“Sorry about that. Now, hold out both your hands, and whatever you do, don’t move.” Orla opened another vial and poured a few drops into the hand she’d cut. Then she placed her hands on mine and closed her eyes while mumbling words I didn’t understand.
“Ow!” I grimaced as my hands scorched under hers and white smoke started to rise. As the smoke thickened, I held my hands as steady as I could, and eventually, the pain subsided.
“It’s working,” Rosella said from somewhere behind me.
Orla mumbled more foreign words, and then she opened her eyes. “Do you feel any different?”
“No,” I replied as she removed her hands from mine.
“Is that supposed to happen?” Rosella asked as she stood next to Orla, pointing at my hands.
“Damn.” Orla gasped, covering her mouth. “That shouldn’t be there. I’m sorry, Sienna. I didn’t mean…”
“It’s okay.” I stared down at the strange symbol burned into the hand she’d cut. Although it didn’t look good, the pain was bearable. But how would I hide it from everyone, especially the High Council? “I’m sure it’ll go away. At least we tried.”
“I’m sure it worked,” Rosella said. “Maybe she should try invoking the elements. Try air first.”
“I’m not sure. What if something goes wrong?” Orla pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and held it up, squinting at the words. “I don’t understand. I did everything exactly as my mom said. And I even used pure fae blood, so I know it’s not that.”
“Did I drink fae blood?” I stared at the empty vial that I’d drunk from, hoping the answer was ‘no.’
“Well, yes.” Tears welled in Orla’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you, but I thought if it worked, you wouldn’t get upset because you’d have your powers.”
“It’s okay. I’m not mad,” I replied. “It was my decision to try this, but if we ever do something like this again, please tell me what I’m drinking.”
“I’m sure fae blood isn’t the worst thing Sienna’s ever drunk.” Rosella shoved a piece of paper in front of my face. “Read this to invoke the air element. Let’s see if it worked.”
“Thanks, but I don’t need your paper. I’ve memorized the invocations already.” I climbed down from the altar table and leaned against it. Closing my eyes, I took several deep breaths and whispered, “Hail to the Guardians of the East, of the power of air, I call upon thee. Come this way, I summon thee. As I will it, so shall it be.”
As a raindrop fell onto my cheek, I opened my eyes, then wiped it away. “I guess it didn’t work.”
“Sienna, your eyes,” Rosella said. “They’re bright blue.”
“That must be the sign. She said we’d know right away.” Orla tilted back her head and smiled up at the night sky, letting the rain drizzle onto her face. Then she lowered her head, looking confused. “Why is it raining? There’s not a cloud in the sky.”
“Who cares?” Rosella held the bag above her head as thunder boomed in the distance. “We need to go.”
“I can’t go back if my eyes are—” I fell to the ground, clutching my chest as it burned.
“Are you okay?” Rosella touched my shoulder. “Sienna, you’re burning up.”
I gasped, struggling to breathe as the burning sensation spread throughout my body. My hands heated again as if on fire, and the symbol glowed.
“The binding spell must be breaking. We need to get back. She has too much power coming out.” Orla pulled Rosella toward the golf cart. “Don’t fight, Sienna. Embrace it.”
As I sat up and pressed my back against the altar table, thunder rumbled across the sky and rain poured down. The tiki torches went out, plunging me into darkness as the symbol sizzled on my hand. A searing pain shot through my chest, and I screamed.
This had been a mistake. A huge mistake. The High Council had wanted to let the spell run its course. Why had I thought removing it sooner was a good idea? I should have said no. Instead, I found myself sitting alone, wet and in pain, with fae blood in my stomach.
“Sienna,” Orla called out, but it was too dark to see them, and I could barely make out the golf cart’s headlights.
I slowly got to my feet as the rain stopped and the burning sensation faded. Glancing down at my hands, I was relieved to see the symbol had disappeared. Was it finally over?
“You look like crap.” Rosella pointed a flashlight at me. “At least your eyes aren’t bright blue anymore.”
“We need to take her to the Healing Place.” Orla wrapped an arm around me, holding a flashlight in her other hand.
“Are you crazy? They’ll ask questions,” Rosella said.
“She’s burning up,” Orla insisted. “You and I both know this thunder and rain didn’t appear out of nowhere. She tried to invoke the air element but summoned water instead. Something’s not right.”
“I feel fine.” I showed them my hand. “Look, you did it. The symbol’s gone.”
“See, she’s fine,” Rosella said. “You broke the spell. If she’s still burning up in a few hours, we’ll take her then.”
I stumbled against Orla, weak and unsteady on my feet.
“She’s not fine.” Orla helped me to the golf cart.
“My mom’s going to be so mad.” Rosella tossed her bag into the golf cart before jumping into the driver’s seat.
“Seriously, guys. I’m tired and just need to rest.” I sat in the cart and rested my head on the seat. “Take me back to my bedroom. I’ll shower and go to sleep.”
Orla, who’d sat behind me, reached over the back of the seat and touched my forehead. “We’ll say we were out having fun, and she passed out.”
“If we’re doing this, we must to get our story straight.” Rosella turned the golf cart around and drove back toward the street. “Do you hear us, Sienna? We were out having fun, and you passed out.”
“Just take me to Hale House.” I yawned, closed my eyes, and smiled. Now that I had my powers, I was one step closer to learning what had happened to Kaleb and figuring out a way to stop this prophecy from coming true.
Chapter 13
My eyes fluttered open to an unfamiliar room filled with flowers and balloons. A chair to the left of the bed stood empty, but Rosella and Orla occupied a couch on my right. I must be in the Healing Place. Hadn’t we agreed coming here was a bad idea?
“Well, he does have nice hair, so that’s one point, but he’s not good at casting spells,” Rosella said as she wrote in a notebook. “That’s minus ten.”
“Okay, but he gets points for looking sexy in his swimming trunks,” Orla said.
“We’re not giving him points for sexy abs.” Rosella rolled her eyes. “Sienna’s not going swimming with him. It’s a lunch date.”
Lunch date with a guy who had sexy abs? That did not sound good.
“What are you guys doing?” I asked. My voice sounded hoarse.
They hurried to my side, big smiles on their faces.
“You look great.” Orla touched my arm. “Doesn’t she look great?”
“Yeah, you don’t look too bad.” Rosella glanced at the closed door in the corner of the room before lowering her voice. “You passed out in the golf cart. That’s why we brought you here. It’s the Healing Place. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I coughed, glancing at the notebook in Rosella’s hand. It had a list of names with numbers beside them. “What’s that?”
“We’ve taken it upon ourselves to pick your date for the Lughnasadh Feast. We didn’t know when you’d wake up, and it’s only a few days away. You have to decide by tonight. The other witches are mad because the warlocks are holding off to see who you pick before they ask anyone else,” Rosella said.
“Are you sure I can’t get out of it?” I groaned. Having witches pissed at me was not what I needed.
“I guess you could fake being sick. The High Council’s already worried about you passing out,” Orla said.
“She’ll do no such thing,” Grace said as
she opened the door and walked into the room. “All those young men showing up with flowers and balloons. I’m sure you can pick one you could tolerate for a few hours.”
“Yes,” I mumbled. Several guys had introduced themselves to me at the library this week, but I hadn’t taken the time to get to know any of them. Maybe I should let Rosella and Orla pick a date for me. They certainly knew the warlocks better than I did.
“It’s good to see you’re awake,” Boris said as he entered the room with Calandra following close behind.
Rosella and Orla sat on the couch and crossed their legs, not daring to look at any of the High Council witches.
“Let’s get started.” Grace hit a button on the side of my bed, lifting the top half of the bed to move to a comfortable sitting position.
“Sienna, we know you’re tired, but we need answers,” Calandra said as Grace sat in the chair. “How are you feeling?”
“I feel great except for my throat, and I’m hungry,” I replied and was surprised they weren’t waiting for Julius and Ava to show up. Although I’d rather be questioned by three of the High Council witches than all five.
“Can you tell us what happened?” Boris asked, a worried look flitting across his face.
I didn’t dare look at Rosella and Orla. How much trouble were we in for taking the golf cart? Or had they kept that a secret too? Probably best to be vague. We didn’t want anyone to find out what happened at the First Altar. I certainly didn’t trust the High Council. “We were hanging out, and I got hot. It felt like my insides were burning. It started raining and…I guess I passed out. Does this mean the binding spell’s gone?”
“It looks that way.” Boris glanced at Orla as he tried not to smile. “I can see your aura now. It’s deep red. You’re a survivor, and with the proper training, you could be a High Council witch one day. Marie and Cyprian would be proud.”
“Is he right?” Calandra folded her arms while glancing sideways at Grace. “Is the binding spell gone?”
“Yes.” Grace clasped her hands together on her lap. “She’s not blocking me, and she doesn’t trust the High Council.”
“What?” I glared at Grace, anger surging inside. She’d read my thoughts, and I hadn’t felt a prickling sensation. I’d felt absolutely nothing.
Damn.
I coughed, feeling hot all over. It felt the same as last night, except—
On the table, a yellow vase with blue carnations shattered, sending water and shards of broken vase onto the floor.
“Sienna,” Calandra snapped. “Control yourself.”
“What are you talking about?” As I looked at her in confusion, another vase shattered. “I’m not doing that.”
“You’re telekinetic like Marie,” Calandra said. “You must—”
Another vase shattered.
“She doesn’t understand.” Orla rushed to my side. “Your anger is tied to your power. Until you’re trained, you have to control it. Just close your eyes and think calming thoughts.”
“Guess it’s lucky I brought cookies.” Garrett appeared in the doorway, holding a pink box in his hand. He glanced at the broken vases and grinned at me. “I see you’re already showing off your powers.”
“Garrett.” I smiled, and the burning sensation ceased. I’d never been so happy to see him.
“I need to test your telekinetic abilities tomorrow,” Calandra said. “Please try not to get upset until then.”
Garrett stepped aside as Calandra and Boris walked out of the room. Not long after, a woman in a white lab coat entered with a towel, bucket, and basket. She placed the flowers from the floor in the basket and cleaned up the mess.
“Sorry about that,” I mumbled.
“It’s not a big deal. Things like this happen.” She placed the basket of flowers on the table and left the room.
“Sienna, I’m glad you’re okay.” Grace stood and leaned forward, being careful not to touch me as she whispered in my ear, “Stay away from the First Altar. It’s not safe for a witch who can’t control her powers.”
I bit my lower lip, stunned she hadn’t told Boris and Calandra about us going to the altar.
“Don’t forget to choose a date for the feast.” Grace walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
“Well, at least they believed us,” Rosella said as Orla sat next to her, and they both looked at the notebook.
“Believe what?” Garrett’s eyebrow rose as he sat in the chair and stared at his sister. “I heard you girls took the golf cart for a spin. What did you really do?”
“Nothing you need to know about.” Orla giggled and pointed to a name on the list. “What about him? They’d make a cute couple.”
I sighed, looking away from Orla and Rosella as they decided my fate. “What kind of cookies did you bring?”
“Your favorite, of course.” He opened the box and tilted it toward me. “Snickerdoodles.”
“You know me too well.” I took a cookie and ate it while staring at Garrett, wishing we could hang out more. I missed goofing around and watching movies together. “Thanks for visiting and for the cookies. I know how busy you are.”
“Nonsense. I’m never too busy for my Wolf Girl.” He nudged his head toward Rosella and Orla, who were giggling and whispering as they crossed names off their list. “What are they doing?”
“They’re picking my date for the Lughnasadh Feast.”
“That explains why the other warlocks have been asking questions about you. Rosella tells me gifts for you are turning up daily at Hale House. Looks like everyone’s trying to woo you.”
I smiled. “Sounds like you’ve been checking up on me.”
“Someone has to keep an eye on you.” He placed the box of cookies on the nightstand next to the bed. “I didn’t think you were going to the feast.”
“You heard Grace. They’re making me, and I have to pick someone today.” I grabbed another cookie. “I can’t wait to meet your girlfriend. Bet she’s pretty.”
“We all can’t wait to meet her,” Rosella said.
Garrett leaned forward and rested his elbows on the bed. “C’mon. You can tell me the truth. How are you feeling?”
“I feel fine. Just a little tired.” I finished eating the cookie and lay back against the pillow.
“Maybe I should come back later?” he asked.
“No.” I touched Garrett’s arm, remembering our three days together at Magickal Dreams. I always slept easier when he stuck around until I dozed off. “Can you stay until I fall asleep?”
“Of course.” Leaning back in the chair, he looked over at Rosella and Orla. “Why don’t you girls go eat lunch and finish your list? I’ll keep an eye on Sienna.”
“Okay, but don’t stay too long. She needs her rest,” Orla said.
“We’ll be back with a name. Don’t be afraid to kick him out if he talks your ear off.” Rosella opened the door and they left.
“I’m glad you’re getting along with my sister. She can be mean sometimes, but I’m sure you’ve noticed that the High Council children tend to stick together,” Garrett said.
“Yes. There seems to be a divide between the half-witches and purebloods, but everyone’s been nice to me. The coven’s much bigger than I expected. It’ll take me a while to learn all the buildings and where everything is.” I turned on my side, tucking my hands under my pillow as I faced Garrett.
“Well, the most important buildings are the Main Hall, the Healing Place, and the Holdings Building. The only house you need to know besides Hale House is Castor House. All of the cool warlocks live there.” He chuckled.
I smiled, loving how his blue eyes lit up. “I’m guessing you live in Castor House.”
“Yes, and you’re welcome to come by anytime.”
“That’s not a good idea. It might upset your girlfriend. Why didn’t you tell me about her?”
“Because…” He lowered his voice and continued, “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“What?” I should have
known it wasn’t true, not when he’d spent all that time with me. “Why does everyone think you do?”
“I hang out in town a lot, and my family kept asking questions about where I’d been. What was I doing? Who was I with? Questions like that. So I lied and told them I had a girlfriend. Now they’re insisting I bring her to the Lughnasadh Feast. It’s a complete mess.”
“That’s not a mess. I’m sure if you told them the truth, they’d understand.”
“Admit I lied? No way.” He took a cookie from the box and ate it. “You’re crazy for letting Orla and Rosella pick your date. You should let me decide which guy’s worthy.”
“It’s no big deal. It’s just a picnic for a few hours.” I yawned. “I’m sure they’ll find someone nice.”
“You’re forgetting about the Mabon Ball. Whoever you take to the Lughnasadh Feast usually goes to the ball with you too.” He took another cookie and pointed to the flowers around the room. “At least pick a guy who took the time to show he’s interested. I guarantee my sister hasn’t even checked any of the cards. C’mon. I’ll pick someone fun, charming, and good-looking. They’ll pick someone with muscles and nice hair.”
“There’s nothing wrong with muscles and nice hair. Besides, I need someone who only sees me as a friend.” I smiled at Garrett. He was fun, charming, and good-looking. He also had nice hair and muscles, and we got along great. Unlike the other guys, he wouldn’t try for an end-of-date kiss. He was the perfect date. “You should take me.”
He laughed. “That’s a terrible idea.”
“Why?”
“My family’s expecting me to bring my girlfriend. I can’t show up with you.”
“You could say you broke up with her,” I insisted. “It’s perfect.”
“That won’t work. I promised my dad he’d meet my girlfriend, so I’m inviting one of the girls from town.”
“Your sister won’t be happy, and I bet your dad’s expecting you to bring a witch. Why don’t I pretend to be your girlfriend?” I blurted out before I’d given the crazy idea any thought. Me and Garrett pretending to date? Could that work? “Just no kissing.”
“No one would believe you’re my girlfriend.” He scratched his chin, eyeing me. “I’m sure you know by now I’m only half-warlock. The daughter of two High Council witches would never date someone beneath her.”
Romani Magic (Shifter Blood: Romani Curse Book 3) Page 8
