s blood ran cold. His chest felt heavy; something was missing. ¡°Lexi.¡± He rushed forward. He pleaded with the deities, Not now.
Lexi This was a new level of exhaustion, I tumbled face down to the ground, next to her. I felt cold, and my vision was spotted. ¡®I overdid it.¡¯ They had taken too much blood, fear spread through me as I remembered the words of my uncle. ¡°Anyone who has tried it, has died and no one has been successful in completing the spell.¡± I pleaded with the deities, ¡®Please let this work. Let her live!¡¯ I faced Quinn and watched her head loll to the side blinking blearily. It worked, that¡¯s all that mattered. I smiled as my vision greyed; black spots appeared in my vision. I was numb to the throbbing pain in my head and chest. The lock was broken. I didn¡¯t have long left. ¡°Lexi?!¡± Quinn hastily got to her feet and rolled me over. She looked picture-perfect and healthy. ¡°Quinn¡­It worked¡± I murmured weakly, I felt the need to cough, and turned my head. I heard her gasp as I did so and looking fresh blood spilled from my mouth. I was coughing blood. ¡°The lock broke. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What? Lexi, Stay with me. Stay awake,¡± she demanded. ¡°LEXI!¡± ¡°Leo is here; you¡¯ll be fine, do you hear me?¡± A helpless smile came to her lips, she was trying to convince herself. I felt colder. I had no more fight to give and I watched Quinns tears fall. Then I was hauled up slightly. I was awake enough to see Leo holding me. ¡°Lexi, don¡¯t you dare,¡± he warned, his hand pulling my face to make me look at him, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare prove my mother right.¡± His voice brought comfort, and I smiled weakly. His tears landed on my face, ¡°I¡¯ll meet you again,¡± I whispered weakly. The evening sky turned grey, and I felt the weight of my body sink into the ground. The world faded to black. Are We Out of the Woods Yet? Third person Two security guards circled the perimeter just as the sun was peaking up. 4:15 a.m., their shift would be over, and they could return to their families. A scream broke the peaceful early dawn, looking towards the ruins. A red crimson light lit the abbey. Glancing at each other, they sped off. They took a shortcut through the fire escape. They could hear another, a male, shouting. It was muffled. The flashlights lit up three faces huddled around a fourth. They were all crying. ¡°All right. The party is over; you can do your drama scene elsewhere.¡± The male approached the group, and the red-headed girl looked up helplessly. ¡°Err, Frank?¡± asked his colleague. ¡°What, Gail?¡± ¡°I think you should call an ambulance and grab the defib.¡± Gail rolled up her sleeves and motioned the lad to put the blonde on the ground. Her head lolled to the side; she was covered in bite marks, and blood trickled from her mouth, nose, and ears. ¡°We got another vampire attack,¡± she stated and checked for a pulse and breathing. Frank¡¯s face went pale as he fumbled with his phone, running to the nearest defib. Gail quickly started to perform CPR. Breaking a few ribs was part of the routine, but it felt sickening after many times. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± Frank asked in a gentler tone now. ¡°Lexi,¡± Quinn whispered in a broken tone. ¡°Do you remember what happened here, Quinn?¡± ¡°I-I was taken. She came to find me, and I nearly d-died,¡± Quinn cried, blubbering onto Lathen''s shoulder. Quinn still did not fully understand what had occurred. All she knew was that she felt exhausted. Then she woke up and saw Lexi next to her fading away. Leo wouldn¡¯t leave Lexi¡¯s side. He watched Gail press the button on the defib, feeling helpless. He thought of nothing, not even pleading with the gods; he was frozen in time. He said not one word other than uttering his name. ¡°Stand clear¡­ Shocking¡­¡± Came the robotic voice. His eyes snapped to her chest¨Che felt the pull. He swore she took a small breath by herself. Gail continued to pump her chest as directed by the defibrillator. Then paramedics arrived and took over. Looking at the public defibrillator, one of them listened to her heart and lungs, squinting in concentration. The woman paramedic nodded and said, ¡°Hook her up to ECG; I think I hear a heartbeat.¡± Hope bloomed in Leo¡¯s chest. He could feel the fate line pulling. He sat, eyes trained on Lexi¡¯s face, picking at his fingernails. A minute to him felt like hours. Quinn placed a hand on his shoulder. She, too, was staring with bated breath; instead, she pleaded with the Goddesses to anyone who would listen. Slowly, the paper trace printed. Black ink waved in regular and small peaks. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Well done.¡± The woman turned to Gail, ¡°She is alive.¡± Leo breathed easier; fresh tears fell as he closed his eyes. Only one could go with Lexi to the hospital. It was an easy decision as to who would go. Leo climbed into the back and held Lexi¡¯s hand all the way. Quinn and Lathen finally arrived back at 5:00 a.m. Devan was knocked out on the sofa, and Seri slept soundly upstairs. They decided not to say a word. It would do no one good to panic. They could only visit Lexi once she was fully assessed. Only one visitor is allowed. They shuffled to bed, waking up a few hours later at 8:30 a.m. by a crying Seri.
On the way to the hospital, Leo was questioned by the paramedic in the back. Take as much detail down as possible. His leg bounced erratically on the way while he answered the questions. She had not yet opened her eyes. He followed her bed to the intensive care unit. Waiting around made his thoughts wander; she was in the operating theatre. His face portrayed nothing while his eyes focused on the floor. He wasn¡¯t paying attention to the doctors words. CTs, X-rays, ultrasound, surgery, internal bleeding, haemorrhage ¨C are the only words he picked up on. His fingers nearly bleed as the skin was picked, and his lip was bruised from chewing. Every time the door opened; his eyes snapped up only to return to the non-existent hole his eyes bore into the ground. Two hours later, the bed was wheeled out of the O.R. Leo jumped up, seeing a painfully familiar face. He wandered, following the bed into the room. Lexi, still looking deathly pale, was given blood transfusions. Multiple. Taking a bated breath, he sat beside the bed and held her purple hand. Her ribcage was bandaged from the fractured ribs, and bruises started erupting. She was covered in bruises, bites, and cuts on her hands, legs, chest, and neck. He swallowed thickly; he had no more tears to cry. His thoughts turned to blame himself as he buried his face into her small hand, caressing it: He should have stayed with her, gotten to her quicker, he should¡­ Blaring alarms snapped him out of his inner thoughts. ¡°Code blue!¡± shouted a nurse, and she came rushing in. Pulling a handle, the bed flattened, and the nurse started CPR as others came in to wheel Lexi out. Leo stood, hopping from foot to foot. ¡°Wait, wait! What¡¯s happening?¡± Leo pleaded. ¡°They are taking her into the Operating Room; please stay here. Can I get you a drink?¡± said a nurse behind the station. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. She just came out,¡± he said in disbelief. ¡°Ah, you must have been out of it when the doctor talked to you. He said you were away with the fairies¡­ come, sit.¡± He collapsed in the chair, covering his face with his hands. The nurse kindly gave him a cup of water and started to explain. ¡°She has internal bleeding; her organs are¨Cwere in failure. Doctors also suspect a bleed in the brain. Due to how long she was without oxygen, they don¡¯t know if she will decline further. If she does come around, there might be brain damage.¡± Leo¡¯s eyebrows scrunched, and putting a hand to his brow, he squeezed: he did remember some of this from the doctor. Lexi wasn¡¯t out of the woods yet. She still could die. ¡°Take your time; if you have any questions, let me know.¡± She retreated to her station while he sat in the empty room.
¡°Poor lad,¡± she sighed, walking back around the counter to her colleague, ¡°He¡¯s heartbroken.¡± They both looked over. His face was grim, eyes unfocused. His leg bounced once more, shaking the cup in his hand without it spilling over. ¡°Hm, it makes you want to know more about what happened, those bites. Geez!¡± ¡°No doubt it will be on the news later.¡± ¡°Hm, let¡¯s hope she makes it out.¡±
Leo was startled awake in the chair. The doors opened again making a bang against the wall. He blinked tiredly and watched helplessly as the bed was wheeled back to the same spot. He didn¡¯t know how long he had been asleep. He grabbed the back of his neck, rubbing it hard. Leo looked at the person walking towards him. They were scrubbed up in blue. He could see some specs of blood on his person. ¡°To update you,¡± the male said calmly, taking a chair closer to Leo, ¡°She is in a coma.¡± Leo¡¯s face scrunched up, and he tipped his head down, pinching his eyebrows; it was the same with her father. Her mum is going to be devastated. ¡°As suspected, she did have a brain bleed; it also caused her to flatline earlier. We have drained it and reduced the pressure. It is up to her now to wake up. We will continuously monitor her over the next 24 hours. So please don¡¯t be concerned if nurses come every hour.¡± ¡°Doc. Please, don¡¯t give me false hope. How likely?¡± Leo asked, looking up at the doctor pleading before returning his eyes to Lexi. The doctor looked over at her, thinking and referred to the notes at the end of her bed. ¡°It is still touch and go. However, the internal bleeding has stopped, and she continues to breathe unaided. Compared to her situation when she first came in, she has¡­improved.¡± ¡°Hopefully, her magic will start to recuperate, and I can aid in the healing process,¡± the doctor announced, it was neither good nor bad. Leo blinked, taking a moment to analyse what the doctor said. Leo looked up to him, and with a knowing look, the doctor pulled his mask back up, winked and left. Witches are hidden indeed. Leo watched the monitor; the lines peaking and dipping were much stronger now and more defined. He noticed the other numbers were also up ¨C he didn¡¯t know if that was good or bad. His phone disrupted his scrutinising. Looking at the screen, I saw it was from Seri in the group chat. [No rush. Please update us when you can.] Leo¡¯s finger tapped the armrest; he was afraid to leave her alone but knew he couldn¡¯t risk using his phone in the hospital. Sighing, he kissed Lexi¡¯s hand and got up to make a few difficult phone calls. Starting with her Uncle Keiron. Fathers Daughter The sun had now risen, and it was a more acceptable time to call her family. Using Lexi¡¯s phone, he called her uncle and chewed his thumbnail. It was the only one he had left, but it helped prepare him mentally. ¡°Hello, Lexi!¡± the cheery voice of Keiron rang through. ¡°Hi, sorry, it¡¯s Leo.¡± Leo surprised even himself with how calm he sounded. ¡°Ah, not a problem! What¡¯s up? Has Quinn drawn some more pictures for me to look at?¡± ¡°No, but¡­ You were right about the ruins being Whitby Abbey,¡± Leo sniffed, taking a deep breath. ¡°What? How do you know that?¡± Leo could hear the confusion in his voice. Clearing his throat, Leo confessed carefully, ¡°The two people were Lexi and Quinn. I¡¯m at the hospital.¡± Keiron stuttered, ¡°S¨CShe didn¡¯t. No, she¡­She couldn¡¯t have, but¡­¡± ¡°Vampires took Quinn and then Lexi. Quinn nearly died,¡± his voice nearly broke at the mention of Lexi. Keiron took a deep breath, ¡°Is Lexi dead?¡± ¡°No,¡± Leo replied quickly, ¡°The doctor has some hope, but she is in a coma.¡± ¡°Shit¡­ Have you told her mum yet?¡± ¡°No, but I wi-¡± ¡°I will do it. Let me handle my sister. Stay with Lexi and let us know when we can visit, right?¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll keep you updated.¡± Leo hung up and moved on to Seri. Before the second ring, it was answered, ¡°Hello? Lexi?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± he sniffed. He would not cry, he told himself. ¡°Ah¡­ Hi Leo.¡± Voices scrambled on the other side; he was on loudspeaker. ¡°How¡¯s it going bud?¡± Devan¡¯s voice sounded through. ¡°I¡­¡± Leo struggled with his words, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Leo summarised what the doctors had said to him, and the procedures Lexi had. He could hear Quinn blubbering in the background. ¡°Do they know if she will wake up?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t asked. For now, she had improved from when she first came in, but I quote, ¡®It¡¯s up to her to wake up...¡¯.¡± No one asked a question. All Leo could hear was sighs and groans. ¡°How are you holding up Quinn?¡± Leo asked sadly. She hiccupped, ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ just fine. Stupid Lexi, why?¡± ¡°Shh¡­ I know,¡± Devan said further away. ¡°Listen,¡± Seri¡¯s voice was closer, ¡°Let us know if we can come and visit. We will bring her favourite sweets. Right?¡± A chorus of ¡®Yeahs.¡¯ ¡°Oh! And you some food.¡± ¡°That would be great. I will let you know. Bye.¡± ¡°See ya!¡± That was harder than he expected. He sniffed and wiped his eyes before going in.
Seri Although Seri was chirpy towards the end, she did nothing but cry and hug Quinn as they distressed together. Devan stayed strong but beat himself up, letting the others go without him. ¡°I think a speedy recovery and luck spell might help us all feel better,¡± Seri whispered, ¡°You know, aid her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Lathen gently said.
Leo Returning to the hospital room. She was still laid, eyes closed. Now, with a mask over her face. Confused, he turned to the desk to ask a nurse with fear in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it is just oxygen with water. It will help stop her throat from drying out.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. A little relieved, Leo nodded and sat back in the visitor''s chair. His eyes were tired, his brain muddled. He couldn¡¯t help but lay his torso on her lower legs and instantly fell asleep while holding her hand again.
Keiron After the conversation with Leo, Keiron stood at the kitchen sink, his mind reeling. His only niece, so wise and powerful, did something so stupid. He didn¡¯t know what she was thinking, but it must have been a good reason. From what he gathered, listening to Leo. She saved Quinn. Her friend died, but why? What event led to Quinn nearly dying and Lexi having to use Vitamortum? Shaking his head, he focused on the phone call to his sister. As it rang, he felt anxiety creeping up from his chest. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hey, sis.¡± ¡°Keiron! Has Lexi been to see you?¡± ¡°Er, I saw her this afternoon; she has grown. Still like her father.¡± ¡°Hm, yes. My beautiful daughter.¡± ¡°Isobelle¡­ I need you to sit down.¡± After some silence from the mother, she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s pregnant.¡± ¡°No,¡± he said quickly. Although, that would be better news than what he was about to tell his sister. ¡°Please, just sit, okay?¡± he pleaded. ¡°You''re scaring me. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Are you sat-¡± ¡°YES.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the details fully.¡± ¡°Right,¡± she huffed, clearly cross. ¡°Lexi is in the hospital.¡± ¡°What? Why? Has she fainted again?¡± ¡°¡­Again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no. Why is she in the hospital?¡± ¡°Vitamortum.¡± The silence was deadly.
Isobelle Isobelle''s hand shook as her knuckles turned white at the one word she never wanted to hear again. Tears threatened to fall as she asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°She is in a coma. I know that Quinn nearly died, and Lexi is in hospital after performing the spell, and I think it has something to do with the Abbey.¡± ¡°The Abbey? Whitby Abbey?¡± Isobelle sniffed. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know anything else.¡± After a few pauses, Isobelle was thinking, trying to piece it together, ¡°Vampires,¡± she muttered, fat tears streaming down her face. ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t know. The treaty is still active; no vampire would dare break it. I could ask Quinn about it.¡± ¡°Is Quinn okay?¡± she managed to ask. ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°I¨CI need to get down there. Will you look after the others? If it is vampires, they might be in danger still.¡± Her speech was hurried, and she tumbled over her words. ¡°Hey, listen. There is no rush. Leo is with her, and the doctor has hope.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they said about Nick,¡± she wailed. Keiron was silenced, ¡°Look. Don¡¯t rush. You need to get here in one piece. Talk to your boss. I will update you if I hear anything. Right?¡± ¡°Yes. See you soon.¡± When the call ended, Isobelle lied; she wasn¡¯t sitting. Instead, she collapsed on the floor in floods of tears. Memories she fought hard to bury came rising back. Two years ago, her idiotic husband tried the same spell that night.
¡°I will be back late tonight, Hunny. Don¡¯t wait up for me.¡± Nick said and kissed her head and then his children before going to work. His behaviour was different over the past months. She thought it was an affair. An affair she could have dealt with better. Instead, later that night, Winnie kindly said yes to taking the children, and she followed her dead husband in Winnie''s car. She stayed well back and parked several yards from where he pulled up. On the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by woods. He was already gone from the car when she parked. Waiting a few minutes, she grabbed her phone; she needed evidence. It was eerily quiet, with no cicadas, crickets, or birds¡ªjust the howling wind. Walking forward, she kept her eyes peeled and stumbled upon a hare. It was chopped into pieces. Horrified, she looked away and carried on further. Probably a predator. The red glow of her husband''s magic made her pause cautiously. She happened upon a clearing in the woods; scouting around, she was horrified to see his stature. Her husband looked like a skeleton. Muscles were non-existent. His skin looked like it was hanging from the bone. He was aged, wrinkled, and greying. She recognised the spell from her mother''s teachings. Vitamortum. There was no other body, no one dying. Why? ¡°Nick, you stop this right now!¡± She burst from the clearing, but he paid her no attention. ¡°Nick! Who are you trying to save? There is NO ONE HERE!¡± she cried. ¡°Isobelle.¡± She screamed as a hand grabbed her shoulder; turning to look, she was surprised to find Nixon. ¡°The hell are you doing here?¡± ¡°I noticed some stock was running low, and your husband was acting strange.¡± She turned back to look at her husband, ¡°How do we stop it?¡± Tears kept falling. ¡°We can¡¯t. Only the caster can stop.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand, why?¡± ¡°A book was missing from my collection. Spells for death and beyond.¡± Then it dawned on her, ¡°His mother?¡± ¡°I think so,¡± Nixon admitted quietly. ¡°This idiot, she¡¯s dead and buried!¡± Tears turned to anger. She approached the red circle and was whipped back into a tree. ¡°Easy, Isobelle,¡± Nixon calmed, ¡°He should run out of magic soon.¡± ¡°But look at him! He¡¯ll be dead before he¡¯s finished.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m calling an ambulance,¡± Nixon stated calmly, ringing 999. A few seconds later, Nick collapsed, and his average stature returned. Checking him over, Isobelle swore at him while he lay unconscious. He was taken to hospital. She wouldn¡¯t leave his side, much like she imagined Leo would be right now. They found nothing wrong with Nick. Other than him being in a coma. He was quiet, peaceful, the spell took a physical toll on his body, she didn¡¯t want the children to see him, this way, but she had a feeling that he would not come home... A few days later, he went into cardiac arrest, and his heart wouldn¡¯t restart. She feared the same would happen to Lexi. She couldn¡¯t bear it, yet she knew she had to get to her daughter. No mother should outlive her children.
The door opened, pulling her out of her memories. ¡°Mum? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alex¡¯s voice had gotten deeper seemingly overnight. ¡°Oh, Alex, come here.¡± She held out her arms and hugged him tight. Gently, she explained to Alex what Keiron had told her. Alex¡¯s eyes watered. ¡°Will she wake up?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said honestly, ¡°So, we need to pack a bag and go down to make sure she is all right.¡± Alex nodded; his eyes were pink, and his chin dimpled¡ªthe face of someone trying not to cry. ¡°It¡¯s okay, sweetheart. Let it out,¡± she encouraged and hugged him again. This time, he did not hold back as the tears fell.
Isobelle called her employer and arranged sick leave. Luckily, her boss was a family man and understood the severity. She also had a favour to ask the Grimsbanes. Someone had to feed Sooty, and it was only suitable to inform them of what had happened. They also cared for Lexi like their own. ¡°Of course we will! Please keep us updated; we¡¯ll pray and spell for a speedy recovery. Are you sure you are okay to drive?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m much calmer. I¡¯ll let you know how they are both doing when I arrive.¡± Giving them the spare keys to the house, Isobelle said goodbye to Sooty. He knew something was up. He had been acting up and unlike himself since the phone call from Keiron. ¡°Ready?¡± Isobelle asked her son, getting into the car next to him. Alex nodded. It would be a long drive for the small family.