Romani Magic (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 3)

by Frances Trilone

  “Dinner tonight is vegetarian lasagna, salad, and garlic bread.” She looked around the room, fidgeting with her skirt. “If you don’t have any questions, I’ll leave you to unpack. I know you must feel overwhelmed and want to be alone.”

  I sat on my bed, glancing at my backpack and plastic bag. It wouldn’t take me long to unpack, and dinner wasn’t for several hours. “I do have a couple of questions. Why did your father ask you to come see me? And why did you say yes?”

  “Well…” She sat next to me on the bed. “Not everyone knows this, but I’m half-fae. I can see auras, like my dad, but I can also see fae magic. That’s why he called me. The High Council wanted me to confirm fae magic had been used on you.”

  “That sounds like a cool power to have,” I said, even though I had no idea if seeing fae magic was rare. But no one on the High Council could see it, and they were supposed to be very powerful.

  “I guess, but I’d rather control the elements, and I can’t. Sometimes I can control earth, but it’s sporadic.” She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “What?” My head jerked back.

  “I can sense emotions and see what’s truly in someone’s heart. Yours is shattered right now. You lost someone close. Someone you loved dearly.”

  Placing my head in my hands, I thought of Kaleb and cried. His smile. His forest green eyes. His last words to me. How could I ever move on?

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad.” Orla wrapped her arm around me. “I know things might seem hopeless, but you’ll be okay. You’ll get through this. And this person you lost; they’re keeping an eye on you. They’re around even if you can’t see them.”

  I closed my eyes and allowed the tears to continue, freeing my heartache. Everything had changed in one night. In one moment. Why hadn’t Kaleb let the vampire bite me? If he had, we’d be together, and Kaleb would still be alive.

  Chapter 8

  The next morning, I woke up with puffy eyes and a growling stomach. After crying my eyes out in front of Orla last night, I’d felt embarrassed and had deliberately missed dinner. Instead, I’d stayed in my room and eaten the cookies from Garrett. Meeting a houseful of curious witches didn’t appeal to me, especially if they wanted to read my mind. Luckily, I was already asleep by the time Rosella came back to the room.

  As I climbed out of bed, something on my desk caught my eye. Someone had left a pair of black ankle boots and some clothes—a black skirt, white shirt, and a purple knitted vest with a raven stitched in black on the right-hand side. Orla must have dropped them off. Who else would have done it?

  I glanced over at Rosella’s side of the room and was relieved to see she’d gone. Her desk was neat and tidy with a stack of papers and a cupholder of pens. Books, white candles, small wooden bowls, and an assortment of gemstones filled her bookcase. On her nightstand, a silver jewelry box sat next to a lamp and alarm clock. No pictures of family or friends.

  After quickly showering, I got dressed and hurried out of the room. The last thing I wanted was to run into Rosella and her friends. I also needed to eat breakfast before seeing Calandra. Maybe after our meeting, I could stay in the library and browse their books on casting spells.

  As I slowly descended the stairs, laughter interrupted my thoughts. When I walked into the oversized dining room, three girls sat at the table, feasting on pancakes, sausage, bacon, orange juice, milk, and fresh fruit. They wore matching outfits of black shorts and purple polo shirts with a white raven stitched on the right-hand side.

  “Sienna, come eat with us.” Orla’s bright blue eyes lit up as she pointed to an empty chair across from her. “We missed you at dinner last night.”

  “I was tired and fell asleep early.” As I sat in the chair, she handed me a plate and fork.

  Orla introduced the other girls, but I was too busy staring at the food so I didn’t catch their names. “We’ve cooked plenty, so eat as much as you want. If you prefer cereal or oatmeal, you can grab it from the pantry.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled, grateful Orla was so kind and helpful.

  “Did you sleep well?” one of the girls asked.

  “Yes.” I stacked three pancakes on my plate and dabbed butter on top before drizzling syrup all over. “The house seems pretty quiet. Is lights-out at a specific time?”

  “Not really,” Orla said. “But unless there’s a party, most of us are in bed by ten.”

  I took a bite and chewed, savoring the taste of homemade buttermilk pancakes. They were just as yummy as Mom’s. I could get used to eating like this every day.

  “Hi. We haven’t formally met. I’m Cindy,” a girl with wavy brown hair said as she took a seat next to me. She held out her hand but immediately pulled it away. “Sorry, I forgot we’re not supposed to use our powers on you. That means I can’t touch you.”

  “What happens if you touch people?” I popped another forkful of pancake in my mouth, relieved to hear she wasn’t being rude when she’d pulled her hand away.

  “I’d know if you’re lying when you talk,” Cindy replied. “I haven’t quite figured out how to turn it on and off. Julius is still teaching me.”

  “Oh please. He’s been teaching you for months.” Orla rolled her eyes and giggled. “We all know you’re faking it to get more time with Mr. Hottie.”

  The other girls laughed.

  I grinned. Garrett was right about Julius. He was popular among the witches. Even I found him handsome, but spending time with him still didn’t appeal to me. Of course, spending time with anyone on the High Council sounded like a nightmare.

  “Is the rumor true?” one of the girls asked. “You killed a Rocklin wolf, and now you’re a marked witch?”

  Orla nudged the girl with her elbow. “We agreed not to ask.”

  “No. You agreed,” another girl said. “If she’s staying with us, we need to know the truth.”

  “She’s right.” Cindy glanced at me sideways. “What about that Norwood alpha? I’ve heard you put a spell on him, and he claimed you. He also tried to burn you at the stake.”

  “You guys.” Orla shook her head. “We shouldn’t bother Sienna with—”

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind answering their questions.” I sat up straighter, making a mental note to never let Cindy touch me. “It’s true. I cast a love spell on a Norwood alpha. He fell in love with me, and a Rocklin wolf wasn’t happy about it. When she came after me, I killed her, so now I’m a marked witch. And yes, I was almost burned at the stake.”

  “Damn,” one of the girls muttered, pushing aside her empty plate.

  “That doesn’t make sense.” Cindy looked at me with suspicion. “You don’t have any powers yet. How could you possibly cast a love spell and kill a wolf?”

  “Guess I got lucky.” I shrugged, hoping that was a good enough explanation. These witches seemed to know a lot about me. The less I said, the better.

  “Sienna didn’t get lucky,” Orla insisted as she grabbed some sliced strawberries from the fruit bowl. “She’s the daughter of a High Council witch, and that makes her powerful. The binding spell’s fading and soon, she’ll have her powers.”

  “We know about the binding spell,” Cindy said. “It’s why we’re not allowed to use our powers on her. What I don’t understand is why Calandra bound her powers. If she’s your mom then—”

  “She’s not my mom. Marie Dinescu was.” No point in hiding the truth, no doubt they’d find out anyhow and accuse me of lying.

  “You’re descended from the Dinescu bloodline?” Cindy shook her head. “But there’s no mention of a baby in the lineage records.”

  “It’s true,” Orla said. “My father told me last night. Calandra saw everything in a vision. Sienna’s from the Dinescu bloodline, and her father was Cyprian Georgescu. She’s a direct descendant of two High Council witches. She’s the Lost Raven in the prophecy.”

  “Well, that explains how you cast a love spell and killed a wolf,” one of the girls
said. “Only someone from a powerful bloodline could use magic without realizing.”

  “You need to be careful,” Cindy said, lowering her voice. “The Dinescu bloodline’s powerful, and some might try to exploit your powers. They say it was a Dinescu witch who created the wolf shapeshifters.”

  “What nonsense are you telling Sienna?” Rosella grabbed silverware and a plate from the end of the table and sat next to Orla. “That Dinescu witch story’s a rumor. No one really knows who created the shapeshifters.”

  “It’s not nonsense.” Cindy folded her arms, looking annoyed at Rosella’s interruption. “If she is the Lost Raven, she needs to watch her back. The wolves won’t be happy to hear she exists.”

  “I can’t be this Lost Raven in the prophecy.” I shook my head, refusing to accept what everyone believed. “She’s supposed to control all five elements, and I only have an affinity for air. To be honest, I’m not even sure if that’s true, but Calandra seems to think it is.”

  “You can’t invoke the elements while you’re under a binding spell.” Rosella placed pancakes and slices of strawberries on her plate.

  “I’d better get going. Julius is expecting me.” Cindy took her plate into the kitchen and then waved goodbye as she headed to the front door.

  Rosella looked at the other girls. “You two should leave now.”

  Without protesting, the two girls got up and left the dining room.

  “That was rude,” Orla said.

  “You know we can’t trust them.” Rosella poured syrup on top of her pancakes and looked over at me. “You can’t trust Cindy. She’d be the first to exploit your powers.”

  “Rosella,” Orla hissed, “you can’t badmouth everyone.”

  “Tell me I’m wrong, and I’ll keep my mouth shut,” Rosella said.

  Orla said nothing.

  “That’s what I thought.” Rosella glanced around. “Have you told Sienna my idea?”

  “Of course not.” Orla shook her head while shifting uncomfortably in her chair. “You know the High Council’s forbidden us from using our powers on her. If we get caught, my father will ground me for life.”

  “We break the rules all the time. This is no different,” Rosella said. “If we get caught, I’ll take all the blame.”

  “Well…” Orla let out a deep breath. “I’ll only do it if Sienna gives me permission.”

  “What are you guys talking about?” I asked.

  It sounded like Orla wanted to use her powers on me, and Rosella was willing to take the blame if they got caught. From their interaction yesterday, I’d assumed Orla and Rosella weren’t close. How wrong I’d been. They actually seemed friendly toward one another when no one else was around.

  “Remember what I told you yesterday about my powers?” Orla lowered her voice and continued, “Well, I’m able to cast fae spells by using my energy and pushing it onto others. It can help with ancient spells, like breaking ones laced with fae magic. Of course, there’s no guarantee I can break yours, but I can try if you want.”

  I nodded. The sooner the binding spell was broken, the better. “Can you break it today?”

  “No. I can’t do it until the next full moon, which is two weeks away,” Orla said. “It’s possible your binding spell might be gone before then, and we won’t have to.”

  “But if it’s not, then we should at least try.” Rosella took a bite of her pancakes, looking far too happy at the thought of breaking the rules. Then she put her hand out in front of her, holding it flat in the air.

  “No one must know,” Orla said as she put her hand on top of Rosella’s.

  “Agreed.” I placed on my hand on top of Orla’s and smiled.

  This was perfect. What could possibly go wrong?

  Chapter 9

  “It appears you weren’t lying when you told me you’d read all the books at Magickal Dreams. That will make your training much easier.” Calandra pulled two more books off the shelf and led me to a small round table. She sat, placing the books on top of the other three she’d already taken from the shelves. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Witchcraft came easy to Marie, and I’m sure you’ll do just as well.”

  Twenty minutes ago, I’d met Calandra inside the coven’s library, and she’d led me to this room in the back. While the library had carpet and lots of sunlight, this room had cement flooring and no windows, and it felt dark and drafty. To get inside, she’d used a key and whispered a word while pressing her hands against the door.

  “What do you call this room?” Sitting across from her, I glanced over at the oak curio cabinet tucked in the corner. Unlike the other bookcases, its glass doors were secured with padlocks. The shelves contained a collection of books, dolls, chalices, jewelry, and an assortment of glass bottles. Next to the curio cabinet, a door with five padlocks bore a sign that said, ‘Private.’

  “This is the High Council’s sanctum. It contains sacred books, grimoires, artifacts, and other things you’re not to touch. Never take anything out of this room unless a High Council witch gives you permission and don’t attempt to open the door. There’s an ancient spell on this entire room to prevent anyone from doing harm.” Calandra paused, tucking her black hair behind her ears. “It’s imperative you follow these rules. A warlock died when he ignored them.”

  “I get it. Don’t touch or take anything without permission.” I looked at her, wondering if she’d lied about the warlock dying. Sounded like she was trying to scare me.

  She pushed the stack of books toward me. “Start reading these today. They’re basic spells you’ll need to know along with customs, potions, and etiquette for sacred days. You should practice and learn the spells on your own.”

  “I thought you were actually training me.” Lowering my gaze to the books, I sighed. “You didn’t say anything about spending the day reading.”

  “I thought you liked to read.” Calandra’s eyes narrowed as she drummed her fingers on the table. “Nells said you loved to read. So, I figured you’d be happy.”

  “I do enjoy reading. It’s just that I thought we’d cast spells together.” I touched the top book’s spine and wiped smudges of dirt from the cover. The title, Spells for Higher Witches, took up the top half of the cover, and an embossed black tree sat below it. A tree that appeared to be blowing in the wind, its leaves trickling down on both sides. I opened the book and skipped ahead several chapters. “You want me to practice all these spells?”

  “No. Use your judgment on which spells to cast and memorize the useful ones. You’ll notice some of the spells are similar, but how you perform each one might be slightly different. Pay close attention and don’t be disappointed if spell casting proves difficult. Your powers are still bound.”

  “Where am I supposed to get these ingredients?” I ran my fingers down the list of items for a connection spell: blue candles, goblet, and jasmine incense. It’s not like I had any of that stuff sitting around. “How do I invoke the water element? This says I have to invoke it first, but it doesn’t explain how to do that.”

  “I don’t want you invoking any of the elements yet. We’ll work on that later. Just focus on spells without the elements. You’ll find most of these items in the Holdings Building or the garden. If you can’t find it, let me know, and I’ll get what you need.”

  Letting out a deep breath, Calandra rubbed the back of her neck. A blue shirt peeked from beneath her High Council robe, then disappeared when she sat up straight. “Don’t worry about the advanced spells book. It’s more of a reference to educate you about what witches are capable of. Once you get your powers and know the basics, we’ll practice advanced spells.”

  “Do you think I should memorize the words to invoke the elements?” I asked. “I remember one of the books at Magickal Dreams mentioned spells and words to invoke them.”

  “Very well, but don’t try to invoke them, especially the fire element. We don’t want you catching your room on fire.” She walked across the room, took a booklet off the bookshelf, and ha
nded it to me as she sat back down. “Read this. It explains the basic witchcraft symbols and how to invoke the elements. I’m counting on you to study hard and learn everything. The other witches learned how to harness their powers from an early age. You’re at a disadvantage, but that doesn’t mean you can’t surpass them. Just stay focused.”

  “Okay.” I added the booklet to the stack of books and groaned. This felt like high school all over again. At least there weren’t any tests.

  “You can do this, Sienna. I know you can. You have to trust me.”

  “Trust you?” I folded my arms and glared at her. I had things I wanted to say, questions I had to ask. “You need to cast a privacy spell on this room. Like the one you put on our living room.”

  “That’s not necessary.” She scowled. “All spaces belonging to High Council witches are private. There’s a permanent blocking spell on this room. It’s similar to the spell I used at the hospital but much stronger… What’s this about not trusting me? I might have lied about the prophecy when I said we’d already found the witch, but—”

  “I don’t care about the prophecy.” I shook my head. “You lied at the hospital. My mom never told you I’d found Marie’s grimoire and had played around with a love spell. You and I both know I never cast a love spell on Kaleb. Why didn’t you tell the High Council the truth yesterday?”

  “What exactly did you want me to tell them?” Calandra’s knuckles grew white as she clenched her fists on the table. “That an olden like Kaleb willingly claimed you as his mate? That he wasn’t under the influence of any kind of love spell? What do you think would happen to Kaleb if the Norwood pack found out about this?”

  “Are you saying he’s alive?” Tears stung my eyes.

  “I don’t know. No one knows where he is. For Kaleb’s sake, it’s best if everyone believes you cast a spell over him.”

  I wiped a tear from my cheek. “Tell me what Carter wanted.”